Read Online Civil War Prose Novel by Stuart Moore - Free Book Online
Authors: Stuart Moore
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straw.”
“You Americans.” She nuzzled his chest, a hard look on her lovely face. “So spoiled with freedom. The slightest hint of a threat, and you throw a tantrum.”
Daredevil flicked blind eyes toward Spider-Man.
“If that Act passes,” DD said, “It’s the end of the way we do business. The end of everything. You can smell it in the air.”
“Spoiled,” the Widow repeated. Whispered it softly, into his chest.
“Quiet, everyone!”
Spidey turned to see Reed Richards raising a remote control toward the screen. Below a stern-looking female reporter, a headline crawl read: BREAKING NEWS.
“They’re about to announce the results of the vote.”
The chatter of TV noise rose in the room, drowning out the speculation of two dozen costumed heroes. Wings rustled; drinks were placed down. Masks, eyes, and lenses all turned to stare up at the screen.
The blank visage of Iron Man stared down at them, accompanied by the legend: AFTER THE REPORT: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY STARK, THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN.
Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man, felt yet another panic-twinge in his gut. Oh, Tony, he thought. Man, I hope you know what you’re doing.
ONCE, the world had been simple. Countries fought wars over lines on a map, occupying conquered territories with tanks, armies, fleets. Men battled on land, at sea, or in fighter planes. They fought, they fell, and they died.
Except for Captain America. In 1945, near the end of the Second World War, he fell in battle…but he didn’t die. Through a fluke of nature, he was preserved in a state of suspension, fated to awaken decades later in a very different world. A world of global communications, satellite tracking, of cameras and computers smaller than a speck of dust. A world where wars were fought very differently, for different causes, with startling new technologies.
Technologies such as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Built during the Cold War, the Helicarrier served as command post and staging point for all major operations of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. Half a mile wide, the size and bulk of a small city, it soared above the Earth, powered by several breakthrough technologies developed by Stark Enterprises. Current location: six miles over New York City.
On the carrier’s flight deck, Captain America watched an F-22 Raptor glide in for a landing. The sleek stealth plane dropped wheels at the last minute, skidding just slightly as it touched down. It taxied to the end of the long deck, past a virtual museum of military aircraft past and present, and decelerated to a full, graceful stop.
They just stopped making the F-22, Cap thought. He hoped the new models would perform as well. You never knew.
He turned to peer down over the edge of the deck’s metal balcony, wind whipping at his face. Somewhere down below, Earth’s super heroes were gathering. But he couldn’t see the city. Too much cloud cover.
“Cap? The director’ll see you now.”
Armored S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led him inside, through high, gray-metal corridors dotted with window portals. Captain America’s duties had brought him to the Helicarrier many times before. But this time, something was different.
It feels cold. Alien, almost.
The corridor opened up into a wide, low-ceilinged room crisscrossed with walkways. No more windows. A proud woman stood facing him in full S.H.I.E.L.D. braid, with short-cropped hair and striking features. Two male agents flanked her, their hands held loose near high-tech sidearms. One had cruel eyes and broken-looking features; the other wore shades and sported a mustache.
“Captain,” the woman said.
“Commander Hill.”
She smiled, a cold reptile smile. “It’s Director now. Well, Acting Director.”
Cap frowned. “Where’s Fury?”
“You’ve been out of the loop, haven’t you?” She stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry to report that Nicholas Fury was lost at sea, four months ago. You’ve heard of
“You Americans.” She nuzzled his chest, a hard look on her lovely face. “So spoiled with freedom. The slightest hint of a threat, and you throw a tantrum.”
Daredevil flicked blind eyes toward Spider-Man.
“If that Act passes,” DD said, “It’s the end of the way we do business. The end of everything. You can smell it in the air.”
“Spoiled,” the Widow repeated. Whispered it softly, into his chest.
“Quiet, everyone!”
Spidey turned to see Reed Richards raising a remote control toward the screen. Below a stern-looking female reporter, a headline crawl read: BREAKING NEWS.
“They’re about to announce the results of the vote.”
The chatter of TV noise rose in the room, drowning out the speculation of two dozen costumed heroes. Wings rustled; drinks were placed down. Masks, eyes, and lenses all turned to stare up at the screen.
The blank visage of Iron Man stared down at them, accompanied by the legend: AFTER THE REPORT: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY STARK, THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN.
Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man, felt yet another panic-twinge in his gut. Oh, Tony, he thought. Man, I hope you know what you’re doing.
ONCE, the world had been simple. Countries fought wars over lines on a map, occupying conquered territories with tanks, armies, fleets. Men battled on land, at sea, or in fighter planes. They fought, they fell, and they died.
Except for Captain America. In 1945, near the end of the Second World War, he fell in battle…but he didn’t die. Through a fluke of nature, he was preserved in a state of suspension, fated to awaken decades later in a very different world. A world of global communications, satellite tracking, of cameras and computers smaller than a speck of dust. A world where wars were fought very differently, for different causes, with startling new technologies.
Technologies such as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Built during the Cold War, the Helicarrier served as command post and staging point for all major operations of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. Half a mile wide, the size and bulk of a small city, it soared above the Earth, powered by several breakthrough technologies developed by Stark Enterprises. Current location: six miles over New York City.
On the carrier’s flight deck, Captain America watched an F-22 Raptor glide in for a landing. The sleek stealth plane dropped wheels at the last minute, skidding just slightly as it touched down. It taxied to the end of the long deck, past a virtual museum of military aircraft past and present, and decelerated to a full, graceful stop.
They just stopped making the F-22, Cap thought. He hoped the new models would perform as well. You never knew.
He turned to peer down over the edge of the deck’s metal balcony, wind whipping at his face. Somewhere down below, Earth’s super heroes were gathering. But he couldn’t see the city. Too much cloud cover.
“Cap? The director’ll see you now.”
Armored S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led him inside, through high, gray-metal corridors dotted with window portals. Captain America’s duties had brought him to the Helicarrier many times before. But this time, something was different.
It feels cold. Alien, almost.
The corridor opened up into a wide, low-ceilinged room crisscrossed with walkways. No more windows. A proud woman stood facing him in full S.H.I.E.L.D. braid, with short-cropped hair and striking features. Two male agents flanked her, their hands held loose near high-tech sidearms. One had cruel eyes and broken-looking features; the other wore shades and sported a mustache.
“Captain,” the woman said.
“Commander Hill.”
She smiled, a cold reptile smile. “It’s Director now. Well, Acting Director.”
Cap frowned. “Where’s Fury?”
“You’ve been out of the loop, haven’t you?” She stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry to report that Nicholas Fury was lost at sea, four months ago. You’ve heard of
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