𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄. STEVE ROGERS

BURN IT UP

. . .
e l e v e n
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. . .

Crickets chirped, hidden under the clumps of untamed grass that grew by the barricaded fences. The pale moonlight shone across our faces as Steve and I marched towards the factory, slowing down as we closed in onto the bleak grey building. We circle around to find the perfect opening, and eventually, stop beside a wooden door. Steve tentatively taps it.

"Ja?" A guard looks out from the door; his irritated face illuminated by the moon. I immediately slam the door on him and it jams his head in between. The guard gives a gasp of surprise just as Steve sends a punch right to his face. He immediately crumples down into a heap on the ground.

Steve walks in and I quickly follow after hiding the unconscious guard. Crates of firepower fill the area; with blueprints of bombs that seemed to be able to blow up entire cities and huge crates of unfinished technology that was filled to the brim. We rush past them just as an alarm sounds above of us; its red lights flashing wildly as guards run down from the stairs. The clack of their guns and heaving breathing is heard as they slowly make their way over. Steve and I look at each other, his eyes flashing wild with excitement as we nod at one another. And then we run.

I barrel towards the unsuspecting guards, knocking them down with ease as I run for the stairs. I feel bullets whizz past me as I run up and cheer as I find the guard that had been firing at me get knocked down by Steve. Another guard comes at me, his pistol in his hands. I peel the pistol away from his hands and smash it against his head like a baseball bat. He immediately groans and falls down to the floor.

"Topaz! Behind you!" Steve shouts among the noise and I immediately whirl around to see a guard that was way to close to me for comfort. He holds a knife in his hands that was now under my throat.

"Geez, don't you understand what personal space is?" I spit at his eyes and take that moment of vulnerability as the time to strike. I give a punch to his face, making him fall down and drop his knife. He sneers at me, charging back up before getting knocked back down, permanently by my kick.

. . .

I take a huge breath as I look at the beautiful masterpiece of unconscious bodies we had created. Steve breathes heavily beside me, his hands fidgeting on his cardboard shield.

"We better get going," says Steve, his eyes looking around for a way out of the room, landing on a corridor from our far right. I nod, and we walk briskly down to the corridor before getting jumped by two guards. They hold pistols aimed at us in their hands, ready to fire at any time. Steve stares over to me in a look that says it all— what were we going to do?

"Good evening, it's a bit chilly today isn't it?" I say to them as Steve's look turns into a look of confusion.

"Here, let me warm you up,"

I place my hands on their uniform with a sweet smile on my face, and with a twinge of willpower, I set alight their clothes. They burst into flames that quickly consume their whole bodies like a human bonfire, lighting up the corridor. Their banshee-like screams echo through the room and I wince.

"Don't need to be such a crybaby," I mutter. I look over to Steve who stared at the two burning guards in shock. "Come on, we haven't got all day,"

I see him gulp before I turn into the corridor, walking down the eerie looking path. I hear a door slam and see a shadowed man shuffling around with the papers pressed tight into his chest. I advance towards the man but it only makes him freeze and looking over to me. He runs the other way as Steve walks up to me.

"There's a room there," I say, pointing over to where the man had stood.

"Let's go check it out then,"

. . .

I lead the way with a flame in my hands as we walk inside warily. Past the scattered files and specimen jars, I see a large cage atop a rusty drain. My breath hitches as I see a prisoner lying slumped against the bars. I nudge Steve and point over to the prison and we slowly walk towards it. The prisoner calls out wearily as he hears our footsteps.

"Barnes, James Buchanan. Sergeant. 32557038."

I go still with shock. Steve's hand grips my shoulder.

"Bucky?" Steve calls out.

"Who is that?" The voice calls out again, a sense of familiarity now washing over me. Steve and I race to the cage, and I burst out a sob of relief as I look at the face behind the rusted bars. Despite looking beaten and grizzly, I could still see it was clearly Bucky Barnes.

"Is that?..." Bucky mumbles as he squints at the two of us. Steve grabs a rock from the ground and smashes the lock open, rushing in and holding his hand out for Bucky to grab. Bucky takes Steves hand, pulling himself as he takes another good look at Steve.

"It's me, Buck," Bucky squints once more, now carefully studying Steve's grinning face. I walk over, giving a tight hug to Bucky.

"Steve? Wait, is that you, Topaz?"

"Yeah," I say as I pull back, wiping my tear streaked face.

"I thought you were dead," Steve said.

"I thought you were smaller," Bucky stated as he glanced at Steve, who was now much taller than him. He looks over to me and points to Steve.

"What happened to him?"

"Puberty happened," I replied as Steve glared daggers down my back. I looked at Bucky's shocked face and I roll my eyes a little. "Joking, I'm joking! Geez, nobody can take a joke these days,"

A deafening blast suddenly shakes the room and I turn over to them with urgency apparent in my voice.

"In all sense of seriousness, we have to go. Now."

"Why?"

"This whole place is going to start exploding soon enough, I can hear the fuses."

No reply is given as we stagger out of the room, a string of explosions heard once again. Steve and I grab Bucky's arms, supporting it on our shoulders as he limped down the corridor.

"What really did happen to you?"

"Super Soldier Serum,"

"Did it hurt?"

"A little bit," I coughed loudly.

"Is it permanent?"

"So far,"

"You are going to get so many girls," Bucky mumbles. I roll my eyes with a smile, glad we had found our friend.

. . .