18: Pilr

  The gress sted a bit longer, during which many other details were refined, and many more orders and instrus were given. The war was about to enter a neter, a much bloodier one, as now the Uates and all the allied tries had decided that the Third Reich would fall, no matter the cost.

  Even so, everything had to end, and after everything was crified, the meeting was cluded. Ohe preside, Jaood up o her father, ready to return to New York with him. After all, she still had work to do.

  But before the main members of the iigation ittee could leave, a familiar voice stopped them.

  "Wait, if I may have a moment of your time," The Captain America, or el Amerioroached them with a kind smile on his face. Ja felt her cheeks blush a little at seeing him so close. Again, she couldn't help but think he was much more handsome in person. Nervously, she looked away and stepped back a bit until she was behind her father, who actually thwarted her pn by being the first to step forward aend his hand to John.

  "el, it's a pleasure to meet you in person."

  "The pleasure is mine, sir?" he asked, and her father quickly introduced himself.

  "I'm Vernon Van Dyhe other members of the ittee also stepped forward and began to introduce themselves.

  "Robert Fermi."

  "Richard Lawrence."

  Johed them all with a smile until he got to the st man, who actually made him pay real attention once he heard his name.

  "Franklin Storm."

  The man seemed to be in his 30s; his appearance was slightly above average but nothing that really stood out. He didn't seem special. Still, John shook his hand firmly. Was this the persohought it was? Or did he just have a simir name?

  "o meet you, Dr. Storm." John didn't know for sure but decided to be cautious for now. He might be wrong, and he might be right. One way or another, he would find out sooner or ter.

  "And this is my daughter, Ja Van Dyne." Once he noticed that all his colleagues had introduced themselves, Vernon decided it was a good opportunity and pushed his daughter forward.

  Ja, who was pletely unprepared, let out a low squeal as she was suddenly pushed in front of John, almost colliding with him. Her face was so close to his chest that she could feel some of the warmth radiating from him and smell a natural aroma that reminded her of sandalwood.

  When she looked up, she met his gaze. His blue eyes seemed to see through her soul, causio freeze briefly, unsure of what to do.

  The man looked at her and, with a warm smile, gently took her hand in a formal greeting. His palm was surprisingly soft yet also firm.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Van Dyne," John said, looking at the beautiful girl with dark, short hair who seemed somewhat distracted. For some reason, he couldn't help but think her name sounded familiar. Where had he heard it?

  Ja swallowed nervously but still imidly. She wao return the greeting but felt she might stutter if she spht now. It was fortunate, or perhaps unfortuhat someone decided to rudely interrupt at that moment.

  "With the introdus out of the way, I was w what you seek from us, el."

  The one who spoke was actually one of the "younger" members of the ittee and also one of her father's main oppos, Harold Teller.

  The man was shorter than most people and a bit chubby. The bottle-thick gsses on his face didn't help mu the appearance department.

  John's smile diminished slightly; the man's tone was a bit arrogant. Still, he wasn't here to make enemies with anyone, so he spoke calmly, giving an ao the question aing go of Ja's hand, causing the girl to internally ment.

  "I'm looking for recruits, actually. I heard the Iigation ittee will be holding a Stifiovation Fair in New York in a few days. I would like your permission to participate." John's idea was clear. Although Stark was a great stist, he was still just one man. His time was limited, and he couldn't attend to all the projects John had in mind for the future.

  SWORD s own internal teological development division for various important reasons, all of which required a suitable team of people. John po recruit young ahusiastic stists for this purpose.

  "Are y to steal our recruits, el?" Vernon joked. The main reason the Stifiovation Fair existed was for the ittee to find new members and projects to fund, after all.

  "I'm only another option, and of course, my invitation includes all of you as well," John said, causing some to actually start sidering it seriously.

  Although SWORD was a newly created iional division, it became clear to everyone during the gress how much support, both authoritative and financial, it was going to receive. After all, it was iional; all the allied tries along with the Uates had agreed to fund its operations.

  "Well, I don't think anyone here will refuse to give you a pce at the uping Stifiovation Fair. However, I will politely dee your invitation. I'm too old to follow the big ges," one of the older members said, causing several others to nod in agreement with him. After all, their current positions were fortable and secure, and many had their own ongoing researd projects.

  Moving to a new po matter how promising, could bring many headaches.

  "Well, if anyone ges their mind, don't hesitate to tact me. SWORD has its doors open for all those with potential."

  They talked for a while longer, fiuning the details of their participation in the uping Stifiovation Fair. Once everything was clear, John began to say his goodbyes.

  "It leasure meeting you, gentlemen, but I still have many other matters to attend to."

  With his objective achieved, he was ready to leave. But then he remembered. He had been thinking about it in the background, searg his memories. Although his mind was now much sharper than before and past memories were much clearer, he still ime to find the more "small and insignifit" ones. But once he found them, it was hard to overlook them.

  With a new revetion, he couldn't help but look at Ja once more and take her hand to say goodbye. Su aade the een-year-old girl blush again. Having him so ade her a bit dizzy.

  "See you, Miss Van Dyne. I hope you will also sider my invitation." Ja blinked, ing out of her small tran surprise. That... she didn't think she was included in such a proposal. After all, she was still a student and shouldn't even be here. Did the el really think she art of the ittee?

  Before she could crify the misuanding, the same irritating voice from before interrupted her.

  "Oh, don't worry much about her, el. Although she's here, Miss Van Dyne is still just a student," Harold said with barely cealed disdain. It was that Vernon po give his pce to his daughter, something many did not agree with and openly expressed.

  "Although she is still a student, she is undoubtedly one of the best in her field. I have no doubt that my daughter make signifit tributions to the el and SWORD," Vernon defended his daughter, causing Jao feel a bit embarrassed.

  "I..." She didn't know what to say. Should she accept? Or should she dee? Her mind became a whirlwind of doubts, but it was all interrupted once again.

  Harold scoffed softly at Vernon's words.

  "e on, Vernon, spoiling your daughter must have its limits. She's just a woman; she should be at home looking for a husband ahe real stifids do their work."

  That ent made Ja's nervousness disappear momentarily, repced by a fsh of anger and irritation. She gritted her teeth, a tiing in her left eye, and with a smile that wasn't really a smile, she spoke impulsively.

  "Actually, I think I give it a try." As soon as she spoke, she regretted it instantly.

  Why did she say that?!

  Her father looked at her in surprise. Although he had high expectations for her future, he wasn't blind. He knew his daughter cked some ambition and didn't expect her to actually choose to go to SWORD out of the blue.

  "B-but before that, I o finish my work at the uy. After all, I'm currently w as an assistant for one of the professors, and it would be really bad if I left without notice," Ja quickly tried to fix it, although she only gave an excuse to dey while she thought of a better way to get out of this.

  John smiled, looking her directly in the eyes, making her even more nervous.

  "Don't worry, Miss Van Dyhere are still many preparations to finish, so take your time to resolve any pending matters without rushing. I wait." This was bad. Why didn't he give her an ultimatum or tell her that if she didn't join now, she wouldn't be able to do so ter?

  That he was so siderate with her only made it much harder for Jao back out.

  "I look forward t with you in the near future," he said so softly while looking at her so warmly that Ja fot her internal debate for a moment and responded much more enthusiastically than she expected.

  "Me too!"

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  Johhe ference; journalists clogged the main doors, so he diverted to a side path where a dark car with tinted windoaiting for him. Without hesitation, he opehe door aered, knowing it had been prepared for him.

  "Seems like everything is going as we expected," Raven said, l the Captain Ameriic she had been reading and looking at him through the rearview mirror.

  "That and more, birdie, that and more," John said, loosening the tie of his suit, revealing part of his chest. Raven couldn't help but take a quice but quickly looked away when she saw him looking straight ahead.

  With slightly red cheeks, she took the wheel and began to drive. The interior of the car remained in a calm and fortable silence for a few moments.

  "I thought about it," Raven said suddenly, causing John to look at her, their eyes meeting through the rearview mirror for a moment.

  "I think... I think I do it," she said, and John smiled.

  What Raven was referring to roposal that John had made to her some time ago.

  Metahumans would have to e to light sooner or ter; it wasn't something that could be hidden for long, at least not from the govers of the world.

  And si was something that couldn't be hidden forever, the best way was to reveal it in a mahat would make people's perception of them positive. In the current situation, John could wait to tact other metahumans and do it with their help... or he could use the metahumao him.

  Of course, he wouldn't do it without Raven's sent. Her voluntary cooperation was very important for everything to go well.

  "I'm gd you've decided. I know it's a lot of pressure, but you don't have to worry. I'll take care of everything. First, we'll reveal it to the govers once SWORD is firmly established. Then, maybe ohe war is over, we reveal it to the public." Of course, he wouldn't rush things. If he wao have the power to proteot only Raven but any other metahumaill o firmly t his position in the eyes of the entire world.

  To bee something so great that people would follow his example and opinion without question.

  A pilr so tall and robust that it was immovable.

  Then he would create a new world where humans aahumans could live in harmony. After that? Well, he always wao sail among the stars.

  Raven nodded fidently, any previous nervousness disappearing. John always kept his word, and there was no one in this world she trusted more. She would let him take charge and assume all the responsibility.

  Because she trusted that he would do what was best for both of them.

  For her.

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  One day ter: New York, Howard Stark's private boratory.

  "-Made from the stro metal I could find," Howard said, looking at the shiny round shield he had fashioned from the little vibranium that existed in the world.

  One might think that using such a ual for something so... simple would be eous, but Howard believed there was er use, at least given the events they were fag.

  John took it, feeling its extremely light weight, adjusted the leather straps on his arm, and looked at James, who wasn't far away.

  "Hey, grumpy! Hit this," John said. James looked at him with slightly furrowed brows, a low growl esg his throat, living up to his niame. Despite that, he approached, g his fist aing into a fighting stance.

  Howard watched expetly from the side. Although vibranium had undergone mas in its time, it was still exg to witness a demonstration performed directly by two super soldiers.

  James's foot sank into the ground, crag the crete. His body moved forward with force, breaking the air, and his fist shot forward with enough power to easily pee tank armor.

  He couldn't hold back even if he wao because he was still getting used to his rength.

  His fist struck, causing a thunderous o flood the pce. James raised an eyebrow, seeing that his punch was actually stopped and the metal didn't eve.

  "Well, it's certainly tough," John ented, looking at the pletely unscathed metal. Then he looked at a distant wall and, without hesitation, swung his arm, sending the shield flying at great speed. and then bounced off the wall, ged its trajectory and sailed through the air until it returo his hand.

  "I like it. Let's paint it red and blue and put a silver star on it," John said, handing the shield back to Stark.

  "Stig with the aesthetic, huh? I guess that's fine, I do that," The best ior of the tury, and his job was to paint an oversized frisbee. His career had certainly advanced.

  "Speaking of aesthetics, tell me, James, what do you think of white and red?" John asked and the man looked at him, puzzled.

  "What?"

  "Well, ada found out you're 'adian' and wants to 'support' their citizen. They even want the U.S. Army to promote you to captain. Captain ada—how does that sound?" John said with enthusiasm. The only response he received was a dead, ft stare.

  "They'll cover the cost of the suit..." Again, just a ft expression.

  "Not in a million years."

  John really tried to vince him, but he seemed quite firm in his refusal.

  Well, at least he mao get him to wear a blue and yellow suit. There was no mask, but it was still distinctive.

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  Note:

  What do you think of these chapters? There's been a lot of a before, but now we're in the 'preparation' period. Leave your ents, you know I read them all.

  You already know if there is any error, do not hesitate to ent and I will correct it.

  Extra chapter since I'm in a good mood, although a bit sick, st week I uploaded ara one of still defiant so I guess this week it's only fair that I upload ara one of supersoldier.

  remember that you find the chapter(and some more chapters) of this story on Patreon (patreon.maCruzader) All the support received helps me a lot ;D