Concreted plasma fire shot from the barrels of the HYDRA agent's assault weapons the shots cauterizing the skin of the UN security agents as more of the green armoured terrorists dragged a struggling man of around fifty out of the glass fronted building, their two commanders flanking the hostage so that everyone knew who was in control of the situation.
"It might be difficult to extract the target Madame Hydra." one of the agents told the woman with long green hair, clad in a tight lycra bodysuit, the seemingly soft fabric concealing a layer of Kevlar thick enough to stop most small arms rounds.
"If we can't extract him then you have permission to execute the target." The woman announced as a VTOL emblazoned with the skull and tentacles insignia circled around looking for a place to land as the remaining HYDRA agents setup defensive barricades around the plaza, effectively creating a no-fly zone around the landing site.
"Looks like we'll get out without any problems." The second commander stated, his face coved with a skull like mask, his body clad in thick ballistic armour as he looked down the MG3's holographic sight as the VTOL begun it's final descent. "The German's don't have heros like the Avengers back home." he joked. Streaking across the sky a missile headed straight towards the VTOL, the pilot slipping away from the lock and ejecting a set of flares that glowed bright white against the neon yellow and blue haze that lit up the plaza. Looking up Viper and Crossbones saw a man silhouetted against the glow of the flares, a man carrying a shield on his back as he threw away the M72 LAW that he had fired the missile from.
"Captain America?" Crossbones said his voice an equal measure of surprise about he attack and eagerness to lock blows with his mortal enemy. Leaping from the roof of the UN building the figure landed with a thud before pulling the shield into position as the HYDRA agents opened fire. Undercover of the shield the hero advanced to the nearest barricade before shield bashing the first agent revealing himself to the terrorists. Clad in Kevlar weave armour with cast of titanium plating from a Leopard 2 Tank, the man extended a flexible riot baton, the end sparking with electricity as he peered through the visor attached to the ornate, almost medieval helm he wore.
"My mistake just somebody in a suit." Crossbones sneered. "Go," he told Viper, "I'll deal with the impostor." he finished attaching a fresh chain of bullets to the MG3 before firing the weapon as the hero raised his shield, a large titanium coated model modified from a riot control model for heavy duty. It was to heavy for most men to lift but its owner carried it around one handed as if it weighed almost nothing. Ploughing through the hail of bullets the hero reached Crossbones who tossed aside the MG3 and attempted to rip the shield away only to receive a fully charged baton smash to the face causing him to stagger backwards. Aggressively he charged, this time carrying a knife, the end reflected off the shield as he was flipped over the top and landed the other side on his belly. His opponent turned as Crossbones aimed a kick at his less armoured back, the blow causing him to stagger and drop the shield, as Crossbones picked up the spent bandolier of machine gun ammo and attempted to throttle him. With a swift couple of blows followed up with a stun baton slash, Crossbones lay on the floor gasping as the VTOL touched down and Viper dragged the hostage into the large troop bay.
"Who the hell are you?" Crossbones gasped.
"The name's Landsknecht, HYDRA scum, don't forget it." The man announced as he ran towards the VTOL as a pair of enemy agents begun to close the VTOL's doors. Picking up the pace Landsknecht reached the VTOL just as it lifted off, leaping onto the back ramp, the door sealed by a computerized lock, before tapping his helmet. "Mission Support this is Landsknecht I need you to unlock an electronic lock, standard HYDRA Transport issue."
"Unlock protocol is being sent, arrival in five seconds." Support announced, her voice distorted by an masking programme just in case any unfriendly ears were listening in on communications. With a hiss the door opened revealing five HYDRA agents, Viper and the hostile bound to one of the troop racks. Acting quickly Landsknecht threw his baton striking one of the HYDRA agents knocking him to the floor as the other three opened fire as Viper wrapped a whip around his throat. Dodging the blasts Landsknecht closed the distance and swiftly disarmed the agents before turning to Viper who was dragging the hostage towards the piloting compartment.
"Don't even try it." Landsknecht told her, "As a member of the Federal Republic of Germany I order you to surrender and land this craft at the nearest convenient area." he ordered. Viper cracked a wicked smile and removed the whip before kicking the hostage onto his knees before pulling out a slim matte black pistol. As she fired Landsknecht pushed the hostage away before delivering a swift mule kick to Viper, knocking her into the pilot's cockpit, the crew door slamming shut after her.
"If you want him so badly." Viper hissed over the ship's intercom, "Then take him." she added. There was a sudden lurch and a creaking sound before the sound of jets engaging as the cockpit rocketed away, now separated from the host ship, leaving the bulk to fall away. Grabbing the hostage, Landsknecht headed for the rear door, he felt duty bound to save the unconscious HYDRA agents but the mission parameter were clear, rescue the hostage and if possible bring in the bad guys, With orders pushing him on, not to mention the bullet stinging in his shoulder he leapt, plummeting down towards the bustling streets of Berlin, the remains of the VTOL out pacing him before crashing into one of the jutting out skyscrapers. Landsknecht fell further, for what seemed like an age before slamming back first into the pavement, luckily his armour and enhanced durability protected him and the hostage who was locked in his arms.
"Command the HVI is secure, I repeat the HVI is secure and reasonably unharmed." he announced as the sounds of sirens could be heard racing towards the burning VTOL and to reclaim the HVI and take him to get extensive medical checks, the screen froze as the bald man in a military uniform pressed the remote before addressing the military officers that sat in the darkened room.
"I'm sorry Coronal Schmit but this operation only proves my point." a man at the front of the group announced, "Captain Klein failed his mission."
"How did he fail General." Schmit spat, "He performed well within mission parameters, "He saved the American Premier, he captured a dozen HYDRA agents and Brock Rumlow AKA Crossbones. You could say he exceeded the mission parameters, just as he has been doing since the 1980s back when he was created."
"I don't doubt his abilities, Landsknecht has brought in criminals such as Bone Crusher, Chemical Alyson and the Huntsmaster, all of whom posed a threat to our society. The problem is he should have been able to bring down both Crossbones and Viper. It is the failure to capture both of them that has convinced the oversight committees decision to withdraw funding from Project Ziel." The General announced, "As of now all operatives are offline and will be distributed among the armed forces to where they can serve the most effectively."
"That is a bad idea General Koning, you know it and I know it, hell everyone on this airbase knows it. Situations like this are becoming more common, not just here but across the world. When Project Ziel is gone, who will, regular army forces can't handle these threats we have to keep the operation alive." Schmit announced, "We should be making our agents work together instead of sending them in solo against these threats."
"I'm sorry but the committee has spoken, there is nothing any of us can do to stop this." Koning told Schmit, "Your dismissed Coronal, and I don't want to hear any more of this do you understand me."
"Yes Sir." Schmit growled before heading out of the room and down the corridors. As far as he was concerned the Oversight Committee had made another classic mistake regarding something they knew nothing about. Walking over the connecting bridge to the Project Ziel building he saluted the guard at the gate before waving his ID card. With a nod the guard admitted him and Schmit headed inside, the building as new and had barley any dust or cobwebs despite the limited amount of personnel that had clearance to enter, or maybe it was because of this. The place was deserted, only one light was on and it gave Schmit a clue of where to go as he stalked along the corridors. Knocking on the door he was answered by a gruff. "Come in." Opening the door, Schmit saw the man he was looking for sitting at the computer terminal viewing the same footage he had been watching earlier. Swivelling around on the chair he faced the coronal, blue eyes boring through him, an unhappy face looking back.
"Joseph, how's the shoulder." Schmit asked.
"It will recover, they pulled a .44 calibre round from it, I asked if I could keep it." Joseph announced, "It must have been coated with an unknown armor penetrating chemical because it punched through 11mm of armour plating and a Kevlar armour weave to embed in my shoulder." He announced waving at the puncture plate of armour that was attached to his Landsknecht armour standing next to his bed.
"Joseph you may here some things in the coming days, bad things I want you to know that I will always support you and the others in Project Target no matter what." Schmit announced.
"There closing down the project aren't they." Joseph stated, "The Oversight Committee have been swayed by Koning's argument to remove meta agents from the military."
"It seems likely, from what I just heard they didn't need too much convincing." Schmit admitted, "You will most likely have a performance review and then be sent back to the mainstream armed forces along with the others."
"So much for the hero's of Berlin." Joseph said whimsically, "I fought from 1984 to 2006 locking up spies and costumed criminals all because I was chosen to receive the re-mastered Super Soldier formula reverse engineered from a willing donor. I was meant to be Germany's answer to Captain America, a symbol to lift the dark curtain of the past from our nations shoulders. I guess that counted for nothing when Koning bribed the committee."
"Well it means something to me and a lot of people both here and dotted around the country." Schmit announced, "We all knew when Koning took the position that our days were numbered, I'm surprised that we lasted a year and a half after that communist bastard's Iron Fist." he looked at Joseph, "I assume you won't tell him my thoughts." he asked sheepishly.
"I have no desire to please him." Joseph announced
"Then I can trust you with what I'm about to tell you." Schmit said, "At least three members of the committee set up a contingency plan in case Project Ziel was shut down. After Kreiger retired they took me and a few other officers into their confidence, there is a facility set up for us to operate from, at least temporarily until Koning finds us and shuts us down permanently."
"And you intend to operate from this location." Joseph asked, "I would ask who else is involved in his mutiny."
"For the sake of security I can't tell you." Schmit announced, "If you are interested come to the old Stark Industries plant on the outskirts of Hamburg, we brought it off Tony Stark for a few million Euros after he left the arms market."
"I will be there." Joseph announced, "Is there anything I should know about for I arrive?" he asked.
"Not that I know of, just remember not to till anyone or else our short operation time will be reduced to only a few hours." Schmit warned, "Arrive at the main gate in civilian clothes and ask for me."
"Yes sir." Joseph replied as Schmit walked out of the door and down the darkened corridor before flicking open a mobile phone, the cover decorated with an olive green raven perching on a dead tree next to seven other birds, their plumage dark. "Yes this is Green Raven, we have an opportunity, yes if you can arrange something that would be beneficial. Yes regular pick-up point I understand. Goodnight." He finished throwing the phone away onto the floor before it burst into black flames, the phone's structure dissolving until only a pile of ash was left outside. "Project Ziel Mk 2 is online." he growled as he headed for the exit to the building.