Coffee, Courage and a Captain

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Long Walk Back

Dugan sat beside Charlotte where she was perched on the overturned log in the clearing they were settled in.

"Did he say how long he was going to be?" he asked quietly, seeing the smears of blood on Charlotte's bare arms and legs from the field medical treatment she had been doing since they had reached the clearing. She held the two blue batteries that Denier had given back to her- citing that he hated being near them and there was no way he was going to touch them again.

Those that had weapons formed a perimeter, and those wounded were treated by the remaining soldiers. Charlotte had ignored the questions about her eyes and had instead worked on helping Jones and Falsworth with applying pressure and stemming the blood flow from bullet wounds and lacerations over the course of a few hours. They had lost two people- she knew that much- but so far the group of roughly four hundred were okay.

Despite the cold, they hadn't lit a fire- unwilling to potentially betray their position so close to the base even after a thirty minute trek from the road to the clearing.

Charlotte shook her head. "I don't think we can stay here much longer or else we will risk being discovered. But I also don't want to leave him," she whispered.

Dugan gave her a knowing look. "Well, Miss Red, as a quick guide on leading a group of people-"

"Always be the smartest and surest one there," Charlotte finished. "I may not know how to lead soldiers, Mr Dugan, but I certainly know how to run an efficient team."

"I didn't doubt it," Dugan said, although his expression was surprised as he surveyed her.

"So," Jones said, joining them on the log. "Are we going to talk about the small matter of Red's eyes glowing after not being vaporised by a Nazi?"

"Actually, HYDRA is considered to be a separate party to Germany," Charlotte informed him.

"Is that a bad thing?" Dugan asked.

"They're more questionable Nazis, so take that as you will," Charlotte replied, hearing the men inhale sharply.

"Did not know that was possible," Jones muttered to himself.

"Unfortunately, very possible."

A murmur rippled through the quiet group of soldiers huddled in the clearing, and Charlotte caught a glimpse of two men stumbling through the trees. She stood, running to them as she realised that one of them had a beaten up shield strapped to his back.

Steve had not expected to see Charlotte standing in the middle of the clearing, covered in blood and wearing a ridiculously short dress for the November cold.

But here she was, watching him carefully as he adjusted the amount of weight Bucky had placed on him.

"Charlotte, you're here," Bucky said, grinning at the woman. The grin quickly faded as she walked over to him and he realised exactly how beat up she was. "Why is Charlotte here?"

"You're hurt," she said, as a way of response, and carefully looked him over.

"Why is she here, in the middle of a warzone, Steve?" he asked angrily.

"Howard goddamn Stark and his supposed flying abilities," Charlotte grumbled, tilting Bucky's head to the side and noting the injection marks on his neck and shoulders. "Did they stick you with anything?" she inquired, ignoring the strange looks she was receiving from the two men.

"Are your eyes glowing?" Steve asked.

"They do that sometimes," she answered nonchalantly.

"Sometimes?" Steve spluttered. "Charlotte, eyes are not supposed to glow."