SIXTEEN YEARS AGO..."It's Colonel Wilson, correct?" The woman asked, barely raising her eyes to look towards Slade as he entered the large office. Behind her, a sprawling view of Washington D.C. sat just beyond the tall row of windows that made up the majority of the walls in the penthouse.
"Yes, Ma'am." Slade affirmed before saluting, "Lieutenant Colonel Slade Wilson."
"Slade, what nationality is that name anyways?" The woman mused, her expression stony.
"Don't answer that, Colonel," She interjected as Slade opened his mouth.
"I don't want to start our relationship with a lie. I know 'Slade' is the name you gave yourself when you forged your identity. Couldn't wait to escape home after your mother died and like any red-blooded American, you saw the army as the perfect escape."
Slade kept his own facial expressions still. While it wasn't a surprise that someone with resources could determine Slade's past, he did not want to give this woman any more of an edge by displaying any sort of emotion. Resisting the urge to ball his hands into a fist, Slade could feel his blood beginning to boil, the Mirakuru pumping through his veins echoed in his ears and through his skull. It would have been easy to give in to the rage. To actually let loose and send the woman plummeting to her death from the windows she no doubt saw as a reward for years of service.
Taking a deep breath, Slade kept himself in check. The woman had brought to mind memories that he hadn't though about for years. When Slade had left home to join the army, he had chosen to turn his back on the life he once had. Slade had been a natural fit for the U.S. army, save for one detail; he was only sixteen. Needing to get out of town and away from his step-father and idiot half-brother, Slade abandoned his birth name and forged a new identity. The army was all too eager to accept him, and soon after the forged paperwork fell through the cracks, never to be heard of again.
At least not until now.
"With a record this prestigious, it's not hard to imagine why your identity was overlooked." She continued to flip through the file open on her desk. From where he was standing Slade could see pictures of Adeline, Wintergreen and even his son, Grant.
"You've overcome every obstacle in your way. Though, your file does note you're a bit of a lone wolf." The woman paused,
"I get it though, it's hard to work with others beneath your station isn't it Colonel? When you're the best, you demand a certain level of competency that's just hard to get."
She paused, lifting a nearby glass of water to her mouth.
"You see, Colonel, I am the best." The woman continued, finally standing from her chair. While Slade noted that she was far from a petite woman, she wasn't exactly gifted in stature either. She'd have been lucky to come up to his chest. That didn't stop Slade from suddenly realizing he was the smallest person in the room.
"There's a war coming, Colonel. Your brass might not realize it yet, but you're this country's greatest asset when the tide comes in. But instead of putting their best player in, they've got you riding the bench." She stated.
"Says in your file that the experiment was a failure, that you suffer from, and I quote, 'extreme mood swings and uncontrollable violent outbursts.'"
Walking straight up to Slade, the woman raised her head to meet his eyes. "Sounds to me like absolute bullshit, Colonel. I think you've got what it takes to overcome this the same as you have everything else thus far. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life behind that desk?"
She took a step back, proceeding across the room towards a decanter filled with an amber liquid. Pouring two glasses neat, she motioned for Slade to help himself to the second before raising the other to her own lips.
"Did you know the U.S. Army intended to do the same thing to Captain America? The SSR gave them the greatest soldier the world had ever seen and what does the U.S. Government do with him? They parade him around like a circus animal to raise money for bonds."
Accepting the drink, Slade continued to silently listen.
"I'm here to ensure your potential isn't wasted." The woman continued,
"I want to turn you into the perfect counter-insurgent weapon. We're living in a brave new world, we need agents like you, Colonel." She took another sip of her drink before extending a hand.
"My name is Director Amanda Waller, and I'm putting a team together. I want you to lead it."
Slade didn't even give it a second thought before shaking Waller's hand. He had spent nearly six months behind a desk. He was aching to see some action.
"Welcome to A.R.G.U.S., Colonel."