REVAMPED!


Chapter Eleven: Her Direction

Steve and Peggy are currently flying towards their next mission. They're a few miles out from their drop zone and preparing for the moment. However, the two of them get ready differently: Peggy straps on a parachute and Steve just stands there, waiting for the signal to jump out and get the job done. He leans against the wall as if this wasn't a big deal.

"We're above the ocean, I'll be fine," Steve says the moment Peggy gives him a stern motherly expression

"Put on a bloody parachute," Peggy orders.

"But it doesn't match my outfit," Steve jokes, laughing at his own joke. He's the only one who laughs at it.

Peggy rolls her eyes. "Well, if you drown, I'll be sure to fish out your body."

"Get ready to do so."

At that moment, the door opens and Steve leaps out of the quinjet the second the order was yelled. Peggy peers over and smirks wildly to herself as she jumps out after him.

-o-

The world went dark. He shifted through an infinite void. Suddenly, he felt weightless. Falling. The sounds around him faded away. Then, there was a splash. Ice cold water enveloped him, inundated his lungs. He was being pulled in every direction, spinning, flipping.

A whirring sound filled his ears.

And then, he blacked out.

-o-

Earlier

Steve opens his eyes, unaware of where he is or how much time passed by. His brain is still in the process of waking up. It throbs massively. He tries to breathe but he can't.

That's when he notices that he's partially underwater, bobbing back and forth between the water and the surface.

Suddenly, it's like Steve's entire body wakes up. He coughs as he shoots his head up. It hurts to breathe but he has to in order to get out of the water.

Steve retains control of his body and swims against the current to the nearest shoreline. He pulls himself up and drops flat on the ground. He stares up at the sky and lets the sun baste his body. He's not completely out but the upper half of his body is which is all that matters at the moment.

He moans in pain as he tries to catch his breath. "I should start wearing parachutes..."

Steve feels his back and is relieved to feel his shield still strapped to his back. He closes his eyes and gives himself a minute, thinking about that last sentence before opening his eyes in horror.

"Peggy!" He yells softly.

Suddenly, he remembers everything that happened before here. He was hanging from a bridge, holding Peggy. He threw Peggy on the cliffside and then took the fall himself. And now, he's here and she's not.

Steve sits up, ignoring his throbbing head. He hunches forwards, hanging his head in-between his knees. He takes another second to himself before eventually pulling himself up. Steve looks around frantically, trying to figure out where he is and which way Qui Gong is.

He searches his body for his compass and is relieved to pull it out. He wouldn't know what he would've done if he lost that in the river. Just looking at Peggy's photo gives him hope that Sam showed up, they both got to Qui Gong, and are still alive. There was no way they have finished the mission yet, given that he wasn't unconscious for longer than he thinks he was.

-o-

Present

Gunshots ring in Peggy's ears as she continues to fall to the ground. She looks around and is relieved to see Sam flying out towards her. He soars in the air and grabs her arm. The two of them make a plummet towards the ground, not making the smooth landing they envisioned. Sam's landing skids, making them both stumble and fall. At least it wasn't a thirty-five-foot plummet.

The second the two of them regain balance on the ground, whatever's left of the warriors come pouring out. Sam and Peggy are out-numbered by at least a hundred. As various ideas of what they could do run through their heads, they back away. Peggy feels on herself for what weapons she has and it's an office stapler and a pair of scissors. She snags a gun from one of Sam's holsters and holds it out as Sam calculates the likelihood of surviving this which coming up with a feasible strategy. (Both of which come to a flat zero).

To their surprise, a giant fire blasts out from the dragon statue on the centre of their building. All of the warriors turn around and look in awe at their now-active god. Sam and Peggy look in confusion, especially Sam because he swears that there was nothing in there that could start a possible fire. All of the warriors bow, making Sam and Peggy feel uneasy.

"The Golden Dragon of Unity lives!" They all chant before continuing their worship.

"You did this?" Peggy whispers to Sam.

"I thought you did," Sam whispers back.

They both look at each other because this completely changes their plan even if they never had one, to begin with. But in their favour, the dragon starts spewing fireballs which hit some of the warriors. Sam and Peggy stand on the spot uneasy, hoping they wouldn't be shot at next.

"What would Steve do right now?" Sam mutters hypothetically.

Peggy tries to come up with an answer but she can't. No matter how many missions she's done with him or how much she loves him, she just isn't Steve. She looks up at The Golden Dragon of Unity and it was almost as if Sam's plan was a prayer she couldn't believe because out of the dragon's mouth comes Steve.

Peggy's heart immediately stops in disbelief. Visions of him falling off that cliff fill her mind, making this scenario seem too fake for her liking. Peggy lowers her gun and walks up to him. She endlessly and longingly stares at him. Her heart rate quickens as this situation becomes more real for her. Then, Steve is in front of her and a few tears escape her eyes. Steve grins a little at her and greets Sam with a nod.

"How - " Peggy starts, having to touch him to prove that he's really here. "What?"

"We'll talk later," Steve says. He looks at Sam. "Thank you for coming."

"Thanks for not tell her about me!" Sam exclaims sarcastically.

Steve rolls his eyes. "We'll talk later as well. We have a mission to complete."

"What's our plan?" Peggy asks as the warriors start congregating again after seeing the fraudulent motive of their god (which may have just angered them even more).

Steve shrugs his shoulders. "I was thinking we'll just wing it."

"Seriously?" Sam questions. "Wing it? You want to just wing it? Frankly, I'd like to, but I don't think that's an option. What would you really do in this situation?"

"Yeah, it is, Sam. Think of it. There are three of us in against, what looks like, fifty with barely any weapons to use. What would I really do in this situation? I'd do something that I was taught to do as a scrawny kid who got bullied every day back in the forties."

"And what might that be?" Peggy asks.

"Stay alive," Steve says as he charges forwards with his shield held out front.