Weaponised

9

Steve Rogers

Now that the flame-throwing adversary is out of the way, I rush for the still-open door but voices grab my attention instead. "Rikki, no, stay with me. No, Rikki. Rikki!" I skid to a stop in front of a scene I thought I'd never have to see: Peggy Carter, weeping, leans over the insentient body of her sister who's bleeding heavily on the floor, smoke swirling up from her skin.

"All of you, go," I address the rest of the soldiers, each of them nodding before sprinting off around the rest of the base, guns ready. Crouching down beside Peggy, I slip an arm around her shoulders while reaching for Rikki's wrist. Nothing.

There's nothing there.

Slowly, blinking back my own tears, I close her eyes and stand up with Peggy, letting her sob into me for a few moments. It's her who pulls away first, wiping her puffy eyes. "You need to go," she tells me. "Finish what we came here for."

There's no arguing with Peggy Carter. I nod, following Schmidt through the double doors that my shield unrelentingly holds open. Don't worry, I make sure to grab it on my way through. Not going anywhere without that. With a final glance at the woman I love, I disappear through the doors, wondering if I'll ever see her again.

I don't get a lot of time to think.

Schmidt's flying off in a huge jet, a battle in between me and him; without brooding on my options I take off, sprinting in between the Allies and HYDRA. When the opportunity arises, I smash a few HYDRA foot-soldiers with my shield on my way through. God knows that they deserve it.

On the other side of the fight, I chase after Schmidt's jet, legs pumping faster than I ever thought they could. I'm still not going to make it, though- not even the great Captain America can outrun a vehicle like that. I stop, panting, watching Schmidt make his escape. Another vehicle, this time a car, pulls up beside me. "Get in!" Colonel Phillips cries- I do as he orders. In the backseat sits Peggy, terrified and mourning.

We tail the jet, creeping up on it due to Phillips' reckless driving. I stand up in shotgun, shouting "Keep it steady!"

"Wait!" Peggy cries; I turn to face her, the feeling of her lips meeting my own catching me by surprise. It's sweet and short, and her mouth is so soft that when we separate it's too soon. "Go get him. For Rikki."

"For Rikki," I whisper back, then in my head hear another voice, "When we win."

"I'm not kissing you!" Phillips remarks when I glance at him.

"You're missing out there, Colonel," I just about hear Peggy respond drily as I climb onto the hood of this car, leaping onto the jet- my fingers slip for a moment but I manage to keep hold, painstakingly pulling myself into the jet's interior.

Time to face the dragon.

*

Rebecca Carter

I can't feel my heartbeat. I don't think I'm breathing. But I'm alive.

How? I don't know. I just am.

After Peggy and Steve left me, I was alone in that corridor, unable to escape the echoes of gunfire reverberating around the base. Suddenly there were footsteps coming my way alongside a roar of "I've found her!". I don't recognise the voices.

Hands gripped me, dragging me down hallway after twisted hallway. I wanted to scream at them to let go, shoot them, but my body wouldn't respond to my brain. My back and shoulders- the parts of me that suffered the worst during the collision- felt like they were burning all over again.