After Steve had chased down the culprit for the explosion, the S.S.R. take custody of the submarine. Stark and I have suspended it in the air with supports so we could try and figure out what it was exactly. Stark has rolled underneath to find the framework, while I've climbed on top to find a way to open to cockpit.
"What have got here?" Colonel Phillips asks as he walks into the S.S.R. tech lab, followed by Senator Brandt, Peggy and Steve.
"Speaking modestly," Stark begins, "I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country-"
"What he means," I interrupt, sliding off the top of the submarine, "we don't know what this thing is, how it works, or what's inside of it."
"Yeah, we're not even close to this technology." Stark finishes.
"Then who is?" The Senator asks.
"Hydra." Phillips answers.
"Hydra?" I question.
"The Nazi deep science division," Peggy says, "it's led by Johann Schmidt, but he has much bigger ideas."
"They're practically a cult, they worship Schmidt, think he's immortal." Phillips says.
The Colonel, Senator, Carter and Steve continue walking through the tech lab, leaving Stark and I to carry on inspecting the vehicle.
"The hell even is this thing" I question.
"Honestly, no clue." He laughs.
"It's some kind of high-tech submarine."
"Yeah, no shit." Stark jokes.
~~~~~~
A few months later, Peggy, Steve and I are in Italy with the tour that Steve is doing. Peggy and I are standing backstage as Steve is getting heckled by his audience- which consists of some of the U.S. Army.
"It's getting pretty real." I sigh, leaning against one of the support beams and putting my hands in my pockets. I'm wearing black trousers with a white tucked in shirt, matched with a black tie and suit braces, topped with a black fedora (finally)- I left my jacket in the Colonel's tent.
"What do you mean?" Peggy asks.
"Well," I begin, "we're five miles from the front, with a Super Soldier who is only allowed to be a performing monkey in tights."
"Is someone you know in the war?"
"Mine and Steve's friend Ja-," I pause, "Bucky."
"Were the three of you close?"
"His parents raised me; I never knew mine. The three of us grew up together, and Bucky's like a brother."
"I'm sorry that happened."
"No, it's fine," I say, "do you know anyone in the war?"
"My brother is fighting with the British forces, but other than that, just S.S.R. co-workers."
"Your brother?"
"Captain Michael Carter. He's not on this part of the front though."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It must be hard, knowing that he's in the war but you can't be in the same place."
"I'm used to it." Peggy laughs.
"When you said about the S.S.R. Agents," I continue, "is that why there's pictures of some of them in military uniform at HQ?"
"Yeah. Agent Daniel Sousa was one of them," she sighs, "but he's currently in that medical tent." She points over to the medic tent on the West side of the camp as we both chuckle.
"I feel bad for Steve," I say, "I mean- he's got the serum, and he thought he was going to war. But instead, he's either a lab rat or a dancing monkey. He's got no choice."
"At least he's safe." Peggy comments.
As the rain started to pour down, Peggy and I headed over to find Steve, who hadn't long abandoned his show.
"Hey, Steve." I say as we walk over to him.
"Really, Laurie?" he looks up, "the fedora?"
"What do you have against fedoras?"
"I understand you're 'America's New Hope?'" Peggy says.
"At least he's got me out doing something," he says, "Phillips would've kept me in the lab."
"I told you he was either a lab rat or a dancing monkey." I whisper to Peggy.
"Johann Schmidt sent some of his troops out to Azzano," Peggy says, "two hundred of our men went up against him, only fifty returned. The rest were killed or captured."
"Your audience contained what was left of the 107th Infantry-"
"The 107th?!" Steve and I shout in unison. The two of us ran to Colonel Phillip's tent before Peggy had a chance to form any kind of response.
"Here!" I shout, going over to the casualty list and flicking through it.
"Come on, James." I whisper, panicking more and more.
"Laurie," Steve says, pointing to where it said 'Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes' on the page, a high level of disappointment in his voice, "look."
"Oh shit." I gasp softly, my mind completely clearing.
"Come on!" Steve shouts, running out of the tent.
"Where are you going?"
"Follow me!"
We run into the equipment tent and Steve grabs a helmet with the letter 'A' on it.
"Where are we going?" I shout at him.
"You are staying here, and I am going to find Bucky."
"Steve wait-"
"If Bucky really is gone, I can't lose you too, Laurie." He says before leaving the tent and jumping in the jeep with Peggy.
"Rogers!" I shout at him, but I don't get there in time for him to hear me.
~~~~~~
"Where the hell have you been?!" I shout at Howard, storming into his tent.
"In all fairness, it was Steve and Pegg's idea."
"You could have died!"
"Well, clearly... I didn't!"
"Where's Peggy?"
"She's with the Colonel."
"And Steve?" Howard falls silent as I say this, a look of disappointment showing on his face.
"Howard," I continue, "where is Steve?"
"Goddamnit Stark, tell me!" I shout.
"He's uh-"
"He's what?!"
"We don't know if he's alive or not." Stark whispers. I stumble back slightly and sit on a case that was behind me.
"I should've gone." I whisper, hanging my head in my hands.
"Marty, no." Howard says, sitting in front of me.
"We lost Bucky, and now I've lost Steve."
"There is a chance they're alive."
"You don't know that!" I yell, a startled look spreading across Howard's face.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I have to go."
"Marty!"
"Don't!" I shout, walking out the tent.
~~~~~~
I made my peace with the events by sitting on the performance stage with an empty audience, my legs dangling over the front of it.
"Excuse me," a man says from behind, "are you Agent Lawrence Emerson?"
I look around to see a man in army uniform limping over with a crutch.
"Yes, Sir," I say, getting up and walking over to him, "and you are?"
"Agent Daniel Sousa, with the S.S.R."
"Oh, Peggy was telling me about you." I smile.
"So, Lawrence," Sousa begins, "you're with the S.S.R. now?"
"Yes, I am, Sir," I say, shaking his hand, "and just 'Laurie' is fine."
"Right." He nods.
"Um, are you ok?" I ask, noticing his crutch.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he chuckles, "just a little scratch."
"The heck is happening?" Daniel says as a bunch of Soldiers and Medics from the camp run towards the entrance.
"Holy cow." I whisper in amazement, as Steve, Bucky and many other troops walk back into camp.
"I'm so sorry," I say to Sousa, "I'll be back in a bit." With that, I jumped off the stage and ran towards my friends.
"Bucky!" I shout as I'm running towards him and hugging him
"And he waits until I almost died to call me 'Bucky', what a surprise." He laughs.
"Thank God you're alive." I pant.
"Hey," Steve says, "so am I."
"Oh, thank God." I sigh with relief, hugging Steve.