Peggy was the leader or their small group. Ella trailed behind her nervously, Steve by her side. She wrung her hands as Agent Carter opened the door to the shop, a little bell tolling to announce their arrival.

There was a musty smell inside the shop. It was dimly lit, but Ella could see chairs and clocks littered around the room. There was a musty smell of aging wood. Ella thought it was quite creepy in a way and she was still unsure why they were at an antique shop to get a scientific procedure done.

An old woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, startling Ella greatly. She wore light pinks and looked harmless, but Ella still broke out into goosebumps.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" the old woman said.

"Yes," answered Peggy immediately. "But I always carry an umbrella."

Ella's brows furrowed for there was no sign of an umbrella on Peggy's person. There was a strange tone to her voice, as if this had been rehearsed before. It was stiff ad uncomfortable, still leaving Ella with questions.

The old woman gave a thin smile and stepped over to the counter. There was a faint buzz in the air, Ella could barely hear it. This seemed to be a sign that Peggy was waiting for as she stepped without hesitation towards the back room. The Rogers siblings followed obediently.

There were numerous picture frames stacked in the back room. Some had paintings, others were barren. There was a pile of old books thrown lazily against a wall. Ella recognized their old smell. Peggy stopped in front of a stuffed bookshelf, staring intently at their fading spines. Ella raised a brow at the woman, wondering what was going on in that head of hers. She felt as though she had been wondering that for a while now.

There was a series of noises from the other side of the shelf. It sounded like a giant lock being opened with a key. Next thing Ella knew, the shelf split down the middle and swung opened, revealing a long passage way that ended at double doors. Ella's lips parted in surprise. She snuck a look at Steve, who look a little less surprised than she did, but he definitely wasn't expecting it either.

Peggy took a deep breath before strutting through the doors, her steps oozing power and authority. No one in their right mind would mess with her. Ella found herself subconsciously adjusting her posture to be more like Peggy as she walked. As soon as the group was safely through, the doors shut behind them noisily. There were nurses and soldiers standing around. Their curious gazes lingered on them as they walked towards the pair of doors at the end. Steve's eyes darted quickly from each person in the hall before looking towards his sister.

Ella caught his eye and tried her best to send him a reassuring smile.

Two soldiers opened the doors at the end was they arrived, revealing a large lab. Doctors hurried to and fro, all donning white coats. There was a strange contraption in the middle of the room that Ella suspected had to do with the procedure. She wondered how safe it would be, if Steve would be in any pain, and how long it would take. She was so worried for her brother.

The chattering between the scientists ceased as they laid eyes on Steve. They all looked up from what they were doing to gaze up at the scrawny boy, the chosen one.

Ella noticed her brother swallowing thickly as he took in the room in its entirety. She sensed that he was beginning to become nervous as well. His eyes wandered to Peggy. The woman exhaled heavily, her nerves beginning to show as well. This was it. It was do or die. (Ella hoped that the latter would not be an option).

She followed behind Peggy as they made their way to the testing platform. She wondered if she was supposed to be there, but no one was screaming at her to get off so she figured it was fine for now. Steve greeted Dr. Erskine with a handshake as a camera flashed.

"Please, not now." The doctor scolded.

Steve examined the contraption closer as Ella eyed it warily. She figured that it would have to be safe. The best minds in America worked together to create it. Surely they wouldn't do anything that would hurt Steve, right?

"Are you ready?" Dr. Erskine asked.

Steve nodded quickly.

"Good. Take off your shirt, your tie and your hat." The doctor said. His bespectacled eyes met Ella's giving her a small smirk.

Ella couldn't bring herself to smile back. She broke their gaze and looked towards the floor. She didn't know what she could say to the man that brought her brother into a war. She was sure he had good intentions but still…

Steve seemed a little surprised by the doctor's orders but did as he was told like the soldier he wanted to become.

Ella felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Peggy nodding towards a small room above the platform. "Come along. We can go to the observation deck. It's a good spot."

Ella turned to Steve and hugged his small frame tightly. "You're gonna do great, okay?"

"Anything you say."

She gave him one last wry smile before following Peggy up the stairs towards the small room. They took their front row seats, Ella never taking her eyes off her brother as he laid down in the strange contraption. It just made him seem so small… well, smaller than usual.

Peggy noted Ella's discomfort, seeing how she squirmed in her chair and gnawed at her lips. "He's going to be alright," the Agent said. "These doctors know what they're doing."

Ella found herself unable to answer and simply began chewing away at her nails. Her eyes widened as there was a new edition to the chamber. Ella sat up straighter in her chair and narrowed her eyes, just making sure she was seeing this correctly.

"Is… is that Howard Stark?"

Peggy nodded. "Yes. He is a big part of this operation and works with the SSR. He is actually very bright, but lets it get to his head sometimes. He is a bit of a celebrity so it's bound to happen."

Ella found this unbelievable. This was Howard Stark standing before her brother. He was richer than rich. People flock from all over New York to go to one of his showings, hell, from all over the country! She never would have thought that she would ever be so close to a man of his status.

There was a ringing in the air as Dr. Erskine tapped a microphone, hurting Ella's ears a bit but it got everyone's attention quickly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced in his thick accent. "Today we take not another step towards annihilation but the first step on the path to peace."

He began to explain the procedure to all the important men in the room, but Ella found herself unable to follow his words. All she could do was look at Steve as nurses set up for the procedure. She noted the vials of some kind of blue chemical that she didn't recognize. She could feel her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Ella briefly wondered if Agent Carter could hear it beside her.

She watched her brother cringe as they stuck a needle into his arm. Ella couldn't hear what was said, but he went from looking relieved to worried very quickly.

Ella's fists clenched as Steve's arms were clamped down by the contraption, Dr. Erskine's countdown ringing in her ears. Levers were cranked and machines began whirling as the procedure began. Ella quickly noticed the discomfort in Steve's face. Already, she wanted to stop the procedure, tell these scientist that they could find a new lab rat, but she knew Steve would never forgive her if she did that.

The machine began lifting Steve vertically as the chamber closed around him. Ella became even more worried when she could not see her brother any more. Pipes were attached to the sides of the chamber, doing a job that Ella couldn't even begin to comprehend.

Dr. Erskine knocked on the capsule, before turning to his team of scientists, giving them the order to proceed with the procedure. There was a heavy humming in the room, buzzing around Ella's head. The capsule began glowing brightly. Ella inhaled sharply and held her breath as the doctors chattered back and forth.

She almost felt overwhelmed. Ella never thought she would ever be seeing something like this. She didn't think she would ever be involved in such an important moment in history. She never thought of herself as that important, most definitely not important enough to be sitting side-by-side with the most influential men in the US government. If someone asked her a few weeks ago where Ella thought she would be at this very moment, Ella would have told them that she would be training, one among many. The world seemed to have different plans for her.

Ella turned her attention back to the procedure and squinted her eyes as the light from the machine grew too bright. She shielded her eyes with her hand but was determined to keep watching.

Suddenly, a scream spilt the air.

Ella launched out of her seat and dashed out of the booth, rushing down the stairs. "Steve!"

"Shut it down!" Ordered Peggy before Ella could say in herself. "Shut it down!"

Dr. Erskine turned to his team frantically. "Kill the reactor Mr. Stark!" he commanded. "Turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactors!"

Ella rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time to get beside the capsule. She knew she shouldn't have let him do this! Something was bound to go wrong. It always did when Steve was involved.

"No!" Cried Steve from the contraption, pain laced in his voice. "Don't! I can do this!"

Ella's shoulders slumped forward. He was playing hero again. She wanted to believe that he could do this, she really did but she feared for his safety. Still, there was a determination in his voice that she had never heard before. It was so powerful, so confident.

Ella felt all eyes on her. They were waiting for what she was going to say. She bit the inside of her cheek hard, before nodding weakly. Stark pulled on another lever at her consent, the procedure continuing as planned.

The light grew brighter, the machines humming filling the room. Ella's heart raced faster than a bullet. Her chest heaved as she tried to control her breathing. She had to pray that everything would go right. she couldn't lose Steve, especially not when she just gave the final word to continue. If Steve got hurt, it would be on her and she would be alone. She leaned on a lab table for support.

"Eighty… ninety." Howard announced. "That's one hundred percent!"

The machine buzzed louder. The light flickered as power surged through the contraption. It was blinding now. The control panel sparked out of control as the procedure reached its crescendo. Scientists jumped back from their stations to avoid electrocution. Ella held her breath as the light dimmed down.

The room was silent as a grave, waiting with bated breath to see the final result. The machine powered down slowly, the entire room nervous for the reveal. The air was thick with tension.

Ella took a few steps towards the capsule. The viewing window was dark, she couldn't see anything. There was not a sound coming from inside, causing a knot of worry to grow inside Ella's stomach. "S-Steve?"

"Mr. Stark!" Dr. Erskine called.

Howard pulled a lever, causing the capsule to open slowly. Ella stood in front of it as it revealed her brother. It was a huge shock to say the least. Ella didn't know what she expected, but the result surprised her. There, in the capsule, was a man with her brother's face, but not like she knew him. He was taller than she was now, something that hadn't happened since they were children. He wasn't skinny any more, but it wasn't fat that covered him, it was pure muscle. Ella felt her lips part in surprise.

Steve's head was lolled back. He look exhausted, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Dr. Erskine rushed forward to help out of the capsule.

Steve looked weak and confused, his eyes unable to stay focused on one spot for too long. Dr. Erskine took a quick look at his work up close before Ella launched herself onto her brother, wrapping her arms around his middle. He was taller than she remembered, but his embrace felt just as comforting as she could recall. Yes, this was her brother, her little Steve. He simply… wasn't so little anymore.

"Oh, thank god." Ella murmured mostly to herself before looking up at her brother with a tentative grin. "I guess you really are my big brother now."

Steve gave a wry smile, looking down at his sister for a change. "Yeah… I guess I am."

Peggy appeared at Ella's side, eyes trained on Steve. She looked upon him like she had never seen a man before. Her eyes took in every inch of him, drinking in the sight as if she would never see him again.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

Steve panted slightly before replying. "Taller."

Peggy looked flushed and flustered, something Ella never would have thought she would see. The Agent stuttered before replying. "Um… you look taller."

Ella couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was magic! There was no way this could have happened, but it did. This was living proof of the wonders science could accomplish. It was unbelievable! Ella could hardly focus on anything other than her brother at the moment. She heard the scientists congratulating each other on their accomplishment. Steve caught her eye and gave his sister a tiny smile.

Suddenly, there was an earsplitting explosion. Steve's first instinct was to cover his sister from the shards of flying glass, which was much easier now that he was bigger. There was yelling as panic spread around the room. Ella head pounded, there was a ringing in her ear. She had never been near a bomb before.

Ella stood up abruptly and took a few steps towards Dr. Erskine, wanting to know what went wrong. She pushed through the crowd, feeling glass crunch under her feet.

"Stop him!" the doctor ordered, pointing at a man with glasses who grabbed a vial of chemicals. Ella reached his side as soon as shots were fired.

She was confused. How did she get on the floor? Why were there shards of glass in her arms and legs? Why were people screaming? Why was she being surrounded by people? A more importantly, what was the excruciating pain in her left shoulder from?

Steve appeared above her. Ella's vision was hazy as she struggled to focus on his face. He looked worried, his mouth was moving but Ella couldn't hear the words he was forming.

"St-Steve?" she rasped out and tried to sit up, only to cry out in pain and have someone gently lower her back onto the ground.

Her brother looked up from his sister's face, his jaw set in determination. He made sure his sister would be taken care of before he sprinted out of the room, in pursuit of the shooter who did so much damage. Ella felt her vision growing dark. She wanted to call out after her brother, wanting to know where he was going but she didn't have the strength. Soon, there was only a pinprick of light but that too was quickly swallowed by the darkness as well.

Authors note:

Okay, kinda short and whatever. I was at volleyball nationals all week so I could only write for a little bit at a time. I hoped you enjoyed anyways.

Don't forget to review!