Camp Lehigh - New Jersey, July 6, 1945

They arrived at Camp Lehigh in the early morning. Evelyn gazed at the training grounds and the barracks with mixed feelings. She still remembered the first time she walked through those enormous gates. Though Lehigh hadn't been an official Medical Replacement Training Center during the war, it had been one of the best RTCs in the state — hence why the SSR had set up the first phase of Erskine's super-soldier program there. The Medical Corps and Special Ops boot camp all happened within just twenty feet of each other. Often the former got to practice on the latter, which is how Evelyn got to know most of the guys personally.
All those strapping fellas going off to war and boasting about how many Nazis they would kill. Half of them would never see home again. The half that did came back broken from all the horrors they had seen or from the injuries they had sustained. How many of them had lain in the medical tent not ten miles from the front-lines, crying for their mothers, as Evelyn had tried to get them through the night, drenched in their blood? Enlisting and fighting for one's country all seemed very appealing down at the recruitment office, but in reality, it was the most dreadful nightmare one could ever live through.

Evelyn followed Stark and Peggy into the compound and tried to imagine Steve here before becoming the big and strong Captain America. The skinny kid from Brooklyn must have been a ridiculous sight for the other soldiers. But it was the perfect example that just because one didn't look the part, it didn't mean one couldn't have the same heart and fighting spirit.

"Did you say anything to Sergeant Barnes' family?" inquired Peggy as she lingered to talk to Evelyn.

"No, I didn't want to raise their hopes. I said you had a potential lead on Steve, so you resumed the search, and I was comin' along to make sure you kept your word this time."

"I see. I realize this must be difficult for you, Evelyn, but —"

"No, you don't," said Evelyn bluntly, keeping her gaze ahead of her. "We may have fought the same war, Peggy, but that doesn't mean you went through the same agony I did. So I would appreciate it if we just kept our conversations strictly professional. 'Cause I got no interest in becoming your friend and bonding over the loss you think we both suffered. Unlike you, I haven't given up on Steve."

Peggy wisely kept her mouth shut, but Evelyn still caught her startled expression from the corner of her eye. If she could, she would march right back out of Lehigh to return to her clinic in Brooklyn and never look back again. But she had already committed to doing this. And just talking about Steve strengthened her resolve. Her twin would never forgive her if the man in the mask really did turn out to be James Barnes. He would never forgive her for turning her back on someone who'd never turned their back on them.

The three of them walked in uncomfortable silence, descending to the not-so-secret offices of the SSR below the camp's main compound. The war might have ended, but the offices were still the busy hive Evelyn knew them to be. She'd only been down a couple of times before, but it hadn't changed that much.
Every few seconds, a phone rang somewhere. People walked wildly from one desk to the other. Documents were being typed up and handed over like hot buns... Some glanced up when the trio passed them. While the few she recognized saluted Evelyn to her rank, the majority erupted in murmurs around her. Her last visit, on the day Stark told her they would stop looking for her brother, had clearly left an impression. The destruction HYDRA had caused had been nothing compared to Evelyn's rampage that day.

They entered a command room at the back of the hall. Several maps and photographs were pinned to a corkboard. The first thing Evelyn saw were the blurry images of the man in the mask and other soldiers. Peggy hadn't been kidding when she'd said the photo they'd brought along was the only clear one. She couldn't determine a single thing from the others. It was almost as if the photographer had been taking the shots while also running for his life. Considering he was found murdered, it was the most likely scenario.

"Okay, let's not beat around the bush." Stark dropped into a chair at the head of the table and put his feet up in his typical rich-boy, nonchalant way. "Peg, if you would like to give Miss Rogers a quick briefing?"

"We've been following the actions of this mysterious new asset to HYDRA's ranks for about two months now," said Peggy. "Unfortunately, he's a slippery fellow. Every time we believe we're getting close, he either gets away or kills the person tailing him. The Howling Commandos pinpointed his latest activities for us, but as you can see, he doesn't stick to just one area."

"Yeah, no kidding," Evelyn followed the mess of red dots on the map. "Who is he targeting?"

"HYDRA turncoats," answered Stark.

"Ain't that a good thing?"

"If he weren't also killing our people, sure. Most of these traitors are under our protection, as they're providing critical info that could prevent another war. The Commandos managed to save a couple of them, but the losses are still too high for us to ignore."

"You went from creatin' the ultimate soldier to defeat the enemy to bending over and fraternizin' with them? Wow, what a patriot you are."

Her scornful glare made Stark fumble and shift uncomfortably in his seat. Evelyn didn't pay any further attention to him and walked round the room to look at the photographs. She had to squint to make out most of them. She found one picture where the man in the mask revealed his face, but she couldn't tell if this was truly the man she'd grown up with in Brooklyn. His hair was longer and... sure, he had the same jawline, kind of... But no. No, Evelyn refused to let her heart fool her mind on this. They had to be sure.

"What makes ya think it's James?" she asked Peggy. "This could be anyone."

"Well, for one thing," started Peggy, "we never recovered his body. We searched the entire area where he fell, but found nothing."

"We always assumed some wild animal got to him and that the blood had been covered by fresh snow. Those mountains are crawling with wolves and bears and... ... ahem, never mind." Stark quickly shut his mouth again and sank even deeper in his chair when both women shot him down with a single glare.

"We also have another reason to believe HYDRA may have retrieved Sergeant Barnes before we had a chance to locate him," Peggy went on. "I think you're familiar with this man?"

She took a case file out from a pile on the table and passed it over. Evelyn's eyes widened when she recognized the man's chubby little pug face.

"Zola?" she exclaimed. "I thought the SSR had him in custody?"

"Yes, well, as Howard said, deals were made. We don't have any evidence to go after Zola again, and he doesn't miss a single check-up with our officers, so, unfortunately, our hands are tied."

"Your hands are... Are you freaking kidding me right now? Zola worked together with Red Skull, the very person responsible for my brother not being here now! We lost Bucky in the first place because you wanted to snatch that creep from that train! And now you're telling me ya just let the damn bastard walk free?"

Evelyn smacked the case file on the table. Her outburst made Stark push off as far away as he could, and the chicken nearly pressed against the wall. Clearly, he still remembered the last time Evelyn had trashed his workspace, and with his cheek still pink from the smack she'd dealt him the day before, there was no way he was getting into this fight. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to.

"I share your sentiment, Evelyn," said Peggy. "Believe me; had it been up to me, I would have locked Zola away in the deepest, foulest cell and thrown away the key. Nonetheless, Zola being out there does give us hope. You may remember that Steve rescued Sergeant Barnes from a facility where Zola was residing as well. We couldn't find anything indicating this at the time, but the good doctor likely experimented on our mutual friend. Whatever he did may just have saved his life when he fell from that train. And if I know Zola, and I believe I do, he will be eager to continue his work. A scientist is, after all, never satisfied with anything he does. Their God-complex won't allow their constant 'mine is better and bigger than yours'-bickering to end. Howard here is the perfect example."

"Hey!" Stark peeped indignantly.

"Oh, do be quiet, Howard."

Evelyn took a deep breath to keep her anger down. What Peggy said made sense. And yes, she did recall a conversation she overheard between Steve and James about Zola. She had even called James out on it, boxing him around the ears for not coming to her for a check-up. But he'd seemed all right at the time. Physically, anyway. To think that he was alive and under HYDRA's control and...
Evelyn's eyes wandered back to the surrounding pictures. Her mind made them all come to life, playing them out like a scene from a movie. She could see the man in the mask gunning down his victims and the photographer running through the woods to escape him. But she couldn't see James. He wasn't a killer. He wasn't this cold-blooded soldier who murdered people just because he was ordered to do so. Life was precious to James. If he could save someone, he would do it in a heartbeat, without thinking of his own life. Evelyn had witnessed that the day they... that they...
She bit her lip. She hadn't allowed herself to think of that day in so long now. It was all still such a haze, but that day in November 1941 had changed everything for her. And for him. 

He came after me. He risked everything. How can I not do the same for him?

"What exactly do ya need me for?" she asked. "I'm a midwife. I doubt there's anything I can do against Zola and his new toy."

"You're also a trained army nurse, Evelyn, and a damn good one at that." Peggy reached for another file, almost triple the size that Zola's was, and opened the folder to take out a few pages. "We've gathered reports from your unit commanders, who all applauded your quick and tough decision-making. You earned the respect of every single one of them, which in itself is something to admire. During your first post in Italy, you were forced to triage an entire company on your own when they got caught in a surprise attack, and you were the only medical caregiver present. You ordered the other soldiers to help you, or you would, and I quote, 'really give them something to cry about if they let one more man die.' Then, three weeks later, at the border with Austria, you performed several emergency surgeries for which you weren't qualified. Your supervisor was initially going to report you, but none of the men you operated on died. Not even the soldier whose legs you had to amputate. And in France —"

"Yeah, okay, you can stop now," interrupted Evelyn with a sneer. "I remember France vividly, thank you."

Peggy put the file back on the pile and leaned back against the table. "You're not afraid to face what comes your way, Evelyn," she spoke earnestly. "You're inventive, and you go above and beyond to perform your duty. Every single person I spoke to only confirms that. You returned to the States as a Lieutenant with a Women's Army Corps Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, and a Combat Medical Badge. All well deserved. And from what Steve told me about you, you were always like that. Few would have dared to write and publish in several newspapers about the abortion law."

Silence fell in the room. Stark gazed at Evelyn with a certain look of admiration and reverence. Clearly, he hadn't been aware of Evelyn's record until then, meaning the idea to involve her in whatever plan they had concocted wasn't his, but Peggy's. She had to give the woman points for that one.

"Ya still haven't answered my question," said Evelyn, wanting to stay on the more pressing issue. "What do you expect me to do against Zola and HYDRA? What can I do that the Howling Commandos can't?"

"SSR agents monitoring Zola have notified us that ever since he returned to Europe, he meets with young women every two weeks in Novosibirsk, Siberia," explained Peggy. "We're not sure why. It all appears to be harmless conversations at first glance, but when we try to locate the women later, they are nowhere to be found. And there's one more striking coincidence; all of them have completed medical studies."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "He's recruiting them for somethin'."

"That's what we believe, yes."

"So... you want me to infiltrate HYDRA?"

Stark came around the table to sit beside Peggy. "We'll understand if you don't wanna do this," he said. "But, frankly, I think you're our only hope. We've tried sending soldiers and some of our best agents, and that failed miserably. Then we came to realize that the best man for this mission is a woman. And if this soldier truly is Sergeant Barnes, he will be more likely to trust you, considering your past together."

Evelyn tried not to react to that. As far as Peggy and Stark were concerned, James was her brother's best friend, which was the only connection she had with him. That was enough.
Once again, Evelyn peered at the man in the mask, trying to find James in those cold, killer eyes. If this wasn't him, she would be risking her life for nothing. But if it was... she could save him. She could bring him back. She could cut another head off HYDRA, maybe even cripple that monster once and for all. 

"When do we start?"

***

"And finally, what languages do you speak besides English?"

"Fluent German and Italian, some French, and I understand Russian, though I have trouble speaking it."

Stark gawked at Evelyn, his jaw almost touching the ground. She huffed. If she had to explain where she had picked up all of her skills, they would be here until New Year's Eve. 

"Lot of different families livin' in New York, Stark," she clarified impatiently. "When you're around them long enough, you learn a thing or two. And I've always been a good student."

"That doesn't surprise me. Okay, um... I think I've got everything for now. We'll get you a tutor to work on Russian. Do you think you could try to speak English with an accent?"

"If I have to. How long do you think before you can send me out there?"

"Well, we obviously wanna make sure it's safe for you to go in. As safe as it can get, anyway. And then, depending on your agent and combat training with Peggy, I'd say... five months tops?"

Five months... And then maybe the same amount with HYDRA, depending on how fast I can find out if James is really there and then get away. Looks like I'll be gone from Brooklyn for a long while. I know the clinic can manage without me, but what about Becca and George? And God, Lucas... I never even considered him in all this.  

"All set here."

Evelyn shielded her eyes from the sun to look up at the shooting range Peggy had prepped. Stark led her to the weapon's table further in the tent and told her to take the Smith & Wesson revolver first. He started explaining how she should load and stand, and do this and that, and not be worried if she didn't hit the target at the first go 'cause it was obviously a learning process. Evelyn only pretended to listen. She briefly met Peggy's eyes and saw she was thinking the same thing; time for another dame to show Howard Stark she was perfectly capable of handling herself. 
When Evelyn walked over to the range, she noticed that most of the soldiers in training halted their activities to watch her. She heard one of them whistle. God, how she hated that. Last time that'd happened back home, she'd thrown the tin of baby formula she was supposed to bring to her newest patient at the guy's head. It'd left a nice dent in his empty skull.

"All right, now hold on with both hands," Stark instructed from behind her. "Gently, gently, pull back the safety. Aim and... shoot."

Evelyn's finger barely touched the trigger. The gun went off with a loud bang, and the bullet pierced the target's human-shaped head. Stark laughed and clapped, as did some of the soldiers closest to her. "Very nice indeed, Miss Rogers!"

With a slight smirk, Evelyn changed her stance to a more sideways position and lowered one hand from the gun. She aimed again and held both eyes open. Stark chuckled. "Oh, I think it's a little soon for —"

The salvo of shots silenced him immediately. The only sound Evelyn heard around her was the displeased twittering of a couple of birds, whose peace had been disturbed. Everyone stared at the target, not quite believing what they were seeing.
One bullet was mere inches away from the first, perfectly aligned. Another was in the target's heart, and the last three were neatly packed together where the abdomen would be — way below, in a place where no man would ever think of shooting at. But Evelyn wasn't a man. And she had absolutely no problem choosing that area for target practice. 
Evelyn turned around to see Stark standing there with eyes widened in shock and a slightly pale face. One soldier cowered behind his green-looking buddy, and another sat and crossed his legs while several others casually tried to cover their groin area. It really was an amusing sight. 

Serves them right, thought Evelyn, feeling quite pleased with herself.

"Yes, ahem, I... I-I think maybe you'll be ready in four months," stammered Stark. "Or... three. Hm, okay then. Um... next item."

As he stumbled back to the table to get Evelyn another gun, Peggy strolled towards her, a wide grin of satisfaction on her face. 

"Well done," she said.

Evelyn shrugged. "I had a good teacher."

"Yes, I remember. Sergeant Barnes was the best sniper of the 107th. You couldn't have had anyone better teaching you. He was quite insistent, as well, as I recall."

"James just wanted me to learn in case..." Evelyn paused a moment. "It made Steve feel better. Reassured."

Peggy tilted her head slightly and made a little humming sound. Evelyn looked at her, wondering what that was about. "Oh, forgive me," said Peggy upon noticing. "It's just... you always call him James. Except earlier when we told you about Zola, you called him Bucky. I couldn't help but think that maybe Steve's suspicion about you two was right. You two were closer than you're leading on, weren't you?"

"Not at all. Me callin' him Bucky means nothing. People use both names for him all the time."

"Yet only one of those names is used by people who truly know and love him."

Evelyn didn't reply. She knew it was true. There were only a handful of people who called James Bucky. And she had never wanted to be one of them.