"Bucky.....NNOOOOooo", Cap screams, to no avail. Too late, too late.

Steve awoke with a start, foggy, his surroundings unfamiliar, but his dreams all too much so. The ground was hard, and the stench of New York, gagging. Torn and tattered, the once proud symbol of America the Free, wakes to New America. Shaking the cob webs from his mind, he stands defiant to the last.

The last couple of years since the war had been hard. He had seen many wars but none so brutish, as the last. So many lost, so many dead, so few dreams left alive. Cliff, Simon, Henry, Tony, all friends gone like Bucky. Steve wondered what the point to it all was, anymore. Why even strive, the war was lost. Most merely crawling to their eventual graves, like he. Who am I to go on living when all the rest are dead?

Despondently Steve walked the streets of what was once called Hell's Kitchen, Matt's turf. The hookers, junkies, peddlers which used to thrive here have all gone into hiding. The curfew, imposed by the new regime, and it's swift intolerance to infractions, had insured that. What remained to be seen was how long, before existing, period, was not against the new world order. Steve turned the corner heading for the diner at the corner. Food, yes food would be a good thing.

Johnny was taking Carl's order when the man walked into the dive he referred to as work. It wasn't much, but it paid for his room, and provided enough for him and his three-year-old son. Leftovers were free at the end of the night, and usually there was enough for two, mostly one though. Johnny glanced at him again as he sat in the far booth. His overcoat torn and tattered, and all of him covered in grit and grime. He had dirty blond, brown hair that looked as if hadn't been washed in days. He had been in before, actually several times. But, whenever Johnny had tried to strike up a conversation, he wouldn't see him for days. So he had decidedly ignored him. Taking some soup, broth mostly to his booth, he avoided eye contact. Turning on his heel, he began to make his way back for a cup of coffee, when a flash of color caught his eyes, only pausing momentarily before continuing his task. Red, surely his boots had been red at one time. Yes they were scuffed up, and worn beyond repair, but they had been red. Johnny desired to know his secret, but wrestled with the consequences.

Steve caught the teenagers glance. He was Steve's last tie to this world, but one he could ill afford to lose or jeopardize. Sharon would have wanted it this way, he supposed. Anger flared, actually Sharon would never have stood for it to be the way it is, but she doesn't matter now. Nothing really matters anymore. These are the consequences of being a hero. Being alone, tired, and beaten. Thank you God for the country you have blessed, and the life you have given me, Steve thought.

Outside, the beginnings of a storm rumbled, thunder, and light flashes echoing into the dreary sky. Steve finished his soup, gulped the last remnants of his coffee, and made his way to the door. The glass shuddered in its frame, and not from thunder. No the cause was wholly unnatural. Looking to the sky Steve could see blue, and magenta, streaking it's way to him. Taking a step back, Steve closed the door. Sealed tight inside, praying under his breath. "Please God", he thought, not now, not here.

People, scattered on the streets, darting down alleyways, to whatever haven they knew, the sound growing louder and more deafening by the moment. Johnny moved closer to the window, to see what was going on. Steve's eyes darted, from one end of the restaurant to the other, sizing up the situation.

"GET DOWN", Steve yelled without warning, and leapt towards Johnny.

The impact of the Sentinels landing was catastrophic. Its engines whine was so high, the concussive force shattered hundreds of nearby windows. The ground shook, and everything fell. Steve took the brunt of the force, while covering Johnny. Glass shards embedded in his back. The look of horror on Johnny's face was enough for Steve to realize...the Sentinel's foot was right outside the door.

"Squaaaak, Designate Mutant Lorna Dane: Polaris, surrender", gears turned and its foot lifted, taking a step. The asphalt gave way, as if lava was pushing its way through. The engines on its back were a white glare, burning the sides of the buildings.

Lorna cursed the day, a simple mission, she had thought, earlier this morning. She took two steps out into the street. Her green hair flowing, lightning flashed in the background and as she spoke, thunder rolled in.

"We will never surrender to you Shaw." She paused. With a thought pipes burst from the ground and entangled themselves around the Sentinels feet.

Steve could see the pipes would not hold the behemoth at bay, with two steps leapt over the table, and landed outside on the sidewalk. To his right, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the reason for the diversion of the wires, but time was too short. The Sentinel would be out of Polaris' grasp before they reached their intended target. "Damn mutants", Steve thought, and then shrugged it off.

Xavier had been a good man. Things should have ended differently, he thought, returning his attention to the battle. The crackle from the live wires wrapped around its feet can't do any damage; it's exterior is insulated too well..but if I can get it charged on the inside...Steve thought. Picking up a discarded manhole cover, Steve slammed it heavily against a fire hydrants valve, snapping it off and releasing it's precious source of power.

Lorna hoped beyond all hope, as she formed the once lonely lamp posts into spears, that there was enough time. She spotted a man leaping out of the diner, his movements a little slow, but decisive. His intent clear, she held fast on the Sentinel. Under her breath she spoke, "Target acquired".

The Sentinel did not feel pain as such, but spikes of electricity running rampant through its systems produced the desired affect.

"Squeeeee!", it shrieked, until five posts impaled it. One through it's head, cleaving it in half, another piercing its right chest cavity, killing one engine, another its left leg, and yet another its right. The Sentinel finally fell, its fifth attacker hovering. Lorna walked over to the Sentinels head, spitting on it, and opened her mouth to speak.

"When you're in cyber hell, tell them I said hello." The final strike ended its existence.

Lorna walked over to Steve, and with a wave of her hand she stopped the flow of electricity, the wires now harmless. Steve avoided her eyes, positive of what the next words out of her mouth would be. She raised her hand, and they shook in congratulations. Their eyes met briefly, and she could see he was hurt, inside and out.

"I can help, you know", she said. Steve was surprised. He'd expected some speech about rallying a rag tag force. He shrugged, and spoke in a ragged voice.

"I'll heal, I always do." Thinking about yesterdays, his eyes watered.

"Captain", Lorna paused, seeing the extensive blood loss from his back. She reached out with her powers, and mentally coagulated the blood. It crusted over almost instantly. Steve felt a tingling sensation, and reflexively stuttered.

"No-nn-o, don't", and he turned to walk away. But, the air grew hot, and suddenly he found it hard to breathe. Gasping he thought, "Oh god, it's trick". Lorna saw Steve begin to black out as he turned, his eyes starting to roll. He has beautiful blue eyes, she thought for second, and then she caught Steve by his ragged armor with her magnetic power, suspending him midair.

Johnny came running out, and faced Lorna alone.

"That's Captain America isn't it?", he asked.

"He's a hero...yes", she replied. As she put her arm around Steve, and began lifting up into the daylight, Johnny shouted.

"Are you guys coming back?" Tears of hope began streaming down his cheeks.

"We are already here", Lorna replied. With that said, she created a magnetic force field around her and Steve, and bolted through the sky so fast, Johnny heard a sonic boom seconds later.

Johnny sat down on the street, wondering if he dare let himself dream of a better world, and what would be the consequences of him trying to make it so?