Enter the Solider Boy

2014

Zola's Brain

Steve Rogers stood with Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in what could be described as an old IBM building. As Armin Zola, computerized and digitized on multiple and massive data banks, explained to them the rebirth of Hydra and its parasitic infiltration into SHIELD and what that meant for the world.

"HYDRA's new World Order will arise, " Zola spoke to an increasingly angry Steve as Natasha stood behind him in shock and denial. He continued on in his arrogant Swiss accent,

" We won Captain, more than you could ever know, and you helped us, indirectly of course-"

"What do you mean?!!? HOW DID I HELP YOU?" An enraged Steve yelled out to the computer screen housing Zola's digitized face.

"Your DNA Captain. You were so careless with it in your pursuit of Hydra's destruction, " Zola said with a gleeful tone.

Steve and Natasha both gained a look of shock as they realized what he'd meant.

"What did you bastards create with my blood, a new serum, more super soldiers, TELL ME!!," Steve screamed out in rage, as he felt Hydra had not only defiled him, but also Dr. Erskine and his work.

"Why would we want more super soldiers like yourself Captain", Zola started in a more sinister tone, as suddenly the metallic floor mechanisms started to shift and open as a large black pod rose from a bottom floor,

"When we could have something far more….Superior," he finished as the pod doors opened and a seemingly asleep teenage boy was revealed.

Steve could only stare in shock, awe, and horror at the tall, young man that stood in the pod. He looked almost exactly like a teenage version of himself from the 30s, if that version was also injected with the super serum. The boy was tall, taller than Steve it seemed and he was quite muscular, but with a lean cut to show his agility. He also noted the "clone" had dark raven hair as opposed to his own blonde. He was also dressed in a black and red version of his suit, but the thing that equally horrified and enraged Steve was the large red Hydra symbol that was emboldened on the boy's chest.

"Meet Project Superior, created in 1994, the world's newest Super Soldier. Your superior in every way Captain; faster, stronger, and smarter. Show them what Hydra's best creation can do, Superior," Zola said.

Immediately the boy clenched his open hand, cracking his knuckles as his eyes snapped open, awakening from his forced sleep. His crystal blue eyes seemed hazy for a second before they focused in on Steve, and instantly his face morphed into a terrible scowl. The boy also had a giant solid gold shield, engraved with two eagles and a star in the middle, that he brandished while stepping forward. Steve and Natasha, who noticed as his face changed and body tensed, got into fighting positions as he readied his shield and she upholstered one of her pistols. Yet, they weren't prepared as the boy launched himself like a missile out of his pod, with a mighty roar. Natasha had just enough time to fire off 4-5 bullets out of her high caliber firearm, before the boy landed in front of her.

She'd watched in horror as the bullets seemed to bounce right off the boy's approaching body, two of them even impacting his right cheekbone and forehead, yet doing no damage at all. Time seemed to slow down for Natasha as she watched the boy swing his giant golden shield towards her with one arm, she barely had time to brace herself. Yet that did nothing, as Steve watched as her body was ragdolled across the room into a wall with a heavy crash and she was knocked unconscious. Steve locked eyes with the boy again, and instantly raised his shield bracing it with both arms as the boy shield bashed him across the room against a wall. He felt like he'd been hit by a full locomotive and that same locomotive was still trying to ram him through the wall behind him.

While struggling to hold the boy back he noticed he was being restrained by only one of the boy's arms that was holding his shield. His strength was immense, were some of Steve's thoughts, before he pulled his head to the right as the boy threw a powerful left hook. The dodged punch cratered the wall behind Steve but that didn't deter him as he had his opening. He pushed the boy's shield slightly to the side with all his strength, throwing him a bit off balance. He used the opportunity to slide to the side and behind the boy to wrap his arms around him to slam him with a German suplex.

Steve kipped back to his feet at the same time as the boy who'd suffered no damage, he tried to swing his shield at the boy's unprotected side but he instantly stopped it by catching its edge. He was then caught with a heavy spartan kick that slammed him back into the wall. The kick took his breath away and definitely bruised, if not cracked, a few of Steve's ribs. Before he could recollect himself, he felt himself lifted up and an ironclad grip around his neck. He could hardly breathe as he tried to choke out a few words.

"Ki..kid you don't have to do this. You don't have to be Hydra's weapon." But his words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the boy replied in a somewhat deep, yet young sounding voice,

" I am Captain Superior. Hydra's weapon to destroy their greatest adversary, Captain America, and replace him as his Superior."

Though Steven Rogers wasn't going to be deterred, he saw the good and hope in everyone, even this misguided young man in front of him. The boy was a piece of him, literally, and no matter how much that disturbed him he felt as if he had an obligation to help him. To free him from the clutches of Hydra, his greatest enemy, and to give him a lift beyond his pod and mindless servitude.

"They might have created you, but you are your own man," Steve said, as he could slowly feel himself slipping into unconsciousness, "You deserve your own life, with dreams, hopes, and ambitions. Not the life they've decided for you."

The boy slowly blinked as he took in what his target was saying, before his own thoughts started assaulting him. Did he want a life? Did he deserve one? What would he do with his own life? With that one question he instantly thought back to the "life" he'd lived up until now. Constant training and simulations, minute brainwashing tactics, and forced learning. If he had a life of his own he could do whatever he wanted and be free.

As Steve felt the last of his consciousness slipping away and the black closing in, the iron grip on his throat disappeared and he was dropped to the ground. He immediately took in a deep breath of fresh air as his eyesight cleared, he stared up to the young man, who had a neutral expression on his face. Steve's eyes then widened as the boy held out a hand to help him up, which he took after a second. Once he was on his feet he locked eyes with the young man and they both shared a mutual nod of understanding.

Behind them though, Zola was in disbelief as he yelled out in his digitized voice,

"Superior what is the meaning of this, I gave you an order! Destroy the Captain and then that red-headed schlampe at once!!" Steve noticed as the boy's face morphed into a look of silent fury, before, he turned to Zola and said with a snarl,

"You don't give me orders anymore. Nobody does. I'm free and like the old man said "My own man." Before he hurled his shield across the room and into the computer containing Zola's visage, destroying it. Almost immediately, the other screen next to it lit up with Zola's digitized face as he yelled out,

"Fine then you ungrateful little bastard, if you wish to be an enemy of Hydra, then very well. You will die screaming alongside the Captain." The computer then blinked out. Steve and the boy shared a confused look before Steve remembered Natasha and rushed over to her. The boy followed at a sedated pace and stood over Steve as he checked over Natasha.

"I'm sorry about that," he said as Steve checked Natasha's pulse, " and I can hear her heartbeat, she's just knocked out."

"You can hear her heartbeat, amazing. But it's alright you weren't in control, we just need to get her out of here," Steve replied as he easily scooped up Natasha and headed towards the exit. But he was stopped as the boy put a hand on his shoulder and said,

"That's not all I can hear, they're several planes heading this way, and-THEY JUST FIRED OFF MISSILES!" Steve's eyes widened before he looked around for a barrier to protect himself and Natasha. As if reading his mind the boy looked around as well, before his eyes fell to the ground. Steve watched in awe as the boys eyes started to glow with a bright light, before he turned to him and said,

"There's an underground tunnel, we can hide and get out through."

"How'd you known that, can you see through walls, is that what the eye glow was about," Steve asked in slight confusion.

"We don't have time for questions, " the boy replied as he grabbed his shield and proceeded to the middle of the room. He instantly slammed his forearms down with a yell, shattering the ground and breaking through the floor with ease.

"Hurry, I can hear the missiles they're about to impact!," he yelled out to Steve as he jumped into the hole he created in the floor, with Steve following right behind him. They both landed as they felt the building above them start to shake and fall apart as explosions rocked it. Heavy debris began to fall onto them as Steve was impacted by a heavy rock, almost dropping Natasha. To shield them both, the boy covered Steve and Natasha with his body and his shield as more rocks and debris fell onto them, effectively entombing them.