What if Superman arrived in the MCU and everything changed?

by choejhulkp9

The Multiverse is a wide and vast expanse of possibilities. Some lead to disaster and endless turmoil while others give birth to possibilities never thought possible. What happens when a new hope is brought to a new world? How deep would the changes go? How much of time and of the universe would change? Let's find out.

9. The end of Hydra

Hey, everyone. Here is Chapter 9 of What If…Superman. The final push for the European theater of WW2 is nearing an end. Clark and his team make the push into Poland and rescue a very special kid that Clark will definitely being keeping an eye on but things take a turn when they learn that the Howling Commandos have captured Arnim Zola at the cost of Bucky Barnes. It's time to put an end to Hydra. Here we go!

What If…Superman arrived in the MCU and everything changed?

The end of Hydra

Mid-April 1944

With the winds of spring, everyone could feel the war in Europe closing to an end and with it, an end to World War 2. And it would be an Allied victory. For one thing, a Western Allied Offensive had pushed them into Western France and they took Paris. General Eisenhower's forces led a seaborne invasion into Normandy with a huge collaboration of American, British, Canadian, and Expeditionary forces from all the Allied countries. What would be known as Operational Overlord occurring on H-Hour D-Day, April 6th, 1944. It was thought that with the success of Operation Dragoon, the successful invasion into the Southern French Riveria, that a seaborne invasion into western France was unnecessary. Planning of a Seaborn invasion had begun over a year ago prior to Operation Dragoon when the Allies were still making their way through Italy and some questioned the merit of even launching another offensive when they already had a hold into France. Allied War Strategists realized that with the success of Operation Dragoon, their increased bombing raids and all the assistance with the aid of the SOE, the Howling Commands and Taskforce Vanguard in sabotage/combat missions behind enemy lines, their success saved them men and resources to be used in a seaborne invasion into Normandy. Tactically, it would allow the US and British forces to ferry men the shortest distance from England into France and with all the offensives the Germans were having to deal with, their resources were stretched thin so they'd be able to take Normandy with greater ease. A combined naval and aerial bombardment with Airborne troops dropped behind enemy lines to sabotage German positions and fortifications were the prelude to a seaborne invasion into Normandy. The key to its success was hotly debated but it succeeded. Normandy became a staging ground for additional forces to link up with the groups in Southern France and together they pushed into Paris, retaking the city. It helped that they had Captain America fighting with them. No doubt camera footage of Captain America taking German POWs into custody or him racing shield first onto the beaches of Normandy were going to make national headlines back in the US. Of course, everyone who knew Steve knew he wouldn't care but it made great propaganda which would only help them win the war sooner.

Clark was glad that things were going well although he did hear some really weird stories that floated among the soldiers that he wasn't quite sure what to make of yet. One of the soldiers working the supply line mentioned that his friend fighting in France told him of a story where they saw some giant man fighting in the Nazi Wehrmacht race across a battlefield to very tall woman over on their side. She was a civilian but when she saw the giant man she stole two M1919 Browning Machine Guns, wrapped the ammo belts around her arms and charged at him, dual-wielding the guns like she was a super soldier and he in turn fired at her. Strange enough on its own until the soldier mentioned that his friend said the man was a giant. 8-feet-tall built like a circus strong man and had grey skin with a lot of scars and suture marks. The woman was equally strange with the same grey skin, suture marks, and had her hair sticking up on her head that seemed impossible to manage without using a wine bottle to hold it up. The more odd story was some kind of special weapons project working with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Division. There was some kind of robot, a machine resembling a man of metal working and fighting alongside Easy Company. It was called G.I. Robot and part of a secret weapons project for the war designed by some of the best scientists in the US, designed to assist the US Army. Stories had sprung after the members of Easy company went to a bar to celebrate a recent victory where G.I. Robot decimated a Nazi regiment that tried to ambush them. When the others heard the story they asked Clark if he knew anything but he was clueless, which could mean two things. Either A) the whole story was just propaganda or B) it was real and he wasn't told because he didn't need to know. If it was the latter than this G.I. Robot program wasn't apart of the SSR and likely some other secure weapons project. It made him wonder what other kinds of weapons projects the US military had working and if Howard knew anything. Given how Howard was the greatest mechanical engineer in the US then his insight and intelligence would have been invaluable to the project. That is if he was on the project. If not then Clark imagined Howard would be very upset to learn that he wasn't asked to even advise on a project like that…but seeing him make a fuss about it would be amusing.

Anyway, after Steve and the Howling Commandos assisted in the taking of Normandy, they were assigned another mission from the SSR like Clark and Taskforce Vanguard were after their behind the lines mission in taking out the Dachau prison camp and the unexpected death of Dr. Frederick Vought. There were a few men in the top brass who were still angry at the lost of a potential new super soldier serum though considering that they were dealing with the Superman there wasn't much they could do. Clark and his team were formally reprimanded and everyone had their military careers effectively halted indefinitely though no one was going to be a career solider so that didn't bother any of them. It was the weeks of mess hall and latrine duty that was a pain in the ass though in all honesty it was a slap on the wrist in terms of punishments. They could have spent the weeks of latrine and mess hall duty in prison but with all of Taskforce Vanguard's success and Clark literally being one of the poster boys for this war than any general who tried to push for that would risk career suicide.

Eventually, the weeks of punishment were over so Clark and his team were put back into action. General Jacob Devers' 6th Army Group had pushed the Germans back into Germany and liberated Austria before pushing Northeast into Czechoslovakia and then went north into Poland, liberating as they did while the Soviets were pushing through the Ukraine and Belarus towards Poland from the east with some of their forces heading south into Romania. The Allied Generals who created this plan did so with the idea of a pincer move, surrounding Germany from the east via General Devers' Army group while Field Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group and the American 12th Army group would make the push from the west. A complete enclosure of Germany and surrounding them on all sides. Strategically, it made sense but another part was likely political. While they were allied with the Soviet Union, there were those that wanted to cut the Soviet Union off and prevent Soviet expansion and influence as the Germans retreated west. With the war in Europe coming to an end, no doubt there would be another conference between Stalin, Churchill, and President Roosevelt regarding the shape of post-war Europe. Clark didn't have the patience for politics so he kept himself focused on the task at hand which was ending this war.

Thankfully, the push into Poland also worked out for Clark as they could head to Northwest region of Morasko where they could take out a secret SS weapons project at Projekt Endstation. Run by Oberführer Wolfram Von List and Doctor Ulrich Vogel, the two have been responsible for a few of the weapons that have given Superman some trouble. First was a kind of super-soldier serum which turned an ordinary human SS commander in a red-skinned bulging monster with the strength and durability to give Superman some trouble. It was known as Projekt Kassenschalger AKA Project Blockbusters and was half the part for Projekt Endstation's ultimate weapon which was the Maschinensoldaten. Project Blockbuster enhanced soldiers wearing heavily reinforced armored suits powered by small kryptonite reactors that gave them more than enough firepower to take on an army. Over the course of the war, Clark and the SSR learned that Projekt Endstation was one of many weapons projects masterminded by Standartenführer Vandal Savage like the prison camp in Dachau where Dr. Vought was working on his serum and the Nova-6 gas from Von Strucker's manor in Belgium. They've run into a few of the Maschinensoldaten but with the constraints and supply shortages caused by the war they weren't being manufactured in a large quantity. Still, that didn't mean that they should leave the site functional. That kind of technology would be dangerous in the wrong hands so taking it out and all that Kryptonite was the next best plan. Prevent it from falling into the wrong hands and without that weapon's project than this war was one step closer to ending.

Occupied Morasko, Poland

From the intel they got at the Hydra facility in Austria where Steve fought the Red Skull for the first time, Clark and Logan's stealthy entry into the factory/warehouse back then led them to Vandal Savage's special lab. It was there they got the information on all the secret projects he had a hand in developing and where they learned of the Kryptonite. The intel also included the location of the main lab where the Maschinensoldaten and Projekt Kassenschalger were headquartered. The research facility was also a base for Oberführer Wolfram Von List protected by his own personal SS battalion Die-Wahrheit so the men working with him would be fanatical and loyal beyond a doubt. The facility was located in the region of Morasko, a small rural area on the outskirts of the city of Poznan. Plenty of woodland trails through the forests with several rivers and a few roads that housed small villages and towns. It is perfect to keep a secret base as it was remote enough to remain undetected so you wouldn't be disturbed but on the outskirts of a major city so you'd have backup and access to supply lines.

Clark and Taskforce Vanguard advanced into Occupied Poland behind enemy lines while the main force was slowly inching its way past the Southern border near Czechoslovakia. The SOE put them in contact with the Polish resistance and they were able to assist them through their network of operatives all of whom were working for the Soteria person Clark and the others first got wind of back in France before they went to take out the Nova-6 gas. Soteria had a large network of operatives helping people get to safety and avoid the Germans which included groups in Poland. This Soteria and their network had been instrumental in helping the Polish resistance and was more than enough to help Taskforce Vanguard get close to the lab.

Taskforce Vanguard were resting near a river prior to their attack on the factory. They were joined with some members of the Polish resistance who knew the terrain well and would provide some backup. Clark went to scout the area ahead of time so they could plan an attack. Everyone had their weapons at the ready with Lucas packing some extra explosives for the occasion since he figured they'd need to make the place go boom.

[Whoosh of air]

Dirt and leaves kicked up in the air as Clark super sped back over to the group. "How's it looking, boss?" Lucas wondered.

"We've got a problem." Clark told them and his team looked concerned.

Clark led his team and the Polish Resistance through the forest until they emerged at the boundary where it fed into a clearing where the base was supposed to be. It was there but the more concerning thing was the fact that there was zero activity whatsoever around the base. Watchtowers had no lookouts manning them, there were no troops on patrols and there were zero vehicles in the area. The base was abandoned.

"Is it…" Arthur asked.

"I checked the entire area. It's empty." Clark said, leading his team into the base. They all split up to give the area one extra look. Even if Oberführer Wolfram Von List and Doctor Ulrich Vogel were gone they might have left something behind that could prove useful. Unfortunately, it was slim pickings. The vehicle bays were empty and the fuel reserves were sucked dry so wherever they went they took the fuel to get them there. The soldiers barracks were empty and other than a few cases of rifles and ammo there wasn't anything else. When the team entered the main building they found more of the same. The offices were emptied and while a few occasional papers were scattered underneath desks or on the floor most were likely burnt because they found trashcans filled with ash and charred paper. Most of it was burned into indecipherable scraps or ashes but there were some pieces that managed to avoid the worst of the fire. From the lack of blood and the general controlled chaos of the area, it wasn't the remnants of an enemy force sweeping in to take what they could but more of an effective order by Von List to clean up the base with little to no evidence of what they were doing and this wasn't just on a whim. With the size of the base then this evacuation order was well planned and planned in advance since they took everything from the base, even everything from the commissary and medical wing. That combined with the empty fuel reserves in the base indicated that they would be traveling a good distance, perhaps back into Germany. With the war progressing as it was, they might have been recalled back to a base in Germany.

Clark descended down the stairs back onto the ground floor and didn't find anything that could be useful. When they left the base they took with them everything but he felt like they were missing something because they still hadn't found the lab where the Blockbuster serum was made or where the Maschinensoldaten suits were built. Clark took another look at the place with his x-ray vision to see if he missed something and he did. He walked towards the eastern section of the base which was were all the supply rooms were located. Even without using his x-ray vision Clark could tell there was something odd because the hallway appeared shorter than it should be. Clark had spent plenty of his youth helping his dad and others in Smallville rebuild houses and barns after bad tornadoes so he was very familiar with architecture and building designs to know based on the building's dimensions, the wall he was staring at should be further away from the storage rooms. That and also because when he used his x-ray vision he couldn't see through so it was made of lead.

Clark reared his fist back and punched a hole through eight inches of solid steel and lead, cleverly disguised as a wall. He saw what was behind it so he stepped back and his eyes glowed red. Using his heat vision, he was able to quickly melt a large hole to reveal an elevator that led down. Like at Castle Caldera in Belgium, they had to go down to find what they wanted.

"Uh, boss…"

Clark turned around and saw his team standing there. Lucas was standing next to a framed portrait, the only picture left in the base actually and pulled it from the wall revealing it to be a clever hiding place for a lever, likely the lever to open the secret wall he just melted through.

"Huh…must have missed that. Well, too late for that. Come on." Clark led his team into the elevator which took them down about a hundred feet. The team had their guns at the ready as the doors opened revealing manmade tunnels similar to the ones at Castle Caldera. Clark stepped through first since it was dark and his eyesight was better so he could see and luckily he saw a lever so he pulled it down and the lights turned on. Guess the generators still had some juice in them. The team followed Clark as he led the path until they arrived in a large open laboratory or what remained of it. It had to be as big as the base upstairs and like upstairs the lab had been secured and emptied but the remnants were enough to tell them that it was the place where the Maschinensoldaten were built.

What they thought was one giant open-spaced lab like some of them have seen at the SSR and how Howard worked was actually just an open space with smaller individual isolated labs. As the team spread out to secure the area they saw one room had smelting and metallurgy equipment so it's where the titanium-tungsten steel alloy metal for the suits was made. Another room had various gurneys and the distinct smell of Chlorine dioxide so with that and the remnants of medical equipment it must have been the lab where they tested the Blockbuster serum. Clark entered one room and saw some specialized science equipment but he had no idea what it was for or what it did. Science was Howard's specialty but as he walked over to a table he felt a small wave of nausea brush over him. Not enough to send him to his knees but enough that he felt something was wrong. He took a few steps away from the table before using his microscopic vision and his incredible eyesight allowed him to see tiny, microscopic flecks of a green substance on the table he was standing next to a few seconds ago and on the other tables as well. It was Kryptonite dust, likely having been skimmed or carved off in their experimenting with the meteorites. The dust was microscopic so no one would know it was there except for Clark because it affected him. Thankfully, since it was just flecks of dust then it wasn't as harmful to him as if he were in front of a large rock so he only got nauseous. This room must have been where they worked on the Kryptonite for the suits so Clark wisely stepped away.

"The place is empty. They took everything that wasn't nailed down." Arthur Kingsley reported as the team regrouped.

"I've never seen the Germans take such care in a retreat. To take everything from here is unthinkable." Polina Petrova remarked.

"Well, you saw for yourself firsthand what those armored suits were able to do at Dachau. If that were your project then you'd do whatever you can to make sure that it stays with you and no one can take it." Daniel Take-Yatsu told her and she conceded that. "The real question is how long this place has been emptied."

"Maybe with our advance into Austria and the Soviets pushing west Von List decided to save what he could and head back into Germany? Or he was recalled back?" Solange Hardewijk suggested.

"That's as valid of an idea as any. Maybe we can have the Polish resistance ask around and see if they noticed something. Give us a better timeframe for when they left and maybe we can then try and track them down again." Richard Webb said before he looked at Clark. "Kal, what do you think?"

Everyone looked at Kal and it was kind of hard to tell what he was thinking. Considering they came here with the hope of destroying a secret weapons project that was one of the few things that could really hurt him only to find nothing, they guessed he was feeling concerned.

"I'm thinking that with what we learned with Savage being back, he might have gone to Von List as well. Now we need to find them both." Clark said and his team nodded.

He was keenly aware of the danger they were in with the Maschinensoldaten so stopping the project before that technology got in the wrong hands was paramount.

Red Skull's Hydra Base, Swiss Alps

A literal army of Hydra engineers were hard at work, diligently putting everything in their being into the final plan for the Red Skull. Despite the location of their base, they were all aware of the progress of the war and the constant delays/setbacks Hydra was faced with because of the efforts of Captain America and the Superman. Still, they powered through all of that and were nearing the completion of their efforts that would allow Hydra to achieve dominance over the world. All over the massive hangar, Hydra men were hard at work but they were joined by some reinforcements in the form of an SS battalion, Die-Wahrheit, and moving larger equipment or tools for construction were several Maschinensoldaten. Normally, the SS and Hydra were on opposing sides with this war ever since the Red Skull broke off from Nazi Germany and Hitler's leadership further solidified when Hydra wiped out a German garrison in Italy a year ago. Ever since, Hydra has been labeled as an extremist terrorist organization by Nazi Germany which means that Von List and Dr. Vogel's sudden partnership with the Red Skull was signing their own death warrant. With the way the war was going jumping sides wasn't out of the realm of possibility. It seemed that loyalty would only go so far when your leader was a nutcase who was months away from losing his war. So, Von List and Dr. Vogel jumped ship and were welcomed with open arms thanks to the assistance of a mutual friend they shared with the Red Skull.

High up in an office overlooking the hangar, Oberführer Wolfram Von List watched his Maschinensoldaten assist in building the tools necessary for the Red Skull's final plan for world domination. If this were one thing Von List could say about Red Skull is that the man definitely dreamed big and in any other situation he would have called the man delusional but after seeing what Hydra was working with then he realized that it wasn't a matter of if his plan would work but when. And with his SS battalion and his Maschinensoldaten now helping then they would be able to succeed where Hitler's hubris failed him.

"I must say, Herr Schmidt, your work is truly a spectacle to see." Von List said as Red Skull walked up beside him. "If only Hitler and the men working with him realized the forces you had at your disposal then perhaps this war wouldn't have gone the way it did."

"There was nothing to stop Hitler and the idiots who shamelessly followed him in his path. Fortunately for us, they will not be around much longer to realize their mistake." Red Skull replied when his gaze caught one of the Maschinensoldaten working down below. "Your Maschinensoldaten are an impressive feat of engineering."

"As are your weapons but it would seem that neither of our projects alone were able to take down the Superman or Captain America." Von List told him. "Those two are the only ones who can stop us."

"So perhaps it is time we put the two projects of yours together." They heard and turned around to see Vandal Savage walk into the room. "Doctor Vogel and Doctor Zola are ready to begin."

The two nodded and followed Savage out of the observation room and down the hall. "I must admit, Herr Savage, that when you first spoke about the partnership with your allies I was apprehensive but the results speak for themselves. Despite the delays caused by Captain America, the influx of resources you were able to get me and with the assistance from Von List's Maschinensoldaten, my schedule has actually been accelerated." Red Skull spoke.

"And I'm grateful for your word of warning as well, Herr Savage. With the Superman and Allies pushing into Austria and then heading east they would have been in Poland sooner than the Soviets. Your warning gave me the time to evacuate my base and save my research but I'm a little apprehensive about what you're suggesting." Von List said as they entered another observation room for a medical suite a floor below. "What you're suggesting has never been done before. Suits of armor are one thing but this…do you think it will really work?"

Savage just smirked as they looked down at the operating room where Doctor Ulrich Vogel and Doctor Arnim Zola were adorned in surgical gowns and masks while a group of assistances were helping get everything ready. This operating room was unique for the operation that was about to take place. On one wall there was the medical information for the patient. X-rays, blood tests, and everything else current medical science had to run, even Hydra's advanced science under Doctor Zola and what they had to show painted a not-so pretty picture. The picture of a man whose body underwent significant stress and trauma that had a lasting effect. Significant stress fractures throughout his entire skeleton but his more severe broken left leg and right arm had healed, albeit not the best. Internal X-rays showed several internal organ damage specifically to his liver and kidneys with nine out of ten doctors agreeing that in a year or two the organs would be dead without significant treatment but what kind of treatment was still up for debate. There was significant damage in the major muscle groups as well as on the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue all over his body all a result of his body undergoing significant stress and trauma. That was the medical science part of this operation.

On the adjacent wall, there were designs and schematics of an engineering nature that was on the cusp of something truly revolutionary or barbaric depending on how you look at it. Schematics for advanced mechanical prosthetics and interconnected systems to combine a mechanical system with a biological one. It was highly advanced work as assistants brought in mechanical prosthetics that bared a design resemblance to Doctor Vogel's work on the Maschinensoldaten project combined with the refined procedure and material curtsey of Doctor Zola's work and off to the side were two separate cases. Inside one of them was a piece of Kryptonite used to power the Maschinensoldaten armor and in the other there was the signature blue glow from the Red Skull's Cosmic Cube. Not it's actual name but something that many Hydra soldiers called it.

"I have it on good authority it will work. My associate, Herr Thawne, told me of a similar instance where this kind of procedure ended up created a worthy adversary to the Superman. While our manner of materials and methods may differ slightly, it should work." Savage informed him.

"And you trust this Thawne?" Von List asked.

"Much like us, gentlemen, he was someone who saw things in ways that others didn't and was gifted with a unique insight that proved to be very useful. He was the one who aided in my endeavors which included gathering the resources and wealth to help each and every one of the special projects that Hitler was too stupid to see would work. Unfortunately, it seems as though he is no longer able to help us because if he were then my work in Wakanda wouldn't have gone the way it did and Dr. Vought would be here with us including his serum." Savage said when the door to the operating room opened. An assistant wheeled in the patient via a wheelchair and judging by his condition it was needed. Said patient was in bad condition. There were numerous suture marks and stitches from bad cuts in the skin likely a result of said skin being stretched to its limits. The discoloration of the skin in various spots were indicative of severe trauma and adding on the IV line inserted into the patients left arm and the oxygen mask on his mouth, the patient looked more dead than alive. The wheelchair was stopped next to the operating table allowing the patient to stand up though shakily so the attendants aided him. The man removed the oxygen mask from his mouth and looked at the operating table before looking up at the observation room above. Said man with the sickly pale skin and body that looked like it was driven over by a bulldozer used to a proud member of the Waffen-SS. Hauptsturmführer Otto Skorzeny, the SS team leader who led the retrieval team for Benito Mussolini only to encounter the Superman and Taskforce Vanguard. He was the first man to use Projekt Kassenschalger AKA Project Blockbluster in the field, a gift from Von List in the hopes it might tip the odds in his favor if they ever ran into the Superman. It didn't as despite the power the serum gifted Skorzeny, the Superman was still able to defeat him. His body was recovered off the coast of Yugoslavia having reverted back from its mutated state but suffering from tremendous damage that would have normally meant death but Skorzeny defied that to stay in the land of the living with only one thought that was palpable to see in his eyes.

Skorzeny's gaze shifted down as he looked at the walls adorned in medical and mechanical information that flew over his head. He didn't have the intelligence to completely comprehend the medical science or mechanical engineering for what was going to happen but Doctor Vogel and Zola told him what the purpose of the procedure was and its ultimate goal…and he couldn't be more ready. There was a burning gleam in his eyes, a burning for revenge that even if this operation destroyed him, even if it ruined him or turned him into something monstrous, it would be worth it. Why? For one simple reason. It could give him what he needs to avenge what he lost. Skorzeny remembered what it felt like when he injected the serum into his body and changed that day when he fought the Superman. He remembered the blistering pain and the horrendous sounds his body made as it underwent the transformation, feeling his body move and adjust in ways he never thought possible as his strength grew second by second and when it was over…he…felt…godlike.

In that moment he achieved a level of strength and clarity that brought him to a state of nirvana spiritualists from every faith in the world could only ever hope to achieve. Bullets bounced off his skin, he ripped metal with his bare hands and he made the Superman bleed. He became a god with the strength of an army and despite the passage of time he remembered everything like it was yesterday. Like it was burned into his memory forever. The feeling of his fists breaking the skin of the Superman and causing blood to spill out, the cries of pain and the look of genuine fear when the Superman and his team first saw him with their own eyes. It was his own moment of triumph as his thoughts drifted into what his life would be like if things had gone differently. If he had succeeded. If Fate hasn't been cruel. He would have returned to Berlin a hero. Benito Mussolini safely in custody and the Superman dead by his hands. Hitler himself thanking him for his service, a parade thrown in celebration and nothing but his name honored for generations to come. But like the shattering of glass, those thoughts faded away like smoke. Somehow the Superman managed to get stronger and faster, using some kind of cheat or trick typical of the Americans. Skorzeny remembered the pain he dealt out but also remembered the pain he felt before he was punched with enough force that he was launched from the Italian mountain. His next memory after that was waking up in a Croatian hospital and his body had reverted from its godlike state back into his weak human shell but battered, bruised, and barely clinging to life. The Superman returned to Britain a hero, Mussolini was captured and his mission was a failure. As he laid in that hospital bed there was one thought running through his mind and that was the burning hatred he had for the Superman. He wanted revenge for the person who beat him and stole his glory. If there was even an infinitesimal chance he could take on the Superman again, he would take it no matter what, even if he died.

Luckily, the answer to his prayers came in the form of Vandal Savage who had him transported back into German territory and put him in the care of the best doctors for this exact moment. Skorzeny looked at operating table and slowly traced his hand over where his body would be for the next several days. Doctor Vogel and Doctor Zola finished their prep work and walked over to Skorzeny.

"Are you ready, Skorzeny?" Dr. Zola asked and Skorzeny nodded before some assistants helped him onto the operating table. His limbs were strapped into place while Dr. Zola and Vogel took their positions with aids at the ready for all the equipment they could need. "We'll put you under now. When you wake up, you will be reborn."

Dr. Vogel nodded to an aid who put oxygen mask on Skorzeny's mouth before another inserted an IV line into his arm to keep him replenished with fluids. Once the needle was inserted he then pumped in a syringe filled with a sedative. "Do one thing, Doctors…" Skorzeny said and the two doctors looked at him. "…make me a god."

The sedative took affect and Skorzeny's eyes closed allowing the doctors to get to work. The doors to the operating room opened once again and the aids pushed in something on a gurney covered by a white cloth. It's shape was distinctly human in size but it wasn't. Up in the observation room Savage, Von List and Red Skull watched as a truly horrific operation took place that wouldn't birth a god…but a monster.

Line Break xxxxx

Late April

Poland

When Germany invaded Poland they erected a similar work/prison camp akin to the one found in Dachau, Germany but the camp in Auschwitz, Poland was on another level. A complex of 40 different smaller camps that initially started off as army barracks and a POW camp which quickly filled with political detainees, mainly captured Polish citizens. Things in the camp were brutal to say the least. Over the following years in 1939 it became the place where Jews from all over German-occupied Europe were sent to its gas chambers or to be put to work. Like in Dachau, the camp was also used for twisted medical experiments that were authorized with no problem from Camp Commandant Rudolf Höss and headed by Nazi Officer Klaus Schmidt. Earlier in 1944, on a rainy day like any other a new batch of arrivals from Germany came in and they were promptly sorted between those deemed worthy enough to be put to work and those immediately to be sent to be disposed of. Schmidt was in his office watching everything from above while he sipped his tea and saw a young boy separated from his parents trying to get back to them. Desperately reaching out to them in a vain attempt to be with them was quite amusing until Schmidt witnessed something incredible. The boy reached his hand out and the thick steel gates that separated the camps began to bend and twist. The boy fought with all he had in the grasp of two soldiers but he would not be pulled away, like his pull on the steel gates kept him from moving. In fact, he was drawn to them and would have flown forward if not for the two soldiers holding him in place but it soon took a total of four to hold him in place until one soldier struck the boy across the face with his rifle. Schmidt was intrigued and knew right then and there that the boy was something special.

Schmidt walked over to his record player and put on La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf to put the room into a relaxing atmosphere, part of his technique as two soldiers dropped off the young boy. Erik Lehnsherr. The boy was obviously frightened and worried but Schmidt put on his best and most charming face.

"Understand this, Erik…these Nazis…I'm not like them." Schmidt said as he sat at his desk. In front of him was a small bell, a German Silver coin, and a German chocolate bar. "Genes are the key, yes? But their goals? Blue eyes? Blonde hair? Pathetic. The Superman is none of these things and yet they think they are still superior." Schmidt unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite before sliding it forward. "Eat the chocolate. It's good. Want some?"

Erik licked his lips but declined the sweet. "I want to see my mother."

Schmidt pulled the Chocolate bar away and took another bite himself. "Genes are the key that unlocks the door to a new age, Erik. A new future for mankind. Evolution. You know what I'm talking about? It's a simple thing I ask of you. A little coin is nothing compared to a big gate. Is it?"

Erik concentrated, his face squinting and scrunching while he raised his hands toward the coin in an effort to do to it like he did the gate. Make it move, lift it into the air, crush it, anything. Concentrate as he did it was all in vain since nothing happened. "I tried, Herr Doctor. I can't…I don't…it's impossible."

Schmidt sighed and sat back in his chair. "The one thing I can say for the Nazis is their methods seems to produce results. [Clicking tongue] I'm sorry, Erik." Schmidt rang the bell and a few seconds later the door to his office opened. Two soldiers walked in, escorting a woman with them. She was dressed in a prison uniform, her hair shaved so she had a shawl wrapped around what remained and she looked like she hadn't properly eaten in a while as well as been put through strenuous activity. Despite all that, when she saw Erik she lit up in happiness.

"Mama!"

"My darling boy! You're ok!"

The mother-son reunion was heartwarming but unfortunately the soldiers and Schmidt didn't care. Schmidt signaled to the two soldiers and they pulled Erik's mother away from him and had her in their grasp. "Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to count to three…" Schmidt opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a Luger PO8 pistol. "…and you're going to move the coin. You don't move the coin, I pull the trigger." Schmidt then moved the gun slightly to the left so it was aimed at Erik's mother. "Understand." Seeing what could happen, Erik tried again but the coin wouldn't move. He moved his hands, he concentrated and tried but nothing. Schmidt didn't care and just watched. "One…"

"Mama."

"You can do it." Erik's mother urged him on so he kept trying but nothing happened.

"Two…"

Erik kept trying but nothing was working. The two soldiers stepped away from Erik's mother who just kept repeating that everything would be all right.

"Three…"

Schmidt's index finger tightened on the trigger of the pistol and all it would take was just a little more pressure.

[Roar of plane engines]

[Blaring Alarm]

Schmidt averted his gaze to the window of his office before putting the pistol down and walking over to see what was wrong. He saw the guards and soldiers scrambling to their fortified positions while prisoners were ushered back to their lodgings. The spotlights in the camp lit up while the snipers in watchtowers began opening fire aimed at the southern part of the camp. Schmidt thought they had more time as the Allies were still near the southern border of the country but clearly something must be going on.

"To the shelter. Quickly. Bring them both!" Schmidt pointed to Erik and his mother and the two soldiers nodded. Schmidt grabbed his pistol and he exited his office with Erik and his mother following behind with two soldiers as his guards. Erik was frightened by the alarms but his mother held him close and assured him that everything would be ok. This one moment was their saving grace as they got more time together, something Schmidt wasn't exactly happy with since it ruined his experiment but getting himself and Erik to safety was important. He would handle the mother soon enough. Fortunately for Erik, Schmidt wouldn't get that chance when a blast of red light destroyed a watchtower causing it to collapse onto a building. Erik and his mother dove for safety while Schmidt and the two soldiers were buried in the rubble…or were they?

A few moments earlier…

The visage on Clark's face was of stoic determination in the face of action. Hitting Projekt Endstation was a bust as they learned from some civilians in a nearby town that Von List evacuated from his base weeks before Clark and his team had gotten there. Around when they were attacking Dr. Vought's lab at Dachau so they had been gone for a while. They took the road heading west so they most likely were heading back to Germany but they were long gone. Clark radioed back to the SSR and told them what happened. Their intelligence division got to work on trying to pick up the trail on Von List and even reached out to the SOE for assistance. With their primary objective no longer feasible, Clark and his team stayed behind enemy lines in Poland working with the Polish resistance to disrupt German war efforts while the main offensive force continued to push north. The Polish Resistance informed them of a large prison camp the Germans have been running since they invaded in 1939 and if it was anything like Dachau then Clark and his team were more than happy to take it out. Despite the massive size of the camp and the number advantage for the Nazi's, Clark wasn't deterred in his plan. There were no secret labs or special weapons projects from Auschwitz, mainly being just a prison and extermination camp meaning that Clark wouldn't have to worry about any surprises. He and his team would be able to handle this but decided on another approach instead of the train set up like before though they heard that the SOE had assists in the area that would be able to help them transport everyone out of there.

Clark checked the compass and slightly adjusted his heading, turning the controls slightly which in turn turned the German plane towards the camp. The Polish Resistance informed Clark and his team about a nearby airbase that they would need to hit before they hit the camp and Clark was able to do that on his own using his speed to avoid detection. Fighter jets were destroyed, bombers were grounded and their fuel reserves were destroyed but Clark made his escape via a German transport plane. He had seen enough flying to know what to do for his purposes. He piloted the plane closer to the ground until he was about 100 feet off the ground when he saw the camp in the distance. By now the camp guards saw him on approach and were on alert but it was too late. The plane flew over, taking out one of the watchtowers as it did. It crumbled down and crashed through the perimeter fence, causing the guards to scramble for cover while a few took shots at the plane flying above. Clark jumped out the door of the plane and crashed through the roof of a command building filled with Nazi soldiers.

"Guttentag, gentlemen." Clark gave them a mock salute before they opened fire. It didn't do them any good as a few seconds later a large hole was made when two Nazis were thrown out of the building.

[Blaring Alarm]

Clark stepped out and a nearby watchtower gunner opened fire at him with his MG-42 but the bullets bounced off his body. Clark's eyes then glowed red and he shot a quick burst of his heat vision, destroying the watchtower perch before doing the same to every watchtower he saw within the camp. There was the sound of a distant explosion likely from the stolen plane crashing down outside the camp towards the east. Back near the western part of the camp where the plane crashed into the first watchtower which crashed down onto the perimeter fence, stolen German trucks and other assorted vehicles, mainly civilian trucks or cars drove out from the forests and to the camp. They drove through the opening made by the collapsed watchtower with the passengers opening fire as they did, shooting the German soldiers and prison guards. One of the big stolen German army trucks swerved to a stop and the tarp over the back opened up revealing Diggle manning a German MG-42 Light Machine Gun. He opened fire, gunning down a dozen soldiers that scrambled out of a building when the alarm sounded. The other members of Taskforce Vanguard got out as more and more vehicles drove out of the tree line and made their way to the camp.

Arthur Kingsley saw flashes of red light on the far side of the camp which was where a greater concentration of gunfire could be heard. "All right, the plan is working out so far. Ok, we move fast and hit them hard! Polina, Daniel, take overwatch positions and give us sniper cover!" Arthur shouted and the two team snipers nodded, heading over to a building, and climbing the scaffold to get to the roof. "Solange, Diggle, Webb, you three stay here and coordinate with the Polish Resistance. Keep our exit clear! Everyone else, on me! We've got a lot of ground to cover!"

Arthur lead the teams into the camp as more and more reinforcements came in the form of the Polish resistance. This was a big offensive for them so they had all their agents present for the attack on the base and all of them were ready for some payback. The German soldiers and guards were gunned down as Taskforce Vanguard led the way through the camp. Logan rushed out from cover, firing some quick bursts from his Thompson submachine gun and dove behind the corner of a wall to avoid getting shot by a watchtower gunner. A second later the gunner's head was blown open as Logan saw Polina and Daniel on the roof. He gave them a wave and they nodded back before providing sniper support when Logan saw the vehicle bay of the camp. It had some vehicles they could use including several 251 armored half-tracks that had machine guns mounted on them.

"Kingsley!" Logan shouted, getting Arthur's attention. He then pointed to the vehicles nearby including the half-tracks.

"Right!" Arthur nodded before looking at Lucas. "Lucas, cover!"

"On it!" Lucas threw out two smoke grenades for some cover before the team ran to the vehicle yard with members of the Polish Resistance following them.

Back with Clark, he was zooming all over the base at super speed. Without enhanced super soldiers or Maschinensoldaten in his way then there was nothing the soldiers or guards could do to stop him. Still, try as they might it was all in vain. Clark raced across the camp as a blur and whenever he passed by German soldiers or guards they were thrown through the air and knocked into walls while their guns were destroyed or taken. He raced into buildings and knocked out all the German personnel including the doctors before he managed to find the office of the Camp Commandant. Clark broke through the door, sending shrapnel all over and knocked a man to the ground. Clark saw the man burning documents, likely in a desperate attempt to keep what happened at the camp from being discovered but unfortunately for him he wasn't fast enough. Clark picked him up via his collar and saw Camp Commandant Rudolf Höss look back in pants-wetting fear.

"I'm sorry, Commandant, but you're not escaping justice…" Clark's eyes glowed red to make him seem more menacing which worked too well resulted in him passing out.

Clark exited the building and quickly shielded the Commandant's body with his own as German soldiers ran down the road at him, shooting him with their guns. Clark wasn't going to let the commandant escape justice because of a stray bullet. Thankfully, several 251 armored half-tracks and large transport trucks pulled up and the soldiers were gunned down. Clark's team had arrived along with backup so Clark walked over to a truck and tossed the commandant in the back where he was met with several gun barrels pointed in his face. "Keep him alive. He doesn't get to take the coward's way out." Clark spoke Polish and the Resistance fighters nodded before he got onto the side of a half-track that Kingsley was driving. "Let's go!"

Their little vehicle convoy cleared out the rest of the soldiers on their way to the prisoner barracks but Clark knew that they would need more trucks for transport. "Arthur, call in more trucks! The rest of you, let's get these people out of here!" Clark shouted and everyone nodded. The team split up, taking some of the Polish Resistance members with them as they ran to the various prisoner huts.

Clark and Logan rushed to one of the smaller ones with the former kicking the door down. Inside there were about three dozen people crammed into a space that could comfortably house a dozen. They were all in somewhat good health, likely the most recent arrivals to the camp. The people looked at Clark and Logan in slight fear before a young boy stepped forth, only around ten years old at the most. At his side was his mother who looked worse for wear but when she saw the S on Clark's chest she felt relief. "It's him. It's the Superman!" She told the others and even those that didn't understand German lit up when they heard Superman.

"It's ok. You're all safe now. Come with us." Clark picked up the young boy and ushered everyone to follow him, which they did. Clark and Logan led them back to the trucks when some die-hard Nazi loyalist soldiers opened fire at them. Clark covered the boy and his mother with his body while Logan tackled others to the ground for protection. Two of the soldiers unscrewed the cap of their grenades and threw them. The boy saw the grenades coming to them and raised his hand. To Clark and Logan's shock they saw the grenades fly up into the sky where they exploded safely out of range from everyone. The Germans were quickly gunned down by Webb and some Polish Resistance members as they arrived with more trucks. Clark and Logan looked at the young boy in awe. Looks like they weren't the only two who were special.

Clark helped the civilians into the trucks before taking one more super speed check of the entire camp to make sure all the soldiers and guards were dead or in custody. He didn't want another near fatal accident again and he was extra thorough this time. All the German guards, prison officials, and doctors who were captured were under guard to await transport into Allied custody while the prisoners in the camps were freed. With how many people there were an army of trucks wouldn't be enough but luckily the train was docked at the camp and it had ten train-cars attached so it would help. The train and the trucks would be enough to get everyone south back into Allied territory where the MPs would take all the German prisoners including the Camp Commandant to await trial while the freed prisoners would be assessed and taken care of.

When Clark and his team went through the camp to say that they were horrified was an understatement. Things at Dachau were bad but Auschwitz was on another level and it further solidified the team's motivation to continue fighting in the war. The barbaric and inhumane things the people at this camp did definitely make an impact on Clark and the team with the former finding it difficult to keep his anger and frustration tempered with control.

Clark walked out of the building that was the camp's medical wing and had this thousand-yard stare fixed on his face. No words needed to be said for what he saw as his face said everything.

"Kal…Kal…KAL!"

Clark jolted out his momentary brain freeze and saw Logan standing there. He had been calling out to him for the last minute and got nothing. The other members of his team were slightly concerned to see him out of it. Clark was usually so calm and collected with everything they've seen so far but what he had just seen really messed with him no different than what Logan, Padma, and Lucas saw in Dachau that made them do what they did to Dr. Vought. Clark saw the camp doctors being escorted into one of the trucks and with everything he saw and was feeling, something inside snapped. He marched past Logan and stormed over to the prisoners.

"Kal, wait!" Logan rushed over to stop him from doing something out of character. He got in front and tried to physically halt him but Logan's boots just dug through the ground as Clark kept moving like an unstoppable force of nature. "Kal, you don't want to do this! This isn't you!"

Clark picked up Logan and moved him to the side before he violently grabbed two doctors by their necks and lifted them up into the air. His hands squeezed their airways as his eyes narrowed in anger. "No, please…we surrender…"

"Mercy…"

"Is that what these people told you when you dissected them? When you tore them apart piece by piece?! When you tortured them?! When you treated them like nothing?! They were people! They were mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and children! You treated them like they were nothing! How many of them screamed for mercy and you gave them nothing!" Clark's grip tightened constricting the doctors airways even more and causing them to begin turning red as Clark's eyes glowed red. Their skin began to burn from the intense heat of Clark's heat vision and it would only take one simple thought for them to be burnt away.

"Kal, stop!" Logan grabbed Clark's arm and tried to pull it away with Arthur, Diggle, and Halima trying to help him. "Kal, this isn't you!"

"They deserve this! You saw what I did. All those people dead because of them!" Clark's glowing red eyes made him even more terrifying which made all the captured prisoners, recently freed civilians, and Polish Resistance members shirk back in fear but Clark's team weren't deterred despite their own fear. "They deserve this!"

"You're right, they do but not like this! You're not an executioner, Kal!" Arthur pleaded.

"Arthur's right. This isn't you! Stop!" Diggle shouted, trying to wrestle Clark's grip but it was like trying to pull a massive steamer ship with a rope. It wouldn't budge.

"Kal, please!" Halima shouted.

"Kal, you're right and they are bad people but you are not!" Logan tried to reason with him and while he would have been more than fine with letting these Nazi scientists die, Kal wasn't a cold-blooded murderer. Everyone on the team looked to Kal as their sort of moral compass, their guiding light. He led by example and was one of the most compassionate people on the planet with a strong sense of right and wrong. Some called Kal a boy scout and he wore it with a badge of honor. Kal kept to that boy scout honor throughout the war but even the best men had their breaking points. "Kal, this isn't you. Yes, they deserve to die, no one is arguing that but this isn't the way. This isn't your way. Not like this! You do this and you'll just make them martyrs and give them vindication! Kal, stop!"

Clark's eyes didn't stop glowing and a part of him just wanted to keep squeezing until the doctor's necks snapped. Killing them like this is what they deserved…but he couldn't do it. He threw them to the ground before he turned around and unleashed his heat vision.

"RAHHH!"

Everyone shielded their eyes from the bright flash of red light but once it died down they could see the destruction left in the wake of Clark's heat vision and to say it was devastating would be an understatement. Everything in the southeast section of the camp was completely obliterated. Buildings were reduced to smoldering, burning wrecks of hot magma with nothing left standing. Not even so much as a fence post or piece of wood. Everything was destroyed.

Clark's eyes stopped glowing but his chest heaved in and out as his breathing was labored. The doctors gasped for air and were still shaking in fear as Clark looked back at them and the two covered their heads and stuck them in the ground. Just Clark's gaze terrified them beyond anything at all.

"Get them out of my sight…" Clark muttered before he walked away.

Logan and Diggle grabbed the two scientists who dropped to their knees and kissed their boots. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Logan just kicked them back. "Save it. You're not dying today but you will die for what you did." Logan and Diggle picked them back up and moved them to a truck for transport.

Clark found a secluded spot against a building and slumped to the ground. He sat down with his back against a wall and looked out to where there used to be buildings before he obliterated them. Now, just smoldering wrecks of molten rubble and burning wood. While the timing may not be ideal, Clark was having a serious crisis of faith in his ability to cope with how the war was affecting him. He understood that when he first wrestled with the idea of joining the army under a false identity and then joining the SSR for Project Rebirth that he would be required to fight as a soldier and take some lives. It wasn't something he was exactly comfortable with but he made his peace with that. Growing up in Smallville, Clark's father taught him all he knew about compassion, honor, justice, and the value of human life. His father heard horrible stories from World War 1 and he raised Clark with understanding the value of not taking a life for granted. Jonathan and Martha raised him to find the best in everyone and always do the right thing. Knowing right from wrong and knowing when to act and when not to. He made peace with the fact that fighting in the war as Superman he may need to be a soldier and kill but it would always be for a mission, for the war, and to save lives. Despite everything in the war, he stuck close to what his parents taught him but just now he realized how easy it was to slip and let anger and revenge cloud his judgement. Seeing the looks of fear in the civilians, the prisoners…and his own team…he became someone he didn't recognize anymore. Clark was wrestling with his inner demons and right now…he felt like a monster…and he never felt so alone.

[Clack-Clack-Clack]

Clark's ears perked up as he heard the distinct clacking of a hammer putting nails through wood. He knew the sound well because he heard it all the time back on the farm. To his disbelief he saw a figure in the distance near the edge of the section of the camp he had obliterated with his heat vision. It was a person and they were building a fence. Clark got up and walked over to see who it was and why they were doing what they were doing but as he got closer his surroundings began to shift. The destroyed rubble of the camp was replaced with the wide-open green pasture of a farm and he saw a large wooden fence that looked all too familiar. As he got closer to the man working on the fence he recognized the boots and leather jacket he was wearing.

"Dad?"

The man turned around revealing himself to be Jonathan Kent, looking just like Clark remembered him. "Chores, Clark. Hard work keeps a man honest. You've got to protect the things you've built." Jonathan smiled before he stuck the hammer in a post.

"Are you real? Or is this all in my head?" Clark asked as he stepped closer. Tears began to well up in the corner of Clark's eyes but he didn't care. "I missed you."

"I never stopped watching out for you, Clark."

Clark swallowed the lump his throat and turned his gaze down. "Then you must be disappointed. I haven't grown into the man you raised me to be."

"No, you haven't." Jonathan grasped Clark by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You are so much more than that and I'm so proud of you, Clark."

"You shouldn't be." Clark said as Jonathan walked back to the fence.

"Give me a hand." Jonathan told him as Clark removed a piece of the fence, whether it was real or not, it didn't matter.

"I let my anger get the better of me. I nearly hurt my team. I destroyed part of the prison camp in a rage, and I was ready to kill those two doctors like an executioner, even hurt my team if they tried to stop me. Just because I was angry. I knew what I was getting into when I joined the army but this…I now know I have it in me to do worse. I failed!" Clark told his father.

"We're all confronted with trials, son, but the true measure of a man is how he chooses to react in the face of those trials."

"But you never had that problem." Clark said and Jonathan sighed.

"Come on, son. I was so far away from perfect. I could never keep my own anger in check. It got to the point where it made my heart give out. We can't make excuses for the dark stains on our hearts, son."

"I don't even know how I got to this place." Clark said and Jonathan held him by the shoulders.

"We all make sacrifices, son and every time we do, we lose a little something in the process." Jonathan told him but Clark stepped away to get some air. "You've sacrificed more than anybody. What you've seen, what you've done. It'll be easy to let resentment build inside but it's got to get somewhere."

"I feel like every time I do something right, I do something wrong!" Clark shouted in frustration. "I hid away on the farm for years when I could have done more. I could have stopped the war sooner, couldn't I? All these people that died because I couldn't get here in time. What the Germans did to them? I failed." Clark's voice broke as he felt the weight of everything rest on his shoulders. "Sometimes I think things would be easier if you were still here."

Jonathan sighed as he saw how much Clark was dealing with. "Not a day goes by Clark when I don't regret not being able to be right here for you. I would do anything, I would give anything to be able to get a second chance to do it right. You still have the chance to do that. Ever since you've started wearing that S on your chest you've become a symbol of Hope, a true symbol for everyone and you will inspire so many more to follow in your footsteps. You can become the greatest hero the world has ever known. All of that is up to you, though. You'll stumble and you'll make mistakes…but I know you can do this." Jonathan kissed Clark on the head and held him close. "Your friends from the future were right about one thing, Clark. This is only the beginning of your journey and it's not going to be easy. You will be tested again and again…but I have faith in you. Just remember one thing. Lean on those close to you. They will help you as much as you help them."

Jonathan gave Clark a smile before he got back to work. Clark looked out to the horizon and the sun that was shining above him. He looked back to his dad but saw he was gone as was the fence. Clark was back in the camp and standing near the destroyed rubble. His whole conversation with his dad was just in his head but it felt so real. Maybe in a way it was but in a way that mattered it gave Clark the metaphorical talk he needed.

"Kal…" Logan walked over to Clark standing alone near the rubble. "We've got just about everyone loaded up. We're ready to leave."

Clark nodded and looked at the place once more. "Logan…thank you for stopping me…but can I ask why?"

Logan shrugged his shoulders before he took out his cigar. "God knows none of us would have argued that those doctors deserve to die. Hell, everyone who worked in this camp deserves it. Padma, Lucas, and I sure felt the same at Dachau with Dr. Vought and we were fine with that. But you, Kal…it's not you. Sure, you fight with us and you do what you need to do but you've never taken it for granted. Hell, even now you could have killed every single soldier we've come across but you knock them out to be taken into custody giving the MPs a headache to deal with and only kill when needed. Guess your Midwest boy scout charm still rings true and it's rubbed off on all of us. That's what makes us want to continue following you because you make us want to be better despite everything we've seen so far." Logan lit his cigar and took a puff. "You're a good soldier, Kal but a better man. Guess I didn't want to see that change."

Hearing all of that restored some of Clark's faith in himself. From Logan of all people who wasn't exactly touchy-feely but if he didn't want to lose their shining example of hope than it must really mean something. Clark walked over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thank you, Logan."

"Don't get mushy on me, boy scout. We all know it's true. You just had a bad day. We all have them." Logan told him before walking away.

Clark smiled before he looked up into the sky. "Thanks, dad…"

Clark joined up with his team near the train as the last of the freed prisoners got into the train cars. They'd take the train down all the way south to Allied territory along with a literal army of trucks and vehicles that were finishing loading up. Clark walked over to the last truck filling up. When he walked over he saw some fear which was natural considering what just happened but he saw the mother and son he saved before and they smiled at him. Clark lifted the mother up into the truck before doing the same with her son.

"What's your name, son?" Clark asked.

"Erik Lehnsherr. Thank you for saving us."

"My pleasure, Erik." Clark ruffled his hair as the young boy held his mother close. Seeing everyone was secured Clark got onto the train. "All right, let's go!"

It was time to leave Auschwitz behind and get everyone to safety.

Line Break xxxxx

May 1944

South Poland, Allied Territory

Clark was carrying a large net filled with fish on his back that he got from a recent fishing trip in the Adriatic. Thanks to his super speed, he was able to make the 700-mile trip from South Poland to the Adriatic sea in about half an hour so one hour round trip. The fishing was necessary to aid in the supplies for the Allies especially when Clark and his team returned from Auschwitz with all the freed prisoners and Camp personnel that they now needed to house and feed. A bit of a logistical problem. Housing, caring, and feeding for all the freed POWS and civilians was a monumental task in of itself especially considering the condition many of them were in. Army doctors were quick to get assistance from local doctors in the towns and cities they liberated and even requested additional medics and medical supplies from Allied Command. Thankfully, Clark's fishing trip was one of many so food wasn't as big of an issue for the influx of people in their growing civilian encampment which he also built. Super speed and super strength allowed him to cut down trees from nearby forests and woods to build shelters for everyone in record time. Clark's team helped where they could and those from the camp who were in better physical condition assisted as well. The MPs took all the German camp personnel, soldiers, doctors, and camp commandant Rudolf Höss into custody with the latter immediately transferred to a maximum-security prison camp because of what Taskforce Vanguard said happened at the camp.

Unfortunately, Dachau and Auschwitz weren't isolated incidents with Allied and Soviet reports of similar camps found in German-occupied territory. Each camp had their horror stories and none of them had happy endings until the camps were liberated and even then what was done to the people there and the lives that were lost made even the most stoic and hardened veterans of this war balk at the sheer brutality and inhumane nature of Hitler's Nazi Germany. All the camp personnel would be put on trial and brought to justice but the lives ruined and destroyed would take a long time to get back to some sense of normalcy. With the war a lot of people were displaced from their homes and returning them to said homes would be another monumental task and logistical nightmare. For the time being the Allied priority was winning the war and safeguarding people so relocation efforts would have to wait but they were safe and being looked after. It was a start.

Clark walked over to the mess tent in the civilian camp and dropped off the large net of fish. You'd think that everyone would be surprised by how much he caught and carried into camp but they were used to it by now. Everyone in the kitchen quickly got to work in sorting through the fish before scaling and gutting them to be cooked. Fish soup, roasted fish, fried fish, or pickled fish could get repetitive but the cooks did their best aided by additional supplies that the army could give them. Clark's habit of fishing or hunting for the camp helped Army logistics as it helped alleviate the stress of getting so much additional food and supplies to feed the large number of civilians. One downside with getting so much food is that he had only limited places to get them. Nearby farms could only grow so much food so fast and hunting on the scale he would need would likely wipe out local species so fishing it was.

Clark carried over a large pot for soup and saw Erik and his mother, Magda, working together in the kitchen. Magda was looking better since her time at the camp and was getting stronger every day, helped in large part because she and Erik were safe and together again. Erik was helping her scale and gut the fish to later smoke over the fire, which they would do with some of their catch every time as a measure to help stretch their food and not to waste what they had. Erik and Magda saw Clark so they smiled and waved and he waved back. When they got safely behind Allied lines, Clark kept an eye on Erik and his mother to make sure they were ok, like all the other rescued civilians and POWs but especially Erik because of what he saw. Logan confirmed it to Clark and they both saw the same thing. Erik saved everyone from those grenades with a wave of his hand so they exploded at a safe enough distance. It's possible he had telekinetic powers or something else but either way, Erik had abilities. He was special like Logan was. Erik was lucky to still have his mother but with everything he experienced at that camp Clark wanted to keep a closer eye on him. Perhaps it was the fact that they were kindred spirits in a way but knowing what it was like to grow up feeling different with powers you didn't exactly understand, Clark knew that having someone there to help you learn your abilities and how to control them was a positive influence. His parents were that to him so perhaps Clark could do the same. His dad did mention being able to inspire others so perhaps this was one such moment for inspiration. He even began thinking of ways to help post-war though in what form that took remained to be seen.

"Captain Elbert!" Erik excitedly called out to Clark as he held up large skewers of gutted fish. "You have to start the fire now."

"Well, then let's not waste any time." Clark ruffled Erik's hair before he walked over to a large firepit dug out near the kitchen. It was filled with wood so Clark gave it a quick blast of his heat vision to start the fire. Some fish was put on to roast like the ones Erik was holding but the ones to be smoked would be put on later after the fire had died down a bit. Along with the fish the cooks put on bread dough to bake along with wild vegetables they foraged for. Erik slowly turned the large skewer of fish when it got too hot to handle so Clark took over. "I got it. I'm also fire proof. See."

Clark put his hand directly in the fire to Erik's amazement but quickly pulled it back to avoid burning the fish. Seeing his happy face along with the happiness of everyone else did much to reassure Clark with his recent crisis of faith. This moment here…people safe and sound and the bad people stopped…this is what it was all about. So long as he never lost faith in people then he would make sure that they would never lost faith in him.

"Captain Elbert!" Clark turned around and saw an army runner rush over to him. "Captain Elbert. You're needed in the communications tent. You have a message direct from Colonel Phillips."

"Understood." Clark handed the skewer back to Erik and ruffled his hair. "Try not to burn the fish. We don't want your mother upset."

Erik chuckled in amusement before Clark got up and followed the runner back over to the Army command camp and entered a communications tent where he saw Richard Webb operating a radio with Arthur Kingsley next to him, both of whom had concerned looks on their faces. "Colonel Phillips, sir." Webb handed him the headset and radio receiver.

"Colonel Phillips, this is Captain Elbert." Clark spoke as Webb cleared up the signal a bit.

"Elbert, good to hear from you."

"You too, sir. What's wrong?"

"We need you and your team back in London as soon as possible. Captain Roger's team just radioed and they have Arnim Zola in custody. They're on their way back as we speak. We're one final nail in the coffin away from ending Hydra."

"That's great, sir. How'd they get Dr. Zola?"

"We intercepted chatter that he was being transported on a Hydra train so the Commando's planned an intercept. They got Zola but…the mission wasn't perfect. We lost Barnes. He's KIA."

Clark realized that's why Arthur and Richard were so concerned. Colonel Phillips must have told them about Sergeant Barnes. They all knew him well so his lost was felt but it only made Clark wonder how Steve was handling the lost of his best friend.

"We'll be there as soon as possible, sir." Clark radioed back.

One week later…

SSR Headquarters London, England

The door opened to an interrogation room and Dr. Zola was escorted in by an MP. He was given his glasses before the door was shut and he was left alone. Zola put his glasses back on and looked around the room when he saw a gurney against the far wall and saw drops of blood on the floor. Before he could think of what would happen, the door to the room opened and in walked Colonel Phillips with Clark at his side. Dr. Zola swallowed the lump his throat and felt his stomach drop but kept on as brave of a face as possible. He had heard so many tales of the Superman but now being in a room with him made him feel as scared as a little mouse staring down a large lion and there was no thorn to help him here. Colonel Phillips had a tray in his hand which he put down on the table.

"Sit down." Colonel Phillips told him. On the tray was a plate with a small steak, broccoli, potatoes, and a glass of milk. Zola sat down as Colonel Phillips turned the tray around before pushing it towards him.

"What is this?"

"Steak."

"What is in it?" Zola wondered.

"Cow." Phillips replied before he sat down but Clark remained standing next to him. "Doctor, do you realize how difficult it is to get ahold of a prime cute like that out here?"

"I don't eat meat." Zola replied.

"Why not?"

"It disagrees with me."

"How about cyanide? Does that give you the rumbly tummy, too?" Phillips wondered before pulling the tray to him so he could eat. If Zola wasn't he might as well. "Every Hydra agent that we've tried to take alive has crunched a little pill before we can stop him. Some are less successful than others, especially when Captain Elbert is able to get to them. He knocks them right out before they can do anything. Even still, they try to kill themselves so they can't be forced to say anything…except for you. So, here's my brilliant theory. You want to live."

You're trying to intimidate me, Colonel and it's not working." Zola said with pride.

"I bought you dinner." Phillips gestured to the steak he was eating. "And if I really were trying to intimidate you I would leave you here alone with Captain Elbert. I saw you swallow the lump in your throat when you saw him enter and the trickle of sweat running down the side of your head when he stared you down. Now, Captain Elbert is one of the most honorable men I've had the privilege of knowing but I think it's fair to say that during the course of the war that zeal has been challenged. He recently liberated a prison camp in Poland that left a very bad taste in his mouth regarding this war and what Germany has done. How are you feeling, Captain Elbert?"

"I'm getting there, Colonel but I'm starting to feel what I felt back at the camp again." Clark grabbed the side of the table with his right hand, crumpling the steel as if it were made of tissue paper. Dr. Zola leaned back and gulped as Clark's eyes began glowing red.

"That, Dr. Zola, is intimidation." Colonel Phillips remarked before he removed a piece of paper from inside his jacket and slid it over to the doctor.

Dr. Zola tentatively reached out and took a look at its contents. "Given the valuable information he has provided and in exchange for his full cooperation, Dr. Zola is being remanded to Switzerland?"

"I sent that message to Washington this morning, of course it was encoded. You guys haven't broken those codes, have you? That would be awkward." Colonel Phillips quipped while he continued eating his steak dinner.

Dr. Zola kept a brave face when he looked at Colonel Phillips and in spite of Clark's glowing red eyes. "Schmidt will know this is a lie."

"He's going to kill you anyway, Doc. You're a liability. You know more about Schmidt than anyone. And the last guy you cost us was Captain Rogers' closest friend, so I wouldn't count on the very best of protection. What about you, Captain Elbert? Feeling particularly protective today?" Colonel Phillips asked him.

"For a Hydra Scientists? Not at all." Clark answered.

"There's your offer, Zola. It's you…or Schmidt. It's just the hand you've been dealt. My offer expires when I'm done with my meal." Colonel Phillips took another bite of his steak and was about a few bites from finishing.

Dr. Zola was played, he knew it and he had no choice but instead of giving the Colonel and Clark the satisfaction of seeing him defeated he kept a brave face. Even if he must suffer the indignity of surrendering, he would not let them see him falter. So, as he sat there in his chair staring down Colonel Phillips and the Superman, Zola kept a smug visage. "Schmidt believes he walks in the footsteps of the gods. Only the world itself will satisfy him."

"You do realize that nuts, don't you?" Phillips asked.

"The sanity of the plan is of no consequence." Zola answered.

"And why is that?" Clark wondered.

"Because he can do it!"

"What's his target?" Phillips asked.

"His target…is everywhere." Zola then glanced up at Clark who's eyes stopped glowing red. "And you cannot stop him. Schmidt is well aware your unique abilities…and of your weaknesses. Who would have thought that a mere stone could bring the great Superman to his knees? How amusing."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Clark replied.

"Come now, Captain Elbert. There is no use in lying. I have it on very good authority that I'm right. If not, it would have made my recent work with Kryptonite such a waste." Dr. Zola remarked. Colonel Phillips spared a glance to Clark who remained stoic and stone face. "A very unique substance with an energy unlike any I've ever seen and it's uses…well, who knew that Kryptonite would make such an efficient power source."

In the blink of an eye Clark grabbed Zola by the neck and held him up in the air over the table. Immediately Zola's visage of bravado was replaced with fear and likely some urine trickling down his pant's leg. Colonel Phillips was undeterred and kept enjoying his meal. "Where did you get the Kryptonite?" Clark asked.

"A friend…a friend of Schmidt's…" Zola gasped as he struggled in Clark's grasp.

"Vandal Savage?" Clark asked and Zola nodded as fast as he could move his head. "So, he really is alive. What are you doing with the Kryptonite?"

"Savage…[Gasps]…wanted Von List and I…[Gasps]…to build something…for you…" Zola managed to utter in between gasping for air and struggling to control his bladder. He already wet himself but he didn't want to add a number 2 to his number 1.

"Doctor Ulrich Vogel? He's working with you and Schmidt?" Clark questioned and Zola nodded which answered the question he had regarding Projekt Endstation. "It was Savage. He spoke with Von List and gave him the warning to pack up his lab in Poland. Where did he go?"

"Savage…brought him to Schmidt's base. He…and all his weapons are there…" Zola gasped before Clark let him go. Zola fell to the ground, grabbing his neck in pain as he struggled to catch his breath. Colonel Phillips sat there having finished his meal and enjoyed it along with the free entertainment. He wiped his mouth with the napkin before standing up.

"Where is Schmidt's base?" Colonel Phillips asked him.

"Switzerland. The Alps…500 feet below the surface." Zola muttered. Getting enough for now, Colonel Phillips left the interrogation room with Clark and waiting outside for them were some MPs alongside Howard Stark and Agent Peggy Carter.

"Please escort the good doctor back to his cell and watch him carefully. He's a coward but cowards can often be surprising." Colonel Phillips told the MPs and they nodded before walking into the interrogation room to secure him.

"Well, that was an effective interrogation." Howard remarked.

"Zola put on a brave face but he was terrified. A little nudge in the right direction and he sang like a canary. Unfortunately, what he sang isn't what I wanted to hear." Clark admitted.

"With Vandal Savage working with Schmidt he would know that you would be a big thorn in his plan so he planned accordingly. Now not only do you have Hydra's energy weapons to deal with but those metal monstrosities with the meteor rocks that can hurt you. I'm not liking your odds." Peggy said.

"Everything we've faced from Schmidt and Savage hasn't been pretty or easy. An animal is never more dangerous than when it's cornered and right now Schmidt is cornered if Zola's remark about his plan was anything to go by. Walking in the footsteps of the gods is ridiculous but Schmidt is just mad enough to make someone like Zola believe it then we could be in trouble. Time is of the essence. With Zola rattled, he'll be easier to interrogate. Agent Carter and I will resume that in his prison cell. He'll be more amendable there. Stark, get all the information we have on Hydra's weapons and work with our analysts on what we could expect." Colonel Phillips ordered.

"What about me, Sir?" Clark wondered.

"You, Elbert? Rest up. We're gonna need you sharp." Colonel Phillips pat him on the arm before walking away and Peggy joined him.

Clark and Howard walked away in the other direction with the latter noticing something. "Hey, Kal. Everything ok between you and Peggy?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is how is my favorite power couple doing? I've noticed that things between you two began to change ever since you were recovering from your cold and super-powered nose." Howard pointed out. "And don't try and deny it. I have eyes that work and I know the dilemmas of a relationship better than anyone so I know that something is different. Just now you two were barely looking at one another and you didn't even give her a second glance when she walked away and I've noticed that you didn't send each other correspondence. Peggy's been all seriousness and strict business since then and even when word spread that you were returning that didn't change."

"Don't you find it odd how involved you are with a relationship that isn't yours? Maybe that should tell you something." Clark told him as he continued walking through the SSR base with Howard right behind him.

"Yes, it does but we're not focused on my love life, it's yours. Kal, come on." Howard got Clark to stop so they could talk. "Seriously, is something going on between you two?"

Clark saw that Howard wasn't going to let this go so he had to bite the bullet. "Things with Peggy and I are over. We talked it over and we went our separate ways."

"What?" Howard looked crestfallen, like his relationship was over. "Why? What happened? You and Peggy were so great together."

"Yeah, we thought so too. I guess with everything going on and the more time we spent apart we realized that it didn't make the moments we were together much better. Things were great in the beginning but as time went on…I don't know…they just changed. Like we were only together because the war pushed us together. If it ends tomorrow…what are we?" Clark told him. "Peggy's an amazing woman but I can't help how I feel. Is that crazy?"

"Maybe considering it's Peggy but you can't help how you feel. I'm just surprised she didn't try to kill you." Howard remarked.

"Peggy and I can keep things professional. Who knows, maybe we'll reconnect in the future but right now, all I can say is that it's not the right time." Clark admitted and Howard gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Kal, really, I am. I was really rooting for you two and I think everyone else was. To be honest, you two were better than any relationship I ever had." Howard admitted.

"I know." Clark quipped and Howard chuckled in amusement.

"And even though you screwed things up with an amazing woman like Peggy who you will likely never find again…" Howard was about to go on a little bit more to mess with him but when he saw the glare Clark sent his way he changed his mind and got compassionate. "…you can't help how you feel and make yourself feel someway about someone that you don't. I don't have a lot of experience with relationships but I've heard that a lot of it is just timing so who knows? Maybe things with you and Peggy will work out in the future or maybe they won't. Whatever happens, I know you'll find someone right for you."

Clark was genuinely touched by how heartfelt Howard was being. "Wow, Howard…that was surprisingly sweet of you."

"I have my moments." Howard replied when he noticed they kept walking but he had no idea where Clark was going. "So, where are you going?

"I'm gonna go find Steve. He could use someone right now." Clark said and Howard nodded.

"Try a bar. After something like this, it'll likely be his first stop." Howard suggested.

"Thanks, Howard." Clark gave him an appreciated nod and Howard patted Clark on the arm before walking away. Clark kept his usual stoic face but internally he was patting himself on the back for a job well done in selling what just happened. Howard was right that Clark and Peggy's relationship seemed different because that's what the two wanted him and everyone else to think. When Clark got his cold and was recovering in bed with time alone with his thoughts he had time to think about what life with Peggy would be like when the war was over, he realized that she was with his Superman identity. He planned on going back to being Clark Kent when this war was over and wanted Peggy to be in his life, to meet his mother, see his home in Smallville, and eventually get married but she couldn't do that if she was with the Superman. So, they came up with a plan to end her relationship with Kalvin Elbert that way in the future she and Clark could be together. Clearly the ruse was working if Howard noticed it and soon enough Howard being Howard would likely spread word around the SSR so everyone would know. Clark did feel a little bad about lying to his friend but it was his burden to bare.

Clark focused back on the task at hand to find Steve. He changed into a normal military uniform so he didn't draw any unwanted attention. With everything going on, he didn't need to see Steve as Superman but as Clark Kent. Well, Kalvin Elbert but same thing.

After some time spent scouring the city, Clark finally found Steve in a small non-descript pub a few miles from the base. A place where only locals would go and where someone could go to get a drink in peace. A departure from the usual vibrance and boisterous laughter of fun-times had in the usual pub the Commandos or Taskforce Vanguard had frequented. Clark walked in to see there was one person behind the bar but since there were only four people in said bar and one was Steve then one person working was enough. Steve was the only one sitting at a table with the other three occupants sitting at the bar. They were drinking beer while Steve was nursing a glass of whiskey with its bottle nearly empty. Clark walked over and when Steve saw him he sniffled and wiped his nose before he straightened up a bit.

"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means…I can't get drunk. I've never been more angry about that then right now." Steve poured himself another glass before he downed it in one gulp. To his disappointment nothing changed and he could still feel clearly.

"Yeah, I think we learned that when Lucas had us drinking and everyone placed bets on us." Clark pulled out a chair and sat down across from Steve. He picked up the bottle of whiskey and poured Steve another glass. "It wasn't your fault."

"Did you read the report?"

"I did."

"Then you know that's not true."

"Steve, you did everything you could in that situation. What happened isn't on you." Clark told him.

"It sure feels like it." Steve muttered. Having gone through his own crisis of faith recently, Clark had an idea on what to say to help him.

"Let me ask you something, Steve. Did you trust, Bucky? You respected him and his decisions, right?" Clark asked and while Steve didn't answer, it was yes to all. "We all have a choice, Steve. Whether we're super soldiers or not, Barnes knew that too. He chose to follow you as did everyone else on your team, same with mine. They all know the risks. It doesn't make it any easier when we lose them, especially with what we can do. We feel like we can save everyone but we can't. But we have to respect their choices and honor who they were and what they did. Barnes believed in you to fight by your side all this time because he believed in you like I do. And I know he or anyone else wouldn't have it any other way."

"I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured." Steve declared.

"You're not going to be alone." Clark promised before he signaled to the bartender who brought him over a glass. Clark poured himself a cup and despite it not doing anything for him like Steve he decided to share a drink. He raised his glass up and Steve did the same.

"To Bucky."

"To Bucky."

Steve clinked his glass with Clark's and they gulped them down. Steve lost a brother but he would be avenged.

Line Break xxxxx

SSR Headquarters London, England

Colonel Phillips called a strategy meeting with everyone to discuss Red Skull and how they were going to stop him. Howling Commandos and Taskforce Vanguard sat around the giant map table littered with all the information the SSR and SOE could get them on his base of operations and the region. Colonel Phillips and Agent Carter's interrogation of Dr. Zola bore more fruit as they now knew the details of Schmidt's plan and like the Red Skull himself it was psychotic and grandiose in equal measure. Schmidt had built a massive aircraft using parts from all his Hydra facilities Steve and Clark had taken out. It was powerful and fast enough to circumnavigate the world faster than any other aircraft being built. It took the idea of Hitler's jet fighters to their zenith and would be equipped with enough Cosmic Cube energy bombs to end this war with a Hydra victory. England, the US, Germany, the Soviet Union, everywhere would be destroyed and Hydra would rule.

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bughouse. He thinks he's a god, and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA." Colonel Phillips pointed to a map to show them the flight paths Dr. Zola told him about and the targets which included most major US cities just as Howard returned to the table from his lab.

"Schmidt is working with powers beyond our current capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic, he'll wipe out the entire Eastern Seaboard in an hour." Howard informed everyone and they all felt the pressure. This was it. Do or die.

"What's our timeline? How much time do we have before he launches his plane?" Arthur Kingsley asked.

"According to my new best friend, just under 24 hours." Colonel Phillips answered and now they had a very short window to stop him.

"Where is he now?" Dum-Dum Dugan asked.

"Hydra's last base is here. In the Swiss Alps, 500 feet below the surface." Colonel Phillips showed them old reconnaissance photos of a base which only further added on their problems. The photos were passed around and everyone was left with some serious thinking to do.

"So, what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim Morita pointed out.

"Why not?" Steve asked aloud and everyone looked at him. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

"I'm in." Clark agreed. "Schmidt knows we're onto him. We don't have many moves left. An all-out assault is one of the best options we have. It beats trying to track down an advance airplane in the air."

Colonel Phillips agreed that it was their only real plan. Take the fight to Red Skull and end this on their terms. "You heard them. We're leaving in an hour."

"All right, let's get going." Logan added and everyone quickly got to work. Calls were made to request as many aircraft as possible to get the teams to Switzerland as fast as possible while equipment was organized for the trip. Ammunition and guns, lots of guns.

Clark gave Steve a pat on the shoulder before he walked over to Colonel Phillips who quickly sent his aids to work. "Colonel, permission to speak with you in private?"

"Follow me." Colonel Phillips led him to his office and closed the door so they could speak in private. "What is it, Elbert?"

"It's about our plan, sir. I still believe it's our best option but Zola informed us that Von List and Dr. Vogel are working with Schmidt, which means there will be Maschinensoldaten there. He knows he can't face me and Steve on his own so he got help and the odds are more tipped into his favor, especially regarding this secret project he said he was working on." Clark reminded him.

"We still don't know what it is. Zola's ramblings about that project didn't make any sense but whatever he said he built he was fairly confidant it could kill you given the chance. It's why I'm mobilizing the 107th Infantry Regiment to join us. Hopefully, that'll tip the odd more in our favor."

"Actually, sir, I have an idea on how we can tip it even more. I'll just need your permission for a brief leave of absence." Clark said and Colonel Phillips looked confused. "I need to head down to Africa and I can get there faster on my own. I'll regroup with everyone prior to our assault on Red Skull's base, hopefully with backup."

"Your backup wouldn't happen to involve the three civilians you said aided you when you were down there investigating Hydra's search for Vibranium. You told me that you found nothing." Colonel Phillips reminded him.

"I did sir and I didn't. I didn't find any Vibranium and I mentioned that Hydra's search for Wakanda was a waste of time which it was. However, I also mentioned a detail I didn't include in my official report." Clark corrected his assumption.

"Right. The American archaeologist and the husband-and-wife duo who helped you find your path. I'm guessing there were details you left out on purpose."

"Yes, sir and I take full responsibility for that but I made them a promise. I'm aware of my responsibility to you as my commanding officer but I'm afraid it was a secret I needed to keep at the time."

"And now?"

"And now I believe they can help me once again like they did against Hydra. I will accept any punishment you deem fit. I'm just asking for your permission to head back to Africa to get them to help."

Colonel Phillips stared down Clark and contemplated this whole idea. He didn't like the fact that one his best soldiers kept things off an official report and had lied to him but having gotten to known him these past few years he understood the kind of man he was. He was the kind of man wouldn't have done something like leaving out information on an official report without a good reason. Whatever that reason remained unclear but clearly Clark was implying that the trio who helped him in Africa could help them now so if it meant that it helped their odds against Hydra then perhaps he could overlook the lie. He'd reprimand him when this was all over but right now, he needed the Superman.

"We will discuss this later, Captain Elbert. That much I can promise you but if you believe that these people can help…then you have my permission. You have twelve hours. We'll reconvene in Austria. I'll have your team keep their signal beacon active so you can find us. Hurry." Colonel Phillips told him.

"Yes, sir." Clark gave Colonel Phillips a salute before he walked out of his office. He walked down the halls of the SSR and changed into his suit before he vanished in a blur of super speed.

Zambesi, Africa

A speeding blur skid to a stop, kicking up a large plume of dirt revealing Clark in his Superman suit. He smiled as the sun light filled his body with energy, fresh air filled his nose, and the calm sounds of nature echoed in his ears. The two-hour run and swim from London all the way back to Africa was worth it to be back in Zambesi, even for a little bit. Despite what happened the last time he was here he enjoyed how quiet things were. It reminded him of being back on the farm though less roasters screaming in the morning.

Clark walked into the village and the people smiled when they saw him. Adults bowed in his presence while laughing children swamped him. Clark was all smiled, holding their hands and patting their heads. He even lifted up a few in a show of strength but as much as he would like to enjoy his time here he was on a clock so he walked through the village until he saw Amaya walk out of a hut with Shayara, Carter, and Dan. "Kal, it is good to see you again." Amaya smiled and bowed her head and Clark bowed in return. "What brings you back to Zambesi? Hydra isn't back here, are they?"

"No, they're not, Amaya. I'm actually here to see them." Clark looked at Carter, Shayara, and Dan.

"Come inside. I've just made some tea." Amaya motioned for him to follow and led him into her hut. She sent the children away so they could talk in private. "How did you know that they were here?"

Amaya poured Clark a cup of tea before doing the same for the others and they all sat down around the fire. "I didn't. I was hoping that they would have mentioned to you where they might be going if they did leave. Guess I got lucky." Clark took a sip of tea and it was delicious. "I'm sorry to drop in unannounced but it's important."

"So, what's wrong?" Dan asked and Clark explained the situation. Johann Schmidt AKA the Red Skull was planning to rule the world and his ultimate plan involved the destruction of half the world to do it. His plan was less than a day from commencing but he was prepared for an attack with help in the form of more Maschinensoldaten lying in wait for Superman along with some kind of special weapons project. Clark also explained how the person helping Red Skull and Von List was the same person who likely sent the SS to Zambezi to get Amaya's necklace and gave Hydra the information to try and invade Wakanda for Vibranium.

"Wow…you're up against a ticking clock here." Carter admitted.

"Yeah and who knows what else Schmidt could have planned. It's why I came to find you three. You helped me once before in protecting Zambesi and stopping Hydra. I was hoping you would help me again." Clark told him, Shayara, and Dan before the three exchanged looks. "I know this is a lot to ask and I swore that what I saw would stay with me which it has. I didn't tell my CO anything about what I saw, just that you three helped me as a guide. I want you to know that. Even if you can't help that secret won't change…"

"Kal." Shayara got him to stop talking so she could give him an answer. "All you had to do is ask. We'd be happy to help."

"Of course, and we believe you when you said you didn't tell anyone about us until now otherwise we'd have had the US Army come visit us. You're a man of your word and we respect that." Carter added.

"Carter's right. And if Hydra really is going to do what you say they are then it'd be selfish of us not to do what we can." Dan told him.

"We'd all be happy to help." Amaya volunteered herself to help as well.

"Amaya, I can't ask you to do that. You have this village to protect. I can't take you away from that." Clark said and she nodded.

"Yes, I am the protector of Zambesi but if Hydra is truly as big of a threat as you say they are then the best way for me to protect Zambesi right now is to help you stop them. Besides, with everything you said could be waiting for you then you will need all the help you can get. You came to my aid and protected my home. It is only right I help you do the same." Amaya stated.

"What she said. We're in." Carter told him and Clark smiled.

"All right then. The odds are shifting away from Hydra." Clark said when he realized one thing. "How good are all of you with motion sickness?"

Clark's question caught them off guard and they definitely wouldn't like what happened next. It was going to be a long trip back.

12 hours later…

The Alps

The roar of a modified 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA Liberator echoed through the forests of Switzerland as Captain America drove down a dirt road towards Red Skull's base. His eyes focused on the road as his mind and heart were ready for the coming battle. To end Hydra and get revenge for Bucky.

As his motorcycle turned a corner, seven Hydra soldiers drove around the bend on their own motorcycles following Captain America. They fired the energy cannons on the front of their vehicles but they either missed or were deflected by Captain America's shield which he had on his back. The Captain saw them following him so he planned out his next move. After turning another corner onto a straight path for the next quarter mile, he flicked a switch on his handlebars and pressed a button. Twin hooks attached to a rope shot out in opposite directions from the spool on the back of his bike. The hooks embedded themselves in trees and were tightened, forming a clothesline. Five of the Hydra soldiers ducked in time but the last two weren't as lucky and got caught, being launched off their bikes. The Captain flicked another switch on his bike which caused the large exhaust on the back to light up before it let out a torrent of fire. His bike's miniature flamethrower engulfed another Hydra soldier who veered off the road and crashed into a tree.

The remaining four Hydra soldiers sped up, closing in on the Captain when a speeding blur ran by. The front wheels of two of the bikes were crushed causing their drivers to get launched forward. The Captain hit the brakes, so the remaining two Hydra soldiers sped past him but as they did he pulled the pin on the grenades they had hooked to their bikes. A few seconds later the grenade went off and engulfed the two bikes in an explosion. Captain America slid to a stop and Superman appeared right next to him. The latter looked back and saw one of the Hydra soldiers slowly picking himself up so he picked up a rock and threw it, hitting the soldier in the head and knocking him out.

"What happened to us attacking the base together?" Clark asked Steve.

"I waited up for you. You were late." Steve pointed out and Clark conceded that.

"Sorry. Had to handle some things and it took longer than expected. I ran into some problems but we're good now." Clark apologized and Steve let him know it was ok. Clark looked to the west towards where the base was located and used his X-ray vision to get a look. "Well, they know we're coming and are waiting. You still ready for this?"

[Engine revving] "I am. Are you?" Steve asked him.

"Lead on, Captain." Clark gave him a two-finger salute. Steve smirked before he sped up his bike and drove towards the base. Once his motorcycle exited the forest clearing down the main road to the base he saw the main gate. Two large, reinforced stone walls with gunner ports that housed Hydra energy cannons. In between the two stone walls was a Hydra tank. Steve removed his shield from his back and placed it on the front of his bike as he drove forward. The energy cannons opened fire but Steve wasn't deterred and swerved to avoid being hit while the tank moved forward into position. It's cannon powered up when Clark leapt from the forest into its path and used his heat vision to melt a hole through the tank before let out a sharp gust of super breath. It kicked up dirt, obscuring the view of the energy cannon gunners and allowing Steve to press on. He rode his bike up one of the stone walls of the gate and landed in the base, throwing some grenades as he drove through. Hydra soldiers tried to shoot him as his grenades went off and were killed in the explosions. He pressed another button on his handlebars and the front of his bike fired two rockets that blew up another tank before he steered toward the entrance to the bunker. He pressed the final button on his bike before he grabbed his shield and jumped off. He shield bashed a Hydra soldier trying to get into a Hydra tank before throwing his shield and hitting an SS soldier who tried to shoot him. His shield ricocheted back to him and he blocked the bolts from a Hydra energy rifle before parrying the gun out of the soldiers arms. He kneed him in the chest before he shield bashed another in the chest, then blocked the punch from another Hydra goon and uppercut him in the air. One Hydra soldier came up behind him but Cap turned around and kicked the gun away before knocking him back with a rising knee to the face. The Captain's bike continued driving through the dirt until it crashed into the doors of the bunker, blowing up a huge hole and making an entrance.

Captain America ran to the bunker and threw his shield at a tank. It ricocheted off and hit a Hydra soldier in the face while Cap disarmed a second and threw him in the air. He caught his shield as two Hydra brutes armed with flamethrower packs approached him from opposite sides and released steady streams of hot fire. The Captain was trapped with Hydra and SS soldiers surrounding him with their weapons. He was outnumbered and dead to rights but it wasn't over when he heard a sharp whistling sound indicative of something falling through the air so he dropped low and covered his head with his shield.

[Crash]

Superman crashed down into the base and his impact shook the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocked down the two Hydra brutes with the flamethrowers and staggered everyone else. Before they could open fire, he unleashed his super breath as he turned around and the sudden powerful gust of wind knocked everyone back. Some guns were fired by accident which took out a few Hydra and SS soldiers with one stray energy bolt hitting a truck that then exploded. One of the flamethrower brutes got back to his feet and aimed his flamethrower at the Captain so Superman got in his way. He inhaled and unleashed his freeze breath which quickly overwhelmed the flamethrower and the brute until he was frozen in ice.

The Captain stood up and threw his shield, hitting a few more Hydra soldiers when he saw a Maschinensoldaten walk out of the destroyed bunker entrance. It marched forward and raised the arm that had twin MG-42 machine guns bolted on and fired. Superman quickly got in front of the Captain and shielded him from the bullets as the Maschinensoldaten then raised its Kryptonite laser. The tip glowed green so the Captain dove out from behind Superman and picked up his shield as the Kryptonite energy beam was fired from the laser. It would have hit Superman had Captain America not gotten in front of him and raised his shield. The green energy beam was deflected to the side where it struck a truck causing it to explode. The Maschinensoldaten leapt into the air so the two heroes jumped to the side as it crashed down while firing the machine guns on its arm. Captain America used his shield as he dove behind some barrels while Superman kept his distance so the Kryptonite didn't affect him. He leapt back before firing his heat vision while the Maschinensoldaten fired its Kryptonite laser and the two energies clashed against one another. A spectacle of red and green light for all to see as the two sides fought for dominance. The Maschinensoldaten was jostled forward as Captain America had leapt onto its back. With the sudden weight change it stumbled around momentarily waving its arms which caused the Kryptonite laser beam to swing around erratically. Superman wisely got out of danger and dove behind a car to avoid getting hit. Captain America grabbed onto a gap in the armor plating before bashing it in the back with his shield. The first bash dented the titanium-alloy plating before his second bash hit the ammo pack feeding the machine guns on its left arm. The Maschinensoldaten began to buck and reached its arms back trying to grab him so the Captain's third shield bash managed to hit the wires and tubes connected to the Kryptonite laser before he backflipped away. He backflipped a few more times as the Maschinensoldaten punched and tried to grab him when Superman came from behind with a shoulder tackle, sending it face first into the ground.

The Maschinensoldaten pushed itself back onto its feet when Captain America got an idea. "Superman, give me a toss." He held out his hand and Superman was a little confused until he saw him hold up the shield and realized what he wanted to do.

"Shield first." Superman grabbed his right hand and spun, lifting him off the ground and on the second spin he let go and flung him forward. Captain America flew like a javelin but was holding his shield in front so he was a flying battering ram. When the Maschinensoldaten turned around it got struck by the Captain America's flying shield first near the speed of sound and landed flat on his back again. Captain America bounce off and flipped through the air before landing on his feet but quickly rushed the downed metal soldier and shield bashed the chest plate holding the Kryptonite. It cracked and he was quick to yank it out before throwing it up into the air. Superman vaporized it with his heat vision and as the Maschinensoldaten picked his head up, Captain America gave him one good shield face to the face plate and knocked him out. More Hydra and SS soldiers began to funnel out of the bunker when Superman got an idea, remembering what happened at the SSR when Steve first held the shield. "Shield up and brace yourself!"

Captain America crouched and held his shield up with two hands just as Superman leapt toward him and pulled his fist back. The Hydra and SS soldiers raised their guns just as Superman's fist contacted the shield. A loud metallic hum was heard followed by a flash of light before a shockwave erupted which knocked the soldiers down.

"Glad that worked out." Superman remarked and Captain America smirked but just as the two were about to walk into the bunker they both saw a bright green glow coming from inside. "Get—"

A blast of Kryptonite energy hit Superman and sent him flying back into the dirt while a second blast hit Captain America who ended up bouncing off the side of a tank. "Ugh…"

Both super soldiers lingered on the ground for a moment, Superman longer than Captain America because of the adverse effects the Kryptonite had on him. Even with the lead plating underneath his suit, Clark could feel the Kryptonite eating away at his cells. For some reason this Kryptonite blast was more powerful than the previous ones he's had to deal with. He managed to push himself onto his side as the pain slowly began to fade when he saw a figure through the smoke coming from the bunker. One key thing he was able to tell was that it wasn't a Maschinensoldaten since it's frame was that of a regular human. The person was still large but he didn't see the curves of the armor. The figure stepped through the smoke and Clark could hear the clank of metal but he wasn't quite sure why he heard that when what walked through was a man.

"What the…" Superman muttered t himself as he got back to his feet.

The man in question was wearing the same black uniforms that the Hydra soldiers were wearing like the boots, pants, and flak jacket though without a helmet. Just a regular man though very tall and well built with blonde hair and blue eyes. The man stared down Superman with anger.

"Oh, how long I've waited for this." The man said though his voice sounded weird, somewhat garbled like he was speaking through a radio. "To pay you back for what you did to me."

Clark was confused at what he meant but the man did seem familiar until he remembered from where. Clark remembered seeing the man's face when he and his team captured Mussolini. He was the SS-officer who lead the extraction for the Italian Fascist leader and underwent the transformation with the Blockbuster serum. Clark hadn't seen him since he punched him off that mountain back when he was all big and monstrous looking. Now, he looked normal.

"It's you. But how?" Clark wondered as Skorzeny walked towards him.

"Ah, you do remember me. Well good because I remember you and what you did to me. The pain and indignity I suffered at your hand. My body broken, my honor tarnished…and all my thoughts after lingered on how I would make you pay." Skorzeny spat out in anger. Clark readied himself but glanced behind Skorzeny where he saw Steve slowly walking up behind him. Steve nodded to Clark who gave a subtle nod back. Clark would keep Skorzeny distracted so Steve could take him out. Let the bad guy's ego ruin them. "And now, here I am. Born again and now I get to kill you."

"You tried that last time and it didn't work out…just like it won't here." Clark told him as Steve rushed him from behind and came in with his shield for a right punch only for Skorzeny to turn his head and raise his right arm to catch the shield. Steve tried to push the shield forward but Skorzeny's grip was just as strong as Clark's. He then yanked the shield off Steve's arm and punched him in the gut before landing a backfist to his face which sent him flying back. Clark super sped forward to tackle Skorzeny only for the man to turn back around and grab Clark's hands. There was a loud clang like Clark hit metal and small shockwave when the two collided. Skorzeny had Clark's hands in his grasp fighting against his strength with his own. Skorzeny was matching Clark like he did before so clearly he was still under the effects of the Blockbuster serum.

"Serum or not, you're not as strong as I am." Clark told him as he began to push forward.

"No…I'm stronger." Skorzeny gave him an evil smirk as a green glow could be seen getting brighter and brighter until it was visible underneath the black leather of the suit. Kryptonite. Clark slipped out of Skorzeny's grasp as he began to feel weaker, taking a few steps back. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Skorzeny rushed forward and landed a powerful left punch to Clark's face. Then a right and then left again before grabbing him by the head and slamming his face into the ground. Clark managed to throw out a punch of his own which knocked Skorzeny back but the Kryptonite was still weakening him. He stumbled back but managed to get back to his feet. He saw a tire on the ground next to him so he picked it up and hurled it at Skorzeny, nailing him in the face. Skorzeny's head turned but when he turned back he was fine and charged forward. Clark threw out a punch but Skorzeny ducked and punched him in the gut before bringing his face down onto his knee. Clark staggered back as Skorzeny hit him with punch after punch in a vicious beatdown. Another punch to the gut and then a left cross to his face followed up by a right until Clark managed to punch Skorzeny in the face and followed that up with another punch that staggered him back a bit. Skorzeny smirked in delight as the punches felt like nothing so he marched forward only to get hit from behind. He turned around and saw Captain America catch his shield before leaping forward shield first and hitting him in the face with his shield. Skorzeny fell to the ground as Steve rolled towards Clark holding up a grenade pin. The two dove to the side just as the grenade went off, engulfing Skorzeny in its explosion. Clark was quick to follow up as he picked up a nearby truck and slammed it onto Skorzeny before a burst of his heat vision ignited the fuel tank.

Clark breathed a sigh of relief as he and Steve saw the fireball that engulfed Skorzeny but then to their disbelief they saw a figure walk out of the explosive aftermath and fire and while it may be Skorzeny, it didn't look like him. By some miracle Skorzeny's pants and boots weren't burnt to a crisp but his top half wasn't so lucky revealing not mutated flesh but metal. And not just metal plating of armor but a metal skeleton. Like something out of a macabre nightmare, Skorzeny's entire body wasn't flesh and bone but metal and oil. The silver sheen of whatever kind of alloy his body was made of was unmistakable. Even Skorzeny's face was metal but half of what used to be human remained like the fake skin mask Clark saw the Red Skull wear when he first saw him. It was hanging off half his face with half his hair adding to the macabre factor. Skorzeny's teeth and skull were metal and his green eyes were just green lenses. In the center of his chest was a large circular container like the chest plates on the Maschinensoldaten except this one had tubes connecting it to the metal body and a secondary smaller container right below it which was glowing blue like Hydra's energy weapons. Skorzeny definitely hadn't become a god…he became a monster. (1)

"Is that the best you can do?" Skorzeny's metal mouth smirked before his chest plates began glowing. The tubes that connected the Kryptonite and Cosmic Cube energy combined before releasing a combined green and blue energy beam that hit Superman.

"ARGHH!" Clark's shouts echoed out as he flew back, his body slamming into a truck. He felt more pain in that moment than he ever had before. The Cosmic Cube energy amplified the Kryptonite, further increasing its radioactivity and energy signature and making it much more deadly than it would on its own. Steve turned around only for Skorzeny to rush forward at incredible speed and hit him in the gut with a powerful uppercut and then land a right uppercut to his chin that knocked him onto his back. Steve groaned in pain as Hydra and SS soldiers surrounded the two heroes. They were beaten.

Hydra soldiers took Steve's shield and held him at gunpoint while Skorzeny himself grabbed Clark. Holding him up by the back of his uniform and carrying him through the dirt like you would an animal or garbage. Sweet vindication for him. The two were brought into Red Skull's Hydra base up to Schmidt's office. Skorzeny would have just liked to kill Superman right now but Schmidt and Savage wanted some final words. Steve was in the grasp of two Hydra soldiers but he looked more concerned for Clark who was still being dragged by Skorzeny. They entered the office, which was large and open with a large desk and a view of the mountains. If it didn't belong to the madman they were here to stop Steve would like it.

Steve recognized Red Skull standing by his desk but the three other men with him Steve only knew by intelligence photos. Vandal Savage, Wolfram Von List and Doctor Ulrich Vogel. Savage poured them all glasses of schnapps so they could enjoy their victory. They clinked their glasses and sipped their drinks as Steve spared a glance at Clark who, despite the exposure to the Kryptonite, was hanging on. He gave Steve a subtle nod to assure him he was wasn't dead.

"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say you two do it better than anyone. But there are limits to what even you two can do or did Erskine not tell you otherwise?" Red Skull wondered.

"He told us that you were insane. That's enough." Steve answered.

"Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. Look where his arrogance got him." Red Skull then looked down at Clark. "And look where it got you. If only he could see you know. Weak, feeble, dying. Not so super, are you?"

"I'm doing just fine…how's your jaw?" Clark uttered earning a glare from the Hydra leader but he was more focused on Savage. It was reciprocated as Savage walked over and knelt down so he was eye to eye with Clark.

"Captain Elbert…how good to see you again. It's been some time." Savage took out his knife and dug it into Clark's left cheek. Steve tried to move forward but was quickly pulled back into the grasp of the Hydra soldiers holding him. He didn't like to see his friend being tortured and not able to stop it. Savage sliced up Clark's cheek letting him bleed and took sweet satisfaction in doing so. "You don't know how long I wished you make you pay for the grievances you've given me.

"Glad to disappoint you." Clark looked Savage in the eyes. "How are you alive? I saw you die."

"Did you, though? I have done things you could not even imagine. Others more worthy have tried to kill me and failed. What made you think your feral Canadian would succeed where they didn't, Hmm?" Savage wondered when he saw Clark groan in pain as his veins glowed green like the Kryptonite. The more time he spent around it the weaker and sicker he got. "I must admit though. Never in all my years have I ever had someone vex me as you have. Herr Thawne was right that you would be a thorn in my side."

"Too bad for him…he's not around anymore to care about that…" Clark then spat in Savage's face.

"Uncivilized." Savage wiped the spit off his face and nodded to Skorzeny who punched Clark in the gut twice. "And it's a shame about Herr Thawne but his sacrifice was not in vain as he gave me the final nail to put in your coffin. The perfect combination of the work done by Von List and Dr. Vogel with the technology and refinement curtsey of Herr Schmidt to create something to destroy the Man of Steel. The ultimate culmination of man and machine. Project Metallo."

"Is that what you're calling yourself?" Steve said to Skorzeny. "Are you even human, anymore?"

"I've transcended past that. I am power." Skorzeny dragged Clark's face closer to the Kryptonite to torture him and boy did he enjoy it. Savage himself was just in awe at his work as were the others.

"The best of the machine. Efficiency, strength, and power but controlled by the brain of one of the finest soldiers there is. One of the best of man. He is but the first of many which will wipe out any resistance that arise from Hydra's dominance." Savage stated and Red Skull smiled in delight.

"No wonder you two fell in together. You're both insane…" Clark uttered which made the Red Skull roll his eyes.

"What some call insanity, I call genius. The power of the gods channeled into the machine of man. Truly something only done by those with the vision to see it through. Erskine was a fool to deny me my genius. Look at what I've done and am about to do to this world. He denied me the chance to make a better one and yet he gave you two such a chance. What makes you so special, Captain?" Red Skull wondered so Steve just smirked in response.

"Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn." Steve's answer got him a punch to the face followed by a backfist and then a punch to the gut. Steve coughed up a bit but stayed resolute in his strength and will.

"You…you really…haven't learned…how to punch…have you?" Clark smirked only for Skorzeny to slam his face into the floor and stomp on his head. His metal foot slowly applying pressure to make it hurt.

"I can do this all day." Steve said in defiance to the Red Skull.

"Oh, of course, you can, of course. But, unfortunately, I have found the novelty of your last moments on this earth to have run their course. I have a schedule to keep." Red Skull unholstered his energy pistol and aimed it at Steve's head as it powered up. Clark looked towards the window and saw four objects flying in very fast, one of which was began glowing, which caught everyone's attention.

"So do we." Clark spat out. Red Skull quickly pulled the trigger but Steve pulled one of the Hydra men restraining him in front of him to take the blast. A powerful explosion ripped through the windows of the Red Skull's office knocking everyone down except for Skorzeny who instead was hit with a flying spiked metal mace. It hit him in the chest and sent him crashing onto some Hydra soldiers. Blue energy blasts erupted in the room but not by Hydra soldiers as they were gunned down indiscriminately.

No longer feeling the Kryptonite nearby to affect him, Clark quickly rolled to the side with Steve towards the window while the Red Skull and Savage took off running as did Von List and Dr. Vogel. Skorzeny got back to his feet when he heard a rhino charge and was hit hard enough to stagger him back. Then a sharp axe sliced across his face tearing off the rest of his fake skin and then a mace uppercut him in the jaw. He fell back into a wall so he charged up his chest plates only before he could fire, a powerful blast of blue energy hit him and send his metal body crashing out of the room. He crashed through the wall out into the hallway and then through another wall.

The chaos of what just happened was over allowing Clark and Steve to see their rescuers. Clark was glad to see them as was Steve but he was confused as to who they were. The blue energy came from the man wearing the blue formfitting suit with the giant protrusion on his back that looked like a giant bug with a similar bug-themed blue cowl covering his head. On the man's hands were antenna-like ray guns that quickly reverted back into his gloves. The rhino sound came from a woman wearing traditional African garb but now included long sleeves and pants because of the cold. Around her neck was a necklace of a golden feline head flanked by six golden fangs. The axe and mace were curtesy of a husband-and-wife duo in matching red, gold, and green armor with similar avian-themed helmets.

"Great timing but a few minutes ago wouldn't have hurt either." Clark said as Carter helped him to his feet. Without the Kryptonite nearby, Clark's wounds began healing rapidly.

"Sorry, but we were still dealing with all the motion sickness for you getting us here." Shayara told him.

"Still, glad we got here just in time. Everyone else is in position." Dan told him.

"Good." Clark said before he looked at Steve. "Steve, meet some friends of mine. Carter and Shayara Hall, Dan Garrett, and Amaya Jiwe. Everyone, meet Steve Rogers. Captain America."

"Pleasure to meet you, Captain Rogers. Sorry it had to be like this." Amaya shook his hand.

"It's all right. Thanks for the assistance." Steve replied as he took note of their unusual attire before looking at Clark. "What are they doing here?"

"I figured we could use the help. I met them when I went to Africa. With what everything Schmidt and Savage could have for us, I felt that having some help that they wouldn't expect could prove useful. I'll make proper introductions and everything later but we've got a job to do." Clark said before he handed Steve his shield.

"Right. Let's go." Steve led them out of the office to track down the Red Skull.

Elsewhere in the compound, an explosion took out a side entrance allowing the infiltration team in. It was Taskforce Vanguard and the Howling Commandos with some men from the 107th. Arthur Kingsley led the men as he had one group lay down covering fire down one hallway while they pushed down another. "Lucas, frag!" Kingsley shouted.

"On it." Lucas Riggs pulled the pin on two grenades before throwing them down the hall, killing some Hydra soldiers. Jim Morita took cover behind a wall before turning on his radio backpack.

"We're in! Assault team, go!"

Colonel Phillips, Agent Carter and the 107th made the frontal assault on the base. With all the distraction from Captain America and Superman's attack on the base and then their subsequent capture, it allowed the 107th to close in on the base and await the signal. Now that they had it, it was time for their attack. The destruction the two super soldiers were able to do helped even the odds as they charged through the gates. Hydra and SS soldiers fought back, getting into any defensive positions they could to fight back but it wasn't doing them much good. With how exposed they were and all the damage done leaving them without their heavy vehicles than there wasn't much of a defense they could put up. Snipers in the woods took out Hydra soldiers with the energy rifles while mortars were launched near the main gate, taking out much of the opposition.

Inside, the Red Skull and his compatriots were running through the halls towards the hangar. They took the fastest route which included a hallway near the main entrance to the bunker. Now that the base was under attack they needed to enact the plan before they could be stopped. Dr. Vogel, a man of science and not a man of action was panicking which in turn actually made him run faster.

"Quickly! We must get to the plane!" Dr. Vogel ran past his compatriots when he saw some Hydra soldiers standing guard. "You all. Come with us. We need to get—[Boom!]"

Several explosions went off one after another killing the Hydra soldiers and Dr. Vogel who was standing with them. The explosions came from TNT used to breach the doors to the bunker. American soldiers entered the bunker just as Schmidt and Savage picked up energy rifles. They gunned down the 107th infantry soldiers who marched through before turning around to run. Some more soldiers got through and one rifleman fired some shots and a lucky ricochet hit Von List in the back of the right thigh. Savage turned back around and gunned down the soldiers before looking down at Von List who was cradling his leg.

"Savage, help me! I can run!" Von List held out his hand only for Savage to aim the rifle at him.

"I'm sorry, my friend but it appears our partnership has reached its end."

"You son of a bit—" Von List didn't get to finish his sentence before he was vaporized without remorse. Savage then resumed running and rejoined with Schmidt.

Elsewhere in the base, Taskforce Vanguard and the Howling Commandos were making mincemeat of any Hydra or SS soldiers they came across. Dum-Dum Dugan and Lucas Riggs even picked up energy rifles and enjoyed themselves. They weren't the only ones handling Hydra soldiers as any who came across the Superman and Captain America also had to deal with four new arrivals each as unique as the two leading them.

The roar of an elephant was heard as Amaya charged through a hallway, tackling through a group of Hydra soldiers which sent them flying into the walls. One got up and took aim at her only for Carter to block the shot with a circular shield he made appear on his left arm before he sliced him across the chest with his axe. He turned around and sliced another Hydra soldier with his axe before shield bashing a third. Carter leaned back to avoid a gun butt to the face and headbutted the Hydra soldier in response before kicking him into Steve who leg tripped him and bashed him in the face with his shield. He turned around and bashed another Hydra goon in the face before throwing his body into another and then taking out two with a split kick. One of them tried to get up only to get a knee across the face curtsey of Shayara who turned around and bashed a Hydra soldier in the stomach with her mace. She used a lot of strength as the man's body slammed into the ceiling before falling back down. A Hydra soldier raised his gun at her but she knocked it aside, elbowed the soldier in the face, kneed him in the gut and then smacked him on the back with her mace. Another group of Hydra soldiers came down from the opposite end of the hall and opened fire only for Dan to get in front of everyone. The wings on his back extended out and formed an energy shield that protected them all from being hit.

"Shield down now and duck!" Clark shouted so Dan cut out the shield and ducked just in time to avoid a torrent of super breath. The Hydra soldiers were sent flying back down the hallway like a hurricane wind gale hit them.

"Nice. You didn't have that before." Dan pointed out.

"Picked it up after a cold. Come on." Clark led them through the base when he saw Red Skull and Savage turn the corner ahead of them. "Savage!"

Clark and the others chased after him but when he turned the corner he was immediately punched into a wall before being tackled through it by Skorzeny AKA Metallo. He didn't stop as he then tackled Clark through the subsequent wall behind the one they just broke, and then the one behind that one until the final wall ended up leading them to the massive hangar. Granted they didn't come out on the ground level of the hangar but rather up in the rafters so the two fell down. Clark landed first and Skorzeny picked him up and threw him into a truck.

Steve, Dan, Amaya, Shayara, and Carter looked at the massive hole through the base that Clark had been tackled through. Clark was bulletproof and durable but that had to hurt. With him in danger, Red Skull and Savage were getting away so they needed to split up. Since it was just Red Skull and Savage by themselves while Clark was dealing with Skorzeny, the latter would need the help from the others more than Steve would. "You four go help Kal. I can handle Schmidt and Savage." Steve told them.

"Are you sure?" Amaya asked.

"I'll be fine. Besides, he'll need the help. Go!" Steve told them before he took off running incredibly fast.

"Right. Let's go." Carter led the others to go help Clark.

Steve's super soldier physique allowed him to quickly catch up with Red Skull and Vandal Savage, the former of whom would take shots with his energy pistol. Steve would block them with his shield before he threw it down the hall. It bounced off a wall towards Red Skull but got stuck in the closing doors just before it could hit him. Steve stepped forward when he saw a Hydra brute with a flamethrower come around a corner and laid down steady streams of fire. Steve took cover behind a small gap as the brute got closer and closer. Without his shield, Steve was without a weapon as his pistol and knife were taken when he was brought to the Red Skull's office.

[Submachine gun fire]

The fuel pack of the flamethrower brute exploded and he slumped forward dead. Steve peaked his head out and saw Anna Drake along with other members of Taskforce Vanguard and his commandos leading some men of the 107th. The soldiers quickly spread out to secure the area as Steve walked over to Anna. "Thanks for the assistance." Steve said and Anna smiled.

"Happy to help." She replied and Steve smiled back. Understanding what could happen, Anna pulled Steve down and gave him a quick kiss. "For luck. Got get him."

"Right." Steve focused back up and chased after Schmidt after he grabbed his shield from the door.

In the hangar, Clark picked himself up after being thrown into a truck when Metallo punched him in the face before slamming him back into the truck. "No more talking. Now you die!"

Metallo punched him again only for Clark to manage to land a punch of his own. He followed up his left uppercut with a right cross that made Metallo recoil back a bit before he fell to his knees. Metallo's jaw sparked a bit as some wires likely got frayed from the hit but he was still more than ready to fight. He punched his right fist into the ground and ripped out a large steel pipe from the flooring that had a chunk of gravel on the end. With his makeshift club, Metallo advanced. A swing from the left and then from the right but Clark managed to dodge only to get a knee to the face. He fell onto his back and Metallo brought the makeshift gravel club up over his head before bringing it down onto him. The gravel exploded and Clark shouted in pain before Metallo swung again, hitting him in the face with the pipe and then grabbed him by the neck. He lifted him up into the air with one hand before striking the pipe onto the ground, breaking off the edge so it was jagged and thrust it at Clark who managed to grab it with both hands just before it touched his chest. Clark struggled to push back the pipe as Metallo inched it closer and closer until a spinning axe knocked it out of his hand. A flying mace then hit the arm holding Clark by the neck, forcing Metallo to loosen his grip allowing Clark to slip out. The sound of Rhinoceros was heard as Amaya charged in and dropkicked Metallo in the chest, sending him skidding backwards until he hit the truck he knocked Clark into. Dan then flew down and his hand turned into the antenna laser before firing an energy blast at Metallo. It hit him and the truck, causing the latter to explode and engulfing the former with fire.

Amaya and Dan helped Clark back to his feet as Carter and Amaya picked up their weapons. "Are you all right?" Dan asked.

"I'm fine but that won't keep him down for long." Clark told him and to his word they heard the groaning sound of bending metal before seeing Metallo push off the truck wreck. He emerged from the fire unscathed by the explosion though his pants were gone revealing his metal legs and confirming that he was completely metal. The only part of him that was left human was likely his brain.

"By the ancestors…" Amaya muttered in horror. She thought she had seen some truly horrible things but this definitely took the prize.

[Crash!]

The heroes turned around and saw more Hydra soldiers emerging into the hangar but with them were three Maschinensoldaten, hopefully the last three. "Oh boy. I remember those things." Shayara muttered.

"There's four of them and five of us. I'm still liking our odds." Carter stated, flexing his battle axe. "If this be our death then we shall die fighting."

Clark looked at the odds and while they weren't great he wasn't about to let that stop him. "Not alone, you won't."

"Not how I planned to go but no better way to die than by saving the world." Dan pointed out.

"It has been an honor." Amaya said to everyone.

"The honor is mine. Thank you, all of you." Clark cracked his neck and his eyes began glowing red. "Ready?"

"Born ready. HA!" Shayara extended out her wings and took off flying with Carter joining her. Amaya summoned the spirit of the cheetah and sprinted at the Maschinensoldaten while Dan and Clark faced off against Metallo. Dan changed his hands into blades while Clark's eyes glowed red and the two charged.

A battle of epic proportions earmarked the end of the Red Skull.

Line Break xxxxx

Red Skull's Hydra Base Hangar

The loud booms of heavy impacts, clanking of metal meeting metal, and sound of gunfire echoed out while flashes of green, red, and blue light could be seen on one side of the hangar as Clark and his allied faced off against Metallo and the three remaining Maschinensoldaten while Hydra reinforcements came to their aid. Clark was thrown back and tumbled to the ground after being hit by a Kryptonite energy beam when he saw Red Skull and Savage run into the hangar towards their massive bomber jet. His eyes glowed red and he was about to fire a burst of his heat vision when he was left foot was grabbed and he was yanked away, causing his heat vision to veer off to the side. Metallo got on top of him and pushed his head to the side, forcing his heat vision away from hitting him while he punched him in the stomach and chest repeatedly. The lead plates in Clark's suit cracked and crumbled with each blow as Clark struggled to get him off until Amaya leapt on him from behind.

The aura of a large anaconda appeared around her before she wrapped her arms around the arm Metallo was using to punch Clark while her legs wrapped around the arm holding his face to the side and pulled. She was able to pull him off and restrict his movements before falling back and throwing him to the ground. Metallo quickly got up and threw out a punch but Amaya slipped between his legs and wrapped her arms around his left leg. With a vice grip she pulled as she rolled to the side, forcing Metallo to one knee allowing Clark to come in with a push kick to the chest plate. The kick had enough power to crack the container holding the Kryptonite but not enough to break it. Schmidt and Savage clearly learned from the mistakes of the Maschinensoldaten for Metallo. Metallo powered up his Kryptonite heart but quickly jumped back to avoid getting hit by Shayara with her mace. Clark quickly pulled Amaya to the side to avoid getting blasted with a Kryptonite laser from a Maschinensoldaten when Dan sliced it on the side with his arm swords. Amaya rushed forward and channeled the power of the Rhino and punched it in the side when Clark saw Carter get thrown to the side so he super sped forward and punched a Maschinensoldaten away before dodging a punch from another.

While the heroes were occupied, Red Skull and Savage climbed up the ladder into the massive bomber jet, the Valkyrie, to leave before the ensuing battle nearby harmed the plane. The bomber pilots were next but only a few made it as Taskforce Vanguard and the Howling Commandos had arrived and gunned down anyone trying to climb up the ladder. More Hydra soldiers arrived on the opposite end of the hangar as the 107th began flooding in and soon the hangar quickly grew into a chaotic battleground. Red Skull and Savage managed to get into the cockpit with the former securing the Cosmic Cube into its generator which powered up. Red Skull took his place at the controls as all the systems turned on. Life support, diagnostics, bomb bay controls, and the navigation with the course charted to take it to its first target, New York City.

By now the fighting in the hangar was in full swing, which is what Steve saw when he entered. He saw the 107th pushing the offensive against Hydra who were retreating. Off to the side he saw Clark and his friends facing off against Metallo and the Maschinensoldaten but the most important thing was he saw the rocket engines on the Valkyrie power up as it turned onto the runway. Seeing his target, Steve took off running. He knocked aside one Hydra soldier with his shield before punching another in the face and then shield bashing a third as he kept running. He leapt onto a crate and jumped into the air, grabbing a chain to swing over the men fighting and clear any obstacles. When he landed back on the ground he resumed running.

Clark had a Maschinensoldaten by the leg and threw him into the ceiling which in turn caused some rubble to come down on top of him when they hit the ground. It got back up only for Clark to fire a quick burst of his heat vision at its chest, melting through the armor and the Kryptonite. With it gone he super sped forward and punched it into a wall. That took care of one Maschinensoldaten. The second was fighting a losing battle with Carter since he managed to slice off its left arm with his axe before punching the chest plate with his gauntlet and ripping the Kryptonite out. It used its right arm to grab Carter by the neck, making him drop the Kryptonite but Carter flapped his wings and took it into the air. The third was fighting against Amaya and Shayara while Dan had created metal maces on his hands to face off against Metallo. Clark turned back to the bomber and saw it leaving when he saw Steve running after it so he was about to help him when he was blasted from behind by a Kryptonite blast and tumbled to the ground, seeing Dan land next to him.

"SUPERMAN!"

Metallo leapt into the air so Superman rolled to the side to avoid getting squashed. He dug his hands into the ground a ripped out a chunk of gravel before throwing it only for Metallo to punch it to pieces and blast him in the chest with another Kryptonite blast. Superman flew back and skidded on the floor as Carter sliced the head off the Maschinensoldaten he was fighting so he could now help Clark deal with Metallo.

"Carter! Get Steve to the bomber! Hurry!" Clark shouted as he rolled to the side to avoid Metallo's punch into the ground.

Carter looked and saw Steve running after the bomber which was speeding down the runway so he flew as fast as he could. Steve ran as fast as his legs could take him but his super soldier physique couldn't outrun a bomber with rocket engines. That's when Carter flew in from behind and picked him up by the armpits. "I got you. Hang on!" Carter flapped his wings and accelerated forward, closing the distance. Still, Carter's wings wouldn't be able to outmatch rocket engines but he was able to get him closer. "Grab onto the landing gear!"

"Do it!" Steve brace himself as Carter threw him forward. Steve flew through the air and managed to grab onto one of the wheels of the landing gear. He gave Carter a thumbs up as the jet continued down the runway.

While Carter was helping Steve get onto the bomber, Shayara managed to take out the Kryptonite in the second Maschinensoldaten after a few well-placed blows with her mace thereby eliminating the serious threat and Dan managed to do the same with the third though Amaya helped. Some Hydra soldiers rushed over to try and help so Amaya made quick work of them. Clark dealt with Metallo, giving him a solid punch to the face and sidestepping a kick only to get an uppercut to the chin. He fell back and Metallo blasted Clark into the ground with his Kryptonite beam only for Dan to come in from the side and slice him with an arm sword. The blade managed to cut into the metal on Metallo's left shoulder as Dan saw the sparking of wire before he was punched back. Amaya then came in and kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He got back up just as Shayara flew at him with her mace.

"His left shoulder!" Dan shouted and Shayara saw the sparking wires so she had a new target.

"HA!" Shayara brought her mace up over her head before bringing it down in a powerful blow that hit the cut Dan made earlier. In that weak spot her mace bashed through the metal armor and dug into Metallo's left shoulder.

"AH!" Metallo screamed as his left arm went limp and dropped to his side while sparks shot out from all the wires. Metallo punched Shayara away but the mace remained embedded in his shoulder until he pulled it out and tossed it aside. Seeing his left arm as useless, Metallo ripped it out of its socket and tossed it aside. Superman sped towards Metallo, picking Shayara's mace up off the ground and swung it at his chest with all his strength. A loud clang was heard as Metallo was thrown back and slammed into a wall. Somehow, Metallo managed to crawl out of the hole his body made and smirked. "Like I told you before! I am stronger than before! I am better than before! I am Metallo!"

"Maybe but one thing about machines is that they can break!" Clark then threw the mace with his super strength like it was a javelin and it flew through the air towards Metallo's chest. Flying at the speed it did, it hit with enough force to shatter the protective chest plates, damaging them and while the Kryptonite had managed to stay secure, the secondary chamber below it holding the Cosmic Cube energy was damaged. The damage caused the components to begin misfiring as it sparked with blue energy that quickly became unstable and built up with a distinct electrical hum. "Hydra's energy source isn't exactly stable!"

Metallo realized what was going to happen so he scrambled to try and remove it from his body but the hum was getting louder and energy getting brighter. "No! NO! NOO!"

[Explosion]

The Cosmic Cube chamber on Metallo's chest exploded, damaging his metal skeleton and provided the force necessary to expel the Kryptonite from its containment. It clattered to the ground as Metallo reached down to grab it but quickly froze as his usual green eyes went dim until they were not glowing anymore. Without the Kryptonite's power, there was nothing to keep Metallo operating. Dan saw the Kryptonite on the ground and turned his hand into his blaster to vaporize it.

"Thanks." Clark told them before he super sped over to the runway and saw the bomber take off into the air. With the runway, he might be able to pick up enough speed to aid his super jump to catch it. He wasn't going to let Steve face Red Skull and Savage alone. Clark looked over to the side and saw his Peggy and Colonel Phillips standing with his team as the battle was winding down. Peggy saw Clark looking at her so she gave him a smile.

"Good luck." Clark's super hearing picked up her words and he smile before he took off running down the runway. His gaze focused on the task at hand as his legs moved faster and faster, propelling him down the runway. The wind brushed against his skin and the ground cracked underneath his boots from the tremendous power in each step he took. The bomber was pulling up into the sky over the mountains, rising tremendously fast. Clark's window of opportunity to catch it before it was gone was running out. He emerged from the hangar's runway out into the open on the last two hundred feet built out of the mountain. The sun re-energized his body as he took one more step before crouching low. His muscles tensed up, the ground cracked underneath his feet and even some small pebbles began to shake and float up around his legs before Clark leapt high into the air.

[Boom!]

The biggest super jump Clark has ever done in his life left behind a large impact crater as he soared high into the air. In that moment, he felt weightless as his body defied gravity itself and ascended into the air. With Clark's fear of heights, he still felt a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach but it was much less than it was years ago. Alongside that gnawing sensation in his stomach there was also a sense of weightlessness, freedom…and awe. Being in the air, soaring up into the clouds felt incredible as well as terrifying. Perhaps with enough time the latter feeling would go away. Clark got closer to the bomber but as his jump passed its apex he saw it begin to slip ahead of him. He reached out his hand as he began to fall to the ground and by the tip of his fingers, literally, he dug them into the metal of the left wing and held on.

Clark was quick to reach his other hand up and dig into the metal and begin crawling his way towards the body of the aircraft. Just as quickly as he found the feeling of flying freeing and incredible, hanging onto the wing of a bomber ascending up into the clouds brought his fear of heights back with a vengeance. 'This is getting ridiculous.' Clark thought to himself as he dug his hands through metal.

[Boom]

Clark felt the bomber shake like it dropped something and soon saw something fly up over the bomber. It was a small, single-seat aircraft like a fighter plane but with a much smaller profile and a rear propeller instead of a front one. Clark used his x-ray and super vision to see it was Steve piloting the aircraft, which made him glad he was alive as well as surprised that he knew how to fly a plane. As Steve flew by in the aircraft around the front of the bomber the two gunner pods on the top of the plane turned around and began firing at him, shooting energy bolts. Steve swerved to avoid getting hit so Clark's fired two bursts of his heat vision and took out the gunner pods. He waved at Steve when he saw him fly back around and approach the bomber from the rear before crashing the bomber pod near the engines. Clark finished crawling over the wing to the center of the bomber and tore open a large enough hole for him to drop in.

Steve climbed out of the crashed bomber pod and made his way back to the bomber bay where he recovered his shield. He heard some banging and groaning of bending metal before a large hole was ripped above him and Clark jumped down. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"No, you're right on time. Thanks for the help." Steve said, referring to taking out those cannons on the bomber.

"You're welcome." Clark replied when Steve saw something from behind.

"Get down!" Steve grabbed Clark and pulled him to the side.

[Gunshots]

The distinct crack of a German Mauser C96 pistol echoed throughout the bomber bay as Vandal Savage fired three rounds of the 7.63x25mm Mauser pistol ammo only it wasn't regular bullets as they were glowing green. The first bullet missed but the second skimmed Clark's left arm while the third hit him in the back.

"AAAAHH!" Clark fell to the ground and Steve threw his shield. It hit Savage in the stomach and knocked him back, allowing Steve to quickly pull Clark behind some cover. He saw the glowing green bullet in Clark's back having penetrated his suit and dug into his skin. The material of the suit combined with the distance of the shot was why the bullet hadn't penetrated too deep. Clark got lucky. "Pull it out."

"Hang on." Steve dug his finger's into the bullet wound as Clark groaned out, feeling tremendous, horrendous pain. Steve unfortunately dug into Clark's skin before he was able to pull out the Kryptonite bullet. Steve tossed it aside and Clark felt better as he began to heal. He got to his knees and touched his left arm, seeing the blood on his sleeve. That bullet just skimmed his arm and with the bullet that didn't penetrate too deeply in his back Clark's lucky streak saved him.

"Thanks." Clark gave Steve and thankful nod and he returned it. They looked over and saw Savage begin to get up from having the wind knocked out of him by the shield. "I'll keep him distracted. Steve, you've got to get to the cockpit and stop this plane."

"No, Kal. I can't leave you like this. Those bullets could kill you if Savage gets a lucky shot." Steve warned him.

"A lot more people will die if we don't stop this thing. Savage is obsessed with me so I can keep him here. Schmidt has to be in the cockpit. Go!" Clark ushered him on before he peaked his head out and saw Savage get up so he got up and ran in the opposite direction. Savage saw him run so he fired another bullet but missed when Clark closed the door connecting the bomber bay to the engine room. Savage ran after him and when he was gone Steve came out from cover and recovered his shield before heading to the cockpit.

The loud hum of the engines echoed throughout the room as Savage burst in when he saw Clark standing to the side. His eyes glowed red and he fired a quick burst of his heat vision but Savage was quicker and fired a bullet before diving to the side. The heat vision melted part of the walkway where he had been standing while Clark got hit in the chest with a bullet. He fell back and quickly scrambled behind some cover. He looked down to see the Kryptonite bullet embedded in his suit but he didn't feel the horrible pain as last time, just some slight discomfort from the Kryptonite being so close. He reached into his suit and pulled out the bullet to see it had bent, embedded in a small fragment of the lead plates underneath. With all the fighting at Schmidt's base, the lead plates Howard made for Clark's suit were crushed and broken. Savage's Kryptonite bullet which would have hit him in the lung was stopped by the small fragment.

"Thanks, Howard." Clark muttered before he tossed it aside when Savage fired six more shots at his general location. The Kryptonite bullets near him slowly began to have an effect so Clark crawled away to get some distance. Savage emerged from his cover and loaded his pistol with another ten-round stripper clip of Kryptonite bullets.

"Feeling injured, Captain Elbert. It took me some time to figure out the correct method for smelting Kryptonite into bullets but patience pays off. No more grand speeches! No more toying with you! This ends now!" Savage shouted.

"I couldn't agree more!" Clark poked his head out from cover and fired a burst of his heat vision at the ceiling, causing a support rafter to come down. Savage rolled forward and fired two bullets at Clark who dove to the side, managing to not get hit. Savage took aim at Clark's head and squeezed the trigger when the plane suddenly did a nose dive. The bullet came out but the sudden movement sent Clark forward and it skimmed his right cheek and the side of his head. It hurt but he didn't die. Savage slammed into one of the engines and was shocked by the energy, losing grip on his pistol as Clark grabbed onto a support pillar before letting go so he dove towards him. He slammed into Savage before grabbing him by the chest and throwing him into the ceiling. "GOODBYE SAVAGE!"

Clark's eyes unleashed a powerful beam of heat vision that engulfed Savage and pierced through the hull of the bomber, penetrating the roof, and shooting into the sky like a beacon of fire. Savage screamed in defiance at his defeat as he was incinerated before the sudden change of pressure caused a suction effect and sucked his body out through the hole Clark's heat vision made. Vandal Savage's body was partly blasted by extreme sun-like heat before being sucked out of the bomber and falling thousands of feet where it would crash down into the freezing cold Artic ocean.

The plane suddenly leveled out and Clark fell to the floor, groaning in annoyance but got up and looked at the hole he made in the ceiling. Savage was gone and Clark was sure there was no way he would survive the incineration and even if that didn't do the job then the impact of falling thousands of feet would seal the deal. Clark saw the pistol with the Kryptonite bullets on the ground so he melted it with his heat vision. Vandal Savage was defeated.

[Loud boom]

Clark turned his head to the cockpit where he heard the noise coming from and ran. He burst through the door to the cockpit and saw Steve struggling against Schmidt hand to hand as they wrestled one another for dominance. Their hands interlocked as they both pushed the other away from the glowing energy core that was sparking with blue energy like it had been damaged. Clark saw Steve's shield embedded near the door giving him the feeling that with it out of reach Steve tackled Schmidt into that glowing energy core and they were continuing to fight as it began producing whisps of energy. Clark covered his eyes from the flashes of bright light and soon enough he saw a portal open up over Schmidt and Steve revealing a glimpse into the cosmos. The energy fluctuations got more erratic and enveloped the two like an energy dome.

"Steve! Get back!" Clark rushed forward but was hit by a stray streak from the energy dome which propelled him backwards into the door. He got up and saw the energy core release a powerful pillar of energy like Clark's heat vision and it shot straight through the ceiling up into the sky. "STEVE! GET OUT OF THERE!"

Clark fired his heat vision but it couldn't penetrate the energy dome. Soon enough, the energy dome glowed brighter and brighter before Schmidt and Steve began to glow as well. Schmidt's body was enveloped by the energy as he screamed while Steve looked back at Clark. "Finish this, Kal…" Steve said before giving Clark a smile.

"STEVE!"

[Loud Boom]

Clark covered his eyes as Schmidt's body was completely enveloped by the energy before being deconstructed into a beam of light and sent skyward while the energy dome collapsed in on Steve. A powerful shockwave rung out and the light died down. The energy core cracked and sparked as the Cosmic Cube inside melted through the secured housing and then through the bottom of the plane before falling down into the water below. The cube was gone as was Steve and Schmidt. Clark would have loved the time to mourn his friend but the plane was still in the air so he had to deal with it. He rushed over to the pilot's chair and saw the navigation was locked on New York. The plane had some kind of autopilot and their course had them flying directly over the Artic. A quick scan of the controls and he realized he had a bit of a situation so he turned on the radio and dialed it to the frequency he and Taskforce Vanguard used.

"Come in! This is Captain Kalvin Elbert! Do you read me?! Is anyone there?" The radio buzzed before he heard a response.

"Captain Elbert, it's Richard we read you." Back at the Red Skull's base, they had successfully taken over the base with all the Hydra personnel either dead or captured. The 107th were in charge of cleanup and securement. Taskforce Vanguard, the Howling Commandos, Captain Phillips, Agent Carter, and Clark's friends were in the main security room for the base waiting for word from Clark or Steve about the plane. "Glad to hear from you. What is your position?"

"I'm on the plane. I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Schmidt and Savage are dead. The bad news is the plane took a lot of damage. It's locked on autopilot and I can't override the controls. It's moving too fast and heading straight for New York. It'll get there in maybe ten minutes." Clark told them.

"Give us your coordinates, we'll find you a safe landing site."

"There's not gonna be a safe landing with this thing. It's still got six bomber pods active." Clark told them as he looked at the map again. He was currently over the Artic ocean with nothing but ice and water for miles so if there was going to be a time to take this thing out then this was it. "I'm gonna need to take it out. I'm in the middle of nowhere so no one will get hurt. I'll regroup with you all as soon as I can."

"Roger that, Captain. Where is Captain Rogers?" Colonel Phillips asked and as Clark gathered up the words to speak, he felt his throat clench up, his stomach drop and his heart ache.

"He didn't make it." Clark said and his voice trembled when he spoke. "I'm sorry, Anna. He sacrificed himself to stop Schmidt. Steve is gone." Back at the base, everyone in the room looked at Anna who looked heartbroken. Peggy gave her a comforting hug as everyone felt the loss. Hearing that they lost Steve in a noble sacrifice hurt them all. "I'm not gonna let his sacrifice be in vain. We do what he would have wanted. End Hydra once and for all. I'll see you all soon."

"Kal…" Peggy's voice came over the radio. "Be careful."

"I'll be back soon. I promise." Clark shut the radio off before he got out of the pilot's chair. He walked over to the wall where Steve's shield was embedded and yanked it out before securing it on his arm. With it firmly in his grasp he ran towards the cockpit window and bust through the glass, freefalling to the ground. Suffice to say that Clark learned freefalling to the ground was more terrifying than clinging onto the roof of a bomber but he was focused on the task at hand. He turned his body around so the bomber was in his gaze before his eyes glowed red and brighter than they ever had before as he was about to unleash the mother of all heat vision blasts. Clark was in the middle of nowhere so no one could see but his heat vision got so bright that it looked like a star was freefalling through the sky as his eyes lit up like the sun.

"RAHHHH!"

The most powerful and destructive beam of heat vision up to that point was released from Clark's eyes creating a literal pillar of red light that was seen from miles away and likely could have been seen from space. The massive beam of inferno engulfed the entire bomber, incinerating it like it just flew into the sun. It was so powerful that the bomber was vaporized so not even the bombs in the plane exploded. They just turned into dust.

Clark kept up the heat vision for about ten seconds and felt like he had run around the planet one hundred times. Using that kind of power was exhausting but thankfully the sun was still up so he got some rays to slowly replenish the energy he just spent with that supernova he unleashed.

The ocean was fast approaching so Clark braced himself as he crashed down into the water below, dropping thirty feet down from the impact before he was slowed. The ice-cold water was certainly a shock to the system as he swam to the surface. He let out a sharp exhale when he came up, seeing no bomber plane and no wreckage. Everyone was safe. Schmidt's final plan failed. Clark then realized the shield was no longer on his arm, likely falling off when he hit the water so he dove back down and saw it sinking so he swam after it. Kicking at super speed he grabbed the shield before swimming back up and over to some nearby ice. He picked himself up out of the sea and sat down, putting the shield next to him. He gave himself a moment to catch his breath and let his body absorb some more yellow sunlight. The sun was setting so he only had maybe half an hour but the more he absorbed the better he felt and the more he felt his energy return. He was just glad this dunk in the ocean wasn't as bad as the last one and that it wouldn't result in him getting sick again. Hopefully.

Clark looked at Steve's shield by his side and now that he had a moment to catch his breath, he also had a moment to let himself feel the loss of losing his friend. Clark placed his hand on the shield and closed his eyes. Remembering what he said to Steve when he lost Bucky…we can't save everyone but we can respect their wishes and honor their memory.

"Goodbye Steve." He would honor Steve's memory and his wishes. He wouldn't stop until all of Hydra was dead or captured.

Clark bid a tearful farewell to his friend as he sat there in the artic for a moment of mourning in solitude.

End of Chapter 9

1). Otto Skorzeny last seen in Chapter 3 has become the first ever Metallo. A Proto-Metallo if you will. Imagine his appearance as the Metallo from the animated movie Batman Superman Public Enemies but with the fake skin that gets ripped off only the Kryptonite heart looks like the one from Smallville. A circular container with the tubes connected.

Hope you all liked the chapter. That ends the canon for Captain America: The First Avenger. Red Skull is defeated as is Vandal Savage…or is he? Anyway, the war is nearly over. Just some Hydra cleanup but then there's the war in the Pacific. We've also had Blue Beetle, Vixen, Hawkman and Hawkwoman return. Maybe they will be returning again in the future. They helped but did Clark open Pandora's box. The world will soon learn about other super powered people or people with unique gifts. How will this change things? Hmmm. So many questions. And for those wondering, don't worry. Skorzeny is a proto-Metallo. The real one will for sure make an appearance.

Next chapter, the war is closing to an end. Captain America may be gone but Clark and the others will honor his memory and end the fight. Hydra will be rounded up and taken care of and then this war is over. Off to Germany and after that? What happens to the SSR now that Hydra is gone? Until next time!

Updates for February: What if Superman was updated. We'll have Mandalorian Maverick and The Perfect One on February 28th.

Again, thanks to everyone for all the suggestions, reviews, and words of encouragement. Special thanks to Masamune X23, my Beta reader. He gives me a lot of great ideas for this story as well as my other ones as well. Also, thanks to War Sage, JhotoLoraxius, Omni-Creator Kami of Anime and all the other people who PM me with ideas for my stories. Thank you, guys. They help a lot. Also, make sure to check my DeviantArt every now and then for new pics I'll put up. I've made cover photos for about all my stories, but I'll have more pics made so check them out.

Also, not sure if you checked my profile page but I do have a P-A-T-R-E-O-N page now. It's Choejhulkp9 writing endeavor. Don't feel pressured to sign up. Regardless, I still plan on doing what I'm doing. Writing for free and updating on and I'm slowly working on Wattpad. Sorry I'm really bad about that. But for those that would like to help with what they can or are feeling gracious, it would be greatly appreciated. I've got tiers for any small amount. And some exclusive stuff for the time being to start a new possible story. Again, don't feel pressured.

Clark Joseph Kent/Birthname: Kal-El

Born: February 28th, 1921, by Earth Standard. 35EORX 9998 by Kryptonian calendar AKA 0BCE

Human Age: 23

Kryptonian

Fake name: Kalvin Elbert

Moniker: Superman, the Man of Steel

Appearance: Tyler Hoechlin from Superman and Lois

Wartime outfit: Custom fitted Carbon Polymer blue and black field jacket with black diamond shield and red S-symbol on chest with small lead-lined plates underneath for Kryptonite protection. Custom fitted black paratrooper pants, combat gloves, combat boots, and combat belt with a Colt M1911A1 handgun holster on right thigh. SSR/Stark Tech Wristwatch Walkie-talkie. Vanguard Team symbol: Clark's diamond shield with wings inside surrounded by a spade, heart, clover, and star.

Casual Outfit: dark blue or black sneakers, jeans, blue or black t-shirt and either a red flannel shirt or jacket. Or a grey or navy-blue suit with a hat. Black rimmed glasses. Or Military Uniform. An S-shaped key necklace given to Peggy Carter for safe keeping.

Kelex Watch: Camouflage appearance for Kryptonian Liquid Geo AI robot known as Kelex. Incredible intelligent and able to assist Kal-El with any issues or technical advice it can offer.

Personality: Ingrained with a strong sense of purpose, morality, and compassion. Is hardworking and has a deep value for helping others for the right reasons. Brave, kind-hearted, and protective of people and those he cares about. Self-loathing of being different and not being normal. Idealistic and looks for the good in people but time will tell how rock solid that will remain. Has a temper. Afraid of heights.

Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (UK) and Silver Star (US) for Operation Husky. Awarded the Distinguished Service order medal (UK) and Legion of Merit (US) for capturing Mussolini. Bronze Star (US) for rescuing 400 POWs captured by Hydra.

Powers: Derived from Kryptonian physiology and exposure to Yellow Sun. His body is a living solar battery which absorbs and metabolizes energy from the Yellow Sun of earth for his unique abilities. Said abilities will continue to develop over time.

Super Strength: Enhanced strength greater than that of a human. Able to lift a 2-ton tractor with one hand, crush stones with dust and easily bend or twist metal. Able to leap tall buildings or great distances in a single bound. Unknown limit. Current Maximum Strength: 150 tons.

Super Speed: Able to move and run faster than a speeding bullet. Current top speed: Unknown Limit. Current Maximum Speed: 1600 MPH. Mach 2.

Super Stamina: Does not tire like a normal human does. Able to do various difficult or physically strenuous tasks with no issue.

Accelerated Healing: Possesses remarkable recuperative powers that allow him to quickly heal from wounds and is immune to all forms of human or earthly diseases, illness, viruses, and toxins. Never has gotten sick.

Invulnerability/Bio-Electric Aura: Highly resistant to injury. His body is more durable and able to withstand extreme pressure and impacts. Possesses the ability to manipulate one's own bio-electric aura, an invisible field of condensed bio-electricity which functions as a second skin and can extend far from the body and can make the user's skin invulnerable on various levels. Without practice, the aura doesn't extend far from skin but with practice the field can be extended. Combined with super strength, allows user to lift large objects and move them without buckling like psychics dictates and adds additional power.

Superhuman Brain: Possesses genius-level intelligence and eidetic memory. Can process and understand a multitude of information in nanoseconds. Multi-lingual.

Superhuman vision: Senses grant him the ability so see farther and with greater accuracy and detail than humanly possible. Possibility to see invisible frequencies and energy fields that human beings cannot perceive, i.e., radio waves, infrared radiation, and full electromagnetic spectrum.

X-ray Vision: Ability to see through solid objects. The only exception is lead.

Telescopic vision: Allows him to zoom in on far away objects, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

Microscopic Vision: Allows him to zoom in on objects at a cellular or molecular level.

Superhuman senses: Heightened sense of smell, taste, and hearing.

Superhuman Hearing: Can hear far more sounds with far more detail and at far greater distances than normally humanly possible, including sounds on frequencies undetectable by human ears.

Heat Vision: Ability to project solar energy from his eyes. Resembles bright red laser-like beams which is invisible at low temperatures and extremely bright at high ones. The intensity, heat, and concussive physical force of heat vision can be adjusted to super-heat any substance and even melt through metals. Veins near the eyes protrude and produce an orange glow and shine of red light. Effective range, width, height, and intensity of beams can be adjusted. Able to control its usage but additional training is required to control intensity.

Superhuman breath: Ability to inhale and exhale huge volumes of air with great force, capable of extinguishing large fires and moving heavy objects. Also allows to hold breath for extended periods of time.

Freeze Breath: Ability to release high compressed air through his pursed lips and cause it to drop radically in temperature. Can cool objects to freezing and sub-zero temperatures.

Weakness:

Kryptonite: Due to Kryptonian physiology, various types of Kryptonite radiation is harmful. Green Kryptonite causes incredible pain and molecular damage along with weakening powers. Long enough exposure can be fatal.

Red Sun Radiation: Due to Kryptonian physiology, exposure to the energy from a red sun like the one from the home planet of Krypton will neutralize his abilities. Kryptonians under a red sun are no different than humans.

SSR Taskforce Vanguard: A hand-selected personal taskforce that is under the leadership and command of Captain Kalvin Elbert/Clark Kent to combat the forces of the Axis powers. Provided equipment, intelligence, and backup from the SSR.

Second Lieutenant Arthur Kingsley of the British 9th Parachute Battalion: Second in Command. Armed with Modified Sten Submachine gun.

Sergeant First Class Richard Webb of the British 9th Parachute Battalion: Radio Operator of modified SRC-300. Armed with Modified Submachine gun.

Sergeant First Class James Logan Howlett of the Canadian First Special Service Force: Recon/Scout. Armed with Thompson M1A1 Submachine gun.

Sergeant Lucas Riggs of the 20th Brigade, Australian 9th Infantry Division: Demolitions/Explosives expert. Armed with Australian Owen Gun.

Sergeant First Class Daniel Take-Yatsu of the US 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Sniper/Recon: armed with Modified M1 Garand Rifle with sniper modification.

SOE Solange Hardewijk-Dutch Aruban: Tactics and Strategy. Armed with FG-42 Paratrooper Rifle.

Halima Sambardi of the Somalia Resistance-Italian Somalian: Horse Calvary/Asymmetrical combat specialist. Armed with Modified MP-40 Submachine gun.

Padmavati Balan of the Indian National Army: Recon/Scout. Armed with Modified M12 Shotgun AKA Combat Shotgun.

Sergeant John Diggle Stewart of the 93rd Infantry Division: Medic. Armed with Paratrooper variant of M1A1 Carbine.

Anna Drake of the Austrian resistance movement: Recon/Scout/Mountain specialist. Armed with an MP-28 submachine gun and ice axe.

Second Lieutenant Polina Borisnova Petrova of the 138th Russian Rifle Division of the Red Army: Recon/Scout/Sniper. Armed with a custom Mosin-Nagant rifle with Sniper modifications.

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman or any related DC comics or Marvel properties, all rights belong to their respective owners. I'm just a big fan.