The Price of Freedom

09

LONDON - BAR

Steve and Chava made their way to the bar where he had enlisted his Howling Commandos.

Chava silently took Steve's hand and he offered her a small smile.

Peggy followed the voice of a radio through the rubble.

A man on the radio said, "Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all-clear. Your attention, please. All citizens shall remain indoors until further notice. Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area."

Peggy found Steve pouring himself a drink while Chava sat next to him.

Steve glanced up and said, "Dr. Erskine said that... the serum wouldn't just effect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um... I can't get drunk. Did you know that?"

Peggy looked at him before saying, "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects." She changed the subject. "It wasn't your fault."

"Did you read the reports?"

"Yes."

"Then you know that's not true."

"You did everything you could. Did you two believe in your friend? Did you two respect him?" Steve and Chava looked at her as if to say yes. "Then stop blaming yourselves. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you two were worth it."

"I'm goin' after Schmidt," Steve decided. "I'm not gonna stop till all of HYDRA is dead or captured."

"You won't be alone."

Chava rested a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I'm going with you."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Steve said.

"I'll be careful, Steve. I promise."

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."

Chava glanced at him. "You're worry me, but you're right. This I think is our best option."

---

Steve was 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. 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 so special?"

"Nothin'. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."

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

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

"So am I!" Steve yelled as his team crashed through the windows of the weapons lab.

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

"Thanks!" Steve made his 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 chased Schmidt, he was confronted by a HYDRA soldier with flamethrowers and was saved by Peggy and Chava.

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

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

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

"Wait!" Chava called, kissing Steve. "Go get him." Steve, smiling at the kiss, looked at Colonel Phillips.

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

Peggy smiled at the couple and said, "Good luck, Captain."

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

INSIDE THE VALKYRIE

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

He fought to disable the fighter planes and their pilots.

While Steve was going after one of the fight pilots, he lost his shield. He 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.

He entered the cockpit where Schmidt was waiting.

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

"Nope!" Steve replied and the two 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! There are no flags!"

"Not my future!" Steve  yelled as he 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.

Steve looked around, trying to find a way off the plane and caught sight of the controls.