It's been a while, and Steve has yet to move his arm. I'm sure it must be sore from the weight of my head. I was going to say something, when I heard someone's voice. "Hello Steve, Danielle," someone said. I quickly lifted my head from Steve's shoulder, and the two of us turned to see Peggy.
"Hi," I said, a little shocked to see her. It's been so long.
"Hi," she replied as she sat beside me.
"What are you doing here?" Steve asked her.
"Officially, I'm not here at all. That was quite a performance." She said. I could sense some sarcasm.
"Yeah, uh..." Steve trailed.
"We had to improvise a little bit. The crowds we're used to are usually more...twelve," I laughed a little.
"I understand the two of you are America's new hope," she explained.
"Bond sales take a ten percent bump on every state we visit," Steve added.
"That's Senator Brandt's idea." Peggy said.
" At least he's got us doing this. Colonel Phillips would have us stuck in some lab," I said, a little upset with the truth of my words.
"Is this really coming from a Lieutenant of nearly a year?" She asked me. I nodded my head. "And these are your only two options. A lab rat or a dancing monkey?" Peggy asked. I nodded my head. I understood where Peggy was going with this.
"We're meant for more than this, you know," I told Steve. Steve looked like he wanted to say something. "What?" I asked him.
"You know, for the longest time, I dreamed about, coming over seas and being on the front lines, serving my country. Finally got everything I wanted... and I'm wearing tights." Steve said. I smiled to myself slightly. This whole thing is not a complete loss. We heard beeps coming from a car, and the three of us turned around, to see a medical truck dropping off patients. "Looks like they've been through hell." Steve commented.
"These men move the most. Schmidt sent out a force to a zone. Two hundred men went up against him...less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the 107th. The rest were killed or captured," Peggy informed us. Steve quickly looked at her.
"The 107th?" He asked hastily. I gave him a worried look.
"What is it?" I asked. He quickly got up, and started running away. Peggy and I rushed after him, trying to catch up to him in the rain. We managed to make it to a tent, where Colonel Phillips was sitting at a table.
"Colonel Phillips," Steve said, slightly breathing heavily.
"Well if it isn't the Star Spangled Man with the plan. What is your plan today?" He asked Steve. Kind of messed up how Steve has that nice slogan, where I'm just, American Dream.
"I need the causality list from Bolzano." Steve demanded.
"You don't get to give me orders, son." Colonel Phillips retorted.
"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th." Steve told him. Colonel Phillips looked at Peggy.
"You and I are going to have a conversation later that you won't enjoy," he said as he pointed his pen at her.
"Please tell me he's alive, sir. B-A-R-" Before Steve could finish, Colonel Phillips cuts him off.
"I can spell," he interrupted. He then stood up, and turned his back toward us, looking through the pile of papers in his hands. "I've signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count, but...the name does sound familiar." He turned back, to face Steve, Peggy, and I. "I'm sorry," he apologized. I notice Steve's face fall. He must have a close friend or a brother in the 107th.
"What about the others?" Steve asked. I stepped towards Steve's side and stood up straight as I faced the Colonel.
"Are you planning a rescue mission, sir?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's called winning the war." Colonel Phillips simply said.
"But if you know where they are, why not-" Steve was cut off by Colonel Phillips.
"Because they're thirty miles behind the lines. Through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl," Colonel Phillips said. I bit my lip, trying to refrain from saying something I shouldn't to Colonel Phillips. It's one thing to just say no, and give a simply explanation, but calling Steve a chorus girl is a bit much.
"I understand just fine." Steve said.
"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, the two of you got someplace to be in thirty minutes." Colonel Phillips said as he walked past Steve and I. I looked at Peggy, and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Yes sir, I do," Steve said before he walked past me. I looked at the map, and I realized what he was planning. I quickly rushed after him. I made it to the backstage area, and saw him gathering some things.
"What do you plan to do, walk to Austria?" I asked him.
"If that's what it takes," he said as he put more things into a bag.
"You heard the Colonel, you're friend is most likely dead." I said.
"You don't know that." Steve snapped. I must have hit a nerve.
"Even so, he's devising a strategy, it takes time," I explained to him.
"By the time he's done that, it could be too late," he said as he put his jacket over his Captain America uniform. He walked out the tent, and I followed him.
"Steve". I said as I followed him. He walked to a jeep, and placed his stuff in the back of the truck, and looked at me.
"You told me you though I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?" He asked me.
"Every word." I told him. And I meant it. Even before the serum, I knew he was meant for great things. Even Dr. Erskine knew it.
"Then you gotta let me go." Steve said, as he got into the driver seat of the jeep. I rushed beside him, and stopped him from driving off.
"You're not going alone. Besides...I can do more than that," I said as a small smile began to form on my lips.