11 | XXX

The Howling Commandos had been informed that Dr. Arnim Zola was on the move near the Alps. As Gabe manned the transmission radio, Amelia, Steve and Bucky took watch on the train tracks.

        "Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" Bucky asked Steve.

         "Yeah, and I threw up." Steve chuckled.

        "This isn't payback is it?"
        "Now why would I do that?"

        The two joked, their friendship was very evident when they spoke to each other.

        "We were right, Dr. Zola's on the train. HYDRA dispatcher gave him permission to open up the throttle, wherever he's going... they must need him bad." Gabe announced.

        "Then let's get going, they're moving like the devil." Falsworth glanced into his binoculars.

        "We've only got about a ten-second window, you miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield!" Steve called out as he connected something to the zip line.

        Amelia was an expert on timing, however, her only worry was if the men were going to stealthily glide down as well.

        "Better get moving bugs!" Dugan called out, only semi-jokingly.

        Dernier called out when to go as the train came into view. Amelia, then Bucky, then Steve all landed safely into a train cart. Amelia held her machine-gun (her preferred weapon) up, ready to shoot at any opposing soldier. Amelia and Bucky stayed side-by-side searching the cart as Steve wandered into another cart.

         Suddenly, the doors shut on both sides, separating Steve from Amelia and Bucky. They all rushed to the door and pushed on the door. A sound of a gun pierced through the air from the other side of the cart. Amelia and Bucky's eyes shot at each other in fear.

        They take cover behind some crates, attempting not to get shot at. Steve watched from the other side helplessly. Amelia shot multiple rounds at the heavily protected man, along with Bucky shooting too.

        Amelia and Bucky were running low on ammo, and they knew they were on a very fine line of living and dying at this point. Steve bursted through the door, just in time as Amelia and Bucky's last bullet was shot.

        Steve signaled to Bucky to catch the ammo he was going to throw him. Within seconds, the ammo was caught and shot at the man. Amelia pushed the cargo forward, launching the man right out of the cart.

        "I had him on the ropes." Bucky complained.

        "I know you did." But before another thought could cross their minds, another HYDRA soldier came in, blasting a bolt of energy. Steve deflected it onto the other wall, revealing harsh weather conditions and a 200 foot drop.

        "Fire again! Kill him now!" The voice of Arnim Zola shouted.

        Bucky got up and shot at the soldier, but was shot at once more and flung out of the opening, fortunately catching the thin pipe, holding onto dear life.

       Amelia quickly ridded the HYDRA soldier as Steve ran over to Bucky.

         "Grab my hand!" Steve ordered. But it was too late, the pipe unhooked itself from the wall and went down the drop along with Bucky.

Amelia looked upon the never ending scene with one tear floating down her face. Steve was enraged, he threw his shield at some cargo and then at the opposite wall before a bellow of anger ripped through his throat. Captain America had lost his best friend.

Amelia had some automatic instinct to continue on the mission and kill Zola. Though, it wasn't for vengeance, it was as if it were habit.

More HYDRA soldiers came at Amelia as she marched through the carts, and with ease, she quickly removed her weapon (or her fist) and attacked the soldiers in one swift move. Zola was cornered by Gabe and Jim.

Amelia grabbed Zola by his throat, lifting him off the ground. "Now, for some odd reason, I was going to kill you quickly. But, I changed my mind."

Zola snickered. "But, before I go, you would want to know what is inside of you, no?"

Amelia's emotionless gaze flickered to rage but she quickly regained the habit of her stoic expression. "Organs, there are organs inside of me." Amelia deadpanned, clearly annoyed.

"No, my darling," his lips curled upward, "you, are no super-soldier. You, are a super-assassin." Amelia tilted her head slightly, with a sarcastic ohh expression.

With a quick flicks of her wrist, she stabbed Zola in the lower abdomen multiple times. Blood smothered her own clothes, but for once, she felt good.

         "Amelia, stop!" Steve commanded, "Take him away."

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't let me kill him!" Amelia yelled at Phillips. Phillips was the one who ordered Steve to bring Zola back alive.

          "He has crucial intel if we intend to win this war." Phillips scoffed before walking away.

          Amelia needed to cool down and staying in a busy headquarters wasn't going to relieve her stress. Although London's electricity was out and everything was black, the empty streets felt odd. Nevertheless, Amelia decided to take a walk in the cool night. Amelia walked for a good 10 minutes before she stopped in front of the pub she, Bucky and Steve had drinks at before she had went out dancing.

Skeptically, she wandered into the destroyed pub. "Surprised to see you here." Steve's rung out. Amelia shot her head to his direction and caught the sight of Steve gulping down the rest of his scotch.

Amelia cringed. "You have no taste in alcohol."

"Dr. Erskine said that the serum wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells." He commented as he poured more scotch.

"Create a protective system of regeneration and healing, which means I can't get drunk. Did you know that?" He asked. Amelia stopped before answered, a moment of realization had hit her.

* * *
(flashback)

         "I just want to have my sister around a little while longer." Amelia's tears spilled. Christina's lip quivered, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. The two hugged for minutes in silence.

        "I know, Amelia. I know." Christina said in between sobs.

         After Amelia departed from Christina, she knew it was the end of the line for her. Never in her life had she experienced sorrow, mourning or even pity. She always compensated those feeling for anger and frustration. But now, she didn't know what to do. So, she did what any regular-folk would do. Drink.

         Amelia drank so much that night that she should've dropped dead from the overuse. 3 bottles of wine, 7 shots, 1 bottle of vodka and half a bottle of whiskey in one night. It wasn't possible that she was still alive and sober, but she brushed it off and pushed through the rest of the night. There was more work to be done the next day.

* * *

        "No... I didn't know that." She responded quickly.

         "You need to stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault." Amelia sat at the rickety table with him.

"You know that's not true."

          "I heard about Christina. I read her file. Did you know that Agent Fuller was supposed to join the SSR too? But instead, she joined the US Coast Guards."

"Why do you think I joined the super-soldier initiation? It was the best I did so I could work with her, since the SSR was off limits to me. When she told me she had changed her mind, she continued to push me to do it. She motivated me to do great things." Amelia responded.

"So, what are you doing here? I know for a fact that Christina wouldn't want you to sap in a bombed pub.

"And Bucky? I know for a fact that he wouldn't want you to gloom in a bombed pub acting like you're about to kill yourself."

"Amelia—"

"No! No excuses, you're a hero. I knew that I had a purpose when my father left me with my alcoholic mom. I stood up and said, bitch the fuck? I know that this shit will just be stories for my kids later on. Moral of the monologue, you have a purpose too so don't kill yourself." Amelia ranted.

"But now, because I just fucking realized that the serum actually worked, I guess those times won't be stories for my kids. Since I can't have any." Amelia laughed quietly, adding onto the rant.

"What?" Steve asked softly.

"Huh, yeah."

"You need to know that you still have a purpose. Do you even realize that we are taking down HYDRA with a shield and a small team? And that we're not going to stop until HYDRA is completely destroyed? We're saving the world." Steve consoled. The two were too deep in their feelings to even consider the thought of Amelia actually being a super-soldier too.

         The sat in front of each other in silence, admiring each other. Unexpectedly, their hands interlocked. Both of the soldier caught a lump in their throat that didn't seem to go away. Slowly, they leaned into each other for a kiss. Steve could practically feel Amelia's lips on his lips, this moment was perfect.

They were rudely interrupted. "Um, excuse me? When we ask everyone to stay in their homes, that includes you two." The man asked them. Steve jumped up slightly, flushing at the man. Amelia looked over to the man calmly and responded, "Yes, my apologies." The man left with that, scanning the rest of the buildings.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Captain." Amelia curtly nodded.

She spun around on her heel to leave, but before she could take a step, Steve whipped her back around and planted his lips onto hers. When he released her, he shied away. "Finish what you started, right?" He smiled weakly.

Amelia kissed him again, more passionately this time. Her arms snaked around his waist, and, due to her height, Steve's arms ringed around her upper body.

         "May never get a second chance to do that, right?" Amelia snickered before leaving the abandoned building.