SuperSoldier (SI-OC/MCU) ENG

7: Choice and Resolution

7: Choice and Resolution 

John looked at the map in his hand, from Bressanone to the Austrian Alps, more precisely towards Salzburg. There were two possible routes to take.

The first option was to go through Vipiteno, following a route through Innsbruck. The problem was that this route was too close to Germany, and because of this, the concentration of the German army in that area was the largest near Italy.

A possibly more direct route was to go through Brunico, crossing the mountains on foot to Salzburg. The problem was the unexplored mountainous terrain; getting lost would be easy, not to mention the guerrilla warfare that was being waged there.

Whichever path he chose, he would encounter extreme violence, so he decided to take the fastest route.

"We'll go through Brunico," he pointed to the location on the map. Franco approached to look, both were in an improvised operations base created in one of the few houses still standing near Bressanone.

Franco looked at the map thoughtfully and nodded.

"In that area, there are still resistance teams sending signals. Brunico has been taken by the Nazi army, but with your help, maybe we can take it back."

If they could retake Brunico, then they would have a stronger foothold on the front line of the conflict. Whether it was Brunico or Vipiteno, both were located on direct routes to Bolzano. If they lost Bolzano, it was almost the same as losing northern Italy.

Nothing would prevent the German army from taking over the border between Austria and Italy if that happened.

.

Angelo reloaded his weapon, his hands trembling slightly but this time for very different reasons than before. Within him, there were many emotions. Since his home was destroyed and his family killed in the bombing that hit his town, Angelo had only felt a penetrating fury and fear inside him.

Since he first held a weapon and fired the first bullet, Angelo believed this world was hell. The only thing driving him was revenge. It was thanks to Franco that he began to see beyond that as time passed.

The man had hope, even being old and having lived through the horrors of war more than others. He believed Italy had a future, a future that would only come true if the fascist regime disappeared.

Angelo liked that, hope. His younger brother had it. He remembered how his eyes lit up reading those "Captain America" comics, one of the silly American propaganda, his father used to say. Propaganda or not, they were good comics, at least they were fun. Angelo never thought too much about them, even when people said Captain America really existed.

How was it possible? And if he did exist, where was he?

Taking cover behind a partially collapsed wall, amidst the explosions and the roar of gunfire behind him, Angelo couldn't help but look through the cracks. There he was, with that emblematic shield and his colorful uniform, facing directly those who had destroyed his home.

If his brother were alive, Angelo was sure he would be screaming with excitement right now.

Since he wasn't, then it was his place to do it for him.

"HAAAHHH!" he roared, his weapon ready, and alongside many others, he emerged from his cover, unleashing a rain of steel upon their enemies without hesitation.

The battle for Brunico had just begun, and they were already winning.

Captain America was the first to engage in combat, easily maneuvering through the enemy's hail of bullets, destroying their tanks with bare hands, and piercing through their hideouts without any obstacle.