The Guide To Moving On

Chapter 31 Part 1- Hurt

I just hope that it pays off. 

Steve's POV

We arrived at the base and I took a deep breath trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. It isn't like me to get this nervous before missions, but I blame the fact that I am on it with Nat, and Fury gave us next to no information before we left. 

Basically all information we have about the base, we had discovered in the last 2 weeks. I glanced at my beautiful partner as we got out of the car. She winked at me and smirked. At least one of us was confident about this mission. 

We had worked together long enough now that we could communicate plans without even speaking and as I started creep in between the trees towards the base, she immediately copied and we made it to the base within a minute. 

I glanced at her one last time and readied my shield, springing out of the trees at the front of the base. We were immediately met with gunfire, I guess we lost the element of surprise. The base itself was small and rather old, I understand what Fury means by it being an old base. 

Most of the paint was flaking off the side, exposing the concrete and brick that surrounded the building. 

There was something familiar about this base, 2 stories of concrete and brick with withering gardens surrounding its base. I was distracted from my thoughts however, when a bullet whizzed past my cheek, barely missing me. 

I turned my attention to where it came from and quickly disarmed the guard responsible. Another wave of guards flooded from the Iron doors at the entrance to the building. The iron doors also looked familiar, but one seemed to have been replaced, it kind of reminded me of a building we stormed with the army way back when. 

But there was no way, it was too long ago, there is no way that the building is the same one that I am thinking of. Besides, the building I know, had black gloss tiles and lime green walls, something that I very distinctly remember because it was such as strange design at the time. 

I made quick work of knocking out more guards, as Nat took out more on my left. 

As the fight drew on, the waves of guards became less frequent, with less guards leaving the building with each one. Hopefully we are almost finished with their defence and we can get into the building soon. 

"Rogers, duck!" Nat called through the comms and I immediately followed her command without question. 

Something whizzed by the top of my head, followed by a loud explosion. I looked back and saw that Nat had thrown a grenade to clear the entrance so we could enter. She ran into the building and I followed quickly behind her. 

The entry had black tiles but stark white walls, see not the same building Rogers, I must be going crazy. We were greeted with 5 armed guards, shooting at us. I blocked them all with my shield, being conscious to cover Nat, more so than myself. 

Once we had taken down all 5, Nat gestured towards a narrow corridor that seemed to lead downwards. 

"I'll go that way and you stay up here and make sure we haven't missed anything or anyone." I didn't love the idea of splitting up, but I nodded anyway, how could I say no to her anyway? Not that she would let me anyway, Natasha isn't one to follow directions. 

Another ten or so guards came running down the hallway, and I immediately started taking them down. 5 of them however took off in Nat's direction before I could stop them, I just hope that she will be able to take care of them. 

I threw the last guard into the wall with force, denting the wall as I did so. I ran over to grab my shield from where it got wedged into the wall during our fight. As I removed it, I saw some of the paint chip off. 

Usually I would disregard it, as a soldier, we break stuff all the time, but something caught my eye which caused me to give it a second glance. 

I rubbed my gloved hand where my shield left a mark and more of the white paint flaked off. Underneath was the most disgusting hue of lime green paint. The very sight of it was enough to make my stomach do flips and I suddenly felt the urge to throw up. 

-Flashback- 

"Barnes, Dugan, stay up here and search the whole floor, leave no stone unturned. Jones, you're with me, we are going to go down that corridor. Do not stop until we find those hostages and get them away from the German line." I commanded and the team nodded, young Jones running after me down the corridor. 

We ran for what seemed like forever until we came to what appeared to be a dead end. As we turned to run back and find another way forward, iron bars dropped down and trapped us into the small section of the hallway. It had been a trap. 

We then heard the click of a door followed by dozens of footsteps. Turns out that there was a hidden door behind us and we were confronted with 20 odd HYDRA soldiers. We fought back hard, I was impressed with the abilities of Jones, a young kid with no fear. Just as we were finishing up with the guards, I heard a shrill scream from next to me and then a thud. 

I turned to see the Jones kid drop to the ground motionless, blood spewing from his chest. Turns out we didn't kill one of the guards and they had shot their gun, probably aiming for me but got him instead. 

The kid was dead instantly, there was nothing I could do. I continued fighting and eventually managed to get the hostages and the rest of the team out of there. All except the kid, a soldier who joined the army to fight for his country, to prove himself.

Now he was gone, and there was nothing we could do, nothing I could do. All because of that trap and that horrible corridor. 

-End Flashback-

I realised it all too quickly. I did know this place, and if it truly was the same one, than it meant that Natasha went down the exact corridor that I did that day. The same hallway that is a horrible trap. 

I was about to run forward when a piercing scream echoed throughout the building and I froze, my blood running cold. 

Natasha!

NO!