#7 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.

J.Edgar Hoover procured the African American’s services in monitoring the volatile Captain America and Bucky, outfitting the young man with a new costumed identity as Commander Liberty. The patient’s identity was revealed to be Felipe Castrano, his operation paid for by Albert Malik…the Red Skull. Cap and Bucky investigated yet another crime scene, only to be attacked by an old foe of the original Captain America…Baron Blood!

Baron Blood stood amidst the broken glass from the window he’d shattered upon his entrance into the warehouse Captain America and Bucky were investigating. The Baron smiled as he surveyed his earlier handiwork. Yes, killing these mobsters was definitely an ideal method of baiting his trap to lure Captain America into battle.

"I’m most pleased to hear that Heinrich Zemo’s boastful claims of your deaths at his hands were greatly exaggerated, if not a downright lie!"

The vampire bared his teeth at the patriotic duo, the stains of blood from his prior victims still visible on his fangs.

"It will be my utmost pleasure to do what Zemo could not!"

Cap quickly strapped his shield to his arm as he pulled Bucky behind him.

"That’s pretty foolhardy of you, limey. I’m Captain America, and Captain America doesn’t lose…PERIOD!"

Cap charged at Blood, his shield raised, teeth clenched with determination. The Baron leapt over his foe with ease, driving a hard kick into Cap’s spine as he landed, sending Cap crashing into the wall.

"Odd. You have never been so foolish, Captain, as to charge blindly in at an opponent such as I. Maybe the rigors of time have dulled your intellect?"

Cap spun around, his fist clenched, enraged at the vampire’s last comment.

"I’ll show you foolish, you limey piece of garbage!"

Cap heaved his shield at the Baron. Blood easily sidestepped the disc but led himself into a powerful haymaker of a punch from Cap. Blood flew through the air and crashed into a pile of crates as Cap caught his shield returning from the rebound off the wall.

"Who’s foolish NOW, Blood? You walked right into that punch!"

Cap stood over the fallen vampire. Blood rubbed his jaw as he stared up at the Captain. Both men had smug smiles on their face, each confidant of their ability to overcome the other.

"You are quite right, Captain, though it will not happen again!"

Blood launched himself at the super-soldier. Cap barely had time to raise his shield to thwart Blood’s attack. Even the shield was not enough to prevent Cap and the Baron from toppling to the floor, however.

Bucky and Detective Brown watched the battle from their vantagepoint behind a stack of crates. Brown was obviously concerned for Cap’s wellbeing. Bucky, on the other hand, just watched, a smile across his face.

"What should we do, Bucky? This character seems more than a match for you partner!"

"Bite your tongue, Brown." Bucky hissed at the old policeman. "Cap’s the greatest! He’ll come through, you just watch!"

Bucky suddenly shot to his feet, eyeing something outside one of the windows. Brown also rose, trying to see what had grabbed the All-American kid’s attention.

"What? What is it, Bucky?"

"C’mon," Bucky said, grabbing the detective and leading him to the warehouse doors, "There’s someone outside, watching the fight. I bet they’re the reason Baron Blood’s killing all these people!"

The Red Skull…Albert Malik, not the first to wear the crimson mask, but just as evil as the original…smiled beneath his mask. It had been easy for him to manipulate Felipe Castrano to his way. Castrano, like many Hispanic men, was a proud man. His defeat by that Capitalist fool Captain America had shaken him to his core. The cyborg had jumped at the chance to avenge his loss. Not that the Red Skull actually WANTED Castrano to defeat Captain America. No, that was a right he planned to reserve strictly for himself. All Castrano would be used for was to weaken the Captain. Then, the Skull would step in to seize the final victory for himself. It was a masterful plan indeed. His superiors at the Kremlin would be most pleased. The Skull spun around in his chair at the sound of metallic footsteps entering the room.

"Did you have a good workout, comrade?"

Castrano threw a blood-drenched towel into the trashcan beside the Skull’s desk and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the Skull.

"Si, amigo. Quite a good idea to be using Americans as sparring partners. Too bad they do not last past one…session"

"Yes…" The Skull said, lighting a cigarette. "The Americans have wondered why they do not be able to find their pathetic spies after the communications stop. Quiet simpler. They are used by our super-human agents to train on after the KGB captures them. A suggestion of my own. Better than to be feeding them and housing them as prisoners."

"It will be soon when we can do the same thing to that fool, Captain America! He will pay for what he did to me! He will pay…with his LIFE!"

The Red Skull eyed Castrano. It had been far easier than he’d thought to control the man-machine. All that remained was to continue stoking the fire.

"How would you like to fight Captain America again, soon?" the Skull smiled, exhaling a large cloud of smoke.

Castrano’s mechanical face contorted into a semblance of a smile.

Bucky and Detective Brown crept along the wall of the warehouse, careful to remain hidden by the shadows. About twenty yards ahead of them was a black limousine. Several men in business suits leaned up against the car, smoking cigars and laughing all the while.

"See that one?" Brown whispered, pointing to a short, stocky man in a pinstripe suit. "That’s Mugsy Barlowe. He was the number two man in Frist’s organization. We knew he craved more power. Do you think…"

"That he’s behind Baron Blood’s rampage?" answered Bucky. "I think that question can be answered with a resounding ‘yes’, Detective."

Bucky peered through one of the warehouse windows to see the vampire and his partner going toe to toe.

"Looks like Cap’s got Blood occupied. Let’s see what we can do with these jokers!"

Bucky scrambled up the fire escape as Detective Brown unholstered his revolver and continued to advance to the car, concealed by the shadow of night. Bucky came to a spot of the fire escape where he was directly above Barlowe and his men. He quickly checked on Brown’s position and dove into the mobsters.

"How’s it going, fellas? Nice night, ain’t it?"

Bucky was like a dynamo as he tore into Barlowe and his gang. The mobsters, try as they might, just couldn’t get ahold of the star-spangled kid. He bobbed and weaved under every attack and countered with quick strikes of his own. Bucky knocked out the nearest man as he saw Brown join the fight, catching Barlowe with a hard kick to the chest.

"What’s your role in all of this, Barlowe. You get offered more money from a rival gang?"

"You idjit!" Barlowe replied, knocking Brown back with a solid elbow to the face. "I don’t wanna work for nobody no more! Mugsy Barlowe is gonna be the Kingpin from here on out!" he bellowed as he pinned Brown beneath his foot and trained his gun on the detective’s forehead. "Since you’s only gots a few more minutes left to be drawing breath, what say I tell you what I done. The limey vampire? I hired him to off Frist and alla the others. If I killed Frist outright, them others woulda scrambled to take his place. It woulda been a war. By getting’ ridda dem chumps, I put myself in the prefect spot to take over." Brown kept his eyes locked in on Barlowe’s. The would-be mob boss did not notice the detective sliding his hand across the pavement.

"Bet you’re thinkin’ ‘what’s Baron Blood getting’ outta dis deal?’ Simple. He’s psycho. He likes to kill, for the fun of it. ‘Sides, he’s getting’ free food while he’s here, too."

Barlowe’s knees went out from under him as Brown brought a steel pipe into the back of the gangster’s legs. Brown leapt to his feet and kicked Barlowe’s gun from his hand. Another pipe smash later and Barlowe was unconscious. Brown cuffed the mob boss hopeful to the door handle of the limo and joined Bucky.

The All-American boy hardly seemed like he needed assistance. Though he was outnumbered ten to one, he had dispatched all of his opponent’s with utter ease. There wasn’t even a hint of sweat on the boy’s face.

"Nice work, Bucky. Let’s see how Captain America’s faring against Baron Blood."

J. Edgar Hoover stood on the observation deck overlooking the training facility his men used. Today, instead of the usual G-men utilizing the complex, Commander Liberty was honing his skills.

As Hoover had said to him, he was good as the African American, but as Commander Liberty, he needed to be better. The only way for him to achieve this was through constant practice.

Still, Hoover was amazed at how well the young black man known as Jackson Adams was taking to his instructions. It seemed the lad already has some minor experience in the martial arts as well as boxing, so anything Hoover’s men showed him quickly absorbed by the Commander.

Hoover smiled. This was going to work out perfectly.

Captain American and Baron Blood stood roughly five feet from one another, both ready to lock up again in the throes of battle.

"You seem different since last we battled, Captain, when you were with those pitiful Invaders. Your style is nothing like it was. Almost as if you were not the same man." Blood hissed, baring his fangs. "Is that it? You are not the REAL Captain America, are you?" the Baron smiled. "I can read it in your eyes, human. You fight bravely, and for that, I will kill you now, swiftly."

Blood lunged at Cap, but the star-spangled Avenger sidestepped and brought his shield down hard on the vampire’s neck. Blood collapsed from the blow and Cap kicked him in the head several times before flipping him over.

"I may not be the first Captain America," Cap growled, his foot on the vampire’s throat, "but know this, and know it well…I AM CAPTAIN AMERICA. If you or any of the old Caps’ foes want a piece of me, I’ll be more than happy to kicks your tails."

"You have indeed won this day, Captain…but there will be others!"

Baron Blood drove his knees into Cap’s groin and scrambled out of the warehouse. As soon as he recovered, Cap gave chase, bursting through the warehouse doors.

Baron Blood was nowhere to be found. Cap cursed under his breath as Bucky and Detective Brown came running up.

"What happened to that crazy vampire, Cap?"

Cap tussled Bucky’s hair for a moment as he surveyed his partner’s handiwork. ‘Not bad’ he thought. Eleven men against Bucky and the old fart and neither had a scratch on him. Cap smiled.

"He got away, Bucky, but I doubt he’ll be back for a long time!"

The All-American kid kicked at the gravel, dejected.

"Sounds like it was a heck of a scrap, Cap. I’m sorry I missed it!"

Cap smiled at his partner’s enthusiasm as they walked with Detective Brown back to the patrol car.

"There’ll be others, Buck. Hoover mentioned some island he wants to send us and the other Avengers to."

{He means Moreau Island. Check out that story beginning in Avengers 1958 #10---Pluggin’-Away J}

Steve Rogers and Marie Whitford lay on his couch beneath a large, warm quilt. They gone out a few times since their nervousness wracked first date. Somehow, through no effort of his own, he’d become her ‘boyfriend’. At least that’s how she referred to him whenever she introduced him to anyone she knew. He didn’t really mind, actually. He always had fun when he was with her and she never asked why he and Jack came in late at night.

He was still debating whether to tell Hoover about her. Steve knew that jerk would want to run a background check on her.

Steve stuffed some more popcorn into his mouth and went back to enjoying the movie he and Marie were watching. He didn’t notice the shadow outside his window until Marie screamed.