32 The End of the War.
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---Flashback: 2 days after rescuing Erik Lehnsherr from Klaus Schmidt.---
It's been a couple days since our mission in Auschwitz, Poland, and the time I saved Erik Lehnsherr, aka future Magneto. And it was finally time. Time to see if I can actually mimic his powers, like I did with Salazar's.
I was in my manor, and in front of me, were a few iron bolts. Focusing on them, but holding back my magic, and telekinesis, I try and move them. Nothing happens.
Sighing, I focus on my brain, to see what I did wrong, and continue my tests for a few more hours, with the Time Stop spell on.
Finally, 9 hours later, when I get out of the room, I have made my conclusions. I cannot copy the powers of people, that are not focused within the brain itself.
While Erik's powers do heavily rely on his mind power, they're not all there. His body, blood, his X-Gene itself must have something that gives him the capability to manipulate metals on such levels. Meaning, I cannot control metals.
What I do find out, is that I can do some of the things Erik could have learned to do, with practice. Magnetic Force Fields. I can manipulate the magnetic force around myself, and only around myself, to form a force field that can protect me. I have no idea of it's actual limits, but it'll probably save me from any bullet fired at me. Well, metallic bullet at least.
Another thing I learned to do in these 9 hours, is magnetic reinforcement. I can strengthen any magnetic substance I'm touching, until they become as durable as Vibranium, and sharper than the sharpest metals currently on Earth.
My Goblin Silver dagger managed to make a hole through a big stone, and came out of the other side, when I threw it after reinforcing it. I haven't tried it against Vibranium, but I'm pretty sure that while the GS Daggers won't penetrate the shield, my Elvish Swords might.
Any metal that I touch, can be magnetically reinforced. But, once I throw a dagger, it'll lose the reinforcement after a second or two. But, it's enough time for throwing it.
And it also allows me to use the magnetic fields of the Earth, to fly, but I already have flight using Telekinesis, and even wind, thanks to my Quetzalcoatl form.
That's it. This also means that if I copy some other kinesis types of powers, while I won't get them completely, I will definitely get some benefits from them. What they will be? No idea.
(A/N: This part was added to explain my comment about him absorbing Magneto's power.)
---Flashback End---
It's been a week since Gabe died. During the first night itself, Jim and I went to Gabe's house, to deliver his body, along with letters of condolences and copies of all the pictures we had of him being in the military, to his wife, Donna Jones, and their 5 year old son, Mike.
We had taken 5 days off after that, while the SSR worked on interrogating Arnim Zola. Most of stayed in London HQ, while Falsworth and I went home to rest up.
I then told Helena and Dorea everything that happened, and they brought me back to business. Dorea asked the right questions, and made me answer them.
Yes, it was my fault. I could have saved him if I didn't try saving Bucky. But, I'm not going to let that cloud my aim of fighting Hydra, and making sure their reign of terror ends. I couldn't use my healing gift to bring him back from the dead, but I could use the stone to say goodbye.
So I did. I said goodbye to him, and asked for forgiveness. After that, was 2 days full of sleeping and eating, doing nothing, and I came back to HQ.
This brings us, to now. "Johann Schmidt belongs in the bughouse. He's trying to play God." Colonel Phillips says, once everyone is together again.
Stark nods and adds, "He's playing with energy which we're not capable of handling yet. It he crosses the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern seaboard."
"How much time do we have?" I ask, speaking for everyone.
Colonel Phillips answers, "Under 24 hours. According to my new best friend, Zola, he's going to be leaving from his headquarters within 24 hours."
Jacques asks, "Where?"
Colonel Phillips puts a pin on the map in front of us, and says, "Here. In the Alps. 500 feet below water level."
Jim throws the picture down in frustration, and says, "It's not like we can just knock on his front door."
"Why not?" I and Steve ask, together.
Steve nods at me to continue, so I say, "Steve has his bike. He can take care of any opposition until he gets inside. I can sneak in while he distracts them and start taking them out from the inside."
Dum Dum nods, and smirks at us. He says, "It's risky. I like it."
Colonel says, "Good. Get the plan ready. You leave in an hour."
As us 7 stay there to decide on the plan, I think up on what to do. I'm not saving Steve this time. Not if that's going to risk someone else being stuck under. But, I'm going to make sire Bucky and Peggy survive.
---
6 hours later, we part ways. Bucky goes on a mountain top, to be our sniper. Steve takes his bike and stops a few miles away from the Hydra base. Dugan, Jim, and James Falsworth were on another mountain, ready to crash the party. While I had the most dangerous mission of them all.
Infiltration.
At exactly 6 PM, local time, each of us get into position, and start our respective missions. As soon as I hear the blast which signifies Steve has begun his task, I cast the Disillusionment charm on myself, and float high into the air.
As Steve was planning on getting caught at the front gate, I decided to go towards the back. Floating through a window, I silently start walking, taking my daggers in my hands.
Walking along the corridors, I mind control anyone I come across to open the door to the closest room, and then kill them there. Doing such for 10 minutes, I go towards a particular direction. There were three wizards here, and their thoughts were almost muffled.
I could hear their thoughts, but I couldn't knock them out, somehow. These wizards were good, and I knew only one of them.
Vinda Rosier. Grindelwald's chief lieutenant. Along with her, were 2 wizards named Claus Arbeit, and Eldric Sorg. They were German Aurors, who had switched to Grindelwald's side after listening to his speech.
Walking into the hall they were in, I look at the two wizards, and dismiss them as unimportant. Looking at Rosier, I say, "You made a stupid mistake coming here, Rosier."
Rosier chuckles, pointing her wand downwards, and says, "Your mind games won't work on us, Paladin. Did you think Gellart wouldn't figure out how you captured our many soldiers?"
I shrug at that, and reply, "I never expected it to stay hidden. But, how sure are you that you can take me?"
"Very." Vinda smirks, and fires a killing curse at me. Crossing my swords in front of me, I absorb the spell in my swords, and banish them into the bodies of the two wizards, who were preparing to fire their own curses at me.
Taking out my wand, I transfigure the land in front of me into snakes, and send them to attack her. Vinda fires a blasting hex, which I slap aside with the swipe of my left hand, and continue walking forward.
I had already cast anti Apparation ward, and the anti portkey ward, as soon as I'd entered, so she wasn't leaving.
Panicking, Vinda summons Fiendfyre, which is a stupid thing to do. I simply absorb them into Patronus, which I summon for that very reason.
Floating the sword in front of me, I continue walking, while using telekinesis to slap away the spells she sends at me. Finally, she trips over the body of her comrade, and pulls the sword out of it.
She tries to attack me with the sword, but I simply punch her in the face, knocking her out.
Sighing, I collect my swords, and cast the Time Stop spell around the room. I'll have to figure out how Grindelwald managed to stop Telepathy and Legilimency, and how he taught it to Rosier.
Putting my hand on her head, I close my eyes, and ram into her barriers. I get bounced back. Again, I concentrate on a single spot, and force myself to go through it.
A crack.
And finally, the barriers brake, making Vinda bleed from her nose outside. But, she still stays unconscious.
Getting inside her head, I look over all her memories, and find out what happened. But most importantly, I now know where Nurmengard is.
What happened was that Grindelwald Saw me using my Telepathy to make everyone believe I was invisible, and many of my other uses. So, he figured out a potion that increases the mental strength for a day at a time.
But, he knew that it wouldn't work completely, and so, he send Vinda to test it out. She'd been ordered to flee as soon as she sees me, but she wanted to prove herself by taking me down.
Now knowing why it worked, I went deeper, to gain any information she has. Finding the spell, Protego Diabolica, which is Grindelwald's own invention, along with an image of the Deathly Hallows, I come back outside, and stab her in the stomach with Patronus.
She wakes up with a gasp, and feels the poison and the Fiendfyre burning inside her. Within 10 seconds, Vinda Rosier burns up, and turns to ashes, her last thought being, "I should have run."
Shaking my head, I disable the Time Stop spell, and enter the Mirror Dimension. Walking towards where Red Skull is, I simply observe as Steve takes a beating.
"I can do this all day." Steve says, panting a bit.
Red Skull picks up a gun from the table, and says, "So can I, but unfortunately, I'm on a tight schedule."
As soon as he points the gun at Steve, a bullet comes from the window glass, and blows the gun out of Red Skull's hand, while at the same time, Dum Dum, James, and Jim fire a few more bullets, breaking the glass, and enter through the Window.
Taking this opportunity, I summon my swords, and exit the Mirror Dimension. Cutting the hand of the nearest Hydra soldier, I duck under an energy blast, and throw my dagger at the person.
Seeing Red Skull flee, I shout at Steve, "Go after him! We'll handle this."
Steve nods, takes the Vibranium shield that Jim throws to him, and starts running after Red Skull.
"FOR GABE!" Jim shouts, and starts firing at the Hydra soldiers.
Every once in a while, one of the heads of Hydra goons would burst open, courtesy of Bucky Barnes.
Seeing a big fry getting ready to attack my friends, I get in the way of the blast, and cross my swords, absorbing it.
"Thanks Paladin!" Dum Dum shouts, and fires at the fry with his shotgun.
Once everyone in that room was dead, we run outside, and start killing the remaining Hydra goons.
Again and again, the energy weapon firing goons would come from one door, or another, and we would kill them all.
As I see a big Hydra goon start his flame thrower, I shout, "BACK! BACK!"
As one, our group of 4 takes a step back, dodging the flames. Taking my dagger in one hand, I get low and throw it at the man, piercing his leg, and killing him.
"Let's go!" Dugan says, firing a bullet in the guys head. 5 minutes later, we come out of a large gate, and into the hangar. The whole place was chaotic. There were allied soldiers and Hydra goons, firing at each other. Hydra had their superior weapons, but the allies had higher numbers.
In the distance, I see a big plane, the Valkyrie, flying going towards the exit, while a car follows it. From my past memories, I know that it's Steve, Peggy, and Phillips, driving Steve to his 'death'.
"Good luck, Steve." I whisper to myself, and join the fray.
I dodge, and stab and cut, and fire bullets at anyone wearing the Hydra symbol. With Gulthris in my right hand, and my gun in my left, I keep killing Hydra left and right, while the rest of the Allies do the same.
By now, the whole base was surrounded, and the allied soldiers had invaded Austria. Many of the allied forces were also, as of this moment, moving towards Germany, liberating as many places as they find, as they go.
20 minutes later, the last Hydra soldier is killed, and we all look around.
"Is there anyone left?" Falsworth asks, looking around. By now, even Bucky had come down and joined the fight on the ground.
"I think so. I can't see any Hydra." Bucky says, looking around.
I focus on my Telepathy, and increase my range to it's maximum. Other than a few soldiers, and the few doctors we had captured, non of the Hydra were alive.
"It's over. We won!" I say, smiling at Jim, who was near me.
"YEAAH!! WE WON! WOO HOO!!" is heard all around the hangar, and even outside, where various fights had happened.
But, Bucky seems upset, not seeing Steve. Smiling sadly, I say, "Bucky. Let's go."
Jim, Bucky, and I leave the others to celebrate, and move towards the Radio station, so Jim can try and contact Steve's plane.
But, I don't enter the room, as I already know what's going to happen. I.. cannot do this. I can't listen to Steve drop the plane. Bringing the Firewhiskey bottle that I'd stored for this occasion, I go towards the end of the runway, and simply sit there, drinking.
A few minutes later, Peggy and the Howling Commandos join me. Without saying anything, I pass the bottle to Bucky, who takes a big sip, and belches out fire.
"I don't even care anymore." Bucky tearfully says, and chugs it once more, passing the bottle to Dugan.
"To Gabe Jones, and Captain America." Dugan says, drinking and belching fire.
Jim takes the bottle, and takes a big swig. He says, "To Gabe and Captain."
After Jim, James takes the bottle, and simply drinks, belching out flames, and passes the bottle back to Bucky. He says, "To Steve, the little guy from Brooklyn."
And finally, Peggy takes a sip, and begins crying again. Bucky puts a hand on her shoulder, and simply hugs her.
"To Steve Rogers. The guy who never learned to give up." I say, drinking.
"Is that Firewhiskey?" Colonel Phillips asks, sitting beside me.
I simply give it to him, and say, "Yeah. Ogden's best. Better have it. It's the only one I have."
Phillips simply looks at it, and takes it. "Fuck it." He says, and drinks the remaining whiskey.
Belching out fire, he says, "You'll get in trouble for this."
I simply snort, and ask, "What are they going to do? Erase the memories of a war hero? Please."
Yeah, Phillips was a squib. He never knew I was a wizard though, so I did not mention it to him.
For now, we simply sit there, and mourn for the losses we suffered. Steve, a hero in everyone's mind. The personification of Righteousness.
Gabe, and American hero, who gave his life for the safety of his family, and for his friends.
We lost our friends, our Family, and for Peggy, her love. But, we were only going to get stronger because of it. We will not stay down.
"You guys know it's not over yet, right? There's still a few Hydra bases left. And Hitler's still alive in Berlin." Phillips says, bringing us out of our mourning.
Bucky stands up first, swaying a little, and says, "Let's go punch Hitler in the face."
Making sure they do not fall, I help everyone up, and we walk back inside.
While the battle is won, the war is still not over. But, I know that it's only a month or two until it ends.
"Until we meet again, Steve." I whisper, looking at the setting sun.
---
A/N: I felt something wrong in this chapter, but didn't know what I was writing wrong. But, I said, Fuck it. Let's get this over with, and wrote it.
There's going to be a timeskip. I'm not going to write the end of the war, except for a small summary.
Tata!
