Winter's Beginning [1]

Zola's Train

Chapter 11

They ended up in the mountains near the Russian-German border. For some reason someone had decided that the plan was for Steve, Abi and Bucky to zip line onto the train and try and secure its cargo and crew. They had to wait in the freezing cold for the train to come along. None of them were very happy. Monty was on lookout and Jim and Gabriel were monitoring the Hydra radio while the others set everything else up and made sure that everyone knew the plan.

"Remember when I made you both ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" Bucky asked as the three of them looked onto the tracks from the mountain face.

"Yeah and I threw up?" Steve said as Abi just nodded.

"This isn't payback is it?" Bucky asked.

"Now why would I do that?" Steve said with a chuckle as he looked at the zip line.

"We were right. Dr Zola's on the train." Gabriel said from the radio. "Hydra dispatch has just given him permission to open up the throttle. Wherever he's going they must need him bad."

Bucky and Abi looked at each other and then at Steve as they were handed the runners for the zip line. Steve put on his helmet as the train appeared in their line of sight.

"Let's get going cause they're moving like the devil." Monty told them all.

"We've only got about a ten second window. We miss that window we're bugs on a windshield." Steve called.

"Thanks for the heads up." Abi muttered. Steve was going first, then Abi, Bucky and finally Gabriel.

"Mind the gap." Monty warned.

"Better get moving bugs." Dum Dum called. Abi glanced over her shoulder at Bucky who gave her a smile.

Steve set off when Jacques gave the signal. Abi hooked on and then set off after him. Bucky soon followed. Gabriel brought up the rear. They sped towards the train as it zoomed past. They each landed heavily on the metal roof of the locomotive. Steve set off walking towards an opening so they could get on board. Abi set off as soon as she saw the other two had landed properly. They ran until the came to a ladder down the side of the train. One by one they climbed down (apart from Gabriel who was keeping a lookout) and inside as Steve had opened the door. Bucky closed the door afterwards and they were engulfed in the warmth of the train.

They looked around and there were shelves lined with boxes and weapon cases. They slowly began to move forward. Abi and Bucky were both holding rifles and Steve had a pistol and his shield. The train appeared deserted so Steve started walking into the next carriage. He got to the other side before the dividing doors shut, trapping Steve one side and Abi and Bucky on the other. Two armed soldiers soon appeared on Abi and Bucky's side leaving them to try and fight them off. Steve had bigger problems. His carriage had no cover and a huge guy with some kind of super weapon appeared.

They all began engaging in fire fights as Zola yelled at his soldiers to kill them all. Bucky and Abi were on opposite walls of the train shooting at the guys who were getting closer. They hid behind some of the boxes while shooting at them. Steve was trying to dodge whatever the super weapon was shooting at him. Eventually he took the hydra guy to the ground and knocked him out with his shield. Bucky and Abi were still shooting at the advancing agents who didn't seem to want to go down. Abi shoot one down before she was out of ammo in her riffle. Bucky pulled out his pistol and shoot at the other guy before moving to the other side. He ducked behind the boxes at the side of Abi.

"This could have gone better." He muttered. Abi stood up and shot at the other guy again.

Steve used the super weapon to shoot a hole in one door. He ran through only to be stopped by the next. He saw Abi and Bucky taking turns in shooting at the hydra officers. However, they both ran out of ammo. Bucky looked at her as they crouched with their backs to the metal wall. They both took a deep breath before the door opened and Steve appeared. He threw Bucky his gun before he knocked a box off the shelf and the guy moved to the side into Bucky's sight. Bucky shot him in the head.

"We had him on the ropes." Bucky muttered as they went to stand by Steve.

"I know you did." Steve said.

They all heard the weapon charging but Steve reacted first. "Get down!" He shoved Bucky into Abi, which took them both to the floor, and then raised his shield. The impact knocked him backwards and the blast ricocheted into the train wall blowing a hole in it.

"I love you." Bucky muttered to Abi before he stood and picked up Steve's shield and pistol. He stood in front of the other man and raised the shield and fired the pistol. The guy charged the weapon again and Abi's brain calculated what would happen. She was too slow and the weapon fired again. The impact shot Bucky out of the hole in the side of the train. Abi dived for the gun and shot the guy in the head.

"Bucky!" Steve and Abi screamed. Steve took off his helmet and started to climb down the wreckage on the side of the train. Bucky was barely hanging on as Steve started to climb across. Abi stood helpless as she watched her brother try to save the man she loved.

"Hang on!" Steve yelled as he inched forward. He reached out his hand but they were too far away from each other.

"Grab my hand!" Steve yelled over the sound of the train. The bar Bucky was holding began to slip. Bucky reached out a hand but Steve was out of reach. The bar broke and Bucky fell into the ravine. Abi screamed and went to jump but Steve caught her arm and pulled her back into the train. He wrapped his arms round her as they both sat crying.

Abi got to her feet and began to climb onto the roof once again. Steve unsure of what to do followed her. They passed Gabriel who said something. It didn't register in Abi's mind as she had but only one thought. She jumped through the skylight at the end of the train and shot the driver. Zola looked at her as she hit him. He went down but she kept hitting him until two large arms pulled her away. Her knuckles were bloodied and broken just like Zola's face.