"Captain America, how do you propose we get out of this?" Mieko Ko asked, annoyed.

"I am not sure Meiko, but I know that if I do escape a lot of people are going to have things to answer for," Cap said gritting his teeth. The noise made an echo throughout the old, musty, stale aired dungeon.

"I guess you are referring to me," Mieko Ko said with a deep smile appearing on her face. She was pleased with Captain America's anger at her because she could one day use it to her advantage.

Just then one of Khimera's henchmen came in. He had the head of a lion, the arms of man, the torso of a bat and the legs of a goat. He pulled a key out of his pockets and used it to free Captain America and Mieko Ko. "If you two value your lives you will follow me!" the monster commanded as he began to run out of the door. Before Cap left the dungeon he picked up his shield which had a been only a few feet away from him while he was tied up.

Meiko Ko and Captain America followed the beast down the winding corridors, never encountering a single foe to oppose them. Mieko Ko was getting a little suspicious. "Why haven't we encountered any of your comrades?" Mieko Ko asked.

"These are secret passageways that the resistance built. Even Khimera doesn't know about them," the monster said skulking along.

"What resistance?" Cap asked. The monster turned around and looked at him. The expression on his face looked as if everyone should already know of the resistance.

"The resistance is the only force that has been fighting against Khimera. We tried to get the help of other governments including yours to stop him, but our cries were ignored. Now we run short, quick, and devastating missions that one day we hope will destroy Khimera," the monster explained.

Captain America and Meiko Ko began to trust the monster a little more because he seemed on level and he talked like someone with a good heart. They kept following the monster till he got to a door and opened it. It led straight into the Australian outback. Captain America, Mieko Ko and the monster ran out of the door to find a S.H.I.E.L.D. mini-jet waiting there for them. The pilot was Brian Vesso.

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!" Brian yelled. Captain America knocked an unsuspecting Meiko Ko over the head with his shield. She fell to the ground with a THUD!! and Captain America picked her up.

"I am coming with you because I must find someone to help us," the monster yelled, getting onto the mini-jet with Captain America.

Captain America came up to Brian because something was bugging him. "Brian how on Earth did you know that we were going to be coming out of that exact door considering how large Khimera's base is?" Cap asked.

"Steve, I am a mutant clairvoyant. I have kept this secret hidden for many years, but I figure the time is right to tell someone," Brian explained cautiously.

"That's good enough for me! Where is Sharon at?" Cap asked.

"Cap that is another problem we are going to have to deal with. Sharon was on her way to assisting you when she just suddenly vanished out of thin air. I have and no one else has been able to track her down. Scientifically she just disappeared," Brian said. Cap slammed his fists together and his eyes narrowed.

"I will find Sharon no matter what it takes!" Cap exclaimed.

"Before we do that I think you might want to take this," Brian said holding up the vial that Meiko Ko had.* Cap took it from Brian's hand and gulped the formula down.

(* Meiko Ko was carrying a formula that could reverse the animal-like mutations Cap has been undergoing since issue #1 -- Russ)

When the heroes got back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, Mieko Ko was taken into custody and locked up. "You will pay for this dearly, Captain America!" were Mieko Ko's final words.

The Next Day

"You know, I never got the chance to ask what your name was?" Cap said to the monster who had helped him get out of Khimera's base.

"My name is Herth and yours?" Herth asked.

"My name is Captain America. Look Herth to be able to live with me in my apartment till you get some help for your resistance you are going to have to wear an image inducer that makes you look human," Cap said, handing Herth a watch that was really an image inducer.

Herth put it on and he suddenly changed into a built blonde in his mid-30s. "This is fascinating," Herth said as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"You're telling me," Cap said looking into the mirror with Herth.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier

"So she disappeared over Africa?" Cap asked Brian.

"Yes, she disappeared over Tazania to be exact," Brian said while he was punching some numbers into a very sophisticated caculator.

"That is where I am heading then," Cap said, walking out of Brian's lab and towards the .S.H.I.E.L.D. cargo bay.

Tazania

Cap could find not even a shred of evidence that Sharon had even flew over Africa, let alone crashed in it. The situation was becoming hopeless when he suddenly heard a loud BRAKOOOM!! coming from where his mini-jet was at. When he got there he found dinosaur-like monsters ripping through his mini-jet.

"Lovely creatures aren't they," Dr. Demonicus said as he blasted Captain America suddenly with a powerful laser. Cap went flying into a large boulder. Captain America could have sworn he heard his back crack in half when he hit that rock.

"I am getting tired of guys creating freaks!" Cap yelled as he lunged at Dr. Demonicus kicking him in the face and then in the ribs. Cap used his shield in an uppercut, knocking Dr. Demonicus back about 10 yards. Dr. Demonicus even through all the blows was still standing.

"Myndai force fields come in real handy," Dr. Demonicus joked as he began to fire rapid shots at Cap. Captain America kept dodging the blasts, but he wasn't going to be able to do it forever so he used his shield to deflect the blasts at Dr. Demonicus's creatures that were just about to charge him.

"You dirty rat! You destroyed my lovely creatures! Now it is time for..."

"To shut up!" Herth said finishing off Dr. Demonicus's sentence as he stood over his unconscious body.

"Herth! You came in the nick of time. How on Earth did you get here?" Captain America asked.

"I got here with some help from Brian," Herth said, pointing at the bushes which Brian came out of, short of breath.

"Herth I told you to slow down!" Brian screamed, trying to catch his breath. Then he looked up and saw Cap's totaled mini-jet.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is definitely not going to like this," Brian said shaking his head.

"Come in Agent Vesso come in," a voice on Brian's mini-com said.

"Agent Vesso here what's the problem?" Brian asked.

"Meiko Ko has escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. You are going to be needed at the helicarrier immediately," the voice said.

"Roger that, over and out," Brian said turning off his mini-com.

"She escaped before I even had a chance to ask her," Cap mumbled to himself.

"Ask her what?" Brian inquired.

"Never mind," Cap said looking up at the sky.