1942-

Journal of Steve Rogers

Even in the spring it is cold here. Colder than the heart of those who thought to bring down the Allied Forces that I am amongst with. Here in the heart of the Artic Circle, where I never thought we'd end up being.

Surprisingly, no one knows what devilry is going on here. They've never seen a place as clean and vast as the Artic riddled with men who have died to fight for what they believe in. That includes the Nazis, contrary to popular belief among my comrades. But this place is a cold hell that only supremacists aforementioned would think of such a place to utilize their ingenious experiments.

Steve sat on the cold wet ground, eyeing the snowy plains. He was waiting for a signal, something from the insider from the Schwarzer Schatten site, the Nazi installation 2 miles away. The men didn't have to wait for dawn to strike. There was going to be no dawn if the Nazis were able to get away with this new plan.

"That's right, you buncha girls. There's a powder keg dipped in oil here in the Artic, and those sons of Hitler's gotta have the match just to light it." Perry sat up straight as Sergeant Dubowski took his last piece of cigarette. "2 Hours, 32 minutes and 4 seconds late," he said, eyeing his watch. "Word's out. Our insider's been caught."

I feared that this day would have never gotten worse, if not for that moment. Dubowski's always been the gung-ho soldier, ready for battle and the glory. All he needed was an excuse to send us all out there and screw us up.

He'd probably get a medal for his hard work.

The company strode into the plains, with the white snow under his boots and the black sky above him. It was the worse two hours of his life, trudging across the Artic. All he could hear were the men's heavy breathing, and Dubowski yelling orders across. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a screeching sound began to fill their ears. "Heads down!" was the final yell Steve heard from Dubowski, before there came a screeching silence from the rear of the company. Bullets began blazing across the Artic wasteland, as one by one the men rushed forward, trying to get away from the screeching sound.

Dubowski was dead. We all know this would happen sooner or later. We're all going to die in the middle of the Artic, and not a single would know. I fear the worst already. Who else but the newly made S.H.I.E.L.D department would send us on a Black-Ops mission?

Matthew Gracie, the deputy leader and the black soldier, began firing commands at all points. Rogers couldn't see as more and more they heard sounds from all over. The faction began to split up in different directions. His eyes were blinded suddenly, by a winged creature that appeared out of nowhere. He slammed the soldier onto the wet ground, his fangs recently tainted from his last prey.

Everyone who's involved in this mission knows his name. Baron Blood, the Nazi vampire under the command of the Fuhrer himself. His involvement in this mission puts danger in an all-new level. What do the Nazis want to cover up? And why are we so adamant to go after it?

"Amerikanisches Fleisch! Who sent you?" The Baron lifted me up and bared his fangs "You are lucky. Let us make this quick." Suddenly, Gracie came out from the cover of the snow dune, and soon the Nazi creature flew into the dark sky, cursing the unlucky stars of opportune. "Yo, you wimp! Director Fury ain't here to save your hienie!" Gracie grabbed Steve's left hand, and dragged him across the field riddled with bodies of dead men. Steve gasped, and caught the shoulder of Gracie. "You-you think the Nazis…have more than Baron Blood here and now?"

"More than Blood?!?! They have a super soldier program up there!"

If only I knew the price and the cost of that knowledge. My terror was justified by the sound of crackling electricity that came from the brimstone walls of the shadowy Facility. I fear-I fear that, if there was one place that God would have chosen to look back, it was here in this forsaken place. Gail, I-if you ever receive this journal…I…I want to say goodbye.

Present Day 2002-

It was a cold morning in New York, and the Baxter Building stood a towering skyscraper across the city. Its opaque black glass hid the rising tension inside those windows, shielding the world from secrets heretofore unknown to almost all of mankind.

Well, almost.

"This is insane, Reed. You know that this-this project, Unmenschliches, is far from the possibility of actually being a success! As far as we know, the world would have actually been on the brink of real destruction if the Axis Powers were able to utilize the secrets of these files!"

Hank Pym's glasses glimmered with defiance. He held the folder in his hands and let it drop on the edge of the table. The brunette man picked it up gently, his eyes twitching as he read through the files.

"We have a window of opportunity with this experiment, Henry. Haven't we discussed this before? Who will protect the innocent world from terrorists? From power-hungry madmen? Who will protect our children?"

"So says the man who made the Gamma Bomb."

"That was for military defense against so-called terror factions. And Bruce Banner helped me complete the final plans."

"The point is, we cannot risk this without research. There is little left of the site where Schwarzer Schatten was. While we may be able to control a Gamma Bomb, can we say the same thing for a superhuman?"

Reed gently placed the folder into his suitcase, and sighed. "If you still insist on going, you'll need to speak with Janet and General Ross," Hank called out, as Reed closed the door behind him. "Well…that's-probably that. Good Luck…I guess."

1942-

Journal of Steve Rogers

It is night already, and Matt had what was left of our company set up camp. He's already sent out radio messages to the S.S. Argentina, our home away from home, to activate Operation: Betty Boop at once.

Now, for certain, we're all going to die.

"Rogers! Get over here," Gracie yelled, and Steve replied, shutting his journal and laying it on his rucksack. He rushed to the scene where the others were, and stared in awe. There was a corpse lying on the snow, riddled with bullets, and Gracie picked an arm up for all to see. "This," he began, before covering his nose from the stench. "This is a Nazi. This is what we're after. No one would tell you anything about this, since you have only Level Three Access to government files. Now, me…that's a level eight, and I can tell you, this thing…is actually human."

No one in the company seemed to think so, as the corpse was scaly and thatched with bits of feathers, its eyes were transparent and black. His forehead was tattooed with a Swastika, branded by evil, and on his arm there was scars that seemed self-inflicted, as they all formed one word.

Escape.

Gracie called for a blanket and placed it across the corpse's body. "We haven't seen pure evil as physical as this. Men, we may be going to our deaths. But this…this is what we're going to save the world from." Gracie grabbed his gun and pointed towards the facility. "Within five to eight minutes, we have to make our way across these icy dunes and get to that godforsaken place before Baron Blood or any Nazi monster they can conjure up can stop us. We're the good guys, men! Don't let the world down."

Steve looked down at the corpse, and grabbed his rifle. The men grumbled as they stealthily made their way to the facility, ignoring the growing sounds of crackling electricity. Sparks began flying, and soldiers avoided the rampaging sparks. As they were inches away from the installation, screams began fading in and out of the walls. "Like Frankenstein," one of the soldiers muttered, clutching his rifle with dread.

Gail, there is too much to comprehend at this time. If my life were to end now, at least it would be with thoughts of you. And I want to love you with all my heart, so much that I would give up that very heart so you can keep it next to yours. But…there is too many death here, and the chill is more than natural. If ever I survive this cruel war, who will be next? The Japs? It seems that God would do anything to tear us apart. So…I'm sorry, Gail Richards. I'm sorry for not being able to love you more than I could have.

I love you.

Steve Rogers never knew what came next. His journal dropped onto the snow, covered by the ice and sleet, as men stormed the grey brimstone castle, and began firing. "Keep your aim high, gentlemen!" was Gracie's battle cry, as bullets riddled the blood tainted walls of Schwarzer Schatten. As Steve cocked his rifle, he heard a hissing sound of pure rage. Ducking, he dodged Baron Blood's launch at him, and leapt to action once more. Machines began erupting with electric life, as their gears began working on their own accord. There was a mysterious dense fog hovering across the area, and no one knew what to make of it. It was green gas that stewed from the underground belly of the Artic, and was beginning to steadily rise to the surface. As more and more Nazi soldiers began to appear from out of nowhere, Steve noticed that despite they had the advantage, fear was in their eyes.

"Amerikanisches fools! The Terrigen extracts will light this place like an Atombombe!" Baron Blood eyes lit with undermined fury, and launched at the Allied troops with his fangs open. Steve grabbed his gun and steadied his aim, only to be pushed against the wall by the Nazi. Suddenly, the roar of jets streamed the exterior of the facility, and then silence.

The walls suddenly crumbled, as the deafening explosions and bombs sealed the fate of many. Desperate men tried to escape, only to meet their doom, being gunned down by the Allied planes, whose only orders were to bring the whole scheme down. For that brief moment, Steve saw not the Nazi soldiers trying to live and fight another day. He saw scared men trying to hold on to the edge of their lives, hoping to someday get back to their family and friends.

For that brief moment, he was staring back at himself. And never had he seen such a picture of his life before.

Baron Blood's grip was tight, and he was still in the monster's grasp as the wall behind them gave way. Steve thought that that would be the end of everything he had suffered, only to fall into what seemed to be catacombs deep beneath the facility. The vampire furiously let go of his throat, and began hissing at him. The air was dense with the green fog from above. Steve deduced this was the source.

"You…your scent still lingers of our last encounter, and still I hunger for your blood. But that hunger is quelled by the rage that I feel! You have ruined what would be my Fuhrer's ultimate conquest!"

The American soldier, stood up and gripped his rifle. Only Baron Blood would seem less than human. He was wondering if he ever was. Bravely, Steve Rogers aimed his gun at the creature, determined to find out. "And what? What would you get from your conquests, Blood?!?! What do you want?!?!"

"No more than you should know," the Baron replied. "I am a predator of the darkness, yet what I want can be given. No longer will I need to hunt for your kind. Once my Fuhrer ascends to power, he will supply me with the blood that I need to last an eternity of darkness!"

"All you care about is yourself."

"I have no heart. I do not care."

The bullets flew and seared Baron's undead flesh. He somersaulted back, and gripped his chest, which the heat of cold steel was burning. The Nazi roared, and Steve's rifle was sliced in two by the claws of the demon. Steve grabbed his pocket knife, and plunged it straight into Blood's chest, as the Baron was about to reach for him. He backed away from the bleeding creature, who then took out the dagger that seemingly pierced his lung.

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of scuttling. Something was trying to break free from the catacombs. "You…fool. These catacombs are home to things you have never imagined! The Terrigen Mist is leaking to the surface world! They are escaping!"

"Who the-escaping? What are..?!?"

The Baron turned to Steve, his voice distant. "Unmenschliches. They, they are escaping." Another explosion from above was heard by the two, and the Baron flew past him, disappearing into the shadows. The cave was falling on them, Steve noticed, as the result of the bombs. The caverns were weakening, and soon he would be crushed. Then, he noticed the trail of mist the continued through a small crack. A crack big enough for him to squeeze in. Saying his prayers, Steve Rogers rushed towards his only hope, as the caverns fell.

"1942. It the midst of World War II, there was a big secret that was hidden from our eyes. That would be one of the biggest secrets on Earth, one that the Nazis discovered, and one that would've turned the tides of war."

Reed Richards clicked on the mouse, as the next slide of his PowerPoint Presentation began forming on the white screen. General Ross, government representative and director of the S.H.I.E.L.D operation, and Janet Van Dyne, lead field agent, showed their indifference even before his proposal. Reed knew this was coming, but still he continued without a change in his tone of voice. The scientist clicked again, as a picture of the bombed site appeared on the screen.

"This is Schwarzer Schatten, an abandoned ruins dating back to 1910. I'm sure you all know the significance of this place, as it was formerly as secret installation for Nazi experiments."

Another click, as another picture flashed across the screen. "In 1957, during an investigation trip to Schwarzer Schatten, one of our field agents found a journal that details us of a soldier's experiences during the timeframe that the facility was bombed."

"Excuse me, Reed," General Ross interrupted, and lifted the classified folder from the table. "I've read that journal. Written by a Steve Rogers, am I correct? Well, this would seem a bit accusatory…but what would this have to do with your involvement with a said Gail Richards in the journal? Would this be a personal involvement on your part…or would this said Gail Richards be your mother, who wanted to find out what happened to her boyfriend?"

"Sir," Reed said, quite calmly. "No, said Gail Richards is my aunt. And she has been dead for twelve years and counting. You've been reading too much of the National Expose, general."

Janet snickered, only to be silent as Ross' silent behest.

"Furthermore, this has nothing to do with my family. I do not mesh my personal life with my professional one." Reed eyed his audience and moved on with his proposal. "Where was I? Anyway, the writings of Steve Rogers indicate that there is something going on. The investigation has proven this with evidence known only to few; they managed to clear several corpses in the ruins. Corpses with an extra eye, scales, or more. What they came back with was some files pertaining to a so-called Projekt Unmenschliches, files that you now hold in your hands." He lifted the folder from Ross' hands and opened it.

"Before I made this presentation, I had to learn some German. For us, we can simply call it Project Inhumans." There was a silent pause, just what Reed was going for. "Had the operation been successful, the Third Reich would have overthrown the Allied Forces single-handedly, and the outcome of the war would have been different. Fortunately, they weren't, having not the proper technology and scientists to make due of the project. That was-about sixty years ago. We have the right stuff. And we-well, we have…me."

"So...what are you exactly trying to say, Reed?" Janet asked, drumming her fingers on the table.

"That's simple," he replied, and took a deep breath. "My esteemed colleagues…it's time we head back to Schwarzer Schatten. Its time we found out what exactly is Projekt Unmenschliches all about."

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