𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗜, 𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗜, 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗩𝗜 | steve rogers

XXIII. GO

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THE WHEEL THEY held onto for dear life slowly went up inside of the aircraft, dropping them off inside a room where manned bombs were lined up in perfect rows. All of them were labeled, and both Steve and Rebecca read the white paint on them with wide eyes.

Chicago. Boston. New York.

Steve and Bex glanced at each other, the same faces on— ones of badly hidden fear. And just as they did, they heard the footsteps of multiple people coming down one of the metal-railinged hallways above or beside them. "Pilots," Bex mouthed.

Rebecca stayed pressed against one of the walls, hidden from sight as Steve got up behind the Hydra pilots, and grabbed onto a pipe on the ceiling, swinging forward to kick one in the back. The rest turned around immediately, facing Steve. That was when Rebecca snuck up behind them on the other side of the walkway, landing louder than she had wanted to on the metal. While two of the pilots became occupied with Steve, the one on the end turned to face Bex, bringing a switchblade out of his pocket.

But Rebecca had some things up her sleeve too— most notably, knives. She took hers out just as he began swinging at her. She ducked under his hard, forceful jabs, but as she went lower, he jumped around her and began running to one of the aircrafts beside them— but not before Bex could take her aim and throw her blade, right into the back of his chest. He fell face first over the aircraft he was about to jump into.

Rebecca turned to see another Hydra guard attempting to jump into the manned bomb labeled Chicago. Just as Bex was running over, Steve pulled a lever on a control panel nearby and the aircraft dropped down, making its way to the ocean, before the guard could jump inside. The pilot couldn't hold onto the ceiling for very long and a second after, he fell along with it.

Bex quickly turned around and began running toward where Steve was, occupied with two of the Hydra guards. As he punched one to the side, he began fighting with the other. Bex ran over and jogged up to the one Steve had just pushed away, but he was ready for her to come, and as she ran in front of him, he kicked her in the stomach, sending her to the side and pushing her up against the railing. She fell against it and he continued running. He jumped into the aircraft labeled New York and opened the hatch below him. Steve jumped onto the nose of the air-bomb, trying to crack the glass of the cockpit with his shield, but as he did, another one of the guards jumped on top of him, causing him to drop his shield far out of his reach. He couldn't jump off to get it, as the other guards had him very preoccupied, but it landed very close to where Rebecca was.

She groaned in pain as she stood— a rib or two had definitely fractured when she was thrown against the metal bannister. As she took her first step toward Steve's shield, hoping to get there in time to toss it to him, the worst happened— the air-bomb released and went out of the Valkyrie, staying on course— with Steve and the other Hydra guard on top of it.

Bex grabbed the shield and ran toward the opening in the floor— but all she could see was ocean and sky. The plane was no longer in the opening's line of sight. Rebecca breathed heavily as the wind blew her hair away from her face. Now, all she could do was wait.

She hoped desperately that Steve would somehow take control of the aircraft and bring it back here. But if he couldn't— and something happened to him— the pilot would have to come back to this place and drop off the other guard so he could take another one of the manned bombs and fly it to its destination.

Well, now Red Skull surely knew they were here.

There were no more openings in the large room to look through other than the one she now stood over, and the large one behind her. If Rebecca was to stand anywhere near that, she might be able to see Steve, but there was an even greater risk of her losing her balance and falling, so all Rebecca could do was wait.  She picked up the shield and looked at it for a moment, convincing herself that if he wasn't back in two minutes, she'd go up there and confront Red Skull herself, or else find another place where she would be able to see if Steve was still up in the skies.  She feared the worst, but tried not to think about it.  Now wasn't the time. 

Within a minute, Rebecca heard loud bangs coming from above her, repeating themselves again and again.  Someone— Red Skull— was firing at something outside the Valkyrie— which meant Steve was out there, still. Rebecca smiled at the thought of him being alive. A couple moments later, Rebecca saw the silhouette of the small aircraft through the large opening at the end of the bay. She smiled and took a couple steps back toward the side wall for Steve to come through. The bay wasn't really made for the aircraft to come back, as Steve showcased by coming straight through the opening and destroying much of the metalwork in the large room, only stopping when one of the thicker walkways through the room came in its way.

Once the manned bomb had stopped sliding, the top of the cockpit slid away and revealed Steve. He glanced to his left and then to his right, finally finding where Rebecca was walking toward him, shield in hand. He smiled, only because she was smiling, as he hopped out of the aircraft.

"I thought you might have been dead," she said, handing him the shield.

"Oh, come on, really?" joked Steve.

"Stop it," Rebecca said with a smile. Once the shield was on his back again, she brought him in for a quick hug. He hugged her back, then kissed the top of her hair.

"Okay," he said, as they slowly came apart. "Ready?"

They began taking steps toward what they assumed was the way further into the Valkyrie. "I honestly have no idea," she replied.