South New York. A blood-stained apartment.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents filed in and out, clutching stacks of evidence and files. Steve sat on the sofa, his patience wearing thin. He grabbed an agent and asked, "Well? Did you find anything?"
The agent shook his head in disappointment. "It's definitely Alex's handiwork, that's for sure. But we haven't found a single lead of value at the scene."
Steve's hand slumped. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s deductions, Alex was usually extremely secretive; the sudden appearance of a major lead was almost certainly a trap. They had decided to play along, sending Steve and the agents in as bait to lure Alex out. The moment he showed his face, a hidden legion of armored suits would swarm in and take him down.
But they had been in the apartment for nearly two hours. Forget Alex—they hadn't seen so much as a goddamn ghost. Was it possible the slip-up at the apartment really had been an accident?
After waiting another hour, Steve finally received orders from above to head out.
Sigh...
He'd been pulled away from a romantic candlelit dinner for this. He thought he'd finally deal with Alex, but instead, he'd spent three hours sitting in a foul-smelling apartment. Steve was pissed, but there was no helping it; that was the life of an agent.
*
As the S.H.I.E.L.D. car dropped him off at his own apartment, the thought of seeing Sharon finally began to soothe his frustration.
"Sir, Steve is back," A lookout member of the organization notified Alex from outside the building.
"Good. Let the hospital team know it's time to move."
"Understood!"
Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. apartment, Alex sat at the dining table, issuing orders. Two plates sat before him. It was the steak intended for Sharon and Steve's romantic dinner, now sitting in Alex's stomach.
"Got some good news for you. He is back," He said, glancing sideways with a wicked grin.
In the living room, four tendrils of flesh bound Sharon's limbs, while others were anchored to the floor and ceiling, suspending her in mid-air.
"Oh, right. Better shut you up. Can't have you screaming." Alex stepped forward, using two more fleshy growths to seal her mouth and throat.
Steve, carrying his shield, jogged up the stairs. It was dark, and he assumed Sharon would be asleep, but the door was slightly ajar. This is what home feels like, he thought. A warmth spread through his chest, and a happy smile played on his lips as he pushed the door open.
"Mmph!! Mmmph!!!"
As he stepped into the living room, he saw Sharon, her eyes wide with terror, shaking her head frantically at him.
"What the..." Steve froze, completely blindsided.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Alex stepped out, clapping his hands. He spread his arms wide. "Surprise! Didn't see that coming, did you?"
"Fuck you!" Steve roared, a rare profanity escaping his lips. He gripped his shield, ready to charge.
"Hold it right there!" Alex shouted, signaling a timeout. He pulled out a video communicator and aimed the screen at Steve. "Don't be so quick to move. Look at this first."
The black screen flickered to life. Peggy appeared on the display. She was strapped with explosives, a handgun pressed against her temple.
"See that?" Alex gloated, turning the screen so Sharon could see it too.
"Alex! What the hell do you want?!" Steve's fists clenched so hard the veins in his neck bulged. He wanted to tear Alex limb from limb, but with both Peggy and Sharon in his hands, he didn't dare move.
"I don't want much. Just a little experiment," Alex said, walking back to the table and setting the device down. "Captain America... the hero of WWII, the national icon. You managed to bag two women from the Carter family—aunt and niece. Truly impressive, honestly."
The subject was a sore spot. Steve didn't want to engage. "This has nothing to do with you," He said stiffly. "Why kidnap them? Is this about revenge against me?"
"Don't be in such a rush. Listen closely," Alex said leisurely. "Everyone has an invisible scale in their heart. I'm doing this because I want to know who is more important to you. The young, beautiful Sharon? Or your old lover, Peggy?"
Steve's head throbbed. He realized exactly what Alex was doing. The animal.
"Heh, looks like you guessed it. Exactly. You want to save them? I won't stop you. But you can only save one. If you choose Sharon, the gun in that video fires instantly. If you choose Peggy, the flesh around Sharon's neck tightens until it crushes her windpipe and snaps her neck. Those are the rules. Decide who carries more weight in your heart! I'm giving you five minutes. Choose quickly. If time runs out and I don't have an answer, they both die!"
"You..." Steve was trembling, his eyes bloodshot with pure rage.
Sharon and Peggy. Both were women he loved deeply. To force him to choose—a choice of life and death—was worse than killing him. But that was Alex's goal: to watch him suffer in a dilemma, hoping he'd make a mistake and spend the rest of his life in regret.
"What are you staring at? What, you think you're gonna kill me and save them both?" Alex snorted with disdain. "You've already tasted the gap between our power. If you even try to move, it'll take one second for me to end both your lovers."
Steve remained silent, but his chest heaved violently. What do I do? What do I do? Does S.H.I.E.L.D. know about the hospital? Is there any way to contact them? If the hospital side is safe, I can save Sharon!
After two minutes of silence, Alex grew impatient. "Can't choose? Let me help you out." He frowned, feigning deep thought. "My advice? Save Sharon, kill Peggy. Think about it—Peggy is an old hag. She's probably losing her teeth. Even if I don't kill her, she's got two years left at most. But Sharon here? Look at her. Pale skin, gorgeous face, legs for days—she's material. If my... equipment still worked, I'd have loved to taste Captain America's woman myself."
Sharon's eyes were red, shaking her head desperately. "Mmph..."
"What? You want to sacrifice yourself for your aunt? Hahaha, how touching."
"ALEX!!!"
After a long silence, Steve finally spoke. "You know damn well I can't make a choice like this."
"Heh, just say you're indecisive. Don't give me that self-righteous bullshit," Alex sneered.
Steve sighed and dropped his shield. "I know you hate me. You want revenge? Fine. Bring it all on me. Leave the women out of this."
"On you?" Alex tapped his chin. "I suppose that could work."
Steve felt a flicker of hope. But before he could speak, Alex's voice turned cold. "Then... get on your knees."
"What?"
"Did I stutter? I said GET ON YOUR KNEES!!!"
"OK... OK..."
Suppressing his rage, he slowly knelt on the floor.
"Hahaha!" Alex's anger vanished, replaced by wild laughter. He turned to Sharon. "Look! Captain America is kneeling before me! What a historic moment!"
Sharon closed her eyes, unable to watch. Once Alex had laughed his fill, his arm suddenly shifted into a heavy hammer-fist. He swung a massive right hook into Steve's face.
BAM!
With a dull thud, Steve was sent flying, two teeth spinning out of his mouth. His powerful body slammed into the wall, leaving a massive crater.
"MMMPH!!!" Sharon screamed behind her gag, tears streaming down her face.
"Get over here! Again!" Alex mimicked a boxer's stance.
Steve struggled to crawl up from the floor. Half his face was a bloody mess, one eye swollen shut, the other glaring at him.
"If you're unhappy, you can fight back. But as for the consequences..."
"I know. I won't fight back," Steve staggered, walking back step by step.
"Excellent!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Alex's fists plowed into him for minutes, landing dozens of heavy blows. Finally, Steve slumped to the floor, unable to rise.
"Tough bastard. Still not dead." Alex grabbed him and hoisted him over his head. "Originally, I was going to kill you. But I've changed my mind."
He dropped Steve and drove a knee upward with brutal force.
CRACK!
Steve's spine snapped.
"MMMPHHH!!!" Sharon struggled like a madwoman, the intent in her eyes enough to tear Alex apart.
"YES!" Alex shouted in excitement. "A broken spine. Even if they can fix it, you're a cripple now. This kind of revenge is a thousand times sweeter than just killing you!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the communicator on the table. "Sir, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have found us!"
Alex picked up the device. "Don't panic. Remember your oath. Execute the plan."
"Yes, sir!" On the screen, a member of the organization pressed a detonator. A thirty-second countdown began.
"You..." Steve rasped weakly from the floor. "You promised me..."
"Moron!" Alex laughed. "Some 'hero of WWII' you are, believing a lie like that. But then again, you didn't exactly have another choice, did you?"
He dragged Steve up and forced his eyes open with his fingers. "Come on, keep those eyes open. This is the last time you'll see her."
"No..." Steve tried to struggle, but his body was broken, his spine shattered. He was powerless.
"Mmph..." Sharon whimpered, her spirit breaking.
The seconds ticked away. When the countdown hit zero, a massive explosion rocked the audio, and the screen went black. Alex let go, and Steve collapsed like a pile of wet clay, his one open eye filled with utter despair.
"Don't be in such a hurry. We still have this one."
Alex walked over to Sharon. He lightly touched the mass of flesh around her throat. Instantly, the dark red tissue seemed to come alive, beginning to constrict and tighten.
"Gah!!!" Sharon's eyes bulged. She thrashed like a fish out of water.
"No... no..." Steve snapped out of his shock, trying desperately to crawl forward.
Alex didn't stop him. Instead, he knelt down and whispered cruelly, "Go on! If you don't want Sharon to die right in front of you, keep trying!"
With that, he turned and walked out of the apartment.
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
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