Journey into night
The Midnight Sons receive their forged documents from Sam and Peggy and make their way to the Paris train station to board the Warsaw express. Sam and Peggy have arranged for the Rocketeer to pilot a transport plane to follow the train at a safe distance and will remain in radio contact with Nick Fury in case there might be an attack from outside the train during their travels.
Nick Fury is posing as Klaus Krupptman, a Danish salesman, who had been in Paris to witness the unveiling of a new product invented by his traveling partner. This traveling partner, whose alias was now Tobias Schmidt, was Indiana Jones who posed as a German engineer who had pioneered the latest of convenience commodities.
Once on board, the two men were guided to their quarters. The two men will share a room on board the sleeper cars. There are economy class cars that sleep up to 24 per car in bunk style beds, but the two men have mid-range tickets. The higher ranking SS officers aboard had cars entirely to themselves. There are several community cars as well, and the two men explore these freely to get a feel for their fellow passengers, as well as the members of the SS that accompany Heinrich Bruhl.
There was a french couple, Maurice and Anne DuBois traveling to Poland to "visit relatives", or more likely bring their relatives out of Poland to escape Nazi occupation.
Pierre Roussel, a Pharmacist, who is most likely smuggling contraband drugs across the border.
Henri and Diana Chaucer a pair of French/German translators traveling for work. Diana seems a hopeless romantic, while Henri is a Nazi sympathizer.
Misha Lundyak, a Polish diplomat returning from France after failing to smooth relations between the two nations.
Beatrix and Andrey Kraskov, a husband and wife team of ballet instructors who have brought their class for a performance tour in Poland to bring dance and cheer to the poor unfortunates during this time of war.
Ivan Sokolov, a quiet man who sits by himself with liquor, and says he was only in France on business. He is also a thief and has stolen numerous foreign goods he plans to sell to the Nazis upon his return home to Poland.
-
Beatrix Kraskov broke away from her husband and dance troupe, late into the night to share a drink with Indiana Jones. Using her feminine wiles to seduce him, she convinces Jones that her husband is abuse towards her physically and emotionally, and that she needs someone to "protect her".
Beatrix Karaskov was actually Anya Derevkova, the original Black Widow before the alias was created. She is working for the Russian espionage agency known as Department X. The Young "dancers" she chaperoned are all members of her Red Room - the school of young female assassins. This is the first class of Red Room "hatchlings", and this was their graduation test: to eliminate Heinrich Bruhl.
She led her prey to a secluded car or the train, where she attempts to extract information from Jones about why they are aboard the train and exactly what his mission is before taking him out of commission. Anya is not too proud to utilize torture, and actually rather excells at it. Interestingly, Indiana Jones is completely honest with Anya prior to being tortured which wins over Anya. Anya is swayed and reports that she and her partner, Sergei Kravinoff will back off. Ultimately, the Russian goal is the same, and if Bruhl is working to dismantle the Nazi regime from within, Anya believes his survival would be for the greater good. She releases Indiana Jones and the two spies return to their cars.
Kraven, however, has other goals in mind. He is only interested in a payday. With Anya swayed by Indiana Jones, he secretly contacts the members of the Soviet Super Soldiers program. Shortly after being called in as reinforcement, the Soviet supers were flown in and a few of them parachuted down to the top of the train.
Fury and Jones received and advanced warning from Peggy, who remained in radio contact from the plane with Rocketeer and Sawyer, of incoming bogeys and should take a chance to get to the top of the train to greet them.
The first Soviet Super Soldier to parachute from the Russian aircraft was The Red Guardian. Aleksey Lebedev, clad in an armored red costume with a bright white star in the center of his chest to match the shield he carried. He was also armed with belt discs and a pistol.
The Red Guardian was followed shortly behind by his sidekick, The Proletariat. The Proletariat, or Alexei Alanovich Shostakov Was another young Soviet Super-Soldier who was under the tutelage of The Red Guardian.
-
Unbeknownst to any of the heroes, another member of the Soviet Super Soldier program lay in waiting to obliterate the train in a last ditch effort to kill Bruhl and avoid suspicion, making it appear like a simple crash. This was The Iron Comrade, Ivan Bullski, a Siberian in a high-tech battle armor constructed by Gargoyle using stolen plans from Nikolai Tesla. It not only presented phenomenal protection against damage, but enhanced agility, strength, and endurance. With the Crimson Dynamo suit he could hurl bolts of electricity up to 20 feet away, and had rocket boots and pack that could fly for 20 miles before needing to refuel.
-
In the air, after becoming alerted of the US presence in the airspace, the Soviet transport ship initiated an aerial battle. To support their plane and destroy evidence and witnesses, there were more Soviet Supersoldiers to assist. These were Night Witch and Sunbird.
Night Witch was Dr. Myra Kyrlova, a Russian engineer who flew on a Rocket-pack similar to the Rocketeer's. She also carries her special Zero Matter Ray Gun, developed using "DarkForce" energy, it delivers intense blasts of energy from the dark dimension. Night Witch can also use this to open up temporary portals into the dark dimension, which she can use to teleport through.
The second aerial opponent was Sunbird. Sunbird was constantly emitting a level of radiation, that she could manipulate to perform various stunts, such as flight, energy creation, as well as energy absorption, and create a shield of radioactive hear around herself. However, after prolonged exposure to her there is a high rate of developing fatal cancers.
-
Kraven decides to take advantage of the ensuing chaos, and make his own private attempt on Bruhl's life, as to collect the hefty bounty. Indiana Jones interferes, and the two men begin an encounter that catches the attention of some of the SS soldiers. It very quickly becomes an all-out brawl, involving even Bruhl, as the soldiers attempt stop the fight and detain the two men.
-
Sgt. Fury faces down The Red Guardian and The Proletariat stop of the train, and is greatly out powered by the two super soldiers, but defends himself handily.
-
The Rocketeer soars about the stormy skies, confronting the two aerial soviets. Night Witch and Sun Bird.
-
Crimson Dynamo eventually details the train and completely destroys the engine car.
The train, traveling at 54mph (88km/h),strewed wreckage and leaving one carriage 427ft away from the rails in a field.10 men died, and over 80 passengers were seriously injured.
Shortly before the crash, the conductor was moving through the trains --asking staff for assistance with the conflict. Suddenly, he'd passed through a carriage door and flung to the doorway at the other side of the carriage, even being flung out of his shoes. The force was so great that though he was smashed, his injuries were so severe he died in an instant.
Another passenger in the buffet car had just been served by the chef and was awaiting his coffee and toast when a dark cloud started to fill a nearby window. It was the dust being thrown up by the derailed metal wheels running over the earth, then the passenger was flung down the kitchen corridor area and snapped his neck on a panel that stopped his life and body's trajectory.
Nick Fury was thrown wildly from the roof of the train, and into the nearby woods. The surviving SS soldiers, Bruhl included, quickly began assessing and resolving the situation. Kravinoff was quickly detained by the officers and placed under arrest for his attempt on Bruhl's life.
Indiana Jones was awoken from unconsciousness by Anya, who despite being brutally injured, helped Jones escape and rescued her Red room hatchlings. The Red Guardian and Proletariat were also thrown from the train in the crash, but only the Guardian survived and had lost his comrade and sidekick. Night Witch had been marooned in the Dark Dimension by her own weaponry, which the Rocketeer had stolen and used against Sun Bird.