The Tragedy of Living

06

Peggy, Elsie and Steve were in a plane piloted by Howard.

"The HYDRA camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges," Peggy informed. "It's a factory of some kind."

"We should be able to drop you two right on the doorstep," Howard said.

"Just get us as close as you can," Steve told them. "You know, you two are gonna be in a lot of trouble at the lab."

"And you won't?" Peggy shot back.

"Where I'm goin', if anybody yells at me I can just shoot 'em."

"They will undoubtedly shoot back," Elsie warned.

"Well, let's hope it's good for somethin'." He knocked at his shield.

"Agent Carter, if we're not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late night fondue with Elsie," Howard suggested and Elsie and Peggy looked awkwardly as Steve who was getting ready to parachute.

Elsie changed the subject. "My brother is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this airspace, we're lucky to have him."

"So are you two...? Do you...? Fondue?" Steve stammered.

She ignored Steve's awkward and confused rambling. "This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you."

"Are you sure this thing works?"

"It's been tested more than you, pal," Howard told him. As their plane was being shot at, Steve moved toward the opened door of the plane to jump.

"Get back here!" Peggy cried. "We're taking you all the way in."

"As soon as I'm free, you turn this thing around and get the hell outta here!" Steve said.

"You can't give me or Peggy orders!" Elsie yelled.

"The hell I can't! I'm a Captain!" He looked at her and jumped out of the plane.

Elsie let out a frustrated groan.

---

Steve snuck through the dark woods until he found a road where trucks were driving by. He got into the back of one of them and found himself face to face with two HYDRA guards.

"Fellas," Steve greeted.

"Ah!" the HYDRA guards yelled as Steve knocked them out.

HYDRA FACILITY

Steve snuck inside and cautiously made his way through the headquarters. He stole a blue shining cartridge. He found some of the captured soldiers.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Gabe Jones asked.

"I'm... Captain America," Steve replied.

"I beg your pardon?" James Montgomery Falsworth said.

After Steve had unlocked their cells and prisoners started pouring out, Dum Dum Dugan said to Jim Morita, "What, are we taking everybody?"

Jim Morita took out his dog tags and retorted, "I'm from Fresno, Ace."

"Is there anybody else?" Steve asked. "I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes."

"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back from it," Falsworth replied.

"All right. The tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else we find."

"Wait!" Gabe yelled. "You know what you're doin'?"

"Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."