Chapter 1

A gentle breeze rippled through the forest of tall, majestic redwoods. From where he sat positioned in the crook of a thick branch at the top of one of the trees, Sam Wilson, the Avenger known as Falcon, could see the forest all around him. It was a fantastic view, but he wasn't really enjoying it, because there was only one thing he was interested in. . . .

Using the heads-up display in his costume's visor, Sam zoomed his vision in on something in one of the other trees. Someone just casually walking through the forest would never have spotted it, it was so well camouflaged—but Sam could see it.

It was a small wooden platform, built into the tree limbs, behind some branches. On that platform was the one thing that Falcon most wanted in the world right then. . . a small blue flag.

Falcon scanned the area. There was no sign of his opponent. No sound, either. He smiled to himself. Finally, after all this time, success was going to be his.

Sam whispered into the Avengers “comm,” or communications unit, in his ear, signaling two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were assigned to his team. “Okay,” said Falcon. “It's go time. Converge on the target in three . . . two . . . one . . . now!”

Falcon suddenly leapt out from his tree, spreading out his wings, which let him fly across the forest toward his target. At the same time, the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents leapt from their hiding places on the ground. All three figures moved quickly, but fastest of all was Falcon. Hours and hours of practice with the wing-suit gave him surprising speed and maneuverability.

Within seconds, Falcon could see the flag almost in front of him. All he had to do was reach out and . . .

Bam! Falcon got slammed in the side so suddenly that it knocked the breath out of him! Someone had jumped out of a hiding place and tackled him in midair.

But it wasn't just “someone.” It was none other than Captain America! Falcon tried to push Cap off him, but Cap held firm! With all the added weight, Falcon dropped out of the sky! He and Cap were still grappling when they landed in a barrel roll on the ground.

“Fancy running into you here,” joked Cap as he sprang back to his feet and hurled his famous shield. Cap's shield bounced around the forest, ricocheting off of some trees, before first taking down one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, then the other. Falcon barely had time to rise to his feet before Cap had him covered again. Cap's shield landed effortlessly back in his hands.

“Well, Sam, what do you say?” asked Cap, a smile on his face.

“Yeah, you win, Cap,” Falcon admitted, his shoulders drooping.

“Don't feel bad,” Cap said, throwing an arm around his friend. “No one's ever beaten me in a ‘capture the flag’ training exercise.”

“I'll be the first,” admitted Sam. “J.A.R.V.I.S., end the program.”

“Yes, sir,” came a disembodied computer voice out of the sky as the whole forest—the trees, the ground, even the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—suddenly shimmered and then disappeared. All that could be seen now were the drab walls of the Avengers Tower's training room.

The whole thing had been a simulation, run by J.A.R.V.I.S., the Avengers Tower's computer system!

Cap and Falcon walked through a now-visible door and out into the hallway, as Cap said to Falcon, “You're really coming along. You got very close, and also, having the two simulated S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on your team makes it a leadership exercise, so—”

Falcon didn't get to hear the end of Cap's thought, because Iron Man interrupted, racing down the hallway toward them. “Cap! Sam!” Iron Man shouted urgently. “Come with me right now. It's an emergency!”

“What is it now?” asked Sam. “Did Thor and Hulk get into another fight over who ate the last pint of ice cream?”

“Worse, much worse,” Iron Man said gravely. “Hurry and see!”

Cap and Sam didn't miss another beat. They took off running after Iron Man.