Marvel: The Journey

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A few months later,

As the night settled in at the Hydra factory, a guard stood stoically by a steel door, his eyes trained on the dark expanse beyond. Suddenly, a faint tapping sound echoed through the empty corridor, sending shivers down the guard's spine. He strained to make out the source of the sound, his heart pounding in his chest.

That's when he saw it - a mysterious silhouette lurking just behind the glass. Without thinking twice, the guard cautiously cracked open the door, his muscles coiled like a tightly wound spring. But before he could make a move, the door suddenly slammed shut with a deafening boom, trapping his head between its unforgiving metal jaws.

Panic coursed through the guard's veins as he looked up to see a blur of movement hurtling toward him. In an instant, Steve's powerful fist connected with his face.

*WHAM *

The punch sent shockwaves reverberating through his body. The guard crumpled to the ground, his body wracked with pain.

With bated breath, Steve slinked into the sprawling factory, his movements deft and fluid as he deftly navigated the labyrinthine maze of bombs and crates that loomed all around him. With each careful step he took, his heart pounded in his chest, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger.

His eyes caught sight of a curious object nestled amidst a cluster of cartridges inside an unfinished bomb. Driven by his insatiable curiosity, he plucked the glowing blue cartridge from its resting place and deftly pocketed it for later examination.

Undeterred by the hazards that lay in his path, Steve pressed on as he headed for the stairs.

Steve made his way onto the catwalk of the Hydra factory. Suddenly, he was confronted by a burly guard, his hand gripping a menacing pistol that glinted ominously in the dim light.

With lightning reflexes, Steve sprang into action, his body a blur of movement as he swiftly disarmed the guard.

* BANG *

In one fluid motion, he unleashed a powerful blow that sent the guard hurtling to the ground, his face contorted in pain.

But to Steve's surprise, the guard quickly regained his footing, his eyes blazing with fury as he charged towards Steve with reckless abandon. With no time to waste, Steve deftly swung from a nearby beam, his powerful legs propelling him forward.

* WHOOSH *

With a final burst of energy, he unleashed a fierce kick that slammed into the guard's chest.

* BANG *

* THUD *

The powerful kick sent the guard tumbling to the ground once again.

For a moment, the catwalk was shrouded in silence as Steve caught his breath, his eyes fixed on the crumpled form of the guard lying before him.

Standing atop the expansive factory floor, Steve surveyed the vast expanse of the bomb-making facility, his eyes narrowed with intense focus as he sought out any signs of danger. But before he could even take a breath, he was suddenly confronted by two soldiers, who lunged at him from either side with deadly intent.

Reacting with lightning-fast reflexes, Steve dodged the first guard's bullet with a swift, graceful movement that left the soldier's eyes wide with shock. And without missing a beat, he raised his weapon and unleashed a blistering volley of gunfire that sent the guard tumbling to the ground, lifeless.

But the second guard was already upon him, his muscles coiled like a tightly wound spring as he closed in for the kill. With a fierce determination in his eyes, Steve whirled around to face his attacker, his shield raised high and at the ready. And with a single, devastating blow, he brought the full weight of his weapon down upon the guard's neck.

*CRUNCH*

The attack crushed the bone and cartilage alike of the soldier with ruthless efficiency.

In the dimly lit control room of the factory, Schmidt's eyes flickered across the bank of monitors before him, taking in the chaos and turmoil that was unfolding on every screen. Outside, the guards were engaged in a fierce struggle to fend off the wave of escaping P.O.Ws, their weapons blazing with deadly precision as they fought to keep the intruders at bay.

But it was the scene unfolding on one particular monitor that truly caught Schmidt's attention. There, in the heart of the factory, a strangely-clad soldier was locked in a brutal battle with three heavily-armed guards, his movements lithe and graceful as he dodged and weaved with the precision of a master.

With a flick of his wrist, Schmidt adjusted the screen and zoomed in on the action, his eyes fixed on the soldier as he unleashed a devastating series of blows that sent the guards reeling. First, he struck one with a swift, powerful punch that sent him sprawling to the ground. Then, with a deft twist of his body, he kicked another guard with bone-crunching force, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

But it was his final move that truly left Schmidt breathless with awe. With a quick, fluid motion, the soldier grabbed hold of the second guard and used him as a human shield, deflecting the blast of the third guard's weapon with remarkable skill and precision. The smoke cleared and the guard fell to the ground.

Schmidt's eyes were transfixed on the monitor, his mind racing as he watched the strange soldier dispatch his guards with deadly precision. As he studied the soldier's movements, he felt a grudging sense of admiration for his skill and tenacity, even as a sense of unease began to grow in the pit of his stomach.

"Doctor," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Prepare to evacuate. We must abandon the facility before it's too late."

But Zola shook his head in disagreement. "I'm sure our forces can handle it," he said, his voice laced with confidence.

Schmidt's eyes narrowed in frustration as he watched the soldier disappear up the stairs, his heart heavy with the weight of his impending defeat. "Our forces are outmatched," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

With a steely determination in his eyes, Schmidt strode across the control room and reached out to press a small, inconspicuous button on the console before him. Instantly, the air was filled with the deafening blare of alarms, their shrill cries echoing off the walls and ceiling of the factory.

While Zola hurried out of the room, Schmidt turned his attention to a line of ominous-looking switches on the far end of the console. With a flick of his wrist, he activated them one by one, each one starting a chilling countdown that would ultimately spell doom for the factory and all who dwelled within it.

But it was the cube pulsing in its cradle behind the thick smoke glass that truly caught Schmidt's attention. With a sense of reverence and awe, he approached it slowly, his hand hovering over the titanium case that lay nearby. Taking a deep breath, he lowered the case over the cradle, the glass retracting with a hiss to reveal the pulsating, otherworldly cube within.

With a single, swift motion, Schmidt pulled back the case, plunging the entire interior of the factory into darkness. The cube continued to pulsate and hum, its power emanating throughout the silent, empty corridors as Schmidt prepared to make his escape.

When Steve emerged from the dimly lit corridor, his eyes flicked towards a nearby room, its door slightly ajar. He hesitated for just a moment before quickly making his way towards it, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the walls as he approached.

When he neared the room, the door suddenly burst open and a small, bespectacled man emerged, clutching a stack of files to his chest.

Without a word, Zola's eyes darted toward Steve, a look of fear and desperation crossing his face. But Steve was already on the move, his shield at the ready as he advanced toward the trembling scientist.

With a sudden burst of speed, Zola turned and ran in the opposite direction, his footsteps echoing loudly off the walls as he fled down the corridor.

Steve's eyes flicked toward another room adjacent to Zola's laboratory, and he decided to investigate. With a sense of caution and purpose, he approached the door and slowly turned the handle, his senses on high alert for any potential danger.

As the door creaked open, Steve's keen eyes scanned the room, taking in the various pieces of equipment and instruments scattered about. But as he stepped inside, he was hit by a wave of putrid odor that made his stomach churn.

Looking closer, he realized that many of the devices were instruments of torture, designed to inflict unimaginable pain and suffering on Hydra's enemies. A feeling of disgust and anger rose within him, and he clenched his fists in frustration at the depravity of his foes.

When Steve turned to leave the torture chamber, his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of movement in the shadows. He hesitated for a moment, then crept towards the dark corner of the room, where he saw a cage.

Inside, he found a person imprisoned like an animal, their body contorted into an uncomfortable position with chains and metal cuffs holding them against the wall. A chain around their neck added to the sense of captivity and desperation.

Without a second thought, Steve rushed to the cage and broke the lock with a swift blow of his shield. As he entered the cage, he could feel the despair emanating from the captive.

Gently, Steve began to remove the restraints, careful not to hurt the person any further.

His heart raced, fearing it was his old friend Bucky. But he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't him. Steve woke the person up, and as soon as their eyes opened, Steve saw their strange yellow, piercing eyes staring back at him.

Without a moment to waste, Steve helped the person stand up and gave them directions to escape. But to his surprise, the person didn't respond and was unresponsive to his words. Steve helped the person out of the room and was shocked when the person pushed him away and ran off, growling like an animal.

Though Steve was confused by the person's behavior, he was relieved that they were strong enough to escape. He brushed off his confusion and continued to Zola's room.