18: Pillar
The congress lasted a bit longer, during which many other details were refined, and many more orders and instructions were given. The war was about to enter a new chapter, a much bloodier one, as now the United States and all the allied countries had decided that the Third Reich would fall, no matter the cost.
Even so, everything had to end, and after everything was clarified, the meeting was concluded. Once the president left, Janet stood up next to her father, ready to return to New York with him. After all, she still had work to do.
But before the main members of the investigation committee could leave, a familiar voice stopped them.
"Wait, if I may have a moment of your time," The Captain America, or Colonel America now? approached them with a kind smile on his face. Janet felt her cheeks blush a little at seeing him so close. Again, she couldn't help but think he was much more handsome in person. Nervously, she looked away and stepped back a bit until she was behind her father, who actually thwarted her plan by being the first to step forward and extend his hand to John.
"Colonel, it's a pleasure to meet you in person."
"The pleasure is mine, sir?" he asked, and her father quickly introduced himself.
"I'm Vernon Van Dyne." The other members of the committee also stepped forward and began to introduce themselves.
"Robert Fermi."
"Richard Lawrence."
John greeted them all with a smile until he got to the last man, who actually made him pay real attention once he heard his name.
"Franklin Storm."
The man seemed to be in his 30s; his appearance was slightly above average but nothing that really stood out. He didn't seem special. Still, John shook his hand firmly. Was this the person he thought it was? Or did he just have a similar name?
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Storm." John didn't know for sure but decided to be cautious for now. He might be wrong, and he might be right. One way or another, he would find out sooner or later.
"And this is my daughter, Janet Van Dyne." Once he noticed that all his colleagues had introduced themselves, Vernon decided it was a good opportunity and pushed his daughter forward.
Janet, who was completely unprepared, let out a low squeal as she was suddenly pushed in front of John, almost colliding with him. Her face was so close to his chest that she could feel some of the warmth radiating from him and smell a natural aroma that reminded her of sandalwood.
When she looked up, she met his gaze. His blue eyes seemed to see through her soul, causing her to freeze briefly, unsure of what to do.
The man looked at her and, with a warm smile, gently took her hand in a formal greeting. His palm was surprisingly soft yet also firm.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Van Dyne," John said, looking at the beautiful girl with dark, short hair who seemed somewhat distracted. For some reason, he couldn't help but think her name sounded familiar. Where had he heard it?
Janet swallowed nervously but still nodded timidly. She wanted to return the greeting but felt she might stutter if she spoke right now. It was fortunate, or perhaps unfortunate, that someone decided to rudely interrupt at that moment.
"With the introductions out of the way, I was wondering what you seek from us, Colonel."
The one who spoke was actually one of the "younger" members of the committee and also one of her father's main opponents, Harold Teller.
The man was shorter than most people and a bit chubby. The bottle-thick glasses on his face didn't help much in the appearance department.
John's smile diminished slightly; the man's tone was a bit arrogant. Still, he wasn't here to make enemies with anyone, so he spoke calmly, giving an answer to the question and letting go of Janet's hand, causing the girl to internally lament.
"I'm looking for recruits, actually. I heard the Investigation Committee will be holding a Scientific Innovation Fair in New York in a few days. I would like your permission to participate." John's idea was clear. Although Stark was a great scientist, he was still just one man. His time was limited, and he couldn't attend to all the projects John had in mind for the future.
SWORD needed its own internal technological development division for various important reasons, all of which required a suitable team of people. John planned to recruit young and enthusiastic scientists for this purpose.
"Are you trying to steal our recruits, Colonel?" Vernon joked. The main reason the Scientific Innovation Fair existed was for the committee to find new members and projects to fund, after all.
"I'm only offering another option, and of course, my invitation includes all of you as well," John said, causing some to actually start considering it seriously.
Although SWORD was a newly created international division, it became clear to everyone during the congress how much support, both authoritative and financial, it was going to receive. After all, it was international; all the allied countries along with the United States had agreed to fund its operations.
"Well, I don't think anyone here will refuse to give you a place at the upcoming Scientific Innovation Fair. However, I will politely decline your invitation. I'm too old to follow the big changes," one of the older members said, causing several others to nod in agreement with him. After all, their current positions were comfortable and secure, and many had their own ongoing research and projects.
Moving to a new place, no matter how promising, could bring many headaches.
"Well, if anyone changes their mind, don't hesitate to contact me. SWORD has its doors open for all those with potential."
They talked for a while longer, fine-tuning the details of their participation in the upcoming Scientific Innovation Fair. Once everything was clear, John began to say his goodbyes.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, gentlemen, but I still have many other matters to attend to."
With his objective achieved, he was ready to leave. But then he remembered. He had been thinking about it in the background, searching his memories. Although his mind was now much sharper than before and past memories were much clearer, he still needed time to find the more "small and insignificant" ones. But once he found them, it was hard to overlook them.
With a new revelation, he couldn't help but look at Janet once more and take her hand to say goodbye. Such an action made the nineteen-year-old girl blush again. Having him so close made her a bit dizzy.
"See you, Miss Van Dyne. I hope you will also consider my invitation." Janet blinked, coming out of her small trance in surprise. That... she didn't think she was included in such a proposal. After all, she was still a student and shouldn't even be here. Did the colonel really think she was part of the committee?
Before she could clarify the misunderstanding, the same irritating voice from before interrupted her.
"Oh, don't worry much about her, Colonel. Although she's here, Miss Van Dyne is still just a student," Harold said with barely concealed disdain. It was no secret that Vernon planned to give his place to his daughter, something many did not agree with and openly expressed.
"Although she is still a student, she is undoubtedly one of the best in her field. I have no doubt that my daughter can make significant contributions to the Colonel and SWORD," Vernon defended his daughter, causing Janet to feel a bit embarrassed.
"I..." She didn't know what to say. Should she accept? Or should she decline? Her mind became a whirlwind of doubts, but it was all interrupted once again.
Harold scoffed softly at Vernon's words.
"Come on, Vernon, spoiling your daughter must have its limits. She's just a woman; she should be at home looking for a husband and let the real scientific minds do their work."
That comment made Janet's nervousness disappear momentarily, replaced by a flash of anger and irritation. She gritted her teeth, a tic forming in her left eye, and with a smile that wasn't really a smile, she spoke impulsively.
"Actually, I think I can give it a try." As soon as she spoke, she regretted it instantly.
Why did she say that?!
Her father looked at her in surprise. Although he had high expectations for her future, he wasn't blind. He knew his daughter lacked some ambition and didn't expect her to actually choose to go to SWORD out of the blue.
"B-but before that, I need to finish my work at the university. After all, I'm currently working as an assistant for one of the professors, and it would be really bad if I left without notice," Janet quickly tried to fix it, although she only gave an excuse to delay while she thought of a better way to get out of this.
John smiled, looking her directly in the eyes, making her even more nervous.
"Don't worry, Miss Van Dyne. There are still many preparations to finish, so take your time to resolve any pending matters without rushing. I can wait." This was bad. Why didn't he give her an ultimatum or tell her that if she didn't join now, she wouldn't be able to do so later?
That he was so considerate with her only made it much harder for Janet to back out.
"I look forward to working with you in the near future," he said so softly while looking at her so warmly that Janet forgot her internal debate for a moment and responded much more enthusiastically than she expected.
"Me too!"
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John left the conference; journalists clogged the main doors, so he diverted to a side path where a dark car with tinted windows was waiting for him. Without hesitation, he opened the door and entered, knowing it had been prepared for him.
"Seems like everything is going as we expected," Raven said, lowering the Captain America comic she had been reading and looking at him through the rearview mirror.
"That and more, birdie, that and more," John said, loosening the tie of his suit, revealing part of his chest. Raven couldn't help but take a quick glance but quickly looked away when she saw him looking straight ahead.
With slightly red cheeks, she took the wheel and began to drive. The interior of the car remained in a calm and comfortable silence for a few moments.
"I thought about it," Raven said suddenly, causing John to look at her, their eyes meeting through the rearview mirror for a moment.
"I think... I think I can do it," she said, and John smiled.
What Raven was referring to was a proposal that John had made to her some time ago.
Metahumans would have to come to light sooner or later; it wasn't something that could be hidden for long, at least not from the governments of the world.
And since it was something that couldn't be hidden forever, the best way was to reveal it in a manner that would make people's perception of them positive. In the current situation, John could wait to contact other metahumans and do it with their help... or he could use the metahuman next to him.
Of course, he wouldn't do it without Raven's consent. Her voluntary cooperation was very important for everything to go well.
"I'm glad you've decided. I know it's a lot of pressure, but you don't have to worry. I'll take care of everything. First, we'll reveal it to the governments once SWORD is firmly established. Then, maybe once the war is over, we can reveal it to the public." Of course, he wouldn't rush things. If he wanted to have the power to protect not only Raven but any other metahuman, he still needed to firmly cement his position in the eyes of the entire world.
To become something so great that people would follow his example and opinion without question.
A pillar so tall and robust that it was immovable.
Then he would create a new world where humans and metahumans could live in harmony. After that? Well, he always wanted to sail among the stars.
Raven nodded confidently, any previous nervousness disappearing. John always kept his word, and there was no one in this world she trusted more. She would let him take charge and assume all the responsibility.
Because she trusted that he would do what was best for both of them.
For her.
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One day later: New York, Howard Stark's private laboratory.
"-Made from the strongest metal I could find," Howard said, looking at the shiny round shield he had fashioned from the little vibranium that existed in the world.
One might think that using such a unique metal for something so... simple would be outrageous, but Howard believed there was no better use, at least given the events they were facing.
John took it, feeling its extremely light weight, adjusted the leather straps on his arm, and looked at James, who wasn't far away.
"Hey, grumpy! Hit this," John said. James looked at him with slightly furrowed brows, a low growl escaping his throat, living up to his nickname. Despite that, he approached, clenching his fist and getting into a fighting stance.
Howard watched expectantly from the side. Although vibranium had undergone many tests in its time, it was still exciting to witness a demonstration performed directly by two super soldiers.
James's foot sank into the ground, cracking the concrete. His body moved forward with force, breaking the air, and his fist shot forward with enough power to easily penetrate tank armor.
He couldn't hold back even if he wanted to because he was still getting used to his new strength.
His fist struck, causing a thunderous noise to flood the place. James raised an eyebrow, seeing that his punch was actually stopped and the metal didn't even dent.
"Well, it's certainly tough," John commented, looking at the completely unscathed metal. Then he looked at a distant wall and, without hesitation, swung his arm, sending the shield flying at great speed. and then bounced off the wall, changed its trajectory and sailed through the air until it returned to his hand.
"I like it. Let's paint it red and blue and put a silver star on it," John said, handing the shield back to Stark.
"Sticking with the aesthetic, huh? I guess that's fine, I can do that," The best inventor of the century, and his job was to paint an oversized frisbee. His career had certainly advanced.
"Speaking of aesthetics, tell me, James, what do you think of white and red?" John asked and the man looked at him, puzzled.
"What?"
"Well, Canada found out you're 'Canadian' and wants to 'support' their citizen. They even want the U.S. Army to promote you to captain. Captain Canada—how does that sound?" John said with enthusiasm. The only response he received was a dead, flat stare.
"They'll cover the cost of the suit..." Again, just a flat expression.
"Not in a million years."
John really tried to convince him, but he seemed quite firm in his refusal.
Well, at least he managed to get him to wear a blue and yellow suit. There was no mask, but it was still distinctive.
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Note:
What do you think of these chapters? There's been a lot of action before, but now we're in the 'preparation' period. Leave your comments, you know I read them all.
You already know if there is any error, do not hesitate to comment and I will correct it.
Extra chapter since I'm in a good mood, although a bit sick, last week I uploaded an extra one of still defiant so I guess this week it's only fair that I upload an extra one of supersoldier.
remember that you can find the next chapter(and some more chapters) of this story on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received helps me a lot ;D