Thomas frowned as he stared out from the bars of his cell and let out a sigh, they had been unable to come up with a plan and instead had fallen into silence. He looked around and couldn't believe just how many soldiers had been taken prisoner or how they weren't trying to rescue them either. He just hoped if he was going to die, it would be quick and painless... nothing like the others had had to go through.

"You look deep in thought, old boy," James murmured, rubbing his head tiredly, "got any ideas on getting out of here?"

Thomas snorted, "Short of building a shrink ray and us lads running out like tiny toy soldiers... nothing, sorry."

"You sure your qualified to build a shrink ray?" Dugan joked and the others chuckled along with him but fell silent as the guard suddenly fell from the walkway above them onto the roof of their cell. Thomas stood slowly as did the others and watched curiously as their rescuer searched the guard's pockets.

Gabe put his hands into his pockets and was the first to speak, "So, who are you supposed to be?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

The young man looked around before he answered, "I'm..." he looked at them and hesitated before answering "...Captain America."

"I beg your pardon?" James asked, sharing a confused look with the others.

This 'Captain America' jumped down and unlocked their cell before moving onto the next one, releasing them all. Thomas felt stunned as they walked out and looked around at the others as Dugan narrowed his eyes at another man, "What, are we taking everybody?" he asked slightly suspicious.

"Dugan, he didn't blow up Pearl Harbor, calm down," Thomas rolled his eyes, "This is Jim, he helped us kill that H.Y.D.R.A basterd."

Jim took out his dog tags and stared down Dugan, "I'm fron Fresno, Ace."

"See, he's friendly," Thomas nudged Dugan with his elbow as Captain America walked through the soldiers towards the doors.

"Is there anybody else? I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes and a nurse called Evelyn Myers?"

Thomas stopped in his tracks as Captain America looked at him with an eyebrow raised and rubbbed the back of his neck, "Well, you see... something happened... just before you came here," he said slowly, "something bad."

The other man frowned, "What happened? Are Evelyn and Bucky alright?" when no one answered him, he threw up his hands, "Will someone say something!" he demanded.

"There was an isolation ward in the factory..." Thomas' mouth felt dry as he spoke, he met Captain America's eyes and let out a shaky sigh, "the doctor... Zola... he-he liked to experiment on the prisoners... especially the nurses. Trying to make a serum or something."

"What are you saying?"

James stepped forward and shook his head, "No one ever came back from it... and Evie... she... she didn't make it. They took Bucky away after she died and we haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry..." Dugan said sincerely, "we couldn't do anything..."

Captain America didn't speak for a moment before he closed his eyes, "I should have been here sooner..." he whispered before shaking his head and looking at them with determination in his eyes as he began to lead them away from the cells, "The treeline is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with... with anyone else I find."

"Hold on... you know what your doing?" Gabe asked, surprised as he began to walk away.

"Or who you're up against?" Thomas added, frowning slightly, either he was really brave or really delusional or both.

Captain America stood before them, with the American flag on their shield and nodded with a straight expression, "Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."

And with that he left the bewildered soldiers and ran for the door.

James couldn't help but aggresively knock out the H.Y.D.R.A soldier with his gun as he ran out the doors with the rest of the newly freed prisoners. With their numbers the guards never stood a chance and he even shared a victorius smile with the others.

There were gunshots all over the place as James, Thomas and Dugan made their way to a tank. "Let's give these sons of bitches a taste of their own medicine, eh?" Thomas yelled as he picked up a dropped gun and began to fire back at the enemy.

"I couldn't agree more!" James replied as he helped cover Dugan as he climbed on top of the tank. Looking over at Dernier and Jim, James seen Dernier pick up a strange looking gun.

"Hey, you know how to use that thing?" Jim asked but then jumped as a surge of brilliant blue light fired into the wall and blew it up, "Okay..."

Thomas took cover behind the truck and as he reloaded his gun, gave Dernier's new weapon a look of longing, "That is a sexy gun," he panted, glancing around the truck, "gotta get me one of those."

"Well kill one of these basterds and get your own!" Dugan shouted, climbing into the tank, "Gabe, James! Could use a little help in here!"

James shot another three soldiers before he answered back, "A little busy out here trying not to get killed!" he knelt down and began to reload when he was suddenly hit over the head with a gun and let out a cry, glancing behind him, his eyes widened when he found himself looking down the barrell of the gun.

Suzanne, my darling, I'm sorry...

He closed his eyes and waited for the end... there was a gunshot but it seemed like the bullet wasn't for him, opening his eyes, he found himself feeling faint as he seen his fiance standing over the corpse of the soldier with her very own rifle in her hands and dressed like a soldier except for the helmet.

"Suzanne...?" James stood shakily and looked at her in disbelief, "What in the bloody hell are you doing here?"

Suzanne fixed him with a glare, "Well, you boys were stupid enough to get yourselves caught, someone had to come and rescue you," she stopped glaring and rolled her eyes, "well come along before we get our heads blown off," she looked around, "we are in a bloody warzone right now."

Grinning widely, James slipped his hand around her neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss, "I can't believe your here, but I'm not going to complain," he whispered.

"Good, I'm in no mood for arguing with you," Suzanne smiled and then gave him a longer kiss before clearing her throat, "Now, give me a leg up and help me into this tank."

Steve carefully made his way through the isolation ward as the others called it. He tried to focus on the mission and on the fact that Bucky may still be alive but all he could think about was Evelyn. She was gone... he couldn't imagine a world without her in it. He just couldn't. Steve took a moment to stop and let out the long breath he had been holding in and his throat choked up. Closing his eyes, he slapped his face and shook his head.

"Stay focused, Rogers, focus on the bigger pict-" he stopped in the middle of his sentence as he seen the body of a dark haired woman lying face down in the middle of the room...

Time seemed to stop as he numbly stared at the body... without knowing it, his feet began to move towards her... did he really want to see her like this? Or keep her like she used to be in his memories. No, he couldn't leave her just lying like that on the ground. He couldn't bury her... or bring back her body but he could do something.

...the two of them looked at each other, "don't ever doubt what you're worth Steve. Promise me that you won't?"

"I promise… as long as you promise not to get yourself into trouble," Steve said seriously but he half smiled at her, "I won't be there to save you, you know."

"I could say the same," Evelyn giggled but she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "when we all survive this. You're taking me dancing. That I can promise."

Steve swallowed hard as Evelyn's giggle echoed in his mind, he should have been there to save her... he should have been out fighting with the rest of them. Not performing like a monkey on the stage. Now Evelyn was dead and Bucky was God know's where... he should have come sooner... he could have saved them. Now he'll never get to take her dancing or sit with her all the way through a movie...

"Stay safe… please," Steve said sincerely "keep me from worrying too much."

"I'll try…" Evelyn looked like she wanted to say something but she shook her head, "one last hug for the road?"

How many times had they said 'Stay safe' to each other, written it to each other or thought it in their heads? Steve had lost count but it had all been for nothing. War is hell... and it had made his world hell.

Steve stopped in front of the body and shakingly knelt down and felt his eyes well up slightly, "I'm... I'm sorry," his voice shook and he closed his eyes, letting a tear run down them, "It should have been me... not you, risking their life...you should be safe at home. Not fighting for your life out here..."

As much as he didn't want too... Steve reached out to roll over the body, he couldn't leave her like this, looking around he seen a blanket and decided to take Evelyn's dog tags and cover her up. It wasn't much but it was all he could do and he was going to do it.

Rolling the body over, Steve froze when he seen that it wasn't Evelyn... it was another woman dressed in a nurses uniform. Letting out a shaky breath, he took a moment to calm himself before deciding the poor girl deserved some decency as well... her family would probably appreciate something of hers and he had no idea who she was to make sure they knew that she wasn't going to be coming home.

Gently, he took her dog tags off from around he neck and glanced down at the name stamped into them and realised that she was one of Evelyn's friends, "So you're Emily," he whispered and felt sadness when he looked at her face, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you either..." he reached over and took the blanket and covered Emily's body.

That was all he could do. Now, he had to find his friends. Standing up, Steve began to walk away when he heard a bang. Turning around, he seen the door being pushed repeatedly as if the person wanted someone to hear the bangs and come looking. Perhaps it was this Zola who took Evie away... either way. Steve wasn't going to show any mercy.

Taking out his gun, Steve marched up and slowly pushed the door open with one hand while keeping aim with his other one... but what he seen made his drop the gun and his eyes to widen...

A/N

I'm so sorry for the long, long wait. So many family problems and my own health took a horrible turn and I was in hospital for a few weeks but I'm on the mend now! I had this written and a little bit more but decided to split it so you all had a little update!

Hope you like and thank you for my reviews as always. Your all amazing and too kind!

I am writing next chapter as we speak so don't worry.

~BSI