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Chapter 36

The Shadow of Death

Manhattan

Union Jack speeded down the deserted city street, keeping an eye on the distant tail lights of Cap's motorcycle, while scanning for a place to ditch his bike—or rather, Hawkeye's bike. He'd apologize to the archer when he had the chance. Spotting a vacant lot he cut the engine, steered the bike in, and jumped off, hitting the ground running. With a tap on the control panel mounted on his belt, the red-and-white stripes of his chest piece dimmed to shades of gray, and the reflective portions of his armor muted. His suit was no clumsy collection of body armor; it had been painstakingly designed by MI-6 to not only be strong, but also lightweight, flexible, and utterly silent. As the bike fell to the soft turf, Jack was already gone.

He ran forward, scanning for Hydra lookouts. His one advantage was that they were expecting a superhero, a bold figure blazing through the night, not a combat soldier, trained in commando tactics. In Afghanistan, Joey Chapman was a legend for his ability to scout enemy outposts, unseen. Calling on all his experience and training, he pressed on, moving like a shadow in the darkness. No mission he had ever embarked on held stakes as high as this one…or as personal.

Jack was close now. He heard Cap's engine slow, then shut off. Spying the outskirts of a small city park, he slowed his pace, continuing to search for lookouts. He was about to switch his goggles to infrared, when he remembered Hydra's new trick: the refractor suit. Along with invisibility, refractor technology blocked heat signatures and radar. Recalling Cap's lesson after the debacle in Scotland, Jack looked for the telltale faint bluish glow. He spotted it, nearly imperceptible, on top of the water tower on the outskirts of the park. A second lookout was posted on ground level, behind a stand of bushes across the street. Two-man cover, standard Hydra procedure.

Crawling through a thicket of tall grass, Jack spotted Cap in the center of the small park, surrounded by ten Hydra troopers, their weapons trained on him. The impulse to jump to Cap's aide was overwhelming, but Emily and Lady Falsworth would pay with their lives if he did. The Hydra agents shackled Cap's arms and marched him aboard a waiting transport ship. Jack activated the directional mic built into his helmet, trying to pick up any conversation, but the ship's engines fired, making a deafening roar. He disengaged the mic, and watched helplessly as the ship lifted off, using a vertical jet system identical to a Quinjet. There was a flash of light, and the Hydra ship vanished, leaving a shimmering blue haze. A second later, even the haze was gone. Hydra had adapted refractor tech to cloak their ships. Jack silently cursed; he wasn't even sure of the direction they'd headed. Cap was now a prisoner of Hydra…along with Emily. The woman he loved was in the clutches of those murderous bastards.

As the roar of the jet faded, Jack turned his attention to the lookouts, visible now, having switched off their suits. They headed to an SUV parked near the entrance, swaggering and cocksure, confident their part in the mission was finished. They were about to learn otherwise. Tightening his grip around the haft of his dagger, Union Jack slipped forward, unseen; there were more ways than one to be invisible—there was stealth, and skill. Hydra had planned for a superhero. They were about to get a soldier, one who learned his trade on the battlefield.

Avengers Mansion

Wow, Janet Van Dyne thought, looking about the room.. That is a lot of superheroes.

Even with all her years in the business, she hadn't seen anything to top this. Maybe the Thanos mission, but it would be close. She made a quick check earlier, counting ninety-two heroes—with more on the way. Hydra was about to get more than they bargained for. The men and women gathered here possessed enough power to level a mountain. Jan planed to aim that power square at the Red Skull's ugly face. She checked her Wasp's sting, finding them fully charged. She smiled, clenching her fist grimly. Game on, Herr Schmidt.

Carol Danvers, the Avenger known as Captain Marvel, walked up to Jan.

"Okay, boss, we're ready to roll. When does this party get started?"

"Just waiting on Cap," Jan answered. "Have you seen him?"

"No, but I overheard some newbie tell Vision he was going to check on him. British guy, I think."

"Gorgeous eyes?"

"And a killer butt," Carol added, smiling.

"That would be Union Jack. He's a friend of Cap's."

"Cap certainly has some hunky friends. So, is he single?"

Jan laughed. "First we save the world, and then I'll see about hooking you up."

"Don't wait too long," the stunning blonde said. "Jennifer was checking him out. You know what a man-eater she is."

As Carol walked away, Jan spotted Jarvis entering the room, and she headed across the crowded floor towards him. Jarvis was carrying a large box, coming in behind a line of servers bearing trays of food and drink. As the assembled heroes descended on the food, Jan called Jarvis's name, but he didn't seem to hear. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he startled, nearly dropping the box. Jan reached out to help, but Jarvis jerked away.

"No...I have it," he said, clutching the box tightly to his chest, a light sheen of perspiration coating his face. Jan eyed him closely.

"Jarvis, are you alright? Why don't you sit down and take a rest."

"I will, ma'am. As soon as I...complete my duties."

Jan was puzzled at his strange mood. "Has Hank checked in?"

"No, ma'am. We also haven't heard from Thor, Hawkeye, Falcon, or Colonel Jameson."

"Hmm…it's always hit-or-miss with Thor. He could be at the other end of the universe right now, but I can't imagine what's keeping the others. Let me know when they check in, okay?"

Jarvis appeared not to have heard her. Then he blinked, coming back to focus. "Of course. If you'll excuse me, ma'am."

He headed off, still clutching the box. Jan watched him with concern. In the fifteen years she'd known him, Edwin Jarvis had always been cool, calm, and utterly unflappable, but he was hardly a young man. Were the Avengers about to lose both Cap and Jarvis?

Spider-Man walked up to her, interrupting her disquieting thoughts. One of New York's most famous costumed heroes, the Web Slinger was also a loner, one of the few superheroes Jan didn't know well. And because spiders gave her the creeps, she'd never made the effort to get to know him better. Spider-Man stood there for a moment, started to turn away, and then turned back.

"Um…is everything okay?" he asked.

Jan looked at him, puzzled. "Well, Hydra is mounting a global assault, so…"

"No, I mean here, now. Is everything…okay?"

"Spidey, what is it?"

"I don't know. It's just… I get these feelings sometimes, when there's danger. I call it my spider-sense, and it's tingling."

Jan tried to hide her smile. "Spider-sense? Tingling?"

The young hero shifted. "It's what I call it. It's usually right…but there's a chance I'm just picking up on all the craziness with Hydra. Anyway, I thought I should tell you."

"No, I'm glad you did. Keep your spider-peepers peeled. If you get any more…tingles, let me know, okay?"

Spider-Man agreed, and walked off, starting a conversation with Johnny Storm. Jan considered his strange words, with a feeling that a black cloud was hovering over the Mansion, the whole world. And of course, there was. A black cloud called Hydra.

Knock it off, Van Dyne. People are counting on you, so get it together.

She opened her com-link, checking the latest information from SHIELD. If the situation seemed serious before, it was absolutely critical now. This was no minor skirmish; the Skull was making a play for world domination, and he had the power to make it happen. Jan pocketed her com-link. She didn't like starting without Cap, but he would just have to catch up. Grabbing a chair, Jan stepped onto it, bringing herself to eye-level with the others. The crowd quieted, gathering around her. Janet Van Dyne, the charming and airy socialite, was gone; she was the Wasp now, founding member of the Avengers, and she was all business.

"Okay people, Hydra has made their first move. Now it's our turn…"

As the briefing began, Jarvis stood quietly in the back of the room. A member of his kitchen staff leaned close, whispering.

"Sir, should I bring more beverages?"

Jarvis did not answer. His full attention was riveted on the box now sitting beneath the serving table, discreetly out of sight. He had not looked inside that box; he did not need to. It contained a compact, but powerful bomb, large enough to destroy a city block. The cell phone in his pocket began to vibrate. He reached for it, his hand trembling. Reading the message, he turned to the man at his side.

"That won't be necessary, Gregory," he said, shuddering slightly as the last part of Edwin Jarvis died within him. His thumb hovered over the 'send' button. "It is almost over now."

Hydra Transport

As two Hydra troopers shackled Cap to his seat, the squad leader walked forward. A gloating smile spread across his pinched face as he spoke.

"You surrendered so easily, Captain. I'm disappointed. I wanted to take you by force."

"You'd need about a hundred more goons for that, junior."

The man simmered. He turned to the subordinate by his side. "Why is that shield still on his back?"

"I apologize, commander…but he would not surrender it."

The leader struck the man across the face, knocking him to the floor. "We are Hydra! We do not ask, we take! Now get that shield!"

"Get it yourself," Cap said. "Keep in mind, I'll break you in two."

The squad leader glared, though his attitude was less bold than before. "Those are titanium shackles, Avenger. Even you can't break them. I'll have that shield."

Cap's eyes narrowed. "Get use to the idea of spending your life in a wheelchair."

The leader's cool arrogance deserted him as he felt his men watching. He drew his sidearm, dialing it to its highest setting as he leveled it at Cap's face. Cap's iron stare bore into the man. A voice from the cockpit called out, ending the stalemate.

"Put that gun away."

Viper stepped through the cabin door and walked up to the squad leader, eyeing him with palpable disdain.

"Perhaps I should let you attempt to take the shield. It would be amusing to watch him crush you. Take your seat, commander, and do not speak again unless I ask you to. That goes for everyone," she said, casting a searing gaze over the troopers, who stood surrounding Cap, their weapons held at the ready. The men sat, and Viper turned to Cap, a smile on her emerald lips.

"Forgive my soldiers, Captain. They are loyal, but their manners, I'm afraid, are deplorable."

"They're mercenaries, and thugs. They don't deserve to be called soldiers."

Viper shrugged. "One man's meat is another man's poison."

"And you know all about poison, don't you?"

Ignoring the barb, Viper knelt and ran her hand down his thigh. "Hmm…such strength, such power," she said, her hand passing down his calf, stopping as she reached the restraints. "Would these chains hold you long?"

"No."

"I thought not. But then, we have other ways of ensuring your cooperation, don't we?"

"Harm one hair on their heads, and I'll kill you."

Viper licked her lips, her breast heaving. "Such violence! I like this side of you, Captain. It thrills me...but must we be enemies?"

She stood, straddling his legs, her body swaying hypnotically, a dance of dark seduction. She lowered herself onto his lap, winding her arms around his broad shoulders, cradling his face as she sunk into him, rotating her hips.

"Your body is like a dynamo, it radiates power. Making love to you would be like riding a tiger...I should like to know how that feels. Would you like to know how I feel? Oh," she said, her lips parting in a sensuous smile. "I can feel your approval."

Gritting his teeth, Cap shook his head. "Your potion may affect my body, but not my mind. You're as appealing as a dose of the plague, Viper. Get off me, and I mean right now, or I'll break your jaw."

Cap snapped his head forward, just a fraction, to demonstrate he was not without means of retaliation. Viper laughed, and got up.

"The self-righteous are so easily provoked. But breaking my Jaw? Killing me? What would the American public say if they heard their pristine hero speak so? Fortunately, that will not happen. You will soon be dead, and your people will serve the banner of the Skull."

"Schmidt's been pushing that fantasy since before you were born. We stopped him before, we'll stop him now."

"Who will, Captain? Your precious comrades? You have a surprise coming."

Viper walked to the cockpit. Cap sat, willing the witch's potion out of his senses. He felt the ship turning, its engines throttling back. As the ship began to hover in place, Viper came back to the hold. She turned to her men.

"Stand at the ready, have your weapons set for stun." She turned to Cap. "Our Supreme Commander has arranged a little show, something I'm certain will interest you."

Reaching over his shoulder, she opened the shutter barring the window. "Do you see it, Captain?" she said, pointing towards the city. "I myself can see nothing at this distance, but I'm told your eyesight is extraordinarily keen."

With growing unease, he looked out on the New York coastline. His eyes found general location of the mansion, though it was too dark and distant for him to actually see it. His pulse quickened as Viper spoke.

"Tonight, the Red Skull marks his reign with the blood of heroes."

Light flashed. Cap's eyes widened in horror as a huge fireball erupted where Avengers Mansion stood.

"No!"

Cap heaved his arms, his muscles swelling in straining cords. Viper stepped back as a Hydra trooper fired a stun blast. Another fired. Cap pulled harder, his face a mask of rage as yet another trooper fired at him. With a sound of rending metal, the cuffs holding his arms exploded, and he grabbed the nearest trooper by the arm, shattering it as he flung the man to the floor. Two more troopers took his place, opening fire. Cap stood, ripping the shield from his back, as energy beams struck him with enough force to fell a dozen men. The image of the mansion in flames spurred him on as he sliced down with his shield, cutting through the shackles at his feet. The squad leader charged forward, clubbing him over the head with his gun. Cap backhanded the man, sending him crashing into the far wall, making the ship quaver from the impact. Cap dropped to his knees as the stun blasts hammered him mercilessly. He crawled forward, and with a final effort, pulled Viper to the floor. She laughed wildly as his hands closed about her throat…and then he fell, unconscious.

Viper laid on the floor next to him, an orgasmic thrill of terror and death flooding her body. She rubbed her throat as a trooper helped her to her feet.

"Three of the men are injured, Madam Viper. I think the commander is dead."

"Then I place you in command. Take the Captain to the cargo hold. There are two-inch chains there, laced with vibranium. Secure him, and be quick about it. He won't be out for long."

As the men jumped to their task, Viper walked to the cockpit. The jet was once again flying forward, at full supersonic speed. She sat, opening a communication channel.

"Base, this is flight V1. Be ready to welcome our special guest."