Marvel: The Journey

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With cautious steps, Steve entered the room, scanning his surroundings for any potential danger. The air was thick with the musty scent of old files and preserved specimens in jars, and the only sound was the soft scuffing of his boots against the concrete floor. As his gaze roamed around, he noticed a large cage sitting on top of a rusty drain, and inside it, a slumped figure huddled against the bars.

With a sudden jolt, the figure stirred at the sound of Steve's footsteps, and a voice called out wearily. "Prisoner Barnes, James Buchanan. Sergeant. 32557038." Steve froze, his heart pounding with disbelief. It couldn't be...could it?

"Bucky?" he breathed out, barely daring to hope. The figure slowly lifted its head, and as Steve's eyes met those all-too-familiar blue ones, he knew without a doubt that it was indeed his childhood friend, James Buchanan Barnes.

A thick silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of Steve's ragged breathing. But then, a voice shattered the stillness. "Who...who is that?" The words were halting, as if the speaker was struggling to form them.

As he drew closer, Steve could see that it was indeed his old friend, Bucky Barnes, though he was almost unrecognizable in his current state. Beaten and battered, his face lined with exhaustion and pain, Bucky squinted up at Steve, his gaze unfocused and hazy. It was as if he had aged a decade since the last time Steve had seen him.

With fierce determination, Steve raised his shield and brought it down hard on the lock, shattering it with a resounding crash. He flung the door open and stepped forward, extending his hand towards the slumped figure inside.

"It's me, Bucky," he said, grinning with relief and joy at the sight of his old friend.

Bucky's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up, studying Steve's face intently. "Steve?" he asked, his voice hoarse and rough from disuse.

Steve nodded, a lump forming in his throat as he took in the sight of Bucky, battered and bruised but still alive. "I thought you were dead," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Bucky's lips quirked in a faint smile as he gazed up at his friend. "I thought you were smaller," he said, his words punctuated by a soft gasp as Steve gently helped him down from the cage.

As they stood face to face, it was clear that much had changed since they last saw each other. Bucky's gaze flickered over Steve's towering frame, taking in the broad shoulders and muscular physique. "What happened to you?" he asked, his eyes filled with wonder.

"I joined the Army," Steve replied, his voice tinged with both pride and regret.

An ear-splitting explosion reverberated through the factory floor, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

* BOOOOM * 

Steve and Bucky stumbled, their eyes wide with alarm, as the sound of the explosion echoed in their ears.

As the dust began to settle, they quickly assessed their surroundings, scanning the area for any signs of danger. It was then that Steve's sharp eyes caught sight of something on the wall - a huge map, stretching from one end of the room to the other.

Intrigued, he moved closer, his gaze fixated on the symbols that littered the map. As he studied them, his heart sank - he recognized them all too well. They were Hydra symbols, marking the organization's nefarious activities and movements across Europe.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Steve knew that they had stumbled upon something big - something that could change the course of the war.

They staggered down the corridor amid the sound of bombs exploding all around them. Steve couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over him and his heart ached as he watched Bucky struggle to keep up, his limp growing more pronounced with every step.

Suddenly, Bucky spoke up, his voice tinged with concern. "Did it hurt?" he asked, his gaze flickering over to Steve's body.

Steve winced, remembering the painful procedure he had undergone to become the super soldier he was today. "A little bit," he replied, his tone grim.

Bucky's next question hit close to home. "Is it permanent?" he asked, his eyes searching Steve's face for answers.

Steve hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "So far," he said at last, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

For a moment, they walked in silence, the sound of their footsteps mingling with the distant explosions. Then, to Steve's surprise, Bucky spoke again, his voice filled with wry humor.

"You're going to get so many girls," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 

Bucky and Steve made their way to the stairs, their movements were urgent and tense. As they descended, their ears tuned to the sounds of the battle raging outside.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the corridor, jolting them both out of their thoughts. They exchanged a glance, their eyes narrowing as they readied themselves for whatever lay ahead.

With a steely determination etched on his face, Steve stepped forward, his muscles tense and coiled, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Beside him, Bucky followed suit, his fists clenched tightly as he prepared to take on whatever enemy lay in their path.

For a moment, they stood there, poised and ready, their senses sharp and alert. 

The sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor caused Bucky and Steve to freeze in place, their hands tightening around their weapons. For a moment, the tension in the air was palpable as they waited for the approaching figure to reveal itself.

Finally, the newcomer emerged from the shadows, and Bucky's face broke into a relieved smile. "Howlett! You're alive!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine happiness at the sight of his old friend.

James smiled in response, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sergeant Barnes!" he greeted warmly, before glancing over at Steve. "I thought he would be shorter," he added with a grin.

Bucky chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I thought so too," he agreed, the tension of the moment momentarily forgotten in the joy of their reunion.

Steve's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the bone claws retract back into James's hands. His mind raced with questions as he tried to make sense of what he had just witnessed. However, as he looked over at Bucky and saw the familiarity in his expression, he began to relax a little.

Still, his curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't resist asking, "What are those?" as he gestured toward James's hands.

James rolled his eyes at Steve's question, a wry smile on his lips. "A gift or a curse, depending on how you look at it," he replied cryptically, his eyes flicking between the two men.

Before Steve could press for more information, another explosion rocked the factory, causing the corridor to collapse in on itself. Steve and Bucky stumbled, their bodies thrown off balance by the force of the blast. As they struggled to regain their footing, they knew that they needed to act quickly if they were to make it out alive.

"I think we should head back up again," Barnes suggested, his voice filled with urgency. Steve and James nodded in agreement, knowing that they needed to find a way out of the factory before it was too late.

With adrenaline coursing through their veins, they sprinted back up the stairs, their footsteps echoing through the deserted corridors. As they emerged onto the next level, they scanned their surroundings, searching for any sign of a possible escape route.

It was then that Steve spotted something high above them - a catwalk suspended in mid-air, stretching across the factory floor like a metallic spider's web. With a sense of determination, he pointed towards it, catching James and Barnes's attention.

"That could be our way out," he said, his voice filled with hope. And with that, the three men began to climb, their eyes fixed firmly on the catwalk ahead.

But as they finally reached the top, their relief turned into shock and horror. On the other side of the catwalk stood Schmidt, the ruthless leader of Hydra, flanked by Zola.

Steve gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Schmidt's menacing figure. He knew that this was it - the showdown between good and evil, and he wasn't about to back down. With a determined expression on his face, he took a step forward, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Schmidt grinned as he spotted Steve and exclaimed, "Captain America! How exciting! I've always been a fan of your films." He handed the titanium box to Zola and began to walk toward Steve with a slow, confident stride. The two men faced each other, sizing up their opponent.

Schmidt remarked, "So the old man managed it after all. Not quite an improvement, but impressive." Steve's expression hardened, and he said, "You've got no idea!", in a flash, he delivered a swift punch to Schmidt's jaw, sending him stumbling back.

* BANG * 

* THUD * 

The sound of the impact echoed throughout the room, and Zola looked on with a mix of surprise and amusement. Schmidt recovered quickly, straightening himself up with a strange look of satisfaction on his face. "Don't I?" he remarked cryptically.

As Schmidt swung his fist, Steve braced himself and raised his shield to block the blow. 

* BANG * 

The impact left a deep dent in the metal surface, causing Steve to gasp in amazement. Before he could react, Schmidt launched another attack, catching Steve off guard and sending him crashing to the ground. The super-soldier lay dazed as Schmidt loomed over him.

Struggling to catch his breath, Steve managed to utter, "Erskine said your experiment was a failure."

Zola scrambled to the catwalk controls and a gap suddenly appeared between Schmidt and Steve as both sides retracted. Steve took the opportunity to catch his breath and assess his next move.

Schmidt noticed Zola's actions and shot him a withering look, causing the scientist to pale and freeze in fear.

Schmidt turned his attention back to Steve, and as he did, his face began to contort and bulge. Steve's eyes widened in shock as he watched in horror as Schmidt's skin tore apart, revealing a grotesque red skull underneath. Schmidt's grin widened, revealing jagged teeth, and he spoke in a twisted, mocking voice, "A failure? Oh, no, Captain. I was his greatest success." 

With a sickening pull, Schmidt peeled his face away from the bone, revealing his true form. Steve could barely believe what he was seeing - this monster in front of him was once a man. Schmidt continued to speak, his voice dripping with malice, "You're a liar, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier. But in reality, you're just afraid to admit we've left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without the masquerade...without fear." 

Out of nowhere, Schmidt swiftly dodged an attack aimed at his face, stepping aside with ease. He took a glance at the person who made the move and said with a chuckle, "Ah! Mr. Howlett, how could I forget about you?"

James stood firmly in a fighting stance, ready to defend himself against Schmidt's next move. Schmidt taunted him, "You were never human, to begin with!" The air was tense with anticipation as the two faced off, each sizing up the other with a cold, calculating gaze.

With a guttural growl, James lunged at Schmidt, his bone claws glinting in the dim light. He aimed for the villain's face, but Schmidt was quick, deftly sidestepping the attack with a swish. The two combatants continued to circle each other, searching for an opening. Suddenly, Schmidt struck, his fist connecting with James' liver with a sickening thud. James recoiled, his body wracked with pain, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, once again launching himself at Schmidt with a ferocious snarl.

Steve was taken aback as he watched James engage in a brutal fight with Schmidt. Determined to help him, he quickly grabbed his shield and hurled it at Schmidt. 

*CLANG* 

The shield struck Schmidt forcefully in the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward. Taking advantage of Schmidt's momentary distraction, James lunged at him and plunged his sharp claws into Schmidt's shoulders. 

"Aaah!" Schmidt bellowed in pain, blood spurting out and staining the catwalk. James was grinning, but Schmidt was not about to go down without a fight. He yanked James' claws out of his shoulders and twisted them until they snapped in half. 

"Aah!" James howled in agony as he felt his claws break. Schmidt then grabbed James by the face and headbutted him, breaking his nose. With James stunned and reeling, Schmidt repeatedly smashed his head against the railing, and finally, flung him across the catwalk towards Steve.

Schmidt covered his bleeding shoulder and smirked as he walked towards the elevator. "See you again, Captain!" he taunted before disappearing into the metal doors. 

Steve gritted his teeth in frustration as he turned his attention to James, who was slowly getting back on his feet. The wounds on his face were already starting to heal, leaving Steve awestruck. He almost asked if James was okay, but stopped himself short. Instead, he turned to Bucky and spoke urgently, "We need to hurry!"