Chapter 25: The Last Hydra Base
The cold wind nipped at my face as Steve's motorcycle flew through the woods. My arms were loosely wrapped around his middle and his shield was strapped to my back for protection. We had hardly spoken to each other the whole ride towards Red Skull's base. I had defied his orders by going with him. It wasn't like he could keep me from doing so. We were still a team, Steve and I. Someone had to protect his back. I also wanted to kill a bunch of Hydra lackeys while I was at it.
The thunderous sound of roaring engines finally emerged from out of the trees. I looked back to see six Hydra men on tank-like motorcycles trailing behind us. The two in front shot at us with their high-powered weapons. The shots hit Steve's shield and bounced off into the trees. Steve swerved onto a different path and our pursuers' did the same. With a flip of two different switches, a rope shot out from behind me, attaching to two trees. I watched as four of the Hydra men ducked under the rope and two weren't quick enough. They went flying back off of their motorcycles.
The other four were gaining on us. I squeezed Steve's middle a little harder and shouted, "Punch it!"
Steve pressed a small red button on the control pad next to the right handlebar. The engine roared as we sped up, fire erupting from the tailpipe. With Steve's shield protecting me, I hardly felt the heat from the fire. When I looked back, one of the men's motorcycles crashed to the ground with him and it ablaze. A cry alerted me to another crash as a fourth man hit a fallen tree and was ejected from his seat. The last two Hydra men had been smart enough, however, to take a shortcut which landed them in front of us. I felt Steve lean forward as he sped us up right between them. One of the idiots had a grenade sitting near the back of his motorcycle. As Steve pulled passed the two, he reached over and grabbed the pin out of the grenade, making it live. The way the two Hydra associates looked at each other before they blew up was rather comical.
All six motorcyclists were disposed of, but we still had to deal with the tank that was parked at the short wall that served as the entrance to the Hydra base. Without a word, I handed Steve his shield from off of my back and he placed it in front of the handlebars. Two canons and the tank went off, blasting soil and shattering trees all around us. Steve masterfully swerved each blast of blue and orange flames that were launched out way. When the tank started to roll towards us, Steve flipped another switch which sent two small grenades at the tank, blasting it to bits.
The short wall had two slopes between each cannon and Steve drove us right up the wall. By the time we were midair, a host of Hydra men had flooded the area with their glowing weapons and more tanks. The blast from the first tank, thankfully, had pushed back some of the men from attack. I was itching to get my hands on some of them.
"Time to go," Steve shouted back at me.
Without acknowledging his words, I growled, releasing his body as I pushed myself off of Steve's motorcycle. It hurt as I skidded along the rough dirt. I had flipped over once, tearing the skin from the right side of my face. I must have looked terrifying to the first man who approached me because he hesitated. This gave me time to slice my knife across his thick jumpsuit, cutting clean through his throat. I cut down the next two men who were stupid enough to approach me just as fast. With a pained grunt, I felt a bullet pierce my upper arm and fly out the other side. The man who shot me from behind was completely covered head to toe in tactical gear. An explosion made the man flinch and turn away from me. That was his mistake. I launched myself at his weapon, ripping it from his grasp too easily. To my surprise, the man punched me in the gut. The wind was knocked out of me momentarily as he tried to wrestle the weapon back. I managed to get myself behind him and kick the back of his knees, sending him to the ground. I used the butt of the weapon to bash in the back of his head. His helmet went flying off. I aimed the super weapon for the kill. Then, ever so slightly, he turned around. I almost fell to the ground myself. I could see one of his dusty blue eyes glaring at me. An image of Bucky flashed before my eyes. I grit my teeth and, with a pull of the trigger, the man before me was turned to ash in the blue light.
The explosion moments ago, I had noticed, was from the motorcycle. It had left a gigantic hole in the inner wall to the base. I couldn't see Steve. I could hear the clanging of his shield hitting the metal tanks, however. I ran in the direction I last heard the noise, blasting all Hydra men who got in my way. Steve was quickly beating off each man who ran at him. I called out his name as soon as I got close enough, alerting him to a new attack. Steve crouched down, shield above his head. I dropped the weapon, running at top speed. I launched myself at Steve's shield, kicking off with one foot and slamming the other into a Hydra man's head. It snapped with a sickening crack. Side by side, Steve and I managed to fight off the Hydra men. Two overly suited guys with flame throwers approached us. They blocked us in a diamond shape with their flames. More Hydra men surrounded us as the two men lowered their flamethrowers. Steve looked around before his eyes landed on me. With a nod, he placed his shield back on his back and we both raised out hands in surrender. Everything was going exactly as planned.
It took two men each to cuff us and lead us to Red Skull. Schmidt's lab was high above the base in the mountain. The metal walls were vaulted and covered in the Hydra symbol and mythological carvings. The lab was dim with the exception of artificial light coming from floor lamps and a huge bay window looking out over the Swiss Alps. When we had been brought in, Schmidt was standing by his desk. As soon as he looked up, a cruel smile graced his unnatural red skull.
"Arrogance may not be a uniquely American trait," he briskly walked over to Steve, "but I must say, you do it better than anyone. But there are limits to what even you can do, Captain. Or did Erskine tell you otherwise?"
"He told me you were insane," Steve's eyes narrowed at the German.
"Ah. He resented my genius and tried to deny me what was rightfully mine," Schmidt almost looked sad. I wanted to roll my eyes. "But he gave you everything. So, what made you so special?"
"Nothin'," Steve scoffed. "I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."
Schmidt grunted at pulled back his arm like he was going to hit Steve. I struggled against the hold on my shoulder. That's when Red Skull's dead black eyes finally looked at me. He cocked his head to the side so hard I though his neck would crack. The cruel smile came back to his face.
"And I am not surprised to find you here, Doctor Mitchell, was it," Schmidt placed his hands behind his back as he stood in front of me. "Talk of your reputation has caught my attention as well." He made a gesture and one of the Hydra soldiers behind me grabbed my cuffed hands. He raised them in the air so my wrists were facing Schmidt who roughly grasped my left wrist and examined the green veins. Before he could speak again, I noticed that one of the Hydra soldier's gloves had been pushed up from Schmidt's manhandling. The soldier's bare skin was touching mine. I glared at Schmidt, watching the reflection of my hazel irises turned neon green. The soldier started to choke. The second man holding me was quick to pull the dying man away. Schmidt did not seem angered by my action, instead, he looked intrigued.
"You are not one of Erskine's. I would know if you were. So, what are you?"
"A better human than you'll ever be," Steve said. Schmidt's head snapped towards Steve. The Red Skull smacked him across the face. I lunged for Schmidt. A bigger, stronger Hydra soldier grabbed me, pulling me back as Schmidt punched Steve's face and then sucker punched him in the gut. My friend fell to his knees, breathing hard. When he looked back up at Schmidt, there was a little blood rolling down the corner of his mouth, "I can do this all day."
"Oh, of course you can. Of course," Schmidt pulled out an energized pistol and pointed it right at Steve's head. "But unfortunately I am on a tight schedule."
At that moment, crunching metallic noises echoed through the lab. Schmidt turned to the window to see the Commandos ziplining over the deep mountain pass towards the lab window. "So are we," Steve grunted, grabbing one of the soldiers holding him and pulling him down as a shield as Schmidt pulled the trigger. The soldier burst into ash as the Commandos crashed through the window. Jim, Falsworth, Dum Dum, and Gabe open fired on the Hydra soldiers. I used the split second shock from the soldier behind me to use our combined weight to bring him down to the ground. My elbow slammed into his windpipe, effectively cutting off his breathing. Across from me, Steve had also taken out his capturers and managed to break the mental bonds on his wrists.
"Rogers," I heard Falsworth shout over the noise, "you might need this."
He picked up Steve's fallen shield and flung it towards captain America who caught it effortlessly. "Hey," I shouted at my friend. Steve smirked when I held up my wrists. "A little help?"
Steve raised his shield and brought it down hard on the metal keeping my wrists together. The force almost brought me to my knees and shattered the metal. I nodded my thanks as bullets flew all around us. Without a second glance, Steve took off in the direction Schmidt had fled. I followed him.
"What are you doing," Steve gasped as I caught up with him. "The plan was you'd stick with the Commandos and clear out the labs!"
We stopped at a cross-section before Steve decided to run down one end of the hall with me still training behind him. "How many times do I have to remind you, Steve," I panted. "We are partners! Friends don't leave friends behind!"
"You don't have to do this." My eyes shut as I frowned. Steve sighed, never seeming to be out of breath as we kept running, "I know why you're doing this. I lost him too, Macie. It doesn't have to be like this."
My head snapped towards Steve, "It doesn't have to be like what? Upsetting? Blinding rage? You lost him too, yes, but you have no idea why I'm doing this, Steve. I could tell you over and over what it was like for me, watching Bucky fall. Until you have all that you love ripped from you – then tell me you know."
From inside the halls, we could hear the bombs and tanks going off outside. The Assault Team was at the inner wall where Steve's motorcycle had blown through earlier. It wouldn't take long for us to wipe out this entire base. But I knew there were bigger fish to fry. Red Skull would not get away. Not this time. Not when we had him on the run. Steve and I had rounded a corner just in time to see Schmidt pick up one of his larger weapons and blast a few of our men into ash. Shield up, Steve chased him down, dodging blasts left and right as I trailed behind. When it seemed like Schmidt would actually get away, Steve flung his shield towards Red Skull. The round shield got caught between closing bay doors, giving us another chance.
With no time to celebrate, we took off only to be stopped short by a Hydra soldier with dual flamethrowers on his arms. Steve pulled me into a doorway to protect us both. Without his shield, Steve was vulnerable. I managed to swing my body around so it was my back that was getting singed by the heat of the fire. The sound of a machine gun and a small explosion alerted us that we had backup. Peggy, followed by members of the Assault Team, ran towards us. Steve jogged forward to meet her. I grasped the doorframe, arching my back as I felt the blistering skin heal up.
"Hey, partner," I looked over to Steve who was waving at me from down the hall. "You comin'?"
A smile came to my face as I jogged towards him. When I passed Peggy I noticed she looked flustered. As I passed her I said, "Next time make your move." Steve, who hadn't heard my little bit of advice to Peggy, waited for me to duck under his shield before he yanked it free of the doors, making it shut behind us.
The hallway behind the doors led us to a hangar bay which was already being cleared out by the Assault Team. Dozens of sleek-grey Nubian Star Wars looking planes were gearing up to take off. Steve and I didn't care about the smaller planes. We knew that the biggest one was where Schmidt would be. All we had to do was get passed the army of blue energy gun wielding Hydra soldiers. It wasn't hard to dodge the blasts. The blue energy was a straight shot once it was released. It traveled fast, however. Steve told me to follow closely behind him as he blocked a few blasts with his shield and rammed it into any Hydra soldiers who got too close.
Up ahead was a hanging chain suspended from some sort of wheel mechanism used to transport heavy metal crates. A rogue blast had cut through it moments before which make the contents fall to the ground. Steve jumped up on one of the crates and took a hold of the hanging chain. He told me to grab on to him so I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly. With his shield protecting us in one hand, Steve jumped, flinging us over the heads of both Hydra and our Allied forces. When we dropped to the ground, we were just feet away from the plane.
Steve started to pump his arms faster as his legs carried him closer and closer, but still out of reach. I was falling behind both the plane and Steve. The rumble of a motor came from behind me and I stopped long enough to see Peggy and Colonel Phillips pull up next to me. "Get in," Peggy shouted over the noise of Schmidt's plane.
As soon as I was in the car, Phillips drove off at top speed. He caught up to Steve in record time who, like I had, stopped running. It was Phillips who told Steve to get in the car and again, took off as soon as Steve's feet hit the upholstery. Phillips pressed the gas down to the floor as the engine roared with a ferocity I had only heard in modern vehicles. But I didn't have time to reflect. The hangar bay doors were open and Schmidt was about to get away. Luckily, Hydra scientists had modified this particular car. Phillips pressed a button with the Hydra logo on it and the car jolted a good forty miles an hour faster than we had been previously going. It was just enough to get us caught up to the back of the plane where we could hang on to the metal attached to the wheels and be lifted into the plane safely.
I crawled over Peggy to stand on the side of the car. I held on for dear life. Falling at that speed would really, really hurt. "Keep it steady," Steve shouted to Phillips as he climbed over the side behind me. There was just enough room for the both of us to slide between the propellers to make a jump for the platform between the wheels. Just as I was about to jump, I heard Peggy call out. When I looked back, she had grasped Steve by the front of his suit and was kissing him. I felt a flicker of guilt. If history was to repeat itself, once I entered this plane, there was no chance of me coming back. Steve had asked why I was here; why I wanted to stick with him; why I was doing this. I was doing this because I had nothing else. I was doing this because I didn't not want Steve to be alone. I resigned myself to the same fate as Steven Grant Rogers the moment I decided to follow him into battle.
I shook off the horrible guilt I was feeling and jumped onto the tiny platform between the wheels of Schmidt's ship I said a silent goodbye to Agent Peggy Carter, Colonel Chester Phillips, and the brave Howling Commandos who I knew I would never see again.