Kindred Spirits

Breaking Some Rules

  Over the next month, I was sporadic in my visits to the base, going solely to check in on Peggy and Steve, making myself scarce when they weren't there. Steve was being turned into a glorified poster boy by the senator that had funded the project, touring the country in a short music show meant to get more funding for the war effort. I could see in his eyes how much he hated it, being displayed like a show pony for America to turn into profit.

  I agreed to go with him to Italy, worried at the state of his mind. If his body was anything like mine, it was the least of his worries. My DNA had apparently replaced the need for gamma radiation, bonding exceptionally well to the serum I had fallen into. I couldn't run a full gamut, considering my lack of resources, though my trip to a junkyard had informed me that I could lift multiple fridges and even an abandoned truck. My regeneration had also taken a huge boost, healing virtually any wound I attained almost instantly.

  These developments were kept to myself, and I knew that my distance was noted very readily by Peggy, though she didn't ask me outright what was wrong.

  I watched from the sidelines as Steve bombed tremendously in front of a crowd of heavily injured soldiers. He ran off stage as his chorus girls came out to raucous applause. He opened his sketch book with a heavy sigh, sketching as I watched over the crowd of men, my mind faraway. I could hear Steve conversing with someone behind me, though I snapped to attention as he shot up, marching over to Colonel Phillips tent.

  I followed him hurriedly, stopping behind him as he spoke to Phillips. "I don't need the whole list, just one name, Sergeant James Barnes of the 107th."

  "You and I are gonna have words later," Phillips said to Peggy, pointing at her with a stern glare.

  "Just tell me if he's alive, sir. B-A-R-"

  "Don't spell at me."

  Phillips sighed as he looked down. "I've written more condolence letters than I can count, but the name does sound familiar, I'm sorry."

  Steve paled as he looked over to the map of the base, as well as aerial pictures of the layout. I walked outside in the silence that followed, deciding to prepare for what was about to happen. I've led more armies than I cared to count, I knew that the only way to get those soldiers back was to go rouge. I had brought my armor and weapons, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Steve broke protocol.

  I threw on my leather breeches, loose white lace up long sleeved and leather corset over it, and black knee-high boots. I strapped my throwing knives to my chest, my sword at my waist and my spring-loaded knife went on my right wrist. Two long hunting knives were strapped to my thighs and several small blades were hidden in various spots around my body. I stepped out of my tent, shrugging on a black leather trench coat as I did. My waist long hair was swept up into a bun and I brought up the hood of my coat, the top coming down over my face.

  Heading over to Steve's tent, I was unsurprised to find him and Peggy discussing how they would get to the base.

  "Well," they jumped as they turned to look at me, "I can fly one of those planes, though I would need a copilot."

  "What are you-" I cut Steve off with a wave of my hand, turning to Peggy.

  "How about we ask our resident genius billionaire? I'm sure he'd have no qualms about enraging Colonel Phillips."

.........................................................

  "How do you know how to fly a plane?" Everyone was thoroughly confused at my apparent expertise when it came to flying a plane.

  "Well, being there when the first one flew certainly gave me a leg up, but I did work for a few manufactures up until the first World War," I explained nonchalantly, smoothly guiding us over a wooded area.

  There was a pregnant pause as they absorbed what I said, and I brought us closer to our destination. Any questions they wanted to ask were interrupted by various explosions, which I was forced to maneuver around as I unbuckled my straps.

  "Looks like our stop Steve," I shouted over the noise, passing the controls over to Howard. I gave him a wild grin before leaping out of the plane, ignoring the parachutes next to the door. I fell rapidly, correcting my form and directing my body as close to the facility as possible. I landed about a kilometer away, the impact breaking my legs, though they quickly healed.

  I climbed the nearest tree, moving through the branches towards the lights of the base. I watched the troops as they moved before spotting Steve crouched near the entrance. Moving over to him, I followed behind as he came to the last truck in a convoy, though I flattened myself to the top of the truck, my trench coat blending in with the black canvas.

  I remained still as we rolled into a loading bay, moving to the overhanging rooftop as the vehicle came to a stop. I spied a detachment moving POWs into a larger stone building. I followed from the rooftops, my steps silent and smooth. The doorway was guarded by two men, but it was the open windows that caught my attention. Easily clearing the 10-foot distance, I moved down the hall to the sounds of something hitting flesh. 

  Coming to a doorway, I found a large man standing on a grated catwalk, looking down on what appeared to be more prisoners. Sneaking behind him, my spring-loaded blade entered the back of his throat. The thudding of his body hitting the floor alerted the prisoners below and their eyes caught my figure as I dropped through an opening in the floor. I moved to the cages, opening them quickly and silently, ignoring the questions they asked me. 

  I turned around as Steve dropped down, grabbing the soldiers attention. He looked around confused before his eyes fell on me moving towards him through the crowd of soldiers.

  "Took you long enough."