As Peggy and Jarvis combed through the bustling harbor, their eyes trained on every vessel, they couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Suddenly, Jarvis's keen eye caught something in the distance.
"Miss Carter, over there!" he exclaimed, pointing towards a ship with a familiar symbol emblazoned on its hull.
Peggy's heart quickened as she recognized the mark as the very same one that Brannis had drawn for them. Could it be that they had finally found the rest of Stark's inventions?
Without a moment's hesitation, the pair made their way over to the ship, eager to investigate. As they stepped on board, the air was thick with tension. They knew they had to be cautious, for any misstep could mean the end of their mission. And then, in the dim light, they saw them - more of the weapons and inventions that had been stolen from Stark's vault.
"Well, well, well," Peggy said with a wry smile. "Looks like we've hit the jackpot."
Peggy's hand instinctively reached for her radio, but Jarvis grabbed her wrist, halting her. "Miss Carter, we can't risk exposing ourselves," he warned. "We don't know who's listening. Let me make an anonymous tip."
Peggy hesitated but reluctantly agreed. She watched as Jarvissappeared into the shadows, his fedora casting a shadow over his face. As she waited, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. "You're the one Brannis warned me about," the man hissed, revealing a knife.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steady and unwavering.
The man chuckled darkly. "I'm Zandow, and I've been sent to take care of you," he said, brandishing his weapon.
Peggy remained calm, unimpressed by the knife. "Let me guess, a knife is enough for me," she quipped, eyeing the weapon.
Zandow laughed, amused by Peggy's bravado. "The knife might fail but the assassins from the Red Room won't," he taunted.
As Zandow lunged at her with the knife, Peggy swiftly dodged his attack and countered with a powerful blow that sent him staggering backward. Undeterred, Zandow continued his assault, but Peggy, with her exceptional combat skills, overpowered him in no time. She effortlessly broke his arm and pummeled him mercilessly until he lay battered and bruised on the floor, unable to move.
Just then, Jarvis arrived on the scene, drawn by the sounds of fighting. He was shocked by Peggy's incredible strength and skill, and at the same time, he grew suspicious of her abilities. He began to wonder if she had taken some sort of physical enhancement. He decided to report his concerns to Howard Stark, hoping to get to the bottom of the situation.
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As Peggy and Jarvis made their escape from the ship, leaving Zandow lying there unconscious, Peggy couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
A few hours later, two SSR agents, Daniel Sousa, and Ray Krzeminski, approached the scene of the fight and saw Zandow lying on the ground, beaten and bruised. Next to him was the stolen technology they had been searching for. The agents quickly secured the area and took Zandow into custody and placed him in Krzeminski's car while Sousa stayed on the scene.
As they were driving away, Zandow regained consciousness and groaned in pain, clutching his broken arm. "My arm feels broken," he complained.
Krzeminski scoffed at his complaints. "You're lucky that's all that's broken. Jack Thompson is going to have a field day with you," he warned.
Krzeminski was driving down the street, Zandow handcuffed in the backseat, when suddenly, a car slammed into them from behind. The impact caused Krzeminski's car to spin out of control, and as he tried to regain control, he noticed the car that hit them speeding away.
Before Krzeminski could react, he saw a figure emerge from another car. It was Dottie Underwood, a ruthless agent of Leviathan. Krzeminski reached for his gun, but Underwood was too quick. She shot him in the head and then turned her attention to Zandow.
"Don't kill me," Zandow pleaded. "I won't tell anyone, I swear."
Underwood chuckled darkly. "You don't have to worry about that. You won't be telling anyone anything." With that, she aimed her gun at Zandow and pulled the trigger.
As the train whistle pierced the night air, Howard Stark found himself trapped in a cold, cramped train car. He had returned to New York City after a long absence, but little did he know that danger awaited him at the station. Otto Mink, a notorious smuggler, had dispatched his henchmen to capture Howard and demand a hefty ransom. Desperate to escape, Howard reached out to his trusted allies, Peggy and Jarvis, who were more than willing to come to his aid.
Peggy and Jarvis arrived at the location where Howard was being held captive. As they approached the train car, Peggy couldn't help but notice how Howard seemed remarkably calm in the face of danger.
"You certainly know how to pick your partners," Peggy remarked dryly.
Howard smirked in response. "Mr. Mink may be a greedy black market smuggler, but he got me back into the country when no one else could. And he's predictable in his greed; I like predictable, and I like greedy."
Peggy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And how exactly does that help us now?"
Howard's grin widened. "Because it means he'll be expecting a big payout. And that's exactly what we'll give him - with a little twist, of course."
Peggy and Jarvis exchanged a knowing look. With Howard's quick thinking and resourcefulness, they were confident they could outsmart Otto Mink and his goons. It was time to put their plan into action and save Howard from his precarious predicament.
Upon viewing Peggy and Jarvis, Otto Mink's henchman upped the ransom to an outrageous $150,000, a clear sign that the smuggler's greed knew no bounds. The situation was becoming more perilous by the minute.
However, Peggy remained resolute in her determination to rescue Howard. With swift, decisive action, she knocked out Mink's subordinates and freed Howard from his captors. But their escape was not yet complete.
"Get in," Peggy said, gesturing towards the door of the car as Jarvis opened it from inside.
Howard hesitated, eyeing the small space warily. "What? I hate small spaces. What if the chain snaps and I fall to my death?"
Peggy gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll never reveal that Howard Stark's dead body is lying rotting in the bottom of a dumbwaiter shaft."
Howard chuckled, unable to resist Peggy's sharp wit even in danger. With a sense of relief, he climbed into the car and the car sped forward as they made their daring escape.
When Peggy, Jarvis, and Howard made their way back to Howard's home, they noticed a troubling sight. The Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) had staked out the property, no doubt in pursuit of Howard and his associates. It was clear that their safety was no longer guaranteed in this location.
With quick thinking and deep knowledge of the city, Peggy suggested they seek refuge at the Griffith Hotel. It was a seedy establishment, to be sure, but it was far off the SSR's radar and would provide a haven for the time being.
Once they arrived at the hotel, Peggy set to work securing the room and ensuring their anonymity. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it was the best they could do under the circumstances.