The Winter's Rose

1

Rosalynn's POV

The drive from the safe house into the streets of New York didn't take very long. The Winter Soldier and I sat silently in the backseat, masks held in our hands so we didn't seem suspicious to the passing cars. Our handlers were sitting in the front seat, eyes forward as they drove to our drop point. Hydra agents were ahead of us, pushing the target into the trap we were to be waiting in. As soon as the car stopped, the soldier and I put our masks onto our faces, hopping right out of the vehicle.

The handlers pulled open the back of the car, showcasing an array of weapons. The soldier tilted his head before picking up a Hydra-made weapon designed to shoot exploding discs that magnetize to the bottoms of cars. I opted for a light assault rifle, trailing after the soldier as he walked into traffic. Cars honked at us, but neither of us flinched.

"Stay behind me." The soldier commanded. I nodded in compliance, aiming my weapon downwards as we scanned the traffic for our target. At the sight of a beat up SUV, I slipped behind the soldier. He raised his weapon and fired the disc, gently grabbing my arm and pulling us to the side as the disc exploded and the SUV flipped over us.

We walked through the smoke created by the explosion, stalking toward our target. As we neared the flipped vehicle, the soldier gestured for me to step toward the tail end of the vehicle. I followed his order and watched as his metal arm ripped the front door from the SUV. He peered inside and growled, grabbing my forearm gently before leading me back to our awaiting vehicle.

"Where is the target?" One of our handlers asked.

"In the wind." The soldier replied. "I know where he could be."

====

The soldier and I were standing on a roof beside an apartment complex, watching the dark apartment of one Captain Steve Rogers. The soldier was messing with the sight on his sniper rifle, watching intently as the light in the apartment flicked on and then almost immediately back off. However, that brief moment of light was all we needed to make our target.

The soldier shouldered his rifle, taking careful aim before firing three shots into the dark apartment. The soldier took his time in putting the rifle back into the case that would be picked up by Hydra. I watched the neighbor walk through the apartment, and let out a gasp as my eyes met the Captain's. The soldier was quick to look down at me before snapping his head toward the apartment. As soon as he saw that the Captain made us, he gripped my arm and turned us away from the apartment.

"Go." He commanded, shoving me gently forward. I started running from the apartment, pushing myself faster as I heard the sound of glass breaking. I stopped at the end of the roof, calculating the jump from the top of this roof down to the other roof. Without slowing, the soldier wrapped his arms around my waist and jumped, rolling us safely back to our feet before running forward again. I trailed behind slightly, letting out an audible gasp as the Captain's shield flew right past my ear.

The soldier turned, grabbing the shield from the air and turning his gaze toward me. I steeled myself and nodded slightly, and the soldier turned his harsh glare back toward the Captain. He reared back and threw the shield back at the Captain, using his momentary shock to grab me and jump off the roof. He kept me in his arms as he ran us to our car.

"The target?" The handler questioned.

"Gone."

====

As soon as we stepped back into the Hydra facility, the soldier and I were separated. He was taken to get wiped, and I was taken for another round of classes. I was told by my handler that it was to get me accustomed to the new world the soldier and I were thawed into, so I complied.