Post by All Star Silentking on Feb 18, 2013 22:57:42 GMT -5
All Star Captain America
Return of a Legend Part 1
Story Collaborated by All Star Silentking and Jordan
Written by All Star Silentking
Edited by Jordan
Date: 1/5/45
Time: 5:32 PM
Location: Antarctic
The man known as Captain America stares at the ice cold ocean below him, his own cold reflection staring back. Bucky Barnes, his sidekick, right-hand man and all around best friend, is unsure of what to do. The two were able to stop the nuclear bomb from being launched at the United States. But they weren't able to stop it from being armed. Their escort had already left because Cap dismissed them, knowing that there is not enough time for all of them to escape before the atomic bomb goes off. If the man who leads dozens in battle in the second world war can save a couple of lives before dying, he will.
Cap gazes over his shoulder at the impeccable fortress behind him. Moments ago, he and Bucky had managed a way out of it, to this cliff in front of the entrance, a place of momentary solitude in the midst of the commotion behind him. He had completed his mission, but the warhead remained armed. There is no time for Cap to escape before it explodes, only enough time and room for everyone else. He and Bucky remain the only ones to stay behind.
Cap turns to Bucky and notices him looking at his mentor, Cap, solemnly. Cap sighs and shakes his head before turning back to the sea before him. "It's useless, pal. We are too high up and not enough time to see if there is a lower point. If we jumped now, the impact of hitting the ocean floor would kill us. It may look soft, but hit with enough velocity and it would be like hitting concrete." Captain America stays silent, unsure of what to do. It looks like this will be Cap's final adventure after all...and all it took was a simple nuke. But Bucky has other plans.
"I might not be able to survive," Bucky quietly states while his ally starts to become lost in his own thoughts. "But Captain America can!" Without warning, and with Captain America having dropped his guard, Bucky suddenly pushed him over the edge and into the waters below.
Cap doesn't fight it, doesn't tense, doesn't scream doesn't yell...he just falls, shocked by his best friend's betrayal. But then again, is it truly betrayal? He sacrificed his life to ensure that America's hero survived. Just as he is about to hit the surface of the ocean, Cap turns around to catch a final glimpse of his friend. The last thing he saw was what appeared to be Bucky giving him a salute in the distance shortly before a giant explosion consumed him. That was the last thing Cap saw before being knocked out from the impact of hitting the water from over a hundred feet up.
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Date: 1/5/13
Time: 5:34 PM
Location Antartic
A group of men stand around a block of ice. No one knows what to say or do. They have been searching for many years, have carried on the search from others who have given up long before them, and they too thought they would fall short. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they'd find it. For in the block of ice was a man wearing a primitive costume with a round shield in his hand. Both costume and shield are in the pattern of the American flag.
"Captain America," one of the men mutters. The rumor is that he had died in an explosion, not in anyone's wildest dreams had they even begun to believe he'd survived. They only continued the search that so many others had failed because of the money they were being paid. The same man who muttered the words of the famous hero turned to the other.
"Fetch the others. We have found him." As one of the people went to gather the others, the remaining men wonder one thing--is this man even still alive? If it were anything else, they wouldn't care about such a thing, they'd only care about the money. But, this is a special event. If they have unearthed the first superhero who is somehow still alive...there are no words that can describe this feeling. The only reason they even think it is possible this man is still alive is because their employers gave an argument why and seeing Cap frozen in ice despite the odds seems to give that argument a lot of water. All they can do now is ship him out of here safely...
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Date: 1/8/13
Time: 11:35 AM
Location: Classified
Cap opens his eyes to be greeted by a sudden burst of powerful light forcing him to shut them again. After a while, he opens them again, more tolerant to the light already. He looks around and realizes that he is in a hospital room. Cap attempted to piece together how he ended up here. Bucky sacrificed himself to give Cap a chance to survive. Cap watched as his pal gave him one final salute before the explosion took him and before the water took the former. Then he woke up here. But how? Could the army have found Cap in the water shortly after he fell in it?
Before Captain America could think any further he tried getting up and realized that he simply couldn't get up. It wasn't that Cap was too weak to move, the man felt as fit as a fiddle. No, something was restraining him. But a blanket was on top of him, obscuring his vision of whatever was keeping his arms and legs back. What the hell is going on here? Could he have been taken by the enemy? No, they would have killed him. The Nazis, Arnim Zola and especially Baron Zemo wouldn't let Captain America have a chance to live if they could help it. Simply put, Captain America (aka Steve Rogers)1 is too dangerous to let free and alive and the reverse could be said to be true.
At that moment, the door opened and three men walked in. One appeared to be a doctor, and the other two soldiers. All of them American, but that doesn't calm Rogers one bit. George Maxon (aka Red Skull)1 was an American and he was one of Cap's greatest enemies. Plus, he wouldn't put it past Zemo to try and trick Cap into thinking that Cap was in American custody. But the only reason he thinks there is a possibility that they are the enemy is simply the unseen restraints. The only reason to restrain someone is because the restrained could be dangerous.
The doctor walks towards Cap and raises an eyebrow in slight confusion. Perhaps the man doesn't expect Cap to have woken up so soon. In any case, the doctor snaps out of it and continues towards the Captain. The man grabs a nearby chair and sits down.
"Good evening, Captain America. Welcome back," the doctor says. When the American super soldier doesn't respond, the doctor continues. "You are a lucky man. Despite the odds, you are somehow still in a most remarkable condition. You are more fit than most people these days. Or any other day in fact."
"Who are you people?" Captain America suddenly asks. The doctor is startled by Cap's question. Why, the hero of Normandy can only guess.
"We are the FBI. We found your body frozen in the ice and had brought you here as soon as we found you. You have no idea how miraculous it is that you are even alive; after such a long time as well..."
"How long have I been out," Captain America interrupts. The doctor is quick to answer Cap's question, as though he was prepared for this.
"About seven decades," The doctor says with full confidence. Captain America simply stares at the doctor, not sure how to process this information. He has been frozen in ice for about seventy years and he hasn't suffered any physical effects from it? Something isn't right.
"What about the restraints? I know they're here. I can feel them, you know?" While Cap waits for the doctor to respond, he tries to pull the restraints off. He smiles, knowing that his super muscles can pull the restraints off if he so chooses to use enough force.
"They are simply for your safety. We didn't know what state you would be in when you woke, and thought that you might hurt yourself should you try to get out of bed."
"Pretty strong restraints if you were expecting me to be so heavily weakened from being supposedly frozen about seventy years," Cap pointed out.
"One couldn't be too careful. Now I know you are in shock and don't believe me. But I would like to inform you of at least some good news."
"Which would be...?"
"The Axis powers lost the war shortly after you were gone. You managed to do enough of a difference to ensure us victory despite the odds. You should feel proud." Cap lies in the hospital bed, processing what he has just been told. He does feel happiness over the fact that the Allies won the war. But is it true? There is no way to be sure at the moment. Even if Zemo, or any of his other foes had captured him, it could still be true as it would give him some hope before being told that he is about to die with America going down next. If it was false, then it would be whoever captured him's way of breaking him down. He can't really tell. Dammit.
"Okay, I have a question. If you found my body, where is Bucky's?†The doctor smiled as though he was given the easiest question to answer in the world.
"Most likely with the Russians." Before the doctor can say anything else, Cap rips through the restraints and grabs the doctor's throat within a second.
"That is where you are wrong." He throws the doc at the two soldiers who are about to snap out of their confusion. "I saw Bucky die in a nuclear explosion. No way any trace of his body would be left behind." He breaks the rest of the restraints and charges through the only door before the three men that are suppose to watch over him could recover. He runs down the corridor as fast as he can, only stopping when he has to turn or when resistance comes. Both slow him down for about a second or two.
Captain America soon realized that the place he is being held at is like a maze. At the very least it isn't a hospital. This running around in just a hospital gown won't help him get any closer to the exit. Since everyone he has met so far is currently unconscious, and will be knocked out for a long while, Cap will have to make the next person he meets tell him the way out. But before he could even take a step forward after making that plan, he hears a voice that chilled him to the bone. It was a voice he hadn't heard in months, or years according to the doctor. While there is something off about the voice, he still recognizes it with ease.
"Stop right there, Captain America. You don't want anyone's blood on your hands, after all." Cap slowly turns around to see an all too familiar figure holding the muzzle of a gun point blank range at the head of some girl with red hair. The man with the gun is wearing a purple jumpsuit with a yellow metallic belt around his waist. He wore a wrinkled purple mask that has a headband in the same style and color of the belt on top. Captain America recognized this costume very well and it confirmed his fears.
This man was one of Hydra's best men. A man that Captain America never managed to bring to justice. This man was called Baron Zemo and he currently has Cap in a bad situation. Cap has seen Zemo in action and knows that if he makes a single move, the woman is dead. Zemo is too far away for Cap to charge and take the gun before it is fired. Cap may be faster than most people on Earth, but he isn't a superhuman. If Cap had his shield, he could use it to knock the gun out of Zemo's hand before it could fatally wound the hostage. But alas, Cap has nothing that could help in this situation. Plus, it wouldn't take long before more soldiers arrived to help Zemo. Everything is just not in the patriotic hero's favor right now. Cap and Zemo stare each other down, anticipating what the other will do. After what seemed like forever, Cap sighs and raises his arms in shameful surrender.
"You make things too easy for me, Captain. This compassion of yours shall be the end of you. You make all too clear that the 'Great Captain America' would never risk the life of an innocent girl or anyone else for that matter."
"It also doesn't surprise me that you would resort to such low tricks as using civilians as hostages. You went to a lot of trouble trying to trick me. Believing that I was actually stuck in the ice for about seventy years and that the war was over. But I swear--"
"You're wrong about that, Captain," Zemo interrupted. "What I had the doctor tell you was true. The super soldier serum allowed you to survive for so long." Cap is stunned by this new revelation. Zemo is obviously the lying type, but what could he possibly gain by lying right now? "I am sure that you're confused about why you're still alive, after all, we both know how dangerous you are." Steve Rogers can't help but agree that the fact he is still alive while being Zemo's captive is bugging him a bit. "The answer is simple. I had found the perfect way to break and humiliate you. One that is worth the risks of keeping you alive."
Suddenly Zemo starts to lean forward and began to cough horribly. The girl, seeing her chance, begins to run away. But she is almost immediately stopped by the reinforcements that Cap had predicted would arrive. In fact, Captain America is surprised they didn't come sooner. But there is one face among the many soldiers that catches Cap's eye. It is a face he saw long ago. A face he didn't think he would see again.
The face belongs to another man Captain America had fought long ago. Only this man was thought to have died in their first encounter. A man who was strangled by a poisonous gas that was going to be used on the United States. This man was Baron von Strucker and what is even more amazing is that Strucker doesn't seem to have aged a single year. Strucker turns towards Zemo and shakes his head in disapproval.
"I thought you had taken your meds already, Zemo. After all, you are pushing a hundred. It is a miracle that you can even stand." Cap continued to look Strucker over, trying to make sure that he is correct about his identity. Strucker was a bald giant of a man, easily over six feet tall. He has a few scars on his head from long before Cap ever met the guy. Strucker also still has his infamous monocle, although it seems a little different from when he last saw him. Cap is certain that this is indeed Strucker, although there is one thing different about him. His left hand is missing, replaced by a satanic looking claw.
"How are you still alive, Strucker?" Cap questioned as he ponders over this sudden change of events. Everything is happening so fast that he is becoming overwhelmed. Strucker turns to Cap and gives him a sinister smile before turning back to the weakened Zemo, ignoring Cap's question. Captain America has a feeling that nothing short of brute force will get him the answers to Strucker's sudden revival and his replaced limb.
"I am fine! At least, for now," Zemo insisted as a soldier handed Zemo some pills. Zemo slowly pulls part of his mask just enough to pop the pill into his mouth and dry swallow it. Zemo then puts the mask back in place before anyone could get a look at it. "Everyone follow me. And someone, keep a gun to the girl's head. We can never be too careful around our guest."
Cap follows Zemo and his group, wondering what exactly the madman has in mind for him. Fortunately, Zemo is too excited about his plan to keep quiet until they reach his destination. Although Cap can hardly blame the man; he has had seventy years to think of a way to punish Captain America. Zemo probably even practiced every day the following speech should Cap ever be unearthed.
"Do you remember the Red Skull, Captain? My former commander before his untimely death at your hands?" Cap silently nods as they continued to walk down the seemingly never ending hallways. Rogers can't help but wonder if Zemo planned for them to be so confusing just to make life difficult for the world's first superhero. "Well, while he didn't exactly survive like Strucker, there is another Red Skull." This piques Cap's interests a bit, but only a little. So much stuff is happening to him, that he is finding it a little hard to become surprised any further at the moment.
"Several years before now, I had kidnapped a scientist to help Arnim Zola recreate the super soldier serum that made you the man you are." Cap suddenly stops in mid-step. Zemo is obviously more than pleased when he sees the shocked look on Captain America's face. Strucker is simply impassive, although it is obvious that he is enjoying the event on the inside.
"Ah, I see that you have already figured out why you are still alive. I will skip the boring parts then. Long story short Johann Shmidt, the scientist we took, and Zola created the serum. To make sure it would actually work, we subjected Johann to the serum. The process changed him and gave him a god-like body that rivals only yours. Of course there were side effects: his mind was slightly damaged from the procedure and his skin became blood red while his face shrunk until it matched his skull..."
"Hence why you say there is another Red Skull," Captain America states, noting the improbable coincidence. "The reason why I am still alive is because you want to prove something. You want to prove that your serum was better than the one that gave me my powers. You want to see if your new Red Skull is better than me and whether I win or lose, I will die."
Zemo simply nodded in approval of Cap's deduction before everyone arrives at a gate. Cap sees two men waiting there. One is in a similar, though smaller, costume to Zemo's. The other is a tall man wearing foreign clothing adorned with a pitch black mask with a white cross on it. Just looking at the other tall man gives Cap the impression that he is dangerous and won't think twice about taking a life.
"Captain, I would like you to meet my son and his bodyguard, Crossbones." Captain America stands stoic at the news that his enemy has a son. At this point, he just isn't surprised anymore. "Helmut, meet Captain America, my sworn enemy. In a few minutes, he will die. In celebration of this event, I will allow you a break from your training. But only for today! I must have you be ready to take over when I die and to take back Hydra."
"Yes, father."
Zemo dismisses Helmut and Crossbones before turning to Cap. Captain America simply stands at attention, waiting to hear what the man will say next. At least he now knows that Zemo has left Hydra for some reason. Why, Cap doesn't really care, seeing as how soon he will be fighting to the death. But this information can help him out if he gets out of this place.
"Come on Captain, through this door." Zemo points to a door near the ominous gate. "There, you will change into a set of clothes befitting this event. I don't want your last words to be complaining that you lost due to a loose hospital gown." Cap silently enters the doors as several guns are pointed at him, ignoring the insult Zemo has thrown at him. Inside, he finds a locker room of sorts with a box waiting for him. There doesn't seem to be any way for him to get out other than the way he came--and the woman will be killed if he tries. So, he has no choice but to open up the box and take the clothes that are inside.
After Steve Rogers puts on his uniform, which seems to be his original costume only smoother and with some design changes, Zemo motions Cap to the gate. Zemo tells his men to escort the girl back to her room the moment the fight begins. Everyone then backs away as the gate slowly opens. Soon, Cap will be facing a brand new challenge, and he has to wonder how he will survive this encounter.
To Be Continued...
1 Watch for the new series, Beacon of Hope, following Cap's wartime efforts this March!