Last night, Steve went to bed, eager to start a whole new day of helping others. But when he woke up, he was back in his apartment during the early days of World War II, just before he had received the super soldier serum that turned him into the world's greatest patriot.
Now reduced to a 100 lb. weakling, Steve has to find out how he was sent back in time before World War II has a different ending...
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#6
APR 14 |
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“Memories of Things That Never Happened”
In a secret location, a hooded trio stood around a crystal ball. The room was dark, with the only light coming from the glowing ball on the table.
“Why has he not given up? He has no powers.”
“I agree, he should have been broken the second things were altered.”
“Patience, brothers. His body may be weak, but his spirit is still as strong as ever. Perhaps we need to...up the ante.”
“Why hasn't your objective been achieved?” A dark voice suddenly came from the shadows around the group. “I've paid you handsomely to destroy Captain America's spirit, to turn him into a weakened mess. What is taking so long?”
“You know as well as we do that Captain America's will is stronger than most,” one of the men said. “Breaking it will take time.”
“You have until dawn,” the voice told them. “Get. It. Done.”
It had been weeks since Steve Rogers had found himself back in 1940's New York, on the day he would have become Captain America and started his journey of being America's greatest patriot. But something had changed on that fateful day, and now Steve had been left powerless, with no hope of ever becoming his alter ego ever again.
But that hadn't stopped him from recruiting his former sidekick, James Barnes, and concocting a plan to sneak into WWII Germany to do whatever he could to stop the damage that would ensue without Captain America there to stop it.
“Okay, let's assume for a second that you're not insane,” James told him as they were hidden on a military plane into Germany. “Let's just assume that you really were supposed to be this Captain America guy. You're not now, you're just some frail weakling who'd never be able to hold his own in a fight. We're going go get ourselves killed because you think you can turn the tide like this?”
“Super serum or not, I'm still willing to die for my country,” Steve told him. “I can either accept things the way are and sit down and wait to grow old and die, or I can run headfirst at this and die on my own terms. I'd rather die on my feet than die on my knees. You don't have to finish this with me. You can stay here until the plane returns to America, but I'm doing this.”
“You said it yourself that we're partners,” James told him. “So let's do this before I really regret tagging along.”
“We wait until after the others jump,” Steve told him as they waited. “Once the plane's empty, we'll wait for our chance to parachute out.”
Two Nazi soldiers were patrolling the area, discussing the events of the previous night.
“That was some party last night,” the first soldiers, Hans, said. “I almost didn't show up for guard duty this morning because I was so hung over.”
“The party's still going on,” Fritz told him. “I only showed up for work to take a break from it. The party's actually in its seventh day. I heard that you hooked up with someone last night.”
“Ja, I think I'm in love,” Hans replied as they walked along. “Although she has some health problems, though. She's in a wheelchair with a respirator.”
“Wait, Fritz, did you sleep with my grandmother? She's 92,” Fritz asked. “She can barely walk.”
“She didn't need to walk for what we did last night,” Hans replied as Steve and James landed right on top of the soldiers, knocking them out on impact.
“Okay, now what?” James asked as he shed the parachute. Steve did the same and pulled out the map.
“Okay, we're here,” Steve said as he pointed at their location. “There's a weapons manufacturing plant over here. We'll start there by taking it out. If we can destroy that plant, it'll deal a serious blow to the Germans.”
“The two of us are going to blow up a German weapons plant? That's impossible!” James shouted.
12 Hours Later
The weapons plant was in flames, having suffered massive explosions from the inside. Steve and James stood from a good distance away as they took in the site of the rising flames.
“Well, that was easier than expected,” James said without looking over at Steve. “And we collected twelve Nazi scalps along the way. Just 88 to go.”
“Alright, let's move,” Steve told him as they started walking. “We have a long way to our next target.”
“Which is?”
“We're going to hit Hitler where it hurts the most,” Steve replied with a smile.
Two days later, Hitler was in tears as he pounded his fists on the table, whining like a baby as he heard the news.
“They blew up the German chocolate factory*!” Hitler shouted through his tears as he blew his nose. “Did the Oompa Loompas make it out**?”
(*Translated from German so you fine readers can understand their dialogue).
(**Yes, I know when that book was written, just relax and enjoy the story. -TC)
“You mean the Jewish kids we painted orange and forced to work there?” one of the guards asked. “Yes, they made it out.”
“I want the monsters responsible for this killed!” Hitler shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. “Never has such an atrocity been committed in this country!”
“Ummmm...,” one of the guards said as he was slapped upside the head by the person standing next to him to silence him before he could say another word.
“Call the Red Skull,” Hitler told the soldiers.
After several stealth missions, Steve and James had managed to help the U.S. take out some of the weapon plants and hideouts that Steve Rogers had knowledge of from his previous experience in WWII. But there were still two major threats left to tackle.
“We've been doing great so far,” Steve told James as they continued their quest. “We might not be able to any direct fighting, but –”
Steve bent over and started coughing heavily as James rushed over to him. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I guess I'm just not used to this much action,” Steve told him as he tried to stand up.
“You're not a soldier anymore,” James said as he put an arm around him to help him along. “I'm surprised you made it this far. We've done tons of damage to the Nazis over the last few weeks. I think we should just head home now. You're not getting any stronger, and by now we've taken out enough weapons plants and Nazi soldiers on our own to at least give our boys an advantage.”
“No, Hitler and the Red Skull are still in power,” Steve told him as he tried to stop the coughing. “We can't give up as long as they're out there.”
“You are one stubborn bastard,” James told him as he helped Steve rest under a tree. “We've been lucky so far. You've known ways into these places that most people would never even think to look for. But going after Hitler? Security will be tight. There's no way we'll get to him.”
“We have to,” Steve replied as he leaned his head back against the tree. “By now the Red Skull has already killed most of Hitler's generals and right hand men so he can be Hitler's sole trusted partner. Right now the Red Skull is about to begin construction on a series of Doomsday devices to unleash upon the world if the Allies win. We have to get to Hitler and find out where those machines are located before they can be activated.”
“Or die trying,” James replied. “Are you sure you're up for this?”
“I may not be Captain America any more, but I'll never give up on my country,” Steve promised him as he started to stand up. “I'll give my last dying breath for America.”
“Yeah, well, you just might if we keep this up,” James told him as a paper flew through the wind toward him. “But I'll follow you on this. I don't know why, but I just feel like that this is something we need to do. Hey, look at this newspaper. It's in German, but–”
“I can translate,” Steve said as he took the paper. “It says the Allies are winning the fight. They're pushing Hitler's forces back. The war should be over in a matter of months. But how is that possible? The war should be going on for at least four more years.”
“Maybe something else changed when you never became Captain America,” James suggested.
“Yeah, but what?” Steve asked as a rumbling was heard in the forest. The trees shook as a giant shadow loomed over them. A large doomsday machine shaped like an AT-AT Walker was coming closer.
“Well, well, what have we here?” the Red Skull asked from the pilot's seat. “Are these the insignificant insects who have been bombing our factories?”
“The Doomsday machines,” Steve said as the two started backing up. “But they shouldn't have been completed for another two years.”
“It's laughable to use such force to crush two ants,” the Red Skull said as the Doomsday machine stomped closer. “But I've been waiting for a chance to take my new toy out for a test drive.”
As the machine stomped a foot down, the two men jumped out of the way. Steve hit the ground and looked up. “There's an entrance hatch! We have to get in there!”
“We are so going to die,” James said as they avoided the machine trying to stomp them as they got closer to the entrance hatch. James used all of his might to pull it open as the two rushed in.
“Where did they go?” Red Skull asked as he searched around for them. A tap came at his shoulder as he turned around as Steve punched him, nearly breaking his hand.
“Oh, right!” Steve said as he held his hand in pain as Red Skull backhanded him back against the wall.
“The former Captain America, we finally meet,” Red Skull laughed as James went to attack, but Red Skull caught him by the throat.
“How did you–?”
“Know who you are? Who do you think arranged for this to happen?” Red Skull asked as he single handedly snapped Jame's neck before tossing his body away like a rag doll.
“NO!” Steve shouted as he got up and tried to rush Red Skull, only to be smacked down again.
“You are nothing but a puny weakling, Captain,” Red Skull informed him as he kicked Steve in the stomach. “You were nothing to me before, but now you're even less in the grand scheme of things. The Allies are winning the war without you. Your existence was meaningless, and only served to prolong the war and cost more innocent lives.”
“That's not true,” Steve told him as he coughed up blood. “I saved lives as Captain America.”
“You were a meaningless figurehead,” Red Skull said as he lifted Steve by the shirt. “The war started before you got involved, and it ended after you were removed from it. Your existence here and in the future is meaningless. Powers or not, Captain America is a false idol.”
“Hitler is the false idol,” Steve said as he pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed it into the Red Skull's chest. Red Skull screamed in pain as he dropped Steve. “You and everyone like you who believes in hatred and evil, and that the world should bend to your whims are the ones who be afraid. My name is Steve Rogers, and I believe in truth, freedom and equality for everyone!”
“You will die!” Red Skull shouted.
“Maybe, but at least I'll die defending my country,” Steve told him. “My strength may be gone, but no one will ever take my patriotism from me.”
Red Skull was about to snap Steve's neck when a blinding white light engulfed both of them.
“No!” one of the cloaked men shouted as the ball exploded, sending shards of glass flying. “His will was too strong! He'll wake up any moment!”
Steve Rogers woke up in his bed in the motel room, staring over at the sleeping form of his partner Chase. It was all just a dream…a really bad dream. Steve threw off the covers and headed for the bathroom, turning on the light as he saw his muscular body in the reflection.
“I've never had a dream like that before,” Steve said as he splashed some water on his face. “It wasn't natural, I know it wasn't.”
The Red Skull stormed into the room, looking at the Dreamcasters, a group of psychics for hire who were said to be almost as powerful as those that were with the X-Men.
“You said his will would be broken!” Red Skull shouted. “You lied to me.”
“We've never encountered anything like this,” one of the men said. “We just to focus our energies and we can–”
Red Skull pulled out an uzi and shot all of the men dead, watching them fall to the floor one by one as he sprayed the room.
“For a bunch of psychics, you sure didn't see that coming,” Red Skull told them as he tossed the uzi away before walking out the door.
“That sounds like a messed up dream,” Chase said over breakfast as the two men sat at the local diner. “You sure you're alright?”
“It just felt so real,” Steve told him as he read the morning paper. “All these years I thought that the super serum that gave me these gifts was what made me who I am. But even without them, I found a way to keep fighting. And I'll keep fighting until the day I die.”
“You really are a true hero, sir,” Chase told him as he took a drink of his coffee.
“Thanks, kid,” Steve told him as he looked down at the paper, something catching his eye. He held up the paper and showed Chase what he had found. “We need to go to Chicago.”
Red Skull stormed through the halls of his secret lair in Europe, cursing his failed plan. No matter, he had other ways of breaking his mortal enemy. He pressed his hand to a door, using his handprint to unlock it. The door slid open as the Red Skull walked into a room and looked a large metal door which heavily barricaded to keep people from getting it, and to keep what was on the other side from getting out.
“I will destroy Captain America. I will break him down, both body and mind. And you, my little friend, will be my trump card. Rest now, for soon, you will be Captain America's downfall.”
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To Be Continued...
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