Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, was walking home to the Avengers Tower one fall evening when he heard a scuffling in an alleyway he had just passed. Alerted by the sound, he stopped and went back, body ready to fight if needed. Peering into the alley cautiously, he did not see anyone or anything other than several full dumpsters. But then there was a scraping inside the dumpster closest to the opening in which Steve stood.
Steve held his breath for a long minute. Then his heart jumped in his chest when he heard a bark. A bark he recognized.
Steve had just joined the army after his transformation into Captain America, and had joined Bucky. Bucky, it turned out, had been chosen as a handler of a Doberman named King. King had quickly bonded with Steve, and Steve had become King's handler when Bucky had died. King had died on the battlefield just before Steve had gone into the ice.
Steve came out of his reverie as the dog barked again and blinked away the tears that always seemed to appear when he was in his memories. Composing himself, he hurried to help the dog. It took about an hour to get the dog free, and then Steve was able to truly see and study- her, if the round belly was anything to go by.
Despite her belly, her ribs were showing, and her undocked tail shook with cold and fear as she stared up at Steve with the saddest eyes he had ever seen.
"Hey, Girl," he invited, hand outstretched and crouched low to the ground, "Are you hungry? Is that why you were in the dumpster? I've got food at home, do you want to come home with me?" he waited with bated breath while she stretched her emaciated neck out to sniff his hand and wrist. Finally, her tail began to wag the smallest bit, and Steve felt a grin break over his face as he stood up very slowly and lifted the dog up into his arms to be carried home.