"Senator Brandt, I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the third Aerial reconnaissance has proven unfruitful." Back at Steve's base camp, Colonel Phillips was having a letter written in regards to Steve's passing, knowing only he had gone behind enemy lines against orders, and had not returned. "As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers killed in action. Period." Behind him, Peggy Carter, resident agent of S.H.I.E.L.D heard the grim news as she came in with a report. She had helped Steve get over the enemy lines with the help of Howard Stark, and felt her heart sink hearing he was gone.

"The last surveillance flight is back." She informed the colonel as he turned to meet her eye. "No sign of activity." He sighed, having hoped that wouldn't be the news.

"Go get a cup of coffee, Corporal." He ordered the man who had been typing for him, and stared hard at Peggy, who remained strong standing before him. " I can't touch Stark. He's rich and he's the Army's number one weapon contractor. You are neither one." He practically growled a little as he spoke, but Peggy did not bow.

"With respect, sir, I don't regret my actions." She told him, almost unable to look in his eyes. "And I don't think Captain Rogers did, either." He scoffed.

"What makes you think I give a damn about your opinions? I took a chance with you, Agent Carter. And now America's Golden Boy and a lot of other good men are dead. 'cause you had a crush." She shook her head on that one, still figuring out her feelings for Steve.

"It wasn't that. I had faith." A half truth would do.

"Well, I hope that's a big comfort to you when they shut this division down." He informed her, before realizing the men around the area had taken off running towards something. "What the hell's going on out there?" Peggy swallowed. Surely not...

But it was!

Steve, and the one hundred fifty men, including Bucky at his side and the young girl riding in the back of a stolen truck behind them were walking up. Some were leaning on each other, some rode on a stolen tank or a truck. Many held the strange weaponry they had found on the HYDRA base. It was quite s heroic sight, earned with cheers and applause as they walked through directly to the colonel.

"Some of these men need medical attention." Steve informed the stone faced man, medical personnel running over immediately at his words, Peggy standing behind the colonel. " I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."

The colonel almost cracked a smile at that, just grateful to see that plucky kid from Brookelyn standing in front of him. "That won't be necessary." Steve nearly smiled himself.

"Yes, sir." Colonel Phillips patted his shoulder, before walking away, giving Peggy a look, a "I told you so" look on her own face.

"Faith, huh?" Peggy walked right up to Steve, giving him a "you're in trouble" look as she fixed his collar.

"You're late." He only smiled and reached into his pocket for the device he had been given to call in case of an emergency, that had been destroyed.

Couldn't call my ride."

"Hey!" Bucky suddenly shouted to get everyone's attention. "Let's hear it for Captain America!"

Elemental Soldier

"The fifth one was here in Poland, right near the Baltic." A few days later, Steve was relaying all of the information he had found on the HYDRA base to Peggy, Phillips, and the rest of the team in their base in London. They were tracking where all of the weapons factories were placed. They were unsuccessful in finding the main base, but they had plans to light a fire underneath Johann Schmidtt, the Red Skull man, and wipe HYDRA off the map completely.

"What do you say, Rogers? It's your map." Phillips asked Steve. "You think you can wipe Hydra off it?" Steve nodded, confident.

"Yes, sir. I'll need a team." Phillips nodded.

"We're already putting together the best men." Steve smiled.

"With all due respect, sir, so am I." Phillips smirked, then continued to their next topic.

"Now what about her?" He turned to face the girl they had found on the HYDRA base, who was sitting quietly wrapped in a blanket at a table, eating tiny bites off of a sandwich she had been given. "You asked us to bring her along, why?"

"I wanted her to be questioned." Steve told him. "Schmidtt made it sound like he, her, and myself are one in the same, and I aim to find out."

"Well good luck, she won't speak to anyone." Peggy admitted, crossing her arms. "She hasn't said one word since being brought here."

"Think she knows English?" Phillips shrugged

"We had our German translator try, nothing worked. Maybe you can get something out of her." Phillips patted his back, and Steve sighed, before walking over to her with Peggy in tow.

The girl watched him quizzically, like a scared animal, as he approached and sat in the chair opposite her, turning it around so he straddled it with Peggy standing nearby.

"Hey, sweetie." He said softly, making sure he kept his voice warm. She may have been older, but she was still a kid to him. "I heard you didn't feel like talking to anyone. Wanna talk to me?" She blinked at him, and he tried something else. "I know you were sleeping, but I'm the one who got you out of that place, I hope you can try and remember?" Her eyes went wide, and she set her sandwich down.

"It... was? You?" She said slowly with a thick German accent, looking a little frustrated with her words. He nodded, smiling.

"So you can talk?" She nodded.

"Only. You." She halted. "My English. Is not well. I learned. From. Trapped." He nodded, placing a hand on the table to show he was unarmed.

"You learned from others who were trapped?" She nodded.

"I know. I just don't... speak well." She tried to explain, and he nodded again.

"Just take it slow." He told her, willing to listen, Peggy almost in shock. They'd been trying for days to get her to talk, and it was Steve who did it. "Do you have a name?" She nodded.

"Antonia Ivera." He nodded again, a little surprised to hear that.

"Not a German name?" She shook her head.

"Grandfather was from. Italy." She explained. "Mother was from Spain. Met Father in Berlin. Antonia was Grandmother." He nodded again to take in that information. "Father had a..." she frowned. It was clear she didn't know this next word. "Spitzname." She finally said, then pointed at herself. "Andy. Said Antonia was hard for him." She giggled a little, her first smile. "He not good at English than me."

"Your father called you Andy?" She nodded again. "Alright. Are you okay if I call you Andy?" She nodded again. "Alright. You said your father wasn't good at English either, hm? Where is your father?" Her smile vanished, and she took a deep breath, shuddering as it came out.

"Tot." She murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. "Mutter auch." Steve shook his head sadly, hoping that didn't mean what he thought it meant.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She looked up, shaking.

"Typhus." She explained, folding her hands on the table. "Took Mother. Roter Totenkopf..." she cleared her throat. "Red Skull took Father." That time Steve understood. Typhus was a sickness that was spreading through Germany, particularly the concentration camps, but had been taking lives of the civilians as well. Her parents were dead.

"He killed your father?" She nodded, shaking. "Was it because of something you could do?" She shook her head, her whole body shaking, and Steve noticed her hands were turning red from how hard she clenched them.

"Nein! Nein nein!" She cried, tears running down her cheeks. "He said! I like him! I not though! Ich bin nicht wie er!" She started blubbering in German, unable to get her words out in English, and Steve reached for her hands calmly.

"Hey, hey, Andy, you're okay, it's safe." He took her hands in his, then yelled out in pain, pulling his hands away, and seeing he had been burned! "What the...?" She jumped from her chair, still holding her hands together, and Steve could see smoke coming from her clenched hands.

"Nein. Neinnn!" She sobbed, flames appearing around her hands as she shook, rivers of tears pouring from her eyes. "Nicht schon wieder! Nein!" People started running for fire exstinguishers and yelling, Steve standing with his hands out, speaking calmly.

"Andy, it's okay, it's okay. Let me help you." She looked at him with watery eyes.

"Not... afraid?" She asked, the flames getting smaller and smaller around her hands, her tears slowing down so they weren't making real puddles around her feet anymore. She was shaking, with steam coming from her hands thanks to all of the water.

"No, nein, no, I'm not." He told her shaking his head, Peggy standing behind him looking like she wanted to run, but she wanted to make sure Steve would be okay. "I want to help you. Schmidtt... Red Skull thinks that you and I are the same, and I want to know what he means."

"The same?" She whispered, her hands dropping to her sides, and he could see them still sizzling, but she wasn't on fire anymore.

"Yes, he thinks you and I are the same. I want to help you figure this out, but we can't set the place on fire." She nodded slowly, and he watched as steam rose from her hands, putting out the heat. She had water coming from her hands now, and he felt it was safe enough to come forward and take her hands. "Why don't you take a little break first though? Get some rest so you're better ready to talk, alright?" She shook her head quickly, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Nein nein!" She shuddered, and he felt his coat instantly wet as she started crying again, her hands on his back soaking him. "Bitte! Please! Do not leave!" He held her close, cradling her head.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I want you to rest so we can talk better. Do you want to lay in my room?" He felt her nod, and he led her that way, also planning on changing his coat. This was a whole new set of challenges now