Johanna looked at the email on her phone. Special Agent Nina Price of Shield was coming
in a hurry… but she wasn’t trying to be noticed… Which meant she was in economy
on a commercial airline taking an overnight on one of those Stark long
haulers. Johanna had even been given an
itemized list of what Price was bringing… Two Pants suits, one Club outfit,
company laptop, company smart phone, local telecom card for the phone, chargers
for both, and a hard drive off information for Johanna that was expected to
remain sealed and unopened by customs.
“What kind of mutant did I spot?” Johanna murmured to
herself.
She had heard rumors about this Blade figure, a serial
killer with a vampire obsession, but Vampires weren’t real. If anything they were mutants or “Inhumans,” that
was the English word those Kree hybrids called themselves. Johanna could attest to all sorts of things
that were produced by so called super-science, especially when it wasn’t guided
by any sort of morality like in Hydra, AIM or Leviathan labs.
“I would even settle for that insult to coffee Americans
call Star-bucks,” Johanna murmured looking around the terminal.
She was not surprised to see the armed security walking
around the airport, that was sadly normal in a world with terrorists everywhere…
what was surprising was the company sized group from various counter-terrorism
units loaded out for war following Sin in her own “Super Hero” outfit. While Johanna’s outfit was layers of Red
Black and gold, the German Flag colors, Sin’s was crimson and black. Crimson red boots that went up her legs to
the red thigh holsters for her pair of pistols, under that was the black
tank-top catsuit, around her torso was the red leather cover to the bullet
proof corset and the red gear belt, her arms were encased in red leather
gloves, on her shoulders were hard shoulder pads with the yellow shield of the
German Eagle that had replaced the Imperial Eagle after the Great War, and her
neck and face were covered by the red leather covered neck corset and lower
face mask.
“What is happening?” Johanna muttered before pulling the
government ID from the pocket of her suit jacket.
Sin stopped the group as Johanna held up the ID card.
“What seems to be the problem?” Sin asked, her voice
muffled by the fire proof fabric coering her mouth and lower face.
“I am here to make sure a minor diplomat is shown a warm welcome,”
Johanna said, “What are you doing here?”
“Who is coming in?” One of the security troopers asked.
“A Miss Price is coming in from the United States on
official duties,” Johanna turned to the man.
The man worked a tablet and then showed it to Sin.
“Ah, Miss Price from the American Justice Ministry,” Sin
said.
“What are you here for?” Johanna crossed her arms across
her chest.
“As the British would say,” Sin started in German before
switching to English, “Doom has come to Berlin.”
Johanna cocked her head to indicate she didn’t get the
English reference.
“The Doctor Baron Von Doom,” the security trooper spoke
up, “The head of Latveria is visiting Berlin Miss.”
“Thank you,” Johanna smiled at the man.
She knew she was ageless but it still felt good to be
complemented about how young and pretty she was.
“There are security concerns with such an out spoken head
of state visiting,” Sin said.
Johanna could tell her daughter was smiling as well under
the mask. A chime alerted the group that
a notice was about to play. And sure
enough it was a notice that the flight Johanna was expecting was arriving, but
being moved to a different gate.
“Excuse me,” Johanna said to the security people.
*
Nina Price or Vampire by Night as she was called in the
Shield network, spoke no European langue, was born and raised in the United
States, but spoke with an accent like what the Alpha Flight kids in Canada
would expect for a cartoon vampire.
Johanna was not impressed. Still
the blonde was kind of cute with her pale blue eyes. Johanna chided herself, she was supposed to
be the President’s girlfriend now and she was still checking out every young
maiden she came across.
“So, tell me,” Nina said in her accented English, “Vat
did you think you saw?”
Johanna took a deep breath and noticed a faint musk to
the woman next to her but said nothing.
Rather she thought for a minute before speaking.
“I figure they was something from the Mutants,” Johanna
shrugged.
“Were. Not that it
matters,” Nina smiled, “They were not a mutant.”
“Granted I am older than I look,” Johanna said, “And I am
rather superstitious by modern standards… but I do not believe in
vampires. What is this a Murnau film?”
“Don’t be so sure of your science,” Nina said as she
walked next to Johanna.
Johanna looked at the exit doors in front of her and
blanched. An armored bank truck was
plowing right into the doors!
“Look out!” a voice shouted as a shot rang out.
The round struck the front of the truck and killed the
engine, but the mass and speed kept the vehicle coming into the terminal. Both Johanna and Nina attempted to push
people out of the way, but there were too many right by the door and the truck
ran a few over.
“Hail Hydra!” came the shouts as the figures in green and
sickly yellow web gear jumped out of the armored truck.
Nina and Johanna looked at each other and then the truck. Before they could do anything the heard Sin
shouting in German at the Hydra troopers.
Johanna looked at her daughter standing next to a tv news crew and a
group of Counter Terror troopers raising their MKbs at the Hydra troopers.
A burst of fire ripped the din of screams as someone
fired their weapon. Johanna’s heart sank…
Another innocent victim of Hydra’s evil…
*
“Oh my…” the anchor covered her mouth for a moment before
continuing, “It seems Miss Schmidt from the security ministry was not joking
about the threat of Hydra attacking Lord Doom of Latveria’s arrival. We are seeing members of the government’s
counter terrorism forces as well as what looks like plain clothed agents of
police attempting to disarm and apprehend the terrorists! This is being transmitted live from the
airport!”
“Johanna Schmidt,” the Younger Stucker pointed at the taller
blonde in a suit fighting the trooper, “Not sure about the other one… but she
has red eyes like that ‘friend’ you introduced me to last summer. Of course there is the younger Schmidt with
her red hair dye.”
“Of course…” the younger of the council members said, “But
do they realize this attack is only a diversion for the real assassination
attempt?”
“Is it me or are her eyes red?” the older of the Stucker
asked.