Well here is the first chapter of the second part of The Night Wars. I wanted the last chapter of the first part of the story to be what Steve remembered to be the last time that he had spoken to Agent Peggy before he crashed the plane in the ice sheet. This part will be in the modern time sometime after the Avengers movie but just before the second Captain America film. There will also be a link with the Avengers cartoon series, hope you can find that link.

Chapter 13

The light was switched on as Steve walked into the bathroom of his apartment. Turning on the tap he waited for cold water to rush out. Scoping the fast-flowing water into his open hands he splashed the cold water onto his face. The cold water was the best way to wake him up after having a horrible time on trying to get to sleep in the early morning.

Walking away from the sink and out of the bathroom, Steve went straight to the living room of his apartment. This had become a daily routine for him. He would wake up at 4am after having the most horrific dreams about his past. These dreams where always about Agent Peggy or Bucky. Last night the dream he had that had forced him up had been about Bucky. His best friend from their years at school had been lost to them all after he feel off the speeding train when they captured Dr Zola. He still blamed the mad HYDRA scientist for being the cause of Bucky's death. He didn't know what had happened to him, he only hoped that Nightshade or Edward, or even both, had dealt with him.

Taking a seat on the armchair of his living room he switched on the TV. It was a new habit that he had picked up after being thawed from the ice. Switching the channel over to the news Steve sat back. He had made it his task to watch the news every morning or whenever he could. He had to keep up to date with what was going on around the world. He had also taken a few history tapes from the local library as he watched the ending battles of the second world war.

"We are here at the sight of the latest animal attacks!" the news reporter started her news report. The blonde-haired women, was wearing her favourite green jacket and skirt. Stepping to the side she allowed the camera to get a view of the scene. "This marks the seventh such animal attack this month, and it is leaving experts stumped! We still don't what type of animal is causing these attacks!" she continued as the camera returned to her.

Steve having heard enough from the news report got up out of the chair and went to the kitchen to get his breakfast, which was normal flakes or toast. The kitchen, like the rest of his apartment was just the essentials. He didn't need any fancy technology like Tony to get his meals. He was happy with just having a microwave, an oven along with a kettle to make his coffee in the morning. Putting a slice of toast into the toaster, Steve went to the fridge to bring out the butter and carton of orange juice. By the time he had gotten a glass and poured out the juice into a glass the toast had popped out of the toaster. Grabbing a plate from the cupboard above his head he placed the piece of pottery down on the worktop of his kitchen next to the toaster. Picking up the still warm toast Steve put the toast onto the plate that was waiting for the toast. Just as he was about to grab a knife from the draw that was on his right he heard a noise.

The noise was not something that he would hear from his apartment or the other apartments around him. He knew it was not coming from his TV, it was still on that lady with wearing the green jacket and skirt. She was no longer talking about the strange animal attacks but she had moved onto talking about herself. Steve didn't like her. She just had a personality that he didn't like, or he was not use to since he woke up from the ice.

Straining his ears, he tried to get a better sense of the sound. The sound was coming from outside of his apartment, and he knew when someone was trying to break into his apartment. Granted he had never heard of someone trying to break in during the daylight hours. He could only think that it was either Fury or even Stark wanting to see him, but he had learned quickly. Tony would have phoned him and sent a chopper that would take him to the newly renamed Avengers Tower. Fury would just appear out of the blue with a mission that he needed help with.

Bang! Crash!

The door was smashed down by a massive grey fist. Steve leapt out of the way of the wooden splinters. Reaching for his shield he was ready for when the massive hulking beast squeezed into his apartment. He had thought the Hulk was big, but then he remembered how big Leatherback was when he had first seen him in the HYDRAs base. The scars that he had received from Nightshade had all healed up, but he had received new wounds since his fight with her.

Raising his shield, Steve blocked a chunk of wood that the alien through at him. Before Leatherback could pick up another chunk of wood at him Steve through his shield into Leatherback's face. The scaly ape staggered backwards. A massive hand was brought up to cover his broken nose as the round shield went back to Steve who caught it with no effort at all.

"What are you doing here, Leatherback?" he asked bringing his shield back to cover his body again encase Leatherback decided to take another strike at him.

Leatherback wiped his nose. It was still bleeding from where the shield had struck his already damaged ugly face. Snorting he glared at the human. "You will see!" he snarled at Steve rubbing his nose again.

"I thought Nightshade finished you off back in the HYDRA base?" Steve asked keeping his shield held up. Out of all the villains and monsters that he had faced he had hoped that he wouldn't see this one. The nightmares that plagued him at night where not only him losing Peggy and Bucky in the war it was also the memory of Leatherback and Nightshade fighting in their brutal fight.

Leatherback's laughing caused him to come back to present. "I am much stronger than her! That is all you need to know, human!" he snarled at him as he picked up another piece of wood that had once been a part of the door of his apartment. "Now I am here to finish what was started all those years ago!" he hissed looking at the wood splinter in his hands.

Steve's grip on the straps of his shield only got tighter. He knew from what Nightshade had said that Leatherback was brute when it came to fights. He was known for smashing things like the Hulk but he took great joy in breaking bones unlike the Hulk. Steve couldn't let his guard down when he was facing this brute. "And what was that?" he asked. He needed as much information as he can get from Leatherback. If he was still alive and fit to fight that could mean that the three Argentix's were still alive.

Leatherback took a step closer to the Captain. His massive bulk was only made bigger thanks to the tiny apartment that Steve called home. His beady eyes were locked onto Steve. "I have a mission, Steve! A mission that the Skull helped to kick start you can say!" the brutish monster started as he slowly approached Steve. "I was in New York and I heard that you were back so I decided to swing by!" he snarled as he towered above Steve.

Before either Steve or Leatherback could react, something smashed into Leatherback's exposed back. The scaly ape was forced to the ground. Grunting he grabbed the back of his head as he got back to his feet. Grunting and snarling Leatherback looked to face the new intruder into Steve's apartment. The grunting changed into a roar of anger at who was standing at the doorway.

Steve recovering from Leatherback's fall had his shield ready encase the alien struck him instead of whoever was at the door. Raising his shield up again he prepared for a fist or a splinter of wood to be flung at him.

The occupants of the room had all fallen silent; the only noise that was in the room was the still buzzing of the TV that was still on the news. The silence seemed that it would last long until it was shattered. Leatherback had started to growl again. "Edward, it has been to long! How have you been?" he hissed glaring at the green skinned zombie.

Edward still at the door growled himself. He then looked over at the news report on the TV that had returned to the animal attacks. "I take it you have been behind the animal attacks in this sector?" he asked looking back at Leatherback. In the past seventy years, Edward had not changed at all. He was still wearing a military standard uniform that had a hood. The zombie still like to keep under the radar when he was amongst people in the main street.

Leatherback had also looked at the TV. The lady in green was showing an image of the recent place the animal attacks have been happening. "One of my best works, Edward!" he replied wiping his nose again. It was still broken from where Steve had struck him with his shield. "And anyhow it was the only way that I could get yours and Nightshade's attention!" he said, "And anyway where is Nightshade?" he asked noticing that Nightshade was not standing with Edward.

"Cleaning up your mess!" Edward said walking into the apartment.

"Well, I have to say that you will be busy in the next few months!" Leatherback said cracking his knuckles.

Steve spoke before Edward had a chance to speak, "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked keeping his shield raised. He didn't like the fact that there were two powerful aliens in his apartment that could easily crush him in a blink of an eye.

"You will see soon enough, Captain America!" he said looking at the super soldier. His attention returned to Edward who was still staying close to the door. "And Edward I want to introduce the both of you to the person who made the Skull the Skull!" he said looking at the zombie but it was meant for Captain America as well.

Edward glared at Leatherback, ready to jump at the scaly ape. Grinding his teeth against each other Edward narrowed his eyes at Leatherback. "You are not getting away this time, Leatherback! I don't care if you have allied yourself with some politician I am not letting you leave this apartment until you are wrapped up in a body bag and is in the morgue in some military base!" he growled reaching for his axe that was strapped to his back.

"Edward watch out!" Steve shouted, but the warning came too late. Edward turned around to face the open doorway only to be punched into armchair of the apartment. Groaning Edward lay in a heap of wood and fluff that had once been the armchair that Tony had given Steve when he moved into the apartment. Steve looked at the doorway as Leatherback walked to the shadows of the stranger who now stood at the smashed in doorway.

Wearing a suit the stranger fixed the black tie of his suit. He then moved to fix the cuffs of his suit before smiling at the super solider.

Steve would have thought he was a businessman if it was not for the strange tattoos that covered his face. Even he knew the writing of the Ancient Egyptians and that was what covered his face. They were not the usual tattoos that he had seen, these looked like they had been burnt onto his skin. The man walked into the small apartment. He stepped over a splinter of wood. "I am sorry to disappoint you Edward! But I am not a politician in a sense, I am a warrior like you!" he said to Edward who was struggling to get back to his feet.

"Who are you?" Steve asked keeping his shield raised to cover his face.

The businessman only laughed before clapping his hands. "Captain Steve Rogers! I must say I have waited seventy years to meet you" he said still clapping. "My name is Seth and I am the true lord and master of this world!" Seth said. Seth then looked around at Leatherback. The massive scaly ape was keeping behind him. "Now Leatherback we have to go to London! We have spent enough time here and I don't want UNIT to waste my plans!" he said to the big brute that he had at his side since the Second World War. The only response he got from Leatherback was a grunt before he walked away. Seth looked back at the two heroes. Steve was helping Edward back to his feet. "Now it has been a pleasure to meet the both of you, but I can't spend any more time chatting with you! I have to go and get a book!" he said before turning on his heel. Not looking back, he walked out of Steve apartment.

Before he walked out of the smashed in doorway he looked over his shoulder. "Steve, your apartment is a mess. I think it is best that you tidy up as soon as you have time!" he said and then he was gone leaving the two in the messy apartment.