Purple-Slime - Rose Van Helsing

I started In minnosotta, traveling through north and south dekota killing any and all enemy soldier I saw. To Montana, down to Wyoming, drove the red skulls troops out of Washington, back into Idaho. In Idaho I liberated some rebels for Maria Hill, went to Oregon and slaughtered Dooms and the Hydra allied forces. Resting in ontop of a water tower I radioed Maria Hill "your probably busy but the entire state of Oregon is free. I'm heading down to California, taking the battle to his main power cities then I'll go to Nevada and weaken their grip on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I slide down the ladder and ran through an alley to an old abandoned apartment complex climbing the stairwell I quickly opened and then closed the door to my temporary house and I engaged the three deadbolts, then the chain lock, the two door locks, and finally I activated my breach alarm. I tossed my duffel onto the dusty countertop before walking over my half open escape window and tapping the camera to make sure it is working. I stepped into the small kitchenette and carefully and deliberately avoided my hidden barbed wireline. Opening the fridge which I have backed up to an old generator I grab salomi, Pepperoni, turkey, and cheese to make a sandwich and pulling a loaf of bread from the counter drawer I made myself a sandwich and ate it while I sat on the couch. I opened my laptop pulling up my rebel Info and updating the map of America. finishing my sandwich I got up and worked out a little before glancing at the camera feed at the corner of the screen.

It's a live feed so I can see exactly what's happening and I barely noticed it. A long shadow was being cast over the floor near the front door. "How long were you hiding." I called out to the female intruder, just before my aunt rose stepped out of the shadows. "Not long only the past five minutes or so" she responded with a chuckle. I stood stone faced and pointedly asked her " What do you want ?".

"What I can't just drop in on my favorite nephew." she said with a small smile. "The doors behind you." I reminded her coldly. She examined me before grimacing slightly "John" she said softly "are your taking care of yourself." "What do you mean." I asked staring down at her from underneath my long bangs. "Listen just come back, onto for a couple days, alright just come home and relax." She asked warmly.

"I'll relax when the Red Skull is Six feet under" I replied with quiet anger. "John your worrying us, your mom and me both, it's been seven months since peters death and you haven't been home. Your security is shit, you stink of death and blood, you clearly haven't shaved and your hair is longer than I have ever seen it . I'm scared John that you will lose yourself...that you will forget yourself , that's what happened to your father and look at him he's dead," she said frustrated. I roared with anger and charged her slamming her into the wall and she continuously rammed her knee into my stomach before interlacing both hands into a single fist bringing it down mom the crown of my skull. I stumbled backwards crashing into the coffee table picking up a piece of oak I swung it at her and in return she easily disarmed me following it up with a front kick I rushed forward choke slamming her and punched her four times.

When I reared my fist back again I paused looking at my aunt utterly disgusted with myself. I fell backwards and scrambled away from her huddling in a corner near the couch I panted heavily and examined my hands bloodied, cut, and bruised and I began shaking with fear. The fear of what I am becoming... the fear of becoming something sinister. Rose slowly got to her feet and I would be expected her to leave mad give up on me or shout, I however didn't expect and was startled by the kindness she showed me instead she hesitantly walked towards me before she sat beside me cradling my head in her chest.

"I'm sorry" I mumbled quietly. "It's okay John, it's okay." She responded calmly humming a calming tune of pure serenity into my ear. Not long after the slow quiet whispers of sleep called to me and for once, for one time in a long time the promises of sleeping weren't the constant threat of my subconscious guilt but of peaceful and happy memories.

I was in my room at my workshop table drawing up a blueprint for a pair of steel gauntlets laced with nano tech so the steel wouldn't be weighing down my wrists and making me sluggish. I just couldn't get past what circuits and wires I should use that wouldn't require me to change the entire design. I took a break and called up uncle tony. "Hey kiddo, what do you need" he answered.

"Hey I'm building some steel gauntlet and I can't figure out the wiring and weight ratio so that it isn't going to weigh the user down. So I solved that by figuring Nanotechnology but here's the thing if I lean towards the nano tech option it scrapes the wiring and mechanical aspect and I really don't want to have to remake the blueprint. I thought with you be a mechanical and technological genius you would be able to help so I called you." I finished my explanation with a frustrated sigh. "Well Johnny the nanotechnology option is the best route and your correct it does scrap the individual wiring concept, if you just wait I'll be down this weekend and I can help you." He said providing an easy answer.

I hung up and walked towards the living room putting on a boxing documentary about Muhammad Ali. My day walked in not long after "hey son want to get ice cream when your mom comes home." He said in his usual gruff voice but a smile graced his features. "Yeah ice cream" I shouted jumping in the air grinning happily. "Alright kid, sounds like a plan." He answered the smile never leaving him.

"What you watching" he asked me nodding at the tv. I smiled brightly "it's Ali dad". "Is it now, the boxer, you know when I was a kid I loved boxing." "Yeah who was your favorite." I asked curiously but my eyes were glued to the screen. "Marciano, Rocky Marciano was my favorite, I was a young Italian and my hero was Rocky Marciano." He answered.

We finished the documentary just as mom pulled into the driveway in her black mustang gt. We got up and my my mom went to change and when she came back she smiled down at me "hey honey, I missed you." She said as we got in the car, we arrived and I happily ordered a chocolate flavored ice cream cone.

I'm tossed into another dream when it was Christmas and we were visiting pepper and tony at the stark mansion in New York City. Everyone was there Steve, Clint, Wanda,Vision, t'Chala, Rose, Sam, Clint's family, and peppers and Tony's daughter. I remember he celebration, and the fun and presents. It was a happy and joyous time for me.

I awoke laying across auntie roses lap on the couch. "Hey honey did you sleep well." she asked me smiling brightly. "Yeah, actually i did." I replied in awe feeling happy and peaceful. I sat up and began stretching.

"Good" she said "I took the liberty of updating C.A.G.E for you". "Yeah what's new I asked excitedly. "just some tactical info and a mini attack and surveillance drone control System , you now hack into enemy cameras to" she answered proudly. "Cool thanks, I'm sorry about earlier" I said to her.

"It's fine, I'm just glad you remembered yourself." She answered dismissively warning me it's over. I dropped it and told her "I'm coming back in a week, I just need to weaken San Francisco" I told her with meaning.

I checked C.A.G.E and packed up my stuff and left taking the withering highway to California. I came upon several Hydra Checkpoints and I slaughtered and cleared getting closer and closer to my destination. It seemed the closer I had gotten the more challenging the military resistance grew although I still over came the odds killing the foot soldiers. I came into contact with one of madam mob bosses top lieutenants his name is Scott Carson and he is a skilled soldier.

We both ran out of ammo and we charged each other clashing mightily. He went for a right hook and I ducked it leading with two jabs and a left left hook he choke slammed me rolling away and two his feet mid slam pulling a knife from his ankle me landing hard on my back he went for a lethal stab through my skull. I rolled away and two my feet and he threw a smoke grenade disappearing with a maddening cackle of laughter. Scott called out somewhere on the rafters "so the mighty warrior John Castle, I've heard interesting stories about you."

"They ain't just stories pal" I called out walking around trying to get a bead on his location. "From what I've observed so far is that they are, I'm largely disappointed with your performance Mr. Castle, I mean your supposed to be the legacy of the punisher, honestly your a joke." He responded a resounding chuckle sounded off the warehouse walls. He's trying to get on my head, don't let him. Come on focus John. Just then the soldier dropped from the rafters seeing my silence as a form of uncertainty and pressing his advantage. I rolled away evading his lethal strike coming up just narrowly stopping a a jab he landed a hook knocking me to the ground yet again he followed me initiating a plunging stab the wound end my life. I grabbed his wrist so that the blade wouldn't sink into my throat and the struggle for dominance and self preservation began

The inrush of adrenaline granting me extra strength. I quickly pushed the blade away creating space I wrapped my legs around right shoulder manipulating it and forcing him to stab the knife into the concrete. In the process I also dislocated his shoulder which was my initial intention. I rolled away and panted before kicking the man in the gut as he rolled in pain then another, then a final kick to his skull knocking him out cold.