I own nothing in this story save the idea. All characters are owned by Marvel Comics.

CHAPTER ONE

Date 2200 hrs. April 5, 1942

Location: Over the English channel in a C-47

The rumbling of the of the props on the planes drowned out all conversation as the 12 or so men prepared for what many would later say be a date with destiny. However, one man, who sat in the back of plane looking at the floor and breathing softly, had a different mission from the others who sat in the back of the plane, joking between themselves, vomiting, or sleeping waiting for whatever the fates would have. He wore no rank on his shoulders or collar of his jumpsuit and his face was obscured by goggles. The men knew him as Steve Rogers, but none of them really knew him, he had always been a standalone and mediocre soldier that was often given what the rest of the grunts would call shit jobs. It wasn't that Rogers wasn't likable or anything it was just that the brass always seemed to pick on him and have him do busy work. He was liked by the other soldiers but never seemed to be around long enough for any of them to really get to know him.

As he looked down the floor of the plane waiting for the signal to make ready for his jump, Steve Rogers thought back to the meeting he had in the Oval Office of the White House with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

December 23, 1941

Washington D.C.

"Good evening son," said President Roosevelt as Steve Rogers entered the Oval Office. Steve Rogers snapped to attention and offered a crisp salute, "Sir".

"At ease son" said President Roosevelt with a smile on his face. "Make yourself comfortable we have a great deal to discuss." General Eisenhower took a seat on one of couches to the right of the great seal of the President that was woven into the carpet. Steve Rogers then took a seat to the right of the great seal. President Roosevelt then wheeled himself out from behind his desk and took his place between the General and Steve Rogers.

"Well son," began the President, "you have spent the last two years since your arrival on the national scene training and combating Axis threats here on American soil, with great success."

"Thank you, Mr. President" replied Steve Rogers with a prideful smile "However, I must give a lot of the credit to the late Doctor Erskine and my trainers without whom none of what I have accomplished would have been possible," he said with what was his normal amount of humbleness.

"Yes, I am sure that is true but I also believe that if it was not for your great belief in this country and faith in those around you the project might have born no results" said General Eisenhower. "Now we have need of you on a much grander scale, that of on the battlefield."

"Whatever I can do to help my country General, Mr. President," replied Steve Rogers.

"Good," smiled the President. "Get the package Dwight I think it is time he saw what we have in mind."

General Eisenhower stood up and walked to a small closet just off the Oval Office and retrieved a large package that was in there. "Here you go son. Your new uniform and weapons," said General Eisenhower as he handed the package to Steven Rogers.

"You will have three months on the outside to familiarize yourself with the equipment, if we are lucky, before you will be deployed" said President Roosevelt, "so you might want to get to training. I would like you to meet your new training officer." General Eisenhower walked to the door and ushered in a rough looking man who appeared to be in his late 30's with brown hair cut short. The man wore an U.S. Army dress uniform but had no rank insignia on the collar. The man snapped to attention and snapped a rigid salute.

"At ease" ordered General Eisenhower. Steve Rogers meet your new trainer, Major James Howlett, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion on lone to us for this very objective."

"A pleasure to meet you sir," said Steve Rogers as he stuck out his hand to shake Major Howlett's hand.

"I only shake hands with those that are worthy; bub" said Major Howlett through a growling like voice, "maybe when we're done and if you can survive." The Major said with a smirk.

Present

The sergeant screaming woke him from his revere. "Rogers, five minutes to your drop zone. Get your ass up and tethered, you ape."

Steve Rogers looked up and gave a thumb up and slowly began to make his way to the door. As he passed by each paratrooper they gave him a thumb up and a smile, a few gave him a handshake which he returned and settled to the side of the door. His mind then turned to what his mission was; the destruction of a secret weapons laboratory outside of Lyon, France. As Steve Rogers mentally went over the mission the flak began to come up from the Normandy coast. At first it sounded like pops then he felt the plane shake. The paratroopers all began to look out the windows at the scene of war around them; some began to get ready for their mission. From up by the cockpit the sergeant stood up and headed for the door. He touched Rogers on the shoulder and Steve stood up and hooked his parachute line to the rod that ran along the length of the plane.

The door opened and the scene was one of night and fire. Plumes of tracer fire and explosions lit both the sky and the ground as Anti-Aircraft Guns lit up the night sky. All around planes mowed through the wall of death but not all of them made it, one fell to the ground its engines ablaze. Out of the corner of Steve's eye stood a red light, it lit up and the sergeant screamed for him to make ready. Rogers got in the door and stood ready and waiting for the green light. "Good luck, son" the sergeant said in Rogers ear, Steve gave a small nod in reply. After 3 minutes the green light lit up and the sergeant said "GO!"

Steve Rogers jumped from the plane and looked up. He was grateful the parachute had deployed properly and he was slowly making his way toward the earth. Strapped to his waist and legs was his leg bag; it contained everything that the higher-ups thought he would need on his mission. Rogers parachute suddenly bucked as if hit by a great weight. Rogers looked up to see that the plane he had just jumped out of was now engulfed in flame. "Gods' speed boys, see you on the other side," was all Rogers could say before he realized that the ground was rushing towards him and he needed to keep focus. He eventually hit the ground and rolled to protect himself from breaking his legs as the Major had taught him in jump school, when he stood up he was in a meadow with its northern side protected by a 12' high barbwire fence and a rutted out road. The other three sides of the meadow were lined by large heavy trees and hedgerows that Rogers was sure would give the tanks coming in during the invasion of Europe complete and total fits.

Steve Rogers released the clamps to his parachute, striped off his olive drab leg bag, and pulled off his helmet. He reached into his leg bag a pulled out an entrenching tool and dug a shallow hole in which he would bury the chute and other gear that was no longer necessary. Rogers looked around the meadow cautiously and after not seeing anything to be concerned with began stripping off his olive drab jump suit and placed it in the hole with the rest of the discarded material, beneath his jump suit was a dark red, white, and blue uniform given to him in the Oval Office. Steve Rogers reached behind his head and pulled up the cowl that covered his face from the nose up as well as his head thus erasing Steve Rogers from the world and bringing into existence the Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America. Captain America emptied his leg bag and placed the contents into the utility pouches on his belt and slid a circular red, white, and blue disc on to his back, cinching the leather straps comfortably on his shoulders. Captain America gave the area one more careful look over and then headed for a nearby stand of trees on the southeastern side of the meadow.

In less than a minute Captain America covered the entire meadow and reached the protection of the trees. He knelt down and pulled out his mission map and began to orientate himself to the area and look for any visible landmarks. He quickly realized he was not in the correct drop zone; none of the terrain or landmarks lined up properly with what was near the mission objective. After careful checking Captain America figured he was ten miles south of his objective and would need to make fast time if he was to arrive on site when planned. He checked his compass and after getting a proper bearing headed for the road on the other side of the fence to the north. Captain America jogged toward the fencing and when he was within three feet jumped up and grabbed the top bar, pushing down the top rows of barbwire with the red leather gloves he wore and his momentum. While still in motion he kicked his legs out to the left and swung them up and over the fencing in one fluid motion. Captain America landed on the other side as gracefully as any gymnast in history and was off and running, northward, again before the strands of barbwire had even settled back into place.

Captain America stayed off the ruined road but stayed near enough so he could hear any traffic that rolled by. After a few miles he cut northeast and enters a dense growth of trees and slowly made his way to the northeast. Keeping a fast but smooth pace that he knew he could keep up for hours his mind drifted back to how this had all began. It had been five years since scrawny art school student Steve Rogers had entered the Project: Rebirth Chamber and Captain America, the United States greatest hero and fighting national symbol.

Steve Rogers was born in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on July 4th 1917. Steve's father died when he was still a young boy so Steve was raised by his mother. When Steve was 15 years of age his mother died of pneumonia and he went to go live with his aunt and uncle. Steve enjoyed going to the newsreels shown at the theater but quickly became concerned over the rise of fascism in Germany. In 1939 Steve Rogers, now 22 years old and studying art at New York University attempts to enlist in the army for the war that he believes is inevitable with the Germans and their allies. He was rejected due to his physical weakness and over all poor health.

After being rejected Steve Rogers pled with the recruiter offering to take any position available saying he "just want to serve my country". Visiting General Chester Phillips, who was in charge of research and development for the U.S. Army at the time, was looking for candidates for an experimental "training" protocol at the recruitment centers at the same time and heard the young Rogers pleas. He decided anyone that was willing to burn shit for his country should at least be given a chance to serve. He recruits Rogers for a research project called Project: Rebirth.

1939

Rogers is taken to a top secret military research base in Kansas and introduced to the other recruits. After taking the Oath for service in the military he introduced to Doctor Abraham Erskine, his associates Peggy Carter, and research assistant Jonas Smith as well as the other recruits, all of which are healthy and physically imposing to the weak Steve Rogers.

Doctor Erskine briefs the recruits on exactly what Project: Rebirth was and what it would, hopefully, bring about in the recruits. "Welcome gentleman," Doctor Erskine said with a slight German accent, "it is good that we have so many worthy candidates for this momentous endeavor."

"Hey, what gives?" asked a burly recruit standing three men down from Rogers, "Since when did America have Nazi's working in the military, especially on supposed top secret bases and projects?"

Doctor Erskine visually flushed and became agitated. "Shut your pie hole, Jacobs!" ordered General Phillips, "Doctor Erskine fled Germany five years ago when he saw what Herr Hitler and his brown shirts were cooking and came to us, in an effort to give us a fighting advantage over those damn Nazi bastards! Oh and that reminds me he hates those Nazis as much if not more than any man here. They killed his family in an effort to get his cooperation before he fled." General Phillips growled.

"Sorry sir and I apologize Doctor Erskine." stated Jacobs humbly, with an embarrassed look on his face. "Please continue, Doctor."

"Thank you, through a protocol of different chemicals and experimental radiation treatments I hope to enhance your physiology to that of the peak human limit." Doctor Erskine continued. "You are all volunteers for this project and must understand that it is very dangerous and no one here will think any less of you, brave gentleman."

All of the recruits glanced around at each other and grumbled to each other and amongst themselves, all except one. Steve Rogers stood there still as a stature his mind made up that if this was the only way he would get to serve his country then he was in all the way no matter the cost. A slight smile crossed his lips as he stood there completely still simply waiting for what was to come.

Present

A noise ahead and to the right broke Captain America out of his reverie, German voices shouting, flashes of light, and the sounds of explosions. He crept closer to the voices thankful for the explosions that covered any noise he way make in the thick woods and low light. Captain America pushed aside some low hanging branches and could not believe what he saw, four German soldiers manning an anti-aircraft gun that was attached to a half-track. Captain America made a quick visual check of the area and decided besides the four soldiers manning the gun there was probably at a minimum of six more out in the woods as security. He checked his watch and decided that while he hated to leave these troops free to destroy more planes his mission had to come first as if he failed it could mean the failure of the planned invasion of Europe itself and a continuation of this bloody struggle against fascism.

Captain America turned right and began jogging again. However, he had not even gotten a half mile when a bullet slammed into the tree right beside his head. Captain America pulled his shield off his back and slid his left arm through the leather straps as he dove into the dense undergrowth. Several more shots whizzed by his head until he rolled into a small ravine that gave him a moment to check his surroundings. As he peered through the bottom of the growth he could see five German soldiers running towards his position. "This isn't good" he thought. Cap rolled to his left and leapt head first for one of the thick trees that surrounded the ravine. In midflight he acrobatically flipped so he was now going feat first at the tree and impacted with it, bending his legs to absorb as much kinetic energy as possible, he pushed off against the tree angling his body to go higher and towards another tree. Again he performed the acrobatics dazzling and confusing the advancing soldiers as he gained height and momentum. Captain America hit the last tree at roughly 10 feet of the ground and aimed himself at the advancing soldiers. Hurtling towards them with his shield in front of him he lost sight of them but could hear the soldiers screaming warnings and trying to evade the oncoming attack. With a loud thud Captain America slammed into two unlucky soldiers that had not been able to get out of the way in time.

As Captain America hit the soldiers and the ground, shield first, he used the momentum to propel himself into a flip and landed on his feet in a combat stance looking around. He saw the other three soldiers sprawled out on the ground trying desperately to get back to their feet and collect their weapons. Cap made a move towards the closest soldier and threw his shield at the furthest one at the same time. He reached the first soldier just as he raised his weapon towards him. Cap grabbed the barrel of the machine gun with his left hand and held fast as the soldier pressed the trigger causing the gun to spit bullet after bullet into the ground where Captain America had it pointed in a vise like hold. Cap swung his right fist at the soldier's helmeted head and struck with such force as to send him reeling into a nearby tree knocking him cold and release the now empty firearm.

Captain America threw the gun into the brush and turned his attention to the remaining two Nazi soldiers. Both had rifles point right at the white star on his heavily muscled chest and were screaming, "Verschieben Sie keine Amerikanischen! Sie Sind aus gefangen! (Do not move American! You are our prisoner!)" A small smile crossed Captain America's lips. "Setzen Sie Ihre Hände auf den Kopf! (Put your hands on your head!)" The Germans yelled. Captain America nodded and began to raise his hands and placed them on the top of his head.

The slight smile on Captain America's lips widen until it was a large smile. The Germans glanced at each other in confusion. Then from behind a soft whirring sound was heard, followed by a few soft clangs, and then the whirring got louder and louder. The soldier that was the furthest away turned to see what the noise was just in time to see Captain America's shield bounce off a close by tree and rocket towards him striking him in the forehead and bouncing away and towards the other guard. Captain America raised one finger on his left hand and pointed behind the German soldier but to his credit the soldier did not take his eyes off of him. The last thing the soldier saw was the American shake his head as Captain America's shield struck him directly in the back of his helmet knocking him unconscious. The shield bounced back towards another tree and ricocheting off three others before whizzing directly at Captain America's head, at the last moment Captain America raised his left arm directly in the path of the shield and slid his arm into the straps and arresting the shields momentum with a slight turn into the path the shield was going. Captain America looked at the shield and felt amazement and pride over the gift he had been given. "I have to remember to properly thank President Roosevelt for this great gift," thought Captain America with a big grin on his face.

Captain America began his run toward his rendezvous point a bit faster to make up for lost time. As he ran he flashed back to Project: Rebirth.

1939

Of the 12 candidates that had been selected for Project: Rebirth only Rogers and Jacobs remained the other ten had each died during the treatments or right after, usually quite violently and horribly.

"This does not look good for us kid," said Jacobs as he and Rogers waited in the outer office for the next one to be called into the laboratory. "What do you think is this all just a waste of time and money?"

"Even if it is," replied Rogers, "the research will probably get them closer to a success and that can only help us in the coming war."

At that moment the doors to the lab opened and Peggy Carter called out for the next candidate. "Rogers, Steve. You're up sweetheart. Let's go"

"Good luck kid" Jacobs said as Rogers entered the lab.

"Thanks" Rogers replied as the doors closed separating them.

The inside of the lab was circular with a raised platform in the middle. On the platform sat a gurney that had been set-up with a cross bar making it look like a cross with straps as well as a large tank with hoses leading in and out of it. On the outside of the platforms were a number of control consoles and monitoring devices manned by people in white lab coats. Six feet above the platform was a glass viewing room where General Phillips and a number of other dignitaries currently resided watching the process and they did not look pleased. Rogers recognized some of those in the viewing booth as Senators and Congressman as well as leading scientist such as Albert Einstein and Howard Stark.

"You ready son?" asked General Phillips.

"Ready for anything you require for this country sir." Replied Rogers with all the conviction a man could muster.

"Then let's get a move on Doctor." The General said to Doctor Erskine.

Rogers was escorted to the gurney where he was strapped down with leather restraints covering his wrists, arms, feet, legs, and chest. "Are you ready my boy?" asked Doctor Erskine of Rogers.

"Just one question doc," replied Rogers, "why me?"

Erskine smiled as he looked down at Rogers and said "quite simple my boy, the weak are the only ones that truly understand how to use strength." He then placed a mouth guard into Rogers's mouth and then injected Steve Rogers in the neck with a syringe containing an iridescent blue liquid.

The gurney was then raised to standing position and wheeled into the waiting canister and an air hose was placed in Roger's nose. The door to the canister was sealed and a red fluid was pumped into it. Steve Rogers was able to breathe through his nose due to the cannula that covered his nose and kept the fluid out of his nasal cavity. Everything seemed to be going fine until Rogers felt a heat building inside his body, he held off as long as he could but it soon became so painful that he had no choice other than to scream out in pain. At that moment a brilliant light began to glow from the top and bottom of the canister and Rogers found it impossible to keep the light out of his eyes. All the while Rogers continued to scream out in pain but it was as if no one on the outside could hear him. After what seemed like hours the pain began to subside to the point where Rogers could think again. He looked around the lab, which had a red tinge to it because of the fluid inside of the canister. He looked at the clock and saw that it had only been five minutes since he entered the chamber.

Suddenly Rogers could hear a loud hissing sound and saw that the fluid level was falling rapidly. As he watched the fluid level drop he also saw that the parts of his body he could see had changed, his musculature had become more defined. As soon as all the fluid had drained from the tank a distinct hiss and pop could be heard as the door to the tank opened and the shackles around Rogers body broke away due to micro explosives in the bolts holding them to the gurney.

Rogers stepped out of the tank and saw the astonished looks on the faces of all that were present, except one. "My God Doctor," General Phillips exclaimed, "it worked! You have created are first super-soldier to fight the Nazis!"

The assembled onlookers had begun to enter the chamber to look the new Steve Rogers over as Doctor Erskine began the examination to confirm the results, but something was bothering Steve Rogers. He had seen something that just was not right and he knew it but could not figure out what it was. It was at this moment that Doctor Erskine's research assistant, Jonas Smith rose from his monitor and pulled out a Luger pistol and shouted "Tod der Verräter! Tod nach Amerika! Heil Hitler! (Death to the traitor! Death to America! Hail Hitler!)" He then fired three shots at Doctor Erskine before attempting to flee. His path of escape led through the waiting room and just as he reached the doors they swung open to show Jacobs walking into see what was going on. Smith emptied his gun into Jacobs chest and tried to jump over him to escape but just as he cleared the big recruit a vise like grip grabbed his ankle and hauled him back into the room throwing him across the platform like a ragdoll and slamming him into a bank of transformers used to increase the power to the tank. As soon as he hit the transformers they sparked and half a million amps surged through his body shooting him face first into the glass of the tank, collapsing through the broken glass and slumping into oblivion. Steve Rogers bolt from where he had grabbed Smith and ran to check on Doctor Erskine only to find that he was dead, all three shots had hit him squarely in the chest collapsing both lungs and piercing his heart killing him instantly. The same was true for Jacobs who had taken six rounds to the chest and died but in the final seconds had delayed Smith long enough for Rogers to act. Next Rogers stalked over to Smith who was barely alive but would not be for long.

"Why, you bastard?" asked Rogers. "He was your friend."

"Ich lebe und die für mein Führer und Roten Schädel. Heil Hitler, (I live and die for my Leader and the Red Skull)" was all Smith said before dying of a sliced femoral artery.

It was at that moment when he knew his destiny; to protect all who live free and stop those who would be tyrants, to be a shield to protect the innocent and the helpless and when needed be a sword to slay the guilty. He realized his world would forever be changed.