"Into the Fire"

Steve Rogers sets down the box of clothes he is carrying inside his new apartment in Chelsea. "Well, it's not much, but it's home," he thinks as he looks at the less than luxurious accomodations. "The rent's pretty cheap though, and it has a skylight. It feels odd living in my own apartment. It almost seems like another life, those years living in Brooklyn Heights, dating Bernie..." Cap pushes away the memory of a love he had once hoped would last forever, as he turns to see Clint Barton bringing in another box.

"Alright, old man, I know I forced myself on ya after you didn't seem to want any help moving (in between last issue and this one - Matt) but that doesn't mean you gotta make me do all the work!" Clint says as he drops another box on the floor. "C'mon, we still got a ton of stuff left to move!"

These two heroes make quick work of their task, and soon Steve and Clint are relaxing on a pair of crates in the middle of the apartment's livingroom.

"Y'know, this looks more like my kinda place than yours," Clint observes. "I just can't picture you in a run-down place like this."

"Remember, Clint, I grew up during the Great Depression. This apartment's actually nicer than the one I had when I was a kid."

"I've always joked about you bein' an old man but sometimes I forget you've really been around that long."

The conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door, which Steve promptly answers.

"Hello, Mrs. Muggins," he says as he greets his landlady.

"Just makin' sure you got moved in alright, Mr. Rogers," Mrs. Muggins says. "Tell me again, what is it you do for a living?"

"I'm a freelance artist."

"Hmph. I once had tenant that was a freelance photographer. Lived in this very apartment in fact. He was always late with his rent - you're not gonna be like that, are ya?"

"No, ma'am."

"Well, you look like a nice enough fella. But I think I'll keep an eye on you just in case." With that Mrs. Muggins leaves.

Clint barely supresses a laugh. "What a character! I can just see Captain America owing back rent!" Despite himself, Steve busts out laughing.

The two begin to unpack, but a few moments later there is another knock at the door. Steve answers. Standing there is a handsome black man in his mid-thirties, who promptly extends his hand. "Jeff Warren. Looks like I'll be your neighbor. Welcome to the neighborhood."

"Thanks, Jeff. My name's Steve Rogers," Steve greets as he shakes Jeff's hand. "Come on in. This is a friend who's helping me move, Clint Barton."

Clint and Jeff exchange handshakes, and the three sit and talk a few minutes.

"Commercial art, eh? That's sounds exciting," Jeff responds to Steve's explanation of his field.

"Yes, it can be a pretty interesting job, but I haven't done much work in the field in the last few years. I've been, uh, doing a little bit of government work lately. But I'm looking forward to getting more involved in the private sector again."

Once again, there is a knock on the door. "Excuse me a second," Steve says as he gets up to answer the door. "I guess I can expect people dropping in all day," Steve thinks. However, when he opens the door he realizes he won't be meeting any more new neighbors today. Standing in a trenchcoat and smoking a cigar (as always) is Col. Nick Fury.

"Hi Steve. Got a minute?" Nick says as he walks on in, clearly not caring what Steve's answer is.

"Actually, I've got company..." Steve begins.

"This is important, Steve," Fury asserts. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have ta call in my marker already."

"Hawkeye's here too," Steve whispers. "Do you want him as well?"

Fury thinks a minute. "Nah, I don't need him for what I have in mind. Thisis top secret, so you better get rid of him, too."

Steve walks into the adjoining room where Clint and Jeff are talking. "Guys, I'm sorry but something's come up. Family emergency."

"No problem, Steve," Jeff says. "I'll see you around." He shakes Steve's hand and shows himself out.

Clint eyes Fury and then gives Steve a concerned look. "Need me to stick around?" he asks.

"No, Clint. Whatever it is, I'll tell you about it later." Clint reluctantly leaves the apartment, leaving Steve and Nick Fury alone.

"Might as well get on yer union suit," Fury says. "We gotta get movin'."

"Advanced Idea Mechanics was once one of the world's most dangerous organizations. The weapons and biological creations it has created over the years have been second to none. Now this grand organization is in danger of becoming extinct because of petty squabbling over who should be the next to hold the title of 'Scientist Supreme.' Fah! It is a meaningless argument."

The half dozen AIM agents in this meeting room do not move. However, if we could peer inside of those beekeeper helmets of theirs, we would see nervousness defined. Eyes twitch, throats become parched, tongues become cotton, and sweat steadily accumulates on upper lips. Outwardly, no sign of this reaction to the man speaking is evident. Nevertheless, the man who is speaking knew. And he notes this reaction with self-satisfaction.

As he fixes his steely gaze on each of the men, he slowly leans forward and flicks the ash off his cigarrette into an ash tray. The smoke from the cigarrette rises slowly, and one or two AIM agents watch the smoke intently,if for no reason than to avoid looking at the set of eyes which now bore into them. They note the small glowing fire burning the tobacco; the white paper holding the tobacco together; and of course, the long black cigarrette holder to which the cigarrette is attached. The man who had been speaking slowly leans back in his leather chair, satisfied that the AIM agents are sufficiently intimidated. He brings the cigarrette holder back to his mouth and takes a drag off his cigarrette that seems to stretch into eternity. Then, with equally painstaking slowness, he exhales. And then he begins speaking again.

"AIM has no need of a Scientist Supreme. It has no need of MODOK. It only needs me. I will reunite AIM under my iron grip, and we shall shake this petty world apart!" And then he begins to laugh. No, not laugh. Cackle. The sound sends chills up the agents' spines.

"So that's what we've got so far," Fury says as he finishes debriefing Cap aboard the SHIELD helicarrier.

"AIM at civil war. MODOK back. This is serious," Cap agrees. "But why don't we just bring the Avengers in on this?"

"I don't wanna bring too much public attention to this thing, and bringin'in the Avengers would force this thing inta the open. I wanna keep as the lid on this thing as tight as I can, at least until we figure out where the leaders are - or even who they are!" Fury replies.

"Surely MODOK must be leading one of the groups?" Cap asks.

"We think so, yeah. But as far as the other group goes, we don't have a clue."

"So what's the plan?"

"I've got a squad of a half dozen agents that are going to raid an AIM facility we think is being used as an information relay across continents.You and me are goin' in with 'em. Hopefully we'll be able to find out what this whole mess is really about."

"I was hoping by resuming my life as Steve Rogers Captain America would be able to be more effective on a street level," Cap thinks. "I don't even get a chance to move in before I'm off on another top secret mission. But I have my duties as Captain America, and they cannot be ignored." Cap meets Nick's steely gaze. "Okay, Nick. I'm in."

Later that night, eight men approach an abandoned warehouse in south New Jersey.

"An abandoned warehouse? How cliched is that?" one of the SHIELD agents smirks.

"Cut the chatter, Holland. We're not here to critique AIM's choice in real estate!" Fury admonishes. He looks at his watch. "Alright, it's time. Everyone to positions!"

The six agents, as well as Fury and Captain America take their positions at various points around the building. Two of the agents prepare to enter through a skylight in the roof. The other four are at various windows around the building. Cap and Fury wait near the front entrance. Fury whispers into his communicator, "Alright men, on my mark." He pauses a second. "Mark!"

The eight men burst into the building simultaneously, the SHIELD agents firing stun guns at the AIM agents inside. There are only fifteen AIM troops in the building, and six are taken out immediately due to the element of surprise. The others react quickly and duck for cover, and a firefight amongst the two contingents breaks out.

Captain America sprints across the open space of the warehouse towards the bank of equipment nearest him, which is the current haven for two of the remaining AIM agents. He uses his shield to effortlessly block the enemy fire, and then somersaults over the equipment to land on top of one of the AIM agents. He then trades blows with the other agent, who quickly learns the folly of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Captain America. Cap then looks up to see that the SHIELD agents have taken out three more AIM troops, and he begins formulating a strategy to take out the last four when suddenly the rear wall of the warehouse blasts inward with a deafening BOOM!

Reacting quickly, Cap manages to use his shield to protect him from the flying debris. He peers through the smoke to see twenty more AIM agents scurrying into the room, and the familiar form of a gigantic head with small limbs floating behind them. The giant head begins to give orders.

"Retrieve all data on Project Mindwave quickly!" he snaps.

Captain America and Nick Fury both rise from their vantage points, and simultaneously shout, "MODOK!"

MODOK quickly recognizes his old foes, and cooly says, "It appears as though we have some unexpected guests. Kill them!"

Next Issue: Cap and Fury vs. MODOK! The leader of the other faction of AIM is revealed! (As if you haven't guessed already!) It's action, action,

action! Don't you dare miss it!