Ultimate Punisher

[Victor Von Doom]

A Professional​

I pull my lighter out of my left cargo pocket and flick it open. A slight breeze blows thru the room and I watch as the flame does a little dance against the wind. I raise the lighter closer to the cigarette pressed firmly between my lips. I stop short of lighting the end and turn to the man in the corner. I take a deep breath and say to him, "It doesn't have to go down like this, ya know?" "Screw you guy!" he replies. I roll my eyes in disappointment and stare into the dim bulb hanging from the ceiling. "They always go for door#2…" I think to myself. I shrug my shoulders and finish lighting my cigarette.

I grab the cart with my equipment and roll it over along side the man in the corner. As my footsteps echo in the dark and the wheels of the cart thunder thru the dark room every time they roll over a crack in the tile, the man frantically struggles to free himself from his shackles. I think reality just hit him. Bet he wishes he picked door#1. I stop the cart just at the edge of the light circle above us. The room is completely black…except where we're standing. I remove his blindfold and his first sight is a gleaming star of light on my blade reflected from the lightbulb above. A black man at 6'3" and 255 lbs of muscle…I'm a pretty imposing person. Not exactly the kinda guy you wanna meet in a dark alley. Combine that with my years as a NAVY SEAL assassin and special ops commander and you got a guy you wouldn't wanna meet on a bad day period. Throw in the fact that when I step in a room…within the first 30 seconds I've figured out 6 different ways to kill each person in the room and 4 alternate escape routes and you've got a guy most don't wanna meet period. Time for the fun to begin…

"Where is Anthony Ramos hiding?" I ask. He stammers some kind of response but I can't make out what he said. "Let me ask you again…where is Anthony Ramos hiding?" Again he babbles out an answer but it's all incoherent noise to me. I crack my neck and step out into the light. Deep, thick pools of shadowy darkness cover my eyes…a menacing sight to behold…or so I'm told. I bring my blade fully into light and show him its intricate details. "I'm gonna ask you again—but if I don't get an answer I can understand…this blade goes in you. Nod if you understand." He nods. "So Hector…where is Anthony Ramos hiding?" I ask. "I-I-I-I think he's holed up in the old factory downtown…" he replies. "You think Hector or you know?" I question. "Please sir…I-I-I-I don't know Anthony's details. I'm j-j-j-just a lowly errand b-b-b-boy." I take a deep breath and sigh. "Why can't they ever make it easy on themselves?" I think to myself.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hector's screams fill the room. If his screams were light…I'd need shades. But they're not…so I drown them out. Soon it's completely silent. I see his mouth move with pain each time I slide the blade in him around, but I hear nothing. I'm in my zone. I hear nothing. It's my gift…and sometimes my curse. I'm a totally sane man lacking some of the basic concepts of decency, morality, and humanity that separates me from other humans and allows me to do this kinda dirty work. My mind drifts in the midst of all the screaming and the scene of blood. I come back to focus and the screaming is now blaring in my ear. I step back to wipe the blood off my blade. I look down and notice that the guy's losing a lot of blood. I'm not really sure if he'll make it thru this session. My mind races with thoughts of what I can do to him without fatally jeopardizing his health. I soon snap out of it. I got a job to do and a lot of innocent people depend on this information I need to get.

I step back away from the prisoner and into thin air I ask "November Foxtrot…this is S.H.I.E.L.D Special Agent Castle. Permission to obtain the required info via extenuating situational questioning?" The silence is deafening. I stand in the dark and await further orders. I hate all the bureaucracy involved with time-sensitive matters. Then the loud speaker erupts with "Ok…Agent Castle. Do what you have to do." I smile. I straighten the smile on my face and put my game face back on. Show no mercy to the bad guys. I step back into the light and light up another cigarette. I take a puff and blow the smoke into Hector's face.

"Hector…I know you're more than an errand boy. You're a lieutenant in his organization. You're privy to a lot of key information…including the info of Anthony's whereabouts. Now I know you can take more than this itsy-bitsy flesh wound I've carved into your side…so I'm gonna ask you again—but before I do…I wanna let you in on what's next if I don't like what I hear. First…I'm gonna smack each and every single toe you have on your left foot with a ball-pin hammer. Then, I'm gonna turn my attention to your right foot. I'm gonna cut each one of those little piggies off and dip your bleeding feet into a bucket of gasoline. Fun times, eh? Keep in mind that the pain and sadistic acts will only increase as time goes on. So it's in your best interest to tell me the truth…and fast. So……………………where's Anthony Ramos hiding out at?"

Hector spits in my face. I smirk and think to myself "It's obvious that he won't talk………no time soon anyways. In the end…they all talk. One way or another…they all talk." I wipe the spit from my face and he spits in my face again. "I ain't talking to you blackie!" he scoffs. Sometimes…I love my job.

So this is my stand alone intro. It doesn't really tie in with any of the future issues I plan on writing.....just introducing my own "ULTIMATE" version of the Punisher. I'd love to actually hear some critiques this time.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 1​

The rain beat hard against the window pane. Frank stared out the window. He could hear the thunder in the far distant. Strangely…it was calming to him. The thunder grew closer and soon it echoed thru the halls of his home. A young boy began to cry in the next room and Frank chuckled. He walked into the room and outstretched his arms. The boy, still crying, walked towards Frank and reached up. Frank picked him up and began to rock the boy in order to soothe him. Frank kissed the boy's forehead and gently placed him back into his bed. He stood over the boy as he slept soundly…Frank smiled.

A cell phone chirped down the hall. Frank bolted outta his son's room and down the corridor. The phone chirped again. Frank quickly answered, "Castle here…". "Castle…this is November Foxtrot…game on." Frank hung up the phone and went to the garage. A locked trap down lay at the end of the garage. He opened it and began to step down the stairs. At the bottom was a bomb shelter. In it--a large silver cabinet stand in the corner with a combo lock on it. He stared at it from a distance let out a huge sigh. Getting into character was always hard. Frank entered the combination and opened the cabinet. A low fluorescent light glowed along the back wall of the cabinet. The walls were lined with enough weapons to arm a personal army. His mind tended to wander whenever he tried to get into character. "I hate that I never get any details over the phone. A man likes to be prepared, ya know?" He grabbed a large black duffel bag from the cabinet floor and grabbed a few of his favorite "pieces of hardware" off the wall. Loud clicks echoed thru the room as he performed function checks on the weapons. Once satisfied he loaded them into the bag. "Another day at the office…" he thought to himself.

When he finished packing, he locked everything back up and headed to the house to tell his wife that he had to go in. "Erica…baby?" he proclaimed. No answer. "Sweety? Where are you?" Still no answer. He began to worry and his pace around the house quickened. "ERICA!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!" He frantically ran from room to room, shouting his wife's name. Finally he came to his son's room…and there she stood…staring out the window. "Erica…why didn't you answer me when I called?" he asked. A tear roll down her cheek, followed by another. She turned and pressed her forehead against the window. "They called you didn't they?" she quivered. He hung his head in shame. "Yeah….they did." He replied. She sobbed again. She removed her head from the window and looked at Frank with tears in her eyes. "Erica—I have to--" he began. "Just go, Frank…" she turned her head back to the window. Tears well in his eyes. A horn honked. He peered out the window and 3 black Ford Expeditions with blacked out windows rolled up in front of the house. "You're ride's here…" she scowled. He just walked away.

The drive to the shuttle was silent. An SUV filled with combat tested agents. Each one with at least 10 war stories and not one of them said a word. Frank stared out the window and tried to push the image of Erica crying out of his mind. Not an easy task. His love for her was pouring out of his eyes. This was not a good thing. In the field of judication…emotions were your worst enemy. "Gotta push it out. Gotta not think about it. Clear the mind. Clear the mechanism." He thought to himself. As he approached Triskelion, his demeanor changed. His face was stoic. His eyes like stone. He was in the zone. He was ready for work.

As he walked towards the Situation Room, he passed a few of the Ultimates. "Wonder if I'll ever get THE CALL?" he wondered. It was the call that all SHIELD agents dream of. The call from Fury, informing you that you're now a member of the premiere defense team in the world. It was what every agent dreamed of. "Hell… I already got the nickname." Indeed he did. The Punisher. His position was one of kind. "Used to be not long ago, Fury would call upon Wolverine to do his dirty work. Used to be that Wolverine didn't mind doing a little dirt. But an encounter with the Hulk changed all that. Now Fury had to look elsewhere…somewhere he had some jurisdiction. That led him to me. Now I do the dirty work. The jobs that nobody wants to do…but still gotta get done." he thought. "Someone does something bad…and you go "punish" them, huh Castle?" someone cried out. Frank looked over. A man in an Armani suit and vodka martini in hand sat there with a smile on his face. "Stark is such a dick." Frank thought. "Yeah…but at least it doesn't take a team of scientist and the Budweiser Clydesdales to put me in a suit in order to kick a man's ***!" yelled Frank. A humble look came over Tony's face. "Yeah…I thought so rich boy!" he added. Tony was visibly angry now. "Keep talking to me like that Castle and I won't put in a good word with Fury in order to take you off the little league team." replied Tony. Frank smirked. He quickly drew a weapon from his side and took a shot at Tony. Stark fell back in his chair and down to the floor. He got back up holding his face. "Did Castle just shoot you in the cheek with his bean bag gun?" asked a Russian accented redhead in the corner. "I think you might've deserved that one, my darling." Frank holstered his weapon and continued down the hall.

Castle entered the Situation Room. Nick Fury was already sitting at the head of the table. "You called, sir?" "Sit down Castle…there was an attack on American soil this morning. We've got a job for you."



To Be Continued……………

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Overall, this is good, just one suggestion

When a character talks, it should start a new paragraph so the reader knows this. When you have multiple chracters talk in the same paragraph, it gets sort of confusing.

 

[WolviesWife]

Overall, this is good, just one suggestion

When a character talks, it should start a new paragraph so the reader knows this. When you have multiple chracters talk in the same paragraph, it gets sort of confusing.

I agree. I think there are some serious structure issues going on here, but this can be easily corrected. There is some confusion on who is talking and it took me a while to discover whom it was. Grammar is never a big deal with me and it can be overlooked.

That being said, you definitely have a passion for Frank Castle and this much is evident in your writing. I think it's easy to go over the top with him but try to squelch your desire to be too 'comic campy'. I think realism sometimes goes a long way.

I love hardcore action stories and you have a good handle on that. In the upcoming chapters I'd like to see more character and emotional development.

Again, I hope you continue this story and I look forward to more!

Cheers!

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 2​

The great Nick Fury sat across the table from Castle. "Well….whaddaya got for me today?" asked Castle. Fury sighed deeply and slid a folder across the table. The folder was stamped TS7. "That bad, Nick?"

"What does the folder say Castle? What does it say? It says this is a Level 7. Level-F*ck*n'-7! The President is only authorized a Level 5. That's how bad it is. So open the folder."

Frank opened the folder and sorted thru the details. "That's pretty bad, sir. But why me? Why not get Big Boy Blue out there and his supercrew to take care of this?" question Frank.

"Because Frank, this attack earlier wasn't carried out by superhumans…it was done by us regular Joes. There's too much focus on the Ultimates and their misappropriated involvement on foreign soils right now. Too risky get them involved…especially after the recent outing of Banner's involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. If some Magneto-wannabe wants to pop his head outta the ground and try to play bad guy with us…..then we got something for him. But right now…this situation calls for S.H.I.E.L.D's Shadow Team. Get your gear ready Frank…you'll be briefed along with the rest of the team." said Fury.

Frank Castle grabbed his bags and exited the Situation Room. He walked back down the hall and passed the room where the rest of the Ultimates where still hanging out. He smirked as he glanced over and saw Tony sitting there with a cold compress pressed firmly against his face. That amusement quickly faded as the gravity of the situation at hand fit Frank. He knew this was deep. "Level 7?" he thought silently. The highest he'd ever seen was a Level 3. "I wonder what the highest level the A-Team over there gets?" he thought. Frank had never questioned his abilities and duties before. But this time it was different. He'd always been able to tell who the bad guys were and how to deal with them. Not this time. How do you do the job you were selected to do when you know these are supposed to be the good guys? Hopefully there would be answers later.



2 Hours Later…


Frank stood there on the landing deck and glared off into the sun. In his mind he was set. It didn't matter who was waiting for him at the DZ…he was ready to deal with them. The air-shuttle finally arrived and he grabbed his bags and boarded. The shuttle ride was short…but then again any ride is short at Mach 5. "TRISKELLION PRIME…ETA…5 MINUTES" blared over the speakers. Triskellion Prime was the hovering aero-carrier S.H.I.E.L.D used for its shadow ops---a giant mobile base able to deploy an entire army to any point on the globe within hours. Frank checked his weapon one more time and stored it away. This kinda stuff was in his blood. If he wasn't clearing, field-stripping or firing a weapon…he was dreaming of it.

"Agent Castle…have you been briefed on all the details of this mission?" asked some random agent.

"I got the gist of it. I'm sure I'll be briefed on ROEs when I land. Same story, I'll bet. Someone did something bad…and I gotta do something bad to them." Frank replied.

The agent turned to a fellow agent sitting next to him and whispered something in his ear. The second agent glanced at Frank and chuckled. Frank leaned in close and beckoned the 2 agents to come closer. The 2 agents hesitated for a second but Frank gave them a look that said they better do as he asks. "Understand this…" Franks started "…while you 2 dart-gun carrying desk jockeys were sitting algebra class plotting to get your tips wets…..I was getting my fingers broken and reset everyday for 6 months in Desert Storm. You know what happened to the 7 guys who tortured me? I took their hands. But not before I took their fingers. So if I were you…I'd watch my mouth. Unless you think you can get by without your tongues."

The 2 agents gulped as Frank leaned back in his chair. The shuttle began to descend and Frank grabbed his bags. A knife with jagged, serrated edges fell out the side zipper. Frank knelt down to pick it up and paused as he stood back up. He glanced over at the agents and smiled. The shuttle landed and the rear bay doors opened. The wind blew heavily as he stepped off. A group of 6 S.H.I.E.L.D agents snapped to attention and saluted Castle. He returned the salute and leaned in towards the group commander. The commander leaned in as well and Frank whispered in his ear. The commander nodded and turned his attention to the 2 agents onboard the shuttle. "Agent Thomas…McElroy!!! Turn in your weapons and see mobility office. You're going to Djobouti, Africa for a year." yelled the commander.

Frank approached the briefing room and introduced himself to the team. He then made his way to the podium and addressed the room. "Gentlemen…I am S.H.I.E.L.D Special Agent Frank Castle. You all should know me. For those who don't go ask your mamma or ask a buddy because I have no time for girlie gossip. An attack was made on U.S soil this morning. The target was a special factory. What were they making? It's none of your business. All you need to know is your roles once we hit the DZ. Alpha Flight—you relieve local law enforcement agencies and some of our other boys on the ground. Bravo Flight—you're on de-con patrol. I want that area checked and rechecked for any gases, chemicals, toxins, etc. Charlie Flight—I want an interrogation area set up and running 10 minutes after we get there. Level 5 secure clearance only. Anyone else try to enter is to be shot on sight. I'll be running point. Jackson here is my second. Any problems refer to him or me. Any questions?"

The room stood silent.

"Ok boys…we hit the DZ in 1 hour. I want you geared up…and ready to go in 20. We leave in 30. Gentlemen…its gametime."




To Be Continued……………

Well it took me a while to write but I finally finished. Between work and home...I wasn't finding a lot of time to do this. The set up is slow I know....but I think the end is gonna be worth it.

I'll try to get Chapter 3 out a lot quicker...

 

[Seldes Katne]

One of the things I can appreciate about this story is the truly ultimized version of Frank Castle. So much "rebooted" fan fiction just reintroduces the same characters, with the same origins and backgrounds, fighting the same villains over and over. It's just like reading the comic book, and doesn't really give the reader anything new. This story provides him with a new background that makes sense and opens new possibilities for stories for this character. I'm guessing some of his background is drawn from the author's experiences.

I do find Frank Castle a little hard to like, given his profession, but anyone who shoots Tony Stark deserves a fair chance (not to mention a round of applause) in my book....

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 3​

Tikrit, Iraq 2004
The sound was deafening. The hail of bullets ate away at the wall. Their cover was slowly diminishing. Their platoon was covered from all angles. Trapped under a ceiling of bullets. Sergeant Avey was the first to try and cross the open gap and make for fresher cover. His bravery was rewarded with 6 bullets to the mid-section. Sergeant Gant was the next to try. 1 shot in the leg…3 into the chest and 1 in the neck. It would be a closed casket funeral. Their brick wall was whittling down to nothing more than a boulder.

The platoon was being massacred. A RPG was fired to the adjacent wall they were eying as the next cover spot.

"CASTLE!?!?!?!?!"

Frank snapped out of his daydream…daymare was more like it. He often wondered how he and his platoon survived that ambush.

"CASTLE…the gear's loaded---the men are cocked and locked. We're ready to deploy. Just say the word sir." said a crew-worker.

"Get the men to the load-zone. We drop in 5." Castle replied.

Frank stared back out the window and sighed deeply. The sky was so clear here. Not like back home. He thought about the rain beating against the window back at his house. His mind began to wander back to his family. How many more times will he have to up and leave, leaving them to wonder if he'll return? These thoughts were dangerous. He couldn't be thinking of his family in the field. He needed to be clear and focused. He shook his head and got back into focus. He grabbed his gear and headed for the load-zone.

As the crew boarded the aircraft he did a function-check on his sidearm again. CLIK-CLIK. The sound was soothing to him. Everything checked out. He boarded the aircraft and re-briefed the teams on their roles once on ground. The engines began to whir faster and harder. Several members of the team started to put earplugs in their ear to dull the noise.

"AGENT CASTLE…YOU WANT SOME PROTECTION?" yelled a team member as he held out some earplugs for Frank.

A cold, steely look glazed over Frank's eyes. He nodded no and turned his attention to out the window. Staring off into the nothingness of the sky allowed him to maintain his focus. Nothing there to distract him. All he could see was what he would do to get the job done. His ears clogged up as the decent became quicker and sharper. Frank ground his teeth in annoyance. He could vaguely hear the incessant chatter of the other guys on the aircraft. Talks of loose women, gambling trips with the money from this mission, babies interrupting sleep. Trivial concerns.

"30 seconds to TD" was announced over the intercom. The team grabbed their weapons and prepped for deployment. The aircraft touched down and the teams stepped out and began to take posts. Law enforcement agencies were turned away and ushered to a "clean" zone. De-con teams swept for any remaining contamination. An Alaskan shelter tent began to be erected. C-Wire and sandbags were placed around the perimeter. Frank took post and oversaw the entire operation. He waited patiently until the operation was up-and-running. After a few minutes of waiting, Castle approached the in-field flight commander.

"LT…what the status report on set-up?" Frank sternly questioned.

"5 more minutes sir and we'll be 100% operational." the LT replied.

"I am to assume the suspect in question is still under S.H.I.E.L.D supervision?" questioned Frank.

"Yes, sir. Agent Jackson has him confinement 3 huts down with a S.D (sensory deprivation) unit running as we speak."

"Out-damn-standing! I want a SITREP once we're at 100% and prepare my interrogation area. I want this running smooth and I don't want any delays once we begin."

Just then, out the corner of his eye, Castle noticed a lone reporter and cameraman trying to film the camp layout from a hill about 100 yards away. "F*ckin' civilians…." Frank muttered.

"Sir?" questioned the LT.

Frank began to mutter something else but it was inaudible. The last thing he needed was the media trying to get details on this disaster. He paused and looked directly at them. Getting rid of them would be difficult….especially without infringing on their 'constitutional rights'. "F*cking civilians…" he muttered.

"Sir…the reporters? What do you want to do about them?"

"Go get them and tell them I'm granting them an exclusive. Bring them to my office and hold them there. Inform them that I'll be there shortly. Also…grab Sanchez and Aerillo put them on guard detail with the reporter. As for the rest of them---they shouldn't have any footage of our operation. Extend the perimeter by 200 more yards. We'll move them back and restrict their view even more. I want total containment and concealment." Frank replied.

"Yes sir."

Frank function-checked his weapon once more and began his final rounds of the camp's operational status. Aside from the lucky reporter who was able to get a quick peek, the operation was running smoothly and quietly. Local law agencies were out of the loop and no one still knew what has happened. No doubt that whatever was going on at the moment was being broadcast all across new channels…but the shadow operation was still an ongoing success.

Frank reported to his office and the reporter was already there with her cameraman. His first thought was to be sweet and try to charm her, but her demeanor stated otherwise. She stood there with her arms cross, tapping her foot rapidly. Her face had what could only be described as "half a scowl". It was obvious to Frank that she wasn't gonna be easy to snowball. He was gonna have to try a different route.

"Good day…I'm Col Robert Henshaw. It's obvious we aren't gonna be able to pull one over on you guys and we're not gonna be able to keep you in the dark forever. So I'm gonna go against protocol and grant you guys and exclusive on what went down here. So if you'll have a seat over here we can commence with the interview." said Frank.

"Do you take me for some kinda damn rookie? Do you think I'm gonna be fooled by your weak *** cover?" the reporter exclaimed. "I know that's not your real name and I'll be damned if you're gonna sit here and give me that 'I cannot comment' bullsh*t?!??!?!"

The look on Frank's face changed. He no longer had a jovial visage. His eyes glazed over to that cold-steel stare.

"Very well, ma'am. If that's your hand….then so be it. That is NOT my real name. You will not receive a real name on this entire facility. You will not receive an inkling as to who we are and who we work for. What I will tell you is that we are at war…and in war there are POWs. You do know what a POW is don't you?" Frank said sternly.

She nodded yes.

"Good. I'm glad you're in the know. That saves me an explanation. Ma'am…you have just become one. As such you're entitled to fair treatment under the Geneva Convention. But I will say this once…and once only. You are a prisoner. If you try to escape…my men will shoot you and your accomplices on the spot. When we're done with our mission here…we'll pack up and release you. Is that understood?"

"WHO THE F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ***HOLE?!?!?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM???!?!!?" screamed the reporter. "Tony—grab the gear…we're leaving." The cameraman grabbed his gear and they both made their way towards the door. Frank looked at the door guard and nodded his head.

Without warning the guard elbowed the cameraman in the jaw and then shot the camera twice. The reporter stood there in shock.

"Ma'am…please take a seat. As I said before…you're going nowhere."

A tear well in the corner of her eyes. He bottom lip quivered and she was noticeably shaken. The strong, ballsy, hard talking woman Frank had eyed down when he first walked into the room was now a scared woman. Frank sighed. He took no pleasure in resorting to these scare tactics with civilians…let alone women. She took her seat and began to cry. Frank looked over at the door guard and nodded.

He exited his office and the LT ran up to him to inform him of the status. "Sir…facility at 100%. We are ready to commence with your part whenever you are." said the LT.

"Excellent. Prep my room. It's time to go to work."








To Be Continued……………

 

[Victor Von Doom]

I'm so glad that people actually like the story. I'm even happier that some people are having a problem liking Frank. That's what I was going for.

It's not something that you're supposed to understand....he's a man with a dirty job. Someone has to do it. That was the whole appeal to the character. Rather than make him a murdering vigilante...I thought I'd take a different approach to him and turn him into a military man.

This isn't gonna be one of those 6 issue arcs like Ennis does. This'll be a little longer than that.

I really can't wait to work on it some more.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 4​

The tent was cold. The kind of cold that makes your bones crack just from moving. It chilled you to the core. A tropical air-cooling unit had been plugged to the tent and blasted the tent with air reaching -50 degrees. Now imagine that cold combined with not being able to see or hear. Not knowing where you are and the sound of your own muffled screams are silenced. Just total darkness. The only thing you feel is cold. It surrounds you. It takes over. You're deprived of every other sense except touch. And the only thing you feel is the icy cold temperature of the room. For Thomas Mildenhall this was hell. No fire…no brimstone…no pitchfork-wielding demon could be worse than this.

"Thomas? Thomas…can you hear me? Respond if you can hear me." a voice rang out. All of a sudden Thomas could hear.

"Can you hear me Thomas Mildenhall?" repeated the voice.

"Y-y-y-yes. Yes, I can hear you. What do you want with me?" Thomas asked.

"Thomas…I'm gonna ask you some questions. All you need to do is answer them. If you lie…I will know." repeated the voice.

"W-w-w-who's th-th-th-there? What do y-y-y-you want w-w-w-with m-m-m-me?" stammered Thomas.

"That isn't important right now, Thomas. What IS important is the information you have. And I WILL get that information. We can do this the easy way…or the hard way. I'm indifferent to either." said the voice.

"I don't know anything!!!" screamed Thomas.

"You're lying Thomas. Let's not start out that way. Are you ready to begin?" the voice questioned.

"Please…you don't have to do this!!! You can just let me go. I won't say anything. I'll disappear." Thomas pleaded.

"What makes you think you haven't already?"

"W-w-w-what?" Thomas stuttered.

"I said, what makes you think that you haven't disappeared already?" the voice said coldly.

"I don't understand…what do you mean?" Thomas replied.

"The details are not important. Just know that if we do not get the info we're looking for…you will be locked away in our special confinement centers and you will not be released. Now…I hope we have an understanding. Are we ready to begin?"

"Seriously….I don't understand what's going on!!! I don't know anything!!!!" Thomas screamed.

"Mr. Mildenhall…what was your involvement with the attack this morning?" the voice said sternly.

Thomas began to cry. His tears glistened like silver streams under the bright spotlight above his head. His whimper turned into a loud sob that echoed thru the room. He struggled to free himself from his shackles. He rolled his wrists around hoping to wiggle free but the ropes seemed to get tighter and tighter. They dug deep into his wrists and began to cut his skin. He tried rocking back and forth in the chair hoping to somehow break free…but in his panicked state all he managed to do is knock himself over onto the ground.

"Pick him up…" said the voice.

2 large men grabbed Thomas while he was still bound to the chair and set him upright.

The voice sighed deeply and growled, "Thomas………my name is Special Agent Castle…and I'm gonna ask you this one more time. If I don't get what I want in the next 30 seconds, the REAL reason I'm asking you this instead of the police will be painfully revealed."

"I don't know anything!!! Please!!!!!" cried Thomas.

"Thomas Mildenhall…what was your involvement with the attack this morning?" Frank questioned.

"P-p-ple-e-e-e-ease!!!!! I told you…I don't know anything!!!! Have mercy!!!!"

"Sorry---we just sold out." said Frank.

WHACK!!!!!

It sounded like thunder firing a shotgun. The sound rolled thru the room and could be felt to one's core. The only thing that broke the reverberating sound was Thomas's howl of pain.

"Oh God…" muttered Thomas.

"He's not here now….would you like to leave a message?" Frank replied. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He exhaled and set the cigarette down on the table. The amber cherry glowed brightly in the shadows.

"Thomas…that was the first toe. I'm gonna ask you the same question again…and for every lie you tell me. For every answer I get that's not the one I'm looking for. For every little bit of info you leave out……….I'm gonna take this hammer to another toe. You see Thomas….that is what I do. I'm a judication officer. I make things right. But in order to make things right…someone has to do something wrong. And when someone does something wrong…they need to be punished. That's what I do…that's what I am. I'm The Punisher."

"Oh dear God………please……" Thomas sobbed.

"Like I said before…he's not in." Frank replied.

Frank knelt down at Thomas's foot. He looked up at Thomas with a inquisitive look, like he was silently asking him if he wanted to talk. Thomas whimpered and looked away. Frank Castle sighed and nodded.

WHACK!!!!

Thomas screamed again.

WHACK!!!!

Thomas's cries drowned out all noise and continued to echo thru the room. Castle paid his cries no mind. He was in his zone. Although there were cameras, computer screens, extra guards, helicopters coming and going……..there was only Frank and Thomas. Frank continued to inflict pain as Thomas screamed in pain.

"Thomas…you are a stubborn SOB. Obviously this is getting us nowhere. So tell me how this sounds?—I stop breaking your toes…and instead I start taking them off? Does that make you wanna talk?" Castle said menacingly.

Thomas sunk his head. His whimpering gradually changed from a weak whimper to a defiant chuckle. He lifted his head a bit and smiled. "You want answers Agent Castle? Ok…ask me a question. Ask me what my role was in today's attacks? Ask me so I can tell you how we hit this factory not for the surplus stock of equipment…but for blueprints for WHAT is being produced here. But that still doesn't tell you what my role is here, does it? Did you really believe that you all were just lucky enough to find me just a few miles away? Please…I was here waiting………for you. S.H.I.E.L.D will not stand much longer………..and the US govt will soon learn its lesson."

With that, Thomas tilted his head back and began to cough heavily. He leaned forward and smiled. In between his teeth was a black metallic device with a blinking read light. He bit down into the object and a steady beeping emitted.

Frank's eye grew wide in disbelief. He turned to the entry point behind him and yelled "I.E.D!!!! EVERYONE TAKE COVER!!!!!










To Be Continued……………

 

[SeAcoW]

I really love how this is turning out. Great story.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 5​

Castle ran thru several casualty/escape scenarios in his mind. 2 dead at the door, 1 injured by the prisoner, 1 main exit, emergency exit blocked in back—3 seconds to disable injured guard and 30 seconds required to break the restraints and get to the main exit. 1 dead and 1 injured at the door, 1 dead by the prisoner, main exit blocked, emergency exit blocked—5 seconds to disable guard and take utility knife…the another 40 seconds to cut thru the tent side. 2 injured at the door…the scenarios continued to run thru his mind. Didn't matter how many different ways or how long it would take Thomas to escape the tent, Castle knew that Thomas would head North towards the encampment exit…exactly what the rest of the agents wouldn't expect. They'd expect him to run south---away from the exit. That's where they would try to cut him off at. Castle knew Thomas knew that. That's how he figured Thomas would head north directly towards the exit and try to blend in with the rest of the civilians gathered outside. More scenarios ran thru his head. That's when it hit him---scenarios shouldn't be running thru his head. His head should be in 15 different pieces against the wall.

But that wasn't the case.

Castle sat there huddled behind a few supply crates. He peaked his head out from behind the crates. There sat the prisoner…still enchained. There were the guards…still in huddled positions. It didn't make sense. Castle saw the explosive device. He was in the blast zone. He shouldn't be here. Did the fuse fail? It didn't make sense.

"Head count ASAP!" Castle screamed.

"All personnel accounted for sir." one of the guards replied.

"The prisoner?" Castle yelled back.

"Accounted for and contained sir." they replied.

Castle stood up and made his way towards Thomas. Thomas looked up at Castle and laughed heartily. Castle stare into Thomas's cold steely eyes and sneered. Thomas's laugh died down and he stared back at Castle. He turned his head a bit to the side and spit out the blinking device. The blinking device continued to beep and finally just went silent.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you and your fellow SHIELD comrades aren't in itty-bitty pieces against this tent's lining right now don't you Agent Castle?" Thomas stated.

Castle said nothing. He continued to stare at Thomas with what he was sure was the coldest stare he'd ever given anyone.

Thomas looked into Castle's eyes and leaned his head back. "Yes Agent Castle…I'm sure your mind is racing with questions. But I think with all the questions circling around in there…only one question remains ever-present. 'What am I doing here and why?' Am I right?"

"Still waiting for that answer…" Castle said.

"Yes…I bet you are." Thomas replied.

Castle withdrew his knife and showed it to Thomas. "Can your hear that Thomas? It's the sound of you confessing."

Thomas scoffed.

Castle quickly grabbed Thomas by his hair and in one smooth movement cut off Thomas's ear.

Thomas cried out in pain.

Castle took the ear and held it up to Thomas's mouth. "Can you hear it now Thomas? Can you hear yourself confessing? I know you've only got 1 good ear…but it's all coming in loud and clear to me." Castle screamed.

Thomas continued to cry out in pain. Castle just stood there and sneered at him. He glanced down at his watch. "I'm running outta time here Thomas. You need to tell me what I need to hear otherwise I'm gonna have to report you as non-cooperative and useless in this investigation. That makes you an expendable loose-end here. I don't leave loose ends if you dig my ditch." Castle growled.

Thomas stifled his cries for a moment. In that moment he looked up at Castle and glanced over at his bloody right ear in Castle's hand. Castle quickly through the ear to ground and kicked it away.

"You ready to talk now?" Castle asked.

"What's that? Could you please repeat the question…I'm a little hard of hearing?" Thomas jokingly replied.

"Glad to see you haven't loss your sense of humor there Thomas." Castle replied and reached down for his gun at his side. He removed it from its holster and held it to Thomas's face. "This is my gun, Thomas. In it are several bullets. One of those bullets will go into your head if I don't hear what I wanna know by the time I count to 5. Do you understand?"

"F*ck you Castle!" Thomas scoffed.

"1…"

"I said screw you Castle!!"

"2…"

"If you really think I'm gonna talk---"

"3…"

"I'M NOT SAYING SH*T CASTLE AND YOU KNOW IT!!!"

"4…last chance."

Thomas sneered and spit on Castle's boots in defiance.

"5…"

BLAM!

Without missing a beat Castle slightly shifted his hand and fired his shot into Thomas's shoulder.

More screams and cries.

"That was my last chance shot. Look into my eyes…you've been reading them the entire time. Look into them and realize how serious I am. Look into them and realize that if you don't talk…I will kill you with this next shot." Castle warned.

Thomas focused past the tears filling his eyes. He could taste blood in his throat. Internal bleeding. There was still a chance he could still make it thru the ordeal. But he knew he was gonna have to cut a deal. He focused hard and saw into Castle's eyes. More tears well in Thomas's eyes. He knew Frank was serious. Thomas knew that if he didn't fess up he was gonna die.

"Ok, Castle. I'll talk. I'll tell you what you wanna know…………..but I want a deal. Full medical care and amnesty. No backdoor tricks and clauses. I'll cooperate---and in turn I want to be cleared of all doings in this event. If you can do that…I'll talk."

"No deal. You'll talk or I'll put a bullet in your head. Take it or leave it." Castle replied coldly.

Thomas coughed up a little blood. He knew Castle was serious. He didn't have a choice. Frank cocked the gun again. Thomas coughed a little more and cleared his throat. "Ok…Castle—you win." Frank eased the hammer on his gun back to the rest position.

"Alright…I'll talk. I was here this morning during the attack…but I didn't have anything to do with the attack itself. I was merely here to remain behind and stall you and your crew long enough for my colleagues to make their getaway and all leads go cold." Thomas explained.

"Well that part checks out…but it's nothing I didn't know already. You think we've been just focusing on you? What kinda nickel-and-dime operation do you think we run? Now keep talking…" Castle warned.

"Like I said Castle…I didn't participate in the attack."

"Then what was the purpose of the attack?"

"We were after blueprints. Blueprints and equations."

"Of what Thomas? I want full answers or I open fire."

"I'm not sure exactly. But I think I pieced enough info together to figure it out. Some kinda special suits. Not sure what's so special about them but I know they're important. We needed the plans to mass produce them." Thomas further explained.

"Keep talking." said Castle.

"I don't really know anything else. Seriously!" cried Thomas.

"I said keep talking…" warned Castle.

"I don't know anything else. Really. That's all I know."

Frank stared at Thomas. Thomas was broken. That really was all he knew. With the exception of that little tidbit, it didn't give Frank much to report.

"All you know, huh?" Frank asked.

"Yeah…that's all I know." Thomas replied.

Frank sighed and looked Thomas dead in the eye. "I believe you Thomas."

BLAM!

Fury blew the smoke from the barrel of his gun. He took a deep sigh and cracked his neck. "Get rid of the body boys. And tell Ops Center to get Fury online. I gotta questions and I think he has answers."


















To Be Continued……………

 

[ProjectX2]

I've read the first three chapters... and this is awesome. You've got a good handle on description and character personalities. Good job.

I'll be looking forward to reading the rest.

 

[thee great one]

I'm digging it.

 

[Boil]

Office Work
Chapter 5​

To Be Continued……………

Uh, more please…?!?

;^p

 

[The Overlord]

Hey Victor Von Doom, are you going to have Jigsaw or the Gnucci family in any future stories?

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Hey Victor Von Doom, are you going to have Jigsaw or the Gnucci family in any future stories?

No Jigsaw........like ever. :sick:


If I decide to keep this going--maybe the Gnucci's.........but only as a small cameo. They will not be a major prominent force. For this "universe" they are small potatoes and are no threat to Frank.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 6​

Frank grabbed a bottle of water and took a swig. He sighed deeply and walked up to a mirror. The job aged him…bad. He was only in his mid-30s but he looked almost a decade older. A little bit of flesh and blood that rest on his ear caught his eye. He didn't panic. He knew it wasn't his. He grabbed a towel and wiped it off.

Thomas Mildenhall had a bad day. But his bad day was over. Frank's was just beginning.

He took a seat at his desk and played back the audio/video feed from his interrogation earlier. His trail of intel here ran cold. Pieces of a puzzle lay out in front of him. He tried to piece together some of the events from a few minutes ago and some of the intel Fury showed him earlier. Pieces of a puzzle………and none of them fit.



Paris, France---NOW
A group of men sat in a dark room, gathered at a conference table. Each one had a small lamp by their respective areas. All had papers and other red folders spread out in front of them.

One of the men rummaged thru one of the folders and closed it. He took a puff from a cigar and blew smoke into the air. He sighed and cleared his throat. "So what is the report from earlier today?" asked the shadowy figure.

"Reports so far have been positive. Our people are sorting thru the data collected as we speak. We should have full analysis by lunchtime tomorrow." replied another.

A man in a blue pinstriped stood up and with a heavy Russian accent inquired, "Do you not think that mid-day tomorrow is a little long for what we are trying to do here?"

Another man in another expensive suit, raised his hand in protest and exclaimed, "I do not think we should be worried Pavalof. The Chang and his people know what they are doing. Given the events of the past several months and what we are planning, I think one more day isn't so long."

"I'm just saying that we are all taking a big risk with this. I think we all know the consequences the U.N will take if we are found out. The longer we wait the better chance America has of figuring out what is happening and take preventive actions." Pavalof replied.

A fist slammed down on the table. All the men stopped talking and looked towards the end of the table.

"Silence…all of you! America has overstepped its bounds for the last time. Now they must account for their actions. But retribution cannot be swift. Swift equals careless. We must be precise. Precision comes from patience. The Chinese will be given as much time as they need to accomplish their tasks. Our contact on the inside has ensured all contacts that no one is the wiser to our operations. All people involved are aware of the level of risk. But we must all trust one another that all parties involved are committed to the cause. If there is----"
"Hassaan, no one is saying---"

"Do not interrupt me Pierre. When I am finished, then the floor is yours. But until that time----do NOT interrupt me when I am speaking." Hassaan continued.

"I am sorry Hassaan." Pierre apologized.

Hassaan nodded and took a sip of water and continued. "As I was saying---if there is anyone who does not wish to be involved anymore…now is the time to speak."

The gentlemen all leaned back in their chairs and looked around. Either no one objected…or no one was brave enough to.

Hassaan smiled. "Excellent. Gentlemen…know now that Allah himself smiles upon us. We are in the right. Now…next order of business up is 'the prospects'. Let us continue…."





Triskellion---SLIGHTLY LATER
"General Fury….Agent Castle on Line 4, sir."

"Thank you Fitzsimmons. Transfer it to Sec-Class 3."

Fury stepped away from the window and dismissed the group of people in his office. He took a seat at his desk and picked up the phone's earpiece. "Castle---gimme a SITREP. What's going on?"

"I thought you might be able to tell me General." Castle replied.

"You wanna clarify that statement Agent Castle?" Fury daringly inquired.

Castle paused for moment and thought about what he was about to say. If he was gonna say it---he needed to be sure what the consequences were. He took a deep breath…"General…I read the file this morning. The factory was listed as producing Level-5 kevlar for Secret Service and S.H.I.E.L.D field agents. I can understand why a factory producing protective gear for our elite security and us field Joes would be a target……but it didn't dawn on me earlier as to why a hit on said factory would be classified levels above Presidential Clearance? But after my work here…it began to dawn on me….that I got nothing—but maybe you know more than you're letting on. So maybe you can fill me in on what might be going on here?"

"I don't like your tone there Castle. I think you need to remember who you're talking to. I sent you down there to investigate what happened and why…and you report back to me, questioning me as if I'm involved in some sort of conspiracy. So how about you watch what you say to me before I have you scooping detainee sh*t in Guatanamo Bay!!!" yelled Fury.

"Sir…I meant no disrespect. I'm just saying—there are questions that need to be answered and no one else here has any of the answers. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm merely reporting back to you, but asking if you have any more intel I can add to my report." Castle said.

Fury chuckled. "Castle—you slick a talker man. Look—I got some more intel…but it's not cleared for this line. Report back to HQ and meet me in the Situation Room at 2000 hours. You bring you're intel…I'll bring answers."

"Roger that sir. Do I have the green light to wrap up ops here or should I keep the post running?" Castle asked.

"Pack up main ops and equipment and head back…but leave a small team there for media control. I'll have S.H.I.E.L.D's PR office send out a rep for media control. We've been able to keep things under lock here…but news ain't gonna sit on this for much longer. Get it cleaned up there. I want that are sanitized." commanded Fury.

"Copy orders, General. Castle out here."

Frank let out a sigh. As Fury's "dirty worker" he had a lot of freedom to operate and no one to report to except Fury. He paused for a moment and thought about how close he just came to career sabotage. He thought about being out of a job and struggling to provide for his family. "NO…" Frank let out abruptly. "No. Do NOT think of family out in the field."

Frank shook it off and headed back to the interrogation room. Once inside, he went back over to his table of supplies and began to pack them up. Wiping the blood off each instrument before placing it in it's pre-formed encasement. Blood rusts the same as water…sometimes worse. Frank finished packing up his tools and headed towards the Main Ops tent.

A random agent by the door shouted "ROOM……ON DECK!!!" All the agents in the room stood up and snapped to attention.

Castle made his way directly to the front of the room and addressed the crew. "As you were. Gentlemen…our work here is done. I want complete sanitization of the area. All stations down…PR is on it's way to cover the media. But in the meantime I want all lips sealed. The game isn't over yet boys. LT---I want all primary teams up and outta here in 1 hour. I need 2 secondary teams to stay behind and help with crowd control and local law enforcement. LT, you pick who. Just remember---this is still our area and we run it. Once that's done…have the teams rendezvous at Extraction Point Perdition. Any questions?"

No questions.

"Ok…let's make this happen. And let's make this happen quick." Castle ordered.

He exited the tent and made his way back to his quarters/office tent. As he walked back to his tent his boots crunched as he stepped on the ashy soil. He looked around at all the destruction from today. What was the reason for this attack? His mind raced with what exactly the info was that Fury had for him. Why would he send him out here into the middle of nowhere if he had all the answers? Was Fury actually behind some sort of conspiracy? If Fury was involved…who else was involved?

So many pieces of the puzzle…and none of them fit anywhere.










To Be Continued……………

 

[Boil]

More, please…?!?

;^p

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Office Work
Chapter 7​

The transport ride back to HQ was a long one. Not so much in reference to time….but because of all the questions that ran thru Frank's head. Too many for him to answer. Too many for him to think straight. Every time he tried to make sense of the situation and the event resulting, his mind raced and went off into several different scenarios. Too many for him to just focus on. Frank reached down to his side and removed the gun from his holster. He unloaded his ammo, removed the round in the chamber and put the ammo back in his bag. He began function-checking his gun. He had done the routine so many times before that it was all muscle-memory. The clicking of the metal eased his mind and he tried to focus again on what exactly was going on.

The passenger bay lights began to blink and bathed the area in a blinking red hue. The P.A speaker crackled and announced "ETA Triskelion —10 minutes. All personnel prepare for final approach."

Frank grabbed his equipment and stowed it in the cargo bins. Landing was always turbulent. He strapped himself in and prepared for landing. His mind raced with questions…answers would come soon.



A few hours later after team debrief….


Frank headed towards the Situation Room. Finally, he was gonna get some answers to today's mysterious events. As he entered the room, he sized up the room and ran thru several escape scenarios. He smirked.

"Triskellion's totally secure Castle. You can ease that battle-ready brain. Ain't nobody here but me and you. And trust me….no one is gonna mess with me. So as long as you're with me…you're safe." a voice proclaimed from behind Frank.

"Sorry 'bout that General. Force of habit." Frank apologized.

"Hey man…no need to be sorry. After last year's attack from those crazy bald bastards, everyone has the occasional fear of an attack. But like I said---we learned from our mistakes and refortified security measures here. Nobody's getting the drop on us unless we allow 'em to."

Frank sighed deeply and tried to ease up. He threw his gear into the corner and pulled a couple folders from the corner pocket of his bag and placed them on the table.

"General Fury. Sir, first I wanna apologize for my outburst earlier. I was outta line and overstepped my bounds." Frank began.

Fury raised his hand and just nodded.

Frank smiled and continued. "Sir…the events of today don't add up. A factory was hit and according to our records, the factory didn't produce anything that would warrant such an attack. I double checked with Intel and their records show no discrepancies. But after some personal interrogation of one of the assailants in question---I found that the factory might've been producing something else. Something of higher importance. I did a little more investigating and found that resources of SHIELD were being produced…but there are some questions as to exactly what is being produced. I was wondering if you could shed some light on the matter sir so I can wrap up my investigating and submit the report for your review?"

Fury looked down at the table and sighed. He stood up and began slowly pacing around the dark room. He covered his mouth and began to stroke his goatee for a moment.

"Agent Castle---what I'm about to tell you is classified. And I mean highly classified. Only a select number of individuals know what I'm about to tell you. And so help me God---if you repeat anything I'm about to tell you…I will make you disappear. And I mean disappear. You will be nothing but a memory to your family. You will be dismissed as just a stranger from a memory. I'm talking Will Smith-Men in Black-disappear. You understand me soldier?" Fury stated.

Castle nodded.

"The Ultimates ain't gonna last forever. Even now they are on borrowed time. Tony's got a brain tumor and could keel over on us at breakfast for all we know. Cap…in all his greatness…isn't immortal. One well placed bullet and that's the end of him. And after the incidents with Banner and Thor—we've lost our heaviest hitters. Everyone else on the team is just extras. You think Quicksilver or Wanda could handle the kinda threats we face? Hell---even S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't know the status of their relationship to each other---" Fury continued.

"They're brother and sister, right?" Frank interrupted.

Fury just made a face. "Riiiiiiiiiiight. If you say so man. I got a sister too….but you don't see me looking at her like that. Anyways—the fact remains—The Ultimates won't last forever. I've commissioned several scientists and research teams to develop a way to mass produce super-soldiers. And with some substantial success I might add. Just think---who'll need Stark when we have an army of Iron Men? A battalion of speedsters? Did you know that the Fantastic Four essentially work for the Army? How much more effective would American defenses be with a squadron of Human Torches and Invisible Men? We're even close to perfecting the formula that made Cap what he is today. America needs a Captain America. Can you imagine the fall in national morale if there was no more Captain America? I can't let that happen. I have not just a nation to protect…but a world."

Frank just sat there dumbstruck. It was all just so much to take in. And how the plan sounded? I mean was this the ranting of a patriot or a Machiavellian nutcase? He cracked his knuckles and looked thru the files again. It was all starting to make sense. The attack…the cover-up…all of it.

"General Fury…who else knows about this? How far up does this 'replacement plan' go? Would the Big Boss know?" Frank questioned.

"No. And I intend to keep it that way if you dig my ditch? He doesn't need to know about the way I do business….just as long as business gets done." Fury replied.

"I understand sir. I'm all for fortifying defenses. But now another question arises. Due to the secrecy of this plan…if an attack was made on a classified shadow factory—doesn't that mean we have a traitor in the midst?"

Fury looked at Castle and just stared at him. Frank knew he was right. And he knew that Fury knew he was right. This was a delicate game Frank was playing. Judging on Fury's response would tell Frank whether or not Fury had a hand in all this. The delicate, dangerous part in all this? He knew that Fury knew what he was thinking too.

"Frank…" Fury began, "I'd like to think that there is a mole in our organization….but there isn't."

Frank just sat there puzzled. "Sir?"

"Agent Castle—how long was your security investigation before you were cleared to work here at S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"About 10 months General."

"That's about 4 months longer than Pym, Banner or even Hawkeye had to go thru. And with the exception of Hawkeye who was already military---they were civilians. Just imagine how long and thorough the investigations had to be on all the people working on this project. Were this say 15-20 years ago, my first hunch would tell me that Widow is the mole. But it's a new day. Cold War is over. Extensive background research and field reliability now rule her out. So I can honestly say that there isn't a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D. Do you know that we monitor every single S.H.I.E.L.D employee 24/7?"

"I knew we had monitoring going on….but 24/7?" Castle questioned.

"3 words for you Macho Man Castle: Orange Mocha Frappecino." Fury replied with a smirk.

Frank just looked away embarrassed.

"Agent Castle---you now know the truth of what's been going on. But from what you told me so far from your interrogations…something ain't right. Our reports say that the blueprints and everything are still safely secure in S.H.I.E.L.D vaults. I don't know what they think they got…but it damn sure wasn't what they're looking for. But the fact that they have an idea of what I'm up to upsets me greatly. I want you to go to Personnel Room Green and get with Agent Feister. She'll get with me and I'll verify your clearance and let her know that she's to cooperate with your investigation fully. She maintains the records for this project. Look through the personnel rosters down there and see if you can find any leads. You have one week."

"Yes sir. If that's all sir…I'm gonna head on out and retire to the family for the night and continue in the morning?" Frank said.

"That's fine Castle. Great job today."

Frank grabbed his stuff and headed for the exit. Questions were answered. But new ones arose. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day filled with answers.




To Be Continued……………

 

[Seldes Katne]

Certainly not an exact reproduction, but since my last review was eaten when the site was transferred....

Glad to see this story is continuing. As I mentioned, I point to this story as the proper way to do a good Ultimization of a character, with Frank Castle having a different but believable backstory that fits the Ultimate Universe.

One of my favorite lines:

"I knew we had monitoring going on….but 24/7?" Castle questioned.

"3 words for you Macho Man Castle: Orange Mocha Frappecino." Fury replied with a smirk.

Frank just looked away embarrassed.

:lol:

Although I shouldn't laugh too hard, or Frank will probably blow up my car. :wink:

We know from the Ultimates books that SHIELD keeps close tabs and security details on most of its more prominent members, but the idea that it also supposedly monitors all of its (apparently thousands of) employees 'round the clock just boggles my mind.

A couple of nice tie-ins with events in the Ultimates 2 storyline, as well as the novel The Tomorrow Men.

Looking forward to the next chapter!