Chapter 11: Short-Lived Happiness

The man with glasses enters the lab. Across the room, he spies the remaining tube of unused serum. He flicks open a lighter, revealing a button. Yumhee and Dr. Erskine hears the click of the lighter. They turn.

"Please, do not smoke in here—" Dr. Erskine started to warn the man but he cut himself off. Dr. Erskine sees the man with glasses. He looks puzzled then realizes his true identity, Heinz Kruger.

Kruger pushes the button. The cigarette case at the observation booth makes an ominous click. The booth explodes, shooting fire and glass into the lab. Colonel Phillips shoves Senator Brandt out of the way. Agent Carter pulls a pistol. Dr. Erskine sees Kruger making for the serum. He bolts to get to it first. Kruger draws a pistol intending to shoot the old man down but at the last second Yumhee shielded her father her back to Kruger.

"NO!" Steve shouted agonizingly.

Dr. Erskine falls back with Yumhee on top of himself. Kruger grunted when he failed to kill the doctor and snatches the last tube and races for the door before anyone can do anything.

Colonel Phillips pulls a gun, shooting at Kruger as he escapes. Steve bolts to Yumhee, checking her wound.

"Yumhee!" Steve cradles Yumhee, who stares at him with misty eyes. She looks at her father on her other side then back to Steve. She smiles, weak but proud. She reaches out and held Steve's left cheek while holding Dr. Erskine's hand on her other hand. She stops, unconscious now. Steve stares for a moment, then looks up and hands over Yumhee to her father who is shaking from shock and desperation. Steve slowly stands up, his being filling with quiet rage.

Kruger bursts out of the rear door. The lady owner of the antique shop pulls her gun. Kruger cuts her down and grabs her gun. He races outside to find the two suited men blocking his way.

"I have it. Get the car! Schnell!" Kruger ordered then he and his men sprint for Senator Brandt's motorcade. The two bums loitering near the antique shop earlier draw guns and shouted "HALT!" They open fire, nailing one of Kruger's men. Kruger and his remaining man peel out. The guards fire, blowing out the car's windows. Kruger fires the gun out the shattered window, killing one of the bums.

Agent Carter races for the door just as Kruger drives past. Kruger hits the button on his lighter. The motorcade explodes, incinerating the other bum. The windows shatter, showering Agent Carter with glass.

Kruger's car speeds away as Agent Carter rushes into the street. She draws a bead on the receding car. "BAM!". The back window shatters. The driver's head smacks into the steering wheel, a bullet in his brain. Kruger hangs on as he careens toward a parked car. SMASH. A taxi squeals up. The cab driver runs to Kruger's driver and asked "Hey, buddy, are you—" but was cut off when Kruger hauls himself from the wreck and jumps into the cab. The cabbie looks up to see his taxi roaring away.

Gun leveled, Agent Carter advances down the street. Kruger aims the cab at her. She stands her ground, squeezing off shots. The taxi keeps coming. Just then, Steve leaps through the flaming wreckage and tackles Agent Carter out of the way. The cab fishtails around the bend. Agent Carter shoves Steve.

"I had him!" Agent Carter shouts, irritated.

Steve gets up but falls again, his new body big and awkward. Furious, he takes off after the cab. Kruger skids around a corner. The serum rolls wildly on the seat. He snatches it up and sticks it in his front pocket.

On the other side, Agent Carter stops a sedan. A man rolls down the window.

"Stay out of the road, there's some— HEY!" The driver shouts when Agent Carter yanks him out and gets behind the wheel, peeling out.

Back to Steve, he veers down an alley, taking a shortcut. He spots Kruger's cab racing past the mouth of the alley. Steve pours it on, picking up speed. He rockets back onto the street, careening out of control, right toward a shop window. He crashes through the window, tumbling into the shop. Steve races out the shop door, bare feet pounding the pavement. He passes a speeding car.

Kruger swerves past a parked truck. Pedestrians dive away as the cab veers onto the sidewalk. Steve races between lanes of traffic. Kruger swerves off the sidewalk, smashing a fire hydrant. Steve follows, tearing down the street, right at an old man's car hood as the man gapes at Steve. Steve vaults off the car's roof and lands on the taxi. Kruger pulls his gun and blasts at Steve. Steve ducks, clinging to the side of the car. They swerve through the streets. A horn blares. Kruger looks to see a truck roaring at him. Steve sees the same thing. Kruger yanks the wheel. The truck sideswipes the taxi, throwing it into a roll. Kids look over from their ball game to see Steve atop the tumbling cab, riding it like a rolling log. The car crashes to a stop.

Steve struggles to his feet. A bloodied Kruger stumbles out of the wreck, firing. Across the way, tourists wait in line for the Statue of Liberty ferry. They gape. A bullet kicks the concrete at Steve's feet. He picks up the torn off taxi door, holding it like a shield. One tourist snaps a photo. Kruger fires at Steve the bullets ripping through the shield door. Shrapnel tears at Steve but he just keeps coming. Finally, Kruger turns and runs.

Kruger shoves through the pack of waiting tourists. A striped shirt wearing kid shouted, annoyed at him "Hey, watch it, mister!". Kruger grabs the boy, putting a gun to his temple. Steve stops. He locks eyes with the scared, scrawny kid.

Kruger drags the kid to the water. Steve follows, relentless. Kruger points the gun at Steve. The gun sounded with a click. It was empty. Kruger hurls the kid in the water. Steve races to save him while Kruger presses his lighter again. A one-man submarine surfaces. He scrambles down to it. Steve spots the kid, gripping the ladder.

"Go get him! I can swim!" The striped shirt wearing kid shouts at Steve.

Steve spots the departing mini submarine. He scowls and said under his breath "Great. I can't."

The sub dives, propellers whirring. Kruger pilots beneath the hull of a tramp steamer. Steve sprints the length of the dock and dives, torpedoing into the water. He kicks for the sub. Kruger smiles to himself, pleased at his getaway until he heard something hitting the vehicle. The sub lurches. Kruger looks behind him to see Steve holding on to the tailfin. Kruger pushes the stick, diving. Steve hangs on tight. He punches the cockpit glass, again and again. Steve punches one last time, the glass spiderwebs around his fist. Kruger rages as water pours in. Steve tugs on the latch, opening the cockpit. He pulls Kruger out and kicks for the surface. The sub plows into the silty river bottom. Steve throws Kruger to the dock. Kruger whirls around with a knife. Steve kicks him. The knife and the serum go flying. The serum vial smashes on the dock. Kruger watches the blue liquid drip through the cracks. Steve rolls Kruger over, putting a knee in the Nazi's chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Steve asked with a force.

"The first of many. Cut off one head..." Kruger started saying then he presses his tongue against a false tooth. "And two more shall take its place." He bites down on a cyanide pill. "Hail...Hydra..."

Steve's eyes go wide as Kruger seizes up and dies. Then he looks down at himself, momentarily stunned at his new body. He stands alone on the pier, a man transformed. Just then, Agent Carter squeals up in the sedan. She jumps out and runs to Steve. More jeeps full of MP's screech in.