I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter, plus I hope you are liking the story, as not only does it build my other characters background but it builds into the timeline. Let's get started! Disclaimer I don't own Captain America The First Avenger, only my ocs and plotlines.
I walk into the bunker, where I see Steve reading a book on his bunk.
"You do realise they're picking you?" I question him and he glances at me.
"Yeah." He murmurs and I sigh. "They told me after I jumped on the grenade." He adds and I hum in acknowledgement.
"Bucky would've killed you if he found out that you jumped on a grenade." I point out to him and he laughs.
"Don't tell him?" Steve offers and I nod.
"Yeah. He'll kill me too for letting you." I remind him and he laughs.
A knock on the door brings our laughter to an end and I see Dr Abraham Erskine there with a bottle in his hand.
"May I?" He asks, gesturing to my bunk next to Steve's and both me and Steve nod.
"Yeah." Steve replies and he sits on my bunk, but I don't mind. He's a good guy.
"Can't sleep?" Dr Erskine asks Steve.
"I got the jitters, I guess." Steve admits.
Erskine laughs. "Me, too."
We go silent.
"Can I ask you a question?" Steve asks the Dr.
"Just one." He replies and I sit intently, watching the exchange.
"Why me?" Steve questions. I never thought of that. I guess it will ease me if I knew why he picked my best friend to become a super soldier.
"I suppose that is the only question that matters." He murmurs and looks at the bottle of schnapps in his hand. "This is from Augsburg. My city. So many people forget that the first country that the Nazi's invaded was their own. You know, after the last war the... my people struggled. They... they felt weak. They felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags and the... and the..." He pauses and waves his hand. "And he... he hears of me, my work and he finds me. And he says 'You.' He says. 'You will make us strong.' Well, I am not interested. So he sends the head of Hydra, his research division. A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt. Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle and he's ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth. Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by the Gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist." He stops and looks like he remembers that day vividly. "Schmidt must become that superior man."
"Did it make him stronger?" Steve queations him. I stay silent.
"Yeah." Erskine says, nodding his head as well. "But, there were other effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside. So, good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion." He finishes and I smile.
"Thanks. I think." Steve breaks the silence. not sure if what he said was an insult or a compliment. He smiles after it.
The Dr pours three drinks and hands two to me and Steve.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man." He states, pointing to Steve's chest, where his heart is. Steve nods.
We hold up our glasses in a toast.
"To the little guys." He says and he was about to drink but the Doctor stops him.
"No! No! Wait! What am I doing? No! You have a procedure tomorrow. No fluids." He scolds, takinhis glass and pours the contents into his own.
"Alright. We'll drink it after." Steve mutters.
"No! I don't have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after? Drink it now!" Erskine tells him and drinks it. I down my drink and grimace.
"Doctor." I call his attention and he looks at me. "Can I come tomorrow? Steve might need the support." I explain to him and he nods.
"Of course. Be up bright and early. So you'll be escorted with Peggy and him." The doctor explains to me and I nod. We fall into a comfortable silence after that. "So, Alexander, you like Agent Sanders?" Erskine asks straight to the point and my eyes widen and I feel a blush come onto my face.
"Uh, yeah. She's nice." I tell him and he nods.
"Yes. She is a wonderful assistant of mine as well as an agent." He tells me and I nod.
"Yeah, she is." I mutter and my eyes widen. "I gotta go." I inform them, handing my glass over before leaving the bunker. I quickly jog to the building where Agent Sanders is and I knock on the door.
The door opens and Agent Sanders is there. In a night gown and her hair in a plait.
"Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting anyone. I would have dressed more appropiately." She stammers, trying to fix her dress but I laugh.
"No, it's fine. How was your day?" I question her and she smiles. But oh boy, it's the most beautiful thing I've seen.
"It has been good. The experiment is tomorrow so I'm nervous. Even though I'm not the one going to be experimented on." She rambles.
"Yeah. Steve and Dr Erskine are drinking. Well, only the Dr." I tell her nervously and she laughs.
"That's good. You want to come in?" She offers and I nod. She beams and lets me through. I sit on a bunk bed and she comes with two glasses of water, she hands one to me and I take it gratefully.
"Thanks." I say to her. We stay in silence, enjoying each other's presence. "If this doesn't work, I lose my best friend." I announce and she glances at me. "Not only me, but our friend Bucky does too."
"Bucky?" She questions and I look at her.
"Our best friend. He's a good guy. He's in England already." I inform her and she nods.
"My best friend is Peggy. But I'm sure that the experiment will work." She calms me and I nod.
Lets just hope so. I won't be able to live with myself if Steve gets killed by an experiment to be a super soldier.
Next Day
I sit in a car, right next to Steve, who is in between both me and Peggy Carter, Edith is already waiting for us there. We are driving through Brooklyn, heading to the place where Steve will become the super soldier.
"I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley." Steve announces and I glane at him from the corner of my eye. And that parking lot." He adds and I sigh. Yeah, that's my best friend. "And behind that dinner." He adds.
"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy questions him.
"You start running they'll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. Can't say no forever, right?" Steve says and I smile.
"I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face." Peggy tells us, well mainly Steve.
"I guess I just don't know why you'd wanna join the army if you're a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful... a woman. An agent, not a dame! You are beautiful, but..." Steve trails off and I grin.
"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" Peggy questions him, noticing his tatics very well.
"This is the longest conversation I've had with one." Steve admits. "Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on." He adds.
"You must have danced?" Peggy asks, slightly shocked.
"Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying. And the past few years just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait." Steve informs her.
"For what?" Peggy asks him, genuinely interested of his answer.
"The right partner." He responds before looking out of the window.
We pull up by an antiques shop and get out of a car.
"This way." Peggy gestures to the shop and I frown. Why on earth an antique shop?
"What are we doing here?" Steve questions the British Agent.
She just looks at us. "Follow me." Before she heads inside.
Me and Steve glance at each other before we follow her. The Antique Store owner, who is an old woman.
"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" She questions. Yeah, a little.
"Yes, but I alway carry an umbrella." Peggy responds and I smirk.
The woman steps out of the way and we follow her to a back room. We stop just infront of a bookshelf, ok, what is happening? The bookshelf moves and reveals a hallway. I look around amazed, holy crap. We eventually go through a set of double doors and into a lab, busy full of people but they stop and look at us. A bit dramatic. But they are probably thinking 'is this the guy we are experimenting on?'.
We walk down the stairs and they carry on working, there is a pod in the middle. I see Edith next to Dr Erskine, in a lab coat.
"Good morning." Dr Erskine greets, and he shakes Steve's hand and some guy takes a photograph. "Please, not now." He orders and the photographer walks away. Steve looks nervously at the point. "Are you ready?" He questions and Steve just nods as an answer. "Good. Take off your shirt, your tie and your hat." He orders and he does so.
Steve climbs into the pod and lays down.
"Comfortable?" He questions and Steve smiles.
"It's a little big." He jokes and I grin. "You save me and Alex any of that schnapps?" He questions the doctor.
"Not as much as I should have. Sorry. Next time." He says and we nod.
"You owe us." I tease the doctor and he smiles at me.
The doctur turns around. "Mr. Stark, how are your levels?" He questions.
Wait, Stark? Why do I recognise that name?
"Levels at 100%." Stark answers. I glance around and see the guy at the Expo. The one where the car failed to fly and I gulp. Oh God, Steve is gonna die.
"Good." Erskine responds.
"We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready, as we'll ever be." Howard continues.
Edith looks to me. "Good morning, Alex." She greets me and I nod.
"Edith. You look... wonderful." I manage to get out and she blushes a little. It was unknown to me that Peggy and Steve saw this exchange.
"Agent Carter and Mr Andrews, don't you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?" He offers and I nod, finally looking away from Edith.
"Sure, sir." I answer and look at Steve. "I'll be in the observation chamber." I tell him and he nods nervously.
"Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry." Peggy apologises and we walk away, up to the observation chamber.
The Dr takes a microphone and taps it, making a piercing echo and I wince. "Do you hear me? Is this on?" He questions and we all sit down. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. We begin with a series of micro injections into the subjects major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. And then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays." Erskine explains.
I see them put the bottle of injections be put into the pod. The Dr, puts his hand on Steve's soldier. Edith injects Steve with something and a little exchange happens between the doctor and Steve.
"Serum infusion beginning in five, four, three, two, one." He announces to the rest of us and then it proceeds. The liquid going into Steve. No backing out now. "Now, Mr Stark." He orders.
It wasn't long until the pod moves upright and encloses Steve inside. The Dr knocks on the pod and soon after he looks to Mr Stark.
"We will proceed." He announces.
Mr. Stark manages the controls, the machine now coming alive.
"That's ten percent. Twenty percent. Thirty. That's forty percent." Mr Stark announces and I link my hands together, getting nervous.
"Vital signs are normal." Edith informs Erskine.
"That's fifty percent. Sixty. Seventy." Stark is interrupted by Steve screaming.
"Steven!" Dr Erskine shouts.
Me and Peggy run out of the observation chamber.
"Steve!" I shout. Please don't die, Steve.
"Shut it down." Peggy orders in her authoritive voice.
"Steven!" Erskine shouts, knocking on the pod.
"Shut it down!" Peggy repeats her order more loudly.
"Kill the reactor, Mr Stark! Turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactor!" Erskine orders the man. He was about to do as he said but Steve's voice breaks through the chaos.
"No! Don't! I can do this!" Steve pleads. I look at the pod in disbelief. If he dies, I'm going to kill myself and kill him in the after life.
Erskine nods at Mr Stark, so he goes to proceed the experiment.
"Eighty. Ninety. That's 100%." Howard announces.
All of the machines overload, sparks errupting everywhere, the machines volume comes to a deafening sound. All of a sudden, the machines die down, from the horrible sound to a little hum. We all stare at the pod. Please. Please. Please, be ok.
"Mr Stark?" Erskine's voice breaks through the silence. The pod opens and inside was not the same best friend who went in. Not skinny. But very muscular and tall, but still the same.
I run down the stairs just as Dr Erskine and Mr Stark support Steve as he stumbles out of the pod.
"I did it." Steve mumbles, like he is surprised it actually worked.
"Yeah, yeah. I think we did it." Erskine says and looks at Howard.
"We actually did it." Mr Stark mutters in disbelief.
"How do you feel?" Peggy asks him
"Taller." He mutters and looking around.
"You look taller." Peggy points out, agreeing to him. She grabs a t-shurt from an on-looking nurse and hands it to him. He quickly throws it on.
I bring Steve into a hug, which he gratefully returns.
"You know, if you do something this stupid one more time, I'm gonna have to lock you away or kill you myself." I joke and he laughs.
"Lets hope it doesn't come to that." He responds and I laugh, it becoming muffled due to me still clinging him. I can't lose someone else. I've already lost my parents. I can't lose my best friend. I'm not sure about Bucky, but I'm sure he's fine. But I can't cope if they die. Steve knows this as well. I break away from Steve.
"Thank God, you're ok." Edith murmurs and brings Steve into a hug. I guess she is relieved that he's nit dead too. Steve is surprised but hugs her back and they break away.
Suddenly a bomb explodes and I cover my head, glass shatters on top of everyone and people scream. I see a guy grab a vial of the serum and I frown. Wait, what's going on?
"Stop him!" Erskine orders. But the man shoots him and flees. Peggy chases after him but shooting at him as he runs. Me and Steve rush over to the doctor, Edith kneels beside me. Erskine points at Steve's chest before going limp, silently telling himmabout staying the good man who he is. I watch as Steve's face goes determined and runs out of the building, going after the spy.
We sit down and wait, I managed to get Edith away from Erskine's body, she doesn't need to see him dead. It's bad enough that he died right in front of her.
"Are you ok?" I question her. She nods her head shakingly and I give her a look. She soon shakes her head and sobs and I bring her in a hug. "I'm sorry you had to see it." I apologise and she sniffles and breaks away from my hold.
"I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this." She stammers and I smile sadly.
"It's alright to break down now and again." I tell her and she smiles at me.
Soon enough, Steve comes back. After he tells us that there was some machine that the spy tried to escape in, Stark and a few others left to retrieve it. Now me, Edith, Steve and Peggy are in the doctor's office, Edith is taking blood samples from him.
"Think you got enough?" Steve questions Edith and she smiles.
"This should be enough for now." She assures him, removing the needle ans puts it in alcohol to sanitize it.
"Any hope of reproducing a program is locked in your genetic code. But without Dr. Erskine it would take years." Peggy informs him. Steve glances at Edith.
"I'm only his assistant." Edith explains to Steve. Answering his unanswered question.
"He deserved more than this." Steve announces and I nod.
"He did." I agree with him. Dr. Erskine did deserve more, but his experiment worked, and he would be proud of it.
"If it could work only once, he'd be proud it was you." Peggy points out to Steve. Voicing our thoughts to him.
After the doctor's place we went to the SSR tech lab where Stark is researching the submarine. We enter the building seeing Col. Phillips talking to Senator Brandt.
"Hydra. I'm sure you've been reading our briefings." Col points out to the man.
"I'm on a number of committees, Colonel." The Senator responds.
"Hydra is the Nazi deep science division. It's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions." Peggy interrupts and the two men turn to us. Me, Steve and Edith are behind her.
"Hydra's practically a cult. They worship Schmidt, they think he's invincible." Colonel explains to the Senator.
"In other words, they are delusional." I point out smartly and Phillips smirks at me before going stoic. The senator rolls his eyes.
"So what are you gonna do about it?" Senator Brandt questions him.
"Spoke to the president this morning. As of today the SSR is being retasked." Colonel announces and my brows furrow. What?
"Colonel?" Peggy questions.
'We are taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags Agent Carter, Agent Sanders. You too, Stark. And you, Andrews. We're flying to London tonight." Colonel orders us and I nod. Why isn't Steve coming?
"Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in." Steve practically begs him.
"You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." Colonel Phillips orders him.
"The serum worked." Steve pushes, clearly wanting to get in to the war.
"He should come with us." I argue with the Colonel for the irst time, well it is likely I'm not gonna stop arguing with him any time soon.
"Green, I'll ask for your opinion if it's needed." He barks at me and I quieten down. He turns to Steve. "I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough." Colonel Phillips tells him before walking off.
The Senator comes forward. "With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." He clicks his fingers to his assistant. "Paper." He orders and the guy comes with a newspaper. He shows it to Steve and I read the title. 'Nazis in New York - Mystery Man saves child'. "The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?" He questions Steve.
"Sir, that's all I want." Steve answers.
"Then, congratulations. You just got promoted." He says with a smile, shaking his hand before walking off, the other guy hastily following after him.
"Steve. It might be a long time since we see each other again." I tell him as soon as the Senator has finished.
"I know. Be careful, Alex. Alright?" He says and brings me into a hug and I nod, awkwardly into the hug. I break away from him.
"Always am." I respond before leaving.
November 1943, Italy
It has been 2 years since I last saw Steve, he is known to the world as 'Captain America'. I only know this because I saw the comics and the posters that Howard managed to grab. It has been a while since I last saw Bucky. He has been captured by Hydra, him and his division. Either that or they have been killed. I've been bugging the Colonel for a long time about it but nothing has been done. Me and Edith are together now. We have been a couple for a year now.
I just miss my friends, my home. I don't know when we will all go home. I haven't seen home in 2 years, just been in Europe, trying to beat Hydra, just so we can go home. But... nothing. My face now, well I've grown some stubble, but I shave my beard to be at least presentable. I run a hand down my face.
I'm in a tent with Edith and the Colonel Phillips, trying to decide what our next plan is.
"We need to get the 107th division, sir." I press and he sighs.
"They're gone, Green. The sooner you realise that the better." He responds tiredly and sits down in his chair heavily. I nod sadly. Every day I have been pressing and his response is always the same. No.
"Colonel Phillips." Steve's voice breaks through the silence. I glance up at him shocked. He's here?
"Well, if it isn't the Star Spangled Man with A plan. And what is your plan today?" Colonel asks him, a bit fed up. But not looking up from his stuff. I roll my eyes at his attitude.
"I need the casualty list from Azzano." Steve orders and I raise my brows. Wow. Giving the Colonel orders. Good job, Steve.
Colonel Phillips looks at him, deadly serious. "You don't get to give me orders, son."
"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh." Steve begs him.
"Steve-" I start but Colonel Phillips holds up a hand to stop me and I comply.
Colonel Phillips gives a look to Peggy. "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."
"Please tell me if he's alive, sir. B-A-R...
Colonel interrupts him. "I can spell." I have to surpress a laugh. "I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry." He admits and I sigh.
"What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?" Steve questions him.
"Yeah! It's called winning the war." Colonel tells him.
Steve furrows his brows. "But if you know where they are, why not at least...?"
"They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl." Colonel snaps at him and I roll my eyes. This is getting ridiculous.
"I think I understand just fine." Steve sombers up. His face going into an emotionless mask.
"Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the poster correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes." Colonel Phillips reminds him before leaving.
I see Steve look at the map, which shows the nearest Hydra base is.
"Yes, sir. I do." Steve says before storming off. I quickly follow after him.
"Steve." I call him through the rain and he turns to me. When I reach him I bring him into a hug.
"You've grown some beard." He points out to me and I nod with a laugh.
"Yeah. You're wearing tights." I retort and he nods. "You're going to get Bucky?" I ask him and he nods. "Good. I want in."
"Me too." Edith's voice breaks through the rain and I look back to her with a small smile growing on my face. "We're going to get your friend. And help the other people that are captured as well." She says determined and I nod.
"Yeah. That's why I love you. You're always determined." I complimemt and she blushes.
"Oh, please stop before I'm sick." Steve jokes and I roll my eyes.
"Haha. Very funny." I sarcastically respond to him.
"Count me in as well. But we're going to need a little bit of help." Peggy tells us, a smirk growing on her face and I nod. Yes, we will need Howard's help to get to the Hydra base.
That's it. We are going to get Bucky and the other men that are captured. Going against the Colonel's orders. But... it will be worth it.
There we go! There is chapter 2. I hope you guys are liking Alexander, Edith and the story as a whole because I enjoy writing it.