Commenced earlier in the night of their return, the Howling Commandos took on the European front as a force to not be reckoned with. The team was assembled upon the mutual agreement to take down HYDRA once and for all. And that is exactly what they set out to do.
Howard Stark equipped the troop with the finest weaponry, uniforms, an impeccable sharpshooter and two of the best enhanced humans the world would come to know.
Led by Dum Dum Dugan, it consisted of the finest soldiers ever to step foot on the battlefield. They stormed their way through every HYDRA base, factory and hide-out spot imaginable, leaving nothing less than destruction in their path. They continued to wreak havoc and give the Nazi science team one hell of a battle throughout the insistent cold of the winter as they continued to search for Johan Schmidt.
Gideon herself proved to be an important asset to the team as well. Not only did her knowledge in the medical field help with the various injuries that arose, her intelligence helped provide useful insight as to where hidden HYDRA bases were placed and when to attack.
And she was undoubtedly persistent in finding the man that killed her family.
Generally, she didn't like to consider herself as an angry person, and after everything she had been through, she tried desperately to keep it from making her cold.
But, eventually, the bitter wind and snow began to eat at her and the others, dimming the light in warm eyes, but the Howling Commandos weren't even close to the brink of giving up.
She wanted to capture the Red Skull more than anyone, it seemed. She had a vengeance that had been brewing for years and it was soon to reach its peak.
However, unlike the soldiers surrounding her, the doctor didn't have much experience when it came to weapons and artillery, and so, she had to learn. And she learned fast.
From the moment the mission began, time was short, but she didn't waste a single second of it to train. She spent nearly every waking moment with Bucky at a firing range, a different weapon in hand after each clip and barrel emptied. Her hands became accustom to the weight of the metal, the exhilarating feeling as the bullets left the barrels in fiery escapes. And within a week's time, her accuracy excelled.
Her abilities allowed her to sneak up close on the enemy and attack at will. She could shoot, hidden in plain sight, up close at the HYDRA soldiers surrounding them without her presence ever being known. And that was exactly what she did.
Whilst Dum Dum Dugan led the force, Captain America, Bucky, and Gideon formed their own team of sorts, a well-oiled machine that worked their way skillfully across the snowy battle grounds.
Steve would lead in direction as Gideon ventured forward, staking out any incoming HYDRA agents as Bucky stayed behind, hiding and scoping from above. It was a well rigged tactic they formed. They had each other's back and were each other's closest confidants. They trusted each other with their lives and would give their own for each other without a second thought.
Padding over the snowy ground of forest deep within the Italian border, Gideon soldered a few meters in front of Steve and Bucky, invisible and shivering in her boots and uniform. She took a second to turn to them only to catch Steve hurling his vibranium shield at a spy hidden above within the trees and to see another HYDRA agent sneaking up from behind them in attempts to catch them off guard, a gun prepared in hand.
She stopped where she stood, her newly acquired skills kicking in. Her hand took her rifle from its holster and pulled the trigger in a swift motion, a deafening blow echoing from the barrel, and the bullet left the man dead in his tracks.
Both Steve and Bucky turned in the direction of the gunfire, and Gideon appeared to join them. "Don't forget to look over your shoulder," she noted to them when it appeared that no one else was following in their wake.
"We've got you for that Gideon," Steve smirked in her direction.
"Ha ha," the woman laughed sarcastically and began to walk beside them, her shoulder often nudging against Bucky's.
And they continued on as the unstoppable team, running HYDRA down to every last man they had. She could sense their numbers of soldier dwindle as their attempts became weaker, easier to overcome and gain the upper hand on them. They even acquired Arnim Zola's suspected location through a series of tapped wires.
Now, Gideon didn't quite know where they were stationed that moment, but she did know that she was mind-numbingly cold with the constant wind biting at every surface of open skin. Standing on a snowy mountain ledge, she attempted to conceal her shivering body by wrapping her coat tightly around her as she peered over the horizon line, only it didn't go unnoticed by the soldier at her side.
"Take it," Bucky said to her, beginning to shoulder out of his jacket.
"Keep it Buck," the doctor shook her head.
"You're freezing," he contended.
"And you'll get sick," she responded stubbornly.
The determination ever present in her eyes, she amusingly stood her ground, and the blue eyed man could only let out a soft laugh and shake his head in response. Yet as the two continued to scan over the mountain ridge, she felt his hand slip into hers and rub his thumb along hers, warming the month's worth of coldness in her bones.
But then the wind began to pick up more, a cold howl of metal on metal echoed in the distance, and then they knew the train was coming.
It's engine screamed as it drew closer, and everyone sprang into action.
"We've only got about a ten second window," Steve announced as he began to hook his handle to the zipline above. "You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield."
"Better get moving bugs."
Captain America was the first to take off on the zipline, and as the other members of the Howling Commandos jumped away, Gideon felt her stomach drop slightly standing over the edge, but she knew she had to act fast. Swallowing her fear, she hooked her line onto the rope, Bucky standing closely behind her.
And before she stepped up, the blue-eyed soldier spun her around and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "For good luck."
The caught-off-guard doctor could only flash a blushing smile as their time window dashed to a quick close, but the love in her eyes was ever so obvious.
And once they had bounded off, Gideon felt her feet hit the metal roof of the train with Bucky's footsteps coming behind her.
"I thought we were going to be bugs for a second," she uttered, slightly out of breath.
"Not this time," he shook his head, and they then rose to their feet to follow Steve.
Her feet stepped lightly and quickly over each train car, only pausing to help Steve pulled open the door, and then they slipped in with ease.
The interior of the first car only contained boxes of closed artillery, but it was quiet. Far too quiet to not raise suspicion, and their instincts told them that a fight would only ensue.
Guns poised in front of themselves, the trio continued to venture forward into the car. Steve was the first to step through one of the open connecting doors to the next car, and Bucky and Gideon were positioned not even a meter behind him, but before they could step through, a click sounded from within and a heavily armored door slid between, separating the soldier and doctor from the captain. Panic struck their faces, their prominent emotions mirroring each others' through the separating window that none could seem to break through.
And then a they caught the noise of approaching figures from behind them. Spinning on their heels, Gideon ditched her physical look, turning invisible to the men infiltrating the car.
"Buck, keep shooting at them! I'm going for the other ones that are coming in," she yelled over her shoulder and plunged toward them without trepidation.
As Bucky continued to fire away at the closest man to him, Gideon swept behind the other two, gaining the upper hand and using a single bullet to take both of them out. For only a second, she thought it was a moment of respite, but then more continued to file in.
Rounds from Bucky's gun continued to fire past her, striking men, and they continued to work together in taking each and every one down. But more came in, and she heard the sound of Bucky's rifle decease. Out of ammunition, she turned back and sprinted to join him at the front. They crouched together in the small space between the boxes of artillery and the wall, out of sight and contemplating their next move without words.
But then Steve popped open the once locked door and tossing him a loaded gun before charging inside the cab. He sent a crate in the direction of the awaiting HYDRA soldier to catch him off guard for Bucky's deadly blow.
"I had him on the ropes," the brunet uttered.
"I know you did," Steve agreed, and it was only that moment did they think they found a small stretch of calmness, yet even that was cut short when cyborg-like man came into the open door way.
Everything that followed though, happened in a slow-motion blur. She only remembered the sound of an explosion that threw her to the wall, shattering her eardrums and cracking bones. It apparently left a gaping hole within the train itself as well because she could also recall the harsh wind whipping against her face. But she didn't come too until it was too late.
She rose to Steve yelling, her senses finally returning to her. Yet when she heard him call out Bucky's name into void filled mountains, she stumbled hastily over to him, not even feeling the radiating pain from her broken bones as adrenaline and fear pumped through her veins.
A part of her knew what had happened, yet she refused to believe it. But peering out of the opening, her worst fear had come true.
"BUCKY," she cried out when she saw him hanging on the side of train by just a mere piece of metal. Steve was already gripping onto the side of the car and reaching out to him as she tried everything she could to help him.
Yet it wasn't enough.
She could only watch him with pure and utter horror. An icy chill -far colder than any sub-zero place known to man- froze every waking cell in her body, yet the tears raking down her cheeks were endless. The metal bar clenched between his fingers began to break away from the exterior, and in such a painfully slowing millisecond, she saw him fall, falling down into the frozen ravine below.
With the wind howling in their ears, her screams would forever overpower their strength as Gideon had lost the love of her life, and it would never be forgotten.
I REALLY HATE ME TOO FAM, IM SORRY
[11/1/16]