Earth 1998

Winter Soldier

The city of San Cortes was one founded on blood. It was 'discovered' by Spanish Conquistadors who in turn shot all the natives dead. It wouldn't be Spanish long as the Americans came to view it as rightfully theirs. San Cortes looked just like any other city. With business towers the scrapped the skies and billboards flashed advertising various products. And just like any other city it had its vermin.

On this night, sirens blared, gun muzzles flashed with vigor, and gunshots roared as two cop cars sped after an SUV full of gang members. Armed with submachine guns firing out the back. Bullets whizzed all over the place most missing the intended target. The police fired right back with their handguns neither bullets scattering about in every direction. One cop had a savage look across his face he wanted to nail these guys hard he'd already lost two good men on this night. The thugs, however, were desperate not to go to jail. A stray bullet struck the right side rearview mirror sending sparks flying as the mirror exploded.

"Damn it you two! Hit the damn bastards!" The driver shouted.

"We're trying!" Shouted one of the gunners, "It ain't easy with your driving!"

"If I don't drive like this there'll be a bullet through the back of my skull! Man up and deal with it."

One of the gunners, a former marine who'd fallen on hard times after he had returned from the war, sat on the right holding an MP5 submachine gun. He held fire as he lined up the next shot, figuring he'd wasted enough ammo. The real issue was he didn't really want to kill a cop. The other gunner, some thug from 11th street, was different. He'd gotten them into this situation with his quick trigger finger. The marine fired a burst of three bullets directed at the first cop car's tire. It burst, air flying out. The cop car flipped. The other one slammed its breaks. The tires squealed loudly as the car swerved to the right crashing into a building.

"Nice shooting Myers!" The Driver shouted as both shooters returned to the vehicle.

"Look!" Shouted the navigator.

There standing in the dark was a figure. It/He was dressed in dark blue gear, a mask, and long black hair with a metallic robust silver arm glimmered on the figures right side. Then with lightning speed up came a black pistol.

Bang!

One bullet struck the front right tire causing it to pop. The vehicle seemed to trip over itself as a human does when missing a step on the way down a staircase. The vehicle's back went right into the air and landed hard on its roof knocking out the driver Everyone else found themselves hanging upside down. Myers the man who'd shot the cop car knew not to panic in a situation such as this one.

The former marine was always prepared. He reached for a knife he kept concealed in his jacket to discover it wasn't there. He looked down to see it had fallen on the healing below him. He reached out for it grunting as he stretched. He grabbed the handle with the tips of his fingers and brought up enough to get a better hold on it with his other hand. He then tire out the knife and cut the seat belt lose. His victory was short lived as gravity seized him pulling him to the ceiling. There was a thud as he landed on his back.

Now all that was left was getting out of the vehicle. He then looked to the window which had shattered sharp glass sparkled all over the ground in front of him. What came next was pain.

It took Myers two agonizing minutes before he finished crawling on his arms and legs through the f razor-sharp glass. He grunted and formed a face contorted in pain as the glass jabbed into the palms of his hands. Once he was out though he let out a sigh brushing the blood dripping from his hands aside.

"Didn't think to bring the gun?" Questioned a dark voice.

Myers tried to turn around only for his neck to be seized by a metal arm. His whole body was raised into the air. He dug his fingers into the little space between the metal fingers and his neck trying to pry them apart, as if flesh and bone were stronger than metal.

The other gunner ,the one from eleventh street, had made it out was crouched on the other side of the vehicle. In his hands rested the barrel of a black MP5 submachine gun. He exhaled and then rose looking down the sights of the gun. The assassin heard the exhale. His head whipped towards the noise. The pistol in his other hand fired the bullet making contact racing through the air meeting the gunner right in the forehead. The man's body shot backwards as blood from his forehead shot out back out in the opposite direction. Then there was a thud as the gunner hit the ground and stayed there.

"I'm going to let go you seem smart, don't do anything that would cause you to end up like your friend over there." He gestured, nodding at the dead body on the ground in a pool of blood, a bullet imbedded in his skull.

He dropped the man who gasped for air taking in as much as possible. The man found himself on his hands and knees practically bowing before his captor. It was only after he was done that he realized a gun was to his face.

"We're not done are we?" Myers questioned again.

"No, we're not." The assassin said, "Heckler and Koch MP5 not a bad choice but definitely not legal. I've monitored your activities for a while. Tell me who's supplying the MP5s? I'd like to meet him. Maybe get one myself."

"If I tell you that I'll end up dead or worse! ."

"Who would kill you?"

"The very man you want to find."

The assassin paused nodding his head. It was a very reasonable argument, after all snitches get stitches. Extracting information out of a man who knew he would be tortured to death for doing so was an impossible task. Unless of course, you established trust and or mutual understanding.

"What's your name?" The Assassin asked crouching to meet a tired out thug face to face.

"Myers."

"Myers, tell me: how will a dead man exact vengeance upon a living man? Don't tell me you believe in ghosts."

Myers was silent, his eyes angled upwards as he considered his options. This assassin would kill him if he didn't talk. And judging from how he'd predicted the exact route the gang would take he was very capable. Trouble was their boss was very selective about who knew his exact whereabouts.

"There's a Russian, people call him the Cossack due to his brutality and skill with a Russian saber. Him and his people supply guns and drugs to anyone who asks. I don't know his location but he's got a middle man named Ivan, just Ivan, his people don't do last names. He essentially runs the smuggling. He provides the goods for us to run and hires new runners. I'm simply a delivery boy."

"Where can I find him?"

"Changes location all the time. We only know after he arranges a meeting," Myers replied.

"Call him. Tell him the cops seized the guns and killed your guys, and you need new guns tonight or the customer won't be satisfied. Then forward me the location of the meet."

"He'll call the customer to clarify."

"Trust me the customer will comply."

Myers simply nodded knowing you didn't screw with a man like this. He took out his cell phone dialed up Ivan's number and did as he was told. Then after brief conversation hung up. The assassin stood there holding his pistol. Minutes later the sound of a vibrating phone rang and it became clear how this man ran into them. The assassins raised a phone to his ear staring at Myers holding. Myers was surprised knowing he'd just been used as bait this man clearly knew everything already just needed to get Ivan out in the open.

"Hello, " The assassin said in a drastically different voice, "Yes tonight damn it! The deals off if I don't have them in five hours!"

After that, he hung up and waited again still holding the pistol. Then Myers's phone rang. He answered. There was a bunch of shouting then it ceased and Myers hung up.

"Parking lot Walmart on eighth street 12:30." He replied.

The assassin took out a smoke grenade setting it off. When it cleared the assassin was gone.

"Was that?" the driver questioned coming to for the last bit.

"Yes, it was the Winter fucking Soldier," Myers said relieved he was alive but now his whole life hinged on one man killing every boss and underboss in the local Russian mob in a single night.

The Winter Soldier arrived in San Cortes a year ago. He tried to keep a low profile seeking to abandon a life of violence. But San Cortes proved to be a city built on violence. It wasn't long after he'd gotten there when he'd witnessed a group of thugs trying to extort the restaurant he was washing dishes for. The owner didn't pay. The thugs shot him seven times then fled. The Winter Soldier did nothing to prevent the owner's death that blood was on his hands. He could have killed all the thugs in a moment and prevented an innocent man's murder, but he didn't. He just stood there. It was in that moment he made up his mind. He could not simply sit still while San Cortes's streets ran red with blood. Not while he had the ability to do something about it. So he bought a Glock off the streets and tracked down the thugs. He shot all of them, leaving three dead and seven wounded. He didn't feel the need to finish the seven his point was made. And that's what set the Winter Soldier down his current path.

He returned to his rented apartment filled with shotguns, sub-machine guns, and pistols he'd stolen from black market dealers. He built a wall with the faces of every major member of the local Russian mob on a web. Ivan was on the wall and was directly connected to the Cossack. And now he knew their location. Ivan was sure in for a surprise.

The Winter Soldier quickly turned to his growing armory. He'd need Ivan alive so going wild with a shotgun was very risky but a pistol put him at a serious disadvantage if he had bodyguards packing fully automatic weapons. Then there were submachine guns. They fired pistol rounds at full auto if he aimed for the shoulder or other non vital areas of the body it would wound and disable Ivan without destroying him on impact and in close quarters it put him on even footing against men with fully automatic weapons.

He'd only had one in his collection and that was the Heckler and Koch UMP 45 which had five magazines each with 25 bullets totaling 135 bullets. That was more than enough. He had smoke grenades and flash grenades as well but he was running low and needed to ration them. So he simply strolled past the grenades without giving them a second look.

He looked out the window making sure nobody was watching. He had multiple routes of exit, but the balcony window was the quickest. The Winter Soldier sprinted over opened it and used a rope to sling down as soon as the coast was clear. He had magazines strapped to his chest and a SMG hanging on his shoulder. And, also had a Glock on his leg but that was only for emergencies if he didn't have enough time to reload the SMG or it jammed, black market goods were not always reliable goods depending on the source. He wasn't sure the dealers he'd used were reliable since it was hard to talk to a men with a robotic fist in their face.

He used a different vehicle every night also stolen from criminals. Usually, he did a lot of reconnaissance just to keep himself supplied before taking on gangs. The criminal who he had robbed tonight drove a red mustang it was loud so Winter Soldier was going to have to be very quick in his attack or stop a block away and walk to not tip off Ivan.

It was 12:29 pm and Ivan was waiting for his gun runners with a whole new set of weapons ordered by this client. He was getting impatient as replacing those arms was not easy, their client had a very expensive taste. So much so he was tempted to simply have his five bodyguards kill the smugglers for their incompetence. His boss wouldn't care. The lives of a few smugglers were cheap and easily replaceable. That was usually why his smugglers didn't screw up.

He raised his sleeve to check his watch again as one of his bodyguards lita cigarette. Then a quick burst of three shots broke the silence hitting the bodyguard. Blood shot from the man's chest as he hit the ground. Ivan drew his handgun, a Makarov, and dove to the other end of the vehicle. The other four bodyguards had no clue where the shot came from. Four more shots rang out but the pattern changed to semi-automatic fire. Two of the bodyguards went down one dead with a shot to the head the other fell wounded. The Winter Soldier revealed himself coming from left side of the parking lot near the entrance of the store. firing off the submachine gun in two three-round bursts Ivan ducking as his last bodyguards hit the ground dead. The wounded man screamed from the ground.

The Winter Soldier moved forward, keeping his eyes down the sights of the UMP 45. Sirens in the distance sounded some had heard the screams and notified the police. The man had to be silenced he was one of Ivan's paid killers, after all, it wasn't exactly like sparring him would do any good anyway.

Bang!

The bullet went right through the man's forehead and then there was silence. Well, almost Ivan's breathing was heavy and desperate. And desperate men took desperate measures.

Ivan sprang from his cover with the handgun raised and was promptly shot twice in both his shoulder blades as he pulled the trigger. At the same time he fired a single gun shot the bullet whizzing off to nowhere. Ivan then hit the ground wounded. The Winter Soldier sprinted over to the arms dealer and grabbed him by his shirt collar, throwing him against the car, hard. Ivan was responsible for arming most of the gangs in San Cortez. Those guns were used to murder cops, men, women, and children. If that wasn't bad enough the Winter Soldier had ample evidence he'd started gang wars to boost his sales. If it wasn't for the fact the Winter Soldier was after the Cossack he'd kill Ivan then and there.

The distant choir of sirens was becoming less distant as well he'd have to speed this up. Meaning torture was going to be the main tactic.

"So your the buyer? Figures," Ivan said as he coughed.

"Shut up," The Winter Soldier said, "Where's your boss, the Cossack?"

"Ha!" Ivan said, "I know how this works I tell you and then you kill me! Well fuck that and fuck you."

The Winter Soldier used his robotic arm to seize Ivan's right hand, specifically the man's thumb, swiftly crushing it. It made a sick snapping noise. He covered the Russian mobster's mouth muddling the man's screams of pain, watching Ivan's eyes grow wide. He waited nearly two minutes for the man to calm done. The cops were closing in.

"Shall I break another or are you going to tell me what I want to know?" The Winter Soldier asked, seizing the man's pointer finger next.

"Alright! Alright!" Ivan shouted, "Guys got a mansion at the beach, house number: eight, five, nine, two."

"Any other useful information you care to give or are we done here?" The Winter Soldier questioned letting the man fall to his knees.

"I told you what you wanted to know let me go." Ivan said, "I'm a dead man anyway."

The Winter Soldier said nothing. He simply drew his pistol and shot Ivan point blank in the forehead, blood splattered across the vigilante's mask. Most nights he may not have been this harsh. He might have maybe even let the wounded hitman go with a few gunshot wounds. But he in order to get this far he'd told his earlier informant he'd kill the entire mob. Was the informant a street thug sure but a promise had to be kept. The hitmen weren't simple street thugs, not the ones the Cossack tasked. They were usually foreign mercenaries, many ex-Spetsnaz professional killers. They would be out here doing what they did even if they were given a second chance and most would pay Myers a visit for getting their contractor killed. Ivan himself would definitely figure out Myers ratted on him and kill him. The Winter Soldier didn't kill those men because they deserved it. He wasn't God, nor had they personally wronged him. He did it because he knew their actions would hurt others down the road.

He moved on going to the back of Ivan's SUV, opening the back. Inside was an M259 machine gun, two fifty caliber desert eagle handguns, a GC36C carbine, an FN Scar H Sniper Rifle referred to as the SSR by pros, carbon fiber combat knives, an RPG grenade launcher, a samurai sword, and enough ammunition for days. He jumped in the driver seat after stealing the keys from Ivan's body. There was only one beach in San Cortez, finding the Cossack's house wasn't going to be too difficult.

The Cossack was the most feared Russian mobster in California. He had people everywhere including law enforcement both local and federal. No court could jail him because no evidence was ever available to justify it. He was, despite what the American constitution stated, above the law. The Cossack enjoyed this status to its maximum. Almost everything he owned was illegally acquired, if a cop didn't accept his offer he simply had them killed and replaced. His contacts would clean up the evidence. The Cossack was easily the most powerful man in all of San Cortez. Some would call him a supervillain. He wore that like a badge of honor because super villains were the type of people that got what they wanted and the Cossack certainly got what he wanted. To add to his supervillain status he dressed in Cossack attire with his Cossack military uniform. It was the world war two design the Cossack's wote when they severed the nazis. Completed of course in nazi grey with an iron cross badge hanging from the chest. Then the eagle over the swastika planted firmly over the left pocket of the uniform. The same Eagle planted on the black pelt hat that Cossacks had always traditionally worn before the nazi eagle was added.

-x-

"Do you know the secret to power?" He questioned a badly beaten cop who had gotten too curious for his own good, "Of course you don't otherwise you wouldn't find yourself in this position with me having my men beat you like an unwanted child."

"Interesting choice of words for you."

The Cossack nodded to his man who punched the cop hard in the face giving him a black eye. He then went closer to the man who hung from chains.

"Fear is what I was about to say. Fear is the greatest motivator of men that is why. I can do what I want, people fear what will happen if they try to stop me because they have witnessed what happens to those who do try." The Cossack then gave a sharp hand signal as he stepped back.

His men lowered the prisoner to the ground the chains coming off. The cop stood up and rubbed his wrists. The Cossack turned back around staring down upon the cop. A Glock in his hand handle pointed towards the cop. The cop grabbed it felt the weight. It was loaded. The Cossack stepped a few paces back.

"Now is your chance to gain the fear of others. Shoot me dead before I cut your head from your body and you shall leave here untouched. Fail and the same blade that would have gone through your neck shall taste the blood of both your wife and son."

It sounded simple enough the cop pulled the hammer back and made sure the safety was switched off.

Bang!

It happened much too fast for anyone to actually perceive what occurred in that moment. It seemed the bullet had made it out of the barrel but by the time it had the Cossack had drawn his saber and moved dodging the bullet. The blade with one swing separated the officer's head from his body sending both it and blood flying across the room. The headless body laid at the Cossack's feet still leaking blood . The Cossack then proceeded to hack away at what remained of the body, painting the walls of his basement red and drenching his saber as the he laughed.

The SUV pulled up in front of the tall black metal gates that had surrounded the mansion. The two guards stood holding AK47s. The door opened and two gunshots screamed and two bullets met two chests. The impact was devastating completely shattering the both men's chests blood splattered everywhere. Winter Soldier holding one of the desert eagles stood over their bodies. He walked over to the gate and with a single punch from his robotic arm the door to the gate flew right off its hinges. A clanking noise echoed as the gate crashed to the ground. Then the Soldier grabbed the carbine from the car flipping off the safety as he held it in both hands. He also threw the RPG over his shoulder with a strap as he strolled past the gate.

He identified the garage which opened to reveal nice sports cars and a whole squadron of armed riflemen. The Winter Soldier very quickly threw the carbine up. The sights in front of his face. He squeezed the trigger the shots screaming out.

The Cossack in his basement over the chopped up body turned to his men. The gunshots echoed. His face was one of anger for the incompetence of his men to allow such an attack. More so how had this attacker found him? To that there was only one answer. The Cossack wasn't sure if he was more angered or impressed by the man who worked up the nerve to snitch.

"Don't just stand there go!" He said waving his bloody blade at his guards.

The Winter Soldier looked at the garage which was now filled with bodies and blood. He unslung the RPG from his shoulder firing it off at one of the cars in the garage. The rocket-propelled grenade struck it sending it up in flame and smoke. It his a fuel line triggering a larger explosion. The whole garage was ablaze. Guards came bursting through the front door. The Winter Soldier reacted fast, throwing the rocket launcher at them and one took the impact in the forehead and hit the ground knocked out cold.

The vigilante then went into a roll fast enough to avoid several volleys of bullets that struck the ground where he just was. He went into a crouch aiming the GC36C again and squeezing the trigger. The gun walling on full auto as the rifle rounds ripped through the guards a pile of bodies formed at the front door. More guards charged only to be shot dead before they could so much as aim. The Winter Soldier pulled the trigger again hearing a sharp click instead of a bang. He dropped the weapon and drew the fifty caliber pistol firing it eight times as he charged into the mansion.

After killing several other guards the Winter Soldier arrived in the living room to clear it. The Cossack attacked fast taking the Winter Soldier by surprise. He came from behind saber raised ready to strike. The Winter Soldier's reflexes were also quick. He managed to block a slash from the saber with his robotic arm. He tried to aim the fifty caliber pistol at Cossack's gut but the Russian crime lord was definitely genetically enhanced as he pulled away quickly and kicked the gun from the Winter Soldier's hand. The Winter Soldier moved fast, dodging several strikes that just kept coming. He then drew both knives and charged, timing it just right as he plunged both blades into the man's gut. The Cossack rammed the Winter Soldier hard on the back of the vigilante's neck with the butt of the sword causing the Solder to flinch for half a second. The Cossack took advantage using the slip to throw him off. The Winter Soldier still clutching his knives hit a sofa with a crash.

Another car had rolled into the courtyard. A team of mercs with night vision goggles stormed the building as the lights were cut. The Cossack turned and ran for the door. The Winter Soldier turned to see the faint green glow from the mercs night vision goggles. He sprang over the sofa, dodging a burst of three bullets. As the merc moved his gun to shoot up the sofa Winter Soldier shot up drawing two carbon fiber knives and threw then towards the merc. They flew right threw the night vision goggles causing the glass to crack and the lights to pop with tiny sparks as the knives themselves plunged right into both eyes of the mercenary. The mercenary hit the ground screaming in anguish.

Two other mercs standing over their comrade's body opened fire. Winter Soldier sprung into the basement door for cover. The two mercs charged over thinking they could take Winter Soldier point blank. The first one found his face smashed in by a robotic arm sending him flying back as Winter Soldier stole the pistol right out of the holster on his belt and raised it shooting the other twice in the head blood hitting the vigilante who moved quick. He pressed the trigger again seeing a third merc but the damn thing jammed. The Merc didn't see the Winter Soldier immediately turned to the side. So the vigilante sprung towards the merc with knives in his eyes who'd passed out from pain. He ripped the knives right out of the man's eye sockets they had been embedded in. The last merc turned hearing the sound of knives being drawn from human eyes. This was only to have two knives go across his neck. The merc hit the ground suffocating on his own blood. Both knives went back on Winter Soldier's belt as the vigilante stole one of the mercs submachine guns an MP5 though he wasn't so confident in it after the pistol malfunction.

Winter Soldier charged outside to see Cossack had disappeared. He lowered it muttering a curse under his breath he needed to find and kill Cossack asap. He may not even have time to stop by his own home to grab grenades. He heard a grunt and turned to see the bodyguard he'd knocked out earlier moving around. He almost shot him but knew this was his only link to find the Cossack before the mourning before he had enough time to deduce that it was a snitch that started all of this and kill Myers.

"No need to torture me I'll talk," The bodyguard said who also figured Winter Soldier would be skeptical, "If you don't kill Cossack by mourning he'll ask questions about how I survived or why a man knocked out was left with a bullet in him. He's like the KGB very detailed very deadly he'll have me and my family killed for any one of those reasons if not simply for incompetence. I'll give him up because right now you're the only chance my family has. It doesn't matter that I was his top guard or that I served with him in FSB Spetsnaz I'm just a pawn to him if you can understand that."

Winter Soldier thought for a second knowing he could only think for a second then lowered the gun. He would simply trust this man.

"I know what it's like to be a pawn I know it all too well," Winter Soldier replied, "I'll make sure Cossack's dead before he has even a second to touch your family."

"Good, he's arranged a meeting with his underbosses tomorrow at a restaurant he's extorted told the owners to close it for the occasion. I can give you the exact address latter he will go there despite this incident because he is overconfident thinking I fear him to the point where I would stay silent because he also assumes everyone around him's fool enough to believe loyalty equates to security. Or he may be expecting you but he will go nonetheless and the whole shopping outlet will be filled with his guards this will be no easy task for you to accomplish."

"I can manage just give me the address and anything else you know about the security detail."

The shopping outlet was right off the interstate had eight buildings that wrapped around in a U shape the restaurant was on the right side of the U. There were no cars in the parking lot but there were plenty of people in the stores all hired mercenaries many former FSB Alpha or Vympel group Spetsnaz. Highly trained killers the Cossack always surrounded himself by highly trained killers.

Winter Soldier drove into the parking lot with the SUV and withdrew the M259 and let it hang from his shoulder instead aiming down the sights of the semi-automatic sniper rifle known as the Scar H SSR. He opened fire exactly five times the shots ring out the bullets shattering the window and striking the five mercs inside. Each hit the ground screaming Winter Soldier made sure to specifically aim for non-vital areas arms and legs and hit in such a way the bullet went straight out every time. He had decided when it came to henchmen immobilize when possible kill only if absolutely necessary. As of now, people's lives were in danger not just Myers and the Russian merc but also their families when we're ultimately detached to their actions. So if they stood between him and Cossack or the underbosses and there was no fast way to do it those mercs would be dead mercs.

Winter Soldier's next move he withdrew the MP5 SMG he still had and shot out all the windows before throwing it. The mercs were about to move Winter Soldier chucked stun grenades in two of the buildings taking everyone in those buildings down as he went into a roll dodging gunfire from the other buildings. He aimed the machine gun at the restaurant opening fire shattering the window glass raining down. More bullets riddled all the underbosses inside who hit the ground dead a pool of blood-engulfing the floor. The Cossack dove behind a counter for cover. Winter Soldier turned around to handle the mercs positioned behind him in other buildings. Throwing more stun grenades taking several down. He then took out a Glock he'd grabbed from home and opened fire until the clip was empty ten men who tried to move in as a group all hit the ground bullets had ripped through their bodies five weren't moving at all. A truly regretful loss.

"Cossack!" Winter Soldier shouted, "Come out here like a man and let's end this. There's no need for further bloodshed of your dogs. Just you and me!"

Cossack was still ducked down behind the counter he knew if he revealed his position he was definitely a dead man Winter Soldier would simply gun him down.

"You want duel that it!" He shouted back.

"That's what a fight between two people is!" Winter Soldier shouted back, "Order your men to put their weapons on the ground and walk out here and face me!"

"Fine!" Cossack shouted believing he would win, "Lower your weapons!"

The men who had been stunned who were slowly coming to and found that an easy order. Everyone else was wounded and couldn't raise if they wanted to. However,r everyone thought Winter Soldier crazy to face this man in a fair one on one fight but it seemed to be happening as the vigilante lowered his gun to the ground.

"Alright now come out!" Winter Soldier shouted, "And relax I'm not going to gun you down your men can assure you of that."

"He's lowered his gun sir!" Shouted a merc.

Cossack stood up very slowly and trudged having been hit in the upper shoulder blade but other than that he was fine. And healing at an accelerated rate his famed saber was still sheathed on his left and he saw the Winter Soldier stood with a samurai sword having placed the guns on the ground. The sword sheathed on his left as well. The two men both slowly approached the other till there were exactly two feet between them. Then they circled each other, staring at the other like two wolves about to strike at one another.

"You know what power is Mr. Soldier," Cossack said knowing a lot about the man from FSB files inherited from the KGB, "Real power is fear something you lack."

"Lack of power, that's something we have in common," Winter Soldier replied, "As it seems this power of yours didn't stop three men from rating you out. It seems this fear you talk about is an illusion of power and a man who believes in such illusions is in fact delusional."

"Shut up!" Cossack growled.

The Russian mobster went berserk drawing his saber and slashing with one hand. The blind rage was, in fact, his undoing as Winter Soldier blocked and through Cossack back very quickly moved to the right where Cossack's back was left exposed and made a very swift and precise strike to the back of Cossack's neck. Blood flew as the Russian mobster's spine was separated from his brain. Winter soldier stood in a pose with a shiny blade the strike was to fast for the blood to actually have time to stick.

Cossack stood still and then uttered a last exhaust of air. He fell to the ground motionless blood draining out from the back of his neck. Winter Soldier stood upright and placed the blade back in its sheath on his left. The mercs all simply watched their eyes wide and some had their jaws dropped. The most feared man in the city laid on the ground dead before them at the hands of another man none had ever seen before and yet none dared strike at.

The Winter Soldier stared back watching them as he opened the door and slid into the SUV and drove away He'd done what he had to and eliminated the entire leadership of the local Russian mob. But he knew the Russians were not only one gang and others would seek to fill the void. And so the crusade of a man against all the injustice in the world would continue.

The End