[ 1944 ]

📍WESTERN EUROPE
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The aircraft landed near a tree line. It was the best place to hide it in plain sight, since one of the Hydra bases Steve had mapped out was in the other side of the forest. (Y/N) and the others got out of the aircraft on red alert, weapons in the air for the slightest hint of movement around them. Once they made sure that they were completely alone, Steve made a signal to the aircraft for take off. Before they knew it, they were totally isolated in an unknown forest in enemy territory.

Steve, with the shield in hand, gestured for his team to follow after him. He dived deep into the snow covered woods and (Y/N) immediately felt a chill run down her spine because of the cold enveloping her completely. She realized that their footprints might be visible because of the snow on the floor, so she stayed on the back of the group to do her best to cover the footprints off. None of the men knew what she was doing, but they better be if they made it off this operation alive.

She couldn't tell for how long they walked through the forest, but it was enough to find the Hydra base they were looking for. In a quick movement, the entire squad hid behind a large tree and behind a snow-covered bush. Far ahead, (Y/N) spotted the large building covered by a tall concrete perimeter with barbed wire on the top. Right near the front gate, there was a small station guarded by at least 5 armed soldiers, all with the Hydra symbol on the arm.

What caught her attention too was the village right next to the base, which she thought was quite odd. But her suspicions were confirmed when she saw 3 of the 5 guards switch posts with other soldiers and head toward the village with their weapons still in hand. The village was only inhabited by Hydra soldiers, which was why the base was here.

Of course, they needed a clear plan before diving into the line of fire. They all huddled in a circle, still hidden behind the bushes while one of them, James Montgomery Falsworth, kept watch while still listening to the conversation. All they could come up with were surprise attacks, but in all those outcomes, they would be left outnumbered.

"Okay, what if I go in first?" (Y/N) offered out of the blue, turning her head to face Steve.

"Why?" He didn't seem quite opposed to the idea, but with deep curiosity.

"Those men are changing shifts every 30 minutes and go inside that tavern," (Y/N) gestured to the tavern on the other side of the path. She flickered her gaze to her wristwatch to check the time. "We took half an hour to get here, since we arrived when they were already changing shifts. We've been sitting here for 20, so If I'm correct, there will be a switch in less than 10 minutes. I can go inside and try to pry them for a key."

"You really think you can pull that off?" Dum Dum Dugan questioned with a smirk, his mustache moving up and down every time he opened his mouth.

"Oh, Dugan," (Y/N) removed the strap of the submachine gun off her body and handed it to Bucky. "You overestimate how easily men fall over a simple eyelash bat."

(Y/N) didn't move from her spot and she waited for Steve's approval, since he was the leader of the squad and the only one that could call the shots. When she saw the conflicted look behind his eyes, she placed a hand on his shoulder to provide a sense of comfort. He turned back to face her when he felt her hand, and a small smile threatened to escape his lips, even if they were in such a delicate situation.

It took a whole minute for him to answer. "Okay, you can go. But be careful."

"Always am, Cap," (Y/N) nodded at the instruction with a playful salute.

"If we don't hear from you in 20 minutes, we're coming in."

"Got it," She was about to stand up from the bushes, but she paused midway with a frown. "Is my lipstick okay?"

All men stood with their lips parted, not knowing what to respond. There was even one, Jim Morita, who opened and closed his mouth like a guppy. (Y/N) let out an audible chuckle, happy that she received the reactions she was looking for.

"Kidding, I know it looks good."

Without another word, (Y/N) stood up from her hiding spot behind the bushes and headed to the right before leaving the tree line. She figured this was a way to draw attention away from the others still in hiding. Before she was too close to the base, she inhaled a sharp breath and could feel the weight of the 101 Sleeping Beauty on her jacket's pocket. For her team's sake and hers, she had to pull this off extraordinarily.

Once she was out of the tree line and was marching straight forward to the base's guards, her lips shaped into the widest, most innocent smile she could muster. She raised a hand to wave enthusiastically to the guards and catch their attention, which she successfully did.

"Hello!" she greeted in German, trying her best to pull the accent as well. She hoped that hanging around Erskine was enough to learn and mimic the accent perfectly.

The soldiers were left dumbfounded, surprised by the sudden presence but still held a defensive stance. (Y/N), on the other hand, kept the naive act up. For some creepy reason, men liked innocent women better.

"My car broke down — " she pretended to trip over something and make the closest guard to her catch her in his arms. She mentally smirked when she saw how he visibly gulped. " — Sorry! I'm so clumsy. Thank you, young man."

"Y — You shouldn't be here, ma'am," the soldier replied, helping her get back on her feet.

"I know, but my car broke down," she explained once again — were they deaf? — the smile never faltering. "I'm hungry and cold. In need of a telephone to call my brother."

The soldiers looked at each other with conflicted looks. (Y/N) was halfway afraid that her plan wouldn't follow up, but all those thoughts disappeared when 2 guards nodded to each other. The one who had caught her extended his arm for her to take, and she hooked her arm with his with a fake giggle. The soldier holding onto her lit up like he had heard the most beautiful sound in the world — how pathetic of him.

"We'll give you food in that tavern, doll," he said. "Don't want a dame like yourself to starve."

"Thank you, darlings," she turned to face the one holding onto her arm. "May I have the name of my saviors?"

"I'm Engel," the man, now known as Engel, grinned when her eyes fell on him. He was tall and lean with clean teeth, but all was ruined with the red emblem on his sleeve. "This is my friend Hermann."

(Y/N) turned around to face the other, Hermann, and noticed he was quite the opposite from his fellow comrade. His hair was tussled underneath the helmet, he had a scruffy beard that looked like it hadn't been shaved in a while, and the smell — Oh, God, the smell — radiating from him was nauseous. Still, (Y/N) covered her mouth to muffle another giggle, which made the two soldiers exchange a prideful glance between them.

They guided her to the tavern across the snow-covered cobblestone path from the base. It had dim, lit lanterns and from the windows it looked rather cozy, yet no one else was coming in. Once Hermann opened the door, (Y/N) got the answer to why. Everyone sat in the bar stools were men with identical suits to the ones leading her inside, all with the Hydra emblem on the arm. (Y/N) tried hard enough to stop herself from gulping down her nerves, easing them down by pulling her innocent smile yet again. Neither of the soldiers that were inside paid her any mind besides a simple double glance here and there.

(Y/N) had seen Hermann and Engel carrying a respective key to the main gate, all she had to do was find a subtle way to get it, but she couldn't figure out how. These men were trained for any type of direct attack, so whatever trick she came up with, she had to make sure they didn't see it coming. A subtle, satisfied grin escaped her lips once she figured it out, and she cleared her throat to put her plan in motion.

"Gee, that cold sure rattled me to my core," (Y/N) rubbed her hands together to feel a sense of warmth. She looked at both men, who were staring with curious eyes to whatever she had to say. "I'm going to the ladies' room, I'll be back in no time."

Engel took a step forward with a cocky smirk. "Mind a little company, darling?"

In any other circumstance, (Y/N) would've already gave him a piece of her mind or stomped her heel on his toes, but in this scenario this was the perfect opportunity. It made her mentally smirk at how simple it was, and nodded in retaliation to Engel, who was bouncing off his feet when (Y/N) didn't decline the offer. She walked toward the restrooms, fully aware of the gazes she was receiving from him, but kept a seductive facade as they got closer to the doors.

In an act of confidence, (Y/N) turned around and grabbed a hold of Engel's collar, tugging him inside the ladies' room and shutting the door behind her. She prayed that it was empty, and thankfully, it was. Despite her abrupt actions, she didn't try to do anything else, yet Engel seemed desperate. The grin in his lips never wavered as he snaked his arms around (Y/N)'s waist and she had to resist the urge to smack his hands back.

"I'm going to make you feel so good," he muttered under his breath, loud enough for her to hear.

Engel did what she expected though, which was to lean forward and enthusiastically press his lips against hers. (Y/N) had to fight back the feeling of repulsiveness she felt from doing this, but retaliated to the kiss. Engel pulled away and a bit of the cherry red lipstick was stained onto his lips, and (Y/N) mentally counted how long it will take for the effect to take place. In just a blink of an eye, Engel started losing his balance and opening and closing his eyes, trying hard to maintain them open. He collapsed into the restroom floor with a heavy thud, which (Y/N) internally winced to.

(Y/N) was able to drop the smile that was already hurting her jaw. "You arrogant scoundrel."

(Y/N) leaned down on the floor and hovered her hands over Engel's unconscious body, trying to find the most reasonable place he would have hidden his key. She patted down onto his two chest pockets, successfully finding it in the second one she searched in. She grabbed the key from its original spot and hid it inside one of her own pockets, letting out a loud sigh of exhaustion. She stood up to her full height and turned toward the mirror, adjusting the loose strands of hair that might've stranded out of place. Once she was sure that her appearance was perfect, she exited the restroom with the same smile on her lips.

(Y/N) spotted Hermann sitting on a bar stool with three identical beer glasses, and even though it was crowded and loud inside the tavern, he still heard the sound of her heels clicking against the floor. He snapped his head in her direction, a smile popping on his lips until he noticed the lack of Engel's presence beside her.

"Where's Engel?" He questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

"He was such a darling that he said we should go ahead without him," (Y/N) responded with an enthusiastic tone and a giggle. "He needs time to. . .fix himself."

Hermann didn't ask any more questions yet another expression washed over him, like a sense of pride filling his eyes. (Y/N) pretended not to notice it and instead took onto his arm.

"What about the food?" Hermann asked in deep concern.

"I'm more worried about my brother, he must know what happened."

Hermann nodded to her excuse, mumbling how it made perfect sense. (Y/N) felt the weight of the key inside her pocket and that calmed her down a little, reassuring herself that she had done the hard part. Hermann guided both of them to the tavern's door and closed it behind him, his arm still hooked with (Y/N)'s as he began to talk over some nonsense that she couldn't care less about. What she did pay attention to, was how he said there was a telephone inside their guard booth.

The other guards hadn't moved from their positions, weapons strapped to themselves as they walked along the perimeter. From the corner of her eye, (Y/N) tried to find the bush the others were hiding at, but Hermann faced her at that exact time, making her lose her focus.

Hermann nodded in greeting at his fellow soldiers as they headed toward the booth, and as they got closer, (Y/N) took note of the two keyholes. She mentally cursed herself. She only had one key in her hand, and he was in possession of the other. There was no way she could pull out the one she already had without him questioning why she had it. Oh, well, she thought, guess the act is over.

She tried to pull her smaller gun out of her thigh holster subtlety, avoiding the other guards. She made sure the safety was off before she pressed it against Hermann's back, who was facing the booth's door. He immediately froze, his key being halfway inside the keyhole.

(Y/N) grabbed the key she had stolen from her pocket. "Open it."

Hermann cursed under his breath but didn't move a single muscle. (Y/N) didn't remove the gun from his back, still holding the key up if he decided to follow her instructions. Instead, Hermann abruptly turned around and with a grunt raised his fist to throw a punch at her. She was quicker than him and fired at his stomach, making him double up in pain and groan on the floor.

The sound alerted the other soldiers, and (Y/N) inserted her own key into its respective spot as she heard the guards making their way over. She rapidly turned both keys at the same time and the door flew open with how much strength she pushed it open with. She raised her gun up in the air as the soldiers lifted their own weapons at her, managing to fire two shots before closing the door behind her to buy herself time.

(Y/N)'s attention fell into the controls inside the booth, eyes skimming through which one opened the gate. Reading in German was still new to her, so she figured this would be difficult, but what caught her eye was the red button that stood up from the rest of the grey ones. She didn't think twice before pressing it, hearing a loud buzzing sound outside the booth to see how the gate opened successfully.

She sighed in relief even though there were still soldiers trying to shoot their way inside the booth. She pulled out her transponder, and out of breath she muttered, "Gentlemen, the gates are open."

(Y/N) could see from her spot how the rest of the squad ran out of the tree line and into the entrance of the base, rifles up and in Steve's case, shield at the ready.  They easily shot down the first line of guards at the gate, and since the gate had been opened, the others were rushing outside to fight the intruders.

And yet, Dum Dum Dugan still had time to say into the transponder, "Cap, your girl is the best."

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Over the course of the next months, the unit was in charge of taking down every Hydra base there was, and they were doing quite a successful job in doing so. Everyone in the team had their respective skill set, all of them needed for the raid to flow smoothly. From hiding deep in the woods to sneaking inside villages that were under their control, the squad had managed to almost free the continent from Hydra.

This particular one was just like any other mission, though the setting was quite different from what they were used to. They were all huddled near a cliff in the high mountains known as The Alps, which were covered in a thick layer of snow. While Montgomery Falsworth kept watch on the railroad below them, the others had helped in securing the zip line they'll be using for this specific raid.

Jim Morita and Gabe Jones were the ones in charge of monitoring the signal over a stolen radio transmitter they had taken in the last Hydra raid, which was supposed to announce who was inside the train they were waiting for. Dugan was keeping watch on one side of the cliff, and Jacques Dernier was doing the same from the other side.

"Remember when (Y/N) and I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" Bucky asked out of the blue.

"Yeah, and I threw up?" Steve retorted back, his eyes never leaving the long zip line.

"This isn't payback, is it?"

"And why would I do that?"

"We were right," Jones's voice pulled them away from their small conversation. "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."

Steve placed his helmet on and turned back to his original position near the edge of the cliff. Dernier grabbed the trolleys and wires needed for the zip line, handing them out to the ones who were going into the mission.

Falsworth removed the binoculars from his eyes once he spotted the train. "Let's get going, because they're moving like the devil."

"We only got about a 10-second window," Steve announced to the ones behind him as he secured the equipment on the zip line. "You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield."

"Mind the gap."

"Better get moving, bugs!"

(Y/N) slightly tapped on Bucky's shoulder, making him turn his head toward her, but still paying close attention to the cues. "Be careful, all right?"

"Always am, doll."

His cocky smirk wasn't enough to calm her nerves, but it did ease her down for a while. He gave her his usual smile as he adjusted his own equipment onto the zip line just like Steve had, waiting for the cue. In just a few seconds, Dernier muttered an inaudible cue in French with a following gesture of his hand. Steve stepped off from the cliff and slid down the zip line with Bucky and Jones right behind him. 

From afar, (Y/N) could see how the three of them landed right on top of the moving train, which made her let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The others made visible sounds of relief as well, but quickly stayed in silence.

"How come you didn't volunteer to join them, Dewitt?" Dugan asked out of nowhere, facing toward her.

She shrugged. "They can handle themselves."

Dugan hummed in agreement, but there was a visible glint in his eye that he didn't buy her excuse. (Y/N) decided to use that to her advantage.

"How come you didn't join them, huh?"

"Same as you," he scoffed, followed by nervous laughter. "It's in and out, they don't need me."

"Mm-hmm," (Y/N) crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him for just a minute before he finally cracked.

"I'm afraid of heights."

Laughter from the other three men echoed throughout the lonely mountains, that (Y/N) had to shush them down in order to not give their position away. Still, there were tears threatening to spill Falsworth's eyes because of Dugan's confession, who didn't seem to find this amusing.

"Now, now, gentlemen, that is a very rational fear," she defended for him with a teasing smile.

Scoffs and more laughter followed her statement and she couldn't help but join for a short second.

"Well, then, what are you afraid of, Dewitt?" Dugan asked this time, eyebrows raised. "It's only fair to know."

"Nothing that you can use against me."

"Oh, just wait until we find out what it is."

"Keep trying, it's never gonna happen."

Unbeknownst to (Y/N), at that very exact moment, far ahead in the train she lost sight of with her two closest friends on it, part of her greatest fear was already coming true.

there's that. if you don't know what happens next chapter, i'm so sorry. it's the beginning of the end for her and i feel bad.

spent half of this chapter in her little mission which took so long to write lol. i based it off some information i read on real female spies during ww2 :)

-see you soon, bex <3