Chapter 10

"We walk through the front door!" Steve said looking at the plans and maps of the HYDRA base that Zola had given to them freely. He always knew that Colonel Phillips had a way to make people talk. He didn't think he was that good, when Zola explained everything about the Red Skull himself and the mountain that the Skull had made his base in. Thanks to Zola Colonel Phillips along with Nightshade had come up with where the best places where to attack the mountain base to great effectiveness. With that in mind they had been arguing about what was the best way to tackle the mountain base before the Red Skull's forces could cause them to lose the victory that had been given to them so easily by Dr Zola. They knew that they would only have a small window of opportunity to attack before the Skull moved to another base. He might even move as far as to Japan, where they would surly loose him.

Nightshade was also studying the maps and was trying to see how Steve had come to his idea. Having a quick look with Edward she saw that she was not the only one who couldn't see the connection with the maps with Steve's tactic. She looked back at Steve. "That would only lead to high causalities on our side. Not his!" she told him sitting back in her chair with Edward nodding his head in agreement. "We may have the best knowledge of the mountains weak points, but that does not mean that we just go on a suicide mission!" she said from where she was sitting.

"Nightshade, let me explain!" Steve said to her. "I will distract the Skulls forces long enough for you and Colonel Phillips to move in all the troops! HYDA and Skull will be distracted that they have caught me that they won't notice both of you moving in!" he finished looking at Colonel Phillips. His attention then moved back to Nightshade, "And by the time that he knows you're there it will be too late!" he said.

The Colonel was looking at the maps more closely as he thought over what Steve had told them. "That might work! But you might be alone with that crazy Red Skull for some time before aid can come to you!" he said when he looked back over at the super soldier. Phillips had heard enough about the Red Skull from the two doctors that were helping them, along with the reports that he had heard from field reports. They had found out that the Red Skull took great joy in shooting his own men when one of his bases was destroyed by the Howling Commandos.

"What should we do if one of us captures the Red Skull?" Edward asked from where he was sitting next to Nightshade. His hands lay on the table with his sharp black nails digging into the table. His teeth under the dim light of the meeting room sent a shiver down Steve's spine. He had gotten use to the sharp tusks of Edward, but being in such a small room with the zombie they were even more threating than they normally were.

"The Skull belongs in Nut House, Edward! He thinks he has been talking to a God that calls himself Seth and that this Seth has chosen him to be some sort of follower! So, if anyone gets the chance to capture the Red Skull do it! But if you have to kill him on sight!" Colonel Phillips ordered not only Edward but all the Howling Commandos and Peggy Carter.

Edward sat back in his seat with the order from Phillips. He then looked back at Nightshade, "And what about Leatherback?" he asked her.

"Take him out!"

"Something I can do!" Edward replied to her. He smashed his green fists together hard enough that a loud crack was heard in the room. Steve was still surprised that Edward was still in one piece after all the fights he's been in along with all the bad habits that he has gotten himself into from cracking his fingers.

Colonel Phillips looked over at Howard Stark. "Stark, I want your plane to take the Howling Commandos back to Europe as soon as possible!" he said to weapons manufacturer who had helped make Captain America the super hero who he was now. He had been a great help, even if he and Nightshade couldn't stand each other. Howard was only given a few hours to look over all the HYDRA weapons before they were locked away in a vault under London, deeper than the War Offices.

"I think that can arranged!" Howard replied looking more closely at the map at where the last HYDRA base was. "It will be good to finally end the Red Skull and HYDRA!" he said looking back at Colonel Phillips.

Steve looked over at Nightshade. She was no longer listening to their conversations but was involved in her own conversation with Edward. He didn't hear all of it, but he heard "We can't let Leatherback get away this time. Hopefully when we wrap things up in the Alps, Julian would have found something out about this Seth! And like the humans say kill two birds with one stone!"

Steve looked back at Colonel Phillips who was discussing flight plans with Howard Stark. He knew from his talk with Nightshade when they had first arrived in Europe that Leatherback was the cause of her and Leatherback to lose their world during the Time War. He knew from that talk that Nightshade and Edward wanted to take the monster down before he could destroy another world. "Sir, I am sorry to say this but I don't think Howard can get us there in time if we want to strike the Skull very soon!" he said to Colonel Phillips who looked at him as if he had never heard him speak. "The Skull will know that we have Dr Zola in our custody and if Zola is correct he will be getting ready to make his final move!" he argued hoping that Colonel Phillips would see the logic of his plan.

Colonel Phillips gaze only got harder on Steve. "And how are you going to get to Europe in time if you don't think Stark's fastest plane can't get you there in time?" he asked the super soldier causing Edward and Nightshade to conclude their private conversation at their end of the table to focus on theirs.

Nightshade having been to wrapped in her own conversation had lost track of what the Howling Commandos were talking about. Looking from Colonel Phillips who bore an angry look that told her that someone had gone against his orders. Moving her attention to Steve, she found him and Peggy looking at her. One with an asking question about something that she didn't know the subject of yet, and the other was looking at her as if daring her to make a mistake. In the sort time that she had known Peggy Carter, Nightshade had found out that the British Agent didn't trust her that much and kept a gun close at hand when in the same room even though they were on the same side. Well that was understandable the more she thought about. They had appeared out of nowhere with higher clearance than she did and had been hand chosen by Winston Churchill himself to help the Howling Commandos in their mission against the Red Skull and HYDRA.

"I feel like I have missed something very important!" she said not just to Steve but everyone in the room. Turning her attention back over to Edward who only shrugged his shoulder before looking at his axe that had only moments ago been strapped to his back. The axe was acting as a way so that he didn't have to get involved in the conversation that Nightshade was joining. Returning her attention back to the Howling Commandos that were gathered around the table.

"We're heading to Europe tonight!" Steve said catching Nightshades attention as she watched everyone in the room.

Nightshade nodded her head in knowing what he was planning already, "I have gathered that much already, Captain Rogers! But if you are intending on using one of Stark's planes then I suggest that it would be good to get a move on if we want your plan to be successful!" she said.

"We need the Moonray!" Steve said causing both Nightshade and Edward to look at each other.

Edward had stopped polishing his axe to look at the super soldier. His glare then moved over towards Nightshade, "I told you that was a bad idea, Nightshade! The humans have already becoming too depending on us to win this war of theirs," he shouted at her with Nightshade remaining silent waiting for him to finish with his rant, "I think we should just make the humans find another way over to Europe!"

Tapping the table with her index Nightshade allowed Edward to catch his breath after his ranting was finished. "Edward let me explain something to you!" she began turning to him with all the Howling Commandos watching their exchange. "We are helping them and that's final! If you have anything to say I don't want to hear it! If we don't do something the Skull will destroy this world with weapons that Leatherback has been given him!" she finished rising from her seat. Looking over at Steve she said, "We better get a move on if you want to knock of the Skull's front door before he leaves!"

Nodding his head, he too stood up from his seat with Peggy following after him. The rest of the Howling Commandos were also standing up before gathering their effects that had been left at the door. Steve heard Dugan from the door saying, "I thought I had seen the last of that mad aeroplane!"

"What's the matter, Dugan do you not like magic?" Howard asked him having heard the stories that the Howling Commandos had told him about the Moonray. "I wish that I could see this Moonray and see if I can recreate their technology!" he said as he walked towards the door, but he didn't get far. Nightshade and Edward had moved far too quickly for anyone in the room to see what they were doing had blocked his path out of the room. Nightshade stood before him blocking his clear path to the door and daring him to make a move that might end with him having a broken limb, while Edward clamping his massive hands onto Stark's shoulders. He could feel the sheer power of Edwards strength as the zombie kept him from moving from being stuck between the two. Howard looked from Edward to Nightshade. "Explain yourself, Nightshade?" he asked wiggling in Edwards grip only for that grip to get tighter. "Why deny me the most scientific advantage after the splitting of the atom?" he asked still wiggling. "It could help mankind reach for the stars! We could end all wars with technology like yours and we wouldn't need aliens to come and fight our battles for us!" the last part was for Edward but instead of getting released like he had hoped the grip only got tighter. Already he could feel that his arms were already crying out in pain and in need of more blood. If Edward's grip got tighter there might be a high change that he could lose both of his arms.

Nightshade walked up to him. The rest of the Howling Commandos could only watch on. They had seen how good she was with her cutlass and Edward was good with his axe even if he was just swinging it about. "I can't allow you, Howard Stark! You must work towards the technology that makes the Moonray!" she said nodding her head at Edward who released his grip on Howard. Howard rubbed his hands together as blood found their way back into them. "I am sorry, Howard I truly am. But I can't allow you to come with us, it's too risky!" she finished before turning on her heels to face the open door that had been a behind her second ago and walked out of it.

Edward followed her as she led the Howling Commandos to the Moonray. The zombie couldn't help but glare at Howard as he walked out of the door with Dugan on his heels. Out of all the Howling Commandos, Dugan was the only one he could stand. The two had the same interest in weapons, something that Edward didn't get with being with Nightshade and Julian. Those two preferred to just use their cutlass and rifle along with their wits in a fight, while Edward and Dugan preferred to go in with their weapons blazing without thinking things over. That was what they were going to need to do at the HYDRA base, they couldn't allow the Skull and Leatherback to disappear any time soon.