Liberty

I shouted, fighting desperately as the two thugs dragged me roughly across the cracked concrete floor, throwing me into the chair hard.

I tried to get to my feet, to run across the room to my shield, but they grabbed my shoulders, slamming me back against the back of the chair and forced my arms through the straps, cinching the bands down tightly enough to obliterate any room I might have had to move.

I continued to struggle, panting hard, knowing that I had to get away, had to escape, had to find Cap - No, no don't think about Cap.

After nearly wrenching my shoulder out of place, I slumped back against the cold leather, breathing hard, praying I would make it to the end of the day alive.

Loki's smug face leaned over me from behind. "Not so hot now, are you, Little Soldier?" He asked mockingly.

"**** you." I spat.

"Ooh, you've got quite a tongue on you, now don't you, Little Soldier? We might have to fix that." The god smirked.

"My name is Liberty." I seethed.

Loki smiled smugly. "Not for much longer." He raised a hand and dropped it, signaling his two henchmen.

They lifted a metal helmet between the two of them, and, stepping over various wires and cords connected to it, carried it over to me.

I thrashed, fighting, resisting… but they clamped it down onto my head, strapping it securely under my chin.

I breathed in and out through gritted teeth, tensing my body in preparation for what was to come.

"Ready, Little Soldier?" The God of Magic's voice held an irritation tone of mocking superiority.

"I'm Captain Liberty Rogers, I am always - Ah!" I cried out as a sudden wave of paralysis stole over me as Loki flipped the switch.

"I'm Captain Liberty Rogers," I whispered to myself. "I am Captain Liberty Rogers, I am Captain Liberty Rogers, I am Captain -"

Captain Who? A voice whispered in the back of my mind.

Captain Rogers. I am Captain Liberty Rogers. I replied back.

Are you? It insisted.

I searched my mind, and found that I no longer knew the answer to that question.

Yes, yes, I am, I remember everything: The Doctor, Hawk, Cap. My father.

Captain America, oh yes. But he is not important to you. Remember?

No, no, he is important, he's my… my… Somewhere, in the back of my head, I felt a thread, small and delicate, snap. You're… you're right. He isn't important. What's happening?! I thought he was someone I… cared about, but… I can't remember why. I've never even met him.

Good, good. It purred. No-one you knew before is important. Only me -

No. NO! I cried. You can't take my friends away from me! I closed my eyes, picturing the Doctor in my mind. His weird red shoes, his long trench-coat, his ridiculously spiked hair… But as I tried to focus on him, his image, he started to blur.

No! I shouted. You can't take him… Where are you taking him?... Why … Why did I think he was he important? Why… shouldn't I let you take him? Who is he?

No-one anymore. The voice whispered. There is only me.

I was feeling dizzy, disoriented, when, from deep inside, the image of a pair of brilliant blue eyes, the color of the sky an hour after twilight, rose from inside my mind. Hawk.

You won't get her! I snarled, a jolt of self-awareness waking me up. I might not be sure who I was, but I knew who she was, and I wasn't going to let her go. I brought my memories of her, from when I was a little girl, tripping over her on her first day to yesterday when she had bandaged the newest cut I had managed to give myself, into the front of my mind, picturing her long blonde hair, her very blue eyes, her warm, gentle smile, running over the images I had engraved into my heart.

Oh. The voice murmured. She's buried deep. She's like a sister to you, isn't she?

Which is why you can't have her. I said defiantly.

At those words, the probe dug deeper. I clenched my hands tightly enough that I felt blood start to drip down my palms, my spine arching in the pain of fighting, fighting against the invader in my head.

Hawk. Don't forget her. Hawk. I told myself over and over. Don't forget her. Don't. Forget. Hawk.

Who's Hawk? Whispered the voice mockingly. You don't know anyone named Hawk.

Yes I do! I screamed, raging against the confines. My best friend in the whole wide world's name is Hawk, and she is a nurse in the army, and she has always been there for me!

Who. Is. Hawk?! The voice, cold and furious now, demanded, wrenching at the deepest roots of my memories. I cried out as I felt them tearing free.

My best friend, my best friend, Hawk is my best friend, my best -

In my mind, her blue eyes suddenly started to fade away.

No. NO! I'm not ready for you to take… her. Hawk. Her name was Hawk, right? Did I know her? I asked the voice.

Once. The voice was once again silky and soothing. She doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters but me. Remember? I'm your friend.

Ri - right. I said dazedly. I remember.

Good. The voice soothed. Now, what is your name?

Liberty. I recalled with some difficulty. Liberty Ann Rogers.

The voice… Well, if it had a mouth it would've smiled. I'm glad you remember. Unfortunately, I need to fix that. It snarled, and I screamed aloud as it jerked and clawed at the deepest recesses of my memories, digging them up and ripping them from my mind.

/\\\/

From far, far away, I distantly heard and recognized the sounds of explosions, followed by gunfire. I knew that that meant... something, something… something good, but I couldn't remember what.

No, no, you can't go, I haven't yet finished!The machine growled, tightening its grip on my consciousness. Finished with what? I dared to ask. It "smiled" again. I'm glad you asked. Goodbye, Little Soldier. It dove deeper into my mind with a sudden, ferocious vengeance, slashing with diamond claws, digging in with a brutality it hadn't displayed before. I screamed and thrashed wildly, yanking futilely at the constrains holding me to the chair as pain jolted through my mind, tracing burning lines of fire and agony into my mind. I continued shrieking until my voice gave out, throat raw and hoarse, then went limp, too exhausted to keep fighting. From far, far away, it seemed, I became aware of a tear running down my cheek.

No. Captain… Captain Liberty Ann Rogers does not cry. You cannot break me.

Then, the voice screamed as the helmet was ripped off my head. I gasped, jerking forward, eyes halfway opening. Semiconscious, I caught only vague, indistinct images as the bands on my wrists and ankles were torn open and I was dragged off the chair, collapsing onto the ground.

Strong arms caught me, guiding me to the floor. I was distantly aware that someone, I wasn't sure who, had his arms around me, cradling my head.

I blinked hazily, catching the image of a man with chocolate eyes and dark brown hair standing up in spikes across his forehead.

"Liberty? Liberty, can you hear me?" He asked urgently. A British accent colored the words.

"Yes." I groaned.

"It's the Doctor, if you can't see me, your eyes are a bit swollen, don't worry, Cap's here too, we're rescuing you. You'll be okay."

I frowned. "You're not one of Cap's crew. Who did you say you were?"

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "The Doctor."

"Doctor Who?"

The man froze, a soft, involuntary gasp parting his lips. I couldn't see his face very well, but what I could see looked stricken. No. Heartbroken.

"It's the Doctor, remember? We met at the base, just a few months ago. First you shot me, then Hawk healed me, and then I took you to Germany, and then we pied Hitler. Remember? Liberty, do you remember?!" The desperation that had flooded his voice when he had first started talking now faded into hopelessness. "You became a good friend, to me, and the Tardis. Can you remember the Tardis? Can you remember anything about me? You bloody shot me, the first day we met!" This "doctor" was nearly sobbing now. "Remember?!"

"... No…"

With thanks to CaptLibertyRodgers1776 for allowing me to sorely misuse, nearly blow up, and eventually wipe the memory of her character.