Helena Stark: A WWII Widow

chapter six: Run

Howard ran back to the dial and continued: "Eighty...Ninety. That's one hundred percent!"I shielded my eyes as the machine became unbearably bright, then things started to spark. I jumped back in alarm as I tried to get it to work. "Helena!" Howard shouted at me as he pulled me back, but not until after my dress caught on fire.

Luckily, it quickly went out.

I stood back amazed as Howard hit the switch and the container that I called a coffin a few moments ago opened and out came Steve Rogers. The difference though, he didn't look like the little guy from Brooklyn anymore. "Mr. Stark."

"I did it..." Howard said in awe as I ran forward and helped Steve out of the contraption.

"We did..." I muttered in agreement as I tried not to look at Steve much, it was bad enough when he was shirtless before.

"Yes, yes. I think we did it." Erskine said as he and Howard looked at Steve in amazement.

"How do you feel?" I asked Steve as Peggy ran down to my side with Rosemary next to her.

"Taller," Steve answered as he looked down at me.

I went to touch him, but stopped myself and turned around to Peggy as she handed me a shirt and my daughter. "You look taller," I said as I handed it to him as Rosemary clung to me, I think afraid of the recent events.

"Congratulations." Someone said as they came down and shook Dr. Erskine's hand. As I looked around, suddenly surrounded by people who wanted to ask a question, take pictures, and goggle at Steve.

"Thank you, sir." I heard someone say, but then I saw a gun.

"Gun!" I shouted as the man began shooting, first at Dr. Erskine, then at Howard, and finally at me. By that time I was already on the ground with Rosemary underneath me, and Steve on top of the two of us. She was screaming and crying as everyone shouted and bullets went off. When I felt Steve jump off of us. I looked up and around and saw Peggy running up the stairs after them. "Howard, take Rosemary," I told him quickly as I handed him my weeping child and ran up the stairs, pulling out my gun from my skirt as I did so.

I felt a stab of guilt as I heard Rosemary behind me, but she wasn't calling for me. A quick glance behind me told me that she was fine and watching me, Dr. Erskine was dead, and Steve was going to be following me. I ran out to see Peggy firing at a car that was quickly driving backward. I ran into the street to get a better aim as the car turned around, Peggy followed me. I hit one man in the head it looked like, but they weren't stopping.

I was just thinking about jumping out of the way when I felt something grab me around the waist and threw the three of us out of the street. I landed with a hard thud as I rolled to the side. "You all right? Hey! This guy's been shot."

"I had him," Peggy said annoyed as she helped me up.

"Sorry," Steve shouted as he went running after the car.

"You'll never catch them..." I said, but grew quiet as he sped off. "Well, I wasn't expecting that." I said as Peggy and I walked back to the facility, I ran down the stairs when I saw that Rosemary wasn't calming down, if anything Howard was making her more hysterical. "Rosemary!" I exclaimed as she all, but threw herself at me.

"Madre! Uncle said that you ran after them to stop them, but then I heard something from upstairs. I thought you were gone, gone like Padre." Rosemary cried into my hair as I spoke soothing words to my four year old.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'm alright okay? See, I'm alright. Mr. Rogers saved me." I said as I swayed back and forth. "Everything is going to be okay, you'll see," I said as I tried to figure out where to go, there were dead bodies everywhere, and I didn't want her to see them. It would only scar her more than she already is.

"Ms. Stark, there's a car coming for you and your daughter. They're going to take you to an S.S.R. facility." Colonel Phillips said as he came to my side.

"Chester?" Rosemary asked as she was about to look up, but I stopped her.

"Rosemary, keep your eyes closed alright? Don't look around darling." I whispered in her ear as Chester guided us up the stairs. I looked back and saw them laying a tarp over Dr. Erskine's body. I don't think I will ever be able to un-see all of those dead bodies.

~*~

"Think you got enough?" Steve asked the nurse as she took his blood.

"Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code But without Erskine, it would take years," I said to Steve, trying to fill in the space that reeked of dread.

"He deserved more than this," Steve said as he looked away.

I sighed as I sat next to him. "If it could work only once. He'd be proud it was you."

"Once, I guess I'll be the only one," Steve said ruefully. "Who else?"

"Eight others, but with what they were trying to do, I'm surprised they didn't kill myself, or Howard."

"How is your daughter?" Steve asked softly.

I looked away, "she hasn't talked to anyone since it happened. Too scared I think, I just wish I had stayed out of this all, but it's too late now."

"What do you mean?" Steve began, but Peggy ran in.

"Your brother is asking for your help." She explained as she gave me an apologetic look.

"I guess I'm going to have to go and help Howie then," I muttered as I got up and left the room. I quickly found Howard in the thing that looked like a sub and quickly climbed in with him. "This is comfy."

"Helena!" Howard said annoyed as I grabbed his notes out of his hand and looked at everything.

"This is wrong," I said as I pointed at something and fixed it before taking things apart in the sub, much to my older brother's annoyance.

"Helena Anne Stark!"

"Oh hush you."

"Don't you hush me, Helena Anne!"

"Don't use my middle name, Howard Anthony!"

"Then don't use mine!"

"Fine!"

"Well don't invade my space either!"

"Then listen to me when I tell you that you did something wrong!"

"You could be more polite about it Helen!"

"No I couldn't Howie!"

"Helena Anne Winifred Stark!"

"Howard Anthony Walter Stark!"

"Why can't you just let me do my job?!"

"Because you asked for my help!"

"Oh, you're right," Howard said, then I smacked him over the head making him jump and hit his head again on the hatch. "OW!"

"You big baby..." I muttered as he jumped out and went under the sub, mostly so we could avoid yelling at each other again.