The pressure on his shoulder was steady, carrying a warmth that made people feel at ease.
Captain America—Steve Rogers—had a grip just like the man himself: broad, powerful, and utterly reliable.
Steve pulled Levi up from the snow and helped him steady himself. To be honest, Levi's legs were still a little weak—not because of his injuries, but because everything that had just happened had been insane. Betting his life, acting his heart out, keeping his nerves stretched to the breaking point… now that it was finally over, the delayed fear came rushing back.
Luckily—
He'd won the bet.
He could clearly feel the earth-shaking changes happening inside his body. Waves of heat surged through him like boiling water, racing through every corner of his frame. Muscles, bones, organs—everything was being reforged, reshaped, strengthened in an almost unbelievable way.
It felt like being thrown into a furnace, smashed apart, and hammered back together.
Painful.
And exhilarating.
Levi knew exactly what it was.
The Super Soldier Serum had begun to work.
Around them, the Howling Commandos were staring at him like he was some kind of monster. They had seen that knife punch straight through Levi's body—yet now, aside from a pale face and a torn uniform, he looked almost perfectly fine.
"Hell, kid," Dugan muttered around his cigar as he walked over and poked Levi's arm. "You made of steel or something?"
Levi grinned but didn't answer. He couldn't exactly say, Yeah, I just unlocked a cheat and I'm mid-upgrade.
His gaze drifted past the others and landed on Logan.
Logan stood a short distance away, brows tightly furrowed, his sharp, animal-like eyes locked onto Levi without blinking. His nose twitched subtly, again and again, as if sorting through invisible layers of scent.
Levi's heart skipped.
Damn it—he'd forgotten about this guy.
Logan wasn't like Dugan or the others. His senses—especially his sense of smell—were absurdly sharp. Levi now had a healing factor and the Super Soldier Serum coursing through him. With those two powers clashing and merging, his scent had definitely changed.
Other people might miss it.
Logan wouldn't.
Sure enough, Logan strode straight over and stopped right in front of Levi, scanning him from head to toe like he was staring at something wearing human skin.
"You're not right," Logan said flatly.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
"Huh? What do you mean I'm not right?" Levi asked, feeling uneasy but keeping his face neutral.
"Smell," Logan replied, tapping his nose. "You changed. Just now—right after you got stabbed. You smell a bit like the Captain… but not the same. Stronger. Wilder."
Levi's eyelid twitched.
This guy's nose is basically a biological radar…
His mind raced. You couldn't fool a instincts-first brute like Logan with complicated lies. The only option was a half-truth—something outrageous enough to explain everything, yet impossible to disprove.
"…Maybe I awakened," Levi said with a sigh, striking a perfect forty-five-degree, world-weary pose as he gazed into the distance. His acting skills instantly went into overdrive.
"Awakened?" Logan frowned.
"Yeah," Levi said solemnly. "Back home, the elders always talked about something called surviving certain death to be reborn. Some people unlock hidden potential when they brush against death. Guess… that was me. I mean, not everyone gets the chance to be stabbed through the stomach."
He said it so convincingly that even he almost believed it.
Mystical Eastern awakenings, hidden bloodlines—this kind of thing worked frighteningly well on foreigners.
Logan stared at him, suspicious, his expression shifting back and forth. The explanation sounded ridiculous—but Levi's death-and-resurrection had just happened right in front of him. Logan couldn't think of a better explanation.
"Enough, Logan."
Steve stepped in, resting a hand on Logan's shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze.
"Whatever happened to Levi, he's our teammate. And he just saved my life."
That settled it.
Steve's authority cut through the tension like a blade. Logan gave Levi a long, searching look, snorted, and turned away to check on Gabe instead.
He dropped the issue—but Levi knew the suspicion hadn't vanished. Better keep some distance from that guy in the future.
With Logan handled, Levi finally relaxed and turned his attention back to Steve.
Steve was watching him too.
That gaze—deep, complex, unreadable—felt like staring into a philosophical treatise.
"Captain, we—" Levi started, then hesitated.
"We should talk. Alone," Steve said, cutting him off. He turned to Dugan. "Dugan, secure the area. Sweep for intel. Take care of the wounded. Levi and I will scout ahead."
"Yes, sir," Dugan replied crisply.
Steve nodded and motioned for Levi to follow, heading into the forest.
Levi knew it.
The real test starts now.
They walked through the snow-covered woods in silence, the crunch of boots the only sound. Levi could feel the internal heat slowly settling, replaced by an overwhelming sense of strength.
His senses sharpened dramatically. He could hear snow sliding off distant branches, smell pine needles mixed with damp earth, even spot tiny rabbit tracks dozens of meters away.
Strength. Speed. Endurance. Reflexes.
Everything had undergone a qualitative leap.
So this is what it feels like to be a super soldier…
Levi clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power coiled inside. It was intoxicating.
Finally, Steve stopped and turned around, his blue eyes serious.
"What exactly is going on with your body?"
Here it was.
Levi sighed inwardly and gave a helpless smile.
"Captain… if I said I don't fully understand it myself, would you believe me?"
Steve didn't answer—just waited.
Levi knew this had to be airtight. He refined the excuse he'd used on Logan and delivered it carefully.
"I think I've always been… different," Levi said slowly. "I healed faster than most people. I thought I was just tough. But when that knife went into me… it felt like something inside snapped. And then—this happened."
Steve listened closely.
"Like what Dr. Erskine said?" Steve asked suddenly.
"Dr. Erskine?" Levi paused.
"Abraham Erskine," Steve said softly. "Creator of the Super Soldier Program. He once told me the serum doesn't just strengthen the body—it amplifies what's already there. Good becomes greater. Bad becomes worse."
Steve fixed Levi with a piercing look.
"So what you're saying is—you were born with this healing potential. And that near-death experience acted like a key… unlocking it?"
Levi nearly wanted to applaud.
Captain, you absolute legend.
Steve had just finished Levi's entire lie for him—and did it perfectly.
"Yeah," Levi said carefully, letting understanding dawn on his face. "That… actually makes sense."
Steve studied him for a long moment.
He wasn't stupid. He knew Levi was hiding something. But the healing ability was real. Levi's self-sacrifice was real.
And Erskine's words gave him an explanation he could accept.
Maybe the world really did hold miracles beyond science.
Just like him.
"Alright," Steve said at last. "I understand. I'll keep this confidential. It's your secret."
He placed a firm hand on Levi's shoulder.
"But remember—greater power means greater responsibility. I hope you use it wisely."
Looking at Steve's honest, upright face, Levi felt something stir inside him. He nodded solemnly.
"I will, Captain."
In that moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them.
They were the same kind now.
"Let's go," Steve said, smiling again. "There's still a factory to destroy—and brothers waiting to be rescued."
Levi smiled too.
Yeah.
The story was only just beginning.
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