-August, 1944-

-Russia-

Steve and the Howling Commandoes gather on a high plateau. Morita crouches over the transceiver. Jones listens to the transmission. Eddie wields binoculars. Dugan and Jack Fury adjust a winch at the cliff's edge. Steve and Bucky stand in conversation. Frenchie and Monty stand guard.

"The engineer just radioed ahead. Hydra dispatch gave him permission to open the throttle." Jones continues after he slips off the headphones, "Whatever's on this train, they must need it bad."

"Well, they're not going to get it." Morita says with confidence.

Eddie looks through the binoculars at the speeding train, "I wouldn't be so sure because they're moving like the devil."

Steve checks his rifle. Bucky looks over the cliff's edge, "Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?"

"And I threw up?" Steve answers.

Bucky looks over the edge again, leery, "This isn't payback, is it?"

Steve looks up with a grin," Now why would I do a thing like that?"

Bucky called Steve, "Bitch."

Steve replies in smile, "Jerk."

A train whistle shrieks through the pass.

Jack Fury says in a fake conductor voice, "All aboard, gentlemen! Mind the gap!"

Steve, Bucky, Jones and Eddie attach T-Bars to the cable.

Steve begins to break it down, "Okay, this is a very short, very fast train. We've got a ten-second window, tops. Mistime it and you're a bug on the windshield."

Dugan checks the speed of the train against his watch, "Better move it, bugs."

Steve, Bucky, Eddie and Jones hook to the cables stretching across the pass.

Frenchie raises his hand and... drops it.

Steve jumps, shooting away. Jones, Eddie and Bucky follow.

The hydra train rockets along. WHAM, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM. Steve, Bucky, Eddie and Jones drop hard onto the slick roof. They meet eyes: whew. Eddie plants both hands on the train roof which freezes his fingers through his gloves.

Steve looks back to make sure everyone had landed safely. Eddie gives his friend and captain a nod. Jones moved toward the engine, while Bucky and Steve made their way into their appointed train car.

With nerves of fear, Eddie crawled toward his own train car's roof hatch. The plan was simple, Jones would capture the train engine getting it to stop, while Steve, Bucky, and Eddie would go through the train taking down any hydra soldiers that occupied the train and hopefully find this important piece of weapon for Hydra's grand plan.

Eddie arrived at the hatch and began to pull it, surprised by the ease. Eddie dropped inside, grateful to get out of the cold.

Eddie whirled around at the sound of Hydra's weapon of choice charging up. Eddie quickly fired his gas gun, but the soldier didn't react as the weapon continued its charge.

Eddie dived into a crate as a blast of white blue charged past him. He rubbed his forehead as he ducks behind the crate as he tries to think of a way out of this. 'Damn it, the gas didn't work.' He thinks as he switches his knockout gun for his standardize handgun.

"Why don't you let yourself get shot?" inquires a soothing voice, which made Eddie's entire body become lax with ease. The soldier's gun begin to charge again.

"It's ready comrade." Reports the soldier. Eddie thought about shaking the fog that was filling his head but… 'why should I' his brain counters.

"Come on out, Private Kent." Orders the voice.

Like autopilot, Eddie rose from behind the crate and stepped in front of the hydra soldier. The hydra soldier aimed the large black and grey cannon at Eddie, as the muzzle began to glow brighter with the white blue light.

'This is gonna kill me.' Eddie thought weakly through the fog.

'No it won't.' counters the stray thought.

Eddie's vision exploded blue.

The fog that surrounded his mind faded.

"My god it's true." Stutters the Hydra soldier taking a step back in surprised fear.

Eddie took this moment to lunge at the soldier, tackling the stunned soldier into the wall. The soldier tried to push Eddie off, but the cannon he wore took him to the ground. Eddie rips the soldier's face mask off and proceeded to aim his handgun into the soldier's scared face.

The soldier was terrified.

Eddie's hand quivered as he held the gun at the man's face.

The soldier's eyes were brown.

Eddie's finger caressed the trigger.

The soldier's voice wasn't augmented by his face mask now sounded childish.

Eddie blinked.

"Well are you gonna shoot?" asked the voice that had taken control of him earlier.

Eddie whirled around too late, as a boot crashed his face. Eddie fell off the downed soldier. He looked up with faded vision at his attacker.

It was Valdo, the man from the prison escape. He was no longer in the white hospital gown but in the green and browns of a German officer. But the biggest difference between Valdo then and now, was the gash that made up the left side of his face which revealed rows of his teeth.

"Herr Skull would like to see you." Says Valdo as the Hydra soldier bashed Eddie's head with the cannon.

Eddie groaned. He moved his left hand. Eddie winched at the pinch of his wrist. Gray fuzz that felt cold was on his left wrist. He reached with his right. Eddie grimaced. His right hand was also entrapped by some gray band.

"sorry we can't exactly have you moving now can we." Valdo said. Eddie tried to glare but blinked to block the white light.

"I'm quite shocked you have survived so long in this war." Valdo said, Eddie's left ear twitched.

"I'm surprised to see you alive." Eddie said back.

Valdo laughed. "Yes it seems we are both unkillable."

Eddie opened his eyes. He shut them tight quickly. The light was everywhere. And so it would seem was Valdo. Eddie's back hair stood.

"But unlike me." Leather fingers gripped Eddie's neck. "You are either unwilling to use your powers or are too stupid to know you have them."

Eddie coughed.

"So which is it?" Valdo asked.

Eddie coughed harder.

"That will be enough Valdo." Said Herr Skull as he appeared into the room. Valdo released Eddie and did the Hydra salute. "Herr Red Skull."

The lights turned off. Eddie peeked through a threshold of eyelashes to see a man dressed in all black with a red face. No…not just a red face his whole head was red like the wellspring of fresh blood.

Eddie slammed his eyes shut. Steve and Bucky had told him about the Red Skull…and his deformity but their words didn't capture the true horror of Red Skull.

"So you are the one whose been blessed with the Tesseract's power." Red Skull stepped closer to Eddie. His gloved hands touching the young man's exposed flesh. This was the first time Eddie realized he was naked. He tried to move his arms, his legs, even his head to hide himself or to shove away the Red Skull's probing ice fingers.

"Is it the same like you, Valdo?" Red Skull asked.

"Yes."

The long slender ice fingers groped Eddie's chin. Eddie tried to bite the invasion, or jerk his head away but the cold metal trap around his neck only dug deep into his skin, drawing bits of blood.

Red Skull placed his pointer and thumb on the top and bottom of his right eyelid. A terror screamed out of him. Red Skull yanked open Eddie's eyes.

"Marvelous." Whispered Red Skull gazing into the deep cosmic electric blue that composed of the Tesseract and Eddie's eyes.

Then the Red Skull's smile faded into a jealous fury. His cold nails penetrated skin, which connected rivers of blood from chin to neck. "How?" Red Skull asked.

"I don't…" Eddie said but shouted as Red Skull back handed him. Teeth gnarled his bottom lip creating another exit for the red ooze.

Red Skull took a step back, recomposed. "Prep him for surgery, I want Dr. Zola to investigate this anomaly and how…" Red Skull said.

"Herr Skull…Dr. Zola was captured during the mission." Valdo said. Through dazed and wet eyes, Eddie witnessed Red Skull back hand Valdo sending the young man hurdling into the back wall. "This will not stand!" Red Skull loomed over Valdo.

"I only risked Dr. Zola for I had faith that you Valdo Shapiro my greatest weapon, would be more than able to retrieve the boy and put an end to Captain America." Valdo squared his chin, but his voice wobbled. "Zola is being followed so we may locate the SSR's headquarters and then will be rescued…"

Red Skull straightened to his full height. "You think I care where those SS clowns are." Valdo froze. "Do you think if I was not focused on greater work that I would not have crushed the SSR and the allies?"

"I apologize Herr Skull." Valdo bowed his head.

Red Skull turned to the nearest guard. "Tell communications to contact Daniel Whitehall to come for surgery." The guard saluted before he marched out of the room.

"Our original plan will go as scheduled." Red Skull said before he strutted from the room.

Valdo remained in his crumpled position. Eddie's face was covered in blood. 'Dear God, Steve save me." Eddie thought before he passed out.