Captain America

The First Avenger

"So, wanna see?" Bucky asked. He knew he was going to be getting his orders soon and shipping out but he wanted to show Steve his soulblade now that it had been activated.

All soldiers had a souldblade, battlefields always attracted demons so they were expected to be able to defend themselves. Of course the army couldn't be expected to forge a soulblade from scratch for each solider so they received specially prepared blanks. Looking like ordinary weapons, they were kept though training and were activated when the solider was ready to be sent to battle. The massed produced ones were never as good as those forged especially for you but they killed demons and could only be draw from there invisible, intangible sheaths by their wielder. The signs of a true soulblade.

"Alright, lets see it." Steve grinned.

Bucky drew the standard short sword he was given, making it appear as if from nowhere, and held it out to his friend. The smaller man hesitated momentarily before taking it carefully.

There was a bit of a taboo about letting someone else handle your soulblade but Bucky knew there was no one else he'd trust part of his soul to. Besides, they both knew that this would be the only time Steve would get to hold one. He was far too poor to get one made and had too many health issues to get into a profession where he'd be supplied one.

"I thought they were supposed to look different after you put your soul in them. This just looks a bit skinner and I think it's shorter."

"Maybe my soul just remembers a certain punk we both know," He laughed. Steve's glare belied the careful way he handed the blade back.

"Nah, changing to an entirely different sword when activated is just a myth," Bucky explained, "You have to have one for years before it'll change to match you. Now come on. You and me have a fine pair of dames to show a good time to tonight."

"Fondue's just cheese and bread my friend," Howard explained to Steve as the walked into his workshop.

"Really? I didn't think-"

"Nor should you pal. The moment you think you know what's going on in a woman's head is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked. Me, I concentrate on work which at the moment means making sure you and your men don't get killed. And to that end... Follow me."

Walking to the end of a table, Stark continued, "It's probably a good thing they never activated a blank for you when they shipped you off with the showgirls."

Steve tried not to be nervous as he realised Stark was leading him to get his soulblade.

When the weapon maker said he was going to forge him a personal Blade Steve had been surprised.

He hadn't been given a blank in training because no one had thought he'd make it. Then, after the serum, when he finally was given one, he was told that it couldn't be activated straight away as the time it was kept during training was needed to acclimatise it to a person. Since he couldn't have it on stage (it didn't go with his costume apparently) the blade ended up lost in a pile of props.

"Honestly," Howard continued, "Considering what your soul wanted to be made into no blank would have fitted you properly anyway."

Steve had tried to ask what his soulblade was going to be before Stark started, only to be told it didn't work like that. Howard had given a long technical explanation when he had measurements and other things done that were apparently part of the prep-work for making the Blade but Steve hadn't been able to follow it. As near as he could figure it was something like staring at a blank page and waiting for inspiration.

Pulling aside a cloth Stark proudly said "I bet you've never seen something like this before."

"It's a shield." Steve said, surprised.

"Don't look at me, it's your soul. Besides, it's not just any shield. Pick it up."

He did, marvelling at how right it felt. He'd never seen a personally forged soulblade before, only the massed produced ones. They were, by definition, masterworks, as so were incredibly expensive. And, while he knew in theory that Blades didn't necessarily have to be blades he had never heard one being a shield.

It was, somehow, perfect.

"And that's not even the best part," Howard said happily, "It's made of vibranium, the rarest metal on earth. It's stronger then steel and a third the weight. It's completely vibration absorbent. You won't just be fighting demons with this. It can stop bullets!"

Peggy walked up in time to hear the last of Howard's little speech. "Are you quite finished Mr. Stark? I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

"What do you think?" Steve smiled somewhat nervously at her.

Peggy picked up a gun from the bench beside her.

Steve hid behind his shield as she fired.

When she finished he carefully peered over the top only vaguely noting that there wasn't a scratch on it.

"Yes," Peggy said satisfied, "I think it works" She put the gun down and walked past.

Howard and Steve just stared as she walked out of the workshop.