Days turned into weeks as the search for Evaline, Luke, and Marley carried on.

They used every resource available to them, both legal and not as legal, both overt and covert. They notified S.H.I.E.L.D agents and various of their allies across the globe, and then across the universe in a more desperate move. When their more celestial counterparts were made aware of what was happening, Peter Quill threatened to shoot anyone who had made a move against Evaline, and Thor threatened to introduce them to his sister, which, considering she was the personification of hell, was a very real threat indeed. Bucky had even offered to go back under as the Winter Soldier, in case another resurgence of HYDRA was to blame, but it was deemed too unnecessarily dangerous.

However, at the end of the day, there was no fight to be had necessarily as the search continued on. Steve continued feeling useless especially when he saw how deep his other teammates were diving. His lack of skill with technology usually ended up hurting his team's efforts rather them helping them, and he usually ended up simply heading the forays into the field as they followed leads that all fell to ash and dust.

Every day Steve woke up and found her side of the bed empty, and found no solid news awaiting him, he felt more and more his real age.

They had moved their faux command center from the Tower to the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ both for some distance between work and home, and also because HQ simply had more resources readily available than even what Tony could recreate at the Tower. So, after Steve did his morning routine of a workout, breakfast, and a shower, he packed up for the day and headed over to the Headquarters in the New York forest on his motorcycle.

When Steve walked into the command center at HQ that his team had claimed as their own, he felt a little alarmed to see that most of them had gathered without his knowledge. They had been talking softly, but quickly all went silent as soon as he stepped inside the room and asked, "What's going on?"

They all tossed looks around the room at each other, silently trying to find someone to be the bearer of bad news, he presumed.

And naturally, as it always was when it came to antagonizing Steve, the job fell to Tony.

"We found Calloway's body," Tony said, wasting no time as he brought up a S.H.I.E.L.D file on the holoscreen, quickly declassifying it so that image of Luke's body appeared. Steve couldn't look away from the picture of the agent he barely knew, his eyes locking on the obvious bullet wound to his head. He felt only slightly guilty when he realized all he was actually thinking about was how this could have potentially affected or involved Evaline.

Calling him back to the present, Tony said, "Banner's been coercing the mortician downstairs to speed up the autopsy and other tests. He's still down in the morgue, but should be calling right about… "

As if sensing he was being talked about, a video call began from Bruce began alarming on the holoscreen. When Tony swiped at the notification, Bruce popped up at the bottom right hand portion of the screen, his face far too close to the camera as Tony commented, "Back up from the webcam, old man."

Bruce grumbled something incoherently even as he pulled back from the camera a little bit so now it featured his body from his chest up instead of a close-up of his nostrils. He rose an eyebrow and asked sardonically, "Better?"

"Much," Tony commented, trying to cover his pain and fear of the loss of Evaline by putting on his carefree playboy persona like he always did in moments of true stress.

He leaned against the conference table and popped a couple of chocolate-covered espresso beans into his mouth, chewing obnoxiously as he spoke around a full mouth. "What have you got to report on our deceased patient, Dr. Banner?"

"Nothing too crazy. He was obviously tortured and shot. But…" Bruce trailed off hesitantly, pausing as everyone in the Tower stared back at him in anticipation. His eyes seemed to find Steve in the crowd of their team, quickly moving away and back to Tony's face as he said, "Evaline's DNA was all over him."

Tony choked on his espresso beans, and Natasha let out an involuntary hiss of air. Her voice attempting to remain light, Wanda asked, "So, they were being held captive together?"

Bruce looked like he would rather swallow his tongue than answer Wanda's question, his throat bobbing as he presumably attempted to do so. "It may not be incorrect to think that, but I think the bigger implication here is that… Evaline beat Luke. Her DNA is in the gouges that match nail scratches, it's imprinted in the bruise marks left behind, it's mixed in the blood that's on him that's not his, it's - "

"Okay," Sam said quickly, tightly, effectively shutting Bruce up. The ex-merc even went as far to step bodily between Steve and Bruce, as if he was afraid Steve would somehow lose it and attack the holoscreen. "We get it. We're assuming this means Evaline did at least the beating on him. But we don't know anything else besides that - if she did it of her own free will, if she was triggered or threatened, or if she even killed him. I'm assuming the bullet did that?"

"You would be correct," Bruce said, seeming a little relieved to provide what could be construed as good news. A second thought seemed to occur to him as his relief fell from his face. "However… we can't assume that Evaline wasn't responsible for the bullet as well."

Tony sucked on his teeth, then said, "Well, way to be a downer, Banner."

"He's not being a downer," Natasha said defensively of Bruce, glaring lightly at Tony. "He's being a realist. We're all big enough to handle it. Are you?"

Steve didn't miss the quick look that Tony threw his way before he opened his mouth, presumably to argue with Natasha. Always the peacemaker and peacekeeper, Wanda stepped bodily between the two more hot-headed members of their team and even went so far as to put her hands out lightly in either of their directions. "Okay. This isn't accomplishing anything. Bruce, how does finding Luke help us find Evaline, if at all?"

Suddenly, Bruce moved to one side of the frame, making room for Maria Hill, who stated without preamble, "We were able to pick up the vehicle that dumped Luke's body on surveillance cameras, and we tracked it to a warehouse just a few blocks away from the site we found him at. It was abandoned by the time we got there, but… we found your dog tags, Steve. They had Evaline and Luke's blood on them."

He felt a pit open in his chest, understanding the implication was that Evaline had at one point been at the warehouse, as she often wore his dog tags from his WWII days. The only consolation he felt was that they hadn't found her body with Luke's.

As he came out of his own thoughts, he realized everybody was quiet and carefully watching him. His nerves rankled, he cut, "What?"

They all looked around at each other, even Maria and Bruce on the screen, before Tony stepped forward as their designated speaker again, although he had lost the snacks and had adopted a much more somber expression.

"Steve, I think we need to prepare for if… for if Evaline's not Evaline," Tony said tightly, keeping his expression as calm and flat as he could. "I know you went through all this with Barnes, but… this is Evaline. And we don't know who's doing this to her still, and we don't know why. Considering this happened to you and Barnes, we have to assume… it has something to do with you."

Natasha looked like she wanted to hit Tony for pointing this out, but it confirmed what Steve knew they had all been thinking ever since they had first realized the Winter Soldier serum had been used on Evaline. The serum would have been far more dangerous on any other member of their team, but she had been targeted, and, like Tony had said, it felt eerily similar to the situation with Bucky, and it felt personal to Steve.

Steve leaned over one of the chairs, gripping the back of it as the metal folded underneath his fists with a squeal. His teeth were gritted as he said, "After everything we've been through… after everything she's been through…"

Wanda quickly strode forward, resting a hand in the spot between his shoulder blades as she looked up at him and said, "Because of everything we've been through, and everything she's been through, you have to believe that all of it will be alright. Before, with Bucky, you were the only thing that brought him back. But Evaline has this whole team, this whole family, to bring her back. And so do you."

Steve slowly, but surely, felt his heart rate began to decrease a little bit as he let go of the bannister he had just marked permanently with the shape of his fingers. He gave Wanda a grateful, slight nod of the head that she responded to with a silent smile. They frequently joked that Wanda must have more than telekinetic powers, because she was so efficient at calming all of them in stressful situations like these.

Steve felt a pang in his heart as he realized she usually had a co-conspirator in Evaline, and he felt another tightness when he took a moment to realize that he was not the only one hurting with her disappearance.

His guilt at being so self-centered and focused on his own pain, as well as the guilt of potentially putting a target on Evaline's back, threatened o overwhelm him. He took a deep breath, stepped back, and said, "I just… I need a moment. I'll be back."

Wanda gave him an understanding look and a nod before turning back to the rest of the team, all of them politely giving Steve his privacy as he slipped away and exited down through HQ, ignoring the pitying looks of those around him.

As he was walking through the lobby to try and exit for some fresh air and some distance, a random agent came rushing up to him, holding out something as he said, "The files you requested, sir."

Although Steve couldn't remember requesting a file for himself, he assumed maybe one of his teammates had. Still, he opened the file right away, seeing there was a sticky note plastered to a blank piece of paper inside. His stomach bottomed out when he saw the handwriting matched the note Evaline had previously received from the Mystery Man.

Meet behind the cafe. Come alone, tell no one, or else Evaline dies.

Steve's head instantly snapped back up as he tried to find the agent that had handed him the file, but he had already disappeared into the masses of people rushing around the lobby. For a moment, Steve debated the right course of action, and if there was any way he could get news to his teammates about the note so he could get some back-up.

At the same time he realized he was putting too much at risk by attempting to do so, he also realized it was the same inner conflict Evaline had gone through herself when faced with the notes the Mystery Man had left for her, and his heart broke even further as he made his decision and headed out of the S.H.I.E.L.D building alone.

He took his motorcycle as far as the city limits, then parked it and caught a cab to take him to the cafe, knowing his motorcycle was easily traceable and not willing to take any chances of spooking whoever obviously had Evaline. As he sat in the backseat, his head almost hitting the top of the cab roof and his awareness noting that the driver kept stealing glances at him in the rearview mirror, Steve fought to control the nervous tics of his body as it became restless in what felt like one of the longest car rides of his life.

When he arrived at the cafe, he handed the cabbie too much cash that the driver tried to return, but Steve was already halfway around the block corner in search of the same back area that he and his team had gathered in not too long ago. As he did so, he kept full awareness of his surroundings, noting how it felt eerily quiet and empty for Manhattan in the mid morning.

Belatedly, he realized it was because it was a holiday, and the cafe and many other businesses were closed. But more accurately, it was July 4th - also, his birthday. And he, nor his team members, had remembered.

He pushed that aside, instead continuing around the back of the businesses that the cafe shared a block with until he came to the alleyway, which was empty except for one other person. Steve's heart stopped for a moment as he took in the darkly clad figure turned away from him, recognizing the body shape and her copper hair twisted into a braid - her favorite 'battle do' as she, Natasha, and Wanda had always affectionately called it.

"Evaline," he breathed, his voice carrying in the strange stillness of the scene.

He raced toward her, then quickly grabbed and turned her, wrapping her up in his arms and hiding his face in the top of her hair. He only held the embrace for a moment before he quickly pulled away from her to take stock of any injuries she may have incurred. Although most of her skin was covered in tactical black, he could see a few bruises and cuts on her hands and face as his mind went wild with all the possible scenarios that she had found herself in.

He tried to meet her eyes, even as they were somewhat hidden by the shadows of the alley, as he inquired, "Are you hurt?"

"No," responded a voice from behind him. It was malicious and familiar enough that he felt his whole body freeze in alarm, especially as it added, "But you're about to be."

Steve turned quickly, pushing Evaline gently behind him to put himself bodily between her and the various attackers that now stood in front of them, all dressed in fully clad and masked HYDRA garb. At the lead was Marley, grinning sinisterly at him as he realized all of their worst assumptions and fears regarding her betrayal had been true.

The small amount of shock that had come over him was enough for the first HYDRA goon to get the jump on him. Without his shield, and without any other weapons, Steve simply had to rely on his fists and legs as the HYDRA soldiers all converged upon him. One of them took a Stunner directly to his spine that made his knees collapse underneath him; another got a good hit across his jaw as he felt it nearly dislocate. A third henchman clapped a set of handcuffs on him that brought his arms painfully tight behind his back as he hissed in pain, then felt a gun barrel press to the back of his neck.

Realizing fighting right now would not win him anything, he instead lifted his head to find Evaline, to see how they had knocked her down considering she hadn't come to his defense, but he froze when he saw she was simply standing in the alley and watching the commotion.

Evaline's face, frozen with disinterest and just a tinge of anger, nearly mirrored the one Bucky adopted when he was triggered as the Winter Soldier. Her apathy remained even as a knife appeared at her neck, wielded by Marley. Steve felt his heart clench as he realized the reason she hadn't embraced him back was likely because her mind was not fully her own.

"If you fight, Captain, I'll open Agent Kaeser's carotid," Marley said with a sick amount of glee in her voice as her smirk glinted at him from the other end of the alleyway. Even from the distance, Steve could see a bead of blood beginning to form at the point of the knife, and could see Evaline barely registered it.

So, he stopped moving against his captors and his handcuffs, but kept his muscles tensed and poised to rise to the defense when giving the opportunity. The agents lifted his shirt and patted him down, obviously searching for any hidden wires or weapons or other technology he might have stashed away in hopes of using them in an escape. All the while, Steve tried to keep one eye on them and one eye on Evaline, making sure she was in no danger beyond the threat Marley currently posed.

Once the HYDRA thugs had him secured, Marley herded all of them to the car that had joined them in the alleyway, four of her henchmen escorting Steve as Evaline and Marley rounded up the rear. From his seat once in the car, Steve watched with nausea roiling in his stomach as Evaline climbed into the car and took her seat just as easily as if she were going to the store, not at all worried about the knife Marley was keeping steadily to her neck.

"Evaline," Steve tried to say as calmly as he could, trying to meet her eyes as the car started and began moving. She looked over at him, the blankness in her gaze terrifying him more than any expression Bucky had given him as the Winter Soldier. With Bucky, his pure fury and emotion had given Steve hope that the Bucky he had known was in there, somewhere, and it had eventually helped him break free of HYDRA's hold. What Evaline was presenting with was entirely different, a complete apathy that chilled Steve to his bones.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Steve said gently, "It's okay. I'll get you out of this. I lo - "

Marley quickly gestured to one of the HYDRA thugs, who, a moment later, had wrapped a gag around Steve's mouth so he couldn't tell Evaline he loved her. For a moment, he resisted against the restraint, but Marley clicked her tongue, pressing her knife tighter to Evaline's skin. A bead of blood began sliding down her neck as Marley said, "Uh-uh, Cap. You've gotta behave, or else Evaline's blood will be all over all of us."

Due to the restraint around his mouth and the knife to Evaline's neck, Steve could do nothing to argue with Marley except glare at her as the van drove in silence, the tension so thick that Steve kept his muscles tensed and ready for any opportunity that might present itself. Considering the extent to which they had restrained them, all he could do was hope that maybe, just maybe, their hold on Evaline wasn't as strong as they made it seem and he might be able to break through to her like he had to Bucky years ago, apparent apathy or no.

The car came to a stop about ten minutes after leaving the cafe, to Steve's best estimation. One of the thugs crawled out of the car, disappearing for a minute before returning, disorienting Steve with the sudden brightness of the day outside.

"The boss wants his restraint removed. If he speaks to the girl, her throat gets sliced," the thug said as he settled back into his seat. Marley eyed Evaline, who was still staring off into space like she was in her coma again; then, Marley threw a threatening look toward Steve that was more effective than any verbal warning she could have given him. She must've read the understanding in his eyes, because she nodded once at the thugs behind him, and they took off his mouth gag.

Marley used her free hand to knock on the window next to her, and seconds later, the passenger's side door opened as someone slipped into the seat. From the back, and in the darkness of the car, Steve could only make out that it was a tall male.

The unidentifiable figure asked sardonically, "Mind if I join you all?"

Steve's breathing stopped for a few moments as he placed the voice, and placed the familiar cap that he had seen in the surveillance tape of Evaline's accident one too many times. Some of the pieces suddenly began to connect even as Steve's mind tried to deny the impossibility of what was in front of him.

Simply, Steve commented, "You should be dead."

"She had a similar reaction when I revealed myself," Helmut Zemo said, directing a pointed finger to where Evaline still sat calmly at the point of Marley's knife. "I'm going to ask you exactly what I asked her: why are you all so surprised that with all of HYDRA's technology, advances, and intelligence, that I did not find a way out of death?"

"I wasn't aware HYDRA had been in a position to salvage your bones from the bottom of the ravine we pushed you into," Steve said flatly.

Zemo grinned, his teeth glinting in the dim lighting of the car. "You know, that's always been your problem: ye of little faith. First, the lack of faith in yourself; then, the lack of faith in the world, both in its intentions and its possibilities; and finally, the lack of faith in your enemies, that we would not find a way to ruin you for ruining us."

Steve peaked an eyebrow, asking, "Us?"

"HYDRA, of course," Zemo said, waving his hands around as if what was in the car was all that now entailed the villainous corporation. "And others, too, I suppose. But they're not quite relevant here, are they?"

"Speaking of relevancy," Steve said, in an attempt to keep him talking and to potentially buy himself more time in which Zemo's control over Evaline might wean, "why target Evaline? I understand your issue with me, and while I understand that she's connected to me, it seems like you've gone to a lot of work to get to her."

"Because she's the heart of the Avengers. She's the human factor, the reminder of who you all risk your lives for. And more importantly, she's your heart." Zemo turned to face Evaline, and Steve didn't miss the look of almost appreciation that covered his face as he took her in. He paused for his second, before he adopted his smirk again and turned back to Steve, saying, "Without her, you'd just be a super-powered relic with a superiority complex. You're their leader, as much as Stark may pretend to be. You're their moral compass, the emblem of loyalty and bravery, the shield of S.H.I.E.L.D. And by targeting her, I will destroy you - and thus, the Avengers. And thus, S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Why don't you just kill me?" Steve asked, honestly a little curious and also trying to antagonize Zemo in hopes that he would lose his cool and either his plan would unravel, or he would just end Steve and forget about Evaline.

"I won't kill you, because I don't want to give you a fast and easy escape. Not after the way you ruined my family and my legacy and HYDRA, and the way you ruined the world by preventing it to reach its full potential," Zemo said, his eyes gleaming with craze. Some switch in his mind flipped as his anger turned to sick joy again as he smiled and said, "But rest easy, Captain. I'm not going to kill your girl, either. I'm going to let you all destroy yourselves. It's much more satisfying to watch."

He moved half a turn to face Evaline, saying, "Agent Kaeser. Enact Mission Five-Six-Two."

Marley lowered her knife from Evaline's neck, only to let her step up and move out of the van, which had come to a stop without Steve noticing. As soon as she exited out of the door, one of the HYDRA cronies closest to the exit handed her something that took Steve a moment to realize was an AR 15 assault rifle.

Quickly, he lurched forward to yell at her, to try and snap her out of whatever fugue Zemo had set into motion, but the HYDRA cronies tased him and put another gag in his mouth so all his words and warnings came out as muffles.

As he fought against Zemo's henchmen, Steve tried to take stock of his situation like he had been trained to do. Through the open car door, he noticed beyond the greenery and rocks at Evaline's feet that the skyscrapers of Manhattan still surrounded them, meaning it was likely that were in Central Park. Although he had spent many days running the trails and coming on picnics and dates with Evaline and other members of their team, this specific area failed to look familiar to him.

Ahead of Evaline, there were several groups of people obviously picnicking for the holiday, and Steve registered what Zemo's plan was, or at least the first step of it. He watched with nausea as Evaline advanced upon the crowd with the AR-15 still strapped to her back, walking slowly and steadily like she was simply taking a stroll. Suddenly, a police officer or park security guard appeared and walked up to her, his own weapon drawn. Evaline paused, giving him a cool look as he shouted something at her that was lost to the wind that surrounded all of them.

In the span of one of Steve's blinks, Evaline had reached down to her waist, pulled a Beretta with the silencer attached from its holster, and shot the security guard between the eyes.

Involuntarily, Steve screamed Evaline's name to try to get her to focus on him, realizing too late that it was unlikely she could hear anything beyond his gag and beyond whatever Zemo had put into her mind.

And realizing it was simply too late to stop anything at all as she lifted the AR-15 and aimed at the crowd.