"This world of yours is inside of a collapsing pocket dimension. I doubt anyone has actually noticed but the stars and things in the distance are slowly disappearing over time. Eventually this pocket dimension of yours will cease to exist." Ethan told them and the militia members looked at each other in confusion.
"Can't we go through the portal?" One of them asked.
Ethan shook his head. "No, aside from things that came from our dimension there are only two things that can come from this dimension. One is a person the other is an object. Neither of which we can pick."
"Part of the reason you did not explain is because they would have wanted to stay if you told them that all the people in this world would have died." The man pointed out. "But if that is the case why were you so worried about the portal turning red?"
"Because if it collapses with either of those two things on this side of the portal then a section of our world is replaced with this one. Some of the people in our world are replaced by what and who is here." Ethan answered.
Then one of the smarter militia members seemed to realize something. "You won the war in your world right? So there are no Nazis?"
Ethan nodded.
"Then that means Nazis would take the place of innocent Brits who are happy under no threat of a Nazi regime?" The militia man nodded his head. "Okay, then what else do you need to complete your mission? If our worlds are similar then we might have parallel world descendants or family on your side. I would rather this world where the Nazis exist burn than your free world." The militia man's words reaffirmed his comrades who all stood taller with more confidence.
"Yeah." "To hell with the Nazis." "Let's go out like the old man." They all agreed with the militia man's words. Ethan smiled under his mask, a genuine smile. While the other man had a surprised smile on his face.
"Okay then," Ethan pulled out the device Liberty Lion had given him and started tuning it. "Then I need to…" He walked over to the broken window walking past the Hydra soldier corpses. He then pointed to a building in the distance. "I need to go there to get the object we need to take out of this pocket dimension."
"Well that is where the Nazis set up their headquarters. It used to be the Parliament building." One of the militia men answered.
"I can take you there. I know a few shortcuts." The female radio woman who came with the militia group told them.
"Okay, then while we go after it. I need the rest of you to guard this place and take out any Hydra soldiers. Despite me jamming the radios they will eventually realize what is going on and come after us." Ethan told them.
"I am coming with you." The man that came with the older Carter through the portal told him.
Ethan shrugged, "that was implied." Then he began walking away, kicking up one of the Hydra soldiers' guns into his hand. "Come on, we bought ourselves some time but we are still very limited on the amount of time we do have."
They walked down to the bottom floor and then went out of a backdoor with the woman leading the way. "Hey if we are going to be working together should we at least know what to call each other?" The woman asked.
They were both silent for a few moments as they moved through an alleyway. Then the man that had come through the portal with the older Carter spoke up. "My name is Murdoc, Murdoc Hilt."
Ethan had to hide his reaction of surprise. Fortunately he was behind both of them. But hearing the man's name really surprised him. Murdoc was Ethan's lost grand uncle. Ethan never learned anything about what happened to the man but he was supposed to be dead from what Peggy Carter and Shield had told their family.
"My name is Delilah." The radio operator told them. She then turned to Ethan who was quietly following behind them. "How about you?"
"Reaper, it is the name I go by." Ethan told them.
"What happened? Did people lose actual names in the future?" Murdoc sarcastically asked as they rounded another corner. The streets were mostly empty when they started walking but as they got closer to their destination they started spotting more and more Hydra soldiers.
"No, but mercenaries and other individuals will take up codenames to hide their identities. Especially since we have a tendency to do things that are illegal." Ethan explained with a shrug.
But Murdoc narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Delilah was much more innocent with her curiosity. "Is it that difficult to find legal work in the future?"
"No," Ethan chuckled in amusement. "But some people like myself will take up work that can make us many enemies. Or it can result in several unsavory groups coming after us or our loved ones."
"I see... Can you tell me a bit more about the future?" Delilah requested.
Ethan looked at Murdoc and then shrugged after a moment. "I do not see why not." He then sprinted across a street to another alley way. The others joined them and they looked out the alleyway to the former parliament building.
It had several holes and collapsed portions of the building. But hanging from the upper balcony were several flags. Most of them were the Nazi flag. The other flags were the Hydra symbol in red with a black background.
"We have many different heroes, vigilantes and villains in our time. Some are more colorful but others are much more serious and brooding." Ethan told them as he looked for a hole in security that they exploit and use to sneak into the building.
"Really? Tell me about the strangest hero." Delilah asked quietly.
"Hmm… There are many strange ones. But the strangest by far has to be… Spider-Man." Ethan decided as he noticed a possible spot that could sneak in through. "He wears a red and blue costume and uses artificial webbing to swing from building to building. He can climb up walls and has strength equal to that of… Captain Carter."
"Why did you pause there?" Murdoc asked.
"I almost said Captain America. But they do not have that here. They have Captain Carter instead." Ethan answered. "Now follow me and stay quiet." He moved forward and crouched behind a parked tank.
He then moved from the parked tank to behind some crates. Crouch walked behind them, timing it so as he came out the other side the patrolling guard was walking toward the other direction.
Quietly moving behind a parked canvas truck he peaked around the edge to a basement entrance. A soldier was quietly snoring while sitting on an oil drum. Ethan snuck past him and crouched by the door. The door was broken already so he just pushed it in and entered the lower floor.
He walked into the room cautiously at first but then stood up as he realized there was dust covering several surfaces and no signs of it having any occupants. There were several broken chairs, tables, and dressers. As well as many discarded paintings and books. It appears they were storing anything that got in the way down here.
Ethan pulled out the radio device that Liberty Lion had given him. He found the signal for the last item, Captain Carter's shield. It was coming from a floor above them in the back corner of the building.
"So Captain America was your version of Captain Carter? That is a strange name. Is there anything else that is unbelievable?" Delilah quietly asked as Ethan moved to look at a set of stairs that would go up to an upper floor.
"Umm… mutants. There are people who naturally gain strange abilities. They can do anything from levitate objects to travel great distances in a manner of seconds." Ethan told her, "as for the most unbelievable ability it has to be the ability to control weather."
"Wow…" Delilah quietly whispered as they began climbing up the stairs.
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