Adeline was as still as a statue in the corner of the nurses' room.
Steve noticed that every now and then her fingers began to tremble at her sides. She would clench them tightly, and after a second they would stop. He frowned – impatient to be out of there, and worried for blank faced woman.
He looked down at the nurse taking his blood. "Think you got enough?" he asked, impatience colouring his voice.
"Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code." Steve looked up at Peggy, who had spoken for the first time since entering the room. "But without Doctor Erskine, that could take years."
Both of them shot Adeline a look as she spoke. She noticed the scrutiny and pushed off the wall. "He deserved more than this." She said, busying herself with some vials of Steve's blood.
"Well, if it had worked only twice – he'd be proud that it worked on you two." Peggy said, lowering her head to the file she was clutching, before shooting Steve a warm smile. Steve smiled readily back after a moment – even if he still felt sad inside. He liked Peggy Carter, and counted himself fortunate enough to call her a friend.
Adeline followed Steve down into Howard's recently enlarged workspace. Peggy led the procession of super soldiers, step confidant as ever. They stood silently through the briefing, the collection of their best and brightest in one room - and yet, Adeline still felt the hopeless odds stacking against them. "Hydra is the Nazi deep science division." Peggy answered the question about the cult. "It's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much larger ambitions."
"Hydra's practically a cult. They worship Schmidt, think he's invincible." Howard drawled, looking at ease from where he was leaning against the table.
Adeline frowned.
He practically was invincible.
"So what are you going to do about it?" the senator asked, Phillips looking unimpressed at being spoken to like a child.
"I spoke to the president this morning, as of today, the SSR is being re-tasked."
"Colonel?" Peggy asked.
"We're taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags, Agent Carter, you too, Stark – and you Wolfe."
Adeline, who had been occupied with looking over the Hydra tech, turned her head sharply at her name. "I'm going where?" she asked, stepping forwards into view.
Colonel Phillips looked vaguely irritated. "When you were rescued, as part of the safety agreement, you were employed as part of the US military. And now you're assigned to the SSR. We're flying to London tonight."
Adeline looked to Howard, who shrugged in confusion. Steve stepped forwards, body brushing against Adeline's and making goose bumps appear on her arm. She swallowed, and inched away from him. "Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in." He said, ignoring her movement.
"You're an untrained experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." Phillips said.
Steve looked to Adeline for support, but she looked away. Until she knew what his limits were, and how he fought now – she didn't want him out there.
She couldn't risk it. Couldn't risk him being hurt.
"The serum worked." A note of betrayal in his voice. Adeline pressed her lips together.
Phillips rounded on him again. "I asked for an army of soldiers like Wolfe. He'd done it once, he could do it again. All I got was you. You are not enough."
Adeline looked at Phillips sharply as Steve deflated slightly. But as Phillips retreated, another man stepped forwards. "With all respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." He held up a newspaper. On the front, a large picture of Steve holding a taxi door as a shield caught the eye. "Enlistment lines have been round the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab." Adeline's eyes narrowed. This man was too spot on with his words. He was saying exactly what Steve wanted. The man's eyes darted to her as she took a small step forwards. "Son, do you want to serve your country?" he neatly scooped Steve away from her, "on the most important battlefield of the war?"
"Sir, that's all I want."
Adeline's eyes shut for a second as she heard the man's response.
"Then, congratulations. You just got promoted."
Adeline spent her time in London bouncing between Howard, Peggy, tactical meetings, and secret missions into battle.
She had officially been instated as a Commander, and occasionally led a squad into the fight.
That created a whole other list of personal problems – including a surprising lack of remorse for killing her own people, which further supported her private fear that she was completely, and totally heartless.
She had been cold in that regard for so long – and now killing didn't even bother her anymore.
She missed Steve.
It had been easier to feel with him around. He was just so raw. So human, and true, and light, and good.
She and Peggy had been quietly and religious following his movements – both for the same and different reasons. They were both happy that he was safe – but Peggy was outraged at the fact he was being made to act for them. Adeline was just craving some kind of normality, some sort of everyday joy – and seeing Steve doing that for other people, even so far away, did it for her.
Provided her with some artificial warmth during the long night.
Another surprising point of occasional warmth was the continued interest in her and her well-being from both Peggy and Howard.
The two of them were so different – and that was sometimes confusing for her; she wasn't sure how she should act. But as Howard laughed at her apparently funny dry commentary on the war, and Peggy listened to her opinion and tactical knowledge, and then spent time with her teaching her how to cook British food, she settled slightly. They had both been instrumental in helping her with her English – but unfortunately, it meant some words she pronounced differently, so that her accent was an odd mash of occasional German, American and British.
She hadn't expected to be so valued.
She'd thought she was to be used as she had been at Hydra; as a weapon.
But she was surprised.
And tried everyday to become better – but as the war raged on, and she lost more, not even the friendship she gained was enough to stave off the feeling of hopelessness as her desire for revenge simmered ever darker in the pit of her heart.
She would kill Schmidt.