Father's Enemy My Lover {sequel to Father's Enemy}

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Reaper started towards the two super soldiers. Steve and Johann stood closer together and raised their fists.

"I would give anything for my gun right now," Johann said to Steve.

"Was it one that would make him evaporate?"

"Yes."

"I really wish you had your gun too," Steve quipped.

"I thought you didn't trust me?"

"I don't," Steve affirmed. "Do you know the American Beta maneuver?"

"The one from the beginning of the war?"

"Yes."

"Only time we broke your codes by the way," Johann said.

"Good lets put it into action," Steve said.

"Seeing as how it was meant for planes, this will prove interesting," Johann laughed.

Steve bent over and Johann ran towards him. He propelled off of his back and twisted in the air. Johann brought his foot and then his elbow into the mutant's face. Using his momentum he flipped to the side and was now on the left side of the mutant.

Steve meanwhile ran up and brought his knee into the mutants stomach just as Johann finished his maneuver. The mutant reeled back stunned by the forceful attack.

"We actually make a pretty good team," Steve said.

"You should see when Catalina and I fight," Johann said coming beside Steve again.

"Left, Right, Left," Steve said.

Johann ran to the left and feinted an attack. The mutant brought his hands up to block it; but then Johann moved sharply to the right and delivered a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Steve finished it off by popping up on the left and punching the mutant again in the jaw. This successfully snapped the mutants neck and he fell to the ground with a reverberating 'thump.'

"That went a lot better than I expected," Steve said.

"He isn't dead," Johann said.

"What?!" As if to affirm what Johann said the mutant sat up. He grabbed his head and twisted. They could hear the snap of tendons and the crack of bones moving back into place.

"That is disgusting," Steve said half-heartedly.

"I'm sure you've seen worse," Johann said.

"Ya, you."

"Thanks for making me feel so much better about myself," Johann said with a roll of his eyes. "It's time for a German maneuver."

"And what's that?"

"Unrestricted submarine-or hidden- warfare," he replied.

"Got it. Where is the light switch?"

"Punch a wall. I'm sure you will hit something."

Steve turned and hit the nearest wall. There was a sound of bursting pipes and crackling wires. The lights flickered and then went out.

"Silent as a mouse," Johann said.

The mutant groped in the darkness. Steve came up and kicked the mutant hard in the back. He could feel his spine splintering and cracking.

Johann decided to take a different approach. He grabbed the rubber on the wires and carefully pulled them out of the wall.

"Kick him to you right!"

Steve kicked him and the mutant reeled towards Johann. Johann wrapped the wires around the creature. The lights flickered again and the mutant began to convulse as electricity course through his body. Johann ran towards Steve and pulled him out of the way and into a run. They fell as the mutant exploded.

"How did that work?"

"I noticed it when I saw a creature hit electricity before," Johann explained, "a chemical in the serum doesn't respond well to lots of heat."

Steve looked at him for a moment and then burst into laughter. Johann, too, began to laugh. Steve stood up and held out a hand to Johann. He took and Steve helped him up.

"Let's go find the others," Steve said still chuckling.

They both started towards the lab but whirled around at the sound of a loud bang. Steve didn't see where it came from because the lights were out. He turned to ask Johann what it was but gaped in horror at the sight before him.

Johann looked down at his chest. He began to feel dizzy and cold as blood seeped out of the bullet wound. Steve caught him before he fell. Steve dragged him into the nearest lighted room and laid him on the floor.

"Hold still," Steve commanded. He looked carefully at the wound.

"It pierced my lung," Johann gasped.
He could feel his lung beginning to give.

"No, you have a healing factor! You should be fine," Steve rationalized.

"I'm not at strong as you, Captain," Johann wheezed.

"You can't die."

"And why not? I would think you would prefer it that way."

"I never wish death on anyone," Steve said quietly. "I only fought to save those I loved from being killed."

They both looked up as something banged on the opposite door.

"You have to leave," Johann said anxiously.

"I'm not leaving you here!"

"I'm dying! You need to leave," Johann said as loud as he could.

"But Catalina needs you," Steve shouted. "I may not really like that fact but it's the truth. If she loves you then I won't stand in her way."

"Your a good father, Captain. She needs you now," Johann shoved at Steve. This caused him to cough violently. Blood began to trickle down his mouth. "Do as I say!"

Steve gave him one last look and then burst out the doors they came in. He ran towards the lab not looking back. He burst through the lab doors and towards the group.

"Daddy!" Catalina yelled happily. Then her face fell. "Where's Johann?"

Steve didn't answer at first he just hung his head. "I couldn't save him."

He slid down on the floor and put his face in his hands. Catalina stood shocked for a second and then burst into tears.

"How?!"

"He was shot through the lung," Steve answered numbly. "His lung collapsed."

Tony, Falcon, and Loki just stared sadly at the stricken pair. Catalina had gone through so much today and to top it off she had lost the man she loved.