27: Sin
Explosions shook the place violently, a torrential rain of bullets headed in her direction, but agile as the wind, Raven slipped away, running through the rubble of what was once a tall building.
The battle for the liberation of Warsaw had already lasted six hours, and half of the city had been successfully taken by the Armia Krajowa (AK) led by John and his team.
Supply bases, headquarters, bunkers, and transport routes, everything had been hit swiftly and forcefully. Raven had personally blown up dozens of Nazi vehicles, placing explosives in them before it all began.
Saying that the Nazi army had been caught off guard would be an understatement; they were completely unprepared, and to make matters worse, all their attempts to counterattack were quickly thwarted.
Raven reloaded her weapon and closed her eyes for a moment, taking a long breath, letting different types of smells flood her nostrils in an instant. Then, she opened her eyes and quickly left her cover, firing her weapon dozens of times even without fully turning to aim. In the distance, several bodies that had been hidden suddenly let out grunts as the bullets unexpectedly struck them.
"Path clear," she said, turning to look at a dozen civilians who had been hiding from the "purge" that the Nazis had started when the rebellion struck.
Blood and dust covered them; she could see the fear in their eyes, but she also saw the light in them—the hope, the gratitude.
She didn't speak their language, but she didn't need to. She could understand their thanks, and she quickly guided them to a safe place while taking care of any enemy that crossed her path.
Soon, they joined an AK team, and she let them escort the civilians while she prepared to return to her main mission.
Before parting ways, a girl of about 6 years old, who had been with the group of civilians, ran toward her and gave her a hug. Raven looked at her in confusion until her mother hurried over and reached for her. The woman offered something resembling an apology and began to carry the girl in her arms, but before being taken away, the girl quickly pulled out a red flower and offered it to her. Not knowing what else to do, Raven accepted the gift and watched the group leave until they disappeared from sight.
Then she looked down and stared at the flower in her hand. It was similar to a rose, somewhat battered and with clear signs of dust and dirt on it, but it could still be seen that it had been carefully plucked from the ground.
"Do whatever it takes to ensure the well-being and safety of those who can't fight for themselves, huh?" she recalled the words John had said to her, something that seemed so distant but had actually happened not too long ago.
Raven thought she understood it back then, that she knew what he was talking about, but… here and now, she could truly say she understood. She could see what he meant, and a weight she didn't know had been on her heart vanished like ashes in the wind.
Everything they did, the lives they took, it was all for something, for a greater purpose. A resolve that was already ironclad became even stronger, and with a burning fire in her chest, Raven rushed to the battlefield once again.
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Franz Kutschera gritted his teeth, holding his injured arm and lowering the radio he had used to send the last report to Hydra.
Things had gone terribly wrong in every aspect. Warsaw, the city they believed was entirely theirs, had overnight become a brutal battlefield, one where Germany was quickly losing ground.
Many reasons, many excuses could be given. Franz could blame Captain America and the monsters he had brought with him, that crazy masked woman who turned his soldiers into pretzels, or the beast with bone claws that shredded everything in its path.
But the truth was that something else was happening. Somehow, their enemies seemed to be one step ahead of them all the time. Every attempt to counter, every new strategy sent to his men—somehow, they knew about it shortly afterward and used it against them to lead the Polish resistance to victories never before seen.
If things continued like this, they would lose Warsaw in less than two days, and Franz was not going to allow that. Without hesitation, he sent the alert to Hydra. Warsaw didn't have as much of a Hydra presence as other places, but they still had some of their advanced weapons and technology. Even so, that didn't help much since there were too few of them, and most were already in the hands of the AK, being used against their rightful owners, which, of course, worsened the situation even further.
Now, he could only hope that the help arriving would be the best of the best. Even if the entire Warsaw was destroyed in the battle, he believed it was a fair price if they could eliminate Captain America and his freaks. His faith in Hydra and its superior technology prevented him from understanding that these hopes were mere illusions.
The hidden room trembled. Explosions after explosions shook the place, causing dust to fall. Franz snapped out of his thoughts and frowned, preparing his weapon as he heard the conflict drawing nearer.
His time had run out; they were here. But Franz wouldn't give them the satisfaction of ending him—no... he would do it on his terms. He looked at his weapon, the dark barrel now pointed at his head.
"Hail Hyd—" his words were cut off. Franz, who was about to pull the trigger, couldn't stop the panic and fear from flooding him. What was happening? Why couldn't he move?!
He tried, he really did, but his body wouldn't obey his commands. Still as a statue, he watched as the door to the room was forcibly opened, and a man with eyes as blue as the sea and a mocking smile on his face stepped forward.
When the light of the room illuminated the star on his chest, Franz knew that it was all over, that even in death, he had lost.
"I must admit, out of all of them, you were the hardest to catch—like a cockroach slipping through the cracks. I really admire your ability to run, you know?" Captain America spoke casually, stepping in and sitting down in front of Franz. Following him was a group of men dressed differently from the soldiers.
Perhaps the one who stood out the most was a young man, one wearing an iron mask that covered the lower half of his face, who was pointing at Franz with his hand, clearly concentrating.
Was his strange condition this man's doing? Franz, who knew he was already dead, couldn't help but wonder. He had heard about the monsters, the freaks that followed Captain America, but the reports hadn't mentioned any who could paralyze you like this. Then again, now that he thought about it, it made sense—how could you report something like this when you couldn't even blink?
"Get everything you can out of him. There's a lot of special communication equipment here, more advanced than usual. He must have done something, though judging by this emblem, I already have an idea," John said to Charles as he looked at the hidden Hydra symbol among the radio equipment in the room.
"Hey Gabe, take a look at this," he called to a dark-skinned man who hurried to his side and began examining the radio equipment with fascination.
"Can you take it apart?" John asked while watching Charles approach Franz and place both hands on his head.
"It's very different from any equipment I've seen, but… yeah, I think I can take it," Gabe Jones said after a moment of deep thought.
"In that case, I'll let the boys give you a hand here," John said, gesturing to Steve and Bucky, who were standing guard.
"Oh come on, Cap, we're more than just grunts, you know?" Bucky quipped, though he still moved to help Gabe.
Steve, for his part, gave Franz one last look, noticing the slight convulsions, before turning away with a frown and moving over to join Gabe.
"I know, Barnes. You're elite soldiers, but even elite soldiers have to pitch in." Of course, John didn't stay idle and began searching the entire place, looking to see if he could find anything. He read through documents, reports, and searched among the books, but there wasn't much to find.
Charles took a deep breath and staggered back, his hands trembling, sweat dripping down his face. Looking into minds like Franz's… it was hard, very hard. Charles had seen things in them that he wished he could forget, things that made him deeply hate those who were his enemies, whether it was the Third Reich, the soldiers in its army, or Hydra. Charles had seen only the worst things one could imagine being committed without hesitation—horrors that he knew would haunt his sleep for years to come.
So much death, pain, and suffering, and for what?
He shook his head; this wasn't the time for reflection.
"Hydra could arrive soon. He gave them all the information he could gather and requested as much help as possible," he summarized what he had seen in Franz's most recent memories.
"Did they give a date? A location? Any names? How many troops will they send, and what kind of weapons?" John asked, approaching Franz, who was now drooling and staring blankly. Charles hadn't been gentle with his mind, and the man was now nothing more than a piece of flesh without thoughts.
John took his weapon and, without hesitation, put a bullet in Franz's head. In his state, the man was nothing but a waste of oxygen, after all.
"No, they didn't tell him much. They just agreed to his request. Franz didn't even know who he was talking to," Charles said, frowning. His main task was to get as much information as possible, and not being able to do so frustrated him a bit.
"So they're playing mysterious, huh? Fine. We'll prepare for whatever they have in store. Good work so far. I know it's been tough, but your help has been invaluable," John patted Charles on the shoulder, clear gratitude in his eyes. Charles took a deep breath and nodded, giving him a shaky smile.
"Sir… if possible, I'd like to check on my sister," he finally said. Several hours had passed since the battle started, and although he had heard news of her, he couldn't help but want to see for himself that she was okay.
John looked at him and nodded understandingly.
"All right, let's check on the other teams. We'll regroup and speed things up a bit. I don't know what Hydra is planning, but I'd rather we weren't scattered and separated by the time that happens."
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Not far from Warsaw, in one of Hydra's numerous bases.
The officer in charge, Hermann Erwin, stared at the package that had been delivered to his base not long ago, his thoughts unknown.
"Prepare one of the cargo planes," he said to his men, who stood several steps behind him, clear fear in their eyes.
"S-sir?" one of them asked, but Hermann cut him off before he could continue.
"You heard me. I want the cargo plane prepared. We need to deliver a package." His words were harsh and cold, leaving no room for further discussion. His men, though fearful, nodded and began the preparations.
His most loyal assistant approached him with clear nervousness and couldn't help but ask a question, despite knowing he shouldn't.
"Are we really… are we truly going to release these things, sir?" he asked, licking his lips and glancing at the monstrosities chained inside the numerous cells.
"Do you think we have another choice?" Hermann replied calmly. If any other soldier had asked such a question, he would have killed them for doubting him. But his assistant had been by his side for a long time, and there was a certain level of trust between them. He didn't mind that the man had doubts because, deep inside, Hermann had them too.
"If we don't do it, someone else will, Karl. These things have been sent to all the major Hydra bases in the country. This war… this war is no longer for humans, and it's better if we understand that now, old friend," his voice faded slightly at the end.
Karl remained silent before nodding. He looked at the chained monsters, which remained still as statues, though still breathing heavily, and couldn't help but pray silently. He prayed to the gods for forgiveness, for they were committing a terrible sin.
They were releasing demons upon the earth, and the consequences could be devastating.
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Cassandra took a deep breath, feeling the exhaustion weighing on her shoulders. Sweat covered her forehead, and her once neatly styled hair was now disheveled, filled with dust and dirt.
Such an intense battle that had lasted so long was finally taking its toll, even though she hadn't been injured even once. It was frustrating, not being able to continue enjoying the use of her powers because her flesh-and-blood body needed rest. She was really starting to envy John now; having a physique like his would undoubtedly make things easier.
She waved her hand, and one of the remaining German army vehicles rushing toward her direction was overturned. Cassandra would have liked to crush it, but shots came toward her, forcing her to divert her attention. She felt a drop of sweat enter her eye, causing a sharp sting, and she was nearly hit by a dozen bullets. She shouldn't have separated so much from the others!
She scolded herself. She had let her confidence in her abilities blind her and had decided that she could handle the enemy army better if she didn't have to constantly look after others. So she separated from her group and began to act alone, which was effective at first.
But in the excitement, she forgot that even if she could crush steel with her mind, her body was still that of an ordinary human.
"Fuck!" she growled when a piece of debris hit her side. Really? She could deflect bullets, and a damn rock was the first thing to hurt her? At least the suit she wore protected her fairly well from the damage. At first, she had complained a bit about having to wear it, but now she really liked it.
She took cover behind a half-collapsed wall and began to plan her next move while the enemy soldiers tried to hunt her down.
She had gotten herself into this, and she needed to get out of it. It would be embarrassing if she died from stupidity like this; her brother would surely mock her until he too died.
Cassandra took a deep breath. Her head hurt quite a bit. Using her powers with such intensity and for so long had also begun to take its own toll in another way. Not being accustomed to using them in the way she had been, Cassandra had reached her current "limit."
Her telekinesis felt a bit clumsier than usual, so elegant and precise movements were off the table for now. She needed to be explosive, using simple and forceful moves that would help her carve a path to her team or one of the other teams. That way, she could rest a bit and regain her strength.
"Alright, let's do this," she clenched her fists and emerged from her hiding spot.
Immediately, a dozen soldiers aimed and fired at her. Cassandra raised her hand, causing a metal door that had been among the debris to fly up and absorb all the bullets. Then she ran, waving both arms and creating a powerful gust of wind that knocked the soldiers down, sending them rolling several meters across the ground.
With the path clear, she continued running, making sure to be more cautious than before. Using the terrain to her advantage to avoid the shots, she quickly advanced out of the area where she had been surrounded.
Of course, her enemies didn't sit idly by and began chasing her like rabid dogs. Clearly, they had realized she was weaker than before and believed they had finally found the opportunity to kill her.
Cassandra nearly stumbled as she turned a corner, her eyes widening slightly as she saw a group of Nazi soldiers aiming and firing at her almost instantly.
She hastily raised her hand to deflect the bullets, barely managing to do so successfully. But her relief was short-lived as she almost too late noticed a grenade that had been thrown in her direction. Without hesitation, she raised her hand to deflect the explosive, but before she could, a metallic object flew through the air at great speed, striking the grenade and causing it to explode prematurely.
"I thought I told you clearly to stay by james' side." John's somewhat irritated voice made Cassandra let out a sigh of relief she didn't even know she was holding.
From the smoke of the explosion, the shield came bouncing back into its owner's hands, and without hesitation, John grabbed it and, in the next instant, hurled it again at the enemy soldiers.
The men didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were sliced in half by the metal disc, which spun in the air before returning once more to John's hand.
The super-soldier looked at the blood on his shield with some annoyance, then shook it off with a strong movement before stepping forward, dropping down from the half-collapsed building where he had been, and landing in front of Cassandra.
"Are you aware that disobedience to a superior officer's orders is punished severely?"
Cassandra looked at him with a crooked smile hidden by the mask she wore, but even so, John could see a hint of rebellion in her eyes. He knew bringing her along might cause some problems, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She seemed much more sensible than this.
"Do you want me to apologize, Captain?" Cassandra spoke in an almost mocking tone.
John wanted to sigh but knew he needed to make her understand that she couldn't keep doing this.
"If apologies could fix anything, this world wouldn't be what it is," he said, gesturing around at the destroyed area, filled with signs of war.
"You put your life at unnecessary risk and abandoned your comrades. I know you're not exactly a soldier, but you're under my command, and I gave you clear orders. If you can't follow them, we'll have a problem." This time, Cassandra frowned deeply.
"What are you going to do? Send me back home?" she asked with a hint of aggression, but John shook his head.
"Do you want to go back home?" he asked. She didn't say anything, but her refusal was clear.
"I'm only telling you this because you need to remember that your life is valuable. Don't throw it away when there are people who care about you, waiting for you. If I had to return with your body in my hands, I wouldn't even be able to look your brother in the eyes. More importantly, I'm responsible for bringing you here, and if you had died, the blame would be mine alone." He paused for a moment, and for some reason, Cassandra felt like he was saying that more to himself than to her.
"So, in a way, your life is also valuable to me. Which is why, from now on, until you learn to behave, you're going to stick with me," John finally said, leaving her looking at him, puzzled.
But he didn't give her time to protest. He approached her and lifted her onto his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes, carrying her effortlessly.
"Hey!" Cassandra protested a bit, but John no longer paid attention, starting to carry her toward where the others were.
She kicked a little more but was too tired to keep protesting, so she reluctantly stayed still, staring into nothingness.
'My life is valuable?' Cassandra couldn't help but ponder this. Her mother and father had never thought of her that way, right? To them, she had only existed as a bargaining chip. Charles had been the only person who cared for her in some way, but even he hadn't done anything to change her situation.
in the end the one who had presented her with the opportunity to change things, even if it hadn't been his initial intention, was John and she owed him for that wasn't she?
"Fine," she finally said, making him raise an eyebrow.
"I'll behave," she said almost in a whisper, and John smiled.
"And I'll make sure of it."
At those words, Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"Or what? are you going to punish me?" she said mockingly, as if she had already forgotten her previous words, even though she had said them just a second ago.
John nearly rolled his eyes. Why could women be so contradictory?
"I'm going to selectively forget you said that," he replied, to which Cassandra laughed, but wisely decided it was better not to push her luck any further. She stayed still, resting now that she knew nothing bad could happen to her.
After all, Captain America was looking out for her.
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Note:
Well, well, well, a new chapter! I'll admit I took a bit of time to bring it out because yesterday I spent the day rereading all of Supersoldier (or at least trying to). I got up to chapter 15, and let me tell you, whoever wrote all that was an imbecile… oh wait, that was me! Seriously though, I didn't expect to enjoy reading something I wrote myself, but I did, which was a bit surprising, to be honest.
leaving aside self-fellation, I really felt the urge to add or rewrite a lot of scenes or parts of the chapters, haha. Something I've heard happens to all authors who write things—who knew, right?
But we can't change what's already done, so we can only keep moving forward and make what's coming even better. and I am very glad to have so many people attentive to it, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing.
As always, feel free to comment, share your suggestions or ideas, and if there are any errors, please point them out so I can fix them.
Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on Patreon ( patreon.com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D