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#johann schmidt
nitpickrider · 10 months
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And that's how you go, Skull. Not stabbing into the heart of your great and powerful enemy. But a sick, tired, pitiful old man. Breathing your last on the floor in the arms of the only man who can be driven to give a single shit about you.
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marvelgifs · 4 days
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Hugo Weaving as Johan Schmidt/Red Skull CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) dir. Joe Johnston
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avengerscompound · 1 year
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Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix Up
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why-i-love-comics · 13 days
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Avengers Twilight #4 - "The Firefighters" (2024)
written by Chip Zdarsky art by Daniel Acuna
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fangerine · 9 months
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"I don't wanna kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) dir. Joe Johnston
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swan-of-sunrise · 6 months
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Necessary Evils (Tales From The SSR)
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Summary: As they await news of Michael Carter's surgery, (Y/N) and Jack discuss her unwanted connection to Arnim Zola and the feel of foreboding that the former Hydra doctor left in his wake.
Pairing: Jack Thompson X Fem!Reader, Peggy Carter X Daniel Sousa, Edwin Jarvis X Ana Jarvis
Word Count: 2.7k
Warnings/Disclaimers: None
A/N: Hi there! This week's surprise one-shot is gonna explore a little of Specs' whereabouts in the aftermath of Bucky Barnes' death in The First Avenger and we're gonna have some great moments between her and Jack, so buckle up! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!
Necessary Evils January 1948 Los Angeles County Hospital, Los Angeles (Previous One-Shot)
“I got you some tea from the hospital’s cafeteria.” (Y/N) was pulled out of her silent reverie by Jack taking a seat beside her and offering her a disposable paper cup, the concerned gleam in her boyfriend’s blue eyes accompanied by the smallest of smiles for her benefit. “Earl Grey and two teaspoons of honey; I know how much it helps when you get one of your stress headaches.”
(Y/N), touched by his thoughtful gesture, reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She reached for the cup and after taking a long sip, she sat back in the uncomfortable waiting room chair with a frustrated sigh. “I hate this. The longer the surgery takes, the more I’d like to burst into that operating room and re-arrest that Nazi bastard before he tries anything funny with Michael.”
Beside her, Jack nodded as he patiently listened to her threats and threw Peggy – who was anxiously pacing across the hospital waiting room while Daniel unsuccessfully attempted to talk her into sitting down – a furtive glance before replying, “I don’t think this Zola guy would risk a lifetime imprisonment or execution by trying to bump off Carter mid-surgery, Specs. I mean, Stark and half a dozen MP’s are watchin’ him and the neurosurgeons like hawks as we speak, and he’s not gonna jeopardize the sweet deal the JIOA cut for him for something as low-stakes as this.”
“I wouldn’t call any of this ‘low-stakes,’ Flyboy,” (Y/N) murmured, looking around the fully-occupied waiting room and reflexively tightening her grip on her cup of tea; she, Jack, Peggy, Daniel, and the Jarvises, along with over a dozen uniformed SOE officers and SSR officials, were gathered at Los Angeles County Hospital for the long-awaited surgery that would theoretically restore Michael Carter’s mind to what it was before the brainwashing that Hydra subjected him to during the war. Several of the SOE officers served alongside Michael and had volunteered to travel from England to be with their fellow soldier in his time of need, but Peggy was understandably the most concerned of them all; Michael made his younger sister promise not to contact their parents about his staged death in 1941 and sudden reappearance until it was confirmed that the dangerous surgery was a success, wanting to prevent Harrison and Amanda Carter another heartbreak on the off-chance that Arnim Zola and the team of neurosurgeons failed and he passed away on the operating table. The Carter siblings spent several minutes alone with one another before they wheeled Michael into the operating room and since then, Peggy hadn’t been able to stay still. I’d be the same way if Freddie’s life were in the hands of that Nazi son of a bitch, (Y/N) thought to herself and one of her hands moved upwards to caress the locket containing her deceased brother’s photograph as she sympathetically watched Peggy continue to pace.
“You know what I mean.” Jack scooted closer to her side and when she finally looked over at him, the look of concern in his blue eyes was as prominent as ever. “Look, I get why Peggy’s taking all this personally…but I can’t figure why you are, too. You can talk to me, baby…” His hand moved to rest on her shoulder, and (Y/N) could feel the comforting warmth of his touch through the thin material of her blouse. “Whatever you’ve gotta say, I’m here. And if you don’t feel up to talkin’ just yet, then I’ll still be right here with you.”
(Y/N) lowered her gaze to her lap and spent several moments mustering the strength to speak, her voice wavering as she recalled some of the darkest moments of the war, the ones that she wished she could forget forever but sadly never could. “I helped capture Zola. I was deployed with the Howlies in the Swiss Alps, and we were tasked with finding and capturing Zola to interrogate him about Schmidt’s plans. Morita intercepted several radio transmissions from Hydra and after I decoded them, we had confirmation that Zola was on a train scheduled to travel through the same mountain pass that we were navigating. Steve, Bucky, Gabe and I used a zip chord to get onto the train while it was still in motion; Steve and Bucky left to secure the front train cars while Gabe and I stayed on the roof as their back-up, and that’s…that’s when…”
Her boyfriend rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together as he looked over at her. “That was the mission that Sergeant Barnes didn’t survive, wasn’t it?” She nodded, her eyes still diligently trained on the dark blue material of her trousers, but she could feel his compassionate gaze on her as he continued. “Barnes died a hero to his country. The bastard turned against Schmidt to save his own skin, and Cap and the SSR were able to end Hydra and the war. That’s gotta bring you and the rest of the Howling Commandos some satisfaction, right?”
“It did…” (Y/N) admitted, but she tightly pursed her lips as she recalled the aftermath of the fateful mission to capture Zola alive. “Right up until his interrogation, that is.”
The tunnels below the London headquarters of the Strategic Scientific Reserve echoed with the sound of (Y/N)’s standard-issue heels making contact with the stone floor as she approached one of many interrogation cells; her fingers tightly clutched the classified file in her hands in an effort to contain her swirling emotions but judging by the apprehensive expressions on the stationed MP’s faces whenever she passed by, she was doing a poor job of masking her true feelings.
“As requested, a copy of my mission report to D.C.,” (Y/N) announced as she came to a stop before Colonel Phillips, and she arched a brow at the tray of food he was holding. “Hungry?”
“Zola surrendered and didn’t try to do himself in with cyanide, so I figured that the usual interrogation techniques might not work on this wack-job. He should count himself lucky; I’ve got over a dozen SSR agents chomping at the bit to finally get their hands on a live Hydra operative.”
Just as Colonel Phillips balanced the tray on one hand to reach for the file, (Y/N) tightened her grip on it and blurted out, “Colonel, I need to go in there with you.”
“Agent (Y/L/N), you and the rest of the 107th tactical team have my condolences for Sergeant Barnes’ death, but I can’t allow you any access to-”
“Respectfully, Colonel, you’re the commanding officer of the Strategic Scientific Reserve; you can directly authorize an agent access to as many high-security prisoners as you deem necessary, correct? I’m only requesting access to one.”
“You don’t get to tell me how to do my job, Agent.” The sharp tone in the older man’s voice conflicted with the uncharacteristic compassion emanating from his dark brown gaze. “I’ll authorize you access to the observation room, but that’s it.”
(Y/N)’s jaw clenched as she forced herself to remain composed, but there was nothing she could do to keep her voice from trembling with barely-restrained grief. “Colonel, the man on the other side of that door is the reason my friend and God knows how many Allied soldiers are dead. I…I need to do all I can to ensure that he gives us all the intel we need to take Hydra down. I need to help end this war once and for all.”
In contrast with the strained working relationships he shared with Peggy and Howard, Colonel Chester Phillips seemed to have a soft spot for (Y/N) since the moment she was loaned out to the SSR from the OSS; Peggy often speculated that it was because she reminded him of his granddaughter back home and although she’d never admit it aloud, (Y/N) considered him to be the father-figure she’d always longed for. They got along with one another but more importantly, they shared a mutual respect and it was that respect that seemingly compelled the older man into finally giving her a relenting nod. With a brief command from Colonel Phillips, the MP stationed nearby opened the door and after taking a deep breath, (Y/N) followed the colonel into the interrogation cell.
A dim light from an overhead fixture illuminated the sparsely decorated cell, and the Swiss doctor whirled around to face them both as they sat down at the interrogation table; a surge of pleasure rippled through (Y/N) when she observed his colorless face and the way his hands anxiously fiddled with the sleeves of his prisoner’s uniform, and she maintained eye-contact with him as she crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in her seat. Colonel Phillips set the tray of food down onto the table and spun it around before gesturing towards the unoccupied chair across from them. “Sit down.”
With obvious trepidation, Zola followed his order and sat, his brow arching as he looked down at the steak, potatoes, broccoli and glass of milk laid out before him. “What is this?”
“Steak.”
“What is in it?”
“Cow!” Colonel Phillips looked incredulously between (Y/N) and Zola. “Doctor, do you realize how difficult it is to get ahold of a prime cut like that out here?”
The Swiss doctor shrugged. “I don’t eat meat.”
“Why not?”
Taken aback by (Y/N)’s pointed question, Zola fidgeted in his seat and replied, “It disagrees with me.”
“How about cyanide? Does that give you the rumbly tummy, too?”
While Zola’s brow furrowed in confusion, Colonel Phillips spun the tray back around and used the utensils to begin cutting into the steak as (Y/N) continued. “Every Hydra agent that we’ve tried to take alive has crunched a little pill before we can stop him, but not you.”
The colonel hummed in agreement as he feasted on the tray of food, raising his fork in the air and glancing over at (Y/N) with a look of exaggerated curiosity on his wrinkled face. “Here’s my brilliant theory, Agent (Y/L/N): he wants to live.”
“You’re trying to intimidate me, Colonel.” Zola’s beady eyes flicked between them as a sheen of sweat slowly covered his balding head, obviously growing anxious under the strain of his imprisonment and their unconventional interrogation.
Colonel Phillips scoffed. “We bought you dinner. Why don’t we cut to the chase and show Doctor Zola here what’s in that file?”
While the colonel cut the steamed potatoes into quarters, (Y/N) withdrew a single piece of paper from the file and slid it across the table, her red-lacquered nails drumming on the tabletop as she watched the Swiss doctor read the typed mission report aloud. “‘…and in exchange for his full cooperation, Doctor Zola is being remanded to Switzerland…’”
“I sent that message to Washington this morning. Of course, it was encoded.” (Y/N) leaned forward, resting her elbows on the tabletop, and fixed Zola with an unwavering stare. “You guys haven’t broken those codes, have you? That would be awkward.”
Zola’s expression remained neutral, but the lines between his brows were visibly deeper and she could practically see the wheels turning inside his head while he carefully considered his predicament. “Schmidt will know this is a lie.”
“He’s going to kill you anyway, doc.” Colonel Phillips punctuated his blunt reply with a shrug. “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.” The sound of Bucky’s scream as he fell from the train and into the deep chasm below played on a loop in (Y/N)’s mind, forcing her to dig her nails into the skin of her palms to keep from reacting, an action she was no stranger to as a woman serving in a secretive branch of the Allied armed forces but one that she hated having to perform in the wake of her friend’s death. “It’s you or Schmidt; it’s just the hand you’ve been dealt.”
The Swiss doctor, taking note of the colonel’s grim tone and the obvious tension in (Y/N)’s shoulders, huffed out a humorless chuckle before nodding once and stating, “Schmidt believes he walks in the footsteps of the gods. Only the world itself will satisfy him.”
“You do realize that’s nuts, don’t you?”
Shaking his head, Zola huffed out a humorless chuckle at the colonel’s comment. “The sanity of the plan is of no consequence.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because he can do it!”
(Y/N), losing patience with Zola and his feeble attempts at providing them with answers, snapped out, “What’s his target?”
When Zola’s beady eyes focused on hers, a shiver of foreboding traveled up (Y/N)’s spine and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to look away as he simply replied, “His target…is everywhere.”
“He told us everything we needed to know; the exact coordinates of Schmidt’s secret base in the Alps, a detailed run-down of Schmidt’s plan to bomb over half a dozen of the world’s largest cities, how much time we had before Hydra’s scheduled attack on New York…and within twenty-four hours, Schmidt was dead and Hydra was finally defeated.” (Y/N)’s fingers were wrapped tightly around her now-empty cup and she was leaning against Jack’s side, taking comfort in her boyfriend’s sturdy form as she spoke in the lowest tone she could and kept a wary eye on Peggy across the waiting room. “But there was something about his eyes, like he knew some big secret that the colonel and I could never understand, and I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something we missed.” Swallowing thickly, she finally looked over at Jack and met his empathetic gaze. “That’s crazy, right?”
Jack shook his head. “Definitely not. Listen, Specs, we might’ve both served on opposite ends of the world, but all the horrible shit we saw and lived through during the war? It hasn’t broken us. We’re still here, and our experiences matter because they’re what shaped us into the people we are today: people who dedicated their lives to making this screwed-up world a better place.” The corner of his lip curved into a small smile as he affectionately bumped the side of her head with his own. “You were the one who taught me that.”
Looking into his clear blue eyes, (Y/N) felt the stiffness in her shoulders begin to melt away and she couldn’t fight the smile that slowly made its way onto her face. “I’m a pretty good teacher, aren’t I?”
“Oh, hands-down, the smartest and most gorgeous teacher I’ve ever had.” Her boyfriend’s flirtatious wink forced (Y/N) to mask her giggle with a cough and flash several of the waiting room’s occupants an apologetic look while he quietly continued. “If you think that Zola’s up to no good, then I believe you. There’s no easy way to handle a situation as delicate as Operation Paperclip; all we can do is our best and in this case, the best that we can do is to keep a close eye on him and every other scumbag Nazi scientist that they’ve recruited. How’s that sound, Specs?”
She took a deep breath and gave him a firm nod. “Like a pretty solid game plan, Flyboy.”
Before either of them could say another word, the double doors leading into the hospital’s operating room swung open and Howard strode into the waiting room, a grin on his face as he made a bee-line over to where Peggy stood. “Michael’s been wheeled into a recovery room and all preliminary signs are pointin’ to a successful operation. Your brother’s gonna be just fine, Peg.”
The younger woman’s anxious expression was overtaken by a look of overwhelming relief and she didn’t hesitate to throw her arms around the inventor in a tight hug. The rest of the waiting room collectively released the grateful breath that they’d been holding for hours and while the SOE officers and SSR officials talked amongst themselves, Jack wrapped an arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders and pressed a chaste kiss onto her temple; she closed her eyes and as she took comfort in her boyfriend’s supportive touch, she spoke a silent word of thanks to the universe for Michael’s successful surgery and for sending her a supportive and understanding partner in the form of Jack Grant Thompson.
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A/N: They're gonna have their hands full keeping an eye on Zola and the other Hydra scientists 👀 Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I've created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I'll be updating it every time I upload a new one-shot! Enjoy!
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0iKzLZlEK1rTaSIiW5zRlk?si=483950cfa991442a
“Tales From The SSR” Masterlist
“Specs and the Flyboy” Masterlist
Tagging: @nnon-it-up @hufflefluffy @remmyswritings @ourstarsailor @coffeeandcrimeshows @darkusangelus @josis-teacup @fannyspammy @yeetyeetchickenmeat @sameoldbaby @nincompoopydoo @seeing-but-not-observing @supervoldejaygent @momc95 @brooke0297 @kinda-c0nfused @outoftheregular @mads-weasley @mostclevermiss @crowleysqueenofhell @groovyqueer​ @xxruinaxxmcu​
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comicbooktradingcards · 11 months
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Fleer Ultra Avengers - Series 1 (2022)
#57 Red Skull
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merrymarvelite · 5 months
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Cover of the Day: Super-Villain Team-Up #11 (April, 1977) Art by Dave Cockrum, Joe Sinnott, and Danny Crespi
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squids-comics · 3 days
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Yes, I'm sure today (September 10th, 1966) will be the last anyone sees of Red Skull or the Cosmic Cube.
From: Tales of Suspense #81
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filministic · 2 months
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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) dir. Joe Johnston
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So ......no one thinks the Red Skull is actually gone for good this time right lmfaooo
Have fun celebrating, Bucky, he'll be back in a few years when Marvel decides they need him lol
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nitpickrider · 7 months
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One of the best pages in Marvel history, bar none, no I will not be taking questions. Captain America #367
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boborock789 · 3 months
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The Devil In the Flesh, Johann Schmidt
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Soldiers
Pairing: Bucky x Reader
Word Count: 3.3k
Warnings: Angst. SO SAD. Character death.
A/N: Previously on awkward-author. Quotes written in bold are from series 4 of Sherlock. Episode 3, I think? This whole thing was inspired by the soldiers quote, so thanks Moffat.
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“It’s just a routine mission.”
Y/N groaned as she slowly started to come around. 
“We’ll be in and out, we just need to get the intel.”
Her first thought was that Thor, for some reason, had hit her over the head with Mjölnir. 
“Buck, you and I will go inside. Y/N, think you can handle being our lookout?” Steve asked.
The second was that she was definitely not in bed or asleep on the Quinjet.
“Got it,” she nodded, a serious look on her face. “You and Bucky will go inside and get the information. I’ll sit up in a tree, making no noise and pretending I don’t exist.”
The third was that her hands were bound behind her back with a cable tie.
“I’ll be fine, Buck,” Y/N laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I promise.”
Sitting up slowly, Y/N assessed her surroundings quietly so as not to draw attention to herself. She couldn’t see much in the dark cell, but there was definitely a slumped over mass in the opposite corner of the room. 
“Stay safe, doll.”
The cold, concrete ground was unforgiving beneath her, making her limbs protest in pain as she got to her feet haphazardly. The only source of light in the cell came from a tiny window which was too high up for her to reach while she was tied up. Moonlight trickled in weakly, barely illuminating the room. Bare, concrete walls boxed her in and a single obscenely large and heavy-looking metal door kept her trapped. 
“Right back at you, Sarge.”
A lightbulb swung above her, propelled by the cool breeze blowing in through the barred window. She made quick work of removing the tie, before using her hands to feel the walls carefully, looking for a light switch as she carefully avoided the body in the corner. She didn’t know if the individual was dead or alive, but until she found out if they were dangerous it was best not to wake them. Her fingers stumbled across a bump in the otherwise smooth wall and she pressed the button hesitantly, only to relax once the light flickered on.
“Steve!” Y/N dashed over to the figure and checked his pulse. Sighing in relief as it beat steadily under her fingers, she rolled him onto his back and shook him gently. “Are you alright?”
“Y/N?” he let out a pained grunt as he pushed himself up into a sitting position as best as he could with his own tied limbs. “I’m okay,” he grimaced at his own words and turned his blue eyes to her in worry. “Are you?”
“Fine,” she repeated his words with an unconvincing nod. 
“Any clue where we might be?” Steve snapped the cable tie effortlessly and slumped against a wall before he looked around the bare cell. Somehow, with the lights on, it looked even more desolate and intimidating. 
“Not one.” She tried not to focus on the dark stains on the walls which could only come from one thing.
“Bucky?”
“Not here.”
“He’s okay. He’s a fighter.”
“I know,” she gave him a small, proud smile before slowly getting to her feet. “Now, let’s get out of here and find our man.” Steve forced out a chuckle at her words, but pulled himself to his feet nonetheless to join her.
Y/N had barely taken a step towards the door before it swung open soundlessly. Two men walked inside with large guns in their hands, spurring Steve to stand in front of her protectively. A third followed after he was given the all-clear, and although Y/N didn’t recognise him, Steve clearly did considering how much his back stiffened.
“You’re awake! I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been watching you sleep.” The man grinned at them both, his smile coming across as slightly psychotic as he gestured to a camera on the upper-hand corner of the room. “I was afraid my men had hit you a little too hard over the head, Captain. Of course, I told them to aim for your back, I wouldn’t want to ruin your charming good looks.” His eyes flickered to Y/N, her small frame half-hidden behind Steve’s large one. “And you must be Y/N, I’ve heard so much about you.” Peering around Steve’s shoulder, Y/N looked at the German man stood in front of her. His sharp facial features looked eerily familiar, but it was the red skin that covered his face which gave him away.
“Good to see you too, German Voldemort,” she gave him a fake smile and watched in amusement as his fingers twitched in barely concealed anger. 
“Schmidt,” Steve greeted the man in a clipped tone. He was obviously not pleased to see the man. “I thought you were dead.”
“I merely bided my time, Captain America.”
“How are you alive?”
“You can kill a person, but you can never kill an idea,” he smirked at Steve before turning his attention to Y/N. “So, fräulein, according to my men, you’re his boyfriend’s girlfriend,” he pointed at Steve. “Tell me, are you afraid of committing to a whole super soldier, or are you just a fan of cripples?” he asked through gritted teeth. He was clearly trying to get a reaction out of her, but she simply rolled her eyes in response.
“I mean, have you seen that metal arm of his? It can definitely do things that a regular arm can’t,” Y/N shot him a smirk. “Trust me.” Steve tried to nudge her to shut up, but she simply moved her body out of the way in time and held Schmidt’s gaze. His fists were now clenched in obvious aggression, which only widened Y/N’s smug grin. 
“Bringen sie den Soldaten in,” Red Skull turned to snap at the guard by the door. They left the room for all of three seconds before returning, holding up Bucky in between them. He looked like he had been drugged. He could barely fight back as they yanked him into the room, his feet dragging across the floor in failed footsteps. Y/N ran forward as they dropped him to the ground and tapped the super soldier’s cheek anxiously. 
“Hey there, doll,” his voice was slurred as he smiled up at her lopsidedly. 
“Hey, Sarge,” she couldn’t help but return the look before she pulled him to his feet with Steve’s help. “How you doing?”
“They didn’t even ask me any questions.”
“We’re going to play a little game,” Schmidt started to circle the three of them slowly as he spoke. He held his hand out and one of the guards handed him a small gun. “The bullets in this gun are special. Upon impact, the bullet explodes, leaving whoever it hits dead within seconds. I designed it especially for you, Captain America.”
“So you’re going to shoot me?” Steve scoffed. “That’s your big plan?”
“Me? No, of course not,” he laughed. “Your best friend is going to do it.”
“Like hell,” Bucky spat. He stood a little straighter as the drugs left his system and sent a menacing glare towards the German man. “I’m not going to shoot Steve.”
“If you would let me finish,” Schmidt sighed as if he was dealing with a child. “You are going to take this gun, but you’re not going to shoot the Captain.” He paused, and a sinister smile spread across his face. “Well, you could if you wanted to. It’s your choice.” Bucky stepped in front of Y/N at the same time as Steve. “You see, Soldier. It’s easy, really. You can either shoot your best friend, or your girlfriend.”
“And what if we don’t want to play your twisted little game, Jigsaw?” Y/N scoffed as she pushed both men out of the way.
“Then both you and the Captain die,” he said simply. “And you…the Avengers may have erased all traces of the Soldier from your mind, but we can always start the process all over again if we need to,” he turned to Bucky.
“Why are you doing this?” Steve glared at him.
“All these years, Captain America, all this time I’ve been kept alive by one thing and one thing only. My sheer hatred for you. I care not for the modern day Hydra and their false prophecies, nor my conquest. All I care about is my revenge. What better way to exact my revenge than by forcing your closest friend to either kill you or his lover. Either way, I win, for as I have come to learn…” He paused to bring a careful hand to the hideous burns on his face. “Some pains are worse than death.”
“I won’t do it,” Bucky sent the man a murderous stare. “I won’t kill either of them.”
“You have fifteen minutes to decide, soldier,” Schmidt turned his back to the three of them briefly. “And just to make sure you don’t have any funny ideas, I’ll be watching from the next room. My men will keep an eye on you.” Three more men walked in once Schmidt left, all armed to the teeth. Under any other circumstance Steve, Bucky and Y/N would have been able to take the five of them down without a sweat. But the large guns that were being pointed at them made them reconsider. One of the guards kicked over the gun Schmidt had dropped and it skidded across the floor and came to a stop in front of Bucky.
“I’m not doing it,” Bucky repeated, looking between Steve and Y/N. “I won’t.”
“You can’t let them brainwash you again,” Y/N said quietly.
“So what?” Bucky whirled around to face her. “You want me to kill you or Steve to save my ass?” he laughed darkly and shook his head.
“I don’t…” she sighed and looked away from him. 
“What if we took them all down?” Steve asked in a hushed tone, looking at the five guards who were staring them down.
“They’d shoot us before we even took a step towards them,” Y/N muttered. “And then they would just take Bucky away and brainwash him all over again.”
“I’m growing impatient, soldier,” Schmidt’s voice sounded through the room, making the three look around in confusion before realising he more than likely installed a speaker in the room.
“I thought I had fifteen minutes?” he snapped. “Fuck off for the rest of the thirteen and leave us alone.” There was no response or order given to shoot them all on the spot. “How are we going to get out of here?” he lowered his voice considerably and shuffled closer to Steve while wrapping an arm around Y/N’s waist.
Steve was just as adamant as Y/N that Bucky stayed himself and wasn’t taken away to be turned back into the soldier. They argued back and forth about it for a few minutes before Bucky finally caved and the two of them discussed a game plan, with every scenario failing because of one issue or another. Y/N remained silent and simply leant against Bucky’s side to steal some of his warmth. Her mind was going at a mile a minute as she tried to figure out a strategy of her own. She wasn’t optimistic about the outcome of the situation they had been placed in. She knew there were only two outcomes. Either she or Steve died and Bucky left with the remaining person, or they both died and Bucky would be taken, brainwashed and tortured into being the Winter Soldier again. 
“Time is running out, Solider. You have seven minutes.”
“Thanks for the countdown,” Bucky growled. Schmidt chuckled through the comm, a sound which made Y/N shiver in repulsion. Bucky held her closer, his hand running up and down her side in hopes of comforting her. “Don’t worry, doll,” his lips brushed the top of her head gently. “We’re all getting out of here. Alive.” She tried to smile and nod to show she believed him, but it came out as a grimace. He simply gave her an apologetic look before turning back to Steve to figure out an escape route.
“You have five minutes to shoot someone. Are you going to pick, or shall I?” Schmidt asked.
“Fuck off,” Bucky hissed.
“Pick one, soldier.”
“I won’t,” Bucky’s hand shook in concealed rage as he stared at the floor. “You can’t make me.”
 “If you don’t choose then I will make the choice for you,” he snapped. “Now tell me, your best friend, or your girlfriend?”
“Buck –”
“Shut up Steve,” he practically growled. “Don’t you dare cave in and try to give me that speech. It’s my choice and I will not choose.”
“Guards?” The men standing in the room stepped forward and knocked Y/N and Steve to the ground forcefully.
“Don’t touch them!”
“Ah.” The barrel of a gun was pressed to the back of both of their heads. “One more step and they both die.” Y/N looked at Steve from the corner of her eye and received a failed attempt of a reassuring smile in return.
“Why?! Why are you making me do this?” Bucky yelled, spinning around to face a man that wasn’t there.
“Isn’t it obvious? I want to see who you’ll choose. The man who’s been your best friend for almost a century, or the girl whom you’re in love with.” Bucky’s eyes slide over to look at you and Steve helplessly.
“Buck…I –”
“Y/N, don’t you –”
“Shut up,” she looked over at him. “Just shut up. I’m not letting you do this alone. Shut up and let me help you for once.” He held her glare for a couple of second before they were interrupted once more.
“Let them stand.” They rose to their feet slowly, bodies on full alert as they looked at the guards that surrounded them. “I wouldn’t do anything stupid if I were you, Captain America. I still have guns aimed at all three of you.”
“Hey there, Sarge,” she tried to send Bucky a reassuring smile.
“Y/N…” his voice cracked as he watched her carefully with unshed tears.
“You’re not going to like what I have to say –”
“Don’t –”
“And you’re going to want to fight me on it,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “You both are. But you got to pick me, Buck.” 
“No,” Steve cut in. “I’m a century old, I’ve passed my date. You and Y/N have just found each other. You deserve a chance to be happy.” Bucky watched them both in silent rage as Y/N took a hesitant step forward towards him. When Schmidt and his guards didn’t make a move to stop her, she took another. 
“You and Steve are best friends. You need each other.”
“I need both of you,” he rasped.
“You don’t need me that much, not like him,” she shook your head sadly and took another step. “It’s got to be me. You need to be soldiers, boys, and that means to hell with what happens to me.”
“Tick, tock, solider,” Schmidt said, eyes gleaming as he watched the three of them in amusement. Steve tried to step forward and started to sprout all sorts of reasons why Bucky should kill him, but Y/N didn’t let him get very far.
“Hey, look at me,” she ran her fingers over his jaw and smiled weakly. “Let me see those pretty eyes of yours one last time, Sarge.” Tears ran down his face and she was quick to wipe them away. “You know how I feel about being sappy, but considering the circumstances I think I can let it slide this one time.” His hand came up to wipe away a few of her own tears, a protest already bubbling on his lips. “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me these past couple of months.”
“Y/N –” 
“Sh, it’s my turn now. You’re a good man, James Barnes. The best I know, including old mama Steve. I just want you to know that. Winter Solider or not. I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world and I just wanted to thank you for letting me get to know you.”
“I can’t.” He almost sobbed as she brought the gun up and held it to her stomach. “Please, doll, don’t make me.”
“Steve needs you, Buck.”
“I need you. I love you.” He wiped at his eyes angrily and pulled her in for a hard kiss. “I love you.”
“I know,” Y/N bit back a fresh wave of tears and kissed him back. “I know and I’m so sorry Buck but there isn’t any other choice. You can’t kill Steve. You need him more, whether you know it or not. Until the end of the line, remember? And anyway, the world isn’t quite finished with Captain America.”
“Fuck the world! I can’t lose you. Either of you.”
“You won’t,” she tangled her fingers in his hair. “I’ll be right there with you. Forever and always.” She placed his shaking finger on the trigger before flicking the safety off. “But you need to do this.” She took in a shaky breath and looked away from Bucky for two seconds to the man behind her. “Steve?”
“Y/N, you can’t –”
“Stop wrecking my moment, Rogers. You know I like to be dramatic.” She tried to lighten up the situation to no avail. “You need to take care of him, you hear me? If you don’t look after him properly I’m going to resurrect myself just so I can kill you. Promise me you’ll take care of him Steve.”
“Y/N –”
“Promise me or I’ll knock you out so that you will stop fighting me on this!”
“I-I promise.”
“And tell everyone else on the team that I’m sorry – so sorry – and they’re the best family I could ever ask for. And hug Wanda tight for me. She’ll need someone after I’m gone. Got it?”
“Understood.”
“Soldiers?”
“Soldiers,” Steve nodded, tears falling down his own face.
“And you,” Y/N turned back to Bucky. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. It was my choice, not yours. I don’t want you to wallow and mourn over me for the rest of your life. Get yourself out there. Be happy. Move on.” She pecked him once more. “Well, give it a couple months before you date anyone else, but promise me you’ll try to be happy.”
“I won’t.”
“Bucky, please,” she closed her E/C eyes as tears cascaded down her face. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
“You’re making me kill you. And don’t you dare try and tell me it’s for the greater good.”
“Utilitarianism then,” she swallowed thickly. “The greatest pleasure for the greatest number.”
“No one will be happy if you’re dead.”
“But they sure as hell will be fewer unhappy people than if Captain America died. Or all three of us. The whole world will be at stake then.”
“I don’t care. At least you would still be with me.”
“I’m getting bored with how long this is taking,” Schmidt tsked in annoyance. “Are you going to kill one of them or do I have to decide?” 
“I really don’t care about antagonising you right now, Red Skull, so shut the fuck up, we are trying to have a moment to say goodbye over here,” she looked up at the ceiling and all but growled at him. They could all picture him flaring in anger at her words, but no one made a move to shoot which prompted her to look back down at the beautiful, emotionally wrecked man in front of her. “Look at me. It sucks. It fucking sucks so bad, but you need to do this, Buck.” She held his hand more securely around and gun. 
“If you’re going out then I’m going out with you,” he leant down so his face was levelled with hers.
“That’s not part of the deal, Sarge,” she smiled weakly and shook her head. “Pull the trigger.”
“I can’t.” He shook his head violently. “I won’t.” Y/N wrapped her hand around his wrist and pressed the gun firmly to her skin. Wiping her tear-stained eyes on her shoulder, she leant up to kiss him one last time as they both squeezed the trigger.
“I love you, James.”
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why-i-love-comics · 1 year
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Damage Control #4 - "Bring on the Bad Gus" (2022)
written by Adam F. Goldberg & Hans Rodionoff art by Nathan Stockman & Ruth Redmond
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slapstermasterr · 2 months
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