The Red Soldier: Origins of the Red Soldier

ISSUE #9

(Y/N) stood at the top of a cliff, the tips of his shoes only just stretching over the edge. Train tracks scaled the side of the mountain opposite them. The bitter-cold snows pelted their faces, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. At least Howard Stark had gifted him a new uniform, a scarlet coloured vest lined with a bulletproof material he'd recently invented, and a long red and black coat which offered more protection than the one Bucky had given him the night they'd broke free from HYDRA.

A wire hung from where they stood, stretching over the valley to the train tracks on the other side. 'Remember when I made you ride the cyclone at Coney Island?' Bucky asked Steve.

'Yeah, and I threw up,' he replied.

'This wouldn't be payback for that would it?'

'Now why would I do that?' smirked Steve, attaching a set of handlebars to the wire and jumping from the ledge, sliding down the wire at a high speed, just as the train they were expecting rounded the side of the mountain. Bucky turned towards (Y/N), rested a hand on his shoulder, planted a kiss on his cheek, nodded his head, and then followed Steve.

(Y/N) pulled at the collar of the shirt he wore beneath his vest, loosening his tie before flexing his hands. Then, he took a step forward off the edge of the cliff, hovering over the valley and landing graciously onto the roof of the high-speed train. He followed Bucky and Steve's footsteps, crouching down low until they reached a ladder down the side of the third carriage. 'You go on ahead, get Zola,' Steve instructed (Y/N), 'Buck and I will cover the carriages. (Y/N) nodded and swiftly continued up the moving train until he reached the cab.

Leaning over the edge he could see Zola through the windows, speaking into what looked to be a microphone. He concentrated on the sloped windows, focusing the energy in his hands onto them until they shattered into a million tiny glass shards. When he jumped down, Dr Zola had a gun pointed at him, the barrel directed at the centre of his forehead. 'Ah, Dr (L/N),' he smiled, 'I was wondering when I might meet you again.'

'Put down the gun, Zola,' (Y/N) told him through gritted teeth, 'You're wanted for questioning. I've been told not to hurt you.'

'Oh, I'm certain you have quite a number of questions don't you Doctor. Like how exactly it is we granted you your remarkable powers.'

(Y/N) shook his head, 'I was born with them, you gave me nothing but a reason to use them.'

Zola clicked his tongue, tutting at him condescendingly, 'silly boy,' he flashed a toothy grin, 'I'm afraid I'm under strict orders to shoot shall you not cooperate.' His finger squeezed the trigger of the gun, a single golden bullet shot towards (Y/N), who in a moment of pure luck held up his hands. The bullet paused mid-air, captured in a red mist. Dr Zola's mouth gaped open in both fear and astonishment before he turned to sprint away. (Y/N) manoeuvred the bullet, sending it hurtling through the air and straight into the calf of Zola's right leg. He fell to the floor with a crash, his glasses falling away from his face. He cowered behind raised arms, blabbering in German.

(Y/N)'s brain told him he should throw the scientist from the train, let him freeze to death at the bottom of the valley, but his heart told him that was wrong; he held crucial information about Red Skull's whereabouts and his plans.

So, instead of murdering the coward, he simply hovered a hand over his temples, sending him into a deep sleep almost instantly. Then, he crouched down beside Zola and used his powers to pull the shards of bullet out of his leg, binding it tightly with a piece of fabric he'd ripped off of the doctor's coat. Removing the doctor's shoelaces gave him something to use to restrain him, keeping him in place whilst he went to locate Bucky and Steve.