Chapter 26
Steve stood next to Castiel who was still staring blankly at the city from the window.
He just stood there, waiting patiently for Castiel to feel his presence. Waiting for him to be ready to talk.
When he saw the angel blink a few times, an indication that he came out of his own head for a while, Steve started to talk.
“You know, it is not your fault.” He murmured quietly. “None of this could possibly be your fault.”
Castiel didn’t give him any indication that he even heard him, until he saw the angel’s shoulders sag a little.
“I shouldn’t have let him live.” He muttered bitterly. “I should have ended him like I was ordered.”
“Cas, you should never feel guilty about being too human.” Steve stated firmly. “Being merciful and kind-hearted shouldn’t make you feel guilty. You showed more humanity than most humans I have met in my life. Hell! You are more human than Holdstein! You should feel proud about it, not torture yourself for it.”
“Me showing mercy on him might have cost us our loved ones and our history, Steve.” Castiel said in frustration while turning to look at Steve. “It was foolish from me to think that that mistake from my past won’t come to hunt me. Arthur Williams didn’t deserve mercy then and he certainly doesn’t deserve it now.”
“Maybe it wasn’t you who is supposed to stop him. Maybe it was meant all this time for his end to come by Dean and Tony’s hands not yours.” Steve rested a hand on Castiel’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “I believe that everything happens for a reason. I didn’t die in the plane crash so I get to meet Tony. Tony was kidnapped in Afghanistan so he’d change for the better. The Glorians’ invasion nine months ago happened so we could meet you guys. Dean sold his soul and went to hell so you could be the one to save him. Every tragedy happens for a bigger, better reason. Don’t ever forget that we met both our significant others after tragedies.” He smiled gently at him then. “Maybe it was planned all along that Holdstein’s fall was to be like this and maybe not. Either way, you should never feel guilty for having a kind, merciful heart. You should be proud. I know for sure that Dean is.”
Castiel was staring intently into Steve’s eyes and believed every word he said for the first time.
Maybe everything does happen for a reason.
“Thank you.” he whispered sincerely with a small smile on his face.
Steve nodded at him with a smile of his own.
***
Alain took a deep breath as he got closer to the German intelligence headquarters and took off his small hat and held it against his chest to look like a simple, scared man. He intentionally cleared his throat two times before approaching one of the soldiers guarding the building who immediately raised his gun towards his face.
“Stop or else!” he shouted viciously.
Alain stopped immediately and pretended to shiver. “I-I didn’t do anything!”
“Don’t you know that it is forbidden to get here?!”
“Of-of course, sir! Of course! But- I just- uhm-I mean-“
“What?” the soldier shouted impatiently.
“Information! I have information for General Holdstein.”
“What kind of information?”
“I will only tell the General.” Alain insisted stubbornly.
Anger flashed on the soldier’s face and looked like he was about to hit Alain but stopped himself and seemed to be in deep thought.
“Come back in the morning, then.” The soldier stated harshly.
The answer was surprising that Alain was really shocked. “In the morning?! I told you I have very important information that the General must hear himself.”
For a moment, a lost look crossed the soldier’s face then said harshly: “I said: come back in the morning! Don’t you understand French?!”
Alain couldn’t get it. He told the soldier that he has important information the General needed to hear, but he refuses to even call the General and tell him about it!
At the same time, the General’s car was parked in front of the building and-
Suddenly, a terrifying thought crossed Alain’s mind.
A thought that made his heart beat violently.
“Alright, sir. I will come back in the morning.” He hastily told the soldier and walked away in rushed steps.
Holdstein wasn’t here.
This was the only logical explanation.
Who Bernard saw leaving the hospital wasn’t Holdstein.
It was a ruse from the start.
The General called Von Darke and made him leave the hospital with one of his soldiers who was wearing the General’s clothes and left in the General’s car, all that made Bernard think that Holdstein left.
That explained why the car was outside the building and not in its spot inside.
To trick everyone into believing that the General was inside.
Which meant that Holdstein was in the hospital.
Waiting for Tony and Sydney.
Alain sprinted until he reached the small car that was waiting for him at the end of the street and jumped inside it.
“Hurry! Please, hurry! A trap is waiting for Tony and Sydney we need to warn them before it is too late!” he shouted as soon as he got in the car.
“Oh God!” the driver exclaimed as he immediately drove the car as fast as he could.
The clock was still 7:25 when the driver drove through the streets towards the hospital and-
“Shit! What happened to you?!” Alain shouted when his body was thrown forward violently because the driver stopped suddenly.
“There is some kind of disturbance.” The driver answered nervously. “People are running everywhere. I am afraid that your friends might have already fallen into the trap.”
“No, they didn’t reach the hospital yet.” He objected looking down at his watch.
“I will ask around then.” The driver said while getting out of the car.
“Hurry up, please!”
Alain saw him stopping one of the passerby and talked to him, then his face changed into panic as he came back running towards the car. “The Germans! They stormed into the subway’s tunnels searching for the resistance’s members!”
Alain’s body jerked violently like lightening had hit him. “The tunnels! God Almighty!”
He jumped from the car and ran through the chaotic streets, forgetting Tony and Sydney, except for one thing the latter had told him.
History had started to change.
***
“You were right, Jane.”
Sam said while he was checking the map of the time holes in deep concentration. “These symbols does describe the properties of each hole.”
“What makes you so sure?” Jane asked curiously.
“These numbers and symbols are some kind of code that is usually used in astronomical information that related to the stars’ placements inside the time void and divide them into harmonious groups, exactly like in stars’ study science.”
Jane took a look to the map then her eyes widened in admiration. “Wow, how did I not notice that?”
“Because Sam spent the past days studying astronomy like his life depended on it.” Natasha smiled in admiration at him. “I am pretty sure he will willingly study nuclear physics if it will bring Dean back.”
“Don’t rush in with your admiration.” Sam shook his head grimly. “What I said is just a general analysis. I don’t actually know what the symbols and numbers means.”
“You will.” Castiel commented confidently. “I know you will."
Sam looked up at him and smiled gratefully for his confidence in him.
“Hopefully whatever you will find will bring Stark and Winchester back.” Fury said as he entered the room.
“And Sydney.” Castiel and Steve added together making Fury turn to them sharply.
“Why do you care about her? You only met her once!” he objected.
“She didn’t try to hurt anyone.” Steve just shrugged.
“But she is a spy!”
“A spy? How is that?” Clint asked in confusion.
“Didn’t she steal information and-“
“And what?” Steve interjected firmly. “Did she try to hurt anyone with these information?”
“And you think we would have waited until she does?”
“Do what? The girl doesn’t belong to our time and she have way more advanced technology than what we have, why would she spy on us? She just wanted to finish her mission.”
“Are you still buying the whole mission bullshit thing she said? She probably made that up to get you and your soft feelings on her side.”
“She wasn’t lying.” Castiel stated firmly. “I would have known if she did.”
“Believing something was real doesn’t make it true.”
“Yes, but-“
“Wait! You can continue this discussion later.” Charlie interjected excitedly. “I just found out the second time traveler’s sex.”
“What is it?” Fury asked.
“The description I found for them fits more on…” she stopped for dramatic effect. “A man about Sydney’s age.”
***
Gun shots sounded in the subway’s tunnels making everyone panic.
“They will close in on us in a few minutes and we will have no where to escape.” Bernard muttered grimly.
“I swear if I still had one breathe in my chest after this I will not release it until I kill those strangers for betraying us!” one of the men shouted in anger.
Brigitte’s heart almost stopped. “Don’t rush into conclusions!”
“Rush?!” another man yelled. “No time for this! The Germans are going to finish us any moment now!”
She bit her lower lip bitterly as she grabbed her machine gun. “They will not take us that easily.”
Everyone raised their machine guns at the ready. “Of course. We will prove to them that our blood is precious.”
“They won’t care much about that.” A firm voice said suddenly.
Everyone turned towards it. “Alain?! How did you get here?” Brigitte exclaimed in surprise.
“Later, Brigitte, I will tell you later. Now follow me and you will know everything.”
Everyone rushed behind him silently and their eyes widened when they saw him push a part of the wall, which opened revealing a secret path.
“Come on! It will fit us all!” Alain called pointing to the path.
“Where did that come from?” Brigitte asked in confusion.
“Later! I will tell you later!” he pushed her inside firmly.
Everyone followed them inside, at the same time, the Germans stormed in the room and shot their guns everywhere as Alain closed the wall again and held his breath with his partners in the darkness.
“Where did this secret path come from? It wasn’t here a month ago.” Brigitte asked in annoyance.
“It was a farewell gift from Castiel, alright? And I was keeping it a secret since then.”
“Castiel? And why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you trust me?”
“Do you think this is the right time for this?” he answered in frustration.
She muttered under her breath in anger as he turned towards the other men. “let’s move fast. The path will take us to one of the abandoned subway’s paths. It is safe. I just came from it.”
They all ran through the path, hearts hammering in their chests.
Especially Brigitte who even with what’s going on around her, was wondering in worry about what Sydney and Tony were facing right now.
***
Holdstein’s eyes shined viciously as he entered the room in slow steps while Carl grinned manically as he pulled out his gun then-
“Hail Hitler!”
Sydney called out in confidence as she straightened herself up and raised her arm up as she called out the greeting, then lowered her arm and asked in perfect German, her voice filled with confusion: “General! It is a shock to find you here even though I just took a direct order from you to come here and take the captive!”
Her reaction was shocking, which seemed spontaneous and threw both men off guard. The General’s brows furrowed while Carl’s eyes widened in surprise which soon turned to anger: “Listen here, buddy. If you think your ruse will-“
“Ruse?!” Sydney exclaimed in surprise. “What ruse you speak you of? I carry a statement with General Holdstein’s signature himself.” Then she pushed the statement towards Holdstein. “Isn’t this your signature, sir?”
Confusion covered Carl’s face while The General frowned as he looked carefully between Sydney’s face and the signature that matched perfectly with his.
This reaction really threw him off balance, even with his confidence in his cleverness and plans.
Sydney didn’t show any sign of hesitance or panic, which made doubt rise inside him.
He was expecting Castiel to come or one of the Avengers.
But he never saw that man before, not in life or in history books.
He is not French or from the Resistance.
The perfect German he speaks with couldn’t make him either of those.
Then who is he?
There are only two options:
Either he is a man from the future history never mentioned.
Or he really is one of the Gestapo who got a fake statement to get the prisoner out.
The second option seemed very likely.
But no, he can’t risk accepting that option.
Everyone is guilty until proven otherwise.
Firmly, he looked back at Sydney and asked “Where did you get that statement?”
Perfectly faked confusion was written on Sydney’s face. “One of your men handed it to me, sir. He asked me to move immediately.”
“Why didn’t you make sure of such a dangerous order first? Why didn’t you call me?”
“All communications are down, sir. Didn’t you know?” Sydney tilted her head in confusion.
“Down?!” the General exclaimed before rushing towards the phone and placed it on his ear.
“I don’t believe a word you are saying.” Carl snarled in anger but Sydney just ignored him as she stared at Holdstein.
The General lowered the phone with a frown. “The communications is down.” Then he paced the room in anger. “This is Castiel’s doing! His smell is all over it! I bet he is somewhere, ready to attack with a small army of the resistance’s men.” Then his eyes landed on Sydney. “Do you think he will manage to break through the hospital?”
“Actually I-“
“Maybe he will set it on fire to force us out!”
Sydney just shrugged and was about to say something but Holdstein suddenly grabbed her shoulders tightly and looked her in the eyes continuing: “Or maybe he will hit the hospital with missiles. Do you think he would do that?”
Sydney sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know. But-“
She was cut off again by Carl’s confused yell: “What the hell is missiles?!”
Sydney’s face flushed in anger as she realized her mistake while Holdstein let out a victorious laugh and pulled out his gun placing it against Sydney’s neck forcing her to tilt her head back.
“Ask the fake colonel here.” Holdstein grinned. “Who didn’t realized that missiles still didn’t exist in this time.”
Sydney stood still as she glared at the General, who his eyes landed on something behind her ear.
“Now what do we have here.” he smirked as he trailed his fingers on the small device. “You are in disguise! Now let’s see who you really are.”
He removed the device from behind her ear and she immediately changed back to her form making both men flinch violently.
“What the hell is this?! Some kind of magic?! He is a woman?!” Carl shouted in panic.
“Impossible.” Holdstein’s eyes widened. Obviously recognizing her from history. “This is impossible!”
She took advantage of his shock and used all her inherited strength to punch him in the jaw.
The punch threw Holdstein back so hard he hit the door, breaking it and fell on the guarding soldiers outside.
With his violent fall, his finger pushed his gun’s trigger releasing a bullet.
A bullet that was a silent order to every soldier to fire.