I apologize for the lateness of the update – been having a bit of writer's block on both stories. Had some interesting ideas for some AU's to the overall story but struggling with the actual cannon for some reason.

Anyway, welcome to Chapter Ten. I still don't own anything by Queen, especially "Hammer to Fall".

Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and I hope you all enjoy the latest installment.

"Remember who you are, Sergeant."

James woke up with a gasp, drenched in sweat.

He was lying flat on his stomach on the cot in his cell, breathing heavily as he tried to get his bearings.

Everything from the last twenty-four hours blurred together, and he was trying to make sense of it all…he remembered the electrical shocks, he remembered pain…

"Soldat!"

James jumped into a sitting position when the door opened and Silverfox opened the door. She studied him for a moment, then asked, "Who is James Barnes?"

A memory flashed before his eyes…

"You get your orders?" A short, skinny blond man asked him.

"The One-Oh-Seventh," He answered. "Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out for England first thing tomorrow."

"Well Soldat?"

James blinked, and Silverfox appeared before him again. He remembered Case told him that's who he was, and he felt more confident today that she was right…but he shook his head, "I don't know, ma'am."

Silverfox gave a sigh, "Well that was a waste…"

That's when it dawned on him – he still had his memories from yesterday, and the day before that. She hadn't erased him when she put him in the chair.

"Well, nothing gained, but looks like nothing lost either," Silverfox shrugged. "Get the Siren for sparring practice. You remember the orders I gave you?"

"Get the information without interrogation, report everything back to you," James told her.

"That's correct."

James gave a nod and got to his feet. He walked past Silverfox as he left his cell, wondering why in the world she'd put him in the chair just to leave his memories behind…what had she done to him?

"Oh, every night, every day, a little piece of you is fallin' away! But lift your face, the Western Way baby, build your muscles as your body decays, yeah!"

James reached the door to Case's cell and paused, listening for a few moments.

"Toe the line and play their game. Yeah, let the anesthetic cover it all! Till one day they call your name, you know it's time for the hammer to fall!"

He opened the door carefully, sliding in through a small gap and closed it behind him, not that the Siren was paying any attention to him.

She was currently strutting around on the opposite side of the cell, using a rod from the broken cot as a guitar based on the movements, occasionally doing a kick and spinning her right arm as she moved.

She pulled the rod up like a microphone now, "Rich or poor or famous, for your truth is all the same! Oh no, oh no! Oh, lock your door but rain is pouring through your windowpane! Oh no, baby now your struggle's all in vain! Yeah!"

He folded his arms and leaned back against the door, something about this seemed familiar, though he was almost certain he'd never heard the song before in his life.

"For we who grew up tall and proud, in the shadow of the Mushroom Cloud. Convinced our voices can't be heard, we just wanna scream it louder and louder and louder, what the hell we fighting for? Oh, just surrender and it won't hurt at all. Just got time to say your prayers, while you're waiting for the hammer to fall."

Her back was still to him, he was surprised she hadn't heard him come in.

"Hey…it's…it's going to fall!" She kept leaning into the movements, like she was performing for an audience. "Hammer! You know it! Yeah, hammer to fall!" She dropped into a kneel, still working the rod in her hand like a guitar. "Ha! Ha! While you're waiting for the hammer to fall!" She stood straighter and said, "Give it to me one more time!"

"Give what to you one more time?" James finally spoke up.

The rod dropped to the floor, clanging loudly as she whirled around to face him, face going an interesting shade of vermillion. "Uh…how much of that…did you see?"

"Enough to wonder who you were trying to imitate," James answered.

"Freddie Mercury…he was the lead singer of the band Queen. 'Hammer to Fall' is my favorite song by them."

"Queen…" James repeated. He thought the name sounded familiar…but the more he tried to remember, nothing came to mind.

"It's alright if you don't know them," Case admitted. "I mean…you probably…were in and out of whatever it was—"

"Cryo."

Case blinked, then frowned, "Right…cryo…anyway you had other things going on when Queen was touring with Freddie Mercury…" She chewed on her lip, "Although…I've been meaning to ask you…"

James waited, but no question came. "What?"

"How much…um…" She was chewing her lip again, "When you were in my apartment…exactly how much did you hear…?"

"I'm not sure I follow…?"

"Never mind, don't worry about it," Case shrugged, the original blush had cleared but now a new one was turning her cheeks pink.

"You know…you're kinda adorable when you blush."

Case's cheeks turned a darker shade of red, and she gave a shrug, "It's been said…so…why are you here?"

"Silverfox cleared you for sparring practice again…thought you might want to…?"

"Why is she suddenly okay with you trying to break my face?" Case asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Probably so long as I don't try to break your face she won't mind."

"Defeats the purpose of sparring if you're not trying to break my face."

"Why are you so eager to get beaten up?"

"I'm not," Case frowned, "I just…if you pull punches now, it gives a false idea of what battle is really like. So how am I supposed to learn to defend myself against people who don't pull their punches if the people I'm training with do?"

James mulled that over, "Fair point."

"Okay…gib be a binute…"

James gave a sigh as he scrubbed his hand over his face, "I didn't hit you that hard…"

Case cast a glare his way, pulling her hands away from her face, "You just hit me with your metal hand!"

He could see the imprint of his metal fingers, and he gave a chuckle, "Got you good too from what I can see."

"Seriously Buck, you could've at least pulled the punch with the left…I know what I said but…fuck!" Case grumbled, feeling at her swelling nose. "Is it straight? Please tell me it's at least straight…"

"Your nose is fine, perfect as always…plus or minus a little swelling," James rolled his eyes. "Also…Buck?"

"Buck?"

"It's what you just said…what's a 'buck'?"

Case frowned at him, "Uh…a male deer? Or is it an elk?"

"No, no…I think you just called me 'Buck'."

"Oh that…" Case sniffed next, "Simple mistake, means nothing."

He watched as the redness gradually faded from her face, "For all your whining your face is clearing up pretty fast."

"Still fuckin' hurt," Case rolled her eyes, "You once whined for a good ten minutes after getting sucker punched by Tommy Delvechio."

"What?"

"Mostly because he was actually looking for my brother Ryder…because Ryder didn't learn his lesson the first time about screwing around with his sister Monica in the third-floor closet of our school...he walked in and Ryder booked."

"So, what did that have to do with me?"

"Well, for starters you were screwing around with their sister Suzanne at the time," Case pointed out. "But you and I were hanging out at my family's apartment when Ryder came running in like a bat outta hell telling us we never saw him. You were the one that opened the door and got clocked by Tommy's fist."

The Asset thought that sounded familiar…and suddenly a scene flashed before his eyes.

A teenage boy stood before him, brown hair a mess with one strap of his suspenders dangling at his side while the other strap mercifully kept his pants upright, his long-sleeved shirt unbuttoned showing the white undershirt he wore underneath.

His shoulders were tense as he tried to catch his breath. "You never saw me; I was never here…" He pointed a gloved finger toward the stairs, "And I am certainly not going to run and hide under my bed like a coward…"

A loud pounding could be heard at the front door.

"This conversation never happened," and with that he disappeared up the stairs.

"Hey, you okay?"

James blinked, and looked down at Case, "Huh?"

"You okay? You disappeared for a minute there," Case told him.

"I'm fine," James said, shaking his head. "So…you can heal from any injury."

Case cocked an eyebrow, "Uh yeah…welcome to the party, James."

"Sorry I just…" James frowned, "I just—"

"You needed a topic change, I get it," Case shrugged it off. "Come on, let's get back to work."

James took the out and moved his feet back into position. He feinted with his right and threw a punch with his left arm to resume their sparring match.

Case ducked under the metal fist, and blocked a second swing with the flesh arm, "Since you do want to breach the topic again, though, yes, I can heal from any injury…I've been able to do that since I was a kid. Damn near indestructible already I'd say."

James simply hummed as they continued their sparring match.

"Took a bullet to the chest from a sniper during World War Two," Case added, "I think it was meant for Steve…unfortunately I stepped in front of him and took it instead…splattered blood all over his uniform…but I healed quickly, not a trace of the injury to this day."

"Impressive."

Case gave a weak chuckle, "Gonna be honest that's not what you said the first time."

"Oh?" He tried to kick her legs out from beneath her.

She jumped and dodged to the side, "Yeah…you weren't quite sure what to do…how to react. See, you and Steve knew about my ability, had for years…but it had never been put to the test like that before."

"I see."

"Yeah…" Case mumbled under her breath when the door opened.

On the other side of the bars, her mother suddenly appeared. She didn't say a word, just stood with her arms folded across her chest, brown hair tied back in a tight bun, and blue eyes carefully watching the two sparring on the other side of the bars.

We've been doing this for ten minutes and you must come in now? Case wondered, then gave a grunt as the Asset tackled her to the floor, the wind getting knocked out of her as she landed on her front.

Before she could react, she let out a choked gasp as the Asset wrapped his metal arm around her neck in a headlock. She yanked at the metal limb that had tightened around her neck. Spots were starting to swim before her eyes, and she couldn't breathe.

He pulled them both up into a sitting position, wrapping his legs around her as he kept his left arm wrapped around her throat. It wasn't going anywhere, if anything he was tightening his grip on her.

"Tap out, Cassidy!" Her mother yelled from behind the metal bars.

"Fuck off!" Case rasped from around the chokehold.

"Let go, Soldat!"

"Don't listen to her," Case hissed.

"Then what are you going to do?" The Soldier grunted. "How are you going to get free? You lost this round, Siren."

I will not lose! Case's mind screamed. Suddenly, it dawned on her…her Hail Mary, if it even worked still…seventy years was a long time. She grabbed hold of his thighs and squeezed.

Case could only define the sound that came from behind her as a yelp, and the metal arm loosened its hold enough so she could scramble away.

Case shot across the room, collapsing in the middle of the floor, taking her first full breath in minutes.

"What the hell as that?" Her mother shouted. "What did you do to the Asset?"

Case gave a raspy chuckle, "I…knew that…would come in handy…someday…"

Her mother marched over to her and yanked Case to her feet, "You knew what would?"

Case gave a smirk, "I'm sorry, that's classified."

Silverfox's right eye twitched once, before she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She then touched Case's chin and gently tilted upward to see her neck, "The Asset got you good…you're going to have a nice bruise."

"It'll be gone by morning just like last time," Case shrugged out of Silverfox's grip and rubbed at her throat. She looked back at the Soldier, who was eyeing her wearily. "I'm sorry," she mouthed at him, at an angle where she knew Kayla couldn't see.

He cocked his head at that, but otherwise said nothing.

"Get to the showers," Kayla gave a sigh.

"Whatever," Case rolled her eyes. She cast one last glance at the soldier, before starting her track toward the bars. Partially out of boredom, also to annoy her mother, she winced against the ache in her neck as she began to belt out, "Oh every night, and every day. A little piece of you is falling away. But lift your face, the Western way, baby. Build your muscles as your body decays."

As she reached the doorway, Case looked back and noticed neither had moved, and both were watching her. With a shrug, she continued to belt out, "Toe their line and play their game…yeah let the anesthetic cover it all. 'Till one day they call your name…you know it's time for the hammer to fall."

"So…did you learn anything interesting?" Kayla asked.

She'd led the Asset to her office, asking about what he'd been able to get out of Case. She seemed more talkative toward him, and Kayla thought that maybe she'd get a clearer picture on things if she indulged at least one of Case's whims.

The Asset shook his head, "Not enough time to learn much…she was shot by a sniper during World War Two…thinks she's indestructible."

"Which is something you called her when she got here."

The Asset frowned, "What?"

"Yes, you called her the 'Indestructible' Siren."

The Asset chewed on his lip thoughtfully, "She called herself that."

Kayla huffed, "And when did she do that, pray tell?"

More silence from the Asset, his head drooping so he was looking down at his boots, no longer meeting her gaze.

"That's what I thought…see if you can get—"

"Azzano," The Asset suddenly said, looking back up at her.

"Azzano?" Kayla repeated. She knew the name sounded familiar, and it took her a few moments before she remembered, "Where that horrid factory was?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

"It's the answer to your question," The Asset frowned, "'When did she call herself that?' It was during World War Two…after the rescue mission from Azzano. She said…" He paused for a moment, "She…she believed she was already like a superhero already. She's indestructible, has bone claws, and great sense of smell and hearing."

Kayla blinked at him, "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

The Asset just blinked at her.

Kayla pinched at the bridge of her nose, "Alright…we'll try again tomorrow. Dismissed Soldat."