Vinson Massif, Antarctica
Friday            Adam reclined against the small outcropping of rock and sighed. The vista below was beautiful. Michael had wanted to go as far from anyone as they could when they’d left the Winchesters’ bunker and Adam couldn’t blame him. He figured this was about as far away as they could go and still be on Earth ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella
Sicily
1700 Hours            Stan Hurley watched as Irene paced around the hospital ward like the proverbial caged lion, reading Rapp the riot act for his unilateral decision to assassinate General Rostami ( Read more... )

"Our enemies are your enemies, Nick. Disorder. War. It's only a matter of time before a dirty bomb goes off in Moscow or an EMP fries Chicago...."

-Alexander Pierce to Nick Fury

WS WS WS WS WS WS

Kronas Oil Corporate Headquarters
Kiev, Ukraine
June 13, 2002

"Please enter, Mr. Pierce."

Alexander Pierce nodded politely to the ( Read more... )

Epilogue

Southwestern Crimea, 50 km South of Balaklava
Midnight

Brock's side itched. It had, ever since the surgery. The doctors and techs had looked into it repeatedly, but could never find a cause. Ultimately, they told him it was psychosomatic. He didn't like that answer, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

The ( Read more... )

Branch Health Clinic
Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia
Indian Ocean

An incessant beeping dragged Steve up from the comfortable darkness. He cracked open his eyes to see white walls, and a window with curtains drawn so that the light didn't come through. Odd. It wasn't his bedroom in the Tower...the window was in the wrong place.

( Read more... )

Insurgent Encampment
Eastern Ghudaza
1800 Hours, Local Time

Rhodey watched the video feed from one of the external cameras while Barnes got ready for the drop.

The quinjet was cloaked, hovering a hundred or so feet over the center of Achebe's compound. Unlike the old turbofans, the repulsor engines Tony retrofitted to the ( Read more... )

Chapter 6

Somewhere over the North Atlantic
1:20 AM, Local Time            Stark was very proud of his jet ( Read more... )

Steve sat across the table from Rhodey. The coffee shop was crowded; so many people milled about that all the hustle and noise turned into a constant background hum. He couldn't even see their faces. Light from TV monitors mounted on the walls played across the table, creating odd, distracting patterns.

"I still can't believe ( Read more... )

"I'm just glad you made it out in one piece, Steve." Sharon Carter said, nursing her latte across the table from him. The bright lights of Stark Tower lit up the sky behind her. The night air was nippy, much to Steve's discomfort.

His metabolism burned hot, rendering his body warm to the touch, but his aversion to the cold-based on ( Read more... )