Chapter 16

by Carycomic

177-A BLEECKER STREET

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NYC

EARTH-28918

(1 MONTH EARLIER)

"We've been played!" screamed Blade of Earth-83234 (smashing an innocent side table to smithereens in his frustration).

"What the. . .?!" exclaimed Fastforward of Earth-7642. "Who the heck is this?"

"Offhand," replied Tony Stark of Earth-9810. ". . . I'd say it's a vampiric counterpart of Mastermind. On my world, that's the alias used by Jason Wyngarde. A mutant criminal who can psionically project illusions of multi-sensory convincingness."

"You mean, I only thought it was Wiz Kid I was injecting with Asgardian vaccine?"

"We were all made to think that! Which, unfortunately, allowed the real one to escape alongside Speed Demon and Kronus."

"With the Hydra of yet another parallel-Earth getting involved and thereby gaining access to all that alien technorganic circuitry," added Bova.

She was referring to how the lot of them had nearly been teleported to some unknown dimension by a modified Nth projector wielded by the resident Madame Hydra of Earth-79101. Only to be saved, at literally the last second, by the super-speed of Fastforward. By the time they had all regrouped and returned to the former town house of this Earth's late Dr. Strange, however, it was too late.

Their assailants were gone.

"Well, Mechmage?" Blade sarcastically asked. "You're the one with the mojo. Which parallel-Earth does it say they fled to?"

"I believe I can help you in that regard," replied a new (and decidedly female) voice.

The disparate group of superheroes turned as one, expecting another ambush. Yet, all they beheld was one young woman: Caucasian with blue eyes and long red hair. She wore a tight-fitting red unitard offset by yellowish-brown gauntlets. . .and what looked like the translucent version of a fighter jet pilot's helmet.

"Who are you?" demanded Mechmage: "And how come I didn't sense your approach?"

The young woman smiled: "My name is Vanessa Cord. But, you can call me 'Darkfire.' "

Mechamage suddenly became rigid of posture: "Any relation to Janice Cord?"

Darkfire grinned: "My cousin. She and your counterpart on my Earth used to date. That is till her death in a tragic accident led him to become a hopeless alcoholic! Which led to his cousin Morgan getting control of Stark Enterprises which, in turn, led to Morgan selling the whole shebang to Fujikawa Industries of Japan! How's life been treating you on your Earth?"

"Vanessa!" snapped an even newer female voice. "Knock it off! We did not come here looking for scapegoats."

"Speak for yourself," muttered the redhead, even though she did back up two steps to let the newcomer stand in front of her.

"Are you from the same parallel-Earth as that one?" asked Mechamage (trying not to lose his temper over what Darkfire had said about her version of Tony Stark).

The newcomer nodded. She was dressed in a red-white-and-blue version of a Continental Army officer's uniform, from the Revolutionary War, offset by a red cape. Combined with her domino mask, it made her resemble a cross between Paul Revere and the Lone Ranger!

"My name is Sharon Carter; granddaughter of Bruce Carter III. But, you can call me. . .The Fighting Yank."

TOKYO, JAPAN (EARTH-774)

TWO MONTHS EARLIER

"I need your help, Agent Carter," said Yasuo Kuromoko (Chief Financial Officer of Fujikawa Industries) getting right to the point.

"I'm no longer an agent of SHIELD, Kuromoko-san," Sharon Carter replied. "And, even as the American embassy's FBI liaison with your National Police Authority, I have very little power to intercede in any domestic criminal investigation by them."

"This is true," affirmed the CFO. "But surely there would be nothing unethical in retaining your services as a 'special consultant' for our company's Legal Department."

"That depends on what kind of consultation you're talking about."

"Our CEO wishes to determine the present whereabouts of his godson, Takashi Matsuya. He is what is known in your country as an adolescent prodigy. And Fujikawa-san fears he has been abducted by the Yakuza! More specifically, the clan that has been selling drugs to the Los Angeles, Californina, organized crime family that employs one Nicholas Trask."

Sharon tried to keep as straight a face as possible at this revelation. After all, her transfer to the American embassy had been for that very purpose; to investigate Trask's drug suppliers now that the investigation into Trask, himself, had been stalled with the disappearance and apparent murder of Rick Mason. But, even so, to call this new development unexpected would be an understatement!

"Do you have any proof to that effect?" she guardedly asked.

"Regrettably, no. That is why I contacted you. As you have already personally mentioned, you are a former SHIELD agent. In that capacity, you must know at least one or two of the psionic individuals you collectively referred to as 'espers'. Hai?"

"Let's hypothetically say that I did," Sharon replied. "What would you want such an individual to do? And to whom would he or she be doing it?"

"Does the name 'Shingen Yashida' have any significance for you?"

That last part is what led to Sharon hiring ex-SHIELD esper Vanessa Cord for some telepathic surveillance work. With her help, Sharon was able to keep tabs on the criminal activities of Clan Yashida. Including a narcotic purchase that was soon to occur in the Phrompong section of Bangkok, Thailand.

"Fifty kilos of Cambodian heroin," Vanessa had elaborated. "Delivery to be made by some group called 'The Dragon's Breadth.' "

Sharon had grinned at receiving this news. "Feel like doing some party crashing?"

So, twenty-four hours later, the two female operatives melodramatically leapt downward through a skylight on the roof of a Japanese restaurant called "Hebihime-chen" located in the heart of Phrompong in Bangkok. Darkfire telepathically freezing everyone in place while Sharon (in her Fighting Yank garb) threw a pair of flash-bang grenades to her left and right. Her own eyes already shielded by tinted contact lenses and her eyes already protected by foam-rubber plugs.

This allowed the two of them to subdue their numerically superior opponents with almost childish ease. Following which they looked at the baskets full of brown opium.

"Seems a pity to burn all this," said the redheaded telepath.

"It's the only way our ultimatum is guaranteed to reach Yashida's ears," replied Sharon.

"What a coincidence!" a third (and decidedly female) voice suddenly chimed in. "We were certain this opium was the only thing guaranteed to lure you into our trap."

Darkfire and the Fighting Yank turned as one, giving them just enough time to behold a raven-haired woman in a green unitard (with matching cape) activate what they initially thought was a high-tech spotlight pointed at them. Yet, when the beam struck them, it did more than temporarily blind them. It disoriented them to the point where they felt like they were falling through a blue haze as transparent phantoms! When the disorientation finally passed, however, they were no longer in the Hebihime-chen.

Instead, they were surrounded by armed men wearing purple-and-white hazmat suits.

"Welcome, ladies," said their apparent leader. "Ich bein Helmut Zemo. Scientist Supreme of Die Fortgeschrittene Ideenmechanik.* And you are now our prisoners."

tbc

GLOSSARY

* Die Fortgeschrittene Ideenmechanik: The Advanced Idea Mechanics.