Captain America: Finding A "Peggy"

This Is It

Everyone has to choose. We make choices everyday, even without knowing it. When you pick out what you want to wear for the day, that's a choice. When you decided to get that hamburger instead of the salad, that's a choice. Our subconscious works in funny ways. Sometimes it works for the best, sometimes for the worst. When you choose to go to war, you don't just get up and say, "Hey I'm gonna go to war today," that's not how things work. When you choose to go to war, you choose to fight. And when you choose to fight, you're choosing one of two things: succeed, or die. It is my mission to defend people. That is the world's mission. And I'll be damned if I don't try. There are people out there, innocent people, that I am obligated to protect when their lives, their existence, is threatened. Fighting a war is what I'm good at. I've been doing it my whole life. This time is no different. The war is coming and when it does, one of two things is going to happen: Either I will succeed, or I will die trying. I am Captain America, and I save people.

Steve ran, Natasha in his arms, trying to find safety. He checked to see if she still had a pulse. Feeling a faint beat, he continued on his way. He sprinted to the street and stopped a car, and a woman steeped out, "Hey! Hey! I need to borrow your vehicle! There's no time to explain, I need it!"

The woman stared at Steve with an expression of genuine shock, "You're-"

"I'm trying to save this woman's life, please!" He frantically opened the backdoor and lay Natasha down.

"Captain America.." The woman said.

Steve smiled weakly, "Yes ma'am now I need to hurry!" He got into the driver's seat, shut the door and sped off. Steve made his way to the hospital, kicking open the door and hurrying Natasha to the desk, "Help! She's been shot!" Doctors and nurses rushed over to help, "You make sure she's safe, and when she wakes, you tell her, that I love her." Steve demanded.

"You can't leave!" Shouted a nurse.

Steve was sprinting towards the door, "I have to find the person who did this!" He hurried out of the hospital and made his back to his apartment. He picked up the cellphone, "Fury?!" There was no reply. He checked the phone, it wasn't on call.

Searching through the contacts he found Fury's number and called him.

"Rogers?!" Fury answered.

"What happened," Steve shouted, "how did you know?!"

"There's no time," fury swiftly replied, "the shooter is still there."

"Where?!" Steve asked.

"The building across the street," Fury replied as if they were on a top secret mission, "be on guard, Rogers."

"How do you know for sure?" Steve asked.

"We've got eyes on," Fury replied, "we tracked him for a while, that's how I knew he was coming."

"Little heads up would've been nice." Steve replied getting his uniform on as quickly as he could.

"I found out when you did, now hurry." He replied. Steve looked at his window and then to the far wall across from it. He went to the far wall and readied himself. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted at the window, jumping out of it, landing on his shield on the black top below.

The captain quickly ran to the building across the street, and up the stairs to the top. Upon reaching the top, he saw a big figure dressed in black from behind. "Took you a while to get here Captain." The figure spoke harshly and with hate.

"Who are you?!" Steve called out.

The figure turned around to reveal a skull painted on a helmet, and an x across the chest piece of his armor, "The name, is cross bones. The real question is, who was I?"

"You shot an innocent woman!" Steve yelled as he walked towards Crossbones was rage building inside him.

"Romanoff? She's hardly innocent." Crossbones laugh in disgust of Steve's presence.

Steve cocked his head and became furious, "What did you just say?"

"Touch a nerve?" Crossbones was smiling under his helmet, "Don't worry, I was aiming for you."

Steve ran towards Crossbones and the two engaged in a fierce hand to hand combat. Crossbones was a skilled fighter, but nothing the Captain couldn't handle. Steve struck him in the ribs several times, and he wasn't just boxing anymore, he was angry.

Steve utilized his shield against Crossbones, who seemed to be anticipating it more than any usual person, as if, he'd dealt with it before. The two continued to fight, nearing the edge of the building. As Steve hit Crossbones with his shield,
Crossbones fell to the rooftop, and moved to the right, quickly getting up and kicking Steve off the edge of the building. Holding his shield in front of him, he landed inside it, on the blacktop once more.

He stood up and threw his fists towards the ground, "Dammit!" The Captain activated the earpiece in his helmet, contacting Fury, "Fury." Steve said was frustration.

"Rogers," Fury sounded upset, "What the hell happened?"

Steve looked to the top of the building, "He got away. He called himself Crossbones, just like you said."

"Did he say what he wanted," Fury asked sarcastically.

"No," Steve sighed, "why would he, he just tried to kill me, that's dying enough."

"We've lost our eyes on him, we'll let you know when we get him again," Fury spoke with defeat in his voice, "for now, go visit Romanoff."

"Fury," Steve said.

"Yeah Rogers?"

"He knew me and Nat." Steve said.

"I know." Fury replied.

"No, no," Steve shook his head, "He KNEW us. When I was fighting him, he anticipated my shield more than anyone else. I feel like he's done this before."

"Could've trained with someone with a shield." Fury replied.

"No one fights like I do with a shield." Steve replied before disconnecting the contact.

**

Back at the hospital, Steve sat at Natasha's bedside, wondering when she'd wake. Looking at her, the way she was, Steve noticed just how vulnerable she was. He put his hand on her face, touching it lightly, "You're so much like her." He said quietly. He brushed the hair out of her face and behind her ear, "You're a fighter," He kissed her forehead, "and I know now why you were so keen on me dating again." Steve sat back in the chair he had pulled up by her, "You just wanted me to be happy, at the cost of your own happiness. This whole time, I've been looking for Peggy. This whole time I've been longing for a girl like her. I didn't even notice that she was right next to me. I've found her. I've found my Peggy." Steve put his hands together, closing his fingers around them, and tilted his head back. "It took you almost dying for me to figure it out. It's you Nat."

"Till the end of the line." Natasha replied as she awoke. Steve looked back to her and a smile brew across his face as she opened her eyes. Nat looked at Steve, and smiled.