Long Ago and Far Away

05

AVENGERS HEADQUARTERS

"He's all over the place," Hill said. "Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs, reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place."

"Facilities?" Steve repeated.

"Only when engaged. Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and something too fast to see.""

"Maximoffs. Well, that means he'd go for them, they have someone in common."

"Not anymore." She handed Steve a tablet, and Louise glanced at it, showing a photo of Strucker's dead body with the word PEACE written in blood on the wall next to him.

Clint was talking on his phone. "That's a negative. I answer to you. Yes, ma'am." Steve interrupted him.

"Barton, we might have something," Steve told him.

"Gotta go."

"Who was that?"

"Girlfriend." After Steve had gathered the rest of the team, he showed the photo of Strucker's body.

"What's this?" Tony wondered.

"A message," Steve replied. "Ultron killed Strucker."

"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us."

"This is a smokescreen," Natasha realized. "Why send a message when you've just given it a speech?"

"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss," Steve replied.

"Yeah, I bet he..." He looked at the computer monitor. "Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased."

"Not everything," Tony said.

The team went through the physical files they had on Strucker.

"Known associates," Steve stated. "Well, Strucker had a lot of friends."

"Well, these people are all horrible," Bruce noted.

"Wait. I know that guy," Tony realized as Bruce passed him the photo he was looking at. "From back in the day. He operates the African coast, black market arms." Steve gave him an accusing look. "There are conventions, all right? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything." The photo was of a man named Ulysses Klaue. "He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very "Ahab.""

Thor pointed to the scar on the back of Klaue's neck and asked, "What's this?"

"Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it..."

"No, those are tattoos, this is a brand."

Bruce identified the brand on Klaue's neck on the computer and said, "Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way."

"What dialect?" Steve and Louise questioned.

"Wakanada...? Wa... Wa... Wakanda. If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods..."

"I thought your father said he got the last of it?" Steve replied in a questioning tone.

"I don't follow," Bruce said. "What comes out of Wakanda?"

Tony looked at Steve's shield and answered, "The strongest metal on earth."

Steve turned to Tony and asked, "Where is this guy now?"

SALVAGE YARD, AFRICAN COAST

Klaue was talking on the phone in his office. "Don't tell me your man swindled you. I sent you six short range heat seekers and got a boat full of rusted parts. Now, you will make it right, or the next missile I send you will come very much faster." He ended the call and connected to another call. "Now, minister, where were we?" Suddenly, the lights went out causing a commotion in the salvage yard and the twins entered Klaue's office. "Yeah. The enhanced. Strucker's prized pupils." He picked up a dish of candies from his desk. "Want a candy? Oh, sorry to hear about Strucker. But then, he knew what kind of world he was helping create. Human life, not a growth market." The twins looked at each other. "You... you didn't know? Is this your first time intimidating someone? I'm afraid that I'm not afraid."