"What do you mean Baron?" asked Infomorph, the leader of Hydra's techno-terrorist faction System Crash. She was a tall black woman, wearing a skin-tight jumpsuit with a glowing grid covering it. She watched Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker stroke his chin thoughtfully.
"I mean, when I first heard this was being cited as a Hydra operation, I wasn't aware of it," he replied. He pointed to the news feed about the kidnapping of a young man by what appeared to be Hydra SPB's- super-powered beings.* "It was the first I'd heard of it, so I made several calls." Strucker looked up at Infomorph, frowning. "This is not a Hydra operation. We weren't the ones who kidnapped these Americans or brainwashed them. Someone is framing us!" Strucker slammed his fist onto the arm of his chair. "I want to know who!"
* (See Project A-Next #1- Tony)
"System Crash is at your disposal," Infomorph said. "We'd be more than willing to-"
"I know," Strucker said, dismissing her with a wave. "And if I need you I know where to contact you. Continue on with your current project until I do so."
"Yes sir," she replied, giving a short bow and walking out of the room. Baron Strucker turned back to the screens and frowned again. He reached out to his control console and picked up a phone handset. He dialed a key sequence and put the phone to his ear.
"Gorgon," he said. "This is Strucker. I need the Dawn of the White Light."
Hulkling spun on his left heel, looking to the sky. His teammate Thunderstrike had just been pounded to the ground, and lapsed into unconsciousness. It was a total surprise to Teddy. He'd just met a girl claiming to be the team's leader, and before he could say or do anything- *boom* There was Thunderstrike.
"Hulkling, stay ready to take them on and keep them away from Thunderstrike," Carmilla Black ordered. "Mockingbird, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Mockingbird. "Little shaken, nothing too bad."
"Good," Scorpion replied. "Then let Hulkling take them on from the front and you and I will set them up in a crossfire. Got it?!"
"Yeah!" Hulkling and Mockingbird replied in unison. Teddy felt better about taking orders from this girl than he did from Redwing. It was something about her presence and confidence. She wasn't cocky and self-assured like Redwing was. She knew what she was doing.
An energy blast hit the ground between them as Scorpion dashed to the other side of the clearing. A dark haired girl in a red and black suit flew into view, followed closely by a young man in Greek armor.
"Give it up!" she screeched. "The Eternal will spare you."
"How super-villain of you," Teddy growled, balling his fist. "Referring to yourself in third person." Hulkling punched her hard, sending her flying back. He turned his attention to the young man, who charged him at that moment.
"Argonaut shall not be bested by one such as you!" he cried.
"Didn't you just hear the kid?" Scorpion asked, kicking him from behind. "Third person equals bad thing." Jason turned and sneered at Carmilla.
"I will not fight a lady!" he bellowed. She smiled and cracked her knuckles.
"Good, means I can crack your skull all that much easier." She punched him in the gut with her armored left fist, ignoring the pain in her knuckles. He doubled over and she kneed him in the face.
Mockingbird backed away, looking around. Contact had been teleported out of the clearing with the other Hydra troopers, but there were still the other A-Next agents out there. A black-gloved arm slid around her neck.
"Wondering when you'd show up Captain," Bobbi said. She grabbed his arm and pulled down, ducking as she went and throwing the Captain over her shoulder. He landed on his butt, but quickly turned it to his advantage, spun on his hand, and threw his foot out, knocking Bobbi to the ground.
"Knew my name," he said. "Nice." His costume was all black, save a red skull emblem over his right breast, complete with a winged cowl. He carried a shield in his left hand, just like Captain America, but Mockingbird observed a serrated edge along the circumference of the weapon.
"Shared a rapport with your man Borne," Mockingbird declared. "I know all about you." Captain sneered and charged Bobbi. She stood firm until the last moment, when she sidestepped to the left and punched him hard in the gut. "Including the fact that you always favor your shield arm." He turned to face her, but she was already around his right side. She chopped him in the kidney, then hit him at the base of his skull with the base of her palm. He dropped, and she smiled.
"Not everyday you out-fight Captain America's double."
The Eternal was fighting mad and Teddy could tell. He matched the young woman blow for blow, releasing his mind to the years of conditioning the government had put into him. Really, it was fun.
"Where's Redwing?" Scorpion cried. "Has he not heard our comm. traffic?" Carmilla dodged Argonaut's kick, grabbed his ankle and twisted, throwing him off his other foot and onto the ground. She heard a rib crack as he hit. Suddenly, a very large shadow was cast over her. Scorpion spun to find one of the Tate twins- High-Rise- had reawaken.
"Did I hear them call you Scorpion?" he said. "I've always liked squishing bugs."
"That's some bad banter!" Redwing dove into High-Rise's side, throwing him to the ground. Kyle flew back up and aimed his gauntlet at his opponent's head. A small missile rocketed towards the boy and exploded just before it hit him, releasing a yellowish gas. High-Rise began vomiting almost instantly.
Redwing grinned at Scorpion. "Regurgitate," he declared. "The best in non-lethal ordinance."
"That's the second time today you bastards have taken down my brother!" cried the second Tate- Skyscraper. Redwing turned as Skyscraper reached for him. "Looks like I'll have to pull the wings off the bird to get back for that!" Redwing started to dodge, but found he didn't have to as lightning split the air and struck Skyscraper, knocking him onto his butt. He blinked several times, disoriented.
Thunderstrike lowered his staff. He was still in the crater made from his impact minutes ago, lying on his belly.
"You're welcome," he said weakly. "I'm going to pass out again now."
Kate Bishop saw the flash of Thunderstrike's lightning and heard the thunder several seconds later. Her fellow A-Next agents had engaged the others. She'd been occupied by Iona for several minutes now, and discovered that she had found her equal. The fight had been taking place in mid air for some time, and Kate was really enjoying the fight.
Iona punched at Binary, which she dodged and countered with a kick. Iona grabbed her leg and began spinning Kate around. Kate focused and blasted Iona with the energy that charged her body. She flew backwards, letting go of Binary as she went. Kate followed and punched Iona hard, continuing her flight. She stopped, hovered for a moment, and then put on a burst of speed, hitting Binary directly in the chest. Kate gasped, and moved to counter the blow. To her surprise, her opponent backed off and put her hand to her ear.
"Dammit!" she cursed. She glared at Binary and pointed at her. "This isn't over bitch!" Light gathered around her and she disappeared.
"You can count on that," Kate muttered. She looking around, trying to locate where she'd seen the lightning strike. With her additional sense of detecting energy trails, she saw the path of the bolt and flew towards it, hoping to find at least one of her teammates. She guessed right, seeing her four teammates, plus a newcomer in green leather from beneath her nose to her boots with the exception of her belly.
"-teleport extraction," the green girl was saying, her hand to her ear. "Whoever stole these kids is well equipped."
"Good of you to join us Binary!" Hulkling exclaimed. He smiled, still enjoying the adrenaline rush of his first big fight.
"Taking care of some business," she said. "Who's she?"
"Scorpion," Mockingbird said. "Said she's our field leader. I just called Willoughby and confirmed it." Kate nodded. If she was Willoughby's girl, Binary trusted her.
"Who's she on the phone with?"
"SHIELD," Scorpion said, joining the rest of A-Next. "I had them referencing the weaponry and equipment these guys were using. I've encountered Hydra before, and this didn't look like their tech."
"So they're not Hydra?" Mockingbird asked.
"I don't think so," she replied. "Unless this is a cell that hasn't gotten upgrades from their main headquarters in a while."
"So why would someone set up Hydra for this?" Binary asked.
"Send us after the wrong people," Redwing declared. "Like planting evidence in a murder. Put someone else's hair under the fingernails of the deceased. Scraps of clothing, blood, whatever."
"Hunh," Binary said, impressed by the guess. He was probably right. She turned and saw Billy unconscious in an impact crater. She started towards him, but Hulkling put out his hand.
"He's fine," he said. "Just checked on him, and his pulse is normal and his breathing is steady. Those anti-Avengers just knocked him silly and our extraction people will be here soon with medics." Binary frowned but nodded. She turned back to Scorpion and offered her hand.
"Welcome to the team."
"Thanks," Carmilla replied. "Glad to be here."
"Sir, I have an idea," Jordan Willoughby had been on the phone with his supervisor at A-Next, Joe Buckner, for the last hour. The two men had been discussing the security breach that resulted in the destruction of the Project's San Diego facility* for an hour. There was a mole in A-Next and they needed to find it.
* (Last issue- Tony)
"And what is it?" Buckner asked.
"Relocate again," Jordan said, "but this time, make sure that each of our people only know the location of one of the kids. Everything's on paper- no electronics- and kept with you. We keep them all in the same general vicinity, then station our active A-Next team in the area. They take down the team that goes after our kid and we have a short list of who our leak is."
Buckner was silent for a moment, thinking about Jordan's plan. "That's good Willoughby," he said. "Let's go for it."
"Thanks sir," he said. One of the agents working under him at the Manchester base waved at him to catch his attention. "Got to go sir. Looks like Fury's other operative just arrived."
"Keep me posted Jordan," Bucker said.
"You know I will sir." Jordan flipped the phone shut. He strode into the hallway and followed the agent who had summoned him. A tall, dark-haired woman in a business suit stood at the end of the hallway. She glanced at her watch as he walked up to her.
"Agent Willoughby?" she asked, extending her hand. He took it and nodded.
"I assume you're Agent Drew," he said. She grinned slightly.
"The only people who call me that are my superiors," she replied. "Jessica will do just fine." Jordan laughed slightly and began walking towards the hangar.
"Jessica then," he replied. "Were you briefed on the situation?"
"Yes," she said. "We're currently trying to locate our missing sleepers?" Jordan nodded.
"Our field team found them, and beat them might I add. They were teleported out after the fight. The team's been recovered and is on the way in. One of your SHIELD girls joined them out in the field and is saying she had something for us about the Hydra agents they encountered." They stopped outside the hangar. Jordan heard the rotors of the helicopter slowing outside. He opened the door in and walked into the large room. Thunderstrike was walking slowly and gingerly, but the rest of the team seemed unscathed. Scorpion strode up to Willoughby, an air of confidence surrounding her.
"You're Agent Willoughby?" she asked. He nodded. "Great. I just got word. These guys that attacked us aren't Hydra. We were set up."
The following evening
The assassin known as Gorgon steepled his fingers as he listened to Baron Strucker. The Hydra leader was agitated, and he let the man go on in his tirade. He'd calm soon enough.
"So correct me if I misunderstand your point," Gorgon said when Strucker paused for a moment. He leaned forward and bit his lip for an instant. "Hydra's being framed for a set of kidnappings that it would be proud to admit to. But because it wasn't you, you want me to find the real culprit and kill him."
Strucker adjusted his monocle and nodded. He exhaled deeply. "Indeed Gorgon. Honor among thieves and such."
"Easily done," he replied. "I could take care of it alone, without the Dawn behind me." He stood, offering his hand to the Hydra leader. "I'll enjoy this jo-"
The outer wall of the castle exploded. Iona landed on the floor and blasted Gorgon at full power, throwing the mutant through several of the castle's inner walls. The Eternal and Argonaut followed closely behind their teammate forming a defensive barrier. Strucker could hear the roar of an engine outside the gaping hole.
Hydra troops flooded into the room, but the three A-Next sleepers mowed through them quickly. Contact and the Captain jumped into the room from their transport craft. Strucker drew a gun, but Contact drew his own pistol faster, shooting the gun out of his hand. The duo strode up to the leader of the world's largest terrorist organization.
"Baron," he said. "Our employer would have a word." Strucker sneered at them, his upper lip curling in disgust. He began to spit at them, but Captain backhanded him.
"Bad manners," he said.
"Comes with the upbringing," Baron Strucker replied. Contact held his pistol to his neck. He pulled back the hammer with his thumb.
"Don't make this difficult," he said. "GO!" Strucker glared at the young man, then ran towards the gaping hole in the castle wall. He stopped on the edge, overlooking a drop of several hundred feet.
"Argonaut, Eternal, Iona!" Contact bellowed. "We've got him!" The three peeled away from the firefight with Hydra troopers and joined the others at the doorway. Argonaut grabbed Strucker and jumped, followed by the others. They each landed in the transport, which then shifted from its hover mode into a flight configuration.
"Good evening Baron," said a man sitting in the shadows of the ship's personnel compartment. The smoke of a very expensive cigarette wafted from his chair, the pungent aroma filling the small space. "I see you've already met my Shadow Reavers. A very peotic name, is it not?"
"Don't think that I don't recognise you," Strucker sneered. "I've suspected you ever since I caught word of these events."
"No doubt I wasn't the only one on your list," the man in the shadows replied. "This is just the begining Baron. This strike is the opening of my bid to remove all other leaders of factions such as Hydra. Seeing how you're the most high profile, I thought it would be fitting to begin at the top." The man chuckled a bit. "And what a glorious death we have planned for you as well." He leaned forward, casting light on his face. "Have you ever smelled cyanide gas Baron?" He smiled widely. "I think you'll enjoy it."
Joe Buckner was tired. He had really grown accustomed to the feeling over the past week. He figured he'd only had about an hour of uninterrupted sleep a night since this ordeal started.
"Sir?" Buckner looked up from his paperwork to see one of his younger agents, a woman by the name of Miranda Jacques standing in the doorway.
"Come in Agent," he said. "New development?" He rubbed his eyes, hoping they didn't reveal his exhaustion.
"Two things," she said. "First, our satellite techs captured these images about an hour ago." She handed him several photo printouts, showing the assault on Strucker's castle. "We think this confirms SHIELD's analysis that Hydra is not behind our kidnappings."
"Damn," he growled, looking at the pictures. "And the second."
"There's more than one mole in A-Next." He heard a gun cock. He looked up at her. Her face was twisted in anger. The gun was pointed directly at his head.
"Hope the others find them."
The report of the pistol split the air of the room.
In Project A-Next #4: It just keeps getting thicker. A-Next performs their sting on the traitor, while the Project deals with betrayals from within.