Author's Note: I blame a power outage and starstripedimpala for this. Otherwise, it never would have been contemplated. As a quick warning, I wrote this a little over a year ago (before school ate my life), so it takes from the Avengers movie without any knowledge of the bonus features or deleted scenes. Needless to say, any new information from Phase 2 movies is not include as well. The title is from the Mumford and Son's song The Cave and the chapter title is from All These Things That I've Done by the Killers.
Warnings: character deaths
Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or Temeraire, they belong to their respective owners.
And I Will Hold On Hope
Chapter One: Everyone's Lost, the Battle is Won
The Firecracker breed was the dragon that was going to save America, or so he had been told when he was a hatching in the early days of World War I. His wing leader had extolled the virtues of the breed, claiming that, despite its middleweight size, it could do the work of a heavyweight easily. The Firecrackers were going to be able to fly past the German lines and drop bombs on their heads before returning to their own lines to haul the artillery without tiring. They were the ones that were going to win America the war.
So he had puffed out his chest to better display the nameplate that was attached to his harness, glancing between the American flag where it hung over the covert and his own scales. He had been proud to be wearing the white stripes over the mottled red on his top line, the signature of the Firecracker breed. Proud of the red socks that changed to a light blue on his legs, the same light blue of his wing membrane and stomach. Proud of the darker blue spines that ran over his back, the harder scales on his feet and legs and the spikes that ran along his eye ridge. He was proud of everything that he was, because he was the future, or so his wing leader and captain had said.
So he was proud when they named him Sentinel of Liberty and sent him off to war.
He was in two battles, one where he was nearly killed by an artillery round which left a scar running up his right hind leg and the second when his captain was shot clean off his back by an overenthusiastic lieutenant on a German dragon. Liberty didn't remember much about the second battle, only the bite of the barbed wire as he scrambled to rescue his captain from the middle of no-man's land and the screams of his crew as they died, mown down by the German machine guns aimed at them. Liberty escaped because he was a dragon, and the Germans were always willing to have more dragons for their cause. He had returned without a crew, without a captain and was sent back to the United States to recover from the wounds he had gotten.
The war was won without him, not that Liberty cared a bit for the war. He had only gone because his captain had told him to. His captain had told him that it would be glorious.
There was no glory in death.
Men were walking through the covert. The news was passed fast through the bored dragons. The breeding grounds were a place for the too old, too injured or those who did not have a captain and Liberty fell neatly into the latter category. There were whispers, of course, that those without a captain would be coerced into taking one soon, if not for the long run then to just get another dragon out to the front now that they were at war. Liberty listened to the talk, rolling his eyes at the way that the dragons spoke about this new war. To him, it sounded just like the previous one.
He huffed and shifted in his cave, watching the smaller courier and lightweight dragons scatter to deliver the news. Anything different in the breeding grounds was news, the repetitive listing of who sired which egg and who the hatchlings had ended up with was nothing to get excited about. Liberty was sure that the list of the dragons that had died fighting in Europe would be even less exciting, but the names of the dead were what came with the war.
Liberty turned his head away from the entrance to his cave, tucking his head under his wing. What a senator and a group of civilians would want with the dragons from the breeding grounds was still unknown. If they wanted dragons that could help with the war effort, the larger heavyweights and middleweights were on the far side of the grounds. As a Firecracker, Liberty only just barely made it into the middleweight category at ten tons, and he was sure that there were more impressive Firecrackers than himself. And, if they wanted a dragon to act in the latest propaganda movie or as a model for posters, there were coverts in California and New York just for that, dragons trained to hold any pose for hours or to act. He was just a soldier, and barely even that.
He did shift his wing enough that he could look out without any humans knowing that he was watching. He was uninterested, but that did not mean that he was not curious. A senator coming to a covert was rare enough. None had dared to step foot into the Air Force's territory since the rights of military dragons had been hashed out after the Civil War. Any pictures that were taken were staged outside, where the dragon could be carefully posed and ordered to remain still before the senator rushed in. A senator coming to the breeding grounds was nearly unheard of.
If any of the other dragons asked about his curiosity, he was simply gathering information. He was young enough that most of them would just nod and lumber away while muttering about him not being right since the last war.
Liberty drew his upper lip back at the thought. Of course he wasn't right; he had watched his captain die and then had killed the rest of his crew. Everything that had been his was gone and all under fifteen minutes. It hadn't been the glory he or any other dragon had been promised. He had gone out to check on some of his wing mates when they had returned from Europe only to find that two had survived. The stories they had told about the war had made him shiver.
The sound of footsteps came closer, Liberty shifting his head to peer out through the gap as the group came to a stop outside of his cave. He recognized Simmons, the man in charge of the breeding grounds, but none of the others. A quick glance showed that most of them weren't soldiers, but he hesitated over the man who was standing in the middle of the group. The man was dressed like a soldier and certainly looked like one, but he wasn't acting like the soldiers that Liberty had seen. He was quiet and withdrawn, not excited like all of the other soldiers that had been paraded past dragons.
The man that Liberty assumed was the senator gestured at him. "What's this one?"
"A Firecracker. Relatively young though. Lost his captain and crew in the last war. There's nothing wrong with him though, a good breeder. There's two shipping out that are his, he always throws hatchlings with bright colors and strong fire." Simmons paused, Liberty closing his eyes and curling into a tighter ball. "But, you'd probably want an older one, less chance of them doing something strange. There a few more down the line."
"Same colors?"
"Yes sir. Firecrackers usually come in red, white and blue. It's just a matter of the placement."
Simmons' voice got fainter as the ground moved on, Liberty taking the chance to pull his head out from under his wing. He froze when he saw that the entire group hadn't gone, the soldier was still standing at the entrance to his cave, just staring at him. Liberty snorted, carefully stretching a wing out as far as his cave would allow him. To his annoyance, the soldier didn't seem to be intimidated, just awed. Liberty leaned out, placing his muzzle right at the edge of the cave, expecting the soldier to leap back. Everyone who wasn't in the Air Force did. People might have been used to dragons, but they still were wary of something that was larger than them.
Instead, the soldier stood his ground, Liberty watching as the man smiled. "Wish I had a pencil."
"Captain Rogers!" The man glanced to his right, turning and walking quickly after the group. Despite his better judgment, Liberty slipped out of his cave just enough to watch them.
Simmons showed them the four other Firecrackers that were in residence, dutifully reciting each dragon's service history and good points. Liberty couldn't tell what the senator thought; the man was nodding after every introduction. But the solider kept looking back at him.
Steve had been skeptical when Senator Brandt had said that they needed a dragon. He was a captain in the Army, not the Air Force. The senator had said nothing about getting a ship as well, so Steve imagined that the dragon was just for the effect. Dragons had been essential to all major wars since they had been first harnessed. It was that kind of confidence that would get people to buy war bonds. The fact that they had managed to get a Firecracker meant that the dragon would just blend right in with the USO girls and his own costume.
Senator Brandt had said nothing about riding the dragon.
Steve shaded his eyes with one hand as Liberty rose onto his hind legs and shook his whole body. There seemed to be an excessive flapping of wings before the dragon settled to the ground again, nodding to the aviator that stood on the ground by Steve. "All lies well."
"Good." The aviator turned and slapped Steve on the shoulder. "Well then, mount up, Captain. Let's see how you do."
Steve approached Liberty slowly, remembering something his mother had once told him about animals and moving too quickly. The aviator didn't share his hesitation, getting a lift up by Liberty and clipping herself into place at the join between neck and back. She leaned over to stare down at Steve. "Just get a lift up from him and clip in."
He sighed and stepped up close to the dragon, eyeing Liberty's talons before closing his eyes. Steve felt a slight jerk before he was lifted off the ground and swung over the dragon's back. He didn't open his eyes until he felt his feet land on something solid. When he did, he was staring down at the molted red back of the dragon and the two harness straps that went over his neck. Steve turned slightly, still half crouched in case Liberty made a move, to glance further back.
The harness ran until just before Liberty's hind legs, a series of straps running over the dragon's back and in between the triangular spines that ran along Liberty's back. All of the straps had metal loops embedded in them at regular intervals to help the crew along the back of the dragon.
Steve quickly clipped in on the nearest loop, double checking the line from his waist to the carabineer. The strap was the only thing that was keeping him on the dragon, and it would be a long way to fall in flight. A quick tug showed that it would hold, Steve relaxing enough to release his death grip on the line.
The aviator grinned at him before gesturing down Liberty's back. "While I doubt that Brandt will ask you to do anything crazy, you might as well know how to move around on him. Just detach and go to the next spot. Move quickly though, he could twist and you could fall off."
"He'd catch me."
The aviator paused in the middle of unclipping her carabineer. "Well, if you were his captain that would be one thing. But I don't know about the deal you two have. For a performance, sure. Other than that, I think you're on your own."
Steve leaned out as far as he felt comfortable, although not far enough to cause tension in the line. He carefully met Liberty's gaze. "He'll catch me."
Liberty snorted and rolled his eye, the usual response Steve seemed to get from the dragon. But he was content with what little he got.
The aviator pointed out the closest metal loop, Steve bending over to unclip his carbineer and follow the woman down Liberty's back. The dragon kept still throughout their movements, sometimes shifting to a more comfortable position, but he never looked back. Steve assumed that it just came with the familiarity of having people walking all over his back. Although, from what Steve had been told, Liberty hadn't been in service too long. That had been something that had drawn Steve to the dragon.
All the other Firecrackers had been introduced by pedigree, although Steve couldn't place any of the names of the dragons that were offered, and then by service record. They were all experienced fighters, dragons that could have been serving with the generals in Europe or the Pacific if old age and injuries hadn't kept them grounded. Liberty was like him, nothing special from an obscure breeder. He had gone in to do his bit for his country and lost everything, something Steve could relate to.
He grunted as he was smacked over the head, the aviator pointing down at the harness. "Pay attention, we're doing this until you can get up and back this dragon in a minute."
Steve stood up, looking over the dragon. Liberty was just under thirty feet, but that was from snout to tail. It was still a lot of ground to cover. He sighed and bent to his task again, scurrying after the aviator as she led him all over Liberty's back and sides. Steve fell off a couple of times; slipping on the scales before he could clip on or a jolt when Liberty switched positions had him tumbling off. The aviator never fell off; she just shifted her weight and adjusted to the rocking of the dragon.
"I bet Navy guys are better at this."
The aviator paused. "We don't get many transfers in and out to be honest. Most people who want to work with dragons already are. But I suppose it would help, you're far too stiff. What are you going to do when we ask him to fly?"
Steve just shrugged and went back to the exercise, crossing over Liberty's back and sides as the aviator ordered him to do. A few passes were made into the belly-netting, Steve moving as fast as he could over the net before swinging back up onto Liberty's side, the dragon standing calmly through all of the maneuvers.
It was nearly dark before the aviator let him stop, the two of them sliding to the ground. She patted his shoulder with a smile. "Tomorrow we'll have you up in the air."
Steve didn't get a chance to respond, the aviator walking away with Liberty following after her. He had assumed that she would also talk him through getting the light leather harness off of the dragon, but Steve wouldn't be in charge of Liberty after the shows. They would retreat to their separate sides and then come together to perform. It was the best relationship to have with a dragon, or so said Senator Brandt. Steve wasn't to sure of that assessment himself, but he was damn sure that this was the closest he would get to a dragon in his life and he wasn't about to waste that chance.
His first flight was amazing and terrifying. The aviator had instructed him to clip in after Liberty had given the harness the shake down. Then, Liberty had just launched himself into the air, Steve clinging to the leather of the harness as the wind whistled past his ears. It took him until Liberty had stopped gaining altitude and had settled into a steady pace for Steve to remember that he didn't have to worry about asthma attacks any more, his head still spinning from the initial rush.
Liberty gave the breeding grounds a few lazy circles; his wing beats a steady sound along with the gentle rock of his body. Steve bent his knees a little, trying to feel the motion of the dragon. He was stationed just too far forward to feel the full range of motion of Liberty's shoulder muscles, but he could feel the beginning and ending of each wing stroke, the slight bob that the dragon gave as he flew.
He was so completely focused on the flight that he jumped when the aviator touched his shoulder. Steve blushed and turned to face her, having to lean closer to hear anything she said. "He's going to go through his paces. Just hang on."
Steve had just enough time to double check his carabineer before the aviator shouted out a command, the wind taking the words before Steve could understand what she said. Liberty, apparently, understood completely because the next down stroke had more power in it.
Liberty bobbed up further, tucking his wings close to his sides before diving. Steve was sure that he yelped, the sound completely lost as Liberty went into a spin. Steve swallowed and leaned over catching the little flicks of his wings that Liberty used. He was jolted backwards the next minute as Liberty snapped his wings open. Steve scrambled for a better hold on the line, checking his carabineer as Liberty climbed again, this time going through a few loops.
Steve scrambled for a better hold, his feet sliding over Liberty's back. He glanced over at the aviator, noticing her crouched position and the way she would bend over to grab a better hold on the harness on some of the maneuvers. Steve groped for the leather strap that crossed over Liberty's shoulder, getting a good hand hold just as Liberty went into another loop. He clung to the strap through the loop, releasing the hold when Liberty flattened out, apparently done with his showboating.
He smiled cautiously at the aviator, wondering if she would try to trip him up. Steve was sure that Brandt would delight in knowing that he could hold onto the dragon and not lose control, anything to impress the people. What he was more worried about was what the aviator would put him through during his exercises while Liberty was flying.
"Alright." She pushed her hair back from her face, reaching down to pet Liberty's back. "Start moving up and down, everything we did yesterday. He'll just keep circling without any acrobatics. You two can save that for the show."
That got a huff from Liberty, Steve silently agreeing with him. They already had a song and dance number. Steve had seen the girls practicing it. He doubted that the people would respond better to a dragon and a rider doing a series of complex tricks.
He slowly made his way down Liberty's back, taking twice as long as some of his best runs on the ground. The moment between when he moved from one metal fixture to another was terrifying, nothing to hold him onto the dragon but his own strength. It would have been comforting if Liberty was anything but indifferent to him. Steve was confident that Liberty wouldn't let him fall, for one it would mean a complicated inquiry over whether it was really an accident or it was purposefully done. Knowing Liberty's record, the courts would probably rule against him, he had gotten his crew killed the last time he had been in action and there were more than enough witnesses to prove that Liberty hadn't really cared for any of them.
Picking his way over Liberty's sides was more difficult than before; Steve hadn't had to contend with the wind from the dragon's wings or the wings in motion. He kept having to pause and move between wing beats, one hand always on the carabineer in case he had to move quickly. But he managed to go through all of the proper maneuvers on both sides before the aviator called him back up and directed him back into place. This time, he was the one standing in the captain's spot, right where Liberty's neck met his shoulders.
The aviator patted his shoulder, having to lean in close to shout in his ear. "We'll make an aviator out of you yet!"
Steve just smiled back, not sure if he should actually thank her. He had only wanted to be a soldier. Liberty wasn't even his dragon. The arrangement was that Liberty just a temporary loan until the war was over.
Life on the road was monotonous, but it was far better than life at the breeding grounds. At least there was always something new to look at.
Liberty could watch the countryside of America go by from his flatcar on the train, the country that he had served but never seen completely. He had to curl up a little more tightly than he preferred, but it was far better than trying to pace the slow moving train over the miles that they were covering. And the ground crew assigned to him was nice. They took the light, showy harness off of him every night, taking the hideously spangled thing far away from him. Then they would scrub him down, careful to check to see where the harness was rubbing despite the fact that it wasn't in motion. Without a full crew scurrying around on his back, the harness didn't pull against his scales. There was only Steve, and even that was easy enough to bear. All he had to do was fly around a city, make a grand entrance and then let Steve slide off of his back.
Steve had the hard job; he had to convince the people of whatever new town that there was no place that he'd rather be than here selling bonds when the complete opposite was true. Everyone assumed that a dragon was happy until he started growling.
While Liberty was not ready to call himself happy, he was content. The ground crew and the girls were nice enough, even though Steve had only managed to convince three that he wouldn't eat them. If they were entering a big city, Liberty would sometimes take Steve and the three girls in ahead of all of the rest, just to show off. Because that's all it really was, showing off.
Liberty supposed it was like mating in a way. The males had to show off, be it their strength, flying or service record for the females to be content with the choice. The more that they showed off, the more bonds were sold, people happily falling for the glitz and dance number. They were in good condition, therefore they could be trusted and so they made money. That was enough to keep Senator Brandt happy. From what Liberty heard from the girls' car on the train, getting paid and seeing the country was enough for them.
It didn't seem like it was enough for Steve.
Steve wasn't too talkative nor did he go out of his way to interact with the others in the group. Liberty ignored the small bit of familiarity in their actions; he had a completely different reason for not wanting to interact with people. Still, Steve was polite to the girls and the ground crew, but he spent most of his free time alone or sitting on watching Liberty.
He was there now; Liberty didn't even have to open his eyes to know that. He could hear Steve shifting every so often as he stood at the back of the girls' car. It wouldn't be too hard to jump onto the flat car that Liberty was dozing on, but there was already so little space. All the flat cars made for heavyweights and middleweights had been sent over to England to help move dragons for the war. He shifted, pulling his head just far enough out from under his wing to be able to see Steve.
They would be pulling into another city soon enough, Liberty could tell that by the way that Steve had already changed into the ridiculous clothes that he wore for the shows. As soon as the train came to a stop, Steve would be out to greet the crowds with smiles before being shuffled off to give his performance. Liberty would stand by, looking regal and patriotic until the crowds dissipated and he retreated to the section of the city that was laid out for dragons. Any high and trick flying would be saved for the next day or the day that they left.
The train slowed, Liberty raising his head and shifting so he could get a better grip on the wood underneath him. If he wasn't prepared, he could go rolling off of the train when it stopped. It had nearly happened a few times, and he was embarrassed to admit that it was because he had been out of practice. Back in the war, he had been one of the better dragons at keeping a hold of the flat car, even with all of his crew on board.
Unfortunately, raising his head meant that he had given away that he was awake. Liberty carefully kept from looking at Steve, paying attention to the crowds that were gathering to see them coming in. He adjusted himself, posing so he would look regal. He could already hear the cheers from where he was.
To his surprise, Steve jumped onto the flat car, walking over to stand by his shoulder. Liberty fought the urge to bare his teeth, glancing down at Steve before turning his attention completely to the crowds. It was just for show. They weren't trying to replace his first captain with this fake one, this showgirl. It was a temporary arrangement that he had agreed to more out of boredom than interest. And that's what he had to keep reminding himself of.
The train rocked to a stop, Liberty looking out over the crowds. The only hint he got that Steve had clambered up onto his back was the faint click of metal as Steve clipped in. Liberty turned to look over his shoulder, trying to keep his expression as bland as possible as Steve patted his neck. "Stretch your legs a bit. Let's just walk to the theater."
"I don't see you walking." Liberty snorted, but stood carefully stepping off of the car.
The crowd parted easily before him, the adults scattering to the back. It was the children who raced close, staring in awe at him. There were other dragons too, Liberty could see them peeking their heads up from the park or on the outer edges of the crowd, some of them still hooked up to the supplies they had been hauling. Liberty craned his neck, an uneasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach.
It was just like before when he had marched off to war. All of the dragons that were found in cities were a mixture of breeds, feral and the breeds that had been brought over from Europe through the years. None of them were as brightly colored, all of them in duller colors that were more common in the feral dragons. Once again, he was surrounded by the dragons who would be keeping the United States running while he went off to war. Before he had been proud of himself, proud of his bright colors, now he just wanted to roll in the mud until he could hide his colors. What they represented was that he should have gone to the war, and he was just young enough for that insinuation of being coward to bother him.
Liberty arched his neck, allowing his wings to unfurl slightly, making himself look larger. At least he wasn't the only coward. The dragons could have volunteered to go off to war. At least he had been excused from the war, and that was only temporary. He hoped that they could be put off by his assurances that this was his assignment. Other dragons around the nation had been turned away by that argument, thinking that it was his military assignment to help on the home front.
He turned his head slightly, watching as Steve smiled and waved at the people, playing the part of Captain America. Liberty put more spring in his step and loosened up, letting his tail swing a bit instead of being held still. For now his part was Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America's dragon.
Steve had made it a habit to seek out Liberty after every show. Liberty didn't know why Steve bothered; he just spent his nights finishing off the meat that the ground crew brought him and being scrubbed down. It wasn't work that most people stooped to, it was the work of aviators, the dirty work that no one ever wanted to do. But Steve always showed up for it, lingering just out of the way and watching as the men worked. It had been like that for as long as they had been on the road.
But this time, this town, something had made Steve step forward.
Liberty lifted his head from the cow he had been eating, blinking as he saw Steve approaching with the rest of the ground crew. He didn't have the time to ask the head of the ground crew what had changed before Steve was clambering onto his back like the rest of them. Liberty hid his surprise by tearing off another chunk of meat, keeping his head tipped carefully to the side to watch the men work.
Steve was a little slower than the rest of the ground crew, but that was to be expected. He had never taken off the red, white and blue harness. The entire harness would come apart into separate straps, but it wouldn't be broken down like that unless it needed a deep cleaning, like after a battle. The ground crew usually just unhooked the bare minimum and let him step the rest of the way out of the harness before giving it a quick polish at the end of the day. On most days, Liberty barely spent enough time in the harness to get it dirty. But Steve was gamely keeping up with the rest of the ground crew, even trading jokes with the men as they walked along his back to undo the straps that were connected the breastplate to the rest of the harness, the straps that went over his shoulders and on either side of his wings and the crupper that attached just under his tail.
By the time he was given the signal to stand and step to the side, they were already laughing and explaining the basics of the harness to Steve, who was listening intently. Liberty rolled his eyes and stepped out of the harness, grabbing his cow in his talons and moving a bit further out of the way. The men scurried to collect the harness, dragging it over to the small pool of light that their campfire allowed. Steve went with them, settling down and taking a portion of the harness.
Liberty watched through narrowed eyes. Steve wasn't an aviator, so this was useless knowledge to him. If he was ever sent to the war, the only time he would encounter a dragon would be when he was air lifted from one position to another or helping unload. None of that would need him knowing to help a dragon out of a harness or clean a harness. Of course, it could have been Steve's generally helpful demeanor.
Liberty stretched out his wings and yawned. Steve could do what he wanted; Liberty wasn't going to stop him. That was up to Steve's handlers. Liberty was not going to complain if the harness was in better condition, there was a place on his shoulder where it was just beginning to chafe. If it wasn't fixed by tomorrow, he would notify the ground crew.
With his suspicions settled for the moment, Liberty turned his attention to his cow. If he used more force than needed, it was because the dragons in the town had been a bit more enthusiastic about his old war stories and their questions.
He pushed the bones from the cow away. It would be enough for him over the next few days; it wasn't like he was doing any really strenuous work. Liberty resettled his wings, blinking in surprised as one of the men escorted Steve over, continuing the lesson from the harness. Liberty narrowed his eyes, but lifted his wings away when he was asked.
He held his tongue until the man had gone back, leaving Steve to continue to circle him. It would have felt like an inspection if Steve had held himself a little more like a general and less timidly, although this Steve was a far cry from the one that had come to the breeding grounds. Instead of an inspection, it felt more like being looked over by another dragon. Liberty huffed, quickly coming to the end of his patience. "What do you want?"
"I..." Steve shrugged, coming around to stand in front of him. "Dunno. I thought we would get to know each other."
"We know each other well enough." Liberty ended on a growl, surprised when Steve simply rocked back instead of running away. He was about to snarl when Steve gave him a curt nod and walked back to where the ground crew's fire.
Liberty nodded to himself, shaking his wings out before turning so his back was facing the ground crew. The agreement had been to act as a symbol, not to get friendly with the people on tour with him. He was sure that the Air Force would have been ecstatic if he chose another captain, especially with the way that he heard the war was going. They would be glad to send another dragon over. That would definitely be a way out, getting sent back to Europe to fight a new batch of Germans.
He closed his eyes but didn't sleep, his mind too busy with the memory of screams and the sharp pain of barbed wire.
The girls weren't so bad, but any hopes that the serum would change his ability to speak to them without stumbling over himself was quickly gone. Still, Steve preferred to spend his free time with Liberty's ground crew. They were more like the people he was used to, not like the girls or the men that Senator Brandt had running the show. And he would be lying to himself if he thought he wasn't interested in the dragon.
Growing up in Brooklyn, he had only seen the dragons that worked in the city and those had all been smaller dragons. Heavy and middleweights were rarely seen in the city, just because of the space that they needed. He had heard the stories that his mother had told about the larger kind of dragons and had always wanted to see them, just for the novelty. Steve could think of no little boy who hadn't wanted to be an aviator or work with a dragon at least once in their lives.
At least he had managed to fulfill one of his childhood dreams since the army hadn't panned out.
Liberty was an interesting dragon, a veteran from a war already. That had been a hard thought to wrap his mind around since Liberty had been hatched in the same year that he was born and was already a veteran of a war. Steve had hoped that their similar age would be enough to get Liberty to talk to him in more than short bursts without any growling. So he had settled for just being around as much as he could. Steve wasn't sure if his presence was actually helping the dragon to like him or if Liberty was just pretending. Steve had noticed that Liberty had stopped acting so cool toward him, at least when he was in his tights. If Liberty only liked Captain America, then that was fine with Steve.
It had taken until they were almost on the west coast for him to get to be able to sit down close to the dragon and sketch. It was the only place where he could be left alone. In the towns there was always someone who wanted to speak with Captain America. The girls were always talking about something, their men off at war or the baffling world of fashion. Even the members of the ground crew had been distant at times, which just left him with the one being that wouldn't talk to him.
Steve sighed and tipped his sketchbook back, studying the sketch of Liberty from that distance. He had drawn the dragon ready to leap from the ground, the vague suggestion of a crew on his back. It was just one of the many drawings of the dragon over the two pages.
He felt a puff of warm air against the back of his neck. Steve turned his head, surprised to see that Liberty was looking over his shoulder. The dragon had never taken an interest in what Steve was doing. At a loss of what to do, Steve held the book up higher so Liberty could see it properly.
The dragon snorted but didn't pull away like he usually did. "Do you draw anything else?"
Steve flipped back to the beginning and began turning the pages for Liberty. He watched as the dragon lost his tense posture, Liberty leaning down to see the drawings better. Steve smiled as he heard the soft crooning noise at the sight of some of the pictures.
"Stop." He heard Liberty drag himself closer. "Where is that?"
He tipped the sketchbook down enough to see his messy drawing of his neighborhood. Steve smiled, lowering the book to his lap. "Brooklyn, New York. Where I'm from."
Liberty nodded, his head nearly hanging over Steve's shoulder. "Keep going."
Steve carefully turned the pages, forcing himself not to stop on the sketches of Bucky, Peggy and Dr. Erskine. The soft rumble was back, almost like a purr as Steve turned to the more recent drawings, all done during the tour; a few houses that had caught his attention, a dragon or two and children playing. By the time Steve got back to the two pages of Liberty, the dragon's muzzle was resting on his shoulder. Steve had to turn his head to see one of the dragon's blue eyes. Liberty glanced at him, looking like he was going to pull away, but decided to stay at the last minute. "My captain used to draw. He wasn't good at it. Not like you."
Steve looked back down at the book, blushing a little at the praise. "Before all of this I was thinking of going of art school."
"Why didn't you go?"
Steve shrugged. "It never seemed to be the right time. Things kept getting in the way. Maybe after the war."
He felt Liberty tense at that, the dragon lifting his muzzle away. "Maybe."
"Come on." Steve laughed. "I don't think the army would want me. I'm an experiment."
"So?" Liberty blinked down at him. "There are plenty of experiments in the Air Force. What else do you call crossbreeds?"
"I'm not a dragon."
Steve froze as Liberty sniffed his hair before scooting away. "I guess not. You're useful enough. You have free time and won't go blind trying to read the paper. You can read me the news."
It took Steve a moment to realize that Liberty was joking with him. It was the longest time the dragon had spoken to him and Liberty had managed to both complement and tease him. Steve felt like he had been catapulted too quickly into something. But he had wanted Liberty to talk to him and he had gotten what he wanted. He would just have to figure out what exactly had made Liberty want to talk so openly.
Steve stood up, stretching before walking over to where the ground crew had set up and borrowed a newspaper. He returned to Liberty's side, warned away from leaning against the dragon's side by the slightest baring of teeth. Steve settled down close to where he had sat before, opening up the newspaper and starting to read. It didn't take long for Liberty to inch closer, the dragon as close as he could get without touching Steve.
"Reports say that we're winning in Africa."
Liberty didn't bother to open his eyes, just listening to the sound of Steve's voice as he summarized the biggest pieces of news. "What are we doing in Africa?"
"Stopping Hilter."
"I know that." Liberty huffed and curled more closely around Steve. He was warm enough because his body generated fire; it was a few degrees above the normal body temperature of a dragon. Steve was sitting out with him without a blanket. It was getting colder as winter came, leaving Liberty to look after Steve. Steve sometimes forgot that, while he was a super soldier, he wasn't completely invincible. He could catch a cold the same as everyone else.
"Want to hear about what is going on in the Pacific?"
"No." He really had no interest in the war at all; it was just the one thing that could affect his life the most at this point. In any case, he wanted to know when the Germans were beat. Steve had tried to explain the circumstances of the war, but Liberty had ignored all of the explanations. He didn't hate the German people, just the German soldiers, and it was completely rational. The Germans were the ones that had taken his captain and crew away from him. If he couldn't be there paying them back, he wanted to know the minute that someone did. Then he could finally take some pride in having served in the first big war. There was no pride in knowing that you had won only to have to go back and fight the same war.
It was harder still to remain in America. The further across America they got, the more questions Liberty was asked. Every dragon wanted to know what the war was like, assuming that he had been overseas and was back because he had been hurt. It was hard to deny that story, especially to dragons that had been too injured to keep over in Europe. At least they understood, some of them commiserating him on his loss of a captain. At least they didn't tell him that he would choose again eventually like all the dragons at the breeding grounds had. They all knew that one couldn't just forget. The younger dragons were harder to get away.
The younger dragons assumed that he would just go and serve in the war that he was remaining behind because he was too scared to fight. That he had gotten himself into this position to keep from going over. They didn't understand, he would go back to Europe in a heartbeat, but he wouldn't be sent without a captain and crew. That was the one thing he wouldn't allow himself to take into war again. Losing everything that he considered his the first time around had been hard enough; having to go through it a second time was inconceivable. Liberty was resigned to the fact that he would have lost his first captain eventually, but old age was different, it was far kinder and less sudden than a bullet.
He looked down at Steve as the man sighed and rested his head against Liberty's shoulder. "They're probably dead, the ones that killed your captain."
"It's the principle of the thing." Liberty sniffed, staring down at Steve before shaking his head. "And it's not against the people or the army. It's against...the idea. War against Germany, again."
From the way that Steve was looking at him, Liberty could tell that he didn't quite grasp what Liberty was trying to say. Liberty huffed and tucked his head under his wing, using the time that move bought to think over what to say. It was difficult to explain a concept that had made up most of his life, most of his way of living. He must have thought over it for too long, because Steve pushed away from his shoulder. Liberty sighed and pulled his head out from under his wing, blocking Steve's way with his talons. "I lost my captain and crew over there." He paused, watching as Steve nodded slowly. "I lost my whole world over there."
"You won't get it back."
"I know." Liberty pulled his talons away. "But if we're fighting again, then why did I lose them in the first place."
For that, Steve had no answer. He just reached up, his hand hovering just to the side of Liberty's muzzle.
Liberty's stared at the hand that Steve offered up before pressing his muzzle against it. "I would be fine with this war if it was against anyone else. But, against the Germans...it makes it feel like it wasn't worth it."
"Sometimes it's not."
Liberty lowered his head enough so that he was looking Steve right in the eye. He gently pressed the end of his muzzle against Steve's chest. "Was this worth it?"
"Don't know yet. And I don't think I'll find out."
He sighed and bumped Steve's chest with his muzzle, not really sure what he was trying to convey with the motion. In return, Steve continued to stroke the side of his face, Liberty shamelessly leaning into the affection and not trying to talk himself out of it.
Liberty roared and locked claws with the larger Bright Copper that was painted up to look like a Berghexe, barely aware of the crew on his back fighting off the boarders and the smaller courier-weight dragon that the camera and crew were on. The courier dragon with the director was somewhere just out of his line of vision, but the quick little dragons were well trained and fast enough to stay out of his way. The crew and boarders were well secured, so all he had to do was worry about watching where his claws, wings and fire went.
The dragon with the director on it came into view, the director waving at him with the prearranged signal. Liberty drew his head back, snarling as he let the fire build at the back of his throat. He didn't let the fireball build as much as he could, ordered to make his attacks more spark than fire. Liberty opened his mouth and let the sparks tumble out, purposefully aiming for the Bright Copper's shoulder. The sparks landed harmlessly on the leather that was part of the harness and painted to look like the rest of the Bright Copper. The other dragon screamed like it was in pain, pushing away from Liberty.
He held his position over the Bright Copper, turning his head just far enough to see Steve unclip completely from the harness and start to climb up his neck. Liberty carefully stretched out his neck, trying to keep as steady as possible. They had crews ready on other dragons to catch anyone who fell and they were circling over a net held by cranes. Liberty himself was ready to catch Steve if the stunt went wrong, he could safely dive without worrying about the rest of the actors
The Bright Copper swung closer, Liberty turning his head to the side in a move that perfectly set up Steve's jump. He felt Steve clamber up onto his head, Steve using the smaller horns above his eyes for hand holds. Liberty glanced over at the director, spreading his wings to glide to reduce the motion when Steve made the jump. He felt Steve press a hand against his scales. "Steady buddy."
Liberty almost snorted at the endearment, but settled for a low rumble that could be taken as assent, just in case the microphones picked up anything. Steve have him one last pat before taking a running jump.
He followed the best he could, banking in close to the Bright Copper to watch as Steve slid down the other dragon's neck and clipped in before turning his attention to the actor portraying the Bright Copper's captain. The fact that Steve was safely in place didn't stop Liberty from watching the fight carefully.
It wasn't that he was worried about Steve; he knew that the man could handle himself. There were plenty of safety nets set up and the Bright Copper was a professional, he had been the star in at least six of the major films of that season. Steve wasn't his captain, but he was his, just like the USO girls who would always bring him little treats and the ground crew that helped them with the show were his. That kind of person wasn't just to be put in danger. Steve had found his way into the nebulous place of belonging to Liberty's mismatched crew.
He nearly missed his cue to breathe another burst of sparks on the leather pad. Once again, the Bright Copper squealed and flinched away, Liberty slipping up alongside the dragon as Steve gave the captain the fatal blow, the actor crumpling to the dragon's back. The Bright Copper looked back and keened, Steve taking advantage of the moment to unclip and jump back onto Liberty's side. Liberty turned his head just enough to see that Steve was safe before beginning to force the Bright Copper to the ground.
Both dragons landed with a thump, the Bright Copper keeping his submissive pose while Liberty growled down at him until the director shouted "Cut!" Liberty turned at the shout, taking a step away as the director came rushing over, lavishing praise at all of them. Liberty lowered himself to the ground to let the actors slide off.
"Liberty, Ianuarius, we're going to do a few more takes of you two fighting. Full crew, no stunts. We should be able to fit that in after lunch." The director walked off, conferring with the people that immediately surrounded him.
Liberty rolled his eyes, looking over at Ianuarius. The Bright Copper sighed and flicked his tail before speaking in a crisp British accent. "Good aim with those sparks. Better than the others I have worked with. They kept missing the pad. Now, he said something about lunch."
The Bright Copper lumbered off, tipping his head to the side to speak to his captain, the man having remained on the ground during the shooting. Liberty watched them go with a sigh, his attention turning to Steve as the man patted his shoulder.
"Thanks for the smooth ride."
"That?" He rolled is shoulders. "That was easy, just a bit of trick flying."
"Of course it was." Steve pushed the cowl back, running a hand through his hair. "Then thanks for getting it right the first time."
"What, it the great Captain America afraid of flying?" The tip of his tail twitched, a sure sign that he was joking. And Steve had come to know him well enough to smile and playfully slap his shoulder. Liberty went to snap at him in jest, freezing in the middle of stretching out his neck as one of Senator Brandt's aides rushed up to them, looking excited.
Liberty stepped to the side to allow the man to come closer, reaching out with a talon to stop Steve from walking off. They turned to face the aide, Steve fidgeting by Liberty's side. The man waved at them before finally settling down to speak to them. "Good news. We're moving on after the film is done."
"Where?"
"We're going to put on a little show for the troops. Captain America's European tour." The man bustled off before either Steve or Liberty would say anything.
Liberty rocked back onto his haunches, sitting up. He kept a careful watch on the aide as the man disappeared into the movie lot, waiting until the man was completely out of sight before looking down at Steve. He wasn't sure if Steve was nervous or excited; he had to put his head down to see what Steve was feeling at all. There was a little bit of excitement, but it looked more like disappointment. Liberty huffed and bumped his muzzle against Steve. "It's the front."
"Yeah." Steve shook his head, seeming to come back to himself. "Will you be fine?"
Liberty shrugged. "It's not battle, I'll be fine. As long as no one shoots at me."
"Fair enough." Steve gave his shoulder one last pat before walking away, Liberty left to shift nervously.
He had no real qualms about returning to the front. He had always assumed that he would be called back at one point. What he was really afraid of was losing his crew. He would have to watch the ground crew, the USO girls and Steve carefully. Especially Steve. There was no telling what would happen. Liberty doubted that they would be taken where Senator Brandt could lose his precious bonds salesman, but war was unpredictable. Liberty sighed and sank down to all fours, padding after Steve.
"So who's ready to help me sock Ol' Adolf in the jaw?" Liberty flinched at the silence that followed the statement, scanning the sour faced crowd of soldiers from his place by the stage. They had made a grand show of coming in and the girls had been spot on through the routine. Better yet, the men had responded to him and to the girls. Steve was a different matter entirely. Liberty growled in the back of his throat as he watched Steve struggle to get the crowd to interact with him. "Alright. I'll need a volunteer."
"I already volunteered. How do you think I got here?"
"Bring back the girls!"
Liberty shifted where he lay, the soldiers closest to him giving him wary looks. They were the only ones not joining in the heckling, and for a good reason. Everyone knew that it was in their best interest not to anger a dragon. And, if they thought Steve was his captain, so much the better. They should treat him with respect, Liberty's captain or not. He scanned the crowd, trying to settle down again. Their commanding officers were close by, and they wouldn't let things get too out of hand.
"I think they only know the one song but...I'll see what I can do."
"You go do that sweetheart!"
"Nice boots, Tinkerbell!"
"Come on, guys. Can't we just get along?" Steve offered the crowd a hesitant smile.
Usually he was more adaptable than this. Being on stage was still an experience for him, and one that he had told Liberty multiple times that he did not enjoy. Then again, Steve had never performed for the men he so desperately wanted to be like. Liberty could see how it was easier to be the slightly ridiculous Captain America back home where people were ready for the song and dance number. Giving the same show to the soldiers, despite any good intentions, felt almost like an insult.
Liberty huffed, giving the men closest to him one last warning look before finding a more comfortable position on the ground. He was contemplating taking a nap when the heckling increased to a level he could not stand. Name calling he would allow, Steve was a grown man and could handle himself. Assault was a different matter entirely.
The first tomato hit the shield that Steve held up. The second hit Liberty's shoulder, the dragon lunging from his place by the side of the stage and putting himself between Steve and the crowd. He lowered his head and roared, watching the soldiers scramble backward, a good number of them falling out of their seats in fear. Satisfied with the result, Liberty turned his head and nudged Steve in the direction of the stairs, not moving from his position until Steve was out of sight and three of the USO girls were taking his place. Even then Liberty didn't stop the low growl that he had kept up, making sure to scan over the crowd of soldiers. He wouldn't hesitate to remind them again that Steve should be treated with respect. He only moved when the music cue came on, backing out of the way to allow the girls to have their moment to shine.
He didn't go back to his place by the stage; he knew he would eventually end up in front of the stage again, growling at the men for their inappropriate passes at the girls. He had slipped up like that once during one of their earlier stops at the camp in England. The girls as a whole had taken him aside to talk about it, thanking him for stepping up but reminding him that they could take care of themselves. Of course, the offer to guard their backs was still open and Liberty had taken them all on apology flights around the camp. Even with the talk, it still didn't mean that he had to like the way the soldiers reacted to them. The easiest thing to get his mind off the girls and their problems was to focus on Steve.
It was easy enough to find Steve. He was in the tent that they were using to store the costumes for the show, tugging off his red boots. Liberty inched as close to the tent as he could, sticking in his head through the front and curling the rest of his body out of the way. He remained silent, letting Steve strip off the boots and change into more comfortable pants, just listening to the sound of the camp and Steve's measured breathing. It was only through the quick glances that Steve shot his way that Liberty knew that Steve was aware that he was there. Steve probably wanted to be alone, but Liberty was not about to let him wander around without him close. They were closer to the front than Liberty felt comfortable with and the soldiers had proven to be completely worthless, at least in his eyes. It was his job to protect Steve.
He pulled his head back as Steve stepped out of the tent, the two of them shuffling out of the way as the girls took over the tent to change into different clothes, a few of them squealing in surprise as it started to rain. Liberty stretched out a wing to shield the last few stragglers, looking up at the cloudy sky and snorting. At least the rain would discourage any attacks on the camp, which was a relief to him. Liberty had spent their days travelling to Italy looking up at the sky, expecting dragons to swoop down and steal everything that was his. So far, there had been nothing. But that wasn't enough to get him to relax.
Liberty nudged the last girl into the tent, getting a pat on his muzzle in thanks. He carefully stood up, glancing over at the tent that held his ground crew before going after Steve. Everyone was where they should be, which just left him. Steve belonged where Liberty could keep an eye on him.
Steve had settled himself on the edge of the stage, curled over his sketchbook and drawing furiously. Covered by his overcoat, Steve looked like he was trying to hide away and was doing a good job despite the fact that he was larger than most other men that Liberty knew. Liberty sighed and sat by his side, craning his head to look over to the other side of the stage, glad to see that the soldiers had dispersed when it had started to rain. He carefully lowered himself to the ground, setting his head on the stage. Steve shifted over, giving him enough room to turn his head to watch Steve draw.
This was one of the ways that Steve comforted himself; Liberty knew that after nearly a year of traveling with the show. He had known dragons that obsessively polished what little trinkets they had from their captains or cleaned every inch of themselves. A few of the girls would go out into town and spend the day window shopping or reading. Steve would find a place to draw while he sulked, which Liberty considered a better alternative to the other ways of coping that he had seen. It kept him in one place and something interesting always came out of it. Liberty scooted closer, watching the lines that Steve sketched slowly resolve themselves into a picture.
"Hi."
Liberty jumped at the greeting, turning his head to see a woman making her way across the stage. He glanced at Steve, surprised when Steve just turned around and gave a breathless "Hi" in return. The little smile that Steve had on his face didn't last long, Steve turning his full attention to the woman. "What are you doing here?"
"Officially I'm not here at all." She crouched down beside Steve, giving Liberty a quick glance. The dragon gave her an abbreviated nod, more interested in how she and Steve knew each other. Liberty assumed that it was Peggy; he had seen her picture and heard Steve's nearly endless supply of stories about her. Peggy glanced at him one more time before turning her attention to Steve. "That was quite a show you put on."
That got a chuckle out of Steve. "Yeah. Uh. I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more, uh... twelve."
"Well, I'm sure the crowds of twelve years olds would be more impressed by the song and the dragon." Peggy sighed and stood up, stepping to the side to look Liberty over. "And a Firecracker at that. I thought they would have all been called out by now. Every time I hear from the front, they're asking for more dragons."
Liberty tensed, torn between asking about the state of the frontlines and keeping silent. He didn't want to know how many were dying, didn't want to know the names in case he heard about the remains of his wing. What was more likely were the names of those dragons that had come out of retirement to serve their country, dragons who remembered the Civil War far more clearly than any of the newer conflicts. Liberty was sure that they would be the ones to be shot down first, too used to the old ways of war where dragons were things to be captured instead of just killed outright.
He looked over at Steve as the man placed a hand on his muzzle, starting the gentle stroking that usually calmed him down. But Steve's full attention was still on Peggy. "Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state we visit"
"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?"
"At least he's got me doing this. Phillips would have had me stuck in a lab."
"And these are the only two options left for you? A lab rat or a dancing monkey." Peggy gestured at Liberty. "You've got a dragon. Anyone would take you at this point."
"He's not mine." Steve paused for a moment, staring at the hand that was still resting on Liberty's muzzle. He jerked it away quickly, Liberty leaning after it in an attempt to get the meager comfort back. "I mean…I'm a captain, but not his captain."
Peggy hummed under her breath, staring at him. Liberty narrowed his eyes and snorted, trying to hide his embarrassment. She could probably see right through him in a way that Steve couldn't. Liberty didn't like the idea of replacing his first captain, but if he had to choose another captain, just for appearances sake, he couldn't think of anyone that he'd want more than Steve. It didn't make too much sense to him, because admitting that he had chosen Steve to be his captain just meant that, if the Air Force ever needed him back, Steve would have to come as well. It was far safer to continue to reject captains. Then, Steve would be safe convincing people to buy bonds and Liberty could go out and fight without worrying that he was about to cause the death of the few people that he considered his. He didn't want to be pulled back into another war, but he was still a part of the Air Force, it was well within their rights to demand he get back to his duty. They had given him all the time he had needed after his first captain had died.
He turned his head away from Peggy, not wanting to have her staring at him any longer. He didn't want to be understood by humans. Thankfully, Peggy's attention on him was diverted by Steve, who had either pretended to or had remained oblivious to their silent conversation.
"You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country. Finally got everything I wanted. And I'm wearing tights."
Liberty huffed and leaned closer, giving Steve a light shove. He was about to remind Steve that they both looked like idiots between what the show and the movies made them do when he was distracted by a truck pulling up. Liberty uncurled a bit, watching as men were carried from the back of the truck in stretchers, baring his teeth when he smelled blood. They were far too close to the front.
"They look like they've been through hell." Steve was leaning against him now, using Liberty as a brace as he watched the operation. Liberty felt Steve stroking where his head met his neck, a nervous gesture instead of a soothing one.
"These men more than most."
Liberty turned to look at Peggy, wanting to demand an explanation. He couldn't hear anything that would indicate that there was a fight, and he doubted that any equipment left by an attacking force could have been carried in, not with the mud and without dragons. Planes were far too weak to really carry anything of great use. Dragons were still more useful than any man-made attempts at flight.
To his surprise, Peggy didn't back down, she met his glare evenly. "Schmidt sent out a force and two hundred men went up against him. Less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the 107th."
Something got Steve's attention. His hand moved from Liberty's neck, Liberty turning his full attention to Steve as the man sat up. "107th?"
"What?"
"Come on." Steve jumped down from the stage, sliding his sketchbook towards Liberty. He automatically set his head on the sketchbook, guarding it for Steve, only to stand up when Steve and Peggy started to run out into the rain. He went to follow, only to be stopped when Steve held up a hand. "I'll be back. I've just gotta check something."
There was no explanation, Steve jogging off in the direction of the colonel's tent. Liberty huffed and sank down to the ground, resting his head on the sketchbook. None of this made sense to him. Peggy had always just been described to him as one of the best girls that Steve had ever known. When he had said that she was with the army, Liberty had assumed that she was a secretary or helping far behind the lines. He had thought that women were restricted from all positions but secretarial work or nursing, save for the women captains that the Longwings took. He just wanted to know how Peggy fit into the picture.
He knew that Steve had been an experimental subject and the way he looked was a new thing. He also knew that Steve was in the army, although had been recently rejected because of his experimental status. How anyone else fit in was beyond him, which made him nervous. Not knowing was dangerous. If this Schmidt that Peggy had spoken about earlier had been able to decimate an entire unit like she had described, then something was very wrong. Liberty could think of no dragon that would be able to cause that kind of destruction, especially with the tanks and artillery units he had seen lying around. A wing could have done it, but he would have smelled the dead and rotting dragon corpses when they had come into the camp. That could only mean that Schmidt wasn't relying on dragons to do that kind of destruction, which was a frightening thought. There was nothing bigger that Liberty knew of than a dragon, and few things more deadly.
Liberty moved so he could see the colonel's tent, digging his talons into the mud. They had about thirty minutes until their next show and then they would be moving out. He would make sure to watch the skies, maybe even volunteer to fly a guard for the train. No one was going to leave his sight, not while he had no idea what was going on.
He lifted his head as he saw Steve storm out of the tent, prepared to ask what was so important about the 107th when Steve walked right past him. Liberty stood up, following Steve as closely as he could until the man slipped into the costume tent. Liberty snorted, but crouched low to the ground, sticking his head in as far as possible. He blinked to adjust his eyes, taken aback when he saw that Steve was packing a bag. "What are you doing?"
"Bucky got himself captured. I'm gonna save him."
Bucky was more solid ground for him. Steve had told him stories about Bucky and all the trouble they had gotten into. Liberty had had a few friends from his wing, none of them had ever gotten captured, but he could understand the need to go and save them. He hummed, glancing around the tent. "Where are we going?"
"Thirty miles behind enemy lines." Steve pulled on a leather jacket, holding up a hand as Liberty went to protest. "And I'm going."
"Not without me, you're not." Liberty snorted, annoyed when Steve didn't bother to answer. He was about to threaten Steve into staying put when he felt someone throw themselves against his shoulder. Liberty grunted but moved out of the way. He watched as Peggy walked into the tent, looking as confused as he felt. He jerked his muzzle at Steve. "Talk him out of this. Tell him to let the army handle this one."
"By the time they do it'll be too late." Steve picked up the duffle bag and shield from the show. He went to walk out of the tent, Peggy stepping out of his way. Liberty didn't move, lowering his head and baring his teeth. "You are not just going out there on your own."
"That's the only way this will work. Can't wait, can't take you with me." Steve shook his head. "Bucky wouldn't just leave me behind, so I can't do that to him."
"It's the front!"
"I'm a soldier." Steve glared at him, the expression enough to make Liberty take a step back. Steve shouldered his way past, making for the jeep that was parked nearby. Liberty followed closely, glancing between Steve and Peggy. Peggy patted his shoulder before going to stand by the side of the car.
Steve looked up at her, sighing as he turned off the jeep. "You said I could be something other than this." He gestured towards the stage. "You mean it?"
"Every word." Peggy took a deep breath, looking up at Liberty. The dragon gave a small shake of his head, but a small shake was very noticeable to the two humans. Peggy gave him an apologetic glance, Liberty feeling a whimper build at the back of his throat. She leaned over the jeep. "Let me help. I know a better way, a faster way. But the dragon stays here."
Steve nodded and stepped out of the jeep, neatly avoiding Liberty's attempt to grab him. He gestured for Peggy to go on, freezing when Liberty latched one talon on the duffle bag. Steve reached back to pry the talon away, shaking his head. "You're Air Force property."
"I am no one's property."
"Yeah. But I'm not your captain. Don't follow."
Liberty shook his head again, but didn't move. Steve was right. They weren't anything official, just two hired out for a war bonds campaign. And the fact that he had neither captain nor crew was problematic. Technically, he was on call, waiting for the moment his orders would come in. Waiting for a captain and a crew to be assigned to him for the duration of the war and probably afterward. Without a captain and a crew, the highest authority in the camp was his commanding officer despite his stint away from the Air Force, so leaving the camp would essentially be deserting, something that would get him sent back to the United States. And that would make him helpless to do anything about Steve.
He walked over to the costume tent and curled himself around it, staring into the camp. For a short time, he could still smell Peggy and Steve as they made their way out, heading toward the airstrip. He focused on that thought, using it as a distraction. They were either going to take a plane or a small courier dragon. The former would be easily noticed but more likely not to talk and give them away. Liberty didn't even think a courier would take anyone without orders. Then again, that might be was Peggy was going for; her clearance might be enough to get Steve where he wanted to go. And maybe he could do something for Peggy when she got back and was in trouble with her superiors; which would leave Steve out there without back-up.
He dug his talons into the mud, snarling. No matter what argument he used, he wasn't happy with the results. He would not stand by and just let Steve go off on his own. Steve was…Steve was something far more important than the girls or the ground crew. Steve was the one person he trusted over everyone. The one person who hadn't been assigned to him, Steve had chosen him over all of the other Firecrackers. Steve was the one person that he would never fly without.
Liberty huffed and ducked his head. The other dragons had always told him that it would sneak up on him if another captain wasn't assigned. Liberty just assumed that he could have put it off until he was sure that he was done mourning, and maybe after this war, after he had taken his shot at revenge. Then he would have felt ready. He had just thought that his captain would have had some training before meeting his dragon, not a man from the army who was an experiment. He sighed and shook his head, glancing up at the sky.
In another few minutes, the sun would go down and then he could sneak out. It would be easy enough to pick up the trail of the plane and follow it. Once he was with Steve it would be far too late to send him back
Liberty stood up and walked to the tree line. No one would stop him, they would just assume he was hunting and that he would return when he was done or orders came through. Liberty tucked his wings close, trying to make himself smaller as he moved through the trees. It was easy enough to keep his body low and relaxed, sneaking off was just like hunting. A clear spot in the canopy was enough, Liberty rocking back onto his haunches and leaping up into the sky.
He gained height first, using his light blue belly to hide in the cloud cover. Liberty evened out his flight, checking the sky above him before heading to the airfield. Sure enough he could smell petrol, even more so when he put out his tongue to pick up the scent better. Liberty smiled and banked to follow the smell.
Finding the plane was the easy part. It was a large silver thing that lumbered through the air, surprisingly high tech to his eyes. Dragons were still far more dependable than planes, able to fly faster and farther than any of them. People preferred the checks and balance system that came with a dragon and a captain, two brains instead of just one. A dragon could tell his captain exactly what was wrong, a plane could not. As such planes were used by short hops and people who thought that dragons were more trouble than they were worth. He narrowed his eyes, trying to read the writing on the tail of the plane.
Stark Industries.
He rolled his eyes, dropping to fly just behind the plane. Of course the military's main contractor would have the most advanced planes. Dragons out on the front were outfitted with Stark technology as well, better armor and far better weapons that they had access to during the first war. Or that was what he had heard from the dragons he had talked to across the country. Apparently Stark was working on whatever projects would get him money, planes or dragons. It was a good business plan if one or the other suddenly lost them the profit. And, if the plane was that advanced, Liberty was willing to be someone high up or Stark himself was flying it.
Liberty snorted, stretching out his wings to glide. He would hold as an escort and then swoop in when Steve was safely on the ground. It wasn't the best plan, but it would mean that he could get down to Steve without getting in the way of the plane. If he timed it right, the plane would never know that he was there.
He carefully marked off the miles in his mind, automatically counting them off as he flew, using the updrafts until he had no choice but to flap to stay up as the air cooled off. Nearly thirty miles on, he felt restless. There was no resistance, no dragon patrols, no sign that there was a war going on, and that put him on edge. Now that it was night and the skies were clearing up his coloring was going to become more of a hindrance than a help. He was too light colored, easily seen and not bred for night flight. Any light that was shined on him would light him up like a beacon. The plane would be in the same trouble; it was metallic and would shine in the light.
They were a mile from where Steve had said that the men had gone missing when the first attack came. It was unexpected in that there were no dragons, just the rumble of artillery. Liberty looked down, watching the flash from the muzzles of the guns before diving. He and the others had been trained to avoid any projectiles. It hadn't worked all the time, not as new weapons were designed to take down dragons specifically, but it had been enough for him before; at least until that one shell had hit him. Liberty glanced at his right hind leg before throwing his body weight to the left, going into a spin.
He leveled out during a pause, glancing at the ground before looking up at the plane. He could easily dodge the shells fired up at them, but the plane was far less maneuverable. He couldn't fly close enough to the ground to take out the artillery, his fire wasn't hot enough. Unless there was open gunpowder or something that would catch with a spark, he was useless. Going that low would stop him from doing what he could to help the plane and its passengers. Liberty grunted and flapped his wings hard to help gain altitude. He wanted to be level with the plane in case something came up.
Liberty had just gained height when the guns went off again. He turned his head, trying to identify where the guns were from what he could see and smell, hissing when he couldn't pinpoint more than three. He was too high up and the guns just smelled like metal, too much like the plane. The faint whiffs of gunpowder weren't enough to help him.
Something grazed his left shoulder, Liberty roaring in surprise. He couldn't clamp his mouth shut fast enough, wincing as he heard the echoes come back at him. Now they knew that there was a dragon in the air, if they hadn't before. There was a chance that they might have thought he was just another, lighter plane. Worse still, the others would know that a dragon had followed him. Liberty was willing to bet that they would shoot before indentifying him, there was no reason for an Allied dragon to be so far behind enemy lines. He growled and dropped, planning on flying below the plane. If they wanted to shoot him, he would make sure that they would have to work for it.
He grumbled to himself, annoyed that the presence of the plane hindered his wing beats. Added to that the plane was too small, his head and tail were exposed far too much for his liking. Liberty was in the middle of formulating a plan when he heard the door of the plane slide open. Liberty bent his neck, turning his head just enough for him to see someone's legs dangling out the door. He could catch snatches of words, but he couldn't hear much over the boom of the guns and the plane's engines. Usually it was only the sound of his own wing beats and the wind that he had to try and hear people shouting over.
It took a few more seconds of hard listening before he could pick out a whole sentence and recognize the person speaking. "Like the hell I can. I'm a captain."
Liberty jerked, dropping away from the plane. That was Steve.
He banked, sliding out from under the plane and circling around to the other side. He was just in time to see Steve jump from the plane, Liberty barely keeping himself from shouting. He would be exposed parachuting down to the ground; there would be no way to avoid anything shot at him. Liberty growled, diving at Steve and snatching him up.
As expected, Steve yelped and writhed in his talons. Liberty took his attention off of the guns long enough to glance down at Steve. "Stop unless you want to fall out."
"Liberty!"
He didn't answer, focused on twisting and turning his way to the trees. Liberty tipped his head to the side, looking to see if the plane got away and glad when he saw it flying back in the direction of the camp. The plane would make it back by early morning, if they weren't shot down. He turned his attention back to the ground, tucking his front legs up against his chest as he ducked his head, crashing through the canopy. Liberty slowed enough to tip himself back, landing awkwardly on his hind legs. He lowered himself to the ground just enough to tip Steve safely out of his hands before dropping to all fours again.
Liberty shook himself off, looking back over his shoulder before back at Steve. "What's the plan?"
Steve stared at him before shaking his head. "Go back."
"No. I'm too far and I've missed our train to the next spot on the tour."
Steve adjusted the shield on his back, unhooking one of the straps on his helmet. "You were supposed to stay."
"I didn't. Now, the plan." The last three words came out as more of a growl, Liberty ducking his head but refusing to look apologetic. He had done the right thing by following Steve out here and he wouldn't back down.
Steve shrugged his shoulders, seeming to give up on convincing him to go back. He stripped off the parachute and tossed it to the ground, walking through the forest. Liberty huffed and followed him, stepping carefully to avoid making too much noise. Steve gave him the silent treatment for nearly a mile before he finally stopped and turned to look at Liberty. "Whatever is out there, I'm going in to save those men. You stay outside. And stay this time."
"Why should I?"
"A dragon would get us noticed immediately. Until the shooting starts, stay put. Then, cover anyone who runs out. I'll be sending them your way." Steve began to move through the forest again, peering through the trees.
Liberty lifted his neck, peering through the darkness. He flicked out his tongue a couple of times before looking back at Steve. "There's something out there, it's putting out smoke."
"Then there'll be a road." Steve ducked to the side, pushing through dense brush, leaving Liberty to settle down and wait.
He didn't lie down, instead glancing around and flicking out his tongue, trying to sense if there was anyone coming. If there was a facility of some kind here, then there were sure to be guards. Steve was scouting ahead so Liberty would do his best to guard his back. He glanced over at where Steve had disappeared before moving carefully to one side. The forest opened up into a clearing. Liberty pushed his head through the bushes, scoping out the clearing before pulling back.
Steve had returned by the time Liberty had turned himself around. He motioned for Liberty to drop his head before crouching on the ground, picking up a stick and beginning to draw. "The road runs a good ten feet to the gates. Guards are patrolling the walls." He sketched out the road and the wall, pausing to tap his stick against the line. "When I get to them, they will be coming out of this gate."
"I'll be ready." Liberty jerked his head to the side. "There's a clearing over there that will hold them and I can move freely in."
"They'll be sent that way. We'll get them out when we can."
"And you'll follow?"
"When all of them are gone." Steve nodded, standing up. "If something goes wrong, I expect back up."
"I'll come rescue you if you need it." Liberty tried to sound jovial, but it fell flat. Steve was already turning away, heading to the road. Liberty sighed and began walking to the clearing. It was going to be a long and stressful wait.
He settled into place, lying down on the ground. It would take Steve a while to infiltrate the facility; leaving him with nothing to do but listen for a call from Steve. He was sure that Steve would manage to find a way to attract his attention if he got into trouble. It would be his job to look out for any reinforcements. Liberty lifted his head as far as his neck would allow, flicking out his tongue. He would be on high alert until Steve got back, although that would leave him plenty of time to think.
Their first problem would be transporting the prisoners away. Liberty wouldn't be able to fly; he wasn't in harness and wouldn't risk anyone to flight without proper harnesses for him and the men he would be carrying. He didn't want to get caught in a flight and lose everyone that he had saved because he had to roll. If he stayed on the ground, it was another matter entirely. They could pack on as many men as he could carry and they could just walk back to their line. He was sure that they could commandeer a few trucks as well if they needed them, Liberty didn't think that Steve would just let an enemy facility stand. Although, the fact that Liberty wasn't quite sure who their enemy was frightening enough.
He sighed and lowered his head. He couldn't coddle Steve; he knew that much from spending time with him. He could be there to watch Steve's back and that was all that Steve would allow. Liberty grunted, moving a foreleg to avoid a fallen branch. He turned his head as he heard trucks rumble down the road, not daring to peek out in case he was seen. Liberty turned his head to follow the motion, glancing up at the sky in case there was a dragon patrol as well. That was the last thing they needed.
The strange thing was that there hadn't been a dragon patrol while coming in. From what he had heard through the newspapers, the Nazis weren't letting any plane or train pass. Their dragon patrols kept attacks at bay.
Liberty could understand large groups kept on the most active fronts, but it was stupid not to have at least a few waiting where there was a known group of soldiers ready to attack them. There had already been a defeat, but that was no reason to back down on security completely. There was no country that Liberty knew of that would chose guns over dragons. But perhaps that was what had let this group decimate so many soldiers. Soldiers went in prepared to fight men and have to ward off dragons, only guns would be a complete surprise.
Liberty closed his eyes, straining all his other senses. The trucks were gone and he could only hear bits of what the guards were saying, not that he could understand a word. He had only be taught a few German phrases that the Air Force had thought he would need, like negotiating the release of his captain and his crew and how to recite his designation number.
He didn't know how long he hid in the clearing, tensing at any sound that could have been a patrol in between trying to figure out German. Liberty was just beginning to pick out a few words, the simplest of words, when he caught a whiff of fire. He growled and got to his feet, glancing toward the road before deciding to risk standing up on his hind legs.
The facility didn't seem to be disturbed, except for the flashes of light as the searchlights were turned. Liberty smiled and hunkered down. Something had gotten out, and he was willing to bet that Steve was working his way through the facility. He moved closer to the road, keeping an eye out for any reinforcements. Any soldiers coming his way would only have stolen weapons and probably not be in the best state to fight. He was going to give them the best chance they had.
The shouts from the facility got louder, Liberty pulling himself out of the clearing and partially onto the road. He could hear the sounds of fighting, the sound of guns and something else, something that left a weird taste in the air. Liberty lifted his head, forgetting about the strange taste a moment later as men started rushing at the gates. The first few pounded on the gates, the ones that came up behind them turning to face the facility again. The gates weren't opening, which meant they were trapped.
Liberty snorted, wriggling out of the trees and trotting up the road. He heard some of the men shouting, aware of the guns leveled at him. If he got shot by the men that he was trying to save, he would have to reconsider giving some of them a ride back to safety. He lowered his head, clamping his wings tight against his sides to make him look less frightening.
"Dragon!" He froze as a man leveled a gun at him, Liberty staring at the thing. It was like nothing that he had ever seen, completely black and glowing blue in places. Liberty dropped his head further, letting out a relieved sigh when another soldier turned to look at him. The soldier gave a short laugh and slapped the gate. "That's one of ours. See? Red, white and blue, an American dragon. Get over here."
Liberty nodded, walking forward the last few feet and latching his talons into the gate. He rocked back, grunting as the gate resisted him for a moment. He growled and flapped his wings, nearly falling over as the gates finally gave out. Liberty knocked the gates away, peering down at the men as they streamed out. The one who had recognized him passed by with a pat to his leg, a pattern that most other soldiers followed. There were a few that gave him a sideways glance before looking up at the sky. Liberty glanced up before spreading his wings over the men that were closest to him. "There haven't been any dragons all night."
He walked back over to the clearing, watching as the men gathered. First there were those that were on foot, a few of them leaning on others as they limped to safety. Liberty found himself being used as a crutch, men limping the length of him before collapsing to the ground. He shook his head, settling partially in the road as he watched the gates. There were some trucks and tanks moving now, Liberty recognizing some of the tattered uniforms of the soldiers running beside them. So they would be getting other means of transportation, one less thing for him to worry about. That still left him with a whole lot of soldiers and no Steve.
Liberty turned his head around, looking down at the nearest man. "What's the situation back inside?"
"We have to fight out way out, but it looks like we've managed to clear it enough for the rest to get out. We were told to wait out here by a Captain America."
Liberty couldn't help the twitch of his tail. Steve was still alive, but he wasn't out yet. There was still more waiting to be done. "Start organizing the men. Get the injured ones into the trucks and put the tanks in the front and the back. I'll load up with those injured, but strong enough to hang on."
"Should we get some rope?"
"No. I won't be flying. I don't want to get too far ahead of you."
The man nodded and walked away, beginning to bellow out orders. There was a moment of arguing before the men divided up and started moving, Liberty curling up his tail to stay out of the way. The flow of men from the facility was slowing down and Liberty could smell smoke. He lifted his head, watching flames flickering in the few windows that he could see. He doubted that Steve would purposefully set the facility on fire, especially when there were men still in there. Liberty narrowed his eyes and stood up. "Stay here. I'm going in to get the last out. We can't sit here for much longer."
The man saluted and walked off, Liberty nodding to himself before trotting back down the road. He didn't want to fly, didn't want to get noticed by anyone who had access to a gun. Liberty slunk through the gates, glancing around at the dead bodies that were littering the ground and the few tanks that had been left. Liberty crawled over one tank, feeling the vehicle give slightly under his weight. He cautiously stepped off, pausing when he heard the first explosion. Liberty looked up at the building, hissing when he saw the next explosion.
Liberty took to the air, gaining just enough height to clear the building. He could see something taking off at the other end, a blur of blue around the edges of what looked like a propeller. Liberty snarled, turning to face the aircraft rising into the air. It would be easy enough to take it down while it was still lifting off. He would just have to hit it near the bottom and tip it towards the ground. Liberty couldn't see anything he could light on fire, but he was sure that he could tear up the sides enough to expose wires. Fused wires would be enough to stop anything. Liberty turned, intending to go after the aircraft when the building underneath of him exploded. He hissed and backed away, ducking his head checking his belly.
He could see a few burns, but nothing bad. But it was enough to make him lose the aircraft. Liberty lifted his head and hissed, going back to circling the building. The last explosion had pulled up some of the roof away, just enough that Liberty could see smoke coming out. He dropped lower, scrapping his talons along the roof until they caught on the edge. Liberty grunted and pulled, twisting away as some flames licked up. Liberty peered down into the hole he had created, catching sight of someone leaning over the railing.
Liberty yanked the piece of roof away, clawing at a few more sections so he could lean his head in. "Steve?"
The man jerked back, one arm still hanging over the railing. Liberty could hear him sputtering but he paid no attention. Steve had promised that he would come back and Liberty had yet to see him. He tipped forward, peering into the smoke over the railing. There was someone down there, but he couldn't quite make them out. Liberty growled, landing on the building and feeling it begin to cave under his weight. It would hold, it would have to until he had lifted the man out. Then he would demand answers about where Steve was.
He lowered one hand into the hole, snarling at the man. "Come on."
The man shook his head, leaning over the railing again. "Hold on. There's still someone here."
"Then pull them up." Liberty leaned further forward. They didn't have time to waste, the explosions were working down the line, he could see them going off. The structural integrity of the building was already compromised where he had landed; the explosions were just going to make it worse. Liberty was not ready to test if he could take off faster than the building could fall down. He tipped himself forward, spreading out the talons on out hand to offer the man a lift. "We don't have time for this."
"I'm trying!"
Liberty snarled and stepped further into the building, feeling the walkway give slightly under his front legs. He flexed his talons, trying to get a better hold on the metal. He inched forward, securing himself in place before reaching over the railing. The smoke made it hard to see, Liberty shutting his eyes slightly to avoid any irritation. He didn't need to see clearly anyway, he could feel the person bumping against his jaw. Their scent was almost masked by the smell of smoke and metal, but the person was smart enough to reach up and grab one of the spines above his eye. Liberty grunted and pulled back, nearly stepping off the roof as he pulled the person up.
He expected the person just to jump down onto the walkway, not to use the handhold to swing up onto his head. Liberty pulled back out of the hole that he had made, scooping the first man into his hand. He didn't wait to hear any protests, lifting away from the facility as evenly as he could. He flew back to the road as the building continued to be rocked by explosions, not setting down until he was outside of the gates.
The man in his hands was set down first, Liberty ignoring him as he stumbled away. He turned to look at the man on his back, relieved to see the familiar face. "Steve."
"Everyone out?"
"Should be. I left them organizing themselves." Liberty glanced back at the building, shaking his head. "We need to get out of here fast. Dragons could get here in an hour and I won't be able to fly us out."
"Neither will I." Steve waved something in front of him. Liberty wasn't able to tell what the device would do, but he could tell that it was no longer working by the hole that nearly took up the entire top. "So we'll walk. Don't load up too much, we'll need you to chase off anything that follows."
"Right. They should be done in the clearing and ready to move out."
Liberty went to walk off, stopping when the first man stepped in front of them, pointing at Steve. "You said Army."
"Bucky-"
"You said you joined the Army. So what are you doing with a dragon?"
Steve sighed, tapping the top of Liberty's shoulder, the signal to lie down on the ground. Liberty obeyed the order, holding still as Bucky clambered up onto his back. He waited until Steve tapped his shoulder again to stand up and walk back to the clearing, paying close attention to the conversation happening on his back.
"You didn't tell me about the dragon."
"Honestly, it slipped my mind."
"How can a dragon slip your mind?
"It just wasn't important. I was more interested in getting you out."
"But a dragon, Steve!" There was silence for a while, Liberty turning his attention to the gathering of trucks. To his eye, it looked like they were mostly ready to go. The sooner they were walking, the sooner they would be putting distance between them and whatever retaliation was headed their way. Liberty turned back to speak to Steve, surprised when Bucky spoke up again. "Is this the reason you're a captain? I leave for a year and you get a dragon."
"No. But I told you to stay out of trouble."
"This was not my fault."
Liberty snorted, rolling his eyes. He was tempted to roll his shoulders and throw the two of them off, but he wasn't sure that either of them would appreciate the move; especially when they were approaching a group of soldiers who needed someone to lead them. Liberty was not going to undermine Steve's authority for a joke. Instead, he just cleared his throat, watching the two of them shift on his back as he approached the soldiers.
He crouched down to allow Steve to slide off his back, watching him wade into the soldiers who hadn't been loaded into the trucks. He could hear Steve checking on what was going on. Bucky was off of his back a moment later, giving him a quick look before chasing after Steve. Liberty sighed and remained at the edge of the crowd, refolding his wings more comfortably against his body. He was stuck waiting again, something that he wasn't becoming fond of.
Thankfully, Steve seemed satisfied with how arrangements had been made, pointing off down the road before walking away himself. It was easy enough for Liberty to catch up with him, taking three steps, two to avoid the tanks and trucks, before falling in beside Steve. Before he could say anything, Steve reached up to pat his shoulder. "We're keeping you unloaded until we're out of trouble. We're vulnerable enough out here."
"Right." Liberty stepped to the side just enough to let the soldiers who could walk settle into a marching order. He claimed a space beside Steve just on his size alone. A few were giving him sideways looks, probably unused to seeing an unharnessed dragon in a warzone. He just ignored them, which seemed to work well enough. It was far better to have them watching the sky than watching him. Liberty tipped his own head up, scanning the sky for dragons. He flicked out his tongue a couple of times, trying to catch the scent of anything other than smoke and unwashed human, but there was nothing. Then again, nothing was far better than something. And he would keep wishing for nothing all the way back to the camp.
Liberty peered over the map, coiled up as much as he could in one corner of the bunker under London. It was far too cramped for him to be in there, but he wasn't letting Steve out of his sight. Colonel Phillips hadn't court marshaled Steve, but Liberty wasn't too sure if the colonel had agreed to that because Steve had information or because he actually liked Steve. Liberty hadn't been around the colonel long enough to be able to judge the man. That had left him to cram himself into a corner in a bunker made to fit courier weights more comfortably than him. He was sure that he was going to rub his scales off on the bricks.
Steve pushed away from the map, reaching out to gently push Liberty's head away as he walked around the table. Liberty gave him a nudge, turning his head to the side to study the locations that Steve had marked better. "These are all Hydra bases?"
"As far as I can tell. I only got a quick look."
Liberty snorted. "A quick look. That's better than what I could do."
"You couldn't have fit in the corridor."
Liberty would have puffed himself up, but he didn't want to risk getting stuck. "I've fit in here, haven't I?"
Steve didn't answer back, his attention going immediately to Peggy and Colonel Phillips as they entered the room. Liberty gave Peggy a measured glance. He wasn't quite jealous of her; he was more than willing to allow her and Steve to continue their awkward dance around each other. He just hadn't completely figured out how to share Steve well enough. He had been spoiled by the days spent walking back to their lines with only Steve for company. The other men had taken a while to warm up to him so he had had Steve's undivided attention, on the way back and on their flight to London.
He moved his tail out of the way, allowing Peggy to get closer to the table. Colonel Phillips was on the other side, tapping an abandoned pencil against the table. The colonel didn't take his eyes from the map, lifting the pencil to point at Steve. "Given the proper equipment could you take out all of these bases?"
"It would be my honor, sir."
"Good." Colonel Phillips stepped away from the table, waving the pencil at Liberty to get him to move. Liberty snorted but shifted, the colonel giving him a long look. "This thing is far too big for this room; we'll have to relocate somewhere else. I can't be tripping over a dragon every time I want to move." Liberty was about to fire back his own retort when Colonel Phillips waved his hand for silence. "We'll assemble a squad for you to lead to take out all of these factories."
"With all due respect sir, I've already found my team."
Colonel Phillips paused, shaking his head. "I'm guessing you don't mean the crack squad of soldiers that we have trained for events such as these and you will be going for a bunch of soldiers that you pulled from that place?"
"Yes sir."
"Ah. And I suppose you plan to take the dragon with you as well."
"Of course."
"I wouldn't leave Steve behind."
They spoke at the same time, Liberty jerking his neck back as far as the ceiling would allow him. Steve just smiled at him and reached over to pat Liberty's muzzle. "I've gotten used to having him around."
"A dragon is useful to have in the field, I will not argue with that. What I will argue with is you taking a dragon not cleared for combat. He was granted on loan to Senator Brandt as a part of your show."
Liberty snorted, shifting his leg forward just enough to hamper Colonel Phillips from moving around. "I can make my own choices. Without Captain America there isn't much of a show."
"Exactly. Which is why we're sending you back."
"I'll just be sent right back over." Liberty growled, lowering his head. "So there's no point."
"Then we'll get you to the nearest Air Corps base and get you assigned a captain for the duration of the war."
"Sir-"
Liberty turned his head around and hissed at Steve, whipping his head back around to glare at Colonel Phillips. "I have a captain and I will be keeping him for the duration of the war. Far afterward too." Liberty snorted and curled closer around Steve, ignoring the pole-axed look on Steve's face. "Now, get one of your little forms and start filling it out. Then you won't have to argue with me."
Colonel Phillips sighed, tossing the pencil down on the table. "I wish that you dragons would stay in your branch of the military, or at least pick privates, not good men. I hate breaking the new ones in." He sighed and waved for one of the secretaries that were walking past. "Fine then. As long as Captain Rogers agrees, we'll have you working on this mission."
"As long as Liberty is willing." Steve was still looking shocked. "And it'll mean we don't take transport from where it is needed."
"Good. Now get your little group together and get them in here for a debriefing tomorrow. Let's get a jump on these goons before they have a chance to move again."
"Yes sir." Steve marched off, leaving Liberty to look mournfully after him.
It would take some complicated maneuvering to get out of the tight corner he had wedged himself in and back to where he could get out. He grunted and began to drag himself backwards, pausing every time he heard someone walking behind him. Liberty craned his head over his shoulder, wincing as his head scraped against the ceiling. He managed to wiggle out and crawl along the tunnel to the open area where the dragons usually stayed. Liberty nodded at a few of them as he walked out to the hatch that would take him outside. After being cramped in that room for over an hour he wanted nothing more than to stretch his wings.
"Liberty." He turned at the sound of his name, lowering his head so he could speak to Peggy eye-to-eye. She adjusted her hold on the files she was carrying. "You'll have to come in early tomorrow. Stark's been working on technology since it was announced that there was a team going after Hydra. It'll be news that there's a dragon, but he'll have something for you, maybe even by the end of the day."
He nodded. "Thank you."
"And thank you, for making sure Steve got out of there alive."
"I'll take care of Steve."
"See that you do. And make sure the communicators come out of the missions alive."
"Yes ma'am."
Peggy nodded at him, turning around to walk back into the bunker. Liberty shook his head, sighing. He would have to figure out how to temper back his possessiveness of Steve, he didn't want to get into a fight while Peggy over Steve. Peggy would probably win.
"And Liberty." He turned at the sound of his name, Peggy staring at him. "Don't be late."
He nodded, watching her disappear back into the bunker. Liberty sighed, walking back to the hatch. He pressed his shoulder against it, lifting it up just enough that he could crawl through before carefully replacing it. The dragon's bunker was right under the London covert. He was surrounded by Regal Coppers, Longwings and crossbreeds. They all raised their heads to look at him, giving him a suspicious look. He was an unharnessed dragon, obviously uninjured and obviously from the United States. Liberty gave them all a long look before leaping from the ground.
If Steve was going after the same group of guys from the rescue, it was very likely they were in one of the London taverns. Thankfully the one that they frequented was able to accommodate dragons. It didn't serve them, but it was a frequent stop on the courier routes. Venturing any further into London would be too complicated because of his size. While the cities of Europe had been rebuilt after the Napoleonic Wars to accommodate dragons, the growing population had made it nearly impossible for heavyweights to live within the cities. Even some middleweights preferred the suburbs to the city.
Liberty circled down to the street, carefully avoiding the people that were walking past him. Reassuringly enough, people only stared at him for his bright colors other than the simple fact of him walking around. That was far better than the way that the soldiers had looked at him, like they were expecting him to attack at any moment. Then again, in their defense, they were used to dragons on a hair trigger.
He paused to allow a mother and her flock of children cross the street, leaning down to nudge one of the younger ones that was lagging behind. Liberty stepped onto the sidewalk, giving an awkward hop to land in the yard behind the tavern. The courier weight dragons made way for him, letting him settle down before they started chattering at once, most of them asking questions about how the war was going. It was only after the glared them into silence that he was able to speak. "Can one of you check to see if a Captain Steve Rogers is here? Tell him I'm waiting and I'll give anyone they want a ride back."
One of the Greylings nodded and fluttered over to the open window, popping his head in to speak. The answer came back quickly, Steve leaning out to wave to him before disappearing back into the tavern. With that reassurance, Liberty settled down, letting the little couriers rest on him. Inevitably, the questions came back.
"Have you been to the front?"
"Was that your captain? He's in a army uniform."
"What's it like out there?"
"Are there more dragons on the way over?"
Liberty stumbled his way through the questions the best that he could, finally satisfying them enough to make them turn their attention elsewhere. He was sure that his answers were less than satisfactory, most of them being that he didn't know. He had been out of the loop for too long to actually know the answers. All of the dragons in the small yard had actually seen action in this war, he was just the newcomer. All he had done was guard an escape route for soldiers to get out through. It was almost embarrassing to have so little knowledge about the war for having been on the move.
One by one, the couriers were picked up by their captains, all of them saying their goodbyes and heading for the London covert. Liberty watched them go, most of his attention on the skies for the German dragons, in case there was an air raid during the night. The skies were clear for flying, but the German dragons might have been tied up at the front.
"Is this him?" Liberty turned his head to look at the back entrance of the tavern. A man in a bowler hat was staring at him, speaking to someone inside. "He's a bit obvious."
"He flies well and he's experienced." Steve stepped out. "Liberty's got my back and he'll protect the rest of you too. We'll be his crew. That's guaranteed protection."
Liberty huffed and lifted his head from the ground, rolling to one side to get one shoulder lower to the ground. "I don't have to give any of you a ride back. Steve and Bucky can come with me. The rest have to walk."
There were mutters of outrage from the group, Bucky the only one to laugh and jog over. Liberty held still as Bucky climbed up, sitting through the enthusiastic pat on his neck. "We need to get you a harness. I don't want to cling to these spines again."
"Stark is working on it."
"Stark?" Steve boosted himself up, settling into the captain's spot. "You got a meeting with him too?"
"So says Peggy." Liberty went to stand up, but Steve's hand on his shoulder kept him on the ground. He growled, glancing at the group of five men who were waiting by the door. He rolled his eyes and stayed put, holding still as the men clambered onto him. He turned his head to look at the men, sighing. "So this is our crew. I thought it would be bigger."
"Not for the stuff we're doing. Smaller is better."
"I'll take your word for it." Liberty hauled himself onto four legs before pushing off of the ground, circling once before heading back to the covert. On his back, he could hear the men arguing about how long they were going to stay, smiling when he heard Steve cut in.
"We'll be the only crew he has. So, we learn how to harness, how to fly. We learn everything we can. Then we go." There were annoyed mutter in return, but nothing with any real heart in it. Liberty hummed to himself, adjusting for the headwind, happy with the weight of a crew on his back again.
"We could have used more of that vibranium, but we'll settle with scale mail." Stark tugged at one of the straps of the harness, letting it snap back against his scales before moving along his side. "It's far better than the chain mail that they still use. It's small enough to stop artillery rounds by nearly useless against bullets now. This way, there'll be no bullets wedged in your hide until your crew can yank them out."
The last comment was made with a pat to his shoulder, Liberty lifting up a wing at Howard's signal. Stark ducked under the wing, continuing to check the lie of the strap. "They should be easy enough for your crew, just attach it right to the clips on the harness. And it should protect all of the important parts."
"Should?"
Stark ignored him, coming back to his front to lean against the stack of armor. "Not risking any artillery on you, so your crew is just going to have to shoot from guns and I expect your spines can protect from most attacks from above. So that just leaves your crew's safety. They can shoot fine, so all you have to worry about it them staying on. Which is solved by this." He held up a long strap, extending it before shortening it again. "These are Stark Tech, far superior to that old leather stuff. Guaranteed not to snap or break under pressure, even if you roll your way to Japan. These will make worrying about fancy aerial maneuvers a thing of the past."
The strap was tossed onto the pile, Stark crossing his arms across his chest with a grin. Liberty sighed and turned his head to poke at the new harness, finding it strange to have something other than leather on him. It didn't chafe, not that he could tell, but he was sure that Stark had added padding. It felt soft enough when he poked it with his nose. Other than it not being made of leather, it felt enough like a real harness and it moved like one to.
He stood up on his hind legs and gave himself a rough shake. He could hear the men on the ground rushing away as he flapped his wings, resisting the urge to shake harder just to prove he was better than something that Howard Stark had made. Stark had had the gall to show up in his plane, Liberty could still smell it on the other side of the covert. He grumbled as he came back down to all fours, the harness settling neatly back into place. Liberty didn't look at Stark as he folded his wings to the side. "All lies well."
"I thought so." Liberty looked up as Stark turned around. "Captain! Come to see while I've done to your dragon."
"Sure. What have you got?" Steve strolled up, glancing at the pile of armor before tapping on it, making a face at the sound it made. The expression disappeared quickly, Steve leaning on the pile and gesturing at Liberty. "Run me through it."
Stark went through the spiel again, puffing himself up as soon as he was done. The worst part was that Steve looked suitably impressed. Liberty rolled his eyes and stepped closer, looming over Stark. "Your approval?"
Steve nodded slowly. "It'll work. Hopefully, it'll last." The last comment was made with a brief look towards Stark. "We're going to be abusing it."
"It'll last. It'll take more than hard wear to break any of this, and that's a guarantee." Stark rolled his shoulders, gesturing to the group of people that had followed him into the covert. "Let's see about the rest of your little team then."
Stark and his group walked off, leaving the pile of armor to one side. The ground crew that was attending Liberty for the moment scrambled forward to unhook the harness, Liberty helping by lifting straps that were too far up for them to reach. The harness was tucked along side of the armor, Liberty settling back to the ground and nudging at it. He huffed, resting his muzzle on the harness. "Let's see if these last as long as that transponder."
"That wasn't his fault, it was mine. Nothing stands up well to an explosion."
"I hope we aren't going to use that test."
Steve shook his head, walking over to settle down one of Liberty's forelegs. It was only then that Liberty noticed the circular shield that Steve was cradling. Liberty craned his head, staring down at the red, white and blue shield. "That your new toy?"
He just nodded, rubbing his fingers along the edge of the shield. Liberty watched him, amused at how attached Steve seemed to be to the shield already. Steve probably didn't know that he was stroking the shield, which was a funny thought. Liberty shook his head, pressing the tip of his muzzle against the top of Steve's head.
That seemed to wake him up from his reverie, Steve reaching up to bat Liberty's muzzle away. "Yes. The old one got busted. Stark says this one will hold." Liberty reached over to tap it with a talon, blinking at the ringing sound. Steve just laughed and stroked his hand over the shield, like it would calm the sound. "It's made of vibranium. Strongest metal on earth according to Stark."
"So that's were it all went. Apparently that's what my armor was going to be made of." Steve gave him a consoling pat, his other hand still holding tightly to his shield. "Have you seen any of the things Stark has made for the others?"
"Not yet, but I expect I will when I bring them up here for practice. More harness work today. If we're lucky we'll get off the ground."
Liberty glanced up at the sky, relieved that it wasn't cloudy. He wanted to be able to fly for a bit, just to stretch his wings more than the short hops into London and back. If it had been raining he was sure that Steve wouldn't allow him to go up. It would be an experience for the men, but Liberty doubted that Steve would risk the men in the air. "I hope so."
Every mission so far had gone off without a hitch. Their team had successfully crossed into enemy lines and had taken out three of the Hydra facilities thus far. Every time they had left a burning ruin of a facility behind them, a few examples of new Hydra tech stowed safely in Liberty's belly-netting. They hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Red Skull, so they must have been keeping ahead of him, well within Steve's plan to hit every facility hard and fast. And, surprisingly, their little team worked seamlessly together. They had taken to fighting aboard a dragon like a duck to water, just as they had taken to running covert operations. Everything had fallen into a pattern, easy as clockwork.
Then, suddenly, the easy pattern stopped.
Liberty roared and twisted in the air, barely listening to the commands that Steve was shouting back to the rest of the Howling Commandos. He could hear the click of the few guns they had, most of the others had already switched to the Hydra guns that they had stolen, all save for Steve and Bucky. Liberty glanced below him, searching for the tell tale flash of light that signaled artillery being lobbed up at them. To his relief, there wasn't any fire from below, which just left them with one problem.
He looked up just in time to bring up his front legs, digging his talons into the chest of the dragon that was coming at him. Liberty grunted at the impact, only his outermost talons sinking in, the rest slid across the thick scale that ran along the underside of the dragon. He pushed away, flapping his wings to get away and turn so his crew could fire on the other dragon's.
"It's an Athanaric!" The call came from the back. Liberty turned his head to look at Jim Morita, watching the man tuck the identification sheet away. "No fire, no acid. Just avoid the spikes."
Liberty huffed, turning his attention to the other dragon. Along the back of the Athanaric was a line of black spikes from his forehead to his tail, making attack from above impossible. Attack from below was equally as difficult because of the thicker scales. Thankfully, the dragon didn't have much in the way of armor, probably a show of how much Hydra cared little for dragons. Liberty had never seen a more technologically oriented organization, and that was counting Stark Industries. He could attack from the sides easily, just rip into the Athanaric's flanks and hope that would be enough to drive it away. Considering Hydra's stance on dragons, Liberty was sure that the man in the captain's position wasn't even the dragon's real captain, so threatening his life would do nothing.
He snarled, glancing back at Steve. "Try for a broadside."
Steve nodded, shouting out the order to the rest of the Howling Commandos as Liberty dropped under the Athanaric. Thankfully, the other dragon wasn't too much bigger than he was. The Athanaric was a middleweight, longer and more muscular than he was, but still a manageable middleweight. Liberty turned as soon as he was out from under the dragon, opening his mouth and breathing a fireball. It hit the Athanaric's shoulder, Liberty holding steady as the men on his back fired at the Hydra soldiers. Three fell limp in their straps and seven dissolved away completely, Liberty getting the chance to rake his talons along the dragon's hindquarters.
Liberty turned just enough to use the Athanaraic's hindquarters to push off of, just clearing the spikes before snaking his head around to bite at the other dragon's wing. The Athanaraic screamed, trying to twist away. Liberty grinned around his mouthful of membrane and flesh, shifting to get a better grip with his talons when he saw Steve jump off his back out of the corner of his eye. He pulled his head back from the other dragon's wing. "Steve!"
He just got a quick wave for an answer before Steve clipped onto the other dragon. Bucky was quick to follow, Liberty turning his head to snap at Bucky, missing as the man knelt to clip onto the Athanaraic. Dugan and Gabriel Jones followed, merrily working their way through the remaining crew.
Liberty hissed, pushing off of the Athanaraic before the two of them could plummet to the ground. If Steve and some of his crew had boarded, then Liberty wasn't going to take the chance that they would all be thrown to the ground. He kept pace beside the other dragon, occasionally knocking himself against its side. He didn't want the Athanaraic to turn around and head for Germany. That would leave him at a disadvantage. He didn't want to be forced to land in the middle of a fully functional Hydra facility without a plan or in full possession of his crew. Annoyed at being unable to do anything, Liberty contented himself with spitting sparks at the Athanaraic. The other dragon roared and tried to snap at him, Liberty reaching forward to scratch the dragon's muzzle.
The Athanaraic pulled away, Liberty chasing after him. He managed to keep up with the other dragon, grinning when he saw Steve deliver a hit with his shield, the Hydra soldier in the captain's place slumping in his straps. Liberty wasn't close enough to see if the man was dead or not. Liberty bumped into the Athanaraic, on the point of clambering onto the other dragon again when the Athanaraic dove for the ground. It settled there quietly, its head lowered.
Liberty landed beside it, turning his head to hiss at the dragon when the Athanaraic bared its teeth. The dragon settled after that, wings drooping and sides heaving.
Steve unclipped from the Athanaraic's harness and slid from the dragon's back. The rest of the Howling Commandos joined him on the ground, Bucky sheathing his knife from cutting the dead men off of the dragon. Steve motioned for them to come closer, Liberty only lowering his head so he could keep an eye on the other dragon.
"Apparently that was his captain." Steve pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his hair. "So we've just captured ourselves a dragon."
From Liberty's experience, an announcement like that would have been followed by cheers from the soldiers. Instead, there were just sideways glances from everyone. Liberty huffed and rolled his eyes, annoyed by the way he could see the conversation going. He snarled at the other dragon, before lying down on the ground. "Are we going to take him back?"
Bucky shrugged and aimed his gun at the Athanaraic's head. "Can we trust him to fly for us?"
"No." Liberty snorted, tapping his talons against the ground. "We killed his captain, so assigning another one will just get a whole crew flown back to Germany…unless he hated it there. I'm not willing to trust that alone. And, if we take him back, then he'll just be sent back to the breeding grounds, probably in Britain. I don't know what they would want to do with him."
Bucky raised the gun. "So we just shoot him?"
"No." Steve was putting his helmet back on, strapping it into place. "We'll take him back with us. Maybe something can be done with him. It's more important to take care of the one Hydra dragon we've seen. The facility can wait for a day. There's a few soldiers who would be glad to see another dragon. He can haul stuff if he doesn't want to go to a breeding ground."
Liberty sighed, shaking his head. They would lose a day for this, but that's what he got for thinking that they could hold their pattern of good look. It wouldn't be too bad, as long as the Athanaraic didn't decide to try and fight back or snap at him. Judging by the way that the other dragon was acting, the Athanaraic would be no problem. Liberty glared at the other dragon, lowering his head so his muzzle was resting on Bucky's shoulder. He tried to keep his voice as low as possible, but he was sure that a few of the Howling Commandos heard him. "If he's too much trouble, kill him."
Bucky laughed and reached up to pat Liberty's muzzle. "Roger big fella."
Liberty crooned as Bucky's fingers slid under his chin and scratching there. He leaned into the touch, feeling Bucky tremble under the weight that was being put on him. When he jokingly called for help, the others just laughed and began climbing aboard again.
"Hey Steve, your lizard won't get off of me."
"Ask politely. That's always worked for me." Liberty could hear the smirk in Steve's voice. "Come on, Bucky. We've got a dragon to escort back to the lines."
"Steve. He won't-" Bucky let out a smothered yelp as Liberty picked him up by the back of his jacket, holding him delicately in his mouth. Liberty turned and placed the soldier on his back, chuckling when Bucky slapped his muzzle away. He waited patiently as Bucky clipped in, the other Howling Commandos nudging him and laughing while Steve looked on impatiently.
Liberty turned his head to nudge at the Athanaraic, the other dragon jerking out of his reverie. Liberty narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in a silent threat. He had seen the way the other dragon was staring enviously at his crew and he wasn't comfortable while what it meant. The Athanaraic had lost his crew; it had kept fighting instead of giving up when it should have. It wasn't going to be getting his crew.
He stood up, mantling his wings and hissing at the Athanaraic. The other dragon started to its feet, taking to the air with a nudge from Liberty. Liberty flew after it, keeping just on the dragon's shoulder. To his relief, the Athanaraic chose to behave, but part of that was probably Bucky sitting with his gun ready for a shot at the dragon's head. The shock of loosing a captain was probably setting in, the idea making Liberty wish that he could fly with his head turned so he could see Steve. He just had to settle for Steve resting a hand on his neck as he flew.
"Zola was just given permission to open up the engines." Gabriel pulled the headphones off, giving them all a level look as he reached for his gun.
Steve nodded, Liberty having to lean a bit further on the ledge that he was on to see his captain. Steve tipped his head up, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. Liberty wasn't happy about the plan, but he nodded. He backed further up on his ledge and spread his wings, pressing as close to the rock as he could. There was a zip line already set up and three were going over, leaving four to hold the ledge. Liberty and the rest were back up. If Steve, Bucky and Gabriel missed the train, then the others would decide whether to use the zip line or to have Liberty fly them over.
If Liberty had had his way, he would have been flying back and forth in the ravine. But, as Steve had rightly pointed out, he was too noticeable because of the bright colors on his top line and the ravine was just barely big enough for him. The tips of his wings would brush up against the side with every stroke, which would make climbing the much faster option.
Still, he had his orders. He had to stay back until Dugan told him otherwise.
He peered over the edge again as Jacques gave the signal, Steve the first one to slide out. Liberty tipped his head to the side, hoping that it would keep him hidden and able to watch Steve and the others. It worked until they disappeared into the train, only Gabriel remaining on top as a guard.
Liberty sighed and rolled himself upright, wriggling to the edge and peering down at the four remaining Commandos. They were all preparing their harnesses, checking their straps and settling their guns in place so they could swing onto his back quickly. The transmitter they had been listening to was strapped to Jacques' back, Dugan double checking all of the straps. Liberty looked away from them, settling into a crouch and narrowing his eyes. Everything seemed to be going according to Steve's plan.
The four Howling Commandos settled down on their ledge, speaking in whispers to each other. Liberty was almost completely off of his ledge, staring at the train. All of them jumped at the loud explosion that came from the train, Liberty sliding off of his ledge before anyone could say anything.
He flew above the train tracks, not wanting to risk slowing himself down and scraping his wings on the edges of the ravine. From his position by the last car of the train he could see where the side of one car had peeled back, almost until it was resting completely parallel to the other cars. Clinging to the rails on that had once been inside the car were Bucky and Steve. Liberty grunted and tried to speed up, the updraft from the ravine lifting him up instead of speeding him forward. He growled, trying to flap harder, trying to fly faster to catch up to the train.
He was still just pulling even with the third car from the back when Bucky lost his hold on the railing and fell.
Liberty swore and dove, pulling his wings in close to his sides as he plummeted into the ravine. He had to close his second eyelid over his eyes because of the wind, almost closing his eyes completely as he rushed downward. Bucky was still falling further ahead of him, still too far away to catch no matter how much he stretched out his neck. If he stretched out a foreleg at this point it would slow him down even further. Liberty let out a desperate sound, trying to bring his wings even closer to reduce drag, but it wasn't enough. Bucky hit the ground too far ahead for him to catch.
Snow flew up around him as he landed, digging desperately at the snow where Bucky had fallen. He had to switch to his muzzle soon after, he didn't want to harm Bucky's body with his talons. Because that's what Bucky was now, just a body. There was no way that a human could survive a fall from that height, despite the presence of the snow. He cleaned out the snow around Bucky the best that he could before gently nosing the body, unable to shop himself from hoping that Bucky managed to survive despite logic. The body just moved limply when he nudged it when his nose, Liberty keening softly when it didn't respond.
Liberty backed up, shaking as he began to push snow back over the body. He didn't want to leave it there, it was still Bucky. But he needed his talons free for tearing apart everyone on that train. Steve was still up there and probably still in trouble. He wouldn't be losing any more of his crew today. They would come back for Bucky once he was done, Liberty was sure that he would be able to remember the spot. He was sure that he would never be able to forget about this spot.
He pushed the last of the snow over Bucky's body, standing over the temporary grave for a moment with his head lowered. Liberty remained perfectly still for his moment of silence before pushing off of the ground with force, trying to get as far out of the ravine as he could before he had to open his wings. When the time came, he didn't hesitate to snap them open, not caring or feeling the way that the edges of his wings scraped against the walls. He just needed to fly as fast as he could to get back to the train.
He cleared the ravine, breathing a fireball out at the train. It struck one of the cars, the fireball not causing much harm, but it made him feel better. Liberty growled and focused on flapping harder. He inched along the cars, reaching the front where Gabriel was making a move towards the glass front of the train. Liberty gave his head a hard shake, turning so he could land on the tracks. He reared up onto his hind legs, grabbing the front of his train and bracing himself.
For a moment he was pushed along the tracks, then he spread his wings and started beating them. Balance caught, Liberty bowed his head and took a step forward, gratified to hear the train grinding along the tracks. He couldn't actually push the train backwards and he didn't dare derail it, that would kill Steve and Gabriel and he wasn't going to lose any more of his crew today.
The train screeched to a stop, the last few cars the only ones to skip from the tracks. Liberty stepped away, dropping down to all fours. Gabriel slipped from the top of the train, pointing at the glass. It didn't take more than a swing of his tail to break the glass and allow Gabriel to swing in through the window. Liberty got as close to the train as he could, growling as Gabriel threatened the two men inside with his gun. It didn't take long for Steve to come in through the door. He barely glanced at Liberty; he just stared at the two men.
They stood in silence for a while, Steve the first one to speak up. "We'll take them, both of them. One of them can tell us where the Red Skull is." Gabriel nodded and moved to cover the shorter man. Steve looked away as soon as Gabriel had secured the man, only then really acknowledging Liberty's presence. "Bucky?"
"I couldn't catch him." Liberty shook his head. "He's dead, Steve."
"You buried him?" He jerked at the abruptness in Steve's voice, not used to the tone. Liberty gave a jerky nod in response, Steve seeming satisfied by the answer. Steve took a step back, rubbing his fingers on the shield and remaining silent.
Steve set his glass down on the table with a little more force than necessary, watching out of the corner of his eye as Peggy jumped. For a moment, he contemplated pouring himself another drink before deciding that it wasn't worth the effort. He wasn't getting drunk; he had known that after the first hour. He just didn't want to go back to the covert or the bunker, didn't want to see the other Commandos trying to deal with their grief or people apologizing. The only one he had brought with him was Liberty, but the dragon hadn't left him alone since Bucky died.
He tipped the glass towards him, rolling it around on the table just to have something for his hands to do. Peggy took the chance to scoot forward, closer to the table. Steve was glad for her presence, but wished she would offer something other than the fact that it wasn't his fault. It was, he should have been able to plan ahead, or had called for a two pronged assault instead of getting so confident that all of the other attacks had gone off without a hitch.
He sighed and set the glass upright again. "Peggy-"
"There's a chance Zola will talk." Peggy cut him off, leaning over the table. It was familiar in a way, more familiar than her trying to comfort him. This Peggy was all business, just what he needed at the moment. Peggy pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, sighing. "It's more than likely we'll get the location of his last base from him. Colonel Phillips is pushing him for it, but he doesn't have much of a choice. His choice has narrowed to cooperating with us or dying with the Red Skull."
"He doesn't look like someone who would want to die."
Peggy shook her head. "No. But it will give us what we want and a way to end this. Maybe end the war."
She looked around the destroyed bar, Steve trying his best not to follow her gaze. He didn't want to be reminded of the destruction that was going on, at least not at the moment. Still, a chance to end it was more than enough to get him interested. If they took down Hydra, then there wouldn't be another opposing force to worry about. From what he heard through the news, the Allies were winning. Rumors were starting to drift around the covert that it would only be a matter of months before the war ended.
It was a few months too late for Bucky.
He became aware of the muffled keening from Liberty. The dragon had been making the noise since they had settled down, keeping his head under his wing and, from the sound of the noise, his muzzle pressed against his skin. Steve flinched at the sound, looking down at the table. Liberty was keeping quiet because they had come out in the middle of one of the air raids that the Luftwaffe ran over London. Steve still wasn't sure about the intelligence of that decision, although it had been towards the end of the run when the dragons were returning to their base. He had just needed to get out and Liberty had just been there, he hadn't really been thinking about either of them.
Steve shook his head. "What do we do?"
"We wait for the information and then the calls will be made." Peggy stood up, pushing away from the table. Steve didn't protest as she took the alcohol and empty glass from him, setting them both on the counter. When that was done, she came over to lean on the table, having to tilt herself to the side to even meet Steve's eyes. "He wouldn't want you to do this."
"No. But he would understand that the Red Skull needs to be stopped. Bucky wouldn't care about any other reasons I had, as long as I didn't get myself killed."
It wasn't the answer that Peggy had been looking for, Steve could tell that much by the way she sighed and stepped back from the table. To his relief, Peggy didn't call him on it, instead buttoning up her jacket and giving him a nod. "See that you don't."
Steve turned to watch her walk from the room, expecting her to pick her way through the debris to the front. Instead, she made her way to the back where the dragon yard was. Steve leaned back in his chair, peering through the space between two fallen beams. Peggy approached Liberty, waiting by his forelegs until he untucked his head from under his wing. Liberty peered out at her before resting his muzzle on his forelegs, Peggy crouching down by his head. The spoke for some while, Steve watching as Liberty pulled his wings closer to his body and tried to curl up further. Peggy just reached out and stroked his muzzle.
He sighed and pushed away from the table, stepping over the scattered remains of the other tables and chairs in the room before ducking under a place where the roof had sagged in, nearly to the point of collapsing. Out of habit alone he used the door, ignoring the gaping hole in the wall. Steve stepped out into the yard, surprised when Liberty raised his head. He hesitated for a moment more before walking over to the dragon, letting himself be herded into a place on Liberty's foreleg. The dragon dropped his head down, shielding Steve on one side. Steve's other side was covered when Liberty lifted his wing, holding it at an angle that had to be uncomfortable for the dragon, but the wing covered both him and Peggy. Steve reached up to stroke the smaller scales under Liberty's eye, the dragon leaning into the touch but not making a sound. He jumped as he felt Peggy rest a hand on his shoulder, turning to smile up at her in thanks.
Peggy just nodded, leaning over him to rest her other hand on Liberty's head, just below Steve's own. After a moment of hesitation, she slid her hand so it was resting half over Steve's and half on Liberty's scales. There was no way Steve could begin to thank Peggy for the small motion of comfort, so he let the silence speak for both him and Liberty.
Steve looked over the controls of the plane, translating what German he had learned from Gabriel as a distraction from what he was about to do. There had to be some way out, some plan B that he had just overlooked. Liberty had warned him that Steve tended to get fixated on one plan and would do better to try and think of other ones. But he couldn't, there was only one option that he had and the window that he had to work in was rapidly closing.
Suddenly he wished that he had allowed Liberty to come instead of ordering him to stay in the hanger and continue to destroy what planes that he could and help the army. He was sure that Liberty would have been able to keep up with the plane and then he would have had a way out. Then again, he wasn't sure he would have had a dragon. The plane was flying higher and faster than any dragon he had flown on. Liberty would have killed himself to get Steve to the plane and then back to the Red Skull's base. Liberty was something that he was not willing to lose.
He swallowed and reached over to flip on the radio. There would be someone in the command center in the lair, they could go and get Peggy. She was the one person that he wanted to talk to when he was about to crash a plane into the ocean, although he couldn't figure out what to say for the life of him.
"This is Captain Rogers. Anyone there?"
"Captain-"
"Steve!" He jumped at the sound of Peggy's voice over the radio. Steve smiled, almost laughing in relief. It didn't last long, just long enough for him to look out of the wall of windows in front of him. "Steve, what's going on?"
"I've secured the plane, but it's going down fast."
"Just…" Peggy's voice broke. When she spoke, she was back in drill sergeant mode. "Give us your coordinates, we'll give you a route. Keep that thing in the air long enough to help you."
"I can't do that. This thing is moving too fast." He couldn't look away from the little blinking light on the map read out that was labeled New York. He was heading for home, but not in the way that he had ever wanted. Steve swallowed and braced himself in the chair. "Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die."
"Steve, just keep that thing flying. We'll get you out of this. We can-"
"Peggy, this is my choice." He was done trying to think about other plans; especially ones that he wasn't sure would work. This he knew would work, and that made all the difference. It was just a good thing that he couldn't see Peggy, or else his resolve would seriously be tested, not that he would turn around now. "Do me a favor and look after Liberty. It's no fair that he's gonna lose a captain for this. Make sure he doesn't disappear into the breeding grounds again."
"Of course."
Steve smiled, sending the map back to his current location. If he had a choice of where he was going to crash the plane, he wanted it to be on land or close to it. The ocean was going to be freezing and he didn't want to have to swim too far; if escape was even an option. Landing on ice would be worse; Steve couldn't be sure how the impact would affect the plane or how it would land. His only experience had been with flying a dragon and Steve was sure that even the best pilot they had wouldn't be able to land a plane safely on ice with the engines quickly losing power.
He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm until the end. Because he was probably going to die here, the odds weren't exactly in his favor of stumbling away from this crash whole. But that was alright, the Red Skull was dead and the Allies were well on their way to beating Hitler and his Reich. Then again, it wasn't alright because he was leaving behind Peggy, Peggy and all the wonderful things he wanted to do with her.
He had been going to date her properly once the war was over, trying to woo her without tripping over his own feet. During his downtime after missions, Steve had even allowed himself to imagine proposing to her. Of course, he would have had to figure out where he and Liberty fit between the army and the air force, but he was sure that Peggy wouldn't have minded being the wife to the captain of a dragon. Steve even had the sneaking suspicion that she would end up serving on Liberty in some way.
He shifted in the pilot's seat, digging out his compass and placing it on the console. Steve looked over at the picture of Peggy that he had cut out of a newspaper, the only picture that Steve had managed to find of her. He hadn't wanted to include a picture that he had drawn of her himself, he wanted something that was as close to the original as he could get. Right now, he didn't want to be alone. Peggy's voice over the radio was fine, but he just wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he crashed.
Under his hands, the control wheel jerked, Steve tightening his grip. He cleared his throat, struggling to keep his voice level. "Gonna need a rain check on that dance."
"Alright." It was a relief to hear Peggy laugh, even if it was just a little and it almost sounded like a sob. "Next Saturday, eight o'clock on the dot at the Stork Club. Don't you dare be late."
"You got it." He could see land ahead of him, just a long plane of white. Steve found that he couldn't stop staring at it, watching as it came closer. He blinked quickly, glancing back at the picture of Peggy as he spoke. "You know, I still don't know how to dance."
"I'll teach you." There it was, the little bit of exasperation that made him smile. Peggy wasn't really frustrated with him, just amused by what he had said. That tone of voice would usually be followed by a twitch from the corner of her mouth as she tried to keep a serious face. Steve could just imagine her telling herself that one of them had to be the serious one in moments like these. It was gone as fast as it appeared, Steve's small smile disappearing when he heard the sob return to Peggy's voice. "Just be there."
He gave Peggy's picture a mournful look. What he really wanted to do was tell Peggy that he would be there. But he couldn't lie to her, not when he didn't know if he would make it through the crash. Instead, he just continued on, like the ground wasn't rushing up towards him. "We'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your-"
Steve wasn't sure if the word feet went through the radio. The plane's nose hit the ice, the remaining windows shattering. Steve was thrown from the seat as the plane plowed through the snow, hearing the metal groan. He groped for his shield, pulling it close to his body as the plane skewed to one side. He tucked himself behind his shield, listening as the plane continued to slide across the ice and snow.
It seemed to go on forever, Steve keeping up his death grip on the straps of the shield, ignoring the aches of his own body as he waited for the plane to stop. The plane did so with a jerk that threw him back against the main console, Steve cursing as his head cracked against it. He slumped against the floor, his vision swimming for a moment before he blacked out.
Liberty waited in the hangar, staring out at the semi-circle he could see of the sky through the open doors. He had been told to stay here to help with the clean up of the last Hydra base when Steve had gone after the plane. He had wanted to protest, but orders were orders. Still, now there was nothing left to do. All of the planes and tanks that hadn't been marked for destruction were being moved away while the rest were just smoking piles of twisted metal. Hydra soldiers were being rounded up and taken away while other crews of men worked to pull the bodies that remained outside where the Hydra soldiers would be buried and the Allied soldiers would be sent back by dragon. He ignored the stares that the Hydra soldiers were giving him as he lay in the middle of the hangar. He wasn't there to help clean up, he was waiting for Steve.
He lowered his head, trying to see beyond where the hangar was built into the mountain. He would have been outside, but it was too cold for him to wait for too long of a time before falling asleep. Steve might need him, so he needed to stay warm and ready to fly.
Slowly, the hangar cleared out, Liberty not paying attention as the last plane was hauled out to the end of the runway and taken up by a dragon. He vaguely noticed that the rest of his crew hadn't returned to him, which was strange because Liberty had always been the rendezvous point, he was hard to miss. Even when he and Steve had gone in alone, the rest of his crew had hurried to where he had been brought in to free him. It was what had given them the advantage in the hangar as Liberty had started his destruction far before the Red Skull had come running in to make his escape. Liberty shifted, stretching out his wings and then refolding them to have a better take off time. As soon as the order came from the command center at the back of the hangar, he would be off.
The command was slow in coming. Liberty tracked the sun through the sky, losing track of time when the sun was obscured by clouds sometime in the late afternoon. He just snorted and turned his full attention back to the sky. He wasn't going to miss Steve coming in.
The sound of heels on concrete made him turn his head, Liberty nodding at Peggy. He intended to turn right back around and focus on the sky, but the look on her face made him stop. Peggy hadn't bothered to clean the tears off of her face, something that Liberty knew she made an effort to do. Any kind of weakness wasn't welcome in Peggy's position; she had worked too hard to get this far only to lose it over a silly misunderstanding.
Liberty tapped the concrete with a talon, trying to encourage Peggy to come closer. He would try to talk to her the best that he could, distracted as he was. Peggy didn't move from where she was standing, Liberty huffing and curling his tail around her as some kind of protection from anyone around. "Do we need to go? The Howling Commandos can be on in less than thirty seconds. Just give us coordinates."
There was only one thing that could get Peggy like this, and that was Steve. It was a relief to know that Steve had contacted someone instead of letting them wait around in the hangar until he showed up again. Liberty would have preferred that he had been called as well, just so the orders could have been given to him faster. Steve did well by himself, but sometimes his captain needed saving, despite his competence.
Peggy pressed her hand against her mouth and shook her head, leaning back on Liberty's tail. "It's too late for that."
"There's still plenty of daylight. We can start to make headway. Now, coordinates."
"No. Liberty," she took a deep breath, "he went down with the plane. Steve's…He's…"
Liberty didn't hear what she said, too focused on the chocked feeling in his throat. It almost felt like he was going to breathe one of his fireballs, but it lacked the taste of ash. Instead, it felt far too familiar and suddenly he was back over a muddy field in France, listening to the screams from the men on his back. He threw his head back and keened, the sound echoing in the hangar.
The click of heels made him look back down, Liberty lowering his head and pressing it against Peggy. She grabbed onto him and wrapped her arms around his muzzle. He whimpered, feeling her tears fall onto his scales. Liberty stood up just enough to move his body, curling completely around Peggy before tucking them both under his wing.
It had been a week since was Steve had been reported dead and made a hero for what he had done. In the ultimate of ironies, Germany had surrendered the next day, kicking off a round of celebrations. Liberty hadn't seen the Howling Commandos since the announcement that Steve was dead. They had all come to gather their stuff before heading off for the tavern. There had been an open invitation for him, but Liberty hadn't felt like making the effort. The Commandos would just drink and reminisce about Steve, which would only make the fact that Steve wasn't there hurt more.
Liberty squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring the sounds of the other dragons coming and going from the covert. Everyone was celebrating their victory over the Nazis, which was why Liberty had come out to the far edge of the covert. He didn't want to hear about how he should be proud that his captain had died fighting for the good of the world, he didn't want to rationalize why Steve was dead. It wouldn't bring Steve back, nothing would do that. Maybe that was how other dragons could deal with the grief of losing a captain and how they allowed themselves to be saddled with another one so soon after, but Liberty couldn't do that. And, for that, he was treated like a mere hatchling.
He snarled, digging his talons into the mud. He didn't want to put up with their stupidity or the attempts of the humans in the covert. Liberty was tired of being offered food that he didn't want or having the argument that Steve would want him to eat used against him. One man had had the gall to point out that, if he ate, he would be ready to fly when Steve got back. Liberty had snapped at the man, like he hadn't known that Steve was dead.
"I'm here to visit Sentinel of Liberty." He lifted his head slightly at the sound of a familiar voice. Liberty couldn't hear the reply that Peggy got, but he could hear her response fine. "I am aware that is captain is dead. He's not a dangerous animal, he's mourning. And your man deserved what he got for telling Liberty that. Now, get out of my way."
There was another pause, Liberty smiling as the listened to the conversation. "Don't give me that. I know for a fact that you have women as captains on your precious Longwings. My mother's aunt was one of them. I have been around his dragon for a good few years now and I think I know how to handle him."
The man must have lost the argument, because Peggy marched over to Liberty without an escort. For good measure, Liberty lifted his head and spat sparks in the direction that he had heard the man heading off in. Peggy retaliated by slapping his foreleg.
"Stop it. You have better manners than that. Just because you're sad doesn't mean you can take it out on others."
Liberty huffed and lowered his head. "I thought you were on my side."
"When you're not making an idiot of yourself, yes." Peggy sighed and pushed her hair back behind her ears. "Honestly, if I hear that you are picking fights with other dragons I won't come and save you. I swear, you and Steve are-"
She cut herself off, swallowing before looking away. "Forgive me. That was uncalled for."
Liberty grunted, not really sure if he wanted to accept the apology. He didn't want to be reminded of how much he was like Steve. He searched for a distraction, finding one in Peggy. The dress and shoes she was wearing were completely unsuited to walking around the covert where it mostly mud where there weren't dragon pavilions. At least any stray flecks of blood that Peggy may have picked up walking through the covert would be hidden by the red of her dress. Usually Peggy was more conscientious of these sorts of things, Liberty had never seen her wear anything that would do anything less than blend her into her environment.
He crooned softly, reaching out his muzzle to touch the hem of her dress. To his surprise, Peggy didn't jerk away. She just absently patted his muzzle. "I just didn't want to be alone tonight. I've had a few drinks, not enough to really be drunk, just too tipsy for my own comfort. All because my date crashed the plane he was flying."
Liberty would have growled at her, but Peggy was standing with her arms wrapped around her stomach, looking like she was about to cry. He shuffled forward, intending to try and comfort her when she held up a hand. After a few deep breaths, Peggy reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes with a sigh. "I'm not trying to dishonor his memory, I'm just so sick of being told that it's alright to cry and that time will heal all. I'm just so tired of being sad that being angry at him is almost easier."
"Peggy…"
"I had a date." Peggy took a deep breath, holding her arms away from her sides. She twirled in place, Liberty politely tapping his talons together as the dress spun out around her. "We did, and he promised that he would come. I was going to teach him to dance. It was going to be perfect because the war is over and we don't have to think about things like what if I die in the field tomorrow. I was able to hold out hope that Steve was just trekking his way back to England and us. After this…I don't think I can, because Steve always kept his promises."
Liberty opened his mouth to offer his apologies before shaking his head. Peggy was probably as sick of them as he was. Instead, he sat up, lifting up one foreleg and encouraging Peggy to hold onto one of his talons. Very carefully, he guided her into a spin, letting Peggy take the lead as she slipped into a proper dance, Liberty humming a Sinatra song as a counterpart. They carried on until Liberty ran out of what he remembered from the song, Peggy giving him a curtsey before taking a step back.
He chuckled at the sad picture the two of them made. They were probably the only people who were celebrating the victory like this. Liberty sighed and set his foreleg back down, glancing up at the sky. "Do you want to go flying?"
"Well, I've never flown on a dragon."
Liberty jerked his head toward the pile that was his harness. "Help me into that and help yourself to one of those harnesses."
Peggy nodded and started to drag over the parts, Liberty helping her lift them into place and hold it while Peggy secured each strap. She slid down his side, leaving Liberty to rise up onto his hind legs and shake himself down. When he was sure that everything was secure, he dropped back down to all fours, watching as Peggy secured her own harness. She tugged the last strap tight, looking down at herself and laughing. "This is hardly proper attire."
Liberty just shrugged, offering her his foreleg as a leg up as Peggy stripped off her heels. She put them to one side before scrambling up onto his back. Liberty held as still as he could, turning his head when he didn't hear the snap of Peggy clipping in.
She was staring at the loop of metal right where Liberty's neck joined the rest of his body. She shivered before stepping to the right and back, clipping into the position that the first lieutenant held. Liberty let out the breath he had been holding as Peggy adjusted the straps, leaning back to see if they would take her weight. "All lies well."
"Hang on then." Liberty stood up, stretching out his wings before leaping into the air.
He heard Peggy yelp at the abrupt take off, the sound quickly turning into a laugh as he climbed. Liberty steadied himself, circling the covert once before heading for the country. He didn't want to fly over the city although the lights would be pretty. London was still completely destroyed in places from the German bombs and it would just be another reminder of the war. What they both needed was nothing but open countryside.
Liberty settled into a good pace, turning his head back to look at Peggy as she patted his side. She pushed her hair out of her face with one hand. "I'm good."
He nodded, sending himself into a loop and listening to Peggy laugh. He grinned and continued to do acrobatic tricks, bringing them back and forth around the countryside. It was almost like the better days again, when all he had to worry about is flying and looking after his captain and crew, far before the war and the one that followed. The two wars that had lost him his captains.
Liberty slowly made his way back to the covert, landing when he was too tired to keep flying. He was panting for breath, but happy with the work he had done. It had been a long while since he could just fly without any orders. Liberty crouched down close to the ground, waiting for Peggy to finish unhooking the straps of the harness. He reached out to steady her as she slid to the ground.
She pushed him away, walking over to retrieve her shoes. Peggy paused, reaching up to stroke Liberty's muzzle. "I'll see you around."
"I should hope so."
Peggy smiled at him before turning and walking out of the covert barefoot. Liberty stepped out of the hardness, picking up the straps in his mouth and dropping them in a pile with the rest of his stuff. He sat down, watching Peggy walk out of sight.