Fight hard and Don't give an inch
Hawkeye watches as Nightcrawler and some other devil-looking guy (only red) fight it out in the snow then up on a walk way after Nightcrawler takes out the gunner up there. 'Jean… tell Colossus to help Nightcrawler on the east wall.' Hawkeye thinks as he surveys the scene below. A few seconds pass and suddenly Colossus is throwing a container unit at the pair fighting on the wall… but they both teleport away.
The red devil reappears in the yard below and attacks Colossus on all sides as he teleports in a clockwise manner around the metal giant. Blades skip off without leaving so much as a scratch and the red devil gets mad. Hawkeye readies his bow as he picks off gunners on the wall. He looks around and doesn't see Nightcrawler anywhere. The archer wonders where their own blue devil took off to as he lines up his next shot. He then fires and takes down a squad of Hydra soldiers moving into the yard with a well-placed explosive arrow.
Nightcrawler reappears back down on the observation walk-way inside the fortress. He sees Jean is getting to her feet albeit a bit wobbly so he helps her. He looks around with his yellow eyes and wonders where Steve is.
"Him and Victor Von Doom fell through some portal." Jean says as she spaces out trying to scan for the super soldier. "They aren't on Earth anymore." She says solemnly.
"Mien Gott." Kurt says as he worries for Steve's safety. He offers a silent prayer for Steve to return swiftly and safely back to them.
Captain America and Doom fall onto a rocky barren expanse of dark jagged stone under a starry black sky. They hit the hard ground and the scepter clatters upon the stone as it skids between them. Steve recovers first and shakes his head. He notices something is off with the air he is breathing. The air is heavier, thicker… almost choking. He sees the scepter on the ground and moves for it… as his hand takes hold of the golden shaft, a metal boot stomps down hard upon his left wrist. Steve groans with pain and releases his hold upon the scepter.
"Hands to yourself, Captain." Doom says as he reaches down and retrieves the scepter. "Did your mother ever tell you not to take what doesn't belong to you?"
"Did yours?" Captain America quips back as Doom steps off his wrist. Steve flexes his hand as he feels his body working to repair the damage.
"My mother died giving birth to me." Doom says coolly then raises the scepter. "Any last words, Captain?" Steve is crotched on one knee and looks up at the towering armored dictator before him… he also notices movement behind Doom.
"Check your six o'clock." Captain America says with a smirk.
"Check my six… what? That makes no-" Doom says and is snatched up in a pair of huge jaws. Captain America dodges backwards to avoid getting eaten as well, but he notices the scepter hitting the stony ground so he leaps towards it and rolls away as the huge snake-like creature slithers off with Doom in its jaws still. Steve then looks at the scepter then at his surroundings… he wonders where in the hell he is and how is he going to get back to Earth. Then the scepter pulses and a portal opens before him. Steve sees the snow and hurries through…
"Don't look now… but the bad guys are trying to get away." Red Wing's voice sounds and Falcon turns his head to the fort. Sure enough… there's a Hydra jet lifting off and then it starts to zoom away.
"And where do you think your going?" Falcon says as he zips in faster than the jet to overtake it then turns and launches a metal feather up at the plane's underside. Falcon slows and hovers to watch the jet take the damage then go down.
"Falcon… return to Blackbird." Falcon hears over the comlink. It's Steve's voice and this gets Sam's curiosity.
"Sure thing, Cap." Falcon says and blasts off zooming back to where Storm is standing on the ledge… but she isn't alone… Captain America is there. Falcon lands next to his friend. "Did Kurt bring ya back?"
"No… this did." Steve answers as he holds up the scepter.
"Well, that's one objective down." Falcon says with a shoulder shrug.
"Think you can get me back over there?" Captain America asks.
"I don't know… you weight almost three hundred pounds… and the last time I flew you somewhere, my wings got clipped." Falcon says with a playful grin as Captain America shakes his head.
"Well, the new suit's lighter… and I had a light breakfast." Steve says nodding his head as he plays along the joke a little more. He then turns to Storm. "Please, put this somewhere safe and protect it."
"Consider it done." Storm says with a nod of her own head as she takes the scepter from Steve's hand. She then hurries up the ramp into the Blackbird.
"Alright… let's do this." Captain America says as Falcon's wings unfurl and he blasts up, does a loop, and grabs Captain America's right hand which is held high. Sam holds the Cap tight as they fly across the valley to the fort. Captain America is then dropped. He hits, tuck-n-rolls on the walkway, then springs up ready for action. He dodges behind a stack of boxes to avoid the gunfire then Falcon swoops in and fires his gun gauntlets. Steve rushes forward under the cover of friendly fire. He kicks the first Hydra guard he comes to. That guard goes flying backwards then flips as he impacts the top of the outer wall and goes over. Cap then punches the guard to his right while Falcon flies in and kicks the guard to Captain America's left. Once the guards are cleared, Cap looks to Falcon and nods his head. Falcon nods his in return and zips off into the sky above to circle the fortress once again.
'Jean… send Kurt to me with my shield.' Steve thinks as he stops at a juncture inside the fort and looks at the sign on the wall. There's the sound of teleportation in action from behind. "Well, that was quick." Captain America says with a smile as he turns around and receives a fist to his jaw. The bite of a blade knicks his cheek as he goes back and Cap looks on at the red devil before him.
"Who are you?" Captain America asks as he eyes the devil.
"Your enemy." Azazel says and launches into a flurry of slashes and kicks which drives the good Captain back. Steve uses his metal gauntlets to deflect and turn the blades away, but the swords cut through the nanomesh armor of his suit on his upper arms. Cap then sees an opening… he catches the short swords against his gauntlets as Azazel swipes them in to slash at his head. The blades go wide and Steve kicks the red devil in the gut… hard. He is sent flying backwards with a grunt.
"Here you are, Steve." Nightcrawler says as he teleports in suddenly and hands Captain America his shield.
"Look out!" Cap says as he blocks the thrown blade with his shield which rings like a bell at the hit then he and Nightcrawler are struck from behind. Steve can feel the blade slip in deep at his lower side and he goes down. Nightcrawler grabs Azazel by the ankle with his blue tail and flips the red devil. He brings his own dagger to bare and stabs Azazel in the lower abdomen. A look of surprise flits through Azazel's eyes before he vanishes in a burst of flame. Nightcrawler is left a little bewildered but he quickly snaps out of it and rushes to Captain America.
"Steve!" Kurt says as he teleports to Cap's side. He examines the wound and grows worried. "It's deep. I've got to get you out of here, Captain." Before Steve can protest, Nightcrawler teleports them to the Blackbird. Storm takes care of putting pressure to the deep wound and sends Nightcrawler to get Jean. In less than ten seconds she is there thanks to Kurt.
"It missed your kidney… but the blade punctured your intestines." Jean says as she runs her hand over the wound. She focuses hard then harder until she can feel the cells working in overdrive to close the wounds due to his healing factor. She focuses some more and accelerates the process. Steve moans as he feels the odd sensation of his body healing. In seconds his internal injuries are sealed.
"There… you'll be… fine now." Jean says meekly and then faints. Steve catches her and switches places. He lets her rest on the narrow examining table and ignores the pain in his lower right side as he looks at Nightcrawler.
"Nightcrawler… head back in. Locate Team Alpha using your comlink then teleport them back with their target if they've got him." Captain America says strained in his Captain's voice.
"Consider it done, Captain." Kurt says then disappears in a burst of smoke and a subtle 'bamf'.
The two Black Widows fight hard in bursts as they dart down the labyrinth of hallways in this fortress. It reminds Natasha of her days in the Red Room Program when her and Yelena would run the obstacle course together… of course fighting to gain the lead was encouraged then as well.
"You know… I should thank you, Natalia." Yelena starts as she turns and sweeps her leg back, Natasha dodges by jumping and flipping over the blonde as she hits the ground, she tosses a mini-bite to tase her foe, but Yelena rolls to the side and throws her own. Natasha moves her head out of the way just in time and Yelena's bite takes down a Hydra guard that was rushing up from behind.
"You went rogue back in '01 and wound up killing all the scientists and handlers in the Red Room Program… thus allowing me to be free." Yelena continues as she and Natasha trade blows.
"So you joined Hydra?" Natasha says as she swats Yelena's punch away and finishes arcing in to connect her elbow to the blonde's mouth. Yelena retreats as she loses the upper hand. The soldiers rush in and Natasha becomes a flurry of action. She kicks backwards connecting her heel to the point man's crotch. He drops as she knees him hard in the face. Natasha then drops to her knees and slides between the two trailing men and hits them with her wrist tasers before they can train their guns on her.
"Tell me something, Natalia… did you enjoy it? The carnage of killing them all? The thrill of burning that secret base to the ground? Was it worth it?" Yelena then asks with a gleam in her blue eyes as Natasha comes back in to knock her down then quickly dispatches three more Hydra guards as they appear from around a corner. Yelena pulls a handgun from one of the fallen soldiers and fires at Natasha.
"Yes." Natasha answers as she dodges the gunshot and roundhouse kicks the gun from the woman's hand. "But I missed one… you." Natasha then adds as she trips Yelena and pins the blonde to the floor.
"You were always better than me, Natalia. You were always the favorite… their shining star. Their little princess." Yelena says bitterly up to Natasha then she grabs Natasha's knee with her hand and a hidden taser in the palm activates. Shocking Natasha with intense high voltage. She jerks and shivers as she opens her mouth in a muted scream then falls to the side out cold.
"But not anymore." Yelena says as she pushes the stunned super spy off herself and stands. She switches uniforms with Natasha then secures her rival and even blindfolds her as a new team of Hydra soldiers approach.
"Take her to the vehicle-access tunnel. Baron Strucker will be pleased to have her on the team once he makes her comply." Yelena says with a wicked smile as the soldiers take Natasha away.
"Here is the item you require for your next mission… Black Widow." One of the soldiers says as he hands her a case.
"Excellent." Yelena says and opens it. She looks down at the contents and smiles darkly. "Time for some undercover work." She says as she places the micromesh mask upon her face and removes her wig of blonde hair. She lets her real hair fall free which has been dyed red and is styled just as Natasha's is. "Hail Hydra." She says in Natasha's husky voice as she gives a cool, confident smirk to the soldiers who quickly gather up the real Natasha Romanoff and hurry away.
Wolverine is following the scent trail of the two women through the maze of corridors. He notices the signs of their battle, both subtle and obvious as he goes. He hears footsteps, light and precise… a woman. Wolverine takes caution and comes around the corner just as the woman does. He catches her by her throat and stops as he notices it is Natasha.
"Sorry." He says and retracts his metal claws. He lowers the redhead and steps back. She eyes him slowly and rubs at her throat.
"It's okay… one can never be too cautious while in enemy territory." Black Widow says coolly and walks on. "We need to get back to the others." She then says and hurries back the way Wolverine came from.
"Widow… Wolverine… do you copy?" Comes Cap's voice over the comlink.
"This is Wolverine. I copy." Wolverine says as he and Natasha pause.
"Good to hear from ya. Is Natasha with you? Cyclops says she went after a female hostile." Cap asks concerned.
"Your girlfriend is with me… so don't get your panties in a bind, Cap." Wolverine says and smirks.
"Good to hear… get to the surface and Nightcrawler will teleport you out with Hawkeye." Captain America says over the comlink. Wolverine and Black Widow then quickly make the surface. The snow is swirling about as they come outside and it is quiet.
"It's good to see you two again." Hawkeye says as he repels down next to them. "Alright, Cap… they're here." Hawkeye then says and in a split second Nightcrawler appears before them. He smiles and takes Widow and Wolverine's hands then all four disappear in a burst of smoke. They reappear outside of the Blackbird and quickly hurry aboard.
"You're hurt." Natasha says concerned as she notices the blood on Captain America's side.
"It's nothing." Steve says trying to play it off though he still hurts. He runs a gloved hand through his blonde hair and smiles at the redhead before him before pulling her into his arms. "I missed you." He says and kisses her gently. Natasha melts into his front… and for a moment, the rest of reality doesn't exist for Steve Rogers.
"Everyone strap in… it's time to leave." Cyclops says as he finishes the pre-flight warm up. Steve and Natasha break away to take their seats in the back. Steve made sure Jean was strapped to the cot since she is still unconscious and the Winter Soldier sits across from him… arms secured with the same type of special shackles that Agent Rumlow had used on Steve back in DC. The two men just stare at one another as the Blackbird lifts off. It zooms away with Falcon flying behind to cover their retreat. Steve breathes a sigh of relief as he hears Scott say they are out of Latverian airspace. Now he just wants to relax… but even that will have to wait since they have Bucky once more. Maybe this time things will go differently and Charles will be able to help his childhood friend remember who he really is. Steve can only hope for a miracle… after all, that's all he can do right now.
