Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Grave News
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM
A briefing room in an underground bunker.
"The fourth one was in Poland, here, not far from the Baltic..." Steve started to share the information he saw that night at Dr. Zola's room.
Agent Carter watches Steve sketch precise coordinates on a map, perfectly duplicating the one in the Hydra factory.
"And the last was outside of Strasbourg, say thirty, forty miles west of the Maginot line." Steve looked up and admitted "I only got a quick look."
"Nobody's perfect." Agent Carter comforted.
An aid picks up the map and carries it across the room. Steve and Agent Carter turn as Howard Stark approaches, a blue Hydra cartridge in his hand.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be picking up a medal right about now?" Mr. Stark asked, confused.
"I'm off the publicity circuit." Steve replied indifferently.
Just then, Colonel Phillips approaches from across the room.
"Rogers, you just embarrassed a senior senator in front of a dozen reporters and ten members of Parliament." Colonel Phillips hands Steve a medal and continue to say "You should get a medal just for that." He sees the Hydra cartridge. "You figure out what this is, yet?" He asked Mr. Stark.
"If you believe Rogers, it's apparently the most powerful explosive known to man." Mr. Stark replied.
"If?" Steve said, raising one of his eyebrows at Mr. Stark.
"Well, either you're wrong or Schmidt's damn near rewritten the laws of physics." He moves off toward his lab. "And I'm rather fond of the laws of physics..." He trailed off.
Colonel Phillips moves toward the room-sized map table. "These are all of Hydra's factories?" He asked to reconfirm.
"The ones we know about. But Sgt. Barnes said Hydra shipped all the bombs to another facility. And that...wasn't on the map." Steve answered.
Colonel Phillips studies the map, deciding. Then walks toward his office. "Agent Carter, coordinate with MI6. I want every Allied eyeball looking for that main Hydra base."
"What about us?" Agent Carter asked.
"We're going to light a fire under Johann Schmidt's ass." Then he looked at Steve. "What do you say, Rogers? It's your map. Think you can wipe Hydra off it?"
Steve stares, finally given the responsibility he's wanted. "I'm going to need a team."
"We've already started lining up the best men—" but Steve cut off Colonel Phillips.
"If you don't mind, sir...so have I." Then he started to turn and walk away but Colonel Phillips stopped him.
"Rogers...there's something else I need to talk to you about, urgently." The others excused themselves while he and Steve walked inside his office. He closed the door and walked to his chair. He remained silent after that.
Steve, feeling puzzled, asked "Sir, are you okay?"
Colonel Phillips stared at Steve's eyes, hesitating. "We have received other news that are...alarming." He paused and walked to the window, his back at Steve. "I regret to inform you that..." He let out a long sigh. "Dr. Erskine and Agent Sakura were abducted by Schmidt."
Steve was stunned. For a while he just looked at Colonel Phillips' back, his mind totally blank, refusing to believe what he just heard. "I'm sorry. But how is that even possible? There were agents around them. I also warned you that Schmidt had threatened me about them." He was starting to feel helpless and angry.
"And we added more agents to protect them because of that. But they were all killed." Colonel Phillips informed.
Steve wanted to punch someone so badly. So he started to walk to the door before he does anything rude. But Colonel Phillips dropped another bomb onto him. "Rogers...Agent Sakura is pregnant with your child. It was supposed to be a happy surprise for you when you returned." He turned around and you can clearly see the turmoil in his eyes. "I'm really sorry."
Steve slammed the door open and briskly walked out of the building. Bucky saw him and shouted his name to gain his attention but he can't hear anything. He started to run. He wanted to run away from everything and just be able to see and stay in Yumhee's arms again and see their child grow old.
He stopped running when he reached a clearing and started to break down and cry. He was afraid. No, beyond afraid. He knows what Schmidt was capable of and he's terrified to know and see what will happen to Yumhee and their unborn child.
THE WHIP & FIDDLE PUB
Falsworth, Jones, Dernier, Morita and Dugan lean on stools. Steve lines up at a dart board.
"We barely got out of there alive and you want us to go back?" Jones asked, incredulous.
Steve weighs a dart, then casually tosses a bull's-eye. "Pretty much."
The men look at each other for a long, pregnant moment. They have already noticed the heavy atmosphere around Steve and they tacitly understood there's something more to the story but they let it be.
"Sounds rather a good time, actually." Falsworth said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I'm in." Morita followed.
Steve eyes Dernier, questioning. Dernier nods and relied "Je combattrai jusqu'a ce que le dernier de ces batards soit mort, echaine ou bien qu'il pleure comme un nouveau-ne! (I will fight until the last of these bastards are dead, chained or cries like a newborn!)"
Jones, laughing, also said "J'espere touts les trois! (I hope all three.)"
Dernier laughs, clapping Jones on the shoulder. When they look up, they see the others not understanding a word.
"Oh, uh, we're in." Jones explained.
Dum Dum Dugan finishes a beer, mustache covered in foam. "I'll fight. Well, I'll always fight. But you gotta do one thing for me."
"What's that?" Steve asked.
He hands over his empty pint glass and seriously said "Open a tab."
The others laugh and hand Steve theirs. Steve couldn't help the grin appearing on his face and takes the glasses back to the bar where Bucky waits. Steve slides over the empties.
"Another round?" Steve motioned for the bartender.
The bartender looks impressed. "You drink all these yourself?" Steve shrugs and turns to Bucky.
"That was the easiest battle of the war." Bucky opened up.
"What about you? You gonna follow Captain America into the jaws of death?" Steve lightheartedly asked.
"Hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb to run away from a fight? I'm following him." Steve felt grateful. Bucky nods at a tour poster of Captain America: "PERFORMANCE CANCELLED - NOT TO BE RESCHEDULED." and asked "But you're keeping this outfit, right?"
"Don't get your hopes up. It's not exactly regulation." Steve replied.
"I dunno. You saw those guys in Italy when you came back. I don't think they were cheering just for you." Bucky said.
The Howling Commandos sing, arms wrapped drunkenly around one another. One by one, they stop as they notice Agent Carter enters the bar. Out of uniform, she looks great. Steve was about to open up to his best friend about Yumhee and their unborn child but stopped himself when he noticed the people around him. He then followed their eyes and saw Agent Carter.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
jacque_arao
jacque_arao Last chapter of the week everyone.
See you next week ^^
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