Written by Brent Lambert

Vision had interfaced with the gunship and was piloting it over the Gulf of Mexico. Ever since the Sinister Day, it had become one of the more dangerous areas in the world. Cable had Vision leading a division of SHIELD agents over the area for daily sweeps. It was a lot of space to cover, but Vision knew what to look for by now. Dimensional rifts and life rafts from Cuba were the things they were primarily supposed to fish out.

[[Commander Vision. We have a Cuban sighting in sector 4.]]

[[Any mutant life forms or infected?]] Vision asked.

The agent was swift to respond. [[Five life signs. None mutant and all infected.]]

It usually went one way or the other. Genetically engineered mutants left over from the war with Sinister or virally infected humans from NATO biological experiments. After the war’s end, Cuba had been isolated by SHIELD and Vision was charged with the task of making sure none of the island’s secrets got to shore. Vision always hated what he had to order next, but the virus created on that island had too high an infection rate. The continental US would be blanketed in a week.

[[Exterminate all signs of life. Perform a heavy acid dump once taken care of. Commander Vision out.]]

Three days and it would be five years since Sinister Day. Millions died as Sinister set off nuclear explosions in just about every major metropolitan area across the globe. The heroes thought their vengeance would be swift, but they underestimated the resources that Sinister had and how utterly insane he had become. What was supposed to have been a swift conflict devolved into an all-out global war. Vision had lost many friends in it and the millions lost during Sinister Day only had more corpses to join them.

He, perhaps more than anyone else, lived everyday with the terrors of the war. His computer brain remembered every excruciating detail and he could never forget any of it. For some, memories might fade and time would dim the hurt. Vision would never be granted that luxury. The only solace he found now was in the roaring of his engine across the open sea.

[[All life signs have been terminated, Commander Vision.]]

[[Good work, Randy. I know your squad’s shift is over soon. Begin heading back to the shore. I’ll run a full sweep in the meantime]]

[[Okay, sir. We’ll see you tomorrow]]

Vision appreciated good soldiers like Robertson. They had been so hard to come by after the war and understandably so. People were sick to death of conflict and combat. Cable nearly had to start cloning the dead to fill the ranks of a broken SHIELD. With all of his main commanders dead, he was forced to break up Patrol Force and have them fill their places. Vision lamented the dismantling of his team, but it had to be done for the greater good. Hard decisions had to be made after the war and compared to the many other things they had done, breaking up somehow didn’t seem so terrible.

As he pushed his gunship to move into the area that Robertson had been covering, an encrypted signal was entered into Vision’s gunship interface. He was able to decipher the encryption easily enough, but he was startled by the message he found within it.

[[Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]

[[Vision, I hate to interrupt your Gulf work, but we have a problem and I need
The Patrol Force to be assembled. Leave your post ASAP]]

Despite the fact that he had emotions, Vision hadn’t been genuinely worried about anything in quite some time. He was worried now.

Iceman

Tapping his headset, Iceman said, “Tag, has your team moved into position?”

[[We’re looking at Tsar now.]]

“Good, I want to get this over with and get back home in time for Lorna’s tuna sandwiches,” Iceman replied.

Cybermancer rolled her eyes at the comment. “You realize we’re dealing with Tsar, right? He’s not just going to lie down.”

“Yea, but Tag and the rest don’t realize that,” Iceman said. “And if they go in there with that kind of confidence we might actually put down this Russian scumbag quicker.”

Iceman had been tracking Tsar for nearly two years. The shaggy haired geomancer had been establishing underground mutant fighting rings in the decimation zones of Moscow, Tokyo, and Shanghai since nearly the end of the war with Sinister. Cable had ignored him in the beginning because he was trying to rebuild SHIELD and Tsar had actually been a valuable ally against Sinister. Then rumors of children kidnappings began to stream in and Cable could no longer turn a blind eye to the problem. The New World Union demanded that he investigate.

He had sent Iceman on the task with a group of young new mutant operatives he was calling X-Force. Drake felt that he was plenty capable of handling the task by himself, but Cable insisted on Cybermancer’s attachment saying he wanted “a touch of seriousness in the whole thing.”

Iceman took some offense to it considering he had dealt with very serious matters while fighting Sinister. He could tell some tales, but he refused to let the gravity of reality bear down on him. Let other people worry about carrying that load. He was just going to do what good he could and enjoy it the whole way.

“False confidence is only good if the people involved are well-trained enough to do good without it,” Cybermancer said as she kept her binoculars on the limousine zooming down the broken, burnt Tokyo street. The air still smelt dead after all these years.

“You don’t think they’re ready then?” Iceman asked.

“Tag isn’t confident enough as leader yet. Wallflower and Wither aren’t in full control of their abilities. Elixir has his own issues and Prodigy is a loose cannon,” Cybermancer replied.

Iceman smirked. “So I guess you don’t think Hurricane is all that bad then?”

“No. He’s just too bad for me to waste my time making an assessment,” Cybermancer said as she watched the limousine come to a stop.

Bobby didn’t necessarily agree with his partner’s evaluations, but he did see her point. X-Force was young, raw, and untested, but they had all started off like that at some point. The state of the world required them to step into the field a bit earlier than traditionally practiced, but that was the way things worked. Life hadn’t been fair to many people the past five years. Besides, if Cable had trusted in them then so would Bobby.

“How things looking down there?” Iceman asked. He wanted to know exactly what he was about to head into. The layout of Tsar’s hideouts weren’t complicated. You didn’t exactly have to hide what you were doing in completely decimated cities, but that wasn’t what he was worried about.

“Looks like he has Nitro and Kimura with him,” Cybermancer said. She had been looking for the same thing that Iceman was.

Tsar was a powerful enough mutant on his own. He had been the one that allowed that opened the way for the capture of Sinister. The abilities he possessed were well respected by anyone who knew of him. He alone would have given them a problem, but the additions of Nitro and Kimura only made matters worse. Nitro had been responsible for the destruction of Zeta Flight and the Covert Destined. Kimura was the bigger problem, but for completely personal reasons. She had murdered Larry Bodine, the previous leader of X-Force, in cold blood. It was part of the reason that the team was teetering on the edge of instability now. Prodigy should have died that day, but Bodine had made the sacrifice instead. Elixir had been rendered helpless in the affair.

“Just our luck that she would be here,” Iceman sighed.

[[Iceman, come in. This is Cable.]]

Bobby wasn’t sure how or why Cable was contacting him through his headset, but he was prompt to respond. "Yes, sir."

[[Moon Knight’s stealth team will be moving into your area. ETA 30 minutes. I want you to pull out and report back to base. Leave Cybermancer behind to fill them in.]]

Bobby couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "Sir, X-Force is ready. They can handle this."

[[I have the supreme confidence in X-Force, but I need you back. I’m reassembling The Patrol Force.]]

If Iceman’s blood could run any colder than it already was he might be at sub-zero. "This must be big."

[[Unfortunately. I’ll fill you in once you get back to The Helicarrier.]]

Cybermancer looked over to Iceman and seeing his expression asked, “What the hell did he tell you? Never seen you so quiet.”

“I’m pulling out with X-Force. You’re going to stay behind and fill in Moon Knight’s team about the situation. Cable is pulling The Patrol Force together.”

The techno-whiz tried not to show her shock. “The kids aren’t going to be happy.”

Iceman shrugged. “I’m right there with them. I would love to give Tsar a few tips on good grooming, but duty calls.”

Wasp

Wasp had never cared for her heroic adventures that ended up involving space, but this was one excursion into the unknown she didn’t mind making. Looking up and around the metallic hall, Janet said, “I have to give it to you James. You and Stark definitely made this place impressive. Just needed a better decorator.”

Rhodes smiled. “You always handled the aesthetics Janet. That’s why you should have never left for Patrol Force.”

Wasp ignored the comment. “So why you and Stark ask for me to come and give this place the S.H.I.E.L.D. stamp of approval? Vision might have been the better choice. He’s more analytical.”

The two lazily continued to walk down the gigantic hall and Rhodes said, “But you have the better conversation. Besides, it’s been too long since we’ve talked.”

“Being a S.H.I.E.L.D. commander keeps me busy. You wouldn’t believe how much work it takes policing Europeans.”

Rhodes couldn’t stop smiling. Janet always was quite the beautiful woman. He saw her blushing under his gaze though. “Sorry for staring. You just look good in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform.”

Wasp laughed. “I had to twist Cable’s arm into letting me design my own costume.”

Rhodes shook his head. “Still stubborn.”

Janet faked being appalled. “Stubborn? Me? Need I remind you, James Samuel Rhodes, of the time you tried to fight Ronan—

“That was one time,” James interrupted. “What about you insisting on them crazy canary yellow dresses for our wedding when all of your bridesmaids thought they were ugly as crap?”

Janet gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “They simply lacked my fashion sense James.”

At times like this, James almost didn’t know why he and she had even divorced. He really hadn’t been with anyone sense and he couldn’t really bring himself to be. Even if they weren’t together he still had the utmost loyalty to Janet. Besides, he couldn’t betray himself. She may not have loved him, but he still loved everything about her.

“You two standing and talking isn’t much of a tour,” Stark said as he walked out of a transparent elevator only a few yards away from the ex-couple. He was happy seeing them happy. James was the best friend he had and Janet had always been good for him. The lives they led just didn’t help make their marriage a happy one.

“I was just about to show her one of the airlocks,” Rhodes joked. “It would make this whole examination go a lot faster.”

“Nice to see you too, Tony,” Wasp said as she walked up to Tony and gave him a hug. She pulled away from him and asked, “So what’s this batch of Avengers looking like?”

“We’ve got Crystal and Triton representing The Inhumans. Andromeda is coming from Atlantis and Ikaris from The Eternals. Negasonic is coming from Genosha and Black Masquerade from Spain,” Tony replied.

Rhodes knew what Janet was thinking and was quick to explain. “For us to be able to build this place part of the agreement was that we build our team up from heroes the United Nations chose for us. We didn’t have much a choice in the matter.”

“Still, doesn’t discount these guys as amateurs either. We just have to get them working as a team,” Stark said.

Wasp smirked. “You’re starting to sound like Steve.”

Stark laughed. “The great Captain America would roll over in his grave if he heard you say that.”

Janet missed him most of all. He had always been there when she needed a shoulder to lean on and he had convinced her to stay with The Avengers after a rough patch with James. It was his leadership that she modeled herself after when she became head of The Patrol Force. She had never expected that title to be hers, but Steve was right there when she needed to talk to him about. Sadly, he had been in Miami when the nukes went off.

“You’re too harsh on yourself. Steve liked you, but just not enough to agree with you,” Janet laughed.

“That would be putting it lightly,” Stark said with a grim laugh. He had a lot of memories of Captain America that weren’t quite so fond. They argued like two starving cats over a bowl of milk. Neither would budge nor give into the other.

“Light as mayonnaise,” Rhodes joked. He had known the two men since they all worked together during Vietnam. It had been a covert operation and The Avengers exposed it for what it was. Even back then the two men had a hard time getting along.

“So are you going to stay for dinner? Rhodey has been terrible company as of late,” Stark said.

“Only if I get to do the cooking,” Wasp responded. “I remember full and well the bathroom disaster that was your tuna casserole.”

-BEEP!-

Janet looked down and said, “That’s me.”

She pulled the tiny square communicator from off of her gun holster and read the message that Cable had sent. Her face went pale and Rhodes asked, “What’s wrong, Jan?”

Wasp wasn’t sure whether to tell the two men, but they were some of the best friends she had. This wasn’t something she could keep from them. If Cable chewed her out later then so be it. “Cable thinks that Apocalypse is on his way back to Earth.”

Every muscle in Rhodes’ body tensed up. Apocalypse had been almost as devastating to Earth as his creation, Sinister. That wasn’t what bothered James the most though. “If Apocalypse is coming back then so are his Horsemen.”

Tony sighed and said, “Thor.”

Janet was quick to make the correction. “Not Thor. He’s War. He’s been that way for years. We can’t change that, but we can make Apocalypse wish he never came back. I suggest that you get The Avengers together. Cable is reassembling The Patrol Force.”

Tony’s eyebrow perked up. “Is he? Well, he’s finally getting something right then. I think it’s time I unveil The Iron Sentinels.”

Her mouth practically dropped. “You finally got it ready?! You’ve been working on that project for years!”

Rhodes smiled. “I gave him a swift kick in the behind and he sent the project into full speed. Good thing I did.”

“I just hope that Cable is wrong. Apocalypse coming back is not what we need. We were starting to heal the wounds from Sinister,” Janet said. She had no fond memories of Apocalypse. He had killed Ant-Woman and The Ebony Spider without remorse. They had given their lives to protect hers. She would never forget them, but she had tried her best to forget him. It seemed Apocalypse wouldn’t let that be the case.

Outer Space

Apocalypse sat at the back of the spaceship on a massive throne and his eyes towards Earth. He laughed manically for reasons only he understood and said, “I can feel it. The Earth is close. We will grind it to dust.”

To Be Continued…