Continued from here:http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/newrep...te=1&p=8957752

Where it all begins:http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=299729

In various parts of Moscow, several heroes and villains arrived. Black widow arrived with her formerly deceased husband, the Red Guardian. In another part of the city Yelena Belova (temporarily the second Black Widow) arrived.

In still another part, Darkstar and Ursa Major arrived.

All of them were shocked to learn that the Red Ghost was the ruler of Russia, operating as both President and Prime Minister. They saw that he had the Crimson Dynamo and the Titanium Man as his seconds. He was using his super Apes as bodyguards.

The city was patrolled by a force called the Rocket Reds and they soon learned that every major municipality throughout Russia had at least one Rocket Red patrolling the general area.

Yelena Belova was the first to have arrived and she was stunned by the news that Moscow was now controlled by the Red Ghost and she was desperate to know how this could have come to be.

Unfortunately, the only newspaper was Pravda and it was still a propaganda machine for the government.

She could get no good answers from that.

Darkstar and Ursa Major were not happy to learn that the Red Ghost now controlled Russia and was returning it to it's Soviet past.

They were desperate to find a way to overthrow him but knew it would not be easy in this environment with only the two of them against the Red Ghost, his Super Apes, Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man and all these Rocket Red forces.

The Red Guardian was also stunned to learn that the Red Ghost was now the countries leader. It was not news to the Black Widow, who had known this for some time thanks to her connections with Shield.

The Red Guardian and the Black Widow were trying to come to terms with several things. What they meant to each other, their opposing ideals and what was happening to them now in this odd new reality.

They were in their old home that they'd shared just after they had married and this was stirring nostalgia and made them feel closer to each other.

They succumbed to a mad bout of lovemaking as they tried to reason with what was happening to them.

Dmitri Pushkin was a Rocket Red but he was also the only Rocket Red who had served in the Justice League.

He was also the leader of the resistance, though he did so in secret. He did not like the rule of the Red Ghost but he knew that he would get nowhere opposing him alone. He had connections to the Justice League and he was willing to use them but only when he felt the time was right. Thanks to Pravda, public sentiment was with the Red Ghost and Dmitri had no choice but to play along.

However, he had a secret weapon. He had become friends with Dmitri Bukharin who was the Crimson Dynamo and a right hand man of the Red Ghost and that meant that the Red Ghost had a potential chink in his armor ---- so to speak.

Yelena Belova was confused. How could the Red Ghost suddenly be the leader of mother Russia? It didn't make sense! What could possibly have happened? She knew that she was not in her original reality but she couldn't resolve her sense of what her homeland should be.

Captain Beyond made a point of letting Black Widow know just where she could find Darkstar and Ursa Major. He did it discreetly so that the Red Guardian did not learn the same information.

He also gave her the home address of Dmitri Pushkin and suggested that she find a way to bring Pushkin together with them somehow.

Meanwhile, Natasha was trying to convince her husband to abandon his loyalty to the Soviet regime. He would have none of it and they spent long hours arguing until she finally realized she would get nowhere with him.

Alexei Shostakov was jealous of her allegiance with Captain America who was a man he hated and resented. He was a Soviet loyalist and nothing would change his mind about that.

Finally, tearfully (for the Widow) they decided to part. He agreed that he would not report her to the state as long as she agreed to leave the country as quickly as possible.

Yelena Belova dutifully reported to the KGB to announce that she was available to serve the state.

She was immediately taken in for a debrief and her arrival was reported to the Red Ghost.

The Red Ghost immediately showed up for the debrief.

The Black Widow immediately sought out Darkstar and Ursa Major and informed them about this Dmitri Pushkin and that they should look him up.

The Black Widow decided to go to Dmitri Pushkin first, feel him out and then arrange for him to meet with Darkstar and Ursa Major.

Darkstar and Ursa Major decided to wait dressed as civilians in Gorky Park if and when the Widow found that this Pushkin was who he was supposed to be.

Dmitri Pushkin's wife Belina answered the door. They were just finished with their evening meal.

Natasha Romanov was calling on them in civilian clothes.

Suppressing an instinctive sense of jealousy that such an attractive woman would be calling on her husband, Belina invited Natasha in.

The children Misha and Tasha gaped at the attractive visitor.

Pushkin sent the children to do their homework and asked Natasha how he may help her.

Natasha didn't beat around the bush. "I was told to seek you out. That you could help me."

"You were told I could help you? By whom?"

"You are a Rocket Red are you not?"

"Da, I am a Rocket Red."

"You served honorably with the Justice League at one time?"

"Da! That is true."

"Are you satisfied with this return to the Soviet era that Premier Kragoff has engineered?"

" Are you from the KGB?"

"No, I am the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. I represent the Avengers and Shield."

Pushkin panicked a bit, he knew that the KGB regularly bugged homes such as his and he was worried. He needn't worry however. Captain Beyond had neutralized all the bugging devices that had ever been implanted in his home until the KGB had finally given up because everything planted in his home just delivered static every time they tried.

But he was unaware of that.

Natasha asked him to join her in Gorky Park to meet like minded individuals. She would leave first and after an hour he should go to Gorky Park to meet with them.

Pushkin reluctantly agreed.

The Red Guardian was torn. He wished to fulfill his obligations but he owed it to his stubborn wife to be given time to get away and return to the West.

He sat tight and decided to wait to announce his presence to the KGB until after she had ample time to get away.

Yelena Belova told the KGB about what had happened in Skartaris. As such, they learned about Darkstar but did not learn about either the Red Guardian or Ursa Major because she had not encountered them before she was removed from Skartaris.

The KGB was very interested in learning about Darkstar and immediately sent agents out to seek a woman of her description.

They initiated their search in Moscow.

Darkstar and Ursa Major waited as civilians in Gorky Park. They were soon rejoined by Natasha.

She explained that Pushkin would be along in an hour or so. Natasha could not stay because he might be followed and Natasha might be recognized as the woman who called on him earlier in the evening.

Natasha slipped away and then donned her Black Widow garb in case she was forced into action.

She then doubled back and settled down in a tall tree to watch when Pushkin arrived.

She had been followed earlier as she left the Pushkin residence but she had easily shaken the KGB shadow.

Pushkin arrived in Gorky Park after having spent several minutes reassuring his wife that it would be quite alright. He would be safe.

He finally spotted a couple who fit the description the Black Widow had given and he reluctantly approached them.

"Excuse me! Would the two of you happen to be Laynia Petrovana and Mikhail Ursus?"

"Da, we are. You are Dmitri Pushkin?"

"Da"

The three began to talk.