The Broken Family

|1| Some Things Never Die

——2014 : Washington DC——

Steve Rogers got on his motorcycle and began to head for the Smithsonian. Parking outside, he puts on a baseball cap and enters the crowded museum.

As he enters the Captain America exhibit a recorded message begins to play. "A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice." He keeps his face hidden under the cap as he walks through the exhibition.

"Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier." A little boy recognizes him, and Steve smiles before putting a finger to his lips. The boy nods and he moves on after watching a bit of footage. "In this rare footage, everyone's favorite warrior, Captain America..."

Steve walks over to a display with the old costumes on mannequins. "Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down Hydra, the Nazi rogue science division." Looking around for a bit, he head for Bucky's exhibit that he had insisted the museum had.

"Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country." A sad look crossed his face for a moment as he read the plaque about his best friend. He turned to another section in the same area, one of a canine he got quite attached to as well.

"Even as a puppy, Mallow never backed down from a fight. Bucky Barnes rescued her from a shelter in 1939 and they quickly became inseparable. Mallow became close with Captain America as well, creating a trio that were ready to do anything, and everything for each other." Steve looked around at photos of a young version of Mallow. A video of the fight in the park where she protected a pit bull puppy ran. The defiance in her gaze was very clear as she stood stiffly in front of the bigger dog. The floppy ear ends dampened the look a bit, but in an adorable way. He gave a small smile before looking to another picture of her running over the battlefield, dog tags visible as her ears were down, eyes narrowed, and teeth slightly visible. "After sneaking onto one of Barnes' missions, the military welcomed her as a full member at the Sergeant's side. With her amazing senses and ability to move quickly and without being seen, Mallow became a powerful asset on the battlefield." Steve saw a video of him, Bucky, and Mallow all looking happy and laughing. "Shortly after Rogers' crashed into the Arctic, Mallow disappeared without a trace." He looked down at his wrist to see her collar and let out a small sigh before moving on to a video of Peggy.

"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve... Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a Hydra blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life." He looked down at the picture that was kept in his old compass. Looking up, he turned around to leave and walked out of the museum.

——Location Shift : S.H.I.E.L.D——
——Headquarters——

Alexander Pierce was standing in his office, looking out the window in silence when a knock sounded on his door. He turned around to see Jasper Sitwell lean in, an ecstatic look on his face. "Well, what is it?"

"We found her!"

Pierce froze and looked up before walking over, the silent message clear. They briskly walked down the hall to a room with computers everywhere. The large map was zoomed in on a sizable chunk of the Eurasian wilderness nearby Romania, a mix of forest, mountains, and open plains. It was at least three times the size of the average wolf territory, a clear sign that whatever lived there was big and needed a lot of space. Pierce looked a bit skeptical. "How do you know it's her?"

"The people that venture into this area never come back, especially big game hunters. The one person that has was covered in gigantic wounds inflicted by fangs. He died of course, but he babbled a bit about a giant wolf. Plus the local people have had a story for the past 50-something years about a spirit that guards the mountains, and kills anybody who trespasses or disrespects the forest." Sitwell looked incredibly happy about their find before Pierce nodded.

"Send out a large number of men. We need her to be back alive and well. If the old serum worked, it's going to take a lot of manpower to capture her." With that, he left the room to let Rumlow take charge.

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Hey. I know it's short, but I promise the chapters will be longer in the future. I needed to create the foundation for Mallow's return.

-Trico