Father's Enemy My Lover {sequel to Father's Enemy}

Chapter Four

Nick Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been dealing with the International Security Council all morning. They for some reason were all arguing about what to so when all they know is politics. They don't know a thing about fighting or strategic planning. So they really had no business decided what they should do about Black Death.

"Nick, I need to talk to you now!" Dr. Banner said bursting into the conference room.

"What is the meaning of this interruption," roared the representative from Great Britain.

"It's more important than this meeting that's for sure," Bruce shouted.

"Alright, Dr. Banner, stay calm," Nick said holding out his hands in a calming gesture. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the council we are going to have to recess."

Dr. Banner paced back and forth while Nick went through the formalities of ending one of this stupid meetings."

"Alright, Banner, what was that all about," Nick said trying not to sound irritated.

"Nick, I found a match to the blood."

Nick stopped walking and turned his one eye on him. "Whose was it?"

"Come to my lab. I'll show you what I found."

Nick followed Bruce to his lab and waited as he pulled his new found info up.

"The tissue I found, as I told you, is mutating. I couldn't isolate whose it was until I matched it to other known persons with any thing in common with this particular sample. Blood is composed of three main types of cells: leukocytes, thrombocytes, and erythrocytes. Basically white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells in that order. Now with the mutation there is and extra type of cell almost I can't quite call it a cell."

"Dr. Banner I don't need a biology lesson just skip to the point," Nick said.

"Hey, let me tell you what I want to tell you alright," Bruce said putting on his glasses.

"Fine. Please continue."

"As I was saying, there is a chemical in the blood stream that is not in normal blood streams. It was hard to isolate because lots of mutants, myself included, usually have abnormalities in the blood stream. This however was different. I had remembered seeing it before but I couldn't place where. Then I had an epiphany. I realized that I had only seen this specific abnormality in people such as Black Panther, Catalina Rogers, Steve Rogers, etc."

"Wait, your saying that the person you found whose blood sample this is, has he same properties as those who have used the super soldier serum?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Bruce said. "I found a match."

"Who?" Nick said quietly.

"Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull," Bruce responded.

Nick shook his head in disbelief, "Steve said he was a cold blooded, heartless killer. So can you please explain to me, why exactly he was trying to save that little village?"

"I don't know but I can tell you his cells are undergoing mutation. Steve said that Dr. Erkstine told him that the serum makes good better and bad worse. Schmidt used a version of the serum that was flawed. It mutated his cells making him almost not human. Some of the cells show those qualities but the cells that have changed are turning more like Steve's."

"Are you trying to tell me he is changing back?"

"Again I don't know. I can only report what I see in the microscope," Bruce replied.

"We cannot tell Steve about this right now. He had enough on his mind without finding out his enemy, long thought dead, is still alive," Nick ordered.

"This leads to another question though. Why hasn't he revealed himself before this?"

"And also how did he survive? Steve reported him dead."

"We need to investigate this," Bruce said.

"We will but right now we have bigger problems. Red Skull isn't causing a threat right now but Black Death is," Nick answered.

"Yes, Sir," Bruce answered.

********************************

Johann winced as a searing pain went through the right side of his back. Him and Catalina had been here for two days now and his cells had continued mutating. However, he hadn't felt pain before this. He grunted as another wave of pain hit him. As soon as it hit it was gone. He tried to control his shaking but his body wasn't listening to his brain right now.

Catalina walked into the living room to find Johann shaking like crazy. She ran over and got on her knees near him.

"Johann, what's wrong?!" She alarmingly asked.

"I'm fine," he answered finally controlling his shaking.

"No your not! Tell me what's wrong!"

"The mutation has become painful," he said leaning back on the couch.

"Let me see," she ordered. He shook his head. There was no way he was going to let her see the monster he was. "I said, 'let me see'!"

"I told you I'm fine!"

She looked like she was about to be angry but her gaze softened. She touched his chin with the tips of her fingers. "Johann, I only want to see because I care about you and I want to make sure you will be okay."

He looked at her and then nodded. He hadn't actually heard anyone say they cared about him in almost one hundred years. That's along time to be alone. Albeit he brought it on himself but still.

Caty waited as he stood and pulled off his shirt. Do you know how weird a two toned person looks? Well it looks weird. His whole right arm and right upper chest area was normal but the other side was red. He was very well muscled though.

"It's spreading faster than I thought," Johann said.

"I don't understand what's causing this," Caty said. She reached out lightly and touched his chest. To her shock and surprise as soon as she touched him the normal skin appeared to spread. He winced and she pulled her hand back.

"Catalina, I think I might know what might be causing this," he said quietly.

"Tell me."