35 Chapter 35

"Keep moving! Let's go!" Arthur shouted, laying down suppressive fire with his Sten when he saw some POWs get into the Hydra armored vehicle.

"Arthur, it's Webb. You've got Hydra forces coming in from the east. Cut across the vehicle pool and you can flank them." Webb radioed from his overlook position as Daniel was using his sniper scoped M1 rifle to take shot at any Hydra soldiers he could see.

"Roger that. Diggle, Halima, Anna, lay down suppressive fire at 2 o'clock. Everyone else, with me. We're flanking across the vehicle pool!" Arthur shouted as the team moved together in formation.

The POW commandeered Hydra Vehicle moved with Arthur and his group as they went across the vehicle pool to flank the Hydra forces while Diggle, Halima, and Anna lay down suppressive fire. Some POWs got weapons and marched into the factory, engaging the Hydra soldiers there who quickly forced a counter attack but Steve Rogers was with them, and he bashed and kicked Hydra goons left and right. His super soldier strength and speed make quick work of them as he shield bashed two Hydra soldiers before push kicking one into a pile of crates. He took a moment to gather sense of his surroundings before continuing on.

With the alarm going off and the attack on the west sector of the compound by the freed POWs, all of Hydra was on alert with all the abled bodied men grabbing weapons to quickly fight off their attackers. That was perfect as it gave Clark and Logan the chance to slip into a secured lab/office in the eastern sector of the factory up on the third floor. It was the most secure place in the building and had a lead-lined door, so something was going on up there. It was guarded by four Hydra soldiers who despite hearing the alarm stayed in position, under orders. They heard the clutter of footsteps nearby which put them on alert as it was either their superior coming to dismiss them or some of the POWs had managed to infiltrate the factory.

It was neither as Logan rushed across the hallway, firing his Thompson from the hip and riddling the four Hydra guards with bullets. Their bodies dropped to the ground as Logan hugged a corner to reload his submachine gun when Clark stepped out. "Clear." Clark told him and Logan nodded. "We need to hurry. Someone will have heard that."

"I think they may be busy with the others but you're right." Logan said as they walked over to the door of the lab which only reinforced the idea that something important was behind there. The door was six inches thick of a lead-lined alloy that looked more like a bank vault and needed a special combination and key.

Clark grabbed onto the handle of the door and gave it a harsh tug, ripping the door open by force. The door, made up of some kind of alloy stronger than steel or titanium, Clark bent the metal and made a hole big enough for them to get through. "Two minutes and then we regroup with the others. Get everything you can. Documents, correspondence, tapes, whatever and anything that looks important."

"Got it." Logan replied as they got in and began taking what they could, mostly documents and papers, and placed them in their packs. Clark looked around at the walls, chalkboards, and corkboards in the room as he grabbed every document he could find. He saw schematics and data on energy, having to do with Hydra's new blue energy weapons which they could use but they also included analysis papers on some kind of new metal taken from a spear that accompanied maps and photos of some region in North East Africa. The photos were of dense forests, but Clark could see an obscured figure he couldn't quite make out. It was a person as he saw two arms and legs, but the focus of the camera didn't show much of anything else. Along with the photos were two key words written in English: Wakanda and Vibranium. Wakanda was a country in the middle of the African continent just north of Lake Turkana, bordering Sudan and Ethiopia to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzia to the south and Uganda to the west. A landlocked country bordering a great lake. And Vibranium seemed to be the metal they were running tests on. Clark had no idea what any of it meant but it seemed important if Hydra and Savage were making plans to head there especially since Germany was kicked out of North Africa, so he took all the data they had.

The next thing he noticed were some chemical formulas for a serum labelled as Projekt Kassenschalger which when translated to English means blockbuster. That serum made that super soldier SS commando he fought before but the serum was being perfected to make a more precise transformation. This was the proof he needed to see that Savage was the man working with Wolfram Von List and helped him with that super SS commando project in Poland. And now they were adding on a new weapon system named Maschinensoldaten which was German for machine soldiers. From the rough designs they appeared to be giant armored suits that the blockbuster soldiers would wear as they'd be the only ones who could. With the thick plating of a titanium-tungsten steel alloy metal able to shrug bullets/grenades and all the proposed weaponry they would carry like the MG-42, anti-tank weapons, portable mortal launchers and even flamethrowers, the suit would weigh at least five tons. But it wasn't just a protective suit as the gears, treads, and motors built under the heavy plating would make the blockbuster Maschinensoldaten move faster and hit harder. It would be like giving that blockbuster monster he fought an extra layer of protection and an increase in strength and movement. These things would be a nightmare for any regular division to come across, but he could see that the big downside of these things would be the sheer fuel and power necessary to make them work. Unfortunately, Savage had a work around for that idea using some kind of meteor rock to power the suit.

It wasn't the same source Hydra was using but had similar exothermic properties so it would make deadly weapons. It was dangerous because it had incredible energy properties that made it ideal for powering the armor but seemed dangerous. Even a small sliver would be enough to generate enough power and it was something Savage labeled as Kryptonite.

That's when Clark noticed a small metal cover placed over a petri dish near everything. A quick try of his X-ray vision showed him the cover was lead-lined so he lifted it off and saw a small glowing piece of green rock. It was no bigger than a quarter, but the glow of the rock was mesmerizing until Clark was filled with an unusual sensation. It started off as twinges of discomfort but that was soon turned into an intense feeling of sickness he had never felt before because he had never gotten sick. Soon it worsened as Clark could feel like his blood was boiling and his insides were eating him. He quickly reached over to put the metal cover back over the rock, but his strength failed him as he took a step and fell onto the table with a loud clatter.

"Kal!" Logan turned around and saw Clark fall into the table. Clark's hand touched the Kryptonite and his veins pulsed against his skin with a sickly green hue to them before he fell to the ground. All his strength and powers were gone as it felt like he was dying. Logan rushed over to Clark when all of a sudden, a powerful sonic blast came from the doorway and slammed into him, smashing him through the walls of the office and sending him careening down three floors to the factory below.

"Logan!" Clark screamed out in horror, seeing his teammate and friend killed. Despite his willpower and desire, he couldn't use his powers to prevent that, and it killed him, on top of the pain he was feeling now.

A slow, methodical clatter of boots was heard and in walked Vandal Savage wearing his SS uniform, holding a short metal spear that had a unique blue glow to the metal. "Quite impressive." Savage looked over the spear with amusement when he felt something tug on his boot, so he glanced down and saw Clark had ahold of his right boot in some desperate attempt to stop him. Savage just kicked Clark in the face, and he quickly let go while crying out in pain. "You, I'm afraid are not as impressive and after all I've read about the Superman. Such a disappointment."

Savage gave Clark three more harsh kicks to the ribs before walking over to the table and picking up the small piece of Kryptonite. Clark glanced up and saw Savage wasn't feeling any adverse effects from the meteor like he was, rolling it between his fingers like it was a prized emerald or sapphire.

"It's hard to believe that this is the great chink in the Man of Steel's armor. Bullets bounce against your skin, tank shells burst against your body, your hands can bend steel like butter, even Schmidt's precious energy powered weapons failed to bring you down or leave so much as a mark. Yet it is the smallest rock that can bring you to your knees. Quite amusing." Savage said as he walked over and knelt to Clark, holding the Kryptonite closer to him. "Nothing to say for yourself, Superman?"

"Ho…how?" Clark could only ask as he was in disbelief at his state. He had always managed to fight through whatever was thrown at him. Even that monstrous excuse for super soldier was taken down by him. He's experienced pain before, but nothing like he was going through now. His whole body hurt, and he felt so weak.

"This little piece was given to me as a gift, from an associate who is not a fan of yours. A strange man but with a unique foresight into events that have transpired. It is him that I have to thank for such an incredible gift. To be honest, when I first saw this rock…" Savage pressed his knee against Clark's face hurting him as he punched him in the stomach with his fist holding the Kryptonite. Clark screamed and groaned out in pain while Savage had a demented smile on his face. "…I thought nothing of it at first. Seeing it in Von List's lab as he did his experiments, I thought that he had wasted so much time. I'm man enough to admit how wrong I was, something I can assure you I haven't done in years."

Savage smirked and Clark, for some reason, felt like he was underlying something else. Savage removed his knife from his belt and then plunged it into Clark's left hand. "AHH!"

Clark's cries of pain were agonizing while Savage watched with glee. He then decided not to waste any more time and removed his pistol from his belt and aimed it at Clark's face. "I'm sure you must understand that this time the bullets won't bounce off you."

Horror flashed through Clarks eyes, knowing Savage wasn't lying. If a knife could now stab him then a bullet would work as if he were an ordinary man. His mind beginning to flash, but not about his life. Rather it flashed through his memories of Peggy from the day he first met her, their first date, first night as intimate lovers and beyond. He couldn't let himself die now. He wouldn't allow this no doubt madman to have the satisfaction of taking him from her. Especially knowing how disheartened she would be upon learning of his death. He managed a small glare as he tried to get up.

"Defiant to the end, at least you won't die a coward." Savage remarked as if he respected that. "And so, ends the story of Superman." he declared as he was about to pull the trigger.

"RAH!" Logan rushed through the door and tackled Savage to the ground. He landed a right cross to Savage's face before three bone claws extended from his knuckles on each hand, twelve inches in length and despite being bone they were strong as they were sharp. Savage looked surprised by both Logan's survival and his claws. Logan plunged his left-hand claws into Savage's stomach and his right-hand claws into his neck. "Burn in hell, you Nazi piece of shit!"

Logan lifted Savage up in a feat of pure raw strength and hurled him out the hole he had blasted through. Savage's body dropped down three floors, crashing into a railing before landing head first. Logan growled like an animal as his claws slowly retracted back into his knuckles and the large gashes and cuts on his face healed up in seconds. He turned around and rushed over to Clark, pulling out the knife from his hand and tossing it aside.

"ARGH!" Clark grunted out in pain, cradling his bleeding hand.

"Kal, what's wrong?!" Logan rushed to his side and tried to help him but had no idea what was going on. What were those strange green-like veins glowing beneath his skin? Had Clark been infected with something?

"The rock…get…rid of it…" Clark managed to utter despite the indescribable pain he was feeling. Logan looked around and saw the small green rock on the ground, so he picked it up and threw it out the hole he threw Savage through. Once it was gone, Clark's veins stopped glowing green, and the death-like pain vanished with his strength quickly returning. The cuts on his face and the one in his hand sealed up. "Logan, you, ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good. What about you?" Logan asked him. "What the hell happened to you?"

"A meteor rock they were testing. Kryptonite…it felt like I was dying." Clark said as Logan helped him up when they heard a loud explosion and the building shook.

"Kal, come in? The building's coming apart. Get out of there!" Arthur radioed.

"Roger that. We're on our way to you." Clark radioed back. "Let's go."

Logan nodded and the two left the lab but not before he dropped a grenade when they left. When it went off it ignited some of the chemicals and accelerants in the lab causing it to burst into flames. If the building coming down wasn't enough, that would make sure nothing in the lab would survive, at least that's what they hoped.

While Clark and Logan were making their way out of the factory from Savage, Steve was doing the same thing as well. He managed to find the isolation ward in the factory which is where he found Bucky along with a map of Hydra's factory locations across Europe. Shortly after he rescued Bucky, the factory began to come apart from timed explosive charges that definitely weren't the work of Taskforce Vanguard or the POWs. It was Schmidt who activated the factory's self-destruct sequence. Once he saw Taskforce Vanguard on the security cameras, he knew that Superman wasn't far behind and with the addition of Captain America it was a losing battle. He was smart enough to cut his losses and losing the factory wouldn't drastically hinder his plans so long as he had his other factories and facilities. Zola went to retrieve his work while Savage did the same and Schmidt retrieved the Tesseract from its containment chamber.

Arthur and the others in Taskforce Vanguard led the POWs out of the compound as the factory was engulfed in flames. Steve and Bucky were up on a walkway as explosions went off all over. "Come on." Steve led Bucky up to another walkway to find a way out.

"Captain America! Do my eyes deceive me?!" He heard before quickly ducking an energy blast. Steve held his shield up and pushed Bucky behind him as he saw a black clothed figure holding a futuristic blue energy pistol standing next to a short man holding a briefcase and another large case in his hands. They were on an opposing walkway across the factory. Steve couldn't make out the figure's head as it was obscured by the lack of lighting and smoke, but he stepped forward to reveal a horrifying head that seemed devoid of any regular skin. No ears and no nose as it seemed as though he was nothing more than a red-colored human skull.

"It is you in the flesh. I am a big fan of your movies. You should have stayed in Hollywood. You would have been safer there." He said with blatant mockery.

Schmidt raised his gun and fired an energy bolt from his pistol. Steve raised his shield to block it, which it managed to do but the impact dented the metal and knocked him back. Steve fell back in surprise when he saw Schmidt fire another energy bolt, only this time he saw a blur appear in front of him and his shield taken from his grasp. Clark had super sped in front of Steve used the shield to block the energy bolt which worked. The shield was practically bent in half, but it saved him and Steve from getting hit. Logan then ran along the walkway, firing his Thompson submachine gun at the two Hydra leaders. Schmidt and Zola ducked for cover when an explosion ripped through the roof, causing debris to rain down which destroyed a connecting walkway and caused a huge torrent of fire to erupt between them.

"Steve, you all, right?" Clark helped him up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Steve replied as he looked past the burning inferno blocking them off from the two Hydra leaders. "Is that Schmidt?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." Clark replied.

"Johann Schmidt is no more. I have you to thank for that, Lieutenant. You made me realize that I had yet to completely shed the last remnant of my humanity. Now that I have embraced it, I am without fear! The Red Skull is without fear!"

"Then why are you running?!" Steve shouted as Red Skull and Zola entered a secret elevator.

"You have my best wishes, Lieutenant. Pray this be the last time we meet for you will have your hands filled. Hitler may be an idiot but the smart men working for him are not!" Red Skull left with that final ominous warning as the elevator shut when another explosion ripped through the factory. Clark would have liked to go after Red Skull, but the focus now was to get Steve and the others to safety. Steve looked up and saw a support beam up in the ceiling that led to an emergency exit. That was their best way out.

"Come on, let's go. Up!" Steve led them up the stairs to the walkway while Schmidt and Zola made their escape. Schmidt did so in a one-man aerial vehicle propelled via a spinning rotary engine while Zola drove Schmidt's personal Volkswagen car. Both managed to escape as Clark, Steve, Bucky, and Logan got up. Logan went first across the support beam followed by Bucky, and both managed to get across but the support beam collapsed. "Well, that's not good."

"We're gonna have to jump." Clark told him. "Steve, get as much space as you can."

"Got it." Steve backed up as far as he could and took a few deep breaths.

"On three. One…two…" Clark counted down.

"Three!" Steve ran forward and Clark jumped with him across the burning factory.

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