At this point, Ally didn't fear death. In fact, she almost found herself waiting for the sweet release to the afterlife as she took another swig from the bottle of whiskey in her hand. She could no longer fear death, she had been robbed of so much in the past few years that she felt it was the only place she had left to go. She had sinned so much, seen so much and done so much, surely if she was to die on another mission as the Alchemist, she might as well end up in hell.

A bitter and vile taste slipped into Ally's mouth, numbing her, stealing away reality even if it was just for a short while. She'd throw the bottles of liquor she didn't like at the walls, not that the owner of the bar would mind, he was most likely dead. She kicked a piece of rubble angrily in the small bar destroyed by the war, not caring what it hit.

At least Steve was being civilized, his eyes stayed glued to a wall. He didn't move much, only to take another sip from his glass, hoping that maybe it'd get him a little drunk. His blue eyes had been puffy and red for some time now but he remained silent. Occasionally he'd flinch when Ally threw another bottle at the wall but he didn't say anything, she was grieving in her own way.

In complete misery, her shoulders drooped. She was utterly defeated. She wasn't really sure what she could do at this point. Steve lost his best friend and she lost her fiancé, how does someone bounce back from that? She had been nothing but resilient but now, she felt completely damaged.

Peggy surprised them both by climbing over some of the rocks to get to the spot in the bar they were positioned at. Her face was sympathetic but she wasn't done with them yet.

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

Peggy looked at Ally, watching her sit with her head between her legs with her arms covering her head. "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects," she sighed, taking a seat beside him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Did you read the reports?" Steve replied numbly.

"Yes."

"Then you know that's not true."

"You did everything you could. Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him?" Peggy questioned and Steve nodded. "Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you two were worth it."

"I'm goin' after Schmidt," Steve told her. "I'm not gonna stop till all of HYDRA is dead or captured."

"You won't be alone," Peggy promised, glancing at Ally once more. "I'm going to try and talk to her. Clean yourself up so you at least look presentable." Steve didn't say anymore as Peggy carefully approached Ally. Her hand rested softly on her shoulder as if she was trying to say that she understood. Ally's face remained painfully still as her washed away eyes met Peggy's. "I'm sorry Ally and I know you must be tired of hearing that but truly, I am sorry."

Ally didn't reply, instead she fiddled with Bucky's dog tags she kept around her neck.

Peggy sighed but she wasn't ready to give up yet. "Jojo had a girl," she smiled slightly at the thought. "She was born this morning. I believe they named her Molly Eleanor Dansworth."

"It's cute." Ally spoke up, her tone rather dark.

"It is isn't it?" Peggy agreed. "Funny how in dark times, one little flash of light can bring back a fire within a person."

"What do you want Peggy?"

"The most important thing that I want– is to make sure you'll be able to live with yourself, after you are done your mourning stage. You did nothing wrong Ally, you should know that he died fighting for what he believed in," Peggy told her firmly. "Second, they've found the last base and they need you."

"Steve will do it."

"We live in a world where women with guns are highly frowned upon. You are the first female face of the war and I will not let you take that idea away from younger girls," Peggy said honestly. "I know the pain you feel, you have lost so much but don't let that pain lead you down a road of darkness."

Ally thought for a second, realizing how serious Peggy was about everything. She wanted to drink her sorrows away but since that wasn't working, winning the war was the next best thing. "Alright," she agreed. "Let's go."

—

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he's a God. He's willing to blow half the world prove it, starting with the USA." Phillips explained, rather heated from his recent discussion with Zola.

Around an oval table sat Steve, Ally, Howard, Peggy, Phillips, a few other SSR members, the Howling Commandos, Quincy and Peter. Unsure of what their next move would be, Howard started. "Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities," Howard explained. "He gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern seaboard in an hour."

"How much time we got?" Gabe questioned, looking unsure.

"Not enough," Quincy shook his head. "You heard Stark, he's going to wipe out everything."

"That doesn't matter," Ally retorted, sounding more stern than ever in her life. "How much time do we have?"

"According to my new best friend, twenty four hours. Hydra's last base is here," Phillips picks up a map, pointing at a red dot. "In the Alps, right around the place Captain Rogers caught Zola's train. Five hundred feet below the surface."

Ally looked down at her lap, wishing it wasn't in the Alps. "What's our next move?"

"We aren't sure," Howard rubbed his forehead. "Their firepower is impeccable but we have more men. For whatever damn reason, Agent 22 and Agent 48 will be joining us again. They're one of our best bets to get us inside."

Ally raised her eyebrow. "Jojo and William are leaving their newborn?"

"With all due respect ma'am," a member of the SSR turned to her. "Are these not the people who are responsible for your fiancé and families deaths? I think they want revenge as much as you do."

Ally was silent, baffled even. The SSR member had a point so instead of replying with something snarky, she nodded her head in agreement.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Jim asked. "I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not?" Steve spoke up, his face mirroring the expression of a soldier. "That's exactly what we're gonna do."

—

In complete misery, her shoulders drooped. She was utterly defeated. She wasn't really sure what she could do at this point. Steve lost his best friend and she lost her fiancé, how does someone bounce back from that?