In that instant, Steve Rogers felt his blood freeze solid—only to ignite like magma from the earth's core in the very next heartbeat.
It was a rage that was both glacial and violently explosive.
He had seen it with his own eyes: the Eastern soldier who had just fought at his side, who had cleared countless obstacles for him with precise gunfire, taking a blade meant for Steve and being viciously run through.
Time seemed to slow.
Steve saw the flash of shock and pain cross Levi's face. He saw blood spill from the corner of his mouth. He saw the light in his eyes rapidly fading.
Levi. He had only just learned the soldier's name. Brave. Calm. Possessing tactical instincts and battlefield awareness far beyond his age. Steve had already, subconsciously, marked him as one of the most reliable comrades in the unit.
And now—
That comrade had fallen in front of him, saving his life.
"No—!"
A roar, crushed to its limit, tore out of Captain America's throat. His blue eyes flooded with a terrifying red.
Before, he had been fighting with a soldier's discipline and tactics.
Now, there was only one thought left in his mind.
Kill him.
Kill this bastard—directly, brutally, without mercy.
The Hydra operative known as the Hound, having stabbed Levi, twisted his face into a sick, euphoric grin. He hadn't managed to kill Captain America, but taking out one of his key allies was satisfaction enough. Without even pulling the knife free, he lifted his foot, intending to kick Levi's body aside and buy himself a moment to breathe.
He was wrong.
Disastrously wrong.
What stood before him was a fully enraged super soldier.
"Whoosh—!"
His answer was a red, white, and blue blur that ripped through the air with a piercing shriek.
Steve didn't bother with any fancy movement. He poured every ounce of his fury into his right arm and swung the vibranium shield sideways—
Like a brick.
The Hound's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
All he felt was a flash of light, followed by an unstoppable force—like a battering ram—slamming into the side of his face.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bone shattering rang out.
His head bent at an impossible angle. The manic joy froze on his face, replaced by sheer terror and disbelief.
He didn't even manage a scream.
His body flew sideways like a sack with its bones removed, slammed into a distant boulder with a heavy thud, then slid down—utterly motionless.
Instant kill.
One strike. Just one.
The Hydra elite who had just gone toe-to-toe with Captain America, displaying super-soldier-level prowess, was finished—completely.
But Steve didn't spare him a single glance.
The instant the shield left his hand, he had already turned, sprinting toward Levi. He caught Levi's collapsing body carefully, almost reverently.
"Levi! Stay with me! Levi!"
Steve's voice trembled with urgency he didn't even realize he had.
He laid Levi flat on the ground, ready to tear his own clothes apart to stop the bleeding—
Then he froze.
His eyes locked onto Levi's abdomen.
The wound—
The horrific wound—
It was gone.
Completely healed. No sign of injury at all.
"…What?"
Steve's mind went blank. He even rubbed his eyes, convinced stress had driven him into hallucination.
But this wasn't a hallucination.
The wound was healed.
And just as shock overwhelmed him, Levi let out a pained groan. His eyelids fluttered—and slowly, he opened his eyes.
Pain.
Unbelievable, goddamn pain.
That was Levi's first coherent thought.
It felt like someone was stirring his guts with a red-hot iron rod, the agony digging straight into his bones, nearly knocking him unconscious again.
But beneath that pain…
There was something else.
Warmth. Power. Like a roaring river.
A torrent surged from the deepest part of his body, flowing through his limbs, nourishing every parched cell.
Levi could feel it clearly—his muscles toughening, his bones densifying, his blood pumping with new force. Every part of him was undergoing a dramatic transformation.
So this is the power of the Super Soldier Serum…
Levi sighed in pure satisfaction. Sure, the process hurt like hell—but the result was amazing. The healing factor handled recovery, the serum handled enhancement. The two abilities were a perfect match.
"Levi…?"
Steve's voice came from above, shaken and uncertain. "How do you feel?"
Levi turned his head with effort and saw Captain America's face—utterly stunned, wearing an expression that screamed Who am I? Where am I? What did I just see?
Levi nearly burst out laughing inside.
So much for the chosen one. Ever seen someone resurrect on the spot before?
But outwardly, he put on the perfect act—weak, confused, and in pain.
"It hurts… sir…" Levi croaked, his voice hoarse like torn metal. "Am I… am I dead?"
"You're not dead!" Steve answered reflexively—then faltered. He pointed at Levi's stomach, stammering, "Your wound… your wound—"
Levi followed his gaze.
The combat knife was still lodged in his abdomen, but the flesh around it had already healed almost completely, leaving only a ring of angry red scar tissue.
Holy hell, this healing factor is insane, Levi thought—while continuing to play dumb.
"I… I don't know…" he muttered. "I've always… been tougher than most…"
As he spoke, Levi shakily reached out, gripped the knife handle—and, under Steve's horrified gaze, gritted his teeth and yanked it free.
Schluck!
Blood sprayed out again.
"What are you doing?!" Steve lunged forward to press the wound—
Then both of them froze.
After a single spurt of blood, the wound began to close at an astonishing speed—shrinking, sealing, vanishing. In the blink of an eye, there wasn't even a mark left.
Levi stared too.
He could feel it—the newly acquired Super Soldier Serum accelerating the process. The two powers were interacting, reinforcing each other.
Steve looked at the unblemished skin, then at the blood on his own hands.
He was speechless.
The scientific, rational worldview he lived by shattered on the spot.
Just then, chaotic footsteps and shouts echoed from the forest.
"This way! The gunfire came from here!"
"Hurry! Move!"
The Howling Commandos had arrived.
Dugan, Logan, and the others burst from the trees. When they saw the battlefield—like a slaughterhouse—and Steve and Levi standing amid the corpses, they all froze.
Logan sniffed the air sharply.
His animal instincts immediately sensed something wrong. He glanced at the mangled remains of the Hound, then locked his gaze onto Levi.
Beneath the heavy stench of blood, he smelled something else—
Something new. Powerful. Similar to the captain's… yet completely different.
"Well done, Cap!" Dugan broke the silence first, eyeing the bodies with genuine admiration. Then he looked at Levi and Gabe. "You two kids are damn lucky!"
Steve didn't respond.
He simply looked at Levi—his expression impossibly complex. Gratitude. Shock. Confusion. And, above all, recognition—as if seeing a kindred existence.
He stepped forward, bent down, and hauled the still-unsteady Levi to his feet.
Then he raised that broad, powerful hand and gave Levi's shoulder a solid pat.
"Welcome back to the fight, soldier."
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