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November
Year 1 |
"Cap, we heard about what happened yesterday," Free Spirit tells her mentor. She and Diamondback stand with Cap in the assembly room at Avengers mansion. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Thanks for offering, Free Spirit," Captain America replies. "I think those two kids may have gotten their guns from a local gun supplier, but so far I haven't had any luck finding him. Perhaps if the three of us all combed the city, one of us might be able to turn up something."
"Steve, are you sure you're alright?" Diamondback asks, noticing the tired look in his eyes.
"I'm fine Rachel," Cap answers with a half-hearted smile. "I guess this case is just getting to me. But don't worry about me - let's get out there and find that scum."
The three heroes go their seperate ways, trying to find out whatever they can about any local gunrunners, and not having much success. Later that day, Cap sits on a rooftop, frustrated.
"I can't believe this. Some scum puts weapons in the hands of children, who then take those weapons and attempt to kill their fellow classmates - and I, one of the Avengers, the greatest single force for good on this planet, can't find the person that did it. Am I losing it? Have I forgotten how to be an effective super-hero? Maybe Hawkeye or Iron Man could have done a better job - surely one of the others would have found out something by now?"
Steve pauses in his reflections, and then the set of his jaw reveals his renewed determination. "No. I refuse to accept that. Someone gave those children those guns - and while the kids themselves pulled the trigger, whoever supplied them with the guns has something to answer for as well. And I'm going to make sure they do - for the sake of those three boys who are in a hospital bed right now."
Just as Cap gets up to renew his search, his Avengers communicard beeps. "Captain America here," he answers.
"Master Cap, you have a call from Jack Flagg," Jarvis responds. "He says he just received an important tip on your hotline."
"Put him through," Cap says. Jack Flagg's face appears on the tiny screen on Cap's communicard. "Jack," he says, "how are things with Team America?"
"Things are going pretty well, Cap. We just got an anonymous tip I knew you'd want to hear. Some guy says he's heard you're looking for gun suppliers, and he can tell you what you need to know if you meet him in the warehouse district tonight at midnight. He also wants you to come alone. I don't have to tell you that it's gotta be a trap."
"Right," Cap responds. "But at least it's a lead. Have Diamondback and Free Spirit meet me at Avengers mansion as soon as they can. Cap out."
A small, uncharted island in the south Pacific. A giant research facility covers most of the island, and extends far below the island's surface. Inside the facility, several workers wearing familiar yellow jumpsuits with beekeeper's hats scurry about, performing various tasks. Two of the agents of Advanced Idea Mechanics pass by a storage room. Once the agents have dis- appeared down the corridor, the door to the storage room cracks slightly. Colonel Nick Fury cautiously peeks his head out of the door.
"It looks like all's clear," Fury thinks. "Now's my chance to get outta this joint. I just hope the charge on this crazy blaster I swiped holds long enough for me to make it to the docks."
Fury emerges from the room, running as fast as he can. He takes the first left turn, and the passage leads him to the docking facilities for AIM's small one-man submersibles. Fury blast several of the guards as he sprints for the nearest submersible. The guards return fire, but Fury is too quick. He leaps into the submersible and activates it, diving under water and heading for freedom. "After him!" one of the AIM agents shouts. However, before the agents can pursue, the AIM facility is rocked by explosions.
As Fury jets away underwater, his small craft is shaken by the shockwave of the explosion. "What the heck's goin' on back there?" he wonders aloud as he sends a small spy drone from the submersible to scan the situation on the surface. The drone sends back images of an assault ship landing on the island, firing concussion blasts at the research facility. And then troops begin emerging from the assault ship, charging up the beach to begin the battle for control of the island. These troops also wear AIM uniforms.
"It's started," Fury grimly states. "The battle for control of AIM has begun."
Back at Avengers Mansion, Cap has just finished updating Diamondback and Free Spirit on the situation. "So I'm going there alone," he concludes.
"Please, Steve," Diamondback reasons, "you'll need backup - they're out to get you. Why don't you let us go with you? We'll stick to the shadows - they won't even know we're there."
"Diamondback's right," Free Spirit agrees. "We can help you nail these guys."
"I just don't want to risk blowing this," Cap says. "I'll go alone. If I get in over my head, I'll beep you with my communicard. I think I can handle some street punks myself."
"Just be careful," Diamondback says, her voice revealing more than just friendly concern.
"I will," Cap replies without a trace of emotion as he leaves the room, forcing Diamondback to wonder if she can ever win back Steve's love.
Midnight. The warehouse district. Captain America stands patiently under a street lamp, making himself clearly visible. He hears the click of a revolver's hammer being cocked.
"I was wondering when you'd show," Cap says matter-of-factly, without so much as twitching.
"I gotta wonder what's up when a fancy Avenger like you comes lookin' for a little fish like me," a voice from behind answers. "Why you lookin' for trouble, fancy pants?"
"Two kids shot at their classmates yesterday," Cap answers. "Those guns weren't brought to them by Santa Claus. I want to know who gave them the guns."
"You think they came from one of my guys?" the voice asks. "Listen, I get a piece of almost every illegal gun sale on this side of town, but I can tell you I don't sell to nobody who ain't big enough to hold it - I think you're barkin' up the wrong tree, man."
In one lightning fast move, Captain America spins, his shield extended, and disarms the man behind him. As the gun rattles on the ground, Cap throws the man down and presses his shield against the man's throat. A dozen street punks emerge from the shadows, all with guns of various sizes pointed at Cap.
"Watch yourself, man," the gun dealer says as he stares defiantly in Cap's face.
Cap meets his gaze. There is no fear in the living legend's eyes. He leaps up and pounces at the nearest thug. In a flurry of spins, kicks, punches, and a few well-aimed throws of his shield, Captain America disarms and renders insensate the thugs. As he turns back to the dealer, he sees the dealer sprinting away. Cap throws his shield, which takes the dealer's legs out from under him. "Okay man, I'll talk!" the dealer whines. "Don't hurt me!"
"Did you sell guns to Rob Parker and Joe Johnson?" Cap asks, with a bit of edge in his voice.
"I swear man, I don't sell to no kids - wait a minute. Johnson? I got a regular customer named Doug Johnson but I don't know no Joe. I swear, man."
"I believe you," Cap says. "Just tell me where I can find Doug Johnson."
The dealer tells Cap everything. Cap waits a few minutes for the police to arrive, who promptly arrest the dealer and his thugs. Then Cap proceeds to the apartment of Doug Johnson.
Cap walks through the run down apartment building, ignoring the stares he receives as he passes by. Finally, he comes to the door of Doug Johnson's apartment. "Mr. Johnson?" he asks as he knocks on the door. "I'd like to talk to you, please."
Johnson opens the door. "Yeah, whadda you want?" he says in an annoyed tone. Then he notices who is standing there. "Holy cow! Captain America!" He pauses for a minute, unsure what to do. Finally, he steps back and gestures for Cap to enter. Cap walks into the apartment.
"We need to have a little talk, Mr. Johnson. Do you know a Joe Johnson?"
"Yeah, he's my son. Is this about that trouble he got into at school yesterday?"
"I'd say he got into a little more than trouble. He tried to kill three of his classmates. Do you have any idea how he might have gotten that gun?"
"Uh, I uh, I dunno," Johnson stammers, looking nervous.
Cap has been glancing around the room since the conversation started. Now he sees what he's been looking for. He walks over to the kitchen table and picks up a revolver lying there.
"You keep your guns lying about like this?" Cap says, his tone more of a statement than a question.
"You don't unnerstand, Cap," Johnson nervously attempts to explain. "It's a rough neighborhood. I gotta have protection!"
"And how many guns do you keep in the house?"
"I dunno- usually about a half dozen or so."
"But two of them were missing this week, weren't they?"
"Yeah," Johnson answers as his shoulders slump, and he bows his head.
"Mr. Johnson, you should be ashamed. Your reckless behavior gave your son an opportunity to commit a crime. And what's more, these guns have been purchased illegally. I suppose you have a criminal record, and can't buy guns by legal means."
"Yeah."
"I'm going to have to bring you in." Johnson does not resist, but accompanies Cap to the police car waiting outside.
Cap returns to the hospital where the injured boys were taken. After finding the attending doctor, he asks, "Are they any better?"
"Except for Tommy Walker," the doctor solemnly replies. "We've still got him listed as critical. His father's here, if you'd like to see him."
Cap enters the hospital room, where Mr. Walker sits at his son's bedside. "Mr. Walker?"
Mr. Walker turns. "Captain America. I suppose I should thank you but I can't. I know it was just dumb luck that you happened by the school when this happened. You don't really care what goes on in the neighborhoods. You're always fighting aliens and super muckamucks with those high and mighty Avengers of yours - if you spent more time stopping the small timers things like this wouldn't happen. So you accidentally save my son's life. So what? What about all those other kids who die every day, in school or on the street? What about them?"
"Mr. Walker, I know you're upset but I think you're out of line. The Avengers -"
"I don't want to hear it," Mr. Walker snaps. "Get out of here. You live in that fancy mansion of yours - you don't know what it's like for the average person. You've lost touch. Go on, leave!"
Cap nods and leaves. As he leaves the hospital to return to Avengers mansion he wonders. "Have I lost touch? It's been so long since I've tried to live like a normal person - have I quit thinking like a normal person? I jumped to the conclusion that those kids had been supplied guns by a criminal. It didn't even occur to me that they had gotten the guns from their own home. Growing up in a big city has never been easy, but it seems like it's getting worse all the time. Has living in Avengers Mansion isolated me from the problems facing Americans growing up like this? I still believe that the Avengers provides me with the best opportunity to help the most people - but is there a way I can make a bigger impact in people's everyday lives?"
These are questions Cap can find no easy answer to.
Next Issue: Cap decides to make a change in his life. But first, Nick Fury wants Cap's help to stop AIM's civil war from consuming the globe! Plus, the return of an old foe! Don't miss it!
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