NEW YORK, SSR SECRET LABORATORY
POV: GARP
Today was the day Rogers would be transformed into a Super Soldier. I sat next to Colonel Phillips and Peggy, watching from the VIP lounge overlooking the operating field below. In the lounge were numerous high-ranking officials from the military, intelligence agencies, and the governments of the Allied forces—minus the Soviet Union, whom Phillips said couldn't be fully trusted.
Below, I could see Rogers lying in the open capsule, with multiple needles being attached to him, through which the serum would later flow. I could see the fear in Rogers' eyes, but Abraham comforted him with gentle words and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
Then everything happened very quickly. The doc and Stark started the machines, filled Rogers with the serum, and Stark closed the capsule with the push of a button. On second glance, the capsule looked a bit like a coffin, and a sense of worry for Rogers' well-being settled in my gut.
A worry that quickly became reality, as shortly after Stark began the exposure to Vita-Rays, Rogers' agonized screams echoed through the room. I winced and scanned Rogers' will. Thankfully, I could breathe a sigh of relief, as my Observation Haki showed that his will remained strong and he continued to fight through the pain. Peggy stood up and tried to stop the procedure.
I could have stopped her, but seeing a friend in such agony pained me as well. Abraham was also on the verge of pulling the plug when Rogers' muffled voice rang out.
"No! Don't stop! I can keep going!"
With that, Stark cranked the radiation to its maximum level, and an incredibly bright light shone from the small window in the capsule, growing ever more intense. Rogers' screams grew louder, until suddenly, it was over.
In slow motion, the capsule opened, and I caught a glimpse of the new Steve Rogers.
The small, frail man had transformed into a tall, well-built figure. Beside me, Phillips said, "He did it! This is the best news we've had in years!" I couldn't help but join in with a loud laugh.
"Bwahahaha!"
The VIPs swarmed around the newly born Super Soldier, while Phillips, an intelligence agent, and I remained behind. I knew Rogers could probably use some rest, and there were already plenty of people crowding around him.
I savored the success of the procedure and sighed in relief. Then, everything suddenly took a turn. A man who had arrived with some governor grabbed the only remaining finished vial of the Super Soldier Serum.
At the same time, he pulled out a pistol and fired several shots at Abraham. I reacted faster than I could think, moving so swiftly that it was as if I had teleported. I tore both arms from the shooter's body and tossed them carelessly behind me. In the same moment, I grabbed his face with an iron grip and lifted him off the ground.
"Who sent you?!" I snarled in a rage.
But the attacker just grinned, then broke one of his front teeth and bit down on it. Foam immediately formed at his mouth, and with his last breath, he whispered, "Hail Hydra!" before succumbing to the poison. Fury ignited within me, and with a quick squeeze of my hand, I crushed his head like a watermelon.
I then turned and saw Abraham lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. I forgot everything else around me and rushed to him, kneeling down. And then, something erupted from me like a tidal wave. My Emperor Haki had awakened once more, and everyone within a 10-meter radius lost consciousness.
Everyone except Rogers, Abraham, and the intelligence agent. I knew instinctively that it was already too late for Abraham. A frustrated scream tore from my throat as I wept over my dying friend in my arms.
AT THE SAME TIME
POV: STEVE ROGERS
Just moments ago, I was relieved to have survived the last 15 minutes and to be greeted by Peggy's pretty face, when all hell broke loose. I heard loud gunshots, and the next moment, Garp burst through the security glass of the VIP section, moving so fast that my eyes could barely keep up.
And then... what the hell?! He just ripped both arms off the shooter. I mean... Jesus! I knew he was strong, but that? Shortly after, I noticed Dr. Erskine lying on the ground, bleeding, and a deep sense of grief and anger welled up inside me. Suddenly, the aura around Garp changed, and I felt like I'd been hit in the head with a sledgehammer. All around me, people collapsed unconscious—everyone except one other person and Garp. The man still standing was dressed like an intelligence agent. Notably, he was holding one of the shooter's severed arms and, more importantly, the vial of Super Soldier Serum (SSS).
Our eyes met, and without hesitation, the agent bolted from the room, drawing a pistol and firing three shots at me as he fled.
Fortunately, he was more focused on escaping than aiming, and he missed by a wide margin. I hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Garp, who was cradling the dying doctor in his arms, and made a decision. I chased after the intelligence agent.
AT THE SAME TIME
POV: Dr. Abraham Erskine
'So this is it... I've barely achieved my life's work, and now I'm about to die... I'm not particularly angry or disappointed, I just regret my mistake with Johann Schmidt,' I thought, as if in slow motion, watching my killer aim his weapon at me.
Then time snapped back to its normal speed, and I heard the gunshot. I felt something pierce my body, burrowing into my flesh. Then came the pain.
My legs suddenly gave out, and I collapsed backward. I felt the warmth of my blood spilling from my body, quickly pooling beneath me.
'So this is how Abraham, son of Terach, ends,' I thought to myself as two strong arms gently lifted me. I looked into Garp's eyes, filled with grief and rage, and then I felt something pressing against my will. But after a moment, the struggle against the encroaching unconsciousness subsided.
With the last of my strength, I chuckled and said to Garp in a weak voice, "So that was your Emperor Haki... truly impressive. Especially seeing all these people lying unconscious... how I wish I could have continued to study your powers and your life..."
Tears fell from Garp's face onto mine, and a coldness slowly crept into my mind.
With a gentle, sorrowful voice, the giant said, "I'm so, so sorry. I completely failed in my duty..."
"But duty isn't everything in life... I hope you know that. And above all, you don't need to feel sorry—you're not to blame... you heard it yourself... it was Hydra! So the blame lies with Schmidt!" I said firmly, not wanting Garp to feel guilty for my death.
"Hydra!" Garp growled angrily, his voice rumbling like thunder.
"Don't lose yourself in anger and revenge, Garp. You're a good-hearted person at your core! You told me about your dream—embrace it and live it for me!" I pleaded with him. Shortly after, I started coughing, tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. I had only seconds, perhaps a few minutes, left.
"Garp, my friend... please look after Rogers for me. He's too kind-hearted for this world. Help him preserve his untainted innocence... I can't help you any longer, my eyes are growing heavy... it seems my time has come..." I whispered faintly, feeling my strength slipping away, second by second.
"I will, Abraham, I promise. Rest now, my friend, you've earned it. Please wait for me, wherever you're going, so we can meet again someday..." Garp promised.
Then, I saw a light. It was bright and welcoming. My time was up, I knew that. So I nodded weakly and closed my eyes, perhaps for the last time.
AT THE SAME TIME
POV: Garp
The doc's eyes slowly closed, and his breathing stopped. I held the body of my friend in my arms, tears streaming down my face. A deep hatred for Hydra grew within me. I had promised not to drown myself in hate and revenge, and though I wanted to keep that promise, I couldn't help but loathe everything associated with Hydra.
Next to me, Peggy stirred from unconsciousness and stepped beside me, tears welling in her eyes. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and whispered, "He was a good man... he'll be waiting for us in heaven, watching over us."
I choked back a sob and nodded. If a man like Abraham Erskine didn't make it to heaven, then I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Peggy looked around and then asked, "Where's Steve, by the way?"
Surprised, I glanced around. I knew he hadn't been knocked out by my Emperor Haki, but I hadn't paid attention to him afterward. When I couldn't see him anywhere, I reached out with my Observation Haki, and then cursed loudly.
"FUCK!"
I immediately sprang to my feet and sprinted out of the lab.
AT THE SAME TIME
POV: Steve Rogers
My body feels differen and strange, yet better than ever. It's hard to describe the feeling of finally being free from the limitations of a weak shell that had always held me back.
I can run and jump without collapsing from an asthma attack after just a few seconds. If it weren't for today's tragic events, I would say this is the happiest day of my life. But that Hydra agent ruined everything. He killed one of the kindest people I've ever met. I couldn't imagine how Garp was feeling right now; he had been much closer to the doc than I was.
Not that I had time to dwell on any of that because, at the moment, I was clinging desperately to the roof of a speeding car while the driver fired his gun through the ceiling. This wasn't a situation I'd ever prepared for. I'd often imagined fighting a bear or taking on a gang of thugs, but being part of a car chase on foot was way beyond the creativity of my younger self. Yet here I was.
After the intelligence agent grabbed the SSS from the severed arm and took off running, I immediately assumed that he was a Hydra operative too. It was terrifying to imagine just how deeply Hydra's agents had infiltrated the military. My thoughts were racing in my head, faster than ever before. I could feel my thoughts becoming faster and faster, and it was a really strange sensation.
I chased after him, but had to duck for cover whenever he started shooting. I wasn't sure if the SSS had made me bulletproof, and I wasn't about to find out the hard way.
Just outside the storefront that concealed the lab, the man took a taxi driver hostage and sped off, keeping the gun trained on his captive's head. I felt helpless. I'd just become a Super Soldier, and yet I was powerless to stop him.
But after about 100 meters, he made a mistake—he kicked the hostage out of the moving car, without slowing down. He must've thought I wouldn't be able to catch up. I thought the same thing at first, but within moments of running, I realized I was faster than the car.
And so I sprinted like never before in my life. I refused to let Hydra get away with the SSS.
Which brings me to my current precarious position on the roof of the car. By now, I was cursing myself for jumping onto the roof; I could think of at least ten better ways to handle the situation. But it was too late for that.
And then—bam! The driver fired again, grazing my leg this time. A burning pain shot through me.
'So, not bulletproof after all,' I thought. How my mind remained so calm, I had no idea. I just hoped no major artery had been hit but than I suddenly found myself airborne, getting closer to the ground with each passing second...
A small scream escaped me before I crashed onto the asphalt. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs, but I forced myself to get back up as quickly as possible—this wasn't the time to rest.
I quickly assessed the situation. It seemed the driver had missed seeing a small truck and crashed into it head-on. The front of the car was completely crushed, and my opponent was pulling himself out through the shattered windshield.
I limped toward him, but he noticed me immediately and began shooting. I could see my life flashing before my eyes when suddenly, a massive figure appeared in front of me, intercepting the bullets with his body. The shots bounced off him like raindrops.
It was Monkey D. Garp, the towering Vice Admiral who had become a good friend over the past month. He had saved me. I saw the man from the car panic, emptying the rest of his magazine into Garp. But it didn't seem to bother him at all—Garp kept walking forward, calm and steady.
The man began to laugh hysterically, "Hihihihih! Hihihi! It doesn't matter if you kill me today. Remember, when you cut off one head, two more will grow in its place!" With those words, he smashed the vial of SSS on the ground, shattering it and spilling its contents. He then broke a tooth, just like the previous Hydra agent, and bit down on it.
"HEIL HYDRA, you bastards!" he shouted before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.
Garp turned to me, and I saw his expression soften from cold to warm as he looked at me. He asked, "Steve, are you alright? You look absolutely terrible!"
I snorted and gave him a blank stare. "I've learned that I'm unfortunately not bulletproof... but other than that, I'm okay. The vial was destroyed, and Hydra won't be getting their hands on the SSS anytime soon..."
Garp looked at me for a moment, then clenched his fists tightly. Finally, he shook his head sadly and said, "Come on, let's head back to the others. Peggy and the Colonel are already waiting for us. They have..."
He paused, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"They have... they have the doc's body with them."
I didn't know what to say. But from my mother's passing, I'd learned that words like 'my condolences' often didn't help. So, I patted his back—the highest point I could reach—and said, "The military police are already here and investigating everything. We're probably not needed here anymore..."
ARMY CAMP
POV: Garp
The drive back to the army camp was filled with silence and grief. Each of us was lost in our own thoughts. As for me, I kept thinking about the good times I had shared with Abraham over the past few months.
But mostly, I was just angry. Angry that two Hydra agents had managed to infiltrate so easily, and angry at myself. I had been careless, had not used my Observation Haki because I thought nothing could possibly happen.
And Abraham had paid for that mistake with his life. It wasn't even like it cost me anything to use my Observation Haki.
Armament Haki, on the other hand, drained my physical stamina significantly. The longest duration I had maintained Armament Haki was four hours during a training session with Abraham—four hours of focusing my Haki on my fists while repeatedly striking an 8-meter-thick steel wall. Not that the wall could take much; we had to replace it every half hour.
With Observation Haki, it was different. The doc had speculated that it consumed mental stamina, but I had never felt any limit. Even after 19 hours of continuous use, I just felt tired, but the Observation Haki itself wasn't a problem.
I could keep it "on" all day. That was a decision I had now made for myself.
Back at the camp, I followed Phillips into his office, and once we were both seated, I said to him, "After Abraham's funeral, I want out of here. You said you could arrange something... I need to do something! I can't just sit around here any longer! I want to tear Hydra apart!"
"I've already spoken with a friend of mine on the phone. From now on, you'll be serving under Sergeant Nick Fury! Welcome to the Howling Commandos! You'll be heading back to Europe one week after the funeral."
(TO BE CONTINUED)