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[Captain America VS Red Skull]

In 1945, over the North Atlantic.

"Boom--"

A bomber roared across the sky with a supersonic sonic boom.

Compared to the vast majority of aircraft of its time, the bomber looked a little out of place. Its size was too large, more than ten times that of an ordinary fighter jet, yet it boasted incredible speed, even exceeding the speed of sound.

In addition, it had a peculiar flying-wing shape, with no tail or fuselage. The entire aircraft resembled a triangle composed of two enormous flying wings.

These characteristics made it appear alien, but the pilot behind its controls was indeed a human.

John Schmidt.

Once one of Germany's high-ranking leaders, and the head of Hydra, he was also known by a more infamous name: the Red Skull.

The smoke of World War II engulfed the globe, resulting in tens of millions of casualties before finally reaching its conclusion.

Under the relentless assault of the Allied forces, Germany faced defeat and began a full-scale retreat.

However, the Red Skull refused to admit defeat. He believed he still possessed a devastating weapon.

Convinced that flying to New York with this weapon's power could deliver a decisive blow to the Allies and turn the tide of the war, he first needed to deal with a minor annoyance.

"Boom!"

A loud noise erupted from the plane's rear, indicating something had crashed in, causing the entire aircraft to shake violently.

"Steve Rogers!" Red Skull gritted his teeth, abruptly rising from the pilot's seat and grabbing a beam rifle from the corner of the cockpit.

Soon after, a figure wielding a shield pushed open the door. He was tall, with determined eyes, dressed in battle-worn attire adorned with the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America.

There was no mistaking it—this uniform belonged to only one person: Captain America, Steve Rogers.

Clearly fatigued from recent combat, Steve suppressed his gasps as he cautiously advanced towards the cockpit.

At that moment, a slight movement came from behind.

The enhanced reaction speed of a super soldier, coupled with his soldier's instincts, enabled Steve to react instantly. He swung his shield and turned around.

"Boom!"

An azure-blue beam shot forth, exploding against his round shield.

"You still won't give up, will you?" Red Skull's voice was cold as he emerged from a distance with his beam rifle.

"That's right," Steve replied without hesitation. "I could do this all day!"

With those words, he raised his shield and charged towards Red Skull, dodging the beams of light fired by his adversary. The two engaged in a swift and intense struggle within the confines of the plane.

Both Steve and Red Skull had been enhanced by the super soldier serum, granting them physical abilities far surpassing those of ordinary individuals. Yet, one fought for justice while the other reveled in crime and destruction.

They clashed fiercely aboard the plane, exchanging blows dozens of times without a clear victor.

Their battle continued until the control platform was hit, causing the plane to lose balance and spiral downward.

Steve and Red Skull were thrown about within the cockpit as the plane hurtled towards the ground.

Despite being at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the plane's high velocity meant imminent peril upon impact. Red Skull gritted his teeth and scrambled to the console, swiftly correcting the plane's trajectory to stabilize it.

Once again, they clashed, but neither gained the upper hand.

Gasping for breath, Red Skull sneered, "You could have the power of a god, but you chose to wear the Stars and Stripes. You fight for your country, you fool!"

"I've seen the future, Captain. There won't be countries in the world to come, let alone your Stars and Stripes! Your America!" Red Skull continued firing his beam gun, forcing Steve to keep his distance behind his shield.

"That's not my future!" Steve retorted defiantly, hurling his shield with all his might.

The shield arced beautifully through the air, striking the central device within the plane and delivering a heavy blow to Red Skull.

"Ah!" Red Skull cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor.

Simultaneously, a blue beam of light similar to the beam gun burst forth from the damaged device, spreading out like a wave of water and filling the entire cockpit with brilliant blue light.

Steve was taken aback by this fantastical sight.

Meanwhile, Red Skull, recovering from the blow, quickly picked up a palm-sized azure cube from the broken device.

As he handled the cube, something seemed to activate within it, causing the cube to radiate brilliance far surpassing its previous display. Unknown energies converged, forming a web of light that spread and climbed throughout the cockpit, extending into the sky.

The immense energy appeared to alter the structure of space around them, offering a glimpse of the cosmic expanse above.

"This!" Red Skull's expression changed, yet he suddenly found himself engulfed by the energy pouring from the cube, causing intense burning sensations across his entire body.

"Ah ah!" He let out a prolonged cry of pain as the energy overwhelmed him, and in an instant, he vanished without a trace under its impact.

Far across the universe...

Vormir Star.

A dazzling blue beam descended from the sky, depositing the Red Skull—his clothes singed—from its light, as he staggered and fell to the ground.

"Where am I?" he muttered, bewildered by his surroundings.

"Just an insect, after all." A disembodied female voice suddenly reached his ears, tinged with annoyance, as though she had just endured an unpleasant experience.

"Who?" Red Skull was startled, looking around but seeing no one.

"Forget it, I'll settle for this insect. At least an insect won't get out of hand." The voice betrayed a hint of reluctance.

Before Red Skull could respond, an indescribable, deep-seated force surged into his body. This force was more terrifying and unpredictable than anything he had encountered before.

"Restore the altar," the cold voice instructed.

Red Skull scanned his surroundings, realizing he was standing near some kind of altar, and he became incensed.

After the bizarre encounters he had just experienced, being suddenly transported to this place infuriated him. He retorted angrily, "I don't care who you are! Leave immediately! I am Johann Schmidt, head of Hydra!"

Before he could finish speaking, agony surged through him, dropping him to his knees with a guttural scream of pain.

"Restore the altar. Do you understand?" the female voice commanded coldly.

"Understood, understood..." Red Skull hastily complied, the excruciating pain he had just endured leaving no doubt about his current predicament.

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