Captain America

Sharon Carter

Nazi Germany, 1945

Clad in a soldier's uniform, Steve Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes was tied to the back of a drone plane, with hardware style twine. Baron Zemo was at the controls, about to set off the plane. It had a bomb attached to it.

Zemo turned to one of his officers, who had a question for him.

During this time, Steve Rogers had used his shield to cut off the rope for both of them. Zemo had seen that they had escaped but he had other, ulterior motives.

"Verdammit," Zemo cursed. "Captain America and Bucky may have escaped but that doesn't mean that this drone plane will not fly to America and blow up the White House. Commence the countdown."

"Yes, mein oberfuhrer. At once. Plane will embark in three... two... one!"

"Now, Kapitain Amerika's country will die as soon he shall. Death to Democracy! Death to Amerika!"

With those words spoken, the plan started to take off.

"C'mon, Bucky, let's stop those Nazi plans of destruction."

"Whatever you say, Cap'n."

Riding on two motorcades, Captain America and Bucky sped towards the drone plane. But Bucky was closest. Only he could stop them.

"I'll get them, Steve."

"Bucky, get down. Let me."

Bucky was dangling to the drone plane, trying with all of his might to defuse the bomb that was attached to it. Bucky was dangling in the air with the plane several feet above Steve Rogers.

Captain America dove into the air, trying to catch Bucky who was still on the plane.

"Bucky, no!!!!"

The plane and Bucky exploded.

Propelling Cap into the frozen waters below. Some of his uniform ripped, revealing his Captain America costume underneath.

He couldn't live with the fact.

Bucky was dead.

And it was all his fault. His fault

Not Earth 616 (Bucky's Universe)

Steve Rogers woke up from the dream. He was dripping in sweat. It was another of those dreams that he remembered from his past.

After Bucky died, he has dim memories of decades flying by and then Namor, his old friend, hurling him frozen in a block of ice into the waiting waters below, after being the idol in an Eskimo religious ceremony.

Then, in 1964, the Avengers found him in their sub after fighting both the Sub-mariner and the Hulk, who was a member of the Avengers for a short time.

He looked around. He was on a couch in Avengers' Mansion. That was odd. Why would he be in the Mansion, when he wasn't an active Avenger anymore? Unless Thor recruited him without him knowing it.

Iron Man stepped in, acknowledging Cap.

"Don't tell me that Avengers West Coast moved to the East Coast. Where's Thor?" Cap asked him.

"Uh, Cap?" Iron Man hesitated. "Thor's not an Avenger anymore. After the Vision died, Bucky kicked him off the team. Said he was a hazard to us. Since he killed the Vision. "

'Tony, this is not the time for jokes."

Iron Man lifted up his face mask to reveal a visage of an African-American man. One he recognized from Stark's offices. "Tony Stark hasn't been Iron Man for a while. I'm Jim Rhodes, who he used to call Rhodey."

"But-but you used to be War Machine until you retired and that other guy became War Machine..."

"Uh, Cap, what's a 'War Machine'?"

"Never mind. You said that Bucky is the leader of the Avengers?"

"Yes, in fact he's right behind you."

Iron Man pulled his face plate down. "Bucky."

Bucky smiled. "At ease, soldier. I'm glad that you got a chance to get to know Captain America. I came now because I have need to talk to you, Steve."

"I don't understand something, Bucky," Cap said. "Last thing I remember is tucking Maria in and having these terrible nightmares."

"I'm afraid I'm to blame for that," Bucky said. "While you were sleeping last night, I teleported to your bedroom, snatched you, and brought you to Avengers' Mansion."

"But why, Bucky? Surely, the heroes of your world can handle it."

"No, I'm afraid not. Because it includes all your old enemies..."

With Captain America's help, Bucky had assembled the remains of the Avengers and the Invaders to form one aingle team to attack the Red Skull's Masters of Evil. The team comprised of the Whizzer, Miss America, Iron Man, the Wasp, Yellowjacket, Hawkeye, and the Hulk.

"Whizzer," Cap said, acknowledging the speedster. "I want you to scout the surrounding area to make sure that all the Masters are in that warehouse down the street and not anywhere else."

"Gotcha, boss." He sped off.

"Now, Hulk, I-" Cap began but he was interrupted by a gust of wind at his side.

"Back, boss," the Whizzer said, returning. "No one in sight."

"Right. Thank you, Whizzer. Now, as I was saying, Hulk, I want you to smash that warehouse and and tell them we're coming."

"What is this?" the Hulk asked. "The old 'Hulk Smash' routine?"

"Hulk, do it," Bucky suggested. "It's the only plan that will work in our favor."

"Whatever you say, Bucky." The Hulk flexed his muscles and started to run at top speed at the warehouse. He smashed the front entrance and in seconds the whole building collapsed in and of itself.

The Hulk then reappeared, holding a Red Skull robot with his head off.

"It looks like you got some false info, Bucky," the Hulk said snidely.

Bucky put a hand on Cap's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Steve, but I thought we had him this time."

Cap extended a hand and Bucky shook it. "I'm sorry, Bucky, but I can't stay here. I'm needed in my own world now. I have a daughter and a girlfriend that needs my love and care now."

"Ok, Cap. I won't keep you any longer. I just thought that we could catch up on some good old times, but I guess you can't redo the past."

"No, James, you can't. I've learned that now, also."

It was a split second later that Bucky's teleportal transported Captain America to his Brooklyn apartment. He awoke in his bedroom, with Sharon Carter right next to him. He didn't see Maria anywhere.

"I'm back," Cap said. "I'm home."

"Yes, you are," Sharon said. "Where were you? I saw that alternate Bucky for a second. He must have brought you back to his world."

"Where's Maria? Sleeping, I guess."

"No. She's in the next room with Iron Man."

"What's Tony doing here? Kinda late for a visit."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Sharon questioned.

Cap and Sharon exited the bedroom, only to have Maria arced to hug her foster father. She was crying.

"Daddy, I don't care what he has to say about you, you're my daddy, you're a real person..."

"Ssshhh. It's okay, Maria. I'm here. Your father's here." Cap faced Iron Man. "What's going on, Tony?"

Iron Man approached Captain America. "I have something to tell you, Steve. Remember when we fought Onslaught a couple years back? Well, we died, only to be resurrected by an alternate version of ourselves from the Franklinverse. The Franklinverse is another world of heroes where we lived."

"What are you saying, I.M.?" Sharon asked, concerned.

"I'm saying that the heroes of this world aren't the real ones. We died."

"Liar!" Cap tensed up, ready for action, and punched Iron Man, hurling him across the room.

TO BE CONTINUED IN IRON MAN ANNUAL 2003...