Steve took over the plane's controls. On a screen he read 'Ziel New York City' and tried the radio which was picked up by the HYDRA control tower occupied by Peggy, Colonel Phillips and Morita.
(Target New York City)
"Come in," Steve said. "This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"
"Captain Rogers, what are your..." Morita was cut off as Peggy took his place.
"Steve, is that you?" Peggy asked. "Are you all right?"
"Peggy! Schmidt's dead."
"What about the plane?"
"That's a little bit tougher to explain."
"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."
"There's not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down."
"I'll get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's headed for New York. I gotta put her in the water."
"Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out."
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If we wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice." He forced the plane toward the water. "Peggy?"
"I'm here."
"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."
Peggy, with tears in her eyes, said, "All right. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."
"You got it."
"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late."
"You know, I still don't know how to properly dance."
"I'll be glad to show you how. Just be there."
"We'll have the band play somethin' slow. I'd hate to step on your..." The line went static and Peggy began crying.
"Steve? Steve? Steve?"
May 8, 1945
The world celebrated the victory over Nazi Germany. The Howling Commandos were in a bar looking solemn.
Falsworth said, "To the Captain." The group drank.
ARCTIC SEA - SHIP
Howard was on his search for the Valkyrie. They found the Tesseract.
"Sir?" Howard's engineer called. Howard stepped to him and watched on a screen as a submarine grabbed the cube.
Howard said to the captain, "Take us to the next grid point."
"But there's not a trace of the wreckage. And the energy signature stops here."
"Just keep looking."
---
Peggy was handed a file about Steve. She pulled out the photo of the man she'd fallen in love with and looked at it sadly.
67 Years Later
After Steve had been missing for some time, he awoke in a 1940's hospital and heard a baseball game on an old radio. A woman walked into the room.
The Dodgers announcer said over the radio, "Curve ball, high and outside for ball one. So the Dodgers are tied, 4-4. And the crowd well knows that with one swing of his bat, this fellow's capable of making it a brand-new game again. Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets Field. The Phillies have managed to tie up at 4-4. But the Dodgers have three men on. Pearson beaned Reiser in Philadelphia last month. Wouldn't the youngster like a hit here to return the favor? Pete leans in. Here's the pitch. Swung on. A line to the right. And it gets past Rizzo. Three runs will score. Reiser heads to third. Durocher's going to wave him in. Here comes the relay, but they won't get him." The door opened and an agent walked in.
"Good morning," the agent greeted as she checked her watch. "Or should I say, afternoon?"
"Where am I?" Steve asked.
"You're in a recovery room in New York City."
"The Dodgers take the lead, 8-4. Oh, Dodgers! Everyone is on their feet. What a game we have here today, folks. What a game indeed."
Steve looked at her suspiciously. "Where am I really?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"This game, it's from May, 1941. I know because I was there." He got up from the bed. "Now, I'm gonna ask again. Where am I?"
"Captain Rogers..." She secretly pushed an alarm.
"Who are you?"
Two soldiers in black uniforms entered the room and Steve knocked them through the wall. He realized he was in a made-up set and ran out.
"Captain Rogers, wait!" the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent said before speaking into a comm. "All agents, code 13! I repeat. All agents, code 13!"
---
Steve found himself in 2011's Time Square. He looked around in shock. Numerous SUVs encircled him and Fury stepped out of one of the vehicles.
"At ease, soldier!" Fury said. "Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but... we thought it best to break it to you slowly."
"Break what?" Steve asked.
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years." Steve looked around him in shock. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I just... I had a date," Steve answered, the memories of his last conversation with Peggy playing in his head. He figured she was gone and that he'd never see her again. In a matter of months, for him, he'd lost the woman he loved and his best friends.
---
Steve was pummeling a punching bag in the gym and in anger, he knocked his punching bag off its chain, sending it flying across the room when Fury entered.
"Trouble sleeping?" Fury asked.
"You're here with a mission, sir?" Steve questioned.
"I am."
"Trying to get me back in the world?"
"Trying to save it."
YOU ARE READING
An Epitaph to War
ActionLiesl escaped Germany with her mother before her teenage years due to her father, a man in charge and the coming future. After all, German Jews were very much at risk, as were all who shared the same beliefs. The young girl meets two boys who becom...
