Hi again everyone! I hope you've all been doing good! We're back with another chapter and so let's start things off with another mandatory disclaimer! By golly, would you look at that! I still don't have rights to Marvel. Gosh darn it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to make due with Rose alone. I hope you enjoy what happens next! I'm excited for the next chapter! AH! Xoxo-NickyLynn
Luckily for Steve, he wasn't the only one who was willing to push into enemy territory for the chance at rescuing Rose. Howard Stark had jumped at the opportunity when Peggy had telephoned him and asked for his help. Within a couple hours' time, the three of them were loaded up into one of Howard's personal aircrafts and flying over the enemy line, towards the Hydra camp Rose and the others were being help captive at. Steve and Peggy sat across from each other in the back of the metal plane, while Howard navigated them through the dangerous air.
As they crept closer to their destination, Peggy began to fidget nervously, scared for Steve. While she knew he was capable of impressive feats, dropping him off in the middle of enemy lands with no back up of any kind, set her on edge. But there was no talking him out of this, so the best she could do was prepare him however she could. So, she pulled out the map she had tucked in her bag, flipping it open to the page that detailed the area they were currently flying over.
"The Hydra camp is in Krausberg." She told him, pointing it out on the paper resting on her lap. "Tucked between these two mountain ranges." Steve looked down at where she had been pointing, storing the layout of the area into his memory.
"It's a factory of some sort." She explained, looking up at him.
"We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep." Howard called back to Steve from his spot in the cock pit.
"Just get me as close as you can." Steve called back to him. "You know, you two are going to be in a lot of trouble when you land." He stated, knowing they were both taking huge risks in helping him.
"Yeah, well I'm sure whatever happens to us isn't even half as bad as whatever Hydra has been subjecting Rose to." Howard called back again, very much okay with any reprimanding that awaited him. "You just do what you can to get your sister out of there and it will all be worth it." He insisted.
Steve looked from Howard, who had turned back around to face out the windshield again, to Peggy. "She'd do the same for us." Peggy told him with a reassuring smile. "Besides, it's you you should be worried about."
"Yeah, well where I'm going if anybody yells at me, I can just shoot them." He responded.
"They will undoubtedly shoot back." She replied, her anxiety rising with the thought of him encountering gunfire.
"Well, let's hope this is good for something." Steve sighed, rapping his knuckles on the shield that was resting against the wall of the craft beside him.
"Oh, Agent Charter!" Howard shouted back again, pulling the pairs' attention back up to him. "If we're not in too much of a hurry, I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue."
Peggy rolled her eyes at his unbelievably bad-timed flirting, having a hard time believing he could actually be thinking about something as silly as cheese in that moment. But knowing Howard the way she did, he was most likely trying to lighten the heavy mood. Per usual, it seemed he had great intent, but poor execution. Peggy looked over at Steve who was giving her an unimpressed raised eyebrow at the out-of-place comment. Peggy looked from Steve to the back of Howard's head. "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen." She eventually said, feeling the need to defend him, if only a little. "He's the only person mad enough to brave this airspace for your sister. We're lucky to have him."
Steve just nodded his head, trying to understand the dynamics between the two. "So are you two….do you…." He began trying to ask, unsure how to word the question. "Fondue?" he eventually chose to say, mentally berating himself for the unusual choice after it left his mouth.
Peggy's eyebrows drew in together for a moment before she chose to ignore the question and keep the topic on more important matters than her love life. "This is your transporter." She instead said, holding the communication device out to Steve. "Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you."
Steve took the small box from her grasp, flipping it over in his hands apprehensively. "You sure this thing works?" he called up to Howard, holding the device up.
"It's been tested more than you, pal." He said back, leaning around in his chair to give him a smirk. Howard whipped his head back around when the loud sound of blasting and bright lights exploded in front of the plane. More flashes of lights and banging followed after, and he had to swerve the large plane out of the line of fire as bullets began to rip through the air from the ground below. Peggy and Steve were tossed against the sides of the plane with the sudden turn, everyone on instant alert with the sudden attack.
Knowing the gunfire would only get worse the closer they got, Steve shot up from his seat and moved back to the rear door. "Get back here!" Peggy shouted, knowing what he planned on doing. "We're taking you all the way in!" she insisted as he pulled open the heavy door, the wind rushing by in powerful gusts.
Steve ignored her and instead swung his feet over the ledge of the open doorway, looking down at the open air below him and the explosions it was being filled with. "As soon as I'm clear you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!" he shouted up at Peggy over the roaring sounds of the wind and motor.
"You can't give me orders!" she yelled back at him.
"The hell I can't!" he shouted back. "I'm a Captain." He told her with a smirk. He grinned up at her for moment before pulling back the goggles from his helmet and shifting them over his eyes. Without letting himself think too much about what he was about to do, he used his legs to propel himself forward and out of the plane. The wind rushed past him so fast it made it difficult for Steve to even breath. He free fell through the air for a few seconds, before pulling the cord on his chest, releasing his parachute. Once the bundle of fabric folded out from it's confines and filled with air, he felt the sharp tug on his shoulders as he was jerked back and began descending through the air slower and with control. He watched as the plane above him make a wide turn as Howard and Peggy began making their way back the way they had come, and Steve knew from then on out….he was on his own.
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Inside the Hydra base, Schmidt stared in contemplation at Rose's face which sat with eyes closed peacefully behind the frosted pane of glass before him. The truth was, he didn't know what to do with the creation that lay before him. The experiment had yielded results he hadn't expected. It seemed the Tesseract had, remarkably, left traces of it's power within her newly improved body. The impacts of which had yet to be tested. And the truth was, he was hesitant to allow her a chance to use the power that now flowed through her veins against them. She was full of remarkable possibilities, but until he could ensure her complete compliance, they had little choice but keep her in this form of suspended animation. Zola had promised him that the brainwashing techniques currently in the trial stages were promising, and soon he had hope they would be able to use them on her….to forge her into the perfect weapon.
They had tried to recreate the process by which Rose was granted the Tesseract's power, by using one of their strong, promising soldiers, but when the Tesseract's power had been conducted into the man, well…..let's just say that it didn't yield the same results. The power was too much for the man and instead of an explosion of power bursting through the room, it was an explosion of his body. After a second attempt with the same results, he knew it was no fluke. Somehow Rose had survived a process that no one else seemed able to. He stared at the nurse's face and could feel the irritation in him rise. He didn't know what made her so different. Why had it worked on her and not them?
Schmidt let out a sigh. Perhaps the why did not matter in the end. They had managed to create something wonderous and he would turn her into the perfect weapon….he just needed time. So, while Zola worked out the kinks with the brainwashing techniques, and they found a new energy source to stabilize the formula….they kept Rose in the cryochamber….buying themselves the time they needed.
He turned at the sound of approaching feet to find Zola shuffling along towards him. "Reports, Doctor." He ordered.
"The experiments with Sergeant Barnes are proving successful so far. He seems rather compliant after short sessions, but the length of compliancy is the problem. The brainwashing wears off within an hour, if not less. I believe lengthening the session times will help." He explained. While they had kept their promise on keeping Bucky Barnes alive, there had been no stipulations on not….altering him a little. They used him as their guinea pig for the brainwashing and so far he had proved to be rather helpful in that regard.
"Good." Schmidt said, pleased.
Suddenly, a loud blaring sound broke out throughout the facility, startling them. The warning light began bathing the room in intervals of red as Schmidt strode over to the control center at the far side of room.
"What is it?" Zola asked concerned, looking down at the monitors along side Schmidt.
They watched the screens as men could be seen running around frantically. It seemed that their prisoners had somehow managed to escape and had been causing quite the ruckus. One man in particular caught Schmidt's eye and he turned to the monitor, watching the black and white image closely. Sure enough, his worries were not unfounded. There, knocking out several of his men single-handedly, was the same man who had been given Abraham's serum…..the super-soldier the allies had managed to create. The anger built in him with the realization that this base was now entirely compromised. They were no match for the small army of prisoners and a super soldier.
Schmidt let out a sigh as he reached forward and began switching the row of buttons and switches that would set the entire base into self-destruct mode. "What are you doing!?" Zola cried out in alarm.
"Our forces are outmatched." He said simply, motioning towards the screen. Zola looked from him to the screen, before realization dawned on him and he took off in a run, rushing out to collect what little belongings and important paperwork he could find. Schmidt, however, calmly finished flipping the necessary switches before moving back over to the other side of the room. He picked up the stack of syringes filled with tranquilizer (kept as back up in case the cryochamber failed) and slid them in his pocket.
He then moved over to the cryochamber Rose was sealed within, flipping the switches on the outside and shutting it down. The machine let out a loud hiss as he pulled open the door, a blast of freezing air hitting his face in a cold blast. He reached forward and pulled her out of the chamber and threw her limp, still unconscious form over his shoulder. He may have been able to part with the weapons that had been stored at the base, they could be recreated afterall, but he knew that there would be no recreating this weapon. Rose was more valuable than anything in the entire property, save the Tesseract itself, which he pulled from it's housing unit, as well. With the Tesseract in one hand and Rose in the other, he made his way out of the room and towards the aircraft that would be his means of escape.
But as he walked down the metal walkway that led to the elevator shaft that would bring them to the launch pad, a familiar set of faces across from him caught his eye. Captain America stood on the other side of the broken walkway, with Sergeant Barnes just behind him, both of whom froze when they caught site of the form cast over his shoulder. "Ah, Captain America." Schmidt said in acknowledgement. "How exciting! I am a great fan of your films!" he shouted across the room, shouting to be heard over the explosions below them. He shifted his hold on Rose, bringing her down in front of him, letting her weight lean back against him as her head sagged against his shoulder. With his inhuman strength, it was easy to keep her held up.
When Steve took in the sight before him, he had to double check that his eyes had not been deceiving him. While the unconscious woman Schmidt held in his grasp resembled his sister…..she also looked entirely different in every way, other than her face. His mouth fell open in shock, taking in her altered appearance.
"It is so good to meet another one of Abraham's creations." Schmidt said with a false smile. "Not much of an improvement, but still….impressive." he commented.
"You have no idea." Steve called back to him, finally able to find his voice. He looked down at the broken walkway, separating him from Schmidt and knew even with his enhanced abilities, he would not be able to make the long jump. "What did you do to Rose?" he chose to ask, looking back up at Schmidt, feeling the anger beginning to burn withinin him.
Schmidt looked down at Rose with a devious smile. "I have made her into a perfect weapon. You may be Erskine's greatest creation…..but she will be mine." He said, looking back up at Steve.
"Rose is not your anything." Steve seethed, never before being filled with such a strong need to protect his sister. "Whatever you've done to her….she's not a weapon!"
"You are deluded Captain." Schmidt said. "You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind! We are Gods! Our power is unbridled and unlike you, I embrace that proudly! Without fear!" he shouted as he moved backwards towards the small elevator shaft. "Your sister will be the beginning of a new era!"
"If you aren't scared then why are you running away?!" shouted Steve as he watched Schmidt retreat.
It was in that moment that Rose began to drift slowly back into consciousness. Though she began to become alert, her brain was nothing but a muddled mess. She couldn't remember anything and had no idea what was going on around her. As her senses came back into her, she knew she could hear voices, but her mind still had a hard time processing the words. One voice she knew though. "Steve?" she mumbled out, still not being able open her eyes just yet.
Schmidt looked down at the stirring woman and knew he had to get a tranquilizer in her soon. He finished backing up into the side of the wall, reaching back and pressing the button for the automatic door.
Rose pried her heavy eyes open a crack and the blurry form of her brother filtered into her vision. Her foggy brain still couldn't piece together what has happening, or why Steve was there. But there was still a small part of her that knew he was there to save her. "Steve!" she said again, meaning to shout, but it came out barely about a whisper.
Steve watched Rose's lips move and form his name from across the distance, but her voice never reached his ears. He watched as the doors slide open and Schmidt pulled her back into the shaft with him. "Rose!" he yelled out helplessly, as another powerful explosion filled the space between them. Schmidt began laughing as the doors began to slide shut again. "Goodbye, Captain America." Schmidt called before the doors finished snapping closed.
"ROSE!" Steve shouted again, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop Schmidt, or save Rose. He was knocked off balance by a powerful blast that shook the walkway him and Bucky were standing on.
"Steve, we've got to get out of here!" Bucky shouted over the blast.
Steve's eyes swept up above him, following the path of the elevator before seeing a metal beam they could use to get across. "Come on!" he shouted to Bucky, before turning and running to the stairwell behind them.
In the elevator, as Rose began stirring further into consciousness, Schmidt adjusted his hold on her and pulled out one of the syringes from him pocket. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and jabbed the needle into the side of Rose's neck. "Shh, shh, shh." He soothed as she let out a groan and her eyes became heavy with sleep once again. She went fully limp within seconds and he threw her back over his shoulder. The doors slide open, revealing the nighttime sky outside. He looked across the walkway, down to the rocket that lay at the end and smiled. He stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the craft. He slid the door of the rocket open before stepping inside. He dropped Rose in a heap on the seat next to his before sitting as well and sliding the door closed again. He powered the machine into life and wasted no time in getting them into the air and safely away from the destroyed base.
Inside, Bucky and Steve made it to the metal beam, that swayed with each blast that send it rocking. They looked at each other nervously, but knew they had no other choice. This way their only way across and out of the warehouse. "Let's go. One at a time." Steve said, giving Bucky a reassuring nod. Bucky took hold of the railing and swung his leg over, stepping up onto the beam.
Bucky began shuffling along the walkway, arms held out to the side to help balance himself. He swayed back and forth, the blasts beneath him making it harder and harder to get across the unstable beam. When he made it to the half-way point, a large explosion sent the end of the beam shifting and Bucky nearly toppled over the side with the sudden movement. Once he stabilized himself again, he hurried the rest of the way and had to jump off at the end and cling to the railing as the beam shifted further down and began falling to the ground far below.
Bucky pulled himself over the railing, looking across at Steve, panic filling him as they just lost Steve's only way across the vast distance. "There's gotta be a rope or something!" he shouted.
"Just go! Get out of here!" Steve yelled back, waving at Bucky to go without him.
"NO! Not without you!" Bucky yelled at the top of his lungs, slamming his hand down on the railing. He wasn't about to leave Steve. He already failed in keeping Rose safe….he wasn't about to fail Steve too. He would die before he left Steve in here alone.
Steve looked from Bucky to the space separating them and then down at the broken rail in front of him. "Hell." He grunted, knowing he had no choice by to try and jump. He reached forward and pried the broken railing out of the way, so he had a clear shot. He took a few stepped back as far as he could go before he drew in a deep breath and held it. He took off in a run and as soon as his feet hit the edge, he pushed off as hard as he could.
He flew through the air, feeling the heat of the explosions below him as he did. He watched his path of trajectory and knew he wasn't going to make it all the way. He braced himself before slamming into the other side of the wall. He frantically reached out and took hold of the bottom of the railing above him, as the rest of him collided with the cement wall. He looked down at the explosions below him in fear before looking back up to find Bucky reaching down to him on his hands and knees, grabbing hold of the back of his uniform and using it to help pry Steve up. Bucky let out a low groan as he pulled up his friend from the edge until Steve could take hold of the railing with his other hand and finish pulling himself the remainder of the way up.
Steve pulled himself over the railing and onto safety before letting out a relived sigh. "Thanks." He said, out of breath.
"Don't mention it. Now, come on!" he shouted, smacking Steve's chest with the back of his hand as he took off running. Steve followed quickly behind him, both of them not wanting to waste a second in getting the hell out of there.
And get the hell out of there, they did. They found a way out and met up with the group of released prisoners, who had been busy winning their own battle outside. Once they joined the others, Steve finally stopped, turned backed towards the burning warehouse behind them and let himself process everything. While the men around him hollered in victory, Steve couldn't find himself to brand the mission as a victory. It was true, he was able to save Bucky and the other men from being held captive, but he had failed the one person he had wished to save more than anyone else. Schmidt had managed to get away with Rose still in his clutches….and worse yet, he was too late anyways….for it seemed that Rose had been the subject of some form of experimentation. Her altered body and white hair were proof of that. Steve looked back at the burning building and couldn't help but feel that he had failed Rose…he had failed his sister.
Bucky, sensing Steve's thoughts, placed a heavy hand down on his shoulder. Steve looked over at him distraughtly. "We'll get her back, man." Bucky told him. "This isn't over." He promised.
Steve could feel the determination radiating off of Bucky and it helped him latch onto that sliver of hope that lingered deep within him. Steve looked back over at the warehouse, eyebrows lowered down in determination. "No….it isn't." he agreed.