-March 1943-

Eddie hadn't heard or seen Steve since that day in the barracks. Steve sent one letter, that explained everything that happened, the death of Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillip being a jerk, and Senator Brandt's proposal, even his new code name 'Captain America'.

Which irked Eddie, that Steve went from Private to Captain, while Eddie was still a private.

But it had been a few months since that letter. Eddie wrote to Steve a few times about how things changed since Steve's experiment. The recruits were folded into the SSR, and those that weren't a higher rank of sergeant, took a boat to Europe; which disagreed with Eddie's stomach. Hodge was promoted to lieutenant, something he enjoyed, until a week after having the rank. He became more of a dick but with less of that cocksureness he displayed in boot camp. And much to Eddie's surprise was the reunion with Mike Li.

Once in Europe, the company was moved across the continent mostly between Italy, England, and France. The fight against Hydra was fierce while also being non-existent. Every time the U.S. military was going to pull the plug on the SSR, the army ran into Hydra's super weapons.

The SSR had only faced Hydra twice and both were in Rome, against no more than a squad. which Eddie did not mention in his letters, was an upside for him. He didn't have to fight plus the few encounters he got with Agent Carter made the deal even sweeter.

They were few and short since, Carter was always either with Stark, who Eddie talked to for one minute, and seemed like a good man but not someone, if Eddie had a sister, he'd introduce to. Or with the Colonel Phillips in the command tent with other high-ranking officials discussing strategies, or in the Comms tent trading information with the British forces or fighting with the men in the front lines.

Colonel Phillips had Eddie on grounds duty; clearing out the campgrounds, setting up and taking down tents, digging the latrines, building parameter fences, things that started to become monotonous, which were usually shared by most of the soldiers in the company but were mostly on Eddie's shoulders.

Strangely enough the colonel or any of the other higher-ranking officers had never scheduled him on patrol duty. Something he only asked lieutenant Hodge once, who almost bit his head off, "If you're names not on the schedule, then you're fucking name's not on the schedule!"

This lack of patrol duty irritated and annoyed some of his fellow comrades. To try to ease that tension, Eddie offered to take anyone's shifts, which a lot of people accepted, and Eddie felt no skin off his nose since they haven't really seen any action.

Eddie instantly regretted that when he was personally reprimanded by Colonel Phillips and was forced to peel a barrel full of potatoes.