I pulled my fighting gloves tight and waited from above inside the treetops as I waited for Steve.
"These should help you glide wherever you need to go." Howard smiled as I prepared my gear. I turned around to face him as he handed me black attachable nylon wings, so I would basically be a human parachute. All I had to do was open my arms like a flying squirrel.
"Thanks." I curtly smiled as I accepted them. They would be great for getting into the camp as Steve had planned, but would get in the way for battle. Thats why they were connected by magnets. All I had to do was press a small button on each wing and the magnet would shut off, dropping the wings to the ground.
I gripped tightly to the rough tree bark of the branch I was perched on, ready to spring forward and glide over the walls of the camp as soon as Steve made it in. The rumble of a motorcycle caught my attention, and I flicked my head sideways to see Steve riding through the trees. His shield was jammed between the handlebars of the bike, and as guards at the front gate fired down on him, the bullets bounced off the shield with a hum. Two small rockets launched from Steve's bike and blasted the guards, and the doors to the camp. I took that as my queue and watched Steve out of the corner of my eye rush through the doors and into the camp. I lept from the branch and spread my arms, the wind catching the wings that carried me down carefully to the ground inside the base. They were all too focused on Steve to even pay attention to me. I pushed the small detachment buttons and the wings crumpled at my feet. I looked around, seeing the scene play out before me.
*****
Steve bashed his shield into the helmet clad head of an enemy, causing him to topple to the ground unconcious. Just as he turned, a voice ripped through the air with fury and excitement.
"Hey! I would like to get some attention here also!" Maggie shouted at the group of Hydra soldiers. Steve rolled his eyes at her snarky comments and went back to fighting enemies off. But Maggie was proud of her statement because it had gained her some attention. More agents put her in their sights, going in to throw a punch. She only scoffed, knowing that this would be an easy fight. But she knew the plan. She had to make it look like she was trying her best, even if she wasnt. Because she needed to get caught. To be captured. And if it looked fake, the plan was useless.
So when an agent gripped her shoulder from behind, she whipped around and clasped her hand on his forearm, using her gloves to send a shock through his body, leaving him twitching in the dirt. But more guards came and two were right on her. Instead of taking out both like she knew she could, she focused on only one and let the other kick the backs of her knees, forcing her to the ground. Steve knew what she was doing, and did the same thing with the guards he was fighting.
The Hydra agents had their guns trained on the two supersoldiers they had captured. The lead agent stepped forward and huffed. "Lets take them to the Skull." he said in a gruff voice. Then he turned and stormed away toward a building built into the mountain the camp was on. It took all of Maggie's strength not to rip the guards heads off when they yanked her roughly to her feet, but she had some self control. And from there, they were dragged to the same building as the lead guard had gone to.
*****
I let out an angry grunt as I was crudely shoved back to my knees beside Steve. The room was dim, and a lone slender figure stood a few feet away with his back to us. Steve stiffened beside me and let out a huff of breath. The man in front of us turned, his bony red face twisted in fury. Redskull. I narrowed my eyes at him and straightend my shoulders in defiance.
"Captain America, and Miss Magnum... So nice to see you again. And finally, I have defeated you. The whole world will bow to me." he chuckled menacingly. I chewed the inside of my cheeks to keep my mouth shut.
"Nobody will bow to you." Steve grumbled. I hid a proud smirk for my brother, and kept my focus on the evil man.
"Oh, but they will. And you two could rule at my side. We could take over the world. We could have whatever we wanted. If we work together, we shall be unstoppable." Redskull said in a gruff tone, a spark of excitement in his evil eyes.
"We will never join you. I will kill each and every one of you." I spat at him.
He only glanced at me and grinned. "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." he growled in my face. I sat up on my knees a little taller, feeling myself grow more confident. I could feel Steve growing more tense beside me, nervous of my actions.
"Screw you." I mumbled angrily. The ugly, blood red faced man stood up tall and glared over at Steve who sat up as well. With a shriek of rage, Redskull raised his fist and brought it down across Steve's jaw. Steve toppled back, and with a grunt he pushed himself back up to his knees and licked the small amount of blood from a cut off his lip.
"I can do this all day." Steve growled. Redskull, if at all possible, seemed to turn an even darker tone of red and he took a step back, sucking in a breath of air.
He turned on his heel and moved to a large machine, that looked sort of like a large gun, except that a strange blue light seeped out from deep inside of it, much like the ones that were on the arms of the mens suits that killed Bucky. Redskull stood behind it and began turning knobs and pressing buttons, the weapon slowly powering up. He had it aimed toward me, and I felt myself squirming unconfortably. I didnt like that the Howling Commandos were cutting it so close, and I was getting nervous about it. But, lucky for me, right as the gun powered up, there was a crash of glass in a large window looking out over the mountain side and in the Howling Commandos came, firing their rifles and killing the guards holding Steve and I. Unfortunately, in my midst of distraction from my own team, Redskull fled from sight.
*****
Redskull dashed through the halls, American soldiers breaking into the compound every which way. He needed to get to his plane. To Valkyrie. But with each step, Maggie was gaining on him. The Howling Commandos had saved her and Steve when they broke in, and Steve claimed his shield, the brother and sister both racing after the enemy leader. Maggie was determined to catch the Hydra ruler once and for all. She not only blamed herself for Bucky's death, but she blamed him as well, and he had to pay. She pumped her arms, along with Steve, and pushed anyone in her path out of the way. Both Steve and her turned down a long corridor, what looked like a pair of steel doors was sliding shut ahead of them. Redskull had only just made it through them. With quick thinking, Steve threw his shield, getting it jammed in the doorway so that it wouldn't close. The only problem with that was, three enemy soldiers had their guns aimed at the pair and they werent close enough to even try to fight hand to hand. Maggie had her pistol, but reaching for it then would have been a fatal mistake, and not one she could risk with Baby Barnes brewing in her tummy. Steve held his arm out in front of Maggie, a natural instict to shield her in some way, though he knew it would do nothing.
Suddenly, the men were engulfed in flame with a thunderous boom and they lay dead on the ground. From around a corner outstepped Peggy Carter, holding her weapon she had just used on the enemies threatening to kill her friends. Maggie felt lighter seeing her best friend, but couldn't shake the cold stare Peggy was giving her. Steve, on the other hand, seemed over joyed, and happy to see the beautiful Peggy. Ever since he met her, he found himself drawn to that tough woman. She was not someone to be messed with, Steve found it enticing and attractive. Both of the siblings jogged up to Peggy, who in return curtly smiled at each of them.
"Thank you." Steve grinned down at the brave woman. Maggie saw in each of their eyes that there was a sort of love sparking in their souls, and she had a feeling that they were meant to be together, and they were soul mates by heart. It reminded her of herself and Bucky in a way, and it made her heart ache, but also brought a smile to her lips. Steve and Peggy deserved their hidden love, and they deserved to be happy. That is exactly why she needed to be here, despite her baby developing inside of her. If her and Bucky could never love again, she needed to insure that Steve and Peggy could keep their happiness.
Steve stared down at Peggy with admiration and found himself leaning in for a kiss. He hardly even got close to her before Peggy realized what he was doing. She wanted to kiss him, of course. But not here. Not now. It wasnt how she wanted their first kiss to be shared. So she cleared her throat and straightened herself out, catching Steve off guard. "Weren't you about to..." she stopped him nervously.
Steve gathered himself up. He had become distracted by her and realized he was still on a mission in that moment. Maggie had becime distracted by the way they looked at each other, and also came to her senses at that same moment. "Oh, yeah." Steve confirmed, pretending he didnt just try to kiss Peggy. Maggie nodded along and took the lead, racing off toward the steel doors. Maggie ducked under the shield and slid between them, making it onto the other side. Steve followed, and yanked his shield free when he passed through. Peggy watched with worry as the heavy doors sealed behind them. Her best friend, and her secret love interest, both were heading off to fight and may not come back. She didnt know what she would do without them. Colonel Phillips ran down the hall, nearly bumping into her as she thought.
"Miss Carter!" he jolted in surprise, "Come with me." he ordered, and she followed him further down the hall in the other direction.
Maggie pumped her arms and legs simultaneously, keeping herself focused on her mission. They broke into a large hanger bay, where they could see Redskull dashing for the massive bomber plane in the center of the take off strip inside the room. Hydra agents lunged for her, and she merely ducked out of the way, dodging through the hordes of men coming at her. When one got a hold of her arm, she twisted around and wrapped her fingers around his exposed neck. Without even a flinch, or a small sense of guilt, or even a bit of hesitation, she electrocuted him. She knew that much voltage in his neck would probably kill him, but she was stone cold. She had no remorse when he hit the ground without a twitch. All she did was keep running. Steve bashed people back with his shield, but he was honestly a bit terrified of his older sister in that moment when he didnt even see the slightest bit of sorrow cross her face when she killed that man. He brushed it off however and kept following as Redskull found his way into the plane and started it up. A squeal of the engines working rang through the air and Maggie found herself running as fast as she could make herself run. She was flying over the cement floor. Another rumble of an engine came from behind that surpised Maggie and Steve. They turned as Colonel Phillips and Peggy lurched to a stop beside them in a high speed car.
"Get in!" Phillips directed. Without hesitation, the pair lept into the vehicle. They both squatted in the back of the car and held on tight as Colonel Phillips hit the gas, roaring them forward, the wind slapping the four of them in the face harshly. The plane zoomed forward, but the car was slowly gaining on it.
The Hydra aircraft rolled forward on its wheels, making its way outside and as did the car. They inched ever so closer until the car was wedged between the jet engines. The wind created by the rotors whipped their hair in all directions. Maggie and Steve crouched, getting ready to leap onto the plane as they were beginning to approach a steep cliffside. Steve prepared to jump, but on impulse Peggy grasped the fabric of his suit over his chest, yanking him down to her level. Maggie watched as she slammed her lips into his, the both of them melting together in that split second before she released Steve. "Go get him." Peggy smiled up at Steve. She didnt know why she wanted to kiss him so badly then, or why she chose that moment. But she felt as if it would have been her only chance to ever do it, and she couldnt stop herself. Steve paused, unsure of how exactly to react.
"Steve! Go! Nobody else is gonna kiss you." Maggie urged, seeing as they were getting a little too close to the cliff. She needed to get on that plane, and would go through anything to do so.
"She's got a point. Get moving." Colonel Phillips yelled over the roar of the jets. Steve nodded and turned back to the plane, making a long leap to the leg attached to the wheel. The large tire rolled beneath him, and if he lost his grip he would be killed. Maggie made her way to the hood of the car, and pushed off with her legs, clinging to the same leg as Steve. They were on each side of it as the plane lifted off from the ground, leaving the cliffside.
Colonel Phillips slammed on the brakes of the car, turning the wheel all the way right so that it flipped around. The vehicle nearly slipped off the cliff, but instead the rear tires dangled off of it while the rest of the car was still on solid land. And from her seat, Peggy watched as the plane slowly grew smaller and her friends left her side once again to fight a war.
AN: Alright guys... I have already started on the next chapter... Only a few left until Book 2.. Keep an eye out for it!! I already started plotting it out, and should come out in a few days after the last chapter of this book! Im so excited. It will follow the story of the Winter Soldier, and look at how Maggie is affected by it all. Get ready for a wild ride in that book!!
So, what do you think will happen next? How is Maggie dealing with it all? What is Steve going to do? So many emotions are going through each of their heads, and Maggie isn't thinking rationally... I hope y'all dont hate her for it!! I mean, how would you react if you went through what she is going through? But no worries my Plums! She will return to her old self in time!! Just wait!!
I haven't updated in a while due to the stress of school.. And I hope you still are enjoying!! If updates are coming a bit slower than usual, Im just flooded with homework and exams!! I havent given up on Maggie's story! I promise :)
Xoxo