All characters appearing in Captain America and other Marvel titles are copyrighted to Marvel Entertainment and Stan Lee, and are owned by the Walt Disney Corporation. All real persons mentioned in this story belong to themselves. No infringement of these copyrights or offense to the people mentioned is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder or persons. All original characters are the property of TVfan.
Note: This story is my sequel to "Civil War" in the Captain America section and takes place immediately after that story.
Initiative
By TVfan
Chapter 1: Prologues and Conference of Heroes
The Bronx, One Week After the New Avengers Came Together
Parker Robbins ran down a rather dark street trying to evade his pursuer. He had successfully knocked off a convenience store and was getting away with the money. However, just as he came out of it, he found himself being pursued by one of the various heroes that resided in New York City. The hero was alone and dressed a purple and green suit of armor with a purple cape… the Prowler.
"You know, I can understand the whole robbing a convenience store thing," the Prowler quipped as he glided down and cut Parker Robbins' escape off, "Really I can."
"Sure," Parker Robbins answered, half afraid.
"It's true," the Prowler answered, "lost my job… had nowhere else to turn… thought I was better then what I deserved… so I turned to crime, way back when."
Parker Robbins tried to punch him, hoping he'd do something to distract him and allow him to get away. The Prowler, however, only caught his fist in one gauntleted hand, pulled Parker Robbins to him, and then restrained the thug with his other hand.
"But a guy who's recently joined the Avengers showed me that I didn't have to do this for good," the Prowler answered, "that being better then I deserved didn't mean crime was my only alternative… though I still really don't have much choice. These streets are dangerous, and someone has to protect them from thugs like you…"
"So why the sob story, man?" Parker Robbins asked.
"Because I'm willing to give you a chance at something better, as well," the Prowler responded, "a good an honest life. One where you aren't in trouble with the law."
"Get bent!" Parker Robbins answered.
The Prowler only sighed.
"Have it the hard way," the Prowler sighed, and knocked him out with one punch to the face.
The Prowler then left Parker Robbins unconscious and tied to a lamp post. The money he tried to get away with was tied to his leg. The common thug began to regain his senses as the police arrived.
"Well, if it isn't our favorite crook," one of the policemen quipped as he and his partner approached him, "who did you try to rob today, Robbins?"
Parker Robbins didn't answer, and in the end it was the partner that did answer the first officer.
"Dispatch says a guy that Robbins fit's the description of robbed a convenience store a few blocks away," the other Policeman informed his partner, "and he appears to have run into one of the city's heroes."
"Stupid heroes," Parker Robbins grumbled, knowing that if the Prowler hadn't cut him off, he would have gotten away.
"Many of them may be stupid," the first policeman commented, "but at least they are trying to protect the honest citizens. You are not."
And with that, the normal thug, Parker Robbins, was taken into custody. His trial ended up being short and brief, though his sentence was reduced because he had been apprehended by a superhero rather then a police officer. But even that short time would leave lasting lessons for Parker Robbins to learn.
New York State Penitentiary, Two Weeks Later
Parker Robbins paced a relatively small area in the prison's main yard, trying to ponder some way to come out on top in the world. Something that would be quick, something that would allow him to be powerful for once. It was as he did this that a couple of other crooks there approached him.
"So, who brought you in?" the first of them asked.
"The Prowler," Parker Robbins grumbled, "I got taken down by the freakin' Prowler. Some second rate hero."
"It could be worse," the first commented, "Spider-Man got me… left me dangling from a lamp-post with a note that said 'loser' webbed to my chest. Guy got a kick off of beating me up."
"How can that be worse?" Parker Robbins questioned, "Spider-Man is a top level hero. Everyone knows about Spider-Man. Only guys in a few back alleys have even heard of the Prowler."
"Yeah, but guys like the Prowler are all business," the first guy grumbled again, "Spider-Man is nothing but a clown. He has no business fighting people doing REAL business."
"None of the heroes have a right interfering in business," came a new voice, making Parker Robbins turn to see an inmate who seemed more miserable then he was approaching him.
"Who are you?" Parker Robbins demanded, not knowing the man. The others he was with were common thugs that he had occasionally had run ins with on the street. This knew character looked like he was something more powerful then the average thug.
"Moses Jo," the man introduced himself, "Used to work for the Kingpin before he was taken down."
"And what do you want with us?" the second of Parker Robbins' comrades asked him.
"Merely to explain how things were… or how things are," Moses Jo answered.
"And no heroes have a right interfering in business?" the first of Parker Robbins' comrades asked.
"Yes," Moses Jo nodded, "long ago powerful men controlled everything. Men like the Kingpin were kings among men. They controlled who had power and who didn't. And they made a fortune and insured that normal thugs could make a good living. And then heroes decided to challenge that. They made honest governments that made laws that fought corruption. They looked for icons to symbolize their 'goodness' and they challenged everything that those who ran the show before they appeared."
Moses Jo then slowly approached them.
"Of course the men who had ruled before didn't like this and created their counter to the heroes," Moses Jo spoke, "and they had hoped that as a group, their villains could vanquish the heroes. Sadly for us, they failed. They found that most villains had to much of a 'me first' persona and were never able to sacrifice personal wants for long term success… and so the battle has waged. Some men like the Kingpin have done better then others when it comes to controlling powerful individuals, but even he couldn't manage if perfectly."
"So all heroes are responsible?" Parker Robbins asked.
"They are responsible for the fight," Moses Jo replied, "the fact that they've won for so long is because they somehow manage to keep themselves unified better then the villains have. It even extends into today's era with all these 'supers' about. The Avengers are a fairly stable team. Their lineup changes fairly frequently, but they all put 'protecting' the city or humanity, or the world above their own interests. The Masters of Evil, meanwhile, fail to stay together for long, and all too often they end up defeating themselves, rather then being outfought by the heroes."
"So they need a unified face… or someone who can unify them," Parker Robbins surmised.
"Yeah, just about everyone's tried," Moses Jo nodded, "Baron Zemo, the Kingpin, Norman Osborn, Doctor Octopus."
"You ain't thinking' of trying to control a bunch of freaks in tights, are you Robbins?" Parker Robbins second comrade asked, "cuz many of them are freaks, even if they are on our side."
"It'd be an interesting and noble goal to reach for, though," Parker Robbins quipped, "Imagine it, all the world's supervillians working together in a sort of union. Then as a group, strong organized crime bosses like the Kingpin couldn't bully any supervillian into taking 'minimum wage' and as an effective team… no superhero could ever take them."
Moses Jo nodded, "Of course, whoever this leader would be, he would NEED to be able to persuade a lot of different people to make personal sacrifices. As said, the heroes have won these battles because they can function as a group."
Parker Robbins nodded. It was a goal he wanted, though at present, it was unlikely that anyone could really do anything about it. Parker Robbins was just your ordinary thug. Smarter then most, but with no powers, no super villain would ever consider working for him.
The Bronx, Much Later
Upon his release from the New York State Penitentiary, Parker Robbins continued to mull over what he had learned in his previous encounters and the ideas that Moses Jo had given him. A sort of union for super villains to use against organized crime bosses who tended to underpay those who did the bulk of their work and the heroes who when faced with a tougher opponent, seemed to team up against that villain.
And from recent events, Parker Robbins believed that something like that had recently happened. Some sort of 'alien entity' carrying the powers of mutants who had lost their powers in M-Day had attacked the Earth, killing nearly all of Canada's Alpha Flight Team and nearly beat the Avengers. But, the Avengers managed to pull together and defeat their more powerful foe. And now they were looking at another powerful threat, the Red Skull with the powers of the Cosmic Cube.
"So many with powers," Parker Robbins grumbled at the television, "so many who use them to hold common guy down. Heroes… supposed 'big time' villains. How much has the Red Skull ever helped those who've served him."
"The answer to that is 'never'," a voice said seemingly out of nowhere, "the Red Skull operates in what are his best interests and in his battles with America's heroes specifically, he plays a complex game of 'chess'… sacrificing those who need to be sacrificed to make sure that the Skull wins the war."
Parker Robbins blinked in surprise. No one was in the shabby apartment with him, or at least he thought no one was with him.
"Who's there?" Parker Robbins demanded, looking around.
"A friend," the voice answered simply.
"And just what sort of friend barges in on me?" Parker Robbins demanded clenching his fists.
"A friend with GREAT power," the voice answered, sounding almost amused, "and I can help you gain what you want."
"How do you know what I want?" Parker Robbins questioned.
"Because I have great power," the voice answered, "power beyond the mortals that call your dimension home… and I can help you. This super villain union of yours… I can give you the power to create it… to make it work… and YOU will bring the world's heroes to their knees."
"You would give me power?" Parker Robbins asked, clearly tempted by this voices offer.
"Yes," the voice replied, "the power needed to hold respect among the world's super villains and to defeat any hero that may dare to tangle with you."
Parker Robbins thought about the offer. The power needed to make the better world… the idea that Moses Jo had given him in prison. All of it would be within his grasp. But then, something the voice had said about the character of the Red Skull made him wonder something.
"How do I know that I'm not some part of some master plan on your part?" Parker Robbins asked suspiciously, "that I'm not some pawn for you to sacrifice?"
"I will not lie in saying that you will factor heavily in MY plans," the voice answered, "but you are hardly going to be a pawn. To lose you will hurt me in ways you can never understand… and you have my word that when everything is over, you will hold a position of power in my kingdom and your 'union' will be free to profit off of the weak that you and they will rule over for me."
"You make this sound like some otherworldly recruiting session," Parker Robbins commented, "How am I to know WHO you are? For all I know you could be the Red Skull using the Cosmic Cube."
"He doesn't have the Cube," the voice corrected, "he has its power… and I am NOT that Nazi. For him, global conquest is a victory for his theories of racial dominance and hatred."
"And for you?" Parker Robbins questioned.
"A far more simple principle," the voice replied, "I am mighty, therefore I'm right. And I am offering you the chance of a lifetime. If you have second thoughts, I will find someone else."
"No wait!" Parker Robbins called after the voice, now beginning to wander his apartment, as if trying to pin down where the voice was coming from, "I'll take it… just show me who you are."
"Excellent," the voice replied, "enter your bathroom… and you will see me."
Parker Robbins slowly entered the dirty bathroom and looked into the mirror, and he gasped at what he saw.
Manhattan Rooftops, Shortly After Tony Stark Took Over S.H.I.E.L.D.
Countess Giulietta Nefaria, alias Whitney Frost, alias Madame Masque looked up from a rooftop at Avengers Tower where at present the Pro-Registration Heroes resided, lead by the one man she detested the most. Anthony Stark… Tony for short… the Invincible Iron Man. She had long dreamed of taking the armored Avenger on and exacting her revenge for his betrayals of her, and his failure to save her father, and most importantly for destroying her once beautiful face.
But that was a near impossible dream. She was a skilled gymnast, hand to hand combat expert, and skilled marksman, but that wasn't nearly enough to take on Iron Man. The guns that had the power to penetrate his armor were to powerful for her to control and since she didn't have super powers, she couldn't stand up to Iron Man's technology… and now Stark was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. thanks to Maria Hill's fanatical backing of the Registration Act. It would now be harder then ever to get at the man she loathed as only a rejected lover could.
"Ms. Masque," a low voice said from behind her.
She turned in surprise to see a lone man emerge from the shadows. He wore the pants and shirt of a rather common looking man, but he also wore a tattered red hood that hung over his face and served as a sort of cape behind him.
"Who are you?" Madame Masque demanded, drawing a gun, only to have him blast it away with a burst of lightning from his fingers.
"Please, Ms. Masque I am not here for a confrontation," the man answered, "You may call me the Hood."
"The Hood?" Madame Masque questioned.
"Yes," the Hood nodded, "It may not be much of a name, but the powers I hold now more then make up for it."
"What do you want?" Madame Masque wondered.
She had been in the game long enough to know that when villains dealt with each other, it was common for both of them to try and stab the other in the back. As that was all part of the plan. She had even done it multiple times before.
"The same thing you do," the Hood replied, "to bring down this country's heroes."
"Most of the rest of them are unimportant to me," Madame Masque replied, "all I want is Stark."
"But he is protected by the others," the Hood replied, "you'll never truly get at him alone… I've even heard rumors that he is working with Captain America to deal with the present threats made by the Red Skull."
"So, how do I figure into your plan to bring them all down?" Madame Masque questioned, "if they're all invincible together… and impossible to separate them, how do you plan to do it?"
"I plan to put together a union," the Hood smiled, "a union of super villains. But I will need help… particularly the help of one gifted strategist such as yourself."
"There are bigger names out there that are probably smarter then I," Madame Masque commented.
"Maybe, but they're too independent," the Hood replied, "the Red Skull has his vision of ruling the world. The Leader believes his brilliance can not be brought down to working WITH common thugs. Magneto, wherever he is, won't serve anyone. And the list will go on. I need someone who is both a good strategist and sees the truth that if we do not come together and cease these petty squabbles amongst ourselves, the heroes will always beat us."
"And how do you plan to do that? To get a bunch of independently minded people to work together?" Madame Masque questioned.
"It will take some money and some effort, but I'm sure they can be persuaded," the Hood shrugged.
"I'm afraid I can not provide much there," Madame Masque commented, "the Kingpin recently destroyed the Maggia in New York… and most that remain have sworn their allegiance TO the Kingpin, despite the fact that he's gone back to prison."
The Hood only laughed.
"With the heroes focused on a Nazi on his island and the government focused on crushing the heroes, for the moment, getting money will not be a problem," the Hood laughed.
And at this, Madame Masque found herself rather intrigued by what the Hood had to say. Though she would watch him fairly closely. She'd use him just long enough to kill Stark. From there, she'd leave him to his own devices, and if he managed to cobble together this 'union' of his, he wouldn't miss her anyway.
"So what do we do first?" Madame Masque questioned.
"For moment, search for a base that can function well out of sight," the Hood replied, "and then the REAL work will begin."
Kronas HQ, Siberian/Mongolian Border
Meanwhile a very different man from Parker Robbins was mulling over his own problems. He was Aleksander Lukin, the CEO of Kronas Industries and former General in the Soviet KGB. Much of the problems he was mulling over were started by him. He had planned to steal the Cosmic Cube from the Red Skull do use it to restore the old Soviet Union, but that mission had failed and cost him the USSR's greatest trophy of World War II, James Buchanan Barnes a.k.a. Bucky, alias, Winter Soldier. On top of it, he ended up with the Red Skull's mind in his head.
He had recently gotten the Nazi tyrant's mind out of his own, but that ended up in the Red Skull retaining the powers of Cosmic Cube and creating his Red Skull Reich in the middle of the Atlantic. Of course, some of that HAD to be done to get the Red Skull out of his mind, and Lukin was fully prepared to then take the offensive against the Red Skull, provided the western world would remember the evils of the Nazis and attack the freshly created island.
That failed. The Skull lied through his teeth and the American President believed every word. Since America did nothing to stop him and tacitly recognized the Red Skull Reich, America's European allies did nothing. The only ally he really had was Russia, but even with the Cosmic Cube to counter the Skull's powers, Lukin was concerned that the few Russian 'super soldiers' couldn't defeat the Red Skull. He had managed to work out a deal with Putin to allow Russia to begin arming itself advanced weaponry that could challenge America or the Red Skull in exchange for raw materials from Russia and a share in all the Russian mineral wealth near major Kronas facilities, but Lukin still knew that defeating the Red Skull would require the West's help. Far too many Soviets died defeating Hitler the first time, with what little help the Western Allies gave them. Russia couldn't take on the Red Skull alone… and so far, that was what it looked like.
"Excuse me, sir, your three thirty appointment is here," his secretary said to him over the intercom.
"I told you to cancel all my appointments! I need to think some things over!" Lukin answered.
He got no response from his secretary.
"Hello!" Lukin yelled into his intercom button.
Again he got now answer. He was about to yell again when his door opened letting two figures enter his office.
"I'm afraid that for the moment that your people are mentally on pause for the moment," one spoke to him.
Lukin did recognize both of them.
"You! I recognize the both of you!" Lukin gasped, "How many charlatans do I need to deal with it? First the Skull and now the two of you!"
"We are no charlatans, I assure you," the taller of the two figures spoke in a fairly arrogant tone, "we are merely in need of some help that you can provide."
"And why would I help you?" Lukin demanded.
"Because I can provide you with help in getting even with the ones that have betrayed all that you hold morally important," the taller figure answered.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lukin answered.
"Please," the taller figure almost laughed, "everyone knows your past. A Russian boy who lost his mother to the Red Skull's villainy and now that tyrant has sidestepped the legal processes that would surely sentence him to death. Even in Europe. It has to truly irk you to see civilization turn its back on itself, doesn't it."
"Yes," Lukin grumbled, "but I don't see how YOU fit in to this."
"I can help you punish those that have allied with the Red Skull," the taller figure said confidently.
"My concerns are only with the Red Skull for the moment," Lukin answered.
"Please, the Nazi himself is unimportant," the taller figure answered, "all he's really done is incarcerate himself on an island… one that will likely sink back into the Atlantic if he leaves it for too long."
"But he has the power of the Cosmic Cube!" Lukin countered.
"And as far as I have researched, the only way he could have gotten that was from the Cosmic Cube itself," the taller figure smirked, "and you were the last one to have possession of the Cube. I'd believe that you can defend your own interests well with the Cube…"
"The Cube and his powers have been altered so that they can not effect each other," Lukin grumbled.
"Then he can not attack you at all so long as you posses your Cube," the shorter figure commented.
"So your only problem is with those that have allied themselves with the Red Skull," the taller figure added, "crush them, and Kronas will be perfectly safe. And I can give you a plan that will do just that."
"And the Red Skull will be defeated?" Lukin asked.
"Isolated on his island as you take control of the world," the taller figure answered, "and unable to attack you because your cube can not be affected by his powers. He will live and die on that little island he's raised for himself."
"Very well," Lukin sighed, "and what is the price you're demanding of me for this help?"
"Just this," the taller figure answered handing Lukin a sheet of paper.
"This is…" Lukin gasped.
"Yes," the taller figure nodded, "I need your Cube to create it for me as obtaining the original will be too difficult."
"And what do you need with this?" Lukin questioned.
"I need it to defeat a personal foe that is not as beaten as many would think, because I have not destroyed him," the taller figure answered.
Lukin was silent for the moment. From what he knew of the taller figure, he only had ONE personal enemy, and with the Cosmic Cube in his possession, Lukin was privately sure that if that being ever attacked Kronas, he would bow before Lukin's might. However, if the taller figure was confident he could defeat the being he was referring to, Lukin was more then happy to let him do it. He had bigger fish to fry.
"Very well," Lukin answered as he reached into a drawer where he kept the Cosmic Cube, "but before I give you your sample, you will explain to me this plan that will defeat the Red Skull's allies."
The taller figure gave a confident smile.
"First you will need to manufacture some specialized amplifiers," the taller figure began, "or get them from somewhere. That I'll leave to you…"
A Bank in Hoboken, New Jersey
The scene that Iron Man flew into was one that almost resembled a war zone. The bank's security officers were badly burned by electricity, one policeman that had been quick to respond was being treated for a gunshot wound, and the bank's safe had been ripped open. Whoever had robbed it had decided to forgo trying to figure out the combination. The robber had simply ripped the giant heavy door out, partially pulling the entire safe out of the wall as well.
"How did this happen?" Iron Man asked in a low voice.
"I don't really know," the bank's chief of security answered, "this guy in a hood just appeared out of nowhere with some woman in a mask wrapped in his cape. He fired some blast from his fingers that disabled all of our electrical and communications systems… by the time I could get to a phone that could work to call you in… they were gone."
Iron Man looked over the scene. His sensors picked up large amounts of otherworldly energies, which men like Dr. Strange called magic, being left behind in the lobby. Like it was lingering there and didn't just 'magically' leave with the robber.
"Did your cameras catch anything before the guy took them out?" Iron Man asked.
"Not much," the bank's chief of security sighed, "come with me… maybe you'll get more out of them then I will."
Iron Man followed the man into his office, filled with the screens that normally showed what the security cameras showed. But since they had been destroyed in the robbery, they only showed static for the moment.
"Our recording equipment is in here actually, and while the guy's attack shut everything down, the stuff in here remained physically in tact," the bank's chief of security explained, "so the stuff that was recorded when they came in is still accessible."
Again Iron Man's sensors picked up the residual traces of otherworldly energy. The security man then pressed play and one of the screens showed what one of the cameras had caught. One was of a male he didn't recognize. He wore a hooded cape that kept his face hidden and it seemed to be in tatters, but the other person was all too well known to him Madame Masque. After being on camera for a few seconds, lightning erupted from the man's fingers and hit nearly every person in the room and took out the cameras.
"That is all we have," the bank's security chief sighed, "can you do anything with that?"
"I can identify the woman," Iron Man sighed, "the man is a complete unknown, and if magic is involved, both of them could be anywhere by now. It will take awhile to track them down… and potentially more heroes then myself to bring the man down."
"And the woman?"
"On her own I can capture her easily," Iron Man sighed, "it is the man that is the odd card in the hand. The wild card if you will."
"But you will try to get them?" the bank's chief of security asked, "right?"
"Of course," Iron Man nodded, "I'll have a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents begin doing some of the grunt work to assist the police. Perhaps they can even get a few leads for me to follow up on."
"Thank you, Iron Man," the bank's chief of security answered.
The whole thing was a nightmare, particularly for the Avengers. The old team had been destroyed by Wanda's mental breakdown. The loss of too many good friends plus the destruction of Avengers Mansion, among other things, cost them all the ability to stay together, and the world was still dealing with the consequences of destruction of the 'old' Avengers. Tony tended to think of those teams as the Classic Avengers, but they were still gone and the problems caused by the destruction of that team were still there.
The 'New' Avengers had only just been formed as a result of the breakout started by Electro. And now that team was broken up thanks to the Red Skull and the Registration Act. Cap and a fair number were underground in resistance against the Act. Spider-Man had been sent on a secret mission by Maria Hill, and had not yet returned. The Sentry, while registered, remained in his tower, presumably watching over things.
And now an unknown male super villain, who from what little footage of him that there was, looked like he could beat up Thor had appeared on the scene. The stress that the country and the Avengers were feeling couldn't hold for long under this kind of pressure. As Iron Man rocketed away to begin coordinating some search for this new villain, one lone thought went through his head.
"Come on, Cap," Iron Man sighed, "we're all running out of time."
Avengers Tower, Shortly After the Defeat of the Registration Act
Cap's victory in court brought about a great relief to the superhero community. The Red Skull's plan for a civil war was thwarted and America's heroes were safe from being enslaved for the moment. This would allow the Avengers that had gone underground to come back to the Tower, and the Avengers would be able to deal with the multitude of problems that still had to be faced.
Not all of these problems were super villain caused though, and Tony knew that. There were legitimate reasons for the Registration Act and good things it could have done, but Hill and the government took it to a point of maintaining power which would have only made things worse. And now, the superhero community would have to do something before something worse somehow made it into law. Tony hoped they could come up with some system that would work.
As he entered the main conference room, Tony looked out to see the faces of those there. Cap, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Hank Pym, Wasp, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, the Thing… just about every major superhero was present.
"Thank you all for coming," Tony spoke as he sat down beside Cap at a long conference table.
The others nodded.
"We have much that needs to be done, and likely not much time to do it in," Tony began, "as I'm sure you're all aware, Cap recently defeated the Red Skull's plan for all of us to fight each other in a superhero civil war…"
"And now we pound that skinhead, right?" Luke Cage asked.
"Actually, no," Tony sighed heavily and braced himself for what was coming.
"WHAT?" Cap protested, "he's quite possibly the most evil man to ever walk this Earth and we're going to let him go free?"
"Ultimately no, but for the moment, he's given us problems to deal with that go beyond him," Tony sighed, "the Skull played to legitimate fears that the government had, and while you beat the Skull's plan… that doesn't mean there aren't matters that need to be dealt with. Matters that don't involve the Red Skull."
"Like what?" Susan Richards, the Invisible Woman, wondered.
"The issues that the Red Skull manipulated to try and get us to have a superhero civil war," Tony Sighed.
"The Registration Act?" Luke Cage asked, "Cap beat that!"
"Yes," Tony nodded, "Yes, he did. But everyone should know that the government is not going to give up. They're in a tight position because those voted for the Registration Act are being voted out in the present election cycle, but not ALL of them were up for election this year and Vice President is still insisting on a new Registration Act be voted on."
That earned a collective shudder from nearly everyone there.
"I can not believe that man," Cap sighed, "I can not believe him."
"And he does still have supporters in the government," Tony nodded, "which means that there is still a pile of proverbial dynamite that we are all sitting on at the moment. One moment… one incident… and Cap's victory and the recent elections could give us problems that are far worse then what the Skull forced."
"And what can we do?" Hank Pym asked, "the government wanted a draft… and that is putting thing things lightly."
"Not a draft," Cap answered, "enslaved, "they wanted to enslave us all to control us.".
"And the Vice President still wants to do that," Tony answered, "and while legally speaking, Cap defeated that and the Registration Act there isn't much that can be done form try into to start it again through some revised version of it."
"Then what can we do?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"We work to regulate ourselves rather then let the government regulate us," Tony spoke, "rather then let things go bad, we work to try and protect ourselves and to move forward."
"Not everyone is going to go along with that," Peter Parker, Spider-Man, spoke up, "I mean they all wanted us to follow them like they knew our villains better the we did and nearly practically insulted man y of us when we tired to help."
"Maria Hill's politics," Tony nodded, ""it's what's going to make our entire position rough, "it's why we need to change how we have done things."
"So what will we do to regulate ourselves?" Cap asked, "to to make sure that we are defended against the possible mistakes that could be made?"
"Knowing full well that not everyone's gonna unmask themselves," Luke Cage added, "cuz' I ain't."
Tony looked to Hank and Reed and sighed.
"Unmasking may be part of it… but considering how Hill and the government ran it… I would have to agree, the heavy handed approach will not work," Tony commented, "I will still say that it is of my preference that every hero 'register' as it were, but I'm not about to force anyone… when all that would be gained from it is a fight."
"I'm not sure if I can really go along with this," Peter commented, "what the Skull did forced some pretty big changes on MJ and I and how we operate… removing the mask isn't something that can easily be done…"
"True," Hank nodded, "but we can't just trust the government to trust us to do the right thing. The fact that the Registration Act was past and that Hill and the government carried it as far as they did proves it. We need to do more then just wear masks and beat up bad guys."
"We need to show the people that we protect that we are willing to restrain ourselves," Reed added, "we need to show them that were aren't an aristocracy of spandex wearing nobles thinking ourselves better then them… it would tend to make them jealous."
"So your solution is to willingly enslave yourself to the government?" Luke Cage challenged.
"They don't trust us, Luke," Hank Pym argued, "you can't expect them not to want some control over their lives. They don't trust us to monitor ourselves. It's probably why the Registration Act was passed so easily in the end. They figured they would be able to gain some control over their lives by insuring that we weren't running around unsupervised."
"After all we've done for them," Wolverine grumbled, "after all that we've done, they stab us in the back."
"What about someone knew though?" Tony then spoke up, "I'm sure they trust established heroes to a certain extent. Shoot, Hill originally wanted Cap to lead the Registration effort. The fact that he was able to see through the Red Skull's plot and refused is probably what made her get as fanatical as she did… but not every hero has Cap's clout…"
"Or support," Peter grumbled, drawing eyes toward him. He then groaned, "Oh come on… surely you've all read a Daily Bugle, 'Spider-Man: Menace', 'Spider-Man: Murderer', 'Spider-Man: Villain or Menace?', and my personal favorite, 'Reward for Spider-Man's Secret Identity', which now isn't so secret."
"And having us all go public and work as good little S.H.I.E.L.D. agents is going to solve our problems?" Luke Cage questioned.
"I doubt it really," Tony sighed, "because of the fact that the bad guys are going to be less willing to abide by any code of decency then anyone… but we need to do something…"
"For what?" Wolverine asked.
"The Avengers as a team," Tony sighed, "the shining light of all that is good. The champions of the innocent… do I need to go on?"
"Don't we have that already though?" Peter wondered, "the New Avengers?"
"The Red Skull successfully destroyed that team by revealing the political weaknesses our country has when it comes to superheroes," Tony sighed, "the government wanted to control us… which those of us on the Pro-Registration side didn't want… and the people want to be protected, but don't feel safe the way things were done in the past. We need to prove to them we are still there to protect them."
There was an awkward silence for a moment as everyone was thinking the issue over. It was Cap who finally spoke up.
"Perhaps we could use two teams," Cap spoke up, searching for a compromise between the two camps.
"Two teams?" Tony turned to him.
"Yes," Cap nodded, "I doubt that many of the heroes that sided with me through the Registration Act are going to suddenly become S.H.I.E.L.D. agents because its been defeated… and I doubt we can really convince you to fully agree with us. The one thing I would hope we can do is work together for the common good."
"That might not be a bad idea," Hank Pym commented, "after all, the Old Avengers commonly had an insanely huge rooster of active members… though not all of them went on missions. Why not the New Avengers now? Cap and Iron Man can lead the two teams. Cap's team can largely go the way they've always gone while Tony's team will work with S.H.I.E.L.D. as official agents and both teams can work together if something big enough comes along that more then one team would be needed."
There were some nods at that from nearly everyone.
"That might work," Tony mused, "though there are some things that as the new Director S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm going to have make some sort of statement of what I'm in support of or in opposition to… and for the most part, all of us will need to put up with some self imposed regulation."
"Why?" Luke Cage wondered.
"So that we don't make things worse," Tony answered, "but Cap does have a good idea. The 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' team can present to the people that we are willing to make sacrifices to help train new and untrained heroes while Cap's team can present the picture that there is nothing to fear from experienced heroes… hopefully it will ease their fears on the issue."
The others nodded.
"I'm with Cap, though," Luke Cage spoke.
"So am I," Peter nodded, "I have no desire to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent after Hill partnered me with one of my worst enemies and sent me running after an organization that was already beaten… and making me miss the birth of my children besides."
"So am I," Jessica Drew, Spiderwoman, added.
"As am I," Wolverine commented, "though, you will all have to remember that I also share duties with the X-Men."
Cap slowly nodded as it looked like most of the New Avengers were going to be on 'his' team.
"I'm willing to help you, Tony," the Sentry spoke from where he stood.
Tony blinked and then looked up to see the long haired blonde superhero there. He then nodded.
"Ms. Marvel?" Tony spoke to her.
"Yeah, Tony?" Ms. Marvel looked up from where she'd been listening to everything.
"It would appear that Cap has his team ready," Tony said slowly, "I will need your help in picking who will be on the Avengers: Red Team."
"Red team?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"To be paired with Cap's Avengers: Blue Team," Tony commented, "mostly based off the primary colors of our uniforms. Cap's is mostly blue while my armor is mostly red."
Ms. Marvel then nodded.
"And how will this work?" Reed asked, "Two separate teams? Tony, working with S.H.I.E.L.D. might be the only way we can solve the problem of people not trusting us. How can two teams, one of which not tied to S.H.I.E.L.D. do better then one?"
"Cap's team won't be completely separate from S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony sighed, "I fully intend to put a published list of the non-Registered heroes in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files along with a ranking showing what levels of training they will need. People will have full access to the list and those that don't come into S.H.I.E.L.D. will be fully accountable…"
"There's a good many though that are well established don't really need to be trained," Luke Cage pointed out.
Tony nodded, "and when the people see that, hopefully, they'll see that a lot of the fervor for Registration and control that the Red Skull stirred up was unnecessary. Shoot, Cap would be on both the list of Registered and non-Registered heroes because he went public with his own identity shortly after the Nine-Eleven attacks. And out of all of us, he's probably the best trained for superhero work."
"I'm sure there are others who are just as well trained as I am, Tony," Cap commented.
Tony nodded, "the big issue with the system is to set up an organization that we can train either young or inexperienced heroes to use their powers in the best possible way. The way the New Avengers have done as a team with the Young Avengers and the way Peter has done with his wife."
"How do you plan to do that?" Wolverine wondered, "the Professor's tried that with the X-Men… and while he does an excellent job, there are still those who get through the cracks and end up with Magneto or Mr. Sinister or some other mutant foe."
"The idea we had was to establish a training camp," Hank Pym commented, "we can gather and send all our young or inexperienced heroes there where we can have S.H.I.E.L.D. agents assist in the actual training of these new heroes."
"Again tying us to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Luke Cage asked.
"There aren't enough experienced superheroes to do things based on apprenticeship," Tony commented, "we will need a larger instillation where new heroes can be trained."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. though would want them to be soldiers," Cap pointed out, "they commonly deal with groups like AIM, Hydra, and Al Qaeda. Military level threats. Threats that are very different from say the common gangster or street thug that most heroes encounter on a day to day basis."
Tony looked down and sighed, "I'd hoped we could work together to try and fix that within S.H.I.E.L.D., but for the moment I'm still working through the issues of repairing the leadership issues that Hill left behind. For the moment, my best idea would be to have some experienced heroes running this 'school' so to speak. They can set the curriculum and command the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents there. Some could even be instructors as well."
"Who do you have to run this 'school'?" Hank Pym wondered.
"I was actually leaning toward you, since you've wanted to be retired from a lot of the field work of a superhero," Tony commented, "but, you still know a lot about the job. It would allow you to pass your knowledge on to others."
"Oh," Hank Pym responded in a somewhat surprised tone, though it didn't look like anyone caught it.
"And heroes from both sides that would prefer to teach are more then welcome to work there," Tony added, "I want this to work out for all of us. Show those that want to regulate us that we can regulate ourselves and that a great deal of it is not necessary."
There was a short silence for a moment as Tony looked on. He hoped they had worked out a deal that would work with both groups. He was sure the government probably wouldn't approve, but the Registration Act that they wanted, proved to be wrong and poorly done.
"Well," Cap spoke, "I think we've gotten a good start. There is plenty of details to hammer out, but I believe we have a good start."
"Thanks, Cap," Tony sighed, "Hopefully we've got things done right."
"I hope so too," Cap nodded, "I hope so too."
And with that the meeting broke up. There were a lot of details to hammer out, and Tony would be walking a tightrope for awhile, but hopefully it would work. As it broke up, Tony walked toward a more computer/control room with Ms. Marvel following. As they did so, Dr. Strange, who had been silent through the meeting and the discussion approached Cap as he moved to leave the conference room.
"If it would be of no trouble to you, Captain, I would help your team," Dr. Strange spoke slowly to the star spangled Avenger.
"You would join us?" Cap asked in surprise, as Dr. Strange largely stayed out many of the major superhero teams.
It was only when the Avengers had run into something throwing around powerful magics that the Sorcerer Supreme became involved in aiding the Avengers.
"Yes, Captain," Dr. Strange nodded, "during your recent battle with the Red Skull and the Registration Act, I felt a powerful tremor go through our plane of existence…"
"Something magical?" Cap asked.
"Yes," Dr. Strange nodded, "and not from our dimension… and it's power is beyond most things I have encountered. Both teams may soon be forced to deal with this, but because of its danger, it is probably a good thing to let the Red Skull sit isolated on his island for the moment. If this extra-dimensional invader is not benevolent, we could be facing a far more powerful foe then the Red Skull. I am already certain that I can not face this foe alone."
And with that, Cap sighed heavily.
To Be Continued…
"This is not a time for soundbites. We've left them at home. I feel he hand of history upon our shoulders… I'm here to try."
Tony Blair, British Labour Statesman, quoted in Irish Times (April 11, 1998)