Serenade in Blue

09

Before they went after Red Skull, Peggy, Howard, the Howling Commandos, Steve, Bea and Bucky were gathered around a makeshift grave.

Steve stepped forward and said, "I'm sorry Bucky and I couldn't save you, Phillip. I promise we'll take care of Bea, keep her safe." He sniffled. "It should've been me, not you."

Bucky placed a hand on the grave and said quietly, "Save a place for me. Given how dangerous this mission is, I'll probably be there sooner than I'd like to admit. But you can be damn well sure I'll avenge you."

Bea knelt in front of the grave. "I should've said those words, and now it's too late." She wiped her nose with her hand. "I miss you much more than you know." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I love you, Phillip, and I'm sorry I never got to tell you one last time."

She stood and fell into Bucky's arms. He hugged her, rubbing a hand up and down her back as she cried.

Others spoke, but Bea wasn't listening.

When her tears had eased, Steve said, "Phillip gave me a letter to give you if... If he didn't make it."

Bea nodded slowly. "I don't want to read it right now. But don't lose it, okay?"

"I won't, Bea. I'll give it to you whenever you're ready."

RED SKULL'S HEADQUARTERS

The team prepared a battle plan to take down Red Skull.

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house," Colonel Phillips said. "He thinks he's a god. He's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA."

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities," Howard informed. "He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern sea board in an hour."

"How much time we got?" Gabe asked.

"According to my new best friend, under twenty-four hours," Colonel Phillips replied.

"Where is he now?" Jacques questioned.

"Hydra's last base is here." Holding up a photo, he pointed to the base. "In the Alps. Five hundred feet below the surface."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Morita wondered. "I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not?" Steve retorted. "That's exactly what we're gonna do."

Bucky met his friend's eye. "Count me and Bea in."

---

Steve, Bucky and Bea were captured by HYDRA soldiers and brought to Schmidt's weapon lab.

"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait, but I must say, you do it better than anyone. But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain, Maverick, Sergeant. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise?"

"He told me you were insane," Steve shot back.

"Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine. But he gave you everything. So, what made you two so special?"

"Nothin'. We're just kids from Brooklyn."

Schmidt started beating Steve, Bucky and Bea up and Steve said, "I can do this all day."

Bea stared at Schmidt with a dark expression. "Love is a force worth avenging."

"Oh, of course you can," Schmidt said. "Of course. But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule." He took out his cube-energy pistol and pointed it between Steve, Bea and Bucky.

"So am I!" Steve, Bea and Bucky yelled as their team crashed through the windows of the weapons lab.

"Rogers!" Falsworth called. "You might need this!" He threw Steve his shield.

"Thanks!" Steve, Bea and Bucky made their way through the HYDRA base which had fallen into chaos with the arrival of more Allied soldiers.

Jim said into his comm, "We're in! Assault team, go!"

Colonel Phillips stood outside listening to Morita and said, "Move out!" The soldiers began running towards the HYDRA base. "Keep your spacing!"

HYDRA BASE

A HYDRA soldier said, "Cut off one head, two more shall..." He was killed by Colonel Phillips.

"Let's go find two more!" Colonel Phillips said.

As Steve, Bea and Bucky chased Schmidt, they were confronted by a HYDRA soldier with flamethrowers and was saved by Peggy.

After Peggy had killed the HYDRA soldier, Steve said, "You're late."

"Weren't you about to..." Peggy trailed.

"Right," Steve finished, continuing his chase with Bea and Bucky close behind. Schmidt boarded the Valkyrie and Steve, Bea and Bucky weren't fast enough to catch the plane. Behind them, Colonel Phillips and Peggy appeared in a car to pick them up to chase the plane on the runway. "Keep it steady!" Just as Steve, Bea and Bucky were about to leap from the roadster onto Schmidt's plane, Peggy stopped them.

"Wait!" Peggy called, kissing Steve. "Go get him." Steve, surprised by the kiss, looked at Colonel Phillips.

Colonel Phillips said, "I'm not kissin' you! Or them!"

Steve, Bea and Bucky managed to get onto one of the plane's wheels as it took flight.

Bea shook away the thought of the brunet who'd grown from an annoying boy to the man she adored. She had to keep her composure. She couldn't break. She wouldn't. Bea swallowed heavily as a determined expression crossed her face.

Bucky glanced at his friend with a concerned expression. While rage and heartbreak could be good motivators, he feared they would consume Bea, and he had silently vowed that he would protect her no matter what.

INSIDE THE VALKYRIE

There were multiple fighter planes with their targets written on them: Boston, Chicago, New York.

They fought to disable the fighter planes and their pilots.

While Steve, Bucky and Bea were going after one of the fight pilots, Steve lost his shield. They jumped onto the fighter plane and sent one pilot through the blades and ejected the other.

Steve flew the fighter plane back into the Valkyrie and picked up his shield.

Bea, Bucky and Steve entered the cockpit where Schmidt was waiting.

"You don't give up, do you?" Schmidt asked.

"Nope!" Steve, Bucky and Bea replied and the four fought.

"You could have the power of the gods! Yet you wear a flag on your chest and think you fight a battle of nations! I have seen the future, Captain, Sergeant, Maverick! There are no flags!"

"Not my future!" Steve, Bea and Bucky yelled as the former flung his shield at Schmidt who was thrown into the cubic console.

"What have you done? No." He picked up the cube and energy started to pour from it, revealing a window into space. A stream of blue energy engulfed Schmidt and took him into the sky. The cube fell to the ground and burned through it until it fell into the sea below.

Bucky lowered his gun and glanced around. "Steve, how the hell do you plan on getting off this plane?"

Steve shrugged. "I have no idea."

Bea glanced at the controls. "I have one. It's a stupid idea, but it's the best we got."

Bucky followed her gaze to the controls and nodded slowly. "It's crazy, but it just may work."

Steve nodded. "Yeah. Nice going, Bea."

Bea closed her eyes and whispered, "See you soon, Phillip. Steve and Bucky are on their way as well."