What happened so far…
In 1940, SS troops led by Colonel Johann Schmidt crush the insurgency in a Norwegian village. However his real purpose is to find a relic reportedly hidden in the village church. Finding the relic to be a fake, he has the entire town killed.
In mid 1941, Steve Rogers attempts to enlist in the US Army, but is rejected. He nevertheless attracts the attention of Colonel Chester Philips, who recruits him into a secret government program based in Fort Lehigh, Virginia, where he undergoes simultaneous basic military training and drug trials. Four months later, Rogers is one of 23 of the initial 150 test subjects remain. With the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the program is fast tracked and the 23 are set to be turned into super-soldiers.
During the procedure, Hydra agents attack. Erskine sacrifices his life to save Rogers, who gives chase, now fully transformed. None of the German agents live to be interrogated, except for Heinz Kruger who disappears.
President Roosevelt summons Rogers and questions him on how far he’s willing to go to win the war. Eights months later, Captain America makes his debut during the battle of Guadalcanal, arriving in time to help an Army Company repel a Japanese attack. Among the soldiers is Bucky Barnes.
Nearly three years later, in the wake of the Battle of the bulge, Captain America continues carrying out missions against Nazis forces and Hydra in particular with Bucky and the Howling Commandos at his side. He is assigned by Philips, who now runs the Hazardous Operations Division to retrieve Peggy Carter, a British agent stranded in Germany. Upon finding her, he learns of a summit of German officers that will be attended by the mysterious head of Hydra, the Red Skull.
Rogers infiltrates the summit and learns the Red Skull, who has lost all faith in Hitler, is planning a coup. Rogers attacks the group, killing all but weapons manufacturer Arnim Zola, and the Red Skull, who survives to later kidnaps Zola and takes him to the Isle of Exiles where she shows him the cube which he had long last found, and tasks him with finding out how to handle and weaponize it.
And now, Part 9
EXT. BAVARIAN ROAD - DAY
A shot-up German Army car blocks the path of a couple of others and a truck. A small group of German soldiers have surrendered following brief but decisive firefight.
Subtitle:
“Bavaria – April, 1945”
General CRANZ stands at the forefront of the Germans, facing their two guards; Gabe and Izzy.
CRANZ
…. As a General officer I am not obliged to surrender
To Privates. Get me an American General and I’ll surrender
To him.
INT. TRUCK
Bucky, Rebel and Pinkerton search boxes piled in the back, which are filled with Nazi plunder. Rebel raises a painting, Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man.
REBEL
Look at this.
PINKERTON
What is it?
REBEL
Some Italian... Or his sister, I ain’t sure.
PINKERTON
Never was one for art at school.
Poetry suited me better.
Rebel sets it aside with less than complete care.
BUCKY
Give me an Alberto Vargas any day.
EXT. BAVARIAN ROAD – DAY
Steve in regular fatigues walks up to where Cranz is, flanked by Dugan.
IZZY
(O.S.)
I’ll show you what you can surrender to.
STEVE
Take five, Izz.
Izzy casts a dirty look at Cranz before taking his leave.
IZZY
Yes, sir.
Steve walks up to Cranz.
STEVE
Cranz?
CRANZ
Generalmajor Richard Cranz. As I’ve told your men, I-
STEVE
Your truck’s filled with loot. You are about to cut and run.
I don’t think you’re a General anymore.
CRANZ
Excuse me?
STEVE
Let me guess, Switzerland?
Cranz is speechless.
STEVE
I’m Captain Rogers of H-O-D. Where is Philo Zogolowski?
CRANZ
… Who?
STEVE
Dr. Philo Zogolowski. Polish academic.
Been in indentured servitude to your
Old boss Zemo…
EXT. TRUCK – DAY
Dino limps to the back of the truck, his leg freshly bandaged, as the three are just stepping out.
REBEL
You shouldn’t be on that leg, Dino.
DINO
I got bored. Did you find anything?
BUCKY
No scientist, no secret documents.
Typical furniture store; rugs, cutlery, plates,
Couple o’ paintings.
DINO
What, no frauleins?
BUCKY
No hooch, neither.
DINO
Cranz is such an inconsiderate prick.
BUCKY
You said it.
Dugan walks up to the group.
BUCKY
We didn’t -
DUGAN
I heard. Cranz’s had nothing for the skipper, neither.
Intel must be wrong.
BUCKY
(deadpan)
First time for everything.
DUGAN
We’re returning to H-Q. Dino rides with Izzy in the truck.
The rest of us march the prisoners back.
INT. BAVARIAN HILLS – DAY – LATER
The captured truck drives slowly behind the howlers and the prisoners as they march through a hilly area.
PINKERTON
What do you call an Aardvark that
Avoids getting into fights?
GABE
Don’t know.
PINKERTON
A Vark. He’s not ‘Ard at all.
GABE
Ha.
BUCKY
Gonna miss that Brit sense of humor this time
Next month, Pinky.
STEVE
There’s Brits in the Pacific too, Bucky.
BUCKY
Well, you’d know about Br-
There’s a distant punching sound a moment before the back of the truck EXPLODES.
The prisoners panic and scramble. Steve runs toward the truck.
STEVE
Get Cranz!
DUGAN
Sir, the prisoners –
STEVE
Never mind them, just get Cranz!
Dugan belts Cranz across the mouth, knocking him out.
Steve reaches the burning truck and rips the door off. He reaches in to pull Izzy out. Izzy looks out of wind, but uninjured. Steve reaches back in and pulls Dino out, who looks in dire condition.
STEVE
Izzy…
IZZY
I’m fine, help Dino.
Steve picks up Dino and carries him to Rebel, who is behind cover. Izzy follows him. The rest of the Howlers have also found cover and have begun exchanging fire with the opposing force.
STEVE
Take care of him, Reb.
DINO
(weakly)
How do I look, boys?
REBEL
Like a movie star, Dino. Simply handsome.
Just stay with me.
Steve turns to Izzy as Rebel begins to administer aid.
STEVE
You stay here. Provide covering fire.
IZZY
You got it.
Izzy rises and fires, Steve runs for cover closer to the other four. Once there he signals them by hand and arm, letting them know the particulars of the counter-attack they are to carry out. Bucky tosses Steve a pack out of which Steve pulls his shield.
Gabe sets up his machine gun and opens fire, while Dugan, Falsworth and Bucky hurl grenades. As the suppression begins to take effect, Steve rises out and charges, shield raised in front of him and wielding a Thompson one-handed. As the last of the grenades goes off, Pinkerton and Bucky follow, while Dugan begins firing himself.
With Steve at the forefront, the platoon-sized opposing force is summarily wiped out, with Bucky and Pinkerton picking up the pieces.
Once again, just as fast as it started, it was over. The squad gathers around to view their fallen enemies, taking note of the rocket launcher they’d used to blow up the truck.
IZZY
Who were these clowns?
PINKERTON
Their uniforms… They’re 1661st Grenadiers.
Gabe stares at one of the dead German soldiers.
GABE
They’re Hydra.
DUGAN
What?
STEVE
No, Hydra folded. Any troops that weren’t purged
Were reabsorbed into the SS. These are Army.
GABE
Back in Holland, when we were sent to destroy that
Ammo dump, a Hydra trooper caught me while I
Was changing belts. This man.
GABE
Izzy was down, so he was a whisker away from filling
Me with lead, until you …
Gabe leans down and reaches for the man’s collar and rips his jacket apart, revealing a faded scar in his upper chest.
GABE
… Hit him with your shield.
The squad is speechless for a moment as they mull the revelation over.
STEVE
We’ll figure it out at H-Q. Right now,
We need to evacuate Dino. Get Cranz moving.
Steve looks downhill to see Rebel sitting by Dino’s body, his head in his hands, sobbing.
Steve’s face drops.