Shattered
"Well, heels are definitely not a good option to be near the front" You mutter irritably as you try to get your shoes off the mud. Behind you Howard roars with laughter until you give him a murderous look. "I'll find you something more suitable to wear," he says, unable to completely hide his smile.
You slowly walk to the command tent and look for the Colonel. He is sitting behind a typewriter and a chill runs down your spine, you know what he is writing, letters to widows and relatives of fallen soldiers, you push down the lump in your throat and approach him. "Colonel Phillips, I have important information for you" you salute him and hand him the envelope.
"At ease Lieutenant, what am I looking at?" He has a frown and a sullen expression, he is tired and looks much older since the last time you saw him, the war is taking its toll on him and you start to wonder if you look the same.
"I was investigating the sites of the attacks and a pattern emerged in them. All the attacks seem to radiate from a point a few kilometers around the sites. As if there is a base of operations from where they carry out the raids. Luckily one of the reconnaissance planes was able to make a pass near one of these bases, the coordinates point to a place not far from here"
Phillips walks over to his map and draws a line from the camp to the coordinates you gave him "48 kilometers, good job Davidson. Unfortunately that area is heavily guarded and if what you say is correct we don't have the firepower to deal with them." At that moment a truck parks nearby and wounded men begin to get down, some can get down by their own means, most have to be assisted.
The Colonel clicks his tongue "Only three trucks with wounded soldiers, that's all that remains of a regiment of 3000 strong. This is not war, it's carnage”. You have a very bad feeling and you are almost afraid to ask " Sir, which regiment was attacked?" On the inside you pray that the answer isn't the one you're dreading "107th" Your vision blurs as you feel the world shatter around you, the only thing you can do to keep from falling is hold on to the table in front of you, just one word comes out of your mouth "Bucky..."
You run to the nursing tent, you were never an overly religious person, but now you pray to the heavens for a miracle. You pray to God to find your cousin among the wounded because you don't know if you can face the alternative. You desperately search every bed for a familiar face, but find none. Your heart breaks when you realize that he is not here. Your cousin, your best friend, your partner in crime, the person who just by looking at you knows everything about you.
You walk away from the tent with a lost look, it's not true, he's not dead, something inside you tells that. Howard walks up to you and with a concerned look "Victoria, are you okay?" You look at him without really seeing "The 107th...Bucky" is all you can say. In the distance you hear whistles and boos from a crowd of soldiers, surely not too excited about the USO entertainment number.
"Honey, I'm sorry. I have your clothes." He leads you behind a makeshift stage and hands you a pair of overalls and boots. Stunned by what you just found out, you change behind some hanging fabrics that you assume will be the improvised dressing rooms of the artists. You adjust your rank insignia and walk out.
Outside you find Peggie looking at you with a mixture of concern and sadness "Howard told me. Come here, there is someone I want you to see" She grabs your hand and drags you backstage, after a few moments she stops and points forward, a very familiar blonde head is bent over a notebook, the owner of that head is drawing on it.
For the second time that day your heart stops for a second "Steve, is that you?" he looks up and a smile lights up his face as he stands up. You close the distance between you and hug him. After all the time you've spent away from him, the hug feels like coming home, like a part of you that was missing has fallen into place again. "Victoria, I can't believe it's you. I missed you so much"
"Me too sweetie! Me too" you break the hug and look into his eyes "Now I have to look up, you're taller" he blushes "I think I have to thank you, I know you talked to Erskine to consider me for the project" Now it's your turn to blush "I knew you would be the perfect candidate"
Your smile falters and you look at the ground "I have bad news Steve" He looks at you blankly and Peggie clears her throat "I'm going to leave you guys alone so you can talk" you nod her thanks and point Steve to the steps to sit down.
"Steve, listen to me. Recently a regiment went into combat, of the 3000 soldiers only three trucks with wounded came back" You stop for a few seconds and you can see in his eyes when realization struck him "It's...it's the 107th?" you look at the floor not knowing what to say so you just nod and let the tears run freely down your face. "There is more. In these attacks they take prisoners or at least we assume that from the rests that have been found"
He also has tears gathering in his eyes and looks at you confused "Rests? You'll say remains" You shake your head "These attacks are made with a different weaponry, instead of bullets they shoot a beam that chars the victim in seconds"
"But maybe he's alive right?" You shrug "Maybe. I feel inside of me that Bucky is still alive, but we have no way of knowing for sure."
Steve gets up and holds out his hand "Come with me" you shake his hand and together you go to look for Phillips.
"Colonel. We need to see the casualty list from Azzano" He demands, his attitude changed completely, now his voice commands. Phillips looks at him blankly. "You don't order me" he points at you "and you Lieutenant should be reporting to Agent Carter not doing social calls"
Steve gets impatient "Please Col. Only one name, Barnes. B-a-r" Phillips cuts him off "I can spell! And I'm sorry to inform you that that name sounds familiar to me" Steve tries to stay calm but he can't "Are you coordinating any rescue missions? You know that there is not much to do, Phillips has already told you "Steve please…"
Phillips scoffs "Yes is called winning the war son" You stand in the middle of both "They are too far into the enemy lines to send a rescue party, and even then we don't have the necessary firepower to face them"
Steve storms off the tent and you follow him. "I can't sit idly by and do nothing Victoria" You're glad you're wearing boots because his pace is so much faster than it used to be "Steve, wait I can't catch you" he stops to wait for you "No one says we're going to wait without doing anything, at least I won't" he gives you a crazy smile "Troubles, you're thinking the same right?" You return the same smile "Let's go get Bucky"
Peggie finds you while you are in the armory grabbing some pistols, spare cartridges and a rifle. "What are you supposed to be doing Victoria?" You point to the weapons displayed in front of you "Getting ready, Steve and I are going to find Bucky" She looks at you, unable to believe what she hears "Are you crazy? How are you going to go behind enemy lines in highly guarded territory with two pistols and a rifle?" You wink at her and smile "Don't forget I have a super soldier on my side" Just then Steve walks in wearing a helmet and shield from his presentations.
"What? I got used to it" he tells you innocently when he sees you trying to stifle a laugh. You shake your head and finish adjusting the weapons "Let's ask Howard to give us a ride"