Weaponised

7

Steve Rogers

"How exciting!" Schmidt continues as the explosion I assume was caused by him wracks the building. "I'm a great fan of your films. So, Doctor Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive," angered and mildly irritated, I punch Schmidt roughly in his smug face. 

"You've got no idea," I snarl as Schmidt reels back from the attack.

"Haven't I?" he goes to hit me but I protect myself with my shield. As we fight, Zola pulls a lever and the catwalk we are standing on retracts to either side, separating us on opposite ends of the hall. "No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see I was his greatest success!" he peels off the skin on his face, revealing a deep red surface with oddly protruding eyeballs, overly sharp cheekbones and a flat nose. What the Hell?

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asks me, but I'm too busy gaping at the red skull in front of me to give him any answer.

"I think we'd already know about it if he did," Rikki replies.

"Good. I hope not."

"You are deluded, Captain," Schmidt yells, his voice somewhere between hysterical and pure evil. "You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly. Without fear!"

"Then how come you're running?" I reply as Schmidt and Zola continue their escape, disappearing from sight. I hope I never have to see that red skull ever again. "Come on, let's go," I pull Rikki and Bucky over towards a different but interconnected catwalk, where a thin gantry can serve as a bridge over the fiery pit beneath us. "Let's go. One at a time."

Bucky pushes Rikki gently forward towards the gantry, a quick motion that she should go first. It's pretty sweet, actually. "I've never had the greatest balance, you know," she laughs awkwardly; Bucky takes her hands.

"You got this," he smiles reassuringly. "I believe in you. Remember the noble six hundred?" Rikki nods- I'm glad someone understands because I sure as hell don't. "Be as selflessly brave as they were." Rikki takes in a deep breath, letting go of my best friend's hands as she turns around to walk across the beam. Apart from a slight stumble, all is fine and then it's Bucky's turn who also makes it. They hug, only separating when the gantry collapses behind them, splitting us.

"Gotta be a rope or something!" Bucky cries across at me, Rikki yelling my name in fear.

"Just go! Get out of here!" I respond, already searching for a different escape route.

"No! Not without you!"

"Jump!" Rikki shouts.

"Rik, what the Hell? He'll die!" Bucky argues, grabbing Rikki's arm as an insistence.

"No, he won't. He'll be fine," she presses. "He's Captain America."

Taking a few steps back to run up, I leap over the chasm, landing pretty perfectly on the other side. Rikki and Bucky stare at me in impressed amazement for a moment before taking off, legging it as fast as we can out of the fiery, exploding building. We catch up with the other freemen outside and start striding away back to the base camp.

*

Rikki Carter

Steve's practically holding me up by the time that we see the base camp - I'm exhausted, and since the 'experimentation' with HYDRA, my body's been wearing out fast. I can tell that Bucky feels the same way, his skin marked grey and not just from sweat and dirt.

I don't know how long we've been walking for, but it feels like forever- the shouts of soldiers noticing us are welcomed and wanted. Out of the main control tent storms Colonel Phillips and my sister, her face breaks into a thankful grin and by the looks of her, she has to stop herself from rushing me.