"I didn't expect temperature to have such a huge impact on my body now," Steve muttered under his breath.
He could only watch as Adrian walked away. Even though his body temperature was slowly returning to normal, the severe damage from being frozen left him in no condition to keep fighting.
"Hey, Captain. Can you hear me?"
Just then, the communicator in Steve's ear came to life with Doom's voice.
"Victor? What happened?"
At the moment, Doom was standing near a shimmering portal, watching Fury and Coulson board the massive airborne Helicarrier.
"The Helicarrier has taken off," he said flatly. "Hydra now has the power to bury all of Los Angeles with it. You know my position. I can't get involved at this level. Being called a terrorist is not an exaggeration for me now."
Steve nodded weakly. He understood Doom's reasoning. From where the man stood, he couldn't really say whether the revolution he was leading was right or wrong.
But the current king of Latveria was indeed a tyrant. And deep down, Steve even supported Doom in his fight to help his people to overthrow such brutal rule.
So he knew why the man had to avoid making any drastic move in the U.S.
"What's the situation now?"
"Fury and his only trusted aide, Coulson, are on the Helicarrier thanks to my magic. They'll do their best to hold Hydra off, but they'll need help from you, or from anyone who can still fight."
With that, Doom fell silent. His purpose had been achieved when Reed agreed to join him. Now, he had no intention of doing anything more.
"I understand."
Steve ended the call. He gritted his teeth and forced his exhausted body off the ground.
"I'll go and back them up," he told himself.
He was aware his body was in no shape for battle. Every nerve screamed at him to stop. But he also recognized there was no one else who could step in right now.
Tony had already left the fight after Stark Industries came under attack. Wanda and Pietro, whom he had called in, were likely busy putting out fires across the country.
Reed had lost his powers. And with Doom out of the equation, Steve's only choice was to stand up and fight again.
He had cut ties with LexCorp long ago, after all.
"LexCorp…" he murmured, lifting his eyes to the sky. This was probably the outcome the company had been hoping for. If that was the case, they should be making their move soon.
Before the thought could settle, something caught his eye. A Hydra agent, the one who had been monitoring Winter Soldier's actions in the shadows, was now carrying the unconscious assassin and running off into the distance.
"Bucky!"
In that instant, Steve threw the Helicarrier out of his mind. He didn't even know how he'd get on board anyway. But Bucky was right there, about to be taken away before his eyes. There was no question which mattered more.
"Stop!" he shouted, hurling his shield with everything he had left.
But his body, battered and broken, barely had the strength of an ordinary man now. The shield struck the Hydra agent squarely, but the blow just caused a faint sting.
"Captain America?" The agent froze in shock, ready to flee on instinct. He had stayed in hiding this whole time, watching Steve fight. He never thought he could take him head-on.
Then, calming down and feeling the almost laughable pain from the shield and seeing Steve in his current state, he realized the truth. The man was spent.
"So that's it. You're out of gas. Can't even swing a punch now, can you?" A cruel smile spread across his face. "Although the Super Soldier Serum now comes in many different variations with different effects, you being the very first Super Soldier… your value will definitely satisfy the leader."
Knowing he might have a chance to turn the tables, the Hydra agent no longer planned to run. He wasn't just going to recover the Winter Soldier safely, he also intended to capture the man who ruined their plans half a century ago.
"Is that so? Being careless isn't exactly a wise choice."
Steve looked at the agent closing in with a grin, but anyone could tell he was putting on an act. "If it's just someone like you, even in this state, I can fight you all day."
His words carried the same tone of confidence, but now it sounded more like stubborn pride, which only enraged the overconfident Hydra agent.
"Big talk for a dead man!"
He swung hard, aiming to knock his opponent in one blow. But anger made him sloppy. Steve slipped aside, shaky but sharp enough to catch the opening, and drove a fist into the man's gut.
"Argh!!"
The agent gagged, doubling over with a strangled cry. Even weakened, Steve's punch was still far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.
For a moment, fear crept back into the agent's mind. But then he saw Steve wobble, almost collapse after that single strike.
"Pathetic cripple!" he spat, his fear flipping into fury. He charged, fists flying.
On any other day, Steve wouldn't have let this man land a second hit. The fact that someone sent only to keep an eye on the Winter Soldier could now overpower him one-sidedly said it all.
His elastic body kept him from suffering real injuries, but every blow drained what little strength he had left.
'Not good… my eyes… can't see…'
Weakness and exhaustion overwhelmed him, and darkness edged into his sight.
Crash!
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering came from above and a small object fell from the Pym Tech building.
"What the hell is that?!"
The two men turned their attention to the noise and the next instant, terror filled the Hydra agent's face. Because the tiny black object abruptly expanded with a flash of red light, transforming into a massive American heavy tank from World War II.
Boom!
The tank crashed down beside them, shaking the earth violently. Both Steve, limp and powerless, and the stunned Hydra agent were thrown to the ground.
The barrel swung toward the agent, its yawning mouth staring him down like the eye of death.
The man stammered, voice breaking. "C-calm down… don't fire… please don't fire…"
The roar of the engine told him this wasn't a prop. It was the real deal. And looking at the cannon, bigger than his head, any thought of resistance vanished.
Then a familiar voice came from inside.
"Hey, Steve."
The hatch popped open, and Hank climbed out, grinning down at the wreck of a hero lying on the dirt.
"Hope I'm not too late."
Steve managed a weak laugh. "Hank… you're right on time."
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