Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 15 of Always. Thank you to all of those who kept up with this story and who have reviewed this. It really does mean a lot to me that you guys have loved this story. I hope that you guys enjoy this final chapter of Always. Without further ado Chapter 15. Enjoy!
Chapter 15
Dorothy stood up on a ridge with Colonel Phillips, Peggy, and hundreds of allied troops. Dorothy held onto the coms.
"We're in. Go! Go! Go! Assault team! Go!"
Dorothy looked up from the radio in her hand.
"You heard him! Move out!" Colonel Phillips said.
Peggy, Dorothy and the hundreds of allied troops slipped out of hiding.
Phillips looked at Peggy and Dorothy as he cocked his shotgun.
They began to open fire as they began to move into the compound. They blew through the double doors easily.
Four Hydrea troopers went back up to the entrance firing.
One of them fell, dead.
A second tried to launch a grenade, but he fell, dropping the grenade at the feet of the third. And it went off killing the third.
The fourth and final one panicked, tongue fumbling around in his mouth. "Cut off one head, two more shall rise."
He fell dead from being shot.
Colonel Phillips stood there with his shotgun smoking. "Let's go find two more."
A dozen marines followed them inside.
CAFACAFA
Colonel Phillips got into Schmidt's car.
Dorothy hopped into the front of the car holding her rifle. Peggy sat in the back holding Colonel Phillip's shotgun.
He started the car up and began to rev the engine and quickly drove down the runway towards Steve. "Get in."
Steve jumped into the back of the car without it slowing down.
Peggy chambered a round into Phillips shotgun.
Phillips gained on the plane.
Just then, the bomber's rear propellers spun into a blur. The plane began to widen the gap.
Phillips spotted the toggle switch on the dash. He hit it and suddenly the car leapt forward throwing them back.
Steve came up between Dorothy and Colonel Phillips and over the windshield. He steadied himself. "Closer!"
Phillips floored it causing the car to surge towards the propellers.
Steve dropped just as the propellers shaved off the hydra hood ornament.
Peggy and Steve shared a worried look.
Phillips came up alongside the plane's huge tire.
"Hold it steady this time."
"Wait!" Peggy yelled before grabbing Steve by the neck and kissed him. When they broke apart Steve looked at her with wide eyes. "Go get him."
Steve nodded stunned. He looked over to Phillips.
"I'm not kissing you!"
Dorothy let out a soft laugh shaking her head lightly.
Steve braced himself on the hood.
Phillips pulled to within inches of the spinning wheel.
Just then suddenly the plane bursted out of the tunnel.
Phillips spotted the gorge ahead. He slammed on the breaks.
At the last moment Steve lept, snagging the landing gear as the plane shot over the edge sailing into the air.
Phillips skidded to a stop.
Peggy saw Steve hanging on.
Dorothy let out a breath as Phillips began to back the car away from the edge driving them back inside of the building.
CAFACAFA
Dorothy stood near the empty control room with Peggy. She worried her lower lip softly between her teeth as the radio began squawking.
"Agent Carter, come in…"
Peggy ran in and grabbed the radio, frantic and relieved. "Steve, is that you? Are you okay?"
Dorothy put her hand onto Peggy's shoulder squeezing it lightly.
"I'm fine."
"Where's Schmidt?"
"Schmidt's dead."
"What about the plane?"
"That's a little bit harder to explain."
"Give me your coordinates. I'll find a landing site."
"There isn't going to be a landing. Schmidt's locked the navigation system. And there's more than enough power to reach the East Coast."
Peggy's face fell. She waved Colonel Phillips down. "I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."
"I'm sitting on a hundred tons of explosives. Hotwiring this thing's not an option. I've got to put her in the water."
Peggy's hand went onto the wall, her knuckles turned thite. "But you said you couldn't steer it."
"I can't. But I think I can crash it."
"Steve, don't do this. We've got time. We can figure this out."
"I already did. Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are going to get hurt. Peggy, this is my choice."
Peggy, Dorothy and Phillips looked at one another, slowly accepting what Steve was about to do.
"We'll send out rescue ships. We'll find you."
"I don't think there's going to be much left to find. Peggy?"
"I'm here."
"I'm going to need a raincheck on that dance."
Peggy tried to hold her tears back. "All right. A week Saturday. The Stork Club."
"Okay. You got it."
"8:00 on the dot. If you're three minutes late I'm leaving, do you understand?"
"I still don't know how to dance."
Peggy closed her eyes. "I'll show you. I'll show you everything. Just be there."
"Maybe the band could play something slow, I'd hate to step on your…."
Suddenly the radio in Peggy's hand went silent.
Colonel Phillips put his hand on her shoulder.
Peggy just stared out the hanger at the clear blue sky beyond.
Dorothy gripped her hands tightly at her sides.
CAFACAFA
There was cheering going on outside of The Whip & Fiddle Pub. Amidst the revelry, Morita, Jones, Dernier, Falsworth, Duggan and Dorothy stood at attention. Their bags rested against the wall. They solemnly raised their glasses toasting to Captain America.
Dorothy finished off her beer easily looking at the five men that were left of her team. She put her mug down, taking a soft breath. She closed her eyes, taking a soft breath. She turned to her teammates. "I'll see you five around." She said softly as she went to gather her bag.
"You're on your way out?" Duggan questioned as she grabbed her bag.
"Yes." She said softly.
Duggan put his mug down and pulled her into a hug. "You know if you ever need anything, you can always contact me."
Dorothy hugged Duggan back softly. "Thanks Jim." She said softly.
Duggan released her patting her shoulder lightly.
Dorothy turned and hugged Morita first, then Dernier, Jones and then finally Falsworth. "If you guys need anything." She said softly. "You all can call me." She smiled a small sad smile.
The men nodded their heads.
Dorothy slowly moved back and waved softly before heading out the door taking a soft breath.
CAFACAFA
A trawler bobbed on the ocean's surface, at anchor. All sorts of antennae sprouted from the wheelhouse.
Inside of the wheelhouse Howard hunched over a monitor on a high tech bridge. Dorothy stood beside him looking at the monitor as well.
Their assistants eye sonar and radiation detectors. One features a steady green blip.
On the screen in front of Howard and Dorothy grainy video footage was shown of the bottom of the sea. Sand and fish roll past as the camera explores the terrain.
Howard peered and stopped the camera sub, adjusting the monitor bringing it into focus.
Dorothy blinked a few times seeing the cosmic cube that Hydra had been using.
Howard operated a pair of joysticks watching the screen. Two robotic claws extended. They reached out and clasped onto the cube. Howard exhaled and looked at their assistants. "Move us to the next grid point."
"But there's no trace of wreckage, sir. And the energy signature stops here." The assistant said, looking at Howard.
Howard pushed back from the monitor spent and grim.
Dorothy looked over at the assistant. "Just keep looking."
Howard looked over at his sister and knew why she was doing this. He put his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him"
Dorothy looked over at Howard. "What if we never find him? It'll break Peggy's heart." She said softly.
Howard squeezed her shoulder. "I know…"
CAFACAFA
Dorothy brought over the official report to Phillips, putting it down before him. "Here you are Colonel Phillips." She said softly, her voice cracking a tiny bit.
Phillips looked up seeing the tired look in her eyes and they were a bit red and puffy from lack of sleep. "Thank you Agent Stark."
Dorothy nodded her head weakly.
Phillips signed and officaled the report. It said "CLASSIFIED-CAPTAIN AMERICA". He then stamped it. "INACTIVE". He then slid it into a red box marked To Be Destroyed. He looked up as Peggy walked into the room. He regarded her, stoic, suppressing his emotion. "No one said we have to forget the man, Agent."
Peggy then nodded her head picking up the box and put it with the others on a table near the door. For a moment, she just stood there, overwhelmed. She opened the box, slowly taking out a photo of pre-rebirth Steve. She smiled before tucking it into her breast pocket. She closed the box and left the room.
Dorothy bit her lip softly. "Is there anything else you need sir?"
Colonel Phillips looked at Dorothy and shook his head. "I'm sure your brother is waiting for you."
Dorothy nodded her head. "We're going back out to sea to try and find him."
Colonel Phillips nodded his head in understanding.
"He doesn't want to give up quite yet, and honestly sir, neither do I."
"You are doing good." Colonel Phillips said, giving her a small smile. "Just don't run yourselves short."
Dorothy smiled a small smile. "We won't." She said as she slowly headed towards the door. "We at least owe him this." She then headed slowly towards the door and then walked out, not giving Colonel Phillips another look as she walked out of the room.
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This is the end of Chapter 15. I hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter. I know that there were a lot of broken hearted scenes in this chapter. I am sorry about that. Hopefully once I have a few more stories finished I'll be able to start up the next part of this series. It'll be all about the Agent Carter series. I think I've now decided to make it all one book. Just due to the fact that there won't be all the episodes in the story. Just certain ones in the story. Then it'll go to the next part of the series which will have a different Stark in it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Reviews keep me going. Until next time.