The dark side of London -112

[Nine weeks after Stark's kidnapping]

[UnLondon]

Steve had been amazed as he watched Peggy's treatment. At first, he had been rather scared when those people calling themselves the Foundation told him about it and the risks involved.

But they had said that even if something did go wrong with their equipment, he would be able to react and stop things before they got out of hand. The good old fashioned way at that, a big stick to delicate machinery.

And miraculously, everything had unfolded just as they had promised. After each treatment, Steve could only watch in awe as Peggy seemed to defy the laws of nature, growing younger and stronger. It was as if time itself was being rewound.

Bucky sadly wasn't as easy. Apparently, growing entire limbs was without the risky zone for this strange magical music. Which meant that they would instead just make him some metal limbs. In fact, he had apparently had that since the fall from the train back then.

Now they just needed to make a leg as well and heal up his other injuries, and he should be mostly fine. However, they did warn him that due to the brainwashing which the music somehow fixed, that he might either not remember anything, or remember everything.

He hadn't understood how remembering everything could be as bad as remembering nothing, not until Peggy explained it to him.

For while he was still struggling with getting used to all the new future tech equipment and whatnot, Peggy was far better at using it all and had been reading up on all the material they had been given.

It was mostly stuff about Hydra, and in between that, there were mentions of Bucky and the things he had done while under their control. Which included killing an old friend; even Howard had been killed by his hands.

After learning about all the things Bucky had been forced to do, he did understand why remembering that might not be a good thing. But he was sure that Bucky would pull through; he was stronger than anyone else.

And as the next few weeks went by, he was proven right. Though it hadn't been an easy time. When Bucky was mostly all healed someone had come and attached the new limbs and finally allowed him to wake up.

As Bucky woke up again, confused and not knowing what was going on. He almost understood why that O5-1 guy had gone through that whole game of pretend and trickery. After all even he had to admit that poor Bucky would make it all too easy.

Thankfully, he had Steve to take care of him, to help me recover, remember, and get over the dark memories. Peggy had also been a great help; she really did know what to say.

Within just three days, the two of them had helped Bucky onto the path of recovery, with the first step being taking down Hydra for good. While both Peggy and himself agreed that once that was done, Bucky might relapse again, they had time to work with him slowly to prevent that.

So, with all three of them up and moving, they were quickly sent out on their first mission. It wasn't against Hydra; no, this was more training. They would do this mission, and while doing that, they would train and sharpen their battle sense.

It was probably mostly for Peggy's sake; she hadn't been in the field for a long time, so they all accepted it.

The destination had been London; Peggy had spent the flyover telling him all about how London had been rebuilt and changed after the war.

Though the battlefield wasn't London itself, shockingly, an entire city was underneath it. Peggy had been particularly shocked by that. Apparently, she thought herself to know many secrets, and while she admitted that the Foundation probably had more, she hadn't expected something on this scale.

Steve could understand that, to think that an entire copy of London, building by building, had been contrasted so deep underground and without anyone knowing about it.

Their mission was to help secure parts of the city for the Foundation. At first, Steve had wanted to try and talk things through with the people living down here.

Something that had proven to be rather impossible. The only living things down here, if one can even call them that, are the so-called 1678-A, 1678-B, and 1678-C. The first, the 1678-A, are the things they were sent to fight against. And there are a whole lot of them. They are the police of this place.

And while Steve respect the law, these things really don't have anything to do with the law. Not even the natural laws of nature. They are not human, but some mockery made from the human body.

Every meeting with them was violent; they would not listen, and maybe they weren't even capable of doing so.

They really were annoying, more so since they were so damn hard to take down. Even for Bucky and him, it wasn't easy without weapons. And the amount of ammo they had was limited.

Not that they couldn't get more. It was just that getting it down into this city was a pain and even more so getting it moved around. Since there were no vehicles at all. So everything had to be carried around.

The next things down there, the 1678-B, those flying birds were not as bad, though given that they might be able to call 1678-A over, they had to avoid them if possible. Or if not, start shooting them down. Which always did bring amount a large number of 1678-A.

The final group calling this place home was 1678-C. Those were the only friendly things down here, though even those couldn't be talked with. They just begged for food or coin, ignoring everything said to them.

These were also the hardest to deal with. Steve couldn't help but pity them. but they were under strict order to not under any circumstances give them any food.

Naturally, that was the very first thing Steve did when he encountered one for the first time, only for the poor woman to cry and then explode into a cloud of thick black smoke. He didn't know if he had helped her be set free from the torment the voice sometimes talked about, or if he had killed her and denied her a chance of ever getting free.

He had thought the Foundation was simply not willing to help those they saw as non-human. But now he wasn't so sure. Was the reason they didn't want to give them anything because they, too, didn't know if they helped or harmed?

Since then Steve had stopped giving them food, even if it was painfully hard to do so. He could only hope that once this place was fully explored, they would be able to properly help them.

---------------------

"Should we head back for more supplies? Or head to one of our hideouts?" Steve asked towards Peggy after they had finished off a wave of bobbies.

During their time down here, they had set up quite a few minor hideouts with some supplies stocked there. it wasn't much, but it was good to have multiple places to resupply.

Peggy looked at the back, finding their current position and the paths towards hideouts and the city entrance where they could resupply from the surface.

"We are not that far from the entrance; if we go down Campden Hill and to Aubery Walk, we should be able to get out quickly. And while we aren't desperate for new supplies, we might as well stock up now that we are so close."

Steve nodded in agreement, appreciating Peggy's strategic mind. "Sounds like a plan. Bucky, how are you holding up with the new gear?"

Bucky flexed his metal arm, giving it a few experimental twists and turns. "It's holding up fine," he responded with a tight smile. "Feels almost like part of me now. I'm ready to keep moving."

The trio made their way through the winding underground streets of UnLondon. The city below was a bizarre mirror of the world above, with all the architectural details replicated but devoid of the vibrant life that filled the real London.

Even though it wasn't that long of a distance they had to travel, it still took a while since they were moving around in hostile territory while having to keep hidden.

As they navigated the dimly lit streets of UnLondon, the trio maintained a high state of alert. The silence in the underground city was unnerving, with only the occasional echo of their footsteps bouncing off the cold walls. Each corner they turned and each new street they crossed brought the potential for another encounter with the zombie police or the eerie, bird-like watchers.

Steve led the way, his shield ready at his side, while Peggy covered their rear, her pistol drawn. Bucky, with his new metal limbs, moved with surprising agility, scanning the environment for threats. The enhancements seemed to mesh well with his combat skills, a silver lining in their otherwise dire situation.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Steve whispered as they approached the intersection that would lead them toward Campden Hill. "We don't want to run into another patrol."

Peggy nodded, her focus never wavering. "Agreed. Let's try to stick to the shadows as much as possible. The less attention we draw, the better."

As they turned onto Campden Hill, a sudden screeching sound echoed through the tunnels. The group immediately ducked into a nearby alcove, watching as a swarm of 1678-Bs flew overhead, their mechanical wings clattering unsettlingly.

"That was too close," Bucky murmured, peering out to ensure the coast was clear.

"They're getting more frequent," Peggy observed, her brow furrowed. "But there should be anything in this part of the city of importance."

"Except perhaps us?" Steve added, the thought unsettling him. He knew their adversaries' capabilities were not to be underestimated, especially who ever was behind such a massive place like this.

They continued on, reaching Aubery Walk without further encounters. The exit to the surface was now close, and with that, relative safety since the creatures of this place showed no intentions of leaving.

Even if they should, the Foundation manned a powerful military blockade without enough firepower to reduce any number of these things to scraps. If only such firepower could be more easily moved around in the somewhat narrow streets, their mission would be a lot easier.

Just as they were about to the exit, they suddenly heard the loud whistle of a 1678-A engaging. Looking towards the sound they saw one of the bobbies emerge from a tiny ally. "Damn, they are normally not this far out." Steve said as he readied to shield the group if needed.

Bucky, knowing that he had Steve to be on defense, lifted up the powerful anti-armor rifle that had been made for super soldiers like him and Steve. It was big, heavy, and backed a real punch. However, it was also loud, so there was always a risk of drawing more attention with it.

Though, since they were so close to the exit he didn't think it mattered much now and fired three precise shots at the creature, one to the head and two to the chest. Stopping the creature dead in its charge as it stumbled back half a step before collapsing to the ground.

Steve lowered his shield as Bucky dispatched the 1678-A, nodding in approval at the efficiency of the shot. "Good shot, Buck. Let's move quickly now, before any more show up."

Peggy glanced back down the alley where the Bobby had appeared, her expression tense. "That was too close. We need to be faster getting out. This area isn't as secure as we thought."

The trio hastened their pace, moving swiftly toward the exit. The shadows of UnLondon loomed around them, a stark reminder of the lurking dangers within this artificial underworld. As they neared the surface, the sound of the city above started filtering down, a mix of distant traffic and the muffled hum of urban life, offering a strange comfort after the oppressive silence below.

As they approached the exit, Steve paused, looking back at the dark corridors they were leaving behind. "Once we're back, we need to report the increased activity of the 1678-As. It seems they're adapting or getting orders from somewhere. We can't let our guard down."

Peggy nodded, her mind already on the debriefing. "I'll make sure to update the maps with our latest encounters. Let our hosts know what is going on; maybe they will give us some more equipment or send in some of their own men as well."

They all knew that was unlikely; they were here for training more than anything else, and the Foundation wasn't planning on giving them more manpower for their hunt of Hydra, so they would have to just get used to doing things just the three of them.

Unless they themselves were able to find some extra hands, but they didn't know who could be trusted, not with Hydra as deeply embedded everywhere.

Steve looked at his teammates, their faces weary but resolute. "We did good today, but this is far from over. Let's get back, restock, and plan our next move. We have a lot to prepare for."

Back at the outpost, they debriefed with the commanding officer, delivering a detailed report of their findings and encounters. The information would no doubt later be used for the Foundation's own operations in securing UnLondon.

A/N

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