Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Howling Commandos
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - STARK'S LAB
Howard Stark leads Steve across his brand new lab. His techs unwrap and install futuristic machines. Workers replace the blast-shattered windows. Mechanics tuneup a motorcycle.
"I really didn't know how else I could have said that any better." Steve felt tired.
"Well...I don't think there's actually a nicer or better way." Howard Stark replied.
Howard Stark stops Steve at collection of high-tech fabrics. "For now, just concentrate on work like I do. Which at the moment is making sure you and your men don't get killed." He unrolls an impressive gray metallic weave. "Carbon polymer. Ought to hold its own against your average German bayonet. Of course, Hydra's not likely to come at you with a pocket knife..."
He turns to Steve's battered shield lying on a worktable. "I hear you're sort of attached."
Steve traces a bullet hole. "It's handier than you might think."
"So's the hotel chambermaid, but I wouldn't take her into battle." Howard Stark pulls up a cart with a number of shields, some built, some half-finished. "I took the liberty of coming up with a few options." Picking one up "This one's fun. It's fitted with transistorized relays."
Steve pulls out a plain, round shield from the bottom shelf. He spins it between his palms. It's light, balanced. Steve pings the simple shield. It rings like a bell. "What about this one?"
"Oh, that's just a prototype. Now this one-" But Steve asked him another question, cutting him off. "What's it made of?"
"Vibranium. Stronger than steel and a third of the weight." Howard Stark replied. Steve slides the shield onto his arm. "It's completely vibration absorbent. Should make a bullet feel like a cotton ball." He added.
Behind them, Agent Carter enters the lab.
"How come it's not standard issue?" Steve is genuinely curios.
"It's the rarest metal on earth. You're holding all we've got." Howard Stark admitted.
Agent Carter reaches them, icy. "Are you about finished, Mr. Stark? I'm sure the Captain has some more pressing matters."
Steve smiles. She doesn't. He lifts the shield. "What do you think?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Agent Carter looks at him, expressionless. Then she turns to a table of guns, picks one up and fires at Steve's chest. Three shots. He blocks them. The slugs flatten and drop to the ground.
"I think it works." She stalks out of the room. Steve and Howard watch her go for a long moment.
"About my uniform..." Steve decided to dismiss what just happened, but still in high alert. He hands Mr. Stark a sketch. Neither takes his eyes off Agent Carter. "I had some ideas."
"Whatever you want, sport." Howard Stark replied.
FRANCE - HYDRA FACTORY. DECEMBER 1943.
A door crashes open, revealing Steve dressed in his red, white and blue battle uniform, firing a Tommy gun. Bullets bounce off his red, white and blue vibranium shield. The Invaders pour in behind him, blasting away.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM
Agent Carter replaces an X with an SSR flag on the Hydra map.
BELGIUM - HYDRA FACTORY. JANUARY 1944.
Steve and the Howling commandos fan out across the blazing battleground, wreaking havoc.
The Red Skull roars up to the ruined factory in his car. He glares at the destruction as his windshield reflects the flames.
POLAND - HYDRA FACTORY. FEBRUARY 1944.
Through a sniperscore, Steve stalks a bombed-out factory. The scope whips to see a Hydra gunman aiming at Steve. Bucky shoots the man. The sniper falls. Steve clocks it and gives the thumbs up to Bucky. Bucky grins behind the gun.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM
Agent Carter replaces another X with an SSR flag. She looks down to the next X, somewhere in Poland.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA - HYDRA FACTORY. AUGUST 1944.
The Howling Commandos scramble out the side doors of a Hydra factory. They dive for cover and wait. No explosion. They peer out from their cover. 'Where the hell is Steve?' Everyone thought. Then Steve crashes through a factory window on his motorcycle. They heard a booming sound. The factory behind him explodes. He hits the ground, roaring toward them.
FROZEN WOODS
The woods stand white and silent. Then six white figures rise out of the snow like ghosts. The Howling Commandos shake off the snow and creep forward. Then a seventh figure rises. Steve in full red, white and blue. A rifle cracks, a bullet bounces off his shield. Steve spins and hurls his shield where the bullet came from. A Hydra sniper falls out of a far tree. The Howling Commandos gape.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM
Agent Carter drops a Hydra flag into a box and picks up an SSR flag. She sticks it in the map.
HYDRA FACTORY
Steve and Jones ride in the back of a jeep as Dugan drives away from the burning factory. A Hydra fighter plane swoops over them, guns blazing. Steve blocks with his shield as Jones opens up his .30 cal. The plane bears down. Jones stitches it up the middle. It catches fire, spins out of control and crashes ahead of them. Dugan slows to a stop. The three of them stare, impressed.
FOREST
Dernier runs through the woods, a bomb tucked under his arm. Parallel to him, a Hydra fast-track races along a road. Dernier rolls under the fast-track. He magnets the bomb to the bottom of the vehicle as it roars over him. He jumps to his feet in time to see the fast-track explode.
BATTLEFIELD
The Howling Commandos race across a field as the landkruezer bears down on them. They're almost to safety when Dugan's hat flies off his head, landing in the path of the oncoming tank. Dugan runs back for it. The rest of the men shout "Stop!" Dugan dives, grabbing the bowler and rolling out of the way. He wedges the hat on his head, smug. Then he realizes the tank has turned and is coming right at him.
Then, from nowhere Steve dives over Dugan and grabs the tank's cannon barrel. He flips himself into the air and lands atop the turret. Steve spots a glowing energy housing, marked "EXPLOSIVE!" He raises his shield high and brings it down. The tank grinds to a halt. Steve raises the shield again. The house crackles. Sparks fly. Steve brings the shield down one last time. An ominous drone begins to rise. Steve takes a running leap off the tails as the tank explodes.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS - BRIEFING ROOM
Agent Carter and Colonel Phillips are watching the footage of the Howling Commandos in action. The camera moves past Falsworth and Dernier drinking from their canteens. Dugan drinks from a flask. Bucky and Steve survey a valley. The camera focuses on Steve's open compass. Taped to the inside is a picture of Agent Sakura. Agent Carter leans forward, a myriad of emotions flashing in her eyes, jealousy being the prominent one. The camera whips up. Steve stares right at the camera, pissed. He snaps the compass shut.
Colonel Phillips eyes Agent Carter, concerned. She stares at the screen and sneers.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone