Synopsis
In Nick Fury's secret base #21 Providence the Secret Warriors are playing poker in the kitchen and young Alex Aaron (Phobos) is winning especially against JT James (Hellfire). JT accuses him of cheating by knowing what cards he's got. Alex says he *can* tell what JT's got but not by cheating. Then he raises the question of Fury firing Sebastian Druid. Team leader Daisy Johnson (Quake) makes it clear that Nick didn't think he was up to the job. Yo Yo Rodriguez (Slingshot) thinks Fury was right in that, but Jerry Sledge (Stonewall) thinks the firing still wasn't right. Daisy reminds them that they have a job to do. Jerry reminds them how most of them are abused children of bad men, and they're grateful to Nick taking them out of that and giving them a purpose in life. But he thinks they should also look out for 1 another like family. Daisy asks for a show of hands on whether she should demand that Nick reinstate Sebastian. All vote yes apart from JT, who then caves in under Daisy's glare, and Alex, who says he doesn't think Fury will give in. Eden Fesi keeps quiet throughout all this.
Hydra invade Leviathan's Long Winter base and find it deserted apart from some assassination squads, who are dealt with off-panel, and the body of their colleague Viper. Baron Strucker orders the body checked for booby traps, which it isn't, but they find a recorded holographic message. It's from Orion, who we saw revived from suspended animation last issue, and who Strucker recognises as Viktor Uvarov. The recording device recognises his voice which authorises the playing of the rest of the message. Orion says that recent events while he slept have soured things between them. He requests a meeting to clear the air, and suggests to allay Strucker's suspicions that they meet at a Hydra base. He suggests the Crown in 3 days. Gorgon doesn't trust him. But Kraken notices that Hive is doing something to Viper's body.
Now we get a potted flashback history of Viper. 22 years ago 96 little orphan girls were trained by Kraken to be warriors for Hydra. (It seems Viper's hair was green even then.) Over the years the girl who will be Viper beat all the other girls until 12 years ago she alone remained. 8 Years ago she lost everything (probably after Captain America #113 when as Madame Hydra she was kicked out of Hydra and later became the independent terrorist Viper). 6 years ago she married a man she hated (Wolverine in his #126 to rule Madripoor). 4 years ago she couldn't marry the man she loved (Silver Samurai, but I don't know what comic issue is referred to). 3 months ago she betrayed him (our #6). We end with her capture by Leviathan and murder by the current Madame Hydra (Val de Fontaine) in recent issues.
And now Hive revives Viper's dead body, calling herself Madame Hydra again, with a large octopoid being on her head.
Last issue Val de Fontaine arranged to have dinner again with Nick Fury in their 'favourite' restaurant in Tamaya New Mexico (they were there in #3). This time it's Fury who is late, but this time he brings flowers. He lets her know he knows about her working for the enemy (but it's unclear whether he means Hydra or Leviathan). A bunch of guys stand up and aim guns at Fury. Nick says in the old days he would have just killed her, but older him wants to know whether she was always a double-agent or whether she learned lying from him. And everybody else in the restaurant pulls out *their* guns, and Val's force is way outnumbered. She tells him she did always care for him, but for both of them ideology comes 1st. Then Fury gets up and leaves with his men, leaving Val free to go.
When he gets back to Providence he finds Daisy waiting for him. She makes her pitch to get Druid back but Nick turns her down flat. This game isn't for bleeding hearts. She returns to the kitchen to find Eden stuffing marshmallows in his mouth. JT tells her Alex bet Eden that he would vomit after eating exactly 67 of them. But distressed Daisy pins JT up against the wall and tells him he'd better have meant every word he said to her (when the pair went to a restaurant last issue). And she kisses him hard.