August 5th, 1941,The Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Adeline had been running for 2 days to get to the harbour in time.
She was still covered in blood and gore from her killings, and she could feel her hair matting. She looked like the only survivor of a raid.
The sun was just beginning to rise, and so she hid behind a large pile of empty crates, making sure she had a view of the small harbour and anyone who looked like they could be Agent Carter.
People bustled backwards and forwards, but they all looked like normal wharf workers, so she stayed hidden.
The revving of an engine made her turn. A sleek black car was drawing up beside her hiding place. She narrowed her eyes and waited – it could be Hydra. They were no doubt looking for her.
The car door opened, and she watched as a woman got out, sunglasses and a large hat covering most of her face. She stood.
"Margaret Carter?" the woman turned and saw her. Her face went tight for a second, and Adeline knew it was because of her bloody appearance.
"Miss Wolfe?" she asked politely, and Adeline nodded, stepping out from her hiding place.
"Zat is me." she said, "You are here to help me, yes?"
"I am, Miss Wolfe. You are safe now." Her smooth voice put Adeline at ease. Carter held out her hand for the other woman to shake, and Adeline moved closer.
A sudden shiver went over her and the hairs in the back of her neck went up. In a swift movement, she grabbed the woman to her, and threw her to the ground, covering her with her own body. Machine gun fire rang out, and men started yelling. Adeline gritted her teeth as bullets poured over them, a few lodging themselves in her.
Carter recovered quickly, and Adeline let her up to hide behind her car, which seemed to be miraculously bulletproof. Carter pulled out a pistol, and returned fire with business-like efficiency, making the bullets stop for a second. She turned to Adeline to see her clenching her jaw in pain. "Miss Wolfe, have you been hit?" She gasped. Adeline nodded.
"Yes. I'll be fine." she said, knowing that already, the wounds would have closed over. Her body was working hard to dissolve the bullets – but it was a process, and she usually preferred to dig them out.
"Shit." Carter said, and pulled out a little black box, lifting it to her lips and yelling into it. "Stark! Land the damn plane and get medical supplies ready – the package is wounded."
"Yes, ma'am."
Adeline's eyebrows jumped up at the voice that crackled out of the box. And a plane?
Carter stood up, and returned fire again. "Just hang on! We'll get medical help for you!" she yelled down at Adeline, who was currently searching for something sharp to dig the bullets out. One in the back of her thigh, one in her shoulder and one in the middle of her back, just missing her spine.
"I don't need any medical attention…" Adeline muttered, but Carter didn't hear her.
Then, from overhead, a roar of an engine made both gun fighters pause. Adeline's fingers closed around a metal screw, and she looked up, as a plane began its descent.
With a curse, she jammed the screw into her thigh, feeling slick blood pour out. She moved it deeper, and felt the hard surface of the bullet. She scooped, and managed to bring it mostly to the surface, where she felt around with her fingers – the blood making it hard to grab.
"MISS WOLFE?!" Carter was wide-eyed, screaming over the roar of the engines. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Adeline waved away her concern and stood, running for the plane. As she had hoped, the gun fire was concentrated onto her, and she took it, but kept her momentum. She threw herself into the open door on the bottom and a few seconds later Carter collapsed half on top of her.
She could feel her blood trickling across the floor and closed her eyes, trying to gather some strength to sit up. She hadn't eaten in two days and had been moving non-stop – her body was exhausted. Her body was riddled with bullet holes, arteries had been severed, and she suspected her shin had been shattered.
Adeline sighed, and let herself drift off.
"Adeline… Adeline, wake up."
Adeline blinked open her eyes obediently.
It took her eyes a second to adjust to the dim lighting of the room she was in, and she noticed she had been sectioned off by mint coloured curtains. She was in a hospital.
"This seems to be a regular occurrence."
Adeline looked to the owner of the familiar voice. Abraham smiled down at her, and she let out a stuttering gasp, sitting up quickly.
"Abe?" she asked disbelievingly. He reached for her hand, meeting her grasp halfway. She could feel his hand trembling, and noticed his eyes were watery. "I thought I would never see…"
"So did I, dear girl." He sniffed slightly, and suddenly pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. Adeline balked slightly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been embraced. He noticed, and suddenly he was crying. "I left you there – I left you with those… Savages. Was haben sie für Sie?" What did they do to you?
Adeline let herself relax into his embrace, and soon, she found herself crying – silently, and without movement – but she was crying real tears of relief.
Adeline followed Abraham through the complex dutifully, taking in the surroundings with a practised eye – checking for targets and dangers. She stopped when she reminded herself – for the fifth time, that she wasn't in Germany anymore.
They were at an American military base – where Abraham was basing a lot of his research, and had started training some new recruits for his latest project. Adeline was eager to know what the doctor had been doing in their time apart.
She suddenly became aware of the eyes on her, and swallowed self-consciously. "Abe. Warum starrst sie?" Why are they staring?
Abraham chuckled, and allowed her to link her arm with his. "You are a beautiful young woman." she scowled, and looked down at her ill-fitting clothing and touched her birds-nest of hair. "Und wenn man in gebracht wurden - sah man sich wie tot waren." And when you were brought in - you looked like you were dead.
Adeline bit her lip. "How long has it been?"
"12 hours. Your body was exhausted. It wouldn't have taken so long if you had been properly nourished." Abraham's tone was vaguely reprimanding, and she bristled slightly as they walked into a metal lined building.
Instead of more soldiers, as she had expected, it had been turned into some kind of science-workshop. People in lab coats rushed around, carrying pieces of machinery, and other things that were almost entirely unfamiliar.
"Mr. Stark!" Abraham's voice cut through the noise, and a man who was bent over an aeroplane body straightened immediately. He turned, flipping up his welding helmet, and smiling winningly.
It faltered when he noticed Adeline, who stood her ground as his face drained of colour. "You-you're alive? And walking?" He regained some of his composure, and put his hands on his hips, in a vaguely accusatory stance. "You bled all over my plane."
Adeline raised an eyebrow, but Abraham beat her to the punch. "I told you that Miss Wolfe was special."
"It takes a lot more than some bullets to keep me down." Adeline said coolly. Instead of looking irate or offended as she had hoped, Stark looked delighted, and almost ran over to her.
"What's your deal? Is it impenetrable skin – but no…" he lifted one of her hands without permission, and ran his fingers and his eyes over it, looking for something. "No of course not – because there was blood. Perhaps-"
"She has improved senses, strength and speed. Not to mention advanced regenerative abilities that are seemingly limitless." Abraham said, sounding equally proud and excited. Stark's eyes bugged out of his head.
"I am not here to be gawked at." Adeline snapped, ripping back her hand. Both men looked at her guiltily. Stark retreated into himself somewhat. She sighed. He had risked himself to save her. "Would you like to see it?" she offered reluctantly. He nodded eagerly, and so she held out her hand. "Give me your screwdriver."
He handed her the tool that was sticking out of his pocket, and Adeline jammed it into her arm.
Both men jumped back in surprise.
Blood began trickling down her arm, so she pulled it out, and Stark watched in fascination as the wound closed over. "Wow." he breathed. "You're incredible."
Adeline flushed.