Chapter 3

Captain Steven Rogers put down the paperwork that he was holding. He looked over to Howard Stark who was shaking his head in disbelief. He then looked to his side at Peggy who showed no emotion like she normally did when it came to debriefing meetings. Bucky on the other hand was smiling like a big kid in a candy shop. But that was no surprise. His best friend since as far as he could remember had always had a fascination with creatures that go bump in the night. Glancing over at Churchill and Nightshade he saw that once again they were in a discussion. He couldn't make out what was being said between the two of them.

Churchill lighted a new cigar as he stood up from his seat at the top of the table. "Have you any questions on what you are expecting to do in this mission?" he asked still standing up and looking at the Howling Commandos who had been called to the meeting.

Peggy Carter rose from her seat in one motion. "This cannot be real, sir! I mean-" she was stopped before she could continue with what she was going to say.

"I can assure you that everything in that paperwork in true and accurate!" Nightshade said still sitting down on her seat beside her team and Churchill. "You have only heard these things in bed time whispers but that has been because we have just been doing a really good job on keeping them hidden from your world!" she finished as her strange eyes locked onto Peggy Carter.

Peggy was not sitting down. Not until she got more information. "But how can it be?" she asked glaring at Nightshade. "What is written in this report along with the evidence that has been gathered can't be true! I mean a lot of the things listed here are what you expect to see in a Brother Grimm story or a Disney animated story for children! I mean fairies can't be real?" she stated looking at the three British agents from a different agency from her.

"Fairies are real, Miss Carter!" Julian said still sitting down at his seat at the table. A wicked smile came to his face as he looked over to Edward. "And Edward should know that!" he laughed dodging another whack from the cloaked man.

"Well you keep your trap shut Wolf-Boy!" snarled Edward after he gave up trying to hit the much faster snow white haired man. "That was a mistake. And she was really nice. That was until she started pranking all of us!" he snapped. He was still glaring at Julian from under his cloak.

Julian started to laugh along with the rest of the Howling Commandos. "And you didn't even get her name, before you took her to dinner as the main course!" Julian said smiling like a big kid in a candy shop. "And how was she really? I mean you mainly eat criminals just like Madame Vastra did during the reign of Queen Victoria!" smirked Julian even more as he saw Edward begin to shake under the thick black cloak that he wore all over.

Nightshade after hearing the two arguing for far too long finally stood up from her seat. "That is enough!" she said gaining both their attention. "I think the humans need more explanation of what we do and what we are!" she said looking back at Agent Carter. "You have three questions to ask and once they have been answered you will listen!" she said to the agent who had been brave enough to speak up.

Peggy looked down at the paper work that was still resting on the table. There was so much to ask them, but how could she ask them all when Nightshade had only given them all three questions to ask. That was when she remembered something. Nightshade had just called them "humans". Looking at the young lady in a Victorian styled pirate hat along with strange fashion sense. "Who and what are you all?" she asked still looking at Nightshade.

Watching the other lady in the room with strange eyes, Nightshade began to wonder what she could say to these apes that wouldn't blow their minds too much that would result in them going mad. Sitting back in her chair at the table deep within the War Room of London during the Blitz of the Second World War, Nightshade finished what she was going to say to them. "I will begin simple for you and I am sure that will lead to more questions!" she started looking at all the Howling Commandos and Howard Stark. "I think the first thing that should be done is if we introduce ourselves properly!" Nightshade taking a break to allow the soldiers and the agent to think over what she had said already.

Before Nightshade or anyone knew what was happening Julian had risen from his seat and walked over to Edward's seat and quickly pulled down the cloak. With the cloak no longer covering his face everyone got a good look at his face. He wasn't anything that they thought he was. The zombie glared at the snow white haired man with red eyes. "I hate you!" Edward snarled trying to put the hood back over his head. He gave up when he could find the hood again.

"I know you do, Edward!" Julian laughed as he took his seat once again.

Howard Stark rose from his seat as he studied Edwards face. "That is impossible! How is he dead but alive?" he asked already thinking of the technology that would be needed to bring someone back to life. "Who created you?" he asked Edward directly.

Edward snorted at Howard Stark. "I was not created by some mad scientist like in that story Frankenstein! I was born like this like how you are born like the pink thing you are!" he said still looking at the human who was looking at him like some lab rat. "I had a family once, but not anymore!" he finished folding his still covered arms over his still covered chest.

"Your family? What happened to them?" Steven asked still sitting down.

Nightshade spoke, "A war! That was what happened!"

The ground shock again after another bomb was dropped onto the city above them. The lights in the meeting room flickered on and off before coming back on.

Nightshade continued, "Edward is an alien creature known as a Maiden. They resemble zombies from your myths and legends!"

Howard was looking more closely at Edward. His mind was working overtime as he got more information on Edward. "When you say alien you don't mean from abroad?" he asked.

Nightshade and Edward both looked at each other. They needed to tell them before they started asking way too many questions and Leatherback got away once again. If that happened the next time that they saw Leatherback and had another chance to put him behind bars would be when the Earth was plunged into another war. They couldn't let that happen. That big scaly ape had been the cause of many deaths both on Earth and on their own planet. Their own planet that was destroyed by war. Leatherback had been the cause of the deaths of Edwards parents.

"Your right, Stark!" Edward said not even bothering to look at anyone at the table. "Me and Nightshade are from the same world far from this planet!" Edward finished.

Peggy looked over at Nightshade who was watching the conversation quietly. "And what are you? I mean what alien are you?" she asked the leader of the strange group.

"That's your second question asked!" Nightshade said as she looked at Agent Carter who looked ashamed that she had lost question. "No wait you've used up all your questions that you were given! Now you have to listen to what we have to say!" Nightshade replied seeing that all of them sat back in their seat. One of the Howling Commandos even started to grumble about something in France that she didn't quite get. "During the Great War, as you call it your leaders found out that you are not alone in the universe. Some of the aliens that come to your world are peaceful and only come to earth for many reasons. But there are others who come to earth in hopes of conquering your race before you can get better technology to defend yourselves from invasions. During the Great War we followed a murder from our world called Leatherback. And he is back on your world helping this HYDRA! We do not know how or why he is helping HYDRA but we will help you get rid of this problem!"

The room that the meeting was being held fell silent. It was so quite that they could hear the hum of the plane's engines high above the city. Agent Carter looked over at Steven Rogers. The super soldier had a bored look in his eyes even though he was pretending to listen to what Nightshade was saying. Then looking over at Howard she saw the scientist was trying to get more information out of the three who were sitting at the top of the table with the Prime Minster.

Winston Churchill at the top of the top of the table cleared his throat. "Well if that is sorted. Captain Rogers!" he said looking directly at the super soldier. He only continued when Steven looked back up at him. "What are you all waiting for? Get going!" he said that caused everyone in the table to leave their seats to get ready for the mission. He smirked when he noticed that Nightshade was still sitting in her seat. "Well, Nightshade?" he asked her before she and her team rose in unison from their seats.

A triumphant smirk came to the Prime Minsters worn face when Nightshade with Edward and Julian walking beside her approached Captain Steven Rogers. "Rogers meet us at the Tower of London. You will be provided transportation by the British Army until you meet up with one of us at the gates and what you are going to see must not be told to the public! I will see you in a few hours!" she said before she walked past them.

Steven and Bucky watched as the three of them left. "Well they are strange! Really strange!" Bucky said as he watched Edward put his hood back up to cover his skull.