The Show Must Go On

(WARNING: The following chapter contains some elements of the tragic event that happened with the Challenger Disaster. No disrespect or callousness is intended toward the victims or the families that were left behind.)

Empty spaces, what are we living for?Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and onDoes anybody know what we are looking for?Another hero, another mindless crimeBehind the curtain, in the pantomimeHold the lineDoes anybody want to take it anymore?-Queen

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Cape Canaveral, Florida; 27-28 January, 1986

Their dry run had been a success, but that had only gotten them to the chain link fencing surrounding the launch pads used by NASA for the space shuttles. Even from where they had left the bolt cutters hidden in the grass, it was impossible to miss Challenger as it sat majestically on its pad where the crawler had dropped it off around nightfall. In the early hours of the following morning, it would be hooked up to the umbilical so that the last of the safety checks would be done for the pre-flight checklist.

The Zodiac skidded into the sand in the darkness, a shadow cast over a sand dune to block interested parties from seeing the black vessel. James climbed out and tugged the skiff further up to the sand where it wouldn't wash out before they returned to it. Across the water, it was unusually cold compared to what it had been only the night before, and that didn't change once they made landfall.

Tessa climbed free once he signaled for her to do so then leaned back into the craft to grab her bag and sling it across her body. She didn't necessarily need it, but it didn't take up much room. Alongside the sidearm at her hip, the bag contained spare magazines for the Makarov, quick snacks in the event she needed to replenish her energy reserves and various other items that James had said she might need in the process of completing the mission.

While The Winter Soldier tied the Zodiac in place and pulled a tarp over the entire top side of the boat, Tessa moved into the shadow of the dune and let her mutant abilities call out to the clouds that had blessedly already moved into the area. Her eyes glowed softly as she sought out the static and charged it until the clouds were putting on a beautiful show of cloud-to-cloud lightning without her further urging.

Once she was done, The Winter Soldier took point and they hurried in a low-crouch run back to where they had left the bolt cutters the night before. She could have cut through the metal with her own abilities, but it would draw less attention to their presence to be practical and take care of it manually. Afterward, she would at least leave it less noticeable.

While he cut the links, she began to send out the same mid-level electromagnetic field she'd used to block cameras at the waterline while she kept watch. It wouldn't be out of the realm of normality for a thunderstorm to interfere with cameras or sensors in the area, and it didn't take a great deal of energy for her to let the field emit from her.

In the cover of darkness, her partner slipped through the fence then held it open for her to follow. She moved swiftly, never getting caught on the sharply cut metal of the fence. With him holding that suppressed Kiparis across his body and Tessa drawing the side arm from its holster, they set to hastening toward their endgame at the base of the shuttle.

There was no one in the area when they arrived. All business now, The Winter Soldier stacked up at the corner of the launch pad where he had the best view then planted a physical EMP charge set to blast outward from their position and toward the control towers nearby. A deep, mechanical whoomp could be heard as the pulse was sent out right about the time Tessa reached upward and pulled a bolt of lightning from the clouds to strike a transformer on the other side of the base.

She was immediately in motion beneath the platform where she was mostly hidden from any sort of view and could return her sidearm into place in its holster. She had been told to compromise the right solid rocket booster by concentrating on the metal around the o-ring between two sections. The mission outlined that doing so would melt the o-ring and it would cancel the launch altogether.

That is what she did, despite the chill of the air and the formations of ice that clung to everything where condensation had frozen in the cold of the night.

Looking up at the piece of the tank that she wanted to focus on, she took her time reading the charge in the metal around it then reached up with both hands to manipulate a current into the metal in that area. It took a bit of effort, but she eventually got the metal to glow white hot for thirty seconds, as she'd been told to do. Icy rain began to fall around them, lightning continuing to flash through the sky without her coaxing.

With the job done, she moved back out from beneath the shuttle then reached up to simply lay her palm against The Winter Soldier's back, just as she had when he'd attempted to take her to safety in Bogota. He moved out immediately, turning to head back in the direction they had come from after picking up the remnant of the EMP pump he'd used to knock out security. As it was turned off, they headed back toward the cut in the fence, slipped through and took the time for Tessa to patch-weld the chain link back into place so it wouldn't be easily spotted the following day.

At about the hour mark, it had begun to fully pour rain and they had reached the Zodiac. The tarp was pulled free but left behind in the darkness beneath the dune where it would be washed out with the tide. There was no talking as they both pushed the boat into the water and Tess scrambled over the side to take her spot where she had been before the mission.

In the privacy of the ocean ride, she removed the balaclava from her head and stuffed it into her bag. The Winter Soldier retained his mask and goggles to assist in their getaway. In the unseasonably cold 18 degrees, the rain-soaked head covering was just too much for her to deal with.

It wasn't until they had stashed the Zodiac where they found it and climbed back into the truck that James finally removed his mask and goggles and slicked his hair back away from his face.

"You did well, kid," he said with that gruff voice of his. "Just like I knew you would."

Tessa gave him a smile but didn't say much else. Instead, she replenished her reserves and rested on the ride back to the safe house, never caring for the fact that her clothes were sopping wet. She would shower and change once they were back anyway. They would have a late dinner, retire then rise early the next day to drive to the launch and assure her mission had been a success.

In all, Tess felt good about it, though. She had done her best, and she had held her fear in check the whole time. She was proud of how much she had learned to control her abilities. It made her feel great to know that her mutation was now an asset to their way of life, as her father had hoped. It wouldn't be until the next day that she began to doubt just what HYDRA had in mind for her when they'd devised the mission in the first place.

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Tessa was dressed in a set of sunglasses, pair of jeans, a Mötley Crüe Shout at the Devil t-shirt and a scuffed and well-loved black leather jacket. Her partner was wearing something similar, though his shirt was a simple black t-shirt. They looked like a couple of punk kids who had been dragged to the launch by their parents as they stood on the grass to the side of the already-filled stands looking out toward where Challenger loomed in the distance.

Tessa shifted her stance so that she had her weight on her right leg, her left lightly stretched out to the side and her hands tucked into her jacket pockets. With her Soldier half behind her, she lightly leaned her back against his chest and a piece of the metal that made up the anchoring for his arm. She hoped that she could glean some body heat from him since the morning was far colder than the weather had been when they first arrived in Florida. He was strong and solid at her back, support for her to lean on while her nerves were going crazy inside of her.

After a minute and for the simple act of blending in, he draped that metal arm against the back of her neck and allowed his hand to drape over the opposite shoulder casually.

"You're fidgeting, Tessa," he said as he leaned in to give the words near her ear.

She smiled to continue the ruse, as if he'd just whispered something endearing into her ear. "Just ready to be done with it, I guess." Her reply was soft and careful in wording. They weren't the only ones standing out here waiting for the countdown to end.

"We'll be heading out soon," he began, his eyes studious in scanning around them while a very light smile played across his lips. "Dinner with dad; you'll have a great time, I'm sure."

Not that The Winter Soldier was invited, but he never was and could understand why. Tessa was Alexander Pierce's only daughter and they didn't get to see one another often. The Winter Soldier wasn't going to interrupt that, though he wouldn't be far off the entire time -- always the meticulous guard dog.

"I can't even remember the last time I got to go to Washington," she smirked, though she couldn't deny that she was excited about the prospect. She'd grown up there in her formative years. It had been there that she'd first gotten her initial glimpse of The Winter Soldier as he reported to her father just after Pierce had joined HYDRA's cause to shape the fate of the world.

Oddly, she had never been afraid of the stern-looking man with the metal arm. As with everything else in her childhood, she was curious. He had soothed her a little bit more with a wink given in secret before he departed with her father.

"It will be good for you to spend some time with him," the Soldier said. "But keep in mind we'll be headed back to Siberia by bedtime. I'm sure he wishes you could stay longer."

Words she would probably never hear admitted by her father. The Winter Soldier gave them to her straight without sugarcoating what needed to be said. He never really needed to embellish anything with her. Even blunt as he could be, she responded best to something directly conveyed to her.

The sudden movement of the crowd rising in the stands brought Tessa to glance toward them then toward the countdown clock. She was already prepared for the launch to abort, so she didn't really become concerned until the clock hit T-6.6 seconds. Suddenly, the main engines began to warm up.

At T-0, the arms holding the shuttle in place were blown and even the ground this far away began to rumble with the power backed by the shuttle's three engines. There was a sudden frantic feeling that shot through her and made her body tense against the sturdy frame of The Winter Soldier. She had never expected it to even get this far. It was just supposed to delay the flight. What was going on?

Fifty-eight seconds into launch, Tessa raised her hand to press over her lips as she watched a plume of gas erupt around the shuttle. Thirty seconds later, James was turning her away from watching the disintegrating aircraft and guiding her away from the stands. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she said nothing at all and let the Soldier carry her away from the sight, not out of the goodness of his heart but because he knew exactly what was happening, what had happened and how they had both been lied to.

A hand had clamped down over her mouth as Tessa let her teacher guide her away from the stands and into the parking lot. They had parked near the entrance and wouldn't have to fight a line if they made it there in time. By the way he was hastening her steps, it was to do just that.

Tess felt numb. She didn't say a word at all nor did she let the growing panic spill from her lips, mostly thanks to her Soldier's hand over her mouth. She was vaguely aware when they reached the truck because she was jostled into the seat without pretense. He soon took the driver's side of the bench seat, started the old Ford and backed out of the parking space. There was no huge rush that would draw attention to them, but he did an amazing job at holding onto just the right amount of fire lit beneath them to see them out of the area soon.

Thankfully they didn't have to return to the safe house. The plan had changed out of necessity to leave the viewing area and head to the air field to go to D.C. Traffic out of the area had yet to be shut down, but The Winter Soldier did breathe out a small amount of relief when they were far enough away to be considered safe. It was at this time that Tessa finally said anything.

"What did I do...?" Wide, blue eyes turned toward him and were met by the calm, steel sea of his own.

His statement was simple.

"The will of HYDRA."

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Posted: 30 July, 2021