Rumors of War || The First Avenger

Chapter Thirty-Three: Stargard

Picture is Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.

Music is "As Time Goes By" by Bing Crosby.

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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Stargard

{December 1, 1944 - Three Months Later}

Taking the Poznan HYDRA base was much more difficult than anyone would've guessed. They were waiting for us when we got there, new weapons and stronger soldiers in greater numbers fighting for them. It took us almost a month to take the base down, and we suffered casualties. Among them were nurses and doctors whose medical tents were attacked after dark later in the month of August. Luckily, Rose wasn't there at the time, but we have all received a new sense of hatred for HYDRA.

There are rules of warfare. You don't attack unarmed soldiers. You don't kill those who have surrendered. You treat POWs humanely. You don't attack civilians or use them as leverage. You don't send children out to fight. Most of all, you leave the medical personnel out of the fight. They are here to heal, not fight. HYDRA has crossed the line, and our three month trip into German territory causes us all to think about what we're willing to do to stop this war.

When we started this fight, when Steve and I joined for the missions early last year, I never thought I would change this much in such a short time. I was a teacher, a fiancé  a sister, a daughter. I was kind and calm and would never think of harming anyone or anything. I had a quiet life and I liked it that way.

But now I'm a soldier, a Sergeant, Lady Liberty fighting on the front lines alongside her friends and family. I have seen more death, more bloodshed, more screams of anguish than anyone ever should in a lifetime. I have shipped more men and women under my command home in a pine box than I ever care to admit. It's not a question but an absolute certainty that those in the Howling Commandos will have PTSD for as long as we live.

Now, weary and tired, the Commandos and company, what's left of us anyway, set up camp on the verge of Stargard, Germany. This is our last stop, we keep telling ourselves. I suppose it's some form of comfort. Maybe, just maybe, after this mission, we'll be able to go home.

But what will we do with ourselves when we do? Who will we become? You train a person to kill or be killed for so long, eventually that's how they're programmed. You can't take that back. War is a terrible, terrible thing, and those who crave it are bloody fools.

"We still haven't found Schmidt," Steve mutters to himself as we help Rose carry supplies to the medical tent. "We have one base left. If he isn't killed or captured, he can just undo all we've done the past year."

"You need to relax, Steve-o," Rose huffs, showing us where in the tent to set things down. "You're gonna give yourself an aneurism. Trust me, I'm a nurse."

"What we need is a moral officer," I sigh, rubbing my face with my hands. "Soldiers and officers alike are having trouble remaining focused on our objective. We've been out here too long."

Rose walks over, hugging me tightly. "We're here to protect the free world, Ems."

I hug her back. "I know that, but not everyone is focused enough. I'm afraid some of them might get killed." I turn to the right, seeing a small machine on Rose's desk. It's the size of a suitcase, filled with gears and moving parts. There's a part of it that extends out, and has a glove-like shape. "Rose, what's that?"

Rose blushes, trying to hide her creation. "Oh, this silly little thing? It's nothin'. Just me toyin' around with leftover parts."

I poke at it, but Rose pulls it out of my reach, giving me a scowl. "What does it do?"