As Death was coming into this place, Steve Rogers was still struggling and attempting to break free. A seven foot German Super Soldier was grabbing and choking him to death. The members of the Howling Commandos turned their attention to the two and paused fighting. They understood that their leader was in the verge of fatality. Steve was losing his breath when his sight was turning cloudy to dark. His childhood memories upto his US Army enlistment became images coming into his mind.
" Everything I have done, believed, and experienced, they don't matter to me at all, " he gloomily thought and gasped for breathe. " If I never took the serum, I could have been an average joe. I guess I have to crossover..."
Without his knowledge and facing his supposed death, a barrage of bullets had stricken the mad monster's back, bleeding profusedly. The Nazi Super Soldier angrily glared. It was Agent Peggy Carter and Sgt. Bucky Barnes who pulled the trigger. The hulking bald German instantly released Steve from his hands of doom. The American Super soldier was free from his impending death and coughing to catch his breath.
" Hey, Steve! " Bucky called his attention and approached him, helping his childhood friend to stand up and giving his shield. " Listen, you can't give up. Okay? "
Steve nodded no furiously and received his shield. He saw the others shooting the mad Nazi soldier who was still standing and bleeding.
" Dammit, he's indestructible! " Morita exclaimed.
" How many super soldier serum did he take? " another mustached soldier named Dum Dum Dugan asked.
" I'd say plenty! " an African-American man named Sam Sawyer answered and kept shooting on the Nazi monster's chest.
" Blimey, he should have been dead! " an Englishman named James Falsworth exclaimed.
" We'll prove that we can take him down, " Peggy sternly answered. " Now, keep shooting. "
As the Nazi super soldier kept bleeding and walking, he looked at the open wire at the fuse box and thought of electricuting the attackers.
Peggy and her colleagues were anxious to see the German's fatal act. Logan jumped behind the Nazi soldier and unleased his claws from his hands, pinning him on his legs and making him bleed.
" This is it! " the mutant soldier exclaimed and called Steve and Bucky. " Bring him, down guys! "
Steve threw his star spangled shield into his supposed murderer's gut. The German Nazi soldier moaned in pain. Finally, Bucky had his turn by shooting him on the head. Finally, the monster's life had ended.
Steve took out his shield, looked at his teammates, and said, " Mission accomplished. Let's move. "
(ALLIED FORCES CAMP, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY: 11:30 PM)
After the raid and rescue, Steve Rogers remained alone and sleepless when he left the tent, leaned on a tree and looked at the starry sky. He remembered that moment he was facing his death in the skirmish hands of the German soldier. Somehow, he prepared himself to face that eventuality and understood it was inevitable. Despite he received the Super Soldier serum and changed his life few years ago, he had exchanged his normal life and crippling self, into a weapon of freedom and courage. Steve sighed and slowly sat down on the tree.
Suddenly, a brunette Englishwoman in a dark military green SSR uniform walked over to him and levelled her legs down, showing a squatting position and looking at Steve with concern.
" You can't get any sleep, Captain Rogers, " she spoke.
" Well, I met Death face to face, " he slightly smiled and sighed with a hint of frustration and sadness. " Peggy, you should have let me..."
"...Die? " Peggy continued the thought. " Steve, if you have lost yourself there, we could have joined you in the next life. Then, the Nazis would win. "
" We made a lot of victories and failures, Peggy. I don't even know when the war will end. "
" I understood what you mean. Tell me, what did you see and hear? "
" My memories...Approaching the void...Hearing such silence and peace..."
" You were crossing over, Steve. "
" Exactly, but something hindered me going there. "
Peggy sincerely smiled and gently held the American super soldier's right hand. Steve curiously stared at her as he wondered how come she was holding his hand and blushed harder.
" You know, Steve. Death never gave you a chance to crossover to another life, " she sincerely smiled at him. " You have a mission to fulfill the peace that we have always dreamed of. "
" Yeah, " he smiled back and nodded.
" You mentioned about attaining victories and experiencing failures. These are just stepping stones how to win the war and attain peace and freedom. You have just lead your squadron and inspired them to fight for the past four years. You're not just the strongest super soldier, but you have a team who helps you fulfilling missions. "
" That makes sense why I hate bullies, " Steve chuckled.
" You have attained it. You can't die and leave us with an unfinished business, Steve, " Peggy smiled and kissed him on the right cheeks as he blushed the hardest. " You are our hope. "
Steve's death struggle and gloom was replaced with hope and encouragement from the words of an English SSR agent. His aura gradually glowed when he sincerely smiled at her and tightly held her left hand.
" Thanks for that, pep talk, Peggy, " he said. " I feel better now. "
" You're welcome, Captain Rogers, " she smiled back. " I don't want to lose a leader's morale in times of uncertainty. "
" Well, I'm glad an Englishwoman's here to deal and mend with my brokeness. "
" I'm here to aide you in your missions and listen to your venting out. "
The tall blonde man instantly stood up from his position, helped the lovely brunette to stand up, and asked, " Say, Peggy. I'm just wondering... "
" Yes, Steve? " she asked.
"... I'm wondering if I could invite you for a dance after the war. Is it okay with you? I don't really dance, but I will give it a try for you."
Peggy blushed, sweetly chuckled, and replied, " What a sweet gentleman you are! Of course, I can't reject anything from a soldier like you. "
" How about a Saturday at the Stork Club? Sounds good? "
" Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late! Understood? "
" You'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your feet, " Steve joked and chuckled. " I don't want to break your bones in your feet! "
" I'll expect that, " she replied and smiled. " Goodnight, Steve. "
" Goodnight, Peggy. "
When the two parted their ways into their tents, Steve became more inspired to continue the fight and cheerfully sighed. He returned to his tent and readied himself for his shut eye, clearing his mind and preparing for another day to live and fight.
(MAIN HYDRA BASE: GERMAN-SWISS ALPS: 12:01 AM)
The cold air of the mountain range had roamed around the facility where the soldiers heavily guarded the area. On the road to the base, a truck entered the premises and carried a covered cadaver inside. The soldiers and the scientists took out the corpse and brought it into the laboratory using a stretcher. Placing the heavy deceased body into the examination table, they were struggling to carry it, like they were carrying a six hundred pound bull.
They examined the deceased Nazi German soldier when someone from the one way mirror watched the autopsy. The Nazi officials were murmuring in their language and wondering who's responsible for the death of their champion. Just then, a bald red skinned man with a rectangular jawlines dressed in dark clothes and walked into the room. The officials instantly saluted him in greeting. The man greeted them back, but he was not happy in what he was seeing.
" Who did this?! " a deep male voice with a thick German accent indignantly asked.
" Mein Führer, the Allied Forces killed Das Biestalong with our personnel, " the high-ranking official answered. " They also let the subjects and prisoners escape. "
The red-skinned man angrily clenched his fists and heavily pounded the table. Everyone got startled to see their superior becoming more furious. The other scientists exchanged glances and paused their post mortem on Das Biest when they overheard the man's loud ranting in the other room.
" YOU IMPERTINENT FOOLS! " he heatedly yelled. " Das Biest should have killed those rats! I thought he was indestructible! You stole that Super Soldier Serum samples from Erskine four years ago! He could have been a better fighter than that American Mascot! "
" But Mein Führer, he's been a prototype! There are limits of that serum to our subject! "
" Make more modifications to fix it and find another Das Biest! We cannot allow these meddling rats from the Allied Forces to win! The Reich should win and make a new generation of warriors better than Erskine's! We are going to crush them for good and making HYDRA prevail! "