Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGER: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Don't like heights?" Rhiley asked James stepping next to them on the high plateau. He had a nauseated look on his face that Rhiley could have noticed from miles away. He looked away from the drop and over at her.

"Most people are usually afraid of heights."

"People are more afraid of falling." Rhiley corrected him, "Then the height."

"I don't know about you but the thought of falling scares the living shit out of me." James snorted, shaking his head.

"Then why did you fall for me?"

James took a moment, blinked, and smiled widely over at Rhiley. "Nice one."

"The engineer just radioed ahead." Jones shouted so everyone could hear, "Hydra dispatch permitted him to open the throttle. Whatever's on this train, they must need it bad."

"Well," Morita spoke up, "They're not going to get it."

"I wouldn't be so sure..." James wasn't the only one doubtful of their plan. In the distance, Falsworth could see the train. "Because they're moving like the devil."

Rhiley watched James look over the cliffside again as Steve walked up to them, checking his riffle, "Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" James asked, looking at Steve.

"And I threw up?"

James looked over the edge again, "This isn't payback, is it?"

Steve grinned, and Rhiley chuckled at his reaction. "Now why would I do a thing like that?"

"Jerk."

"Punk."

"I could ride the Cyclone at Coney Island a dozen times." Rhiley commented, smiling, "It never gets old."

"Was that a hint?" James looked back over at Rhiley.

She shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."

A train whistle shrieks through the pass. "All aboard, gentleman." Falsworth shouts, looking from his binoculars, smiling at Rhiley, "And ladies." T-Bars had been attached to the cable for their transportation from the plateau to the train.

"Okay, this is a very short, very fast train." Steve shouted, "We've got a ten-second window, tops. Mistime it and you're a bug on the windshield."

Dugan checks the speed of the train against his watch, "Better move it, bugs."

"I'll see you, gentlemen, down there." Rhiley hooked herself to the cable. She didn't wait for them to respond. She had already jumped off the cliff and down the cable before they could even think about a response.

She landed on top of the train in a matter of seconds. The snow slapped against her face and sizzled from the head emitting from her body. She heard a few more thuds behind her letting her know the others had made it. The correct number of thuds too.

It didn't take long for them to make it to the back door and for Rhiley to break into it. She allowed the others to quickly rush in, weapons ready. She was the last one in, dumbfounded, she stood watching the others lower their weapons.

"Shouldn't there be more-" Rhiley spoke up, "chaos?"

Steve broke through into the next cart only to find it empty too. "I thought they were supposed to be hauling something," James asked watching Stev unhook his shield, wary. Rhiley ran her hand down the wall of the train, in her own thoughts.