View Full Version : Fiction A What-If Story (read only)
Blue eyes saw light again for the first time in almost thirty years. It was blinding, their owner found himself staring into the sky. He was lying on his back on a beach, wet sand caking the uniform he wore. Pain wracked his body, he had been aware for several minutes but every time he started to move he ached. His resilience and pure will would not allow him to remain there, though. Though with every movement he wanted to scream in pain, he forced himself up. Blinking, flexing fingers, he felt another surge of waves crash at his feet.
"I...I live." he proclaimed to himself with some surprise. His last thoughts were of war, of the attack that had rendered him unconscious. What had happened to him? He wiped his face and found ice crystals still on his chin. He was clearly not in an environment where this could occur. A wind stirred the sea grass to his sides. The man forced himself to stand, then he lifted the shield. Captain America was alive.
There were homes in the distance to his left and right. Opposite the vibrant blue ocean behind him was a road. Sea grass gave way to dirt, grass and trees. Captain America started down the road, which he judged to be an accessway to the beach. Beyond a tree line he discovered more homes. A flagpole was erected in the yard. He smiled and looked up to see the stars and stripes, but the flag he loved did not flow in the wind above him. Instead, to his shock, he beheld the flag of the Nazi party.
Cap was frozen for a moment. He had been so sure he had been in America. The beach, the homes, this reminded him of the beautiful state of Virginia. It was incomprehensible to him that this was Germany or even France. No.. something was wrong.
A stern voice from the house stirred him. "Halt! Who are you and what are you doing in those colors?" a man demanded. He was dressed in khaki shorts and button down shirt, but the symbols on his outfit would fit on a Nazi uniform. For the first time Cap noticed the placard above the man's porch and the crank siren at one end. The placard read 'WATCH STATION 38-VIRGINIA COASTLINE' and under it: 'HEIL HITLER'. Cap approached the man, who had a pistol in a holster at his hip.
"HALT THERE!" the man demanded, reaching for his weapon. Cap let his shield fly, ricocheting off a post and striking the man in the head. The Nazi collapsed in a heap. Cap let his shield fly again, breaking the hook that held the flag in it's position. The unrestrained rope allowed the Nazi flag to hurtle to the ground.
Inside the house, Captain America saw some things he did not recognize. However, next to a large rocking chair that gave the person reclining in it a view of the coastline, Cap saw a newspaper. The Virginia Beach Gazette proclaimed 'Heil Hitler' under it's title, and the front page article read "War Goes Well on the American Front. The picture.. the picture was of a man in a yellow costume, dead, shot in the head. Cap recognized the man. He had been known as The Whizzer.
After the initial shock of seeing a man who had been his friend, dead, picture on the cover of an American newspaper, Captain America forced his eyes upward. To the date.
"June 19, 1973." he spoke the date aloud in shock. He had been.. 'incapacitated' for almost thirty years! The Nazis.. they were winning a ground war in the USA against not only our soldiers but against super heroes! Cap jaw agape, continued reading the headline article:
"The Party has won another major victory as they discovered a nest of enemy superhumans and valiantly engaged them in battle. Miss America, Whizzer, and Kid Freedom were defeated by our forces. Namor the Atlantean managed to escape, but he will be found and destroyed.
"Party heroes PanzerStark and Cyclops will be awarded with the Medal of Valor for their heroic actions in the battle. Cyclops is a member of the fuhrer's personal garrison of warriors, seen in battle for only the second time now. He has sworn to personally lead his Stormtroopers into battle in New York against the ever-dangerous Spider-Man, who has sabotaged our facilities for years."
Captain America dropped the paper. How could this be? How could America have fallen to the Nazis? What about the rest of the allies? There would be answers, he swore. If it came down to him alone against them, he would still fight. For America.
Cap whirled as he heard the siren outside. Through the over-sized windows he saw the man he had knocked unconscious, cranking the air raid alert. From homes along each side of the road came several men. Some of these were in the khaki shorts uniform of the first man, some in civilian clothes.
"He's in the watch station! Kill him!" the man yelled. Several soldiers blindly charged into the house and a fight ensued. Cap blocked a punch and struck the chin of one man with his shield. Another pulled a pistol, prompting Cap to tackle him out one of the windows. He delivered a hay maker to the gunman and launched into furious battle with these men. No matter how many times he knocked them down, they got back up. Slowly, one after another was rendered unconscious.
The watch man was now inside, using what appeared to be a telephone. Cap knew that this was not the time nor the place for a major battle. He ran back toward the beach, keeping to the trees and tall grass and avoiding houses. Soon he entered a small area of woods thick enough to obscure the view of anyone looking for him. Cap stopped here, leaned against a tree, and rested.
It wasn't until now that he realized the pain he'd ignored. He was still not fully recovered from whatever had happened to him. He sat quietly, trying not to move until the pain passed. Cap knew that he couldn't remain here. There were others still fighting the Nazis, he had to find them. Cap resolutely decided to go to New York.
stay tuned for episode 5!
The base's purpose was the transport of supplies from zone to zone. It was now dark, and Cap had shed his costume for the uniform of a Nazi captain that had just gone off-duty. His shield and threads were in the man's attache, which Cap carried as he went from truck to truck, checking the travel register until he found one that headed to New York.
"Sir, you are not stationed here. May I ask you your name and purpose here?" a young soldier questioned him. Cap had been so intent in his quest that he hadn't heard the man approach. Like most of the men on the base he was under thirty...and American.
"I want to deliver my attache to my wife in New York. I was looking for a driver that would.." Cap began. The young man unshouldered his rifle. Before he could properly grip it to fire, Cap uppercut him with the shield-laden attache and caught him before he fell. He bound the man with his own rifle strap and tossed him into another truck. Cap quickly climbed into the back of the truck heading to New York, made his way far enough in so as not to be viewed in a cursory search, and waited.
It wasn't long before the pain returned. Cap tensed as the wave of agony passed through every muscle in his body. What exactly had happened to him? When the pain passed, Cap leaned back and tried to sleep, always staying aware, knowing that it had never been more dangerous for him than this.
Cap was glad when the truck he was in finally left the base and started north on the highway. He could hear the AM radio in the cab, and as soon as they'd left the vicinity of the base, the channel was changed from a Nazi speech to the news. Cap.. Steve.. leaned against a crate and listened.
"Progress is being made on all fronts. Sunfire, the Emperor of Japan, issued a notice today that the Pacific was secure. Now in possession of China, Australia, and all the island nations, Sunfire has sworn their power to the fuhrer.
In national news, a running battle has broken out in New Jersey. The Avengers, under the command of The Hulk, are currently being engaged by PanzerStark and his Armor Corps. Only a day after defeating the last remnants of the Invaders, PanzerStark is back to work. He truly loves his fuhrer."
The channel was changed to music. Cap stared out the back of the truck, looking at what was familiar; his beloved nation. Sadly, Nazi flags were spotted every so often. How could this have happened?
Noise from the cab. "I was listening to the news." one of the men said. The channel was changed back.
"..slowly through the South American nations. The climate and terrain has made this a difficult region to pacify, but under the command of Storm, they have made progress. She has recenlty returned to the States for a short time before resuming her duties.
"In local news, there was a disturbance at a coastal watch station. A man in a red, white, and blue costume, bearing a shield, attacked several men near Watch Station 38. The man's dress has been identified as that of Captain America, a super soldier from the forties who fought in Germany before disappearing. It was his sidekick, Bucky Barnes, who later took the name Kid Freedom. Kid Freedom was killed with the other Invaders yesterday."
Steve bit back a wave of emotion. Bucky had been like a son to him. He must have survived the attack and taken up the colors. Anger followed sadness, and Cap swore to bring these monsters to justice. Until then, all he could do was wait.
Upon entering the state of New Jersey, the truck stopped. There were inspection stations all through the states surrounding New York, Cap discovered as he listened to the chatter in the cab.
"Papers" demanded a voice approaching the truck. Steve could hear more men, surely an inspection team, nearing the rear of the supply vehicle. He pulled on his mask and put his shield on his arm, then threw the attache out the back.
As a Nazi soldier watched the attache fly, Cap grasped the top of the truck and swung his feet out, kicking the soldier in the face. Two others engaged him in combat, soon learning the error of their ways.
"It's him! Captain America!" a man cried out. Cap let his shield fly, striking the man and rendering him unconscious. Several soldiers had been alerted now. Cap grabbed his attache and shield and jumped into the cab of an unoccupied truck. He gunned the engine and took off toward the north-east. Sirens sounded behind him.
It wasn't long before pursuers came. These cars were not the familiar cars of the 1940's, these were more like race cars made for the street. Technology had sure come a long way. That wasn't on Caps mind now. Memories of Bucky Barnes and the Invaders, not to mention the other dead heroes he had never known, filled him with anger. Taking the lunch box from the passenger seat, Cap jammed it between the accelerator and the over-sized Citizen's Band radio. While the truck sped on, Cap climbed out the window of the cab.
Gunshots barely missed him. The car nearest him was a topless, with two soldiers in the back currently shooting at him. He threw his attache into the car and charged onto the soldiers. A brief fight ensued before they were tossed onto the highway, soon followed by the driver.
This car went faster than the truck, much faster. He gunned the engine, still pursued by other fast cars. Eventually a turn in the highway sent the truck he had been in careening off the road, flipping several times before resting in a smoking heap. More gunshots. Cap kept his head down and drove.
stay tuned for episode 8
Cap wasn't driving for long before the ground started quaking. He was surprised to see one after another of the cars end their pursuit and turn back. Cap kept going for a while before removing the Nazi uniform and putting on his colors.
After a while longer of driving an artillery shell burst the road near his car. In the sky he saw several armored men approaching. Another shell exploded behind him.
"IN THE AUTHORITY OF THE FUHRER, HALT THE VEHICLE!" the first armor's loudspeaker boomed. Cap instead accelerated, until a shell destroyed the road in front of him. Tires screeched as the car turned to avoid dipping into the crater.
Before Captain America landed an eight foot terror in the form of an armored man. Three others landed behind him. The first man had sergeant"s stripes embossed onto the arms of his suit.
"SO YOU ARE THE MIGHTY HERO CAPTAIN AMERICA" the loudspeaker boomed. "IN THE NAME OF THE PANZERSTARK, PREPARE TO DIE."
The booming he had heard before grew louder. Overhead was hurtled another armor, bigger and more-equipped than these.
"PRIVATE, GO AID COLONEL STARK." commanded the sergeant. One of the armors departed in the direction of his master. Cap eased up his shield as the man raised his gun-equipped gauntlet. Rumbling grew louder. Cap saw a massive green form clear the trees to the north and land a number of yards behind the PanzarStark.
"SIR!" declared one of the maining troops.
The sergeant turned. "IT'S THE HULK! KILL HIM!"
Cap found himself alone as all three remaining armors flew to engage this 'hulk' in battle. He could not remain here. If the Nazis hated him, the Hulk could be a potential ally. Cap leapt from the car and followed.
stay tuned for episode 9
Cap marveled at the Hulk's rampant destruction as he smashed the first PanzerStark to approach. The Sentinel of Liberty moved toward the battle, watching for more armor suits.
"RANGED ATTACKS ONLY!" the sergeant ordered. He and the other soldier launched artillery shells at Hulk, which had little to no effect. Hulk launched himself into the air but the sergeant dodged. He and the private launched nets that produced a visible electric shock as they wrapped around the Hulk. This held him for about three seconds.
Cap heard the commanding voice before he saw the armor. "WITHDRAW. I WILL DEAL WITH HIM." said the armored man that could only be Colonel Stark. His armor was bigger and more technically advanced than those under his command. The other three obeyed and turned their attention back to Cap.
The shield came up just in time to block an exploding shell. The blast slid him back a few inches. Cap steeled himself and launched his shield, destroying the sergeant's artillery gun. He dove for his shield rand rolled up under it as another blast rocked him.
"BAH! I WILL DESTROY HIM MYSELF" The sergeant boomed as he landed. A gauntlet-laden fist struck Cap's shield, but this time Cap was not moved. He ducked the next punch and slammed the edge of his shield against the man's armored neck. Cap was right, it was a weak spot. The sergeant was forced to remove his helmet to end the constriction at his throat. Cap knocked him out with a punch.
It was then that the two privates froze in midair and fell. Cap noticed that their armor had crushed around the men like squeezing a tin can. Colonel Stark still battled the Hulk, neither looking his way. From the north came a blur along the road, which ended in the form of a man. Cap prepared to defend himself again.
"Peace, brother. I'm not your enemy." the speedster said. Beneath a helmet Cap saw ice blue eyes and a big smile. Following behind him were a hovering man and young woman, who came to rest beside the speedster. The larger, older man put out a hand.
"I am Magneto, and we need your help."
Cap reluctantly shook the hand of the man before him, the man calling himself Magneto.
"Sir, how could I possibly be of help to you?" Cap asked, turning every so often to watch the Hulk jump after PanzerStark and the armored man dodging and firing his weapons.
Magneto cleared his throat, catching Captain America's attention. "I am the leader of The Avengers, a group of freedom fighters defending ourselves against the Nazis. Dr. Pym and his wife Janet were killed less than an hour ago by the PanzerStark in their initial attack. These two are my son and daughter, Jacob and Sarah."
The attention of all present was disrupted as Hulk landed near them after another failed attempt to catch PanzerStark. The armored man launched another volley of artillery shells. Cap raised his shield, but there were no explosions. Magneto, arm outstretched, appeared to have control of the shells. He sent them back at Stark.
The armor survived the blast unscathed. His equilibrium was disturbed, however, and the Hulk was able to grasp his leg and pull him down. Stark fought with what appeared to be energy blasts, but Hulk held him tight and squeezed him within his massive green arms. Stark ceased to move.
"Let me introduce you to Dr. Banner. He has yet to face an opponent that can defeat him." Magneto stated. Hulk gave the thumbs up and sat down on the road. "Unfortunately, his abilities render him mute."
Cap drew in a deep breath. Sir, I'm not the kind of man to beat around the bush. I understand you're fighting the Nazis, how can I help?" he asked.
"Sir, our enemy, the fuhrer, is the most powerful psychic in the world. He believes and has convinced most of the earth that his kind is the master race, the only ones fit to rule the world. I, while being part of this branch of humanity that was born with wondrous abilities, believe that God has a purpose for all men, whether they can fly or not. However, none of us can get close to the fuhrer. He has a psychic webwork that allows him to keep track of the general area of every possible opponent on the planet. This has developed over the past twenty years.
You, however, are beneath his radar. He cannot detect you because you were somehow unconscious for the past twenty-nine years. Miss Grey, another member of our group, has confirmed that. She is in a safe place, her life signs minimal, as she exerts everything that she is to keep you from being detected now. You, Captain America, are the only one that can get close to the fuhrer. You're our best chance to end his tyranny forever."
Captain America sat on his shield, as Magneto bade him, and let himself be carried along by the metal-controlling hero. The team arrived at a warehouse not too much later where the bodies of their fallen comrades were wrapped and awaiting burial. Before planning began, Magneto took the time to control several large tools and properly bury his friends. He spoke a few words over their graves, out of earshot of the others, then returned to the hastily-erected table.
"The fuhrer has made Manhattan his command post. A once world-class hotel now houses him and all of his closest soldiers, including Cyclops and his Stormtroopers. The fuhrer almost never leaves, so that's where the attack will have to take place.
"Obviously, you cannot make a full assault on the building. You will have to enter secretly and make your way to the fuhrer's floor. Then, before he can detect and dispose of you, you must kill him."
Steve listened to Magneto's words intently. Next to him, his speedster son drew out the plans for the hotel. "This is what he saw of the place in his super-fast exploration of the building. He was detected and barely made it out with his life. Captain, I truly hope you are able to do this, for the sake of the world and of all mankind."
Captain America entered New York dressed as a civilian. Fortunately he still had the attache which bore his costume and shield. Having memorized the route, Cap took a twisting, turning path through the city to avoid checkpoints and high security sites, until he arrived at the hotel.
As Quicksilver had directed him, there was a bricked-in basement window in the alley, between two dumpsters. Cap made a place for himself there and got to work on prying.
Several hours and several bricks later, an opening just large enough for Steve and his things to slip through was made. Quickly cap got inside, and found himself in a room full of pipes and valves. Water reclamation, he thought. Changing into his costume as quickly as possible, Cap steeled himself for the tough time ahead.
"Orders are to call for backup if we find an intruder..." Steve heard a voice like gravel speak in the darkness. "But I think I can handle you, American."
With that, Cap heard a metallic snikt. He could now see glints of metal in the darkness, and thus raised his shield. Laughing came from the darkness. Cap saw an outline, then a man in a brown costume with swastikas on the shoulders.
"That piece of tin ain't gonna save you." the man spoke again, showing his clawed hands. He immediately charged. Cap blocked and a horrible screeching sound was made by the claws as they scratched, but did not puncture, Cap's shield.
Cap slammed his shield into the man's face, showing little or no effect. He dodged the next swing of claws and forced the edge of the shield against the man's ribs. They did not give. Another swing and miss, another attempt to strike a weak spot, this time the back.
"What are you?" Cap whispered, stunned that he could not break this man's bones. His opponent chuckled. "I'm the Uberman, and your time is done."
The fight could have gone on endlessly had it not been for one thing. In preparation for what was to come, Magneto had caused a small area of Cap's shield to flatten until it was sharp, like an adamantium blade. Cap reluctantly used this now, severing the overconfident uberman's head from his body. Cap grimaced when he saw that the man's skeleton had been coated with metal. Who could have done such a thing to a human being?
Cap took a moment to rest, let the inevitable pain pass, then gathered his wits and continued on.
Cap followed the instructions given him implicitly. He made his way through the corridors of the basement, heading for a freight elevator. As he neared his goal, he passed a room where he heard soft moaning. Cap opened the door slightly and peeked in. Chained to the back wall was a woman with a full-head helmet on, which disallowed her to see anything and hear little. She too wore a costume, but hers was in rags. It was blue, with black gloves and trim. A circle with a large 4 was in the center of her chest.
"Now, my dear, we return to the task at hand. Your family is dead, your child is dead, your futile battle against us is over. I will have your husband's inventions, do you hear me? You will not find the refuge of unconsciousness, the drug I injected will ensure that. However, if you tell me where Mr. Richards' inventions are housed, I will grant the peace of death."
If Cap did something here, he knew, an alarm might be raised and his mission would be in dire jeopardy. If he did nothing... how could he live with himself? Cap had no choice but to open the door fully. A man with over-sized hands and legs turned and locked eyes with him.
"Ah, a pleasant surprise. I assume that you are the Captain America that I've heard about on the news? Henry McCoy here." he stated.
"You.. are a beast." Cap accosted the man as he attacked. McCoy easily dodged and delivered a punch to the gut that bent Cap over. He did not hesitate to swing out with his shield, but this man was untouchable, and every hit slowed Cap down. After several minutes of Cap barely able to defend himself, he launched his shield in McCoy's direction. It passed him. "Ha, you mi..."
Those were the last words McCoy uttered. The shield struck the back of his head after ricocheting twice near the corner, and McCoy collapsed, unconscious. Cap quickly chained him up. He freed the woman and removed the sensory deprivation helmet. She fell into his arms, weeping.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't have time to console you. You must get out of here, quickly." Cap said. The woman shook her head.
"No. I'm not helpless, I'll go with you and help you, for the only reason you could be here is to kill the fuhrer." the woman argued. Cap pinched her at the neck before she could protest and carried her sleeping form back to the room he'd entered from. He placed her outside and continued his quest.
When he finally reached the basement elevator entrance, Cap wedged his shield between the doors and used it to pry them apart. When he was in, he let the doors close and put his shield on his back.
After jumping up and sliding through the emergency door in the roof of the elevator, Steve drew a deep breath. It was going to be a long climb, he knew. He flexed his hands in preparation several times, then grabbed the metal cord and began his upward journey.
After climbing for what seemed like an hour, Cap's arms felt like they were about to give out. The pain that always followed physical stress was attacking him again, and his entire body ached. Why was this happening? Did it have something to do with being 'out' for thirty years? Nevertheless, Cap did not loosen his grip. He ignored the pain and continued the climb.
Soon after the pain attack, the elevator started moving. Cap held on as the cord carried him up, easing his job. It stopped still ten floors from Cap's goal, and he heard several people get on.
"I hope she's still alive. Dr. McCoy can be less than patient with his subjects." a woman with a clear, refined voice stated.
The next voice was heavily accented with the deep south. "Y'better worry, ma. Ol' Wolvie's been down there a while too."
Then all sound stopped. No moving, no talking, nothing. Then the smell of brimstone filled the shaft and a lithe, blue-fuzzed man with a tail stood atop the elevator. "There's a man up here, mother, just as I smelled." he said with a light German accent. He wore a uniform similar to those men who had been at the watch station.
Cap let himself drop, crashing into the place the man had been. Another pungent, black cloud was all that remained. The elevator jolted as it stopped suddenly. The man re-appeared, this time holding a woman wearing a black uniform bearing the SS symbols at her neck. "Destroy him, my children." the woman ordered. A fist from below knocked the emergency hatch off. Cap steeled himself for battle.
The elevator shaft became more crowded as a woman with long, flowing hair, a stripe of white extending from one temple, hovered or flew up to join them. The blue man reached for Cap, who instinctively ducked and allowed the man to land on his back. He then stood and smashed the man between the shaft wall and his shield, but another stinking puff of smoke proved that the man had teleported away.
"Hey shugah, you gonna die!" the younger woman screamed, punching at the place Cap's head had been. A deep indentation remained. Cap elbowed her in the midsection and brought his fist up to connect with her face. She spat blood and smiled, stepping back. She then fired a green bolt from her hand which hurt Cap to his very core.
The southern woman gloated. "Bio-electric blast, shug. I got all the powers that Spider-Woman had..before I killed her."
Cap reached both arms back and let his shield slide off of his shoulders and into his hands. When the woman blasted again, he blocked it, then swung it at her head. He clipped her, and she stumbled, dazed.
"That's my daughter!" the older woman said angrily. She launched into an attack against Steve, which he was barely able to counter. She was a highly-skilled martial artist. Cap had no choice but to drop into the elevator shaft, where the blue man waited for him.
"Sound the alarm, Kurt! Don't bother fighting him!" the martial artist yelled from above. Cap acted quickly, grabbing the man's arm. Another puff of smoke, but now Cap found himself in a barracks of sorts. His insides ached.
"Mein Gott! Cyclops and the Stormtroopers are gone!" the German was clearly in shock. Cap took advantage of this to render him unconscious with his shield.
"Very good, Captain America. You made it quite far!" came the voice which Cap would have though of as noble and comforting if not for it's place in this he.llhole. Cap turned slowly and looked at the face of a bald man in a wheelchair. Behind him, pushing the chair, was a huge man whose skin appeared to be living metal. The man spoke with a Russian accent: "The fuhrer speaks to you. Bow before him."
Here he was, finally at his goal. The accursed fuhrer of the 'master race' sat before him. "Xavier." Cap spat.
"I find it interesting that I am unable to eliminate you with a thought. Whoever is protecting your mind from me is quite powerful and has been overlooked, I have a potential competitor." Xavier stated.
Cap looked at the man with contempt. "I find the actions of your people to be repulsive. Your so-called master race acts without moral compunction." he accused.
Xavier smiled. "My people are beyond good and evil. It is not for one such as you to judge we who inherit the earth."
"Nietzsche and the bible quoted in the same breath. Does it not say that the meek shall inherit the earth?"
Xavier cracked a sleight smile and motioned to the colossus of a man that stood behind him. "Piotr, you may kill him now." The Russian stepped around the wheelchair and approached Captain America.
Captain America's first attack was directed at the big man's eyes, but he soon discovered that his eyes were as tough as his massive steel frame. The Russian grasped his wrist and yanked, tossing Cap across the room. He turned in midair, allowing his feet to collide against the wall, then flipped back to the ground.
"Impressive." the Russian muttered, charging him. Cap went low, ducking between his legs, then shoved his shield behind the man's knees, taking him to the ground. Cap brought the sharp of his shield down on the back of the Russian's neck, severing his brain stem. Piotr collapsed and died.
"Dare I say it, you may be the best that old humanity has to offer. You know, they called us mutants and taunted us when we began to appear, but I had a dream for my people. We are not mutants, we are the higher form of man." Xavier explained as Cap reclaimed his shield.
"No more talk." Cap said. He hated killing, but this indeed was war and this was the would-be master of the world. Cap crossed the room and raised the sharp of his shield.
He couldn't bring it down on the man.
"As strong as the protector of your mind is, I am STILL the fuhrer for a reason. Do you think the old man can so easily destroy the new man? Do you intend to plunge the world into darkness again? No, Steve Rogers, it will not be."
Cap dropped his shield.
"Now.. jump out the far window, plunge to your death." Xavier ordered. Cap felt the uncontrollable urge to do as the man commanded. This was a battle between his will, his body, and his mind, and his will was outnumbered. "RAAAAAGH!" he screamed, lifting Xavier onto his shoulder. He then proceeded to do what he could no longer fight the urge to do. He jumped.
A world full of blacktop opened up before him, framed by the buildings of New York. Xavier slid from his shoulder and they fell separately. There was nothing acrobatic that would save him from this height, no trick that would preserve his life. Even now he felt the rush of pain throughout his entire body.
Webs were the next thing he saw. A man in a red and blue costume swooped from another building and caught him, ferrying him to a nearby rooftop. Cap screamed in pain, a sound he had never made before, and found himself unable to move. He then blacked out.
Steve Rogers awoke in a hospital bed. His costume was draped across the nearby chair. He had IVs running into his arm, and a man in a red and blue costume stood over him, marking a notepad.
"You're the one that saved me." Cap said weakly, trying to sit up. The man pushed him down and held him down with one hand, using no effort.
"Captain, your body is in serious trouble right now. The super soldier serum is having a destructive effect on your muscular system. Thankfully I'm a chemist and I think I've come up with a way to keep you alive. You need lots of rest, the stresses your body has been under in the past few days has nearly disabled you."
Steve obeyed the orders of his apparent doctor, who pulled his mask up to his forehead. "Peter Parker, just so we're on equal standing as far as identities."
It was after several hours of sleep that Cap was allowed visitors. In stepped the regal form of Magneto. Following his was a beautiful redhead other than his daughter.
Magneto smiled down at Cap. "We recovered your shield when we stormed the hotel. Once Xavier was out of the way, we were able to overcome all resistance. We're still looking for Cyclops and his Stormtroopers."
Cap gave a weak thumbs up, but other than that he was mostly paralyzed.
"This young lady is Jean Grey. She's the one who protected your mind from Xavier's attacks."
Steve eased a hand up and took hers in his. He managed a weak smile, then passed out again.
[SIZE=3]ONE YEAR LATER[SIZE=1]
"It is now my great pleasure to present to you the president of the United States of America!"
The words were spoken by the new secretary of defense, the man formerly known as Magneto. The man who came to the podium, pushed by his wife, Jean Grey, was Steve Rogers. Against his protests, he was unanimously nominated to become the first leader of the free United States after Xavier's death. He was persuaded to run, and was elected with a 93% vote.
"I'm not special. I'm a man who many years ago chose to serve his nation, and was privileged to do so in a special way. Each and every one of you, my fellow Americans, has the capability within you to be a hero. I hope that many of you will, because the rebuilding process will require many such men and women.
"There are many places in the world still oppressed by the fuhrer's false doctrine, including Japan and the nations of the Pacific. We are honor-bound to do what we can to provide to these people the same liberty we enjoy here."
The short speech was met with thunderous applause, which ended in gasps as a beam of red energy cut across the gathering place from a nearby rooftop. It was Jean Grey that moved the shield to defend her husband, and Magneto that contained the attacker with a metal pole. Cyclops had at last been caught, the last holdout in America from the fuhrer's regime.
Steve Rogers served four consecutive terms as president before stepping down. He reminded the people that this was not a monarchy and that no one should rule for life. After sixteen years, the world had become a better place. Sunfire was overthrown and the Pacific was free. Things were not perfect, but they were alot better, and it was Steve Rogers, Captain America, who reminded them that it was not one person, but every person who chose to make a difference.
THE END!
Now that the story is over, I welcome any and all comments/criticism on it. Thank you for reading
Masada
freakazoid_x
07/06/2003, 00:30
I have been hanging on edge, reading every installment of this story, I was not disappointed. This was the most fantastic fanfic I've ever read. I thnk you should submit it to Marvel, I bet you anything they print it.
suprsktrjustn
07/06/2003, 00:32
Great story Masada, i really enjoyed how u brought heroes like the xmen, and showed them in a diferent light that i never thought about before, it was pretty cool.
Keep up the good writing
-Justin
invisibo
07/06/2003, 01:49
this is an excellent "What If?" comic. if it was made into a graphic novel, I'd definetly buy it.
phantom1592
07/06/2003, 02:15
Excellent story! I really enjoyed how you "altered" certain characters to show there "new" history. Most notably Rogue absorbing Spider-woman instead of Ms. Marvel and Quicksilver and Scarlet witch with different first names, since Magneto was around when they were young. ( at least that how I read it. Their mother ran off when she was pregnant didn't she? Mags didn't find out about them till they were grown, right? now I'm doubting my memory)
I'm glad you all liked it! I've started a second What If Story, and when it's done I'll open it to comments/criticism. I already have a third story lined up, and it'll be nothing like the first two.
Please, Lassie! Please don't die!
freakazoid_x
07/09/2003, 10:48
Please remember to post it here when your next story is up so I can find the thread easily.
Freakazoid..
A What-If Story #2 is complete.
A What-If Story #3 is getting there.
A What-If Story #4 just started.
Thanks for asking.
How's Cosgrove?
freakazoid_x
07/09/2003, 11:45
He's good, we went and got a sno-cone yesterday.
Is there some place where these stories are posted? Or have they yet to be posted?
harles2000
07/09/2003, 12:03
great story - i really enjoyed it. And I'm not even a Captain America fan. Too bad the X-men were evil though. I would love to hear how all that happened - the before they were evil special on E! lol.
That was a truly entertaining read. I caught the first few episodes a little while back and just came and finished it. You definitely have some very good storytelling talent. I'm gonna go hunt those other ones down right now.
Thanks for the story.
A What-If Story #3 is complete.
CyberVenom
07/11/2003, 16:52
Very excellent!! I can honestly say that I don't like to read fanfics, but this was pure brilliance! If you ever need anyone to adapt it to comic form (at least art-wise), I'm definately available!
darius_dax1
07/13/2003, 11:47
Here is my review:
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?postid=486965#post486965
A What-If Story #5 is complete.
A What-If Story #4 is complete! :)
For some odd reason, all the stand-alone A 's in this story are now red. ?!?!?!
Cancel that, they're not red anymore.
Colesy Kid
08/06/2003, 14:44
Wow
great read!!!
Logan Myrddin
08/14/2003, 14:14
Dude... stop writing these stories about other people's characters, and go get PAID! You're #### GOOD, MAN! Almost as good as me:devious: :grin: :p ;)
Legion-of-Doom
08/15/2003, 03:07
awesome
Great story. Was really interesting at the end with all the X-Men popping up. Really liked the assassiantion attempt at the end by Cyclops, though you'd think he'd hit Cap with a blast like that. Few questions though.....
1. If an adamantium blade can slice off Wolverines head through his adamantium spine, why couldn't Wolverine cut Caps shield with his adamantium blades?
2. Why hadn't Iron Man died earlier? If Magneto can control metel, shouldn't he have been able to take down Iron Man any day easily?
3. Why was Iron Man a nazi in the first place? He's not a mutant, or german for all I know.
Sorry to be a bit nit picky, but I can't let you get off easy with just praise, pal :).
Originally posted by dj_sha
Great story. Was really interesting at the end with all the X-Men popping up. Really liked the assassiantion attempt at the end by Cyclops, though you'd think he'd hit Cap with a blast like that. Few questions though.....
1. If an adamantium blade can slice off Wolverines head through his adamantium spine, why couldn't Wolverine cut Caps shield with his adamantium blades?
(Cap's shield is an alloy of Adamantium and Vibranium. It has properties and resiliency unique to the shield.)
2. Why hadn't Iron Man died earlier? If Magneto can control metel, shouldn't he have been able to take down Iron Man any day easily?
(Magneto could affect the other armors, but Stark prepared for such a contingency, which gives him an edge in case his fellow PanzerStark try anything)
3. Why was Iron Man a nazi in the first place? He's not a mutant, or german for all I know.
(Weak people are seduced by evil. The same weakness that allowed him to become a self-pitying alcoholic in the regular Marvel U allowed him to be swayed by Xavier. You'll notice that some of the soldiers on the base were american boys.)
Sorry to be a bit nit picky, but I can't let you get off easy with just praise, pal :).
spidergirl1
11/08/2003, 11:49
nice!!!
freakazoid_x
12/11/2003, 12:13
I am taking it upon myself to give all of Masadas old stories a fresh bump as a tribute to the currently away due to illness Masada. We miss you, get well soon.
I'm still hanging on edge for the continuation of what-if 12
spidergirl1
12/12/2003, 17:44
how do u know hes sick?
you know him personally or something?
freakazoid_x
12/12/2003, 18:11
do a search for the thread "I need your prayers" the whole story is there.
These haven't been up on the front page in months, so...
Mr_Clicky
05/29/2004, 09:45
The only point of "critisicm" I can find is that it is too short ;)
If you rewrote it into a longer story and as a script I actually think Marvel would consider publishing it. It so good in fact that it could be Marvel's Kingdome Come if it gets a good artist.
One character I would like to see included though is Thor. Which side would the asgardian take in this battle? The nazi's were paying lot's of homage to their norse ancestry and they promoted many of the social viewpoints that were predominant in the viking-beliefsystem.
Then you could have a Nazi-Thor vs Hulk showdown :classic:
Anyone read the comic called "The Life Eaters"? It's about a WWII-scenario where the axis have won due to help from the norse gods. Excellent story and art.
CandySuxxx
09/02/2004, 19:55
he will be missed.
Thanos thrall
09/02/2004, 20:59
Originally posted by CandySuxxx
he will be missed.
Very much so
supermangl1
09/02/2004, 22:09
Wow that was an excellent story. Could someone submit this to Marvel in honor of Masada. I told him he had my prayers and he did...grace unto you my friend:sleep: .
CarlosMucha
09/02/2004, 22:19
I dont know if you feel the same but is very sad see the name Masada and "offline". He will be missed
PrankMonkey
09/02/2004, 22:33
Originally posted by Masada
These haven't been up on the front page in months, so...
Don't worry friend, we here won't forget you or your stories.
God rest your tiered body. Now go and have your long over due peace. Your last breath shall carry your stories forever.
:cry: :cry: :sleep:
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