Chapter 25: Loose Ends…
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters of logos.
Acting as the secret peacekeepers for the United Nations, the agents of SHIELD had many secure locations scattered throughout the world, but none more mysterious than their main base of operations. The organization's headquarters was known as one of the most secure locations in the world, mostly because it was constantly moving, and thus safe from outside penetration. The mighty helicarrier was extremely large, yet even when it was stationary, the mighty structure was constantly hovering several hundred feet above the ground. It was also shielded from view by a special cloaking field that made it undetectable to all but the most advanced and sensitive scanning equipment.
The barrier also acted as a literal barricade to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering or leaving, and also to protect the base from attack. Over many years that the craft had been an active government base, not a single enemy had ever launched a successful attack. The flying fortress was all but impregnable and equipped with weapons capable of turning even the largest city into a smoldering ruin. It was a symbol to the world that good would always triumph over evil, or at least that was the impression that the government had hoped to create through the founding of the group several decades ago.
Nick Fury sat in the control room of the craft with his team, gazing out at the sky visible through the gigantic window in front of them. It was a large spacious room filled with several computer monitors where the pilots and correspondence teams were coordinating the missions of their fellow agents. There were dozens of agents on board the craft at all times to patrol the interior and monitor the flow of crucial information that came in and out of the computer systems. In many ways it was similar to the Kingpin's mainframe computer back in New York, although the most obvious distinction was that of good and evil.
"You've done a lot for us in the last few years, but that doesn't mean we plan on excusing your interference in SHIELD business…" The director stated irritably to the man standing behind him.
Standing behind him was a man clothed in red and yellow armor, his faceplate moving aside to reveal a face of Manhattan industrialist, Tony Stark. "Maybe I wouldn't have to get involved if you people actually did your jobs right. By the time you guys fly in, the battle's usually over!"
The hero in question had taken on a superhero alias years ago, but his abilities came from advanced technology in his armored suit as opposed to actual fighting abilities. The metallic hero's costume boasted strong protection, flight capabilities and high tech weaponry, allowing him to store and release gigantic blasts of focused energy while achieving amazing speeds. The power of his armor granted him an advantage against almost any opponent, and thus he had become known to the world Iron Man. Unlike Spider-Man and several other costumed crime fighters, he hadn't minded that others knew his identity.
"I've had it with you, Stark!" Nick Fury stood up a little straighter as he closed the gap between them, neither man backing down from the argument. "The fact still remains that you overstepped your boundaries and chased off several super villains before we could arrive to apprehend them. We had an agreement that you would stay out of our affairs."
A woman standing behind Nick Fury took a step towards them, looking rather irritated by the argument. She a slim young woman with short brown hair styled in a simple fashion, and was clothed in the form-fitting black uniform that most members of SHIELD were required to wear, along with the gloves and boots. The agent also wore a series of straps around her body and waist, many of which had pouches with weapons. When serving in a peace-keeping organization like this one, it was important to be prepared for anything.
Recognized by the United Nations as a prominent agent of SHIELD, she was also known as the deputy director in Fury's absence and took her job quite serious. Her arched eyebrows, tense facial expressions, and no-nonsense personality gave her a commanding presence, even rivaling that of her commander. Maria Hill was known for being stubborn in her conviction, but at the same time this only served to intensify the powerful devotion she harbored when it came time to carrying out her duty as an agent.
"I think it's about time someone told you off for making a mess of things." She cast a stern expression towards their guest, mirroring her superior.
Iron Man turned on her this time. "I don't see any reason to debate with you, considering that we've gone through this argument several times before. You guys can do your job, but rest assured that it won't stop me from doing mine."
Maria Hill folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Are you referring to your misguided vigilante activities, or the fact that you test your new toys out by fighting bad guys before marketing them to the government?"
"I respected you people enough to come here and take responsibility for this, but that doesn't mean I have to sit here and listen to you criticize my business ventures." The armored hero clicked shut the faceplate of his helmet to hide his irritated expression.
"Just where did you get the gall to speak to us like that?" she interjected fiercely.
Tony Stark gestured around the room with his arms. "This entire place was built using my company's technology, the secrets of which I willingly shared. Don't even think for a second that I don't care about the safety of the world, considering that I agreed to help people who don't even like me."
The female agent moved so that she was standing a few feet away from him. "So you think you're above the law, just like all those other creeps in costumes? Pardon us if the rest of the world doesn't find this fair."
Nick Fury stepped between them, looking rather annoyed by their sudden argument. "We're getting off the subject." He added in a slightly deeper tone, his voice betraying signs of irritation.
The armored man stepped down with a flustered expression, waving his hands in a defensive manner. "Just wait a minute before you go off and explode. I admit that things didn't turn out as I had hoped, but don't go blowing the whistle on my activities for making you look bad. The government must be bitter that a rich kid in a fancy suit of armor saved the day, when you weren't around to do it."
Fury looked as though he had been slapped, although he worked to keep his calm exterior in place. Taking a deep breath, the director removed a cigarette from his mouth and exhaled, releasing his pent up anger along with the smoke. "Stay out of our affairs, or join SHIELD… Those are your only options." He stated slowly and clearly so that there would be no confusion.
"I'll have to remember that for next time." The armored industrialist replied challengingly. "Until then, don't expect me to be making any social visits to this flying heap."
"I've given you plenty of slack these last few years after all you've done for the world, but this is your last chance, Tony. If you ignore governmental sanctions again, there will be consequences." the SHIELD director added with a note of finality.
The conversation stopped as if someone had just frozen them in place, the two government employees waiting for his response. After what seemed like an eternity of staring at each other, the metallic hero turned his back on them and began walking in the opposite direction as if he hadn't heard them. As he reached the set of doors leading to the exit, Tony Stark paused at the threshold as if he was burning to say something, but he held his tongue and continued onwards as if he hadn't stopped to begin with. The doors opened to reveal two more figures heading in, but he shoved his way past them and disappeared into the hallway beyond.
Wolverine and Captain America looked back as the armored industrialist walked past them, neither knowing what to say about it. Although neither of them had heard the conversation that had occurred moments ago, the sight of a man in a metal suit walking around had caught both heroes off guard. Both had seen their share of strange things lately, but they were both certain that the man they had just encountered didn't work for SHIELD. He lacked the group's insignia, was dressed in vibrant colors, and neither of them had ever heard of someone fitting his description.
"So, what's with the guy in the tin suit?" Logan flipped his thumb over his shoulder.
The super soldier shrugged with a bewildered expression. "I'm not entirely certain… He doesn't look familiar to me, and I don't think I would forget someone dressed like that."
As they entered the control room beyond, the feral mutant took a minute to take in his surroundings. He had visited several SHIELD outposts while doing favors for Nick Fury, but he seldom visited the main helicarrier. Much to his indifference, the room vaguely reminded him of the other places he had visited associated with the military unit. There were several control panels lining the room and a bridge connecting the platform where they currently stood to the main workspace where a handful of agents were piloting the aircraft.
They walked across the metal bride and into the main workspace where their host was waiting. A gigantic window took up the space on the far wall of the room, and in the center of the area was a throne-like chair with several buttons attached that he guessed belonged to the director himself, although he was standing rather than sitting right now. He appeared to be whispering something to the woman standing beside him, but both stopped talking when they saw that more company had arrived, prompting her to back off and return to her work.
Nick Fury picked up the butt of the cigarette he had been smoking and flicked it away carelessly before turning to face the newcomers. "Good to see that you both decided to show up." He greeted them casually.
"Save the pleasantries for someone who cares. I don't see how we had much choice considering that the Cap works for you, and we're all trapped together several thousand feet in this flying piece of scrap metal." The feral mutant cracked his knuckles with an irritable expression.
"While he does make some good points, I believe Logan was really wondering why you haven't returned him home yet." Captain America stepped forward assertively, although there was no sign of disrespect in the way he spoke. "The mission has ended in success, not to mention that the target in question has been neutralized and is currently in your custody."
Logan stepped forward with a silent discontent brewing in his stomach. "You're up to something here… What's your game, Fury?"
The commander surveyed him through his good eye for a moment, a look of amusement forming on his lips. Whatever sentiment this held quickly died, being replaced by a much more serious expression seconds later. "There were some interesting events in New York that transpired recently, and I believe that you were both stuck in the middle. I called you up here to fill in some details in case the police missed anything."
"I don't recall you mentioning an interrogation when I agreed to this favor." Wolverine pointed accusingly at his host, looking far less than amused.
"Hopefully it won't come to anything that drastic." Fury answered with a calmer expression, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he continued to explain. "Although SHIELD usually considers squabbles between crime lords to be below our jurisdiction, this conflict escalated to such an extreme level so quickly that we have been forced to reassess the situation."
"Is this really necessary, sir?" Steve Rogers glanced around, noticing that several agents had diverted their attention to the duo.
Logan snarled in annoyance. "I don't even work for you people, and you think you can just order me around like I was one of your lackeys."
"Let me make this very clear…" Maria Hill replied in an icy tone. She gave the stubborn man a challenging expression, her hand casually moving towards the weapon pouch on her hip. "We're not giving either of you a choice in the matter."
Several of the SHIELD agents behind her raised their weapons, prompting a nasty scowl from the former Weapon X mutant. He sniffed the air like a predator preparing to pounce, his claws subconsciously sliding into position in case they decided to fire. Logan had always hated the peacekeeping agency because several of them were way too arrogant for their own good. This was apparent by the show of force he had just received for his lack of cooperation. While he had no intention of killing them, his animal instincts made it hard to control the urge when someone pointed had a gun in his face.
Nick Fury had known the feral mutant for years, and quickly realized what would happen if he allowed this display to continue. "That's enough, stand down!" he raised a hand to the agents, causing them to lower their firearms.
Wolverine sighed in frustration, realizing that it wasn't worth getting into a fight that he would later regret. "Fine, I can see you've got no intention of letting me go without. Just ask your questions so I can get off of this dump faster."
The SHIELD director dismissed the surrounding agents with a wave of his hand before gesturing to his own seat. "If you'd rather sit, be my guest." He added welcomingly.
"I'll pass…" the clawed mutant added with a look of indifference.
The blue-clad hero stepped forward with a quick salute before addressing his superior. "With all due respect, I would greatly appreciate it if you would explain exactly what this is about before asking your questions."
"I see no reason to explain myself to anyone…" Their host glanced between his two guests with pronounced interest before continuing. "However, I doubt that we'll get through this entire session without revealing at least some of our main points of interest. What I'm trying to say is that you needn't worry about being left in the dark."
"I'll be the judge of that." Wolverine snarled with distaste as he watched the shifty agent through narrowed eyes.
Their host retrieved a stack of papers he had left on the seat of his chair, taking a moment to gather them up in case they could be of help. Skimming through the reports with a watchful eye, he made sure that he had memorized the content within, in case any of the details would help during the following interrogation he was about to administer. Fury knew that the feral mutant wasn't the type of person to sit down and spill out his guts to just anyone, but right now it was important that SHIELD received a more direct view of the events that had transpired in Manhattan over the last few days, ad he guessed that they could help him fill in some blanks.
Nick Fury glanced at the files in his hand before sitting down, swiveling the chair around so that he could see them clearly. "So, maybe one of you would care to explain exactly what happened in New York during that city-wide gang war…"
The two veterans exchanged glances as they pondered how to explain, but unlike Logan, the captain was more inclined to cooperate. Like it or not he was serving under them now and felt a sense of duty to his superiors. He had always been a soldier at heart, and likewise it was his patriotic duty to carry out any orders that he had been given. At the same time, the blue-clad hero also realized that his partner didn't seem overly fond of Nick Fury, so if he didn't start things off on a good note there was bound to be trouble later on. He took a step forward, giving the director a stern expression before speaking.
Steve Rogers saluted for a few seconds before lowering his arm, taking the next moment to relax his shoulders. "As the designated agent for this mission, I will also take full responsibility for anything that might have happened."
"That's enough with the solider act!" The disagreeable mutant cut him off, his sharp gaze settling on the man sitting across from them. "Truthfully we ran into a lot of crap back in New York, but if you're gonna be pissed at me for causing trouble, there's no reason to blame the captain."
Fury pressed his fingers together pensively before settling his hands in his lap. The two heroes talked amongst themselves, but he had very little interest in what they were saying at the moment. "Before we begin, just know that I wasn't trying to accuse anyone of anything."
"Then would you care to explain to me why you want to know what happened during that gang war?" Logan raised an eyebrow with renewed interest.
Captain America shrugged in response, although he also looked confounded by the sudden interjection." He makes a good point… I was under the impression that something like that would be below our jurisdiction as a worldwide peacekeeping organization. The two of us were only involved because one of your targets had hidden amongst the crime syndicates, but incidentally you seem more interested in the actual conflict."
"I don't see how that is any of your business." Maria Hill folded her arms disapprovingly at his behavior, her stare moving in the direction of their guest before continuing. "This is especially true for them mutant, considering he isn't even an agent."
Logan gritted his teeth in her direction, looking as if he would like nothing more than to strike the agent. "Which means I'm not obligated to listen to you guys either." He snarled nastily, as if he were daring the woman to push harder.
"That's quite enough…" The director glanced around the room irritably before looking them over, exhaling deeply as his eye shifting towards the blue-clad hero. When no one interrupted, he continued speaking as if the previous tension had not existed. "As it turns out, the captain's assumption was absolutely correct."
"You mean there was something else going in that gang war that we should have know about ahead of time?" the patriotic hero questioned.
The master spy nodded his head once in silent agreement, looking as though he "I was hoping to ask you some questions first before giving away any information, but since I probably won't get through this without explaining some of this information, it might be for the best if we provide some insight concerning your recent mission."
Wolverine paused a moment to think about the situation, his calm expression hardening into an animalistic glare as a dawning realization hit. "Just wait a minute!" he scowled angrily. "Are you telling us that you knew about that mess in New York and sent us in there without so much as a single warning?"
"Calm down, Logan." The director raised his hands defensively. "We may have been aware of the conflicts between the city's resident crime lords, but there balance of power between them created a status quo that most of them were hesitant to disturb. Small disagreements broke out from time-to-time, but no one ever expected these factions to lash out so suddenly."
"So, you didn't expect us to run into any trouble on this mission?" Captain America added.
Nick Fury took a moment to phrase his answer properly before speaking again. "Since we had prior knowledge that the suspect was working for the crime lords, there was a possibility that you would end up getting involved." He stood up from his seat, gently folding his hands behind his back. "Considering you were pursuing a dangerous runaway, it was only natural that there would be some trouble, but this catastrophe certainly wasn't part of it."
Wolverine's anger evaporated slightly, although his sour expression didn't change. "You said you wanted to know what happened to us out there… Let me tell you!" he hissed angrily. We searched for several hours that night you dropped us off in Brooklyn before I caught the enemy's scent, but since you didn't tell us he would have friends, we burst in and ended up the middle of that blasted gang war."
"I have to agree, things might have gone smoother if you had warned us about the possibility of the target bringing in reinforcements." The patriotic hero added tactfully. "The last thing we expected was to end up in the middle of city-wide conflict while chasing a single man. A local vigilante named Spider-Man gave us a similar warning after helping us fight the enemy."
A look of recognition hit the superior officer's face. "So he was involved…"
"I take it you know him." Logan raised his eyebrow, his mouth forming a curious line.
Nick Fury looked up at the mutant and responded with a firm nod. "Believe it or not, several of our agents encountered him during another visit to New York." He began with a thoughtful expression. "We were initially planning on arresting him, but his knowledge proved useful and he helped us arrest the Chameleon the first time."
"The punk said he was familiar with that shape-shifting freak. At least now we know what he was talking about." Wolverine pondered, his eyes moving towards his partner to see his reaction.
The super soldier seemed undeterred by this new bit of information. "The masked man's knowledge of the city also proved helpful to us, and it was with his help that we managed to enter the lair of the main crime lord and capture the Chameleon."
His face became more serious than before as he turned towards the clawed mutant standing across from him, carefully noting that he had bee purposely vague in the retelling of events. Of course it seemed as though the captain wasn't willing to say much about the subject either, probably because they were old friend. The director knew full well that they had omitted a lot of details so far, especially considering that the newspapers had described heroes with powers matching those of Charles Xavier's team of X-Men. In addition to that, the article had also mentioned the winged mutant living in New York and the hero Daredevil entering the battle at different points.
"That previous comment leads us back to the original discussion. I believe you neglected to mention that your friends from the institute were also involved in this mess along with several other people." Their host added with a noticeable frown, his hand pulling out a newspaper with a series of photos depicting the aforementioned heroes.
Wolverine squared up to the secret agent in a challenging manner. "I don't see how that's any of your business!"
Nick Fury shook his head to ease the other man's temper. "Normally I would not allow an agent to receive outside help without prior consent, but for you we make an exception. Since you're not an official agent, I have no intention of subjecting either you or the captain to the normal repercussions."
"Like we would've been stupid enough to give you any information that could actually hurt the agency." Maria Hill added with a note of sarcasm.
"Then what the Hell is your problem?" the short-tempered mutant shot back accusingly.
"It's not really a problem, so much as it is a concern." The SHIELD commander explained, quickly noting the other man's renewed hostile demeanor. "There are a lot of questions surrounding the gang war in New York, and in addition to the circumstances of the conflict, the repercussions may eventually force us to get involved."
Captain America nodded affirmatively, stepping forward with an inscrutable expression. "While it isn't my place to disagree, I fail to see what kind of problems might have resulted from this conflict. The battle not only resulted in the capture of the Chameleon, but also the incarceration of several other criminals."
"Perhaps one of you might have noticed how quickly the helicarrier appeared in the city following the battle?" the director began. "We were ordered there by the United States government to capture the villains that were caught during this time, during which we picked up several super villains working for the gangs, and a handful of crime lords."
The mutant hero sighed in exasperation. "The mobsters were cleared, and the target neutralized… I ain't exactly the most cheerful guy, but it sounds like a pretty good day to me."
"Let me start by addressing the first issue." Nick Fury seemed to ignore his comment, and instead gave his guests a dismal expression, having hoped that they would have grasped the situation sooner. "As I said earlier, there was a balance of power in the city maintained by the gang leaders. The man that you and your friends stopped was Wilson Fisk, better known to the underworld as the Kingpin of Crime."
The captain looked as though someone had set off an explosion inches from his face. "If you knew about his criminal activities, then why didn't the authorities arrest him and put an end to his illegal trade?"
Maria Hill tapped her foot impatiently. "Wilson Fisk always covers his tracks pretty well, making it hard for anyone to find enough evidence against him. A famous lawyer named Matt Murdock planned to launch a case last year, but it wasn't solid enough to stop the big man from paying off the witnesses and hiring a team of high-paid defense attorneys to refute any negative claims."
"The agency discovered some incriminating information a few years back, but the big man raided one of our bases and hacked the mainframe computer, stealing several of our secret files and deleting any evidence we had to commit him." The director added tactfully. "On top of that, he has also been useful to us in the past."
"You can't be serious… Are you saying that he actually helped you by breaking in and screwing with the computers?" Wolverine sounded annoyed, although at the same time he was confused by the contrary notion.
The SHIELD commander shook his head again. "Not intentionally, but the Kingpin's worldwide criminal empire kept other organizations in check and prevented chaos like that bloodbath you saw in New York. Most people were too afraid to oppose his control of the criminal underworld, so we tolerated his presence."
Captain America looked slightly discomforted by the notion that they would allow someone so evil to go about his business. "Either way, I don't think it really makes much of a difference considering he was never captured by the authorities afterwards."
"Just what kind of sick game are you guys playing?" Wolverine interjected boldly.
"As I was saying…" he openly ignored their comments and continued explaining as if there had been no interruption. "The Kingpin escaped alongside his wife and a handful of his subordinates, before they disappeared last night. SHIELD agents were sent in to take custody of several villains from the local authorities."
"Did the prisoners tell you anything important?" Steve Rogers questioned with a note of concern.
Nick Fury turned his back towards the others to look out the main window of the helicarrier's cockpit as he pondered whether or not it was right to tell them to whole story. He felt it was necessary in case they could provide him with some insight as to what was going on, especially considering that their investigative team had found the Kingpin's entire mainframe computer wiped of any and all information. Needless to say he was incredibly worried after hearing some of the testimonies from the villains they had interrogated the previous night, and he had a feeling that things would only get worse from here on out. He turned to face them, taking a moment to light another cigarette.
"Care to spit it out already?" Logan sneered, having grown impatient with his stalling.
The spy ignored both his guest's rudeness and the glare that the latter had received from his female vice-director. "As it turns out, the New York Police Department had already made a bargain with Silvio Manfretti, the leader of the Maggia Syndicate that opposed Wilson Fisk. They agreed to give him a lenient sentence if he cooperated with the authorities, and the old man told them everything."
Captain America hesitated as if afraid to find out the answer now that it was so close. "What exactly did he say that was so helpful?"
"The old fossil ratted out the HYDRA to the local authorities. I believe we already told you about them when you were first inducted. They're a powerful spy network devoted to the pursuit of World Domination through any means necessary." Fury carefully recapped the basics.
"HYDRA… It figures that those jerks would be involved." Wolverine let out an animal-like growl as he remembered the terrible things they did to his female counterpart.
He remembered the recent encounter they had with members of the spy network while trying to recruit X-23. They had employed the Kingpin's services to capture her in exchange for some service, and although Wolverine felt a small urge to say something about his recent experiences with HYDRA, his common sense alerted him to the dangers of bringing up the subject in front of Nick Fury. Any mention of the group would lead the discussion in a direction he did no want to go, because they would probably guess that Laura was at the institute if he mentioned that the X-Men helping her against her creators.
Once he had taken a few puffs of smoke, the director exhaled the fumes and resumed the conversation. "It sounds like they manipulated Silvermane into inciting that gang war by putting some false promises onto the table that he couldn't resist. He took the bait, and now he's in jail."
"So, you captured most of the enemy's leaders, then?" Steve Rogers leaned forward expectantly.
"Except for Wilson Fisk, most of the bas guys were carted away to the Raft, a super villain prison reserved for the most dangerous criminals in the world." The director explained. "The gangsters were sent to the Vault in New York City, another major prison funded by the United Nations for non-super powered villains."
Logan held back a scowl, his left eye twitching slightly. "And why do we need to know all of this crap? I don't even work for SHIELD, yet you seem awful comfortable telling me what's going on."
"I'm telling you this because we believe that HYDRA had something to with a mass breakout from the Vault that took place a few nights before you arrived in the city. Our consensus is that they purposely orchestrated the events surrounding the gang conflicts in order to further their own goals. The testimony from Silvermane and several of the captured crime lords supports this current theory."
The clawed mutant folded his arms in contempt. "What exactly makes you think you can trust these guys?"
"Have your agents found any conclusive evidence concerning what these people might have been after?" Captain America added hastily.
"This organization deals in information, and you'll find that we've covered more ground than most people could possibly imagine…" His commanding officer took a moment to tap the side of his cigarette, discarding the layer of fiery ash that had collected at the tip. "Now that I've given you both some background, maybe one of you would care to answer some questions for me?"
Wolverine hesitated, scratching his head with a weary expression. "I had a feeling we were gonna get to this part sooner or later… Just what kind of questions are we talking about?"
Their host flicked the remaining of his cigarette away, stomping it into the floor as his gaze settled back on his underlings. "To start with, I want to know if you or your friends saw anything that might give us an idea of what the enemy could be planning."
The former Weapon X exchanged a pair of bewildered glances with his partner before shrugging off the question. "If you don't have a clue about what those people are planning, than why would we?"
"I was charitable enough to answer your questions, now it's your turn to return the favor." Fury interjected with a note of finality, his words earning a scowl from their guest. If the sound bothered him, he hid it well. "I am well aware that your team was pursuing Magneto in the city, and our undercover agents in Manhattan heard rumors that the Kingpin was searching for the mysteries of Project Rebirth prior to the events of the gang war."
Captain America froze in terror as he heard this last piece of information, his jaw slacking in an uncharacteristic manner. His thoughts returned to the day over half a century ago when a team of American scientists placed him into the rebirthing chamber and applied the super solider formula to his frail body. He had been recreated as a weapon for the sole purpose of serving the allies during World War II, but the government paid no mind to the fact that the process had slowly begun to corrode his body, and would have subjected others to the same thing had he not destroyed the equipment.
He blinked to clear the visions of his past away, the metallic floor paneling beneath his feet slowly coming back into focus. When given the moment to consider everything that had happened, he realized now that he was lucky they had found the cure, even though it had taken several decades to do it. Although he had originally mourned the moss of everything and everyone he had ever known, the captain realized that he still had a purpose and at least one friend left who understood the terrors they had endured during the war. Glancing up from the floor for the first time in the last minute or two, the patriotic hero realized that everyone was staring at him.
Wolverine clapped a hand on his teammate's shoulder, giving his body a rough shake. "Hey Rogers… You still alive, or what?"
The life returned to the blue-clad hero's eyes as he snapped out of it, looking distraught by the mention of the government's blunder. "Did he just say, Project Rebirth?" he stammered slightly, looking as though someone had punched him in the gut.
"Yeah, he did…" The feral mutant responded with a frown, his eyes moving towards the floor of the room. "We all thought that the world had seen the end of that nightmare, but there was an incident about a year ago where someone actually managed to get their hands on the equipment and the formula, and then used it on himself."
Steve Rogers shook his head in denial. "If I remember correctly, both the serum and the rebirthing chamber used to create soldiers like me were both lost. The formula was lost shortly after I received my powers, and soon after the war, the equipment was also destroyed."
The captain paused as he considered the scenario, finding few answers in his own knowledge of these past events. While he had been the central figure in Project Rebirth, he hadn't been told much about what the government was planning to do. He hid his own concern behind a neutral expression, having thought that the experiment that caused him so much pain had been shut down for good. In a way he dreaded hearing the answer that was to come, but his war buddy seemed just as reluctant to talk about it, while his superior officer seemed to know what he was thinking, almost as if the other man had read his mind.
"I think it's time we told him the truth…" the SHIELD director stated with a solemn expression.
"What are you talking about?" the blue-clad hero stood up a little straighter in anticipation.
Wolverine's shoulders tensed up as he turned to the others. The former Weapon X was hardly the sentimental type, but he felt a pang of guilt at the idea of telling his old friend the truth about their actions. They had both risked their lives to destroy the remnants of the super soldier program to ensure that no one would ever suffer again, but the government had constructed a backup plan, one which Magneto had ultimately stolen for his own ends. When he first heard about this the previous year, the notion had ignited a fire in his chest he thought he thought had disappeared decades ago, and it made his blood boil.
The clawed mutant exhaled sharply, his gaze hardening into one of resolve. "The mutant terrorist Magneto, the guy that my tam was searching for, was the person who stole the secrets of Project Rebirth…"
His partner hesitated to resume the conversation, but after waiting a moment to gather himself, he pressed on as if it did not bother him. "You mean the United States government had duplicated the components of the experiment?"
"I wasn't sure what to think until SHIELD spilled the beans… But there's something else you might want to know about Magneto." He sunk his teeth into his tongue.
The feral mutant took a moment to compose himself, although the following experience wasn't anything but relaxing. He spent several seconds silently trying to find the way to phrase the next part as memories of an age long past began dancing through his tortured mind. Reaching up, the mutant gently rubbed his temples, quietly trying to maintain control over his animalistic rage. It wasn't as if the notion bothered him all that much, but some things were still pretty difficult to voice when they sounded so crazy in retrospect. Steve Rogers waited patiently in the meantime, saying nothing to disrupt his old friend.
He swallowed the lump that had begun to form in his throat. "Do you remember that day when we were forced to free prisoners from the concentration camps in Poland?"
"Would you be referring to the first time we were sent on a mission together?" the captain cracked his knuckles in a casual manner, a look of nostalgia flashing across his face. "It's kinda hard to forget a mission where your commanding officer tells you to jump from the plane without a parachute."
"We rescued a lot of people that day, but I'd bet that neither one of us would've thought that one of those brats we saved would eventually grow up to become Magneto." The mutant hero began.
The faces of the children they had saved that fateful day flashed through the captain's mind as he thought about the mutant he had met earlier. It was certainly a strange encounter considering that he had attacked them upon being rescued from the Kingpin's laboratory, but now his parting words to the group made even more sense. Steve Rogers remembered his friend saying that the magnetic terrorist was the archenemy of the X-Men, yet once they locked eyes, the enemy had backed down. He had left peacefully without seeking vengeance on the criminals who captured him or his heroic nemeses.
"I believe you, but this raised a lot more questions… You told me he was a criminal among mutants, so why would someone who was subjected to such torment inflict the same thing onto others? As a soldier who worked to free the world from the terror of the Axis powers, I find it difficult to understand." the super soldier wondered out loud.
Wolverine affirmed this claim with a grimace. "At first I wasn't sure what to think about it either, but there's more than a few reasons why I figured out the truth about him." He exhaled a small breath before continuing. "Mutants get treated like dirt, so he thinks the only way to protect us is to attack the humans first. It's almost like the old man doesn't want a repeat of what happened during the Holocaust."
The two became quiet again as they both considered this possibility, but this time it was Nick Fury who broke the silence. "It's good to see you filled in some of the blanks for the captain, but right now we've got more important things to discuss." He declared rather abruptly.
"Ugh… why don't you try and talk straight for once?" Wolverine pressed him.
Captain America came to a sudden realization, although he dreaded the possibility. "I wonder if the Kingpin knew that Magneto had the secrets of Project Rebirth." He looked disturbed by the thought, but continued explaining his theory.
The director looked with renewed interest, although he didn't look as though he were ready to believe it. "I was hoping that one of you could help shed some light on this topic, considering that we currently have no proof. The fat man is only one of many villains that have searched for the super soldier formula over the last six decades…"
"We heard from Spider-Man that a man fitting his description was captured by the Kingpin's cronies." The captain explained quickly.
Wolverine unfolded his arms and nodded. "While hunting down the Chameleon, we found him trapped in some kind of lab where they were doing tests on mutants. I was more than a little shocked to find him there, so we let him go."
"This is certainly an interesting development, although I have no idea how Wilson Fisk would have discovered the truth about Magneto using the super soldier serum on himself." Nick Fury stroked his chin in thought, turning his back to his subordinates for a moment.
"You mentioned earlier that he stole files from one of your bases, so perhaps he knew that the mutant could provide him with the answers he wanted." the captain suggested.
The commander disagreed immediately. "The headquarters that the Kingpin's men raided did not house any information on Project Rebirth. Such dangerous files were only kept in print, and stored deep in some of our most secure locations, and we were also careful to investigate the situation after the theft."
The three men took their time to go over these new developments, although Wolverine saw very little benefit in doing so. Now that the mess was over for him, he had very little interest in bothering with criminal syndicates. He was more concerned about whatever Magneto was up to right now, although it was clear from this conversation alone that his part-time benefactors inside SHIELD had no information that would be helpful in capturing the villain. So long as the magnetic mutant stayed out of government affairs, they had no reason to keep track of his movements, and as a world peacekeeping network the miniature army had much more important matters to attend to.
"You've both given me some interesting leads, although it may take time for us to find out what's going on." Nick Fury stood up a little straighter, squaring his shoulders back as he picked up the stack of papers on his chair once more. "I believe that will be enough for today, assuming that neither of you has anything else to report that may be of assistance in these cases."
"No, sir…" Steve Rogers answered with a respectful salute. "We've told you everything relevant to this case to the best of our ability."
"What he said!" Wolverine shrugged off the accusatory remark with an air of indifference. Turning around, he walked in the opposite direction towards the exit.
"Just wait a minute!" The director held out his hand, a gesture that went largely ignored by their stubborn guest. Logan walked for a few more steps until he found himself face-to-face with SHIELD's vice-director.
"Nobody said you were dismissed." Maria Hill remarked coolly as she stood her ground against the mutant.
He looked right past her as if she weren't even worth the trouble, dismissing the agent with a nasty scowl before glancing back at her superior. "You said we were done, and the last time I checked, I didn't work for you people." Logan scratched himself like a wild animal. "Either way, there's some things I should take care of back home."
"If you insist…" Nick Fury gestured to his female subordinate. "Agent Hill, escort our guest to the launch bay and arrange an aircraft to return him to the Xavier Institute."
The vice-director exchanged a stubborn expression with her unwanted guests before ushering him through the nearest door. She did not appreciate his lack of respect for authority, especially since SHIELD had done him favors in the past. Of course he had done the same for them, but his attitude towards them had always struck a nerve with her whenever they were in the same room. Maria Hill wasn't keen on completing this assignment, but her commanding officer had given her the order to help him and she was in no position to deny his request. Once the feral mutant had exited the room, she gave her superior a salute and followed after him.
"Perhaps I should accompany them to make sure that they don't kill each other?" he suggested.
Fury shrugged before waving him off as well. "This might be the last time you see Logan in a while. Feel free to see him off."
The super soldier began to follow after the others, but one other thing had been bothering him and he decided now was as good a time as ever. "Sir, if I may ask? Who was that stranger wearing the metal suit that you were talking too when we first arrived?"
"That's classified information, soldier." Nick Fury replied in a resolute tone, making it clear that the conversation was over.
That Night
It was a rainy summer night, the torrential downpour flooding into the streets outside and into the series of storm drains lining the sides of the streets. New England was known for unpredictable weather and today was no exception. Forks of lightning flashed across the sky as thunder claps permeated the surrounding air, making it an ideal time to stay indoors for most people. Although most people were at home waiting out the storm, several miles outside of Bayville, two figures sat in the back seat of a car, talking in hurried whispers to one another
The car was parked in a lot in front of a cheap motel, although they had merely used this as an ideal meeting place where no one would think of finding the. Sitting on the left side of the seat was a thin woman with short brown hair wearing dark sunglasses and a green blouse, a simple golden bracelet hanging from her right wrist and matching earrings dangling from her lobes. Beside her was a second woman with darker hair and a pair of glasses, wearing a professional black outfit and a pair of heels.
"Is there a reason why you intend to resume this charade?" the first woman questioned with a look of concern.
Her partner seemed to cringe slightly as her body went through a quick transformation, her pale skin turning a dark blue color and her piercing eyes becoming yellow slits. Her hair lengthened and changed into a bright red color, and her clothe seemed to vanish, being replaced by a much more revealing black outfit. Mystique threw her head back with an irritated expression as she attempted to find a more comfortable position to sit in, her bestial appearance earning no reaction from her partner.
"I was the principal of that school for several years." The blue-skinned mutant answered. "This decision to return to my former position may be beneficial."
"Rogue has not spoken to me since learning the truth about our plans for her. In some ways I realize why your own children have disowned you." Irene replied with a frown. "By re-entering their lives, you may be doing more harm than good for both you and them."
Mystique sat up, her eyes boring into the other woman's "I am well aware of the ramifications, but more the point… We should consider why I have chosen to return."
The other mutant inclined her head in thought. "I have received a feeling of dread, yet the future remains somehow unclear."
"Tell me Destiny… Have your visions shown you anything pertaining to the future of our kind that may be useful?" the shape-shifter asked her. "You say that you can sense a time of great darkness approaching, but such a vague prediction will do us very little good unless you are able to discern more."
"You would presume to much or me…" The precognitive mutant replied with an empty expression. At this assertion, Irene seemed to go into a trance as she focused her powers, her mouth sliding open in shock several minutes later.
Mystique leaned forward expectantly as her partner recovered from the sudden shock. "What did you see?" she pressed the other woman.
Destiny straightened her sunglasses before removing them, revealing her cloudy, lifeless eyes beneath the surface. She seemed almost stunned at how terrible the vision was, but what they must do was more than clear enough to her. The psychic woman had seen two visions for the future, and both were too terrible to describe with mere words. The first was a disaster that could occur in then ext month or so while the second was something that would unfold in the upcoming year. Either way it seemed as though they were becoming frighteningly close to disaster.
"Answer me!" the blue-skinned woman shouted, giving her partner a shake.
The psychic replaced her eyewear, her lips twisting into dismal frown. "We have reached the crossroads of destiny, and the future holds two events that could lead mutants to ruin. How this will happen I do not know… But in either case, both humans and mutants must be prepared to fight if anyone is to survive!"
Note to Readers: Took me awhile to get this one out, but it's done. There doesn't seem to be much substance in this chapter, but the next installment should be better. As usual I'm sorry for any typos or mistakes in spelling or grammar, but it was late when I wrote most of this. Until next time, please REVIEW. Feel free to tell me if you liked anything in particular, or if you have suggestions to make. I welcome any and all contributions.
I already have a name for the next chapter, assuming I use this idea- Chapter 26: Hail HYDRA