Chapter 7
A warm dusty light hung from the ceiling as it attempted to light the bunkered room. The light fluttered down to a large round table with a map printed across the surface. Four figures, varying in height stood around it intently studying the designs on the table. Annie stood at the edge of the table that was littered with pagers that appeared chaotic and illogical to most but completely sensical to her. Colonel Phillips stood beside to read pages when necessary. Steve had cunningly placed himself beside Peggy for the meeting, quite pleased by his choice.
"From what we gathered on the last mission is that HYDRA transports their weapons and supplies by train across the mountain range here," Annie informed in an even tone as her finger rested on a point of the map that had drawn figures of mountains.
Colonel Phillips nodded silently as if analysing the information before asking, "How important are these shipments."
"They vary in significance but luckily I located a schedule of deliveries and can locate when the more important ones will occur. If we hit an important shipment of weapons and supplies HYDRA will feel it more. Hopefully this will slow them down and weaken them."
Phillips turned to Steve with the shadow of a smug grin on his mostly stern face, "This is why she went on the mission. If it was just your men, I would have gotten an unmarked map and HYDRA's lunch orders"
Steve, ignoring Phillips' jab, turned back to attempting to read the translated papers upside down as he asked, "How do we stop the train?"
Annie cringed sightly as Steve questioned about the only thing Annie was unsure about, "That is the tricky part. From what I have gathered where the shipment ends is highly guarded and the beginning point is still unknown. And we can't stop the train without risking an explosion of the volatile weapons onboard. The only way to intercept the shipment is while it's moving. The issue with that is due to the speed of the train, it's highly dangerous. You would have to find a point where you're hidden like this mountain and zip line down onto the roof. But that plan would be too dan-"
Phillip cut Annie off as she attempted to present the flaws of the plan, "Steve can you and your team make that."
"We can try Sir", Steve reported surely.
"But that plan isn't suitable; they would have a tiny window to safely land onto the train", Annie argued worriedly.
"And that's all they need. Rogers prepare your team. Rogers…" Phillips stopped at the confusing shared surname of the two. "Smaller Rogers, when will the next important shipment come?"
Annie reluctant to provide the information answered, "Sir this isn't a good idea, there are numerous things that could go wrong-"
"Rogers! I asked for the train schedule, not a lecture on taking risks."
Annie still didn't give him the time of the next train which she dreadfully knew was in 3 days time, which meant that to reach it they would have to leave tomorrow.
Phillips keeping an agitated stare on Annie suddenly grasped the translated schedule and examined the times. Annie mentally kicked herself for circling the major shipments.
"Rogers! ...other one" he added as Annie looked at him. Turning to Steve he ordered, "The next shipment is in 3 days. I want your team ready to leave tomorrow at dawn."
Steve nodded without looking at Annie's horrified face.
"Sir they can't it-", Annie struggled.
"Rogers that is final! No arguments", Colonel Phillips retaliated strictly before exiting the room.
The dispute died on her tongue at the sharp words of the Colonel. Annie did not want this meeting to go like this. She certainly didn't want her brother and Bucky to slide down on a thin line onto a moving train in a perilous mountain range. Fear of the possible outcomes setting in her nerves.
"Steve! How could you agree to that?" Annie interrogated as she stormed after her brother.
"Annie, I have to," Steve answered.
"No, you don't have to do anything, Phillips doesn't own you."
"I know, but what do you think HYDRA is going to do with those weapons once they reach them," Steve argued.
Annie stilled realising that Steve was going to win. Damn his logical heroism, Annie begrudged. She still attempted to justify, her tone growing soft, "Yes Steve but what about your safety, and your teammates. That is a dangerous mission; I don't want any of you to get hurt."
Steve watched his desperate sister with empathetic eyes. Steve had seen the toll their missions had taken on her. Steve understood what she was going through because he had recently experienced it himself when she had come on the mission with them. The constant questioning of their current safety and hopeless to change it. But Steve knew he had to do this, his moral compass determinedly directed towards that train.
Annie sighed defeatedly, her stance swaying as Steve, as he always did, convinced her that it was for the greater good. "You're right, I-I know its selfish but I hate it when you and Bucky go on dangerous missions and I don't know if you're coming back and I feel powerless," she confessed as her gaze hid from Steve and her hand anxiously rubbed her other arm. Annie hated how wanting Bucky and Steve's safety made her feel so selfish, she despised that the only way they can save lives is by putting their own on the line. And one day that line going to be too thin and one of them won't come home. Annie had a growing, guttural feeling that too many risks were being taken.
Steve's expression had fallen to mirror her own anguished one. Steve rested his hands on Annie's arms in a warm but gentle hold, "Annie, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure everyone comes home."
Annie couldn't help but respond, "That doesn't comfort me, I've seen what you can do." She attempted to swallow down the smirk threatening to emerge.
Steve caught on, "I will have you know that I am a super-soldier."
The smirk now free Annie quips, "No amount of serum can improve your ability to talk to women."
Steve's eyebrows shoot up, his mouth agape in mock outrage. She rolled her eyes at him and tugged Steve into a firm hug. It only rook a moment for Steve to catch on and wrap his arms around her. She felt so small and fragile now, but Steve realised Annie still saw him as small and fragile. To the colonel and the Howling Commandos, Steve was an almost indestructible soldier but to Annie he was just her brother. She had looked out for him her entire life and she couldn't just stop. Like he couldn't stop himself from going tomorrow.
"You're going to go tomorrow, aren't you?" Annie breathed from the door flap of Bucky's tent. Her arms curled around her as she tried to contain her growing sense of dread.
Bucky looked up from stuffing his racksack with only basic supplies. He frowned at her. She looked small standing there, her features twisted with worry. Annie had always been full of life and opinions. Yet right now she was like a quiet and compressed version of herself. He didn't like it.
Bucky sat down on his coat with a sigh and patted the vacant spot beside him. Annie's arms dropped and a dreaded herself over to him. Immediately after sitting she rested. Her head against his shoulder and all Bucky could do want let out a small smile at the action.
"I think you already know the answer to that question," Bucky hummed softly. She was so close, there was no doubt she could hear. He covered her hand with his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it. Hoping that it would comfort her a little.
"You couldn't just be a bad friend once, could you?" She left out a warm puff of air that brushed his arm.
Bucky let out a light chuckle, "Steve's the saint, not me. But someone needs to have his back out there. In case you forgot, he's kinda a reckless idiot."
"Yeah, why do you think I'm in this situation? And you're loyal to a fault Bucky Barnes. Don't sell yourself short." Her voice finally regained some of its depth and strength. She sounded a bit more like the fierce Annie he knew.
"How could I when you're always complimenting me?"
She snickered, trying to hide it under a tired groan. Annie twisted her face into his shoulder and in this moment all he wanted to do was hold her. But all he could allow himself was to keep holding her hand. They had started to go slightly clammy, but he didn't mind because they were warm and it was her hand.
After a long while, Annie murmured, "I'm glad you and Steve will be watching out for each other but I'm terrified Buck." Bucky squeezed her hand. "This mission is so dangerous and there's a chance HYDRA knows we're going to target their supplies and it's a trap."
She suddenly lifted her head to face him. Her eyes were wide with visible fear. "Bucky, one or both of you might not come back. Not from a mission like this. I- I can't lose you."
Her free hand clasped over his and squeezed his hand back, trying to physically express her words. But as she looked at Bucky's soft eyes locked on her, Annie knew he didn't need any reassurance. A smile stretched over his stubbled cheeks. He lifted his free hand to brush a stray curl that she didn't realised had fallen to her cheek. But she could barely focus on anything, even her own face, while he looked at her like that. For a moment she believed that Bucky may love her back.
"It's not gonna be that easy," he hummed as he tucked away the strand of hair, "Annabel Rogers, you're stuck with me." God for as long as she'll have him.
"You bet your ass I am."
"Absolutely, both cheeks," Bucky said with as much sobriety as he could muster. Annie hurled her face back into his shoulder as giggles escaped her lips.
The familiar scene of a readily armed truck at the exit of the base was bathed in morning light as the Howling Commandos finished their stocking of the vehicle. Bucky waited anticipated, a distance from the others. His deep eyes carefully scanned the awakening camp for that head of golden tangles. She always came to see them off, she always gave him a reason to want to come back. His skin still buzzed from how close they had been last night. And now he felt like an addict starting to go through withdrawal. All his attention honed in on the familiar figure he spotted nearing with a determined sway of her hips.
Annie inhaled preparing to offer Bucky with all the information required to ensure as much of his safety as she could, "Bucky please be careful. You need to jump off the ledge at the right moment to safely land on the train. Now we have no idea what kind of precautions the train has so you need to be on alert. Don't hesitate to retreat if anythi-"
Annie never finished her debriefing as Bucky had suddenly ducked down and firmly planted his lips on Annie's. The pressure of his mouth causing all thoughts she had to disappear other than how her chest sparked with warmth. This felt right, God why had she not been kissing Bucky years ago? Annie's thought of wanting to drown in him was interrupted as Bucky pulled away abruptly.
Bucky's face quickly morphed from dazed to disbelief. He stared at Annie, stunned.
He had just kissed her.
He had just kissed his best friend's sister. He had just kissed his best friend's wonderful, amazing sister. He didn't know what happened, one moment she was talking to him, he could see the concern on her face. Concern for his safety. He remembered last night and how she held onto him. Then he felt a deep longing to be closer. He felt as if his heart was pushing on his chest, begging to be closer. Like it wanted to leave his body and find home in hers, where it belonged. Then with every part of his being except the logical part of his brain, he had leaned down and touched his lips to hers.
It was surreal. Of all the time he had spent looking at those lips and he could have never imagined how wonderful it felt. The short contact made all of the consequences worth it. Which lead him to here.
Staring at a confused Annie, an Annie he had just kissed for the first time.
Bucky's own confusion grew as suddenly a determined look struck her face. How did it look so strong yet endearing simultaneously? Annie reached up her hands and gripped his collar tugging him down and slamming her lips against his own.
Bucky's body shocked the contact. It was fervent and impetuous and full of years of secret pining. His overwhelmed brain trying to comprehend how this miracle was happening melted into instinct. All he needed to know now was how to love Annie Rogers.
His eyes drifted shut as his hand rose to her cheek and gently deepen the kiss. Bucky's other hand enthusiastically wrapped around Annie's waist and pulled her closer. She was so warm and soft and how the hell did she move so perfectly with him? Her magnificent fingers left a trail of burning wonderful torture as she moved her hands down his chest and over his shoulders. He never wanted her hands to leave.
The interaction grew bolder as Annie fuelled the kiss with years of pent-up emotions and longing translated into passion. A passion that was happily returned by Bucky. The man she spent so long admiring pulling her as tightly against him as possible. His other hand held her cheek with a preciousness. His thumb gently stroking the curve of her cheekbone as he expertly moved with her. She could feel a small smile tugged on his busy lips. She could die here.
His lungs tightened as they begged for breath and Bucky reluctantly drew away from Annie. A loop-sided grin dragged across his reddened lips as he caught the dazedly content look on her face. Bucky thought he would be happy for the rest of his days if Annie was the only woman he ever kissed again.
She lifted a hand to gently brush his cheek, touching the corner of his wide grin. His heartbeat continued hammering in his head as she sighed a smile at him. Her eyes never left his and he gladly drowned in them.
Her soft begging voice, "Come back to me," called him back to reality.
"There's nothing that could stop me."
He cheekily saluted Annie as he turned and walked to the truck, comically swaying his hip when he felt Annie watching him. Receiving a distant laugh from her he entered the truck to be greeted with six smug faces and one quite unhappy one. Bucky realised he was stupid to have thought that would've gone unnoticed.
As the truck started moving it erupted with loud, rowdy voices commenting on how they "Saw it coming" or "Good on him" or "What a dame." Through the noise Jim smirked yelling, "I called it! Now pay up." He held out his hand to Dugan who huffed and dug through his pocket, dumping crimpled notes into the man's hand.
The voices began to die down as each member noticed their silent, uncomfortable leader. Each cringed as they realised that it was his sister they were howling about. In that moment none of them envied Bucky. Still, Steve's furrowed brows and piercing glare didn't make him regret his actions. God, he really had it bad for Annie. But Bucky knew that the look meant 'we are going to talk'.
After a day of travel they had reached the halfway point and decided to set up camp to rest. The terrain still mainly consisted of woodland areas but hinted to the beginnings of more mountainous regions. When basic supplies were unloaded and the fire was being sparked Steve made eye contact with Bucky as he stood from his seated position. In an authoritative voice he stated firmly, "Bucky and I will go collect some fuel for the fire."
Bucky begrudgingly stood and followed Steve, not exactly looking forward to the looming conversation or most likely lecture. Steve trod across the twig scattered ground, his heavy footsteps snapping the thin strips of wood, creeping on Bucky's nerves. Bucky followed behind more cautious and distinctly quieter than Steve.
Steve abruptly turns to directly face him with deadly eyes. Bucky notices the odd twitch of his mouth, hinting at a desire to smile. This confused Bucky, his misunderstanding only increased as the smile breaks free and Steve moves to slap Bucky on the arm saying, "About time you idiot."
Bucky exasperatedly asked, "What are you talking about?"
Steve settled, "I'm talking about Annie, you finally confessed! You made her wait long enough."
"Long enough? How long has she…" Bucky's question faded as he assessed every action Annie had made and the romantic implications. How long had she felt like this? How long had he? Have they been in love with each other since they were teens?
"Wait Steve, you're happy?"
"Well, mostly. I already said if I can trust anyone with Annie, it's you. You've been looking out for both of us since we were kids." Steve confessed. Relief washed over Bucky at Steve's calmness until Steve added, "But no more of that funny business. You better make an honest woman out of her."
The vision of marrying Annie briefly pierced through his constant loop of Annie's kiss.
When they had made it onto the train everything had gone from bad to worse. Terror shot through Steve as the doors of the train compartments slide shut spontaneously. A trap. In this moment he was glad Annie wasn't here to say 'I told you so'. Although Steve didn't think Annie would be focusing on being right and more the HYDRA agent on the other side of the cart with two dangerous looking cannons connected to his arms. A building sound amplified from the device warning Steve to hurl himself behind a crate. He fired his pistol at the agent but failed to hit him.
Dodging another blast of blue light that Steve didn't look harmless, he leaped onto a rail of chains strapped to the ceiling. With momentum the chain he gripped speedily slid towards the HYDRA soldier. The agent began powering up his weapon once more, firing as Steve lifted his shield to deflect the beam.
Arriving at the HYDRA soldier the contact of Steve's boots to his head sent him roughly to the ground. Steve landed beside him and threw his shield into the man's chest rendering him unconscious. Steve lifted up the arm of the soldier, connected to the energy weapon and fired it at the door that had locked during the ambush.
He sprinted to it and peered through the door connecting the two carriages, seeing a struggling Bucky fighting an identical soldier. His desperation rising as he fumbled to get his gun out of his holster. His slammed the button opening the door but with immediate gun fire at him, he was forced to swing back behind the door for cover.
Bucky was crouched behind a crate a few meters from Steve. The large metal box that shook as it sustained one of those sickly blue energy blasts. The HYDRA soldier firing around a large shelving unit filled with rods of steel and iron. The Captain realised his friend was out of bullets. He gestured his gun to Bucky before throwing it to him.
Bucky snagged the gun, firing a few bullets at the black clad soldier on the other end of the carriage but couldn't land a hit from his location. Steve needed to lure the soldier out. With his shield protecting him, he ran at a stack of steel rods centred on the big stack of shelves and pushed it towards the hiding HYDRA, the clunky suited enemy stumbled out of the way. Bucky with a clear view set two shots into the soldier's chest causing him to crumble to the ground.
Bucky smiled as he threw Steve's gun back to him, "So it turns out this was a trap. Don't tell Annie or she'll do the thing."
"The mean smile? She was right though," Steve acknowledged.
Bucky placed a hand on Steve's shoulder, "She doesn't need to know that." The men smiled knowing she would ultimately find out in the end.
Steve heard the familiar sound of the energy weapon building power and swiftly turned, his shield protecting himself and Bucky from the incoming blast. The power of the shot flung Steve to the side, away from his shield. The HYDRA soldier was injured but still conscious and readied for another shot, aiming at Bucky. Bucky grasped Steve's discarded shield and gun and holding the circular shield in front of him, firing at the man. The HYDRA soldier shot at him, the force of the weapon propelled harshly off the shield tearing through the wall of the train and throwing Bucky in the process.
Steve watched in horror as Bucky flew out of the train, grasping onto a tattered railing as he dangled over the edge. Steve pushed himself up and sprinted to his shield, wasting no time in thrusting it at the torso of the HYDRA agent with enough strength to send him to the end of the other compartment.
Steve screamed, "Bucky!" as he travelled as quickly as he could to the torn wall of the train. Steve climbed across the ripped wall, reaching out to Bucky as the wind and cold scratched at his face. Ignoring the freezing gale winds crashing against his face, stinging his eyes, Steve stretched his arm as far as it would allow. It felt like his arm would rip off his shoulder be he kept stretching towards Bucky.
"Grab my hand," he ordered Bucky, who struggled to move close enough to reach Steve, the fierce wind unsteadying him. His knuckles turning white with his effort to maintain his faulty grip.
The railing Bucky gripped on to gave way under the weight with a sickening whine of metal and released itself and Bucky down the what-seemed eternal fall from the mountain. Bucky let out a raw scream as he fell that tore right through Steve. A part of him ripped away with Bucky.
His face contorted as the last terrifying sound he heard of Bucky rang through his ears in a tormenting scream. Steve remained on the torn wall welcoming the cruel slaps of the harsh winds and brutal temperatures. Hoping that the physical pain will somehow dim the emotional one tearing at him from within. He had just lost the man who had stuck with him more than anyone he had ever known and the dread was not finished with him.
Steve for once wished that the truck did not gobble up the miles to the base so quickly. Savouring but dreading each moment before they reached their headquarters. The truck bled with a gloomy, sorrowful atmosphere as the Howling Commandos silently mourned the loss of their team member and friend. Though Steve was unconcerned with the men at the moment simply staring at the floor and deep crinkles of pain permanently drawn in the lines on his forehead. His heart was pained with the loss of his closest friend but his stomach continued to sink knowing that he would have to tell Annie.
With a slow jolt forward the truck came to a stop. Steve limply climbed out to find what he feared. Annie waiting anticipantly to welcome them back and sneakily check for disregarded wounds. She warmly smiled at him as she travelled over to him.
As the last of the remaining Howling Commandos exited the truck Annie stopped dead in her tracks, unmoving. Her gaze frantically flicked to Steve. His red swollen eyes watched her wearily as her expression only grew more pained. He was only able to offer a shake of his head but Annie understood. Steve watched as more emotions that he could name flashed through her azure eyes. Then her eyes dulled, the normally bright colour dimming as they grew distant and glazed. Emotion void in every feature Annie possessed.
Steve had seen Annie cry, scream, smile, mock and he had thought he had seen all of her faces. But this one was new, the dead expression invited a new pain into his chest, filling it with more ache than he thought a person could feel. Yet he knew Annie felt more. Steve feared her reaction so much because he knew that she closed off to survive. Bottle up the emotions so not to break.
His eyes helplessly watched her stiffly wrap her arms around herself, slowly turn and begin walking. His muscles cried to run after her but what would he say? What words could he possibly have to fix this?