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Grand Central Station. Both inside and out are absolutely bustling with activity this time of day. Everyone is heading home from work, carrying on conversations, reading papers, catching rides or trains. Easy for someone to get lost in the whole mess.
Which is exactly what a particular group of folks in the crowds is counting on. Posted all around the main terminal, a number of men and women seem a bit more… subdued than usual. Though it could just be they're preoccupied with other thoughts. Certainly nothing to worry about…
*
Sousa is one of those on the way home to relieve the Nanny as Peggy is working late again. He limps his way through the Station, taking a very familiar route, at this point, and pausing by one of the newsstands to pick up something to read on the train ride home. He looks over the papers before choosing one and paying the cost of it. The paper then gets tucked under the arm with the crutch as he makes his way towards the platform.
He might notice those who seem more subdued and they're watched some even as he moves through the crowd to wait at a bench by his train's platform.
*
As Sousa moves through the crowds, which part ways a bit to granted the obviously injured man some room to move, some of the more quiet residents of the station seem to be… following him? At a distance? No, no… it has to be a simple trick of the eyes. Mistaken identity or something.
As he takes up his spot by the bench, one man on it, reading a copy of the New York Times, folds his paper. He stands out a bit from the crowd now that one can see him. He's an older gentleman, probably in his late 50s, maybe even early 60s, though he looks remarkably well built for his age. His silver white hair frames his head neatly as he looked towards Sousa with his eyes hidden behind some sunglasses… despite the lack of need in the crowded station. "You've fallen into a rather predictable pattern, Mr. Sousa… not a wise policy, if you ask me…"
*
Damn. He figured that Peggy got the brunt of these sorts of things. He's a nobody…in comparison. There's a sigh and he moves his hand to just under his jacket at his left side. "I'm armed," is offered quietly and calmly to the silver-haired man, "And there are a lot of people here. I'd hate for someone to get hurt." Indeed, his left hand grips his crutch as if in preparation for a fight. "What do you want?"
*
"So are we, Mr. Sousa." The silver-haired man replies. He lifted his coat up to reveal a pistol beneath it… a rather old model, actually. Likely hasn't seen action in years. The subdued individuals seem to close in on Sousa and the elder man, watching them both. And Sousa might notice something - they're watching with trained eyes. These are eyes he's seen before. They were soldier eyes. Hardened, seen plenty of action… but something about it seems… hollow.
"What I want, Mr. Sousa… is something you've taken from me. Unwittingly, I believe, but… it is mine, nonetheless." The man turns to face Sousa, standing up to an impressive height. At least 6 feet tall. "My name is Richard… but you may know me better as… Agent Bravo. And what you've taken from me, Mr. Sousa… is my life."
*
Sousa's brows draw down as he notes the eyes of those who have surrounded him. Making a run for it is probably not the best thing, but he also has a few tricks up his sleeve. He then turns quickly back to the older man, "Agent Bravo…" he's heard of it. "We thought you were lost in Berlin. We sent folks in after you…" he looks the man up and down, "How the Hell did you get here? And what do you mean that 'I've taken your life'? I only read the reports…I was recuperating in a hospital in Jersey for the latter half of the war."
*
"I was right there… not sure how you could've missed me. But I was there." Bravo sighed, shaking his head. "As I said, I believe you've taken my life… unwittingly. You see, Mr. Sousa… Peggy was… is mine. Her, little Mickey, and the young one on the way… the happy home, the warrior's welcome, the service, the jobs, every… last… second of it… is mine. Now, I don't entirely blame you, but… I'm afraid you are an obstacle to… reclaiming what I've lost. With you gone, I will retake Peggy's love and catch up on all the time I've so undeservedly missed…"
The soldiers in the crowd have closed in now, though not overtly ganging up on Sousa or Bravo. "Now, Mr. Sousa… we can do this the easy way, or the hard way… but I warn you, my power has not slowed with age… far from it. I have grown stronger. In fact, I dare say… I outclass your precious 'Captain' Rogers a good bit now."
*
Oh, lord…he's become a nutcase. Didn't that happen with Schmidt with the serum? Didn't they give something similar to this guy before they got it right with Rogers? "If you think that could even happen, even if I -was- out of the way, you're completely discounting the fact that Peggy Carter only does what Peggy Carter chooses to do. That hasn't changed over the years. If she doesn't want to be your's now, she won't be…and there's nothing you can do or say to change that." The woman is damn stubborn.
"With me gone, she will probably go after the one who got rid of me and draw and quarter them." She's probably not going to fall into some old flame's arms…"And then you'd still have Rogers to go through," since he's fairly sure he'd be the one she'd go to next.
*
"She loved me once… she can learn again. I'm afraid, Mr. Sousa, I'm also an extremely stubborn person… dare say, even worse than her. That's to say nothing of the fact that if she wishes to keep you safe… she'll learn to adjust to the change. Just as I have…" Bravo clasped his arms behind his back, shaking his head. "Mr. Rogers? My replacement? In that case…" He leaned forward, smiling calmly. "I simply must capture you. For you see, Mr. Sousa, he is next on my list of things to remove."
He straightened back up, shaking his head. "The decision still remains: easy, or hard? You are one man, Mr. Sousa… against 6 super soldiers. Each of us greater than your precious Mr. Rogers… and, if you'll keep an open mind, you can be too… tell me, Mr. Sousa… do you ever tire of that crutch? The false leg? I know of a man who has plans to resolve that…"
*
"You obviously don't know her if you think that," Sousa offers bluntly. He's being honest although he's not sure that this madman will consider logic. "So…you're going to capture me and hold me for ransom unless Peggy goes back with you? You do realize she's quite pregnant and doesn't really have much patience," if she ever did before, "And has all of SHIELD at her beck and call?" She's not going to bow down so easily.
He does look at the other soldiers when it's mentioned that they've been given some sort of serum, "What did you do to them?" is asked before dark eyes look back to Bravo, "I'm fine the way I am, thank you."
*
"No, Mr. Sousa. I am going to remove you altogether. Not that Peggy needs to know that right away. But yes… I am aware of her… gravid state. Only a month now, I believe? I look forward to the day…" Bravo smiles, as if he was speaking of his own child, before shaking his head. "I am aware of what I am up against, Mr. Sousa. If you are trying to sway me from my task with vague threats or promises of failure, let me assure you… it won't work. I have nothing to back to, Mr. Sousa… it is this, or nothing, but wallowing in self pity. And I think you can relate to that choice quite well, can't you? After all… you returned to work after losing your leg. When confronted with the choice, one has to simply grit their teeth and press on, correct?"
He chuckled as Sousa seemed a bit suspicious. "Not what I have done… what Dr. Bevl has done. How he knows about the serum, or how to work with it, I have no clue. Believe me, I have exhausted every source I can find trying to learn of him… nothing. The man is a mystery. But it doesn't matter. He could claim he's the second coming of Jesus himself and I'd give it a serious consideration, after what he has done for us. He has taken the serum from my blood, refined it, and given us all in the Forgotten Battalion a second chance." He shook his head. "But more to the point, you are dodging the answer, Mr. Sousa… how many must get hurt before you come with us?"
*
The monologuing allows Sousa to look around to see how many people are about and how many of the 'soldiers' are there. He doesn't give an answer, but he does whip around with his crutch to try and sweep it under the legs of one of the soldiers and smack it against another even as he pulls his gun. Instead of aiming the business end, he flicks it around in his hand to try and pistol-whip whomever might get close enough.
Seems he's not going down without a fight if they mean to eventually kill him.
*
Luckily for Sousa (or perhaps unluckily), one of the soldiers who'd been trailing him had come up behind him, ready to pounce should he make any sudden moves. The crutch does hit a mark with the leg, and it does make the man it catches flinch a bit. But he carries on, largely unaffected. It seems that Bravo's claim of them being enhanced was not a lie. The soldier tackles for Sousa, aiming to wrestle him to the ground and grab the gun from his hand. Bravo, for his part, pulled out a pistol - not the old one he showed earlier, but another with a wider barrel - aiming it for Sousa's chest and firing a tranquilizer dart to knock him out. "My apologies, Mr. Sousa… I do wish it did not have to come to this. I admire your resolve… under different circumstances, I think we would've been good friends."
*
Sousa gets knocked to the ground, but the crutch is used as a sort of bat or club until it's pulled from his grip, likewise the gun. It's too dangerous to fire off in this crowd, but no doubt the scuffle will catch someone's attention. Maybe they'll even call the police. That was his hope even as he gets shot by the dart and his consciousness begins to fade.
*
Sousa's struggle is valiant, but ultimately, he is outmatched as more soldiers pile on and capture him following his brush with the dart. People immediately scream and begin to scatter as weapons, even non-lethal ones, are drawn on Sousa. Indeed, a few folks do go to try and report the incident, but the soldiers are already prepared. It seems Bravo has been planning this for a while.
"Take him to the car outside. We'll return to the rendezvous and place him in with the others. Dr. Bevl should be pleased to have another test subject. Quickly!" Bravo orders, leading the way through the scattering crowds as they make their way to a nondescript tan van waiting outside.