SHIELD Academy, one of the most prestigious private schools in New York City, stood tall in the midst of the buildings off to the side that outlined where business started and ended. The students there were all enlisted into the school by applying for the programs and classes, and only those that were accepted met the criteria. Most that were admitted had a high intellect or had shown promising attributes that would make them future business leaders or could lead successful lives later on when they work. Many of the people that graduate from the Academy carry the school's well-known name with them and are able to get into any college or university of their choosing.
A very select few number of teenagers were actually sent forms to them, telling them they were accepted to the school without any need for interviews, applications, or recommendations. Those children themselves were accepted because they all had characteristics that the school either wanted or needed for other programs that were affiliated with the school's curriculum. Out of those children, they were accepted either because of a massive intellect that had stood out in their previous schools and the administrator of that school had sent a recommendation without telling the teenagers in question. But with that being said, it wasn't just intellect.
Those that had displayed exceptional strength, flexibility, stamina, or any attribute that would stand out amongst others in a positive way, were also recommended, the Academy then having to go through grades, classes the teenagers had taken, and anything else that would make a difference so that they would not be admitted. There were many things that could make the school send the acceptance letters themselves, but only few ever received them.
But why was Steve Rogers, a simple farmboy at the age of seventeen from the rural parts of New York, standing outside the entrance of the school then, looking up to it as if the school had eyes? The answer to that would involve a little diving into the boy's past.
When Steve was young, his parents were involved in the army, fighting overseas and serving their country any way they could while Steve stayed with close friends of theirs on the family's farm. At age five, Steve's parents had been Killed in Action, leaving him without a mother or father and soon to be up for adoption. But the couple that were watching over him when his parents were killed decided to adopt him themselves, the boy living on the farm and helping out whenever he could.
Growing up, though, Steve was at a loss with helping much at the farm. He had become a small, scrawny, and rather sickly boy when he became older, making it easier for him to get sick, and harder for him to help out. Harvesting was more than a chore for him and the winters always left him bedridden with a cold or the flu. It was a hard life for him to live, but he kept pushing, kept doing his best and trying to make himself seem useful, even if it only hurt him in the end.
One day, though, when Steve was at the age of sixteen, while he was looking through the paper for a job he could take up so the farm could make some more money when he found an ad that was asking for volunteers to come to the city and to a medical center. The pay was very hefty and seemed to be a lot just to go to a medical center, but Steve decided to try with it anyway, walking to the nearest train station with his inhaler and taking the train into New York City. He looked around for a good bit until he found the medical center in question, walking in to find a good many men there applying for the same experimentation. Intimidated at first, Steve wanted to walk right out and go back home, but the farm needed the money more than anything, and he was willing to do whatever he could. Though he was small, he was determined.
So he took a form, filled it out, and one by one, men were called in and sent away until Steve was the last one left in the waiting room. He was called in and greeted by a middle aged man with glasses, the man's eye widening to him as he looked to the boy. At first, he had thought that it was a joke and asked who sent him in there, but Steve went on to explain how he was there for the testing and the money, how the farm needed it and he was willing to do anything for the facility. The doctor, who introduced himself as Dr. Erskine, kept telling him to leave, and eventually, Steve did. But he was persistent with what he wanted.
Every day, after school, Steve would walk to take the train and go to the facility, meeting with Erskine every time after the interviews were finished. Every time he asked if they found someone to take the experiments, and every time he was met with the same answer that kept giving him hope and making him come back.
No.
After a few weeks of doing this, getting well acquainted with the people in the lab and Erskine himself, the doctor had given in, asking Steve if he was really up for what was to come. Though the lab could get into a lot of trouble for letting a minor take do what they were planning, and Erskine told this to Steve numerous times and had to run through all of the staff to ask if they were fine with this, but Steve held his ground. Later on in the process, he went through a series of tests to see where his stamina, strength, and abilities were at, the data being collected to see what would happen. After collecting the data, Erskine called Steve back one day, where it was finally going to begin and the real explanation of what was going to happen to him started.
Calling in another scientist by the name of Howard, Steve had forgotten the last name afterwards, both scientists explained to Steve that what he was going to go through was something that was being designed for soldiers, a super serum of sorts. They were going to try it out with the Army's soldiers themselves, but were denied by the commanding officers of the quadrants because they were all fit enough and did not need any enhancing. Of course, though, the serum would enhance them even more, but nothing would convince them. So, they had to have evidence of what the serum would do before they could convince said officers. And with Steve, there would be a dramatic improvement if it worked. If it didn't work, there would be no change at all, so it wasn't as if his life was on the line.
Even so, he had to be signed off for all of this, the good Christian boy actually forging the signatures of his guardians because he knew they wouldn't allow it. But the lab still took it.
On the day of the experiment, he was brought into a different facility and told to strip to only his pants so he could go through the process completely. He was set on this, he was excited. Not only would he possibly be getting stronger, earning all the money, and even some more, he was also serving his country in a way. If this worked for him, it would work for the army as well.
Soon he was strapped in and injected with something that would help with the pain, he was told penicillin but he could have heard wrong. Needles attached to pads that were hooked up to a machine that would inject the serum into his body were placed along his arms and chest, not yet piercing the skin before it began. Howard stood off to the side and started up the machines when Erskine gave him the 'go', the needles then piercing and pressing into Steve's body as it injected the serum. The pain Steve felt was tremendous, but he was able to deal with it quietly, only wincing at the odd feeling of the liquid being sent through his whole body. But when it really kicked in and a chamber closed around him so the rest of the experiment would take place, it became excruciating. Though he screamed, he said he could do it, and continued, feeling as if he was going to pass out at points. But once it was done and the pain abruptly ended and subsided, the chamber opened up to reveal a new Steve.
He had grown in height and strength, seeming older than he was by maybe two years. Anyone that had seen him just then would have never thought he was the scrawny boy that once came in and begged Erskine to let him do this. After the injection of the serum, he was taken back to the medical labs, running through a few tests to see what had improved. His strength and speed increased tenfold, along with his stamina shooting up to an exceptional status as well. His lung capacity was phenomenal and the ailments he had before were all gone, making him the epitome of health and physical fitness. Erskine ran him through what he needed to do so they could see if what he went through was going to be permanent, sending him back home afterwards and with the money he had earned.
There was a lot of explaining to do when he got home, but his guardians accepted it, knowing there was nothing they could do now. But how they viewed Steve was never the same again, even if they loved him like he was their own son. He did not have to explain anything when he went back to school and ignored the questions he was asked, but the teachers took note of the difference and talked to the administrator. The administrator had come in and observed Steve for a bit, noticing everything and sending in a recommendation to SHIELD Academy as he thought Steve would have a better chance of actually going somewhere in the world in that school than in the rural area where he lived.
All the while, Steve was clueless to what was going on, going through what he needed to and making sure that the experiment was a success and did not regress with time. Instead of regressing, though, his strength increased bit by bit, making him stronger than any and all teenagers his age. After the time period in which Erskine had told him to observe any changes within, Steve headed back to the lab, only to be shocked at what he had found. Not long after he had left, it seemed that one of the men that had been turned down for the experimentation had come in and shot Erskine in a rage and anyone in the lab that had helped out, leaving the project inconclusive and trashed. With no Erskine, no formula, and with no formula, there was nothing that could be submitted to the army. And there was no way for him to find Howard after that, only being sent home to brood over the loss.
All of this had taken a year, from start to finish, and by the time everything was done with, Steve was turning seventeen and he was sent a letter of acceptance to SHIELD Academy, having to go and talk to the administrator to know what all of it was about. Once he was told, discussed this with his guardians, and told to take up the acceptance and go to school there, Steve complied, moving into the apartment the school was paying for him not long after and getting settled in.
Now he was staring up at the building itself in awe and making his way to the front door. His heart was pounding as the earbuds plugged into the small, portable radio played country music into his ears, his feet carrying him up the steps of the high school and through the front doors. Just as he was opening the double doors, though, another boy, looking just around his own age yet a few inches smaller than him pushed past him and made his way into the school on his own. Steve opened his mouth to apologize for being in the way, but the boy was gone. All Steve saw of him was that he had short, dark brown hair that stuck up, and what looked like the start of a goatee on the other's chin. Whether it was markered on or the other was trying to grow it himself, Steve couldn't tell, but would ponder over it later, not knowing if he would see him again.
No, instead, Steve went straight to the counselor's office to ask for his schedule and where his first class was. When the sheet of paper was handed to him, he was surprised at how all of the classes were laid out, the classes seeming to be doubled in time and split up so that you would have one set the first semester and the others in the rest. Needless to say, Steve was confused. But, thankfully, it was the beginning of the year for the school and everyone in it so he would have a lot of time to get used to it. Leaving the office once he was finished with getting situated to everything, Steve looked around the halls as the first bell rung, indicating that everyone needed to start making their way to the classes they were in by now.
He took a deep breath and slowly made his way down the halls, finding his locker first and putting his book bag in it, looking to the piece of paper that had his lock combination and trying it out once just to see if it worked. When it did, Steve shut the locker door and made his way to the first class he had, Anatomy and Physiology Honors with Mr. Pontzer in room 113A, carrying a binder, a notebook, and his sketchbook that never seemed to leave his hands. As Steve made his way to the room, he looked to the door and took a deep breath as his hand grasped the handle, opening the door and stepping inside. He was greeted with a boisterous room full of other Juniors and Seniors in the school, desks that sat two people to one and had chairs that not only looked uncomfortable sitting in, but probably felt it as well. Steve just stood off to the side as he watched more people gathering around this one table near the back of the room, a faint blue light seeming to peek through the holes as people shifted around it. It was too noisy for him to try and get close to see who or what was there to be causing such commotion, but he didn't have to stand back for too long before the second bell rang and the teacher, or who he thought was the teacher, walked in with papers in his hand. The teacher walked right past him before stopping and looking back to Steve.
"Are you the new kid?" he asked Steve, earning a confused look before Steve nodded to him and stepped forward.
"Yes, my name is Steve Rogers," he said before shifting his books to one hand and holding out the other for his teacher to shake. Mr. Pontzer just looked down at the hand before grasping it and shaking it.
"I'm Mr. Pontzer, your Anatomy and Physiology teacher. Just stand up here while the others make their way to their seats and I'll see which one is free for you." Steve nodded and stood where he was as the other students started to sit down, the crowd around that one table starting to disperse and spread out. When enough people had left, Steve looked to the student sitting down there, his feet up on the desk and his chair leaning back as the other rocked in place, earbuds now in his ears as he drowned himself in music. Steve narrowed his eyes slightly to the student as he looked familiar, then realizing it was the kid that pushed past him when he was entering the school. He was able to get a better look at his face now, the student looking younger than he thought at first and the goatee seeming to be a poor start to making one. It was definitely real, but there was not much to work with there.
"Steve," Mr. Pontzer said as he waved a hand in front of Steve's face to snap him out of it.
"Huh?" he said jumping back slightly. He had never met a teacher that was so upfront like that, so the mere action just shocked him a bit.
"I called your name three times and you didn't answer me," the teacher responded, students laughing quietly in the background to it. Steve's face flushed in embarrassment as he nodded, looking down at the ground slightly.
"I'm sorry." Mr. Pontzer raised an eyebrow at how Steve was being so polite, only to roll his eyes and clap a hand to his shoulder, actually having to reach up a bit as Steve was an inch or so taller than him.
"It's fine. But I found you a seat. Tony!" he shouted, the kid that Steve's eyes were on in the back jerking in his chair slightly and looking to the teacher.
"Is class starting already, Pontz?" he said, smirking slightly before popping an earbud out.
"Yes, it is. Now get the earbuds out, your iPod off and your phone on silent or I am taking it all away and failing you for the day." The student, supposedly his name was Tony, made a face of disapproval, yet did as the teacher said before Mr. Pontzer turned back to Steve. "Unfortunately, you have to sit next to him. If you want to switch seats, just tell me, alright?" Steve was confused at how Mr. Pontzer said that, but nodded anyway before making his way to the desk where Tony was at. He set his books down at his seat and sat down himself, looking to the student next to him and smiling.
"Hi, I'm Steve Rogers," Steve said, holding a hand out to the other. The student only looked to Steve and raised an eyebrow before rolling his eyes and leaning back in his chair.
"Name's Tony. So, you're the new kid?" he asked, not bothering to look to Steve as he spoke. Furrowing his brows at the other's rudeness, Steve sat back in his chair and took out his sketchbook, not opening it just yet, but just if he had some free time during the class.
"Yeah. I just moved into the school district. Hey, I just want to apo-"
"Nice. Well, it was awesome talking to you, Newbie, but if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep now," Tony said before lowering his head to the desk and closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his head. Steve looked to him, the smile he had on his face having dropped as he was completely baffled. This kid was completely rude to him, interrupted him, ignored him now, and was going to sleep through class. Sighing slightly and sitting back in his chair, Steve looked to the front of the room as Mr. Pontzer started to write notes on the board, taking his notebook out and recording them as they were being written.
Great start to a new school. Steve was hoping that he would make friends, some at least, and try to get on good terms with Tony. He was one to push being friends because what was the point of having enemies if what was between them was just something stupid.
But, he would just have to see how it would all turn out later on.
