Ben 10: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Canada

Weapon X Facility

The corridors echoed with footsteps as Wolverine, Steve, and Laura sprinted through the hallway.

"Faster, kid!" Logan glanced over his shoulder at Laura. She kept pace easily, her eyes darting around.

Steve was in the lead, his shield strapped tightly to his arm. "There's gotta be another exit!"

Suddenly, a door at the far end of the corridor slammed open, and more soldiers flooded in. All were in tactical gear, each armed with automatic rifles drawn. "They've cut us off! Get behind me!" Steve shouted, raising his shield. Vibranium absorbed the impact, sparks flying. He pushed forward, acting as a barrier for the others.

Wolverine's claws extended as he crouched low beside Steve. "Get me close, Cap. I'll take care of these tin cans."

The man smirked. "Thanks for using my title."

Logan wasn't sure why that slipped from his mouth. "Oh, shut up and do it."

Steve nodded, bracing himself as they advanced. "On my mark."

The girl crept next to Steve. "I'll make your opening."

"Laura…"

"Trust me. Please… I'm…fighting for my freedom."

"Okay…"

Laura darted forward. The soldiers barely had time to react before she was up close, slicing through rifles.

"Go!" Steve shouted, slamming his shield into one of the soldiers, knocking him out cold.

Logan leaped over Steve's shoulder and landed in the middle of the remaining guards. Bullets riddled his torso but failed to slow him down, thanks to his healing factor. He plowed into them. Claws slicing through their armor, sending them to the floor.

Steve smirked as he threw his shield, watching it ricochet off two guards and return to his hand. "You haven't lost your edge."

A few soldiers tried to retreat, but Laura flipped over a soldier's head and landed behind him. Before the guard could raise his gun, Laura's claws were already embedded in his side. She kicked off the wall, launching herself into another group and cutting down two more soldiers.

"You're doing great, Laura!" Steve called out as more soldiers swarmed into the hallway. He moved right behind her, deflecting shots. "Keep going!" he barked at Laura, who nodded and darted to the side. When one came toward her, she sliced their gun in half before kicking him into a wall.

"Not bad yourself," Wolverine grunted, ripping a soldier's helmet off and slamming his head into the wall. Wolverine tore a soldier's rifle in half, tossing the pieces aside like garbage. "The kid's a natural. That sounds like a bad thing."

"It is, but like father, like daughter." Two soldiers came at Steve, swinging their bayonets, but Steve parried with his shield and delivered a crushing punch to the first man's jaw, knocking him out cold. He turned to the second soldier and slammed the edge of his shield into his gut, sending him sprawling.

"Says you…"

Laura landed on one of the soldiers and disarmed him. Another soldier lunged at her with a taser, but Laura's foot connected with his chest, sending him crashing into the ceiling.

Logan slashed through another soldier.

Steve slammed his shield into another soldier, disarming him with a swift uppercut and knocking him out with a backhand from the shield.

"Get to the door!" Steve shouted, deflecting more gunfire. He grabbed a fallen soldier's grenade, yanked the pin out with his teeth, and lobbed it. The blast spread their enemy out, allowing the trio to break through.

Wolverine ripped through the remaining guards in a fury. Steve, already clearing a path with his shield, sprinted for the door. Laura, covered in cuts and bruises, was the first to reach the heavy metal door. She slammed her claws into the control panel, sparks flying as it short-circuited the lock, forcing the door open.

Steve and Logan dove through the open door as more soldiers rounded the corner behind them, unloading more gunfire. After Laura dived through, Steve slammed the door shut, ripping off a nearby pipe to bar the door closed.

They thought they had gained some distance for a brief moment, but the echoing shout down the hall shattered that hope.

"GAIJIN!" Lady Deathstrike's unmistakeable voice rang out

Laura tensed. Steve's grip tightened on his shield. Logan growled low in his throat. They were backed into a corner. The only way out was through the entire Weapon X Team, all waiting for blood.

"End of the line, runts!" Sabretooth cracked his knuckles with a predatory grin. "Got any last words?"

Wolverine's claws extended with a metallic SNIKT, the sound a promise of violence. "Yeah... TWO!"

Sabretooth's feral grin widened as he shifted his gaze to Steve. "I've got unfinished business with you, Captain," he said, his tone dripping with menace.

Steve's eyes narrowed. He knew he recognized that voice, that facial structure. "I thought you looked familiar..." His brow furrowed as memories from years ago flashed in his mind. "Italy?"

Sabretooth let out a dark chuckle. "Yeah... Italy. I owe you a lot more than you think, old man."

Deadpool twirled his katanas with flair. "For the record, none of us are Nazis! I mean, sure, questionable choices were made, but let's not get crazy with the accusations."

Omega Red glared at him. "Shut up, Deadpool."

Deadpool huffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll shut up. Let's just dance!" He flipped his katanas into an offensive stance, bouncing on his heels like a man about to start a boxing match.

The two groups stared each other down. Then, without another word, the charge began.

Steve hurled his shield through the air as it ricocheted off the walls, aimed directly at Sabretooth.

Sabretooth ducked, but the shield clipped his shoulder, sending him stumbling back.

Logan lunged toward him and met Sabretooth in a clash of their claws.

Laura went straight for Lady Deathstrike. The older woman's claws swiped down, but Laura anticipated the move. She swerved, slashing upward at Deathstrike's midsection, their blades colliding as well.

Deadpool cackled as he ran straight for Steve, swords drawn. "Oh, Captain! I know you were in Europe, but let's see how well you go against the skills from the rising sun! Go katana action!"

Steve blocked the first with his shield and rolled out of the way of the second. Steve grunted as he ducked a strike and countered with a punch to Deadpool's gut, sending him staggering back.

Deadpool groaned. "Oof! Looks like Captain's still got it!" He swirled around, flailing one katana in Steve's direction. "Settle an argument for me. How did you survive up to now? Super soldier formula? Cryogenically frozen? Deal with Lady Death?"

Steve deflected another swing and shoved Deadpool backward. "Well, you got one of them correct."

Deadpool paused. "Wait. Which one." He got no reply.

Meanwhile, Wolverine and Sabretooth's battle was a savage blur. Claws ripped through flesh and bone, only for it to heal seconds later.

Sabretooth snarled. "I'm gonna rip your guts out, Logan!" His claws swiped at Wolverine's torso, but Logan ducked and countered with a brutal slash across Sabretooth's chest, spraying blood across the floor.

"You've been saying that for years, Creed. Still waiting!" Wolverine spat back. He tackled Sabretooth into the wall.

Laura was fast, but Lady Deathstrike had experience. Every time Laura tried to land a blow, Deathstrike parried.

"You're good, child." Deathstrike hissed. "Were you not the blood of my enemy, I would have taken you into the clan myself. Sadly, a blood daughter is very unlikely for me."

Laura narrowed and thought of Sarah Kinney. "You would have been a terrible mother." She faked a low strike, causing Deathstrike to lunge downward. Laura used the opening to leap onto Deathstrike's shoulders, slashing at her neck and sending her reeling back in pain.

Seeing an opening, Omega Red jumped in, and coils lashed out toward Steve, wrapping around his shield arm. "You cannot stop us, Captain," Omega Red tried to pull Steve off balance.

Steve gritted his teeth, muscles straining against the pull of Omega Red's coils. "I've heard that before," Steve muttered before yanking his arm back with all his strength, pulling Omega Red forward just enough to slam his shield into Omega Red's face, breaking the man's nose with a sickening crack.

Elsewhere

Doctor Thorton sat in a secured room. He leaned toward monitors. For the past several minutes, he had watched the scuffle unfold. It wasn't good news that the escapees were holding their ground.

But it wasn't the chaos of the battle that had Thorton on edge. It was the man fighting alongside Wolverine and the girl. The tall blonde with the shield.

"Impossible..." he muttered to himself, leaning closer to the screen.

On the feed, the man moved like the ideal soldier. His shield deflected bullets while his fists knocked soldiers unconscious with single blows. The shield... It was the iconic red, white, and blue with a star. It couldn't be.

Thorton's fingers quickly tapped his keyboard, pulling up a different set of files. He brought up archived footage from decades ago, footage he had studied countless times in his research. The same man, the same shield, fought in World War II's European theater.

"Project Rebirth..." Thorton whispered, disbelief setting in.

He watched the cams again. The man expertly parried Deadpool's sword and headbutted him. There was no mistaking it. This had to be Captain America. The first Super Soldier. Weapon I.

He had no idea how it was possible, but he didn't care about the whys. The pieces fell into place. He had dedicated his life to the Weapon X project, creating the perfect weapon. Wolverine, Deadpool, and even Omega Red. All were products of the same ambition, modeled after a single original source.

But now... Steve Rogers, Captain America, the original experiment, the man who had inspired the entire program, was alive.

The official records said he had vanished at the end of World War II, presumed dead. How could he have survived? And more importantly, why now? Why was he here, fighting alongside Wolverine and that girl?

Thorton clenched his fists. "Of all people…"

The implications were enormous. Captain America wasn't just some outdated experiment. He was the pinnacle of everything Weapon X sought to replicate.

And now, he was standing in the way of everything.

He couldn't let Rogers leave the facility. If the world learned he was still with us, the race for a new super-soldier generation would be restarted with a target painted on Rogers' back.

Thorton tapped a button on his desk, opening a secure line to his remaining operatives. "Listen carefully. The blonde man you're fighting, he's Captain America. Weapon I."

Judging by the expressions on their faces, it seemed that they already figured it out before him. And they decided not to tell him…

"Change of plans. Do not kill the Captain. I repeat, you are to capture him alive."

A brief silence was on the other end before Deadpool's voice came through. "Wait, wait, wait, you're telling us we can't kill Captain America? Come on, Doc, you're asking a lot."

Sabretooth's growl cut in. "Alive? What the hell are you talking about, Thorton? You know what he's capable of."

Thorton's jaw clenched. "I don't care. He's more valuable to us alive than dead. He's the original source of the program. The Super Soldier serum runs through his veins. Do you understand what that means? He is the key to perfecting the next generation of soldiers. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity."

Lady Deathstrike joined the conversation. "He caused this entire mess, and you want him unharmed?"

"I never said unharmed," Thorton replied. "Incapacitate him. I don't care how you do it, just make sure he's breathing when you bring him in."

Omega Red's grumbled, trying to grapple the Captain. "And the other two?"

Sabretooth's growl deepened. "Yeah. What about Wolverine and the kid?"

Thorton's eyes flicked, watching Logan uppercut Sabretooth, who legswept back. "They still have value, but Rogers is the priority, non-negotiable." The doctor chuckled. "It would be interesting to see how well the Super Serum interacts with mutant DNA."

Deadpool pumped a fist as he dodged a shield throw. "I'm getting an upgrade baby."

Sabretooth braced as a rebounded shield struck him from the left, and Wolverine came in from the right. "Like hell, you'll be getting juiced first."

"Understand this, if you capture him, you'll have proven yourselves invaluable to the future of Weapon X."

Deadpool grinned. "So, no killing the star-spangled man. Got it. That's not confusing at all."

Thorton's patience was wearing thin. "If we can get Rogers back under control, we'll be unstoppable. The serum in his blood could give us the edge we've been looking for. Every failure we've encountered in this program could be fixed with him. Do not kill Captain America."

A tense silence followed before Sabretooth spoke again. "Fine. We'll take him down and bring him to you."

"Understood," Thorton replied. "Do your job." He cut the line, exhaling slowly. His eyes returned to the screens.

Steve Rogers jumped toward X-23 and protected her from Deadpool's sidearm. Laura took the opportunity to help the man and slice off Deadpool's right arm.

"Seriously? Again, kid? What did I ever do to you?"

Laura grumbled. "I hated 'Catch the Bullet'!"

"Oh, right. How about we play a new game?!

"Captain America," Thorton muttered to himself. "You may have been the first, but soon, you'll be just another asset." Everything was now riding on this. If they captured Rogers, Weapon X would reach heights it had never dreamed of. But if they failed… Thorton shook his head. Failure wasn't an option. Not this time.

#

AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, SonicSonicsSonic, Tapion, Dragon lord, Shooter1344, Red Rasher, Ajax Roranson, Asaf Montgomery, Legion, DJC, $hane-08, Daniel, Alex, and nighnight!

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