Marvel : The great sage

Allied Base – Strategy Room

The atmosphere was tense. The loss of Bucky still weighed heavily on everyone, especially Steve and Alex. But there was no time to grieve. Arnim Zola sat in the interrogation room, his glasses reflecting the dim light. Colonel Phillips, Peggy Carter, and Howard Stark stood outside, watching through the observation window.

Alex leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Steve sat rigidly in a chair, his eyes burning with barely contained anger.

"Tell us everything," Steve demanded.

Zola adjusted his glasses. "You have already lost so much. Why throw away more lives? Schmidt's vision is inevitable."

Alex exhaled sharply. "Schmidt is a madman, Zola. Whatever he's planning—it ends here."

The Hydra scientist gave a small smirk. "Then let me enlighten you. Hydra is not merely a faction of the Third Reich. We are beyond nations, beyond ideologies. We are the future."

Steve slammed his fist on the table. "Enough speeches. What is Schmidt planning?"

Zola sighed. "Very well. The Red Skull has completed the Tesseract-powered aircraft—the Valkyrie. It is not just a weapon. It is the end of the war."

Everyone in the room went still.

Howard's eyes widened. "Wait—the Valkyrie is operational?"

Zola nodded. "As we speak, it is being loaded with Tesseract-enhanced warheads. Once airborne, it will wipe out every major Allied city—London, Washington, Moscow… all gone in an instant."

Colonel Phillips muttered a curse. "Where is it launching from?"

Zola hesitated.

Alex drew his knife, twirling it in his fingers. "You already know we're not letting you walk free, Zola. The only thing you control is how much pain you go through before you talk."

Zola gulped, adjusting his glasses again. "The launch facility is hidden inside Hydra's main base—Schmidt's fortress in the Alps. The Valkyrie will take off at sunrise tomorrow."

Peggy's eyes darkened. "Then we don't have much time."

Colonel Phillips turned to the group. "We launch an assault. Tonight. We take down Schmidt and destroy that aircraft before it leaves the ground."

Steve stood, his expression hard. "This ends now."

Alex clenched his fists. Hydra took Bucky. Now, it was time to take everything from them.

---

Preparing for Battle

The Howling Commandos were gearing up.

Steve donned his uniform, securing his shield. His movements were precise, but there was a new edge to them—controlled fury.

Alex strapped a combat knife to his belt, checking his weapons. His mind was sharp, focused.

⌈ Mission parameters analyzed. Probability of success: 64%. Adjustments required for optimal execution. ⌋

Alex smirked slightly. "We'll beat the odds."

Peggy stepped forward. "You better come back alive."

Alex smirked. "Worried about me, Carter?"

She rolled her eyes. "Both of you, idiot."

Steve gave her a small smile. "We'll finish this."

Alex clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go save the world."

Alps – Hydra's Stronghold

The Hydra fortress loomed in the distance, a monolithic structure of steel and stone built into the mountainside. Towering anti-aircraft turrets lined its walls, and bright floodlights scanned the snow-covered terrain below.

Inside, Hydra soldiers patrolled in tight formations, their uniforms crisp, their weapons loaded. Every corridor hummed with the power of advanced Tesseract technology, and deep in the heart of the base, the Valkyrie was being prepared for launch.

Time was running out.

The Infiltration

The Howling Commandos lay low in the dense forest, waiting for Steve's signal. Snowflakes drifted lazily in the air, melting as they touched the warmth of their bodies.

Alex adjusted his gloves, Great Sage feeding him information in real time.

⌈ Enemy presence detected: 48 soldiers within a 50-meter radius. Nearest guard patrol—20 seconds away. ⌋

He nudged Steve. "Patrol incoming."

Steve nodded, then motioned to Dum Dum Dugan and Morita. "We take them out quietly."

In perfect synchronization, they moved.

Alex darted forward, grabbing a Hydra soldier by the neck and twisting sharply—silent, efficient. Next to him, Steve slammed his shield into another guard's face, the impact knocking him out instantly.

The patrol was down in seconds.

Steve turned to the team. "Move in."

The Commandos sprinted toward the fortress walls. Jones set up explosive charges on a side entrance.

BOOM.

The metal door blasted inward, and the fight began.

Storming the Fortress

The moment the explosion echoed through the halls, Hydra soldiers swarmed in like a wave. Sirens blared, red lights flashing across the steel corridors.

Steve led the charge, his shield deflecting bullets as he plowed through the first wave of guards. He slammed a soldier into the wall, flipping another over his shoulder.

Alex, moving in perfect harmony with him, weaved between gunfire.

⌈ Predicting projectile trajectory… Counterattack initiated. ⌋

A Hydra officer took aim—Alex was faster. He threw a knife, embedding it into the man's shoulder before spinning into a roundhouse kick, knocking him unconscious.

To their left, Dugan and Falsworth covered the flanks, blasting through enemy lines with relentless firepower.

To the right, Morita and Jones cleared a path toward the central control room.

Bullets ricocheted off Steve's shield as he threw it, taking down three soldiers in a single hit. Alex caught the shield mid-air, using it to block an incoming strike before tossing it back to Steve.

"You're getting good at that," Steve remarked.

Alex smirked. "I learn fast."

The Valkyrie Launch Bay

As they pushed deeper, the massive hangar doors opened to reveal Schmidt's final weapon—the Valkyrie.

The colossal aircraft, lined with Tesseract-powered warheads, hummed with energy. Hydra engineers scrambled to finish the final launch sequences.

At the center of the platform stood Schmidt himself, clad in his blood-red Hydra uniform.

He turned, his face morphing into the Red Skull, a twisted grin forming.

"Captain Rogers. Captain Rogers." He spread his arms. "Two of you. How fortunate."

Steve stepped forward, shield raised. "It's over, Schmidt."

Schmidt laughed. "Oh, Captain. You still do not see. Hydra will outlive us all. The world will be reborn in flames."

He turned to his guards. "Kill them."

The Final Battle

The hangar exploded into chaos.

Hydra troopers opened fire.

Steve and Alex charged.

Steve deflected a barrage of bullets, closing the distance to take out a Hydra officer with a crushing blow.

Alex ducked under a swinging rifle, elbowed a soldier in the throat, and grabbed another, slamming him onto the floor.

⌈ Analyzing combat flow… Adapting attack pattern. ⌋

Alex moved with perfect efficiency, every strike calculated for maximum impact. He twisted around a Hydra elite, using his momentum to flip the man over and disarm him in one motion.

The Howling Commandos laid down covering fire, pushing back enemy reinforcements.

Peggy's voice came through the comms. "Steve, Alex—the Valkyrie is starting its engines!"

They both turned—Schmidt was already boarding the aircraft.

Steve sprinted toward it.

Alex was right behind him.

They couldn't let him escape.