Generation Gaps
By Michael Weyer
So this one was going to be another Counterpart Conferences chapter. However, realized it was better to focus on mainly Avengers stuff with touches on Falcon and Winter Soldier and another intriguing turn to set things up. Enjoy.
Thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus for help.
Earth-19999
The sounds of gunfire ripped through the warehouse as the figure in blue and red dodged the bullets fired in his direction. Some bounced off the shield in his hands before he sent it flying outward where it knocked back two gunmen, bounced off a wall and into his hand.
As he leapt to avoid another hail of gunfire, the leader of the group inside the warehouse let out a curse. "Kill him, you fools, it's only one man!"
Captain America answered by tossing the shield out to knock that man back. It landed back in his hands as he was swiftly on the move to attack more of the gunmen. "Actually, you're wrong on that," he intoned just as the windows to the warehouse smashed inward. A flying figure raced in as Sam Wilson knocked down two gunmen on a scaffold over the building. He used the wings to block another gunman's shots before punching him away.
Below, Captain America was moving in on one of the masked figures, grabbing him by the shoulder. He was surprised when the opponent launched a punch blocked by the shield but the impact sending Cap a few feet away.
The masked figure was moving off when Sam flew down to block off her path. He could tell it was a woman with her long curly hair and form under her jeans and jacket even with the mask blocking her face. "Give it up," he barked. "You've got nowhere to run."
In answer, she kicked at him, Sam surprised at the force of the blow as she flipped over him. She was racing to the doorway when a gunshot tore through the air. She stopped in place at the bullet striking just over her shoulder. She looked up to see an attractive blonde-haired woman in a white jumpsuit aiming a gun at her. "That was a warning," Sharon Carter barked. "The next one goes through your head."
The woman was tense but then slowly raised her hands. Sam was moving to remove her mask, showing an attractive young woman glaring at her. Steve headed to face her, looking her over. "What turned you on this path?" he asked.
She just glared before speaking in accented English. "There was a moment in time…when the world had a chance to change. To be closer together than further apart. We want that back."
"I can't fault your goals," Steve said in a kind tone. "But trying to blow up a conference was not the way to do it." He studied her carefully. "That strength…where did you get it from?"
She just pursed her lips as the doors burst open to reveal a squad of SHIELD agents moving quickly to arrest the fallen gunmen. "It's not over, Captain," she called over her shoulder as she was handcuffed. "There are more of us than you can imagine across the world. And you shall feel our power soon." She was led off with the air of someone who was allowing herself to be captured.
Sam sighed. "I really hate it when they give the 'we are everywhere' bit. Makes you wonder how much is real and how much is a bluff."
Cap watched as she was led off to glance at Sharon. "Thank you."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's rare. A thanks."
"Never from me."
"No, you could be almost obnoxious about it."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "She's sort of right."
He saw both of them glaring at him and backed up, his hands raised. "Okay, you two clearly need to talk." He headed a few feet off to help the SHIELD agents round up the captured Flag-Smashers.
Steve looked to Sharon, his face softer. "You look good."
She arched an eyebrow. "That's what you have to say after all this time?"
He sighed. "I…Look, I hate it's been crazy since things went nuts, I tried to get back in touch and learned you were on assignment."
Sharon crossed her arms. "Is that it? After all I did…"
"Listen, I made sure you were on the pardons list with the rest. Again, I tried to find you." He paused before speaking. "I missed you."
Sharon sighed as she looked off. "Steve, really not into…"
"Sharon..." He took a deep breath. "Recently, Thor and Jane took a trip to another reality-"
"That you say that like it's perfectly normal says so much about our lives."
Steve continued. "They told me seeing other versions of me more into duty than a personal life. I...don't like to think I can be like that."
Sharon offered a sardonic smile. "Really, Steve? You think you can just give it up? Give up being Captain America?"
"I'm not saying it would be easy," he admitted. "But I'd like to think there's a chance for it." He looked to her. "Maybe for us."
Sharon looked away, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. "Is this really the time or place to talk about possible relationship issues?"
Steve conceded the point as he looked over the remains of the weapons. "It is concerning. The strength they had...it was like they were imbued with the Super-Soldier Serum."
Taking their parting as a cue it was safe to reenter the conversation, Sam spoke up. "Didn't SHIELD try to replicate it years back?"
"And failed," Cap noted. "Which means someone must have figured out a way. I don't know how without a blood sample from me."
"No offense, Steve, but between the SHIELD tests and any of a dozen fights in the last few months alone, more than enough of your blood around to grab."
"Or there could be another source," Sharon mused. "One you two haven't considered."
Falcon raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to share?"
"It's...complicated," she said. "Something I found out I old SHIELD files but...I'm not sure if we have time to really get into it."
Steve hefted his shield onto his back. "We can talk about it later. Right now, the clean-up here is more important to handle before we can investigate more." He began moving off with Sam following.
Sharon waited for them both to go a dozen steps before speaking up. "So maybe you wouldn't be interested in how there was a black Super-Soldier in the Korean War?"
She turned to see both men giving her stunned stares.
Thunderbolts Mountain
California
Just once, Helmut Zemo mused, it would be refreshing for his team to return to their headquarters in a relatively good mood.
Songbird winced, taking a moment to rub at her back. "Ugh. I swear, that thing is gonna leave a rash..."
"Quit whining," Meteorite snapped as the Thunderbolts marched into their headquarters. "That bolt barely grazed you."
"Oh, please, like you weren't complaining about the venom spray!" Songbird shook her head. "Honestly, where do these things even come from? A pack of crooks dressed like snakes?"
"Ya know, she's got a point, boss," MACH-1 added as he removed his helmet. "Now fighting those Maggia guys and that Madam Masque chick was wild but okay, super-powered gangsters. But how come we keep running into these weirdos?"
Techno was nodding in rare agreement. "He's right. There was that Moses Champion eight-foot tall millionaire trying to conquer California. Then that Doctor Demonicus nutjob and his helpers..."
"Don't forget the Spot guy with the teleporting," Goliath stated, shrinking down to his normal height.
"And we're not getting into that cat-people thing," Songbird finished. "Look, I live in California, I know it's a crazy state but this..."
Zemo removed his Citizen V mask to face them. "Regardless of who or what these people are, we are doing much better as a team. Although some room for improvement."
"Are we gonna get a break soon?" Songbird whined. "Even on my tour, I got downtime."
"I'm kinda surprised," Ghost intoned to the other woman. "When we went shopping, I thought for sure you'd be mobbed. Either from being on TV as Songbird or the fact you were once a pop superstar."
Songbird smirked. "Why do you think I went for the flashy wigs and makeup on stage and interviews? Take those off, slip on a cap and glasses, folks barely gave me a second look unless I wanted them to."
"Plus, helps no one really cares about your music anymore," Meteorite snapped with Songbird letting out a growl that caused a flash of pink energy to form around her throat.
Zemo pointed his sword at her to silence her trilling. "Be careful." He paused to raise the sword. "But, perhaps we can talk to Ross about some...downtime. I can always take my jet to London."
That got several surprised stares. "Your jet?" Techno asked. "Are you telling us you're rich?"
"I'm the thirteenth Baron Zemo," their leader stated. "I have my resources."
"Then why the hell do you make me pay for the last food run?!"
"Because I don't like you."
A coughing sound got their attention and they turned to see Bill Foster coming up to them, his weathered face looking concerned. "I'm glad you're back. We...have an issue."
Zemo frowned. "What kind?"
In answer, Bill waved a hand as the group fell in behind him. He led the way to the large training area, a huge room Techno had designed to craft various environments for the team to utilize for combat positions. They all stopped and stared at the figure in the middle of the room tangling with a pack of the large and bulky training androids the team utilized.
He was a handsome and very athletic man clad in a mostly black costume of a very familiar configuration. His head was covered in a cowl with a chin strap, the black costume only marked by a red and white symbol on his front reminiscent of the United States flag.
The man was leaping about, knocking back the droids with amazing skill and speed. One of the gauntlets on his hand emitted a photonic energy field resembling a familiar round disc with an eagle emblem on it. He held it up as one of the androids fired blasts of energy at it. The man winced but stood his ground with the shield shimmering. He backed up and raised his arm, the shield shimmering then firing a copy of itself as a solid energy disc. It ripped outward to neatly decapitate the robot.
"Um...why is there a knockoff Captain America trashing our robots?" For once, Songbird spoke for everyone.
"He was here when I showed up," Bill explained. "He won't tell his name but he's been going at this for almost an hour straight and he's not showing signs of winding down."
"He's with me. And now, he's with you."
The clicking of heels got their attention as the team turned to see a woman enter the room. She wasn't tall yet carried an aura of a woman used to commanding a room with ease. She was dressed almost entirely in black with large hoop earrings and sunglasses covering her eyes. She removed them, showing an attractive face that appeared to be in its 50s with her lips curled into a smirk.
She stopped before them, cocking her head before wincing. "These boots were not made for walking."
"Who the hell are you?" Meteorite demanded.
The woman slid off her sunglasses as she answered. "Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Call me Val. Actually, no, don't, I hate that."
"A Baron, now a contessa?" Techno scoffed. "I thought this was an American operation."
Zemo frowned. "Why are you here?"
"Oh, I'm your new liaison," the woman answered as if it was obvious.
"Liaison?"
"Yes, liaison," Val said in the careful tone one would utilize with a child. "See, Ross is sort of busy with, you know, the whole Secretary of State thing and maybe seen hanging with you is a little bad for the image. So, from here on in, you report through me."
Zemo glared at her. "That wasn't the deal."
"Well, funny thing, Ross? He doesn't much care about tiny things like your feelings," Val replied. "Right now, let's get to introductions."
She waved a hand as the man finished his routine. "Let me introduce John Walker. Former U.S. Army, highly decorated, top of his class in hand-to-hand, ready to fight for his country. Code-name, U.S. Agent."
The man came to the group, nodding with a light smile on his face. "Hey, good to meet you all, looking forward to working with you."
A set of blank stares met him. Walker slowly pulled back the hand as Techno was studying the gauntlet holding the shield. "That looks like something I was developing..."
"Yeah, mixed it up with some old SHIELD tech," Val explained. "The eagle thing is our own little trademark, it's a legal loophole but it'll work." She looked to the others. "In case you haven't noticed, the world's gotten a little bit weird. Captain America won't cut it anymore. What we need...is a US Agent." Walker seemed to smile with pride at that.
Foster was more interested in the man's outfit than his actual appearance. "That skill you were showing...it's almost like..."
"Oh, we found a way to replicate the old Super-Soldier Serum," Val announced as if it was no consequence. "It's not quite as effective as the one Rogers has but gives him a nice boost." She leaned in to speak in a mock whisper. "Also possible side effects of mood swings, temper, might watch out for that." She grinned at Meteorite. "Sounds like you've got a new patient, Dr. Sofen!"
"Rapture," she dryly remarked.
MACH-1 gaped. "You just told us the guy could snap and you're putting him on our squad?"
"Hey, if you have a possible unstable element, at least make sure he blows in the right direction."
Zemo glared at her. "So we just accept him on our team with no question?"
Val's smirk grew. "Aw, you think you actually have authority in this little project. That's so adorable." She cut off Zemo's opening mouth with a wave of her hand. "Once more, you don't call the shots here. Ross does. He thinks you need your own symbol of liberty to get more public approval. So yes, Walker is here, get used to it."
She slipped her sunglasses on. "Now, if you'll excuse me, or don't, I really don't care, I have more important things to attend to. But don't worry, I'll be in touch soon, we're going to be getting along great. Or we won't but again, not caring." She turned on her heel and walked at a brisk pace out of the room.
Songbird raised an eyebrow. "Ya know...She'd fit in great in the music biz."
"God, don't go back to playing your old albums again," Fixer groaned. "None of us want to see Zemo dancing." The others joined in nods of agreement.
Walker was stepping forward, his eyes fixed on Zemo. "Let's get this straight now," he announced. "I don't like you. I know who you are." He glanced at the rest. "All of you." He returned his gaze to Zemo. "Normally, I wouldn't have anything to do with any of you. But I respect Ross. I'm a soldier, I follow orders. He wants me on this team, I'm here and I'll follow your chain of command." He glared harder. "But if I think you're doing something against this country...I'll take you down myself."
Zemo matched his glare. "Just be sure to follow orders in the field and we won't have problems." He turned on his heel to march off. Walker watched him for a few moments before nodding to the rest.
"Wonderful, a rah-rah USA type," Ghost muttered under her breath. Meteorite had to agree as she knew a tightly wound figure when she saw one and concerned how this would affect her own plans.
As she exited toward her waiting limo, Val was dialing a number on a secured cell phone. "Okay, Walker is in. For the record, think it's a mistake but hey, you're the boss. Oh and tell Beck maybe tone it down? They're right, the Serpent Society was a bit much." She frowned as she listened. "Wait...that wasn't him? Huh, weird. But still, maybe shelve some of the fake attack stuff for a bit." She smirked as she sat inside the limo. "Relax, Norman. It's like I said, a little extra power on this team will help down the line. Have I ever steered you wrong yet?" She chuckled as the car pulled away.
Baltimore, Maryland
The house was nondescript, fitting the somewhat quiet and slightly rundown neighborhood. It oddly reminded Steve of some places he'd seen before he joined the service. He stepped out, clad in simple jeans, shirt and short jacket. Sam was stepping out of the car with him, also in civilian clothing. "You up for this, man?" he asked.
Steve sighed. "Probably not. But I have to do it." He began walking toward the front door, heading up the steps to knock upon it. There was a pause before a teenaged black youth opened the door, blinking as he saw who was there. "Whoa...Um...hi."
"Hello," Steve said in a polite voice. "We're looking for an Isaiah Bradley?"
The boy started, trying to move on. "Um, think you got-"
"It's okay, Eli," a strong and deep voice echoed from behind him. "It's ok." Stepping into the hallway was a man who appeared to be in his 60s. His lined and weathered face was still handsome and strong, his hair gray but Steve could instantly tell that under his simple shirt and slacks was a physical frame stronger than his age would indicate.
The man stared at Steve and Sam, his jaw set. "Deep down...I always knew this was coming. Kinda figured it'd be before now."
"I only just found out," Steve said. "Otherwise, believe me...I'd have been here earlier."
The man looked at him and sighed. "Damn, I tell you to leave, you'll just keep coming back, won't you?"
"He is a stubborn type," Sam had to insert.
The man named Isaiah Bradley waved a hand. "Come on in then." Eli stepped back to allow the two men to enter. They followed Isaiah into the living room where he turned off the baseball game on the TV. "Eli..."
"Yeah, yeah, my room," the youth muttered as he walked off. "My grandson," Bradley explained as he sat heavily into a chair. "His mamma's at work so she wants him keeping an eye on me. Truth is, I'm watching him."
Steve was standing by a wall, looking at the photos on them. They showed Bradley in a variety of settings from some parties to a woman's graduation to a wedding. While he was smiling in some photos, the obvious weight in his eyes could be seen even in a photograph.
Isaiah cracked open a beer and sipped it as he looked to the two men. "So...what do you want to know?"
Steve sat in the chair before him, looking at Isaiah. "I read the reports," he said in a soft voice. "I know what was done to you. What you went through." He bit his lip. "I know saying sorry isn't enough..."
"You're right. It's not." The bitterness was heavy in Isaiah's voice. "What do you expect? You were on ice, they needed someone else. And who better to test it on than guys this country has always misused and abused? That's what this country does."
"The government may do that," Steve instantly said in a defensive tone. "Not the country."
Isaiah scoffed. "You really believe that?" He shook his head. "Watching on TV, I always figured you were damn naïve. Or maybe just because of what you are."
"What I am?"
Isaiah waved a hand at him. "Look at you. Handsome, strong, blonde hair, you were just what they wanted as the all-American poster boy."
"I never wanted that," Steve snapped. "I wanted to serve my country, I really did. I hated being a propaganda tool. Then and now."
"But you sure am good at it," Isaiah sarcastically said. He sipped at his beer. "You haven't been through what I have, Rogers. Don't even think you can try." He put the beer down, staring off with obvious pain in his eyes as he spoke. "They treated us...worse than lab animals. Ya know, I heard one doctor actually trying to say no difference between a black man's blood and a white boy's and they looked at him like he was from Mars."
His eyes hardened. "That was just the start. The testing, the treatments...The way they looked down on us...And the fact we all knew what we were. We knew we were used because we were considered expendable. And that hasn't changed much." He looked at Steve. "You grew up then. You know what it was like and don't ever say you didn't. Never, ever, tell me you didn't know what we went through. Or that you barely cared about it."
Steve was quiet as he looked off. "I grew up in Brooklyn," he began. "I never set foot out of it until I was trying to sign up. The first time I ever went south of Mason-Dixon line was the early USO tours." He rubbed at his face. "I still remember a trip to Alabama. Not just the separate bathrooms but the jokes of the folks around me about black people..."
"You can use colored," Bradley absently said. "Hell, I sometimes do, have to catch myself before folks find it odd."
Steve continued. "The way they talked about them...as if something less than human...it threw me. I had figured talk like that was reserved for Nazis." He settled back in his seat. "I was in Europe from then on, I didn't get Stateside much. I didn't realize just how bad it was for folks there. Not just the blacks but the Japanese-Americans rounded up into camps." He shook his head. "God, when I think my own country doing the type of thing I was fighting against..."
Bradley snorted. "Boy, this country was doing that long before you or I were born." He waved a hand at Cap. "You just go ahead and wear the flag but you never question what you're loyal to?"
"I'm loyal to the dream. Nothing else." The way he said it proved Steve believed every word of it.
Bradley shook his head. "I'm trying to figure if you're just being an idiot or another white boy who thinks he can understand us." He looked to Sam. "You know what I'm talking about. And you know it hasn't changed."
"It has," Sam stated. "Oh, it's nowhere near the progress we'd want but come on, man. You're older than me, you should know I get shots in the military and just being out that you never would."
"And does that protect you being pulled over just on the color of your skin?"
"Maybe not," Sam admitted. "But it's not like we're just laying back to take it. There are a lot of us still out there fighting the ones who want to set the clock back."
"Pretty easy to set it back when barely any time passes."
"My perspective on that is different," Steve broke in. "I was asleep for most of the 20th and part of the early 21st century. I got to see how massively different it was in one go. Maybe being alive during it was different to experience it but it also blinded you to how much was improved."
"Improved?" Bradley's eyes sparked with anger. "I had to fake my death to get away from being a lab rat! I've had to hide all these years!"
"And who are you hiding from?" Sam brought up. "It took a lot of digging to find out about you. Any of the higher-ups connected to your Project Rebirth are long dead or otherwise gone. You fell through the cracks." He sighed. "And that's not right."
"Yeah, what they did to me-"
"I'm not talking about that," Sam barked. "I'm talking about what you did in Korea. The fighting, saving an entire unit from getting wiped out. You're a damn hero, Bradley."
Bradley waved a hand. "I was just surviving, boy. I was just doing my job as a soldier. I'm not some hero."
Sam smirked at Steve. "Seems humility is a side-effect of this serum."
Steve looked to Bradley. "Dr. Erskine said the serum takes whatever person you are and increases it. With Schmidt, it made a psychopath into a monster. With you...I'd like to say it made you a better person. I'd also hate to think that it increased your own bitterness."
Bradley was quiet as he took that in. "Why are you here?" he finally asked. "Just to assuage some sort of white guilt? To make sure I'm not giving my blood to others to use?"
"I know you wouldn't," Steve quickly said. "I wanted to meet someone like me. A man out of time, a man who remembers how the world was in another time and place."
"Much as I'd like not to," Bradley muttered.
"I wanted to meet you..and tell you It's time to stop hiding." Steve leaned forward. "Covering up what happened to you doesn't make it better, Isaiah. Yes, it was horrible but you and the men with you...they deserve to be remembered."
Bradley rolled his eyes. "You think the government is going to let that out? Even after all this time, they want the news to know they tested black soldiers like lab animals and killed the ones who wouldn't work out?"
"I'm not the government," Steve softly said. "And keeping this secret...that's a bigger shame than what actually happened to you." He reached into his coat to take out an envelope and extend it to Bradley. He frowned as he opened it to read the contents. His eyes went wide as he looked up at Steve. "This...is..."
"I still have a lot of favors to call in," Steve noted. "That includes a Presidential pardon for you. And, if you want it, a Medal of Honor for your actions."
"And we know a few folks at the Smithsonian who can add something new to Cap's exhibit," Sam stated.
"Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it being just me and Bucky," Steve joked. He took in Bradley's face, his smile fading. "This won't make up for what happened to you. Nothing ever will. And you're right, I will never fully understand what you've been through." He leaned forward. "But you and me, Bradley...we fought in the muck. Not just in the trenches but against the higher-ups. At the end of the day, my blood is no different than yours, literally."
He extended a hand. "You and your story have been in the shadows too long, Isaiah. Please...come into the light. Let the world know about you and what you've been through. I learned a long time ago, we have voices. Let yours be heard."
Bradley stared at him and then glanced to Sam. "Someone writes these speeches for him, right?"
"Trust me, man, it's all him," Sam chuckled. He looked at Bradley. "I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip...but for guys like me starting in the military? Knowing there was someone like you setting a trail would have been pretty damn inspiring."
"Let the rest of the world know that," Steve pressed. "Don't let your story die with you, Isaiah."
Bradley tapped the envelope in his hands for a long moment before looking at Cap. "You ever meet Ella Fitzgerald?"
Steve smiled. "One of the best club visits I ever had."
"That gal..." Bradley smiled at Sam. "Boy, you think recordings are great but her in her prime..." He rose up to move to a nearby shelf, thumbing through some old-styled records. He pulled out one to move to the nearby stereo system. Soon, familiar music was coming over the room as Steve smiled. "Caught her once at the Cotton Club."
"Ah, now that place..."
"Wait...you were in the Cotton Club?" Sam laughed. "The guy who can't even stand a nightclub?"
"Son, the Cotton Club wasn't a nightclub, it was a mecca," Bradley said, a smile coming to his face as he and Steve looked at each other. "Maybe...maybe you do have a point..." He settled into his chair. "Damn shame you missed Jackie Robinson breaking the barrier, now that was a moment that gave me hope."
"Believe me, the idea I was on ice when Dodgers finally won the Series hurts," Steve said in a mock serious tone. "Then again, pretty sure I'd be in bed a week after they left Brooklyn."
"Ah, I was a Yankees man."
Steve nearly spit out his beer. "What?!"
"Hey, might as well root for the winners, am I right?"
"I'm seriously reconsidering that pardon."
"Ah, now you sound like a government man."
Sam had to chuckle watching the bitterness slowly fading from the elder man's tone as he and Steve began an argument over decades-old baseball.
Avengers Tower
New York City
"Why is it blue?"
Hank McCoy turned at the soft voice speaking to him. He looked down to see Cassie Lang staring up at him. The young girl's face was non-plussed looked at Hank, who wore a white coat over his usual dark pants, spectacles on his nose. "I'm sorry?"
"Your fur," Cassie pressed. "How come it's blue? I mean, it doesn't seem a natural color for some, um, animal."
Hank had to smile at her words. "Well, it did start off mostly black. Then it shifted to blue. To be honest, I'm a bit baffled myself as to why but it works well."
Cassie took that in. "So...you ever dye it?"
Hank chuckled. "No, I'm pretty satisfied with how it looks now."
"Good." Cassie smiled. "I like blue."
Hank had to smile at that as he adjusted the controls in front of him. Nearby, Scott Lang was standing alongside Hope Van Dyne, her mother Janet and father Hank. The elder Van Dyne seemed in a better mood in the last few months with his wife back as both Scott and Hope noted how she did a great job balancing his ego out. The elder pair wore simple clothes while Scott and Hope were in their uniforms.
"Now, we're sure this is safe?" Scott was pressing.
Pym rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is. Why do you keep questioning me?"
"Maybe cause the last time me and Hope tried going in deep, we almost got stuck there after you two were dusted."
Hope nodded. "He's got a point, Dad. If it wasn't for the failsafe relay I insisted on putting in, me and Scott might never have gotten out."
"And I know how it is being stuck in there," Janet added. She smiled at her daughter. "But relax, it's not going to be as deep a push this time. We're sending the probe in first to gather data before we head in ourselves."
Hank stepped up toward the ladder leading to the apparatus. It was a larger version of the portal device Pym had built in his laboratory (and the Beast had to note the irony in Hank insisting on making a bigger version of a device meant to miniaturize people) which dominated most of the lab. Janet was overseeing the consoles while Hank adjusted some controls. "We're almost set."
Bruce Banner was joining them, wearing a lab coat over his usual jeans and purple shirt. He adjusted his glasses as he studied one of the monitors. "The energy outputs here are...amazing. I can see some traces of gamma mixed in but a bunch of others I don't know if even Reed could understand."
"I sensed a bunch when I was caught there," Janet shared. "It's amazing how well they support humanoid life. I got a sense some places might even hold a colony of some sort but obviously couldn't explore it."
"The potential is amazing," Bruce mused. "From new energy sources to even cures for diseases...We just need to learn more about it."
Scott clapped his hands together as he looked at Cassie. "Okay, Cassie, get going."
"Dad," she whined. "I wanna watch!"
"You can in the side room with Beast." Scott knew McCoy hated that nickname but felt it easier to address him that way with Pym around. "There's some dangerous energies floating around, kiddo. I can concentrate better when I know you're safe."
"And I know how tricky concentrating for you is," Cassie had to tease and Scott laughed. He moved to pick up his helmet, seeing Hope already getting her suit ready. "Okay, in and out fast, get the energy readouts and figure out more of what's out there."
"Be careful," Janet pressed. "I spent decades in that Quantumverse and I still get the sense there's a vastness that can be greater than our world."
Hank was firing up the device, the loud whine of the engine growing. The device soon erupted with light, creating a huge portal in mid-air. Cassie and Beast watched in fascination from the side room, the protective glass allowing reflections of the lights of the portal.
Scott and Hope were moving forward as Janet peered at the readouts. "Hold on," she called out. "Something is...off." She adjusted a readout and studied a monitor. "There's some energy build-up that wasn't here before, as if...as if something is..." Her eyes widened. "Hank, shut it down!"
Hank was startled but moved quickly to try and shut the portal down. Before he could, a set of shadows flowed from the portal. Bursting out was a monstrous figure that was a nearly solid black armored behemoth, his armor featuring a set of red missiles upon his soldiers and a huge red circle upon his chest. The lower part of his body resembled a horse with metallic hind legs, making it look like some sort of cybernetic centaur.
From behind the figure came a set of creatures, some in dark armor and others a variety of monsters. One was green-skinned, looking like a strange dinosaur with red wings and a buzzsaw weapon on one hand. Another was an insect-like being with wings allowing it to float. There were also nearly two dozen men in blue uniforms, helmets with face visors, and armed to the teeth.
The centaur studied the stunned group before glancing around the room. "This is the realm I sensed?" he intoned in a booming voice. "Not what I expected. But then, it will do as a staging area."
Scott swallowed as he carefully stepped forward. "Um...hi there. Name's...Scott Lang. This is...Earth."
"Earth?" the figure intoned. "A dull name for an obviously dull species." He studied the others, his armored helmet reminding Scott a little too much of Doctor Doom except for the glowing red eyes. "And only mere humans at that."
"Who are you?" Hope demanded. She knew the alert was already going out to the rest of the team but getting more info until they showed up was a good thing.
"I am Baron Karza," the new arrival announced as if they should have known that. "Lord and master of Homeworld of the Microverse." He studied Janet. "You...you carry the energies of our realm. It is how we sensed your intrusion upon our dimension."
The Beast had moved Cassie to a nearby hiding spot near a cabinet. He held up a finger in a shushing motion with the girl quickly nodding in agreement. While she was clearly afraid, she was doing a good job of hiding it. The Beast was moving to join the others facing Karza. "If I may ask, sir," he said in a calm voice. "Why are you here?"
Karza cocked a head as he took in the blue-furred figure. "Genetic mutations...most interesting. I am a master of that myself." He began pacing, his metallic "hooves" making loud echoes in the steel room. "In my world, I have developed a system of replacing the aged body parts of the elite with new ones." He nodded to the two alien figures behind him. "Repto and Kronos are among the recipients. It has allowed me to build my power and dominance of Homeworld."
Scott and Hope exchanged looks. "And, um," Scott began. "Where do you get those...extra body parts from?"
"The lower class, of course," Karza said as if it was obvious. "The dregs of society. The ones who contribute nothing at all. They sacrifice so the more sturdy can survive."
"Let me guess, it's not voluntary," Bruce said in a hard tone.
Karza looked at him then to the others. "You all have touches of the Quantum energy within you as well." He glanced to Bruce. "You have something...different. The strength levels alone...Now that is very intriguing. To add that to my Body Banks...ah, now that will fetch a good price. And that's without what the rest of this world can offer." They got the sense he was smiling behind his mask. "This planet is going to make me a very rich and powerful man."
"Okay, so it's settled, you're the bad guy." Scott was sliding his helmet on. "Now we don't have to feel bad kicking your horse's ass."
Karza let out a dark laugh. "And to borrow a term I believe exists on multiple worlds...you and what army?"
In a familiar blur, the Vision flowed up from the floor, solidifying to punch Karza in the face. The Vision seemed to wince from the blow but still dodged a blast from the cannon of Kronos. "Dog Soldiers!" Karza yelled and in unison, the soldiers behind him firing off lasers. Scott and Hope were already shrinking down, flying about to fire stinging blasts at Repto.
The Beast was leaping outward, kicking back at one Dog Soldier and avoiding another's attack. A familiar booming sound echoed before the white and blue blur of Quicksilver sped around, knocking back Dog Soldiers. Kronos was aiming its weapon at him but it suddenly lifted upward with a red glow surrounding it. The Scarlet Witch stood in the doorway, waving her hands and then unleashing a ball of energy to knock Repto back.
Karza was storming ahead, producing a huge energy axe seemingly out of nowhere. He was sweeping it around with Hank and Janet dodging it. Before Karza could attack further, Bruce had removed his glasses and growled as his body transformed. Karza was briefly dumbstruck by the sight of the green behemoth striding forward before smashing a fist into his armored face.
A series of energy blasts ripped through the room, knocking back several of the Dog Soldiers and sending Kronos flying against a wall. Iron Man stepped into the room, his helmet's visors taking in the data of the attacking soldiers. "Thanks," Tony Stark announced. "I was really getting bored of Jen talking legal strategy to me." He fired off more blasts as he flew into the battle. "Is it just me or does anyone notice how now and then she looks off and seems to be talking to someone who's not there?"
The others were too busy fighting for survival to confirm Tony's words. The Vision moved forward, extending his arm into Karza's chest. Briefly solidifying his arm to knock out an opponent may not have been an honorable move but it was a successful one. He blinked in surprise at the lack of an effect with Karza scoffing. "My heart was one of the first things I removed." He issued a command and Vision cried out as Karza's armor was electrified to knock him back.
Wanda unleashed another wave of energy at Karza which made him stumble but still ready to fight. He fired off the missiles from his armor with Pietro quickly whisking Wanda out of the way. They erupted near Cassie's hiding place, the girl screaming as she dodged the attacks.
Hank and Janet were moving toward the control console, Hank furiously hitting at keys. "If we can shut the portal down..." he muttered. "Maybe cut off the connection..."
"That won't be enough," Janet pointed out. "What if..."
Hank nodded. "Of course, latch onto their signatures and then suck them back in!"
"Whatever you're doing, work it fast!" Scott yelled as he leapt from one Dog Soldier to another, hitting them with blows as Janet flew around, firing off blasts at enemies.
Karza was wincing as Hulk hammered him with blows but amazingly was able to hold his own. It was clear a force field protected most of his body as he lunged with the ax to drive the Hulk back. A warning sensor within his helmet caused him to rotate his torso on the rest of his body, spinning it in time to catch a speeding Quicksilver. He managed to roll with the blow but it sent him sailing hard against the wall to leave him stunned.
Wanda was tossing off a bolt of energy while barely dodging a swing of Repto's blade. She cried out feeling a glancing cut at her head with the Vision showing a rare dose of rage to attack the winged figure, the pair spinning in the air as they fought.
Iron Man hissed as he fired off a blast of magnetism from his armor to summon several of the Dog Soldiers' weapons toward him. Another blast of reuplsor fire drove them off. "Ever wish life was a little easier?"
The Beast kicked at another Soldier as he winced dodging the blaster fire of another. "Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one."
"Who was that?" Iron Man asked. "Shakespeare?"
"Bruce Lee." He shrugged at the look he got. "Bobby had some unique ideas for movie night at the Mansion."
Hank furiously typed at the keyboard then nodded. "Hold on!" he called out as he hit a button. The portal seemed to fluctuate with new energy before pulling in on itself. Kronos was trying to fly upward only to find itself yanked backward and toward the portal. Scott and Hope flew backward, each shifting their bodies to full size to avoid the tug of the portal.
Repto let out a screech as he felt himself pulled toward it with several of the Dog Soldiers already sucked away. Karza growled as he tried to latch his hooves into the floor and hold on. That was ended when the Hulk smashed a fist to knock him away. Despite that, Karza's pride refused to let this defeat stand, not without something to bring with him from this world.
As he felt himself being pushed back by another blow, Karza raised his gauntlet and unleashed a tendril of energy. It was aimed at Janet, sensing the power in her. Hank pushed his wife away so the rope flew by her...
And encircled the girl who had just been peeking her head out from the control booth Janet had been standing before.
Unaware of what was happening (although it was possible even if he was, it might not have made a difference), the Hulk brought both fists together to smash Karza back. It knocked him off his feet and thus sent him sailing toward the portal. The other end of the tendril flew with him, pulling Cassie away into the air, her scream echoing.
Quicksilver was rising up, groggy but moving. Under normal circumstances, he could have caught Cassie easily but in his stunned state, he just missed her as she sailed past him. In a flash of light, Karza vanished into the portal with Cassie trailing behind him.
"CASSIE!" Scott screamed. He was moving ahead with Hope grabbing him. Hank was lunging toward the controls but before he could reach them, the sequence he had dialed in completed. With a final wink and backlash of energy, the portal shut down.
Scott just stood there, staring in shock at the spot his daughter had vanished into.
"Where are they?" Scott demanded. He was pacing the lab in a frantic state, his face wracked with guilt and concern. "They should have been here by now!"
"Scott's It's only been twenty minutes," Tony said. He had removed his armor to stand in his work clothes, his usual smug demeanor replaced by actual concern. "Even Reed hasn't mastered instant teleportation." He paused to mutter "Yet."
Quicksilver was still wincing as he rubbed at his sore shoulder. While he healed quickly, the aches remained. Wanda was wincing herself as a paramedic carefully applied a bandage to the cut on her head with the Vision standing near her with concern. "I'm fine," she assured him with a light smile. "Although I have to admit, getting a house in the suburbs sounds better right now."
Pietro smirked. "I'm assuming you'd be annoyed if I roomed with?" Off her glare, he laughed. "Come on, my commutes would be fast!"
Scott was moving to the console. "There's gotta be something we can try, every minute she's in there..."
Hank grabbed at his arm. "Hey, I know."
"You don't-"
Hank pulled him up, letting Scott see a rare dose of true warmth and caring in the man. "Yes. I do. I know just how it feels. And losing your head is not going to help her. We'll get her back, I promise."
Scott took some deep breaths. "Okay...okay, sorry. It's just...to think about her lost in that dimension, scared out of her mind, needing us to save her..."
Hope hugged him. "It'll be okay. As soon as Reed gets here, we'll put our heads together, figure this out..."
There was a loud humming as, without warning, the device activated again. Everyone was instantly alert, Scott and Hope racing to get their weapons with Wanda trying to get to her feet although still woozy. The portal began flickering for a few moments before finally roaring back to life.
Everyone was alert as the portal reopened. It wasn't as large this time, the size of a doorway. A shadow fell from it before disgorging a figure who landed on its knees. It paused there as the portal winked out behind them. The figure slowly rose up, showing a female form in a purple and black suit, not unlike Scott and Hope's own uniforms. Her head was covered by a large helmet resembling some sort of insect-like creature.
She reached up to remove the helmet, showing what appeared to be a seventeen-year-old girl with dark blonde hair and attractive features. As she stared at Scott, her face broke out into a massive grin. "Dad," she whispered before moving in to embrace him hard. "Oh, God, I didn't think..."
Scott just dumbly stood there before pushing her back, staring into the woman's eyes. His own widened as it sunk in. "Cassie?" As she nodded fast, he just brushed at her face, continuing to stare. "You...you're so big." It was a stupid thing to say, he knew, but it was all his mind could think of right now.
"I knew it," Cassie said. "I knew you'd never give up. Oh, I admit, there were a few times here and there, I had my doubts. Hell, there was a whole six months I was in a dark place but...I knew deep down you were trying." She looked to see a stunned Hope staring at her and moved to hug her too. "Hope. Wow, so good to see you again." She glanced at Hope's hand and snorted. "Oh, come on, you two haven't gotten married yet! It's been long enough!"
She looked around, seeing the other Avengers taking in the bizarre scene. "Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit." Her gaze returned to her father and she laughed. "God, Dad, I swear, you were wearing that exact same shirt when I left..."
Scott's shock was giving way to concern as a very, very disturbing thought entered his mind. "Cassie...how long do you think you were gone for?"
Her smile slowly vanished as the weight of the question sunk in on his now teenaged daughter.
"Six years?!"
The Beast winced as his heightened ears were hit by Scott's loud yell. The group had gathered in the medical bay as Reed Richards was examining the readouts on the scanners surrounding the bed at its center. Cassie lay on it, her features still showing the shock at the realization that what to her had been most of her life had been less than half an hour on Earth.
"It checks out," Reed confirmed, stretching his arms out to check on two display monitors while glancing at a third. "The Quantum energies inside her are surprisingly strong, even more so than either of you in your uniforms." He looked over a readout and nodded. "From what I gather, she can shrink herself to a few inches or lower or grow to nearly fifty feet. Plus, it appears she can channel bio-energy into blasts, not unlike Hope's."
"Yeah, been testing it out," Cassie intoned. "See, when I got sucked in, Karza tried to hold me captive for a while. He really was running the full Darth Vader as the Emperor theme, rules over his Homeworld with a literal iron fist."
"How'd you get free?" Hope asked, still adjusting to the girl now a teenager.
"Turns out, like any oppressive regime, there's a resistance against Karza. I called them the Micronauts cause...you know...the dimension meant to be smaller and such." Off their looks, she shrugged. "I was barely eleven!"
She went on. "They managed to rescue me and, well, kinda hung out with them for a while. They're a fun bunch, Rann's the commander, Mari a princess turned warrior, there's Bug who's...well, weird and Acroyear's this badass warrior."
"Cassie, language!" Scott snapped.
His daughter rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, I've heard worse."
"Cassie!"
She laughed to continue. "So I was working with them for a while, kinda became a new family. They helped me when I got caught in this energy surge which gave me powers. They also kept an eye out for any chance of...well, openings to this world."
"Is Karza still trying to get at us?" Tony asked with worry.
Cassie waved a hand. "Nah, old bucket head finally bought it in a huge fight a year back. The rest of the guys are trying to keep some order going but it's kind of chaotic. Still, it gave us opportunities to finally find the right circumstances of an opening for me to get back." She shook her head. "I just...I never considered how time would pass differently there."
Janet was amazed herself. "I got a sense there'd be time dilations but not on this scale. It could even be the other way, you spend an hour there and it's a decade here, thank God it wasn't that."
Scott groaned, his head in his hands. "I'm dead...I'm dead...your mom is gonna kill me..."
"Dad, it won't be that bad."
"Cassie, she threw a fit when I was ten minutes late dropping you off last week! How do you think she's going to take missing six years of your life?!" He began heading toward the lab. "Hank, fire that thing up again, I'm leaving! I'm taking my chances in another dimension!"
Hope grabbed him to pull him back as Cassie sat up. "Dad...look, I know this is...weird. Believe me, the idea I've been living this crazy life in the time it takes to watch a sitcom is freaking me out too. But...it's how it is." She waved at herself. "There's no going back from this. I kinda doubt Doc Strange is gonna be open to sending me back in time or something. Mom is...she's going to have to adjust. And if she can't.." She swallowed. "Well, that's too damn bad. Because after all I've been through in the last several years, I'm not going to let some hurt feelings ruin me finally being home."
Scott just stared at her before slowly smiling. "Wow...you are so big." He moved to hug her tight with Cassie returning it. Hope had to join in as Hank just shook his head at the way this odd family was growing.
As she broke apart, Cassie grinned. "Okay, hold on, gotta show it off." She walked out of the medbay and back into the main lab. Taking a breath, her body shimmered and then grew to her head touching the ceiling. After letting everyone get a good look, she shrunk down, a pair of metallic wings emerging from her suit to allow her to float. "Bug and Acroyear helped put them together," she answered as she returned to her regular height.
"Nice," Scott said, feeling an odd pride at the realization of what kind of woman his daughter had grown into. "Maybe a name?"
"Yeah, Bug came up with that too." Cassie held up a hand as it began to glow with energy. She held up a fist and let out a blast of purple energy at a nearby target on the wall. "Stinger."
Iron Man coughed. "Ah, Scott, much as I enjoy the new family bonding, pretty sure Steve's not going to be happy about letting another teenager on this team..."
"Don't worry, she won't be." Scott held up a hand as Cassie began to argue. "Kiddo..."
"Dad, that doesn't really apply anymore..."
"It does to me and it always will." Scott moved to her. "Right now, we need to help you adjust being back home. And figure your power set and you need training..."
"Dad, I've spent five years being part of a war, I got the training."
"Humor your old man who's not as old as he should be. Besides, we know your mom is going to be freaking out enough without you joining the Avengers."
"Fine, fine," Cassie said. She smiled at him. "For now...I am dying to have a home-cooked meal, you know how hard it is to find pizza in the Microverse?" She frowned. "Although they do have something just like Swedish meatballs..."
Scott had to laugh as he hugged her again, marveling once more at the way his life kept on transforming.
No one took notice of the figure in a paramedic outfit walking away from the rest of the ambulance crew outside of Avengers Tower. As he walked through an alleyway, his body began to change. The form became more feminine with blue scales, short red hair, and yellow eyes. By the time she exited the alley, Mystique had transformed into her usual "human" guise of an attractive blonde.
She was fishing out a cell phone, dialing a number to speak. "I got it. They have been ramping up security on any shapeshifters for the Tower itself but managed to get into the outside crew to get the samples you wanted."
"Excellent," the deep voice on the other end of the line said. "Get back as soon as you can."
Mystique glanced at the two vials in her hands, containing the blood samples of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. "If I can ask Erik...why do you want these anyway? You think they really are mutants?"
"I believe so," the man named Magneto intoned. "Which can make them great allies to our cause. I'll expect you back tonight."
As the line went dead, Magneto settled into the chair in the main chamber of the base deep in the mountains of Sokovia. He knew he should have told Mystique his true suspicions but he didn't want to bring it up until he was sure.
His eyes fell to the files he had managed to pull out of the wreckage of Sokovia. It took some digging but he was a very dedicated person. He carefully flipped through the pages to note the records detailing the abandonment of two twins decades earlier and their adoption by the Maximoff family. An adoption he was certain the children in question had no idea occurred.
He examined the notes and the photos of the twins. Particularly, the locket on the girl, the locket he'd seen Wanda wearing in news footage. Absently reaching out a hand, Magneto allowed an exact replica of that locket to float from a drawer and into his grasp.
He hadn't wanted to consider it at first but it all fit. The timing, the circumstances...all of it. He opened the locket to look at the photo of the beautiful woman inside with a great resemblance to Wanda. He then glanced at a news photo of the two Avengers together.
Soon, my children. Soon, we shall be a family again. And then...what the world will witness from us.
Somewhere beyond time and space...
To an outsider, it looked for all the world like a massive chessboard. Holographic figures highlighted the squares while also featuring various levels. Some figures may have been familiar to the inhabitants of this Earth while others were total strangers.
Taking in this board in his levitating chair, the masked figure hit a button to speak. "Recording #45478. The change to Cassie Lang shows once more the bizarre corrections this universe is making to the alterations. It's strange how it worked into things, once more this teen hero only without living through an Earth decimated for years. Allowing for Karza to access this dimension at this time was a risk but it appears the reward was worth it."
He rose from the chair to pace the holographic board, waving a hand to let the "levels" flow out. "The clashes of universes are complicating matters. The recent trick of Loki in Earth-8096 is proof of that. Not to mention the meetings that are to come which can create further branches and paradoxes. Every change is altering what I had assumed was to come."
He brought a close-up of the Scarlet Witch. "Wanda Maximoff...such power in you that was to unleash some chaos. But now...your brother and lover returned to you, curtailing the rage that was to power you." He glanced to the "figure" of a dark-haired woman with a smirk on her face. "Then there's how who was meant to be the catalyst..." The figure seemed to shift from one level of the board to another several planes down. "Has been removed from your path. Add in what's coming...and the results shall be very unpredictable."
The board shifted again to show a series of figures. "Speaking of unpredictable, we have the wild cards in all of this. The TVA..." He snorted. "They're nothing. A pack of bureaucrats who don't even know what kind of power they have, whom they truly serve and pose no real threat." He glanced to the figure resembling Rip Hunter and those with him. "The Timemasters...that is a wrinkle. Their use of the Skrulls would be bad enough without who they truly are.
"And that's without mentioning those Legends. A force of pure chaos, I can barely keep track of where they're coming or going. Or that damned Doctor, that's a factor no one can predict. Then there are the likes of the Flash or even Doom finding ways to alter history. And with every alteration comes further deviations that make the multiverse more fragile."
The man sighed. "The history of this reality is not what it was meant to be. I do not know who or what is responsible yet I can sense a powerful hand in all of this. Is this a game? If so, then what are the rules?" He rubbed at the mask covering his face. "I dislike being the pawn in someone else's game rather than its chessmaster."
He sat back in his chair as he observed the board, noting the ways figures kept shifting about. "I see the opportunity. But it's a fool who leaps into a situation without considering all the consequences and whatever else, I am no fool. I will allow this to play out further. I shall bide my time. And time, I have in abundance."
Under the mask, his lips turn upward. "Because in the end...one way or the other...at least one of these Earths shall fall under my power. And from there another and another.
"For I am Kang. And I am born to Conquer. End recording."
This ended up longer than I expected for a few reasons.
First, had wanted to play on the Steve/Isaiah talk and how, deep down, they would feel a bond as men "out of time." And how Steve would be able to reach the other man without talking down to him and give him a chance to come back into the world.
One of the best parts of Falcon and Winter Soldier is that they didn't go with Walker the villain. As in the comics, he was a good man, just not right for Cap. So what would he be like without having the Cap mantle first? How will he act as the "hero" right from the start, trying to be his own man with the T-Bolts? Plus, the dynamic of him and Zemo is intriguing to play with.
The Cassie turn was a late one but just hit me a fun way to age her up matching the films. I know, Micronauts is a deep dive but it was a damn good comic (and a shame rights issues keep Marvel from reprinting it in collections), plus works for the Quantumverse.
The Magneto stuff obviously lays seeds for the future as does the Kang bit. Had considered him invading the TVA but still a few eps of Loki with turns so holding off there.
So a bit more ground building and the hints of more happening than seems to play for later so all comments welcomed.