Elsewhere.
At Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The destruction of a weapons depot drew the military's attention, and radar detected an unidentified flying object moving at high speed, untraceable by satellite save for a heat signature.
After confirming that the explosion wasn't ordered by the Air Force, they inquired with the CIA, Navy, and Army — all denied involvement, some even asking if it was the Air Force's doing.
When no answers came, a senior officer gave the order:"Call in Colonel Rhodes from Weapons Development. Now."
Rhodey quickly arrived as the room was still being briefed."We ran a full database search — nothing matched."
Rhodey asked,"Any high-altitude surveillance over that area?"
A Black airman replied,"Yes, sir — AWACS and Global Hawk reconnaissance drones were monitoring the airspace."
"So it just appeared out of nowhere?" Rhodey pressed."No radar signature?"
Another soldier explained,"The radar cross-section was too small, sir."
"Stealth tech?"
"No, sir. It's just that small. We think it's an unmanned drone."
The commanding officer looked at Rhodey:"Colonel, what the hell is it?"
Rhodey thought back to when Tony had visited him with talk of some big project he'd declined to join."Let me make a call. Sergeant, give me the room."
Meanwhile, Tony was already flying back when his phone buzzed.
"Tony?""Who is this?""It's Rhodey.""Sorry, say again?""I said it's Rhodey.""Little louder?"
With all the background noise, Rhodey asked,"What's with all the noise?""Oh, I'm taking a spin in my convertible," Tony replied smugly.Rhodey blocked his other ear to hear better:"I need a favor.""Oh? How the tables turn," Tony quipped.
Rhodey ignored the sarcasm and said,"There's been an explosion near where you were held captive — a weapons depot was hit. Looks like someone finished your job for you, huh?"
Tony cut in,"Yeah, that area's always been a mess.""So what's with you sounding out of breath?""Just jogging in the canyon," Tony lied."Didn't you say you were driving?""Got to the canyon, decided to stretch my legs."
Rhodey fell silent a moment, then asked,"Tony, is there something I should know about?""Nope."
Just then, a soldier shouted from the command center:"Target located! Two Raptors have visual!"
Seeing the feed, Rhodey said,"Good. That thing's about to get blown out of the sky."
Tony also spotted the two Raptors tailing him. After a tense game of cat and mouse, he downed one of the Raptors — fortunately the pilot ejected safely.
By then, Tony's Mark 3 armor had been revealed to Rhodey, who he promised to compensate for the lost jet.
Back at his villa, Tony was removing his armor when Pepper showed up and noticed the damage."Well… you caught me."
Elsewhere.
In the Siberian deep pit prison, the Red Guardian, Alexei Shostakov, carried on his daily routine — arm wrestling and boasting, one of his few joys in confinement.
After beating one inmate, he bragged:"You'd never believe it, I once had Russia's nuclear launch codes."
Another burly man sat opposite him, sneering:"Sure you did. Your 'opponent,' Captain America, has been dead sixty years."
Alexei gripped the man's hand tightly and said through gritted teeth:"Captain America — Steve Rogers."
With a quick squeeze, he broke the man's resistance and raised his arms in triumph."The era of the Red Guardian is coming! America without its captain will fall to my fists! Even if he's still alive, he couldn't match my strength! Unlike him, I don't need to cling to a shield like a baby's pacifier!"
Then a larger prisoner sat down and mocked:"Then why does he have his own museum exhibit while you rot here in prison?"
The room fell silent.
Alexei snapped the man's wrist, sending him howling in pain, and burst into laughter.These worms had no right to question him.
Just then the prison intercom blared:"Alexei Shostakov — mail."
He taunted the injured man:"Cry all you want, little bear."
After putting on his shirt, Alexei went to collect his mail."Tell your fans to add more butter next time," the guard snickered, clearly having eaten the snacks that were sent.
A drawer slid out with torn envelopes and a toy inside."Take it already," the guard grunted.
Alexei scowled at him but picked up his mail anyway.
Sitting down, he examined the little Red Guardian figurine in his hands, gazing at it.
He had once been the Soviet Union's answer to Captain America, forged for the Cold War, but three wasted years under Dreykov's schemes and the fall of the USSR had left him to rot in this pit.
(End of Chapter)
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