Steve, the subject of discussion between Maier and Kanon, was in a dire situation—one could even call it a crisis.
Having infiltrated Hydra's final base alone, he was captured and brought before the one enemy he both loathed and resented most in his life—Red Skull, Johann Schmidt.
In a previous mission, Steve had led the Howling Commandos to intercept an important shipment of Hydra's supplies and even captured Dr. Arnim Zola, Hydra's second-in-command. If Schmidt was the heart of Hydra—the most crucial leader—then Zola was the brain, responsible for all of Hydra's advanced technology.
With Zola in custody, half of Hydra had already crumbled, and the other half could soon be dismantled based on the intelligence extracted from him.
Yet, Steve found no joy in this victory, as that mission had cost him his best friend. Just a few centimeters could have made all the difference, yet they became an insurmountable chasm.
After learning of Schmidt's insane plan to destroy the world, Steve had resolutely charged into Hydra's last base alone, serving as bait to buy time for the main forces.
"Arrogance may not be exclusive to Americans, but you certainly surpass most of them in that regard," Schmidt sneered triumphantly, looking down at Steve like a conqueror surveying his spoils. "However, your abilities are limited, Captain. Didn't Abraham Erskine tell you anything?"
"He told me you were a madman."
"Ah, that was just his jealousy speaking. He envied my brilliance and took away what should have been mine. But he gave you everything. So tell me, Captain, what makes you so special?" Schmidt asked, voicing his long-standing curiosity.
"Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn." Steve smirked coldly.
Schmidt was infuriated. He delivered a few punches to Steve's abdomen, then pulled out his pistol and pressed it against Steve's forehead.
"You could have been a god, like me. But instead, you chose to wallow among mortals. Very well, then—I'll send you to meet your God."
Just as Schmidt was about to pull the trigger, an unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"If a god is someone like you, then my job just got a lot easier."
"Who's there?!"
Schmidt spun around and saw Maier sitting comfortably in his chair, sipping coffee, while Kanon stood behind him, arms crossed, clad in his sacred armor.
"Kanon! What are you doing here?" Steve exclaimed in surprise. He was well aware of Kanon's formidable strength. With him present, even if the main forces never arrived, he was confident that Hydra could be utterly annihilated and Schmidt's schemes thwarted.
Though Steve didn't recognize the man sitting before him, he surmised that this must be the "lord" Kanon often spoke of.
"The audacity of the ignorant…" Maier sneered. "The Age of Myth has ended, the gods have hidden themselves, and now any random mutt dares to call itself a god? Laughable." With a casual wave of his hand, the guns held by Schmidt and his soldiers were instantly severed in half. "I don't like being threatened with weapons."
"My lord."
"Eliminate everyone except the red-faced one."
"Yes." Kanon grinned maliciously.
In the next instant, streaks of golden light flashed through the room. All the soldiers, save for Schmidt and Steve, collapsed to the ground, their chests pierced through.
Schmidt nearly lost his soul to fear. What kind of power is this? Could it be one of Sebastian Shaw's mutant experiments? He turned and attempted to flee.
But before Steve could even react, Schmidt found himself frozen mid-air, unable to move.
"Did I give you permission to leave?"
Maier's calm voice felt like the embodiment of pure terror in Schmidt's ears. As the footsteps grew closer, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Thank you," Steve said, standing up and nodding in gratitude toward Maier.
Maier nodded in acknowledgment before turning his gaze toward Schmidt, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Tell me, do you still think yourself a god?"
"W-Who… Who are you? A mutant?"
"Sigh, I suppose you were something of a final boss in this chapter. As a sign of respect, I'll introduce myself—Maier, the All-Father of Earth, one of the chief gods of the Greek Sanctuary… and the one who will end you."
"G-Greek… Sanctuary?! You're—" Schmidt's heart pounded in terror. As an avid enthusiast of mythology, he was well-versed in the legends of the Greek Sanctuary. In the beginning, he hadn't set his sights on Odin's relics; his original goal had been to uncover the secrets of the Greek Sanctuary. But every time he led his troops to Athens in search of its location, they would inexplicably black out, only to wake up outside of Greece with no recollection of how they had gotten there. Even his soldiers experienced the same phenomenon. Eventually, he had shifted his focus elsewhere, relegating the Sanctuary to the realm of unsolvable mysteries.
He had always dreamed of conquering the world first, then unlocking the secrets of the Greek Sanctuary to wield its power for himself.
Yet now, the Sanctuary had come knocking on his door instead.
"Oh? So you do know a little. Is that why you stole from me?" Maier remarked as he walked toward a display rack. Upon it rested several lost relics—Scorpio's Scarlet Needle, Capricorn's Sacred Excalibur, Aquarius' Eternal Frost, and a few Silver Saints' weapons.
"These… These…" Schmidt stammered, unable to even form a complete sentence under the overwhelming pressure Maier exuded.
"I apologize, little ones," Maier murmured, addressing the relics instead of Schmidt. "I came late. It's time to go home."
The once-inanimate artifacts trembled in response, glowing softly before soaring skyward. They shot through the ceiling and disappeared into the distance, returning to the Sanctuary.
Schmidt's face turned even paler.
He had spent so much effort acquiring those artifacts, hoping to unlock the Sanctuary's secrets. Yet they had remained completely inert, nothing more than decorative art pieces. He had even begun doubting their authenticity. But now, seeing them react and return home, he realized the terrifying truth.
"Damn it! If I had known, I never would have touched them!" Schmidt cursed internally. He now suspected that his theft was the very reason Maier had sought him out. Not only had he failed to decipher their mysteries, but he had also drawn a nightmarish enemy to his doorstep.
Steve observed silently. He was confident that Maier was no enemy; since that was the case, he was more than willing to let Maier handle Schmidt. As for the flying "artifacts"? Not my problem.
"My lord, it's done," Kanon reported, returning to Maier's side.
"You've done well." With that, Maier raised a finger, sending a golden beam through Schmidt's forehead, putting an end to the mad dictator's life.
The lost relics had been retrieved, Steve's fate had been altered—there was no longer any need to linger. Maier turned to leave with Kanon, but Steve called out to them.
"Maier, please wait!"
"What is it?"
"I sincerely appreciate your help. Could you stay? I want to properly thank you…"
"There's no need for gratitude, Steve. I have my own reasons for being here. As for thanking me… We will meet again." With that, Maier and Kanon vanished. Yet before Steve could process their departure, a voice echoed in his mind from the void:
"In the large aircraft at the hangar below, there are bombs Schmidt planned to use to destroy the world. I suggest you destroy them—they have no place in this world."
Steve hesitated for a moment before nodding to himself. Maier is right. Those bombs should not exist.
And so, he sprinted toward the hangar.