Synopsis
The Marines trapped in a cave in Afghanistan have run out of water, when Corporal James Newman hears the sound of dripping. Encouraged by the remote voice of Captain America, Jimmy searches out the sound and discovers a small stream of water—beside a human skeleton; what if the water is poisoned? Desperate to save his men, Jimmy musters the courage to drink the water himself…and finds it is safe. Meanwhile, the dying Cap appears one more time to Jimmy, this time looking gravely ill. He asks Jimmy if he has felt afraid everyday he has been deployed. When Jimmy answers yes, Cap confesses that not a day went by when he did not feel afraid as well. Cap reviews his own story—Steve Rogers, growing up poor during the Depression, rejected for military service but selected for the secret Project :Rebirth. His physique turned out to be a benefit: bigger men taking the serum found they could not control their emotions and became more violent and aggressive. Steve was chosen for his humility, as he would not be controlled by his powers. On the day of the procedure, he became stronger than anyone expected but Dr. Erskine was murdered by a Nazi agent. Steve hurled the spy into the Vita-Ray machine destroying all chance of recreating the process. Back in the present, the tunnel they were exploring comes to a sudden dead end, except for a very narrow passage that would require the claustrophobic Jimmy to crawl through….
Characters: