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Posted by Cap
on 4/2/2009, 9:29 pm
98.108.31.166
Downtown, New York City
“I need you to keep him pinned down,” Eli yells. Kate Bishop nods as she sets an arrow to her bow and sends it streaking towards the massive deadman. Solomon Grundy lifts a car over his head and sends it hurtling through the air at the giant form of Cassie Lang. Stature narrowly avoids the car with a quick duck. The car continues to sail over her head and smashes into a skyscraper, sending a shower of glass crashing down. Grundy reaches down to grab another car as an arrow slams through his right hand.
“Arrow girl think she’s smart, Grundy show you smart,” the zombie roars. Grundy starts to charge but a green blur slams into his side and the two roll to the ground. Teddy decides to press his advantage by unleashing a barrage of punches to Grundy’s head. The monster swats Hulkling off like a fly, sending him across the street and through a store window.
“Over here stinky,” Eli yells, grabbing one of his throwing stars. He throws the star with a flick of his wrist and it buries itself in the giant’s neck. Grundy ignores the star as he charges down the waiting teen. Eli stanza his ground assuming a fighting crouch as Grundy gets closer. Seconds before impact he tucks his head behind the shield and yells “Now!”
Just before impact an arrow strikes the zombie right in the face. The arrow explodes into a bright flash of light causing the giant to clutch at his eyes as he stumbles forward. He reaches Patriot who drives his shield low to the ground upending Grundy. Stature looms over the downed man and drives her massive fist into his back while before he has time to react. Hulkling glides in on green leathery wings and picks up the downed villain. He then begins to soar up and up.
“Let Grundy go,” he gasps as they rise at an ever increasing rate.
“You’re the boss,” Billy says as he lets the struggling giant fall. Grundy hits the road with a heavy thud, leaving a large crater. The teens all begin to move forward towards the hole, peering over the edge. A pale white hand shoots up out of the hole striking Eli and sending him staggering back.
“S*&t,” yells Cassie, quickly grabbing a car and slamming it to into the hole. “I think we really pissed him off now.”
“But atleast we’re doing better than last time,” Billy replies.
“Pause simulation,” a voice says from no were in particular. Steve Rogers steps out of the background, his arms folded across his chest. Even dressed in civilian attire he cuts a striking figure as he looks each of the teens over in turn. “You did do much better that time because you are finally work off of each other. Each move worked into the next and each person executed their part with precise timing.”
“But it still wasn’t enough to take down Grundy,” Patriot adds, rubbing his jaw.
“End simulation,” Steve says and the entire view changes. The broken urban scenery is in a flash replaced by the flat features of a giant steel room with no features except for a door. In the corner of the room stands Thinker, an android with various powers. Using his innate powers combined with circuitry in the room, he runs training simulations at this Checkmate installation. “Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure. I will check with Ms. Waller to let you know when I can schedule another session for you.”
“Thanks again and please tell Ms. Waller I’ll be in to see her shortly.” Cap turns back to the teens who stand talking amongst themselves. “That was good work to day.”
“Still came up short against the walking corpse,” Kate says.
“Grundy is an a-lister, you guys did fine.”
“Fine just doesn’t cut it,” Eli adds angrily. “We all know if this was the real world that guy would have wiped the floor with us.”
“This exercise was to see how you work together as a team, not test you against a heavy hitter like Grundy. The fact that you guys even knocked him down is impressive.”
“But like my grandma used to say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades,’ Cassie adds…
A Few Minutes Later, Amanda Waller’s Office
“Please have a seat Mr. Rogers,” Waller says from behind her desk, not even looking up from the report she is reading. In the three days Cap and his team had been training here, Steve had come to learn that Waller had earned every bit of her hard ass reputation. Stark wasn’t happy when Steve told him he wanted to work with the Young Avengers somewhere he wasn’t in total control but he had agreed. Now Cap was beginning to wonder if Tony might have been unhappy because it meant he had to call this woman. “I take it you hear to discuss something or you wouldn’t be sitting there breathing my air?” If the statement was a jest, it was hard to say. Her delivery was an unreadable monotone that spoke off annoyance and disinterest.
“Yes maam,” Steve begins, thrown off balance by the remark. “I really want to thank you again for letting us use your facilities…”
“Mr. Stark requested that I give you full use of our training facilities. He was more than willing to provide me with compensation for this so it was a no brainer. Don’t let this trouble you any further, if you’ll please excuse me I am very busy.”
“What did Stark tell you?” Amanda looks up from her reading to see he visitor for the first time since he entered. “I don’t work for Stark and he’s been pushing me into mentoring the group for some time. I wondered if he gave you any sort of insight into the situation?”
“Like the fact that you’re currently working for one of the most wanted men in the country?”
“What exactly did he tell you about that?”
“I’ve got my own files on Fury and I’m sure Stark has a lot more, but I’m not interested in his. I want your thoughts on Fury and in return I’ll impart information on you in return.”
“Nick believes SHIELD along with possibly ‘everything’ else has been infiltrated by skrull agents.”
“That is quite a theory, does he have any sort of evidence?”
“I have seen one of the bodies myself. I think you probably have some information on what happened in Boston last year. As far as everyone except for Fury, Falcon, and I know the mastermind behind the cloning got away. The reality is that a skrull masquerading as the Red Skull was behind it and Nick shot him dead.”
“You’re saying you sat on this information for how long now?”
“I am not going to justify my decisions to you, they are mine to make. Fury’s people are on the verge of a breakthrough that would allow for the detection of the skrull agents.”
“How do you know it is safe to tell me any of this? What if I am a skrull myself?”
“To be honest I think your demotion after what Fury called the ‘Salvation Project’ proves otherwise. I don’t think the skrull would allow one of their agents to do something so drastic that has caused her power within Checkmate to be all but stripped.”
“I still have more influence than you might believe. You have also indicated that Fury has sources with the upper reaches of Checkmate itself.”
“The more honest I am with you, the more honest I hope you’ll be with me.”
“Fair enough but there isn’t as much to tell as you might have believed. I am in desperate need of resources and that is what Stark has been funneling my way. I’ve passed on the tech he has offered because I didn’t want SHIELD having a backdoor into my operation because this is a sensitive time…”
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