Battle Born

Chapter 2

The next morning at 0500 sharp, Ruth comes face-to-face with Peggy right outside her tent. She can hear Big Voice announcing one thing or another. It is a little unsettling, but in no way is her presence unwelcome. Instead of her signature pencil skirt and blouse Peggy has donned a soft looking white shirt and high-seated green trousers, tightened with a belt outside the shirt. Ruth wonders 'How does she always manage to look like she can take down a tank?'

"Good, you're right on time. Tuck your shirt in." Without any preamble she sharply turns, Ruth scrambles with her shirt and stumbles after Peggy in the direction of practice grounds. All the grass is long gone from constantly being stomped on.

"We will start with self-defence and move on to the offence. The most important thing you must know and remember at all times is to be efficient. Because you do not have the advantage of frame and height, you must use everything to your advantage. Every single thing around you can be used as a weapon if you just think quick enough. If you fight someone bigger and taller then you will probably end up being quicker than them, and use their momentum against them. But in cases where your opponent is exactly the same as you, use tricks and be attentive, think outside the box. Every agent must know not only weapons but shift their bodies and identities in all sorts of forms that the mission requires you and your body to be."

And this is how it starts. This is her beginning. From now on she will write her own story. No longer she will be someone's puppet to be sequestered to their will. If she got to use others to achieve that, then so be it. She will never become just a spectator to her own life.

Peggy continues, "I was once you. Overwhelmed with my choices, second guessing myself. Why have I decided to do this to myself? I could have had a good life with someone special." Ruth now looks at the agent, doubting the agent could ever have had a doubt about anything in her life; let alone herself. "Become a wife and a mother." She says with a wistful smile.

Oh.

It is hard for Ruth to think of Peggy doing anything other than being a fearsome agent. But, now she realizes how naive it was of her to think of the Peggy Carter so one-dimensionally. "But Ruth I see the fire inside you. You may not recognize it, but I see it. It is the same drive that my brother used to say I have. I believed him. And it was hard. It was downright agonizing. There were many times I wanted to give up and go home, if it weren't for him, I might have. And now, I thank my brother everyday for encouraging me. So, Ruth, yes, I am going to push you. To your limits and beyond. Because, frankly, we can not afford any mistakes or stumbles. It is simply unacceptable." After a moment she continues, "I would like to be what my brother was to me, for you. He was my pillar, my one and only supporter. But Ruth you will have many supports, not just me. Also, I don't want to be the only one pushing. If I push, you will have to, too."

Ruth nods, trying to convey that she understands, that she knows she can't fail Peggy, but most of all she can't fail herself.

"Then let's start."

*a month into the training*

"Barnes, you can't do that!"

"Says who?"

"It's impossible. I am betting on my dinner cigarettes that you can't do it."

Bucky snorts, "You always give me your cigs, anyway." Though, he still looks out his scope and breathes in, waits exactly four seconds before pulling the trigger. It hits the mark exactly where he says he would.

"Pfftt, okay fine. And for the record, what the absolute fuck. How the fuck do you have such inhuman sight. I can't see shit." Ruth says, looking out of her own scope. Trying to even pinpoint the mark the bastard had hit with no problem.