The Wolf and the Soldier

~|Chapter 5: MIA|~

~~1 November~~

"Good luck." Dakota smiled at Steve as he fiddled with his glove, waiting for the show to start. The pair were backstage, only a curtain blocking them from view of the crowd. This was the biggest show he'd done, with a large backdrop, confetti cannons, and more complex movements for the dance the girls would be doing.

"I've been doing this for months now, Tundra. It's not so bad anymore." He smiled, trying to cover up the residual nervousness despite all the time he'd been doing this. Dakota was a huge help when she was here, being pulled away from time-to-time for a scouting/infiltration mission that could go for weeks at a time. But, when she wasn't on a mission, she was here with him as friendly support on the sidelines.

Brandt seemed to have learned his lesson and hadn't spoken to her in the three months since she scared the daylights out of him. But, she still didn't like it when he would appear after Steve's shows to soak up some attention and get a bit of good press.

He paused for a moment and caught the worried look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "I haven't received word from Gunner in months..." She trailed off the play with the hem of her sleeve. "He never misses writing a letter, and there's been nothing since June..." Her eyes were blank and he gently pulled her into a hug, one she instantly reciprocated.

"I'm sure he'll be alright. He's in your family, and if he's anything like you, you're tough cookies." He reassured her and ran a hand over her back, releasing her slightly reluctantly. "Hey, remember what you said to me?" She looked up and tilted her head, wanting him to continue. "If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello."

She smiled at the reminder and reached up to fix his hair. "Thank you..." She murmured and he smiled softly.

"No problem, Tundra." He could have sworn he saw something flicker in her eyes, but she blinked and it was gone. Too fast for him to figure out what it was, but it was positive. That's all he knew.

The fanfare started playing and Dakota stepped back, smiling as he put on his cowl and picked up the shield that no longer had his lines taped to the back. "I'll be on the right." She reminded him, receiving a nod as she waved and stepped out from backstage to stand just off to the side. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed near where the children were sat; her usual place. This auditorium was gigantic, nearly two-thousand people not counting the upper level or box seats. Decorative tanks disguising the confetti cannons are in two lines, three in each lining the sides. A large orchestra was sitting at the ready, instruments already set up.

Sometimes she would get approached by a few women praising her for her work on the front lines and asking for autographs, or men looking to get their wives or best girls' something special. She always happily obliged, knowing that there were people that supported her role in the war and she received recognition for it. It was nice, and a few people had come purely for a chance at seeing her, and 'Captain America' was a bonus.

Excited chatter rose over the murmur of the crowd from the rows of children in front, making her smile at their energy. She supposed that that was something that never changed between humans and wolves: young were both easily excitable balls of pure energy. It was nice to see that her kind wasn't so different from humans despite the obvious differences.

Steve came out from the curtains at the back of the stage as the girls began to sing, reciting his lines fluidly and glancing over toward Dakota from time to time, usually receiving a thumbs up or reassuring smile in return. She had helped so much at the beginning by just being there, and, honestly, he didn't know how he would have gotten through this without her silent support. Well, he knew that she didn't like what he did, aka being a performer. She wanted him to be able to fight on the front lines, do something great and be recognized as an amazing person. He agreed with her silently. He didn't like doing the shows either, but he still held onto a shred of hope that cooperating with Brandt might get him a place in the war. Fighting.