Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe or anything else you may recognize
So I was gonna wait for next episode of 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' before writing this but after a really nice suggestion by Brainstorm Sorcerer, I decided to write this, so thanks a lot to him.
John Walker threw his shield at Nico's back in a rage, sending him staggering, and as Nico turned, John threw his shield again, hitting his chest as he fell down, and then John smashed his chest with the shield, sending him falling again.
John then pinned Nico down as he raised his hands and begged. "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
His pleas fell on deaf ears. In the younger years of his life he had looked up to Captain America. And now in his last moments, he was looking up at the new, inferior version of Captain America who raised that shield, which represented something, with the intention of perverting it.
Seeing red, Walker brought the shield down on Nico's chest about 4 times, roaring in rage, and Nico's hands fell to either side, his shirt shredded and his chest completely shattered, as the people around gasped and watched in horror, recording the scene on their phones.
John then backed off as Bucky and Sam arrived, sighing and watching sadly while John looked around at the people, realizing they had all seen him and were recording him, not noticing Karli hidden among them, also watching the scene in horror.
The bottom of the shield was now coated with blood. And Walker didn't care, his best friend was dead, and this man deserved it for running with the murderer.
Then suddenly something yellow and sparkly opened underneath Walker, and he fell into it with a gasp as the people were all shocked again.
Bucky and Sam exchanged a look as Bucky asked. "What do you think he's gonna do to this guy?"
"Nothing he's gonna like", Sam told him. "Just hope it's enough."
New York Sanctum
John Walker flipped and landed on the ground and looked to his front to see Stephen Strange standing in front of him.
"John Walker", Strange announced to him. "You are not worthy of that shield."
"I was chosen by my country!" Walker roared at him. "I am Steve's successor! I am Captain America! Who are you to tell me I am not worthy of it!"
"One who has seen what it takes to be Captain America, and you do not have it", Strange told him. "You do not know the essence of that mantle, Walker."
"They killed my friend!" Walker snapped.
"And that gives you a license to murder, in front of people, in a different country?" Strange asked incredulously. "Your actions today have perverted the legacy of Steve Rogers, and stained the shield with blood."
"Hardly an innocent man's blood", Walker scoffed.
"Never said he was innocent, but you had no right, he would have surrendered", Strange snarled at him.
"Sentiment like this makes us all weak! This is war!" Walker roared at him.
"You are nothing like him, and I shall prove it to you", Strange said, putting his glowing hand on Walker's head as he screamed.
Walker suddenly found himself in an old fashioned but still advanced for its time plane, and in front of him was Red Skull, holding his Hydra gun.
"You don't give up, do you?" Red Skull asked.
"As long as you're around, I'll come after you", Walker snarled as he rushed Red Skull, blocking his shots with the shield, and disarmed Red Skull by striking his hand, who then backed to avoid another strike.
Red Skull then punched John and tossed him down before kicking his face, though John grabbed his foot before he could kick again and they struggled. Red Skull punched him down again, only for John to bash his face with the shield, and grab him in a chokehold.
They struggled while looking at the machine holding the Teserract as Walker was drawn to it while Red Skull snarled. "He wouldn't even consider it."
Walker roared as there was a sickening crack and Red Skull fell down, dead.
John then walked to the machine and with some hard bashes of the shield, shattered it, the Teserract falling out as John looked at it almost longingly.
He knew it was too powerful for him, but then so was the Serum, and he needed this to be the best Captain America could be, he had to be the perfect soldier to protect his country, and so he would take it.
With that in mind, he touched the Teserract and screamed as it burnt him.
Next, Walker found himself in a Helicarrier, and facing him was Bucky Barnes, but he wasn't Bucky Barnes right now, he was the Winter Soldier!
Without even attempting to reach him, Walker hurled the shield which Winter Soldier deflected easily with his arm as Walker caught it again. Winter Soldier fired at him with his Glock 19 and SIG-Sauer P226R. Walker blocked all the times and managed to push Winter Soldier back but he shot under the shield, getting Walker on the abdomen.
Walker grunted in pain. As Winter Soldier charged, Walker hit him with the shield in a rotatory motion, sending him back. Winter Soldier got back up, holding a knife. Walker deflected his attacks before getting a kick on the knee. He then deflected Winter Soldier's arm with his shield.
He tried to change the card but Winter Soldier attacked again and he deflected some blows. The two were in a deadlock before Walker finally snatched his knife and kicked him back. He took out the blade but turned around to block a punch from Winter Soldier's metal arm, producing a metallic clang. Walker pushed Winter Soldier back and tried to hit with the shield as he blocked or dodged.
He grabbed Walker but was elbowed away. Winter Soldier charged him and the two fell down the railing. The shield fell away. As Walker hit the ground, the chip fell out of his hand. Walker and Winter Soldier got up and charged each other. Winter Soldier punched Walker on the abdomen with his metal arm before punching his face.
Walker roared, losing it again as he punched Winter Soldier hard on the face, staggering him back, and then pinned him down, punching his face repeatedly. "You! Are! Not! Above! Me!"
Winter Soldier now snarled at him. "He would only care about saving lives instead of proving himself superior, or a good soldier."
And the suddenly Winter Soldier grabbed Walker's throat with his metal arm and turned him over, Walker gasping before he let him go, and then punched Walker's face hard as he saw black.
Next, Walker found himself alongside Tony and Thor in front of Ultron, Wanda and Pietro.
"Nobody has to break anything", Thor said.
"Clearly, you've never made an omelet", Ultron quipped.
"He beat me by one second", Tony said to Thor.
"Ohh, this is funny", Pietro spoke up. "Mr. Stark, this all comfortable? Like old times."
"This was never my life", Tony muttered.
Walker spoke up to the twins. "You two are under arrest for what you've done, and I will make sure you pay for your crimes."
"And here you think you can wear that suit, and put on that shield", Wanda now snarled at Walker.
"You know, I thought I could live with you in his place, but I was deluding myself", Tony said as he turned to Walker. "Me and him, we may not agree a lot, but I respect him, and he respects me. You are just a terrible copycat."
Walker now roared in rage as he went to attack Tony but Thor knocked him down. "Stand down, John Walker, your rage clouds any reason."
Ultron himself laughed and said. "He may be God's righteous man, who pretends he can live without a war, but at least he has a quality to him, one that someone like you can never match, he would have tried to reach out to these two, unlike you."
Tony fired his repulsors at Walker's face and he saw black again.
Walker was suddenly at a base in Siberia, right over Tony, about to drive the shield onto him. Tony raised his hands to defend himself but Walker wrestled them away and with a roar of rage, brought the shield down on Tony's forehead, splattering blood all over as Tony lay dead.
Walker then walked to Lemar, who Tony had hurt, and putting his arm over himself, led him away when Tony suddenly got up, looking like a dead wraith.
"That shield doesn't belong to you. You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!"
Walker snarled and said. "It belongs to me, and that is final. I was chosen for it, and I shall not give it up."
With that, he staggered away with Lemar, leaving the dumbfounded wraith Tony behind.
Now Walker was in a darkened battlefield, the rubble of the Avengers Compound behind him. Tony was knocked out, and Thor was close to being killed by his own weapon, courtesy of Thanos the Mad Titan.
Walker threw his shield but Thanos was barely affected as it returned to Walker. He then saw Mjolnir a few feet away and rushed to it, trying to pick it up, and gritted his teeth as he did so, but failed to even budge it a little.
Throwing his shield down, he tried to lift it with both hands, but still failed, before hearing a gasp, and turned to see Thanos having killed Thor.
He then walked to Walker, looking down on him. "Do not bother, you can never be worthy, unlike Thor, or him."
And then he brought his sword down on Walker.
John gasped as he was suddenly in the Sanctum again, looking around, and saw Strange in front of him.
"How dare you try to make me think I cannot be him?" Walker roared as he marched to Strange.
"I did not make you think anything, this is what you would have done in any of these situations", Strange told Walker.
"You are wrong! I am the perfect soldier!"
"A perfect soldier, but not a good man."
Walker had never met him in person, but recognized who it was as he turned to see Steve Rogers, in casual clothes, standing there, looking grim and a little disappointed.
Even in casuals, he looked much more like Captain America than Walker did in his suit.
"You!" Walker said as he walked to Steve. "You know I'm a worthy successor, right? I am trying my best!"
"The serum was supposed to be given to a good man, Walker, you are the perfect soldier, but you do not have it in you", Steve shook his head sadly. "I did not choose you, I chose a good man to carry the mantle."
"Fine then!" Walker snarled as he pulled away. "Be self-righteous all you want! But this belongs to me!"
"No", Steve told him. "It doesn't. It means something, and you do not represent that."
Pointing at the 'A' on the mask, Walker roared. "YOU THINK THIS LETTER ON MY HEAD STANDS FOR FRANCE?!"
Steve sighed. "It is not about America or France, Walker, it is about the goodness inside of you, the ideals, which you do not abandon. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No, you move'. But you, you are the one who moved, by a lot."
"I will make you move!" Walker roared as he leapt at Steve with the shield but he rolled away to avoid, and doing a flip, tried to kick Walker on the face who blocked with his shield and backed off.
"You don't have to do this", Steve warned. "Just give it up, Walker, you can still make it right, even without the shield."
"I won't give it up!" Walker snarled as he threw the shield but Steve ducked to avoid as it ricocheted off everywhere, and before Walker could catch it, Steve did a cartwheel and kicked his face, sending him back, before catching the shield himself. His shield.
Walker charged but Steve bashed is face with his shield, sending him back, and as Walker tried to strike, Steve blocked the punch with his grip, and head-butted Walker back.
Walker tried to punch but Steve leapt over him and getting behind him, threw the shield again. Strange summoned a Tao Mandala and the shield deflected off of it.
Steve punched Walker back and then the shield hit him on the back of the head, making him fall down as Steve kicked his face hard, finally knocking him out.
"Thank you for bringing me here", Steve then said to Strange gratefully.
"I was not going to sit by as the legacy of one of the first Avenger was tarnished", Strange told Steve, who looked at the blood on the shield sadly.
Strange's hands glowed green and so did the shield as the blood disappeared, and Steve nodded in appreciation again.
Later
A portal opened in front of Sam and Bucky and they got up as Steve walked out, holding the shield again.
"Whoa! You're back?" Sam asked.
"I went for soul searching Sam, I didn't go back in time", Steve reminded him as they chuckled. "I gave this to you."
"I know man, I'm sorry, I just felt too pressured", Sam told him.
"Don't be, because I am the one who gave this to you", Steve reminded as he held it out again. "This is not meant for the perfect soldier, but a good man. And you are a good man, Sam."
Sam took it from him, holding it out properly again. "Thank you, I'll do my best, for sure this time. And I'll never give it away."
Steve smiled and nodded in appreciation as he and Bucky shared a hug. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't lose it again."
"I'll kick his ass if he does", Bucky said as all three shared a chuckle at that.
It felt good to have the shield where it finally belonged.
And we're finally done with this. Walker now feels like a combination of Will Simpson from 'Jessica Jones' and Homelander from 'The Boys' after the latest episode.
Wyatt Russell is so fantastic in the role, I loved him here, he played the character so brilliantly.
Also, in this, Steve didn't go back in time to be with Peggy because that was a complete betrayal of his character arc (I have ranted about that multiple times so no use now). He just gave the shield to Sam and went off to do some soul searching to find out who he is outside of Captain America, because that would have made so much more sense for his character. That's why he was able to return.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with some other update. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!