Zeal ▹ Steve Rogers [1]

12 | discover

12 | DISCOVER

The following night, the team had a meeting to run down how they plan on taking down Schmidt and his army. As of that moment, their only source was Arnim Zola, and Amelia just loved interrogating him. Colonel Phillips observed the maps as the Howling Commandos, Howard and Peggy perched themselves at the table.

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bughouse. He thinks he's a God and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the United States." The Captain spoke clearly with his trite voice.

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities," Stark recapitulated, "his ascendancy is great. If he gets across the Atlantic, he will wipe out the entire eastern seaboard in an hour."

"Great," Amelia was apprehensive, "how much time we got?"

"According to your new best friend, under twenty four hours." Phillips replied.

Their plan was already slipping through the Howling Commandos' fingers. "HYDRA's last base is here," the Colonel flashed a picture of a mountain side, "in the Alps, five-hundred feet below the surface."

"So what are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like we can just knock on the front door." Jim derided.

"Why not?" Steve finally contributed to the conversation. "That's exactly what we're going to do." Steve sent Amelia a jittery smile. However, instead of returning the anxiousness, she peered at him placidly and rolled her eyes.

After the brief meeting was over, Amelia wandered the halls. Her brain was pushing out thoughts and plans every minute of the day now. It was habitual for her to plan her next move, even if it was a simple action such as to grab a cup of coffee.

"Are you okay, Amelia?" Peggy noticed Amelia's stilted manner.

"Oh— I am fine, Peggy." Amelia sent a sincere smile, dismissing the fact that she had been becoming more pensive recently.

"If this is about Buck—"
"It's not about Bucky."
"Well... all right then."

Peggy's cynical visage remained as she hesitantly walked away from Amelia.

* * *

Amelia slid guns in their designated hole and knives in their own pockets. Soon enough, Amelia jumped onto the truck that boarded the Howling Commandos, with the exemption of Steve whom was going to get purposely captured. Meanwhile, Peggy and Colonel Phillips sped off into the forest, so when the expected force of soldier attacked, they would be annihilated.

Despite the believed inevitable win for the SSR, the air tasted different. It had a tang of metal which seemed to linger in the bitterly cold air. It gave her a headache, putting Amelia out of her militant mode.

Amelia helped set up the equipment with the group, ignoring the strange bubbling feeling that grew within her. At this moment, Steve was being lead in, getting ready to announce the cue.

Although Amelia dismissed the strange feeling as pre-battle jitters, she was very wrong. An unseen force was preparing itself in the dwelling of her DNA, ready to trigger once the appropriate moment arrived. The power was unstoppable, and soon enough she would have that power to hold for herself at the wrong moment and time.

Then suddenly, Steve called out the cue. However, Amelia seemed to be stuck in some kind of trance as time completely stopped. Everyone was frozen, even the gentle blow of the frigid wind stopped blowing, she looked around.