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[COLOR=00aeef][indent][sub][I]Hotel, London, England, United Kingdom[/I] - [I]Present Day, 14:23 Hours[/I][/sub][sup][right]Issue 1.03.4: Cross of Iron[/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][B]Interaction(s):[/B] [I]None[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][b]Previously:[/b] [I] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4893630]Issue 1.03.3: The Stranger[/url][/I][/right][/SUP][/indent][/color]

[color=purple]”So, you are telling me that a werewolf threw you off the rooftop last night and no one else saw it?”[/color] Fury raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms in Steve’s new hotel room.

Across the room, Steve was cleaning his sidearm while sitting in a large chair. He sighed, shaking his head. [color=00aeff]”Yeah. That sounds about right.”[/color] 

[color=purple]”Steve, I hope you understand how insane that sounds. You’ve been under a lot of stress, lately, and-“[/color]

[color=00aeef]”I know what I saw, Nick. It was a werewolf like the books when I was a kid.”[/color]

Sharon stepped forward from her spot in the corner, her eyebrows raised. [color=gold]”Wait, Steve, you were afraid of werewolves as a kid?”[/color]

Steve shrugged his shoulders. [color=00aeef]”We all have unrealistic fears. I feel like in a world where there are vampires and wizards, werewolves are a realistic fear right about now.”[/color]

Fury gave a nod and a smile as he began picking up on Sharon’s logic. [color=purple]”That would explain the strange deaths. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they mobilized Trauma as part of their master plan. And now that Captain Rogers is here, they want to finish the job they started in the forties.”[/color] 

Fury turned his gaze back to Cap, who nodded in response. [color=00aeef]”That would explain why he had my old uniform. If it’s Agent Ward, then what’s our next play?”[/color]

[color=purple]”Simple. We lay a trap. And you’re the bait.”[/color]

[COLOR=00aeef][indent][sub][I]Rooftop, London, England, United Kingdom[/I] - [I]Present Day, 12:27 Hours[/I][/sub][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][/color]

The Captain stood in the pouring thunderstorm of another night in London, right near his hotel room. He was hard to miss, decked out in his strike uniform and with his shield in hand. Another crack of lightning lit up the night sky, forcing Cap to squint a little as the thunder rolled. By the time Cap’s vision returned to normal, the beast returned. It seemed larger than before, perhaps by about half a foot. It snarled, its low growl nearly drowned out by the pounding rain. The two figures watched each other for a few moments.

The beast made the first move, just as Steve’s muscles tensed. It lunged forward, closing the gap in a mere second. The Captain lifted his shield, managing to catch the beast’s claws just in time. The two were able to match each other blow for blow. This time he was prepared. Cap was fighting defensively, doing his best to dodge and block the beast’s incoming attacks. This forced the Captain back, inching slowly towards the rooftop’s ledge.

Of course, the beast adapted. Steve could tell it was learning and changing to counter his own fighting style. He felt the fear rising in his throat, but pushed it back down and kept doing what he could. He just needed to buy some time. But time was running out. The beast was able to grip the edge of Steve’s shield with its right hand, ripping it aside to get a swipe at his torso. Cap grunted in pain as he took a step backwards, throwing in a sweep of the beast’s leg. It landed on its back, giving its own growl while Steve lifted his shield back up to continue the fight.

The two continued fighting toe to toe, while on the rooftop across the street Fury gave a nod. [color=purple]”Bring it down.”[/color] From their position, the SHIELD operatives began opening fire with their specialized ICER rifles. Small blue pellets impacted against the beast’s fur, causing it to recoil. Cap used the brief pause in the attack to reach towards his belt, pulling out a metal ring that was still partially open. He slammed the ring into the beat’s neck, and it instantly began glowing and molded around the beast’s neck. As the beast roared, electricity began sparking from the collar and causing it to convulse. It slowly lowered to its knees in pain. The SHIELD volley stopped, and Cap slowly approached his opponent.

As Steve drew near, the beast’s head snapped up to stare him in the eyes. The electricity was still sparking, but it showed no further pain. Cap’s heart dropped as the fear began to overtake him, and the beast lunged. He was really on the defensive now. Fury reached up towards his ear as he watched the battle ensue. [color=purple]”Carter, you need to take the shot. Silver bullet.”[/color]

Sharon nodded and kicked open the emergency access door to the rooftop, gripping her revolver tightly as she circled around towards the fight. Cap’s eyes turned towards her, and the beast followed suite. Before Steve could try and restrain it, the beast began sprinting towards Sharon. Without hesitation, she pulled squeezed the trigger, firing a shot directly into the beast’s skull. Instantaneously, the beast reverted back into its original form. The corpse of Terrance Ward slid along the ground towards Sharon’s feet.

Cap sighed, falling to a knee as his eyes locked on the corpse of what must have been a man no older than 21. Through ragged breaths, he slammed a fist into the ground as he muttered, [color=00aeef]”Not again.”[/color][hr][right][color=00aeef]Next Chapter:[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4897596]Come and See[/url][/right]