WOOOO TIME TO RESCUE THE 107TH :) This reached 2,100 words. I hope y'all enjoy.
Also, thank you so much Whitelion69 for the comment on my story! I appreciate it so much!!! I have a lot in store for y'all, Lorelei, and Steve :) I hope you guys enjoy~
By the way! I'm on Instagram! So, if you want to see random photos, get updates on new chapters, or get a sneak peek at images I created for my stories, check me out @StarryeyedDreamSeeker and give it a look! See you next update!
Peggy handed a device to Steve.
"This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready, and the signal will lead us straight to you." Peggy said.
"Are you sure this thing works?" Steve asked, eyeing the device.
"It's been tested more than you, pal." Howard called from the cockpit.
Gunshots erupted all around them, with the enemy trying to shoot the plane out of the sky.
Lorelei braced herself, Steve resting a hand on her as he himself braced.
Steve looked at Lorelei, the unspoken question in his gaze.
She nodded.
They stood, Steve opening the door to the plane.
"Get back here! We're taking you all the way in!" Peggy exclaimed, trying to stop them.
"As soon as we're clear, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!" Steve shouted over the wind.
"You can't give me orders!" Peggy snapped.
"The hell I can't! I'm a Captain!" Steve said.
Lorelei watched him jump with a dumb grin on her face.
Peggy turned to Lorelei.
"That's my Soulmate." Lorelei said with a cheeky grin before jumping out of the plane herself.
The freezing wind whistled in Lorelei's ears, her stomach churning as the trees approached far too quickly.
Lorelei turned into smoke, impacting the ground near Steve with a puff of smoke that scattered in all directions.
It took a long moment for Lorelei to gather her atoms back together, but she finally coalesced into a crouch, eyes on Steve for her next directive.
They traveled silently through enemy territory on high alert. They spotted a truck, and Steve immediately ran for it.
He dove in, Lorelei close behind.
The startled Hydra Agents stared at them.
Steve nodded at them.
"Fellas."
They were quickly dealt with and unceremoniously heaved out of the back of the vehicle.
Lorelei and Steve waited for their impending arrival at the concentration camp.
"Once we get in there, I'm going to be hard to see. I'm going to stick to the shadows, but I won't be far behind." Lorelei said, pulling her black hair into a bun and securing it there with a bit of rope.
Steve nodded.
"Be careful." He advised.
"I'm always careful." Lorelei teased, "you, on the other hand, need to be careful. I'm shocked you didn't fracture your shins with that landing."
Steve gave her a sheepish grin.
They fell silent as they heard talking in the distance.
Lorelei turned into smoke as Steve prepared for infiltration.
An agent opened the flaps, greeted by Steve's shield. The agent flew backwards as Steve used said shield to bash the agent.
Steve exited the vehicle, Lorelei utilizing Steve's shadow as a mode of transportation.
Lorelei let Steve do all the work getting into the building.
Lorelei lay in wait as Steve knocked on the door, waiting for the man to open it.
Steve used the door to knock the man unconscious, while Lorelei dragged his body into the shadows and kept him from waking up forever.
She did not like having to snuff a human's life out, but she reasoned with herself that she was doing it for the greater good.
Steve and Lorelei slipped through the factory, Lorelei having to concentrate on keeping her atoms together more and more as they approached the blue glow.
Lorelei was thankful for her bracelets, which were keeping her together. Without them, she probably would have been on the ground, writhing in agony.
Steve pocketed one of the devices.
Lorelei spotted an agent, who had already spied Steve, who was in the action of turning to alert the guards.
Lorelei rocketed towards the agent, grabbing him from behind and quickly slitting the man's throat.
Warm, wet blood spilled onto Lorelei's hands, making Lorelei sick.
The man gurgled and twitched, struggling to breathe. The man weakly scrabbled at Lorelei's hands, then fell limp.
Lorelei looked around urgently, dragging the body to the shadows and dissolving the body within the shadows.
She stumbled back, leaning heavily against the metal and quietly retching the remnants of her meal onto the floor.
She had killed someone. She had killed someone by herself. A son. A brother.
She knew it was her or the man. And knowing the atrocities of the camp, it was her. But-
Lorelei wiped the bile with the back of her hand.
They had been human. They had dreams, aspirations. Hopes and emotions.
Focus. You need to focus on Bucky.
The blood gushing onto her hands-
Stop! Steve! Where's Steve?!
Lorelei looked around weakly, spotting Steve's shield in the distance. Lorelei followed after, wiping her hands on her robes in an attempt to remove the blood.
They continued on their way towards the prisons.
Steve knocked out the guard, startling the prisoners.
"Who are you supposed to be?" They asked.
"I'm… Captain America." Steve replied.
"Who's the pretty dame with you?" Another asked.
"I'm his shadow." Lorelei said.
Steve and Lorelei helped release the prisoners, Steve questioning the prisoners for any information regarding Bucky.
"There's an isolation ward in the factory, but no one's ever come back from it."
"All right." Steve said, "the tree line is northwest, 80 yards past the gate. Get out fast and give 'em hell. I'll meet you guys in the clearing with anybody else I find."
"Wait. You know what you're doing?" A prisoner asked.
"Yeah. I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times." Steve said.
Lorelei snorted, Steve giving her an exasperated look.
"C'mon, let's go find Bucky." Lorelei said.
They found the isolation ward, rounding the corner in time to see Zola fleeing.
Lorelei heard familiar murmuring as Steve chased Zola.
Lorelei rushed into the room, spotting Bucky strapped to a table.
Lorelei rushed to Bucky's side.
"Bucky!" Lorelei muttered, grabbing at the restraints and tearing them off with brute strength.
"Lorelei?" Bucky asked.
Steve hovered over him, drawing Bucky's attention.
"It's me. It's Steve." Steve gave him a relieved grin.
"Steve?" Bucky seemed confused.
"I thought you were dead," Steve said.
Bucky seemed to be becoming more aware.
"I thought you were smaller." Bucky was shocked to see Steve taller than him.
Lorelei hugged the two, relief filling her chest.
"What are you doin' here, Lorelei?" Bucky asked.
"Saving your dumb ass. It's good to see you alive and kicking, Buckwheat." Lorelei grinned.
The trio chuckled in relief.
"Come on." Steve said.
"What happened to you?" Bucky asked, leaning heavily on Steve.
"I joined the Army." Came Steve's response.
"Did it hurt?" Bucky asked as they walked.
"A little."
"Is this permanent?"
"So far."
The trio looked up at a new voice.
"Captain America! How exciting!" John Schmidt said, Zola close behind him. "I am a great fan of your films!"
Steve halted, leveling a glare at Schmidt and Zola.
"So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still, impressive." Schmidt said, approaching Steve.
Steve surged forward, throwing a punch into Schmidt's face.
"You've got no idea." Steve breathed, his expression cold.
Schmidt held his face, looking down at his hand before returning the favor, denting the shield Steve quickly raised to protect himself.
Steve looked down at the shield in shock, giving Schmidt the opportunity to strike once again.
Steve was sent flying, his gun falling off the bridge.
Schmidt began to approach Steve again, but Steve gripped the railing and planted his boot into Schmidt's chest, throwing the man across the bridge.
Zola rushed to pull the lever, separating the two men by a growing chasm.
Bucky was pale, his gaze locked on Zola.
Lorelei shifted in front of Bucky, her eyes emerald daggers.
John Schmidt seemed to recognize Lorelei, a fascinated look passing over him.
"Who is this enchanting warrior by your side?" Schmidt examined her with a keen eye. "You bear a striking resemblance to someone I once heard about... a figure from the shadows of myth."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Lorelei snapped.
"You bear a striking resemblance to Nott." Schmidt said.
Lorelei was baffled, this man had to be smoking something.
"Who is Nott?" Lorelei questioned.
"Nott, the Asgardian goddess. She had a child before she perished. Is that you, little one?" Schmidt had an odd mocking smile.
Lorelei felt chills run down her back. Schmidt was crazy, officially off his rocker crazy. Lorelei clenched her fists, trying to keep herself composed while disbelief was etched into her face.
"You're fucking joking. I'm not a goddess!" Lorelei threw her words like knives.
Schmidt opened his mouth to spew more bullshit.
"Listen, asshole, I know you're probably obsessed with gods and goddesses or whatever, but I am a human." She snarled.
"You are wrong. We are beyond humanity, you and I. You believe you are like that man over there," Schmidt pointed at Bucky, "but just like you, I am better, stronger than all of mankind." Schmidt gripped a flap at the bottom of his chin, peeling off the mask and revealing his red skin. "You see, Captain, no matter what lies Erskine told you, I was his greatest success!"
"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asked Steve.
Steve shook his head.
"You are deluded, Captain. You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, Schmidt tossed the molded flesh into the explosions below, saying, "You are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind." Schmidt spread his arms, backing away from the trio, Zola close behind. "Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!"
"Then how come you're running?" Steve asked as they disappeared around the corner.
Flames licked from below, radiating heat into the soles of those above.
"Come on, let's go. Up." Steve said, gesturing for the other two to follow.
They rushed up the stairs, reaching the beam far above.
"Let's go. One at a time." Steve instructed.
Lorelei held onto Bucky as he climbed over, making sure she would catch him if he lost his balance.
Once Bucky was a little distance away, Steve urged Lorelei to follow. "C'mon, you next."
Lorelei glanced at the explosions below. Deciding that was the worst idea she had had that entire night, Lorelei clambered over the railing and made her way across herself.
The explosions rocked the metal beam, loosening it.
Bucky leapt to the railing just as the beam fell, and Lorelei followed along with it.
Lorelei let out a brief scream, her stomach churning as she plummeted to the ground.
She could hear Bucky and Steve scream her name as she thought quickly.
Her brain firing at a rapid pace, Lorelei summoned her Tao Mandala's and cast a platform below her.
Her feet missed it, but she grabbed onto the platform with all of her might, crying out as her arms were yanked uncomfortably.
Lorelei peeked down at the ground below, again regretting the decision. The flames were licking her boots, urging her to make a decision. Fast.
She cast two more platforms, resting her feet on them before making her way back up to the railing.
An explosion happened a bit too close for Lorelei's comfort, and Lorelei leapt the remaining feet up.
Hands grabbing the railing, Lorelei hoisted herself up, Bucky grabbed at her clothes and hauled her over. Lorelei rolled over onto her back, her heart pounding in her chest.
Lorelei looked up as she heard Steve impact the railing. Steve practically leaped over the rail, skidding to a stop beside Lorelei.
He was speechless, a look of fear pushing his brows together as he gave her a once over.
"I'm alright, a little burnt, but alright." Lorelei said.
Steve gathered her into his arms, relieved that she hadn't perished in the flames below.
The trio shot to their feet as a significant explosion shook the building.
"We've gotta go, like, now!" Lorelei exclaimed.
There was no room for further conversation; they exited the building and entered the battle below.
Lorelei snatched up three Hydra weapons, grimacing at the pain that messed with her atoms.
She passed them out, and they entered the fray.
Lorelei learned how to use the weapon quite quickly, eliminating the remaining agents around them.
They approached the freed soldiers in the distance, a large group that at first eyed them warily, then began quietly celebrating as they surrounded Steve.
Steve ignored them, instead focusing on Lorelei.
She was limping, favoring her right leg, and the adrenaline was seeping away from her body.
The explosion had burned her calf, superficially melting her shoes, and her hands had been cut by her own Tao Mandala's.
"You're hurt." Steve said, gazing at the blood that was seeping from her hands.
Lorelei looked down at her hands in surprise.
The bleeding had already stopped, but Steve whisked her away to a triage.