The battlefield was hell.
Gunfire cracked through the frigid air, drowned out only by the rhythmic pounding of Hydra's Tesseract-powered cannons. The smell of gunpowder and burnt flesh mixed with the bitter cold, turning the snow into a crimson-stained graveyard.
Steve Rogers' unit the 107th Infantry—was trapped.
Pinned down by enemy fire, they had taken cover behind the wreckage of a destroyed Hydra transport. The soldiers beside him were battered and exhausted, their numbers dwindling with every passing minute.
Bucky Barnes was crouched next to him, reloading his rifle with shaking hands. "Steve, if you got a plan, now's the time!" he shouted over the chaos.
Steve adjusted his shield, sweat mixing with the frost clinging to his skin. "Hold the line! We have to hold until backup arrives!"
But deep down, he knew they weren't getting out of this.
Hydra's Advance
From across the battlefield, Hydra's soldiers moved with terrifying precision. Unlike normal Axis forces, these men carried advanced weapons rifles pulsing with eerie blue light, powered by the mysterious energy of the Tesseract.
One soldier fired a bolt of raw energy tearing through a nearby American trooper, vaporizing him in an instant.
Steve gritted his teeth. "We need to take out those gunners!"
Bucky nodded. "And how do you suggest we do that? Walk up and ask nicely?"
Before Steve could respond, a deafening explosion rocked the battlefield. A Tesseract-powered cannon had struck the ground nearby, sending dirt and debris flying. The shockwave knocked them both off their feet.
Steve groaned, shaking his head as his vision blurred. The world spun around him. He could hear Bucky cursing, the screams of wounded soldiers, the relentless march of Hydra's forces closing in.
Then
Everything stopped.
The Arrival of a Emperor
The air grew heavy.
Not from smoke. Not from artillery. From something else.
Something greater.
It was as if the battlefield itself recognized the arrival of something beyond human comprehension.
And then, he appeared.
Emerging from the darkness of war, a towering figure strode onto the battlefield, clad in golden armor.
Not just any armor a masterpiece of craftsmanship, an unbreakable bulwark of intricate sigils, baroque engravings, and celestial patterns. Its massive pauldrons bore the insignia of an unknown empire, its chestplate radiated raw, oppressive power, and its flowing crimson cloak was untouched by the filth of battle.
His helmet, crested with an ornate golden halo, was removed, revealing a face both timeless and commanding. His features were flawless, sculpted as if by divine hands, and his golden eyes burned like molten stars.
The Emperor had arrived.
Hydra's forces hesitated. Their weapons, their discipline, their years of training all seemed meaningless before this man.
Steve pushed himself up, staring at the figure. That same presence. That same force that had pulled him into that meeting with Howard and Peggy.
The Emperor turned his gaze toward Steve. No words. Just a glance.
Then Hydra opened fire.
The Emperor Moves
The first shot never reached him.
A Hydra soldier pulled the trigger a bolt of blue energy streaked toward the Emperor and stopped mid-air.
Suspended. Frozen.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the shot was sent flying back, striking the shooter square in the chest, blasting him off his feet.
The other Hydra troops hesitated, then unleashed everything.
Tesseract rifles fired in unison. Dozens of energy bolts screamed toward the Emperor.
He didn't even flinch.
The bolts every single one, stopped inches from his body. They hovered there, suspended in the air like frozen stars. Then, with a simple motion, the Emperor turned his palm and sent them all flying back.
Hydra soldiers screamed as their own weapons cut them down.
Panic set in.
"Mein Gott! Was ist das?!" one of them shouted.
Steve and Bucky could only watch in awe and horror.
One Hydra officer, desperate, grabbed a radio. "Verdammt! Get the heavy weapons!"
A Tesseract-powered cannon swung into position.
The energy inside the barrel glowed ominously, its deadly charge building up.
The Emperor turned his gaze toward it.
The Hydra operator fired.
A massive blue beam of raw, concentrated energy roared toward him. The ground burned as it tore across the battlefield.
And then
The Emperor raised his hand.
The beam split apart before reaching him, dispersing into harmless wisps of light.
Silence.
A moment later, the cannon exploded, sending Hydra troops flying.
The Emperor took another step forward.
Hydra's will broke.
The remaining soldiers dropped their weapons and ran.
The Emperor did not pursue. They were no longer worth his time.
The Aftermath
Steve and Bucky finally got to their feet. The battlefield was still burning, but the battle was over.
The Emperor stood amidst the wreckage a lone figure against the backdrop of a world at war.
Steve took a step forward. "You… you did this?"
The Emperor turned his golden eyes to him. "They were never a threat."
Bucky shook his head. "You just wiped out an entire Hydra squad like they were nothing."
The Emperor regarded him for a moment before looking back at Steve. "You have fought well, Captain Rogers. But your war is only beginning."
Steve clenched his fists. "And you think you should be the one to decide how it ends?"
The Emperor took another step forward, his presence alone feeling as heavy as the entire war itself.
"I do not think, Captain." He tilted his head slightly. "I know."
Steve met his gaze. "And what happens to the people who don't agree with you?"
The Emperor smiled, though there was no warmth in it. "They will either understand… or they will be left behind."
He turned, walking away as if the destruction behind him was nothing more than an afterthought.
And for the first time, Steve Rogers, Captain America himself was unsure if he had just witnessed salvation… or something far more dangerous.
End of Chapter