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Natasha and Colonel Phillips drove in front of the unit for five miles before the instructor had them stop at the flagpole marking the halfway point of the course. As per usual, he offered to let the soldier who could obtain the flag at the top of the pole ride back in the Jeep with Natasha and the Colonel.

Natasha was well aware that it was a trick. There had been a similar obstacle on the course where she had trained. No one ever gets to the flag. Instructors just like to watch them try. It feeds their ego.

Even still, Natasha's teeth went on edge when she saw Hodge make headway. The thought of riding back to base with him making passes at her from the back seat made her want to run with the rest of them instead.

But, as per usual, their efforts were fruitless. There was a collective groan, and then they were back to running.

And suddenly, they weren't running anymore. There was a loud clank of the flagpole smacking the ground mercilessly. Rodgers had done it. He had outsmarted them and found a way to bring the flag to him. They all turned to see him unclipping the flag from the pole.

Natasha found herself smirking in spite of her quest to remain emotionless and professional. Maybe she would have to reevaluate this guy. He was slowly but surely surpassing his peers, in spite of his impairments. Because he had always been at a disadvantage, he had been forced to constantly evaluate and analyze his surroundings. And yet he still pushed himself. His will seemed unbreakable. How a 90 pound asthmatic man had made it five miles at the pace of an army instructor, she would never know, and yet she admired him for it.

This kid was the real deal, and with enhancements, he could be the greatest soldier in history. She could think of no one more suitable for the role, but she wasn't about to stop searching. She was nothing if not thorough.

Every night, a meeting was held to discuss the selection process, and who should be removed from the program for the day. The first day it was Anderson, then the next day it was Martin, followed by Shea, then Benson, then Dawson. Every single vote, Colonel Phillips would submit Rodgers name. Every single time, Natasha and Dr. Erskine would outvote him.

While he certainly respected Rodgers tenacity, Phillips recognized that Dr. Erskine and Natasha were agreed on the idea of Rodgers going through the treatment, and felt that Rodgers was the only competition for the candidate he had chosen to back: Hodge.

To Colonel Phillips, the choice was obviously Hodge. He had served for years and he knew a good soldier when he saw one. Sure, Hodge had a few behavior issues. He was human. But at the end of the day, Hodge would get the job done. You might not want to know how it happened, but he would take care of it. Colonel Phillips valued efficiency above all else. It's why he loved the army.

"I have a deep respect for the two of you, so please excuse what I am about to say, but are you out of your goddamn minds? What on earth would possess you to choose Rodgers? The boy's never won a fight in his life!"

"Exactly!" said Romanoff, now entirely sold on Rodgers as the candidate, "Our super soldier will be the single most powerful human being in existence! Do you really think it wise to give that kind of power to a loose canon like Hodge?"

"And do you think it wise to give it to Rodgers? What if it doesn't work? What if he becomes an incredibly muscular asthmatic? All of the money and planning and training and begging would have been for nothing."

"Ze treatment wout remedy those ailments." Supplied Dr. Erskine.

"Honestly, Colonel. There really is no point in pushing these men any further when we all know who will be chosen in the end."

He sighed, well aware that she was right, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. The boy was still skinny. "One more day of training. Just give me one day to prove to the two of you that Hodge is the better candidate."

"Deal."

It was the last day of training, and Colonel Phillips was running them into the ground, almost literally. It seemed like they'd never stop.

Poor Rodgers just would not quit. Anyone could see that his body was far past the point of exhaustion, and it was only noon. He was pushing through, and it was something incredible to watch. You could see in his eyes that there was something pushing him forward, not letting him fall into the trap of his handicaps.

Hodge and the other candidates were more occupied with complaining than with doing the actual tasks being screamed at them. Natasha knew that Phillips had meant for this to prove his point, but it as doing quite the opposite for Natasha and Dr. Erskine. They were more assured than ever.

"You're not really thinking about picking Rodgers, are you?" Colonel Phillips asked Dr. Erskine.

Natasha was currently hurling insults at the candidates as they hurriedly performed a ridiculous number of push-ups. It amazed her how a woman insulting a mans masculinity could work so well as a motivator.

"I vas not only sinking about it! He is the clear choice!" to Dr. Erskine, the choice was obvious.

"Look, when you brought a 90 pound asthmatic onto my base, I let it slide. I thought what the hell! Maybe he'd be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." The men watched as Natasha called the candidates to attention and then immediately had them start doing jumping jacks. "You put a needle in that boys arm, it'll go straight through him!"

"Ve are looking for qualities beyond ze physical." Dr. Erskine felt like a broken record. It was something he'd said over and over and yet it never seemed to take hold for Colonel Phillips.

While the others seemed to be faring moderately well with the workout routine, Rodgers was showing signs of exhaustion already, yet he still managed to persevere. While there was merit in a soldier like Hodge who was capable and willing to follow orders, there was something special about Rodgers. Even when he lacked the capability, he was able to somehow will himself to keep up.

Rodgers was a better candidate that Dr. Erskine could have ever dreamed of. Now the only obstacle was to convince Colonel Phillips.

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project? All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-his-name's committee?"

"I am vell avair…"

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big. He's fast. He obeys orders. He's a soldier!"

"He's a bully!"

"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor!" The Colonel stepped over to the truck the two had been standing near, reached into a box that had been in the truck bed, and brought out a grenade. "You win wars with guns." In one swift motion, he pulled the safety and threw the live grenade into the group of jumping soldiers. "GRENADE!"

The group dispersed, taking cover behind cars and laying flat to avoid the blast, but Rodgers didn't take cover. Instead, he leaped onto the grenade, curling his frail body around it to absorb the impending blast. Natasha made a move to pull him away, but he swatted her hand away. "GET AWAY! GET BACK!"

But there was no blast. The collective adrenaline seemed to dissipate as they all realized that the grenade had been a dummy, but as the situation settled, it became clear, even to Colonel Phillips, that there really was no other option.

"He's still skinny."

After the grenade incident, it became Natasha's responsibility to address the candidates about exit procedure. The ones who had not been selected were going to be placed in other regimens.

She found herself once again in their barracks, trying with all of her might to keep her composure. Now, she was exclusively addressing the rejects, seeing as how Rodgers had been pulled aside to another bunk to talk with Dr. Erskine about the procedure. "Men, your bags will need to be packed by morning. Be ready to leave at 0600 hours."

Most of the men looked defeated, but relieved to be done with the intense training. But one of them, as per usual, was not done trying to claw his way to the top. Of course, Hodge would be the one to try to play dirty with her!

"Aw! Come on, sweetheart! I know you don't wanna see me leave! Tell you what, if you'll show me back to your room, I'll show you a good time. Even you know that I'll make infinitely better company than that Rodgers girl!"

Her blood was boiling, which did not bode well for Hodge. "So you think you're a real man?" She asked, venom dripping with every word. "You think that because you're faster and stronger than him, you're more of a man?" She was now toe and toe with him, the putrid smell of his breath filling her nose. "You know nothing of worth. Rodgers is more of a man than you'll ever be."

He chuckled darkly. "I knew it! You're screwing him!" She saw red. "Of course! He had to be screwing you to beat out the rest of us!"

It was almost automatic. Natasha's fist flew towards Hodge's face, striking him hard in the cheek and breaking the bone underneath.

"Natasha!" The sound came from the doorway, where Dr. Erskine stood with Rodgers by his side. The two of them had looks of awe on their faces. "Maybe you should retire for ze efning."

She knew he was trying to save her reputation by giving her an out, but it was so hard for her to force herself to take it. As she passed the two men in the doorway, she asked Dr. Erskine, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough." Rodgers answered for him. "And thank you."

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