Heroes ▷ Captain America

10. a promise to the dead

10; a promise to the dead

The battle was over, Hydra was defeated. Well, not fully defeated until Johann Schmidt payed for all the pain he caused the whole world. Evelyn and the rest of the Howling Commandos were holed up in the radio tower waiting with bated breath to know what had been the fate of their leader. If he died or survived. Evelyn really preferred the latter.

The only sound was the quiet chatter of what would come of the Hydra soldiers they had captured between Peggy and Colonel Phillips. Evelyn would've been involved in that conversation, considering she was second in command but her attention was solely on the radio that would hopefully reveal Steve was alive and well. Jim was manning it but she was close behind him, eyes never straying from the microphone.

She should be there with him. They were a team and they went down together. She knew the minute he confirmed he was okay she was going to have to talk about not only terrifying her but also that she is as important as him and he needed to recognise that. If she wanted to go on a plane to certain death with him, she would, no questions asked or protests.

After what felt like hours passed, static began to buzz through the radio, then Steve's voice erupted in a panic. "Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"

Jim was about to speak but Evelyn nearly pushed him out of the chair to get to the mic. "Steve? Steve, are you okay?"

"Evelyn!" He sounded so happy to hear her voice, she couldn't help but smile. "Schmidt, he's dead."

"Thank god." she muttered. "And what condition are you in? Where are you now?"

"Um, that's a little bit tougher to explain."

"What do you mean? What's going on?" she was starting to get panicked now. "Give your coordinates, I'm sure there is a safe landing spot-"

"There's not gonna to be a safe landing but I can try and force it down."

Evelyn stared at the microphone incredulously, almost like she wanted him to see her. "Hold on, Steve, let's not jump to conclusions yet. Maybe we could call Stark, he's good with planes, right?" She laughed but it was shaky, tears beginning to well up in her eyes but she didn't let them fall, not until it was definite that he was going to die.

"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." Evelyn felt her heart sink to her stomach. "I got to put her in the water." She shook her head, this couldn't be happening, it wasn't fair.

She was not loosing another person close to her.

"Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere." He continued. "If I wait any longer, a lot of people are gonna die."

"Come on Steve, think about this." she pleaded. "Think about what you're giving up, and who you're giving up."

"Eve, this is my choice."

"Yeah, Captain America's choice maybe, but not Steve Rogers!" she snapped, her voice thick as her heart broke even more. "Please Steve, talk to me like you're not a super soldier, talk to me like the guy who couldn't run the track twice to save his life." the blonde breathed a laugh, remembering the day he sat on top of a grenade to save everyone else. "Talk to me like the guy I fell for."

There was silence for too long and Evelyn feared the worst, but then he breathed. "I'm scared, Evelyn."

"I know."

"I don't want to die but there is no other way to do this."

"Then let's talk about something else," she whispered, trying to smile through the tears now freely flowing down her face. She was so wrapped up in this she didn't even notice she was only one left in the room. "Like dancing. You still up for our date, soldier?"