13th June, 1943, Azzano, Italy.
Blöd!
She was so stupid!
She cursed under her breath as she sprinted back to the copse of trees where the last of the 107th she'd led out were waiting, most of them heavily wounded, and more than half already dead – bodies like a sick breadcrumb trail behind them as Hydra soldiers had stalked them through the forest. She had gotten them into this – and now they would all die because of her stupidity.
She'd been able to send about 50 back to base, but she wasn't sure about the rest.
She burst through the thick brush at the edge of the thicket. Immediately, a bullet whizzed past her ear, and she ducked.
"Sorry, Commander!"
The voice of the man who had fired the shot was weak. He had a wound to his shoulder and she supposed that was the only reason he had missed. She offered him a terse nod.
The man she had left in charge, a handsome youth about Steve's age, with dark blue eyes that were still bright despite the circumstances stepped forwards to meet her, flanked by two other men. The patch on his soiled uniform identified him as a Sergeant.
"Commander Wolfe, how far away are they?" he asked, eyes darting towards the nervous men. She shook her head.
"No more than ten minutes away. Sergeant, you need to start leading the men away. Those who are too wounded to move fast can stay and try to hold them off."
The man looked torn. "But what are you going to do?" he asked finally.
She smiled grimly. "Give em' fucking hell."
"Commander! With all due respect we are not going to leave you behind!" the man who had spoke was clutching his worn top hat in his left hand, British accent thickening as he grew more nervous.
She clapped him on the shoulder. "Gather the troops who can run and go now. I'll try and catch up if I can."
"But, how will you? You'll all be slaughtered."
Adeline looked down at her hands. They weren't trembling. They were steady, itching for a weapon.
No. She would fight. She'd kill them all.
"Don't worry, sergeant. I'm tougher than I look. Go now."
At her words, they nodded, and began distributing her instructions. In silence, the pack that were able to move began to run through the trees, quickly disappearing.
She looked over those assembled.
They were watching her, hopelessness in their eyes. She squared her shoulders. "I will not lie to you. This is against all odds. But we have to fight – if not for ourselves, then to save our comrades. This is what we signed up for, and by god if we don't take out more of theirs when we go – then we shouldn't call ourselves soldiers." They perked up slightly, fingers tightening around weapons, backs straightening, eyes gleaming with a berserker's resolve. "This is not a suicide mission, gentlemen. This is goddamn kamikaze warfare!"
They cheered, and she nodded in satisfaction, picking up her own weapons. Her modified M1, and her old hunting knives were familiar companions now – the knives deadly extensions of her own arms – not that she needed the help to kill.
She could hear them before the others, and kept very still, the others blending back with the foliage somewhat, the darker patches of blood and mud on their clothing providing some camouflage.
They were coming.
She stared into the darkness, gripping her gun.
They were close.
She could smell their sweat… they had slowed, about to pounce. She readied her weapon, lifting it and aiming into the night.
They were here.
15th June, 1943, Azzano, Italy. USAF Base.
Steve hadn't felt so stupid in all his life.
What had he been thinking?
That performing on stage was somehow equal to the sacrifice these men were making?
He didn't acknowledge the chill – that if he had felt before the serum, would have sent him hurrying inside for fear of a cold.
Instead, he focused on his drawing.
He tried to calm himself as he sketched out the swooping lines of the wheel of the unicycle.
He was so stupid…
"Hello, Steve."
He jolted upright at the feminine voice he hadn't expected to hear again. "Hi." He said to the brunette agent as she stood above him.
Agent Peggy Carter smiled at him softly. "Hi."
"What are you doing here?" Steve asked – trying to ignore the way his thoughts instantly leapt to some other woman.
"Officially, I'm not here at all." She took a seat next to him, folding her jacket over her arms. "That was quite a performance." She said, restrained pity and humour in her voice.
"Yeah, uh. I had to improvise a little bit. The crowds I'm used to are usually a little more… twelve." He tried for humour as well.
"I understand you're America's New Hope." She said, sighing a little.
"Bond sales take a 10% bump in every state I visit."
"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" she asked sharply.
Steve couldn't help but defend the man – out of an exasperated loyalty if anything. "At least he's got me doing this. Phillips woulda had me stuck in a lab."
"And those are your only two options?" She tilted her head slightly. "Lab rat or a dancing monkey." Her gaze wandered to his illustration. He covered it slightly, cheeks flushing. "You were meant for more than this, you know." she watched as he struggled for words. "What?"
"You know, for the longest time, I dreamed about… coming overseas, and being on the front lines, serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted…" he looked down, smiling sardonically. "and I'm wearing tights."
The beeping of a mobile ambulance caught both of their attention – and they watched as a wounded man was offloaded quickly. Steve frowned. "They look like they've been through hell."
"These men more than most." Peggy said, voice dropping with sorrow. "Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him, and less than 50 returned. Your audience contained what was left of the 107th. Commander Wolfe led them out – and they were all captured or killed."
Steve looked up sharply, heart dropping.
No.
"Wolfe, and the 107th?" he checked, hoping that he had heard wrong.
"Yes. Adeline led them out- Steve, what is it?"
He was already up and running.
14th June, 1943, Austria. Undisclosed Hydra Base.
Her fingers twitched as feeling returned to her extremities.
Christus…
She hadn't been in so much pain since she'd left Hydra.
She could feel blood crusted over every inch of her. She had lost two fingers, and could feel them trying to regrow.
But she didn't know where she was, and she needed to get back to camp…
She tried to sit up.
Something was tight around her chest. She tried her legs, and found that something was keeping them down as well. Her arms were similarly stuck.
Her eyes flew around, nostrils flaring as she tried to figure out where she was – but it was pitch black, and her enhanced vision couldn't pick out any movement. She couldn't smell anything to clue her in either. It smelt like nothing – but sterile metal. She could be anywhere.
She strained against whatever was holding her again, grunting slightly.
Then, out of the darkness;
An eerie, terrifyingly familiar laugh.
"Hallo, Adeline."
She froze for a second – and then out of the corner of her eye, something moved. She panicked, and redoubled her efforts to get out, bucking and pulling – breath seesawing frantically.
No. No. No. Nein. Nein. Nein!
"Shhh ... Einfach, haustier." Easy, pet.
A hand stroked her hair, and she whimpered.
There was a click, and then a bright white light flickered on above her – blinding her.
There was another laugh as she struggled to see again, and she felt her heart rate building as memories of the four days she'd spent under his attentions began to flash back to her.
Nein. Halten Sie Ihren Kopf!
No. Keep your head!
Schmidt's face was hidden by the silhouette created by the bright light – and the light stained across her retinas already.
"Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" he said casually, moving away to something behind her head. Her heart rate skipped as she heard metal scraping on metal. "You have been in my dreams, pet. Memories of those four days have been all that sustained me!" he said dramatically, coming back into her vision. He was clutching a bone-saw, and a shining scalpal. "And our time apart inspired me, pet." He smiled as he set the cold saw to her skin. "I have some ideas on how to improve your physique – although I must confess, I was somewhat inspired by two young men I have read about in passing. They possess much of the same gifts that you do, however they both are more… animalistic in nature."
He began to cut, and she pressed her lips together, as her blood poured from the messy cut, he was making above her wrist. "I was rather impressed with the extra tools they had at their disposal. The human evolution is incredible! Would you believe that one of the brothers could grow long claws at will? What was their name…? Howell? Howlett? Something… American." He spat distastefully.
He placed the scalpel down, and lent over her. His bloody fingers left the metallic red deposit on her lips as he traced them gently. "I want to see your animal side, pet. I want to see the wolf."
Rage throbbed in her, and she snapped at his fingers – catching the tip of his pointer in her mouth and biting down savagely – blood flooding her mouth.
He bellowed, and stabbed into her gut – making her choke, pain lancing through her. He cradled his hand to his chest, staring at it. Then he started to laugh. "YES! Just like that!"
He pressed a hand to her throat, and as he calmly crushed it – she realised the rumours were true. Even his blood tasted unusual. A serum had changed him. He bent over her, and as she choked, gasping for air, he kissed her, his and her blood mingling sickly between them.
Adeline felt a tear roll down her face and into her hair.
So this was to be it.
I miss you, Steve.