This is a flashback chapter. We basically get Captain America: The First Avenger just with Dalla added.
Differences in this chapter: Dalla takes the place of Peggy in many places.
The Bifrost opened and immediately, Dalla changed to look like the Midgardians. She walked down the street when she heard fighting in an ally. A large man was punching a smaller man.
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" the larger man asked.
"I can do this all day," the smaller said breathlessly.
When he lifted a trash can lid as a shield, her heart jumped. Dalla clutched her throat. He is so… I can't believe someone so small has such courage.
A man in a uniform moved past her, saying, "Hey, pick on someone your own size!" He sent the larger on his way. She walked into the alley as the uniformed man helped the other up. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?"
"I had him on the ropes," the smaller said, then he saw the uniform. "You get your orders?"
"The one-o-seventh. Sergeant James Barnes. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow."
"I should be going." He sounded upset.
"Come on, man. My last night! Gotta get you cleaned up."
"Why? Where are we going?"
"The future." He handed his friend a newspaper as they turned and saw Dalla. "Hey, doll. You okay?"
"I saw what happened," she said, suddenly nervous, but she looked at the smaller man. "You were very…"
"Stupid?" supplied the taller of the two.
"Brave," she answered.
"Oh, well…" the smaller said, "that's… um… I just…"
"Is little Steve getting tongue-tied?" the uniformed one teased.
"Bucky!"
"You're name is Steve?" Dalla asked. "You have the heart of a warrior. I can tell."
"Thank you."
Dalla and Steve stood there, both fidgeting shily. Bucky noticed and, though he had plans for him and Steve, he knew how it would most likely end.
"Hey, you want to join us?" Bucky asked.
That snapped both of them out of their stupor, and when she found her voice, Dalla said, "I just got into town, so I thought I'd go see the sights for now."
"Well, I hope to see you around, then," said Steve.
"As do I," said Dalla.
Dalla smiled at him before going to leave. However, before turning the corner, she looked back at Steve. Bucky smiled.
"She liked you," said Bucky as the two of them made their way out of the alley.
"I doubt that," said Steve. "Girls aren't exactly lining up around the block to date me. She probably likes you, like all the other girls."
"Trust me, she wasn't looking at me."
Meanwhile, Dalla found the displays about the war. She smiled. Well, a war worth fighting.
She made her way out and went to join the fight.
It would be a few weeks before she saw Steve at boot camp. Colonel Phillips, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter were secretly testing her abilities, being the only ones who knew who and what she was. She hid behind a truck, watching Steve. She would smile at how he beat out the others in every way that mattered.
Five days after starting training, Steve spotted her. She tried to duck out of sight, but he smiled, shaking his head. He stood up and went to talk to her.
"How long have you been here?" Steve asked.
"I've been helping out since the day you and I met," she answered, standing.
"I meant watching."
"Oh… um… I…" A blush covered her cheeks as she looked down.
"So are you watching our platoon?"
"I was only watching one man," she admitted.
"And who might that be?" He looked back at the men, trying to spot who would capture the attention of someone so beautiful.
She took a breath. She was the Goddess of Fire, a warrior of Asgard, and wielder of the flaming sword, Eldr. She reached out with a shaking hand and took Steve's. He looked back at her as her large, ash-gray eyes looked into his blue ones. They moved closer together.
"Well, what are the princess and twig getting up to?" asked Hodge, a member of Steve's fellow soldiers.
She glared at him and went to do something to the odious man when Steve put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Instantly, her temper went down and calm stole through her.
"Having a friendly chat," he said. "We met before I signed up."
"Yeah, well, she's out of your league, Rogers," Hodge said. "Don't get any ideas."
"And why not?"
"Because a woman like her needs a man like me to protect them. What can you do for her?"
"Well, having a stimulating conversation, for starters. He has a brain between his ears, something you clearly lack if you think I need a man to protect me."
He stomped off as she smirked. Steve smiled back at her. From then on, they would talk when they could. After that day when Hodge caught them, they were careful with how they acted around each other. She told him all about Asgard and who she was, and he was shocked that she would even look his way as a friend or otherwise. He told her of his life and his best friend from the alley, Bucky.
But as the day for the experiment grew closer, she had less and less free time, as did Steve. That didn't stop her from falling in love with him in that time, nor him her. Peggy had become her best friend while she was on Midgard and tried to help as much as she could when anytime she had to work alongside Steve. Dalla was grateful for that, calling Peggy her sister.
On the day of the experiment, Dalla left early for the lab. She was nervous and wanted to get used to the feel of things so that she wouldn't cause a scene.
"There you are, Princess," said Howard, sneaking up on her.
"Stark," she greeted. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Rogers will do fine."
"How could you…?"
"Peggy says you stare at him all the time. For a Goddess, you have a soft spot for a mortal man."
"Keep your voice down, imbecile!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. What I don't understand is why you look at him and not someone like, say, me."
"I don't look at the outer package, Stark. Steve is smart and brave… everything a warrior like me looks for."
"And what about caring?"
"He didn't join the army to kill, Stark. He doesn't want a tyrant to harm others." She glared at Howard. "Quit trying to get in my trousers."
"Can't blame a man for trying to charm a beautiful woman."
With that, he went downstairs. Dalla greeted many people and took her seat. She began fidgeting and Peggy took her hand when she sat next to her. Dalla had never felt so scared before. She and Peggy ran out.
"Shut it down!" Peggy yelled.
"Now!" ordered Dalla.
"Mr. Stark, kill the power!" Dr. Erskine said.
"No!" Steve called out. "Don't! I can do this!"
Dalla ran down so that some men had to hold her back as she went to shut everything down. She had tears rolling down her cheeks. I can't lose him! Not like this!
But the machine opened and she was awed by the Steve she saw. She stopped fighting, but it wouldn't matter as the men let her go so she could join the others in gathering around Steve. She made her way slowly to him.
Peggy asked, "How do you feel?
"Taller," Steve answered, looking around.
"You look taller."
Dalla got up next to him, looking up at him. He wiped a tear from her cheeks. She hugged him tightly, shaking. He wrapped an arm around her in comfort.
"I'm fine, Dalla," he said.
"You scared me, soldier," she said, looking up at him. "But now the man you are inside is where everyone can see him."
"Well…"
"It's true. I thought you were handsome before, but now…"
"What?"
She blushed, realizing what she just said. But, before she could answer, all hell broke loose. Steve ran to Dr. Erskine's side. She joined him, seeing the hand motion the dying man made towards Steve. They both ran after the murderer. Everything happened so fast. Before they knew what had happened, there were shots fired at them, a boy in the water, Steve jumping in after a mini German U-boat, and them walking back.
She had never failed to get the enemy back to camp before. She was given an assignment from Colonel Phillips upon walking into the room. She said goodbye to Steve and head out. The next day, she was being next to Bucky and his platoon in England.
They worked together for many months, growing close, like siblings. One day, it was a nighttime attack when a new weapon entered the fray. She was hit and passed out. The next thing she knew, she was being woke up to see Steve and Bucky over her.
"Steve?" she asked, her mouth dry. "Bucky?"
"Hey, princess," said Bucky, with a smile.
"Let's get you out of here," said Steve. "Come on, up you get, beautiful."
She sat up, pausing when she registered what he had just called her. She blushed and looked at Steve, but when she tried to stand, her legs went out from under her. Steve caught her and picked her up, running out of the facility. He handed her to Bucky at one point, but it was clear Dalla was barely conscious for most of the escape. Whatever the HYDRA agents had done to her had weakened her. Though she didn't hear most of the conversation between Johann Schmidt, the sight of him tearing his face off and revealing a red, skull-like appearance caught her attention. Then, she blocked out everything, working on absorbing the heat of the fire around them and regaining her strength.
"Gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky yelled in a panic, snapping her back to reality, where she lay on the metal walkway.
"Just go, get out of here!" Steve said as Dalla stood up.
"No, not without you!"
"Steve!" she called out desperately. "Come with us!"
She watched Steve look around. He bent a metal pipe out of his way, backed up, and got a running start to his jump.
The walk back to camp was hard. She hadn't regained near enough of her strength from the fires around them, but it kept her on her feet and conscious. When she stumbled, Steve would catch her. When they neared the border where their camp was set, she saw all the men watching their approach.
The barricade opened for them to pass. She wanted to walk in on her own, but the all-night march and lack of strength caught up with her right before they stepped through. Steve picked her up and carried her over. She looked up at him, smiling.
"Seems I am a damsel in distress today," she said.
"Happy to be of assistance, ma'am," he said, smiling down at her.
She giggled and laid her head on his chest. For the first time, she didn't mind the role. She didn't plan on getting in trouble, but if he held her close like this every time she did, she wouldn't complain. Though the cheers and claps made enjoying the moment less enjoyable.
When Steve stop walking, he sat her on her feet, though held her close so she didn't fall. He saluted the colonel and said, "Some of these men need medical attention, as does Dalla."
She looked up and mumbled, "A few days rest with clean water and food, and I should be fine, Colonel."
She could hear the medics coming. She turned to go with them, but stopped when she heard Steve say, "I'd like to surrender myself for disciplinary action."
She snapped around and said, "No!" but she was ignored.
Colonel Phillips said, "That won't be necessary."
"Yes, sir."
Dalla slumped with relief, the medics lowering her to a stretcher. She was carried off, but she heard Bucky shout, "Let's hear it for Captain America!"
She smiled at the cheers as she fell asleep. A few days later, after many had been tended and she was at full strength again, she went to a bar with Peggy. She smoothed out her dress as all eyes turned to them.
"Captain," Peggy said.
"Agent Carter," Steve greeted. "Dalla."
Dalla smiled at him. She's so strong and beautiful, Steve thought. Dalla blushed. Steve's thought was so loud, she hadn't needed to hear his thought. He's so heroic and handsome, she thought, not realizing she projected into his mind, causing Steve to become a bit flustered. Neither noticed Peggy walking up to Steve.
"Ma'am," Bucky said, breaking both of them out of their heads.
"Howard has some equipment for you to try," Peggy informed Steve. "Tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds good."
Bucky watched Steve, looking Dalla up and down. He couldn't help but feel jealous of Steve a bit for gaining both Dalla and Peggy's attention and not seeming to notice him.
"I see your top squad is prepping for duty," Peggy continued.
"You don't like music?" asked Bucky.
"I do, actually." Peggy didn't look away from Steve.
Dalla noticed. She felt silly thinking Steve would want someone like her, even if she was a Goddess and princess. Steve just looked at Peggy, a polite yet small smile on his lips.
Peggy went on to say, "I might even, when this is all over, go dancing."
Bucky inquired, "Then what are we waiting for?"
"The right partner." Peggy's eyes moved subtly to Dalla, giving Steve a hint, though Dalla didn't see it. "Oh-eight-hundred, Captain."
"Yes, ma'am," Steve answered as Peggy left. "I'll be there."
"I'm invisible," said Bucky after a moment, turning to Steve with a chuckle. "I'm turning into you. It's like a horrible dream."
"Don't take it so hard," Steve teased. "Maybe she's got a friend."
Dalla joined them at the bar and ordered a pint of beer as Bucky retorted, "You mean, besides Dalla?"
"There is nothing wrong with me, Barnes," Dalla said with a small smile.
"Don't worry, princess, I know I don't have your attention either."
"So, Dalla, how about it?" Steve asked, wanting to get off that topic. "Want to join Captain America's squad?"
She smiled and said, "No. I'd rather join Steve Rogers's."
He smiled at her and she smiled in return. Bucky ordered drinks for him and Steve. She raised her glass and began to drink. While the men took a couple of swigs, Dalla drank the whole glass. The men at the table cheered for her when she sat the mug down. The rest of the night was nothing but smiles for everyone.
In the following months, Steve, Dalla, and the Howling Commandos took down HYDRA base after HYDRA base. Dalla and Steve managed to become quite formidable, combining fighting styles with her sword and his vibranium shield, even trusting the other with their prized possession in battle. But today, they were zip lining to a train. Her clothes were thicker than those of the rest of their team due to her inability to last long in the cold. It limited some movement, like with swords. Since they needed stealth anyway, she had hidden Eldr at camp.
"I wish I had my sword," she said, looking down. "I can fly on it."
"You fly on a sharp piece of metal, but this scares you?" Steve asked.
"More like the thin wire that we have to trust to hold us up."
"Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" Bucky asked Steve.
"Yeah, and I threw up," Steve answered.
"This isn't payback, is it?"
"Between you and Dalla, I don't know which is worse."
Jones gave them the signal to go and they went down the wire. They landed on the metal as silently as they could. They entered and Dalla and Bucky became separated from Steve. They fought to protect themselves. Dalla didn't like the guns, but she had learned how to in her time on Earth and was as good, if not better than some of the men.
Still, when she had to hide like this, getting a clear shot was difficult. She and Bucky were holding the enemy off when Steve finally opened the door. One man shot one of their strange weapons. Dalla hit the back of the car near Steve. Bucky, meanwhile, picked up Steve's shield and shot back. However, he got knocked through the hole in the car's side. Steve tried to reach for Bucky. She acted as a counter-balance for Steve to reach as far as he could.
"Hold on!" Steve yelled. "Grab my hand!"
"Bucky!" Dalla called out. "Take his hand!"
But it wasn't enough. He fell. Both Steve and Dalla couldn't believe it. Both thought of Bucky like a brother, and losing him hurt. After the capture of Arnim Zola, Steve and Dalla went to a bombed-out bar, trying to drown out the sight of Bucky falling. But Steve couldn't get drunk and the liqueur was too weak to affect Dalla. They told stories of their time, Steve about growing up with Bucky and Dalla of glorious battles, but they eventually became silent. Peggy came to check on them, but they only confirmed that the drinks sucked.
"It wasn't your fault," Peggy told them. "Either of yours."
"Did you read the reports?" Steve asked.
"Yes."
"Then, you know that's not true," Dalla said, downing her shot.
"Which point of view?" Peggy asked. "Steve's?" She looked at Dalla, then Steve. "Dalla's?"
"Both," they said in unison.
"You both did what you could," Peggy said. "Did you believe in your friend?" Dalla and Steve looked at Peggy. "Did you respect him?" Their eyes told her everything as they looked down. "Then stop blaming yourselves. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well might have thought you two were worth it."
"I'm going after Schmidt," said Steve. "I'm not going to stop until all of HYDRA is either dead or captured."
"You won't be alone."
"Just one thing. I need Dalla to stay here."
"Why?"
"Last time we checked, it was still in a frozen waste," said Dalla. "Exposed to too much cold and I'll die. I'll stay at the warmer confines of the base."
Peggy nodded and they all set out. They, Colonel Phillips and Howard Stark looked over all the intel they had. Dalla stayed on the radio, as promised, though she hated it. It felt like every minute was an hour.
Then, after so long, she heard Steve say over the radio, "Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Can you read me?"
Jim got on the radio as Dalla came over and said, "Captain Rogers, what is your…"
Dalla interrupted, "Steve, is that you? Are you alright?"
"Dalla, Schmidt's dead!"
"What about the plane?"
"That's a little tougher to explain."
"Give me your coordinates and I'll find you a safe landing site."
"There's not gonna be a safe landing, but I can try and force it down." Steve felt as if everything in him was breaking as he spoke, knowing what he had to do.
Dalla's heart sank. "I'll-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water."
"Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out." Tears formed in her eyes.
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die." He paused. "Dalla, this is my choice." Dalla was silent, tears falling. "Dalla?"
She swallowed. "I'm here."
"When I get back, I'll take you dancing."
She smiled. "All right. A week next Saturday at The Stork Club."
"You've got it."
"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"
"You know, I don't really know how to dance."
"I'll show you how. Just be there."
"We'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your…"
The radio sent out static. "Steve? Steve?" Her voice broke. "Steve?"
The next few months after, Dalla did a few missions, but not many. She talked to Colonel Phillips, Howard, and Peggy about a branch of government to protect America. They put their strengths together to form it between the four of them and the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division was born, though unofficially. But it was hard for Dalla to stay.
"Do you need to go?" Peggy asked. "We haven't even started the division."
"I helped with the foundation," Dalla said. "I trust the three of you to bring it to life. But everything reminds me of Steve."
"I understand. I hope to see you again soon."
Dalla smiled. "Me too. See you soon." She and Peggy hugged before Dalla moved away. "Heimdall."
The Bifrost opened and took her back to Asgard.