Avengers HQ, Three days later
Steve stands in front of the map display in full Captain America uniform and lays an olive drab reinforced case on the briefing room table "So we made our way to the HYDRA base in northern France, where we found a secret medical facility they were using to implant these devices into HYDRA soldiers." He opens the case, showing three long silver segmented devices, two set with amber globes glowing with an inner fire, the other twisted, cracked and fire blackened.
The other Avengers sat around the table lean forward to look. The Vision has an almost childlike curiosity, but the rest clearly feel horror and revulsion.
Steve continues. "We infiltrated the base and shut it down before they could activate the thirty super soldiers they had in cold storage. They had three on guard who we engaged directly, which is where we recovered these devices from".
With a nod he hands over to Natasha, who brings up a diagram of the human body on the screen
"The basic shell is a Chitauri design, adapted from the cybernetic enhancements their warrior caste have. It is implanted into the body over the spine and integrates into the nervous system and blood vessels. The Chitauri version is much larger and features a receiver for the broadcast power system they use and a link to the controlling hive mind. This version enhances the users' body significantly but pushes it well past the limits of human endurance pretty fast. On a normal human it's a death sentence, you'd tear yourself apart trying to move. The secret of the users' survival is the cocktail of illicit technology they loaded it with."
The screen shows the device extending tendrils into the body, all along the spine.
"There is a variant of the origin Erskine super soldier formula that made the Red Skull, but it's been enriched with Gamma Radiation like the Hulk formula. This is pumped through the subject's body by a small secondary heart in the abdomen, enhancing it to match the Chitauri power plant."
"There is also the AIM nanotech regeneration formula codename Extremis, keyed to read the subjects augmented body and rebuild them on a cellular level. This allows them to survive serious injury and even regrow severed limbs. The Original Extremis formula enhanced the body's bioelectric powers, generating a dangerous amount of heat but allowing the user to project electricity or fire. This version has been integrated into cultured blood cells based on an enhanced human that limit this ability, the limited electrical discharge is routed back into the Chitauri device as extra power."
Rhodey gestures to the case "So one of these would make anyone a super soldier?"
Steve nods, looking grave "That was HYDRAs plan. From the notes we recovered they projected it'd just take a day for surgery and recovery followed by a week of shake-down training and practise while the subjects grows and they customise the formula and monitor for side effects before they're combat ready".
Rhodey shakes his head, but Sam asks "What sort of Side effects?"
Natasha fields that one "Any one of the elements used can be lethal, if they go out of balance possible effects are tissue rejection, heart attack, stroke and brain haemorrhage, but also more worryingly uncontrollable Hulk like aggression or an Extremis bioplasma melt down."
"That sounds painful"
She points to the scorched and cracked device and just says "Boom"
Everyone is quiet for a moment, contemplating a power like this can mean
Ever curious, the Vision asks "So, how safe was it?"
Steve answers "They had the process perfected down to a failure rate of just over 15% fatalities."
Sam glances at Rhodey. Both have been in combat against some desperate people and know how often people will risk everything
Sam puts it into words "A lot of desperate people will like those odds."
Wanda is silent and withdrawn, thinking how she was one of those people and by far the luckiest one.
Steve closes the case "That's why we had to take the facility and shut down production. These will go to the World Security council to be examined and intelligence briefings will go out so people can be on the lookout for the technology and materials HYDRA would need to make more. But I expect they have more people enhanced with these, so be careful".
Wanda and the Vision share a moment of silent eye contact, then they hold hands.
Wanda asks "So how did you stop them?"
Steve glances at Natasha "Natasha?"
She brings up several grainy slides of large muscular men in military fatigues and explains "While the enhancements used increase the subjects physical performance it doesn't affect their mental powers. Knowing HYDRA, they wouldn't let a super soldier out without a way of controlling them. They all show signs of mental conditioning, I suspect there is some chemical control but the device is also wired directly into the base of the subjects brain. It links into the motor functions keeps the device in tune with the subjects body
But it also uses some of the chitauri tech to link into the brain directly."
She looks very sombre, very serious.
"This is Red Room style mind control. Commands received from the device go right in at an involuntary level. They have no choice but to accept them. We know from the battle of New York that Chitauri have no concept of self-preservation and this uses that to make the subject fearless.
She points to the pictures on the screen "You can see they have an extra armour plate added at the top of the spine, which was to protect that connection. Hitting that can sever the connection between the unit and the subjects motor functions, which should make the unit shut down, though the HYDRA fail safe can make it self-destruct."
Steve continues "We subdued one in direct hand to hand combat. Then Natasha spotted the link and we were able to disabled the other two with strikes directly to the back of the neck. One was paralysed and the other exploded. It may have been an accident, suicide or remote detonation; techs are still looking into it. All of those options have worrying connotations
Steve and Natasha take a walk out to the firing range. He's looking concerned and finally asks
"You said Red Room style control. Did they get into your brain like that too?"
She stiffens slightly then shakes her head "No, mine was more indoctrination, hypnosis, drugs. Chemical control. electroshock. Sleep deprivation."
He winces and looks more concerned. She tries to reassure him "Don't worry. It took a lot of work but I got free. Then Clint and I went back and burned the whole rotten mess to the ground"
"That was Budapest, wasn't it?"
"Yes. It wasn't a very clean job. It was messy and destructive and a lot of people died. Some of them innocents and I'm not proud of that" She looks guilty and lost for a moment. Steve pauses and takes her hand
"You have red in your ledger, I know. But no amount of guilt or suffering will bring them back, you have to fight on and make the world a better place in their names."
"you're right, I know."
She takes a deep breath and changes the subject.
"Did Pepper ever tell you she had the Extremis upgrade?
"No. How'd I miss that?"
"One of Tony's enemies gave it to her. Kind of an ironic revenge thing, as Tony helped Maya Hansen with stabilising her initial design before she joined AIM. Pepper was lucky to survive, but she got the full military spec package, Strength, speed, coordination, skeletal reinforcement, disinhibited aggression, regeneration and focused thermal weapons. She punched a hole through one of Tony's suits with her bare hand."
"So why isn't she here with us in the Avengers?"
"She's not the combat type, much prefers the corporate side of things. Double irony as it spurred Tony to fix the Extremis overload problem and provided the base for much of his modern nanotechnology work. He says he cured her, but the extremis process rewrites itself into your DNA. I sneaked a look at Peppers medical scans and I think he just inhibited her regrowth factor and removed the nanotech from her blood."
"Just like Tony. He wants to keep her safe but I bet he never asked her what she wanted, he just did it."
"I worry about him. He's trying to take responsibility for everything on his shoulders. Put a suit of armour round the world."
"We saw how well that worked with Ultron. If we can't talk sense to Tony, will Pepper listen?"
"perhaps, but she is firmly team tony. She even sleeps in one of his September Foundation T shirts with his favourite science joke on it."
"and you know this because?"
"Oh, I was pondering seducing her when SHIELD had me watching Tony but she's a true believer in the cock, didn't give me a second glance even though she went to an all-girls school."
"you know, sometimes you can still surprise me, Nat"
"her loss, I guess. Come on, I've a surprise for you"
On the Range she opens a gun cabinet and takes out two old looking rifles with all wooden bodies.
"So, I guess when it comes to rifles you're most familiar with the M1 in Thirty Oh Six?"
"Wow. I've not seen a Garand round here before, all the guns have been so futuristic."
"Oh, I've learnt to appreciate the classics" she says with a teasing smile.
She leads him out onto the open field and puts them on the range table next to a big metal ammo box. Opening the top she takes out several clips of bullets – actual metal en bloc clips that hold eight of the long rifle rounds together in a neat two by four package.
She picks up one rifle , holding it straight up with the butt resting on her hip as she looks at him
"Good range, good accuracy and very powerful. Very reliable. Quick to reload. Only limit was the ammo capacity, which was kinda old fashioned"
He laughs "we talking about the rifle or me?"
She puts on a mock serious face "The rifle of course" then picks up a clip and pulls back the bolt handle to open the top of the gun so she can push the clip of bullets into the Garands internal magazine.
"Here, let me show you" Steve says, moving round behind her. He reaches round her, putting his hand on hers. "If you push the clip in straight down the bolt can snap forward and catch your thumb. If you hold it with your hand to the side like this your fingers hold the bolt handle back." He guides her hand as the clip slots in, pushes it down against the internal spring and lets the bolt close smoothly
"Very smooth" she says, leaning back into him "knowledgeable to"
He chuckles. "I know a few things"
He takes his rifle and loads it with practised ease. "Fancy a wager?"
Her smile gets almost predatory "Now this could be interesting. What are you thinking?"
He presses a few buttons and several targets pop up in the distance. "Man size target, 800 yards, open sights. Score on centre head or centre mass. Eight rounds rapid, fastest gets 1 extra point."
"oooo this is getting interesting. And the wager"
"Winner buys dinner on our next outing."
She looks indignant "Hey! Shouldn't it be looser?"
He winks and smiles at her indignation "Nope. I know you too well. You take pride in your performance and hate to back down from a challenge, so we're shooting for a prize."
"You're learning to be sneaky too fast"
"I've a good teacher. Ready?" They both put on ear protectors and raise their rifles.
"Shooter Ready"
He starts a countdown timer. A light flashes 3,2,1. Green light flicks on.
The eight shots ring out together, almost perfectly synchronised
The rifles both click empty and the clips pops out with a characteristic metallic ping.
Steve is a fraction of a second faster. He catches his clip in mid-air and smiles.
"Let's see how we did"
He brings up the range screen "I score… Eight hits, body centre. You got" He looks puzzled. "Four Body centre, Three head dead centre?"
She points to the screen. "One went through the existing hole, Four to the head."
He gives a low whistle. "Perfect score. That counts as a win in my book! Well done!" he leans closer "Pick somewhere nice, impress me."
She grins then pauses "Hold on. Did you just make me compete for the right to serve you?"
He laughs and changes the subject
"Got anything more up to date? What was that machine gun you were toting around?"
She leads him back in to the indoor range and opens her weapons locker. Her gun is a sleek machine of death compared to the Garands simplicity, shorter and bulkier with all manner of devices and sights on top.
"I prefer something a bit lighter than Three Oh Six, the NATO standard these days is 5.56, which you'd know as .223 Remington. It's what all the M16s you've seen around with all the army boys uses.
The Belgians over at Fabrique National made a LMG called the Minimi that the US army adopted as the M249 Squad automatic weapon. Its gas operated, air cooled, firing from an open bolt. This version is fitted with a shorter paratrooper barrel and a folding bipod. Modern ones have a plastic stock but I prefer the old steel tube one with a hydraulic buffer, moves the centre of balance back plus its better in close combat.
"It's capable of accurate fire at range and fully automatic at 850 rounds a minute, though I can push her up to 1200 rounds if needed. "
"That's an insane rate of fire, twenty rounds a second? You'll burn through a magazine in no time, even these modern 30 round ones"
She shows him the side of the gun where there are two slots.
"It has a dual feed; it can take standard M16 magazines or a disintegrating belt, which gives you versatility and sheer weight of fire. I used to run it with a cloth bagged 100 round belt loaded and a clip ready, so 130 rounds ready to go but kind of heavy. It's a nightmare in close quarters with the belt, the casing and links fly to your right so if you've with a team it's kinda antisocial. I've had a frame added here so you can put a brass catcher bag on, which collects the links and casings so you leave no evidence but it's bulky.
She grins and holds up a long curved magazine twice the length of a normal one.
"Then I got a few of these outsize quad-stack magazines, each holds 100 rounds. Plenty of firepower, no belt links to worry about."
She hands him the gun and the magazine, shows him how it fits in and works the bolt, chambering the first round.
He shoulders its bulk easily.
"For sights, this has a fixed four power optic scope with a red dot delta point on top."
Looking through the bottom sight he could see the magnification, the three lines pointing to a centre dot. Looking up the top sight was bizarre, just an open hoop with a small glowing red triangle seemingly floating in the centre
If you have time to aim, use the scope. For snap shots, the red dot is faster. Keep it to short controlled bursts, you're big and strong enough that the recoil won't be a problem for you I'm sure. "
They set some targets and put on ear defenders again.
"Shooter ready?" she asks
"Ready" he says, aiming the red sight on the first target
"Go!"
He takes off at a run through the combat course, snapping short bursts into the centre of each target as they popped up.
Cap trots back to the start of the run, cradling the gun with a happy smile
"You done setting course records again?"
She puts a gun case on the range table "I had them make a custom job for you."
She opens the matt black gun case to reveal a bulky black M1911 pistol.
She picks it up, it looks huge in her hands.
"It's a scaled up version of the 1911 design I know you like, but made out of state of the art materials, custom steel alloy and high density ceramics. There are a few important modifications."
She pulls the slide back to show him
"They flared and lowered the ejection port for more reliable ejection of casings. If you look in you can see the feed ramps less angled, so it'll feed flat nose specialist ammo without risking a jam."
She lets it snap closed
"As you're bigger and stronger than most they reinforced the trigger group and upped the trigger pull, so don't worry about breaking it. They also fitted an ambidextrous safety, or we can go for a grip safety if you want"
She offers it to him, butt first.
"It's bigger than the basic 1911 so it can take a double stack magazine. Instead of your old 8+1 this runs a basic 17+1. Of course, we flared the mag well for quicker reloads."
She passes him a magazine.
"On the top you have Trijicon Fast acquisition combat sights. The little dots glow in the dark, so you can aim at night. The barrel is threaded for a suppressor, of course. The recoil springs are made of a reactive smart material so they get stronger the more recoil impulse there is, allowing it to feed both low power less lethal rounds and high power overpressure rounds without having to change springs. Then we smoothed all the edges off and given it a black nitride finish."
He takes the pistol, closing his hand round it slowly, feeling how it fitted perfectly into his hand.
"Feels good"
"Here's some ammo for you. Standard Military 230 grain ACP , Subsonic 185 grain Hollow points and some overpressure +P loadings."
She puts a few white plastic magazines on the table. "We also made you some stun rounds like you asked. The jacket is plastic with a core of biologically inert gel loaded with ICER neurotoxin. Its fast but light so it'll hit hard but not penetrate tissue, the impact will force the toxin through light clothing and maybe an inch into flesh. The toxin overloads the targets nervous system, immediate causing shock and unconsciousness. Good to have but not much use in our field, how often do we face unarmoured normal humans?"
"It'll be useful against HYDRA support staff when I don't have time to argue ideology."
That makes her smile
"I've a cadet training session now, I'll leave you to have a play, let me know if you like it"