New Avengers (2nd series) #12

(Barrington, Rhode Island Hospital, now)
Doctors work on Mockingird, with one remarking that after twenty-two years in the field hefs going to be known as the one who lost an Avenger on the operating table. They get the paddles ready and one doctor asks if theyfre sure shefs not a mutant or has any kind of blood abnormality. All the others know is that she is an Avenger. Watching through the window is Hawkeye. He is silent and his heart sinks when he sees Bobbi in this condition. The other Avengers are gathered nearby. Carol says theyfre sorry. They tried.

Spider-Woman informs them that theyfve been asked to wait in the lobby. Hawkeye tells them that he wants this done before Bobbifs out of surgery. gWhat done?h asks Jessica. Hawkeye grimaces and replies that he wants Superia. He wants H.A.M.M.E.R. He wants all of it. He wants to know what they were trying to do and he wants to burn it to the ground in front of her. He wants her in jail or dead for this and he wants it done before Bobbi gets out of surgery. Jessica replies that she has good news, in that case. They have a lead and her husband is working on it. gSuperia,h adds Clint. gI want her.h

(Helsinborg Castle, 1959)
As someone looking like Captain America approaches Furyfs team, Silver Sable asks if itfs the Captain America. Fury replies that Capfs been dead a long time and this guy looks nothing like him. Kraven asks if they can draw straws or can he just gut him now? Fury orders Kraven and Sabretooth to go hunting. He doesnft want Red Skull to leave the island. He tells Namora to get the hell out of there and find some water. Shefs no good to him with all the flames around. As she departs, she asks Kraven and Sabretooth why they would have a Captain America. She doesnet understand.

gI know you,h says Cap. Bloodstone asks about the problem standing before them. Fury says he and Sable are with him. He tells the fake Cap that he isnft finding this funny. Itfs just making him mad and he was plenty mad to begin with. He orders him to put his hands on his head. Cap raises his shield above his head and repeats the words, gI know you.h He then hurls the shield at Fury but he calmly ducks underneath it. Cap then leaps at him and smashes Fury in the face. Ulysses Bloodstone opens fire but is surprised to see his bullets bounce of Capfs chest. Unfortunately, Bloodstone is hit by the shield which returns towards its master. gYou cannot kill me,h snarls Cap.

Fury then gets to his feet and blasts at Cap, but his bullets also bounce off his chest. However, the impact does knock him off his feet. Fury is impressed as Captain America stands up, claiming that he is a super-soldier. Fury doesnft hesitate to smack him across the face with his machine gun.

(Barrington police precinct, now)
The woman who shot Luke in the face has been taken to the Barrington police precinct where she sits alone in a dark interview room. She stares at her reflection in the two-way mirror and says she is an agent of HA.M.M.E.R. and she does not acknowledge their authority over her or her organization. She pauses a moment and then repeats the final part of that sentence. Meanwhile, one of the cops is having a meet and greet with the Avengers. He isnft too familiar with some of them and not too keen on letting them interrogate a detainee in his station. They explain that his prisoner is an agent of HA.M.M.E.R. and part of an illegal organization that was setting up shop on his doorstep. She possesses information, vital information, about the whereabouts of her team leader and what the next plan of attack is.

The guy replies that he isnft going to let civilians run around his station playing hero. Why donft they wait for the Feds to show and they can work it out amongst themselves. Luke steps up and explains that, technically, theyfre not civilians. Theyfre Avengers. They are fully sanctioned Avengers as part of Commander Rogersf Avengers Initiative. So, they are technically government employees and, not to turn it into that kind of thing, but they probably outrank him by about 7000 something.

Moments later, Wolverine walks into the interrogation room. He sits across from the captive and asks if she knows who he is. She looks away, but replies that he is the Wolverine. He asks what shefs heard about him. She says he is a mutant, he is an X-Man and he has claws. He asks whether, when she was told about him, she was told about his specialty. He extends one of his adamantium claws and taps it on the table. The captive looks seriously frightened.

(Helsingborg, Sweden, 1959
Carrying a silver briefcase, the Red Skull informs his colleague that they must get to the subs, promising vast rewards for any dead American spy along the way. As he speaks, his colleaguefs head is blown off, courtesy of Kraven, who is in position with a sniper rifle. He aims it at the Skull, but other soldiers force him to hide behind a wall as gunfire reigns up at him. The Red Skull runs for it, promising his soldiers that these cowards will be punished in front of their loved ones. Unfortunately, he runs straight at Sabretooth who says that itfs good news for him. The eno-one giving a &*$# about himf thing has finally paid off. He uses his speed and claws to take out two soldiers and charges at the Skull.

The Red Skull shoots at him, but Creed keeps on coming, warning the Skull that hefs gonna wear eLifl Hitlerfsf head on a neck chain. Kraven thinks Creed is crazy and Red Skull calls him a demon from hell as he carries on shooting at him. Creed gets right on top of the Skull but, as he leaps at him, Kraven opens fire at the Skull, accidentally blasting a gaping hole in Creedfs chest instead. gOops,h he groans. gVictorfs gonna kill me.h The Red Skull continues his escape alongside two soldiers and they soon arrive at their submarine. They think that they should stay and fight, but the Red Skull says no. He explains that Fury has brought demons and dogs to do battle. They must protect the project. Nothing is more important than the project.

As he climbs aboard, he looks over and sees Captain America flying past him on fire. He looks across and sees Nick Fury standing there. His face drops. The submarine submerges quickly and one of the soldiers wonders how the Americans discovered them. Red Skull says he told them not to underestimate the Americans. They are not fools. The soldier adds that they will never leave them be, and the Skull reckons this is why they must rise above them. He then notices someone out of the window and looks through the porthole. Itfs Namora and shefs now in her element. She smashes her way inside and yanks the two soldiers out into the water. The Red Skull emerges wearing underwater breathing apparatus and he hits her with the briefcase. This doesnft stop Namora for long and she yanks the apparatus from his face before dragging him to the surface.

Once on terra firma, she tells Fury that she didnft kill him, though it was mighty tempting. One of the soldiers gasps when he sees his fallen master, but Fury asks him to relax. This ainft even the real Skull. He tells the guy he is under arrest. Namora hands Fury the briefcase and Fury asks the Skull whatfs inside. Knick knacks? Toiletries? Hummel collection? The Skull impostor tells Fury he will kill him. He will die for all his sins.

Fury opens the briefcase and looks at its glowing contents. Angrily, he asks the Skull what he did. The Red Skull replies that they will all die as their cities crumble down around them. gYeah?h asks Victor. He steps forward and swipes with his claws extended. The Skull is decapitated instantly. Fury asks what he just did, but Sabretooth tells him he took care of the problem. gThat wasnft the plan!h replies Fury. They needed to know what he knew and bring him in. Creed tells him to go to hell. He turns away, repeating that he took care of the problem.

(Manhattan, today)

Victoria Hand returns to her office and heads for the fridge. Whilst she rummages around inside, Superia walks up behind her and smashes her face into it. She turns Victoria around and readies her fist which glows with green energy. She introduces herself as Dr. Deidre Wentworth, though Victoria will know her as Superia. Victoria says she knows who she is and tells her to get her hands off her. gOr what?h replies Superia. gYour little Avengers buddies are going to hurt me?h She adds that she tried that once and it didnft work. Victoria points at Superia and reminds her that shefs the genius who paid one of her lackeys to get hold of her to join the new HA.M.M.E.R. on open channels! She asks if shefs kidding. Steve Rogers is watching her. Hefs watching everything she does.

Superia listens calmly as Victoria tells her that of course she sent the Avengers after her. Itfs the only way she could get Steve Rogers to trust her once and for all. And now he does, she adds. She asks once again for Superia to let go of her so she can tell her what shefs going to do next if she really wants H.A.M.M.E.R. to be what itfs supposed to be.h