Captain America (1998 series) #38

Protocide reports back to A.I.M. HQ with Captain America's words still ringing in his head; he asks about Cap's assertions that he was a murderer—and if Cap had killed him all those years ago, why did he save his life just now?

Sharon Carter leads a SHIELD rescue mission at the ruined Hydra base. They can't find Cap—until they realize he is inside the energy core. Cap, protected from the worst of the radiation by his shield for now, breaks his way out as they are breaking in. He refuses all help as he snatches Sharon's locator device and heads out to face his enemy for the last time....

Several hours later finds Cap in a stolen jet vehicle following Protocide's trail to the secret A.I.M. base. As he bursts in through a secret entrance, back at SHIELD HQ, Sharon learns that Cap has taken the deadly Omega Compound with him. Inside the A.I.M. base, Cap clobbers the traitor Billups and goes toe-to-toe with Protocide on a high walkway as below the A.I.M. leaders, including Cache, prepare to escape in a helicopter. Hanging on by one hand, Cap considers using the Omega Compound to destroy the entire base but chooses not to. He disables the copter with his shield, causing it to explode and set off a chain reaction inside. Protocide hurls Cap to safety as the explosion destroys the entire base....

Epilogue: A trucker picks up a hitch-hiker who resembles Protocide....