Captain America and Free Spirit are being examined by SHIELD medics in the street in the aftermath of the destruction of the Los Angeles area Sons Of The Serpent base. Cap has been exposed to the SotS nerve toxin, but is apparently immune to its effects - the Super-Soldier formula in his system repairs the damage to his nerve sheathing faster than the toxin can strip it away. "Boy are you lucky" comments one of the medics. "Anyone else would be in critical shape by now."
Between the ministrations of the medics, Cap and Free Spirit discuss (and neatly summarize in a few panels) what has brought them to this point, including their apparent betrayal at the hands of Diamondback.
Cap shakes his head "I haven't understood why Rachel does the things she does for a long time...ever since she began to work for Superia*. [ *Way back in Captain America #433 - Reminiscing Dave ] Since then we have crossed paths several times - but I we haven't had time to talk about it."
As Cap makes his final statement, up comes the SHIELD agent in charge of this detachment, Barth Bukowski. He collects Cap and Free Spirit, offering them a chance to rest while his field teams sift the rubble for evidence.
Four hours later (and some sleep) later Bukowski calls a briefing meeting. SHIELD evidence development teams have come up with some data; many of the computer hardware has been traced to MicroNet Enterprises, a biotechnological company owned mostly by the Brand Corporation, located in Seattle. MicroNet makes special high-powered computer hardware and software (which must run on their own special hardware and operating system), and these machines are supposed to be in the company's inventory, awaiting shipment.
"I want to talk to the engineers and the inventory people at MicroNet" Cap comments. "Perhaps they might be able to provide some insight into what Viper's got planned". Bukowski agrees, and tells Cap that he'll set something up for the next day.
Meanwhile...Diamondback is having a meeting in a hotel suite in Seattle with Asp, Black Mamba, and the two shadowy figures from the previous issue. Diamondback is thanking Asp and Black Mamba for their support at the LA SotS base, and asks them if they are willing to help them in Seattle. Both decline, and try to talk Diamondback out of it. "Just drop a dime to your Avengers buddies" comments Black Momba "and let them deal with it. A girl could find her seriously dead going up against Viper and..."
Diamondback cuts her off before she can finish. "You've already stabbed Viper in the back - how forgiving do you think she's going to be?"
"If you succeed, who cares? She'll be behind bars....or dead. And if you don't succeed...we're dead, along with everyone else."
"Then why won't you help us?"
"Because it would be too easy for us to die in the process. And even if not, can you guarentee that your boyscout boyfriend won't insist on taking us into custody anyway?" said Asp. "No, the best thing for us is to take a long vacation, and lay low for awhile."
Diamondback sighs, but understands that she won't get any further assistance from her friends; they are still primarily concerned with their own welfare...and she can't promise them that Cap would be willing to let them go afterwards. "He's not my boyfriend anymore, but fine." She turns to the people who have been in shadow all the way along - Sidewinder and Taskmaster. "What about you two?"
"I'm with you" comments Sidewinder. "My daughter would be one of the first to die"
"I still haven't forgotten our last encounter" adds Taskmaster. "You still owe me for the whole War Machine business...but thats old business*, and we'll take care of it later. [ *Back in the Siren miniseries - Malibu-Missing Dave ] For now the important part is stopping Viper before she ruins my business. Last time I sell training contracts to her. I make money from the constant demand of people like her for trained mercenaries - if one of them actually succeeds, then I'm out of business."
"Unless I train rebels for the other side afterwards. But that won't happen if Viper kills most of the population..." he adds.
Meanwhile, Cap and Free Spirit have shown up at MicroNet, and are met at the reception desk by Cyril Fence, the copmany CEO; when he heard that the famous Captain America was going to make a visit here, he decided to give the tour himself.
"By the way...who supplies the Avengers with their computers, Cappy? Maybe you'd like to upgrade to the MicroNet Operating System? Its compatible with many other MicroNet machines..." pitches Cyril oily, like the used-car salesman he used to be.
"I'm sorry, but Stark International supplies all of our computers" replies Cap, trying to remain polite.
"Hmmmm....do you know where Stark gets his computers? Do you know Tony Stark? Maybe the three of us could have lunch...." continues the CEO obnoxiously.
"Actually, right now I'm more interested in your Series 3200 computers" interrupts Cap. "Time is of the essence, and trite as this sounds, there are lives at stake."
"OK, Cap...I can call you 'Cap', can't I? I mean, its much easier than 'Mr. America' after all," answers Fench, thinking I can't wait to tell Bill that he let me call him 'Cap'. "Well, the Series 3200 MicroNet systems are meant for extrapolative analysis on RNA strands. Their hardware and software are specifically designed for the biochemical sciences, and many of the data libraries are customized to reflect the terminology and specific vertical market applications in that area."
"How much do these computers cost?" asked Free Spirit.
"The Series 3200 machines begin at $25,000, but that's just for the basic machine. There are a number of modifications and different peripherals depending on the tasks the user will want to perform" answers Fench. "Many of our customers don't actually buy the machines themselves, but purchase processing space from our own laboratory setup. Would you like to see the Lab?"
Cap nods, and Fench ushers them into an elevator. The elevator drops into an underground area, and the doors slide open into a large, multi-level computer area. "This is one of our special lab areas, where we have customized the machines for doing viral encoding analysis" Fench comments proudly. "Now, the machines which SHIELD has indicated were obtained from us we show as still in their part of the lab, through that door. Let me show you."
Fench preceeds Cap and Free Spirit through a short corridor and into a smaller room. "As you can see for yourself, they are still here."
Cap examines one of the machines. It is turned off, and won't turn on. "This one doesn't seem to be working" he comments.
"That's because we had to ship the actual computer 'guts', if you will, to Viper. But she said we could keep the casings so that we could pretend to still have the computers" snidely informs Fench, who touchs a button on his watch. The large door into the chamber slides down, and gas vents open near the floor. Fench, Free Spirit and Cap succumb to the gas.
Meanwhile....a viewcreen snaps to life, and a SotS reports that the trap has worked, and that Captain America and Free Spirit have been captured, and are now en route to her. She snaps off the screen, and turns to her partner, the Supreme Serpent, and informs him that they are now within their grasp. The Supreme Serpent gloats, and promises Cap a long, painful death while Seattle burns!
Next Issue - "...And Two Shall Take Its Place"