The Corrupt and the Pure; Chapter 39: The Captain
[INFO]Title: The Corrupt and the Pure
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers & Captain America (MCU)
Timeline: post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Genre: Drama, action, hurt/comfort
Rating: MA / FRAO
Characters: Steve Rogers (Captain America), Tony Stark (Iron Man). Also: Bruce Banner (Hulk), James “Bucky” Barnes (Winter Soldier), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), J.A.R.V.I.S., James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Thor, Sam Wilson (Falcon)
Pairing: Steve/Tony
Summary: When the Steve Rogers from an alternate universe appears in the middle of the Avengers Tower, two worlds are about to collide: one where Captain America became the tool of HYDRA and fell into a relationship with the hero Iron Man - and one where Tony and Steve are tentatively getting along. The latter are forced to reconsider their relationship when the Commander kidnaps Tony to replace his dead lover.
Complete.
Written for: A story commissioned by Susanne (ChickenHax @ AO3 / starkred @ Tumblr).
Warnings: Rape/non-con, major character death (alternate universe), graphic canonical violence, M/M sexual content, language.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 39: The Captain
Steve was back on his feet and ready to kick ass. The disc that had paralyzed him was gone, the skin smarting where it had been attached to him. He was determined not to let the Commander use such a weapon against him again, because the fight had clearly taken a turn for the worse while he was out of it: Thor floated in the water of the pond, unconscious; War Machine was down, chest sparking; Sam had been groaning into the grass beside him when Steve snapped out of it.
Now that he had gotten Tony out of harm’s way - J.A.R.V.I.S. seemed to agree on that desire and carried out Steve’s order despite Tony’s protests - he could focus on the main objective. This fight had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Commander was too dangerous to be allowed to roam free; he had the guts and the skill to attack the Avengers as a team, and take them apart one by one, especially if they didn’t get their act together and fight as a team.
Somehow, everyone seemed to have forgotten they were supposed to work together. Perhaps the Commander didn’t pose a big enough threat for them to react to it appropriately, even though they had faced off against him before.
Now, it was Steve against the Commander, and he was determined to finish it.
The Commander wasn’t looking happy, scowling and gritting his teeth. Tony had been in his grasp, and losing him had to sting.
“This is the end of the line for you,” Steve stated.
The Commander sneered. “You think you have what it takes to accomplish that?”
“We’ll see,” Steve promised and attacked. Neither of them had their shields, which made it a fight of pure bodily strength and agility.
The Commander blocked Steve’s punch, trying to catch him in the midriff in return, but Steve quickly lifted a right knee, aiming it at the ribs of his opponent, and the Commander shifted back to avoid it. Steve pushed forward with another punch, forcing the Commander onto the defensive, and they kept at it for a while, blocking and dodging, trying to get past each other’s guard.
Steve was the one who managed to land the first jaw-shattering blow after unbalancing the Commander by swiping his supporting foot from under him. The Commander reeled back, barely keeping himself from landing on the wet grass, and he checked his jaw while straightening himself up again.
Normally, Steve would have waited for his opponent to get back on their feet, so to speak, but with the Commander there was no reason to wait. Steve didn’t need to make this fight more even in order to give himself a challenge; there already was a substantial risk that he might not win, as much as he didn’t like that fact. The Commander needed no breather, and so Steve pushed forward, going in for a kick.
The Commander rolled to the side, avoiding his foot easily enough, but he was too far over to launch an attack of his own before Steve was striking again like an angry viper.
Steve had partaken in various fights where their success was crucial to the safety of the world: stopping Red Skull, the Chitauri and Loki, and later the HYDRA Helicarriers. All defining moments where the knowledge that he had to win relentlessly pounded in the back of his mind.
This fight was beginning to give him a similar taste, even though the Commander didn’t endanger the entire world with his presence. The threat he posed was more personal in nature, and Steve couldn’t fight the sense of urgency he felt, to deal with him once and for all.
The Commander didn’t seem to have anything against that, either; with Tony out of his reach, Steve had become an obstacle in his path, and simply discarding him to the side only so that Steve could attack him again didn’t pass for an effective strategy. Steve had proven that he could be a thorn in the Commander’s side, and it was doubtful Steve’s double would overlook it for long.
Steve’s attack was fast and furious, landing a fist and a knee in the Commander’s face before the other threw himself at Steve’s middle and brought them both down on the wet grass. Adrenaline coursed through Steve’s body as he fought to regain the upper hand, but the Commander was leaning over him, pinning him down, using his weight to his advantage.
Thrashing and twisting, Steve tried to get free, but he was going nowhere while simultaneously attempting to block the attacks. It was instinct to cover his head and keep the Commander from striking him where he was most vulnerable - neck, face - but the longer he was on the defensive meant giving the other one an opportunity to strike in some way Steve couldn’t predict just yet.
So, he lowered his hands, seeking to gain leverage against the ground instead, and the Commander immediately punched him right in the face, jarring his brain and blinding him for an instant.
Steve’s hands moved blindly for a moment, forgetting what he had set out to do, but then his fingertips grazed cool metal, smooth under his touch.
The Commander hauled off again, yelling with the effort, and Steve raised his left arm in a last-ditch effort to block it while rolling to the right, reaching to get hold of the object.
“I’ll kill you,” the Commander grunted, one hand grabbing Steve’s left wrist while the other took him by the throat, squeezing as hard as his super-human strength allowed. “I will kill each and every one of you if that’s what it takes, but Tony will be mine. When there’s no one left to stand between us, he’ll see…”
Steve reached, shoulder and wrist aching from the pull, but he finally managed to grasp the metal object and bring it forward, striking the Commander with the edge of it.
The Commander roared, his grasp on Steve slipping, and Steve took the opportunity to twist free, lungs burning and body shaking with the effort, heart pounding in his chest. He feared, for a moment, what would happen if he failed to stop the Commander.
What would happen if he got to Tony again.
In that moment, it wasn’t guilt that he felt over his failure to protect his teammate before.
It wasn’t logic, either, dictating his actions for the betterment of the world.
It was anger, refined into pure rage, laced with the physical pain he was currently experiencing and the abysmal helplessness he felt every time he looked at Tony, knowing what had happened to him.
He twisted around, fingers squeezing the rim of the shield he had picked up from the ground. There was no time to calculate a trajectory or measure the distance between them; his gut told him just how far to reach as he brought the shield around like a chakram. It hit the Commander in the throat, sending him back, and Steve stumbled after him, falling upon his enemy with one knee on his chest.
The Commander was coughing and fighting for air, throat bruised and bloody, eyes filled with violence as he gazed up at Steve, scarred face twisting into a snarl despite the blow he had just suffered.
Steve didn’t blink, didn’t overthink it; he grasped the shield in both hands, lifted it up, then brought it down.
Cartilage and bone crunched, and the body beneath him stopped fighting for freedom.
Breathing hard, Steve stumbled back, leaving the shield where it lay. He felt numb, still reeling from the blow to the head he had suffered, but a part of him knew the fight was over - for good.
The adrenaline flow was ebbing, pain and exhaustion pushing through the chemical filter, and Steve walked over to the bench by the pond, sitting down heavily, allowing the shaking to take over for a moment as he pushed his cowl back with bloody fingers.
to be continued…
Story info
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers & Captain America (MCU)
Timeline: post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Genre: Drama, action, hurt/comfort
Rating: MA / FRAO
Characters: Steve Rogers (Captain America), Tony Stark (Iron Man). Also: Bruce Banner (Hulk), James “Bucky” Barnes (Winter Soldier), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), J.A.R.V.I.S., James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Thor, Sam Wilson (Falcon)
Pairing: Steve/Tony
Summary: When the Steve Rogers from an alternate universe appears in the middle of the Avengers Tower, two worlds are about to collide: one where Captain America became the tool of HYDRA and fell into a relationship with the hero Iron Man - and one where Tony and Steve are tentatively getting along. The latter are forced to reconsider their relationship when the Commander kidnaps Tony to replace his dead lover.
Complete.
Written for: A story commissioned by Susanne (ChickenHax @ AO3 / starkred @ Tumblr).
Warnings: Rape/non-con, major character death (alternate universe), graphic canonical violence, M/M sexual content, language.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 39: The Captain
Steve was back on his feet and ready to kick ass. The disc that had paralyzed him was gone, the skin smarting where it had been attached to him. He was determined not to let the Commander use such a weapon against him again, because the fight had clearly taken a turn for the worse while he was out of it: Thor floated in the water of the pond, unconscious; War Machine was down, chest sparking; Sam had been groaning into the grass beside him when Steve snapped out of it.
Now that he had gotten Tony out of harm’s way - J.A.R.V.I.S. seemed to agree on that desire and carried out Steve’s order despite Tony’s protests - he could focus on the main objective. This fight had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Commander was too dangerous to be allowed to roam free; he had the guts and the skill to attack the Avengers as a team, and take them apart one by one, especially if they didn’t get their act together and fight as a team.
Somehow, everyone seemed to have forgotten they were supposed to work together. Perhaps the Commander didn’t pose a big enough threat for them to react to it appropriately, even though they had faced off against him before.
Now, it was Steve against the Commander, and he was determined to finish it.
The Commander wasn’t looking happy, scowling and gritting his teeth. Tony had been in his grasp, and losing him had to sting.
“This is the end of the line for you,” Steve stated.
The Commander sneered. “You think you have what it takes to accomplish that?”
“We’ll see,” Steve promised and attacked. Neither of them had their shields, which made it a fight of pure bodily strength and agility.
The Commander blocked Steve’s punch, trying to catch him in the midriff in return, but Steve quickly lifted a right knee, aiming it at the ribs of his opponent, and the Commander shifted back to avoid it. Steve pushed forward with another punch, forcing the Commander onto the defensive, and they kept at it for a while, blocking and dodging, trying to get past each other’s guard.
Steve was the one who managed to land the first jaw-shattering blow after unbalancing the Commander by swiping his supporting foot from under him. The Commander reeled back, barely keeping himself from landing on the wet grass, and he checked his jaw while straightening himself up again.
Normally, Steve would have waited for his opponent to get back on their feet, so to speak, but with the Commander there was no reason to wait. Steve didn’t need to make this fight more even in order to give himself a challenge; there already was a substantial risk that he might not win, as much as he didn’t like that fact. The Commander needed no breather, and so Steve pushed forward, going in for a kick.
The Commander rolled to the side, avoiding his foot easily enough, but he was too far over to launch an attack of his own before Steve was striking again like an angry viper.
Steve had partaken in various fights where their success was crucial to the safety of the world: stopping Red Skull, the Chitauri and Loki, and later the HYDRA Helicarriers. All defining moments where the knowledge that he had to win relentlessly pounded in the back of his mind.
This fight was beginning to give him a similar taste, even though the Commander didn’t endanger the entire world with his presence. The threat he posed was more personal in nature, and Steve couldn’t fight the sense of urgency he felt, to deal with him once and for all.
The Commander didn’t seem to have anything against that, either; with Tony out of his reach, Steve had become an obstacle in his path, and simply discarding him to the side only so that Steve could attack him again didn’t pass for an effective strategy. Steve had proven that he could be a thorn in the Commander’s side, and it was doubtful Steve’s double would overlook it for long.
Steve’s attack was fast and furious, landing a fist and a knee in the Commander’s face before the other threw himself at Steve’s middle and brought them both down on the wet grass. Adrenaline coursed through Steve’s body as he fought to regain the upper hand, but the Commander was leaning over him, pinning him down, using his weight to his advantage.
Thrashing and twisting, Steve tried to get free, but he was going nowhere while simultaneously attempting to block the attacks. It was instinct to cover his head and keep the Commander from striking him where he was most vulnerable - neck, face - but the longer he was on the defensive meant giving the other one an opportunity to strike in some way Steve couldn’t predict just yet.
So, he lowered his hands, seeking to gain leverage against the ground instead, and the Commander immediately punched him right in the face, jarring his brain and blinding him for an instant.
Steve’s hands moved blindly for a moment, forgetting what he had set out to do, but then his fingertips grazed cool metal, smooth under his touch.
The Commander hauled off again, yelling with the effort, and Steve raised his left arm in a last-ditch effort to block it while rolling to the right, reaching to get hold of the object.
“I’ll kill you,” the Commander grunted, one hand grabbing Steve’s left wrist while the other took him by the throat, squeezing as hard as his super-human strength allowed. “I will kill each and every one of you if that’s what it takes, but Tony will be mine. When there’s no one left to stand between us, he’ll see…”
Steve reached, shoulder and wrist aching from the pull, but he finally managed to grasp the metal object and bring it forward, striking the Commander with the edge of it.
The Commander roared, his grasp on Steve slipping, and Steve took the opportunity to twist free, lungs burning and body shaking with the effort, heart pounding in his chest. He feared, for a moment, what would happen if he failed to stop the Commander.
What would happen if he got to Tony again.
In that moment, it wasn’t guilt that he felt over his failure to protect his teammate before.
It wasn’t logic, either, dictating his actions for the betterment of the world.
It was anger, refined into pure rage, laced with the physical pain he was currently experiencing and the abysmal helplessness he felt every time he looked at Tony, knowing what had happened to him.
He twisted around, fingers squeezing the rim of the shield he had picked up from the ground. There was no time to calculate a trajectory or measure the distance between them; his gut told him just how far to reach as he brought the shield around like a chakram. It hit the Commander in the throat, sending him back, and Steve stumbled after him, falling upon his enemy with one knee on his chest.
The Commander was coughing and fighting for air, throat bruised and bloody, eyes filled with violence as he gazed up at Steve, scarred face twisting into a snarl despite the blow he had just suffered.
Steve didn’t blink, didn’t overthink it; he grasped the shield in both hands, lifted it up, then brought it down.
Cartilage and bone crunched, and the body beneath him stopped fighting for freedom.
Breathing hard, Steve stumbled back, leaving the shield where it lay. He felt numb, still reeling from the blow to the head he had suffered, but a part of him knew the fight was over - for good.
The adrenaline flow was ebbing, pain and exhaustion pushing through the chemical filter, and Steve walked over to the bench by the pond, sitting down heavily, allowing the shaking to take over for a moment as he pushed his cowl back with bloody fingers.
to be continued…
Story info