#3 Written by J Hammond Edited by Bob Gansler

Cast of Characters

Previously

Captain America ('Steve Rogers')  A man who grew up idolizng the original super-patriot. Due to a mistake on his part when he took the Super-Soldier seru, his mind has become affected, making him a racist madman. Bucky (Jack Monroe)  A young boy who idolized the first Captain America. He took the impure Super-Soldier serum and became a new Bucky. His mind has become affected by the serum, making him a racist.

Captain America was called out of class to be sent on an assignment by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Cap and Bucky investigated a suspected KKK church burning in a black neighborhood. A large group of Klansmen attacked Cap and Bucky. During the battle, a mysterious black man in a costume resembling Cap’s appeared, calling himself the African American…

The battle between Captain America, Bucky and the Klansmen grinded to a halt at the entrance of the black costumed man. "Captain America and Bucky are not alone, Klan. They have the aid of the African American!"

Cap’s glare could have bore holes through the African American’s chest. "What the hell is this? Some darkie impression of me? I don’t appreciate you appropriating my costume, jungle bunny."

The African American stared at Cap, bewildered at the Sentinel of Liberty’s words. "You’re Captain America! You’re not supposed to use language like that! You’re supposed to represent Americans, ALL Americans!"

Cap looked the black man up and down. He couldn’t be more than nineteen at best. "I represent Americans all right, son…REAL Americans, not impure pieces of trash like you."

Bucky tapped his partner on the shoulder. "Um…Cap…this can wait, don’t you think?"

Cap looked down at his young protégé. "What are you talking about, Bucky? No nigger is going to rip Captain America off and get away with it!"

Cap turned his head quickly as he heard the familiar click of a gun being cocked. "You are an idiot, Captain! While you and the nigger argued, you allowed us a chance to regroup!" The Klan had all gathered together at the door of what was left of the church. The ten Klansmen who had been armed with guns or rifles now had them trained on their three costumed opponents.

"Looks like we’re on the same side whether you like it or not, Captain."

The African American dove under the ensuing gunfire as Cap raised his shield in defense and Bucky dove behind a pile of rubble. "This isn’t over yet, you darkie imposter. We’ll have a reckoning as soon as this is all sorted out!" Cap walked forward, his shield absorbing the impact of the gunfire. As soon as he was close enough, the Klansmen charged at the star-spangled champion. The Klan gunmen gave up using their weapons’ projectile capabilities and began to use them as blunt weapons. Bucky and the African American rushed to join the melee. Cap began gleefully attacking the white robed men, kicking and punching and swinging his shield. He was a regular red, white and blue whirling dervish. He grabbed a Klansman by the arm and swung him into his brethren, using him as a human club. After a few swings, Cap let go, sending the man soaring into the air. He landed in a heap on a pile of rubble, unconscious. As soon as he had let go, Cap immediately proceeded to roundhouse his opponents, taking out four men with one solid kick. The Klan then tried to pile up on Cap, using their weight to their advantage. Cap smiled at their stupidity. He easily flung them off. "What, are you fellows retarded? You’ve already tried that particular trick once now and it didn’t work! What makes you think a second try would come out any different?" Cap tore into the Klansmen again.

Across the field, Bucky bobbed and weaved various attacks by the Klanmen who were trying to subdue him. He ducked and dodged their attacks, as quick and nimble as a cat. "See? I knew those pillow cases were interfering with your vision, guys!" Bucky leapt into the air, springing off a Klansman’s face and dove into his opponents, bowling them over. He was a hurricane of punches and kicks. Though he was a mere boy, Super-Soldier enhanced blood coursed through his veins. His body had artificially been raised to a height of perfection. The Klansmen were just average Joes, fat, out of shape and inexperienced in battle. The only thing motivating them to remain in this fight was their advantage of numbers and their blind, unadulterated hatred. Unfortunately for the Klan, the advantage of numbers wasn’t good enough. Though they outnumbered their opponents by almost seventeen to one, the patriotic trio was ripping through them like a hot knife through butter.

The African American took a baseball bat on his shield and then, before his opponent could prepare another attack, he drove his shield into the man’s face, knocking him out cold. He quickly spun around, trying to keep an eye on all of the men who were surrounding him. The Klansmen seemed particularly interested in taking him out, due to his obvious skin pigmentation. "Look like this here nigger thinks he’s some sorta SOOPER-HERO! Stupid sunnuvagun! You was all better off as slaves!" one of the Klansmen taunted, issuing a hearty laugh.

"My people fought against men as ignorant as you, as blinded by their own bigotry as you, and we overcame you. Our cause was, and is, JUST!" The African American dove into the nearest man, his shield raised. The metal shield caught his opponent in the stomach, cracking a few ribs. The man crumpled to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. The African quickly rolled out of the way as one of his foes slammed the ground with a shovel, just narrowly missing his head by a few inches. In one fluid motion, the African simultaneously sent a hard kick into one man’s groin and smashed another in the face with his shield, knocking several teeth from the man’s head.

Cap seized a Klansman by the throat, shaking him violently as he slammed another man with his shield. His captive’s face turned a pale blue. Cap, with a look of disgust on his face, threw him into a group of his friends, sending them all toppling to the ground. Cap gave his opponents an acid stare as they began to shirk back. Many had already run off in fear of the patriotic dynamo. Cap, wondering how Bucky was faring, quickly scanned the battlefield and saw that four men, armed with various blunt objects cornered his young partner. Knowing he had no other choice, Cap heaved his shield at Bucky’s attackers. It bounced from man to man, taking them out and then began to ricochet back to Cap. He moved to intercept it, punching a clear path through the Klansmen for himself. The shield was roughly four feet from him when a Klansman inadvertently stepped in the way. The shield hit him and was deflected in the opposite direction from Cap. "Blast it!" Cap muttered as he began to run towards his shield. A voice caught his attention above the din of battle.

"You shouldn’t have left yourself open like that, Captain America!"

Cap turned to see a Klansman about twenty yards from him, a rifle in his hands, trained on Cap’s chest. "You belong with us, Captain. I’ve heard you myself. You share our beliefs, yet you fight on THEIR side. Why?"

Cap clenched his fists in anger. He was NOT like them, he wasn’t! "You’re wrong, Klansman. I’m Captain America! I stand for something! You … you’re all a bunch of cowards, hiding behind their hoods."

The Klansman laughed a deep, hearty, sarcastic laugh. "And you’re any different? You wear a mask, Captain. I bet it’s safe to assume that underneath that mask, you are blonde haired and blue eyed, a REAL American, aren’t you? But that’s a moot point now, isn’t it?"

Cap heard the gunshot but he didn’t see it. All he saw was the African American lying at his feet, bleeding from the chest. ‘Why,’ he thought. ‘Why did the nigger save me? He knew I wouldn’t have done the same for him.’ Cap took the African’s shield. It was a poor substitute for his own, but he’d make due with what he could. Cap charged the Klansman, and, when he was in range, heaved the shield at him. It caught the Klansman dead center in his forehead. He slumped to the ground, blood gushing from the wound to his head. Cap surveyed the battlefield to see that the Klansmen, save for the ones who were unconscious, had all retreated in the confusion.

Bucky walked up to Cap, carrying his shield. Once he reached his partner, he handed the shield to him. "The cowards took off when they saw the darkie go down. I can’t believe he saved you!"

Cap strapped the shield to his back. "Neither can I, Buck." Cap looked around the church lawn again. "Wait…the nigger is gone. Blast it!" Cap turned at the sound of sirens approaching. "That’d be Hoover. C’mon Bucky."

The doctors all breathed a collective sigh of relief. After fourteen hours, the surgery was finally over. All of the robotic elements they’d been instructed to implant had been attached without any serious difficulties. The patient was asleep now, resting from the ordeal.