 |
|
| Captain America 2099UG - The Legacy Collection Written by Jason C. Smith |
| The 2099 Underground is a project whereby a group of fans are putting together a series of stories continuing from Marvel's fantastic futuristic 2099! Ignoring the ignoble and inaccurate "2099: World of Tomorrow", we're exploring what we feel is the true spirit of 2099 as envisioned by then Editor-in-Chief Joey Cavalieri. Participation is open to all. Comments about this issue should be sent to the author. Or you can visit our message board and post your thoughts on the issue. Anyone wishing to join the mailing list should do so by signing up at Yahoo! Groups. It's free and easy! Simply type in the keyword "Ghostworks" and you're good to go. |
 |
| Chapter One The moon spread out over the lawn in the misty mountains of New York. The Catskills had proven to be a safe haven for many over the past centuries, but nothing would save Vernon Callister from the lone figure slipping in and out of the shadows around his estate. He sat impatiently within his home, looking toward the windows, clutching his robe around him. He jumped at each minute noise, as it startled him. Finally he sat down in a large chair, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, and slowly lit a cigar with his shaking hands. "When will those idiots get here," he said aloud. The thought that he was talking to himself never crossed his mind, as he was happy to break the silence. "You can't count on anyone these days," he sighed. Suddenly he leaped up out of his chair, dropping his cigar on the expensive carpet, as he heard what sounded like footsteps on the roof. He quickly made his way to the study where he kept his gun. He didn't think that it would help, but anything was better than giving up. Besides, maybe he could hold them off until they got here. He sat down at his desk, pulled out the drawer, and turned off the safety on the antique gun. The old firearms of the twencen century may be out of date, he thought, but they're still deadly. He switched off the light and sat back in his chair...waiting. The lone figure moved through the upper rooms in the house with an unmatched silence. He had now focused completely on the hunt. Callister was his prey, and he always got his man. He quickly made his way down the stairs, and into the open living area of the mansion. The room looked like someone had recently been in it. The lights were still on, and the furniture had wrinkles from recent use. He worked his way over to the big window, looking for clues. He walked over to the chair and kneeled down on the ground looking upon the burning cigar. He felt the seat and noted the warmth of body heat. He was here, he thought. He looked ahead and noticed a foot stool that was knocked over and marks in the carpet that led to a closed door. He stood up and smashed the smouldering cigar into the carpet as he started off toward the door. He got in front of the door, gritted his teeth, and threw all of his weight into it, knocking it off of its hinges. Upon impact, Callister began firing away at the figure, who moved with a speed and grace that was like that of an Olympian gymnast. Callister kept shooting away, but the man stayed one step ahead of him the entire time. Finally, with a giant leap, he landed upon the desk, lashing out with a leg sweep, which knocked the gun from Callister's hand. "Oh my God! They sent you! America!!!" Captain America bent down and grabbed Callister by his robe, pulling him to his face, so that they were looking eye to eye. Callister winced at the Captain's hot breath. He was very afraid, and America knew it. "That's right, suit. They sent me. You must be very important," he grimaced. "I haven't done anything to deserve this. I'm just giving back to the community that helped me that's all. What's wrong with that?" The Captain ignored his question and replied, "So, mutants helped you get where you are today? I should have known that you wouldn't do it like any other decent American. You disgust me, squandering your wealth on muties. I'm glad that headquarters gave me this assignment." "I can't believe this. I thought DOME was supposed to help mutants, not track them down and kill them! What kind of symbol do you stand for anyway?" "Termination is our aide. They are better off de--," he said as Callister cut him off. "Termination!!!! You cold hearted bas--," he replied as America quickly shut him up with a back hand. Callister cowered down and rubbed his cheek. That hurt bad, he thought, and Captain America was actually holding back! "You don't interrupt me, suit. I was sent because you have been found guilty of harboring mutants. Mutants who have performed numerical crimes against the great city of Washington, D.C. And I think you know what the sentence is. . .unless, of course, you decide to help me. It would make things a lot less difficult for us both," said the Captain as he grinned. "I wouldn't count on it, jerk. I would rather die than help you or DOME!" "Don't be so willing to die, friend. I don't work quickly." As he said this he grabbed Callister by the throat and slowly began lifting him out of his chair. As he held him up above him with his legs dangling in the air, he slammed him into the wall behind the desk. He leaped down beside him, hauling off and kicking him in the ribs. The admantanium lacing his skeleton made the power behind the blow even more powerful. The force of the attack knocked Callister over on his back. Captain America reached down, grabbed him by the robe once again, and slammed him into the wall, holding him up so that he could look him in the face. He shook him, attempting to revive him just abit. "So, did that change your mind any, suit?" Callister could taste the blood in his mouth, as he shook his head. He looked down upon the Captain, and noticed that his vision was blurred. He looked upon the star on America's uniform. What is the world coming to, he thought. He grimaced as America shook him again, demanding his attention. Callister concentrated to focus, and spit a fine mixture of blood and saliva into America's face. And that was the last thing that he could remember. Captain America quickly became outraged, and threw one devastating punch to Callister's face. The Captain did not, however, hold back this time, and a large mass of blood erupted from Callister's beaten face. His nose was smashed across his face, and as America released him, his body slumped up against the wall, and slid down to the floor, leaving a trail of blood pointing down upon his body. The Captain dusted off his hands, and turned to investigate his office. Now was the hard part, he thought. He laid his shield on the desk and began shuffling through the papers. He was looking for any clue as to where the mutants known as the Raiders were hiding. They had been charged with destruction of public property and the theft of government documents. They claimed that their acts were against hate crimes between the government and mutants. They kept preaching about equality, but what did they know of that, the Captain thought. They were just freaks, genetic mistakes. And Captain America was more than happy to help DOME in whatever way he could. After all, they supplied the experiments that enhanced his already super-serum laced blood cells. So, when they asked him to join the Department of Mutant Ethnics, he was ready. Years later, he felt that it was the best decision that he had ever made. It also gave him the chance to step in and re-claim his rightful title, his legacy. The family name of Rogers must go on, as well as the mantle of Captain America. He picked up an old photo, and turned to look at it's back. The clamps that held the frame together looked worn as if they had been removed numerous times over the years. He gently removed the back and wasn't surprised to find something inside. He was, however, quite surprised to find a folded map within. He pulled it out and saw that it was an old road map from the D.C. area. And on the map he saw a street marked. He smiled and looked over at Callister's corpse. "I can't believe that you would be so careless," he said as he shook his head. He folded the map back up, stuffed it into his glove, and picked up his shield. He slowly opened the window in the study. He looked around one last time, and pleased with his work, he disappeared out into the cold night. His shadow danced across the lawn, as he made his way to his air-cycle. He could use the roads, before making it to the mag-lev tracks which led straight to D.C. from Nueva York. He placed the shield around his back and powered the vehicle up. He drove away from the estate thinking about his nice warm bed at home. He smiled as the cool air hit him in the face. Yes, everything was fine." *********************************************************************** Washington D.C., 8:00 a.m. *********************************************************************** Nicholas staggered out of his bedroom into the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes before opening the refrigerator door, and pulling out a carton of milk. He opened it, took a deep drink, and wiped the milk moustache from above his lip. Then, he walked out into the living area, and opened his door. He placed the carton on the ground and picked up the newspaper. Then he scooped up the carton, and walked back inside, closing the door behind him. He unfolded the paper to the front page and read the headline, which said: "PHILANTHROPIST KILLED IN MUTANT HATE CRIME" Nicholas shrugged his shoulders and frowned. The media always blows things out of proportion, he thought. I know that I did my job. I know what is important to this country and what's best for it. And more importantly, Captain America knew. ***** Chapter Two The streets were empty outside in the city of Washington, D.C., and for good reason. The city was in chaos after the destruction of the White House and Doom's administration. The newslines were littered with tales of renegade anarchists taking advantage of the disorder plaguing the streets of America's capitol. And the most famous of the groups was a mutant strike force, which the media had labeled "The Raiders." A group of five were scattered around outside of the Lincoln Memorial, scouting the grounds for any sign of opposition. Their leader, known only as Austin, was wearing a long trench coat which wrapped around him in the night wind. His eyes scanned the horizon as the Raiders prepared to make the headlines, once again. Finally, Austin grinned and leaped up the steps, bouncing in each step, and swinging his arms, like a happy child. When he reached the top he looked up into the eyes of the statue and let out a little laugh. Then, he turned and whistled, signaling the rest of the Raiders. A silent figure watched the group as he shifted his weight to ensure a secure branch. He moved without making a sound, as his amazing agility aided him in making it to the next tree, still without alerting his prey of his whereabouts. He was about to strike, but he only sat and waited. As he sat and watched, it didn't take long for others to appear. Yes, he had done his research. Captain America didn't just protect the citizens of D.C., he stalked their enemies. As the others began to join their companions, Captain America maneuvered himself into a position where he could better begin his strike. As a tiny robust mutant walked underneath the tree that sheltered America, the patriot reached down, and grasped the mutant by the back of his coat, and jerked him up into the tree. Before his prey could scream out a warning, America launched a devastating blow straight into his nose, breaking it, and rendering him unconscious. Captain America felt nothing but disgust, as he leaned the mutant over a branch. With that, he leaped down onto the lawn, and rolled behind some shrubbery. As he stopped, he quickly got to his feet and ran into the shadows. One down, and six left, he thought to himself. Austin watched over his men as they hooked up a rather odd looking device at the foot of the statue. He looked over at one his men, named Givens, and motioned for him to come over in his direction. His colleague complied. "So, how long is this going to take, Giv?" He scratched his head, and looked over toward the "two" men working on the explosive device and whispered, "Hey, Square, how much longer?" "Oh, not too much longer. It wouldn't be so much if you didn't have to make a shocking show out of it," replied one of the duplicates. "A show? How complicated is this thing, Giv," asked Austin wryly. "Uh, complicated? Well, not really." "What does it do," Austin inquired. "Well, when the nanite enzymes begin to digest the explosive product, released by the minuscule bacteria, as a result of the sunlight they've been storing in their photosynthetic membranes, then it begins to. . ." "Stop. Giv, please spare me the details. What is the end result, what is it that I'm looking forward to?" "Oh! Well, basically the bomb explodes, destroying this monument, and then we can move on to our next target. But. . ." "Good," Austin cut in. Then, he looked at the childish grin on Givens's face and said, "But -- what?" "The really neat thing is that when the bomb explodes, it's designed to scatter red, white, and blue ribbons." Square looked up and smirked, "Is that why this thing is taking so long to set up?" "Well, yeah. I suppose." "Giv, you're a maniac," laughed Austin. "Thanks." "So, where is Tubs and the rest?" Giv looked out over the lawn and replied, "Well, I assume that they're out scouting around, making sure that we're not disturbed. Pulse, and Venus are out at their checkpoints also. Can't have any poor citizens making a pilgrimage out here while we're out working now can we?" "Yeah, like there's even a chance of that happening." "Well, you said that you wanted to play it safe. So that's what we're doing." "Well, where is Venus stationed?" "I think just to the left, over there in the shadows." Yes, their companion, the super strong mutant known as Venus, was standing outside the Eastern Wall. She stood still, watching over the grounds. She didn't even hear Captain America sneak up behind her. He was going to have to work fast, for he knew of her incredible strength. He wasn't paid to fail. He began to run, gaining speed to add to his attack. Finally, he leaped from the ground, and raised his shield high over his head. As he began to descend upon her, he brought it down hard upon her head. As the shield crashed down upon her head, causing her to fall forward, America swept her legs out from under her. Then, he followed up by unleashing a hard kick to her ribs. His admantium laced bones made each blow even more powerful. Finally, he leaned down and held the razor sharp tip of his shield to her throat. She was breathing hard, and she only moved enough to look into his eyes. She may be strong, but she's not invulnerable, he thought. Finally, he said aloud, "You move or make a sound and I cut your throat. Got that? Now, I can play fair. Or we can play by my rules. Which is it?" "Okay," she whispered. "Now, answer me a question. Where is the one known as Pulse? I've counted you all, even the one who can make a double of himself. I almost counted him twice, but the movements were too similar, like the same person. So that only makes six, where's the other one? Everyone else is accounted for." "Who are you? You're from DOME aren't you? I bet you're one that killed Callister. Aren't you?" "Look, I don't think that it's in your best interest to demand answers from me. Now, I asked you a question." Venus just looked at him with a cold stare. "Alright. I don't even know why I tried to bring you muties in, so it's time to play by my rules," Captain America said as he began to press the point of the shield into her flesh. As he did so, he quickly rolled to the side, moving out of the way from an attack from behind. Yes, he had known by the look in her face that the one known as Pulse had been right behind him. He hadn't had time to remove Venus from the equation. Oh well, it was just a whole new set of variables, he thought to himself as he made it to his feet and ran into the shadows. "Who was that," asked Venus. "I don't know. But we had better stop him. I sensed that Tubs is out of commission. Apparently this clown took him out first. Come on, let's get him." Venus and Pulse made their way into the shadows, waiting for their eyes to adjust to the dark shadows. Captain America swept between the two of them lurking behind them. How was he going to take out two of the teams toughest members? He wasn't sure, but he would be okay, as long as they didn't warn the others. He ran over to the wall, and quickly climbed it. He then swung his shield onto his back, and began to crawl down the top of the wall toward Pulse. Finally, he was overtop of him, and his opponent was unaware of it. Venus continued to walk around trying to find the Captain. Finally she whispered, calling out to her companion. "Pulse, where are you? I think, he escaped." But she heard nothing in the form of a reply. She looked around in an attempt to find her missing companion. But she couldn't see him. She kept trying to find him, to make out his form from the shadows. But she couldn't see a thing. She couldn't see America choking her companion. He was on the wall, using a vine wrapped around Pulse's throat, cutting off all the oxygen to his brain. Finally, after Pulse's face turned an unusual shade of red, his legs stopped kicking, and his arms feel down to his side. Venus only heard a thump before she ran over to finally find her missing companion, unconscious on the Memorial lawn. She looked around, and couldn't find anything in sight, especially their foe. Austin and Givens stood at the top of the stairs, looking over the city of D.C. They were discussing which national site to "visit" next. Finally, Square and his double both stood, and as he walked back toward his companions, his other self merged with him. "Finished." "Good. How long should it take, Giv?" "Oh, it'll happen tomorrow before they open the gates. That's the beauty of it, the people waiting in line will be plastered by the streamers," he laughed. They all began to chuckle, when a loud wheezing caused them all to stop and focus on the form of Tubs making his way up the stairs. He finally made it to the top, when he collapsed. Austin leaned down to check upon his friend. His nose was splattered across his face, and he was bleeding. His eye was also swollen shut. "We're caught," Square said. "Who did this to you," asked Austin. "I. . .don't. . .*cough*. . .don't. . .know." "How many," asked Givens. "How many were there?" "One." "Shock. Just one? Come on guys, this guy isn't stopping us. Square, help Tubs. It's almost dawn, we need to get out of here. Giv, you and I need to find Venus and Pulse. Come on." With that, Square split in two, and his double walked over to get Tubs's feet, as Square picked him up by his arms. The two doubles carefully carried Tubs down the steps as Austin and Givens made their way over to the Eastern Wall to round up Venus and Pulse. When they got there, they found Venus kneeling over her fallen companion. He was beginning to come around. As the group helped him up, Captain America made his way up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and kneeled down to study the bomb. Venus was carrying Pulse when she saw the form of the Captain over the bomb. She motioned toward him, and the Squares stopped in their tracks, and Austin and Givens looked over their shoulders as well. Austin turned toward Givens and asked, "Is there anyway that he can sabotage our plan?" "I don't see any way that he can disable the bomb, but he could move it to another location. He doesn't have much time, but he could get it away from the Memorial." "Is there anyway that you can speed things up? Make it detonate now?" "Oh. You mean make it blow in his face? Uh, probably. Pulse, care to do the honors?" Pulse looked up, and closed his eyes. As he concentrated he sent an electric shock to the bomb, arming it. The electronic fuse had been lite, and the Captain had no time to do anything to stop it. The Raiders turned and began to make their way to the gates. America looked at the bomb, and saw all the lights come to life. He barely managed to run, scoop up his shield, and leap over the steps, crashing down hard on the concrete ground. He continued to roll as he landed, not able to breath. The flame had been directly behind him, knocking him out further away from the destruction. He got up on his hands and knees and looked over to where the Lincoln Memorial used to be. He dropped his head, and sighed. Then he noticed the streamers dropping around him. He looked at the paper ribbons of red, white, and blue, and groaned. Finally, the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the six figures of the Raiders leaving the Memorial grounds through the rain of red, white, and blue. ***************************************************************** Hours Later, Somewhere In Washington, D.C. ***************************************************************** Venus sat in front of Tubs, taking care of his wounds. He was seated upon an old crate, as were the others. Austin sat at a table, with Givens, as they placed a dark black "X" on a map where the Lincoln Memorial was located. The Squares were sparring over in a dusty corner, and Pulse was lying down on a mat, resting from his encounter with Captain America. "Who was that guy," asked Pulse. "I don't know," replied Tubs. "I've never seen him before in my life." "I think, that he's from DOME. We know that they're connected with Callister's vicious murder, and after watching him in action, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the hired hand that they sent," added Venus. "Well, I don't think that we'll have to worry about him again," chuckled Givens. "Yeah, but now we have a bigger problem. If he was from DOME, then they're going to be crawling all over us, trying to get revenge for us killing their guy. You know that they invest a lot into their programs, and they're not about to let us get away with just offing him." "Then, what should we have done? Austin, you're the one that told us to do it." "Hey, Tubs, I didn't say that I disagree with my decision, I'm just saying that we're going to have to be more careful. They'll be sending more agents. You can count on it." A lone shadow passed over the group from the skylight. Captain America sat perched above with the faded map in his hands. He knew that this would come in handy. He had hoped to take out at least three of them, and then catch the others here, in their base of operations. But instead, he still had the six, seven if Square's powers came into effect, and he wasn't really sure how he was going to take them all. He needed an introduction. After all, fighting was fifty percent showmanship he told himself. He folded the map, and stuck it in one of the compartments in his glove. Then he looked over the roof, and saw an old billboard. A plan began to form in his mind, and as he made his way over to the old sign he whispered under his breath, "God, I hate mutants." The Raiders were beginning to settle down, and discuss their next course of action. Venus had left Tubs to stand above Austin and look over the plans that he and Givens had cooked up. Venus looked up when she heard a screech of metal. She looked over at Tubs, who only shrugged his shoulders. "What is tha--" Pulse never even got the chance to ask his question, as the old billboard crashed through the sky light, taking out some of the roof with it. Tubs and Venus both threw up their arms to shield themselves from the sprinkling glass. Pulse leaped up as the billboard crashed into the ground. Givens and Austin jumped to their feet. Tubs walked over to the bottom of the new ramp leading out onto the roof. He turned back to the group while motioning toward the wreckage and said, "What the shock is this?" As he turned his back, Captain America slid down the slope on top of his shield. As he approached the bottom at break neck speed, he leaped off and plowed into Tubs, knocking him to his feet. He quickly grabbed the large man by the nose, his broken nose, and made him stand. He wrapped his strong arm around Tubs' neck, and said, "No one move. If I see so much as a simple attempt to scratch, I will brake this man's neck." Givens began to step forward when Tubs cried out, "DON'T! HE'LL DO IT!!! I'm not kidding, Giv. He will do it. Please." Captain America smiled and said, "Trust him. And me. I will do it, do not doubt me." Austin shook his head and asked, "Who the shock are you?" "Captain America." "You're shocking crazy. That son of a glitch was kicked out of office weeks ago. Besides, you don't even look like em'," said Pulse. "That's because I'm not him. That was an imposter. I own the legacy, and it is my birth right. Now, line-up. Shocking mutants think that you know everything. Trying to take over D.C. Well, I'm not about to let that happen. I can't stand for it, the uniform can't stand for it." "Shocking mutants?' Jesus, they'll give anyone super-powers nowadays! You aren't into this to save anyone, you have an agenda. No wonder DOME likes you. You think alike," said Austin. "What are you talking about? No one gave me anything." "If you really are Captain America, then you wouldn't be working with the likes of DOME, and you wouldn't have killed Callister like that. The original America wouldn't do that. And he wasn't a mutant hater, either. You're a disgrace," spat Austin. "Oh. And you're much better by destroying public property? Our heritage? That's noble of you. Some freedom fighters." "Hey. We fight the government that taught that it's okay to kill its own citizens. We're fighting the government that sanctioned the destruction of millions of mutant lives. A government that you help. You say that you weren't given your powers, well, my friend, I hate to break it to you, but you're a mutant too. And what has the government taught you? To kill your own. Is that the type of establishment that your dear hero, Captain America, would have fought for," asked Austin. "I am NOT a mutant. And don't you ever confuse me with such genetic waste, although, I'm sure it's not your fault. You can't help yourself. Now, get in line. I came here with a job to do, and I intend to do it! Hey, Givens, you're the genius who's been designing all those neat terrorist devices. I think, you can go after Tubs here." With that Tubs took the opportunity to use his abilities of inertia to "throw" himself away from Captain America. America cursed beneath his breath as he ran at Givens. He would not fail. The others barely had time to figure out what was happening as Venus made her way over to Tubs to see if he was okay. Givens turned and ran. America followed. The others were chasing America and Givens, but they couldn't even begin to catch America, and America was gaining on Givens's lead. Finally, Givens ran into a room, and tried to close the old steel door behind him. But just as he did so, America rammed into the door, knocking him backward, and throwing the door open. He quickly turned and closed it, as it automatically locked. He looked around and grinned. They were in an old meat locker. He moved over toward Givens who got to his feet. This was what he should have done at the Memorial Site, he thought. Instead of trying to disable a few of them, and stopping the bomb, he should have just killed them. Termination would have made his current condition a whole lot easier. He looked at Givens. He was nothing to worry about. Being a mutant didn't always mean that you had some bizarre power. Givens didn't have any super-abilities, but his mutant gene made him very good with mechanics. Not as good as his hero, Billy the Kid, but good nonetheless. "Please, leave me alone," cried Givens. "Yeah. I could do that. But that's not my job." With that, Captain America leapt at Givens, knocking him back into the wall hard. He picked him up and threw him into another wall. As he staggered to his feet, America swept his legs our from under him, and stomped him. Then, he kicked him, knocking the wind out of him. Givens was still moving, which made America very mad. He began beating him with his fists. His admantium fists were leaving deep bruises with every punch. Outside the door Austin waited as Venus tried to remove the old door. It was hard, for the hinges were rusted, and she couldn't get a grip. Pulse stood there also using his electronic powers to gauge Givens's brain pattern. Finally, he looked down, and put his arm on Venus's arm. "He's dead," he whispered. Tears began to build up in her eyes as she began to throw her fists into the cold steel. Austin gritted his teeth and ordered the Raiders to tear the door off of its very hinges if they had to. In a fit of rage, which Austin used his abilities to amplify, Venus ripped the door from its hinges, and threw it aside. Inside they saw America, who was still beating Givens's warm body. They all rushed inside, and America looked up. He wasn't worried. If he kept calm, then Austin's powers would be ineffective, and Tubs was already hurt badly, as was Pulse. That just left Square and Venus to worry about. As he turned he saw Tubs using his abilities over inertia and force to catapult himself toward him at a deadly speed. America waited calmly, and just as he approached, ready to strike him, America grabbed Givens's body, and swung it like a bat, knocking Tubs into a wall hard. He hit the wall with a sick thud, and fell to the floor. America ran and leaped into the air, landing on his back and driving both of his feet into the small of Tubs' back, severing his spine. He turned and thought, two down. As he did, he saw Austin, who was channeling all of his own anger into Venus, making her more powerful with her rage. She ran at America, and struck him, knocking him into a wall. He quickly got to his feet, and dodged another blow. He was quick enough to see Square run at him, and split in two. Great, he thought, now it's three against one. As the Squares attempted to surround the Captain, he moved, letting one Square strike the other. Then, he delivered a hard kick to the midsection of the other. This caused him to fall to the floor. He may be powerful when he's one, but he's normal when he's "squared", thought America. He stopped moving and let the other one grab him from behind. He just waited for Venus to try and hit him while he was "immobilized." When she threw her punch, America moved, and let her strike the other Square, therefore removing him from the fight. Venus's shock stopped her for a moment, which also caused Austin to pause. He had been channeling anger into her directly and the link was severed, allowing America enough time to run past the both of them. As he did so, he leaped up, and ripped a hook from the low ceiling. He continued to run toward a bewildered Pulse. He couldn't believe that two of his teammates were dead, and that he was watching one man take apart his entire group. He turned just in time to see America strike him with the hook as hard as he could. The blow knocked him down, and Captain America ran out of the room. As he ran by, he scooped up his shield, and ran up the billboard ramp. Outside he quickly leaped down the emergency stairway, to his motorcycle. It didn't take him long to make it to DOME headquarters, to retire for the night. ***************************************************************** In The Suburbs Of Washington, D.C. ***************************************************************** Nicholas Page opened the door to his house. He had left his gear at headquarters, but he needed to get back home. He had something to take care of, or someone rather. It still bothered him that he could only take down two of the Raiders, but he had the time. He wasn't expected to do it in a day, although he knew that he should have been able to. Something else was also bothering him. It was the fact that they had called him a mutant. Deep down he knew that there was something to it. They might not have been right, but there was something to it. He felt it deep down. He closed the door behind him, as he switched on the NewsNet. Yes, the Raiders had made the "headlines" again, but no one knew of his victory. He was startled by a young voice which said, "Hello, Daddy. Did you have a nice night at work?" Nicholas looked down upon his daughter. "Yes. It was okay, honey. Have you been fed?" With that his holoagent, a gentle old lady named April, appeared and answered him. It said, "Good morning, Nick. Your breakfast and bed is ready. Maria has been fed, and she is ready to go to school, aren't you, Maria?" "Yes. Daddy, today we are going to finger paint!" "That's fantastic, honey. You be good, and listen to April, okay? And I'll see you today when you get home from school, Pumpkin," he said with a smile. He kneeled down and gave his daughter a hug, as he thought of the other young children, and their parents, out there. Yes, he was making a difference, and soon the Raiders wouldn't be bothering the citizens of D.C. anymore. *** Chapter Three The sunlight seeped through the drawn curtains, into the little bedroom of an urban house in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The light was illuminating the troubled sleep of one Nicholas Page, the self-proclaimed Captain America. He tossed and turned, fighting his sheets, and in a final effort he simply woke up, staring at the ceiling in a cold sweat. He laid there, resting in the final silence. But it didn't last long. "Nick, my emergency perimeters have alerted me to your mental and physical exertion. I suggest you. . ." "April, you know that you don't have to use your manual mumbo-jumbo with me. What's wrong?" April chuckled, "Well, I guess that I was just worried about you. My sensors indicated that you didn't sleep well." "Well, your sensors are right. I can't tell that I slept at all. These nights are killing me," Nicholas sighed. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about that. I have been reviewing the Agency's handbook, and it doesn't say anywhere that you have to work nights, so why do you?" "Well, in my line of work, it sort of helps, April. I appreciate your concern, but it's not needed. I have everything under control. But, I have to go out again tonight." "It's these Raiders, isn't it, Nick?" "April, you know that I can't discuss this. Where is Maria?" "She is at school. She misses you," said the holo-agent. "I miss her too. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do," he said as he got up, wrapping a robe around him. With that the holo-agent disappeared and left him. He walked out of his bedroom, and into the hallway, closing the double doors behind him. Then, he went into his den, and sat down at his desk. His "office" was decorated with many things, most from his family's prestigious past. The walls were littered with old newspaper clips that Page had found among his family's possessions. He had also found many of his great, great grandfather's things, such as one of his uniforms, which was perhaps his most prized possession. He admired his great, great grandfather, Steve Rogers, more than anyone that he had ever known. He just wished that he had been able to meet him. He sat back in his leather chair and sighed. Last night had been rough. But he had managed to finally cut into their ranks, and shorten his list. He opened the envelope in front of him, which housed the profiles of the Raiders. He looked over it every day, learning his enemies' habits, their personalities. He was getting to know them, perhaps better than themselves. He opened the folder to the front page, which was the letter that DOME had sent him. He had just recently began using the Captain America guise, but he had been working for the Department of Mutant Ethics for quite some time. It was only after Herod had introduced an imposter who claimed to be Captain America, the original Captain America, that Nicholas Page had decided to reclaim his family's heritage, and honor, by donning the altar of Captain America. He had been very fortunate to work with the government agency of DOME. His uncle, who also possessed the family's natural abilities, had worked with DOME and that was how he had learned of their existence, and they had learned of him. He lived with his uncle during his childhood, and he had been exposed to all the problems that mutants caused. His uncle had taught him all about that. His uncle had also taught him how to use his abilities, and how to fight. Almost everything that he had learned he owed to his uncle. But DOME had helped him too. They were the ones who gave him the serum that strengthened his abilities. All of his family had been affected by the serum that Steve Rogers had taken, but it had grown less potent through the years. DOME had fixed that. They had also allowed him to participate in the experiment in which they were able to lace his skeleton with admantium. He was one of the first people to undergo the lost technology in years. And of course they provided him with anything he needed to do his job. They had grown a little worried when he decided to take up the code name of Captain America and wear a different uniform, but he had promised them his service, and so far they had only thanked him for his performance. But he still had a job to do. He turned the page and saw the profile for the group's leader, Austin. He looked it over. The picture showed him in his long trench coat. He always wore lose pants, with a tight top, which had a large white star on the front. The shirt itself was black, and his hair was short, and grey. His eyes were haunting, for they were completely black. He was very charismatic. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Austin REAL NAME: unknown CLASS: Homo Superior, Class A ABILITIES: The official reports state that Austin very rarely takes action in a confrontation himself. He does seem to possess some combat abilities from the few times that our operatives have seem him in action. Our doctors believe that his abilities are psionic in nature. He seems to be able to draw upon others' emotions, and/or projecting them to help a teammate, or hinder an opponent. It is unknown what affect this may have, but he usually seems to be quite reserved, and our psychologists believe that this ability could be quite intoxicating. He may draw upon others' joy to reach a state of satisfaction, much like an addict. This would make him an emotional vampire of sorts, but it is unknown how this might affect him. But he has been witnessed using others' rage and anger to strengthen his allies. HISTORY: Little is known concerning Austin's past, as we don't know his real identity. But we do know that it must have taken much to totally erase his past, so we don't know if he was a black carder, or if he was able to do it himself. He has been shown to be quite intelligent, and the Raiders' literature can be found all over the city. He has started a major movement with citizens, despite the fact that they are at great risk from his group's terrorist actions. Nick looked it over again. Yes, he had witnessed Austin using his abilities, and he knew that the Raiders followed him with great envy and respect. He turned the page to the next member of the terrorist band. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Givens REAL NAME: Zeph Givens CLASS: Homo Superior, Class D ABILITIES: Zeph Givens doesn't possess any major mutant abilities, similar to other mutants of this class. He is known to have superior mechanic and technological skills, although not nearly as advanced as those of his "hero", Billy the Kid, from the Raiders' California counter-parts, the Free Radicals. He invents all the equipment that the group uses, and often his constructs range in difficulty. He does not have a particular style as many terrorists do, which makes it difficult to learn how to disable his products. His skills are still being put to the test. HISTORY: Well, little in Givens' past directly deals with his activities as a Raider. We know that he worked for the government in an obscure branch of the military, possibly as a mechanic. Something must have happened to make him turn on his country, but there is also evidence that supports that he and Austin were childhood friends, and possible psionic partners. Whether or not Givens is related to Austin's apparent addiction to emotion is unknown. Nicholas looked at this profile, and sighed. An obvious traitor he thought. He took a black marker, and put a large star at the top. He was marking the ones that he had taken out, so that he could change his strategy to the new variables at hand. Battle was an equation, with few wildcards, but the Captain was more than able to work with anything at hand. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Square REAL NAME: unknown CLASS: Homo Superior, Class C ABILITIES: Square has the ability to "split" himself into two exact duplicates, clones, or twins depending on which report you're reading. They act exactly alike, and little is known about the relationship between the two. Is it as if he were looking into a mirror? Does he control it? Details such as this have yet to be revealed. We do know that he has double attributes when in one form. He possess the strength of two Olympian class men when in single form, as well as double intelligence, agility, endurance, etc. It is often speculated that if one duplicate is terminated, the other one will die as well. HISTORY: Literally nothing is known of Square's past. He wears a heavy mask, which our sensors have been unable to penetrate. His powers also offer the strange fact, that the clone looks exactly like himself, from physical looks to clothing. This case just totally bewilders our best doctors. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Venus REAL NAME: Nancy Nugent CLASS: Homo Superior, Class C ABILITIES: Nugent has very simple abilities. Beyond being extremely beautiful, she is also quite strong. She has very fast reflexes, but all most no combat skills. She is not invulnerable, although she does have a high thresh hold of pain. HISTORY: Nothing in Nugent's past can help us get to her. She has no living family or relatives, which we could use to "convince" her to turn herself into us. It has been shown that she has a relationship with the leader, Austin, but it is unknown whether or not this could be a beneficent factor in confrontation. Nicholas turned the page, and thought about his confrontation with Venus. Yes, he could tell that she had no formal training, for he could have taken her, if he hadn't been attacked by the one known as Square also. He almost had his chance to remove her from the situation at the memorial grounds. He shook his head, and looked down at the next profile. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Tubs REAL NAME: Roger Swanson CLASS: Homo Superior, Class B ABILITIES: This mutant has showed the ability to control certain aspects of force and inertia, often using the ability to catapult objects, or himself. He has no formal training, and often rushes into situations without knowing what he's up against. This behavior should be easily acted upon. HISTORY: It is known that Swanson's wife is deceased, possibly killed in the Riot of 92'. This may also be why he has allied himself with this group of self-proclaimed freedom fighters. Page marked this profile with the dark star also. Then he turned the page to the last profile. ---THE RAIDERS PROFILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Pulse REAL NAME: unknown CLASS: Homo Superior, Class B ABILITIES: Pulse has been shown to have the ability to project, and trace electronic impulses, and flow. He can track those who allow him too by reading their electronic brain waves. It has been shown that he has psionic contact with the other members of the Raiders. It is also shown that he may have a way of protecting himself from harm, by detecting hostile brain patterns. Although he cannot do this at will, it is believed that his brain detects these as a basic instinct. HISTORY: Once again nothing is known about this mutant. He was never registered, or at least not in our databases, for we have no record of anyone with his type of abilities in our files. But we do know that he has apparently been with the group since the very beginning, or at least since they began attacking the public in open. After looking over all the profiles again, quickly leaving out Givens and Tubs, he closed the folder, and laid it on his desk. He looked up at the photo of his daughter, Maria, and smiled. Yes, he had a dangerous job, but he knew that his job with DOME offered much insurance for Maria. In fact, that was one of the driving forces behind his occupation, so he could provide the best for his daughter. The only mother that she had ever known was the holo-agent, April, whom was designed to act as the child's nanny. He leaned back and closed his eyes, when April suddenly appeared, startling him. "I'm sorry, Nicholas, I didn't mean to disturb your, uh, work," April chuckled. "Very funny, April. I just finished. What can I do for you?" "Well, you have a call on the line, and I know that you like to screen them. Are you expecting any calls? It's from the Department." "Oh. Well, I don't believe so. Who is it?" "It's Dr. Jameson. The Department's psychologist." "Shock! I had an appointment today. I slept right through it. Yeah, you better put em' on, April. Thanks." "Okay. I'll inform Maria not to disturb you." "Thanks, but don't worry, I won't be long." The image of the friendly old nanny dissolved, and was replaced by the holo-image of his doctor, William Jameson. He stood there, pacing back and forth, while Nick watched him, feeling quite amused. The old doctor had an odd presence to him, and it often delighted Nicholas. He would never admit it, but he really respected the old man. He sat up and said, "I'm sorry for missing my appointment today, Doctor." "Yes. Well, you know that this is at least the third one, and I'm being generous. I don't mind as much as the Department, but I am fairly worried." "Why," laughed Nicholas. "I'm as healthy as a horse! I've never felt better. I was just working, I had a late night last night, and I'm still tired. What's the Department's problem, anyway? If anything they should be happy with my progress. I took out two of the Raiders last night, Doc." "Yes, I read your report. But it's your work that is beginning to worry me, and the Department to an extent. I think, that you're working much too hard. Ever since you began operating as Captain America, you've been pushing yourself to the edge. Barely allowing yourself time to rest, heal, or even spend time with your lovely daughter. You haven't been sleeping well have you? Well?" "Yeah. I mean, I've had a few late nights like I said, but you know, sleep is..., uh, well, sleep is sleep, Doc. If I have time, then I'm grateful, but I have a job to do," he replied. "You are only one man, Nick. Take some time off. The agency is afraid that you are growing too independent with this "Captain America" guise. You never call for back-up, and you rarely report in. And you know as well as I, that the Department watches over their employees very closely, especially ones whom they've put much time in. And you're quite possibly the best they have. If you think that they would ever let you walk out, you're mistaken, my friend. And as far as the sleep goes, you can't fool me. I see those black rings around your eyes. I may be old, but I'm not senile. You never could lie, Nick. So what's troubling you?" "You're nosey, Doc," laughed Nick. The image of the Doctor stopped, and sat down in an old chair, which was really in his office, but was of course in the holo-projector's range. He just stared at Nicholas, waiting for the reply that he really wanted. Nicholas sighed and said, "Well, it's this stuff with the Raiders. I mean, I've been reading their literature, and some of it makes sense, even if they are mutants---" "Wait. Here we go again, you're obsession with mutants is almost as bad as the one you have for working. We have yet to distinguish exactly what it is that causes you to hate them so much. Tell me, Nick. Did something happen in your past that caused you to feel this way?" "No, not at all. It's just that, like I've told you, I grew up with my uncle, who was also an operative for the Department, and I guess I just heard a lot of bad things about them, because he worked on these cases day in and day out. I don't know. I just haven't ever trusted them, and then Austin called me a mutant, and well, that's what has been bothering me ever since. He claimed that I was killing my own, and I've grieved the death of the two Raiders ever since." "Do you think that it's because, deep down, you believe yourself to be a mutant?" "What!? What is this? Dr. Jameson, surly you don't think of me as one of those genetic degens!" "I'm not claiming that ANYONE is a genetic degen' but the signs would point toward your insecurity with yourself. And there are things that you have never worked out. Let me ask you a question: where you born with your abilities?" "Well, yes. But the Department subjected me to the treatments which enhanced my abilities. I mean, it's not like I shot beams out of my eyes, or have fire coming from my nose. I'm not a mutant, Doc, and that's all there is to it." "Of all people, I didn't think that you would be the one who had to be reminded that there are various types of mutants. One doesn't have to be able to shoot beams from his eyes, or fly at sonic speeds to be a mutant! There are four classes of Homo Superior, and I'm afraid to tell you, Nicholas, but you qualify for Class C." "What!? Doc, you're mistaken. Captain America is NOT a mutant. He's jus--" "Listen to yourself, Nick! You talk as if Captain America is a separate entity. Do you need me to run down the list of classes? Because you know I will." Nicholas just turned his head, for he couldn't even look at the doctor. Was he right? Nick didn't want to know, surly his uncle wouldn't have said all those things about mutants if he had known that he was one. Would he? Didn't his uncle have the same abilities? Didn't all of the family? Nick looked down and sighed as the doctor's image stood up and began to pace again. "Homo Superior, Class A, is the first. One with the natural ability to control, read, or act upon another's mental faculties. These are often to be considered the most powerful. Homo Superior, Class B, is the next. This describes anyone with the natural ability to control or use various aspects of different types of energy, such as electricity, fire, etc. Of course, you don't belong to either one of these categories. The next, would be you, Homo Superior, Class C. This describes any with their physical make-up enhanced, whether it be enhanced senses, agility, endurance, strength, or all of the above. Sound a little familiar? And the last one is Homo Superior, Class D, which is the one that I belong too. . ." "What!? You're a mutant, Doc? Oh geez, I'm so sorry. But there's nothing wrong with you--" "Of course, there's nothing wrong with me! There's nothing wrong with mutants as a whole! Look at yourself! You were born with your powers, you didn't receive them through some fantastic accident. Don't be ashamed, it's nothing abnormal." "No. . .it's not true," whispered Nicolas. "Nicholas, I'm telling you this as your friend, not your doctor, please, check your file. You'll never rest until you know the truth. And I'll leave you with that. Please, call me if you need anything. Good bye. And tell Maria I said hello." Then, the image of Dr. Jameson withered away, as Nicholas laid his head down upon his desk. He knew that it wasn't true, he just knew it. But what if? Yes, there was doubt, but what did that mean? He knew that the doctor was right, he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew for sure. He may not like what he finds, but he owed it to himself. He stood up, and walked to his room. Once inside, he got his pants, and grabbed a shirt lying on the ground. As he ran down the hall he grabbed his overcoat. He hurriedly went to open the door, and as he began to close it behind him he heard Maria's voice. "Daddy, where are you going?" "Nowhere, Sweetheart. I'll be back soon." "Oh. I thought we were going to eat dinner together?" "I can't tonight, sugar. But we will soon, I promise." As he closed the door behind him he stopped in his tracks, and turned to look behind him. He stared at the door, and a tear swelled up in his eye. Oh my god, he thought, what if Maria is one too? What if my little girl is a mutant? With that, he turned and ran to his motorcycle. ******************************************************************** The Department of Mutant Ethics ******************************************************************** A rather large man sat at his desk, rocking back and forth in his old leather bound chair. He was nervous, and very displeased. He had been sitting here for the past hour, reading over Nicholas Page's report on the Raiders. He was very pleased to find that he had removed two of them. But then he began to worry, as he monitored the call between doctor and patient. Such doubt was not good. He was sure that things with Nicholas Page was going to get tense. He had been worrying about it ever since the call transpired about half an hour ago. He reached down and touched a small button, which brought up a picture of his lovely secretary, Linda. He smiled and spoke, as his own holographic projector came to life. "Linda, could you get me Stevens? Thank you." Linda shook her head in disgust as the image of her boss disappeared. She quickly pushed the buttons that would connect Director Stevens with their over-bearing boss, Timothy Waters. Mr. Waters had been the head of DOME for a few years now, well, ever since the last Congressman in charge of the Department, mysteriously disappeared. And the policies of this long forgotten division of the federal government had drastically changed. "Yes, Mr. Waters. What can I do for you?" "Please, do a gene-scan for Nicholas Page. I'm curious of his whereabouts. No perimeters, just as far as the scan will go." "Well, the scan can reach little further than his house, but we should be able to find him. He hasn't been checking in much has he? You've been doing a lot of these, eh?" "Shut up, Stevens. If I wanted to chat, I would have asked you for coffee, or something as equally insignificant." "Yes. Sorry, Sir. We have located him." "That didn't take long." "Well, that's because apparently he's here, Sir. Here in Headquarters," replied Stevens. "Has he officially checked in," asked Waters. "Hold on. . .no, he hasn't, Sir. Is something wrong?" "Yes, I think so. Where exactly is he?" "He's in the file room, Sir. It appears that someone has hacked into the database. Should we send Fortune and his operatives to that location," asked Stevens. "Shock! No, don't do that. I have a better idea. I was going to wait, but I think that we may need to speed things up a little. Send them to Page's house. They know their orders." Stevens looked at him with a grim face and replied, "Yes, Sir. Stevens out." Waters leaned back and closed his eyes. Well, well, well, he thought, every now and then it hits the fan, doesn't it? Well, I guess I'll have a wildcard now, one that Page will never work around. Shock this Captain America, Page is mine. *********************************************************************** Somewhere In Washington, D.C. *********************************************************************** The remaining members of the Raiders sat around looking at each other. They had put their plans on hold. Austin sat in a gaze, he had removed any emotion from his brain, so that he could think logically. Venus sat, crying over the loss of her teammates. Pulse and Square also sat in silence. There was nothing to do but wait, alas Square was tired of waiting. "Shock. We can't stay here! That maniac will be back, and you can count on it. He almost took us all out, and he could do it again. We can't just sit around," Square said. "Yes, we can, Square, and that's exactly what I intend to do. We can take out this Captain America' and we will." "Then, how are we going to do it, just sittin' around here, Austin? We're not exactly out looking for the clown," Venus replied. She stood up and began to pace. "Yes, sitting here is exactly what I intend to do. As Square said, America will be back, for he has a job to finish. And when he does, we shall stop him. We don't need to go out and search, simply bide our time." **************************************************************** The File Room, DOME **************************************************************** Nicholas Page sat at a consul, searching the computer's database. It was simple getting in here, even without authorization. He looked over his shoulder at the computer operator's body. He would wake up in a few hours, he supposed. At least, he didn't have time to sound any alarms. Finally, he found his name, and clicked on it, slowly. He was afraid of what he might find, but it was important. He closed his eyes as the file downloaded. Finally, he opened them with a heavy sigh, and began to read his file. ---THE DOME FILE--- SUBJECT NAME: Captain America (updated) REAL NAME: Nicholas S. Page CLASS: Homo Superior, Class C At this point, Nick hit the consul with all of his might, almost breaking it. He couldn't believe it. The Department had lied to him, his uncle had lied to him. Everything was a lie! Well, almost everything he thought. He continued to read his profile, to see what else the Department had been hiding from him. He wiped his eyes, and scrolled down. ABILITIES: Page has many natural abilities, thanks to the super-serum that his long lost descendant, Captain America, had ingested to protect his country. Not every member of the family has this, but it has been passed down, although it has grown less potent through the years. We have subjected our employee with a less powerful version of the serum, which has caused his abilities to surpass those of even the original Captain America. His abilities include hyper-senses, enhanced strength, endurance, agility, and durability. He also has a quite effective healing factor, and our own experiments have given him an admantium laced skeleton, which prevents many forms of injury, such as broken bones. It has also made his blows more powerful. He is very experienced in fighting and combat, and has expanded his forms of fighting over time. We believe, that he has a natural ability to learn and adapt to any type of combat situation, as he has been able to master many forms of fighting with an uncanny ease. HISTORY: Nicholas Page grew up with one of our operatives, who reported his nephew's fantastic abilities. He also helped groom him for the Department, by projecting a disfavor toward mutants. This also helped us convince him to join, since this Department does work to bring in those mutants who are unregistered. Nicholas was married early in his career, and he has a five year old daughter, while he himself is only twenty-five. His daughter is also a registered mutant, Class C, much like her father, at least in the opinion of our doctors. The Department plans on taking her, much like we di--" Nicholas jumped up and whispered, "No. I won't let them touch my little girl...EVER." Then, he turned and ran out of the room, leaping up into the vent in which he used to enter. Once outside, he turned his bike in the direction of his suburban home. He forwarded a message ahead to April, which said, "April, please begin to pack two bags. One for myself, and the other for Maria. Tell her to get ready. We're going on. . .uh, we're going on vacation." ***** Chapter Four Nicholas Page turned into his driveway, shutting off his motorcycle as he pulled in. He stopped in his tracks and looked into his house, and noticed that all the lights were out. Without thinking, he ran into his home, knocking the door open, as he screamed aloud for his daughter. With no answer, he began scrambling trying to find a light switch as he screamed, "April, April, lights to full intensity! April!!!" Still no response. He ran down the hallway, knocking things over in his path, and finally he burst into Maria Page's bedroom. He stopped in his tracks, and saw that the room was just as she had left it. He began grabbing things and throwing them around as he screamed for his missing daughter. Finally, he dropped to his knees, and began sobbing. He barely moved as he heard the footsteps coming down the hall. He looked up and saw a muscular man, much like himself, wearing black and red. He couldn't believe what was happening. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the infamous Captain America?" "Who are you? And what have you done with my daughter!?" "You mean to tell me, that you thought you were DOME's only operative? Heh. I'm Soldier of Fortune, but you can call me Fortune, all my friends do," he laughed. Nicholas leaped up at the man, shoving him into the wall in his hall corridor. The man hit it with a sick thud, and as he began to slide down to the floor, Nicholas grabbed him by the hair, dragging him into the living room. He threw him to the floor. "Get up," he said. "Thought you'd never ask," Fortune remarked. As Fortune got up, he dived at Page's legs, attempting to take them out from under him. As he did so, Nicholas leaped up, leaving him nothing but air to grasp. As he came back down, he tried to drive his feet into Fortune's back, but he also found nothing but the floor. Fortune whipped around, leaping to his feet. The two men began to circle each other. Nicholas jumped at him, attempting to catch him off guard. But as he did so, Fortune stepped back, and used Page's own force against him, slamming him face first into the wall. As Nicholas stumbled back, Fortune grabbed him by the wrist, wrestling him into the ground. "I got a message for you from Waters." Nicholas struggled to get free, as Soldier of Fortune began to apply pressure to his arm, pushing his flesh and muscles against Page's admantium bones. As he struggled he looked up and saw a group of four come out from the kitchen. One of whom was carrying Maria. "Maria, run! Get away from here," cried Nicholas. Maria didn't even look at him. She looked up, smiling, at the woman who was holding her. The woman was humming a sweet, little tune to the girl, which seemed to have her hypnotized. "Give up, Cap. She's in Swansong's grasp. She may never want to come back," he laughed. As he said this, Nicholas used all of his strength to knock Fortune off of him. As he did so, he leapt up, and dived at Fortune, knocking him through the door into the dining room. He held his fist back, and brought it crashing into Fortune's face. He did so repeatedly, and finally he took hold of him, pulling him to his feet. He then grabbed him by the arm, and swung Fortune onto the table. He pinned him there, with his elbow, on the back of his neck, pushing his face into the old oak of the antique table. The others burst into the room as well. "Back off," screamed Nicholas. "If you get any closer, I'll break his shocking neck," as he did so a tear swelled in his eyes as he saw Maria look up at Swansong and giggle. One of the men stepped up and Fortune bellowed, "Listen to him, Red. I told you to get the girl, and that I would take care of the dear Captain here." The big, burly man known as Red stepped back. Nicholas looked at the others, trying to make out the names on their uniforms. He didn't know what he was up against. He knew that the one named Swansong seemed to have some type of vocal abilities, but the extent was questionable. The man known as Red must have been the strong arm of the group. He made out the name of another, which said "Burns." He wasn't sure if it meant anything or not, it may have been a last name. He was tall and slim, and didn't look like much in a fight. The last one was a female. Her name tag said "Silver Fox." He guessed that she has some sort of speed powers. Probably very fast. Fortune could sense that his opponent's focus was being drawn, so he began to take advantage of the situation. Nicholas was putting all of his weight on the back of his neck, so Fortune used his legs to "Jump," which easily knocked Page forward, and on top of the table. Fortune was right behind him, leaping onto the table, and kicking Page hard in the ribs. Then, he kicked him in the face, cutting him. Nicholas tried to lash out and grab his legs, but Fortune stepped backwards, and kicked him as he fell forward. This blow struck him in the nose, and blood began to pour from it. He grabbed Nicholas by the back of his coat, and threw him into the floor. He jumped down beside him and scooped up a chair. He brought the old oak chair down hard upon Page's back. Then, Fortune motioned for the others to come forward and said, "Fox, Swansong, get the girl back to headquarters, while we deliver Mr. Waters' message." As the three men made their way toward Page, the two women left the room, taking the giggling Maria with them. Fortune looked at Burns and said, "Hey, Burns, why don't you help our poor friend here to his feet." Burns arm shot out, like rubber, and wrapped around Nicholas, dragging him to his feet. He held him there, why Red simply cracked his knuckles and grinned. He looked over at Fortune, who shrugged his shoulders, and drove his fist into Page's stomach. The blow made him want to throw up, but Burns kept him from doubling over. Nicholas fought to concentrate and he knew that they were growing too comfortable with the situation. They were bound to make a mistake soon. . .or at least he hoped! This time as Red launched a large fist at him, he used all of his strength too duck, and pulled Burns' arms with him. As he did so, Red's blow went harmlessly over him, and plowed into Burns' face, which smashed his features, knocking out his face's shape. Nicholas tried to limp away, but Burns, shot his arms out, and wrapped his hands around Page's face, blocking off the flow of oxygen. He then threw his opponent's head into the old oak table. Nicholas fell back limply. He could barely see. Red picked him up like he was nothing and shook his head. "Captain America? Shock. You make my grandmother look good." As he said this he let him go, and when Nicholas tried to stand, he backhanded him, knocking him down. Fortune walked over and kicked him, then he stomped his head into the ground. He looked down and sighed. Then he said, "Well, I guess we could give you Waters' message. He wanted us to tell you that he was happy that you were interested in continuing a working relationship with the Department. Perhaps if you're good, and you continue to work with us, he'll let you visit your sweet little daughter. Have a nice day." This was the last thing that Nicholas Page heard before passing out in the middle of his trashed dining room. ****************************************************************** Hours Later In Washington, D.C. ****************************************************************** The room was spinning. Or at least Nicholas Page thought it was. He couldn't focus on anything and the constant thump in his head reminded him of war drums. Yes, this was war wasn't it? He slowly got to his feet, more like crawling than walking. As he stumbled out of the dining room, he fell to the floor in his living room. Why had he been so blind? Why had he let them take Maria? He fought to stand, and he finally managed to do so. He walked down the hallway, using the wall as a crutch. He stopped at his daughter's bedroom, and peered inside. He felt the guilt building up in the pit of his stomach. He was going to get her back, but Nicholas Page couldn't do it. He knew someone who could. . . Nicholas staggered into his den, throwing the double doors open in a wide arc. He looked around. He stared at the old newspaper clips, and began ripping them down. He fell to the floor going through them. He felt a great pride inside, and he knew who could help him. Steve Rogers might be gone, but there would always be a Captain America. He stood up, and began going through his things. He shook his head. He had left his gear at headquarters. Then, he looked over and in the corner of the room, he saw the old costume, illuminated by the light of the moon. Yes, there would always be a Captain America. Somewhere In Washington, D.C. Austin stood in the corner of the room looking around. He knew that they only had to wait. Captain America would return for them, but it would be the Raiders' greatest victory, destroying the mascot of the country who would authorize the killing of millions -- the country who had turned their back on him. Yes, he only had to bide his time. ****************************************************************** The Suburbs of Washington, D.C. ****************************************************************** He looked into the mirror on his way outside. He couldn't believe that he was wearing the uniform of his grandfather. But if felt right didn't it? He couldn't always wear this uniform, for he had his own identity as the Captain. But this revenge would be sweet. As he walked toward the door, he picked up his trench coat, and put it on. Now, he was ready. He ran outside, and got on his motorcycle. The one that the Department had provided him. The one that he had used to operate as Captain America. He turned from the driveway, and began to drive toward the Department's headquarters. Then he realized that what he was doing was crazy. Admitting that he needed help wasn't one of his strong points, but did Rogers always go it alone? No, of course he didn't. Sometimes in war you need an army, and he finally realized that he had no where to turn. Or did he? He quickly made a sweeping U-turn and headed in the opposite direction. He could only hope that it wasn't a lost cause. It didn't take long for the bike to reach the old industrial section of Washington, D.C. The abandoned part where even the degens wouldn't live. But there were those who called it home. He only hoped that the remaining members of the Raiders hadn't left. . . Austin and the others heard the roar of the motorcycle, and they all scrambled to their hiding positions. Austin had been right, hadn't he? He had returned for them, but not for what they thought. The sound of the cycle's electric generators got louder as he drove the motorcycle down the slope that he had created with the old billboard. As he neared the bottom, Pulse closed his eyes and concentrated. The motorcycle's electric engines went out, and sent America flying over top of the handle bars as the cycle itself fell over and skidding to the bottom. America hit the ground hard, as he rolled over. As he stood, Venus ran out, smashing into him with her shoulders. As he staggered away, the two Squares, pulled opposite ends of a trip wire, causing him to crash to the floor. They quickly pinned him down, as Venus began pounding into him with her fists. Austin stepped out, ready for action. He began to draw upon the Captain's anger, but he found none. In it's place was desperation. A great hopelessness. He walked over to Venus, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Stop, Nancy." She didn't hear him, or either she choose to ignore him. She intended to make America pay for the death of her teammates. America didn't fight back. He knew that he deserved every single blow. Perhaps it would be better for Maria if he never showed up and Venus ended it here? "I said stop! NOW," bellowed Austin. Venus slowly stopped and looked up at her lover. What was he saying? Had something happened to him? She looked at him and stood up saying, "Austin? Is something wrong?" "Yes. Square, let him go." One of the duplicates shrugged it's shoulders and when he stood the other one merged with him. He backed away, standing there waiting to see what would happen next. Pulse could sense the great distress in his partner's brain chemistry. He could only wait to see its source. "He's not here to fight." "WHAT!?" "I said that he's not here looking for a fight." "Then, exactly why is he here," Pulse asked dryly. America managed to get to his feet, with the help of Austin. He looked at the rest of them and whispered, "I'm not here to . . .fight, I need. . .I need your help." "What!? I'll give you my help," cried Venus as she lashed out, throwing him into the wall, and holding him off of the ground by his neck. His face began to turn red, and he showed no intentions of fighting back. "Let him down, Venus. I'm curious. I want to know what in the world would cause a man, who by every right should be killed, to come and beg us for help." "I'm not begging," America said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Venus just gritted her teeth. "You have much to learn of diplomacy, my friend," replied Austin. "If you want our help, then yes, you are begging." "Okay, I need your help. I admit that I need help, and I'm so very sorry for the death of your teammates. I was blind." "What do you need?" "I have to break into DOME. They sent their hired hands to kidnap my daughter, and I have to get her. They hid the truth from me, and I must get her back." "You want us to help you break into the Department of Mutant Ethics? Okay. . .what do we get out of it? As you know, we're not on the best of terms," said Austin. "I promise to take you to the File Room. If you can wipe out the database, then you can wipe out the entire list of registered mutants! It would knock out the foundation of DOME. Those mutants would be free." "What makes you want to help mutants all of a sudden?" "Because. . .because, I am one," he whispered. "What!? I don't believe a word of this," yelled Venus. "I swear! Look, if you don't believe me, then let me help you trust me! Look, I know what Pulse could do to me, if I allow him to link with me, but I'm willing to do it." "You're serious," asked Pulse. "Yes, I am. I am willing to do this, if you will help me." "Okay. I was convinced before that. So what about you, Venus or Pulse? I'm willing to do this, just to spit in the face of DOME. I mean, he's willing to help us locate and destroy the mutant registry database. And what better way to get revenge on DOME than to help out one of their former agents? You know how much they put into them, and I can bet that they've put out quite a bit on you, Mister. I'm with you. Square?" "Doesn't matter to me, Austin." "Venus?" "I'm with you, Luv." "Pulse?" "I'm willing to do so. . .IF I link with him." "Okay, I will. I'm willing to do it. Once again, I would like to thank you all. So here's what I have planned. . ." ****************************************************************** The Department of Mutant Ethics, Washington, D.C. ****************************************************************** The hallways were empty in the Department. A guard walked down the empty passage, looking out of the large window walls. Everything was quiet and who could complain? The guard stopped in his tracks, and looked outside to enjoy the night. He wouldn't be enjoying it for long. Suddenly an arm shot out from the ceiling and grabbed him from behind. He was jerked up by a powerful force, and before he knew it, he was in the old venting system of the complex. Venus had jerked him from the hallway, and the last thing he saw was America slamming a fist into his face. They laid the guard in the vents, and after peering down the hallway, they dropped down. "The generators are that way," he said to Pulse and Venus. Then he pointed to another access panel and said to Square and Austin, "The database is that way. I'll take care of Fortune and the operatives," America said. Austin looked at him and said, "Trust me, friend, it would mean nothing to me, if you were killed, but we did come here to help you get your little girl back. You said something about your little girl being a mutant? Well, I would like to help you save her. Square can take care of the database himself. I want to make sure that your little girl has a father when this is all over. And I know that you need help." Captain America just looked at him and whispered, "Thank you." Austin looked at his gang and said, "Well, you know what to do, so let's get to it." Everyone broke up in their groups and made their way off to their destinations. Captain America and Austin quietly made their way down the hallway. America had a gene-scanner that he had ripped off from the guard. He scanned for Burns' as they ran through the maze like passage. Finally, he found him, and they made their way quickly. Burns sat in his quarters working out, practicing his concentration, and attempting to use his abilities in new ways. Captain America quietly opened the door as he sent Austin to search for his daughter. He made his way into the room, and stood over top of Burns, watching him. Burns looked up just in time to see America's boot coming down and smashing him in the face. Burns' face contorted around his boot, and as he tried to shake off the effect so that he could see, the Captain grabbed him by the arms, and pulled him up, kicking him in the midsection. He dropped Burns and watched him whither around on the ground. Then he looked down at him and asked, "Where is my daughter? You had better tell me." "I don't know," he grunted. The Captain grabbed an old dumb bell and smashed it into his face. Then he brought it crashing down upon his head again. As he stumbled to get to his feet, with his arms hanging down to the floor, he was concentrating just to stay together. Captain America hauled off and smacked him across the face with the bottom of the weight. As Burns fell backward he hit the window hard, placing a large crack in it. America, mad because Burns was still standing and not cooperating, hauled off and threw the weight at Burns, who barely managed to dodge the flying piece of equipment. The weight flew through the window, causing it to burst open, the jagged shards flying out the window. Burns looked at him and smiled, "Well, I guess the others will be here now. Way to go." America looked at him coldly, and said, "It'll be too late for you." As he finished saying the last word, he leaped into the air, landing in front of Burns, and sweeping his legs out from under him. At the same time, he stood up, slamming his fist into Burns' face with a massive upper-cut, which sent his opponent flying through the air. As he landed the Captain stared coldly at his body, which was lying over top of the cutting shards of glass like a bloody sheet. The Captain turned to leave and as he did so he saw Austin run around the corner. "What the shock was that," yelled Austin. America looked at him and said, "He wouldn't talk." They heard footsteps and as they turned they saw Silver Fox and Red come around the corner. They stopped dead in their tracks and were surprised to see the legendary image of Captain America before them. Austin looked at them and whispered, "Shock." Suddenly the lights went out, and Austin silently thanked Pulse and Venus for taking out the lights in the complex. As the emergency lights flashed on, America leaped forward and tackled the large brute known as Red. Austin saw what he was doing, and screamed, "Shock! Come on America! We don't have time for this! Not yet!" America ignored him as he began pounding into Red's face with all of his might. He threw punch after punch into his face, pinning his arms down with his legs. He cut Red's face as he beat him unmercifully. Silver Fox ran into Burns' quarters and saw his body laying out over the broken window pane. She ran out into the hallway, with tears in her eyes, as she saw the Captain and Austin begin to run down the hallway, she started to run after them, until she heard the groaning. She stopped and looked over her shoulder and saw Red, who was smashed through the wall. His legs were draped over the base of the floor. She reached down and tried to help pull him out. "Come on, Red. We have to stop them." "No. . .stop, Fox. They're crazy, they'll kill you." Silver Fox finally managed to pry Red out, and sat by him, soothing him. She looked down the hallway with a cold stare. They would meet again. Captain America and Austin finally made it to the end of the hallway and America smiled and pointed toward the door after looking up from the gene-scanner. He whispered to Austin, "Swansong and Fortune are in there. That's where Maria will be. You get Maria and I'll take care of Fortune." The automatic door slide open as the forms of Captain America and Austin walked into the room. Soldier of Fortune stood up and Swansong scooped up Maria. Fortune looked at America and said, "I knew you'd be back." "Not like you thought," sneered America. "Now, give me my daughter." Swansong ran into a doorway beside her and Austin took off after her. Fortune and America began to circle each other. The Captain thought of their fight back at his home. They were much alike, probably exposed to the same experiments. But America had an edge over his opponent, he had the mask. The legend. As Fortune leapt at America, the Captain did so also. The two met and locked up, trying to throw each other to the floor. America finally managed to shift his weight and throw Fortune up against the wall. As he shoved his forearm into his throat he looked at his opponent and whispered, "You're going down, just like Burns." "What," Fortune chocked. Then, the Soldier kneed his adversary in the gut, causing him to drop him and double over. As he did so, Fortune brought up his knee and smashed into America's chin, sending him sprawling to the floor. Fortune leapt on top of him, smashing his face into the ground. They rolled over grasping each other, and finally America managed to land a solid fist to Fortune's face, who quickly recovered, and grabbed his foe by the throat. He squeezed, trying to choke him as America plastered him with blow after blow. Meanwhile, in the room next door, Austin cornered Swansong, who was still singing her hypnotizing tune to the young child. As he reached out with powers over emotion, the pure joy from Maria swept over him and made him stagger back. His abilities kicked in and he was brought in by the pure freedom of her song. As his abilities went off the backlash went into Swansong as well. She stopped singing and stared at Austin as their eyes met. She stopped and handed over Maria, with a smile. "No super fight," cracked Austin. "Not today," she smiled. He took the child who giggled and hugged him. He looked down and smiled. As he turned to walk out of the room, he turned and looked at Swansong and said, "Would you like to join me?" She looked at him and said, "Yes." Austin, Maria, and Swansong walked out into the main room and saw America and Fortune battling it out. Fortune had America against the wall, chocking him, and punching him in the face also. Both combatants were extremely out of it, exhausted from the fight. They were bloody and beaten, for the tide of the battle had shifted many times. Finally, Austin stepped in and used his abilities to throw the fight into America's corner. He created a psychic backlash, which sent Fortune's rage in a continuous cycle. The backlash shocked Fortune, and America took advantage of the situation and smashed a double fisted blow into Fortune's face, knocking him back hard against the wall. His body hit the ground, and he didn't move. "I think, he's dead," Austin said. "Well, then it's over," replied Cap. "Austin, take Maria to the File Room, I have some things to get, and I'll meet you there." As he turned to run out of the room he looked at Swansong with Austin, and shrugged his shoulders. Then, he ran out to his "office" to get his things. He was finished with DOME, but he still had a future to worry about, and the world needed a Captain America. He owed it to them. He owed it to himself. Austin and the others met Venus and Pulse and they ran down the corridor to the File Room. Venus looked at Swansong, and then grabbed Austin by the arm, pulling him along. Maria ran by Swansong, as they all made their way to freedom. Without a registry of mutants, no one would have to worry about being tracked down simply because of their genes. They burst into the room, and found the two Squares working on the computer, hacking into the main database. He had to take out the emergency back-up systems in order to ensure that the records were erased entirely, and not temporally deleted. As they did so, Austin sat down beside him and began to work his way down the list, as if searching. Finally, the Squares were ready, and they melted into one. Maria clapped her hands happily. She leaped into Austin's lap and watched as the countdown began. Captain America joined them, just as Square was about to delete the files. He stood and watched as the Mutant Registry was wiped out. His time with DOME was over, and he had to move on. They had used him, and they had intended to do the same to his daughter. But it was all over now that the registry was gone. They had no way of tracking him or is daughter. But he knew that it wasn't completely over. They would come looking for their ex-operative. But as he shook Austin's hand and they all bid their farewells outside of the complex, he knew that at least for now, they were free. And Captain America would fight to ensure the safety of that freedom, for everyone. |