Chapter 2:
[Spartan POV]
[Two weeks later, SHIELD HQ, New York City]
[Training-area.] I punch the heavy bag with a right-hook, quickly follow with a left, then slam it with a right-elbow strike. The heavy-bag nearly breaks off its hinges. "You break it; you buy it. Plus, I think Fury is getting tired of hearing complaints," a voice says from behind me. Karai's. She walks to the equipment rack, pulls out a pair of fingerless sparring gloves, and tosses a pair over to me, "Feel like going a few rounds? It's been a while since we released some steam." "Bring it," I say, cracking a smile.
We both make our way into the ring, take up a fighting stance. At the same time, we both dash at each other, going full-on fist-to-fist. I punch. Karai blocks the attack, goes for a body shot, hitting me in the rib. In retaliation, I grab hold of her arm, arm-throw her to the ground. Acting quickly, Karai swings herself around, throws her legs around my head, putting me in a triangle chokehold. I start to see dark spots in the corner of my eyes. Grab hold of Karai, lift her and slam her down, breaking her grip. Getting to her feet, Karai rushes at me, jump-knees me in the chest, sending me flying into the wall.
Getting in close, Karai starts hitting me with rapid-fire punches and elbows. Ducking low, I go around her, grab her hands and hold them over her head, pinning her to the wall. She smiles, "Well, if you wanted that type of stress release, all you had to do is ask." Karai then headbutts me in the face. I stagger back, stunned. She jumps in the air, throws her arm back, then hits me with a jump-punch. "Having fun?" I ask, cleaning the blood away from my lower lip. "Fuck yeah, I am," Karai says. The two of us go at it for a solid 30 minutes. By the end of our friendly sparring match, we're both lying on the training area's floor. "That was thrilling," Karai says. "It's our way to blow off steam. You know that. Some use sex. We spar," I tell her. Karai and I burst out laughing.
[Steve Roger POV]
I watch the sparring match between the two PARAGADES, impress with their display of skills. But their speed, strength, and agility didn't seem normal. It appeared beyond peak-human. Enhanced. Curious, I start to head toward Fury's office to talk to him on the matter.
[Office.] Fury's office space is reasonably decorated. Nothing too flashy. Clean and simple. Very military. From his desk, Fury notices my approach. "What can I do for you, Captain?" he asks. "I was wondering if you can answer some questions regarding Spartan and Karai," I say, walking up to him. "Figured it wasn't going to take you long to notice," he says, "Like you, Spartan and Karai are super-soldiers. They volunteered for SHIELD's SUPER-SOLDIER program, where they were infused with a BIO-ENHANCER. The project never died. Since the existence of it came to light, every government and military organization across the world jump-started their own super-soldier program, with mixed results," Fury tells me, "Howard Stark created the BIO-ENHANCER running through Spartan and Karai's system." 'Son of a gun pulled it off. Even after his passing, Stark still finds a way to amaze me.' Fury rises from his seat, "Walk with me, Captain. A friend asked me to save something for you."
[New York City]
[Brooklyn.] Fury and I stand out in front of an old barbershop. I peer over to the SHIELD director, a little confused. He indicates for me to follow him, I do. [Inside.] The two of us enter the barbershop. At first glance, nothing seems out of the ordinary. But the patrons stick out to me. Postures indicate that they were all on alert. Every spot they occupy has a clear 360 view of the barbershop. Not a single-blind spot. These guys were trained operatives. Fury goes to take a seat at the barber's chair then waves a hand to the chair next to him. I give the man a raised brow look, "Think my hair is already regulation length." Fury cracks a small smile, "It's not for a haircut, Cap." Suddenly the chair Fury's sitting in starts to descend through a secret passage under the floor.
Following right behind the man, we enter a sub-level under the barbershop. "What is this place?" I question. "One of many SHIELD safehouses," Fury tells me over his shoulder. The two of us stroll into a back room. Fury switches on the light, illuminating a motorcycle station in the center. I beam, immediately recognizing the machinery. "My motorcycle. But how?" I ask, tracing a hand over the bike. "Peggy Carter. You inspired her and many others within SHIELD. Hell, you're the reason why we called the organization 'SHIELD.' Carter named it after you. I want you to know if there's anything Captain America need, SHIELD will provide it."
[Spartan POV]
[1 week later, Afghanistan]
[Quinjet.] Cap is gearing up for his first mission with Karai and me, outfitted in the STRIKE suit the R&D team cooked up for him. Now, the man didn't stick out as much. Coulson starts to speak from the cockpit, "The mission is a rescue op. A team of marines has been taken captive by a rogue militia group." "Any demands?" Cap asks. "Yeah. They want SHIELD to release their generals and 500 million dollars," Coulson tells him. "Shit on that," Karai barks, "All they're going to get is a prison cell or an early grave." I pull back the slide of my weapon, "Either option is fine with me."
[Waypoint.] We come in fast into the LZ, fast rope down to the town square. Cap takes the lead, and we follow. . "Do we know if there are any friendly forces in the area?" Cap asks. "Yeah, Fury sent in a SIGMA team. They should be within the city limit by now," Coulson says. That moment we hear the sound of gunfire. It's close. The three of us dash the source. A full-on battle ensues between SIGMA and the rogue militia forces. Cap quickly surveys the area, "Karai, get on that roof and provide overwatch." "On it, Boss," Karai activates her stealth-camo and grapples up to the rooftop. She set her sniper rifle at the ready.
In the middle of the street, a SIGMA soldier is shot in the leg; the man goes down, left in the open with little cover. His team tries to reach him but is pinned down by sniper fire. "Karai, you got eyes on the sniper?" I say. "I see him, but I don't have a shot. The fucker's rifle is a different story, though," Karai says. She fires. We hear a slight scream in the distance. Cap and I run to the down SIGMA soldier and carry him to cover. Once he's secured, we dash to a group of insurgents. Cap throws his shield, dropping multiple enemies. I leap over a parked car, slamming the butt of my rifle to the man's face, and shoot the other three. I spot another group of enemies on the balcony of a nearby building. Karai and I simultaneously take them down with headshots. Teaming up with SIGMA, we make our way deeper into the city. The team locates the building the marines are being held in. Via HUD scans, marked multiple targets. The hostages are up on the top floor. Using the cover of darkness, we make our way into the building.
[Inside.] Silently, we take down the insurrectionists one by one, working our way to the top floor. The team stacks up by the doors, readying for the breach-&-clear. Cap signals us to get ready to act. On Cap's word, we breach the room. In perfect synchronization, we take out all the enemy hostiles without friendly casualties. Cap taps his comlink, "We got them. Heading toward the extraction point."
[The Iliad, Atlantic Ocean]
The mission was completed without much of a problem. Sure, there were a few snags, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. What's important is that those Marines get to go home to their families. Cap is finishing up debriefing the mission to Robert Gonzales, the commander of SHIELD. The guy is a bit of a hardass, but he's a good man and a good commander. He's respected in equal measure as Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson. Cap exits the mission room, "Well, that's done with. Good work on the op." "Thank you, Sir. It was an honor working with you," I say. "Yeah, it was. Nat and Clint would've joined us, but Fury assigned them on a high priority mission," Karai tells Cap. "What mission is that?" he asks. Karai shrugs her shoulders, "Nat's on an op in Russia. Clint is working with Fury on a project."
[Hours later, J-Rabbit, New York City, USA]
After returning from the mission, Cap, Karai, and I make a stop at the diner. We're immediately greeted by the owner, Juna. "Hey, Corvo, Samus. Good to see you. Grab any seat. I'll be with you in a moment," She says joyfully. We take the table by the corner. The table has a clear view of all the exits. Out of force of habit, we surveyed the surrounding area, checking for possible threats. After a short wait, Juna makes her way over to our table. Karai and I order our usual. Juna glances at Steve, who still hadn't decided. "What do you recommend?" He asks Juna. Juna clocks her head, thinking. "Well, that depends. Have you eaten Latin food before?" she asks him. Steve shoots a semi-nervous smile, "It's been a long while." "Ever had ceviche?" Karai asks. Steve looks at her in complete confusion. All three of us look at him with wide eyes. "Get this man ceviche," I say dramatically. Juna laughs at my antics as she leaves to get our order.
"So, how does it feel to be back home after all this time?" Karai asks Steve. Steve is silent for a moment. "It's a culture shock. Everything's different. Completely unrecognizable to my Brooklyn," he says, looking out the window. The man felt out of place, or in this case, out of time. He's still adapting to the modern world but making quick progress.
[Loki Odinson POV]
[Sanctuary, Space]
I watch silently on the side as The Other speaks with its master. "The Tesseract has awakened. It is in a little world, a human world. They would wield its power, but our ally knows its workings as they never will. He is ready to lead, and our force, our Chitauri, will follow. The world will be his, the universe yours. And the humans, what can they do, but burn?" The master he speaks with sits on his throne. For the first time, the titan raises and stalks toward me. He towers over me. He is a mountain, and I am nothing but an ant. His sheer presence alone radiates a force of power that I dare say rivals or surpasses Odin himself. I force myself to keep my composure, though slightly failing. "Face me, boy," the titan orders. Despite the intimidation, slowly, I turn my head to face the man. His dark crazed eyes fix on mine. "If you fail me or betray me, I will hunt you across the universe. I will burn your world, and I will subject you to horror and pain even Mephisto would deem cruel. Do you understand me, boy?" he says. "Y-Yes, Lord Thanos. I-I will not fail you," I say, shaking in fear.
[Nick Fury POV]
[Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility, Mojave Desert, USA]
The helicopter flies over the facility. Down below, the staff was starting to evacuate the area. Agent Coulson is waiting on the helipad. Hill exits the chopper first while I follow right behind her. "How bad is it?" I ask Coulson. "That's the problem, Sir. We don't know," he tells me. The three of us travel to the lower level by elevator. [Lower-level.] "Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago," Coulson tells me. We exit the elevator, walk to the main room where the Tesseract is being stored. "NASA didn't authorize Selvig to go to the test phase," I tell him. "He wasn't testing it. He wasn't even in the room. It was spontaneous," Coulson says. "It just turned itself on?" Hill questions. "What are the energy levels now?" I ask. "Climbing. When Selvig couldn't shut it down, we ordered an evac," Coulson says. "How long to get everyone out?" I ask. "Campus should be clear within the next half hour," Coulson tells me. "Do better," I tell him. He nods and walks off.
"Sir, evacuation may be futile," Commander Hill says, still walking with me. "We should tell them to go back to sleep?" I ask sarcastically. "If we can't control the Tesseract energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance," she says. I sigh. 'That may be true.' "I need you to make sure the phase 2 prototypes are shipped out," I tell her. "Sir, is that a priority right now?" Hill demands. I turn to the woman, "Until the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on. Clear out the tech below. Every piece of phase 2 on a truck and gone." "Yes, Sir," Hill says, striding away.
I enter the room where the Tesseract is being stored, "Talk to me, Doctor. Is there anything we know for certain?" Dr. Selvig moves to me, "The Tesseract is misbehaving." "Is that supposed to be funny?" I ask, walking over. "No, it's not meant to be funny. It's not funny at all. But that what the Tesseract is doing. It's active," he says. "I assume you tried to cut the power?" I ask. "We did, but it turns it back on. If the Tesseract reaches peak level-" Selvig says. "We prepared for this, Doctor," I cut him off, "Harnessing energy from space." "But we don't have the harness," Selvig tells me, "It's throwing off interference, radiation." "Radiation?" I ask, looking back at the machine.
"Low-level stuff. Nothing harmful. Low-level gamma radiation," Selvig says. I peer back at the man, "That can be harmful. Where is Agent Barton?" "The Hawk? Up in his nest," Selvig points to the upper balcony. I tap my comlink, "Agent Barton, report." Barton fast-ropes down to ground-level, moves to me. "I gave you this detail, so you keep a close eye on things," I say to him. "Well, I see better from a distance," he says. We walk to the platform. "Did you see anything that might set this thing off?" I ask. "No one's come or gone. And Selvig's clean. No contact, no IMs. Whatever it is, it's not on this end," Clint says. I face the man with my one good eye," 'On this end?'" "Yeah, the cube acts as a doorway, right? The door opens from both ways," he says.
The Tesseract activates, releasing a surge of energy, causing a quick quake. The cube fires a beam of power to the center of the platform, opening a portal. There's a flash of light that blinded everyone for a moment. When our vision's clear, there's a man in a crouch position in the middle of the platform. He slowly raises to a stand. Every instinct of mine is telling me this man is a threat. The man's attired in a dark green and gold getup. Similar to the Asgardians that visited Earth a few weeks ago. A security team enters, surrounds the unknown person, weapons trained on him. "Sir, put down the spear," I order, keeping a hand on my pistol. The man looks at the spear, smiles, and fires an energy blast. Barton pushes me out of the line of fire. The security team starts to open fire on the Asgardian. The enemy hostile easily kills the agents with the staff. The man goes up to Barton. Barton tries to draw his weapon, but the man grabs hold of his arm, "Do you have a heart?"
The Asgardian places the spear onto Barton's chest. His eyes turn entirely black than an odd color blue. Barton holsters his weapon, then stands at attention. 'Oh, shit.' As the Asgardian busy himself doing what he did to Barton to the other agents, I go to grab the cube. "Don't. I still need that," the man says. "This doesn't have to get any messier," I say. "Of course, it does. I come too far for anything else," he says. 'Well, I guess we're going with plan B.' "I am Loki, of Asgard," the man introduces himself, "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."
"We have no quarrel with your people," I try. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot," he says. I frown at that, "You planning to step on us?" "I come to free you." "Free us from what?" I question. "Freedom. Freedom's life great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart, you will know peace," Loki says. "Oh, great, you're one of those nutjobs. When you say 'peace,' I think you mean another thing," I tell him off. "Sir, Director Fury is stalling," Barton tells Loki, "This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rocks on top of us. He means to bury us." I tilt my head at them, smirking at them, "Like the pharaohs of old." "Well then, I suggest we make haste," Loki says. Barton shoots me in the chest.
The shot knocks me out for a short time; I pull the bullet from my vest. Grabbing the radio, "Hill! Do you copy? Barton turn. They have the Tesseract! Take them down!" I yell, running to the exit. Storming out the door, I dash toward the helicopter. We take off just in time as the facility crumbles. Flying over the desert, I spot the escaping vehicle. "Stay on that vehicle!" I order the pilot. Opening the side door, I open fire on them with an assault rifle. Loki, who's mounted on the back of the getaway car, fires an energy blast from his spear, taking the helicopter's tail, forcing us to crash. I duck out at the last second, roll to my feet, and fire again, but they are too far gone. 'Shit.'
"Director Fury? Director, do you copy?" Coulson calls through the comlink. "The Tesseract is with a hostile force," I say, "I have men down. Hill?" "Still breathing. A lot of our guys are still under. Don't know how many survivors," she says. "Sound a general call. I want every living soul not working the rescue op looking for the Tesseract," I say, "Coulson, get back to base. This is a level-7. As of right now, we are at war." "What do we do, Sir," Coulson asks. I sigh, "Assemble the team."