Chapter 8
Silent ruins of a burnt, empty town, housed the lost Steve Rogers. Seated in the once warm and rowdy bar was now surrounded by broken structures, snapped wood and unfeeling light. The snap of glass underfoot and the light click heels resonated, predominate in the silence of the dead town. Steve raises his head to look at the intruder in no hurry. He is met by the sympathetic face of Peggy Carter. Steve turns his attention once more to the glass of whisky caged in his hands, lounging in the wooden chair. His pained expression fading but still residing on his face. "Dr Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles but affect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration. So uh…can't get drunk," Steve summarised with a longing to feel the numbness that intoxication offered.
Peggy gently moved to lift a matching chair and place it across from Steve. "Your metabolism burns 4x faster than the average humans. He thought it could be one of the side effects." Peggy watched Steve as he sat mutely, eyes never venturing away from his glass. "It wasn't your fault," she softly pressed attempting to offer what comfort she could.
As much of a clever woman Peggy was she was at a loss of how to assist Steve. "Did you read the report?" Steve asked in an unvarying tone. With a nod from Peggy he harshly responded, "Than you know that's not true."
Peggy sighed as she attempted, "You did all you could."
With slight agitation as his eyes narrowed, "That's not going to bring back my friend and that isn't going to help Annie."
Peggy leaned forward stiffly, "how you spoken to her?" afraid of the answer. Peggy knew as many others did the feelings between Annie and Bucky. The two were not very skilled at hiding them except from the blind eyes of each other. Peggy was quick to notice how they naturally gravitated towards each other; sneaking glances whenever the opportunity arose.
Steve tensed, "I tried. She isn't good. She hasn't spoken to me or anyone really since she found out. She- A-Annie's been in love with him for years and I couldn't even bring him back for her." Steve's grip on the glass became worryingly tight. "Bucky was my best friend, he was family but he and Annie could've had a future together. A life, a family. Now that's gone. She can never have that."
Peggy cautiously reached her hand to delicately grasp Steve's clenching hand on the glass. He softened and met her gaze. "Steve everything will be fine, I'm sure Annie doesn't blame you and you shouldn't either. No matter what, her future will be bright and full of new possibilities. Maybe eventually new love. She just needs time, we all do. She- please Steve don't torture yourself over this."
She paused observing Steve's broken expression and avoidant eyes. She needed a new approach. Peggy gently drew his eyes back to her, asking in a more confident tone, "Did you respect your friend? Did you think he trusted you? If he went with you then he damn well must have believed you were worth it."
Steve watches Peggy intently only witnessing sureness and a determined glint in her hazel irises. Steve sighed responding, "I'm not going to stop until every HYDRA is dead or captured. I'm not going to stop until HYDRA is gone for good."
When she realised Bucky was gone, she swallowed it down. The loss making her feel hollow. In that moment she couldn't feel sadness or pain because then it would rush through her and break her. Her feelings and the look on Steve's face, it was all too much. To go from dreaming of him coming back and all the possibilities now that she knew how he feels… how he felt.
Annie needed to get away from people even if she couldn't escape her own thoughts. Her steps where aimless and they dragged along the dirt. She knew Peggy would find her here in the dark corners of their tent, but Annie didn't have the strength to find more solitude. Peggy did find her, but Annie fell through the interaction like a blur. Only registering brief intentions and a few words. Her friend had left long ago after receiving nothing but a blank stare. A place her eyes never left as she tried to run away from the cracks on chaos that crept across her psyche.
As she continued to stare at the dusty floor of her shadowed tent, she felt the seams which held her together strain. Her emotions slowly squeezing out through the cracks until she gave way. Annie curled further into the corner of the tent, now on the floor. She tucked her legs tightly to her chest as she made herself as small as possible. Her head buried itself into her knees blinding out what minimal light the tent possessed. A thick curtain of hair completely hid her face as salty tears uncontrollably ran down her cheeks, wetting her knees. Annie's face was constricted with pain as the sobs raking her body didn't release any of her aches.
The most painful part was that Annie knew why. She always resolved that she could fix it or overcome the obstacle. In this instance that was impossible. No matter how hard she tried she would never see Bucky again. The thought of his absence from the world made the hollow engulfing her chest deepen. Her arms tightened around her legs in an attempt hold in the void that consumed her insides.
Annie allowed her to torture herself as she thought over the things that she would miss about Bucky, the many things, the things she would never have the opportunity to experience again. She missed his laugh, even if he was laughing at her. She missed his smell. Annie endeavoured to block out the swampy smell of neglected canvas and discarded clothes, trying to recall the mix of soap, fresh grass and something distinct but unnameable that was Bucky. She missed his smile, how it made her warm inside. But more than anything she'd miss his eyes. Bucky had the most expressive eyes Annie had ever seen. She felt like she could see all the emotions swirling around the blue pools. Giving away how much he cared even when he tried to play cool. Annie knew without a doubt that Bucky Barnes had been a good man. He tried to tell her he wasn't, but his eyes whispered his heart. She'd never see them again. Bucky would never get the life he deserved. Annie wrenched her eyes shut as they stung with more tears.
The click of expert heels rang to the doorway. Annie did not peer up, able to identify most of the woman of her tent by their footsteps by now. The confidence of the taps were characteristic of Peggy Carter.
She stopped abruptly before quickly darting to Annie's hunched form on the floor. Her eyes studied the broken form mournfully as she muttered, "Oh Annie."
Annie was tempted to lie and say that she was fine but she couldn't find the emotional capcity to even try. So instead of trying a pained smile Annie let another sob tear out her throat.
Her azure eyes, swollen now peeked through the screen of hair as she asked in a croaky voice, "How did it happen?"
Peggy inquired in surprise, "Steve didn't tell you."
Annie's head shook to the sides, the loose hair making a light rustling sound. "No, we haven't. He looked like he was in enough pain, he didn't need me making him talk about how it happened," Annie murmured almost inaudibly.
Peggy pursed her coloured lips together as she contemplated Annie's reasoning. She moved to the subject in a slow careful tone, as if a harsh word would break the poor girl, "It was while on the train…"Peggy paused to watch her reaction. "Weaponized HYDRA soldiers ambushed them and unfortunately one shot tore open the side of the train and Bucky while trying to block the blast, fell out of the train. Steve tried to catch him before he did but couldn't reach."
The events hazily depicted by Peggy and the mission report were re-enacted in Annie's mind. Her thoughts trying to piece together a recollection of Bucky's last moments. Her mind naively searched for any possible events that could lead to his possible survival and she asked, "Was the fall…"
Annie's weak words faded into her throat but Peggy had heard enough to answer, "I'm sorry, the fall was deadly; no one could have survived that. I'm so sorry Annie."
Annie stared at her knees, "Thank you Peggy, for telling me what happened. How's Steve?" Annie asked knowing that Peggy would have comforted Steve.
Peggy sat down beside Annie with her legs outstretched in front of her. She exhaled as she answered, "Better, though he still believes it's his fault. Annie, I think you need to talk to him, it will help you both heal."
Annie watched Peggy distantly, "I know I should… I will."
"I know you will, but you need to get some rest," Peggy brushed down the mess of Annie's hair as she gave her an encouraging smile.
Annie rolled her eyes at the woman only slightly older her as she stood up and walked out of the tent. But without resistance Annie clumsily lifted herself up only to collapse on her cot.
The rest Annie fell into wasn't deep but instead riddled with distressing visions of the event that lead to the loss of Bucky. She had been happy for a moment as she saw him there on the train but he didn't hear her calling him. He would be violently pulled away, thrown out of the train before she could reach him. His scream rang in her ears, the icy winds bit at her limbs and the motion of the train twisted her stomach. It felt as if the fall off that towering cliff pumped from her unconscious mind through her nervous system, her whole body jumped as she waked. Her breathing was jagged and strained as she struggled into a sitting position.
Her arms tightened around her legs, the compact feeling offering what little ease it could. She focused on returning her breathing to a normal pace as a pained thought pasted through her head, Annie had lost her father and her mother and now Bucky; all she really had left was Steve, but was she destined to lose him too?
No, screw that. If the world kept trying to take away the people she loved. She was going to latch onto Steve like a leech. She was not losing him. She was sick of losing.
Annie heard the soft crunch of dirt under a heavy boot. Annie crawled out of her bed, her bare feet padding against the material covered dirt floor as she trod to the opening of the tent. Pulling back the weighty flap she peered out into the base to stare straight at Steve's wide torso.
"Steve," Annie breathed at the sight of his deflated shoulders and tired face. His eyes looked so sullen that she almost worried that he was having a cardiac event. Instinctually she wrapped her arms around him, tugging him down to her in a firm hug. Steve's arms hesitated for a moment before tightly enveloping her. His head sunk to her shoulder. He shook as she felt the sleeve of her shirt grow wet. Annie soothed down Steve's hair as she let her own eyes prickle with a new set of tears. It was a long moment before Steve rose, perhaps because his back had started to ache from leaning down to her or he had run out of tears. He finally looked Annie in the eyes, the crease of Steve's eyebrows deepened the lines of ache as they tugged down. She was sure she mirrored the expression.
"Annie, I'm so sorry, I tried to-", Steve started shamefully. His voice was shaky, it didn't hold the same resonance and humour it usually did.
Annie cut him off knowing that he was steadying into a rant of self-loathing, "What were you supposed to do Steve? Stay here safe with Bucky and let HYDRA get their hands on more weapons so they can cause more death? The guilt would have eaten away at you. You have to do the right thing, it's one of the most annoying things about you." Steve cracked a weak smile. "But it's also one of the best things about you. It's the reason Dr Erskin choose you. And that's why Bucky believed in you."
"But he's gone Annie, he trusted me and I couldn't reach him," Steve couldn't look at her.
"Hey hey," Annie soothed as he moved his head to face her, trying to catch his eyeline. "I don't blame you, Bucky wouldn't either. It's HYDRA's fault. They're the ones killing people, they set that trap. Don't start doubting yourself Steve." Just the thought of HYDRA made Annie shake. Everything they had done, how badly they wanted to kill Steve.
Steve noticed Annie's growing panic. All the uncertainty left his face as he determinedly wrapped his arms around Annie again, tucking her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to comfort me. You lost him too."
"We both did. We're all we have left," Annie murmured something against his shirt, not bothering to raise her head up. Annie fisted his shirt as she stared to cry.
Steve released a strained breathe had been holding and looked down at the top of his sister's head with empathetic eyes, "I know Annie, you're all I have left. We've just gotta keep looking out for each other."
Annie suddenly pulled away so she could match him it a stern look, stating, "I'm coming with you on your missions."
Terror jolted down Steve's back at the stubborn announcement knowing that his next mission would be infiltrating HYDRA's main base of operations. His most dangerous mission yet. His thick brows furrowed in displeasure as he responded, "No Annie, missions are dangerous and I can't lose you. I need to know you're safe."
Annie watched him unwaveringly predicting his reluctance, "I feel the same way." Her tone softened slightly, "Steve I am sick and tired of watching you go on dangerous missions leaving me to worry if you will ever come back. I can't do it again. I need to come with you to help you, to not feel like some helpless child. I'm not useless and you're not immortal. I am going with you." The last phrase was voiced with crossed arms, pressed lips and unyielding eyes.
Steve returned the stubborn expression knowing that he didn't have an argument that could change her mind, no one did. At that moment Steve regreted that stubbornness was hereditary. Steve rolled his matching cyan eyes in defeat. Logic and empathy winning out as he knew how it felt to experience helplessness and he knew that Annie was not useless. The many fights Annie had fought for him had informed him of that.
At 14 years old while sketching in his front yard Steve noticed another boy throwing rocks at a bird in its nest. Steve. dropped his worn notepad and run other to the boy. He tried to push past his wheezes as he called for the boy to leave the animal alone. The boy's head turned dangerously with a horrible grin that meant nothing but bad things. The boy ran over, roughly yanked on Steve's shirt pulling him out of the yard forcibly.
With no words exchanged the boy proceeded to send a right hook to Steve's face. Steve, still recovering from his run attempted to dodge the attack but lacked speed and agility. The smaller boy tumbled to the ground, clutching his bruising cheek. Steve only allowed himself to remain on the ground for a second before carrying himself up, fortitude consuming his expression.
An outraged voice sounded beside them, the fury was oddly entangled in the high, girlish voice, "What are you doing!"
The boy sneered at Annie as she bolted aross the yard. "Go back inside little girl," the boy spat. At the insulting comment Annie's face turned dangerous, the dark expression juxtaposing her tiny stature and silky blonde hair.
"Annie…" Steve warned to which she turned to offer him a grin.
"This is my fight too now, I'm gonna hit you two times," Annie explained with a wicked grin.
The boy moved away from Steve and loomed over to Annie with a threatening fist outstretched. Annie kept her smile silently taunting the boy to try. When he did she quickly stepped out of reach and suddenly with the boy unprepared she crashed her foot on top of his own with. All her weight. The boy was sent back in pain at his fragile phalanges. Annie took this opportunity to grab his shoulders and thrust her knee into the boy's stomach forcing him to lynch forward. "One for insulting me," Annie muttered speedily. She then pushed his head into the wooden fence that surrounded their yard, sending him crumbling to the rock ground clutching his skull. "Two for hurting my brother," Annie sounded more proudly. She looked down at the brunette's freckled face, "Don't think of hurting Steve again or I will break your nose next time."
"Annie we should get back before Mum worries," Steve asked half proud-half uncomfortable.
"Okay! You know you really should try using her knees and elbows instead of fists." Annie commented pleasantly as they turned to leave, knowing this would not be Steve's last scramble. Annie sending the groaning boy pulling himself from the dusty ground a glaring 'I'm watching you' gesture as they walked inside.
Steve warmly remembered the memory, a moment he knew for sure that his sister had his back and he wanted to have hers.
By a weak grin laced with worry as Steve compromised, "Fine, but you have that big gun and you do as I order."
His sister beamed up at him, pleasantly surprised at how easy that was, "A definite yes to the first and a no promises to the second." Steve sighed knowing that was the best he was going to get.
"We leave in five days, be ready on time or we'll leave without you," Steve informed, slightly hoping she would be late.
"Gotcha," She replied happily, not concerned with the light threat. She stretches up to wrap her arms around Steve. again. Steve complied with the hug and with a light squeeze they departed to their separate tents to fall into a much needed sleep.
By the time Steve had made it to the filled truck of people and weapons, one in a row of many, Annie was already contently sitting in the back, her gun hugged to her side. This was a large scale infiltration of the largest and most secure HYDRA base, the one to seriously damage and helpfully end HYDRA.
Annie sat triumphantly though some of her victory was lost when she had discovered majority of the base was going as well, including Peggy Carter and Colonel Phillips.
In devising the plan of attack, Annie begrudgingly came to the conclusion that Shmidt would be hard to find unawares unless he had captured Steve and assumed victory on his part. All reports led to the HYDRA leader being a narcissist. But unfortunately, he was a narcissist with more soldiers and more firepower. This plan would allow Steve to clear the entrance by destroying that huge tank parked out front without suspicion of a larger invasion. With the Howling Commandos present she depicted their contribution in zip lining to Steve's location. After Steve is free from Shmidt and chaos has begun the rest of the troops could sneak in with less resistance. Annie had stressed the importance of getting Shmidt as he was the leader and motivator of HYRDA.
Steve had purposefully driven to the base, easily riding up the angled walls which Annie thought were useless. Why even have walls when anyone can ride or walk up them? Steve's shield darting through the air as its collisions into guards and then propelled into another enemy. Two HYDRA agents with flame throwers strapped to the backs and their arms surrounded Steve. The fire preventing his escape. More HYDRA surrounded him pointing their illuminated guns at him. He was then taken into the base as a prisoner.
Annie grew nervous as Steve travelled out of her sight, even though she knew this was all part of the plan she still didn't like it. She quickly radioed the Howling Commandos in as calm of a voice as she could attempt, "Are you in position?"
The crisp voice of James Falsworth rang through her speaker, "Yes and we have visual on Schmidt."
"Good, don't attack until his full attention is on Steve, we have to time this right," Annie ordered.
"Copy that," Falsworth responded ending the transmission.
The large ground force waited impatiently as the radio remained silent, unsure of the events occurring within the base. The distant drum of an alarm could be heard through the thick walls.
Abruptly the radio sounded in Colonel Phillip's hand as the troops remained in the forest awaiting the go. "We're in assault. Troops go," the voice shouted.
Phillip shouted readying his gun, "You heard the man, lets got kill some HYDRA, see how many heads they've got."
The assault team flew out of the tree line and ran in a herd of chaotic shouts and bullet fire. Annie and Peggy remained close, ensuring that the other was not disintegrated by the deadly HYDRA weapons. Peggy quickly whirled around a shot at an agent Annie saw too late. Annie offered a breathy "Thank you", and without delay resuming her fire.
She shot an onslaught of bullets at HYDRA, who had unwisely placed themselves in a line, before she saw the man running in front of disappear in a blue mist. Fear tangled in Annie's system fully realising the danger of the situation. She still silently thanked the adrenaline flooding her veins as she continued racing to the entrance.
They made it through the courtyard behind a few other groups. Annie sprinted in front of Peggy and she quickly threw an armed grenade at the bolted door. With a turn of the heel she hurriedly darted behind a stone wall with Peggy before the explosion.
Upon entering the poorly lit tunnels of olive steel, chaos reigned with the constant fly of bullets and the dropping of bodies. Annie took a moment to grow accustomed to the frantic atmosphere allowing Peggy to move ahead of her. An orange light filled the corridor Peggy had jogged through. The echo of a few rounds of bullets rang.
Men travelled past her as she shot a few HYDRA soldiers trying to intercept from the left corridor. It was clear and Annie moved to where Peggy had gone. She stumbled on the scene of Peggy and Steve staring intently at one another. Peggy ended the moment with "Weren't you doing something."
Steve is released from his daze and blurts, "Oh yeah." The realisation of his continuing mission sending him through the door that his shield jammed open.
Peggy watches his exit as Annie's wicked grin grows. Peggy swerves her head to be met the satisfied expression and raise a confused eyebrow. "You love my brother," Annie sings childishly to which Peggy rolls her eyes, attempting to hide a small smile.
"Come on," she drawls, encouraging moving on from the topic. Annie simply smirks at the woman and starts to follow her.
Annie suddenly stops as she spots a small hallway that looks to lead to the side of a vast warehouse. A tall V shaped tunnel ribbed with the same arched steel frame common to HYDRA architecture. Annie bolts down the tunnel, hearing Peggy call to her. But as Annie sees large planes spread across the interior airstrap, she knows Shimdt is going to run for it. This will never be over if he gets away. The man responsible for Bucky's death will be free to hurt more people.
Annie dashes with all her energy towards the planes as troops from both sides start to enter the warehouse from multiple doors like the one she had come through. Annie is almost there as she spots a running Shmidt clutching a glowing cylinder case. He climbs up the rail of the largest plane, followed by 3 HYDRA soldiers. She is less than 100 meters away. American soldiers race out and shot down the HYDRA climbing up to the plane, only Shmidt made it inside.
Annie wills herself to run faster than she thinks she ever has before. Her gun slamming into her back as it jostles around as she sprints, saluting the soldiers as she passes to notify them she's on their side. The propellers spin to life as Annie reaches the rail and frantically wrenches the door open climbing in before the planes starts moving. The rail clatters with the movement before toppling under the wing and sinking away as the plane gathers speed. The wind starts to flap at her face as Annie notices a very expensive convertible race up beside the moving plane.
She sees Steve's distant horrified face from the passenger seat. He shouts to her, but she can't make out more than, "Annie!" and "What?".
Colonel Philips is driving with Peggy in the back seat watching her with a displeased look. Steve shouts at the colonel and the car speeds up to trail just behind the plane.
"Get off that plane!" Steve yells frantically. But Peggy tells him something and his face drops. Like it was something along the lines of 'how is she doing to safely jump off a moving plane?'
Steve then stands up. On the seat, shifts slightly as he adjusts his balance and lifts his foot over the car door. Annie's eyes shoot wide-open as she realises he's going to jump. Why is her brother a reckless idiot?
"You wait there!" Steve orders over the wind before Peggy quickly pulls him into a kiss. If Annie's eyes could. Have opened any more they would have. Steve passes for a moment but the plane starts to gain height. The wheels only tapping the ground rather than running along it. Steve without hesitation climbs across the car, ducking under the propeller before he and the car disappear under the wing, pass where she can see. The. plane shoots up and the floor disappears to rocky cliff. The car driven by Colonel Phillips makes a sudden twist and screeches to a halt just before the edge. Annie desperately scans the air strip for Steve but she doesn't see him. He must have made it onto the wheel. He was a super soldier right? If anyone could make that jump, it had to be him.
Annie dragged the door shut as the wind picked up as the plane gained altitude. Annie whips around to face. The wall and sucks in deep breaths. Okay, she is on a HYDRA plane with the Red Skull, his creepy glowing weapon and a very angry Steve.
Annie pull her gun, which she had now named Vanessa, back around into her hands and flick off the safety. Her boots lightly moved into the alcove by the door. Steve said not to move, this spot allowed her to glance around the corner and survey the corridor off to the side.
The minutes stretched on as Annie began to wonder if Steve hadn't made it or if he had already been captured and Shmidt was giving him a speech at the cockpit. She couldn't just wait here if Steve was in trouble.
Annie cautiously made her way down the hallway, gun raised. She had passed by 4 empty rooms before a HYDRA soldier turned the corner and jumped at the sight of her. Annie whipped Vanessa towards the man and fired 2 shots. The second hit him in the shoulder and he fell. Running boots echoed along the metal grate floors and Annie ducked into a room beside her. It. Looked to be a locker room or some storage holding area. Tracking around. The. door frame she spotted the. seond soldier, dressed identically to the first in that full body black. He had his gun raised but she had already shot him. He fell on top of the first, his gun clattering on the floor. Annie waited for more but was met with silence. She moved to examine around the corner the men had come from. But it was just the two of them. She should hide them in-case Steve is in trouble. The element of surprise would be the only thing on her side. Annie pulled the second unconscious or dead soldier into the closest room. Annie huffed catching her breath and she moved to drag the other. Heavy boot again rang along the floor. Annie frantically dropped the HYDRA soldiers legs and fumbled to grab Vanessa as Steve rounded the corner.
His surprised face instantly dropped to the man she was dragging along. "What on earth? I thought I said stay where you were."
"You were taking forever, how was I supposed to know if you were even ok?" Annie whisper argued as Steve easily picked up the man's limp body and chucked him into the storage room.
Annie shut the door as Steve informed, "I doesn't matter, this plane is full of bombs. Shmidt is going to try to take out the states. He has a bomb for every major city."
"Oh shit," Annie gasped. "He is literally insane. I-uh saw him come on board with that blue energy weapon. He has to be in the cock pit with it."
"I had thought so," Steve murmured then paused in thought. "You're not just going to. Stay here are you?"
Annie shook her head and Steve sighed.
"Okay we'll head to the cockpit, I'll handle Shmidt and you try to take control of the plane."
"Uhh I don't know how to fly a plane," Annie frowned.
"Neither do I really, just steer back. You know turn around." Steve made awkward turning motions with his hands.
"Sure, how hard could it be?" Annie tried to reassure herself and Steve.
"You have to stay behind me, okay? And don't engage Shmidt." Annie answered by stepping behind her brother.
The door to the cockpit is metal and thick. Steve nods at her to stand back as he quietly pushes it open. The room is wide and covered in steel beams. A large panel of windows stretches along the front with a pilot chair near it. Annie's skin shivers at the thought of Shmidt being right there. But her eyes get drawn to the sort of podium in the middle of the room that seeps blue light. Shmidt's energy weapon.
Steve silently treads down the stairs and towards the pilot chair. Annie slowly steps through the door, watching over the room with her gun ready. She holds her breath as Steve gets closer to the chair but a shadow moves in the corner of her vision. Annie flicks to the movement to spot Shmidt emerging from behind Steve with a gun.
"Steve!" rips from her lips. Annie fires at Shmidt but he ducks away. He again launches himself at Steve but positions himself behind Steve's body, blocking her shot.
"You don't give up do you?" The Red Skull growls.
"Nope!" Steve retorts.
"And now you have small women fight for you?" The German taunts. Oh how Annie wishes she could get a clean shot.
"You gotta worry about me first," Steve punctuated by swinging Shmidt's gun out of his hand and plunging an upper cut into his stomach.
Annie moves down the steps and around the other side of the room. She just needed that shot. Steve suddenly twisted around Shmidt pulling his shield against his neck. The Red Skull slammed his head against Steve's chin, pushing him back. Annie took the opportunity. She fired to shots but the blood red faced super soldier prototype weaves out of the way. His reflexes are just as enhanced as Steve's.
AS Shmidt sets his sights on her, the woman shooting at him, Steve scrambles back up and runs to hammer his chest with the striped shield. The Red Skull twists catching onto Steve's shield and hurls him at Annie. She darted out of the way. At the last moment, landing on the floor. She knew Steve could take the hit much more than she could handle being crushed by his super soldier stature. To her relief Steve got back up easily.
"Get the controls," He ordered to her before rushed back at Shmidt.
Annie for once did as she was told and dashed to the pilot's chair. The control panel was littered with buttons and switches. Only a few had labels and the labels were in German. She was a novice at the language, only able to say 'hello', 'supplies', 'weapon' and 'do you have cheese?'.
She wrapped her hands around the joystick and pulled left. The entire plane lurched to the right, sending both Steve and Shmidt tumbling apart. Annie gripped down on the joystick as her butt began to slip out of the seat.
Annie heard another clang, her head whipped towards the sound to see Steve trying to balance himself as he unsteadily rose from the ground. The metal wall behind him dented with his imprint. A red hand wrapped around her arm, the Red Skull wrenched her off the seat and into a steel poll. Annie slumped to the ground, vaguely hearing Steve yell.
Her vision blurred and warped. It was hard to lift her head. There was crashing and banging but Annie could only focus on the throbs of pain rippling from her shoulder. Please don't let it be dislocated.
She steadied her shoulder with her hand and dragged herself up, clutching the cold metal beam for support. Annie jumped as Shmidt slammed against the centered podium. The HYDRA leader got back onto his feet to see the podium broken and a glowing blue cube free from its container.
Sickly light poured out of the strange cube. Annie wasn't sure how hard she was hit but as she looked at that cube, she heard humming. A sweet familiar tune with a quality that was neither human nor inhuman. Annie took a step closer on instinct. The cube flashed and rumbled with energy inside its transparent shape. Looking like it knew she was watching it. She felt herself being pulled to it as the inner storm flurried with each step she took.
"You fools," Shmidt snarled as he snatched the cube into his hand. Annie's eyes snapped away from the cube and found Steve's worried face flicking between Shmidt and her. He carefully cross stepped around to her, cautiously eyeing Shmidt like a wild bear. Annie clutched his outstretched arm, he shoved her behind him as Shmidt wildly studied the cube in his hand, spouting nonsense of grandeur. Its light consuming his features in its cyan glow almost as if it was fuelling his madness.
Blue light dangerously flickered into the air, she felt electricity tickle her skin. From the cube shot a zap of light from which a pocket of cosmos spread through the cockpit, like it had torn a hole through space. The gloved fingers supporting the cube began to adopt its radiance before starting to dissipate. The hum now whistling loudly, like it was angry. In that moment Annie realised that Schmidt had doomed himself the second he touched the object. Annie was so glad he reached it before she did.
"Do you hear it?" Annie breathed as she watched Shmidt's hand reduced to nothing from around Steve's shoulder.
He shot her a concerned look, his hand squeezing her further behind him. When he turned back almost Shmidt's entire body had fluttered into cosmic dust. He screamed as the deep blue spread up his face. The shape of his skull breaking into thousands on speckles that sparked with light and shot up into the torn space in a brilliance of electric cyan particles. The display ended with a low boom, the intense light faded. Schmidt was gone and the cube fell to the floor and then through it, burning the metal until if fell from the plane. Annie felt her body jolt forward with a need to catch it but tugged closer to Steve. Its humming faded from her ears as it fell.
"He's dead right?" Annie asked.
"Yeah," Steve unbuckled his helmet, removing it from his head as he sat in the seat in front of the flight controls. Annie moved beside him as Steve looked hopelessly at the controls. Annie examined the radar trying to ignore her aching shoulder and back.
She sunk at the target location, "Steve it's heading for New York, we'll be there in less than an hour at the speed this thing is moving at." Annie frowned at their pace. She didn't know any aircraft that moved this fast.
Steve turned on the radio and frantically called into it, "This is Captain Rogers, do you read me?"
A hasty voice she remembered as Jim from the Howling Commandos answered, "Captain Rogers what are your-"
A quick scuffle muffled through the speaker before Peggy's worried voice came through, "Steve? Annie?"
"Shmidt's dead!"
"What about the plane?" She asked.
Steve contemplated his answered, "Well… that's a little bit tougher to explain." Annie glanced at the screen displaying the active bombs. Steve was right. There were so many.
"Well give me your coordinates and I'll find you a safe landing site," Peggy asked. Annie hear the tinge of fear in her voice.
"There isn't going to be a safe landing site but I think I can force it down. It's moving too fast and it's heading for New York" Steve answered.
Steve turned to her as the realisation hit him. "Annie", he breathed knowing that they weren't going to make this. Pain spread across his dirtied face, "Why did you come?"
Annie offered Steve a sad smile, "Because you're my brother." She squeezed his shoulder meaning every word.
"There could be an escape plane or parachutes or-", Steve desperately tried, his brain crying for options.
"Like hell I would finish this war without you. You're not doing this alone." Annie moved to the radio to explain the situation, "Peggy, the plane is filled with active bombs; they could go off if we attempt to land or move them. I'm sorry but we have no idea what the blast radius is, it's too risky."
"I'll get Howard -", Peggy tried.
Steve continued to glance at the radar before returning to the radio, "I've got to put it in the water right now while we're in the middle of nowhere."
The desperation weakened Peggy's voice, "Please we can work this out."
"If we wait any longer a lot of people are going to die," Steve answered endeavouring to make his voice sound sure. His hand lifted to clasp over Annie's that still rested on his shoulder reassuringly. She didn't want him to have any doubt that she was with him. His hand moved back the the controls and he steered the aircraft down.
She moved to the radio again for the last time, "Peggy?"
"Yes Annie? " Peggy returned on the other side of the radio.
In a soft tone Annie confessed, "It was an honour knowing you, never let though brutes boss you around."
She could hear the internal pain in her voice, "Never."
Annie moved away from the radio, giving Steve a final pat.
She contently looked out at scape of white snow that stretched out before them from the broken window of the plane. Air bustling in danced about her, playing with her dishevelled hair. The glazier was growing slowly larger, but she was strangely peaceful in that moment. It was funny how she would die a similar way to Bucky, falling to an icy emptiness. A part of her heart felt relieved. Relieved that she would finally see Bucky again. And relieved that she wasn't back there on the ground knowing Steve was never coming back.
She could distantly heard the aching voices of Steve and Peggy as they make plans for a dance that they'll never have. She didn't have anyone left but Steve still did. She wished that she was the only one on this plane, that Steve could remain with Peggy, go dancing, fall in love, get married and grow old with her. But Steve would never leave her. Like she would never leave him. It just wasn't in their nature.
The ice grew nearer and nearer and fear griped Annie's heart, the peace fading. The ice so close she could see the ridges and peaks. The air blurting through the crack glass now was angry and scratched at her skin.
Steve turned to her, he looked so sad. He suddenly leapt out of the chair and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her with his large form. His arms so tight around her it almost hurt, his head tucking hers in, the plane whinged loudly before the cascade of cracking metal and ice pummelled at her ears. The protection of her brother the last sight before everything was gone.