//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - A Warning // Story: This War of Ours // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Upstate New York New Avengers Facility, Living Room Two Days After the Attack 12:28 p.m. “Thank you, Christine. Breaking today, we have confirmation…” The man on the bright screen adjusted his eyes to the teleprompter, a wash of dread clearly evident. He gulped, his breath shaking. “We… we have confirmation on the attack at Washington. Over 150 confirmed casualties and 200 plus wounded. No word on the state of the administration, or what the terrorists on this attack wanted. However, we can also confirm that the only missing person during this entire attack was the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. Her closest allies, the Avengers, have not spoken out to this, though we can only pray that some form of action will be taken. Back to you, Everhart.” Pinkie Pie’s mane fell slightly farther at that news, not nearly deflated but close enough. She, as well as Fluttershy and Spike, rested on the couches, their eyes glued to the magic screen that played news broadcasts. TV, was it called? It didn’t matter. It gave them updates on Twilight and that’s all they cared about. Beside them was Wanda Maximoff. She seemed just as engrossed with the news as the others. As Fluttershy was clutching a pillow, as if it meant some form of small comfort to her, Rainbow Dash was flying back and forth behind the couch, her eyes trained on Colonel James Rhodes. “Mr. President, that’s…” James began to say, his voice pausing as the subtle shouting from the other line drowned him out. Dash’s ears twitched, though she couldn’t hear the words the president was saying. Tightening his grip around his phone, James spun around, walking forward. He replied, “We are looking. We’ve been looking nonstop since the attack. I know you want me to come in, but we… No, we… But… Okay. Okay, I’ll inform them right now. Thank you for your time, Mr. President.” He disconnected. Rainbow instantly flew up to him, asking, “So?! Did he know who took Twilight?” James shook his head, pocketing his phone away. “Unfortunately, no. All cameras surrounding the South Lawn and the Ellipse haven’t helped either. The Osprey and the Apaches remain unidentified, the soldiers we’ve managed to capture haven’t broke, and all we really have to work with is a man with a skull mask.” Noticing the expressive states of the mares, the worry riddled in their eyes, James just sighed and shook his head. He said, “They’re still working on it. The FBI has devoted all of their efforts to finding the identity of these terrorists and where they took Twilight.” Checking his watch, James cursed and reached for his jacket resting on a nearby chair. “I’m sorry everyone, but I have to go. The Secretary of State wants to personally meet with me back at Washington and discuss further on this issue.” “Keep us posted, Rhodey,” Stark called from the table on the far left of the room. Nodding, James turned away and made his exit into the hallways. Rainbow Dash watched him enter the darkness of the hallway, her attention shifting to the Captain. Cringing slightly at the pain in his shoulder, he approached Tony from behind, his eyes instantly hooked to the computer screen resting in front of Stark. Alongside the table sat Vision, Sam Wilson, Starlight, and Rarity. Applejack trotted back and forth at the end of the table, relying on Sam or Tony for updates on Twilight. Computers, papers, and coffee mugs were strewn across the table they sat at. Sam was preoccupied with his own computer, typing away with Vision watching him. Starlight and Rarity shifted through the papers, the newspapers, pretty much anything that dealt with the attack two days ago. Hovering closer, the sounds of the TV drowned out, Rainbow listened in to what Steve had to say. “We got eyes in the sky?” Rogers asked, crossing his arms slowly, minding the pain still throbbing in his shoulder. Tony nodded, showing him the computer, the screen revealing a bird’s-eye view of several different cities, data charts and numbers flying on the bottom corners. “Homer’s been working around the clock. We’ve tracked nearly everything. Can’t tell ya how many cameras we’ve hacked. Still… we can’t seem to find where that damn ship flew off to.” Upon that revelation, Dash’s ears fell, her eyes drooping to the floor. She picked up her head, still listening as Steve asked, “Homer can’t follow the Osprey’s trail?” “That’s the thing,” Stark sighed, crossing his arms. “Homer can only do so much. We don’t have anything. The choppers were destroyed, the Osprey carrying Twilight and our prime suspect got away to God knows where. They just came in, raised hell, and left. Trail’s as cold as ice. You should know.” Ignoring that comment, Steve said, “These terrorists wanted something—” “What they wanted was Twilight,” Starlight interrupted, both Stark and Steve turning their eyes towards the pair of unicorns. Starlight tapped her hoof onto the table, declaring, “Whether it be because she’s a princess, she has immense power in another world, or whichever… we still haven’t come close to figuring out where they are.” “Give us a break, Star,” Sam objected, still typing on his keyboard. “We’ve been working ever since. Like Stark said, the trail’s cold, and it’ll stay that way unless we have something to warm it up.” “We had better find her fast,” Starlight retorted. “Do you all realize what the repercussions for this is, or if Celestia or Luna finds out?” “They’re not gonna find out,” Tony told her, waving his hand. “Don’t worry. We got this under control.” “Can’t we just write Discord and tell him what happened?” Fluttershy offered from the couch, earning nods from Starlight. “Maybe he can help—” Unfortunately, she was cut short by Stark, the poor mare squeaking into silence. Stark said, “No, I don’t want him back here and causing even more chaos than we already have. The UN’s already chewing out my ass for Sokovia, and I don’t want them worried over a ‘Spirit of Chaos’ that we allowed here. We got this under control.” Fluttershy rubbed her mane, looking away shamefully. Starlight opened her mouth to argue back, but Vision beat her. “I do believe that we shouldn’t disregard outside help for this. If the time comes, we should seek out further assistance, or… as you say… anything is on the table.” Stark reluctantly nodded in the end. Vision continued. “Also, whoever did capture Princess Twilight, they would most likely use her as a bargain for something else. Something much more significant if it would require the travesties they committed,” the android added, earning a few nods all around. Steve shook his head, finally taking a free seat next to Stark. He rubbed his shoulder gently, saying, “Well, if we don’t find her, then they just may. And we’ll need some outside help.” He looked to Fluttershy, offered an assuring smile, to which she replied back. “Stark, bring that picture back up of our prime suspect.” Tony tapped twice on his computer screen and slid the image left. A hologram spewed out of the side of Stark’s computer and displayed the man with the skull mask directly in front of the Captain. The light caught Starlight’s and Rarity’s attention, their eyes shifting to the transparent image Steve peered at. Even Rainbow flew a little closer. Leaning forward, Steve wrapped his palms together and bit his finger, his elbows pressed into the solid table. The image was from a police officer’s body camera. It showcased a blurry, frozen, yet clear enough image of the man with the skull mask. Remnants of tear gas blurred his feet, soldiers in gas masks directly behind him. His M4 was gripped tightly, eyes darting in the other direction, away from the camera. And that’s all they had on him. Steve didn’t believe that. Not one second. He had reasons, a purpose to what he did and how many people he killed. It could’ve been true, he could’ve just been another terrorist seeking to bargain like Vision had said, and what better bargain than the Princess of Friendship? Whoever he was, he was skilled, trained with military precision and tactics. He knew how to set and execute a mission, coordinate men into battle, and handle a rifle. He came in, took what he wanted, and left. Just like that. Steve was so entranced with the image that he almost ignored what Wanda was saying. Shouting, basically. “You guys!” she yelled, every head shifting towards the couch, towards the woman on the far end of one. “You might want to take a look at this.” Wanda reached for the remote and turned up the volume, everyone’s eyes shifting forwards, towards the news broadcast. Flashes on the screen of amateur footage showed what appeared to be soldiers in black raiding a police station. Steve got out of his chair, as did Sam, Starlight, Rarity, and Vision. They surrounded the area behind the couch, watching the news broadcast patiently. Stark could see between them, heard exactly what came of it. “This just in, we have confirmed reports of Nigerian police stations being raided for their weapons and armor. These attacks have followed since the devastation at Washington, and eyewitness accounts have also suggested the soldiers behind these raids are, once again, the unknown mercenaries who enacted the attack in Washington two days ago.” Footage paused on the same man once again, this time staring straight at the camera as chaos fell around him. Steve remained silent, his eyes narrowing only slightly. He could feel the eyes behind that mask staring straight at him. “We’ll have more coverage on these incidents later tonight,” WHIH Newsfront anchor Christine Everhart announced. Hushed whispers, a few sounding slightly panicked and rushed followed, Everhart’s eyes breaking away from the camera a few times. “She never could keep her eyes forward,” Stark interjected, quickly hushed by Rarity. After a short pause, Everhart pressed down on her earpiece, her brow furrowing, seeming slightly concerned. Still, she nodded and said, “Um… We have breaking news, the… the FBI has just released a viral video from the terrorist responsible for the attack in Washington…? Am I getting that right?” She looked away, nodded to whoever was off-screen, and continued. “There are no scenes of graphic violence if what I’m told is true, but be wary with what WHIH Newsfront is about to show.” Quickly, the screen shifted to black and remained that way. It did for quite some time. Everypony held their breath. The Avengers still breathed, breathed silently. Suddenly, a figure stepped forward, his mask scarred in white. On his chest, a white “X” was slashed violently, deliberately. They video was still and silent, save for the heavy breaths of the mercenary. His eyes weren’t visible in the dim light, just two orbs of blackness staring straight into the camera. He spoke, his voice a heavy rasp of pain and venom. “I’m only gonna say this once: it’s not over. You might think this was the endgame, to kill a couple hundred, raid a few police stations, but no. It’s not. Washington, Nigeria, we do what we do because we do it. There is no way behind, around, or above it. But why…?” He held out his arms, each covered in heavy, black sleeves and ending in dark gloves. Everyone remained silent, some clutching pillows, some gripping the sofa. Some simply staring. Everyone listening. He got closer, practically growling, “Payback, that’s why. For everything Captain America and his pathetic team of asswipes did to me. I know you’re watching, Captain America, Steve Rogers, and I know you know what’s coming.” Several mares slowly shifted their attention to Steve, Rainbow Dash holding her breath, waiting patiently to see how he would react. He didn’t. He kept on staring, breathing still, eyes trained on the black orbs glaring through the video, almost like he was contemplating or working something out in his mind. He seemed to read everyone’s thoughts, even Steve’s. “You don’t remember me?” Turning his head to the side, the man chuckled. Heavy. Powerful. Twisted and demented. He continued. “Oh, Rogers… you thought I was dead. Two years ago, Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Triskelion! You and Sam barely got out of that mess alive…” Then it clicked. The voice, the dates, the locations, the expertise. Everything. Barely flinching, Steve whispered, “… Rumlow.” “Yeah, I have the princess, and yeah, I’ll kill her if I don’t get what I want. Every single one of them, too. I ain’t countin’ out her ‘best friends’ just yet. I’ll hunt them down, strike them without notice, and end them. Just like that. Just like Washington.” Fluttershy’s whimpers seemed to spread from mare to mare, ending and refusing to reach Applejack, Starlight, or Rainbow, the three mares now growing fierce glares. Spike just gulped. “That is… if I don’t get what I want. Biological weapon, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Lagos. You have two days to comply… otherwise I’ll take it by force. And don’t even try to meet us there with armed forces. If you do… well… your pony princess may not appreciate that.” Starlight snorted something fierce, Applejack doing just the same. Rainbow’s glare only intensified at the threat. Rumlow leaned forward, the scratches in his mask barely seen. “And Captain… I know you can find me. I know you have that power. So, come on, hero. Follow the trails…” His face appeared, barely seen under the mask, and they could see his eyes. They could see the flesh scarred and torn at the edges that the mask allowed, as well as the insanity burning in his eyes. He grabbed the camera and brought it even closer. “… and come and get me.” The video ended, leaving just two news anchors with jaws unhinged, eyes wide and without a word following. After a while they started talking again, but no one paid attention. Several eyes shot over to the left, to see the Black Widow exit the hallway rather quickly. Natasha Romanoff stepped into the living room, pulling down her phone. “Did you all see that?” Natasha asked, turning to Steve. He nodded, then quickly shot his gaze over to Tony Stark still sitting behind him. Everypony else followed Steve’s gaze, just as silent as the Captain. He didn’t say a word, and Tony didn’t want him to. He looked to his watch and called Homer. He got up, cleared his throat, and said, “Give me a few minutes.”