<hr/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>  Name:</strong>Abigail Brand<br/>  <strong>Title:</strong>Agent Brand or Ma'am or Miss. Not 'Hydra-Hair.'<br/>  <strong>Affiliation:</strong>  Resistance<br/>  <strong>Location:</strong>   Northern Egypt, Near Port Said<br/>  <strong>Tags:</strong>Open, Nightcrawler<br/></span></span><hr/>Port Said, Egypt<br/>Things had gone from worse to slightly less worse.<br/><br/>Ah the thrilling ecstasy of victory.<br/><br/>The Savior of the hour, Count Luchino Nefaria, had arrived at literally the nick of time at the head of a literal armada of European Union, HYDRA, Maggia and other associated forces he alone could pull together, especially in the wake of Apocalypse's decapitation strikes of numerous governments and other organizations. She had no idea but after the initial battles, and resulting massacres, the Battle of Port Said was likely one of the first battles of the 'Resistance' as it was now coalescing into becoming and while it was through SWORD stewardship that the battle was fought, she also knew it was only because of Count Luchino Nefaria that it was won.<br/><br/>Count Luchino Nefaria, the most powerful family head in the Maggia criminal organization.<br/><br/>Count Luchino Nefaira, whose underworld and political connections in Europe were as extensive as say... Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime himself, were in North America and Japan.<br/><br/>Count Luchino Nefaria, wanted by Interpol, SHIELD, the Avengers, the CSA, and a multitude of other law enforcement organizations, and yet could still walk openly in public as a literal untouchable.<br/><br/>Count Luchino Nefaria.<br/><br/>If he was a normal Crimelord, someone might've been tempted to put a bullet in his head just to stave off whatever plan or plot he had in store for the post-apocalypse.<br/><br/>But that was were Count Luchino Nefaria was different then your typical criminal, or your typical supervillain. Because there was one other thing Count Luchino Nefaria had besides lots of political power, massive amounts of influence and a cunning and ruthless intellect. He was superhuman. And not run of the mill either. He could, and had, taken Mjolnir to the jaw and remained conscious to tell the tale. Avengers. X-men. Whole lineups. He had enough raw power in his body that he could take them all on.<br/><br/>Thus, during the entire meeting she had this sinking feeling in her gut. Apocalypse had ushered in the end of the world. Now would Count Nefaira usher in the post-apocalyptic one. One shaped by him and him alone, with no one powerful enough left to challenge him.<br/><br/>Already it looked like everyone else was falling into line. Arab sheikhs, Egyptian Generals, and Muslim Imans were all already paying lip service to Count Nefaria in the meeting. He had awed them with his amazing arrival, cowed them with a show of force and now was using the best angle he had, as the last best hope of humanity. Abigail sat there, stoically but feeling like she couldn't do much of anything except sit there. After all, he had quite openly saved her life from imminent death or capture, or worse. Nothing she could say could tip the balance in her favor now.<br/><br/>And as the meeting came to an end, she was already drifting away, trying to think of something to do. Some way to act. To save this resistance she had fought tooth and nail to form, only to lose it to a literal supervillain. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard her name being called, and with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she looked up and saw it was Count Luchino Nefaria addressing her. He was even rising from his seat, at the head of the table naturally.<br/><br/>"Before this council ends, I wish to recognize Agent Abigail Brand for her courage, wisdom and leadership in this entire affair. I am not only sure, but positive that if she was not here, our cause could've been lost tonight," the Count said as Abigail's head slowly rose from her slumping shoulders, slowly panning her vision around and noticing the assembled leaders all looking towards her, nodding and applauding.<br/><br/>She tried her damndest not to smile even as she had that warm rush of euphoria billow up from within her body, making her stomach tingle and her body shiver with gratitude as all of these powerful and influential people recognized her in the wake of so much loss and sacrifice. Even in the wake of Count Nefaria's dominating presence. But as her eyes fell upon Count Nefaria, she paused and realized she couldn't give in. He was a charmer and manipulator, par excellance. "Thank you," Abigail said, narrowing her eyes as she focused on the supervillain across the room.<br/><br/>"No. Thank you Agent Brand," one of the Egyptian Generals said. "You have helped bring us all together!" he then said. "Israeli and Arab. Guerrilla and soldier. Muslim and Christian. East and West," the General said before turning to the Count. "And now with Count Nefaria's arrival, we will no longer be resisting, but attacking!" he said, playing to Nefaria's unintentional script perfectly.<br/><br/>Abigail stifled the villains momentum. "Thank you General," she then said before turning to Nefaria. "But I'm not an Agent, I'm a Director... of SWORD." The Count's smile faded, but only slightly and just for a moment, withering just a shade as she gave him her best law enforcement stare, silently thinking how delightful it would be to simply tell him he was under arrest at this very moment, at the pinnacle of his influence in the world.<br/><br/>But she couldn't.<br/><br/>Literally.<br/><br/>He'd atomize her with a thought, and no one here would be able to do anything even if they wanted to. So instead she satisfied herself with correcting him in public as the meeting adjourned and quickly made a beeline for the exit. She would head back to the Mosque that was their headquarters, the only place she knew she was safe. Because if there was one thing that was certain, it was that the two of them couldn't exist side by side, not in this close proximity. It was like Russia and the Western Allies. They had Nazis and Japanese separating them during their conflict. Right now, they were rubbing shoulders.<br/><br/>It couldn't last.<br/><br/>But just before she stepped out of the Suez Canal Headquarters building that was acting as the headquarters for the resistance, she felt the undeniable presence of the Count himself standing behind her. She kept on walking when he simply laid a pair of hands lightly upon her shoulders and held her in place.<br/><br/>Literally.<br/><br/>"With but a gesture, I can disintegrate you my dear," Count Nefaria suddenly said, leaning in close to her ear, whispering to her softly, a perfect smile on his face. "I can rip your arms off with a flick of my wrists, or cause your body to spontaneously combust from within. Why... I could even sheer the layers of flesh and muscle off of your body like an onion with an intense stare. So many ways for you to die, and for what?" He paused, as Abigail remained silent. "Please speak... it won't change anything."<br/><br/>"I have every intention of arresting you as soon as practical," Director Brand stated. "However, I'm willing to offer amnesty for you and your forces if they subordinate themselves to my command," she then offered.<br/><br/>He smiled, and gently squeezed her shoulders, the slight pressure of his fingers causing her collarbone to start to bend, and sending an almost paralyzing pain surging through her shoulders, cutting off her voice as she let out a low toned whimper of pain. It sounded pathetic, but she couldn't help it. "Tell me... Director Brand. Would you prefer Lord Apocalypse and his genocide. Or Count Nefaria and his... enlightened rule?" he asked.<br/><br/>"That's a false dilemma. I choose neither," Abigail replied coldly.<br/><br/>"Mmmm too bad. But at least you'll make an excellent martyr," he said before suddenly letting her go with a shove and then as he turned her head, saw him give her a farewell salute. "I will remember your name and your sacrifices Director Brand. What you have done is extremely commendable and worthy of rememberance," the Count then said before withdrawing inside.<br/><br/>Abigail frowned.<br/><br/>She made it six blocks before Nefaria made his move.<br/><br/>"Herman Schultz. You made it?" she then said as a single armored goon, wearing the same power armor that Apocalypse's mutants did, approach her. She recognized his quilt patterned mask behind one of the transparent face plates though as Herman Schultz, otherwise known by his supervillain moniker The Shocker.<br/><br/>"That's right," the Shocker replied, raising his vibro-blaster.<br/><br/>"Ah... martyr. So everyone will be led to believe I was killed after the battle by some left behind mutants," Director Brand said with a smile, patting the pistol on one side of her hip, and then the radio on the other. She knew the latter was useless. Not only had Apocalypse been eaves dropping on their communications, she figured Nefaria was jamming it anyhow just so she could die alone. "I never thought of you as a hitman."<br/><br/>The Shocker frowned. "This is a good end babe. We should all be so lucky," the supervillain then replied pragmatically. "Anything else? Time is short."<br/><br/>"Fight the good fight Herman. You don't have to be a villain anymore," she said with a shrug when suddenly her radio barked to life and Tony Stark's transmission echoed through the empty, dark streets. And it ended suitably.<br/><br/>“Our vengeance is coming.”<br/><br/>The Shocker then paused, having heard the same transmission, as uncertainty crossed his face. Abigail narrowed her eyes. "Walk away Herman. You're too valuable now to be wasted," she then said.<br/><br/>But he hesitated and she could read his body language, realizing he was making the same internal debate lots of people in Port Said were. Tony Stark's transmission changed things here. He was an Avenger, a billionaire, with worldwide influence and connections and incredibly powerful in his own right. And most of all he was associated with the rule of law.<br/><br/>Like she was.<br/><br/>Rich, charismatic, influential, powerful and heroic.<br/><br/>Like an anti-Nefaria.<br/><br/>It wasn't until shouting voices emanating from a nearby building, shouting aloud excitedly at the announcement that The Shocker realized his opportunity to dispatch of her had ended and he immediately withdrew back into the shadows, not wanting to be caught in the open wearing the armor of the enemy. And Director Brand sighed in relief.<br/><br/>But she still cursed herself under breath.<br/><br/>Tony Stark had literally saved her life.<br/><br/>That announcement might be the immunity from assassination she needed. As long as Tony Stark was alive, as long as anyone like him were, that meant she wasn't alone, even if he was on the other side of the world. That's how great men and woman of the world influenced it. Taking her out, she realized, would automatically become more costly, if not dangerous, solely because the same power base he needed would still want to curry her favor as well.<br/><br/>She made her way back to SWORD's headquarters. They had plans to make.<br/><br/><em>NPC Villains:<br/><br/>The Shocker (http://www.comicvine.com/shocker/29-4825/)<br/>Count Nefaria (http://www.comicvine.com/count-nefaria/29-3229/)<br/></em>