Author's Note: I finally found time to write! I'm applying for full time jobs and had four interviews in three days. I was so stressed. I really want the third job I interviewed for! It has full medical benefits, the woman who interviewed me was so awesome, and it just felt so right. It's at a medical clinic, and I'd be checking out patients and doing clerical work. I don't find out about that one until next Friday. I was in the final three out of 65 applicants for one job which was awesome! But I decided it wasn't the right fit and I didn't get it anyway. Ugh, I need a week off from that. It's a stressful process. I haven't interviewed for jobs outside of teaching much at all. I've worked at my current job for almost 6 years, so I've really only worked like three jobs in my life.

Anyway, enough about that. I've got a lot of ideas for the following chapters, so I'll try to keep writing. I really want to get going on A Game of Heroes when I can. I kind of took a hiatus already and it was nice, but I'm getting in the mood to start writing again. Sometimes it's just really hard to find the time.
So I have over 200 favorites on A Game of Trust now. WOW! Thank you! I can't believe this series has taken off that much. I was so scared to post the first one thinking no one would like it. I started out knowing basically nothing about Marvel except I liked that Steve guy. Now I know everything. Just kidding. A lot of things anyway. More things about Marvel than I remember about what I learned in school... Can you major in Marvelology?

It Takes Heart

Steve opened his eyes and knew something was wrong immediately. He felt wrong. He was back in his cell, laid out on the uncomfortable cot. He tried to move and found that his arms felt weak. Something caught in his lungs – dust – and he started to choke and cough on it, struggling for breath. He sat up and looked down at himself and did a double take. This had to be some sort of nightmare. His once muscular arms and legs were thin and weak. His body was gaunt and he could feel what he now recognized as asthma in his lungs. His heartbeat started pounding out of control. The serum wasn't working. He was the way he had been before it had changed him. He struggled to keep his emotions in control though fear and shock threatened to overwhelm him. How was this possible? What had they done to him and who was behind it? There were too many questions that he couldn't answer behind bars or in this state. He was weak and that made him defenseless.

He stood and walked over to the door, rattling the bars. This time it was locked. He'd walked straight into a trap before. Stupid. This whole thing had shaken him. He hadn't taken the time to think and now he was paying the price.

"Terrible isn't it?" a voice came from the shadows of the hallway beyond. The same woman he'd seen twice before stepped under the light. "Knowing power and having it ripped away from you."

"I used to be like this and I got by okay." He wouldn't admit how powerless he felt right now without the serum's effect on his body. He'd grown so used to it he'd begun to take it for granted. But he didn't forget being this version of himself. He'd never forget that.

"Good because you're going to be this way for awhile."

"Are you working for Strucker? Why doesn't he face me?" Steve asked angrily.

"Oh he'll see you. You're his personal guest after all. He knew you were too curious to resist meeting him. He knew you would set off the device one way or another."

"You built that just hoping we'd wander across it?"

"We built it so that Strucker might travel between the past and the future. After you dealt with Red Skull, we needed someone with equal caliber to continue Hydra's work in the future."

"So is past-Strucker aware of the future then?" This was dangerous what Strucker was doing. Changing one little moment could do a lot of damage. Leave it to people like Strucker to believe he had a right to walk through time.

The woman just smiled. "So many questions. Even losing your strength doesn't crush your spirit. Not yet."

"My abilities didn't define who I was," Steve told her. "It's my spirit that got me this far."

"You've always been a bit of a joke as far as Hydra is concerned," the woman said. "I mean really, picking a scrawny thing like you for a serum that could change the future?"

Steve knew she was just trying to bait him. He didn't give her the satisfaction of a response. "I want to see Strucker," he said instead.

"Very well. I'll take you to him." She pulled out a set of keys and unlocked his door. "This way." She didn't bother to tie his hands or pull a weapon on him. He didn't see the point in fighting her. He did want to speak to Strucker. That was what he'd wanted all along. He didn't think for a moment Strucker would tell him everything, but maybe in this non-threatening form, Strucker would be more willing to tell him something. He made a mental note of everything they passed – doors that might lead to exits, vents that he might be able to fit through now. He couldn't quite place where they were. It was part prison, part laboratory. It seemed endless – a castle perhaps? A research facility? The woman's accent was German, so he assumed that was where they were.

Finally they reached a warmer part of the building with carpeted halls and walls lined with paintings. They stopped at a set of double doors at the end of the hall and the woman knocked before pushing them open and turning to let Steve in. He followed her and found himself in an office crammed with books and devices and detailed schematics for machinery that looked too advanced to be in this time. Maybe that was what future-Strucker had been doing to help.

A heavy oak desk sat in the middle of the room and Strucker sat there behind it. He was older than Steve remembered, but he couldn't quite figure out if this was Strucker from the past or Strucker from the future. "Ah, welcome, Captain Rogers. Not looking yourself, I must say. Do sit." He motioned to a chair in front of the desk. Steve sat down as the woman closed the doors behind her, leaving them alone.

"No doubt thanks to you," Steve replied.

"Well, I didn't want you in your Super Soldier body wreaking havoc all over my labs. I've seen the damage you can do to Hydra. Don't worry, it's only temporary. Well, unless I decide not to change you back. I can't permanently erase the serum from your cells."

"Why are you doing this? Why did you send us back?"

"Why Captain, I would have thought you'd have figure that out by now or has your brain gotten smaller as well as your muscles?"

Steve forced himself to stay calm. "You want to sabotage something. I just don't know what you think you can get away with. Are you trying to change the future by changing the past?"

"Do you know how much simpler my life would be without you or your costumed friends always swooping in to save the day? Without Captain America the Avengers wouldn't have a leader. They would fail before they started."

"I don't believe that. They'd do fine without me." If he hadn't been pulled from the ice Loki still would have come down to Earth and the rest of the team would still have saved the world.

"You don't see it, do you? How much others look to you for guidance. Without Captain America, the war might turn in a very different direction."

"Then why don't you just go murder past-me?"

"Because something happens in the future – your past – and without you there, I would have died. It pains me to admit it though you certainly weren't trying to save me. If I kill you before you become Captain America, then I will not have a future either."

"Can't you just avoid that moment?"

"You're not wrapping your mind around this. My past self doesn't know I exist. I cannot interfere too much without risking the future. I led you straight into that laboratory in Munich. There's something there that I needed but couldn't get to. You see, when I designed the time machine that brought you back here, I did not realize the flaw. I foolishly believed I had cracked time travel, but once I arrived here I realized my mistake. The machine can only take one into the past but not back into the present. I've been trapped here for three years. I've managed to keep in correspondence with some of my associates, but I can't get myself back."

A sinking feeling was filling Steve's gut. "So if you're trapped, that means I am too."

"Precisely."

"What did you need in your laboratory? I didn't bring anything from there with me." What a mess and now Strucker had pulled him and Aspen straight into the middle of it.

"It's up there," Strucker said, tapping his head. "In that brain of yours. There were schematics there. You saw them."

Steve thought back to the schematics and notes Aspen had taken pictures of on her phone. He could picture one that went into the details of a device similar to the one that had sent them back in time. "I remember them."

"You are the key to freeing both of us from the past. I need you to help me rebuild the machine."

"Why didn't you just send one of your men to bring it to you?" he asked. "Why me?"

"No one shows as much determination as you, Captain. It turns out my men aren't so loyal when it really counts."

Steve wanted to refuse, but he realized that machine was the key to getting all three of them back into their own time. "I don't know if I saw enough."

"You did. Draw what you saw." Strucker pushed a pad of paper and a pen toward him. Steve automatically grabbed it and started to draw. He could still picture the plans clearly and soon the entire page was filled with the schematics he'd seen in Munich. He pushed it back to Strucker.

"Good, good."

"Can you fix what went wrong before?" Steve asked.

"Yes. I've had a lot of time to think here. Most of the machine is done, but I needed these schematics to finish."

"You're taking Aspen and me back with you."

Strucker narrowed his eyes, and Steve thought he was about to refuse for a moment. "The past doesn't need more than one Captain America," he said finally. "But I don't know where your girl is. She was supposed to end up where you did. Are you sure she came through?"

"She was in the room with me."

"Then I don't know where she is. When the time comes, I'm going with or without her. You'll have to make that choice too."

"I would never leave her!"

"What will she think when she sees you in your weakened state?"

"You said it was temporary. And anyway, she wouldn't care. That's not what's important."

"I wonder if you're just telling yourself that or if you really believe it." Strucker stood. "I have work to do. Nina will show you back to your cell."

"Why? You said it yourself, I'm not going to be trashing your labs with these arms."

"Still, I don't want to take any chances."

The door opened and the woman – Nina – entered again. She inclined her head, and Steve grudgingly left the office. He followed her back to his cell. He thought about running, but where would he go? He needed to be here if he wanted to get back to the 21st century, but he needed to find Aspen first. He wasn't going anywhere without her even if it meant getting trapped here in the 40s. Even if it meant staying in this state.

"I need to find my friend," he told Nina as they reached his cell. "Please, can you try to find her? I'm not going back without her."

Nina smiled sweetly, moving closer to him. He thought for a moment she might agree, but then she placed both hands on his shoulders and pushed him back into the cell. "It's too easy now," she purred, locking the door. "No one here cares about your girl. Get over her."

Steve glared at her. He was about to retort when he felt her hand on his. She pushed a piece of paper into it. He gave her a questioning look, but she was already turning away, leaving him alone. Steve walked back to his cot and sat down before looking down at the piece of paper she had slid him.

I'm Agent 30 from SHIELD. I was investigating Strucker a few years back when he was first testing his machine. I got brought back with him, but he didn't realize it. I posed as his employee. We need Strucker to finish the machine in order to get back but this isn't the only project he's working on. He's finishing off a device that we cannot allow to be taken into the future. It's programmed to take away any powers a person might have – Super Soldier powers included – and for good. We need to stop him, but it's a fine line because he needs to come back with us. The past can't handle two Struckers. We'll get your girl back if there is time, but I have to prioritize destroying this second machine. Destroy this note and wait for further instruction.

Steve stared down at the paper. They weren't alone. Help was coming from an unexpected place. He tore up the paper until the pieces were unreadable and shoved them under the mattress of his cot. He could only hope that Agent 30 found Aspen before Strucker finished the machine.

…

Aspen entered the parlor she was supposed to be dusting. It was after dark and everything was eerie and shadowed. A large painting of Schmidt hung above the mantle of the grand fireplace. She whisked the feather duster around while her eyes roved the room. Of course nothing suspicious was left lying around. All that would be in the forbidden office. Peggy was working down the hall. She'd instructed Aspen to snoop as much as she could without arousing suspicion. The last thing Aspen wanted to do was get them caught, but she needed answers, and she wasn't going to find them here. As she worked her way around the room, her brain started working and she wondered if there were any secret passageways in the castle. She was no Nancy Drew and it wasn't like she could just start pushing on random objects or pulling out all the books in the bookshelf. She touched her bracelet. What if she removed it? Would her heightened sense pick up on a possible passageway? Was it worth the risk?

Setting down her duster, she unlatched the bracelet before she could change her mind. Instantly her abilities flooded over her in an overwhelming rush. She wanted to shut them off immediately, but she calmed herself and focused on the room. She listened and felt the air. Something caught her attention by the fireplace. There was a small chill she hadn't noticed before and, as she glanced down at the metal fire poker stand, she saw that there was a streak the ashes. She pushed at the stand and it moved backwards. The panel of wall between the fireplace and the bookshelf slid open. She jumped back in surprise. It had actually worked. She cuffed her wrist again, grabbing her duster and entering the passage. She put the handle of the duster through the doorway just incase the panel tried to shut her in. It was pitch dark further in and she had no light, so she moved slowly and carefully, running a hand along the dusty wall to guide her. She felt a trill of excitement at what she was doing. This was movie spy stuff. This was something she'd never have the chance to do in her time.

The tunnel bent, and she tripped into a step. She lifted her foot and found her way upward. It must have led all the way up to the second story. She could see a faint light up ahead and walked toward it. There was a door in the wall, outlined with pinpricks of light. She heard a voice behind it. There was a small panel in the door, and she reached a hand up to pull it back. Light flooded through two oval slits. She came closer, standing a little taller to see through. She could see straight into the room beyond. A figure moved in front of her, and she stepped back before realizing he couldn't see her.

"It needs to be tonight!" a voice said. She couldn't see who spoke, but a moment later Reinhardt stepped into view.

"Can you convince him?" Reinhardt asked the first voice.

"I don't need to convince him. I'll do it myself! He's already a prisoner. He has nowhere to go. His family is dead."

"You haven't told him yet-?"

"No, I'm still using them as leverage."

Aspen felt a jolt. They were talking about Doctor Erskine, she was sure of it. She tried to catch a glimpse of the man standing just out of sight, but Reinhardt moved to block her sight.

"Are you sure this is wise?" he asked.

"Are you questioning me? Perhaps you want this serum for yourself?"

Aspen's breath caught. The other man in the room had to be none other than Johann Schmidt, and he was talking about the Super Soldier Serum. It occurred to her that if Peggy rescued Doctor Erskine in the next few days that meant that Schmidt injected himself with the serum soon. The crazy idea of getting the serum away from him before he could inject himself with it entered her mind, but she realized that without Red Skull there would be no Captain America. Steve would never have the chance to go to war, would never meet Peggy or Howard, wouldn't save Bucky from Zola. Or maybe Bucky would never have met Zola. She took a deep breath. She had to do nothing. She had to keep to the plan otherwise she could irrevocably change the future.

"Tonight," Schmidt said. "I'm taking it tonight. Get the lab prepared and bring Erskine there. He will break under the right pressure. Make sure we aren't disturbed."

"Of course Herr Schmidt." Reinhardt bowed slightly and left the room. Aspen watched another moment. She saw movement, saw a man turning to face her. It occurred to her that she might not be as invisible as she thought. She shut the panel quickly and pressed herself against the wall. She heard footsteps approaching the door. Her breath caught. Had he seen something? Was she about to give herself away? She waited with a thumping heart, terrified that she was about to meet Schmidt up close and personal. Then the footsteps moved away, and she heard a door closing. She let out a breath of relief and quietly made her way back to the entrance she'd come in through. When she reached it, she stopped short. The gap where she'd placed the feather duster was gone. The door was firmly shut. She ran her fingers all over it and the wall beside it, but she could find no latch. She was trapped. The only way out was through Schmidt's study.