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, Louise, 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 Louise took his place.
"Steve, is that you?" Louise asked. "Are you all right?"
"Lu! 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."
Peggy walked up behind her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"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. Louise, this is my choice." He forced the plane toward the water. "Lu?"
"I'm here."
"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."
Louise, 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. Understood?"
"You know, I still don't know how to dance."
"I'll 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 Louise began crying.
"Steve? Steve? Steve?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks and she left the tower.
She ran outside and fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks.
And that would be her downfall.
A rogue HYDRA agent that had evaded escape grabbed Louise and covered her mouth with a cloth.
Her eyes closed and she was lifted over his shoulder.
As the man walked away, he said into a walkie-talkie, "Она у меня есть."
(I've got her. (Russian))
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 and Miss Barnes, wherever she is." 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 and Louise. She pulled out the photos of the man and woman who'd become dear friends and looked at them sadly.
YOU ARE READING
Long Ago and Far Away
ActionWar has a habit of shattering lives, and such can be said for a trio from Brooklyn. Neither knew what would come to be when they went to war. One served, though not in the way they thought. One had no choice. And one became a healer. And their li...
