Woohoo chapter 6!

Bucky sat in his bunker along with several other men recuperating from the Nazi ambush. He was laying back on the stone hard bed, gazing up at the ceiling above him and analyzing the dark crevices of the rotting wood. The air was musty, and he could've sworn the lights were flickering, ever so faintly. He let his hands slide to the back of his head, resting, as he let his eyes fall shut but never to sleep.

He had a hard time sleeping for the past day. It had been 24hrs since the attack, and the squadron was still trying to get its bearings together. Men were in casts and splints, others were just trying to cope with the fact that shifts were being double for two men as opposed to one. They weren't relocating— they were making it a fortress. After all, if the Nazi's were scared away once, they probably wouldn't waste coming back again unless it was deemed they had the upper hand.

The Sergeant sighed into the rock hard mattress, wondering where the hell Essie went.

She was missing. The woman had been gone since she ran off and finished the third tank, and then went invisible. Tim had said she probably went to kill Hitler. Others claimed she never existed and that she was a goddess fighting the do-ers of evil. No one said they saw her in the fight, but they did see the aftermath… the blood, gore, and guts.

An angel of death, a devil in disguise… The rumors went around like wildfire about the mysterious woman. Bucky tried to tune them out. He didn't want to remember those eyes, so blank and empty. He wanted to think of them when she was smiling, laughing, regardless if it wasn't genuine happiness. Bucky didn't think the woman was every truly happy, and that she was just getting by until she could go slaughter the big man.

It was… complex. But she was the only thing that seemed to occupy his mind at the moment. After all, she was the talk of the base.

Bucky couldn't help but grin at the rumors that she sprouted 6 legs, each with a different weapon. Others said she controlled fire, which is why the tanks blew so high. And yet, Bucky knew none of them were true. She was just not your average girl who had a whole load of secrets that she didn't want to spill.

The curious thing; however, was how she learned to fight the way she did. How she learned to kill so ruthlessly and not care about the lives she took? Yes, they were nazi's who killed everyone, but they too had families and loved ones. Agent S acted as if they were lifeless already, as if their stories were pointless.

It wasn't in him to do that. Bucky could never be that heartless, that brainwashed, to let the idea of death overrule humanity. It wouldn't be him.

A Nazi tank is pulling into the yard!

What?

Everyone take arms!

Bucky shot upwards on his bed, immediately taking the rifle on his bedside, and hopping off his bed. His green eyes were narrowed and attempted to stay focused in the flurry of soldiers running towards the entrance of the building. He followed the crowd outside, and joined only a larger group armed and ready to fire at the sole, stand-still Nazi tank. It was larger than the ones from yesterday, and it wasn't moving. But it was standing in the very same spot as the tank had yesterday.

If it was an ambush, the Nazis certainly were doing it wrong.

The latch to the top of the tank began to unscrew, and the shifting of rifles could be heard amongst the men as they prepared to fire. The squeaking top flew open, and out came none other than Walter Rauff. The man in black was bruised and bloodied on his face, and was tied up as he was hauled up and out of the tank. His weakened body flopped over the side onto the ground, his face hitting the dirt.

Colonel Phillips walked to the front of the crowd, watching the Nazi squirm on the ground but tied too tightly to move.

"Hey Philips!" A voice shouted from inside the tank with a metallic, echo-y ring.

Then, it was met by a face. Agent S crawled up the top of the tank with two guns strapped to her back, her bandages soaked with red, but her face clear of any blood splatter.

"What's the meaning of this?" Phillips shouted, watching the girl slide around the cap and hop right on down as graceful as ever.

"I brought you a present while I was out," Essie announced, landing on the ground smoothly as she hauled Rauff to his knees by his collar,"Nazi tank, Nazi Colonel…."

She leaned casually against the tank as she added with a devilish gleam," and I know where their local HQ is. I just came from there."

"It's right along here," Agent S directed, leaning over the large map of Germany in front of her. She was inside of a tent, of course, and the only other people in the room was that of Colonel Philips and those he deemed trustworthy. They all stood around the table as Agent S intricately described where the base was, and the general layout of the area. She then explained how she kidnapped Rauff and took one of their tanks, using him as a dummy, to break free and back to base.

She figured Rauff would be the best, since he killed several of Philips men. Agent S claimed that he was also really fun to 'fuck around with' and whether Philips agreed or not, would be carrying out her own personal interrogation.

"So what you're saying is if we come in the Northwest, right by the river on their flank, we can get them off guard long enough to get in and out with a team. Then, we knock out their weapon storage and come back at the crack of dawn to burn them to the ground," Philips concluded in a huff, standing on the opposing side of the table. His old eyes skimmed the map, nodding in agreement.

"Basically," Essie responded,"The first team needs to go in quietly, though. Any noise will set them off. And no offense to your camp, Colonel, they run a tighter ship than Hitler's tighty-whitties," Agent S informed dryly, her bright eyes connecting with the Colonel's.

The man was quiet for a moment, as if thinking of the plan several times before a slight nod came to his head. He would send in Agent S, clearly a woman of stealth and promise, with a team to dismantle them from the inside, only to prep for the US army attack. "I like it, Agent S. I like it a lot."

"Really?"

The Colonel paced around the room,"Well, you aren't going in solo."

"I figured."

"Pick a team, train them. If by chance you die in there on a solo, we'd come into a slaughter the next morning with no signal from you. With the disappearance of Rauff and a tank, they'll be more on guard," Philips stated dryly, leaning forward onto the map,"How long do you need to take them down from the inside?"

Agent S crossed her arms,"4 hours, tops."

"4 hours?"

The woman simply smirked,"Want me to do it in 3?"

The Howling Commandos sat in a residents quarters around a large, wooden table. It was rotting away in its old state with a dull light hanging above. Cards were split between the 6 men, and money was thrown in the center. You had Dum Dum(Tim) Dugan with his ridiculous mustache and loud personality, Jim Morita quietly watching for a move, Jacques Dernier cursing in french, James Falsworth claiming the english do the game better, Bucky Barnes as an oddly quiet member of the night, and Gabe Jones with his wide grin and laughing at the whole thing as he dealt the game.

Each of them joyously laughed, drinking their beers as they went along. It was easy— it was card night. The men were probably a bit drunker than they would've liked to have been, screaming about the pathetic Germans and how they ran away like 'sissies'.

"They were crappin' their pants!" Dum Dum roared, slamming his hand down onto the table with a hoot.

"Jus' deal zeh cards!" Jacques refocused, smirking at Gabe.

The African American put his face into his hands as he chuckled before he dealt the next hand,"But come on, Frenchie. They did look like they were waddling away!"

"It makes sense," James added,"Hitler is a loaded bag of shit."

"Hoo-yeah that's right!" Dum Dum snorted, taking in a large gulp of beer. Some of the remains of fuzz stayed on his mustache.

Bucky put a card down,"Saving some for later, Dum Dum?"

The man sniffled, before he used the sleeve of his right arm to run under his nose and remove the foam. "Can never have too much beer, Bucks."

"You say zhat too often," Jacques grinned,"You Americans going to drink yourselves into the grave."

"Actually, I think the Brits have that," James fired, raising his beer into the air and taking a deep sip,"We just don't look stupid doing it."

"Ay! I take offense to this!" Dum Dum stood up. "And we all look like idiots compared to Jim here! Sober as fuck and still winning."

The focused turned to Jim, who was quietly sitting and staring at his hand blankly. Wearily and groggily, he gazed upwards to the men watching him. "Sorry guys… I'm… trashed." Within seconds, his head went down onto the table with a thump and his cards scattered everywhere.

"Jim won."

"Yup."

"The Japanese out drank us."

"Wow."

The men threw in their decks, and before they knew it, a roar erupted throughout the entire team. They were howling, as one would say, banging on the table as laughter took over their bodies. Dum Dum was tearing at the eyes, Gabe was practically fall out of his chair. Bucky had a chuckle going, shaking his head at the nonsense of his crew.

"Mind if I step in?" A seductive voice spoke.

The laughter immediately ceased and James whispered,"By god its the angel of death herself."

Agent S' face was emotionless as she approached the table from the closest doorway. Her white bandages were now only on her arms, and a new shirt was given to her. The faint scarring on her neck and forehead were gone completely, and she walked as if she didn't have her skin peeled off her bones two days ago. In fact, she seemed as if she was never injured in the first place. Her bright eyes pierced through the dull air of the bunker, and she slowed to a stop in front of the table.

"What can I do for you, sweetheart? Gonna raise another gun to my head?" Dum Dum said aloud, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet upwards.

Agent S tilted her head, almost cat-like, before she glanced to Bucky. He was staring at her, wide-eyed, and his expression was still that of shock. She forgot that the last time she saw him was when she said she was going to run and destroy the tanks. Or maybe… Did she see him after that? She did. Agent S swallowed thickly because she vaguely remembered seeing him during the brawl. It wasn't a pretty sight. She sat on the edge of the table,"Hey Barnes. It's good to see you made it through."

Bucky's mouth drew shut, and then, he turned away from her. Essie frowned, inhaling deeply,"I'm here to recruit you men for a special mission under Colonel Philips orders. Details of the mission will go out if you accept."

"What's it for?" Gabe asked innocently.

"Shadow infiltration of Rauff's base," Essie explained,"That's all I can say until Philips talks to you, if you agree."

She found herself looking back over to Barnes once more, who was clearly doing everything in his power to not look at her. The agent stood up from the rickety table, and moved towards the door,"I'll give you guys a minute." As swiftly as she came, she left.

The Howling Commandos grew quiet. Gabe had woken up Jim, who agreed to anything as long as he could vomit somewhere. Dum Dum lead the conversation,"What do ya' think, fellas?"

"It's risky," Jacques admitted plainly, leaning back into his chair,"A shadow mission?"

"Sounds like an FBI thing," Gabe added, resting his forearms on the table.

"Or a suicide squad," James figured, taking another swig of beer,"Is that what this is going to be?"

Silence filled the once joyous room. The men were silent, pondering the potential factors of accepting this mission. They were the Howling Commandos— loud, obnoxious Hydra killers. They weren't some secret task force with the abilities to going into a German base and infiltrate it. "What do you think, Barnes?"

"What?" Bucky snapped his attention to Dum Dum.

"What do you think?"

"I… I don't know," Bucky said aloud, shifting uncomfortably.

Dum Dum leaned forwards,"You know her the best out of everyone in this camp. Is she trustworthy? Can we go on this mission?"

Bucky's jaw locked as his crystal eyes fell to his hands. He licked his lips out of nervous habit, taking a moment to think. Could he trust her? He only knew her for two days. He knew she was the same mysterious figure in the Kasserine Pass that held him tightly into her chest as bullets rammed her backside and pain seared her body. She was also the girl who he spoke to about Steve, and only encouraged him. However, she was also the thing that violently tore apart the nazis with a single hand and a blade.

If anything, Bucky knew for certain that she was dangerous.

He didn't know if he could trust her, but he did know that she wanted to take down the nazi's just as much as he did.

"I think we can," Bucky whispered,"I think her help is unlike anything we've ever encountered, and if I get a chance to bring down just one more German base, I'll do it."

Dum Dum looked at his men, taking in the slight nod of the head from each and every one of them. A sense of pride filled their leader as he shouted,"HEY SWEETHEART, WE GOT AN ANSWER FOR YA'."

The mission was rather simple. Colonel Philips had briefed the Howling Commandos and ran over the specs of the task force. They'd be in and out when Allied troops swooped in at dawn. The Howling Commandos would disarm the Germans from the inside, taking out their artillery and dismantling their weapons base. It would be when the sun rose that the army would infiltrate the base and burn it to the ground.

On top of it, they all got special training. At the meeting, Philips gave the issue for blade-training. He said it was based off of Agent S' recommendation, since it was in shadow. Guns were only to be used if the cover was blown, and therefore the use of the blade or knife would be that much better in fighting. In addition, she would review hand to hand with each of the commandos.

"God, Barnes, this isn't going to work if you don't punch me," Essie sighed. She paced around the clearing that she sat in 2 days ago with Sergeant Barnes, simply eating a ham and cheese sandwich. Now, they were both beading sweat under the sun's scorching heat and Bucky still couldn't land a single blow on the woman.

Bucky threw a pathetic punch,"I'm trying!"

"Barely," Agent S dodged, swinging her leg up to nail him in the groin. Bucky flew back from the impact and collapsed to the ground with a groan. The woman squat down beside him. She looked at him wince in pain and a small smile came to her lips,"You doing alright?"

"Fine!" Bucky spat, his hands cradling his stomach.

The agent merely comforted,"Lets try something else."

Essie extended her hand, to which Bucky grabbed. He wrapped his fingers around hers tightly as she hauled him up with ease. Bucky regained his footing moments after being brought to a stand and brushed off his pants,"What do you mean, something else? We've been at this for hours and now you want to move on?"

The woman reached under her waist belt and pulled out two knives,"These are the best for silent killing. Once you're good at a blade, which most people aren't, you have the upper hand."

Essie walked forward and let her left hand touch Bucky's right arm. Her fingertips then slid downwards,"You see, a knife has the same potential of a bullet." Bucky froze in his spot, watching her carefully as her fingers danced along his tricep to his forearm. Her hand then cupped his, before sliding the knife into his palm.

"It's a kind of weapon you need to be taught to make perfect," Essie explained, backing away. Bucky's body relaxed the moment her touch left his arm. She took her blade and flicked it up into the air, catching it effortlessly.

"How'd you do that?" Bucky watched in wonder.

"The flip?" Essie pointed out,"It's simple. Once you know the weight of your weapon, you can sort of get a feel for it and how it spins. Watch." And she did the same thing again.

"Sometimes, I catch it upside-down so my grip is on top and not the bottom for more of a 'stabbing' attack," Essie spoke as she demonstrated her words,"This kind of stuff becomes muscle memory, knife work. Once I get you into the groove, you'll be as silent as a mouse but deadly as a snake."

"Animal metaphors, wow," Bucky grinned, moving the knife in his grip to get the feel. His bright eyes fell on Essie, and he couldn't help but smile. She got lost in her own world somehow, flipping the blade in her hand and spinning to catch it. She kept performing weird tricks of bouncing the butt off her knee and still flawlessly grabbing it out of thin air. Her brown locks were falling out of her high pony tail, cascading down the nape of her neck and framing her face.

Beautiful and deadly.

She was the finest trained killer and yet right now, she seemed like any ordinary person prepping for battle. She was smiling, focused, and brilliant. She was lethal and yet somehow, that image of the blank-stared, cold-hearted killer didn't seem anything like the woman before him.

Bucky watched in amazement as Essie got lost in the motions with the blade, and before she even spoke, Bucky asked,"What happened back there, in the ambush?"

She shortly stopped,"Excuse me?"

"Something changed about you, Essie," Bucky walked forward and carefully placed a hand onto her shoulder. She whirled to look up at him, her blue orbs shimmering in the sunlight but somehow, seemed so dull. Bucky continued,"It was like… you weren't you. Like a machine."

Essie frowned,"Why do you ask?"

"I just— you know, you probably can't tell me. It's stupid," Bucky retreated, letting his hand fall away from her body. However, she caught it. Bucky's stared in her in disbelief as she took his hand into hers, tucking her knife away into her pocket. She slowly brought his hand up to rest on the swell of her breast and her hand on his wrist to steady him. He felt how warm she was, and the steady rise and fall of her chest. His finger just barely touched her skin through her low collar, and it was like fire. Under the gentle inhalation, Bucky felt the small thumping rhythm of her heart. It was fluttering, soft, gentle.

"I'm not a machine, Bucky," Essie admitted,"And there was a time when I let this little beating thing in my chest make my choices for me. More people died than I could've imagined because I didn't make the choice. Now, when I fight, I take away the choice. If you're my enemy, you're dead." The woman's jaw tightened as her grip on Bucky's wrists tightened,"That's what makes you a better solider than me."

Bucky felt his lips part in disbelief as she let her expression become just a bit sadder,"You can stop killing. You can go to a life after this in America with a wife and kids and have a happy family. You're a better soldier because you can listen to your heart, and I ignore it. I might've lost it." Her grip loosened on his wrist, her hand sliding up to cover his hand with her own, only to carefully remove him from her chest. "I will never have a future like you. Don't let that go."

"You sound like you're already dead," Bucky whispered, feeling the warmth of her touch disappear as soon as it came. For a second, and only a second, he wondered what it'd be like if she held on a bit longer.

Essie's expression fell even more, and she gave him the weakest of smiles.

You didn't already know?

"Come on, let's start up with training. It's getting late soon, and I don't want to miss James' session," Essie said aloud, turning around from him.

"You know," Bucky began,"That's my name too."

"Hm?"

"My name. James Buchanan Barnes."

Essie turned around, laughing. She released her knife up from her belt loop and pointed it at Bucky,"Okay then, James Buchanan Barnes… Come at me."

Yay! I'm so excited to post this. I have so many more chapters written up after this and it gets more and more intense.

For anyone that thinks Agent S is a mary-sue-type character, just wait until the next chapter for a little more characterization. I'm trying to think of better ways to show her personality, but she's kind of a confident asshole at first.

Please leave me a review, favorite, or follow and I'll love you forever!