//------------------------------// // Commanding Officer // Story: Oh Captain, My Captain // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// "I hope this isn't going to become a thing," Rogers said with a small smile when he pushed open the doors to Applebloom's infirmary room, ducking to the side as a pillow sailed past his head. "First Scootaloo ends up in here and now you do. I suddenly fear for Belle's safety." "Ugh, don't talk so loud. Yer voice is making mah wounds hurt worse," Applebloom muttered in reply while resting her head on the sheets, regretting her decision to hurl her source of comfort at the Captain. Rogers was kind enough to return the pillow to her before sitting down beside her bed. "I'm glad to see that you're doing alright," Rogers sighed in relief. "You were pretty beat up when I brought you in here. The doctors weren't sure if you would make it." "Brought me in? Ah remember dragging yer star spangled butt in here," Applebloom shot back with a small chuckle that quickly turned into a coughing fit. "Not that anypony could tell now. Seriously, it's only been a few hours and already yer outfit's been fixed and ya look brand new." "Trust me, the pain is still there. I just have a lot more experience dealing with it than you." Rogers was about to say something else, but the sound of the door being practically ripped off its hinges brought the two away from their conversation. In a blur of orange, Scootaloo appeared at Applebloom's side while pushing the Captain out of the way in the process. "Thank Faust you're okay!" Scootaloo sobbed with tears staining her face, wrapping her hooves around Applebloom's while Rogers tried to process how he ended up on the floor. "When I heard what had happened to you, I came running as fast as I could. But those stupid doctors wouldn't let me in until you were stable and...I'm glad that you're safe." "Ah told ya ah wasn't gonna die. Came damn close though," Applebloom snickered with a small smile that made Scootaloo sigh in relief. "Can't say the same fer Chrysalis. They'll be scraping bits of her off the ceiling fer weeks." Rogers rose back up before heading towards the door, figuring that the two would want to be alone. "Captain America?" Rogers came to a stop with his hand on the handle of the door, slightly tilting his head back so that Scootaloo knew he was listening. "Thank you for bringing Bloom back alive. I know that the mission was important and all, but...I didn't want her going out there. The entire time the two of you were gone, I was constantly terrified that I would never see her again," Scootaloo whispered in a voice that held terror in every word. "You kept your word." "Yes...and no." Rogers turned back towards the pair to find them both staring at him with equally confused expressions. "Applebloom is alive, yes, but it's not because of me. In fact...I'm the one responsible for the condition she's in." Once again his words were met with looks of confusion, getting a sigh from the Captain as he reached up and lowered his mask. "I underestimated Chrysalis. I underestimated all of the villains in this world. I believed since I had survived far worse battles against far stronger villains, that your foes would be a walk in the park. The battle with Chrysalis showed me just how wrong I was," the Captain admitted with his head hung low. "But...you're a hero. As you said, you've fought worse foes. How could you almost lose?" Scootaloo asked. "Because she outplayed me completely. With her changelings shifting into innocent ponies, and me with no idea how to tell them apart, it wouldn't be incorrect to think that I would have died in that battle," Rogers clarified before shaking his head. "And honestly, I thought I was going to...die knowing that not only had I failed to save this land, but I had fallen because I underestimated Chrysalis." "Then...how did you get out of there?" Scootaloo asked. Before speaking, Rogers nodded to Applebloom. Scootaloo turned her head towards the yellow filly, who had become suddenly very interested with the ceiling. "Applebloom figured out that the changelings' armor, despite being shape-shifted, was still conducting electricity. She used the electricity within a machine to fry all the bugs before they could finish us off. If she hadn't done that...then neither of us would have made it back." Rogers then walked up to Scootaloo, bracing himself before speaking again. "So if it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have been able to save her. So if you want to hit me, go right ahead. I deserve it." Scootaloo considered clocking the Captain for a moment, but then she shook her head and patted him on the arm. "The deal was if you abandoned her, I'd kick your spangled ass. But you didn't. Instead, you were willing to fight to the death to protect her. I know that much." Rogers smiled at her response before Scootaloo's eyes widened as she remembered something. "That reminds me, what happened to Applejack?" Rogers saw the pain creep back into Applebloom's eyes, telling him it was time to leave. He nodded to the both of them before exiting the room. As he walked away from the infirmary, he took up his shield and stared into his reflection, allowing him to gaze at his face that was contorted with rage. 'You got careless, Rogers. It doesn't matter what kind of foes you go up against, you have to bring your A game. You didn't and it almost cost you dearly,' he berated himself before glancing up to see a white mare with a now shortened purple and pink mane glaring at him. "If you've come to scold me for my arrogance, go right ahead. I won't say anything." "Oh trust me, while I would love nothing more than to point out the infallible hero's failings, we have more important things to discuss," Belle clarified, though the look on her face showed that they were not done with the Captain's failings. "See, for Faust knows what reason, multiple ponies have joined the three stooges we showed you the other day and want to be trained by you." "They want me to train them? Why?" Rogers asked in reply, getting an eyeroll so great that Belle's pupils vanished for a moment. "Because, Captain, word has already spread throughout the base that you managed to kill Chrysalis. Yeah-yeah, I know Bloom helped as well, but nopony seems to care that she was the one who actually dropped the cauldron on her. All the ponies care about is that the great Captain America reduced the Four's headcount. So now, they want you to teach them how to fight like you." "And what do you think about this?" Rogers asked. For a brief moment Belle was stunned, amazed the Captain would even bother asking for her opinion. "Honestly...I say go for it." Now it was Rogers' turn to be surprised, since he never believed Belle would let him anywhere near her troops. "I'll be honest, our forces are a joke. AB and Scoot's are up with me in terms of combat ability, but the rest of the ponies can barely shoot a crossbow, let alone fight." Rogers frowned at her words, remembering how Scootaloo had trouble shooting a crossbow back on the Starfall. "So you're fine with me training those ponies?" Rogers asked. "Not like we have anypony else who's qualified. And as much as I loathe everypony here calling you the savior of our land, you know how to fight, I know that much," Belle admitted before giving Rogers a cold stare. "But just because you're training these ponies doesn't mean that you're anything special." "You're right. I'm not anything special. I'm a soldier." Belle narrowed her eyes at the response, but with a shake of her head and some words that were muttered under her breath she left the Captain alone. 'Training huh? How long has it been since I trained actual soldiers?' Rogers pondered as he started to walk towards his quarters, knowing that he'd have to ask Applebloom or Scootaloo for the time and meeting place of the soldiers. 'I trained Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but these are ponies--beings that once believed in friendship and harmony. I don't like having to turn them into...soldiers...but I guess I like the idea of them being defenseless even less. Alright ponies, I hope you're ready for training. Because I don't go easy.' / \ //A\\ /// \\\ At least two dozen ponies wandered out of the base at too early o'clock the following morning, eyes squinting as the bright rays of the rising sun poured down onto them. They had all been dragged out of bed by Belle and Scootaloo, who had also instructed them where to go. So as the group stumbled over each other in the bright light, those who were able to see spotted the human in the red, white and blue doing handstand pushups. "You're all late. Drop and give me twenty." A small chuckle spread across the group, but a cold stare from the Captain silenced any humor. One by one the ponies slowly got down and started to do pushups. Rogers watched with observant eyes as they did so, keeping a close eye on each of them. Some, like Bulk and Lightning, were able to do the exercise with no effort. Others he noticed, could barely make it to twenty. "That's enough. Fall in," he ordered. Most of the ponies groaned in relief as they pushed themselves back to a standing position, but none dared to speak when they felt the eyes of the Captain wash over them. "Now then, most of you have come here because you want me to teach you how to fight like me. So you can learn how to flip and punch and throw a shield." Rogers eyes narrowed when he spied most of the ponies nodding vigorously. "If that's the reason you're here, then leave now," he finished, his words smacking the looks off of the ponies. "Because I'm not here to teach you how to be an Avenger. I'm here to teach you how to be soldiers. You will learn how to fight, how to shoot and how to push through pain. Because starting now, I'm no longer Captain America. I'm your commanding officer. Any questions?" "Um, I have one sir," a pony spoke up from the back, getting the Captain to turn his gaze towards him. "Why can't you train us to be Avengers? I think most of us would like to be heroes instead of soldiers." "You want to be an Avenger? Then we start with the first lesson," Rogers began as he slid the shield onto his arm and narrowed his eyes. "Fight me." He saw the desire to be an Avenger die in most of the ponies' eyes, but he smirked when he saw Lightning Dust taking a few steps forward. "Back in line, Dust. You had your chance. Wait until you've been trained before you consider fighting me." "And I'll say this now. The training to be an Avenger is ten times harder than the training I have in store for you. And honestly, none of you have shown me any proof that you can handle it," Rogers explained, getting some of the ponies to share concerned looks. "If any of you want to get out, now's the time. Because once we start, you're all committed." Rogers had expected over half the ponies to leave, but to his complete surprise not one of the ponies turned their back. "We trust you Captain, even if we don't quite get what you're going to do," one of the ponies said with eyes filled with respect. "You're our hero. We'll follow you into Tartarus, if we must." Rogers watched as every eye was filled with that same respect and resolve, except for Dust of course. Rogers couldn't help but smile at their loyalty before his eyes set like flint again. "Alright, since all of you decided to stay we will get started! We're going on a jog. Let's go!" Rogers turned and took off running, his speed surprising most of the ponies who had to sprint to catch up to him. The group ran as the sun continued its arc across the sky, turning the deep amber of the morning to a beautiful blue before a pony dared to ask a question. "Cap...how much longer...do we have to run?" one of them managed to wheeze out, the others nodding in agreement as they lay sprawled out on the ground. "We've been...going for nearly an hour now...with barely any breaks...how much...longer?" "Until I get tired, soldier," Rogers responded, getting groans of pain from nearly every pony except Dust, who smiled at the challenge. "Five more minutes and then we're back to running." Another loud groan came from the group. The Captain shook his head before he started to do pushups. "So, what's with the sudden change of attitude?" Rogers looked up to see Belle staring down at him, the mare wearing an expression of interest on her face. "You seemed like such a nice guy before this started. Didn't know you had what it took to be tough." "Our foes have multiple armies that are all far better trained and equipped than us. If we want to have any chance of winning, I need to get these ponies into fighting shape as fast as I can." Rogers could see the confusion on Belle's face, the same confusion that Bloom and Scootaloo had worn earlier. "But you're the hero. Aren't you going to beat the remaining members of the Three and save us all with one hand while curing all illnesses with the other?" Belle asked sarcastically. Rogers slowly got up at her words and looked deep into the mare's eyes, which began to shrink under the intense glare of the Captain. "If yesterday taught me anything, it's that trying to face this threat alone would be suicide," the Captain made perfectly clear for the mare. "I might be an Avenger, I might have to face far greater foes than the ones you face, but I also had a team backing me. I didn't do it alone. So if we're going to win this war, we're going to need a team. Because I can't do it alone." "And don't think that just because I'm a hero means that I'm better or worth more than any of you. Because I'm a soldier, same as any of you. Only difference is I have far more experience in situations like these," Rogers clarified before holding up a hand and signaling that the break was over. "So if the time comes that I have to lay down my life to protect you, I want to make sure that you can all protect yourselves without me. Back to running!" Belle's face remained confused as the Captain took off running once more, the ponies following after him with some complaints and groans. She lowered her head while she tried to process what he had said. She then shook her head and spat to the side, deciding to not let a guy in a stupid outfit confuse her. ||3|| "This...cannot be," Tirek whispered with absolute disbelief in his tone, staring at the empty seat where only a few days ago one of their strongest members had been sitting. "Ahuizotl I could understand. Starlight might have been a fluke. But for the Crusaders and Captain America to actually...kill Chrysalis..." "That's what the fool gets," Sombra spat back, getting a snarl from Tirek while Ahuizotl stared down at the table, unable to wrap his mind around the news. "She told us to be careful and then she goes and gets herself killed. If you ask me, we're better off without her." "Well, nopony did ask you, you fool! Can't you see?! We've lost nearly half our numbers!" Tirek roared with a fury that shook the dark castle to its core. "And the ponies are becoming more rebellious than ever! Word of Captain America's victory has spread across the nation in a little under a day, and ponies are no longer afraid of us! They all believe that this Captain will save them from us!" "Which he wont'," Sombra replied, but Tirek wasn't listening to him at this point. Sombra let out a groan before he glanced over at Ahuizotl, amazed to see that he seemed to be thinking for once. "I think we should hear every opinion at this table. Do you have an idea on how to stop this Captain America, Ahuizotl?" Ahuizotl lifted his head with surprise, before slightly lowering it with embarrassment. "W-well...if we could find the base of the Crusaders, we could crush their forces with our army and kill the Captain in one fell swoop. That would put an end to the rebellion and any hope the ponies of the nation had in Captain America." "Of course, your idea would be useless. We have searched across the land for the Crusaders' base and have found nothing!" Tirek bellowed with fury, but the sound of chuckling made the two turn their attention to Sombra. "What do you find so funny, oh lazy king?" "Tirek, finding the base is impossible. We know that. So instead of us finding it ourselves, we will simply have a crusader lead us there," Sombra reasoned, getting him two insane looks from the other two villains. "Don't worry your heads about it none. You just leave finding those nasty rebels to King Sombra. All we need is the right...trail to follow."