The Price of Freedom

10

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, 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 Chava took his place.

"Steve, is that you?" Chava asked. "Are you all right?"

"Chava! Schmidt's dead."

"What about the plane?"

"That's a little bit tougher to explain."

"Give me your coordinates, I'll have Peggy 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."

"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 I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die. Chava, this is my choice." He forced the plane toward the water. "Chava?"

"I'm here," Chava replied through her tears.

"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."

Chava, 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..." He cut himself off, coming to terms with their current situation.

"Steve? Steve?" She began sobbing and Peggy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

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." 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. She pulled out the photo her friend and looked at it sadly.

---

As Chava walked to her job at the switchboard, she was suddenly knocked out.

The unconscious woman was taken where she would become a fleeting memory of who she had been. She would forget all she held dear. She would forget her name and the man she had fallen in love with, and everything she knew.