Day after day, Erik tried to do what the doctor told him. Every day, he struggled. Sometimes, he made one or two of the guns wiggle, or sent a bullet flying wide of its intended path. It was never enough to save anyone, not permanently, at least. Not from this terrible place.

Every day that passes, more people died. Every day, Erik was denied the embrace of death afforded to many sentenced to that hell on Earth. Every day, Erik's heart grew colder as the light and vibrancy of the world seemed to drain before his very eyes. The colors of life itself were dulled to his senses, for even the concept of happiness seemed to be a great torture to his mind as Schmidt and another doctor, Isabela Maru, a woman with a face half made of plastic, subjected him to tests and tortures that the ordinary man's mind would balk at the concept of. Schmidt clearly enjoyed toying with Erik, and though be would bring his plaything up to the very brink, he would not allow him to escape, even in death.

One day, like any other, the train arrived. As he did on any other day, Erik stood near the platform, a guard by his side. As they did on any other day, the vultures circled the train with pens and pads and weapons to hand.

On that day like any other, Erik turned his head away from the train. He could not bear the first sight of the people inside any longer. His guard would force him to watch eventually, but he might be spared a few seconds of the horrible sights within the train cars if he turned his head away, and steeled himself.

Then, on that day like any other... Erik heard a howl. The sound made him turn toward the train all by itself, for as anyone knew, the Germans could not bear the sound. To a wolf, it might have meant something about where prey was, or about territory, or something else. To the Germans, it was a message.
"Time to die."

A thunderous crack split the air, and the door to one of the train cars exploded forth from the train in a hail of splinters. Erik couldn't believe his eyes until the people inside emerged into the light of the sun.

When Captain America stepped out of the train car, his feet struck the ground like it was a drum the size of a house.
in an instant, Erik felt things he'd never expected to feel again rushing back to him. Joy. Passion. Amazement. But most of all, hope. All of those and more flooded young Erik's mind, and intensified as the Howling Commandos laid waste to his captors.

The soldier guarding Erik forgot his charge, and rushed at Captain America, attempting to pull the trigger. Erik put his hand up and the rifle yanked out of the soldier's hands, sending the bullet flying wide from its' target before the soldier had a chance to realize he'd been stripped of his weapon. The rifle landed in Erik's hands, and he used the stock as a cudgel to knock its' owner unconscious.

Captain America looked at him in surprise, then shot Erik a dazzling smile. "Thanks, son." He said over the din of the fighting and cracks of gunfire.

Erik barely understood the two words the captain had spoken, but they lifted his spirits even higher. Captain America does care. He thought.
Erik rushed off from the train station. He had to tell everyone he could find. He had to tell them they were saved. That there was hope.

After the fighting was over, during the confusion, Erik went into Doctor Schmidt's office and removed the poster of Captain America. Erik approached one of the Captain's men, the one with the sideburns. He held up the framed poster, and pointed to the captain.

"Where'd you get that?" The wild-looking man asked.

"Capitain America." Erik said. "I... Would like to give this."

The man chuckled. "Sure." He gestured for Erik to follow him. "Come on." The wild man led him through the camp, to a place where many soldiers were gathered, including the captain, and the one they'd taken to calling "the Wonder Woman."

"Hey Cap," the wild man said. "You've got a fan."

Captain America had removed his helmet, revealing his blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Erik vaguely recalled what Schmidt had said about Hitler's ideal man, but the irony was all but lost on the boy for all the other thoughts in his head. Captain America turned to the wild man, then to the boy. "Alright, wh-" his face lit up when he saw Erik. "I remember you." He said with a warm smile. "You pulled that man's rifle away. That's an awesome talent you have there."

He looked down at the framed poster in Erik's hands. Erik held it out to him. The Captain was taken aback by the action.

"For you." Erik said. Captain America took the picture with some hesitation.

"Hey," the one in the bowler hat said. "I saw that in the mad science department."

Steve Rogers held up the poster to the sunlight, then tucked it under his arm. "Thank you." He said.

"What's your name?" The Wonder Woman asked, in perfect German.

Erik was in awe. "Erik Lensherr." He said.

The Captain put his hand on his shoulder. "Erik, thank you." He said with nothing but genuine gratitude on his face. "You have a great gift, and without it, I might not be alive." Captain Rogers looked down and inhaled, before looking Erik straight in the eyes. "Son, you have a great power inside you. Something I always dreamed about having. You have the power to do great things in your life, no matter what anyone might try to say or do to stop you."

Erik's eyes were brimming over with tears at the thoughts of everyone he'd failed to help. "I... I don't feel that..."

The Captain shook his head. "Don't say that. Don't doubt yourself like that. If you keep the thought in your heart that you'll succeed, you can turn that thought into a reality. No matter the odds, no matter what that little voice inside your head that says 'You'll never be good enough' tries to tell you, if you remind yourself that you can make even a small bit of difference, you can get there in the end."

Erik fell to his knees, and cried into the Captain's shoulder. "My mother... My father... I couldn't help them."

Steve cradled the young man in his arms. "I couldn't help mine either. Both of my parents died when I was only a little younger than you. I tried all I could, but I couldn't save my mother. I'm only here now because others showed me a great kindness." Steve glanced at Bucky and Diana. The boy looked up at him with dry, but red eyes. "I make up for everyone I couldn't help before by helping everyone I can now. By passing on the kindness others showed me." Steve removed his glove and wiped a bit of grime from near Erik's eyes. "No matter who they are, or where they're from, or what they can do. It's a kind of responsibility, I guess. Sometimes goodness comes from places you'd least expect it."

"Hey Cap," Bucky interjected. "Don't want to interrupt, but we found a couple live ones in the burn pile near the furnaces."

Diana snapped into action, with Steve following closely, and Bucky and the others, including Erik, struggling to keep pace with them.

When they got to the furnace, Bucky pointed at two laid out near the entrance. "There. I think both of them are still breathing." It was two young girls. One Erik recognized as one of the people he'd "saved" in an earlier attempt. Magda, he believed her name was.
Diana eased her hand under one's head and gently opened her mouth. Diana poured a few drops of the nectar onto the girls tongue, and passed the bottle to Steve, who did the same for Magda.

Both of the girls gasped back to life as their taut, dry skin returned to a healthy pink. You'd almost think they'd never been in danger of dying at all.

Erik looked at them in awe. "Du bist der Messias!" He exclaimed under his breath.

Diana understood everything, but even so, Steve only needed to hear the last word to know what he meant. He shook his head.

"No, Erik. We're not the messiahs. We're just human beings with a little bit of extra power." Steve said. "Flesh and blood. Just like everyone else."

Just like everyone else.

It wasn't so much that Erik had been freed, so much as who had done it. Had someone cold, or cruel liberated the camp, they might have instilled that in Erik. He might have given up on the human race, written them all off as monsters in the making. People to be afraid of, and defended against. But, because the camp was liberated by someone who was kind and caring, someone who was part of a group of people who were there to help, and who helped all those in the camp be well again, some small spark of faith in humanity was restored within him that day. A spark he would carry with him forever.

Erik Lensherr will return in X-Men: First Class.