The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Community - The Birth and Death of a Legend

From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:06 am (UTC) December, 1940 (Link)

Steve Rogers has undergone a number of tests. He’s had intense training. He’s taken a number of unusual vitamins. He’s not sure what all this is about. But it’s for the good of the country. He’ll do what needs to be done. They say they’ll somehow make him into the ultimate soldier. But he has no idea how.

At last, the day comes for Operation: Rebirth to reach its climax. Rogers is brought into the lab. Nearby, several men from the government watch behind a window.

Professor Erskine, the man in the lab coat beside the General back when Steve tried to enlist, is waiting. He straps Steve to a table and stabs a needle into his arm, then lowers a projector of some sort over Steve’s body.

The young man feels a terrible sensation tearing through his body. He feels as if every muscle in his body is on fire, but he doesn’t let out any sort of cry. The feeling passes quickly, to replaced by a stretching sensation.

Steve blinks, barely noticing the gasps of the government men.

Until one of those men pulls a gun and shoots. Erskine collapses to the ground, even as the gunman shouts about serving the Reich. Steve moves automatically, without even thinking. Tearing the restraints away from the table, he leaps for the window, pulling the gunman away from one of the hostages he has already taken. He throws the man further into the lab… and the man flies through the air as though he weighed as much as a potato. He slams into the machine that had just been projecting rays onto Steve’s body, sending electricity arcing out of it. As the gunman, stunned, attempts to get to his feet, he pulls on a stray cable from the machine to steady himself. There’s a burst of electricity, and the smell of ozone.

The gunman doesn’t get up again.

By the time Steve makes it to the professor, the other doctors leaning over him have declared him dead. Lieutenant Glass moves to Steve to try to guide him out of the way, to let others handle the scene.

And that’s when Steve looks up at a mirror… and freezes.

He stares for a long moment at the stranger staring back at him.

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From: the_extras Date: May 20th, 2009 05:12 am (UTC) The Following Week (Link)

“An’ that’s what you said last week, too!” the first man snarls.

“An the week before that!” the second adds.

The third man says nothing. He just stares, scowling, cracking his knuckles one at a time.

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:13 am (UTC) Re: The Following Week (Link)

“Boys!” the youth standing before them insists. “You have to understand the position I’m in! My driver… the one who gets me good stuff at a great price… a saving I pass along to you, by the way… has suffered a terrible personal tragedy!” He begins to sniff, holding back tears. “His daughter… his little angel of light… was brutally struck down by a car! Horrible! Horrible! The doctors… they… they… they don’t know if she’s gonna make it!” His expression grows more pained. “My driver… as you could well understand… is devastated by all of this! What can I do? What?” He spits angrily, but doesn’t look them in the eye. “Force him to leave his little girl’s bedside because all of you want cheap cigarettes?” He gives them an angry glance, which quickly turns into one of submission. “You wouldn’t want me to do that, would you now?” He swallows. “Would you?” Then he pinches up his face, to get ready for a punch.

After a moment, he opens one eye, to see what they might be doing.

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From: the_extras Date: May 20th, 2009 05:14 am (UTC) Re: The Following Week (Link)

Just in time for the silent one to grab him by his shirt. “YOU LYING LITTLE DOUBLE-CROSSING GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SNOT-NOSED…”

The first man nudges his elbow. “Hey, Max… we got company.”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:15 am (UTC) Re: The Following Week (Link)

A blond private approaches the group of men, carrying a small hammer. “Excuse me, guys… does this belong to one of you?”

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:15 am (UTC) Re: The Following Week (Link)

“THERE you are!” the youth declares, moving towards the new arrival. “Finally! Why didn’t you call? How’s your sweet girl? She’s dead?! How horrible! Where’re the smokes? You didn’t bring them?” He begins to step closer to the private, driving him back… and away from the other men. “You lost the shipment? You got pinched? Oh, great! What do I tell these guys? The things I have to deal with…” He turns back to the three angry men. “Boys, I’m going to have to straighten this out. ‘Scuse us for a minute…” He grabs the private’s arm to lead him away… and is surprised by the strength in the man’s arms, but doesn’t say anything. “Now let’s see what kind of damage you’ve done, you lummox!”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:16 am (UTC) Re: The Following Week (Link)

Steve frowns. He’s been placed in this camp in secret – no one here knows what he’s been through, or how the army is planning to use him. He’s been told to keep a low profile, and even act dumb if necessary. But this just seems altogether strange.

“Uhm… you mind telling me what just happened?”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:25 am (UTC) In the Following Weeks (Link)

They used one of Steve’s sketches to design a uniform. They gave him armor. They gave him a shield.

And suddenly, Captain America is all anyone is talking about.

He defeats saboteurs from Germany and Japan. He prevents an assassination attempt on the president’s life. He brings in fifth columnists and other threats.

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:26 am (UTC) Late One Night: (Link)

Bucky sits up with a start. “Whuzzat? Whozzere?” Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he slips out of bed and slides into his pants. He’s sure he heard someone.

He slips on his jacket, and he heads out of his tent. He’s can hear someone in the storage tent. After Captain America busted those smugglers on this base, Bucky’s been keeping his eyes open. There might be more around here. And if so, they’re in for a big surprise.

He slips into the tent quietly, lowers the flashlight on the figure he sees, and turns on the light.

“Peekaboo, I see…you… STEVE?!”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:26 am (UTC) Re: Late One Night: (Link)

There in the center of the flashlight was Steve… but in the uniform of Captain America, the mask still in his hands.

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:27 am (UTC) Re: Late One Night: (Link)

“…You’re Captain America?!” Bucky begins to laugh. “I knew no one could be as gullible and stupid and dopey as you pretended to be!”

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From: the_extras Date: May 20th, 2009 05:28 am (UTC) Re: Late One Night: (Link)

There’s a snap/click as Lieutenant Glass steps out from her hiding place, a gun trained on Bucky. “Don’t make a move, kid.”

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:29 am (UTC) Re: Late One Night: (Link)

Bucky blinks, and gives her his most charming smile. “Hey there, now… hey there… put that thing down before you hurt someone, Ma’am.”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:44 am (UTC) In the Following Years (Link)

But Bucky did go to France with Steve. And in the years to follow, he went nearly everywhere with him. He proved that he could do dirty tricks that Steve couldn’t. He could scout areas that Steve couldn’t manage. And while he wasn’t as good of a fighter as Captain America, intensive training as the years went on only helped to make Bucky one of the most capable fighters in the costumed set.

A metallurgical accident created a disk of indestructible metal. It was given to Captain America as a replacement for his old shield, and he soon learned how to use it as an incredible weapon, wielding it by hand as well as throwing it as a discus.

They worked together with other heroes, forming the Invaders. When the Invaders were mind-controlled by the Red Skull, Bucky gathered other heroes and helped form the Liberty Legion, which continued to battle the forces of evil after Bucky returned to the freed Invaders.

Captain America and Bucky did not only work with the Invaders. From time to time, they would work on solo missions together…

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From: third_reich Date: May 20th, 2009 05:46 am (UTC) January 15, 1945 (Link)

“Who vill it be to die first, Herr Captain?” Baron Zemo’s face is lost beneath a mask, permanently affixed there after a fight with Captain America early in the war. But if it hadn’t been, he’d be smiling right now. The room smells of blood and sweat. His flag-clad enemy is chained before him, unmasked, forced to kneel. And made to watch while a powerful interrogator uses his whip on the chained Bucky.

“Who vill sit by while his comrade screams his last, I vonder?”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:47 am (UTC) Re: January 15, 1945 (Link)

Captain America says nothing. He stares, filled with rage, but he won’t give Zemo the pleasure.

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From: third_reich Date: May 20th, 2009 05:47 am (UTC) Re: January 15, 1945 (Link)

“Or perhaps I will take zis one’s eyes instead… like you took my face from me.” Zemo moves to Bucky and takes his chin in his hands, turning the young man’s face towards the Captain. The young man isn’t a teenager anymore; he’s nearly 21.

“Would you like to watch zat?” Zemo says, drawing a blade.

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:48 am (UTC) Re: January 15, 1945 (Link)

Captain America lurches against his chains. “NO!” he screams.

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:49 am (UTC) Re: January 15, 1945 (Link)

Bucky coughs, spitting a bit of blood between his teeth. His chest is torn and bloody from the whip of the interrogator. “It’s okay, Cap…” he mutters. “This Ratzi would be lucky to be able to figure out which edge of the blade was pointy unless he tested on himself first…”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:52 am (UTC) (Link)

Zemo never had the chance. They had come to this castle in the English Channel, where Zemo had a secret base, to stop a new bomb-drone that Zemo had designed; they broke out of his prison later that very day in time to see it launched. Knowing the number of people the plane would kill, they rushed after it, down the runway, on one of the Nazi motorcycles they managed to utilize.

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:52 am (UTC) (Link)

“I can make it, Cap!” Bucky announces, reaching out for the drone as Steve hits the accelerator on the motorcycle. “I can make it!”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:54 am (UTC) (Link)

“Bucky, wait!” Cap warns. But Bucky grabs the wing, and starts reaching up for the controls. Running out of runway space, Cap guns the engine one last time, grabbing hold of the tail of the plane. The motorcycle flies off the end of the runway, falling into the frozen waters of the Channel.

“Wait!” Cap warns. “It’s probably booby-trapped!”

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:54 am (UTC) (Link)

“I see it!” Bucky spits, even as he realizes he’s tripped it. “Aw God, Cap, it’s gonna blow!”

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From: cap_a Date: May 20th, 2009 05:55 am (UTC) (Link)

Cap attempts to move further up the plane, to help him disarm the bomb… but suddenly, he feels the plane begin to slide out from under his grip. “I’m losing my grip! Bucky! Let go!”

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From: wwii_hero Date: May 20th, 2009 05:56 am (UTC) (Link)

“I can’t!” Bucky declares, frantically trying to pull his sleeve free from where it caught in the mechanism. “I’m stuck!”

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