different » marvel ¹

eight

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites." Nick explained.

"Launched from the Lemurian Star." Steve spoke as we walked.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines." Fury said as Steve looked around, his face holding an expression of being impressed.

"Stark?" I asked, looking to Fury. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We're gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen." He stopped us on a balcony that overlooked the helicarriers.

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion, Steve must've been the same way because he spoke up, "I thought the punishment came after the crime?"

"We can't afford to wait that long." He looked to us.

"Who's 'we'?" I set a hand on my hip. Fury turned back around to look at the machines, "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve."

At first it didn't sound bad, but the more I thought about what he was really saying, the worse it got. "By holding a gun at everyone on earth and calling it protection?" Steve's voice was monotonous.

I blocked out the rest of their conversation, looking out at the helicarriers and watching other machines carry them around. Another thing that everyone would have to take into consideration eventually was how deadly these things were.

Fury wanted to stop crimes before they happened, but was that a good thing?

• • •

"Look who it is. Running man and . . . damn, I can't figure out a nickname for you." The man we had saw with Steve a few days earlier walked out and greeted us, making me chuckle.

"Call me Raven." I held out a hand for him to shake. He took it, "Sam Wilson."

"We caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense." Steve stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret." Sam stacked the pamphlets onto the table beside him.

"You lost someone?" He asks. Sam nods, "My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch." He explained.

"I'm sorry." I say quietly, he nods at me in thanks, doing the same to Steve.

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason to be over there, you know?" He directed the question to Steve. Cap lets out a sigh, "You're happy now, back in the world?"

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell yeah. You thinking about getting out?" Sam says, a joking tone lacing his voice. Steve shakes his head, "No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam grins, making me chuckle, "Just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

He subtly shakes his head, "I don't know." He glances to me, "Maybe my friends." He nudges me with his shoulder, "She seems to always have my back when I need her."