Stark Enterprises
Hong Kong
One Month Ago

The armor worn by Suzi Endo had one final piece, an opaque visor attached to the headgear which she lowered over her eyes. “Systems coming online now. Neural link activated. Activating heads up display.”

“Are you prepared/primed/ready?”

Suzi smiled at the question. The alien being known as Century had come to her recently after spending the past few years since Force Works disbanded wandering the planet. She brought him into her home in Hong Kong, gave him a chance to relax after he had spent the interim years involved in various skirmishes in various countries. And with her reverse-engineering of the Cybermancer armor complete, she could think of no one better to test it on.

“We’re ready to go, Blue,” she said. “Activating targeting system.”

“Are they—ugh!” Century found his question cut short as a burst of electricity fired from Suzi’s gauntlet. He recovered from the strike, shaking off the charge as he looked back at her. “What is that Earth phrase? ‘Ask a stupid question…’?”

“Less chatter, I want to see what this thing can do,” said Suzi.

Century lunged forward as Suzi fired off two missiles from the gauntlets. He deflected them both with Parallax, the scythe he wielded. Crossing the distance between the two, he brought Parallax down but Suzi threw up a hard-light forcefield around the suit, deflecting the weapon.

The forcefield extended from her arm, forming into a sword roughly with the strength of adamantium. Century blocked her strike and then thrust with a kick that carried enough force to knock her back. He brought the scythe down for another strike and Suzi unleashed several hard-light knives from her gauntlets.

Century fell back, moving Parallax as fast as he could to deflect the weapons. Once they had all been dealt with, he saw Suzi was no longer on the ground.

“Up here!”

Looking up, Century watched as Suzi rocketed towards him from the air, barreling into him at full strength with her body encased in the forcefield. The two of them collided on the ground and Suzi got up first, offering a hand to Century. He accepted it, using Parallax as well to steady himself as he rose to his feet.

“Was that test successful/effective/adequate?” he asked.

“I’d say it was,” said Suzi as she raised the visor. “Looks like the Cybermancer armor is officially reverse-engineered.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Suzi and Century turned to the new voice and saw a black man with silver hair and goatee enter. He was clad in a blue and white uniform, the emblems identifying him as an agent of SHIELD.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked. “We don’t normally deal with SHIELD at SE’s Hong Kong division. That’s usually handled in the States.”

“I’m not here for Stark Enterprises, I’m here for you. Both of you, in fact.” He approached and extended his hand. “Colonel G.W. Bridge at your service.”

“What does SHIELD want with a cybernetics engineer and an alien hive-mind?” asked Suzi.

“It’s classified,” said Bridge. “Could we go somewhere and talk?”

“Sure,” said Suzi. “Century, could you take the Colonel to my office? I’ll be there once I’ve changed out of this armor.”

Century nodded. “If you would follow me, Colonel?”

“Lead the way,” said Bridge. As they walked through the division offices, Bridge noted that no one gave Century a second glance. “Seems like people here aren’t really surprised all that often.”

“I have been assisting Suzi with the final phases of the Cybermancer armor for a few weeks now. The people here have all become accustomed/established/used to my presence.”

“Anyone ever tell you that three word thing you do is pretty annoying?”

“Yes.”

“Just checking.”

Century opened the door to a large office at the end of the corridor and motioned for Bridge to enter first. The Hodomur alien walked in as well and lifted his legs off the ground, bringing them into the lotus position as he hovered in mid-air.

“Neat trick,” said Bridge.

A few moments after they arrived, Suzi entered the office, dressed in comfortable clothes and with a towel around her neck and a bottle of water in her hand. She sat behind the desk and cleared off some papers.

“So, what can I help you with, Colonel?”

“We’ve had a lot of trouble going on in the world lately, as you’ve probably noticed. Supervillains are getting their own countries left and right, applying for UN membership, all sorts of trouble. Meanwhile, half the planet is embroiled in some war or another and the other half is too busy dealing with economic and ecological crises to worry about it. And that means threats are going unnoticed and undetected until it’s too late.” Bridge brought his hands together as he continued to speak. “Now, the superheroes do what they can, but they’ve become bogged down in red tape as well. The Avengers have their own country, which essentially makes them diplomats. Which means they have to worry about things like UN sanctions and security council rulings. The Fantastic Four are tied up with SHIELD funding and the X-Men have apparently gone rogue. Groups like the Champions or the Warriors are too small to make any sort of real difference and that’s where I come in—me and my team.”

“What team would this be?” asked Century.

“A proactive force, one that can tackle the dangers of the world before they become catastrophes.”

“Last time I checked, SHIELD was part of the UN as well,” said Suzi. “Why would they give you the greenlight for something like this?”

“Because Nick Fury is a soldier, not a diplomat. He’s seen what happens when you play the appeasement game and he’s not willing to let it happen again,” said Bridge. “It’s true, we are SHIELD appointed, but we’re so many levels above top secret, the only people who know of our existence is Fury and the people directly involved with the team. And I’m here because I want the two of you onboard.”

“Why?” asked Century. “To most, I am still an unknown commodity and I have been unseen for a number of years.”

“Yeah, and I was never a superhero to begin with,” said Suzi. “The Cybermancer armor was created by a future, alternate reality counterpart of me who—y’know what, never mind.”

“I know about your records, both of you. And what interests me the most about Century is your recent record,” said Bridge. “You’ve been playing Good Samaritan, traveling the world and righting wrongs where you see them, overthrowing local warlords, suppressing fascist revolutions, even taking on drug kingpins. You’ve seen what the world is really like and I need someone with that kind of clarity on my team.”

“And me?” asked Suzi.

“SHIELD’s been following your progress with the Cybermancer armor ever since the…incident involving Stark several years ago,” said Bridge. “Your technological skills are second to none and you can handle yourself in the field. But more than that, there’s another reason I want you both and that’s because of your past connections with this group.”

“What past connections? This is the first I’ve heard of this team,” said Suzi.

“You were both involved with this team’s previous incarnation,” said Bridge. “We’re called Force Works.”

ATOMIC

Part II

By Dino Pollard

The Infiltrator
Sea of Japan
Today

The Black Knight’s hovercraft touched down on the deck of the Infiltrator as War Machine and X-Man followed under their own respective powers. Bridge stood waiting for them beside the other members of Force Works.

“Why were we pulled out?” asked the Black Knight. “I thought we still had some more facilities to hit in the area.”

“We do, but we’ll tackle those another time,” said Bridge. “Right now, we need to focus on what Deathlok discovered inside.”

“The North Koreans have been developing nuclear missiles, or at least that’s what everyone thinks. And that’s what they want everyone to think,” said Deathlok. “Instead, what they’ve actually been doing is experimenting on a marvel.”

“A marvel?” asked the Black Widow.

“Super-powered being,” said Deathlok. “Sort of an unofficial term used to describe them.”

“Just about every government’s done experimentation with marvels,” said the 3-D Man.

“It’s worse than that, this marvel is known as the Atom Smasher,” said Deathlok.

“Never heard of him,” said the 3-D Man.

“I have,” said Cybermancer. “He was involved in a skirmish with Iron Man some years back. He tried to speak out against shoddy safety practices at a Stane International nuclear power plant and he was shot and dumped in toxic waste. The waste transformed him into a nuclear-powered juggernaut.”

“Exactly and the Koreans have been experimenting on him to increase his powers,” said Deathlok. “But things get worse—he’s been sent to Seoul.”

“So?” asked War Machine. “Way Cybermancer put it, seems like he’s anti-nuke anyway. What’s the big worry?”

“If his powers have been increased/amplified/heightened, it may have been to a level he is unable to control,” said Century. “And so now, he has become a walking nuclear weapon, one which can be recycled an infinite number of times.”

“…oh,” said War Machine. “Alright, startin’ to see the bad now.”

“Deathlok and Cybermancer, I want you scanning the South Korean peninsula for any traces of radioactivity. Anything abnormal. We’ve gotta find this guy and take him out yesterday, you read?” asked Bridge.

“Yes sir,” said Deathlok. He looked at Cybermancer. “Are you ready?”

She nodded and the two moved towards the inside of the ship. Bridge addressed the rest of his team. “You’ve got some time, I suggest you take it to rest and prepare for the next mission.”

Bridge left and the Black Knight watched him go. After a few moments, he looked at the rest of the team who had already begun to depart and then he went as well—following Bridge. Once he went below deck, he caught up with Bridge a few paces ahead of him as the SHIELD commander entered a room lined with monitors.

“Hold on,” he said.

“Something wrong, Whitman?” asked Bridge, turning to look at his charge.

“We had an agreement, Bridge,” said Dane as he removed his helmet. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought I was the one leading this team?”

“In the field,” said Bridge. “Otherwise, I call the shots.”

“Then we should have some cohesion in our styles, we don’t want this team getting their priorities mixed up.”

“Agreed.”

“Good. Then tell me why Jacobs doesn’t have a freshly-ripped new one for his behavior on the ground?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” said Dane. “War Machine utilized extremely lethal force when it was completely unnecessary. You know the capabilities of that armor and you know just as well as I do that it’s equipped with non-lethal weapons—plenty of them, in fact.”

“I really don’t have time for this, Whitman.”

“And what about you?” asked Dane. “What’s this talk about ‘taking out’ the Atom Smasher?”

“He’s a threat and a particularly dangerous one at that. I won’t stand idly by and watch as we’ve got a walking atom bomb out there. Last time I checked, we don’t have any facilities onboard the Infiltrator to contain someone with the Atom Smasher’s level of power. We could end up wiping out our entire team as well as damaging this ship beyond repair. And with the levels Deathlok recorded in the tests, this guy’s going to be dangerous no matter what condition he’s in. He needs to be dealt with swiftly and decisively. Are we understood?”

“Yes,” said Dane. He turned and left the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Whitman sighed as he moved to a common area and sat down on one of the couches.

“Troubles?”

Dane looked up at Delroy Garrett, the 3-D Man. Although back when they served on the Avengers together, Garrett went by the name of Triathalon. “Just wondering if I made the right choice signing up for this outfit.”

“I’d say you did,” said Delroy.

“That man wearing Rhodey’s armor is a borderline sociopath,” said Dane. “And this new Deathlok doesn’t exactly give me a fuzzy feeling.”

“Yeah, try talking to this Black Widow they got,” said Delroy. “And that mutant guy? I see him talking to himself all the time. He gives me chills.”

“Century and Cybermancer are good people, at least we’ve got that much going for us,” said Dane. “And I’ve worked with you so I know you can be trusted. But having to watch your back around half your team is not a good ratio.”

“So quit,” said Delroy. “You don’t like the way this outfit’s going? Maybe it’s not for you. Hell, maybe it’s not for me, either…”

“Not that simple,” said Dane. “Bridge is…intense. If I leave, I have no doubt he’ll replace me with someone else. Maybe someone who doesn’t have these concerns. And that’s not something I can allow.”

“Why are you telling me this?” asked Delroy.

“Because you’re like me, Del—you’re an Avenger. That means you’ve got responsibilities to that name and what it stands for,” said Dane. “So when I say I’m here to keep an eye on these people, I know you’ve got my back. Right?”

Delroy nodded. “Yeah, no question. But don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid, man?”

“To be honest?” asked Dane. “I don’t think I’m being paranoid enough.”

Deathlok and Cybermancer stood before a holographic map of the Korean peninsula, focusing on one area which glowed red and kept moving southward. “There,” said Deathlok, pointing to it. “That’s our man.”

“His radiation levels are off the chart,” said Cybermancer. “You were right, they’ve definitely enhanced him, probably to the point that a containment suit wouldn’t work anymore.”

“Bridge was right, we have to take him out,” said Deathlok.

“No,” said Cybermancer. “There has to be another way.”

Deathlok sighed. “Look, this is the way it is. You signed up with this unit because you’re willing to make those tough calls.”

“He’s a victim, he didn’t ask for this.”

“True, but you’re talking about the life of one man—who, I might add, can’t even live among civilization without poisoning them—versus the lives of millions of people.”

“I know the logic,” said Cybermancer. “Just…forget it. No use arguing with someone who gave up his humanity.”

“Listen Endo, I—”

“He’s suffocating.”

Deathlok and Cybermancer both faced the new voice and saw the X-Man hovering in the room, looking at a holographic image of the Atom Smasher. “What was that?” asked Cybermancer.

“Lost in there, he cries out in pain,” said X-Man. “He’s a weapon, doesn’t know why. Just wants to go home. Just wants to be with those who care for him. He doesn’t understand what’s happened to him. He just did the right thing, why is he being punished?”

“…right,” said Deathlok. “Look kid, we’re a little busy here, so why don’t you take the mental breakdown somewhere else?”

“A man of compassion trapped in a machine of destruction,” said X-Man, facing Deathlok and staring into his eyes. Nate Grey’s left eye crackled with psionic power. “Do you know what that’s like, Jack?”

Deathlok stood in silence, staring at X-Man. And Cybermancer noticed something different on Deathlok’s face. She saw him…change. His expression reflected one of confusion, of uncertainty…and fear. It was only an instant before he reverted to normal but although no physical change took place, Suzi Endo could have sworn in that brief instant she was looking into the face of someone other than Jack Truman.

“Bridge, Deathlok here,” said the cyborg, activating his internal comm-unit. “We’ve got the Atom Smasher’s coordinates.”

“You’ve found your target, but when will you find yourself?” asked the X-Man before he hovered out of the room. Cybermancer watched him leave and then finally looked to Deathlok, whose expression remained unreadable.

“What was that about?” she asked.

“He’s insane,” said Deathlok. “It happens sometimes with psychics. They can’t control their powers, can’t filter out the thoughts and it drives them mad.”

“There was something else about him,” said Cybermancer. “About what he was saying, it seemed like he wasn’t just talking about the Atom Smasher.”

“You’re imagining things,” said Deathlok.

Seoul
South Korea

“Jacobs, you’re our first wave,” said Cybermancer.

“Yeah, I read you, sister,” said War Machine. “Send in the angry black guy, he’s expendable.”

“Actually, it’s because you’re piloting a sophisticated suit of armor which grants you protection from the Atom Smasher’s radiation field as the rest of us suit up and prepare for our phase.”

“You tellin’ me Deathlok isn’t immune to radiation?” asked War Machine.

“Deathlok can’t fly, you can. Now quit bitching and do your job, Parnell.”

“Hey Bridge, when I get back, remind me to give you the one-fingered salute.”

“It’s on my to-do list. Now get moving.”

War Machine flew low, buzzing over the streets of Seoul. Traffic became more and more congested and as he came closer, he saw the source of it—the Atom Smasher stood in the middle of Seoul, nothing but a skeleton surrounded by yellowish flames.

“This guy doesn’t look like the file picture,” said War Machine.

“That’s because in the file, you saw him wearing a containment suit. His power has increased to the point that nothing can hold it in.”

“Oh great,” said War Machine. “I can tell this is gonna be fun…”