18Author's Note: Crap, crap! It's been 4 freakin' months since my last update. Writer's block, laziness... it's killing me! In addition, I'm busy on some things that I couldn't explain. But the good thing is that I'm continuing this story and finish this no matter what. Didn't care about being rushed or anything, but I've done my best. And besides, something has caught my interest.
Furthermore, this is Chapter 12! Enjoy, peeps!
Black Rock Shooter is the property of Huke, Good Smile Company
Captain America is owned by Marvel Entertainment.
Black Rock Shooter is on the concrete rooftop of the safehouse. It has more outdoor space; at least she can feel the cool night breeze as she sat on a bench. She looks up at the night sky full of stars. In her view, there is nothing like this in her homeworld. The Otherworld sky changed after the merging of the worlds yet nothing compares to the real world. The stars are indeed… beautiful. But suddenly…
BRS sensed something that is coming to her. Something that will hit her. Without hesitation, she backflipped in the air and the same time, dodging it. As she landed safely, her instincts kicked in again and dodge the shield again. As she turned to find out who did it, she saw someone who catches it. She gasped in surprise when she found out that the one who threw that shield is none other than Steve himself.
"Nice reflexes, kid." Steve remarked as he places it on his left arm.
"Damn, Steve!" She exclaimed. "What was that for?"
"Well, I just want to know what you're made of." He smirked.
"Wha?!" Then a realization hit her and she turned on serious eyes. "Well, are you picking up a fight?"
Then he went on to his battle stance. "This is not a fight. It's more like a warm up."
Then she clenched her fists as she was ready. And he goes with a smirk. "So be it."
Without wait, BRS started to attack, dashing forward. Then she jumped and goes for a flying kick yet it was blocked by Steve's shield. Then she backfilpped and landed as she noticed something: Cap's shield is unlike any ordinary. "Wow, this guy's shield was something. But how can I beat him down?" As she tried to make a strategy, she remembered the day when Cap helped her take down the HYDRA men and save Mato. She even calculated the man's moves and read it while she fights. After this, she have made her somewhat 'battle plan'…
"Spot his weak point and then go all out."
And then she dashed again and does a sliding move, hoping to hit the weak spot which is his legs. But Steve took notice and he sidestepped, dodging BRS' attack. Noticed an opening, Steve went on to strike her using his shield yet BRS managed to counter it with a right kick, blocking Steve's attack. And she gets up and does her fighting stance again.
"Neat trick." Steve smirked. "You fight like a professional fighter or assassin. Who trained you?"
"Other Selves are like that. Fighting is our nature." BRS told him.
"But we're different. You're a lone warrior. And I'm a soldier. You're more battle-hardened than I've thought." Steve commented. "But…"
"But what?" BRS inquired.
"You think you can beat me?" Then Steve throws his shield again, this time in front of her. Seeing his attack, BRS dodged it again and she made a dash to attack him but when she got near Steve, she rolled over to avoid the shield as Steve catches it. Then BRS punched yet it was blocked again by Steve's shield. Then Steve counterattacked by a right punch but she dodged it. She went to the back side and performed a roundhouse kick yet it was also blocked by the Super Soldier's shield. Then he jumped away to make space. Much to BRS surprise, Steve drops off his shield and went to a fighting stance.
How about we do this the easy way, kid?" Steve said. "Let's see if you can beat me without my shield."
"Very well, then." BRS said. Then she took a breath. And she is ready to attack. "Here I come!"
Again, she charged forward. She made the first attack by hitting a punch yet it was caught by the American.
"Wha-?" she dumbfounded in disbelief. Then she jumped away and she tried again. She unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks yet the soldier dodged every attack BRS made. She tried to perform a jumping roundhouse kick yet again it was blocked. She landed on the ground to make space, especially to both combatants.
Steve still maintains his calm demeanor as he kept his eyes on the girl. 'She's formidable. She had unbelievable strength and she's even agile.' He thought. 'But if she only relied on brute force, she can never stand a chance from any opponent who is smarter. But I need be calm and see her every move in order to defeat her.'
'I can't believe he's strong. So how can I beat this guy? He can even read my every move!' BRS thought. She's been born and used to fighting since she's an Otherworlder but she has never encountered a human like Steve. She knew about Dragon Slayer, who is a master of magic and also fully knowledgeable in battle. But if she had no choice, then the only way to beat him is to outsmart him.
'Ok, here goes nothing!' BRS charged forward and does a straight flying kick yet she's unlucky because Steve dodges it and grabbed her right leg, and then does a takedown move. Steve goes for the blow yet Rock managed to grab his fist with her two hands, trying to block it. The two fighters are struggling until BRS hit Steve's abdomen using her knee, then she rolled over and did an armbar. Steve tried to get out from her submission hold but the petite girl tightened her hold but due to his immense strength, Steve was able to get out of the hold and rolled away. BRS also got up.
"Hmph. I got ya." BRS said cockily.
"Yeah right." Steve answered. But…"
Steve dashed forward, going for the attack. BRS, of course, had an advantage due to her 13-year old-esque physique, so agile and strong, a being who was used to fight. But for Steve, having an Otherworlder as an opponent can serve as a challenge for him. As he goes for the punch, BRS dodged it and she tried to counter it with a punch. But the American caught her right arm and does a throw move that took the girl down to the ground. Steve goes for the punch as he tried to hit the girl in the head. Defenseless, BRS closed her eyes, expected to get hit. But when she opened her eyes slowly, she realized that Steve didn't continue; she just saw the fist close to her!
"You're pretty good." Steve remarked. "But hitting a lady being defenseless is a no, no matter how tough she was."
BRS was surprised. If anything, she found out that Steve was also a gentleman. When she stepped into the real world for the first time, she encountered many boys yet she can cope with them. Last time, she saved an old man from a bunch of bullies and luckily, Rock is now also part of the Kuroi family, where she is a big sister figure to Hiro. Sometimes, Mato asked BRS if there are male Other Selves but she shrugged it off because she was not sure as of now, because all she knows that the Otherworld is mostly girls. When she was asked if males in their world will exist, BRS didn't say a word. But deep inside, she will be happy if there are boys in their world.
Steve stood up and reaches his hand on the girl. BRS smiled in response as she took his hand, getting her up. A single slight applause was heard by the two and as they turned, it was Sharon who is watching them.
"Wow, I can't say… I'm impressed." Sharon remarked as she walked forward.
"You watched the whole thing, Sharon?" Steve said.
"Yeah, this pretty little lady has some guts." Sharon said, and then she turned to BRS as she continued. "You kicked my ass back there when you throw me." Then she gave a sly smirk. "Now you see the master in action."
"Well, he's really very good." BRS said. "But… I easily kicked your ass." She shrugged.
But Sharon retorted as crossed her arms. "Ha! You don't have any idea what it means to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Not only you fight, but you have to be responsible and at the same time, to be smart!"
"Hey, you can't blame me. Other Selves are used to fighting. No buts." BRS told the blonde.
Sharon can't help but to sigh. "On the contrary, since you and your friends have lived here in the real world, you still need to learn a lot. My approach on combat is much different than yours."
"Girls, please." Steve chuckled as he pleaded the two women. And then he turned to Rock. "Nice fight we had, kid. But Sharon has a point: you need to learn a lot."
"Well, either way." BRS replied.
Sharon said to BRS. "No offense, but I'm not saying that I hate your guts. You're also a good person, I know that. Like Steve, I just also want to make friends with you." She replied cheerfully.
"Next time, we should have a fair fight. A spar may suffice." BRS answered back.
"I gratefully accept." And they shook hands in respect. Steve himself loved the commotion. 'These two can be good friends.' He thought.
Now Steve wanted to go on since something has clicked on his head. "Well so, were we left off?"
"Eh?" BRS irked.
"My backstory isn't finished yet. And this is the perfect place since we need some cool, fresh air." He reminded.
"Hmm, you got a point." BRS replied.
"Here" Sharon called out the two as she threw 2 soda cans on the two. On the contrary, Sharon brought some refreshments since these two need a drink after their supposed 'sparring.'
"Thanks, Ms. Carter." BRS noted.
"You're welcome." Sharon cheerfully replied.
"Alright, let's continue, Steve." BRS told him
As Steve drank his soda can, he heard BRS' reply. He cleared his throat after he drank and replied. "Very well, then."
Steve leaned in the fence along with BRS while Sharon was sitting in a bench nearby. "Ok, remember when I told you about I will choose the best men for the job?"
"Um, yeah?" the teenage girl confirmed.
"After me and Colonel Philips agreed on the same thing, here's what happened next. I went on a pub in London that night…"
"So let's get this straight." Dugan began the conversation.
"We barely got out there alive and you want us to go back?" Gabe Jones sarcastically inquired.
Steve paused for a moment. And he answered. "Uh, yeah. Pretty much."
"Sounds rather… fun, actually." Said Falseworth, the Englishman.
Then Jim Morita also agreed and he replied with a burp. "I'm in."
Then Steve turned on the other side when Gabe Jones and Jacques Dernier, the Frenchman who was also one of the POWs back then. He admitted that he has no idea on what the two said to each other since he can't even understand French yet he will also study other languages for the days to come. But he notices something on Jacque: he's also witty. And as he observed, it seems that Jacque and Gabe had an agreement with each other with laughs and handshakes. Then Gabe gave Steve an answer: "We're in."
Sharing his toast, Dugan also agreed. "I'll always fight. But you have to do me one favor."
"What's that?" Steve asked.
Dugan sarcastically answered. "Open a tab." And everybody laughed; so does Steve. So he took the three empty glasses and went to the bartender.
"Another round." The man in uniform requested.
"Where they putting all this stuff?" the bartender asked.
When the piano music hits, the singing and merrymaking began. Meanwhile, Steve went to his best friend Bucky, who is also taking a drink.
"See? I told you. They're all idiots." Bucky commented about his friends.
When Steve took a seat, he began their conversation with a question. "How about you? You want to follow 'Captain America' into the jaws of death?"
"I don't know." Bucky replied. "Down way back from Brooklyn, I'm too dumb to run away from a fight. I'm following in."
Finally, Steve has completed his team, with his best friend Bucky filling in. But this is more like a conversation between friends; and they enjoy each other's company. When Steve turned to the right side, he saw a poster for a Captain America show. Of course, he was that guy.
Then he commented, "It's kinda growing on me." And Bucky nodded in agreement.
The other 4 stopped their merrymaking a bit when they saw an unexpected guest. It was none other than a beautiful woman who wears a red dress. For them, she was a sight to behold. And that woman is none other than Peggy Carter. Steve knows that she's a beauty, but Bucky's jaw dropped a bit since this was his first time seeing her.
"Captain." Peggy called.
"Agent Carter." He also greeted.
Bucky also wanted to greet her yet he also stayed calm. "Ma'am."
"Howard had some equipment for you to try, tomorrow morning." Peggy told Steve.
"Sounds good." The man in uniform remarked, hearing the good news.
As Peggy turned to Bucky, it seems both guys are loss for words to the beauty of the said British agent. Then Peggy noted, "It seems your top squad is ready for duty."
Then Bucky turned again on Peggy and asked, "Do you enjoy music?" telling her the piano music as a background.
"I do, actually." She answered. But on the contrary, she is just ignoring Bucky. "I might join dancing when the war is over."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Bucky said, still unknowingly ignored.
"The right partner." Peggy mouthed. And still, she's talking to Steve. "You should be there tomorrow at 0800, Captain."
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be there." He answered as Peggy left. Bucky sarcastically remarked and slightly chuckled. "I'm invisible, I'm...I'm turning into you. It's like some horrible dream."
"We'll take this all right. Maybe she's got a friend." Steve said, patting Bucky on the shoulder.
When hearing this, BRS can't help but to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. She thought that Bucky wanted to have a date with Peggy, but he's more like a statue to the whole conversation back there.
"You're stifling yourself, eh?" Steve noted.
"Oh come on." BRS retorted. "Can't believe that Bucky was hilarious!"
Steve rolled his eyes yet when he thought about it; sometimes it's funny to think about. When he was a frail, skinny man back then, his best friend is the ladies man, especially when they were at the Expo back home. But with his new body, even the girls will love her. But he's no ladies man since he's reluctant on dealing with women. But Peggy is an exception.
Clearing her throat a bit, BRS wanted to ask. "So then, what happened next?" As Steve wanted to continue, he noticed that the teen have wandered her eyes off and she had a stare.
"Is something wrong?" The American inquired.
"Well, I'm just curious." She replied as she walked off from the bench and went on the other side, where Cap's shield was placed there. When Steve saw this, he could tell that the Otherworlder wanted to take a look at his shield, with great interest. She picked it up and she was impressed on its features: the shield was made of metal yet the design struck her in awe, noting the colors of the American flag.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" BRS heard Steve as he approached the girl. The girl turned as she saw Steve coming to her.
"This is really your signature weapon, same as my Rock Cannon." BRS noted.
"You can say that." Steve shrugged.
"What's this made of?" the teen asked.
"Vibranium." Sharon answered as she approached the two while holding some sort of device, which is to be used later. Then she goes on. "It's a metal like no other. Stronger than steel, three times the weight. It's completely vibration-absorbent. Another substance called adamantium, which is harder than vibranium, but it's man-made. Vibranium is more like a natural substance, but very unique since it's almost impossible to destroy due to its vibration-absorbing capabilities." Sharon continued of her info. "Vibranium deposits are located in an African kingdom called Wakanda."
"Oh." BRS was still in awe. She knew about elements and minerals like gold, silver and others in the real world. But she never has seen this kind of metal before. Then she turned to Sharon. "And hey, is there a kingdom called Wakanda?"
"There is." Steve nodded. "Too cut the story short, Wakanda isolated itself until the 1960s, where they opened to the rest of the world and made vibranium their valuable resource for the advancement and modernization of their kingdom. To them, vibranium is as valuable as gold."
Good thing that BRS understood all the info. On the contrary, she hatched an idea. "Hmm… I was curious. Let's try this one…"
She threw the shield to Cap and jumped away a few miles and summoned her Rock Cannon. She pointed it at the American.
"Oh wait a sec. I don't think this is a good idea." Sharon disagreed as she stepped away, feeling that something may not be good will happen. But she saw Steve preparing to defend himself, using his vibranium shield.
"Don't worry, Sharon. This is just a test run." Steve assured to her.
"Whatever. Don't complain if something bad will happen after this," The blonde shrugged.
Hearing this, Steve just shunned it and prepare for the worst. Black Rock Shooter began firing her Rock Cannon in 5 shots. Steve held up with his shield and successfully blocked all 5 shots. She jawdropped a bit of what she saw. Cap's shield is something.
"It is unbreakable." BRS commented on the outcome.
"I told ya." Steve chuckled.
"Yo, Rocky Shot." Sharon called out yet the girl raised her eyebrow on what she has called her; she mentally chuckled instead. "I wanna show you something."
As BRS is curious about what Sharon is about to show her, the American agent on the other hand turned on the device she was carrying. It's more like an advanced computer device. Sharon set up the said device by turning it on and re-attaching the monitor. She made a few touches, making slight adjustments on the gadget. When she finished configuring, she went to Rock and explained, "This gadget you see right now is more than just an ordinary laptop. This contains all the information from our database. Other intel was not shown here since most of them are top secret and it's confidential." Then she ordered, "Alright, open up the database by touching both hands on the screen, it's like 'opening' it."
"Okay." She nodded. Then she went to the gadget Sharon held, and she pressed the screen gently with both hands. Keeping her calm, she waved both hands as she 'opened' the database. She marveled at the sight she saw. It was none other than a series of video reels of Captain America's missions during the Second World War with all the intel, debriefing and other stuff, all in hologram form. Then she knew that humans in the real world can have a technology like this, although not as more advanced in her own world.
All BRS said was, "Whoa."
It was 7:30 in the evening. Kuroi Mato was sitting in her desk doing her assignments. Of course every student does that; for the hardworking, laziness is not a part of their vocabulary but for Mato being a sports girl, laziness is her greatest obstacle. Good thing that she finished eating dinner so she had energy left for her brain. Of course, she needs it.
But something's bothering her. Something that is troublesome, even a bit in her view. She couldn't take off about what happened a week ago. And that is none other than being kidnapped. She was unconscious back then, but she only knew a few details from her mom and her friends, that told her it was an American who brought her home. But what if that will happen again?
But something came to her mind: it's Black Rock Shooter. Good thing is that she, along with Dead Master and others, are the only few Other Selves that can live with humans like them. Not only she's a friend but also a protector. But she was impressed on the state of BRS right now in terms of living a normal life: the blue-eyed girl can live and sustain herself and can play well with other people around her. She smiled about the fact, but still, she was bit worried for her. What if it's too much for her? Or something more?
"Black Rock Shooter, can you hear me? I hope you're ok…"
Back at the rooftop, BRS have watched the video reels, which is they were seen in 4 different holographic screens. All of these reels feature all of Captain America's missions and even propaganda films featuring the Sentinel of Liberty. But the only reel that gets her attention is the Super Soldier's missions with the Howling Commandos, who are his comrades-in-arms, especially with his best friend, Bucky. BRS watched closely as the Howling Commandos moved forward on the assault on every HYDRA base. From blowing up factories, daring raids, taking the lead with other soldiers to even destroying key points like super weapons. In addition, Steve even explained more about Howard Stark being an inventor and a weapons specialist, citing him that he is the one who made his first uniform and of course, his famed vibranium shield. On the other hand, the Howling Commandos were the best men that Cap had in command, and they were very close with each other, like brothers. With this, the Howling Commandos are one of the most elite groups the Allies had during the war.
As she continued to watch, BRS started to speak. "I can't believe these guys are amazing."
"Cool, isn't it?" Sharon told the girl. "Here's the thing: you got 5 Americans, 1 British, 1 French. And there you have it."
"Sharon, race isn't an issue." Steve retorted. "What matters is we're fighting for what is right back then; no matter what nation or a group you came from."
"Oh wait." Sharon curled her lip a bit, pointing her finger at Steve. "You and Bucky are both New Yorkers while you were born with parents who are Irish immigrants. Dugan is a circus guy; Gabe Jones is an African-American, while Morita is a Japanese-American."
As BRS heard Morita's name, which is Japanese, she pointed on the screen featuring one of the famed Commandos. "That Morita guy is Japanese?" She said in curiosity. "All I know is that Japan was part of the Axis powers during WWII. Am I correct?"
"You're right." Steve affirmed. "It was Japan who propelled the United States to enter the war against the Axis. It all started at Pearl Harbor. But it's not the fault of the Japanese people after all. Actually, the fault belongs to their leaders."
The girl nodded in silence as she kept her ears open. She knew that Japan back then was the aggressor along with Germany and Italy and it was ruled by dictators. She fully understands why Captain America is fighting during that war: fighting for freedom.
Then Steve continued. "And you must know that there are also Japanese immigrants in the US. Most of them are from the western part like California and even Hawaii. These Japanese immigrants were given opportunity to live in America, but something happened to them. And it's not good at first."
"What do you mean?" BRS inquired.
"A few days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, anti-Japanese sentiment was spread across the country, fearing of acts of sabotage from these Japanese-Americans. So they present a solution by forcibly relocating them, but they were never received cruel treatment like the Germans or any other Axis nation."
"Oh. It seems nothing bad had happened to them. So, what did they do to those Japanese-Americans?" BRS said.
"Well, guys like Jim Morita were volunteered as part of the US Armed Forces. They were known as the 'Nisei'." Steve continued.
"Nisei. It means 'second generation'." BRS recalled.
"Correct." Steve nodded. He looked on the screen again. "For me, these Japanese-Americans were given a chance to live in America. They were given an opportunity to share the 'Dream'. They said that the Nisei are fighting for the United States. But for me, they're fighting for the cause of freedom. They were heroes."
BRS heard Steve's words very well. It tells her on the American's admiration to the Japanese-Americans. Shaking off her head, snapping her stupor, BRS raised her voice a bit. "Hey, aren't you gonna finish your story?!"
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Steve chuckled. "Well, well, it seems we left in at the bar scene. Even I explained about my shield and my uniform since I had a conversation with Howard Stark. Does that count?"
"Enough for me, Captain." Black Rock Shooter shrugged.
As he leaned on the fence, Steve let out a sigh as he looked up. "It's really hard for me to tell you this. But it's better for me to summarize it for you. In fact," he lowered his head down as he completes his sentence. "…that is very painful for me. My best friend, Bucky. He died."
"Wh-what!?" BRS opened her mouth in silence. Yet, she was shocked. In fact, she's in loss for words when she heard this.
Sharon saw some discomfort as she approached. "Steve, I think it is better if you-"
He raised his hand as he stopped. "It's alright, Sharon. I can handle this." And she nodded, saying "If you say so."
Then BRS approached him, leaning in the chainlink fence. "Don't worry, Steve. It's alright."
"Okay." Steve sighed as he began to continue. "We began our operation on chasing Arnim Zola as he was in a train. We all know it's a dangerous one, but the key is to capture Zola since he is the Red Skull's top scientist and right-hand man. Bucky and I lead the way as the other Commandos followed. We encountered some strong hostility yet we managed to beat those guys. We successfully capture Zola, but Bucky died. He was not shot, actually. He fell to a cliff."
A thought just entered BRS's mind as she asked. "Did you blame yourself when Bucky died?"
"Maybe." He answered. "I tried to grab his hand. And then… he fell. I failed to save my best friend."
"I am… sorry for your loss. I didn't mean it to hurt you or anything." BRS said with a sad look. She felt some pity for the guy.
"That's ok, kid." Steve patted BRS's head. "I can't even blame you."
"So what happened after that?" BRS asked.
"We found out all the info about HYDRA's last base through our interrogation with Zola. And me? I was trying to have a drink…"
Steve found himself in an abandoned house which was in ruins due to bombardment. He sat there and he was trying to drink whiskey. He felt melancholy on the loss of his best friend so maybe a drink can do. The old quote of 'Having a drink can drown all of your sorrows' can make sense if you're a drunkard. But Steve wasn't that kind of guy. Yet he tried to.
Peggy walked and she approached him. She knows about his situation. Those two New Yorkers were very close to each other so she was there to give him some comfort. Steve noticed that it was Peggy and he began to let out his distraught.
"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means, um...? I can't get drunk." Then he turned to the British agent, who is also his first love. "Did you know that?"
"Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects." Peggy told her in response. As she is now referring to Bucky's supposed death, she began to speak. "It wasn't your fault."
"Did you read the reports?" Steve inquired.
She answered. "Yes."
"Then you know that's not true." He said, believing that maybe Bucky is still alive.
Peggy asked in a calm tone. "Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?" Then Steve nodded silently.
"Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it." She told Steve. When he heard this, she has a point after all. Soldiers who fought in a war would expect danger since their lives are hanging in a balance, all for the sake for protecting their country. Steve knew that his father died in the battlefield, but the death of a best friend who grew up with him can be considered a sad loss for him. One word rings in his mind on what Bucky did: sacrifice. He realized that sulking in a corner wouldn't solve anything.
Through this, he had a new resolve. "I'm goin' after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop till all of HYDRA is dead or captured."
And he heard Peggy's comforting words. "You won't be alone."
"'You won't be alone'. That's what Peggy told me. And it lifted me up." Steve recalled.
"And that means you're now moving on, right?" BRS
"Yes. And to take down Schmidt once and for all." Steve answered. Then he continued. "That's what we are planning as we went to our mission briefing the next day…"
"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he's a god and he's willing to blow half the world to prove it, starting with the U.S.A." Col. Philips began his briefing with all SSR members present, including the Howling Commandos and Steve himself. All of them wanted the same thing: to bring down HYDRA once and for all and to win this war. But what was left is how are they gonna do it.
Then Howard Stark commented. "Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic; he will wipe out the entire eastern sea board in an hour."
Gabe Jones stepped in as he tried to ask. "How much time we got left?"
"According to my new best friend, twenty four hours." Col. Philips answered, citing the information he got from Arnim Zola. It seems that it was a race against time so they don't need to rush but careful planning. Then Philips continued while he's holding a photo. "HYDRA's last base is here. In the Alps, five hundred feet below the surface."
"So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim Morita objected.
But Steve came up with an answer with an unwavering will. "Why not? That's exactly what we're gonna do."
"So you're going on all out, eh?" BRS inquired.
"Yes. All by myself." Steve nodded.
"Wait, all by yourself!?" She exclaimed.
"Hey, we're on the same level, if you know what I mean." The soldier slyly said.
"Oh wait a sec! Are you saying that you're better than me?" BRS raised her voice.
"Hey, I'm not saying that. To be honest, I just went to the base and managed to beat them. But I was captured."
"Heh, Super Soldier guy gets captured." The girl snickered.
"Don't underestimate me. Actually, it was all part of the plan. Some sort of a distraction." Steve recounted. "Let's just say, I am leading the charge. But there's a reason why I got captured."
"And what's that?" the Otherworlder asks.
Steve closed his eyes and he became stern. "I need to confront the Skull."
Captain America has been captured. He was bound by HYDRA soldiers; one of them is carrying his vibranium shield. They marched into the Red Skull's lab and at last, they meet again. For Steve, it's an opportunity to give him a piece of his mind and finally, end the Skull's terror. Cap managed to keep his calm demeanor as the Skull approached him in a triumphant mood.
"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you do it better than anyone." Schmidt commended, seemingly impressed on Steve's resilience." But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise?"
Steve, still on his calculated eyes, answered. "He told me you were insane."
The Red Skull snorted with cold mood. "Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. But he gave you everything." And now the madman asks him. "So, what made you so special?"
Then Steve answered with a smirk. "Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."
Steve's answer has infuriated Schmidt, punching him in the face then to the gut. He was in disbelief that this American, who has the Super Soldier serum, still has his humbleness intact. For the Red Skull, power is everything and for those who seek power should take it by any means necessary. Compassion and humbleness have no place for it since it signifies weakness.
Steve was beaten and fell to his knees. While he still catches his breath, he stood up and looks on Schmidt's eyes in defiance. "I can do this all day."
Then Red Skull draws his Tesseract-powered pistol and points at Steve. "Oh, of course you can. Of course. But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule."
Then he responded. "So am I."
"And suddenly, my team came and made a surprise attack on the weapons lab, beating up a couple of bad guys. The Red Skull had no choice but to escape and made his ways to his plane. And that is the signal and the other men followed suit, beginning our assault. Good thing that I got my shield back."
"So what happened next?"
"To cut the story short, well, I continued my pursuit on the Red Skull. With the help of Peggy and others, I reached his plane as he makes his way to escape. To summarize it, it's action-packed." He chuckled, especially he remembered the time that Steve and Peggy kissed each other and the 'I'm not kissing ya!' remark from Col. Philips. "Luckily, I made in it inside. Still, I managed to beat some troops; I even stopped a bomb." He continued.
"A bomb?" BRS inquired.
"He's right." Sharon added. Still the device that she carried is still on, she waved her hand on the screen and showed Schmidt's aircraft, showing it to BRS. Then she showed the specs and weaponry, including "Actually, Schmidt's aircraft also have bombs as part of arsenal. But it's more like a bomb that has the mechanisms of an aircraft. It's more like a piloted bomb."
"Like a suicide bomber?" BRS inquired.
"More like an advanced version of the kamikaze weapon during that time." Steve added. "Luckily, I stopped it."
"Did it crashed?"
"Yeah, sort of. But it didn't reach impact so it didn't explode. It's like that I made a safe landing." Steve noted. "Now, moving on. I went to the cockpit of the said plane, and then… our fight has begun."
As Captain America walks around the whole area, a Tesseract-powered rifle fired upon. With great reflexes, he defended himself by using his shield. It was none other than the Red Skull himself. At last, this is their supposedly final confrontation.
"You don't give up, do you!?" he mused.
"Nope!"
Schmidt continued the fire, but Steve dashed forward, blocking every shot. Then he knocked away the rifle from the HYDRA leader, and then a fight occurs between the two. Strength against strength. They exchanged blows, punches and kicks everywhere. For Schmidt, he has an advantage because not only he has superhuman strength but he had an intellectual mind, using his brains in order to take down his opponent. Cap may not as smart as the Red Skull, but he also has a weapon aside from his strength: his unwavering will. He knows that he wasn't alone after all. He fights not just for his friends but also for one principle that made America the great nation it once was: freedom. The Axis are the aggressors, Japan propelled the US into the war. If Captain America can defeat the Red Skull, not only they will destroy HYDRA but win the war for those who love the fruits of liberty and freedom. Not just America, but every nation. Everyone.
They continued their fistfight until they accidentally pull down a switch that send them floating as the plane is. Not until Red Skull reached the controls and activated the autopilot. Steve landed safely gets up while Schmidt prepares his Tesseract-powered pistol. And he began to spout words as he fired his gun.
"You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations!" He continued firing while Cap covered himself. The Skull didn't even understand why Captain America chose to be patriotic than to be a god. Then he continued "I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!"
And Steve threw back defiantly. "Not my future!"
Then he dashed and dodged the shots until he finally reached his shield. After he blocked an energy shot, Steve threw it to Schmidt. It was a direct hit, knocking down the madman. But because of the strong force of the shield, he also caused the machinery that empowering the Tesseract to malfunction, opening it. And a surge of energy engulfed the whole area.
"What have you've done?" the Skull said.
"Then he got a hold on it and it because of its tremendous power, he disappeared from nowhere. And the Tesseract sunk into the Arctic Ocean."
BRS got a hold of the holographic form of the Tesseract as she studied it. It's more like a glowing cube for her, but when Sharon explained all of it, according to some S.H.I.E.L.D. files. But Steve knows all of it, but he tells Sharon that he will tell BRS about for some quite time.
Looking to Steve, BRS tried to guess. "You defeated the Red Skull and you tried to stop the plane crashing."
"Yes." The Super Soldier answered. "But there was a great price."
"Steve, is that you? Are you alright?"
Steve heard it was Peggy who was on the radio. Then he answered. "Peggy! Schmidt's dead."
Peggy was relieved about this, but she is a bit worried since he needs to get out of there. "What about the plane?"
"That's a little bit tougher to explain." Steve said to her.
Still hopeful, Peggy finds a suggestion. "Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."
But Steve answered. "There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down."
This makes Peggy worries went up. When she heard this, there is a possibility that he can die." I'll get Howard on the line; he'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time." Steve called out "This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." And he is referring to Schmidt's plane. And he is still speaking through the plane's control. Then he continued. "I gotta put her in the water."
Peggy pleaded. "Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice." That is his answer. Steve will do whatever it takes so innocent people can't be hurt, even his life was on at stake. As he's forcing the plane down towards the water, he began his final conversation with Peggy.
He called out again. "Peggy?"
" I'm here." She answered.
"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."
Upon hearing this, she began to form tears in her eyes. " Alright. A weak, next Saturday, at the Stork Club.
" You got it." Steve said in response.
"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late! Understood?" She need to stand firm and tried to stop the tears. But she is still hoping.
" You know, I still don't know how to dance." Said Steve.
But Peggy assured him. "I'll show you how. Just be there."
"You'll have the band play somethin' slow." Steve told her. "I'd hate to step on your..."
"….then everything went black..."
Seeing this, Sharon began to speak. "The plane crashed in the Arctic. Fortunately, it didn't explode. Most of it became frozen because of the Arctic ice. But Steve was also frozen in the ice. For decades. Many have thought that Captain America 'died'. But that sacrifice wasn't in vain. And guess what: the rest is history. The Allies won the war and everyone is celebrating." Then she continued after she closed her eyes and sighed. "But as for Aunt Peggy and her friends, it was a great loss for them. They lost a great hero. Someone like Captain America. But…"
"…something unexpected happened." BRS turned to Steve as he continued. "You would never believe this, but it's a very long time… that I had my sleep."
"You're frozen on ice, but you didn't die." BRS guessed.
"You're right, Shooter." Sharon answered. "Actually, he went into a process called suspended animation. It is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. It's more like preserving a body without decay or aging. The Super Soldier serum helps to make that process work."
"Oh, so that's why he's still has that body… and still alive." BRS commented as she turned back to Steve. Yes, he's still his serum-powered body, but a realization hit her as she looked on the American's eyes: there is a bit of sadness in it. "Uh, Steve. I think you're sad."
"Maybe." Steve calmly said. "Confusion. Shock. Bewilderment. Those are the things that I will never forget when I remember that day. The day that I woke up… after 70 years of deep slumber…"
Steve has finally opened his eyes slowly. He turned around and checked on the room. For him, he was in the hospital, lying on the bed. He gets up and sat on it, then again he looked around the room. And he saw an old 1940s radio, covering up a baseball game. Then moments later, an agent from S.H.I.E.L.D., disguised as a 1940s officer, entered the room and greeted him.
"Good morning. Or should I say afternoon."
Then he asked. "Where am I?"
"You're in a recovery room in New York City." The agent replied.
But there is a mood change from calm to suspicious. He looked around, he heard the old radio, and now he saw the woman. He asked again. "Where am I really?"
She answered hesitantly, trying to maintain her cover. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
His suspicions grew even more. "The game, it's from May, 1941. I know, because I was there." He gets up from the bed and approached the woman. "Now, I'm gonna ask you again. Where am I?"
"Captain Rogers?"
"Who are you!?" Steve raised his voice.
Then the agent pushed the button on her device and it blinked red. And suddenly, other agents entered the room, dressed in black. Steve senses danger. And he beats the guards and runs away.
"And I continued to run as far as I can. Far away from those people. Until I went to Times Square and I was surround by some cars. And as I look around, I thought… It's feels surreal. Weird. A very different New York City. Everything is new for me. Until someone called me out…"
"At ease, soldier!"
Steve turned around and saw a man, who is a bald African-American. He sports a black coat and wears an eyepatch in his left eye. For Steve, maybe this man will finally have all the answers.
"Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but… we thought it's best to break it to you slowly." The mysterious man said.
Then he inquired, though he had an uneasy feeling. "Break what?"
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years." That was the man's answer.
Now Steve couldn't believe what he had heard. He still looks at the man in shock. Not just the man but everything around him. Seventy years. It's very, very long…
"And that someone is none other than Nick Fury." Steve cited the mysterious man.
Then Sharon gave BRS some tidbit as she spoke to her. "Actually, Nick Fury is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. In other words, he's my boss."
"I see." BRS nodded.
Then Steve sighed. "No wonder why I was called 'A Man Out of Time'. When I found the whole truth, I was thinking 'Are all my friends are dead? All the people I knew? Where are they?'" Then Steve stood up and walked a bit into one of the edges of the fence, overlooking the city of Tokyo. He looked on the modern city of the nation was once an enemy of America during WWII. "It seems that this country has changed a lot, then so does the world. I was saddened at first because all of I knew were gone. I was thinking that I should've died with them, but that won't work… I moved forward."
He continued. "Life is like a battle. There are times that you're defeated; there are times that you're victorious. But the greatest victory is you can die living life to the fullest. The war that I'm facing right now is not about nations anymore. It's more on principles and forces that are unseen, just like HYDRA. Well, I'm maybe a soldier, but a soldier for the American people. And for the whole world."
"Wait a minute." BRS approached him. "Does it bother you about wearing something red, white and blue that resembles a flag?"
"Why'd you ask?" Steve questioned.
"I felt that's kinda… weird."
He chuckled instead and patted BRS in the head, amused. "Well, well, kid. It seems I need to tell you something. There is some guy, who is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent like Sharon and very serious about his job. But what really makes me smile about the fact that he was a fan of mine. And about the suit? He told me that the world needs a little more… old-fashioned."
"To put it simply, the world still needs Captain America. He's the world's first superhero, if you put it that way. Even the costume." Sharon added.
"World's first superhero, eh? Kinda neat." BRS nodded.
"So, that concludes my story." Steve wrapped it. And then he looked at the time. It was 8:45 pm. "Kid, it seems you need to go home. You have classes tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. But I just want to hear more from you…" BRS told the soldier, eyes looking down.
"C'mon kid, don't be such a sad little lady." Steve cheered her up. "We can still have much time to talk everything… maybe after our job here is done. Let's see what I can do. But I won't make any promises."
Then Rock lifted her face and smiled. "Well, who knows?"
As the three went outside, they said their good as Rock went to her scooter. As she starts the engines, Steve went into her.
"Wait, may I ask you something?" Steve asked.
"What?" She responded.
"What should I call you by name?"
There is some ire on what she heard. "Ok, you can call me 'Black Rock Shooter or 'Rock'. Either way."
"How about 'Stella'?" Steve suggested.
When she heard that, she responded in a calm but good manner. "You know, you're the second person who called me by that name."
"Really? She's a friend of yours?" He asked.
"Yes." She said.
"I wanna tell you something. It makes sense if you put it. And it really fits you. That's because it's the Latin word for star." Steve explained.
'Star.' She mumbled. Then a smile formed on her lips when someone told her about stars and it was none other than Shizuka herself, one of her human friends and her first human mentor. As she looked up again at the starry night sky, something that reminds her from her mentor: that stars are beautiful and they are shining brightly in the night sky. And another thing that she wouldn't forget… is that she was described as one, but more brighter.
"All right." She turned to Steve. "You can call me Stella."
"So everything's in place." He declared. "Well, be careful." And see ya." He said with a good bye.
BRS nodded and smirked. "Aye aye… Captain." Then Steve mused. And she went on her way home after revving up her scooter.
"Stella, huh?" Sharon came over.
"Yeah. That's better than calling a name based from an object." Steve affirmed.
"Wait, can she shoot rocks?" Sharon blurted in sarcasm.
Then Steve laughed at Sharon's joke. "Hey, you got me! I can't believe that you can have some sense of humor."
Sharon shrugged in response.
"Well, let's get back home. We need some rest for tomorrow." Sharon told the soldier.
"Yeah, I know. We got a lot of work to do." He nodded.
Then Sharon nodded as she returned to the apartment. Before he headed back, Steve remembered something as he looked up…
"You gonna be ok?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I just…. I have a date."
'Right. I'm gonna be ok.' And he began to head back to his home.
Saya's apartment
Saya Irino can't sleep at the moment. She woke up from a strange dream, trying to catch her breath and sweat is dropping from her head. She had an uneasy feeling. She felt something's wrong. And it's not good.
"Gold Saw…" she muttered.
So this chapter ends with a cliffhanger so I'll keep working on it. Now, what caught my interest are these news and announcements about everything Marvel-related:
-Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World will hit screens next year.
-Crossbones confirmed for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
-Stan Lee confirms Dr. Strange, Black Panther.
-An Ant-Man is in the works.
-A S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series will starts its filming next year.
Oh, aside from writing this, I'm also playing Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook, which is one of the reasons for, well... you know. XD But anyways, it helps on making ideas.
So read and review. And I'll see you guys later!
