𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 | " You're just a kid! "
" Yeah? Well this kid is willing to go through hell and back to save your stubborn ass and die for you, asshole. "
- in which STRIKE's strongest asset with a ridicul...
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SAYING that name out loud pulled a trigger of memories hidden at the back of my mind. However, a bigger part of me knows that acknowledging those memories now will only make things complicated for me. For now, I need to focus on what I should do next.
HYDRA has been cooking this plan for years now. A plan that was given so much time to evolve wouldn't be easy to get rid of, no matter how strong you and your team may be. But what I have now isn't just any team, these people are the Avengers, earth's mightiest heroes, they literally fought hundreds of aliens just about two years ago. It wouldn't be easy, but it is definitely possible.
I stare at my exhausted reflection as I dry my face with a fresh towel that Sam prepared earlier on. That guy is too nice for his own good, I can't imagine how he'll survive if he was born in the same era as Steve Rogers and I were. He'll definitely be used and manipulated by bad opportunistic people. People like HYDRA.
As soon as I walked out of the bathroom, Steve and Nat went quiet. It was as if there was an automatic alarm on them that switched on as soon as they felt my presence. Well, it's not like I can really blame them for being cautious around me now. I can literally hear the gears working on their heads as they subtly watch my every move.
"Re-- I mean Levi, do you have any information we can use? Do you know anything about this algorithm? I need you to come clean now. We need every information we can get so we can come up with a proper plan." Steve's voice was demanding, it meant business. His tone was full of authority, a tone he never once used when addressing me. Funny how people change when they find things about you that don't line up with their beliefs. But then again, I completely understand where he's coming from.
Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed Steve's drastic change of attitude towards me, Nat placed a hand on Steve's shoulder, giving him a signal. 'Don't be too harsh', a silent request, dearest Nat, you're too predictable when it comes to things that involve the people you care about. That is, your greatest flaw, Widow. You may want to hide that weakness of yours better.
"I'm not sure about the algorithm he was talking about, I was already a part of SHIELD when they come up with it or else I would've been informed about it.", I explained, sitting right across from Steve.
"I just don't understand. Why would you hide and lie about something like this? What were you thinking? What do you want?" And there it was, the actual questions the two of them were dying to ask ever since Zola revealed those dreaded information about my real identity.
And with no choice, I know I need to let them know. Trust is something a team should have. It is one of the big pillars that keeps any mission working. And right now, I need to lay it all out for them, tell them everything or else, Steve Rogers will continuously look at me with a judging and eyes and I wouldn't really be able to stand Nat's betrayed gaze for so long.
"SHIELD found me. No. Howard Stark was the one who found me. When SHIELD was still young, they tried their best to find any living quarters HYDRA was able to hide, they cleaned it all up and locked up everyone involved. My own HQ was not spared, of course. However, instead of putting me in jail like everyone else, Howard made a request to talk to me. One on one." As I talked, it was like the memories of that fateful day flashed before my eyes. Howard's curious eyes, Margaret Carter's objection to his request. But Howard Stark was persistent, he always gets what he wants, guess it runs in the blood.
"When he found out that I was HYDRA's youngest goon, he got curious. He wanted to know what a young teenage boy like me was doing working for such an organization. And Howard, that guy has his way with words, somehow I ended up opening up to him. I told him how I was the bastard son of Johann Shmidt, the Red Skull, my mother was someone he just met and took advantage of." I never really knew what happened to my biological mother, and quite frankly I really never cared. For all I know, she was immediately killed when she gave birth to me.
The silence in the room was suffocating. I bet they never really thought that their innocent little Red would turn out to be Captain America's very own nemesis' son. And his fake name was even Red, how ironic is that?
"And then what?" Steve asked, itching to know more.
"And then, Johann Shmidt did what he did best. He used me. He handed me over to Zola to raise me as the perfect HYDRA follower, poisoning my mind with beliefs and teachings that HYDRA is well known for. Growing up with Zola gave me the opportunity to train my mind, to be smart enough to be HYDRA's official scientist and an agent. I excelled in every training and tests, hoping to get praised by Zola and receive attention from my own father who did not even let me use his surname." I chuckled at the bitter memory, shaking my head in amusement.
"I was used for their own benefits as they continuously manipulated me. Howard listened to my story and offered me salvation. He asked me to turn my back on HYDRA and join him and SHIELD instead. He promised me a family, a real one. A family that will actually care for me and give me a proper name. It was too good of a deal to ignore. And so I agreed with one condition. I wanted them to use one of my inventions on me."
"What invention?"
"The Cryostasis Chamber, a machine that will preserve my body and keep me alive for years. Just like how that big block of ice kept you alive." I said, looking at Steve. "I told them to wake me up once they're done putting HYDRA down. Howard didn't ask any question, they just complied with my request.
"Why? Why did you ask SHIELD to do that?" It was Nat who asked this time.
"'Cause I wanted a new life. 'Cause I wanted to be anyone else but Levi Köhler."
Yet here we are.
☆ A/N:
i don't even know how to begin apologizing for taking too long to update i'm not even done editing some chapters sorry for being away for too long, i had to deal with a lot of things and there were many many dark days that i had to overcome before i was able to find the inspiration to write again so i hope u understand
