24 December 1944
Bastogne, Belgium
Hell on earth. He didn't think it was possible. The war changed that. Months of relentless fighting all over Europe changed that.
Normandy, Holland, Belgium. Every muscle burns with exhaustion as the war drags on — another day, another week, another month. The constant threat of artillery barrages, of bullets ripping through their skin . It eats away at them. Sleep eludes him.
Daniel isn't sure how much more he can take. The only thing keeping him going is sheer willpower. The ground starts to shake as the Germans start firing off another round of artillery barrages. Mortar shells scream through the air, tearing the earth apart. The screaming starts after.
He's hit. A growing pool of blood pools around him, staining the snow beneath him. His hands shake as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a grainy photo. Peggy. They'd met shortly after he arrived in England. Between training and maneuvers, getting to know each other wasn't that easy. They made it work, though. Before Daniel left for Normandy, he'd promised that once the war was over, they'd go on a real date. One that lasted longer than fifteen minutes and didn't include sneaking around on an Army base.
The pain's overwhelming. Black spots cloud his vision making the world come in and out of focus. I'm so tired. It's too much. Another wave of pain hits, pulling him under. The last thing Daniel sees before the darkness pulls him under is Peggy's smiling face staring back at him.
The bunker's abuzz with activity, agents hurriedly running around. "Agent Carter, we just got news that Bastogne was successfully secured. Not without casualties, of course." Peggy takes the list of casualties, skimming through the pages. So many names of young men who won't make it back home, who lost their lives in another battle in yet another bloody war. She's barely through the first few pages when a name jumps out at her. No. No. No.
There has to be a mistake. Peggy runs her finger over the words she's always dreaded, barely able to see through the tears. 24 December 1944: Killed in action, Daniel Antonio Sousa. She can't stop the tears. They roll down her cheeks, falling onto the page. They hadn't known each other long but there was something there.
Something more. It's too late now. Like so many others, he made the ultimate sacrifice. Peggy won't forget it.