"I just need one name, Sergeant Jane Barnes from the one-oh-seventh" Steve said to Chester Phillips, Phillips looked up at them from his desk then looked at Peggy Carter.
"You and I are going to have a conversation later that you won't enjoy" he said, Peggy tensed slightly. Steve continued quickly.
"Please tell me if she's alive sir, B - A - R -"
"I can spell" Phillips interrupted the super soldier as he looked through a list "I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I care to count... but the name does sounds familiar, I'm sorry son" Phillips said, Steve frowned.
"I'm looking for a sergeant Jane Barnes," Steve said as he unlocked the cage's in which the soldiers were being held "Anyone know her?"
"There's an isolation ward in the factory but no one's ever come back from it" one of the men said, Steve nodded
"I'll meet you in the clearing with anyone else I find" Steve said, starting to run off
"How do you know what you're doing?"
"I don't, but I've punched Hitler in the face over two hundred times" Steve said before running from the room, the men stared after in disbelief.
Arnim Zola was shoving papers into his suit case, he pulled on his jacket and hat before running from the room, Steve was running around the corner just as Zola stepped out. Steve watched as Zola ran away in fear, as Zola rounded the corner Steve ran forwards and into the office, hearing mumbling coming from inside. Steve ventured further in, seeing an all to familiar person strapped to the table
"Betty?" Steve said, ripping the straps away "It's me, It's Steve" he said, the woman looked up at him, she looked like she'd been through hell.
"Steve?" he helped her to his feet, she leaned on him for support, she took in his new height
"I thought you were dead" Steve admitted, giving Jane his jacket. Her clothes had been ripped and she was ice cold.
"I thought you were smaller" she admitted, pulling the jacket tightly around her for warmth. Explosions sounded from the factory
"Come on" Steve said and helped her as they ran from the room. Jane stumbled slightly but managed to keep up with Steve
"What happened to you?" she asked, Steve was focused on getting her out alive
"I joined the army" Steve answered.
"Did it hurt?" Jane asked a few minutes later as they were away from the ward
"A little"
"Is it permanent?" she asked again, she was desperately hoping it was a no...
"So far" Steve said
Jane wiped vomit from her mouth as Steve pulled open the bars of the railing, Schmidt had escaped with Zola and explosions were going off by the second, they needed to escape. Schmidt had ripped his own face off and showed a Red Skull, Jane had a weak stomach and was surprised there was anything left to throw up in the first place.
"Go on" Steve said, she walked forwards onto a beam, trying to keep balance, they beam was shaking unsteadily and she quickened her pace, she almost fell backwards and Steve yelled to be careful. The beam almost fell but she jumped, grabbing the bars and pulling herself onto the platform, she looked across at Steve. he was stuck
"Go!" Steve yelled
"NO! NOT WITHOUT YOU!" she shouted back, her voice hoarse but there was no way in this hell hole of a factory she was leaving him. Steve pulled the bars wider apart and took a few steps back before taking a run up start, jumping off the ledge, an explosion went off and Jane found it hard to see if he was alright.
"Thanks to you and your 'faith' America's golden boy is dead" Chester glared at Peggy, who frowned. "What the hell is going on out there?" he asked as he saw soldiers running past the tent, he walked out followed by Peggy as he pushed to the front of the crowd. Coming towards the gates was groups of men, over a hundred of them! A HYDRA tank followed but the men were sat a top of it. Leading them all was Steve Rogers, by his side was Jane Barnes, Steve's brown leather jacket was ripped and hanging off her, she held quite a large HYDRA gun. Steve said something to Phillips as men that Jane knew welcomed her back a questioned her, as soon as Jane saw that Peggy was talking, smiling to Steve, Jane decided to say something.
"HEY!" she yelled "Let's hear it for Captain America!" she yelled, people around cheered and she smiled at Steve, who smiled back at his best friend.
A day or so later, they were all in the local pub. Steve Rogers and the four other men were sat at a table, Jane was sat at the bar alone drinking and talking to the bartender guy.
"So, we barely got out of there alive and you want us to go back?" one asked, Steve nodded
"It was rather fun actually" another said.
"I'm in" another said
"So are we" the other two said
"You just gotta do one thing for me" the first one said
"And what's that?" Steve asked
"Open a tab" he said and they laughed, Steve stood and bought another round for them all before walking over to Jane.
"So, want to join the others and follow Captain America into the jaws of death?" Steve asked with a slight grin, Jane shook her head, setting her glass down.
"Hell no" she said, Steve frowned "That scrawny kid from Brooklyn who didn't know when to back away from a fight, I'm following him" she continued, giving Steve a smile. He smiled back. Soon the pub went silent, Steve and Jane looked towards the door. There was Peggy Carter in a red dress and heels. Jane frowned and turned back to her drink, giving the bartender a 'I told you so' look as he refilled her drink.
"Hello Steve" Jane heard Peggy say to Steve
"Agent Carter" he greeted her, Jane took a sip of her drink, glaring at the wood of the bar.
"Howard has some new stuff for you to try tomorrow morning" Peggy said, Jane could see Steve nodding from the corner of her eye.
"Sounds good" Steve said, Jane could feel Peggy looking at her. She hated it.
"I see your top squad is prepping for duty" Peggy commented on the men's singing
"You don't like music?" Jane asked, she knew Steve liked music.
"Oh quite the opposite really" Peggy answered "In fact, when this is all over I might go dancing"
"What's stopping you?" Jane asked
"I'm looking for the right partner" Peggy answered, Jane glared at the bar again as she drank. Steve was smiling at Peggy "Oh eight hundred Captain" Peggy added before walking off, Steve sat next to Jane again
"Gone off ladies?"
"Not my type" Jane answered him.