The Price of Rest
Owen left the meeting room, and his expression remained deeply thoughtful as he walked toward one of the nearby computers.
After typing for a few moments, the file of a person appeared on the screen.
Alexei Keim. Adoptive son of Viktor Keim.
The most interesting part was that, on the far right, a death certificate was listed. Owen stared at it in silence while memories of the past returned to his mind with the clarity of a freshly opened wound.
…
"You know… if my son were alive, he'd be your age."
Viktor's voice sounded faint, almost resigned. Both were locked inside a scientific facility while, outside, the sound of engines grew louder along with the noise of armed men running around the area.
Owen was crouched, preparing his weapons with quick and precise movements, and around him stood his old team; the ones who had come with him to rescue Viktor.
A squad of seven people; the best among the best.
And this mission, supposedly simple; "save a highly renowned scientist kidnapped by terrorist forces"; had begun easily. Entering had been simple. Leaving… was another story.
"What?" Owen muttered, confused by the sudden comment, before turning toward Viktor.
"I don't know why they sent you all, but… really, at this point, the fact you'd risk your life for me makes me think that maybe meeting him again wouldn't be such a bad option," Viktor said with a deeply depressed air as he looked at a photograph in his wallet.
In it, he was posing with a teenager who had wavy black hair and huge glasses. It seemed to be a graduation ceremony; the two had their arms around each other's shoulders and were smiling proudly at the camera.
"He really was special. Very special," Viktor murmured without taking his eyes off the ceiling, as if he were searching for comfort in a sky he could not see.
Owen looked at him for a moment, not knowing what to say. He was not an emotional person; his life had been forged in battlefields and environments where emotions were nothing but a burden.
"And what happened to him?" he finally asked. His teammates exchanged quick looks, as if saying "our captain really doesn't know how to soften anything," before returning their attention to the screens.
"He… was born with a somewhat special body. We always wanted to know why, what the reason was," Viktor said, unbothered by the bluntness of the question.
"With simple training he increased his strength quickly, although he had a limit. If he stopped training, he returned to normal. It was quite strange. He… one day wanted to help someone who was drowning. He always bragged about being able to hold his breath longer than anyone."
Viktor swallowed. His voice trembled.
"He managed to save that person… but he never came back up."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"What a fool. He wasn't a superhero. He wasn't…"
Owen watched him in silence.
"He wasn't, but he became one, didn't he? He saved a life," Owen said seriously.
Viktor raised his head, surprised by the firmness of the statement. He looked at him intently before forcing a tired smile.
"Yes. But a hero always leaves someone behind when he goes."
Owen was about to respond when one of the men spoke from the screens.
"Sir, it's time. Do we activate the traps?"
Owen gave Viktor one last look.
"I'm getting you out of here. He would be very sad to learn you died like this. At least do it when you're retired and being a stubborn old man. It's the best a son can ask for. Live for him. A person only dies when they're forgotten," Owen said, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.
Viktor looked at him, smiling sincerely for the first time.
"You really are a good guy. Don't become a hero just to save me," he said, making it clear he didn't want Owen dying in the mission.
"Me? A hero? Pft." Owen let out a short laugh; probably the first of the entire operation.
"You know, I have a phrase that always helps me when I'm really stuck at work." Viktor took a deep breath and said:
"Looks like with this I'll be able to take a few days off."
"Repeating it like a mantra helps you remember that after chaos comes calm. Although yes… it's a more vulgar way of saying it," he added with a small laugh.
"A break… I really need one," Owen admitted before standing up and giving the final orders to his team.
The last orders he gave before a rain of fire fell upon them; before only Owen and Viktor survived.
…
Now, in the present, Owen looked at Alexei's photo while creating a database with all the information gathered about his abilities.
Exaggerated instant regeneration.
Fire and explosion manipulation.
And an important detail: the regeneration had a limit. Owen noticed that as he damaged him, the following wounds took slightly longer to close and Alexei visibly weakened. He consumed an absurd amount of energy.
The red skin was clearly a result of the Red Hulk serum; and the golden blood that looked like liquid fire definitely resembled Extremis.
A brutal mix that no one should be able to withstand.
Alexei's greatest weakness was obvious; he couldn't control that power at all. He had no training or professionalism to use it, although that wouldn't remain the case for long.
Especially that absurd ability to escape even if he had limbs amputated; in this case, the head. A strange, annoying, and problematic ability. Owen still had to verify what the limit was; because if none existed, Alexei could simply cut off a finger, store it somewhere before a fight… and he would be practically impossible to kill. Immortal.
Wanda walked into the room just as Owen was focused in front of the computer, with the image of a man taking up almost the entire screen while he continued filling in data.
"Wow, looking at other people on your computer… I should probably feel jealous," Wanda said with a playful smile.
Owen lifted his gaze toward her.
"Jealous? I wasn't expecting that from you," he replied with a teasing smile.
"No, not at all. After all, he's not a redhead; that's when I'd actually start worrying," she said sarcastically before sitting directly on Owen's lap.
"You seriously think that's my type?" Owen asked with an incredulous smile.
"Isn't it?" Wanda asked, staring at him intently.
Owen shut his mouth immediately.
"No comment," he muttered, knowing perfectly well that if he denied it he'd get into trouble, and if he admitted it he'd also get into trouble. Women were really unpredictable, after all.
Wanda laughed at Owen's expression before her gaze dropped to his right arm. The glove was barely holding itself together in one piece, with a faint burnt smell.
She touched it gently… and pulled her hand away instantly when she felt it was burning hot.
"I'm fine," Owen said before Wanda could even open her mouth.
"Owen… why don't we just take a break? We could… maybe try going back to that other universe we went to," she said with genuine concern. She didn't know where the Dark Phoenix had been sent, but what she felt from Owen's arm told her he was very close to breaking.
"Hey, that's a good idea. Wonder Woman must still be waiting for you," Owen replied with a slightly mocking smile.
Wanda smacked him in the chest.
"I'm being serious. This way maybe you could sleep better for at least a while," Wanda said with a serious tone.
"I can't. Not now; you know that," he answered quietly, softly.
"Ahem."
A cough interrupted the moment. Wanda, embarrassed, quickly stood up from Owen's lap. He turned to see the intruder.
Standing at the door were Nicolás and Nathaniel, both wearing that same teasing smile so characteristic of father and son.
Well… that's what they were, so it wasn't strange.
"I… I have something to do. We'll talk later," Wanda said before leaving almost running, red with embarrassment after being seen in a moment like that.
Father and son stared at Owen in silence… and then both smiled even wider.
Owen only rolled his eyes.
"What is it?" he asked, tired.
"Everything's ready to create that thing. You know," Nathaniel said, approaching and setting aside his playful attitude to adopt a serious demeanor. "But… are you sure?"
"Yes. It'll be fine. I already told you," Owen replied calmly.
"But he's not the type it should be…"
"Old man… I'm not stupid enough to get jealous over something that might be or is in another world," Owen said without losing his composure.
"What thing?" Nicolás asked, confused.
"None of your business," Nathaniel replied while looking at his son in annoyance, making Nicolás clear his throat and plop down on a nearby sofa as he pulled out his phone.
"That being said… Owen, I think what Wanda said made a bit of sense. You could take a break," the old man added, genuinely worried.
"Trust me, I want that. To be honest… I'm tired, old man," Owen said with a weak smile.
"I know, kid. I know. And I always blame myself for that."
Nathaniel looked at Owen's arm with regret. That his godson carried such pain was the last thing he had wanted when he agreed to have the super soldier serum created for him.
"That's why I accepted your resignation letter this morning. Finish this problem and you can do whatever you want."
Owen opened his eyes in surprise.
"Are you serious, old man?"
"Yes. Just leave Stark's brat in charge of VITAE. Although I'm sure he'll leave everything in the hands of that other idiot who keeps telling the story about the general and the tank. And you'll be able to rest. Maybe you could even bring me a couple of grandkids before I get any older," the general said with a mischievous smile.
"I'm very sure there are already a couple of them out there thanks to him," Owen said, pointing at Nicolás, who looked up with a completely confused expression from being suddenly accused.
"Hmph. I'm sure of that," Nathaniel muttered, annoyed by his son's life.
Owen smiled slightly at Nicolás's irritated face, then lowered his gaze to his own hand. He knew perfectly well there was still a lot left to resolve… at least until the inevitable arrival of Thanos.
"Even so, old man, even if you accept my resignation, I'll still keep an eye out to show up at any moment. And when those guys get into trouble… I'll be there too," Owen said seriously.
"Yes. That's what I expected from you," the general said with relief, shaking his head as he walked toward the exit.
"By the way, old man… this whole conversation sounded like a death flag, didn't it?" Nicolás suddenly commented.
Both Owen and Nathaniel looked at him with annoyance.
"I don't know where I went wrong with you," the general said before exiting, completely disappointed.
Owen let out a laugh before looking at Nicolás.
"Saying it's a death flag isn't also… a death flag?"
"Well… maybe negative and negative cancel each other out," Nicolás said, not giving it much thought.
At that exact moment, Owen's glove released smoke suddenly, completely stopping the internal mechanism that kept his arm cold.
Owen looked at his hand while Nicolás watched him with barely concealed worry. He couldn't even imagine the pain Owen must be enduring; reaching the point of needing advanced technology just to freeze his arm and withstand it.
Owen noticed that look.
"I'm fine," he said with a forced smile.
"I'm always… fine."
With those words, he stood up to go look for Tony. He needed another glove as soon as possible.