"FIRE AT WILL!" I yell to the soldiers in the 107th infantry, which I've been the captain of since I was nineteen. It was considered impossible to do at that age, especially since I'm a woman, but I did it.

I pull the trigger of my gun, killing a few Nazis that stood in my way. I haven't kept count over how many people I've killed, but I know it's at least in the hundreds. It's sad to think you could forget how many lives you've taken, but that's just the way war is. It's definitely not for the weak ones.

We make it to the door of the Nazi facility, and I push it open, allowing us free entry. "Go, go, go," I encourage as I hold the door open and wait for everyone to go through.

Bucky Barnes is the last one, and despite being in the midst of war, he smiles a million dollar smile, taking the door from me and gesturing for me to enter.

I do and try to ignore the way his blue eyes follow me as I go.

I remember when Bucky first arrived to the camp the 107th was based. He was our newest recruit, replacing Jimmy after he was brutally caught by the Germans, tortured, and killed. He was skeptical of me at first, as most men these days are, but after I easily earned his respect during training.

A hand lands on my back, and I'm about to react violently when Bucky's reassuring voice cuts through the air. "It's just me. Relax, Aves."

I sigh in relief.

My relief is cut short when shots are fired from the roof. The hallway we're in has holes in the roof. I suddenly want to scream in frustration, but I don't.

One soldier gets shot in the chest, falling to the floor and dying instantly. I peer through the gaping holes in the ceiling just to see that the snipers are all conveniently on the left side. It is either a flaw in their system or a setup. I'm hoping it's the former.

"Get on the left wall! They can't shoot us from there!" I command as quietly as I can with everyone still being able to hear as I step in the front of the newly forming line. Looking back at my men, I whisper, "Stay close."

I rush up to the front to lead them through the dark tunnel. I pull out a flashlight and shine it down the dark abyss so that we are sure nothing will pop out at us.

I glance to my left, panic settling through me when I realize Bucky isn't there. "Barnes?"

I feel a body bump against my hip. "I'm here." I roll my eyes at Bucky's signature hip bump that he always greets me with. It's quite hilarious to be honest.

We eventually reach a metal door, and I pull the huge lever towards the ground with Bucky and another soldier's help. The door opens to reveal many people locked in cages.

There's no guards, which I find strange. Why leave a bunch of prisoners unguarded? "This has to be a set up."

I nod my head in agreement at Bucky's words. He's still right beside me, his gun firmly held in his hands. My own M1928 Thompson is in my hands, resting against my shoulder, ready to shoot.

"What do we do?" I hear a soldier whisper in the back. He's obviously new, which explains why he seems unsure and nervous. All newbies are like that.

I survey the area. Unlike the rundown hallway, this room has a functioning roof along with many doors that could lead to other rooms or more hallways. Nazis could come from any one of them.

"Let's just unlock the cages and get the hell out of here," I say as I can't come up with a better plan.

We just need a key. Where are we supposed to get a key from? I walk over to a random desk in the room, digging through drawers and looking for secret compartments. "Nothing," I mumble angrily. A feeling of disappointment and annoyance wash over me. We've come this far just for the key to be nowhere in sight.

A hand is placed on my shoulder, making me instinctively grab the arm. "It's okay, it's just me. We'll find the keys, don't worry." Bucky. I nod as I straighten up from digging through the desk.

Abruptly, the door that we came in opens. I notice the familiar Nazi uniform and order for my soldiers to shoot. Gunfire erupts from both sides of the playing field as we shoot back and forth at one another. It's like we're playing a game of catch.

Once the Nazis that came through the door are on the ground, we stop firing our guns.

I quickly walk over to one of the dead bodies, my eyes dashing all over the bloody heap of bodies on the floor. "There has to be a key here somewhere."

I start to dig around in the pockets of many different Nazi soldiers. After what feels like hours of searching, I reach my hand into one's pocket and touch something metal. My eyes widen as I pull out the key. Looking up to the 107th in triumph, I blurt, "I got i-"

I never get to finish as a searing pain rips through my shoulder. My arm immediately goes to my right shoulder, putting pressure on the wound—exactly what I was taught to do—as my body involuntarily falls on the floor.

The pain is excruciating. I've had bullet wounds before, but none this painful. It feels like I'm being stabbed over and over again.

I lift my hand off the wound in shock. It's covered in my gooey red blood.

Bucky's face appears above mine and his mouth moves, forming words that I can't hear. Ringing sounds from all around me along with screams and yells of horror.

"Get them out, Bucky. Get the 107th out of here," I mutter before everything goes black.

My eyelids flutter open as a muffled scream escapes my lips. I abruptly sit up in the cot I'm in. A hospital cot. I force my eyes to adjust as I look at my surroundings. Wincing at the pain coming from my right shoulder, my left hand flies up to check the wound. It's carefully and tightly bandaged up.

"Better not strain yourself, Captain Evans," Dr. Erskine suggests as he opens the hospital curtain that separates me from the rest of the world.

I roll my eyes as I move my hands up yet again to adjust my bandaged shoulder. "Where's Bucky? What happened to the rest of the 107th?"

"Bucky saved your life. If he hadn't have gotten you to back to the hospital base fast enough to be evacuated, you would've died. Don't worry, the 107th are safe. They got out, but failed to get the prisoners. Once you got shot, everyone panicked and aborted the mission," Dr. Erskine informs.

I put my head in my hands. "Gosh, one simple task. All they had to do was unlock the cages, I had the key and everything."

"I'm sure they were more worried about yo-"

"They shouldn't be. Their only focus should be the mission," I angrily retort as I get out of the cot and look around. "Where am I?"

"An army base in New Jersey to train new recruits. You can wander around if you like, but I would recommend getting dressed first." With that, Dr. Erskine leaves my tent. I look down at my body just to see that I'm in a hospital gown. As I look around frantically, I notice some clothes lying on the bedside table.

I grab the clothes and change quickly into my signature green army crew neck shirt, plain pants, and boots. Dr. Erskine must take notice of what I wear on the daily.

I walk out of my tent and look around. It's a basic camp. Young men of all ages running around, training to serve their country. Nothing unusual or different.

I notice the familiar short brown hair and red lipstick, smiling as I realize it's Peggy Carter, one of my best friends. I quickly walk towards her. She's supervising a new division of soldiers. One, I can't help but notice is extremely scrawny, but he's cute in an abnormally boyish way. He stands out against all the other buffed men.

"Can I join the party?" I ask as I finally reach Peggy. She looks over in surprise and smiles at me.

"Avery! What brings you here?" Peggy questions, her British accent strong as ever. I move my shirt slightly so she can see the bandage.

"Nasty one. Right through my shoulder, but I'll live," I state confidently as I feel the boys' eyes on me.

"Soldiers, I'd like for you to meet Avery Evans, captain of the 107th division," Peggy introduces me. Some gasp as they come to the conclusion that a woman is a captain in the army, making me roll my eyes. Typical reaction from incompetent men.

The scrawny boy steps up. "Wait, the 107th? Do you know Bucky Barnes?"

My eyes widen. "Yeah, Bucky's my right hand man actually. He's a great soldier."

The boy smiles happily and is about to ask another question, but is interrupted by Peggy demanding the boys to do push-ups.

I watch as the scrawny guy struggles, but I can tell he has heart. My curiosity sparks as I wonder why a scrawny guy like him wants to be in the army. I wonder how Bucky knows him. Peggy tells them to stop, and he collapses on the ground.

"Grenade!" Colonel Phillips yells as he throws the dummy grenade towards the soldiers. Everyone but the scrawny boy frantically backs up. Instead, skin and bones throws his body over the grenade. Peggy and I exchange impressed looks. "Get back!"

"It's a dummy grenade," a soldier states in an annoyed voice as he gets back up. The skinny guy gets up off the ground.

"Is this a test?" he asks. Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine exchange looks with each other.

"He's still skinny," Colonel Phillips tells Dr. Erskine as he walks away. Dr. Erskine obviously proved something to Phillips because he smiles slightly as he looks at the boy.

"Please, Captain Evans, he'll need someone like you to get through this," Dr. Erskine pleads for me to come with them for Steve's procedure. "You're not healed enough anyway, so you can't go back to join the 107th yet."

"What? So Steve needs a sarcastic and crazy blonde woman to make it through this? Oh, and you never told me where Bucky was," I comment as I sling my gun onto my shoulder and fumble with the carefully assorted ammo on the back of the truck. I wince when I feel my wound rub against the material of the gun sling, but I don't take it off.

Dr. Erskine sighs. "Him and the rest of the 107th are in a different camp getting patched up. Anyway, Steve needs someone to be his friend. He needs someone who is brave and courageous. I think you'd be the perfect person for that."

"When can I see Bucky?" I retort, completely ignoring what he said about being Steve's friend.

"If you come with us, I will make sure you get to see him in the near future."

"Fine," I mutter and follow Dr. Erskine to the car, figuring I have no choice if I want to see Bucky anytime soon.