Chapter 13: Recruitment Drive
Ontario Canada
One of the biggest snowstorms Ontario had seen in years was rolling through the frozen wilderness. Almost everyone was inside, doing their best to stay warm and dry. Everyone, except two lone figures tromping through the snow. One of those figures was the large green behemoth known as the Hulk. The other was Rick Jones, his best, and only, friend. Rick was currently clinging to Hulk's back, shivering violently from the cold as he tried to read a map he had plastered to the big guys back.
"Hey Hulk," he stuttered, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "I think there's a cave system not far from here. Sound like a good place to lay low?"
"Sounds good to me," Hulk replied.
"Good. Give us a good jump off to the left and we should be right in front of it."
With that, Hulk gave one massive jump, sending the two of them flying. After a minute, the two landed in front of the cave Rick was talking about.
"There we go," Rick said, sliding off Hulk's back.
The two walked inside and sat down in the comfort of the cave. Rick then slid his backpack off him, pulling out some sticks and a Firestarter kit.
"Hey Hulk, can I talk to Bruce please?"
Hulk just shrugged before slowly breathing in and out. As he did so, he slowly began to shrink, and his skin began to take on its usual flesh tone. Once he was back in the form of Bruce Banner, Rick immediately tossed him a burlap sack.
"Shoes, socks, t-shirt and parka," he said, getting the fire started as Bruce opened the sack. "I also added a belt since the Big guy tends to stretch out your pants."
"You're a saint, Rick," Bruce replied.
"Don't go canonizing me just yet," Rick told him, still digging through his backpack. "That last bout with Ross forced me to ditch most of our food supply." He pulled out what little food they had left, laying it out. "We're down to three slim-jims, half a bottle of water, and a bag of cheezie-doodles." Rick then opened the bag of cheezie-doodles, immediately closing it again as he looked a bit green around the gills. "On second thought, forget the cheezie-doodles."
"In that case, maybe you should take what's left," Bruce offered.
Rick shook his head.
"Oh no. I'm not the one with the Gamma-irradiated metabolism. Besides, I had a chicken sandwich back in Seattle."
"And how long ago was that?" Bruce asked.
"Just eat," Rick told him, holding out the slim-jims.
Bruce just sighed, knowing Rick wouldn't relent.
"Alright," he said, taking the food. "But we're going to restock, and soon."
Rick nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I'll make a supply run once the storm passes. Either that, or maybe the big guy can go catch a deer."
"I'm not so sure the other guy is into venison," Bruce remarked.
"Speaking of the Big Guy, he seems a bit different then he was before," Rick remarked, leaning against the wall of the cave. "I mean, he still smashes stuff, but he does it in a way that less people get hurt."
"I've noticed that too," Bruce agreed. "Like when he saved that pilot in the desert."
"Exactly. He had no reason to save them, but he did."
"I've actually been giving that a lot of thought recently," Bruce shared. "Maybe there's a way to use this. So that the Hulk isn't hunted anymore."
"If that's what you want, then maybe I can help you," a woman's voice interjected.
The two turned to see a woman in a catsuit standing at the entrance of the cave.
"Hello Doctor Banner," she greeted. "My name's Natasha."
"What are you doing here?" Bruce asked, instinctively defensive.
"I've come with an offer from S.H.I.E.L.D." she explained, then she pulled what looked like a take-out bag from behind her back. "And I brought some burgers as well. Clint thought it would serve as a sign of good faith."
Rick came up and grabbed the bag. He opened it up to see two burgers, still warm and fresh, with extra-large French fries. His mouth watered at the sight, giving Bruce a glance as if to silently ask if he could have one. Bruce gave a single nod, then focused on Natasha.
"So, S.H.I.E.L.D sent you huh? Why?" Bruce asked. "Because if it's to kill me, that won't work out for… everyone."
"I'm not here to kill you," she promised. "I'm just here to talk."
"About what, exactly?"
"Do you remember anything about Project Rebirth?"
"Just whispers really. Something about finding Captain America."
Rick sputtered a bit, nearly choking on part of his burger.
"Wait, Captain America?" he asked, bits of burger flying from his mouth. "You're still looking for him?"
"Not anymore," Natasha replied "We found him. Alive."
"Shut. Up…" Rick said in awe.
Bruce just crossed his arms, remembering one key detail about Project Rebirth.
"And what about the Cosmic Cube?"
"The Red Skull's Doomsday weapon?" Rick added.
"It's currently in the hands of HYDRA," Natasha answered
"What does Fury want me to do?" Bruce asked bitterly. "Swallow it?"
"He wants you to help find it," Natasha answered. "Howard Stark got a small sample of the cube back during the war. His research showed it emits a gamma radiation signature too weak to track by conventional means. There's no one that knows gamma radiation better than you. If there was, that's where I'd be."
Bruce just stood there for a moment, mulling over Natasha's words.
"So, Fury's not after the monster," he deduced.
"He just wants the man, nothing more," Natasha replied. "And he's willing to make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?"
"You help us find the cube, and S.H.I.E.L.D will ensure that people like Ross never find you again. We can offer both you and Mr. Jones a haven. You don't have to spend the rest of your lives on the run, and you can allow the Hulk to become the hero you believe he is."
"Hmm… it almost sounds too good to be true."
"I understand your skepticism," Natasha allowed, walking towards the mouth of the cave. "Take your time. Nobody's forcing you to choose."
Bruce turned to Rick, hoping he would have an answer.
"Bruce, I trust S.H.I.E.L.D. about as much as you do, but maybe we should give them a chance," his young companion responded. "This could be the opportunity we were talking about. Allowing the Hulk to do some real good, so to speak."
Bruce had to admit it, the offer did sound enticing.
"Alright," he relented. "Let's give this a try."
Natasha nodded in satisfaction before activating her earpiece.
"Stand down," she instructed. "We're good here."
"Friends outside?" Banner guessed.
"Just a little precaution," Natasha admitted. "A worst-case scenario if asking nicely didn't go well."
Banner chuckled a bit.
"Well then, thanks for asking nicely."
…
New York City,
Across the New York City skyline, the Amazing Spider-Man swung on his signature web lines. Unbeknownst to him, a single archer stood on a lone rooftop, taking aim at the web line. He let loose the arrow, sending it flying. Spider-Man's spider sense went off in a flash, warning him of the incoming projectile seconds before it severed his web. As Spider-Man fell through the air he quickly shot out another web line, allowing him to swing to a nearby rooftop and land unharmed.
"Ok… what was that?" Spidey asked himself.
"I do believe the term is 'Friendly fire'." a cynical response came from across the way.
Spidey turned to see the archer standing on a rooftop across from him with an arrow strung in his bow. Spidey raised an eyebrow in confusion
"Right…" he let out. "And who are you supposed to be? Don't tell me, Purple Arrow?"
"Funny," the archer replied. "The name's Hawkeye, actually."
"Guess that's a little better. So, why'd you wanna flag down little ole me? Cause I actually have a few things I have to deal with today."
"I'm here to offer you a position on a very prestigious team, one that could use a 16-year-old child prodigy like yourself."
Spidey went wide eyed at the mention of his age.
"Uh… what do you mean by that?" he tried to brush off, attempting to sound older. "I'm a grown man. 28. Lots of biceps. Lift about…"
"Save it kid," Clint interrupted. "I know all about the accident at Oscorp, your powers, even your uncle. I know everything Peter."
Spider-Man was left speechless. He couldn't think of any way he could talk his way out of this one, so he decided that the only thing to do was to own up to it.
"How'd you know?" Spidey asked as he sighed.
"You tried to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D. awhile back," Clint replied, "When you succeeded, Fury had one of our best trace your address. We've been keeping tabs on you ever since."
"Nice to know I'm popular," Spidey grumbled, crossing his arms. "So, what's this 'prestigious team' about anyway? Government agency academic Olympics?"
"Something a bit more… action based," Clint replied. "When you sifted through our files, you ever take a peek at Project Rebirth?"
"Just a bit," Spidey responded. "It's not really a secret people have been searching for Captain America all these years."
"Well, guess what, we found him."
"Wait what?!" Spidey let out.
"Yep, not only is he still as young and powerful as he was back in WWII, he needs your help."
"Me? Why me?"
"Fury seems to think you have potential," Clint replied. "And after seeing you in action, I have to agree with him. We could benefit from having you on our team."
"I don't know," Spidey admitted. "While beating bad guys with Captain America sounds amazing, I have a lot on my plate right now. I have a Spanish quiz tomorrow, our bills are coming up soon, and personally, my girlfriend, who I am beyond lucky to have in the first place, is getting a little irritated at me for being late for our dates."
"You have a 4.0 GPA and your lowest grade in Spanish is a 94. I think you can stand to make up a test, I'm positive we can come up with a suitable excuse for your girlfriend, and if you help us, money will no longer be an issue for you, or for your Aunt."
I… I still don't know… it all just sounds too good to be true."
"Then think about it like this, lives will be at stake here. You really want to stand on the sidelines, especially knowing you have the power to stop it?"
Spidey thought for a moment, then scowled at Clint.
"That's a low blow 'purple arrow'," Spidey commented. "Alright I'm in. On one condition."
"Name your price, Peter."
"My secret identity stays secret from this little team. Having a super-secret government organization know who I am is enough."
"Fair deal," Clint allowed. "And don't worry, you won't be the only insect themed hero on the team."
"You know that's actually a common misconception," Spidey corrected. "Spiders are actually arachnids."
"Yeah, you'll fit in just fine," Clint remarked dryly as the two took off.
…
Janet and Hank were both bent over their respective super suits. Hank was making some fine adjustments to the mechanics, and Janet was making her suit a bit more fashionable. Once she finished adjusting the skirt and the top of the dress, she tried it on and gave it a twirl.
"Well?" she asked, striking a pose. "What do you think?"
"Hmm?" he said, barely looking up. "Oh, it looks nice."
Janet's face fell, and she fell out of her pose, giving Hank a withering scowl.
"Why do I even bother?" she muttered.
Hank let out a sigh as he looked up from his work.
"Wait," he called out. "Sorry. You do look amazing."
"Nope, too late now," Janet replied, holding up a hand. "The moment's over."
"So… offering to take you out to dinner tonight to make up for it is out of the question?" he guessed.
Janet let a small smile play on her face as she turned back towards him.
"Well, maybe not completely out of the question," she replied.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid dinner's going to have to wait," a voice interjected.
The two pint-sized heroes turned to see Nick Fury standing in the doorway.
"Director Fury," Hank let out. "What are you doing here?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I made it quite clear at our last meeting that Hank and I will not sell the Pym Particle to S.H.I.E.L.D," Janet added sharply.
"Yes, the hand imprint on my left cheek made that quite clear," Fury responded, caressing the cheek in question. "But I'm not here about that, I'm here for the two of you as Ant-Man and Wasp."
Both the heroes raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I'm not even going to ask how you know about that," Janet quipped. "You'd probably lie anyhow."
"We're S.H.I.E.L.D, keeping tabs on super powered individuals in technicolor spandex is part of the job," Fury remarked. "Besides, heroes that can shrink and grow on the turn of a dime? Sounds too like your boyfriend's little project."
"Okay… you got me on that one," Janet admitted.
"Ant-man and Wasp are just as unavailable to you as my particle is."
"Not even in the face of a potential global catastrophe?" Fury asked.
This gave both Hank and Janet pause. Seeing that he had them hooked, Fury went further into detail.
"About 24 hours ago, S.H.I.E.L.D clashed with a HYDRA submarine," Fury elaborated. "Two things of note were recovered. The first was Captain America."
"You found him?" Hank let out, immensely interested. "How well preserved is he?"
"Enough to plow through almost an entire HYDRA platoon," Fury answered.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Janet interrupted. "He's alive?! He has to be like, what, 97 years old?"
"Believe me, I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it with my own eye," Fury replied. "But he's alive, and about as fresh as the day he went under. But I didn't come here to tell you that, I came here because HYDRA got the other noteworthy artifact they found."
Having read about Captain America's adventures during World War II, it didn't take long for Hank to figure out what Fury meant.
"The Cosmic cube," he surmised.
"That legendary glowing cube that the Red Skull used to try and blow up half the world?"
"One and the same," Fury confirmed. "The Captain was willing to give his life to keep the Tesseract out of the hands of HYDRA, and now they have it again. That's where you come in."
"Umm, I don't see how we can help," Janet interjected. "I mean, we've only been heroes for what, a week?"
"Dr. Pym is one the five smartest men in the world. His scientific expertise would be invaluable in finding the cube," Fury answered. "And once we know where it is, I will need individuals with both the strength, and the tenacity to get it back. You two have both."
Both heroes stood there in silence, not sure how to respond to such a daunting task.
"Give us a minute," Hank said.
The two stepped off to the side and began whispering to one another.
"What do you think, Hank?" Janet questioned. "I mean, I don't trust Fury, but if the world really is in danger..."
"I know," Hank admitted. "But Fury has a reputation of twisting good intentions for his own agenda."
"No doubt," Jan relented. "But what happens when HYDRA uses the cube to take over the world?"
Hank let out a sigh of defeat, knowing she was right.
"You make a good point," Hank replied before turning around. "Alright Director, we're in."
"Good," Fury responded smiling. "Rendezvous in 12 hours."
Fury then departed as Janet turned to Hank.
"You know, I'm kind of glad he came to us first."
"Seriously?" Hank asked, turning to her.
"Well, yeah," she replied. "Just think, S.H.I.E.L.D could have gone to Stark."
…
In the Hudson River, Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, was putting the last touches on his latest project. After cutting into a pipeline, he placed a Stark Energy Reactor on it before flying up to the surface. Once he was out of the water, he rocketed into the city.
"You're good to go on this end," Tony said over his comm link. "The rest is up to you."
"You disconnected the transition lines?" Pepper Potts asked through the Iron Man suit's communication line. "Are we off the grid?"
"Done and done," Tony confirmed. "Trust me, pretty soon, Stark Towers is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy."
"So long as our reactor takes over and this plan actually works."
"I assume," Tony joked. " Light her up."
As Tony flew through the sky, one certain building began lighting up. At the top of it, the word 'Stark' glowed across it in bright lights
"How does it look?" Pepper questioned
"Like Christmas," Tony replied with a proud lilt to his voice. "but with more...me".
"We'll have to go wider on the public awareness campaign," Pepper began, jumping straight into the business part of their clean energy experiment. "I'll work on setting up a press conference and work with PR on some new billboards and-"
"Pepper, you're killing me," Tony told her as he flew toward the building. "You gotta learn to enjoy the moment."
As Tony reached the building, he flew straight to the top and landed on a metal platform. As he walked inside, several mechanical arms came out and began removing parts of the armor.
"Sir, Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the line," JARVIS informed him as the suit began to disassemble.
"I'm not in," Tony told the AI. " I'm actually out."
"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting."
"Close the line, JARVIS," Tony insisted as the last of the armor was removed. "I got a date."
With that, Tony entered the building to see Pepper checking on some computer screens.
"Levels are holding steady," Pepper declared, thumbing through the various readings on a Stark Industries tablet in her arm. "I think."
"Of course they are," Tony responded. "I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question. How does it feel to be a genius?"
Pepper looked up from the pad and chuckled slightly.
"Well I really wouldn't know, now would I?" she told him, setting the pad aside.
"What do you mean by that?" Tony asked. "You had the biggest hand in making this a reality. All this came from you."
Pepper shook her head, smiling slightly.
"No, it didn't," she replied, tapping the mini arc reactor in the center of his chest. "All this came from that."
"Give yourself some credit, please," Tony insisted. "Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit."
Pepper's face fell slightly as an incredulous look graced her features.
"Twelve percent?" she repeated.
"An argument can be made for fifteen," Tony allowed.
"Twelve percent?" she repeated, now purposely ribbing Tony. "For my baby?"
"Well, I did do all the heavy lifting," Tony told her. " And not just metaphorically. I lifted the heavy things, literally. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you."
"Oh, so that's it," Pepper announced, her tone dripping with sarcasm and a playful edge.
"My private elevator-"
"You mean our elevator?" Pepper interrupted.
"It was teeming with sweaty workmen," Tony continued, before realizing he couldn't win this fight. "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later on, aren't I?"
Pepper let out a hiss through her teeth, patting Tony on the back.
"Yeah, I'm not gonna be that subtle," she promised him.
""I'll tell you what," Tony began to promise. "Next building is gonna say 'Potts' on the tower. What do you say to that?"
"I say I want my name on the lease," Pepper replied, with a smirk.
"Yeeeaaahhh…" Tony responded. "This might take some negotiating. Call your mom, can you bunk over?"
About that time, JARVIS spoke up once more, his voice now emanating from the various speakers scattered about the tower.
Sir, the telephone," The A.I. declared. "I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten."
"Mr. Stark," Coulson called out. "We need to talk,"
With a small groan of annoyance, Tony grabbed his phone off the couch, putting on a deadpan face as he answered the call.
"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark," he declared in the most monotonous voice he could muster. "Please leave a message."
"This is urgent," Coulson insisted.
"Then leave it urgently," Tony insisted, his annoyance beginning to show in his voice.
As he said this, the doors to the private elevator opened, revealing Agent Phil Coulson standing inside. He had the phone up to his ear but hung up as his eyes met Tony's.
"Security breach," Tony let out before turning to Pepper. "That's on you."
"Mr. Stark," Coulson insisted. "Director Fury is requesting your assistance on a matter of great importance."
"I thought I told Fury that I was out of the weapons making game," Tony told him. "If you want the latest laser rifle, go talk to Justin Hammer or something."
"This isn't about weapons Mr. Stark," Coulson assured him. "Tell me, how much did your father tell you about Project Rebirth?"
"What didn't he tell me?" Tony reiterated. "A WWII super soldier project that turned a 90-pound asthmatic into the peak of human perfection. Of course, they never made another one because the guy with all the answers got shot and the last of the formula died with Captain America."
"Not quite," Coulson clarified. "Captain Rogers was fished out of the arctic at 0500 hours yesterday."
"Well never let it be said I don't believe in miracles," Tony remarked surprised. "What's this got to do with me? Or should I ask what this has to do with Iron Man? I'm guessing he has a part in this?"
"In a way yes," Coulson admitted. "In light of Captain Rogers' recovery, as well as other events, Director Fury is launching the Avengers Initiative."
"You want me in your little super-secret boy band?" Tony remarked. "I thought I didn't even qualify."
"Big shock there," Pepper muttered under her breath.
"Yeah, apparently, I'm, what was it? Volatile, self-obsessed, and don't play well with others?"
"Got you down to a tee, Tony," Pepper commented.
"This isn't about personality profiles anymore," Coulson told him. "The Captain wasn't the only thing recovered from the ice."
"The Cosmic Cube," Tony guessed, remembering his father's stories. "The Red Skull's ultimate weapon."
"And now in the hands of Baron Strucker," Coulson confirmed. "Doesn't exactly bode well for the rest of the world does it? No one knows about your father's work on the cube better than you."
"Tony, this seems serious," Pepper noted. "From what you've told me of your father's work, lives could be at stake."
"They already have the golden boy, sounds like you have all the help they need," Tony noted. "Besides, weren't we having a bit of a moment earlier?"
"I was having twelve percent of a moment," Pepper replied sarcastically. "Besides, right now S.H.I.E.L.D needs you more than Stark Tower does."
With that, Pepper turned to Coulson with a smile.
"We best leave Tony to his work," she told him, taking his arm. "I'll show you to the door."
As the two walked out, Tony thought about the stories his dad used to tell him about Captain America, and how he was sick to death of the guy. But with the world at stake, maybe certain old wounds should take a backseat.
…
Steve Rogers stood in the center of an old gym, a large punching bag hanging in front of his. His hands were wrapped in ace bandages as he punched at the bag repeatedly. With each punch that connected, flashes of old memories began to fill through his head. The faces of his teammates all passed through his vision, eventually settling on the face of Bucky. In his mind, he replayed the last time that he had seen his lifelong friend, and his last words echoed through his skull.
"The world needs Captain America more than it needs Bucky Barnes."
With that sentence echoing through his mind, he punched the bag so hard, it went flying across the room, scattering sand everywhere. Pausing to catch his breath for a moment, he turned towards a row of bags waiting beside him, grabbing one and lifting it like it was filled with feathers rather than air. Once he connected it with the support ring, he prepared to resume his workout routine when a voice interrupted his train of thought.
"And I thought Barton was rough on training equipment."
Steve turned to see Agent 13 leaning against the doorway. She was dressed a bit more casually than before, and her hair was loose, hanging around her shoulders.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," she remarked, walking towards him.
"Nah," Steve told her. "Just, making sure sleeping for more than 70 years hasn't made me rusty."
"Well I think it's safe to say you aren't," 13 replied, chuckling slightly before taking on a softer tone. "Are you alright?"
Steve just stayed quiet for a moment.
"I can't even begin to answer that."
13 came up behind him, placing a hand on his back.
"You know… the Commandos were all honored as heroes," she told him. "Especially you and Sergeant Barnes."
Steve couldn't help but smile at that.
"They deserve it," Steve said.
13 nodded in agreement.
"Aunt Peggy even made Barnes an honorary agent of S.H.I.E.L.D," she added. "His name is on every memorial in every facility. He's considered one of its first agents."
Steve paused for a moment, replaying 13's words in his head. With stunned surprise, he turned to her.
"Did you just say, 'Aunt Peggy'?" he asked.
13 blinked, then facepalmed, groaning to herself.
"She always said I let too much slip for a spy," she muttered before taking a breath and meeting Steve's eye. "I guess I should properly introduce myself. My real name is Sharon Carter. I'm Peggy's niece."
Those words hit Steve like a ton of bricks.
"I… I didn't even know Peggy had any other family," Steve replied. "She never said anything."
"And with good reason," Sharon replied. "My family never approved of Peggy joining the army. Said it wasn't right for a woman to fight. I didn't share my family's sentiments. In fact, it was Aunt Peggy who inspired me to join S.H.I.E.L.D."
Steve couldn't help but smile at that.
"You know, she never gave up on you," Sharon added.
"She was never one to give up easily," Steve commented. "No matter what."
"Damn straight," Sharon agreed. "Up until her retirement, she could always be seen going over every bit of data on you she had."
"Do you… know where she is now?" Steve asked.
Sharon looked down, her smile fading somewhat.
"She passed away about six months ago," She explained. "It was painless and peaceful, in her sleep."
Steve lowered his head in defeat.
"Then I really am alone…" Steve let out. "Peggy, Bucky, everyone I ever knew. It's all gone… HYDRA should have left me in that ice."
"Don't say that, Captain," Sharon told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The world still need Captain America,"
"Yeah right," Steve dismissed. "I can't imagine a world that's changed so much would still need… an old-fashioned hero like me."
"In a world that's changed this much, we need a little old fashioned," she told him. "Maybe now more than ever."
Steve raised an eyebrow at that.
"You aren't here just to check on me, are you?" Steve guessed.
"Sharp as ever," Sharon complimented. "You weren't the only thing HYDRA plucked from the arctic."
She pulled a file out from under her arm, handing it to him. It was a dusty file that read "Project Rebirth", with the signature of Howard Stark on the front. He opened it, the first page being a series of handwritten notes with a picture clipped to it. The picture was black and white, and displayed what looked like a glowing cube.
"Red Skull's secret weapon," Steve recalled.
"Right now, it's in the hands of Baron von Strucker, the current leader of HYDRA." She explained. "He wants to finish what the Red Skull started over 70 years ago."
"And you want my help to stop him?" Steve surmised.
"No one knows more about taking down HYDRA than you," She reminded him. "Your experience and training may be the edge we need to prevent a third World War from breaking out."
"You don't even have to ask," Steve replied. "If you're going after HYDRA, I want in."
Sharon smiled widely.
"Excellent," she declared. "Then I think you'll be wanting this."
She sidestepped, revealing a large suitcase. Attached to the front of the case was his shield, which had been cleaned, painted, and polished.
"You cleaned it up," he noted.
"I did what I could," she replied. "Though Peggy's the one who took care of the suit. She wanted you to have a fresh change of clothes when you returned, and I've been keeping them in good condition ever since."
Steve opened the case to see the new uniform inside. He couldn't help but smile at it.
"Let's get to work."
...
All the pieces are falling into place. Can't wait to see what happens next.
