Iron Before Steel
Strange Visitor: Iron Before Steel
Chapter 1 - Pivot and Prepare to Adapt
February 28th, 2009 - Metropolis, IL – Kent Farm
"Maaaaa!" Clark yelled as he picked up a tiny pair of blue shorts off the living room floor.
“She’s naked again!”
He heard a giggle from the kitchen, quickly followed by the pitter-patter of tiny feet dashing toward the stairs on the other side of the room.
His mother’s cackling laughter echoed from the kitchen as he slowly wandered in, deciding to forego chasing the little terror for a few minutes.
“Was I like this when I was her age?”
His mother shook her head throughout her continued laughter.
“No, you didn’t strip down the drop of a hat like this little nudist, but you had your moments. I think all babies do at some point.” His mom pointed her chin at the tiny blonde head just now peeking around the living room door frame, checking on her pursuit.
Clark eyed his cousin – daughter, as far as the world would be concerned from this point – who shrieked and raced off again with glee when he motioned to chase. He was given a reprieve a moment later when Barkley announced his arrival from outside through the doggie door. The answering squeal from the stairs let him know he’d been replaced in the game of ‘catch me’ he’d been playing.
“She likes that dog more than either one of us.” Clark shook his head as the duo thundered around the house amid giggles and barks.
“So did you when you were that age. Remember Molly?” Martha asked him wistfully.
“How could I forget? I used to fall asleep all cuddled up to her when I was, what, five? Six? I loved that dog more than almost anything,” Clark answered softly. “Maybe it's an alien thing, huh?” He grinned at his mother, who smiled back.
“No, your father loved his dogs just as much. I think it's almost everyone's thing. Doesn’t matter where you are from. Things like love are universal.”
The little blonde menace chose that moment to rush into the kitchen, clutching each of their legs with the broadest smile possible stretched across her small face. Barkley was hot on her heels and immediately began assaulting her with puppy kisses once he caught her against their legs. She squealed in delight, wrapping the dog in a hug as they slumped to the floor in an adorable pile.
“She’ll be nice and tuckered out after this,” Martha laughed. “You should read her a bedtime story. She's catching on quickly with the language. She loves your book. Read that again. Oh, that reminds me. Have you finished the second one yet?”
Clark quickly nodded, watching the squirming pile of dog and child wrestle as he used her distraction to slip on the bedtime onesie she seemed to tolerate best. It had tiny cartoon puppies all over it, probably the only reason she allowed it.
“Yup. I’ve finished the next two, actually, in the kids series. But it's better for book sales to spread it out over time. I’ve only sent the first one to my publishers to edit and plan the print run.”
Finally dressed, he hoisted the girl over his shoulder as she laughed loudly, Barkley following along as Clark sang, “Bedtime! Let’s go, <star-light>. Up we go. Come on, Barkley!” Clark had started calling her the Kryptonian nickname since she'd arrived. He suspected it was a small familiarity in an unfamiliar place, as she had responded well.
Fifteen minutes later, Clark plodded back down the stairs to join his mother in the living room, all but throwing himself into one of the chairs.
“Well, that’s done. Girl and dog are tucked away for the night, I hope.”
Martha smiled at him. “I always knew you’d make a good father. I just expected to meet the mother of my first ‘grandchild’ before I met the child.” She teased him.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m not dating enough, I need to get out more, I should blah blah blah. You got your first surprise grandchild only a couple of weeks ago. Don't start getting greedy for more already.”
His mother laughed before her smile fell, and she asked him, “Do you know what happened yet? Kelex said that she left your home at the same time you did. She’s supposed to be a few years older than you are. But here she is, more than 20 years later, still the same age as before.”
Clark took a deep breath and responded.
“Yeah. When I returned to Brooklyn three days ago, I took the main CPU off the ship. She scanned through all of the data. Her ship was knocked off course just before we both jumped into faster-than-light travel, just barely. Barely is more than enough when dealing with distances like that. Her ship ended up scraping the edge of a black hole.”
Martha gasped. She may not have been a scientist, but it didn’t take one to know that was terrible.
Clark continued. “When I say edge, I mean the wider gravitational effect of the phenomenon. Essentially, black holes don’t just warp space but time as well. Because her ship brushed up against it, even at the farthest edge, it slowed the passage of time for her...by 24 years. So while I was free and clear and crashing here, she was still stuck, for lack of a better term. Time moved more slowly as the ship passed through, and it took that long for it to get away and join me on Earth. She’s lucky to be here at all.”
Martha’s head wobbled in agreement, eyes wide and face pale at how close her newest family member came to an early end.
“Kelex is working on her papers now, back home in Brooklyn. She will have everything worked up and in the system by the end of the week. There’s not much we can do on the physical side short of breaking into the actual hospital and government office and planting the fake forms, but I’ll worry about that some other time. With any luck, we will never need to worry about it. Or it will be too late to make a difference if it does come up.”
Martha looked at her son and smiled again.
“I’m proud of you. I know you didn’t ask for this, and there was no way we could plan for it, but you’ve stepped into the role of a father as well as Jon did. He’d be so proud of you right now.”
A sad smile was her son’s response as she reached out to take his hand and offer the comfort she knew they both needed, thinking about what they’d lost.
It would never heal completely, but she knew it would grow more tolerable with time. The little girl sleeping soundly above them would also help with that healing process.
Family was everything in a Kent household.
____________________________________________
March 14th – Brooklyn, New York – Kent Residence
Clark rested on the stool next to the kitchen island bar, opposite the dining table where Pete and Bucky sat on adjacent sides. Pete had his feet on the table as he leaned back in the chair. Clark waited for his buddy to lose his balance and crash to the floor.
It wouldn't be the first time.
“So, CK, how’s the little Squirt?"
Clark shook his head while softly laughing.
“She’s... a handful already. She’s about halfway to a full English vocabulary for a six or seven-year-old. And running around the house with Barkley like a maniac, of course. Ma says it’s like having me back in the house all the time.”
Pete threw his head back with a deep laugh, remembering a childhood filled with fun.
And promptly lost his balance, crashing to the floor as expected.
Barnes snorted.
“That’s the fourth time you’ve done that since I’ve been here. Maybe you should keep all your legs on the floor, hotshot.”
Pete climbed back to his feet, using the chair to brace himself.
“Hey! Is that an amputee joke? From you?! I don’t know if I should be insulted or impressed by that.”
Barnes shrugged his metal shoulder, a slight smirk showing as he did. He’d come a long way in less than two months. Clark suspected that Pete may have more than a little to do with that, sharing a background in multiple ways.
Pete sat back down before turning to Clark.
“So the little spitfire has settled in. Good. I bet your mom loves the chance to spoil her rotten already, too. Grandparents are like that.” Pete’s grin was almost manic at that. “Will she be like you? You know,” he glanced at Bucky quickly. “-smarter than the average bear?”
Clark and Pete hadn’t told Bucky yet precisely why he was able to overpower the super soldier. He knew he wasn’t normal, to be sure. The way they’d met assured him of that. But Barnes had no idea that he was an alien from outer space (and even farther).
They hadn’t intended to tell the former soldier about Kara either, but Pete didn’t know about Barnes' super soldier enhancements, and Clark hadn’t warned him before they let the cat out of the bag.
It didn’t matter. He may be trying to help Bucky, but he wouldn't be letting the man around his mother and Kara until they could figure out a way to get that Hydra conditioning broken.
He only let Pete hang around because it seemed to do the soldier some good. And Kelex was always hovering nearby. That also helped.
“Yeah. She’ll be just like me... eventually. It will take time in her case, just like it did for me.”
Pete nodded as Barnes looked on with passive interest.
“So, what have you been doing for the past few weeks? Make any friends out here yet, Pete?”
“Ha! Always. You know me, CK. I’ve been getting to know some folks at the VA here already. Met a girl one night out dancing… the usual.” Pete grinned.
Clark looked a bit uncomfortable at that.
“Uh, about that, Pete? You know that I’m not one to set down ground rules or anything, but for now, it might be best if we didn't have any visitors."
“Come on, man! Do you think I’m an idiot? We are hiding a 90-year-old war hero, who everyone thinks has been dead since 1945 but looks like he’s 30-” Barnes let out a sharp “Hey” at that point.
Pete grinned without stopping.
“-and has a super-secret Nazi death organization that the whole world thinks has been dead just as long, hounding his every step. No matter how hard up I might be, I’m not dumb enough to bring over any guests.”
Barnes' slight smile returned as his eyes slid from Pete to Clark before adding, “All hypothetical anyways. He hasn’t slept anywhere else either.”
Pete tossed a handful of napkins at the smarmy soldier.
“Well, the sarcastic super-soldier over there has snuck out a few times himself-” Clark looked at them sharply, alarmed.
Barnes cut in.
“Always with your robot, and always in disguise. Glasses, hat, hood. The works.”
Kelex took that moment to join the conversation.
“It seemed best for his mental health for us to leave the house occasionally. When leaving the property, I took every precaution to hide Sergeant Barnes' identity. I also monitored all transmissions and uploaded a facial recognition blocker online. It is currently making its way through governmental and municipal organizations in the city. It may be a good idea to expand it as well. It will alert me should a sighting be reported.”
Clark agreed it was a good idea.
“Do it, but be careful. I don’t want your surveillance activities to get noticed. I know it’s unlikely, but you can be traced back here.”
A nod from the droid was all he needed in response.
Pete chose that moment to speak up again.
“So, you figure out what you’re gonna do about this Stark thing yet?”
Barnes' head came up at that. “Stark?”
“You knew his father, Howard—a friend of yours from the war and your Howling Commando days. The son, Tony, was abducted last month by terrorists in Afghanistan. It’s possible they grabbed him to help them build better weapons, so I think I’ll have to intervene.”
Clark saw the dark look come over Bucky’s face and figured he was remembering some of those days in Germany with Steve, Peggy, Howard, and the Commandos. If he remembered how Howard Stark and his wife had died, it didn’t show.
Hopefully, that won’t come until later, when we can figure out a better way to deal with it.
“I’m going to have to do some scouting out there. See if I can track down where they’ve taken him. If I can locate their base, I can plan something to get him out safely while leading the military to their position so they can deal with the terrorists directly. I’m going to head out in a few days before I go home to check on Ma and Kara.”
Pete laughed. “Clark Kent, jet-setter and world traveler. Only, you know, without a jet. Man, CK. You are gonna run yourself ragged like this.”
Clark smiled at his friend’s concern.
“I have a jet, thanks to Mr. Broody over there. I’ll manage. I admit, I didn’t plan on being thrust into the role of single father right as I launched my ‘crusade,’ as you like to call it, but she’s my blood. I’ll do all the heavy lifting so this world can be a safe place for her to grow up in. You are right, though; I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired.” Clark laughed at that last point. Fatigue wasn’t something he was used to dealing with much anymore, so the mental drain of being pulled in so many directions would take some getting used to.
Who said being Superman would be easy?
____________________________________________
Triskelion, SHIELD Headquarters – Washington, DC
Director Fury’s Office
“Not a goddamn thing!”
Director Fury’s shout and the subsequent crash of his throwing the information tablet onto his desk didn’t surprise anyone in his office.
The abduction of Tony Stark over a month prior was now officially the number one priority for their task force – hunting the Marvel had been put on the back burner.
Fury had indicated that they wanted Stark for the Avengers Initiative. They would need someone to build weapons, so tracking down the lost industrialist was their current focus.
“I can’t get a thing from Obediah Stane about helping us track down Stark. It’s almost like the man doesn’t want us to find him.”
Romanoff chimed in without missing a beat.
“You sure he does? Who’s in charge of Stark Industries if there’s no Starks left?”
Fury answered immediately. “We’re looking into that too. It’s a possibility he’s not operating in good faith for that specific reason, but unless he blatantly comes out with a statement saying, ‘I hope they kill Stark,’ there won’t be much for us to do about it. His reasoning that they don’t want to risk Stark’s life until there’s a ransom demand is valid. Even if it sounds shady as hell.”
The director continued, “In the meantime, we are tasking more SHIELD resources to the area where the convoy was ambushed. We don’t think they would have kept him right there, but odds are good he’s in the same or at least a neighboring province. Economos, you’re on satellite duty until further notice. Find me something.”
“Shit.”
“I know it’s boring as shit, that’s why you’re doing it and not me. Fitz, Simmons, you’ll be staying put for now. Keep at what you’ve been doing trying to track down our friend in Manhattan. Someone will let you know if we need you to move over to the Stark Op. Hill, Coulson… you two work with our Air Force and Army liaisons to see if there’s something that they’ve missed. I don’t care how much of a longshot: anything you find, you bring to me. Period.”
Both agents acknowledged their assignments with the professionalism they were known for.
“May, you’ll be in command of the field operation. I want you, Carter, Harcourt, and Drew with boots on the ground in Kandahar. Strike will be nearby as backup as needed. Hill is in direct command of Strike, while Coulson will deal with you four. I’ll be dealing with something else in the meantime.”
He then turned to Barton and Romanoff, sitting on the couch. “You two stay. Everyone else, get out. Find me Tony Stark. Alive, if he’s not already dead.”
The crowd of agents filed out of Fury’s office purposefully; each headed to their assignments to continue the search for Stark or the Manhattan anomaly as directed.
Romanoff glanced at Barton beside her, wondering what Fury had in store for them now.
The archer didn’t seem to care, but that was pretty much par for his course.
“Alright, you two, don’t look so excited to be on a mission with your boss. We got some intel that General Ross’ wayward scientist had been spotted. And not by Ross. I’ve been wondering exactly what that man was doing to unleash a monster like that green behemoth on the world, but no doubt it's tied to their attempts to recreate the serum that made Captain America.”
Barton laughed sharply before adding his thoughts. “That’s what you call a swing and a miss. You aren’t planning on adding this scientist to our own little stable, are you? If I missed the mark by that much, you’d never let me hear the end of it.”
Fury arched an eyebrow.
“If I think this scientist can help the Initiative, I’ll add him—end of story. I’ve got his file right here, though. Both of you read it on the flight to Panama. Wheels up in 15, so grab your gear. I want to ask Robert Bruce Banner what the hell happened out there.”
____________________________________________
Washington, DC
April 1st, 2009 - Historic National Bank of Washington – Vault
“It’s an absolute goddamn disaster, that’s what it is,” Alexander Pierce lamented to one of his chief lieutenants, Jasper Sitwell.
The two men stood in the basement vault of the oldest bank in the nation’s capital, though it has long since been closed down as an operating bank. The empty chair before them was the subject of their current lament and Hydra’s biggest man-hunt in years.
Since the last time the Winter Soldier had gone rogue on them.
“We are vulnerable on every level without the Asset. He keeps Hydra in line. Nothing else comes close to checking the ambitions of our more… creative… members. The fact that the Winter Soldier is under the direct command of the Head is the only way to keep our people honest and on task. Without him, it might all fall apart.”
Sitwell took that as his cue to make a suggestion.
“What about...the others? The ones in Siberia? What if you brought them back into service?"
Pierce whirled at his subordinate without even trying to school the look of surprise he must have been wearing.
“How the hell do you know about that? It’s supposed to be restricted to section heads only.”
“People talk. Even in Hydra. What if you were to bring one or two of them out of ‘retired’ status and put them to work? They’ve got the serum, right? And they’re Hydra-trained, so why not make use of them?”
Pierce almost felt sorry for the man. He was as grasping and ambitious as anyone else in Hydra and an excellent subordinate, but Jasper Sitwell would never be an effective leader.
He was likely the only one who wasn’t aware of that fact.
“The rumor mill didn’t do you any justice there, Sitwell. You might know several more super-soldiers are out there on ice, but you apparently don’t know why. The short answer is they’re uncontrollable."
Sitwell looked confused at that.
“How is that possible? Why not just put them right through the same conditioning-"
Pierce didn’t have the patience to answer the man’s questions.
“Because it won’t work. The Winter Soldier was a product of the perfect situation. Hydra didn’t condition him, not originally. The Soviets did. Some Russians may have been in Hydra’s pocket after the war, but not all of them. Some of those secrets were lost over time. We’ve got our ways, for sure. Von Strucker always crows about his superior methods, but he’s never had a serum-enhanced subject to work with. And I wouldn’t trust him for a moment with the ones stashed in Siberia.”
Pierce sat on one of the empty chairs, looked up at Sitwell, and continued explaining.
“The serum doesn’t just enhance the body, but the mind as well. Makes it elastic. It repairs itself over time. It’s why we have to keep erasing the Asset’s memories as often as we do. The more he remembers, the more he becomes who he was before the fall. James Buchanan Barnes – American hero and best friend of Captain Steve Rogers.”
Sitwell showed a little bit of understanding at that. Pierce decided he might as well know the rest of Erskine’s secret then, too.
“But the biggest reason it won’t work, why we don’t make the serum and use it on our own since ‘91, is that there’s more to the transformation than just the physical. Erskine’s serum didn’t just make a man strong and fast or sharpen his memory and senses. It also brought out and strengthened the essence of the person it was used on. It sounds insane when you hear it like that, but it’s true. It makes a good man into a great one. Makes a bad one into something much worse.”
Sitwell blinked at him stupidly, brows knitting in confusion or failing to understand.
“Tell me, Jasper. What kind of people work for us here at Hydra?”
Sitwell flinched back like he’d been struck.
“What do you mean? Only the best people join Hydra. The ones willing to make the hardest choices so that we can move this world into a new, better age.”
Pierce laughed at that, crossing his arms as he looked up at Sitwell and shaking his head in pity.
“No, Sitwell. That’s just the Kool-Aid that everyone pretends to drink, and you should know it. Good men and women aren’t willing to do what we do, no matter the reason. We may have the best intentions here, but we are monsters in the flesh. Don’t ever forget that. And those four frozen bodies tucked away in Siberia? They’re the worst monsters of all.”
Sitwell looked like he had been slapped in the face.
“Now, snap out of it and tell me about Stark. Has Fury made any progress on finding our lost toy maker yet?”
“Uh, no. No, not yet. He’s got his little task force working on it, almost to a man, but they’ve not come up with anything more than anyone else. Stark Industries and Stane haven’t helped either. It’s weird that there’s been no ransom, though, right? This wasn’t us, was it?”
“No. At least it better not have been. I can't be sure without the Soldier to keep people in line. It is concerning that they both vanished at about the same time, though. I’m chalking that up to coincidence for now. Everything we’ve been able to dig up shows this was Ten Rings. They’ve officially denounced the cell that did it – saying it's gone rogue. But chaos is as good for them as it is for us. Maybe there’s something bigger at play. Only time will tell in the end.”
____________________________________________
Santiago, Panama
April 4th - Nino’s Bar - Formerly
Natasha pushed over the stall door that had landed on her, likely from the bathroom at the back of the room.
She slowly climbed to her feet, cradling her injured arm to her side, while scanning the bar floor – or what was left of the bar – looking for her partner and boss.
“Clint! Fury! Tell me you assholes aren’t dead.” She croaked out, taking a moment to clear her throat by coughing out as much of the dust and who-knows-what she had inhaled in the past few minutes. A groan to her right caught her attention. She saw a single pale arm extended straight up in the air, waving her over in a very wobbly manner.
She started limping over toward Clint’s prone form. She could now make out his boots from under the broken table and collapsed ceiling panels that had come down on him.
“I’d like to complain to the management of this whole operation. Assuming he’s not dead.” Barton cracked from under the rubble.
Fury announced that survival immediately.
“Shut up, Barton. This was not the plan, I can assure you. We were supposed to be following Thunderbolt Thad’s lost son-in-law-to-be here. I didn’t expect Frankenstein to become the monster in this story. And don’t either one of you get smart with me and say you saw it coming, either. Not in the mood. Pretty sure I’ve got some broken ribs.” He groaned as she could hear him stumbling to his feet over by the bar somewhere behind her.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have tried to make the man return to SHIELD with us,” Natasha accused. She flashed Fury a scowl as Clint allowed her to pull him up, though he was limping worse than herself.
“Yeah, Nick,” Barton smirked. “This is totally on you. You’re the man who knows everything. How the hell could you not know that Banner was going to turn into Big Angry Shrek the moment you threatened to give his location to Ross if he didn’t play ball with SHIELD? Good call, boss.”
Romanoff snorted.
“I’m going to make sure there’s no one in the bathroom. You boys play nice while you check on the bartender.”
Natasha then made her way through the rubble of the bar toward the back, where the restrooms would be… hopefully.
Climbing over destroyed tables, around shattered chairs, and through a cracked door frame, Natasha found herself in the hallway at the back of the building that housed the restrooms.
At least what was left of them, the ladies' room was obliterated. The creature Banner had become had made his exit through the back, directly through this room. She looked inside rather easily, as there was no longer a door and saw the wreckage of three stalls housed in the room. Water was spraying up into the air from what was left of one of the toilets, while the other two were buried under the collapsed walls. The sink was untouched, but the top half of the wall where the mirror would have been was not.
She stepped further down the hallway and looked into the men’s room. It was mostly intact, with a fully functional sink and most of a mirror on a standing wall.
This would do.
She pushed through the doorway and immediately headed toward the sink.
Deep breaths, Natalia, deep breaths. Slow your heart. Get control of the fear.
Today was not what she had agreed to when she decided to join SHIELD’s rank-and-file a year prior. She had expected to face more human threats. People she could deal with, giant hulking rage monsters she could not.
In less than two months, she’d come face-to-face and narrowly escaped death at the metal hand of a specter of her childhood and now had just missed being smashed into human jelly by – whatever the man that had once been Banner could now be called.
She splashed water across her face, trying to slow her racing heart. The fear was back in force. None of her training could have prepared her for the horror of seeing the scientist at the bar contort and scream in pain as his body swelled and stretched into a form that could only be described as a nightmare.
She tried every calming technique her memory could bring out now.