Happy late Thanksgiving! It's been a bit since I last updated, but I've been busy. Why do professors like to give us so much homework a few weeks before finals? I had to write a research paper, work on a group project, design a 12-page newsletter, and bunch of other assignments that distracted me from finishing this chapter. Thankfully, I managed to finish most of my assignments and completed this chapter before finals in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, once the semester is over, I'll find more time to write and update sooner.

I also saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and holy cow, it made me cry. And I'm not putting that lightly. It takes a lot to make me cry, and that movie was absolutely heartbreaking. Even though people have made it political and whatnot, I highly recommend watching this movie. I've got ideas for another story featuring Bast (plus a few others that are commonly featured in my stories) as the main character, so if you have any ideas or questions, I'm all ears. It'll be a while before I get to that since I've got way too many story ideas, but it's one that I for sure plan to write.

Anyways, this chapter has been weighing on my mind for a while. I had ideas, I just had to write them down. It's a little shorter than usual, but more interesting stuff is coming. :)

Chapter Eight: Into the Unknown

The enlistment check-up building smelled of ink and sweaty men. Sitting a chair furthest from the official's desk, Suzie held up a newspaper to cover her face. Even though Becca had done a wonderful job trimming Suzie's hair to match the style that young men wore, Suzie still felt exposed and vulnerable surrounded by military doctors and officials. The military police did not spare her a passing glance when she first entered the building, but Suzie did not want to risk dealing with them.

The words on the newspaper blurred as Suzie tried to focus on the sprawling sentences instead of the dozen shirtless men surrounding her. For once in her life, her lack of a prominent chest did not remind her of the girls in middle school teasing her about her flat chest. She had grown a bit since then, but the shirt she wore hid the rest of her bosom. Becca had a bigger chest than her, something Suzie felt a little jealous about; now, her physique helped to blend in. Even so, someone would notice if she walked in shirtless. She hated changing in the locker rooms at school. Being one of the only women in a room full of men tripled that uncomfortableness.

Better to act like an awkward, teenage boy too uncomfortable with his body instead of causing a scene of public indecency. Besides, Steve rarely walked around shirtless. The military police did not yell at her, so Suzie assumed that she did not have to follow the rest of the shirtless men. As long as she could finish the exam without them catching her.

"Riley Barnes?" a nurse called. It took a second for Suzie to realize that the nurse meant her instead of her cousin. Once Suzie gathered herself, the nurse motioned for Suzie to head into a curtained-off area.

The walk from the chair in the corner to the exam area was more nerve-wracking than expected. Trying to act confident, Suzie lifted her head and avoided eye contact with the other men. Her heart hammered in her chest and sweat beaded on her forehead. Perhaps she should have worn a thinner shirt, no doubt her sweat would stain the gray fabric.

The nurse closed the curtains once Suzie entered the exam area. She beckoned for Suzie to take her shoes off and stand next to a height measurement chart on the wall. Following that, the nurse had Suzie stand on a scale for her weight. Soon after, the nurse jotted down a few notes on her clipboard and gave Suzie an onceover.

Suzie raised an eyebrow, worrying that the nurse could see through her shabby cover. She had hoped that Bucky's old clothing and a haircut would be enough, but maybe they were not as stupid as she had thought.

"How old are you?" the nurse asked, a frown forming on her face.

"Nineteen," Suzie replied, her voice an octave lower than normal.

The nurse's lip curled up in a small smile. "I bet, pretty boy. Why don't you take your shirt off and sit on the chair while I go get the doctor."

"Is it required?" Suzie asked, hesitating. "To take my shirt off?"

"No, but—"

"You just enjoy looking at all the shirtless men, don't you?" Suzie pressed, wishing for the nurse to leave.

The nurse's face pinched into a scowl. "You're too pretty to be handsome. I like a man with more meat on his bones." The nurse huffed and spun on her heel before striding out of the curtained room.

Worrying that the nurse would grab one on the military police, Suzie sat in the chair waiting for the police to haul her out in handcuffs. Or she could make a run for it. No, probably not. The men outside the curtained room would stop her before she reached the door. She could outrun a few of her former classmates, but she could not outrun them all. Some of the men enlisting seemed like they were made of pure muscle. A few of the men's thighs could probably crush her head if given the chance, not that she was looking or anything. She was just...checking to see what she had to deal with in the army, that's all.

The police did not kick her out of the enlistment building. Instead, minutes later, a doctor walked in, staring down at a clipboard held in his hands.

"Barnes, right?" the doctor asked, adjusting his glasses as he looked up. "I've heard that name before. You're Winnie's kid, aren't you?"

Well, shit.

Suzie's eyes widened as she recognized the doctor. "Dr. Peterson?" Suzie choked out. He attended the same church as her. No doubt he would send her home now.

Whelp, at least she tried.

"I can explain," Suzie muttered, hoping to reason with him before the police got involved.

"Explain what?" Dr. Peterson asked. "You're here to kill some Nazi bastards and become a hero for America. It's the same story for every man here. Any medical problems I should know about?"

Taken aback, Suzie choked out a weak "no." Maybe he hadn't noticed. Judging from the thick glasses sitting on his face, Dr. Peterson had terrible vision. Plus, she hardly talked to him. She usually tuned out the grownups' conversations whenever his wife and Winnie started talking at church gatherings. Those women could talk for hours on end. Most of the time, Bucky would end up driving the rest of them home while Ma stayed behind at church to gossip with the ladies. Every church dinner, Mrs. Peterson baked a delicious green bean casserole. Winnie had hounded her for the recipe, but Mrs. Peterson never budged, the stubborn lady.

Dr. Peterson did not share his wife's love of talking. Except for answering Dr. Peterson's questions with one-word responses, Suzie spent the rest of the exam in nerve-wracking silence. Dr. Peterson did not force her to take off her shirt, but he stopped when he reached the part directed only for men. When Bucky first joined the army, Suzie had overheard Bucky complaining to Steve about the doctor's cold hands touching his private area. Apparently, military doctors really put the "physical" in "physical exam."

If Dr. Peterson did not notice Suzie's false identity then, he sure did now.

Leaning back from where he took Suzie's blood pressure, Dr. Peterson gave Suzie a once over and frowned. "Now, I'm sure you know why I'm not going to make you drop your pants, Susan."

"Suzie," Suzie corrected, her eyes wide with anxiety. "But, technically, it's Riley now." A glance at the curtains showed the lack of the military police waiting to arrest her.

"Yes, I'm sure," Dr. Peterson muttered. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I haven't heard of a Riley Barnes before, but I'm not going to ask why you think impersonating a man and lying on your enlistment forms is a good idea."

"You haven't stopped the exam," Suzie pointed out. "You could have sent me out the moment you knew. Why didn't you?"

Dr. Peterson adjusted his glasses, grief passing behind his eyes. "My wife died in the church. Those men were never caught, but I heard that you fought off one of them. I've seen you hold your own and you are in perfect medical condition. I'm sure you'll be fine in the army."

"I'm going to stop them. I want to help and find whoever's responsible for that attack and make them pay," Suzie asserted.

"I know."

"Can I ask you something? Actually, two things?" Suzie asked, the questions burning in the back of her mind. She continued when he nodded. "Do you know what Hydra is?"

Dr. Peterson raised an eyebrow. "The Greek monster? I don't see why that's relevant."

"Oh, nevermind. One of the gunmen said something similar and I thought it meant something important or whatever," Suzie muttered and waved her hand to brush it away. This Hydra group proved more elusive than she had thought. "Anyways, can I ask why are you helping me?"

Taking his glasses off and cleaning them on his shirt, Dr. Peterson smiled at Suzie. "You have a fire burning bright within you. If you're anything like your father and brother, once that fire starts burning, it takes a lot to put it out. I know that I could lose my job by helping you, but if this is something that you truly want to do, then I don't see why you can't. After my wife died in my arms, I thought that I had nothing to live for. But seeing you so determined to set things right, your fire rekindled mine.

"My wife always told me to follow my gut, and my gut tells me to help you. Just promise me you'll be careful."

Suzie smiled back and nodded. "I promise. Thank you."

Putting his glasses back on his face, Dr. Peterson pushed the curtain aside and let Suzie walk through. Removing the paper from his clipboard, Dr. Peterson set it down on the front desk and stamped it with an "IA."

"Congratulations, soldier. Welcome to the army."

Train smoke hovered in the air above the train station. A jarring whistle pierced the din of the crowd gathered in front of the station. Wails of children and cries of women mixed with the racket from the train.

Standing off to the side, as far from the crowd as possible while still being within reach of the train, Suzie said her goodbyes. Becca refused to let go of Suzie the entire car ride to the station. Even now, Becca's arms wrapped around Suzie's waist in a crushing hug.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Uncle Henry asked. Gosh, he looked just like Bucky except with brown eyes, graying hair, and a thick mustache above his upper lip. If Suzie did not know that her father had a twin, she would have sworn that George had somehow managed to come back to life. It was almost freaky how her father, uncle, and brother were spitting images of each other.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Suzie wheezed out from whatever air Becca allowed her to breathe.

Uncle Henry and Aunt Ida had driven from Indiana shortly after Suzie sent a telegram explaining her plans. They had arrived the day before Suzie went to the exam building. Naturally, Ida expressed her concern about Suzie's decision, but neither Henry nor Ida tried to dissuade her. She had not told them that she was using Riley's name to enlist and she hoped that Becca would not tell. No doubt they would be angry about her impersonating their deceased son.

"Stay out of trouble," Henry said. "Follow orders and be as normal as possible. I don't know what would happen if they catch you so be aware of your actions. You're at a disadvantage here, so you have more to fight for. It's not gonna be easy, but I know you'll manage."

"Just take care of yourself, okay?" Ida added. "Write whenever you can, but be aware that the army reads all outgoing letters and censors them if necessary, so don't write anything that could tip them off."

"We'll help you as much as we can, but you're gonna have to learn how to handle yourself. You're not gonna know anyone there, but if you're anything like your father, I know you can tough it out. Use your head before anything else and you'll be fine," Henry continued. He wrapped Suzie into a bear hug, mindful of Becca still attached to Suzie's waist.

Ida stepped forward and hugged Suzie, whispering a few words of encouragement in her ear. She kissed Suzie on the forehead and gently pried Becca off of Suzie.

"I'll be careful, I promise," Suzie said, giving the trio a small smile.

"Good luck, soldier," Henry said with a quick salute.

Becca and Ida waved as Suzie gathered her meager belongings and made her way to the train. A bunch of other men already gathered there, slowly filing into the metal confines of the train. Small groups surrounded by suitcases and other bags with family members dotted the platform as families and friends said their goodbyes. Keeping her head low, Suzie quietly weaved through the crowd, aware of the hundreds of eyes on her. One person, if they happened to recognize her, could send Suzie back home, halting her plans. Yet, she managed to reach one of the train cars without any trouble.

A man dressed in an officer's outfit stood near the entrance of the train car holding a clipboard. Suzie joined the line and patiently waited for her turn, her heart hammering faster in her chest every time the line moved up.

"Your name?" the man asked and looked up from his clipboard, waiting for an answer.

"Riley Barnes," Suzie replied, making her voice lower. Henry had the idea of Suzie practicing speaking with a lower voice. While the officer searched for the name on his clipboard, Suzie rattled off the list of Henry's tips and tricks in her head.

Finally looking up, the man waved her forward. "Choose wherever you want to sit, as long as you get off at your assigned stop."

Suzie nodded and followed his instructions. Walking through the train cars, it felt like everyone watched her, judging Suzie. Yet, most of the passengers were hanging out the windows and waving goodbye to their loved ones. A few men had already claimed their spots, so Suzie kept walking to find a train car with fewer people.

Navigating through the jostle of men, Suzie reached the last passenger train car and found an empty seat. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her bag onto the floor. When she sat down, the train whistled again and a voice crackled over the intercom.

"Attention passengers," the man announced. "We will be leaving shortly, so here are a few announcements."

The men on the train quieted and dropped what they were doing to pay attention.

"Please find a seat and stow your belongings either underneath or on the shelves above," the man continued over the speakers. "Make friends while you can, and God Bless America."

A few men cheered, turning back to wave out the windows. Looking out her window seat Suzie could see Henry, Ida, and Becca standing where she left them. Sticking her head out of the open window, Suzie waved, catching their attention.

The train whistled and jerked as it started to pull away. Suzie watched as Becca tried to chase after the train, but Ida held onto her with a firm grasp.

Tears welling up in her eyes, Suzie waved until her sister faded into the crowd. Choking back the lump in her throat, she collapsed back onto the seat, staring out the window as New York zipped by her. Her old life was slipping away and she was being led to a new one—one full of danger and uncertainty.

The voices of the men talking and the chugging of the train along the tracks faded into a roar of blood pounding in her head. It felt like a piece of her stayed behind in Brooklyn, torn from her heart and leaving her heart aching in her chest.

The landscape and buildings turned into a blur as Suzie dove head-first into the dark unknown.

I felt like it would be too much of a time jump if I cut from Becca and Suzie's conversation in the last chapter straight to Suzie going to basic training, so I wrote this as a bridge. Now all I have to do is do a bunch of research about WW2 basic training camps and military information. I'm not that well-versed in military history, especially the details that I want, so it might be a while between future chapters. I would also like to make a disclaimer: if something does not line up with either the MCU timeline or actual historical events, feel free to let me know. I'm learning as I go along, so let me know if something does not make sense. Til then, enjoy the upcoming holidays! :D