The Star-Spangled Man With A Plan!
He sighed deeply. “I don't think I can do this..” Steve said with a nervous tone as he fixed his outfit, looking out of the small slit in the curtains. Brandt’s aide shook his head and brushed off Steve’s shoulders a bit. “Nothing to it. Sell of a few bonds, bonds buy bullets, bullets kill Nazi’s, bing bang boom and you're an American hero!” he said a bit excitedly in hopes it would calm Steve down enough to actually go through with the performance. He shook his head a bit. “It’s just not how I pictured getting there.” The aide shrugged a bit. “The senator’s got a lot of pull up on the hill. You play ball with us and you’ll be leading your own platoon in no time.. Take the shield.” He said as Steve finished pulling on his costume's hood just in time for when the aide pushed him out from behind the curtains and on stage. His anxiety started creeping up when the women behind him started to sing. It took him a moment to collect himself before he spoke his lines. “Not all of us can storm a beach or drive a tank, but there's still a way all of us can fight.” He said as the ladies danced and picked up their lines after his part. “Who vows to fight like a man for what's right night and day!” he looked down at his shield reading off his cue cards. “Series E Defense Bonds. Each one you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun.” He said as he gained a bit more confidence in his voice. Who will campaign door-to-door for America? Carry the flag shore to shore for America? From Hoboken to Spokane, the star-spangled man with a plan!” The girls sang out and Steve cringed inside just a small bit. He just knew this was going to a very.. Very long day.
“No Marry! You did the last steps wrong, again!” He heard the two girls quietly arguing a bit away as he went to take pictures with some people. He winced slightly when the baby given to him to hold for the picture started to cry after the flash went off. His mother tried her best to sooth her child as she left Steve standing in front of the camera. He was prepared to hold another child when Senator Brandt came up and shook his hand for the camera. Steve gave the camera an awkward smile as he held his hand. After his small photoshoot with the audience, he was shipped off to his next location. In between his performances he filmed a few war propaganda films at Brandt’s request, or more so his demand. Steve eventually gained more confidence in himself as his tour and the short films went on. He no longer needed the cue cards on the inside of his shield and was more than happy to remove them when given the chance and was even more outgoing on stage, especially for the kids.
“We all know this is about trying to win the war. We can't do that without bullets and bandages, tanks and tents. That's where you come in. Every bond you buy will help protect someone you love.” He said on stage as he heard the children in the audience start yelling at him to turn around. He knew it was his scene with “Hitler” and was trying to time it in his head so he didn't actually punch the poor guy. “Keep our boys armed and ready, and the Germans will think twice about trying to get the drop on us.” He said just before the actor pushed his way past the girls he was hiding behind and attempted to “shoot” Steve but with a well timed fake punch, he sent the man down and the children and the adults, mostly the kids, cheered for him for his victory. The girls behind him fake swooned at him for defeating Hitler. Most of the girls already realized that he was a bit bad at talking to the ladies when off stage and lost interest immediately after that. Some still tried of course so some of the girls that swooned, actually did but it wasn’t like Steve actually noticed or anything.
It wasn’t too long after what was maybe his seventh performance in a different state that people started to create comic books of him and his adventures as “Captain America”. It made his heart swell a bit when the kids would bring them to his shows and ask him to sign it for them. Without hesitation, he signed every last one of them that the kids brought to him before and after the shows. After his latest performance, everyone who attended that show was invited to see his newest film. He sat up front, dressed in his military uniform minus the hat, surrounded by kids and their guardians. He watched himself on the screen with a small and bashful smile as he listened to the people around him cheer with excitement as he fought their enemies on screen, shooting down their men and defences, leading his men and tanks behind him further into battle. When his tour ended up in New York, it was decked out to the nines with decorations and show tanks that shoot confetti at the end of the show as Steve hardly broke a sweat as he lifted three of the girls up on a motorcycle as everyone in the huge stadium cheered for him and the girls performing around him so when he ended up in Italy, the energy was a huge shift from the energetic buzz that he was used to.
Italy - November 1943. Five miles from the front
“Who’s ready to help me sock old Aldof on the jaw?” He said into the microphone as he looked out over the soldiers that sat on the ground or on the tanks behind them. When no one spoke up, he started to lose a bit of that confidence he had successfully built up over the last five months of his performances. “Okay..” he said with an awkward tone before gently clearing his throat. “Uh.. I need a volunteer!” he said trying to get back that energetic feeling this place and performance lacked. “I already volunteered! How’d you think I got here!” he heard a man yell at him from the crowd causing everyone to laugh. “Bring back the girls!” someone yelled out causing everyone to cheer in agreement. Steve looked from out back to the crowd again. “I.. I think they only know the one song, but, um.. Let me.. I’ll see what I can do.” he said with awkwardness he hasn’t felt in months. “You do that Sweetheart!” he heard someone from the middle of the crowd say before his eyes landed on Hodge who let out a loud laugh. “Nice boots Tinker Bell!” he said, causing some others to laugh with him. Steve sighed softly. “Come on, guys, we’re all on the same team here.” he said almost exasperdly before one of the men stood up. “Hey “Captain”, sign this!” he yelled before pulling his pants down and showing him his bare ass, causing everyone to laugh and Steve to look away from the scene before the audience started to pelt Steve with what he thought were tomatoes and did his best to block them with his shield even though only a few were thrown. He sighed deeply before making his way off stage and the girls filed on stage just after someone yelled to bring the girls back. He huffed slightly as the aide patted him on the back after he went back behind the curtains. “Don't worry pal, they’ll warm up to you. Don't worry.” he said even though Steve ignored him and continued to walk past him and down the stairs. He managed to find a small place that he could sit under and away from the rain while he wrote a letter to (Y/N), mainly telling him about how the tour was going so far and asking how he was, if he got his letters and adding a few small drawings he made for him. When he had the letter prepped and ready, he started a new drawing in his note book. He added a new one for Italy, sketching out the train they rode before starting the next sketch of him as a monkey in his costume, on a unicycle. He might not complain to others or even (Y/N) about his situation, but he was more than a bit bothered by how he was treated. He wouldn’t tell anyone but he felt more like a dancing monkey for Brandt and less like he was actually helping. He wanted to be on the war front, not dancing on stage. Even if it brightened his day and made his heart all fuzzy when he met the kids at his shows. When he was nearly done with his sketch, he heard someone approach from behind. “Hello, Steve.” He looked behind him and had to do a double take when he saw Peggy behind him. “Oh.. Hi.” He said with a small smile as he turned to look at her head on and not over his shoulder. “Hi.” She said as she folded her rain coat over her arm neatly. “What are you doin’ here?” he asked as she took a seat next to him. “Officially, I’m not here at all. That was quite the performance.” She said, trying to joke a bit to ease his sour mood and the news she came to bring. “Yeah, uh.. I had to improvise a little bit. The crowds I’m used to are more, uh.. Twelve.” He said as he looked away from her. “I understand you’re “America’s New Hope.” Yes? ” She said with a bit of sass to her words while Steve shrugged a bit. “Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit.” she narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “Is that Senator Brandt I hear?” he turned to her a bit with a slightly wounded look in his eyes. “At least he’s got me doin’ this. Phillips woulda had me stuck in a lab.” she shook her head at him in slight disappointment. “And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know.” he looked over at her and went to speak a few times before he shook his head slightly and looked away, back at his notebook. She tilted her head slightly at him. “What is it?” He sighed softly. “You know, for the longest time, I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country.. I finally got everything I wanted.. And I'm wearing tights.” he said as he looked down at his notebook before their attention was brought to the med car that pulled up, beeping its horn, not too far from them. As the soldiers helped unload the injured, Steve let out a deep sigh. “They look like they've been through hell..” Peggy nodded slightly before her eyes dropped to the ground below her. “These men more than most, yes..” She said softly as Steve picked up on her change of tone, making his heart drop to his stomach. “Why are you here, Peggy?” He said with a slight head tilt as he tried to read her. She let out a soft sigh with a slight shake of her head. “They are the reason I’m here, Steve. Your audience contained what was left of the.. 107th. The rest were killed or captured. I found out not long after I stopped receiving letters from (Y/N). I don’t know if he was killed or captured but I came to offer you my condolences all the same. I know how close you were with him.” She said softly before turning her attention back to Steve’s face. A determined look passed over him as he stood up, abandoning his notebook. “What are you doing?” She asked as she started to walk towards him, only for him to grab her hand and pull her along. “Come on!” he said as he pulled her through the rain, hardly giving her time to cover herself with her coat.
When they approached the tent, he was moderately soaked and Peggy was a bit breathless. “Colonel Phillips.” Steve said loudly, gaining his attention. Phillips looked up, unamused but a bit surprised to see him nonetheless. “Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled man with a plan. What is your plan today?” He said with a bit of a condescending air to his words. “I need the casualty list from Azzano.” Steve said as he stopped at his desk, his presence commanding respect that Phillips was not about to give him. “You don't get to give me orders, son.” Phillips said as he stared up at him from his seat. “I just need two names. Captain (Y/N) Cohen and Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th.” He said almost desperately while he did his best to seem collected as his tone wavered slightly. Phillips looked between the two of them before pointing his pen at Peggy. “You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy.” he said with a stern tone that caused her to look down and away from him before Steve interjected. “Please tell me if they’re alive, sir. C-O-H..” Phillips raised his voice slightly, cutting him off. “I can spell.” he said, looking between the two of them before waiting a moment, then getting up, looking at the documents in his hands. “I have signed more of these condolence letters today then I would care to count.” he said as he walked slightly with them following right behind. “But, those names do sound familiar. I’m sorry.” He said with his hands on his hips, sounding a bit remorseful, knowing how painful it is to lose someone in service. Steve’s face dropped at his words as Peggy moved slightly to stand by his side. “What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?” He said, trying to put his thoughts elsewhere. Phillips scoffed a bit. “Yeah, it’s called winning the war.” Steve looked at him incredulously. “But if you know where they are, why not at least..” Phillips shook his head and cut him off. “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.” he said as he looked at the map and then back at him. “But I don't expect you to understand that because you're a chorus girl.” he said, belittling him. “I think I understand just fine.” Steve said with slight anger in his voice. “Well, then understand it somewhere else.” He said as he walked past him. “If I read the posters correctly, you got someplace to be in thirty minutes.” Steve ignored him as he looked at the map that Phillips labeled before he started to turn to leave the tent. “Yes sir, I do.” Peggy watched as he walked away before Phillips spoke up again. “If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself.” He said without looking at her. She turned to look at him before making up her mind and going after Steve. “What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?” Peggy asked as she walked into Steve’s tent, seeing him pack up his bag. “If that's what it takes.” She shook her head as she walked up to him. “You heard the Colonel.. Your friends are most likely dead.” Steve shook his head as he threw clothes into his bag. “(Y/N) is your friend too, Peggy. Not just mine.. And they both could be alive, you don’t know that!” he said as he threw his bag on. “I know (Y/N) well enough that his mouth would get him killed and he would die fighting before letting himself get captured.. Even so, Phillips is devising a strategy. If he detects..” Steve raised his voice, cutting her off, before lowering it again. “By the time he’s done that, it could be too late.” he said before walking out, leaving Peggy to follow after him again. “Steve!” he tossed his items in the back of a jeep before turning to her. “You told me you thought I was meant for more than this.. Did ya mean that?” She nodded and gave him a slight smile. “Every word.” he looked at her for a moment, debating in his head before he looked away from her and got into the jeep. “Then you gotta let me go.” he said just before Peggy stood at his side. “I can do more than that.” she said with a sly smirk pulling at her skillfully colored red lips. His gaze darted to them before they went back to her eyes. “What do you have planned, Peggy?” he said almost exasperatedly. He already felt as if this was a bad decision as she climbed into the passenger side seat. “Drive Rogers. We’ll discuss it on the way.” He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and driving off, feeling as if he was dealing with a British version of Dot, exchanging one spitfire for another, tacking on just one more reason to why he understood why (Y/N) was so sweet on her. “Alright Peggy. What’s the plan then?” he said as he followed her directions. She leaned back in her seat a bit and looked over at him. He glanced her way and saw nothing but mischief mixed with pride and adoration in her eyes. “Do you remember Stark?”