Italian Front - November 1943
The makeshift stage behind the medical tents buzzed with last-minute preparations as the USO chorus girls applied their makeup and adjusted their costumes. Sequined stars and patriotic bunting caught the harsh glare of work lights, creating an atmosphere of forced cheer that felt increasingly hollow against the backdrop of war.
"On stage, girls. Five minutes!" called the stage manager, his voice carrying over the sound of distant artillery.
"Where's my helmet?" one of the chorus girls asked, rummaging through the costume trunk with growing panic.
"Anyone seen Rogers?" another performer called out, looking around the backstage area with confusion.
But Steve Rogers was nowhere to be found. At that very moment, he was three miles away in Howard Stark's modified transport aircraft, flying through hostile airspace toward what might be the most important mission of his life.
The cargo hold of the plane thrummed with engine noise as Howard's modified transport cut through the night sky above the Austrian Alps. Steve sat on one of the metal benches that lined the fuselage, checking his gear one final time. The shield was strapped securely to his back, and his sidearm felt solid in its holster. But it was the faces around him that gave him the most confidence.
Diana sat across from him, her Amazon armor gleaming despite the dim lighting in the cargo hold. She had been quiet since takeoff, but her dark eyes held the steady determination of someone who had made peace with whatever lay ahead. The Godkiller rested at her side, its presence both reassuring and sobering.
Jay Garrick paced in the small space available to him, his father's dented helmet catching the overhead lights. Even sitting still, there was a subtle vibration around him, as though his enhanced speed was barely contained. "So we drop in, find the prison, break everyone out, and somehow make it back to Allied lines without getting vaporized by those energy weapons?"
"That's the plan," Alan Scott confirmed from where he sat with the green lantern cradled in his lap. The artifact pulsed with soft emerald light, responding to his emotional state. "Simple, direct, probably suicidal."
Jim Hammond stood near the rear of the cargo hold, his synthetic form perfectly still in a way that only highlighted how the others shifted nervously in their seats. "I've been thinking about what Diana said, about symbols versus heroes. Tonight feels like the night we find out which one we really are."
Mala checked her weapons with practiced efficiency, her warrior's instincts already focused on the battle ahead. "In my experience, you discover what you truly are when everything you thought you knew gets stripped away. Tonight will test more than just your abilities."
Steve Trevor sat near the cockpit, occasionally calling out navigation updates to Howard. His expression was grim as he contemplated returning to the region where his original mission had gone so wrong. "HYDRA's facility security is unlike anything we've encountered. The energy shields, the automated defenses—conventional tactics won't work."
"Good thing we're not exactly conventional," Steve replied, adjusting the straps on his parachute.
Peggy emerged from the cockpit area, a detailed map in her hands and her expression focused on the mission ahead. "The Hydra camp is in Krausberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges. It's a factory of some kind."
Howard called back from the pilot's seat, his voice carrying over the engine noise. "We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep."
Steve looked at the map, memorizing the terrain and approach routes. "Just get me as close as you can." He glanced up at Peggy and Howard with genuine concern. "You two are gonna be in a lot of trouble when you land."
Peggy raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhere between amused and challenging. "And you won't?"
"Where I'm going, if anybody yells at me, I can just shoot them," Steve replied with dark humor.
"They will undoubtedly shoot back," Peggy pointed out, though there was warmth in her voice despite the gravity of the situation.
Steve gestured to the shield on his back. "Well, let's hope it's good for something."
Diana watched this exchange with interest, noting the easy familiarity between Steve and Peggy despite the formal military protocol they maintained. There was something there—respect, certainly, but something deeper as well. The kind of connection forged through shared danger and mutual trust.
Howard's voice cut through her observations. "Agent Carter? If we're not in too much of a hurry, I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue."
The cargo hold went dead silent. Steve's face shifted through several expressions—confusion, realization, then something that looked distinctly like jealousy.
Diana and Mala exchanged meaningful glances. In their culture, such suggestive invitations were... well, they certainly weren't about food.
"Did he just—" Jay started, his eyes wide.
"In front of everyone?" Alan whispered, his ring flickering with his shock.
Jim's synthetic features processed this with mechanical precision. "Based on contextual analysis of tone and timing, that sounded like—"
"It did," Trevor confirmed grimly, while Mala's hand instinctively moved toward her sword hilt.
Diana cleared her throat diplomatically. "On Themyscira, such... intimate invitations are typically extended in private."
Steve's voice cracked slightly as he stared at Howard and Peggy. "So, are you two... Do you...fondue?"
The way he said it made it clear he thought he was asking something far more personal than Howard's dinner preferences.
Peggy's expression remained perfectly composed, though Diana caught the subtle flash of satisfaction in her eyes—as if this misunderstanding was exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for after seeing that sketch of another woman in Steve's notebook.
"Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen. He's mad enough to brave this airspace. We're lucky to have him," Peggy said smoothly, neither confirming nor denying anything while completely changing the subject with practiced ease.
She pulled out a small electronic device with the efficiency of someone eager to move past an awkward moment. "This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you."
Steve examined the device with slightly shaking hands, his face still red from the misunderstanding. "Are you sure this thing works?"
"It's been tested more than you, pal," Howard called back cheerfully.
The moment of lightness was shattered as the aircraft suddenly lurched violently to the left. Warning lights began flashing throughout the cargo hold as Howard fought to maintain control.
"Flak!" Trevor shouted from his position near the cockpit windows. "They've spotted us!"
Steve was already moving, checking his parachute straps and preparing for immediate deployment. Around him, his companions did the same with practiced efficiency despite the aircraft's violent motion.
"Peggy, get back here! We're taking you all the way in!" Peggy called out as she braced herself against the bulkhead.
Another explosion rocked the aircraft, and Steve could see the fear in her eyes despite her professional composure. This wasn't the plan—she was supposed to be safe, returning to base while he handled the dangerous infiltration.
"As soon as I'm clear, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!" Steve commanded, his voice carrying absolute authority.
"You can't give me orders!" Peggy shot back, her own command training refusing to back down.
"The hell I can't! I'm a Captain!" Steve replied, and for the first time since putting on the uniform, he truly felt like one.
Diana rose gracefully despite the aircraft's violent movements, her Amazon training allowing her to maintain perfect balance. "Steve Rogers, you have our word. We will bring your friends home."
Mala was already checking her weapons, preparing to follow Diana into battle as she had done for centuries. "Princess, I am ready."
Steve Trevor moved toward his parachute pack. "Diana's right. We can—"
A massive explosion rocked the aircraft, far closer than any before. The entire fuselage shuddered as shrapnel tore through the hull just feet from where Trevor stood. Warning lights blazed throughout the cabin as Howard fought to maintain control.
"That was too close!" Howard shouted over the intercom. "The flak's getting heavier! We're taking too much damage!"
Another blast, and this time the aircraft lurched so violently that even Diana had to grab a support beam. Smoke began pouring into the cargo hold from somewhere in the engine compartment.
"Howard!" Peggy called from the cockpit. "We're losing hydraulics! And fuel!"
Steve Trevor looked at the smoking cabin, then at Diana with obvious frustration. "I should be going with you."
"No," Diana said firmly, even as her heart ached at leaving her friend behind. "You're needed here. If we don't make it back, someone has to tell our story."
Mala's warrior instincts were clearly at war with her duty to protect Diana. "Princess, perhaps we should—"
"Mala, my faithful friend," Diana interrupted gently but firmly. "Your duty is not just to me, but to our people. If something happens to me, Themyscira will need someone to guide them in this new world. Someone who understands both our ways and theirs."
"All of them," Alan added, his ring beginning to glow brighter as he prepared for combat despite the chaos around them.
Jay's form began to vibrate more intensely. "Time to see if months of training pay off."
Jim's synthetic features set with determination. "Dr. Horton always said I was built to protect humanity. Tonight we find out if he was right."
Another explosion sent the aircraft into a violent spin. Howard's voice crackled over the damaged intercom system. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it now! I can't hold her together much longer!"
Steve moved to the jump door, his hand on the release mechanism. The anti-aircraft fire was so intense now that it looked like a deadly light show outside. For a moment, he looked back at his reduced team—four extraordinary individuals who were about to follow him into hell itself.
Mala stepped forward, her face etched with pain but resolute. "Princess... may the gods protect you."
"And you, dear friend," Diana replied, embracing the warrior who had been like a sister to her.
Steve Trevor gripped Diana's hand briefly. "Bring everyone home. Including yourself."
"Stay together when we hit the ground," Steve called out over the noise. "We find the prison, we get our people, and we get out. Nobody plays hero tonight."
Diana's smile was fierce and beautiful. "Speak for yourself, Captain."
The jump door slid open, revealing the dark Austrian landscape far below. Anti-aircraft fire lit up the night sky like deadly fireworks, and Steve could see the distinctive glow of HYDRA energy weapons among the conventional explosions.
"Go! Go! Go!" he shouted, and threw himself into the void.
Diana followed immediately, diving through the air with the grace of someone born to flight. Alan's ring blazed with emerald light as he created a construct around himself for protection. Jay's enhanced reflexes allowed him to navigate the chaotic airspace with precision that defied physics.
Jim stepped to the edge of the jump door, his synthetic form wreathed in controlled flames. "See you on the ground," he called out, and simply flew down after them, his fire cutting through the darkness like a falling star.
Behind them, Howard wrestled with the controls as another explosion tore through the wing. "Hold on!" he called to his remaining passengers. "This is gonna be one hell of a ride home!"
The aircraft banked sharply, smoke pouring from multiple hits as it climbed desperately to escape the kill zone. Peggy pressed her face to the small window, watching four parachutes and one flying figure disappear into the hostile night below.
"Five made it out," she said quietly, her voice tight with worry.
"Five instead of seven," Trevor said grimly, watching his friend vanish into enemy territory. "God help them all."
Mala stood silent at the window, her warrior's heart heavy with the knowledge that for the first time in centuries, she wouldn't be fighting beside her princess when Diana needed her most.
Mala stood at the window, her warrior's heart heavy with the knowledge that for the first time in centuries, she was not fighting beside her princess when Diana needed her most.
Below them, Steve felt the mountain air rushing past as his parachute deployed. The Austrian Alps stretched out beneath him, dark and menacing under the quarter moon. Somewhere in those mountains were his friends—Bucky, Peter, Ted, and God knew how many other Allied prisoners counting on them to pull this off.
The others were spread out around him as they fell, each using their abilities to stay together despite the wind and darkness. Diana moved through the air like she was born to it, making tiny adjustments that kept her on course. Alan's ring cast a soft green glow that helped them keep track of each other. Jay kept making these lightning-fast corrections with his enhanced reflexes. Jim just fell straight down, his artificial body not caring about things like wind resistance or disorientation.
"Brace for impact!" Steve called out as the treeline rushed up to meet them. "We're coming in hot through the pines!"
What followed was less "heroic infiltration" and more "human pinball machine meets forest."
Steve crashed through the upper branches like a cannonball, his parachute catching and tearing as pine boughs whipped past his face. He bounced off one thick branch, spun around another, and finally slammed into the trunk of a particularly solid pine before tumbling the last ten feet to the forest floor in a shower of pine needles and broken branches.
"Ow," he groaned, rolling over and spitting out what felt like half a pine cone. His shield had somehow ended up embedded in a tree trunk three feet away.
Diana managed to thread through the branches with impossible grace, touching down silently on the forest floor like she'd been taking gentle strolls through Austrian pine forests her whole life. She looked around at the chaos surrounding her with barely concealed amusement.
Alan's descent was only slightly more dignified than Steve's. His ring created a series of green platforms that he bounced between like a very confused, very glowing pinball, finally creating a large cushion construct just before impact. He landed with a soft thud but immediately face-planted when the construct vanished too quickly.
"Note to self," Alan muttered, pulling pine needles out of his hair. "Work on the dismount."
Jim's landing was the most straightforward and, unfortunately, the most problematic. He came straight down through the trees like a meteor, his synthetic body punching through branches that would have broken a normal person's bones. The impact when he hit the ground created a small crater and, more concerning, immediately ignited the dry pine needles around him.
"Oh, crap," Jim said, looking down at the rapidly spreading circle of fire. "That's not good."
He quickly dampened his internal flames, but not before the fire had spread to several nearby trees. "Uh, anyone know how to—"
"I've got it," Alan said quickly, creating a massive green fire extinguisher construct that doused the flames, though not without soaking everyone in the process.
"Great," Steve said, wringing water out of his uniform. "We're wet, loud, and probably just announced our arrival to every HYDRA patrol in a five-mile radius."
"Uh, guys?" came Jay's voice from somewhere above them, but it sounded... wrong. Like he was talking through a mouthful of something.
Steve looked up and immediately understood the problem. Jay had hit the trees at super-speed and managed to get himself thoroughly tangled in not just his parachute lines, but also several pine branches, what looked like an old bird's nest, and possibly a very confused squirrel that was chittering angrily at him.
"Little help here?" Jay called down, his words muffled. He was hanging upside down about twenty feet up, spinning slowly like a very embarrassed human Christmas ornament. "I'm in a fucking tree!"
"How did you even—" Alan started.
"Don't ask," Jay interrupted. "Just... please get me down before I throw up. Being upside down at super-speed is not as fun as it sounds. Also, I think something just shit on my helmet."
"And what does it sound like?" Diana asked, clearly trying not to laugh.
"Like a really bad carnival ride that costs way too much and makes you regret all your life choices," came Jay's muffled reply. "Now get me down before I—oh God, I can taste pine sap."
Alan created a construct that looked like giant garden shears and carefully began cutting through the tangle of parachute lines, branches, and what appeared to be several feet of old rope that had somehow gotten involved.
"Hold still," Alan said.
"I'm wrapped up like a Christmas present twenty feet in the air," Jay replied, spitting something out of his mouth. "Exactly where am I gonna go? And why does everything taste like tree?"
Snip. Snip. Snip.
"Almost got it... just need to cut this last— Oh, crap."
With a loud crack, the branch Jay was tangled in gave way completely. He plummeted toward the ground like a rock, still wrapped in parachute lines, and crashed down in a tangle of limbs right between Steve and Diana.
In the chaos of arms and legs and parachute fabric, Jay's hand landed squarely on Diana's chest.
There was a moment of absolute silence.
"Oh God," Jay said, his voice cracking as he realized what had happened. His face went bright red even in the darkness. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to— I wasn't trying to— I'm really, really sorry!"
He scrambled to get up so fast that he immediately tripped over Steve's legs and fell down again, this time face-first into the pine needles.
Diana, for her part, looked more amused than offended. "It's alright, Jay. Accidents happen."
"I'm dead," Jay mumbled into the ground. "I'm actually dead. I just groped an Amazon princess and now I'm gonna die."
"You're not going to die," Diana said patiently.
"Trevor's gonna kill me when he finds out. And Mala... oh God, Mala's definitely gonna kill me. She'll probably use one of those scary Amazon swords."
"Well, Trevor's not here right now," Steve said, though there was definitely some amusement in his voice as he untangled himself from the mess. "But maybe next time try not to fall on people."
"I didn't fall on purpose! The tree attacked me!"
"The tree attacked you?" Alan asked.
"Yes! It grabbed me and wouldn't let go and then it threw me at you guys!"
"Trees don't throw people, Jay," Jim pointed out helpfully.
"This one did! It's probably a Nazi tree!"
"There's no such thing as Nazi trees," Steve said.
"How do you know? Maybe HYDRA's been training trees! Maybe that's their secret weapon!"
"Jay," Diana said gently, "you're rambling."
"I know I'm rambling! I'm mortified! I just— you know what, I'm just gonna stay face down in these pine needles forever. This is my life now."
"Get up," Steve said, pulling Jay to his feet. "We've got a mission to complete."
"Can we just pretend that didn't happen?" Jay asked hopefully.
"What didn't happen?" Diana asked with a perfectly straight face.
Jay looked at her with pure gratitude. "You're the best."
"Okay, okay, just... everybody stop moving for a minute," Steve said, looking around at the chaos they'd created. "Let me get my shield and then we'll figure out where we are."
He walked over to where his shield was embedded in a pine trunk about shoulder-high, the red, white and blue paint scratched but still visible in the dim moonlight. It took some effort to work it free—the lightweight metal had punched deeper into the wood than he'd expected.
"Damn thing's stuck," he muttered, bracing his foot against the tree for leverage. With a final tug, the prop shield came free with a chunk of pine bark still attached to the edge.
"So that's the famous shield," Jim said, watching Steve examine it for damage. "Doesn't look like much."
"It's not supposed to," Steve replied, scraping bark off the rim. "Senator Brandt's marketing team had it made for the shows. Just lightweight steel and paint. But it's what I trained with, so it'll have to do."
"Bit of a downgrade from that car door you used back in New York," Jim observed with a slight smile.
While Steve dealt with his shield, the others tried to sort themselves out. Jim had to stomp out another small patch of smoldering pine needles that had caught fire when he'd dampened his internal flames too quickly. Alan created a soft green glow to help them see what they were doing, though it also highlighted just how much damage they'd done to the forest.
"Jesus," Alan said, looking around. "We look like we got hit by a truck."
"Feel like it too," Jay groaned, still picking pine needles and what looked like bird droppings out of his father's helmet.
Diana, meanwhile, had somehow managed to emerge from the crash landing looking almost pristine. A few pine needles in her hair, but otherwise she looked ready for a diplomatic reception rather than a covert military operation.
"How are you not a mess?" Jay asked her.
"Practice," Diana replied simply.
It took them about ten minutes to get properly organized. Steve checked his compass against the photos Peggy had shown him, trying to get his bearings in the unfamiliar terrain.
"HYDRA facility should be about two miles northeast," he said, pointing through the trees. "Built into the mountainside."
He looked at his team—wet, dirty, and having just created what looked like a small natural disaster in the Austrian wilderness.
"Look, I'm gonna be honest with you," Steve said, sitting down on a fallen log and gesturing for the others to gather around. "This isn't exactly how I pictured this mission starting."
"Really?" Jay said dryly. "Because falling out of trees and accidentally groping princesses was definitely in my mission briefing."
"What I'm trying to say is, we're about to go up against people with weapons we don't understand, in a fortress designed to keep out armies," Steve continued. "And we just announced our arrival by setting the forest on fire."
"So what's the plan?" Alan asked.
Steve was quiet for a moment, thinking. "We stick together. We're quiet. We find the prison, get our people out, and get back to Allied lines." He looked around at each of them. "This isn't about being heroes tonight. It's about bringing our friends home."
"What about the facility itself?" Jim asked. "The weapons research?"
"If we get a chance to gather intelligence or cause some damage without compromising the rescue, fine. But Bucky, Peter, and Ted come first."
Diana nodded approvingly. "In my experience, the missions that matter most are the ones where you're fighting for people you care about."
"Alright then," Steve said, standing up and shouldering his shield. "Let's go get our friends."
They moved through the pine forest in single file, Steve leading with his compass while the others followed as quietly as they could manage. The forest was dark and still around them, broken only by the occasional crack of a branch underfoot or the distant sound of night birds.
They'd been walking for maybe twenty minutes when Steve suddenly held up his fist, freezing in place. The others stopped immediately behind him, instinctively crouching low.
"What is it?" Diana whispered.
Steve pointed up through the canopy. Something was moving against the stars—a dark shape that seemed to glide through the air without any sound at all. No engine noise, no propeller whir, nothing. It was maybe half a mile away, descending toward a clearing deeper in the woods.
"Aircraft of some kind," Steve said quietly. "But I've never seen anything that quiet."
"HYDRA?" Jay asked, his voice tense.
"Could be. Or could be something else entirely." Steve watched as the craft disappeared behind the treeline, still completely silent. A few seconds later, there was the faintest suggestion of light—not bright enough to be seen directly, just a barely perceptible glow filtering through the forest.
"Whatever it is, it just landed," Alan observed.
Steve felt his jaw clench. They were already facing unknown odds against HYDRA forces, and now there was another player on the board—one with technology that seemed even more advanced than what they'd been briefed about.
"Could be reinforcements," Jim suggested hopefully.
"Could be something worse," Steve replied grimly. He looked back at his team. "We stick to the plan, but we stay extra alert. We don't know who or what that was, and we can't afford to get caught between HYDRA and some new threat."
Diana nodded, her warrior instincts clearly picking up on the tension. "Unknown variables make everything more dangerous."
"Agreed. We move carefully, we watch our backs, and we assume everyone's hostile until proven otherwise." Steve checked his compass again, then looked toward where the mysterious aircraft had disappeared. "Whatever that was, it's between us and the facility now."
Behind them, the evidence of their chaotic landing was already being swallowed by the darkness. Ahead, somewhere in those mountains, was a fortress full of enemies and the people they'd come to save. And now, somewhere in between, was an unknown factor that could change everything.
The real mission was finally beginning.