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Chapter 25

Discoveries

The Atlantic Ocean,

5 miles off the eastern seaboard of the United States

Half a mile above sea level, a small cloud bank hovered in what was otherwise a blue and cloudless sky. There was nothing particularly unusual about the cloud, other than that it hung a little too low, and that it seemed almost stationary. A radar scan of this area would register empty air. Air traffic control was routing all airline traffic carefully past this space. The traffic had been there just days before, and it would soon return, but today this supposedly empty space was off limits. Not because of the cloud bank…but because of what was within it, which was nothing less than a floating fortress, the technological marvel that was the SHIELD Helicarrier. Officially designated the MAAP (Mobile Arial Assault Platform), the Helicarrier was the most closely guarded secret in the SHIELD arsenal.

Inside the Carrier, a secretary stepped on to the command bridge.

"Director Fury, you have a call on your priority line. It's Captain America, sir."

Fury looked up from the report he was reviewing. "Damn." He reached for his phone, taking a moment to compose himself. "Cap. What can I do for you?"

"Direct and to the point as ever, Colonel Fury. I'll do likewise. Those Hydra prisoners you have, I'd like to talk to them."

"So would I. NSA has them, I've been told."

"I'm not in the mood Fury, so cut the crap."

"Cap, even if I had them—which I'm not admitting to—I'd have to go by the book and maintain isolation until my people could fully debrief them. I can't break protocol on this, not even for you. That's if I had them."

"You have them. And I'm going to see them. Where are you at, Fury?"

Fury checked to see which dummy-line this call was routed to. "Washington."

"Really? So when I come on board the Carrier, you won't be there?"

Fury sat up straight. He waved to get the security chiefs attention, putting the call on speaker. "Where are you calling from?"

"Look out the main docking bay, starboard side. Just below the running lights."

The chief brought the image up on his computer screen. The camera showed nothing but the empty whiteness of cloud. Then it panned down. There was Cap, aboard an Avenger sky-cycle, hovering just below the carier.

Fury muted the phone. "Sonofagodamned…how the hell did he do that, Dodd?"

"I…I don't know sir. Radar should have picked him up, but—"

"What about heat signature, motion sensors?"

"Something that small, going slow enough…computer probably kicked it out, thought it was flock of birds'."

"Flock of birds my eye. Open the damned door."

Five minutes later, Cap was bringing the sky-cycle down on the landing pad. Fury was waiting with a squad of SHIELD agents standing at attention. The agents were wide-eyed at the sight of Captain America—even the ones who had seen him before. It ticked Fury off even more than he already was, though he understood it. The man had a way of taking over a room just by showing up. As Cap approached, the deck officer stepped forward, saluting.

"Welcome aboard the Helicarrier, Captain."

Cap returned a crisp salute of his own. "At ease, Chief. Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted, sir."

Fury shook his head. Son of a bitch was laying it on good, looking for all the world like a Norman Rockwell painting as he stood amidst a sea of admiration. Fury approached, deciding against offering Cap a handshake. "That was slick work, Avenger," he said, dismissing the security detail. "Tracking us down's not supposed to be that easy. Want to tell me how how you did it?"

"I'll tell you all about it, after I see the prisoners. Or are you still maintaining you don't have them?" Cap planted himself like the Rock of Gibraltar, piercing Fury with a withering look. Fury knew that look. He tapped the com-badge on his chest.

"Sitwell, meet me in the detention center. Cap wants a word with our guest."

It took the turbo lift over a minute to span the Carrier, which was six times the length of a football field, and three times as wide. Running six decks from top to bottom, the Helicarrier was by far the largest aircraft ever created. It ran on a bank of sixteen repulsor powered anti-gravity engines, backed up by eight giant helicopter rotors, giving the craft its most distinctive feature, and its misleading name. As a final back up, four massive solid fuel rockets were mounted on the sides of the Carrier. They could land the craft in an emergency. It was one of the most complex and sophisticated machines ever devised, decades ahead of its nearest rival. Even the technology of Victor Von Doom, the mad genius of Latviera, lagged behind the Helicarrier, at least in terms of sheer scope. It was SHIELD's most potent weapon, allowing them to land up to three divisions of troopers, and a full wing of air support, anywhere on the globe. As the lift sped on its way, Cap broke the silence. He never uttered the word illness. There was no need.

"How long have you known?"

"Definitively? Three weeks. Four days. A few odd hours. Suspected it awhile longer."

"And you never thought to tell me?"

"I did. But there were…complications."

"I'm sure. How deeply was SHIELD involved?"

Fury stiffened a little at that. "This was Holders game, all the way. Please believe me on that."

"Actually, I think I do. But then again, I'm stupid that way. Tend to think loyalty and honor still means something in this day and age."

"Cap…"

"You didn't answer my question. How deeply was SHIELD involved?"

"The plan was hatched twelve years ago—before I became Director. It was only a contingency plan, purely theoretical. When I learned about it, I dismantled it. CIA was on board in the planning. Holder never let it go, kept it in his hip pocket. Once you blocked him in the courts, he must have decided it was time. I'm sorry, Cap."

"I'm guessing you were behind the formula finding its way to Henry Pym?"

Fury nodded. "Not for nothing, but I'm going to catch serious flack for that. May lose my job over it."

"I may die over it," Cap answered. "What do you want, a medal? You used to be somebody I could trust, Fury."

"You still can. I'm doing everything possible to help you. But not at the expense of SHIELD. I hope you can understand that."

"I understand it fine. You should know I intend to burn Holder over this—and anyone else that was involved."

Fury looked at Cap, surprised. "You haven't heard? Holder was found dead three hours ago."

Cap's eyes registered shock. Then he set his jaw. "Was it you?"

"No."

Cap hit the emergency stop button. "Was it you?" he demanded.

"No!"

"Then who?"

"It's being called a suicide. Left a note saying he couldn't live with the disgrace."

"You don't sound convinced."

"You knew the man. That sound like Holder to you? My people are still gathering intel. When we find out more, I'll let you know, that's a promise."

Cap chuckled at that, but there was little humor in the sound. "How much do you know about my first mission?"

"Nineteen-forty. You broke up a big spy ring in Times Square. It's famous, everybody knows it."

"That was my first public mission. My first mission was a few months earlier, covert. You never read the classified reports?"

"No."

"The assignment came from military intelligence. Supposed to be a simple job, small band of fifth columnist spies, I was told. Turned out to be a full squad of SS commandos. I stumbled on them wiring a charge to a munitions shipment headed for England. They damned near cut me to ribbons before I found cover. They'd have got me if not for a couple of MPs who rushed the Nazi's. They died, of course. I managed to return fire, drove them off. Even saved the ship from blowing up. But the Nazi's got away, scot-free. You should read the report sometime. A comedy of errors, with a little tragedy thrown in for good measure."

Cap hit the button, restarting the lift. "That was one of my better experiences with 'intelligence', Fury, so spare me your promises. If you want to impress me, do your job."

The door opened and Cap stepped out. Fury scrambled to catch up. As they approached the detention block, Fury took his I.D. card from his jacket pocket, swiping it through the lock. He stepped into the office and his people looked up, their eyes wide as Captain America followed behind him. Fury spoke.

"I need the room. You too, Sitwell. Give me five minutes." If this stung his pride, Sitwell did not show it. He silently left the office with the others. When they were alone, Fury turned to Cap.

"You gave it to me pretty good just now. Guess I had it coming. But I don't apologize for the things I do—even the shitty things, and there are a lot of those. It's a dirty job and I do it because it needs doing. I don't deny that SHIELD's made its share of mistakes. Most of what we do is guesswork, trying to connect invisible dots with a blindfold on. We do our best to follow the rule of law, fighting enemies with no such compunction. But at the end of the day, we win more than we lose and I don't apologize for that. Command is a hard business, you of all people should know that."

Caps' granite stare had not softened.

"Are you finished? Because I have a speech of my own. Command is hard. And the hardest part is remembering what you're supposed to be fighting for. That rule of law you 'try' to follow? It's not some little thing…it's everything. Following the constitution isn't optional. Don't expect me to hold you to anything but the highest standards as long as you hold this post. SHIELD is not above the law. Neither are you."

Fury and Cap stood, eyes locked. Not many could hold up under Cap's harsh gaze without flinching. Fury managed it. Barely. "I guess we both know where we stand," he said.

"I guess we do. Let's see the prisoners."

"Prisoner," Fury said. "Only have one. The other three swallowed suicide chips, never got a word out of them."

Cap steamed. "Don't your people know Hydra better than that? They should have been stripped of all contraband right away—you know their M.O."

"Don't lay it on us, it happened while they were under N.Y.P.D. custody. Got a beef, take it up with them."

Without another word, Fury left the office and Cap followed. A short walk down the corridor led them to the cell block, where Sitwell was waiting. The security monitor showed a man in a grey, ill-fitting jumpsuit, lying on a bare cot.

"Randall Brunner," Sitwell said, handing a data-pad to Cap. "Second-Lieutenant, United States Army. Dishonorably discharged for affiliating with racist hate groups, fell off the grid a few years ago. A textbook bad-actor."

Cap scanned the information, handing the device back to Sitwell. "Hydra's bread and butter. Has he said anything?"

"Not yet. The last interrogation session ended an hour ago. We're not set to…" he trailed off, looking uncertainly to Fury.

"Go ahead," Fury said, "We're not what?"

"…We're not set to resume sleep deprivation until 1900."

"Open the door," Cap said. "We're going to have a little chin-wag."

"Regulations state we be accompanied by an armed guard," Sitwell said.

Fury looked at him askance. "We've got Captain America. He was squashing Hydra agents back when you were popping your first pimple. I think we'll be safe."

The door to the last detention cell opened and Fury led the way. He stopped in front of the prisoner, who was laying on his side, facing the wall. "Okay scumbag, on your feet."

With deliberate slowness, the prisoner turned. His eyes grew wide at spotting Cap. A grin slowly spread across his lips. "Forgive me for not rising," he said, running his hand over the restraining belt that kept him tethered to the cot. Fury nodded to Stilwell, who knelt and removed the lock.

"Ah," the Hydra agent said, "now that is a nice change, far more hospitable than the torture program you were administering earlier."

"We never laid a hand on you," Fury grunted.

"There are other means of torture than physical abuse," Brunner offered. "But frankly, the preparation we undergo in Hydra is far more intense than SHIELD's feeble 'interrogation' techniques." Brunner laughed and turned to face Cap. "Your side is weak, Captain. I like being here, it encourages me. Hydra's victory is assured."

"Absolutely," Cap said. "Your other nine offensives were just practice. This time, you really mean it."

Brunner's eyes narrowed. The smug humor left his features. "We only have to win once. The Vandals sent wave after wave against the gates of Rome. Finally, the gates fell. These gates will fall, too."

"The Vandals plunged Europe into centuries of darkness. Is that how Hydra sees itself?"

"Hydra sees itself as victors. Our great leader will restore order to this decadent world. Your society is weak, polluted. Ours is pure, and strong. The Skull will be magnanimous to those who flock to his banner, Captain. And his wrath will be terrible to those who oppose him."

"Thanks for the tip." Cap turned to Fury. "I need a few minutes alone with him."

Fury stood, looking at the hero, searching his eyes. "Lets go," he said to his second in command. As he was exiting the cell, Fury turned to Cap.

"Five minutes."

The door swooshed shut. Cap took the Avengers com-unit from his belt and touched in a command, setting it on the cot. "I just scrambled their audio. I know your boss prefers these little messages be delivered in confidence."

Brunner smiled. "He sends word." A pall fell over he Hydra agent, and his eyes closed. When he next spoke, his voice had changed. It lowered, taking on the quality of stone dragging across cold iron. Bavarian inflected his speech, where before it had been pure mid-west American.

"Greetings, Steven. I was distressed to hear the news of your illness…but I bring you a message of hope. Soon, I will summon you, and you will discover the depths of my generosity. I hold in my hands the solution to your problem. If you answer my call, I promise, you will not die. Or if you prefer, stay, and watch your world fall before my onslaught. I look forward to your decision. Until we meet again, my brother…"

Slowly, Brunner opened his eyes. "…Did you hear my lords message?"

Cap nodded. "You'll be happy to learn I'm turning you back over to SHIELD. You can show us how tough you are when they resume their interrogations. I've heard Hydra agents brag before about how nothing can make them talk. They always break," he said. "Always."

Brunner's face flushed. "Don't mistake me for those weaklings who dishonor their sacred pledge!" His eyes went wide and spittle flew from his mouth as he went on. "I allowed myself to be taken alive so that I might deliver the message. My lord's will has been done! Now, he rewards me with a seat in Valhalla…"

Brunner clamped his mouth closed, with a small snapping sound. His face went pale, his pupils dilated, and foam gathered at the corners of his mouth. Cap instantly hit the alarm. He grabbed the Hydra agent, trying to pry his mouth open. Brunner pulled away, gurgling his last words:

"Hail…Hydra…"

Fury rushed in, followed by the detention officers. "Christ! Stilwell, call for a medic!"

"You can cancel the medic," Cap said. He knelt, putting his nose to Brunner's mouth, and inhaled. "Cyanide. You going to blame this on the police as well, Fury? Either your people were too incompetent to strip this prisoner of contraband…or you have a traitor in your ranks."

Fury's expression was stone. He hit his com-badge, his voice echoing over the Helicarrier PA system. "This is Director Fury. Emergency lockdown, security protocol Ice-Nine. All division leaders report to Commander Stillwell, immediately." A low, pulsing alarm began to sound, and a bank of dim red lights flicked on over-head, signing a state of emergency. Fury turned to his deputy commander.

"I want every agent who had contact with the prisoner suspended from duty and questioned, starting with the security officers in this cellblock. Have Jensen review the video log—every second of it. Nobody works alone. Teams of two or more, everything by the book. We have a rat on board, and I want him found five minutes ago. Understood?"

"We should start with the last person to see the prisoner alive," Stillwell said. He turned to Cap. "Why did you want to see Brunner alone?"

Cap took a step forward. "Are you accusing me of something?"

Stillwell flinched. "I'm just doing my job, Captain."

"I know. That's why I haven't thrown you through the wall. Accuse me of being a Hydra agent again, and you and I are going to have words, mister."

"All right, let's all cool down," Fury said. "Stillwell, you're running the show for the next fifteen minutes. I need to speak with Cap."

. . .

Fury sat on the edge of his desk, seeing the angry look on Cap's face. "Jasper is a little weak on people skills. No one's accusing you of anything…but you purposely scramble our audio. Why?

"Brunner wouldn't have talked otherwise."

"What did he tell you?"

"You first. I want to hear everything you know about Hydra's plans. Then I'll talk."

Fury thought a moment, then he nodded, taking a seat. His briefing was concise and complete. When he had finished, Cap spoke.

"Clones. You're sure about this?"

"Yes. As of today, we've eliminated twenty-six of these sleeper-agents. God knows how many more are out there."

"What else do you know about their plans?"

Fury laughed, the sound harsh. "Next to nothing. Hydra has us behind the 8-ball. We only found out about their sleepers five weeks ago, but the plan has been in effect for more than a year."

"And you think that's what I was up against in Scotland? An attempt to replace Prince Harry with a clone?" Cap's expression was dubious. "What would that gain them? The Royal Family has no real political power."

"They have influence and they have wealth," Fury answered. "That is political power. Harry is an officer in the British Army, with the kind of connections that give him access to sensitive information. He's just the type Hydra's been aiming for. The kind you don't see coming."

"Still," Cap said, "you'd think Hydra would want some of these LMD's in positions of real, direct power."

"In a few cases, they have been, but Hydra is avoiding the high-profile targets. That's why finding them has been so hard—we don't even know where to look. Right now, we only have thirty of these portable scanners in service," Fury said, holding up a blood analyzer. "Got another fifty set to come on-line by the end of the month."

"Assuming the Skull doesn't beat you to the finish line."

Fury nodded grimly. "Even if we had ten times that number it may not be enough to make a difference."

Fury walked over to the water cooler, not even looking at his wet bar. This was a crisis situation, and his willpower was stronger than his vices. He gulped down a swallow of water, tossing the paper cup into the wastebasket.

"We're hurting on this one. The Skull has us jumping at shadows, meanwhile, he's sitting pretty with his hand on the switch. Our analysts say we have only days before the offensive begins…and what we know about it wouldn't fill a post-it note." Fury turned to Cap. "That's everything. Quid Pro Quo, Avenger. What happened with Brunner?"

"Sometimes Hydra's top agents have messages for me, from the Skull," Cap said, quietly. "I'm not sure what you'd call it, post hypnotic suggestion, telepathy…magic. Somehow, the Skull speaks through them. And only to me. You'd never have gotten it out of him—I doubt Brunner even knew the message himself."

Fury's face reddened. "What the hell, Avenger? Fifteen years, and this is the first I've heard of it. Would have been damned helpful to know that little bit of intel."

"Yeah, it stinks to have someone keep secrets from you, doesn't it? Don't worry, Fury. I wouldn't let my personal feelings endanger the public. These messages are strictly personal, little poison darts Schmidt likes to toss my way. Never anything of a strategic nature."

"Why listen? Sounds like psychological warfare."

"You know the value of studying enemy propaganda. I always learn something. About the Skull, about what's going on inside his mind."

"Inside his mind?" The look on Fury's face was bitter, as if he had just tasted something rank. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

"He is my worst enemy. Any insight I gain puts me one step closer to defeating him. Believe me, he's tried his best to get inside my head over the years. I have to do the same."

"He has an advantage there. You're an open book compared to Schmidt. Oh, we know plenty about the man...but the Skull? There are more questions than answers."

"An open book," Cap mused. "I've been told there's a book on him as well. I just haven't been able to decipher it yet."

Fury looked askance. "What do you mean?"

The mood in the room took on a strange feel. Cap walked over to the cooler, pouring himself a cup of water. "I had a dream the other night," he said, his back to Fury. "Prophetic, I'd guess you'd call it. Do you believe in God, Fury?"

If Fury found the question odd, it didn't show in his response. "Not particularly. Was he in your dream?"

"No. An old friend of mine was, told me a few things." Cap downed the water and turned to Fury. "You worry about Hydra. Whatever they're up to, that's for you and your people to deal with. Leave Schmidt to me."

"I'm fine with that, being as you're the only man who's ever stopped Herr Schmidt before. But I'm kind of curious what you've got planned."

"I'm going to destroy him, once and for all."

There was a moment of quiet at that revelation.

"Not that I doubt you," Fury said, "but I can't help thinking back a few years ago, to that hostage situation in Madrid, when you refused to take out that terrorist. Told the media that you were opposed to taking a life."

"I still am. Show me a soldier who's seen as much killing as I have, and I'll show you a man who's against taking human life. I…have my share of blood on my hands, Fury."

"That was war. Don't tell me you're dragging around guilt over killing some murderous Nazis?"

Cap grew pensive. When he spoke, his words echoed with a long-carried pain. "When you kill a man, war or no war, Nazis or no Nazis…it costs you something. You know that."

Fury nodded, saying nothing as Cap continued.

"The day I woke up from the ice...to everyone else, I'd been gone for fifty-two years. For me it was just moments before that I was in Norway, on my last mission. I killed four enemy soldiers that night. They weren't the first men I'd killed in combat. In the fog of war, it's hard to keep track of how many men you may have killed. I don't know what the number was, I just know that it was too many. So after I revived, I made a vow. No more killing. For fifteen years, I've kept that vow."

"And now your willing to break it?"

"No. Destroying Schmidt isn't the same as killing a man. He's the Angel of Death."

Fury sat down, and silence settled over the room. Fury broke it.

"That sounds about right to me. Don't know if I believe in God, but the Devil's another matter. I've seen his work. If I had to guess, I'd say that Schmidt is his creature, his special little gift to the human race. If any man can destroy the Skull, its you." Fury hesitated a moment. "But…you're not exactly at your best right now."

Captain America nodded, a look of simple acceptance on his face. "That doesn't matter. I'll get my shot, he'll want it that way. When I do, I'll make it count."

"And you know all this from a dream?"

"I suppose it sounds a little crazy," Cap said. "Would have sounded crazy to me, too, a week ago. But that's the way it is."

"Just do me a favor. When you finally square off against that bony son of a bitch? Kick him once for me. I've lost a lot of good people to him over the years."

A call from Sitwell came over the intercom, interrupting the conversation. Fury invited Cap to sit in on a series of briefings. Cap stood quietly in the background, observing. Despite his anger at Fury and the organization he headed, Cap had to admit that SHIELD was a well run, disciplined force. Whoever was responsible for Brunner, he (or she, Cap reminded himself) was surely feeling the heat right about now. The culprit would be found, it was just a mater of time. But time, as Cap was increasingly aware, was a commodity in short supply. Seeing a break in the briefings, Cap approached Fury.

"Anything?"

"No. Frigging mole is buried deep. But there's no way off this station, we'll find him."

"Clone?"

"Not possible," Fury offered. "Everyone on the carrier is tested, daily. No one gets on or off without a scan."

"I got on without a scan."

"You're a special case. You can't be cloned, our people determined it early on."

Cap's eyes narrowed. "How exactly did you do that?"

Fury hesitated. "We tested a sample of your DNA. Something about the Super Soldier Serum resists the cloning process. There was no need to scan you."

"You damned spooks," Cap said in a low, angry voice. "If the country knew how far into their personal freedoms you pry, they'd riot in the streets."

"Would they? I think they like being safe. I think they pretend not to know the things we do, trusting us to go no farther then we have to. It's the same reason that they like having a group of gods standing watch over them. Nobody elected the Avengers into existence…you just took the role, because it needed doing."

"The Avengers are sanctioned by the government. We enjoy broad public support."

"Same with SHIELD."

Cap offered no challenge, letting the argument end in stalemate.

Fury walked over to a computer consul and typed in a command. He retrieved a zip drive and handed it to Cap. "This is everything we have on the Hydra prisoners, all the interrogations, all the forensics. Hope it will help."

Cap nodded, acknowledging Fury's peace offering. He slipped the drive into his belt pouch. "You people have your hands full, and I have matters of my own to attend to."

"You promised me an explanation," Fury said. "This ship employs the most advanced stealth technology in the world. How did you beat it?"

"Repulsor power is remarkably clean," Cap offered. "Quiet, negligible heat and radiation, no exhaust. But it ionizes saltwater."

"Low level ionization. Our techs say it's too small to detect."

"Not to my friends. They have more sophisticated means of monitoring what goes on in the ocean."

Fury could not suppress a laugh. "Well, I guess that's a glitch we need to address. You have friends in low places, Avenger. About five thousand meters below the surface of the ocean low. Nice work."

Fury escorted Cap to the docking bay. There was little chit-chat. As Cap mounted his sky-cycle, Fury ordered the bay door opened. "Had it charged," he said. "Plenty of juice to get you home."

Cap nodded. The engine hummed to life, but he kept the craft in park. He turned to Fury. "Where do things stand with Sharon?"

Fury's expression got flinty. "I've shared a lot with you today, Cap. But if you think I'm going to give you everything, think again."

"She's put her life on the line time and again, for this organization, and for you, personally. You might keep that in mind."

"I do. She's the best I've got. Carter knows where the line is. Long as she stays on the right side of it, she'll come through okay."

"That's the best you can muster?"

"I'll give her as much slack as I can, bend every rule that won't break…but I don't give out free passes. Not even for her. She's a big girl, Steve, she knows the consequences. Got to tell you, if I ever had a woman like her, willing to risk her all just to help me…" Fury trailed off. "You're a lucky man, Avenger."

Cap sat silently for a moment. Then, without another word or a backward glance, he piloted the sky-cycle off the landing pad, disappearing into a white mist of cloud.