Chapter 41

"No no, they didn't experiment on me or anything, I don't actually have the serum, when Dad raised me, he used diet and excersize instructions that his grandfather had left behind in his research notes. I'm as close to a super soldier you can get without actually being a super soldier."

"That... really doesn't sound much better" Steve says, giving MVP a critical once-over, though I'm not sure what he's expecting to find, or if he's looking for signs of abuse or what. I've conjured up a small cabin so we don't have to have this conversation standing in the middle of a forzen tundra, just a basic building, a firepit with a chimney over it, and three chairs surrounding the fire while we talk. "I knew people were still trying to recreate the serum, but to use their own son for it-"

MVP shakes his head "I know how it sounds, but it really wasn't what you're thinking, sir. I had a great home while growing up, I promise. He wasn't even really trying to recreate the serums effect, he just wanted me to be as physically healthy as possible. I think he did okay" His face falls "For all the good it did, since I got killed during my first training excersize. I should have known I wasn't as good as you..."

Steve frowns "Son, I went through basic training even BEFORE I got the serum, it sounds like the SRA was just as poorly implemented as I feared it would be." He turns to me "I assume you brought him back too?"

I nod "Yeah, I've been running around doing odd revivals for the past month or so."

"And when you say odd..."

"So far I've brought back the people of Genosha, aaaand most of the dead kids at the X-Mansion. Oh, and Happy Hogan." Steve looks surprised at the name "What? I'm mad at Tony Stark, not his secretary. She lost someone in all this Civil War bullshit too."

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but you're being awfully flippant about the kind of power you have. I've met people with seemingly limitless power before, and the experience hasn't been pleasant." He doesn't need to mention names. The Beyonder, Korvac, the Red Skull that one time, I can see why he'd be soured at my powerset at this point.

"I'm not going to hold myself back just to make people feel comfortable about me, Captain. Mutants have gotten a raw deal for a VERY long time, and while I have no intention of becoming the next Magneto, I DO intend to reverse the damage that has been done to us and make sure it can never happen again. Genosha is back, M-Day never happened, and the world will just have to accept that mutants exist, wether they like it or not."

MVP looks slightly terrified, but Steve just looks thoughtful "I take it by your response you share Xaviers idea that mutants are the next step of human evolution?"

I shrug "I would, if evolution worked like that, which it doesn't. How a professor in genetics thought up such a ridiculous idea is just insane. However, we are a victimized sub-culture that have been subject to genocidal actions for decades that no one seems interested in doing anything about. I've already made it clear I'm not looking to take over, but if someone else decides to start shit? They're going to find that I don't adhere to Xaviers methods of self-defence. The world is officially out of second chances." I clap my hands, breaking the tension in the room "But enough about that, let's get you all caught up on current events!"

...

"God-DAMNIT, Tony!"

MVP looks like he's about to drop dead out of shock at the sound of his childhood hero cursing like a sailor as he reads through the headlines on my phone. Steve looks up and notices his sticken expression. "Oh for- I don't know where people got the idea I don't swear, I'm from Brooklyn for gods sake! I was in the army!" He calms himself "Sorry son, it's just... this is exactly what I was afraid of. I was hoping maybe, just maybe, I'd been wrong, but..."

I pat MVP's shoulder "Yeah, I don't think pop culture has absorbed the accurate experiences of Captain America for future generations, pretty much everything made after the 1950's assume those propaganda shorts you starred in were the absolute truth, so everyone who hasn't met you in person thinks the worst curseword you know is "gosh", you only drink milk, and you go to church twice on Sundays."

Steve groans and keeps reading "I DO go to church on Sundays, but twice seems a little superfluous..." He sighs and tosses the phone back to me "I can't believe it. I fought alongside Tony all these years, he's the one who found me in the ice, and now... was this who he really was all this time? How could I have been this blind?!"

Aw jeez... "In a way. Look, Stark didn't start out deciding that throwing all his friends in a gulag was a good idea, anymore than Reed did. He did what he thought was best, same as both of you have always done. Problem is, Stark looks only at the future, so even if this had worked out for the best, which I very much doubt, that didn't make the present any worse."

"He's right, Captain." MVP steps forward nervously "Look, I... I know I'm just a kid. I don't have anything close to your experiences, I barely even had time to sign up for the SRA before I died, and I really did think it was the right thing at the time, but... Things got really bad, sir. You'd think dying would be as bad as it got, but... it feels like I died for nothing. Because the wrong side won, and I didn't even realize it. I know you surrendered because you thought revolting against the government would hurt the country more than fighting the law, and maybe that's true, but the law was WRONG, and now it seems like everyone is realizing that. You don't need to fight the government anymore, you just need to help proving why the law was wrong."

Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair "I'll take a battlefield over a court room any day, but... you're right. Hopefully, this time I won't get shot on the way to court again." He looks up "Hey, what was that about the Red Skull again?"

Ohhhh, shit, that's right "Hold that thought."

.....

Aleksander Lukin, better known as The Red Skull, felt the air behind him displace as something, or someone, appeared out of nowhere behind his chair. He saw Crossbones eyes widen behind his mask a split second before two large hands grabbed ahold of his arms.

"What in damnation-"

"YOINK!"

Then he was gone.

Crossbones stared at the empty seat where his long-time boss had been sitting just a moment before, still trying to process what he has just witnessed. He sighed. "Wearing one of those dumbass beekeeper suits over at AIM is looking better by the day"

.....

"...who the hell is this?" Steve stares down at the unfamiliar man who's lying bound and gagged at his feet. Despite the pink ballgag in his mouth, I can hear Lukin trying to scream what appears to be German expletives at me.

"Well, he used to be a corrupt russian businessman named Aleksander Lukin, until he got an unwanted roommate" I tap the side of his head with my boot "now he's sharing his brain with the Red Skull! Two fascist dickheads for the price of one!"

MVP looks uncomfortable "Is... that a real thing? Because it sounds insane."

"Oh, you have no idea kid. This is like, what, the Skulls third body?"

Steve shrugs "Something like that, I'm honestly still not clear how he came back to life the last time. You're certain it's him in there?"

"We could ask a telepath to check if you want to, but he was hanging out with Crossbones when I grabbed him, that's pretty damning. But I think this is probably worse." I hand him a file I snatched from the Skulls hidden safe on the way.

"What-"

"It's a personel file on Sharon Carter, and her medical records. Apparently Lukin was tired of sharing his space, so they've been looking for a new body to stick the Skull in, but they haven't been able to grab Carter yet. Apparently all the chaos I caused at SHIELD has delayed their plans."

Rogers begins flipping through the file "And... he wants Sharon?! No, that doesn't make any sense-" He freezes, as he reaches a particular part of the file.

"He wants her unborn child as a host. Congratulations, Dad!"

The file falls from Steve's hand and his eyes turn back to Lukin, who actually visible gulps.