SuperSoldier (SI-OC/MCU) ENG

29: Heroes

29: Heroes

The sound of cheers echoed across the battlefield, flags of white and red colors waving in the wind.

Standing atop the tallest building still standing, John raised his hand, shield in hand, and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice reaching every corner of the city and even beyond.

"Warsaw is Free!"

The ovations didn't take long to follow. People celebrated, cried, kissed, or hugged—no matter where you looked, even the wounded ignored their battered bodies and stood to join the celebration.

In just two days and fifteen hours, Captain America and his team, along with the AK, liberated the city of Warsaw in a battle that would go down in history for various reasons.

The news, even for the time they were in, spread rapidly across the European continent, even reaching the ears of military leaders of other nations.

For some, it was further proof of Captain America's power. For others, it was an absolute disaster.

.

"John, you really did it," Peggy smiled, and if John had been in the same room as her, he would've likely already leapt into her arms. It was a shame—though they were on the same continent, they were not in the same country.

There was a crackling sound, a characteristic noise that technology would eventually eliminate in long-distance communication devices.

"I wish you could see it. I haven't seen people this happy in a long time," John's voice came through, though somewhat distorted, still clearly conveying his joy.

Peggy was happy for him, even if she couldn't be there with him.

"When the war is over, maybe we could visit," she said, imagining that day vividly.

John fell silent for a moment, making her frown.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried, sensing a bad premonition.

"The news of the victory will probably soon spread around the world, but something else will be revealed along with it, and I'm afraid it's something we can't hide for long. There were too many war reporters, and we couldn't catch them all."

John's voice was serious. Of course, he wouldn't say aloud that he hadn't even tried to stop them and had even made sure to "pose" unconsciously for several of them.

It seemed her bad premonition was real. Peggy couldn't help but press her lips into a thin line.

"Hydra has new weapons..." Peggy's breath hitched slightly.

"Their advances with the new serum have yielded results, but not pleasant ones. It's still incomplete, that much is clear. Calling them failures would be more accurate, but somehow, they've made them work. I'm afraid things will soon escalate—I don't know if only in Poland or across all fronts, but they will." She fell silent. John's words, though not too detailed, told her everything she needed to know.

"That's..." For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

"I know, it's not good, but it's better than if they had perfected the serum. Even so, we need to start preparing for what's coming. I managed to get in touch with one of the war reporters and convinced him to send copies of the photographs straight to the base. They'll be your first look at them, but soon I'll also be sending the better-preserved bodies for study. Tell Howard and our scientists to get ready."

Peggy nodded, then remembered he couldn't see her and quickly spoke up.

"Understood, I'll make sure everything's ready," her voice was firm, but John managed to catch a hint of uncertainty in it—something Peggy would never have let anyone else notice. But this was a private conversation between them, and she couldn't help letting some of her deeper feelings show for a brief moment.