Come Together

Chapter 14: Heroism Part 2

High above the Atlantic Ocean, Captain Steve Rogers did battle with one of the worst bullies he had ever come across - Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull. The HYDRA leader's goons were dead, one buried beneath the sea inside a propelled bomber, and the others either gunned down or knocked out. The back end of the Valkyrie was damaged due to the fact that Steve had just crashed one of said propeller bombers into it from behind (something he knew the guys would get a kick out of once they hear about it). Blasts of blue light crashed into his shield as Schmidt began his attack.

"You don't give up, do you?" the Red Skull sneered out, holding the large gun powered by the energy of the Tesseract.

The Tesseract. An object of magic, he knew now. Did Schmidt know what that thing was capable of? Did anyone? Steve had often wondered since he found out if such an artifact should have been uncovered by man. Perhaps it would have been better if it were still buried, lost to time, regarded as merely a myth.

"Nope!" Steve answered before rushing towards the man who threatened to destroy all that he held dear.

Within seconds he managed to close the distance between them and knock the gun out of the madman's hands. Fists flew and feet kicked as a scuffle for victory ensued, with both men getting thrown around by the other and Steve getting bashed by his own shield at least once. A chance arose a moment later and the star spangled man (no longer a dancing monkey, now a beacon of hope, fighting for the right for all to live free) rammed the Red Skull into the flight console, causing the plane to plummet.

Both fighters were forced to the roof, where they began a fight anew. A swift kick sent Steve to the back of the room and allowed enough time for Schmidt to engage the autopilot function and return the Valkyrie back to cruising position. Steve landed back on the ground with an audible thump, but was quick to recover. A good thing he did, as the Red Skull pulled out a Tesseract-powered pistol from his holster.

"You could have the power of the gods!" shouted Schmidt as he fired at Steve, "Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain! There are no flags!"

Steve didn't even want to comment on the sheer irony of the man's words and actions. Appealing to your enemy whilst trying to kill him was generally not a good way of going about convincing him of your point of view. Furthermore, did the 'no flags' rule apply to the HYDRA flag as well? Because that thing was an eyesore. Steve silently wished that Bucky was there with him, as he would have really taunted the Red Skull with his wit. Better yet, get Tom's rapid fire snark to retaliate that notion (You look like a walking flag, the man had once said, when they had first gotten all their uniforms and he could still remember the sound of Bucky's laughter. How ironic those words come again now, from the mouth of an enemy instead of a friend). Despite those thoughts whirling through his mind, Captain America voiced none of them aloud.

"Not my future!" was all he managed to say before barrel rolling down to the main cockpit, flinging his shield at Schmidt and making the man crash into the glowing blue machine at the center of the room.

With a strange pulsing, almost gurgling cry, a glowing object rose from the metal cylinder in a burst of blue lightning. Energy crackled around it, like cerulean fire, lingering around the object that shone with an unnaturally bright light. Squinting his eyes, Steve realized that said object was a cube. A glowing blue cube of infinite magical energy (as Tom would probably call it, with eyes sparkling at the thought of studying it, eyes with shifting colors exactly like the artifact in front of him), finally revealed. Schmidt stood upon shaking legs, wobbling towards the exposed Tesseract.

"What have you done?" the Red Skull murmured aloud, picking up the cube with one hand, "No!" he breathed out, the word barely a whisper and yet the horror it conveyed reached Steve's ears loud and clear.