Avengers #3

Nick Fury - Former director of S.H.E.I.L.D.
Winter Soldier - Also known as Bucky Barnes, the former sidekick of Captain America
Black Widow - Natalia "Natasha" Alianovna Romanova, former spy and S.H.E.I.L.D. operative.
Solo - James Bourne, former counter-terrorism operative, turned mercenary. Minor teleportation abilities.
Ironman - Tony Stark, billionaire inventor and entrepreneur; Director of S.H.E.I.L.D.
Ms. Marvel - Carol Danvers, former US Air Force with a fusion of Human and Kree genes.
Wonder Man - Simon Williams, Ionic superhero possessing strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes.


"Phoenix, Arizona?!" Tony Stark said in surprise.

"Yes sir. Apparently local authorities captured Frank Castle after he took down a small drug cartel local to the area. They had planned to free him and attempt to recruit him," the solider said handing a file foler to Stark.

"So our operative on the inside is still alive then?" Stark asked as he stared out the large window of the main deck of the S.H.E.I.L.D. helicarrier.

"Yes sir, according to their report at least," the soldier responded.

"Cancel my dinner tonight with Megan Fox. The Avengers are going to Phoenix," Stark replied as he took a sip from the glass of champaign he held.



Bucky ran through the desert as fast as his legs would carry him. Fury's signal had gone dead and while he didn't know it was Dum Dum Dugan who was dead, he knew someone was. As he approached McDowell he saw several police squad cars and DPS wagons pull up to the military base that masqueraded as a museum.

"Dammit," he said quietly to himself ducking behind a large rock of clay.

"One and One, do you read? Over," he asked into his headset.

"Copy that, Greenwatch, this is One and One. Over," he heard Solo's reply.

"Thank God!" Bucky said as he watched the local authorites and on-site S.H.E.I.L.D. agents converse, "What the hell is going on in there?"

"It's a loss. Castle has One-Eye as a hostage, we have one casualty and Big Ben is KIA," Solo repsonded.

Dum Dum's death caused a lump to rise in Bucky's throat. The thought of him being gunned down by other S.H.E.I.L.D. agents seemed as if it were something out of a nightmare.


"Easy Castle. I'm here to help you get out. That's all," Fury said as Frank Castle aimed the weapon.

Castle leaned over pressing the button in the elevator to close the doors.

"Already said, I don't need help," Castle replied keeping the AR15 aimed at Fury, "What's that?"

Nick Fury looked to the direction Castle was looking. Dum Dum's body began to turn to a pale shade of green.

"What the f@&!!??" Fury said in surprise.


"The lady and I are almost out, Greenwatch," Solo said into his headset.

"There's no way you get out without dropping local authorities," Bucky replied surveying the situation from his hiding spot.

"Do you have any suggestions then? Because she's wounded," Solo replied as he and Widow turned a corner and headed up another stairwell.

"I can provide some distraction," Bucky said.

Bucky opened the duffel bag again and grabbed what he hoped would be enough to draw attention away from the scene. He then slung the duffel bag back over his should and ran toward the face of the southern mouth rise of the Papago Mountains.

"Give me three minutes," he said.


"Explain," Castle said still aiming the AR15.

"It's a Skrull. Son of a b!#ch!" Fury expressed as he and Castle began taking the elevator up.

"Are you a Skrull?" Castle asked, emotionless.

"Wha-NO!!" Fury responded angrily.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" Frank Castle had asked suspicious if Nick Fury really was Nick Fury or if he was actually a part of the alien shape-shifting race.

"I'm not!" Fury yelled back.

"Wrong answer."

BLAM!!


Solo and Widow stared out a window that over looked a receptionist desk inside of the museum.

"Were ready to extract, Greenwatch," he whispered into the headset.

"There's no way I can run on this leg," Black Widow told Solo.

"We just make it through the parking lot. After that, you'll be safe," he replied.

"Fire in the hole," Bucky said.

He tossed the grenade from a top a high ledge on the mountain toward the parking lot, well in front of the authorities to keep them safe from harm, but still close enough to do a significant amount of damage. The resulting expolsion sent officers and S.H.E.I.L.D. agents running.

KA-BOOM!!!

"Holy $#!t!!!!" yelled one officer.

A squad car burned and smoke was everywhere. Solo ran as fast as he could with Widow leaning on his shoulder.

"Here we go," he said. A slight shimmer of light around him began and then vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The two of them re-appeared on the opposite side of McDowell from where the museum was.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he heard an officer exclaim. Solo looked back but saw the officer looking toward the sky. Solo followed his gaze, as did Winter Soldier and Black Widow.

"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!" Ironman shouted firing a repulsor blast hitting Bucky square in the chest sending him flying from the ledge.

Ironman, Ms. Marvel, and Wonder Man hovered in the air.

"GAHHH!!!" Solo shouted, falling to the ground. Black Widow over him, taser in hand.

"Ironman, this is Widow. Solo has been incapacitated," she said into a wrist communicator she wore.

"Good work, Natasha" came Ironman's reply.

Tony Stark, in his Ironman armor landed on the ground next to where Bucky Banres, the Winter Solider, lay.

"If you really thought this would work, you were--"

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Ironman stumbled. The bullets hadn't pierced his armor but were still enough to knock him from his feet. Franky Castle ran throught he parking lot with the AR15 in hand and a dead skrull over his opposite shoulder dressed as Nick Fury.

"What the hell???" Bucky said confused at the scene.

Castle tossed the corpse at local authorites who were getting up finally from the grenade explosion, knocking them back.

"Simon, stop him," Ironman said. Simon Williams heard the order and flew toward Frank Castle who was now out of bullets.

CRACK!! Frank had swung the rifle like a baseball bat hitting Wonder Man across the face causing him to crash into the ground. He ran toward the chainlink fence and jumped, grabbing the barbed wire on the top and ignored it cutting into the flesh of his palms as he pulled himself over.

"HE'S JUST ONE MAN! STOP HIM!" Ms. Marvel yelled flying at an amazing speed and slamming into Castle causing both of them to crash to the ground.

"How did you know Fury was a Skrull?!" she said as she straddled him and raised her fist threateningly.

"Same way I know how to take you out!" he yelled back.

THUD!

"AHHH!!! MY BOOB!!!" she yelled holding her breast.

"Some things are just obvious. Skrulls can look the part, but do a bad job of acting. There's no way Fury would have yelled in fear. Just like you. You can look the part but every woman hates being punched in the tit," he said getting to his feet.

"You son of a --" she said, standing up herself.

"Let him go Carol!" Ironman yelled at Ms. Marvel.

Castle ran.

"Are you insane?! We have him!" she responded.

Frank ran through the desert away from the scene.

"Damn it. Just forget it. Let him go. We have who we came for," Ironman replied standing over Bucky.


Bucky sat in the cell, holding a sore shoulder from his fall from the ledge. Solo sat in the same cell wearing a collar that was suppressing his teleportation abilities.

"What the hell happened?" Solo asked.

"You were tazed by Widow," Bucky responded.

"I know that. I -ung" he said rubbing his neck, "I mean, how did this happen. Fury is a skrull? Dum Dum is dead? Widow is a traitor?"

Both men sat silently for a moment.

"You aren't a robot are you?" Solo asked.

Bucky glanced at him as if he were an idiot.

Both men then sat to attention when they heard the metallic footsteps calging down the corridor toward their cell.

"I believe you both are wondering what exactly is going on," Ironman said.

"Just a tad," Solo responded.

The faceplate to Ironman's armor flipped open to where Bucky and Solo could see Tony's face.

"We were first notified of the Skrulls presence through S.W.O.R.D. Black Widow has been a spy in their outfit for some time now. When you two were brought into the fold we knew we had to get you out. The HYDRA that was explained to you doesn't exist anymore than the Nick Fury or Dum Dum Dugan you thought you were working with," Tony explained.

"Dum Dum was a skrull to? Oh man," Solo said looking at the ground.

"Yes," Tony continued, "We're looking at a possible full scale invasion."

"What about the real Nick Fury? The Real Dum Dum?" Bucky asked.

"Dum Dum was killed a month ago by Daken," Tony said.

"Who's Daken?" Solo asked.

"Wolverine's son. As for Fury....we-we simply don't know," Tony replied.

"As usual, Nick is underground then?" Bucky responded.

"No. We know he's being held captive. In China. We just don't know how to get into their base," Tony replied.

"Let me guess, that's what you need us for," Solo said.

"No....you two are going on trial for treason," Stark replied.

NEXT ISSUE: Invasion!

Wow what a whole bunch of twists and turns Craig, great issue. I knew something was off with Fury in the previous issue but could not put my finger on it. I got to go read the next issue now. Great job.

Wouldn't that AR-15 rifle shatter on Wonder Man's head?

Apart from that, I love the double-crosses and non-stop action.

I think maybe the AR-15 to the face was meant more to surprise Wonder Man than anything else, Nik. How about it, Craig? I get a No-Prize for that?