Ch 13
After a few more shows, Stephanie learned that Bucky's unit was lost in a battle with Hydra. Colonel Phillips believed that they were dead but Stephanie refused to give up until she knew the truth.
She was also supported by Agent Carter and Howard Stark who flew her over to the Austrian Hydra Weapons Factory.
Then Stephanie jumped and parachuted off the plane as bullets zipped past, then followed a convoy of Hydra trucks heading for the building.
She then climbed into one of the trucks through the back but was spotted by town Hydra troopers.
The troopers scrambled for their guns but Stephanie simply bonked their heads together, knocking them out, then throwing them out.
When the truck finally reached the place, Stephanie silently knocked out the troopers with punches to the backs of their heads and chokeholds before she grabbed the keys off the last trooper, then used it to unlock the cages.
"Who are you supposed to be?" asked a strong-muscled man with a large mustache.
"I'm-i'm Captain America." Stephanie replied. "I'm here to break you out."
"What, are we taking everybody?" asked the mustache guy.
"I'm from Fresno, Ace." another guy said with a glare.
"Is there anybody else? I'm looking for a Sergeant James Barnes." Stephanie said and the guys looked up at the name.
"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back from it." an African American guy said.
"All right, the tree line is northwest." Stephanie said, going over the plan to ignore the pit in her stomach. "80 yards past the gate, go fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."
"You know what you're doing?" the mustache guy asked.
Stephanie grinned.
"Yeah. I knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times."
The men looked confused but by the time they looked back, Stephanie was already gone.
Hydra troopers shot at her as she went. She ducked most of the shots but her transponder was hit.
Eventually, she found the lab and saw Bucky strapped to a chair. He looked like he'd been through hell and he kept repeating his name and number like a maddening mantra.
"Oh god."
Stephanie ran over and went straight to work, removing the straps as fast as she could.
"Stephanie?" Bucky asked.
"Yeah, it's me." Stephanie replied.
Bucky was finally freed but he didn't have strength to sit up and fell to the side before he was helped up.
"I thought you were dead."
"I thought you were smaller."
They both grinned as Stephanie helped him out. She also saw a map of Hydra bases in Europe, memorizing it, then they headed out.
"What happened to you?" Bucky asked.
"I joined the army." Stephanie said. There really wasn't time to explain everything since the entire place was going to blow.
"Did it hurt?"
"A little."
"Is this permanent?"
"So far."
A series of huge explosions rippled through the building as pieces of the roof fell down in a large room with a bridge. Below was a raging storm of fire and smoke.
On the other side of the bridge were Zola and Schmidt.
"Captain America!" Schmidt said. "How exciting! I am a great fan of your films, Fräulein."
Stephanie felt a rush of anger and she really couldn't wait to shut this guy up with a punch to his mouth.
"I see Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still, impressive."
Stephanie then punched Schmidt right in the jaw as soon as he was done with his ranting, sending him stumbling back.
"You've got no idea." Stephanie spat.
"Haven't I?" Schmidt asked with a nasty grin.
Then he threw a punch but she blocked with her shield, then used it to bash him back.
Zola split up the bridge using its control console and Schmidt recovered, then continued his evil speech.
"You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind."
Suddenly, Schmidt pulled off his face!
Stephanie and Bucky both stepped back in shock as they saw the true face of Schmidt.
The Red Skull.
"Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear."
"Then how come you're running?" Stephanie taunted.
More explosions rocked the place and Stephanie and Bucky almost fell but they hung on until they found a trembling beam.
Bucky went first and the beam looked like it was about to collapse but he jumped right before it happened.
"Gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky said desperately.
"Just go!" There was no way she'd make it out.
At least one of them would survive.
"Not without you!" Bucky said stubbornly.
Stephanie looked around and all she saw was raging fire.
She didn't even know if she could make the jump.
But she had to try.
She took a breath, then ran.
At the edge of the ramp, she jumped as high as she could, her hand eventually gripping the other side of the ramp as Bucky pulled her up.
She had made it.