Weaponised

2

Rebecca Carter

"Is it possible for me to tell Steve Rogers I'm leaving?" I ask my sister as we leave the barracks together, my fully packed bag heavy on my back. I'm prepared to go, twenty minutes early- and that was after half an hour of Peg and I talking about everything under the Sun, and more.

"I'll see what I can do. Wait here," Peg winks at me and heads towards the boys barracks, reappearing merely moments later with Steve. "I'll give you two some privacy. When you're ready, little sister, you know where to find me," and then she's gone, on her way to the plane that will soon have me in it.

Steve shivers briefly in the cold night air, eyeing my attire warily for he's in his nightwear. "What's up?"

"I'm leaving. Tonight," I give the blonde a small smile. "Shipping out to another regiment."

"You are? Why?" he replies with an emotion I think may be sadness.

"Colonel Phillips of the one zero seventh has apparently personally asked for me. Don't ask why, because I have absolutely no idea."

"I have a friend in the one oh seventh."

"You do?"

"Yeah. His name is James Barnes, but he's Bucky to everyone. Well, here I suppose he's Sergeant Barnes."

"I'll say hello for you," I smile again, rain beginning to patter gently. "You should go back inside." Steve takes me completely off guard by wrapping me in a quick hug- for a moment I wish I wasn't leaving.

"I'll see you when we win, soldier," he says.

"When we win," I repeat with much less conviction.

Steve sprints back to his barracks, at the last moment spinning to salute, which I return, before the door closes and he's gone. Hopefully, not for good. I think I'm going to miss him.

The plane looms up ahead of me. It may be the smallest aircraft I've ever been on, but it's probably the most important. "Make us proud, Carter," Sergeant Duffy says as I step onto the plane. His gentleness is surprising.

"Sir," I nod and salute, doing the same actions to my sister. The door shuts in front of my face and a sharp sting stabs into my chest- I don't know what it is. It could be the loss of my sister after Michael, our brother, died; I just walked away from the only family I have left.

But I'll be damned before I regret it.

*

I step off the plane early- as in, it's still quite dark- the next morning, landing on Italian soil. No one told me I was going to Italy. Clearly I'm meant to know that the one zero seventh are based here...

"Sergeant Carter?" an American voice takes me from my reverie. Its speaker is obviously male, late twenties, a mop of brown hair hidden under a Sergeant's cap. His eyes are kind and welcoming, yet somewhat sad. But my God, is he damn gorgeous.

I nod, then realise what the American really said. "I'm no Sergeant, Sir," I add a quick salute for good measure. "Just another soldier."

"Not anymore you're not; obviously, you don't know about the promotion?"

"Promotion?" I repeat, stunned. What the Hell is going on?

"Yep, you're a Sergeant now," the American grins and reaches to shake my hand. "So, welcome to the one oh seventh, Sergeant Rebecca Carter. I'm Sergeant James Barnes, but when the privates aren't around, I'm Bucky."