Brandy is poured into a glass just before a metallic hand takes it. Gideon is wearing a button-down shirt and blazer, but his prosthetic hand is uncovered as he holds his glass high and turns to Garcia, Riccadonna, Hardcore, and Lavell who have glasses of their own and stand in a cabin, which is small, but furnished.

"Friends," Gideon begins, "As you know, I try to act out of the best interest of those around me. I try to be selfless. That was why I joined the military all those years ago. Because I thought I was acting out of the best interest of my country. I was naive enough at the time to think my government likewise, was acting out of the best interest of its people. Even after I lost my arm, I still maintained I was doing right by my country. I became a colonel. Sure, I was aware of the politics of the military, but I served and I served proudly. My men loved me and I loved them. We were deployed to a certain region and I soon became increasingly aware that we were doing little more than guarding oil wells for corporations back home. They were looking out for their own interests, of course, but I still did what I was told. After a while, my men realized that in the small village nearby, soldiers were brutalizing citizens, forcing women and children into captivity and killing anyone who raised their voices. At first, I thought they were insurgents, but I soon learned, these atrocities were being carried out by local authorities that were in the employ of an ally of the good `ol USA. Anytime I raised these concerns to top brass, I was told to put it out of mind. You see, protecting the people in that region was not in the best interest of my country. I disobeyed orders, I saved lives, and I was then dishonorably discharged for doing what was right. I haven't had any regrets since. Instead, I have continued on my path of what's in the best interest of others," he brings the glass up to his lips, "To the revolution." He takes a sip and likewise, his friends repeat the phrase, "To the revolution," and drink as well. Over their shoulders, a single window can be visible. Outside the windows are a row of mountains in the distance. A closer look beyond those mountains show tents and more cabins with several men milling about. The men are mostly in fatigues and carry weapons. Several crates of guns and ammunition are stacked on top of one another. And just beyond this camp, a tank sits quietly.

The new Heroes for Hire Headquarters is a two story complex with a HFH logo on the annex. Cage and Jessica approach it on the street with Jessica admiring the new additions, "The new place looks great."

"Yeah, Danny spared no expense."

"He's really getting excited about expanding the business."

"You have no idea."

Inside, the office has been greatly expanded to include more work spaces and contains a conference area with a table built with a holographic projector. Cage and Jessica enter the front doors. "This looks great, Danny," Jessica exclaims as Danny comes out from around his desk. "Thanks, Jess," he gives Jessica a kiss on the cheek. Colleen Wing and Misty Knight emerge from a nearby cubicle with wide grins.

"Hey, Jess," Colleen gives her a hug.

"Did they give you a day off?," Misty hugs her next.

"Actually, I quit The Pulse," she tells them.

"What? Really?," Colleen exclaims.

"It was time I took a break and clear my head. So are you liking the job so far?"

"Can't complain," Misty wraps an arm around Danny, "But don't tell anyone I'm sleeping with the boss."

"Now that you're here, Luke, I can introduce Mr. Hogarth to you," Danny tells Cage.

Jeryn Hogarth enters the room, "Speak of the devil," he shakes Luke's hand, "Mr. Cage. A pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure meeting you, too."

"Luke, this is Jeryn Hogarth," Danny introduces him, "He's starting today as our new PR rep and head of legal."

"We'll probably need a good lawyer with the amount of stuff you break," Colleen tells Cage jokingly, but he gives her an annoyed look.

"Danny has had a lot of good things to say about you," he tells Hogarth.

"Well, if they're good things, then it's all true," Hogarth says with a wry smile.

"This man is the reason why my family's business is still called Rand Corps," Danny explains, "He's a genius. The company can benefit from someone like him."

"Like I said... all true."

Danny leads Jessica and Hogarth away, "Hey Jessica, you want a tour of the new place?"

"I'd love one."

An aerial view of a massive crater appears in a news broadcast. A female journalist can be heard over the footage, "This large crater is all that's left of the capital city of Sokovia. Months ago, this nation saw one of the most devastating superhuman battles in years." The footage switches to a clean up crew removing debris from badly damaged streets. They pile the rubble into the back of trucks and one worker throws a robotic head on top of the rubble. "While supporters say the Avengers eliminated a potential threat, critics ask 'At what cost'? It is speculated that world leaders will soon meet at the UN to discuss possible legislation dealing with enhanced individuals." The footage switches to a live feed of the reporter walking through a street in Sokovia. "Meanwhile, the people of Sokovia struggle to rebuild their nation," the cameraman follows as she continues, "Their capital has been relocated and the prime minister is facing a divided country that has had a history of civil unrest. This is a nation that was roughly twice the size of the city of New York and is now even smaller. It is unlikely they'll be able to -"

The journalist is interrupted by the sound of a nearby explosion. Smoke fills a section of the street as people scatter. The cameraman only captures a brief glimpse of the panic before he and the reporter sprint in the opposite direction. As the smoke settles, a tank begins to slowly emerge.

The people of Sokovia flee as the tank runs over rubble. Several men in fatigues, carrying automatic weapons follow the tank in formation. Nearby, Sokovian authorities rush out of a small base as a siren blares. They load weapons and leap into jeeps before taking off in the direction of the attacks. A moment later, a shot is fired from the tank, destroying a portion of the city street and overturning a jeep. Some of the terrorists set off mortars, which explode around the rest of the jeeps. This is followed by smoke bombs being launched at the soldiers, making it harder for them to see. The jeeps stop and the soldiers get out, ready to fight on the ground. Hardcore emerges from the smoke along with his men on foot. He drops a blade from his hand, which dangles by a chain. He grins madly as he twirls the kusarigama over his head, the whips it into the faces of oncoming soldiers. His men open fire, forcing them to retreat while Hardcore attacks the few who remain. They fire a few shots, but he rolls along the ground and when he springs to his feet, he throws one of them to the ground with an uppercut. He spins into a roundhouse, taking down the one behind him. A soldier comes at him with a machete, but he side steps, wraps the chain around the man's neck and drags him to the ground. Once he has the man at his mercy, he twists the chain and there's an audible snapping sound.

The tank comes to a stop in the middle of the street as the terrorists sweep the area for any remaining enemies. It is eerily quite as the hatch opens. Gideon Mace rises and sits calmly on top of the tank, satisfied with what he sees. There are scattered gunshots in the distance as the fighting continues. Hardcore approaches him as he cleans off his blade. "Not a bad start, huh?," Gideon asks him gleefully. Hardcore nods in approval.