Disclaimer: All respective characters are property of their creators and this story is done for fun and not for profit.
Recruitment Drive: I Could Not Possibly Comment
The Cathedral Heights Metro Station in Washington DC was filled with the usual sounds of an American Metro station, drums, trains, and people talking. The majority of people were waiting for the next train to arrive as a young woman walked onto the platform.
She had red hair and wore a causal outfit of a sweatshirt with a leather jacket over it, tight jeans, and sneakers. She looked around on the platform for the man she was going to meet. She walked up to the man drumming on buckets and pans, for some reason the woman turned around. She saw her contact. He was behind an area that was fenced off, green canvas was behind the chain link fencing.
The contact was wearing an overcoat, fedora and glasses, she knew it was Francis. Zoe Barnes former reporter from the DC based Washington Herald and ow a reporter for Slugline walked towards where the contact. Finally leaning against the fence as her contact and former lover was around the corner.
It was totally by accident that the two met, the contact was majority leader and looked at Miss Barnes as she walked by, she figured out that her source was passed over for the position of Secretary of State in the Ellis Administration.
Miss Barnes's contact fed her the Ellis's administration's big second term program on education reform. He discredited Donald Blythe the man whom authored it and pushed it through the house which led to a massive nation wide teacher's strike. The congressman finally ended the strike by practically blackmailing the the head of the national union.
Then the campaign for Pennsylvania turned sour with Peter Russo when he showed up drunk to an interview and dropped out of the public eye. Russo's chance for the state house was over and finally he ended his life. But Miss Barnes suspected foul play when Russo's body was found in the passenger seat of the car. She began to put the pieces together with help of her boyfriend Lucas Goodwin and Janine Skorsky, a rival reporter turned ally. They found out about the hooker that was with Russo that night and Zoe learned that all the information led to her source, Congressman Francis J. Underwood.
She knew it was Underwood and she was to a degree trying to protect him. The death of Russo led to the incumbent vice president, Jim Matthews to run in Russo's place. It was well known Matthews hated the job and felt useless in Washington. Miss Barnes figured that with Matthews out Ellis would tap Underwood for VP. An earlier meeting in the day proved he was going to become Vice President. But Underwood dismissed her suspicions as idiotic. Underwood convinced her it was better to be connected to a powerful figure than to investigate the story further.
However Zoe could not leave it at that. She still investigated and Francis finally offered her a fresh start.
As Zoe leaned the fence made a slight noise that was able to be heard by Francis.
"Have you thought about what we discussed?" asked the accented voice of the South Carolina native.
Zoe just stared forward, "Think you're right. We should start with a clean slate."
Francis just nodded. "What about our text messages?"
Zoe pulled out her iPhone and deleted all the messages from F. Underwood. Zoe looked around the station.
"And the contact?" Underwood asked. Zoe then deleted Underwood from her phone history.
Underwood looked down the tunnel, "Are we good?"
"Yeah."
"And put all this nonsense behind us and trust one another and continue to help one another?"
"I'd like that."
Underwood paused. "Consider the slate clean."
Zoe sighed, "Answer me one thing? The passenger seat. You said Russo was trying to get out. That there was nothing admira-"
"I thought we agreed but-" Zoe interrupted.
"I want to believe you but I need details. More than what you're sharing."
Underwood looked down the tunnel. "What's your question?"
"The night Russo fell off the wagon he was at a fund raiser the McNeilly Cancer institute."
"All in the police report." The distant sounds of a train were growing closer. Zoe peaked around the corner of the fence and looked at Underwood and the tunnel for a moment.
"Rachel Posner was at the hotel that night."
"Who's that?"
"The call girl that was with Russo when he was arrested."
"I didn't know her name." Underwood sounded annoyed but only slightly.
"She disappeared Francis."
"When?"Underwood sounded though he did not know.
"Don't act surprised, I showed the bellmen a photo. One of them remembered seeing her."
"The girl's a prostitute. I'm sure she frequents many hotels."
"But THAT hotel, on THAT night?" Zoe interjected a bit more forcefully.
"Now you are starting to sound like Miss Skorsky talking." Zoe was taken by surprise but did not show it.
After a brief slightly nervous pause Zoe replied, "I haven't discussed this with anyone. I wanted to ask you first."
"I no idea what happened that night except that Peter started drinking again. I don't know who was or wasn't there. I wish I was there, maybe I could have stopped him."
"Do you know where Rachel is?" Zoe asked quietly but determined.
"Listen to what I am saying" Zoe interjected "I am trying to protect us both. But these are questions that anyone could ask."
The distant train horn sounded as it came closer. "But no one is but you. I can't imagine what you're after." Underwood sounded upset.
"I took a chance, showed up at your house and placed myself at your feet. Cross ethical lines, professionally, psychically, and I hold myself accountable for that." Zoe looked around the corner, "Those are my choices and I can live with them." Zoe paused she had trouble with wwhat she was about to say. "I'd like to move forward but I need to know exactly what I was apart of." Zoe took some deep breaths, in the distance the sound of squealing tracks grew louder. "That I wasn't apart of someone's..." Zoe still struggled to say what she wanted to say.
"Finish your thought."
"Part of someone's murder." The sound of the train meant it was almost at the station.
"Jesus." Underwood turned and walked away from Zoe. The train was now visible down the tunnel.
Zoe followed him around the corner. "I want to believe you Francis I know you-" Miss Barnes was then forcefully grabbed by Underwood, turned around, and pushed in front of the oncoming train.
The sound of the trains horn and wheels made her scream nearly impossible to hear. The scream was silenced quickly. The train's breaks were put on as it came to a sudden halt. People in the station began to scream.
Underwood walked away.
I still remember that day vividly. I had to do what was necessary. I have no regrets killing Zoe Barnes, I do not regret ruining the life of Lucas Goodwin, nor do I feel sorry for anyone whose life I have ruined.
I, Francis Joseph Underwood, have little time for regrets.
There is only one rule for somebody like me, hunt or be hunted. I worked too hard to have a kitten that I had been feeding bite at my hand.
However keeping this world from falling apart is another issue.
2012 was quite a year. We got invaded by aliens, central Manhattan became a battleground thousands died. It cost hundreds billions in damage. The American economy became shaky again after just getting back on it's feet from the last major recession. The fact that we survived thanks to heroes of a different sort changed everything. Later in the year President Matthew Ellis was nearly killed by Aldrich Killian in an attempt to replace him with Vice President Carl Rodriguez. Tony Stark stopped the coup.
Stark made a t-shirt that said "I saved the president" and wore it at a subsequent White House meeting. I agreed with Bob Stern about Stark being an ass.
Found out the Mandarin was a fake. Did not see it coming that they'd used a washed up Shakespearean actor.
In 2013, Ellis appoints Pennsylvania Governor Jim Matthews to replace Rodriguez as a surefire vote getter in 2016. What hurt Matthews most was Ellis himself distancing himself from the vice president. The kidnapping made him seriously loose trust in his Vice Presidents it did lead him to minimize Matthews usage to attend weddings and funerals. He went on missions that had no purpose. Jim was left out of the process of choosing his elected successor.
Then there was Secretary of State Heller. James Heller stayed on until the London fiasco and resigned when his Alzheimer's had finally gotten to the point he could not lead. The death of his daughter did not help the secretary.
I manipulated events to ensure that I was the choice for Vice President. I entered into a partnership with billionaire Raymond Tusk. He thought I was his puppet but he is not happy with the way I have handled things. Soon I will work out of the Oval Office. Then I won't need Raymond's help.
I will admit one thing, Captain America needs a medal for opening that can of worms that led to the SHIELD civil war. We lost members of the House and Senate. That idiot Stern was surprisingly HYDRA. Secretary Pierce was the head of HYDRA, that surprised me. I thought I knew that weak willed diplomat that was easy to sway. But HYDRA nearly targets most of DC and launched those flying aircraft carriers.
The HYDRA crisis allowed me to get closer to the president. The President was concerned that so many people that he thought he trusted were HYDRA agents or fooled by HYDRA that it worried him. This worry led his faculties to be elsewhere as he had to deal with an increasingly aggressive Russia and China.
The energy crisis we are facing is causing many problems but that is my fault. I had to screw Tusk and his influence over the President. I deliberately botched talks with Chinese Billionaire Xander Feng (whom Tusk calls Fung), as he represented China in trade talks. This forced the President to pull out of the talks. Now we are in a trade war with China. We hurt China they hurt us.
But now I am trying to focus on getting Ellis out of office. I had my press aide, Seth Greyson, send a reporter from the Wall Street Telegraph after Tusk, Lanigan, and Feng. Hopefully she will also go after Ellis. I do not know where things I have set into motion will end. Maybe I will find something else to take advantage of and use in my rise?
It was a Tuesday in late July, I was on my way back from the White House basement, the Situation with China had just got worse. The Chinese had just stationed two destroyers, three corvettes, and a support ship off of the small Japanese island of Yonaguni. It is close to the sea lanes and off the east coast Taiwan, which is a problem upon itself.
I had a meeting set up with some special doctor. I wanted to meet him in the White House but he said no. I suggested a place that was easy to secure. He suggested the former Freddy's barbeque restaurant.
I was being driven back to my home with Ed Meechum in the driver's seat. He was useful, Meechum had his eyes on Claire but I saw it. However Doug called and said the doctor wanted to meet at Freddy's. This was some sort of psychological move. We arrived at Freddy's with a full Secret Service detail, I get out and look at it.
We arrive at Freddy's and I see the gate to the alley open. Meechum and I walk down the alley. I saw an older man in a suit next to a serious looking woman in a pantsuit. The older man wore glasses, had blonde-grey hair, and had a goatee. The serious woman looked Asian and was cracking her knuckles for some reason.
He held his hand out, "Good day, Mister Styker?"
The man smiled, though I saw hints of a frown, "It's Colonel sir, Colonel William Stryker, Retired. I work for the Department of Homeland Security." the colonel had a Southern accent sounded Carolinian. I see on his hand a Sentinel ring.
"You a Sentinel alumni?" I look at his hand.
"I am, I remember getting into trouble though." smirked the retired officer. I laughed.
"So Colonel what is it you want of me? I cannot see why this could not have been apart of the information in the security briefings." I ask knowing he is here to tell something. These types of people always have to tell a politician like me something so they can shift the blame on somebody else.
"What do you know of people with powers?" Stryker leaned against the table I used to eat ribs on.
"They are few and we have more to worry about HYDRA then something that may be a tenth of a tenth, of a tenth of our population. Pentagon said globally there may only be a thousand powered people." I responded as I sat down. Stryker looked upset.
"Sir, these "people" as you may call them are increasing in number dramatically. The events that happened in Ne York and later on in London are only increasing the population of these individuals."
I frowned, I heard the data from the scientists about the New York event and the thing that happened in Greenwich. But there was no results that it had affected anybody in ways long term ways. Sure there were fringe reports that stated people had started to gain powers, but this was from magazines and sites on the internet. No hard data had been published to prove such a thing.
"Alright and how do you know anything about that? These sorts of things take decades for anything to happen. I mean to cause a change like that would require something of massive..." I just realized it the Tesseract, that ass Fury and his predecessors had kept that thing in SHIELD's possession. "But come on there is no way that these people will be a problem. You can still be like all those generals in 1996 that said China will take Taiwan by force before 1999. But nothing happened. I cannot take your word on something so bizarre and vague, -" I leaned forward and interlace my fingers. "-That we base policy on an article from Weekly World News."
Styrker looked upset. He was not angry but he was not pleased I was not swooned by his moves. These intelligence types get moody when they don't get their way. Then he handed me the manilla folder.
"Sir in there is evidence from all over the world of the activity of these "peoples". I have gathered it to show you that these peoples are more common than you think.
I open the folder it's contents are documents from our government, reports on the internet, Weekly World News, a newspaper from Brazil, reports from Japan, excerpts of journal articles, and other scientific data. The information before me was almost overwhelming, I glance at it, I look between Styker and the folder. He did not squirm, in fact he was up to something. Half this town is up to something.
I began to read it, the files were interesting. There were files by the infamous Bolivar Trask. Bolivar Trask a famous traitor from the Seventies, got caught selling to China and the Russians. He was writing on how neanderthals were scared of homo sapiens and that a new evolutionary branch formed in the form of homo superior. He claimed that these people would have powers beyond imagination.
From what I remember of Trask, he was laughed at his trial when he claimed the "mutants" were framing him. Now perhaps it is not so bizarre. But I take notice to see the name Major William Stryker on several documents with Trask. That may be useful later on.
Then I go to newspaper article from Recife, Brazil. In big color picture was what appeared to be a shark that was human shaped, female at that. The next paper are reports strange werewolf sightings in Scotland. The photo was blurry but I could tell the image of a humanoid wolf. Then next were pictures of a girl with a squirrel tail in central park. I saw other pictures as well, ranging from man falling from immense heights to people on fire but not being burned. I slapped the manilla envelop down.
"Is this some way to fund a furry fantasy adventure for you colonel because the Scottish paper I read is just too strange. There is no way that you are correct in your judgment. If you want any chance at any more strange funding I will need proof that these people are a credible threat to national security. That we need to worry about them?" I had to put the man in his place he was asking me to admit that mutant existed, and saying that without proof would get me into the Dan Quayle territory of Vice Presidents.
"Then what do you want sir?" Stryker was irritated. He was rubbing at his Sentinel ring.
"Proof, hard proof. Your project has a budget close to a hundred and fifty million dollars. And the current project has been going on for two years. We want results Mister Stryker."
Stryker smirked. "What about one of these people?" he pointed to the pictures.
"If you can get me one that actually does something fine. But until then I shall not entertain your fantasies."
"How soon would you like a demonstration?" Stryker seemed too sure of himself.
"ASAP." I joked
"How about now?" a smug smirk was on the colonel's face. I smirked, I figure either he has something or is a fool. Either way I am intrigued.
"Show me this gifted person."
Styker smiled. He pointed to the Asian woman next to him."Yes sir, let me introduce Yuriko Oyama, a mutant. Yuriko show the Vice President what you can do." With that the nails on the Japanese woman grew long and longer. The nails had a metallic tint to them. Yuriko then walked to the brick wall on my right she slashed it which at night was hard to see but the light above the alley made the damage visible.
I picked up a section of pipe from the ground near my feet. I hit it hard against the brick wall to get the sound of a hard metal pipe. It made a dull pinging noise in my hand but more importantly I felt the vibrations from hitting it go up my arm. I have to ensure I am not being made a fool of. I hold up the pipe in front of Stryker. "Slice this pipe." I have to be certain. I lay it on the ground propped against the wall. The woman sauntered to the pipe and with a flick of her wrist her claws had cut through the pipe. "Amazing." my face was slack, I was surprised.
"What do you think sir impressive is it not?"Stryker was smug.
"I am impressed colonel. What do you want?"
Stryker began to walk towards me."I need permission for an operation sir. An op that involves surveillance and possible interrogation."
"I'll see what I can do."
"I hope that has something to support it sir."
I sit on the chair I used to eat ribs on outside, "Colonel tell me everything you know about these mutants."
Stryker sat down across from me and smiled. "Well sir let me tell you about a school in New York."
I was absolutely floored with what Stryker told me. In Washington Heights, Manhattan this school ran by Charles Francis Xavier. Stryker seemed knew a lot about this man, more than intelligence should be able to get through data mining. He had to have met the man. But he told me that this "School for Gifted Youngsters" was a training facility. He suspected they had advanced training devices inside the facility. The gifted people being trained were kids mostly, twenties and younger. He had the student roster and teachers and he told me everyone on that list was a mutant as he called them.
It was a lot to take in. But now I am making a plan in my head. Soon I may have to amend my core plans.
"Thank you Mister Vice President. " Stryker said as he left.
"Before you leave Stryker can you answer me a single question?" I had my back turned to him.
"Yes sir?" Stryker sounded annoyed.
"Why me?" I turn to face Stryker. "Why not go to the President? Or Congress?"
Styker smiled, "Sir, with all due respect of the Commander and Chief, he is a weak man. He is controlled by you, Tusk and has us on our heels. Last year when the Chinese steamed their fleet towards Okinawa, Ellis did not sink China's navy then. He should have. China won't go nuclear, it'd be bad for business. Our weak response has encouraged China and other nations to behave badly. In Russia, President Petrov is trying to make a new Union. I've seen intelligence and these people with powers will become a threat to us in the near future. Not thousands of miles away, here. In DC, in Gaffney, in Detroit, and all over our nation. We must be prepared for this war. You Mister Vice President, can control both houses of Congress and have a way with the POTUS. You have shown your skills when you got the Republicans to vote in the entitlement reform bill." Stryker walked towards me, pointing.
"Sir when the news breaks on the mutants you are the best man for the job. You have the president's ear, and you can handle situations beautifully. I think there is no one better to handle a mess like the public existence of mutants than you." Stryker looks like he believes in me. I know he doesn't, it's a tactic used in Washington to great effect. Styker hopes that his act has worked. I will act as if it has. The look touched and smile at Stryker.
Stryker left and my face snapped back to it's normal state. I called Doug, my chief of staff and had him look up everything on this Stryker fellow. The more I know the better.
Colonel William Stryker smiled as he left Freddy's. A black haired man in his thirties was waiting outside his car."Sir was the meeting a success?"
"Yes it was Sergeant Lyman but it was not as good as I had thought." Stryker huffed, as he entered the sedan.
"Sir?" asked Lyman.
Yuriko entered the car next to Stryker, she smiled a little.
"Take me back to the offices. I need to get the full dossier ready. I hope this gamble worked."
"Yes sir." Lyman said as he drove to the Homeland Security offices.
Well That is the end of the first Chapter. Well I wanted to do this show the politics of the universe. That said I am aware it may have some grammar errors. I went through and fixed as many as I could.
This is my first story on this site in years. I hope this story is interesting. It is apart of the Recruitment Drive Crossover Universe Though lacking Coulson, and others (for now) but it is a different view of the universe. I got permission for it to be in the universe.
Love it, hate it, please review.
Next Chapter: Underwood must control both Ellis and Stryker and at the same time the kids from Xaiver's school make an appearance!