A week had past as the group made their way to the howling commandos base camp.They had been fortunate in avoiding any full armour pursuit, hydra or the Russian government had learned to late of the incident. Even with the smoke no one had gone up to the orphanage to check, and once the transfer team had arrived the trail had long gone cold.

Luck stayed with the group as the howling commandos hadden pulled out of the country yet, and once they had reunited, Alex learn from James that they had been planning to leave the next day. The only small detail he had to settle was he had to pay a hefty sum to the higher up, in order to smooth things over by letting them take in at last minute him and the kids.

What the millitary had wanted was his research on a certain drug that had rapids healing properties. It became one of the condition for this rapid and quiet extraction. This drug was almost ready to be sold in bulk throught his pharmaceutical companie. It was a revolution drug that drastically decrease the time to heal any injury inside or outside of the body. For example a broken bone could could heal in about 6 to 8 weeks depending on the injury, but using the drug it decrease the time to 3 to 4 weeks. It cut the time to fully heal by a factor of half, with no side effect, well almost none, if you count a increase appetites as a side effects.

Alex company to which he had name Grey Technology America, or as he like to call it GTA. Of course the fact that he was the only one who grins and giggles when says it, usually makes everyone around confuse. How was he expected to explain the joke, about a famous video game that hadn't event been born yet. Sure he did it for shit and giggles, but it still remain something only he understood. At least until, if ever, someone else fell from his old home to his new one.

But back to the present, Alex was sitting in a tent at the howling commandos base camp sharing a drink with James.

"You are a god send, here I was still bitter of loosing the bourbon that Peg's brought over, and now you waltze right in and bring in my salivation." James said as took another deep sniff of the bourbon.

"Oh please, it was the least I could do. Beside its been a while I have seen any of the boys, so how are the remaining guys doing? Are their any more who are thinking of hang it up and going back home." Alex said as he was also slowly savouring a glass.

James was quiet for a bit, sighing. "Its not easy, whe lost some more a few days ago. Every mission their are less of use every time. Like you said some go home, other go back in a coffins. Ever since the Capt, it been hard on all of us, morale especially. Hell im the one in charger now, any chance I can't temp you in coming back. James said, with a grin he didn't really expect him to return, but he secretly hope so.

Alex shoke his head in a slow no. "Those days are gone for me, don't get me wrong, if you ever need me if your in a tight spot il come running. Like for Peg's, but I made a new life back home where my chances of dying in a hail of bullets, is replace buy dying old and fat in a bed. Sorry to hear about the others, you do realise that all of you could retire with honours, if anyone need a job I could give you one or I could even write a reference letter if need be. As for Steve, I'm grateful to Howard he keep looking for as long as he could, I think im going to buit my own team to look for him for as long as it takes. If i can i want to find him and bring him home." Alex said the mood going from jovial to somber in a second.

"To Steve, a good man and a even better friend." James said as he raise his glass.

"To Steve." Alex said as he tap his glass to James glass.

"So you mention loosing some of the guys on the mission? What happen?" Alex said, he still could remember vaguely the episode he saw, it was something about going in and being ambush or something. What was clear, was the forum discussion about the girl possible being Natalia Romanova. What he could do, was ask some questions and see if James had notice anything of note.

"Damn if I know, when we got their, the place seem abandon. We went in easy enough, then we found a little girl, she ended up stabbing me in the vest and killed one of us. Then she disappear in the God damn air vent, Peg's order us to separate after that, she found the guys that was supposed to be traded to some Leviathan fella. Next thing I know, were surrounded and Peg's in a pinch, so I go and pull her out, one of the guys that was inside as a prisoner goes nuts I'm told, take one of the guy hostage, but the other prisonner shoots him. I tell yah, on are way out, Peggy, was right their having are backs just like the good old days. It a real shame her new place isn't treating her rigth." James said as he shoke his head at the end, he took a sip from his glass, and smiled after he savoured the taste.

"Sound messy, any chance you got your hands on any intel on who was who?" Alex said as he also took a sip.

"Please, none of the guys have half of your insane skills. It was already enough just to pull out. And from what I hear you took on a whole fringing base by yourself, and came out with a dozen kids and intel. You have those weird ninja moves we don't, not everyone can do what you do." James said with a smirk.

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again, you could do what I do if you just followed the training I gave you." Alex said as he looked up with a smile.

"You mean that training from the nine levels of hell, no thanks, the last time one of us did try, he ended up in the medic bunk for a month. Your training even scared the crap out of the higher up, when you wanted to spread this to the troops as training." James said as he was chuckling, over his friend crazy fitness training, that was more like torture then anything.

To be fair Alex had started this kind of training, a little after he learn of the world he actually was born in. Once it became clear that he was in a Marvel universe, he train like his life depended on it. Luckily he was able to bring his body to the peak of human potential. But even that he knew, wouldn't be enough, beside he also wanted to meet his heros. The only problem is that by the time he would meet them, he would be an old frail man, so he figure if he could get his hands on some kind of thing that could extend his life he would have a better chances. He also read alot of web novel before so for a time he was also under the false impression that he was some kind of MC. Sadly when his chance past him by, again and again, his excitement was soon replace by fear, if he wasn't the main character, then he was a fucking extra. And a extra, they die, like all the time, so he needed power to protect himself and any one else he loved or else, some super power asshole could take it all away, and he would be powerles to do anything. He had already lived throught it, a few time, force to stand a side and watch as his loved one walk down a predetermine path.

"Look I did warn all of you, about my training regiment. Even when I gave it to the bras, they also panic saying stuff like I was insane for doing it all. But like I'vesaid before many times, if you want to be the best you can be, then you got to work hard to get their. Beside this training can only that me so far, to push beyond my limit I woukd need something like the super serum that Steve got. It just a shame that all my request where denied." Alex said, as he look out in space, a bit depress on thinking about his past attemps to gain power.

James just looked at Alex for a bit and started to chuckled. "The reason they denied you, was no doubt out of fear. Your already scary enough now, just thinking of adding Steve power on you, scares me to. You migth not see it, but just the monstrous way you are on the battle field. I can see them shake in their boots." James said with a smirk, he grab the bottle and serve them another round.

"Hey I'm not the only monster on the field, I've seen you shrug off wounds that shoud have killed a lesser man. Like that time when you jump right in front of Bucky and took several bullets for him. One moment your down and it seem like your bleeding out, the next your back on your feet right beside use firing back at the enemy." Alex said, of course Alex had pretty good idea of the reason why James Howlett could survive a hail of bullets, having super human healing and being a mutant was the reason. Still James had always remain very tight lip about it during all this time. Alex had never really felt it was his place to judge, beside it not like he was innocent either. On some occasion he could have told them of his past life and everything, but he also chooses to stay silent on his true origins.

"I got lucky on that time, they hit the vest I was wearing. It was a stupid thing to do since I could've died, but here I am alive and kicking." James said with a grin, but it was soon replace by pain and sorrow. "If only I could have switch place with Bucky, Steve or any one of us that died maybe my luck could have save them and me." James said with a sigh, as he finish his glass in one swing and went for another.

"James, look at me, it's not your fault. All of us feel that way about any one in the brigade. Loosing those two in a short span, was terrible, but looked at it from this way, we got a chance to meet and know these men in a way that the rest of the world didn't. I for one I'm proud to call them friends, brothers and are families in the trenches. The blame should never be on you for not doing the impossible to save them, but on the fact that some asshole decided to start a war, just cause he couldn't find a good head doc to talk to, instead of blaming anyone for not getting enough love as a kid." Alex said, as he move to James and place a hand on his shoulder as a show of support.

"You and your crazy idea, but thank bub, it good to know I'm not alone." James said, as he also gave a friendly tap to Alex.

A soldier came in the tent, and saluted. "Sir the plane is ready, all the kids and cargo are ready to go, we just need you to get on sir." The soldier said.

"Well looks like I got to go, don't be a stranger James. I hope I get to see you around." Alex said, as he embrace James before going to pick up his bag.

"You too, take care, and if ever you want a vacation from a desk you know where to find me." James said, as he wave him goobye.

Alex got on the plane, he look around and saw all the teens safely strap down for the flyte, he found his seat, he couldn't help but wonder if it would be the last time he would speak with James. The comics had alway been vague about it, and the fact that their wasn't only one possibility didn't help either. He could only hope that if James found himself in the same shit, he would contact him before going at it alone. Yeah right like that was going to happen the guy was stubborn, he didn't mind giving a hand to his friends, but him coming for help was a very rare and seldom seen thing he did. Most likely he would only hear about it after it already happen. It seem certain thing were already set and he had very little influence in them.