I AM NO LONGER UPDATING ON ! IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE, GO TO COWBOYSRAPPIN ON WATTPAD, QUOTEV, OR ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN. I HAVE A FEW MORE CHAPTERS UP ON THOSE SITES.
2013
Starling City, California, United States of America
Palmer Tech
"Weapons Versus Dwarf Star Alloy Test Number Twenty-Seven is under way," Ray Palmer told the recording devices he used before he clicked a button, preparing the weapons to shoot part of his exosuit. "I rearranged the dwarf star alloy around the arm, the limb I am testing. While it is mainly dwarf star alloy, the joints are made of an alloy of numerous other metals, allowing my arm to more easily mobilize while wearing the suit. Now, let's see if it holds up. Three, two, one!" At one, he pressed another button, sending a weapons beam at the arm. After one second, the beam turned off automatically. Ray stepped closer to look at the arm. He touched it before backing his hand away. "Hotter than expected." He walked around the table and poked into the inside of the armor. "But the inside isn't hot at all, so I'm not at danger of becoming the second Red Skull while wearing this. The arm looks like it's in shape." Ray placed all of his arm in the exosuit. "Moves easily. The secondary alloy seems to be holding up. Though I might want to find a way to keep the exterior temperature down, just in case I have to come in contact with a civilian. I don't want to burn them, though I suppose I could burn hostiles with this. That'll be the subject of Weapons Versus Dwarf Star Alloy Test Number Twenty Eight." Ray ended the recording cheerfully. In earlier tests, the suit had not done so well. This was easily the most successful test.
"Well done, Doctor Palmer," said a feminine voice, along with clicking heels and her hands clapping. "Your armor is quite impressive."
"How the heck did you get here?" His assistant was supposed to be the only one to even come to the top floor other than him, only to give him coffee and make sure he wasn't dead. And this wasn't his assistant. His assistant had dyed her hair a wave of galactic colors she either braided or kept down. Her eyes were bright blue and she dressed somewhat casually for her job (Ray insisted that she didn't need to show up in six inch heels and in her Sunday best every day, so she hardly did). And never had she worn heels. The woman in front of Ray was impeccably dressed, wearing heels he doubted his assistant could walk in. Her hair was its natural color of black and was pinned in a bun, her eyes and skin dark as night. "You definitely aren't Kate Hughes."
"I'm Amanda Waller of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I need you to come with me."
"Hold up, what the heck is going on? How did you get here? What do you want with me?"
"I want you to help me save the world."
Ray paused, not expecting that. "Save the world from what?"
Waller turned and gestured for Ray to follow. "Come and I'll show you. Isn't it your goal to help the world?"
•••
2011
Starling City, California, United States of America
Starling Library
Ray hurriedly ran down the street as he looked at his watch. Only a few minutes until it closes! He slows his pace to a fast walk as he enters the library and turns in a book before it is counted as overdue. He smiled at the brunette in front of him as she tried to get the books in.
"I don't know what half of these titles mean, Mr..."
"Doctor. Doctor Palmer. I'm a physicist, so this is the type of stuff I generally enjoy reading about."
"Quantum Theory and String Theory?"
"Yes, you've heard of relativity, right, uh, Anna?" Ray asked, looking at her name tag.
"Yeah, it's what Einstein did."
"The theory of relativity works like a charm in any size but subatomic. Subatomic stuff gets all funky. Those are some theories trying to explain it."
"Very interesting, Doctor Palmer!"
"Please, call me Ray, Anna…."
"Loring. Anna Loring. Just moved to Starling City."
"Well, if you ever need a tour guide, I've lived here a while."
"I'll consider it, Ray. But it's closing time now."
•••
2013
Starling City, California, United States of America
Palmer Tech
"I assume you know what Hydra is," Waller said as she led Ray across the top floor of Palmer Tech at a quick pace.
"Hydra as in the Greek myths or the Nazi death cult?" Ray asked, hurriedly walking after Waller as he voiced his confusion.
"Which one would you expect to be a problem at the moment, Doctor Palmer?"
"They both aren't supposed to exist, at least, not anymore, with the Nazi death cult."
"After Red Skull's death, the world thought Hydra was toast. S.H.I.E.L.D., on the other hand, has known Hydra is still out there since Peggy Carter retired. But S.H.I.E.L.D. has basically done nothing about it."
"Until now?"
"Officially, no, S.H.I.E.L.D. will not engage Hydra. Unofficially, me and a few others are trying to end Hydra. But it's off the records, very few people at S.H.I.E.L.D. know."
"Who all knows?"
"Director Fury, Agent Coulson, Agent Hill, Agent Michaels, myself, and the recruits."
"What recruits?" Am I supposed to be a 'recruit?'
"You and five others."
"Who?"
"Spartan, Black Canary, Iron Man, God of Thunder, and Captain America." Three people that hate me, a dead man and a non-existent man. Greeaat.
"What?! Okay, I'm pretty sure Spartan and Black Canary hate me despite us all trying to save the city, Stark and I really don't have the best business relationship and I think he hates me, Captain America is dead, and you're telling me there is a literal god that's gonna help defeat Hydra?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. recently fished Captain Rogers out of the Arctic. Yes, he's a Norse god, little g. And you need to put aside your personal problems with the team if we're gonna destroy Hydra." Yeah, he's not God God, like that makes it any more believable. How on Earth did Captain America survive that long? And I don't have personal issues, they do.
"But if you have a Norse god, then why the heck do you need anyone else? Isn't he supposed to be all powerful?"
"Little g, Doctor Palmer. He's not all powerful, just more powerful than humans."
"And are you sure he's a god?"
"Considering the mess he made in Scandinavia, I'm just going to take his word for it."
"I just can't believe I'm living in a world where any of this is real!" I guess Captain America surviving is possible if he's anything like the mirakuru soldiers. And if he crashed in the Arctic, it could've preserved him like how cryogenic freezing is theorized to do. Though a literal god working with me is fantastic, there are several metahumans now, like Black Canary. Even if he isn't a god and is just playing us, he can have extraordinary powers.
And if Hydra really is out there, they were the worst of the Nazis...
"Okay, so why do you want me of all people?"
"You're both a scientist and a fighter, Doctor Palmer. You can help us technologically both in a laboratory and in the field."
"So, you want me to kick arse with a few others and do a few equations?"
"I would hope for more than that, Doctor Palmer." Waller stepped into the elevator and pushed a button once Ray was inside. "We're going to the roof. A chopper's there." The two went up the elevator, Ray still asking questions.
"Why us? Why not some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?"
"This is off the records, Doctor Palmer. You have no idea how many times Director Fury has tried to get the world council to listen to him. Hydra won't be destroyed unless it's outside of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Then why aren't you getting as many metahumans as you can? Why only six people you want to fight for you?"
"Wouldn't it be a little suspicious if I assembled an army of superpowered people?"
"Fair point. So what the heck is happening though?"
The two exited the elevator and walked across the roof to the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter on the roof. Waller handed Ray a set of holograms. "It has info on what we're up against, on the others, and the Avengers Initiative."
"Avengers Initiative?"
•••
2011
Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
Undercover Laboratory
"Okay, when Doctor Erksine and Howard Stark made Steve Rogers a supersoldier, we know he used a serum and some form of radiation," Betty said.
"Yes, and what form of radiation is most likely to change DNA that drastically? Gamma," Bruce added.
"Gamma radiation can be extremely dangerous, Bruce."
"Yeah, and so will the soldier that the Army does this to."
"We'll look into it together, okay? Hopefully you're right, Bruce."
•••
2013
Starling City, California, United States of America
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicopter
Ray skimmed through the information on Hydra, how they've grown in the modern world. It was all eye opening. History would not have happened without Hydra. The Cold War, Arab-Israeli wars, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iran, the attacks on Starling City. Hydra somehow was looped into it all. Ray pulled up a report on the Siege, the mirakuru soldiers' attack on Starling City. His eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
Cast
Ray Palmer/Atom ~ Brandon Routh
Amanda Waller ~ Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Anna Loring ~ Barbara Kottmeier
Bruce Banner ~ Mark Ruffalo
Betty Ross • Liv Tyler