13: Letter
Colonel Chester Phillips was having a bad day. He would say it was all John's fault, but he was not a man who would deny the truth of the facts; the reality was that he had made a mistake.
He had made such a mistake that he had to ask himself how many other times he had done so. What other errors had he committed without realizing it?
"Well, do you have anything to say?" The Colonel looked at his superior officer, a man who shouldn't have been in Italy but had made a quick trip once the news began to spread around the world at record speed.
"No, sir, I have nothing to say. I will take full responsibility for this," he said with a dark expression.
What excuse could he give? He had let his own ideology overshadow his decisions, he had misused the resources his nation had given him, and although the whole world was amazed by Captain America's incredible achievements, only the United States knew they had nothing to do with it.
John had acted on his own, going against military regulations and violating several of its laws, but even though he had done so, no one, since the news of his resounding success began to arrive, even minimally suggested that Captain America be punished.
Chester's superior officer sighed. They had both worked together for many years, serving together in the same battalion during the First World War. It could even be said that they were friends, which is why it was difficult for him to see the Colonel in this situation.
"When the war is over, you will be taken to a military trial. I have spoken with the President, and he is considering giving you a pardon, but for that, you need to start fixing this mess. Our troops are already beginning to arrive; we must secure Italy and not waste this great opportunity. We still haven't made contact with Vogelbaum, but the partisan resistance and the Italian army have already communicated with us on their behalf. We have obtained a lot of information thanks to that, information that is too valuable." Before setting off on his own, John had left clear instructions for the partisan resistance.
He knew that if they wanted to maintain control of Italy, they couldn't do it alone, not without him. That is why he made them contact the Allies, thus revealing a lot of information that he knew would catch their attention, with the information about Hydra's weaponry being the most important.
Stark seemed like a child who had been told that Christmas, his birthday, and New Year's had all arrived at the same time once he heard the news. Part of the weapons and vehicles stolen from Hydra had been immediately sent to his "laboratory" in Italy for study.
The man hadn't set foot outside it since then.
"For now, we will focus on fortifying Italy to make it our foothold, understand? We must not rush without knowing what other surprises Hydra has for us. This war is beginning to change, and if we want to win, we must be cautious."
Hydra's weapons were something no one expected. While it was known that Germany had strange weapons, hearing rumors was one thing, but it was quite another to hold one of them in your hands and see with your own eyes how it turned an armored military vehicle into ashes with a single shot.
The Allies had realized that this was not an enemy they could defeat by being hasty or without having John on their side.
Thinking about America's first and only super-soldier brought mixed feelings to many of the high command.
While Chester had made some mistakes in the way he handled things, no one really blamed him entirely, because many of them had thought the same way he did in the past. What difference could one man make in a war like this?
Well, Captain America had been quick to make them realize how stupid that thought was and how wrong they had been.
The images that war reporters had managed to bring back, along with the testimonies and stories told by those who fought alongside him, made the United States realize that they had put their best and most valuable asset to dance and sing like a colorful circus monkey while thousands of their men died on the front lines.
No one was happy about that, and it wasn't something they could hide even if they wanted to. People would start asking questions once the initial amazement began to fade.
That's why Colonel Chester would be taken to a military trial once everything was over. They needed a scapegoat, and it wasn't going to be America's greatest hero, but the superior who refused to let him help from the beginning.
Many of the Allied countries were upset with the United States for keeping such an important asset out of the fight for too long. The only way Colonel Chester could get out of this would be by making significant contributions on the battlefield, enough to avoid a full trial. Of course, there would still be consequences, but they would be much smaller in comparison.
Colonel Phillips knew this. He needed to make amends for his mistakes before the war ended.
But that would be difficult. Although he was still a colonel, his reputation would undoubtedly be tarnished, and it was still in question whether he would remain the leader of the strategic reserve tasked with dealing with Hydra.
No, now someone else was being considered for that position.
The army was preparing to promote John. Captain America would be decorated for his achievements and feats. He would be given the support and authority that the world believed he had from the beginning, and with that, they would elevate the name of the United States among the Allies and the world.
It helped a lot that John's reputation was already large and cemented among the masses thanks to the comics, movies, and propaganda that had been made about the man during his time as a show performer.
Of course, it wasn't all due to the strength he showed. While strength was important, when it came to leading others, you needed more than strength. It was good, then, that John had demonstrated he had what it took.
The actions he had taken on the front lines by guiding the partisan resistance had been significant enough to leave no doubt about his command capability.
The superiors believed that even if he was young, John had what it took to lead the best men and win this war for them.
They wanted him to be their spear and shield, their best weapon against Hydra and its unknown technology.
Of course, preparations had already secretly begun to revive Project Rebirth, because why rely on just one super-soldier when you could have an entire army of them?
Still, without Dr. Erskine, the project was stalled and had little to show for it. Not even the assistant scientists who had worked with Dr. Erskine had any idea that the serum could create something as powerful and impressive as John.
Of course, no one besides John had any way of knowing that the super-soldier serum was just the foundation and that it was Compound V that truly made the superhuman abilities granted by Dr. Erskine's serum go beyond known logic or physics.
Until a second Captain America existed, the United States had no choice but to reluctantly rely on John and his strength to fight Hydra. Privately, many people were unhappy with this; giving so much influence and power to one man carried too many risks.
Even so, John had proven to be loyal to his country and his people, an excellent soldier, so trusting him was the safest option for now.
At least as long as he continued to look out for America's interests...
"If he makes contact, remember to report it immediately. We can't let him keep running around on his own and without support," the major general reminded him as he stood up.
Colonel Chester nodded and stood up at the same time to see his superior officer off.
"I assure you, sir, I won't make that mistake again."
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In a temporary office.
Peggy Carter read the papers on her desk meticulously.
There was a hint of exhaustion in the red-haired woman's eyes, but also determination. Since the news about John liberating northern Italy had arrived, the Allied army stationed in southern Italy had sprung into action and begun fortifying the border with Austria.
As Colonel Chester's second-in-command, she had followed him to the new base they had been assigned to—one that John had "prepared" for them.
The former German base in Sand in Taufers, though destroyed, was still standing enough for the Allied army to start rebuilding and stationing their own troops in it.
It was a shame that half of the Taufers Castle had disappeared in the battle, so they couldn't use it as a permanent central base. Even so, the half that remained served as a temporary base while the new buildings were erected using the old ones as foundations.
In every sense, it was a perfect place for the Allied army to start their preparations and provide the much-needed aid their soldiers needed in Austria.
Only, John had also left them with some problems—namely, more than 20,000 civilians and at least 5,000 German prisoners of war.
It was a minor logistical headache but nothing they couldn't solve.
Peggy had been very busy helping with the preparations since she arrived at the site. Despite the exhaustion, a smile had been on her lips the entire time.
John had done much more than she expected, had gone beyond what she thought possible, and had proven that Dr. Erskine had not been wrong, that she had not been wrong.
She hoped to see him, hoped to meet him in Sand in Taufers, but when the Allied army arrived, he was already gone. Not even a word, he simply moved on.
She knew it was necessary, that he was doing what he was supposed to do, what he had told her he would do—go to Austria and rescue the lost soldiers of the 107th. But still, she couldn't help but complain internally; he should have waited a little longer.
It was selfish, but she wanted to see him, to smell his scent, to feel his hands around her once more... She shook her head, her face slightly red. Why was she having such foolish thoughts?
She was glad to have a "private office" because she couldn't help but blush slightly.
It was embarrassing, but thinking of him made her feel like she was on cloud nine. Strange thoughts she hadn't had before started coming to her from time to time since she met him. She had never been a romantic woman before, and it didn't help that she was "rebellious" in the eyes of many.
She wasn't traditionally feminine and had been quite independent since she was young. Her mother had always criticized these aspects of her, but she couldn't help it—that's just how she was.
Still, in this era and society, it was undeniable that she was considered strange in people's eyes. Her mother often told her she would die alone and never find a husband if she kept acting that way.
"Maybe I was too daring?" Though she had ignored her mother's words before, she couldn't help but have some doubts now.
John was the first guy who made her consider that maybe she needed to change a little.
He was different from all the other guys, but he was still a guy. Her mother always said that men wanted feminine, modest, and chaste women.
The kiss she had given him when they said goodbye seemed anything but that.
"What will he think of me?" Worries like that had been lingering in her mind from time to time.
Of course, John didn't care at all. In fact, he didn't even pay attention to that or consider that it had been Peggy's first kiss; he just thought she was a bit clumsy.
In fact, for John, it was very odd that an adult woman hadn't had her first kiss a long time ago, especially one as beautiful as Peggy. But of course, that was from the perspective of a man from the twenty-first century.
If he knew Peggy's thoughts, he would have been somewhat perplexed.
Chaste? Traditional? Pure? Did those things still exist?
Suddenly there were three knocks on the door of her "office," followed by a voice.
"Agent Carter?" Hearing her name, Peggy snapped out of her embarrassing thoughts and quickly adopted a serious expression and a military focus she had skillfully practiced over time.
"Come in," she said, and one of the guards opened the door.
"Someone's here to see you." Carter raised an eyebrow. She had made sure to attend to all the people who might need something from her earlier in the day so she could work quietly.
"Who is it?" she asked, and the guard hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"It's a boy, says he needs to give you a message. We tried to shoo him away, but he's stubborn. We don't want to cause a scene, but he insists on speaking with you. Should we throw him out?"
Peggy thought for a moment, looking at the papers on her desk. She still had a lot of work, but this could be important—something inside her told her so.
"Let him in, I'll see what he wants."
The guard nodded and soon returned with someone else, a boy about 17 or 18 years old, clearly a bit nervous.
She blinked, confused. She thought all the civilians had already been gathered and were beginning to be escorted.
The boy spoke in slightly broken and awkward English.
"My name is Angeló, I'm part of the partisan resistance."
That made more sense. Although the Allied army had begun to take charge of the base, the partisan resistance was still there since they had been the ones who "captured" it. In fact, the Italian government wanted them to officially join the country's army. Of course, it wasn't that simple. For the most part, the resistance was made up of civilians with little real military training.
And many of its members preferred not to join the government, so their situation was somewhat special.
Peggy stood up. She had spoken with some of the high-ranking members of the resistance. She knew they had all fought alongside John and had become his brothers-in-arms, men he trusted, so she trusted them too. If there was something they needed, she should at least listen.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, trying to find out why he was here. Angeló scratched his head timidly and approached carefully. Only now did Carter notice he was holding an envelope in his hand.
"It's for you," he said, placing the letter on the desk.
Carter took it, recognizing the handwriting on the front.
"For Peggy." This was from John.
Angeló said goodbye, his work done, and walked out with the guard, leaving the woman alone in the office, who barely paid any attention to them since she read his name on the envelope.
Peggy held the letter, completely forgetting her work. With some nervousness and anticipation, she opened it and began to read attentively. It seemed John had a lot to say.
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Note:
A brief interlude while I prepare what's coming next, turned out more complicated than I expected.
Writing Peggy is a bit challenging; she's an interesting woman but also lives in the past century... quite literally.
I had forgotten how different social norms were back then until I recalled some of the talks my grandmother, God rest her soul, used to give me.
So, how do you write from the perspective of a woman who lived in the 1940s? A difficult challenge for those of us in the 21st century. Many of the thoughts, actions, and ways of seeing life in that era certainly seem "strange" from our perspective.
Peggy is considered a "progressive" woman for her time, but she's still a woman of the forties. No matter how "advanced" she may be, I believe many of her thoughts would still be influenced by her environment and the influences around her. Reflecting that in her character is difficult and challenging.
Writing about women is always hard. I think I need to read some novels and fanfics to get some ideas, steal some wisdom from other authors, hehehe! (Cambrian, I've got my eye on you.)
What do you think? Any recommendations you could give me? Novels or fanfics you think would be helpful for learning?
By the way, my Patreon is registered as NSFW, but so far there's hardly anything like that. I think I'm failing them!! I think I'm failing you!! John, Daniel, Mark, I'm sorry guys. I know there are many pretty girls around you; I'll do something about it soon.
Anyway, I've already elaborated enough with this note. To conclude, I'd like to thank all my donors on Patreon and Ko-fi. You guys are awesome, and I'm really glad to have your support. The update schedule that won the Patreon vote with 78% of the votes will begin soon.
I'll do my best to meet it.
So, now you know—if you want to support me, you can visit my Patreon :D (There is a new finished Illustration! You will probably be able to see it publicly in a few more days, but if you don't want to wait you already know ;D you can find it on patreon in advance)(https://www.patreon.com/EmmaCruzader)