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( twenty three. past meets present )

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Steve woke up with a pounding headache.

He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden light. Once his vision cleared out, he saw Gabe Jones and the other men at his side. He suspected that he was currently inside a tank because he felt the ground moving when he was just lying down.

He groaned, taking off his helmet.

"He's up," Jones announced.

The captain tried to sit up. "How long was I out?"

"Just about an hour. We're close to the base." Falsworth answered.

Suddenly, the memories of the mission came back to his head. He felt like his mind was going to explode from the sudden depression.

Bucky falling...

Anne getting captured...

Steve didn't know what to do anymore. He felt lonely. He felt defeated. And he couldn't accept the fact that the two most important people in his life were now gone. It didn't help at all when he thinks this is all his fault. He was the only one to be blamed for their loss. His job was to protect them, yet he failed. It was too much for him to handle.

And Anne...

His blood instantly boiled at the thought of her being grabbed by HYDRA men and taking her to God knows where. Steve felt like punching himself. If only he had been quicker, or stronger, he could've saved her in time.

If only...

He pressed a hand to his face. Breathing and sobbing uncontrollably.

The men, even though they were meant to come out as strong soldiers, couldn't help but feel hurt at the sight of their captain in front of them. Seeing the broken and pained expression on their captain's face didn't help at all. They felt sorry for him. Nothing but deep regrets at what had happened.

This was the first time they've seen him like this.

Captain America became a strong and mighty figure not just for them but as well as in the eyes of the whole country.

Somehow, they forgot what lies under those patriotic colors was also just an ordinary man named Steve Rogers.

Jim Morita laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're gonna get her. We promise."

Steve, with his head down, nodded in return.

A tear fell across his face.

And it didn't pass the men's eyes unseen.

    ————————————————————————————       

It didn't help him at all as soon as they arrived back at the base.

Especially when Steve had run into the person he couldn't afford to face right now. He couldn't find the face to confront Becca and tell her what had happened. Not when he knew how much Bucky meant to her as much as he did to him.

So when she asked him in that hallway how did the mission go? He couldn't answer. He couldn't utter a word. He just let the silent tears slipped down his cheeks and stain the cold hard ground.

Becca put two and two together. She glanced at the empty spot beside him and went white when she realized her brother was missing. Because Bucky would always be beside Steve whenever they returned from a mission.

Not today.

She completely broke down and lunge herself into Steve's arms as they both wept and mourned for their loved one. For their Bucky.

Everyone kept telling him that it wasn't his fault. Becca, most of all, would always remind him of that. They knew that Steve did everything he could to save him because Bucky meant everything to him. His best friend. His brother.

But he would always think otherwise.

"Steve?"

A voice cut through his deep thoughts. He looked behind and saw Peggy at the entrance. He was currently in the Stork Club, wanting to get away from the atmosphere of the base for a bit. Though the environment here wasn't any better because it was now destroyed by the tons of bombs that hit it just a few days ago.

She walked nearer and saw him holding a bottle of some liquid in his hands.

"Hey," Peggy said quietly, pulling up a chair for her to sit on.

Steve looked at the glass he was holding. "Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means, um... I can't get drunk. Did you know that?"

She answered. "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects."

Steve could only nod in response.

Peggy inspected the captain's face. His eyes were red and moist. It was also swollen. She suspected that he had been crying for a long time already. Usually, she would always know what to say or do. But this time, she struggled to find the words to comfort him.

They weren't exactly in awkward terms.

It's just that it's still a little bit hard for her to accept that he wasn't in love with her like she was with him. But she wasn't holding a grudge against it, especially when he needed someone after losing the people meant dearly to him.

Even if it means the girl who she saw before as her competition. The girl who had managed to capture the heart of Steve Rogers. Captain America.

She needed to put all those behind her and let Steve know that he wasn't alone. That they were going to get her back.

"Steve," She sighed, unsure if she was saying the right thing. "It isn't your fault."

"Did you read the report?" He asked.

Peggy nodded. "Yes."

"Then you know that's not true." He concluded, gripping the glass tightly.

"You did everything you could." She started. "Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?"

Steve looked at her as if to say yes.

She continued on. "Then stop blaming yourself. I know it hurts a lot but allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it."

He sighed. "But Anne... she's... I-It's my fault. If I had gotten to her sooner—I know HYDRA tortured Bucky to gain information. What's saying they're not going to do it to her right now?"

She also had a worried look on her face. "I know Anne's a strong person. She wouldn't let them get to her."

Steve still wasn't relieved. "I'm going after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop till all of Hydra is dead or captured. I'm not gonna stop till I get Anne back."

Peggy laid her hand on top of his, squeezing it reassuringly.

"You won't be alone."

    ————————————————————————————       

Natasha slowly opened her eyes. She was immediately greeted by a sharp pain in her temples. She blinked a few times. Trying to take in her surroundings. She noticed what's in front of her – bars. Lots of it.

It was then she realized that she was in a cell.

She quickly tried to stand up and reach out but was surprised to find that she couldn't. Something was holding her wrists captive. She glanced down and saw that she was strapped to a metal chair, chains were keeping her arms and wrists in place.

She struggled to break free but was frustrated to find that she couldn't. The chains were too tight and strong. It would only bruise her wrists more.

She swore in Russian.

The spy was alarmed when the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She figured the person was wearing heavy rubber boots. She peered across the hall, just behind the bars, and saw two HYDRA men coming straight her way.

Once they reached her cell, they unlocked it and went inside. Natasha wasn't able to see their faces since they were wearing masks. She could, however, hear their muffled voices. One went to bend down and reach for one of the locks in her wrists.

Were they releasing her?

A plan quickly engulfed in her mind. She needed to get out of here. Natasha peeked out the hall to find any useful exit. Her eyes scanned over until it landed on a dark opening just at the far end.

Bingo.

Just when one of the men released the other lock, she quickly smacked her head straight at his own. She jabbed her foot at his and crushed it painfully. The other man turned to grab her but she was quicker. She dodged his hand, twisted it and landed two punches straight on the man's chest. She rammed her foot down his thigh so he couldn't easily get up.

Then she ran for it.

She bolted straight out of the cell and aimed for the door on the far end. However, she was taken aback when another man suddenly came out on one side of the intersection.

He grabbed her arm. Natasha hoisted herself from the floor and twisted her body to position herself on the man's shoulders. She slammed her elbow into the man's skull. Although after a few seconds, the man had pushed her back into a wall and forced her down on a metal table.

He grabbed hold of her neck. Natasha's hands clung to his hand, choking on air. He was this close to squeezing the life out of her when she thought better. Her legs were dangling on the edge of the table. Using the remaining strength that she had, she lifted her legs and kicked the man's gut to make him release his grip on her.

Still coughing furiously, she aimed for the door. She ran as fast as her limbs could make her. A long white hallway covered her sight after she stepped foot on the door. Natasha still continued to run and pushed open another white door.

Natasha almost let out a yelp as she immediately came face to face with the Red Skull.

"Pity seeing you again." Schmidt let out a crooked grin.

She was too distracted to notice the two men gaining on her behind. The next thing she knew, they grabbed hold of her arms and held her in place.

"What do you want from me?" She glared at him.

He clasped his arms behind his back and answered so casually. "I think the question you should be asking is what do we need from you."

"What the hell are you playing at? I'm not in the mood for games." She snapped.

Schmidt laughed manically. "Unfortunately, so am I. Maybe it's not about exactly what we need from you, agent. We need you to do something for us."

"And what's that?" she demanded.

He grinned mischievously. "What I want is to have soldiers just like your own Captain America. An army of soldiers that could withstand his strength and power and finally fulfill HYDRA's one true purpose."

She wasn't following him, going more and more furious by the second. "You're stupid to think if you can create soldiers like Captain America. He's the only super soldier. And always will be."

"How can you be so sure?" His jaw clenched. "Time is running out and we cannot afford to lose more. What we need is to have more. Create more. This time, HYDRA will conquer the world by using our own soldiers to win the war and put an end to humanity's misery. This will change everything."

Disbelief and fury washed her features. Where was this bastard getting at? "I'm still not following why the fuck did you bring me here. You're not doing yourself any favors by telling me all this."

"Captain Rogers's blood is the last thing we need in order to compare our own serum with Erskine's formula. Of course, we cannot get a hold of the captain's blood if he would not let us. Unless..."

He curled one of his gloved fingers under her chin and forced her to meet his sickening face. The corner of his lips tugged into a devious smirk.

Her face turned white.

It all sunk in. It makes perfectly good sense. Why they captured her. Why he was telling her all of this. Why they couldn't just kill her then and there.

They were going to use her. They were going to use her against him. They knew that Steve was coming for her. And it would be the perfect time to trap him and force him to give a sample of his blood.

Force him to surrender to HYDRA.

"No." This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. It shouldn't. This was going to mess everything up. And it was all her fault. "You can't do that!"

He ignored her protests. "There's no use to struggle, fraulein. Once the serum is ready for use, all we need now is Captain America's blood and the war will end. Humanity will be saved and a new world order will arise."

"No. You—you bastard!" She gritted her teeth, struggling furiously in their grip. They were too strong for her. "You're making a goddamn mistake! You don't understand! You are not doing them any favors by taking away their freedom!"

"Freedom is for the weak. It is for those who cannot learn to control themselves and are the sole reason why the world is turning against them! HYDRA will help shape the world as it is before. The way it should be."

"By wiping the world clean? By sacrificing the lives of innocent people? How is that going to shape the world?" She asked in disbelief. "You're fucking crazy."

Schmidt didn't seem to faze with her profanity. But it did make him more furious. He was the mortal devil on Earth. "Talk all you want. Say what you want, agent, but nothing is going to change our mind. And you're helping us do it."

"Like I will." She spatted. "You think your plan's going to work? Tough luck. He's not that stupid enough like you to walk straight into a trap."

He glared at her. "Foolish girl! But your captain's stupid enough to still let you on with the missions. Does he not realize that you're the one tool to use against him?"

"You're not going to use me." They'll be damned if she thinks she's just as weak and pathetic as the other damsels in distress. She was an agent. A fighter. "You can't."

A devil of a grin started to crawl its way on his lips. He leaned closer to the blonde in front of him. He gripped her face so tightly. "Then let's see how far are you willing to endure for your captain, huh?"

Natasha shook her head out of his grip, gritting her teeth. "Good luck with that." She gave back the same deathly smirk. "Because I'm not someone who gives up easily."

The Red Skull let out a boisterous laugh.

"We'll see about that."

    ————————————————————————————       

The captain immediately called for a meeting as soon as he got a hold of himself back. Knowing how far they've come, he couldn't afford to waste all their time and work just because of him being emotionally unstable. So, putting all those difficult emotions aside, he focused on reliving his duties as Captain America first.

And he promised himself that he wouldn't let Bucky's sacrifice go to waste.

"Now, we lost a lot of our own yesterday," Phillips said, his voice succumbing to one of remorse. Everyone's eyes darted over to the empty seats of Bucky and Natasha. Steve couldn't keep the pang in his chest from surfacing again. "But the war is still out there. HYDRA doesn't plan on stopping and neither should we."

"Anne wasn't killed, sir," Steve spoke up, as calmly as his anger could allow him. "She was captured."

"What?" The colonel stared at him. Letting out a sigh of frustration. "Lord almighty. What the hell do they need her for?"

Howard on the other hand, looked just as beaten up as Steve is. Somehow, he knew that she and the inventor have rather formed a close friendship while she was staying here. He had seen the both of them talking often around the base. Sometimes, he'd even catch her walking into Stark's office.

Though he didn't pry. She told him numerous times that she only sees Howard as a friend and a colleague. Nothing more.

Not like the way she sees him.

Thinking about that only made him more furious at the situation. Goddammit. He couldn't just stop blaming himself. He's worrying so hard at what they could be possibly doing to her now.

"Judging by the vial Captain Rogers managed to bring in the last time, it was a vial of the super soldier serum." Howard sucked an intake of breath, "Although their version of their serum is still incomplete. There's a component missing that is only extractable in Steve's own blood. Nevertheless, they'll probably need to try their luck and test it on someone to know if it would work."

Steve went absolutely white. Horror. Fear. All consumed his face. "You think they'll use it on her?"

"I don't know that for sure but the chances are high. What else would they bring her in for?" He said, mirroring the same expression as he had on.

Peggy chimed in. "I don't think it's solely the reason. As much as it loathes me to admit this, HYDRA would never risk using their serum on a woman. Schmidt, most of all. He always sees women as weak and foolish humans. It wouldn't make sense to use one their only chance of creating a super soldier on a woman, would it?"

Silence ensued over the team. Peggy's works tried to work their way through their brains. After a while, Steve hummed in understanding. It could be possible, but then, if Peggy's theory is, in fact, correct, then it leads them back to their first question.

If HYDRA wasn't going to test their serum on her, then what the hell do they need her for?

Then it sunk in. His eyes widened. 

The realization came across his face. "Holy hell..." he muttered. Everyone turned to their captain, shocked at his outburst. 

"What?" Howard asked.

"You said that there's something missing in their serum that's only present in the serum used on me, right?"

"Yes."

"And it's only present in my blood?"

"What are you..." His face went jaw-slacked. He understood what he was trying to tell them. "Shit."

Steve turned to the rest of them. His jaw clenched as he swallowed the thick lump on his throat. "They need me. They need my blood otherwise their serum won't work."

Peggy looked confused. "Yes, we've established that already?"

"And how could they get a hold of my blood if I'm right here? If none of their soldiers could even..." He didn't know how to say it without sounding too full of himself. "Obviously they'll be damned if they think I'm going to let them get so much as a drop of blood from me."

Unfortunately, they got it.

They all knew what he was trying to say.

"Unless... you'll willingly give it." Peggy asserted, her mouth falling limp at the realization.

"Or trade it." Howard cut in, looking straight at Steve. He sighed. "They're going to use her against you."

Colonel Phillips let out a grunt of exasperation. "Every goddamn time I think the situation couldn't get any more messed up, it always does."

What the colonel said could never be any closer to the truth.

Before their discussion could go any further, a knock resonated from the door. It opened to reveal another ranking officer. "Excuse me, Colonel Phillips?"

"What is it this time? We're in the middle of a damn meeting."

The officer looked embarrassed. "I know and I'm very sorry sir, but it's urgent."

"What is?" he snidely asked.

"Someone is asking for Captain Rogers at the front desk. He said that it's very important to speak with him now."

It was Steve's turn to frown. Who else could possibly be asking for him? He didn't have any relatives or friends outside of work. "Who?"

"He didn't say his name, captain. He simply told us that he's an old friend of Agent Klein."

At the mention of her name, curiosity shot up from his spine. An old friend? As far as he knew, she didn't have any friends other than the very people sitting in this room. Ever since she moved here, she didn't mention anything about having friends.

"Rogers, can't that wait till later?" Phillips sounded annoyed, noticing him making a move to stand up from his seat.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. I need to hear this. It must be important." Steve said.

"More important than this meeting?"

"It's fine, Colonel." Howard chimed in, giving the captain a look. "It shouldn't be long, right, Cap?"

Steve nodded, reassuringly. "It won't." He glanced at Phillips. "Colonel?"

"Fine." He sighed in defeat.

So he excused himself from the meeting and followed the officer waiting outside the hall. He guided him towards the front desk. From there, he saw an unfamiliar face of a man. He was wearing washed out pants and a leather jacket.

He finally noticed his presence and shot up from his seat. "Captain!" He hesitated whether he would salute or not and settled for putting his hands in his pockets.

Steve eyed him suspiciously. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can. You very well can." He said, walking closer. "I need to talk to you. Can we uh—is there someplace around here with a lesser crowd?"

"What about?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's..." He sighed, cutting himself off. "I can't tell you because someone might hear."

Okay, now he's getting more suspicious. His gaze hardened on the man. "Look, sir, don't take this the wrong way but I don't know who you are and I don't know what you do. So give me a reason on why should I trust you?"

The man gave a nod as if he was expecting him to ask that already. "Figures. Well, I'm a friend of Anne Klein and I need your help, Cap."

At the mention of her name, he became more defensive. "I didn't recall Anne telling me she had friends outside of work."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about her. That's just the way she is."

"And you do?"

The man laughed humorlessly. "Oh, Cap. You have no idea."

————————————————————————————   

Tony knows he might be making a mistake.

No, wait, not might be. He is making a mistake.

Letting Steve Rogers know about Natasha's true identity is a risk he's going to have to take in order to get her back. Since, in some weird and surprising way, he trusts the Captain not to spill anything after knowing this, that's exactly what he's going to do now.

Besides, he'll wake up 70 years later for them to explain everything and let bygones be bygones.

He got to convinced Steve that he isn't just a random drug addict who is making up crazy stories when he told a lot of stuff about Natasha. Stuff that he was sure she had told Steve during the times they've been together.

When they finally got to a place out of hearing reach from the people, Steve suddenly rambled on asking and saying stuff Tony couldn't catch up much with.

"This couldn't possibly be true. You must be joking." he accused.

"As much as I like it to be, unfortunately, no," Tony said. "Look, Cap, you've got to believe me. I know it's hard to because it really sounds all crazy and fucked up but you're the only hope I have left to get her back."

Confusion. Bewilderment. Disbelief. All were present in his face. "This can't... it's not possible. I'm sorry but it just can't be possible."

"It really is. I'm a genius—sort of an idiot at the same time—inventor that got to build this time machine and the reason why we're here." He said in all seriousness.

Steve shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry, I just—I don't believe this. It all sounds like bull."

Tony's jaw clenched as he heaved a sigh of frustration. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Okay, okay."

He couldn't blame Steve for not believing him at once. It's actually surprising to see him not panicking or asking him to be escorted out. But he really needed to get Natasha back, no matter what it takes.

Or else he'll have to face his wrath of getting thrown out of a fucking building by Captain America by the time he gets back.

If Steve is even there by the time he gets back.

No. No. Focus, Tony. Do what you need to do.

"Fine, you don't have to believe me. You don't even have to trust me. I just need your help to get her back. Can you do that?" He gave him a pleading look, one also full of determination. "Please, Captain."

Steve didn't know what to think.

This man—one who claimed to be Tony—looked like he was telling the truth, he'd seen men that lie straight to their faces. He may be a terrible liar but he could clearly see one if he tried. And this man? There was nothing but pure honesty. Truthfulness.

But still, the truth cannot be more complicated or crazy enough.

Then again, this man was right about something. He didn't know Anne Klein well enough. As much as he hates to admit it, it was true. Hell, he didn't even know where she lived before she started staying on the base. He didn't know if she had any relatives or friends besides them because she was always so reserved. So close and so full of secrets.

Anne Klein was a goddamn mystery.

That's what she is.

But Steve knew one thing for sure, he was certain of one thing—he loves her. Whoever she may be, whoever she is, or whoever this man claimed her to be, it's not going to change anything.

Steve loves her.

Nothing could ever change his mind about that.

"Alright." He said.

Tony sighed in relief. "Good."

"So what do you need me to do?"

He reached into his pocket and shifted his hand around until it touched a metal object. His fingers curled around it and held it up for him to see.

"A watch?" Steve asked, puzzled.

"Not just any watch. It's more of a portable time machine or something."

The captain opened his mouth to speak when he saw a distant figure appeared at the end of the hallway and headed straight towards them. "Howard?" he asked.

Tony froze. He still kept his back to the person in question, not even moving so much as an inch.

"Cap, what happened? Colonel Phillips is really pissed. I told you not to take long—" Whatever he was supposed to say died down as soon as he saw Tony. "Hey, I know you."

Tony cursed under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut in annoyance. Of all the times he could meet him, it had to be now? Really?

He turned around and sure enough, it was none other than his old man. "The feeling is mutual, Mr. Stark."

God. That sounded weird coming out of his mouth.

Steve's confused glance darted between the two of them. His mouth went limp as a crease appeared on his forehead. "How..." He observed the uncanny similarities between the two men. He swore, if he hadn't known them, they could be mistaken as twins. "Are you two related?"

Tony would've face-palmed himself right there and right now.

He had no idea how ironic that sounded.

"You tell me," Howard said, looking just as bit perplexed as Steve was. His eyes then landed on the watch Tony grasped in his hand. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, this?" He shook the watch in his hand. "From a friend."

"And that friend just happens to be Anne Klein?"

"You got a problem with that?" He couldn't help but sneer. All the stored hatred he had for his father was now bubbling up inside him and surfacing.

The next thing he knew, Howard pushed him against the wall. He pointed a finger accusingly at his face.

Steve looked shocked, making a move to peel him off Tony. "Howard, what are you—"

"Where did you get that watch?"

Tony glared back with the same fury and dominance. "I told you, brainiac, I got it from Anne. She gave it to me."

"And why the hell would she do that?"

"Because she's my friend! And I would appreciate it if you'd get the fuck off me because I need to get her back. Now. Her time is almost up."

"What do you mean it's almost up?" Steve cut in, now looking frantic and worried.

Tony pushed Howard away from him. He straightened his clothes and turned to Steve. A look of exasperation was evident on his face. "Twenty percent. Twenty out of a hundred are now her only chances of surviving through this."

"Through what?" Steve asked.

He gulped. "Through this time. If this watch goes down to zero... it's the end game for her. She'll disappear."

Steve turned absolutely white. Horror consumed his face. He gathered the voice left in him to ask himself. "You mean... she'll die?"

Hesitantly, he nodded. "And I only intend to get her back and is not planning anything to hurt her." He shot a glare at his father.

"Oh, you don't plan to hurt her, and you just arrive now? That's goddamn fantastic then." Howard seethed. "Did you know how much shit she went through trying to keep herself together the longer she's here? And it's because of your damn fault for taking so long and sending her here!"

"Wait a second." Steve stared at Howard. "You knew about this?"

A look of guilt flooded his face. "Steve, I can explain—"

Shame and jealousy swirled in his blue eyes. His stare turned colder. "She told you? Wow. Don't I feel like the goddamn loser here."

Tony's eyes widened, first time hearing their captain swear such badly.

"You already know that she'll die the longer she stayed here and yet you still kept her around?" His voice raised a decibel higher. "And you didn't even warn me about it?" He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I got mad and upset at her because she won't talk to me and I find out now that it's not because she wouldn't. It's because she couldn't. And I feel like a complete ass who tried to pretend that I know her and what she's going through. Wow, don't I feel like the shitty hero."

Steve's bitter words came sprawling out one after another. Neither of them could have the guts enough to stop him and comfort him because they knew everything he had said was true.

Yet it wasn't his fault. None of it was his.

It was all him. It was all genius Tony Stark's fault. He is the one who messed up big time. "It's not your fault, Steve." He assured him. "If anything, you kept her going longer while I wasn't here for her."

"If I had known, I would have never let her come with us on the missions in the first place. I would've—I would have kept her safe."

Tony nodded. "I know. She told me everything about you. And you know the reason why she did it despite knowing the risk?" Steve glanced at him. "Because she wanted to be with you. No matter what happens."

"And look what happened?" Steve shook his head, feeling angry at himself. "I'm going to get her back. No matter what it takes."

A small brink of a smile stretched its way to Tony's lips. "I know you will." He then turned to his father, his face hardening. "Now, do you believe me? Next time, don't slam people against the walls just because you assumed something that isn't true." Dad.

Man, it sure is fucking satisfying to get back at your parents.

Especially the ones that don't give a shit to a word you've ever said to them since you were a goddamn kid.

Shame. Embarrassment. Both appeared on his father's face and he could only glare back. "Yeah, whatever."

A satisfied smirk appeared on Tony's lips.

Approaching footsteps reached their ears. They could hear the sound of heels clicking apprehensively against the floor.

It revealed itself to be Peggy Carter.

Who looked panicked, frantic, and worried all at the same time. "Where the bloody hell were you? We've got a serious problem." She fumed.

Steve took notice of her disheveled look. "Peggy, what happened?"

"It's..." She was breathing heavily as she swallowed thickly. "It's Anne—she... HYDRA sent us some pictures and..."

Fear dawned over the captain's features. Before she could speak a word further, he was already dashing across the hallways and rushing back to their main office.

"Steve!" Peggy caught up to him, impressively he might add, with her wearing those high heels. "Steve, wait!"

"What happened? What's in the pictures?"

"The mail came in just after Howard went to find you. It's... it doesn't say where and who it's from but we're certain it's HYDRA."

"What's on it?"

They finally came to the door to the office and Steve didn't hesitate to push it open and step in. His team turned to him with surprised looks and the colonel with a very furious one.

"Rogers, I thought I specifically said not to take too long!"

"I'm sorry, Colonel, I didn't notice the time..."

The door from behind bolted open and came in Tony and Howard. Everyone looked puzzled and shocked at the unfamiliar face.

The colonel glared at Tony. "And who the hell are you?"

"James De—"

"You know what? I don't care. Just get out of my office. You're not allowed to be here."

"I don't care," Tony said, pointing at Howard. "I'm with him."

Howard restrained himself from hitting him in the face. "Colleague." He lied smoothly.

Steve directed the attention back to the topic at hand. He was having a hard time to focus, only panic and worry set him off. "What did I miss?"

"What you missed?" Phillips took an envelope from the table and tossed it in front of the captain. A couple of pictures scattered everywhere. "That is what you've missed."

He took one of the black and white films and held it up close.

The moment he realized what he was looking at, his fingers shook and trembled. He saw his vision becoming blurry and felt his whole world tumbling down beneath him.

Confusion turned to disbelief to horror then to rage.

His mouth went agape. "This is..." He gripped the photo tighter that it bent in his fingers. He swallowed thickly, collapsing down on his seat. "Th—this can't be."

It was a picture of her. The girl that meant everything to him. She was tied to a pole. Her hands were chained behind her back and her feet were in shackles. A gag was wrapped around her mouth.

The worst? Her clothes were torn and burnt to pieces that it was barely recognizable as clothes at all. It was exposing too much skin that would make them think she was...

Steve couldn't look at it anymore.

His blurred vision focused on the words below the picture.

You have 48 hours to decide, Captain.

You for her.

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