Helloo! Another chapter, and so quick! Helps that I've been looking forward to writing this for a long time so stuff is coming crazy easy.
A few notes. Meant to mention last chapter but forgot; Torbjörg means 'Protection of Thor' and Hakon means 'high son of chosen', Hyse also is haddock in Norwegian.
Without further adeu, enjoy!

Shout Outs!:

CHSHiccstrid

Me too! Finally can get to all those plot points about stuff changing. Thank you :)

GuardianDragon98

Yes!

SmolAvidReader

No problem :) Yes, Amora is no more! It's actually kinda funny how many people didn't expect Wakanda to be brought into this but I'm glad for the surprise for y'all. Hehe, yeah, poor Hiccup. Thank you, I so loved writing that, if only he could have gone full alpha he would have been happy. Thank you for reading :)

Journal 2, Entry 16: "The First Avenger Pt.2"

Hakon snuck out of the apartment the American government had so kindly supplied to him and Erskine. He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets as he walked down the sweltering Brooklyn street, somewhat missing the cool air that had always permeated the base he and Erskine had been held captive in for two years. He shook his head. It's been two months…Schmidt's gotta be more focused on finding the Tesseract by now, but he's always been good at multitasking.

He groaned at the thought and wasn't sure which situation disturbed him more. He shoved them to the back of his mind as he pulled the door open to an ice cream parlor and a wistful smile stole his lips. He ordered and received his chocolate-mint ice cream, chuckling as he took a bite.

He could remember like it was yesterday, the twins going on about freezing yak milk, the village thinking they were only a hair nuttier than he was—if only they could see it now…Tuff would be ecstatic.

His momentary smile fell as the hollowness opened up again.

"Why the long face? I thought you would be singing in delight with open sky above your head again."

"Astrid!" Hakon jumped off his stool with the brightest smile he adorned in two years.

Astrid, now resembling her late teenage self, slugged his shoulder then hugged him tightly, knowing more open displays of kissing weren't really looked favorably upon in public settings here, and certainly not if you were unmarried, which they looked too young to be.

"You had us all scared to death," She hissed and sat next to him.

Hakon blushed a deep red. "Sorry? At least I kept in contact."

She leveled him with a flat look. "That's the only reason I didn't scramble the Berserkers immediately."

Torbjörg snorted and shoved into Astrid's lap. She looked up at the distracted counter worker. "What are you doing in here?"

Hakon raised an eyebrow. "You try keeping him outside. Just be grateful he hides well under the counter."

She chuckled then stole a bite of his ice cream. "Are you sure about this plan?"

Hakon sighed and stared unblinkingly at his melting ice cream. "Sort of? I have reservations…more about me leaving another one of my messes for someone else to pick up-"

She frowned. "Since when have you ever let anyone else clean your mess?"

He stared incredulously at her. "Uhm…all my inventions before shooting down Toothless? My dad's exact words, too. The war with Viggo? Berk might not have been necessarily cleaning my mess up, but they sure were paying for it. Need I go on?"

Astrid sighed and grabbed his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. "Babe, you've always taken responsibility, sometimes too much. The Archipelago isn't upset about your choice to not involve them. Pretty much everyone is grateful that you're not. And about why it started…we were all enthusiastic about your idea. The Defenders and Ivana were in Valhalla about it. It's not your fault you're a magnet for trouble."

Hakon smiled tiredly at her then quickly kissed her forehead. "Thank you, M'lady. Say…how are you looking like… this?"

She gasped. "I put a lot of work into this, you know. Do you have any idea how quickly fashions change?!" Hakon paled and shrank back from her wrath but she smirked at him. "Zephyr helped with my age."

"Ah." Hakon nodded. "You look lovely…and you're wearing my betrothal gift."

She flipped the pendant around before stealing another bite of his ice cream. "Glad that you noticed."

Hakon shot her a scared glance. "Hey, I learned my lesson…How's Loki? I've only been able to communicate over the bond, and that's not much."

Astrid shrugged. "Came to Midgard a couple months after your capture—just about went in there magic blazing. It took all our kids and three Dýrsvells to keep him from barging in and exposing everything. Though, now that you're out, I'd expect a visit soon."

Hakon savored the bite he shoved in his mouth and nodded somberly—there was probably going to be a very long lecture involved with his next visit. "What about the you-know-what?"

Astrid's shoulders fell. "That's a bit more complicated. Loki took a look at it, but said there's not too much he can do, since there's so many people around who'll notice if something was suddenly off, which would mean that if Schmidt questioned any of them…"

Hakon sighed in frustration. "This is all a mess."

She gently grabbed his arm and pulled it close. "But you're doing something about it. You're fixing it. I believe in you, babe."

He smiled thankfully at her then held up the last bite for her to take which she did with a smile. "Oh, here." He drew a pen out of his pocket then grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser. After a moment of thought he wrote out a complex series of equations and formulas with several notes. "Give this to Ivana. It's what Erskine and I came up with before Schmidt took it off the deep end. I'm sure she and the researchers on New Berk can finish it up."

Astrid folded the napkin carefully, hid it in her pocket and said with a teasing smile. "Selling your secrets, for shame Hiccup."

He shook his head then kissed her hand. "I keep no secrets from you, M'lady."

She laughed but her eyes held a dangerous and playful gleam. "I'd hope not."

He stood with a tired sigh, glancing out the windows. "I better be getting back. The, uh, babysitters are probably panicking with my absence."

She raised her eyebrows and followed him out, arm linked around his. As soon as they set foot outside, a blue and yellow bird resembling a cockatiel perched on her shoulder.

Torbjörg barked and danced around the happy couple while the bird chirped and chittered happily. Hakon laughed and gently rubbed the feathers along her neck. "Hey there, Stormfly. You're just as pretty as a bird as you are in your regal glory."

Stormfly puffed out her chest and cawed happily.

Astrid laughed at her friend. "Yes, so pretty and somehow even more obsessed with baths in this form."

Hakon laughed loudly at the image of bird-Stormfly attacking every bird bath she passed. They walked to the intersection and he sighed. "We better split up here—don't want them getting suspicious about you or how you found me."

She breathed heavily but it was lost amongst the cars. "Be safe—and keep checking in!"

He grinned and kissed on the lips this time. "Will do, M'lady. Safe travels."

She waved the Yggdrasil Hopper, or the Ygg-Hop as so many in the Archipelago had lovingly dubbed it. "I will. Try not to get kidnapped again."

He promised and walked down the street perpendicular to the one she took. He was a couple of blocks away when shouting drew him out of his thoughts again. He paled as an angry Brit stormed down the street with two wide-eyed undercover soldiers trailing behind her like scolded children.

"Hakon!"

"Hi, Peggy." He responded carefully, voice betraying him as it raised with notes of fear. She reminded him too much of his wife. "Lovely day for a walk."

She grabbed his arm and started dragging him back to the apartment. "You didn't tell anyone that you left! You're always supposed to have someone with you when you leave."

Hakon pouted. "I wanted some air and alone time. Besides, I have Tor with me. Someone's gotta be pretty stupid to mess with him."

Torbjörg lifted his head and barked deeply in pride.

She scowled at him, grabbing his arm to drag him back to the apartment. "Do you realize what could happen if Hydra finds you again? They're still out looking for you. We're lucky no one knows you're here yet, and we would like to keep it that way."

Hakon rolled his eyes and tried to shrug off her constricting hand. "Yes, I think I do. I think I know that better than anyone. However, I'm not going to hide my entire life because you're afraid of me getting kidnapped or disappearing off the face of Mid—Earth."

They stopped just in front of the entrance to the apartment and she stared hard at him, eyes boring into his. "How can you be so careless when you and Erskine are our best bets at ending this war? If something happens to you-"

He shoved the door open. "I've lived my life in fear once, I'm not doing that again. And I like having a little space. I was kept in a tiny room for two years and now, with sky right outside the window, I'm stuck right back inside a tiny space. And, no, having someone with me outside doesn't count—I like my alone time out there."

Peggy's face softened and took off her sun coat, hanging it on the hook. "I'm sorry, Hakon. I know you must have cabin fever. I can only imagine being in your situation, locked up by enemies then basically locked up by friends…but we must keep an eye on you. It's not that we don't trust you, but we fear Schmidt and the Axis getting their hands on you again—I doubt they'd let you go so easily a second time."

Hakon smiled wryly at her and grunted a short laugh. "You think the first time was easy?"

She smiled, glad his snark was showing again. "My apologies for assuming."

Hakon nodded like she had gravely injured his pride but his budding smile belayed it. "Alright, fine. Since it bothers you so much that I leave in broad daylight, I'll just have to sneak out at night."

He was already running up to his room before she even began shouting. "Hakon, you better not! If I find that you are, I'll tell Phillips and he'll lock your sorry arse in a bunker!"

He chuckled behind his closed door, Torbjörg's tongue hanging out. "We won't tell her that we go flying every night then, huh, bud?"

Tor shook his head and yipped happily.

She went up to their room that night to make sure he hadn't snuck out again and was pleased to see that both were soundly asleep in the bed, not knowing that they were mere illusions and the real pair were soaring across the starry sky for hours before returning to bed.

Loki brushed the dirt off his coat after a spar with Thor. Said brother was trotting through the halls, shouting his name and trying to catch up with him. Thor did finally manage to grab his shoulder and draw him to a stop. "Brother, you sparred well. Why did you run out?"

Loki restrained a glare but lifted his chin. "I did not 'run out', the spar was over and there was no longer a reason for me to stay."

Thor smiled softly. "I'm sure Lady Sif would have liked a spar."

Loki's nose wrinkled. "I doubt that. And even if she did, it would only be to yell at me when I used magic."

Thor sighed and started walking beside his departing brother. "Brother, what has you in a mood? It has been nigh two years…you are not still mad about that expedition father sent us on? If you are looking to prove yourself a worthy king I know there will be-"

Loki turned with an irate huff. "Thor, I was over that a week after it happened and I have nothing to prove to Odin. I will not be king."

Thor frowned but a spark shone in his eyes. "Ah, but brother, no decision has been made—you are still yet able to prove yourself a worthy king. You do not need to make your pea-"

Loki held up a hand and sighed tiredly, looking Thor in the eyes. "Thor, you are the first born son, that alone is enough and I had delusioned myself for years against that right alone. And if that wasn't enough, do you really see Odin putting a Frost Giant on the throne of Asgard?"

Thor blushed and looked away. "Well, I hadn't really thought about… that."

Loki's lips twitched with a ghost of a smile. "You're obliviousness is endearing sometimes, brother."

Thor perked up at the endearment and slung an arm around the younger's shoulders, much to his consternation. "Then why do you act as thus? It has been two years and you are in a temper only matched when…" His voice dropped off and his eyes shifted to Loki who glared at the far wall. "And mother has also been… terser than ever. Even father walks carefully around her now."

Loki snorted, a small smile gracing his lips. "Only now?"

Thor frowned at him. "Brother, I know you feel he has not done right by you-"

"He hasn't," Loki snapped but Thor continued on as though he hadn't heard him—there was a good chance he hadn't.

"But he has been trying and does care for you…even if he is bad at expressing it."

Loki raised an eyebrow and Thor looked away but he sighed. "My… mood has nothing to do with Odin."

Thor's forehead pinched. "Then what…" His eyes lit up but quickly darkened with concern. "Has something happened to Hiccup's descendants? I heard there was some skirmish occurring on Midgard. They haven't been pulled into it, have they?"

Loki laughed loudly, head thrown back, but there was no humor in it. "Brother, the skirmish plagues the realm entire. And yes, it involves his descendants…one is at the very heart of it. He has just recently gotten out of immediate danger but he is still a target and there is nothing I can do to help him without risking the Archipelago. Or worse, interfering in Asgard's name."

He took a steading breath and Thor winced, knowing Odin's displeasure with the last suggested option would be great. Thor looked over at his brother who had glazed eyes. "What are you planning to do?"

Loki's hands fisted as his face twisted. "Nothing…there is nothing I can do as of now. The times are different, as are the people, I cannot go in as I once had."

Thor rested a hand on Loki's shoulder. "He is of Hiccup's bloodline. He will make it, and the Archipelago will weather this war as they have all others."

Loki sent him a tired and worried smile. "I know. Thank you, Thor."

Thor grinned and started leading him to the kitchens, discussing little pranks they could pull on the servants to snag some extra cakes they just baked.

Loki shook his head but followed him. I should leave soon and meet up again with Býleistr and Helblindi, see how Jötunheim is faring. If I don't return soon and tell Býleistr more of Jörmungandr he might hold Hiccup and I hostage next time I visit.

Hakon sat in the diner near the antique shop that housed the secret lab he and Erskine had been assigned to, as well as the budding agency, the Strategic Science Reserve. The soldier who accompanied him to the meal looked up in worry as Hakon groaned again.

"Maybe you should put the notes away and eat something—give your brain a break. Thinking on an empty stomach never helped anyone."

Hakon shot him a small smile and took a bite of the food before folding the notes up and stuffing them into his coat with little care, then left the dinner.

The man watched him walk away for a second before scrambling after him, stuffing some of Hakon's food into a napkin. "Hey, wait!"

Hakon paused at the door, Tor sitting happily just outside, and looked back in confusion.

The man caught up with him and smiled, handing him the napkin. "Eat something. You're a walking stick."

Hakon smiled ruefully and accepted the forgotten food. "Thanks."

The man shook his head with a smile. "Let's get you back before the colonel loses his patience with your absence."

Hakon raised an eyebrow and took a bite of the food before tearing a piece off and giving it to Tor. "I thought that was gone long ago."

The soldier chuckled. "Don't ever join the army, kid, or else he'll have payback on you."

Hakon grinned. "Duly noted."

They nodded to the lady who 'owned' the store and descended in the elevator. The rest of the day was as uneventful as every other with Erskine calling it quits early, his head throbbing from staring at the formula for days on end and coming up with nothing. Hakon and Tor snuck out again that night and flew across the cloud covered sky, like always.

A squawk flew up next to them and he grinned. "Astrid…Loki!"

Loki jumped from Stormfly to Toothless and held Hiccup closely, burying his nose in his hair. "It is good to see you again as well, Liten Listig. How are the Americans treating you?"

Hiccup grinned. "Good. Way better than Hydra."

Loki winced. "That is good. I wish I could have helped."

Hiccup shook his head and looked back, face full of sincerity. "I didn't want you to. That would have created a worse mess."

Loki's nose wrinkled unhappily. "Does not mean it does not tear me up inside, Liten Listig."

Hiccup gripped his hand and squeezed. "I know, but it's alright now…kinda."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Kinda?"

Hiccup winced. "Let's land, then talk about my problems."

They flew over the choppy Atlantic waters to the little island housing the Statue of Liberty, abandoned at this time of night. Hiccup sat against Toothless on the grass with Loki right next to him, holding him close for his own sanity, Astrid and Stormfly just a few feet in front of them.

Hiccup took a deep breath and glanced over at Loki. "Well…to make a long story short—we've run into a problem of stabilizing the formula."

Astrid nodded, having heard as much—many times—through their communicades. Loki looked down at his Chosen, head tilted thoughtfully. "But you have finally solved the issue."

Hiccup smiled wryly at him but quickly turned his eyes away to stare at the grass. "Yeah…" His tongue rolled around in his mouth and he eventually bit his lip.

Astrid frowned and leaned closer. "So what's the problem?"

Hiccup glanced at Loki again and he had a sinking feeling. "It needs a stabilizer, an external component that's already established that can kick start the process for the rest of the formula."

Astrid nodded, not seeing anything wrong. "Okay, sounds like you have a plan. They already think you're a genius, which you are-"

His cheeks flushed warmly. "Thank you, M'lady."

She continued without missing a beat. "They'll believe if you pull an idea out of nowhere."

"That's not the problem."

She sat back, confused now while Loki was busy trying to calm himself before he started yelling—having a pretty good idea where this was going with the guilt and concern roiling through their bond.

Hiccup played with his thumbs until Toothless stuck his head in his human's lap and licked his cheek. Hiccup smiled ruefully and wiped away the spittle the best he could. "I… gotta do something pretty stupid."

Her eyebrows rose and Stormfly squawked at the god of dragons. "You've already done that."

Hiccup nodded and smiled at Stormfly's comment. "Then something crazy."

Loki pinned his Chosen with a hard stare, gripping the arm his hand had previously been casually draped over tightly. "You had better not be planning what I think you are."

Hiccup's lips became a thin line. "It's the only way. The Apple would stabilize it…and I don't need the entire Apple!" Hiccup quickly defended as Loki's anger and concern carried through the bond. "Half a drop of my blood would be enough for it to work."

Loki shot up and started pacing. "Hiccup, do you have any idea what this could mean? Not just for you cleaning up your—mess or someone on Asgard finding out…what if the Midgardians find out? I would love to think they are beyond such barbaric acts as…but they clearly are not! If they ever find out-"

Hiccup now stood, determined but scared—he didn't want to have to go against Loki because, ultimately, it would affect him as well in some small ways. "Look, Erskine and I already only ever planned on creating one "Super Soldier". And, even if they did look over the notes and try to recreate it—do you think I'm stupid enough to write down that I used my blood that has the magic of the Apples of Iðunn flowing through it? Loki, please, I'm just trying to fix this without hurting anyone else."

Loki stopped pacing and really looked at Hiccup, his scared and pleading face, and his shoulders fell. He crossed the grass and pulled Hiccup into a firm hug. "Please, be careful. Swear to me that you'll take the utmost precautions. I will come and rescue you if the need arises, but I fear for what it will do to me, Asgard, Midgard and your people—it will be disastrous."

Hiccup nodded into his chest, he had never realized how much he grew after seventeen—it wasn't all that much but it was noticeable. "I promise."

"Good." Loki nodded firmly. "Come, let's go flying for a while longer before you must return."

Hiccup grinned gratefully and quickly mounted Toothless, eager for the bonding time. "Sounds great. I've missed flying with you guys."

Schmidt strode purposefully through the doors, making many of the scientists jump. Several of them quickly looked away, fearful of the repercussions should they stare at the blood red and bald head for longer than a second, while a few others couldn't keep their eyes off of the morbid deformation.

Schmidt silently snarled at those few, and they immediately forgot their fascination and returned to their work. He finally entered the office of Zola, his top science officer now that Erskine and Hyse had flown the coop. "How comes the work, doctor?"

Zola looked up nervously and shuffled through a few old papers. "Slowly. I have a concept that might work but…I have no idea what kind of power we might be dealing with."

Schmidt nodded, though not happily, then finally looked down at the papers littering Zola's desk. His eyes narrowed in recognition, these were all in Hakon's handwriting and native tongue. So, to any of them, it was utter gibberish. "Why are you going through Hakon's papers? These were from before his time at Hydra."

Zola nodded and moved a few papers aside until he found the desired one then handed it to Schmidt. "Yes, but I was curious and needed a little break. I thought I might see if our friend had thought up anything else useful—and I came across this."

Schmidt looked at the crudely drawn blueprint with notes littering the sides of it then looked slowly up at the carefully detailed blueprint hanging on the wall of Zola's office. "Did you create your design without seeing his?"

Zola nodded, looking back at his prototype hanging on the wall. "Yes. That is why it startled me to see he had something similar. But it is not the same, not in function at least—I don't believe, anyway."

Schmidt put Hakon's design down. "What is different?"

Zola snorted and picked up the paper. "His appears to already have a power source. This looks like it is an upgraded version. Nothing about it has the markings that it is in the process of being invented, the opposite really."

Schmidt's eyes widened, gripping the desk in anger—the wood and metal creaked then cracked under his hand, startling both men. "So, he does know of the Tesseract's location…Then I will raze his home to the ground and let it serve as a warning."

Zola shifted uncomfortably but did not speak against him. "It's quite possible, but I cannot confirm it. But there is a major difference between its function and mine."

He lifted the sheet up for Schmidt to clearly see and pointed to the sketch and then picked another off his desk that showed the interior design a bit better, though not by much, then pointed to his blueprint on the wall. "While certain parts are the same, the way it harnesses energy—I believe that is what it's showing, the functions are very different. You want the Tesseract to power your weapons so that is what my device is designed to do—divide and store that energy. His holds energy as well but it is so small, he is long past my meager steps and is already introducing it to other uses. I cannot tell what this is…maybe if I could translate the runes on the device. Or better yet the entire paper but…"

Schmidt smiled and grabbed the paper again, staring at the foreign design. "Get some agents into the field and research the oldest versions of Icelandic, Norwegian—any Scandinavian language. Focus on those that Vikings would have used. I want this translated."

Zola collected a few papers that he deemed less important to give to the field agents, he wasn't about to risk his neck if they lost these designs.

Schmidt walked back out of the science offices with a smirk stretching across his thin lips.

Hakon and Erskine showed the latest formula and plans to Peggy and Phillips. Phillips looked at the sketches Hakon had made dubiously. "And you're sure that this…machine is necessary?"

Erskine nodded, pointing to his notes, then Hakon's. "Yes. We have the stabilization of the formula figured out, but it will take weeks for the full effect to be realized—if we're lucky, it could be months. With Hakon's machine, it will be minutes, if that."

Phillips took a deep breath and turned to Hakon. "Can you build this on your own?"

Hakon's nose wrinkled as he held his chin. "Yeah…eventually. Though having some assistance would help astronomically and I'm not the greatest with radiation factors. I mean, I could work it out but I would like a second pair of eyes."

Phillips nodded, the explanation was reasonable enough. "Another division has been working with a man, Howard Stark. He should have exactly what you need."

Hakon looked up in thought, rubbing Tor's head absentmindedly. "Stark…I think I've heard of him, from before Hydra. It's kinda fuzzy."

Phillips grinned. "He had some inventions and a little notoriety but nothing huge, not like how he's known now amongst the Allies."

*O*

Hakon walked behind Erskine and Phillips as they entered the underground facility yet again. Except this time, they were meeting their newest partner in the project. Hakon could hear him long before he saw him. Tor looked up at Hakon and snuffed at his loud voice. Hakon laughed and Tor tilted his head, tongue falling out.

The talking ceased and Hakon looked up to see that they were now in the same room and everyone was staring at him. His lips tinned and looked at Phillips with wide eyes, cheeks burning, but Tor bumped into his side with a goofy grin.

Phillips smiled bemusedly and turned away. "Welcome, Stark. I would like to introduce you to your new partners on Project Rebirth, Professor Abraham Erskine and Hakon Hyse."

Stark and Erskine shook hands, the latter saying. "A pleasure to meet you, Stark."

Stark shook his head with an easy going smile. "Please, just call me Howard. Hakon?" He asked as he shook his hand, wanting to make sure he said it right, and looked him over critically. "Letting kids in on government projects now? Guess the war effort really has gotten desperate."

Hakon crossed his arms and stared Stark down with a look that had made the twins and Snotlout behave. "I'm not a kid."

Stark's eyebrows rose as a smile tugged at his lips. "I'm sorry, what is the word kids are using these days? Teenagers? You're what, fifteen, sixteen at the most?"

Erskine made a small noise and looked away, wide eyed and sending Howard pitying looks.

Phillips and Peggy were confused and Howard missed it, too focused on Hakon as he retorted. "I'm seventeen, I'll be eighteen in less than a month, thank you."

Howard shook his head and looked back at Erskine. "Is he serious?"

Hakon huffed and Erskine nodded. "Yes. He was actually fifteen when we met—you should have seen him then."

"Hey!" Hakon cried as Erskine shot him a look.

Erskine patted his shoulder affectionately before whispering to Howard. "But I would watch your coffee for a while."

Howard frowned and looked over Erskine's shoulder to Hakon who was watching him closely while petting the large, black dog who was watching him expectantly. "Why?" He finally asked slowly.

Phillips rolled his eyes and whispered something that was most likely a warning into Hakon's ear before wandering into a separate room.

Erskine shot Hakon a fond smile and turned back to a worried Howard. "Because Schmidt couldn't taste right for a week after an incident he and Hakon had over similar comments."

Hakon sniffed. "I regret now, that's all I did. Shoulda added arsenic."

Howard would have been more startled by the comment if he hadn't been fully briefed on their situation but he did nervously smile at Hakon. "Well, I hope we can become friends, or at least good colleagues, since we will be working closely on this for several months."

Hakon shrugged. "Well, you have a better start than he did; you're not named Johann."

Howard looked at the other occupants for an explanation but Peggy shrugged and Erskine didn't fully understand the story Hakon had told, other than an old legend and the antagonist was named Johann—it was unlike anything he'd heard. But he'd also never studied or been told the myths of the Nordic.

Peggy led them to the lab Hakon and Erskine knew well by now and Howard finally addressed Hakon again. "So, how did you fall into cohorts with someone like Erskine?"

Hakon looked down at Torbjörg and gave him one last scratch around the ears before following the humans deeper into the room while Tor made a bee line for his bed beside Hakon's desk. "Well, I had an idea after… hearing stories about the last war. My village has some genius people but even they were stumped on how to get my idea to work. I eventually came across an old paper he," He nodded to Erskine, "did on skin growth and repairing burn wounds…seemed like the best man to approach with it. I was right."

He and Erskine shared warm smiles and Howard shook his head in disbelief. "Huh. Well, let's see what you've got so far."

"Agh! Hakon, come get your mutt—he's trying to steal my sandwich!" Howard yelled, holding his lunch high while keeping an arm out to keep Torbjörg from snapping up the sandwich.

Hakon leaned back in his chair with half-lidded eyes. "I told you to not bring tuna sandwiches in anymore. If you bring in fish, you might as well sacrifice it to him because he's not going to leave you alone."

Howard groaned and shoved Tor away again but he circled the desk and jumped on top of it, sending papers flying. "My notes!" Howard wailed and dropped his sandwich as he tried to gather the drifting papers before Tor could tear holes in them with his nails. "Off, off, off!"

Tor snuffed as he was shoved off the desk but pranced away, sandwich held proudly in his mouth.

Hakon sighed and ran a hand along the furry back. "Bud, really?"

Tor whined through his mouthful and lifted it up, eyes asking.

Hakon stuck his tongue out and pulled away. "Gah, no thanks—it's all yours."

Tor almost seemed to shrug as he crawled into his bed then started munching on his newly acquired lunch.

Erskine chuckled from the corner, setting down Howard's notes on his improvements to the machine to make sure they would work with the serum. Howard continued to grumble as he pulled an orange out of his lunch box and glared at Tor. "You owe me a new lunch, kid."

Tor suddenly started gagging then growled deeply.

Hakon jumped up and knelt by his bed. "Bud?! Is everything okay, what happened?"

Tor snorted and shook his head then continued to growl and backed up again, glaring at the sandwich.

Curiously, Hakon picked up the half mauled sandwich and looked it over before sniffing it curiously. "I don't get it…"

Tor snarled then barked at Hakon then back at the sandwich.

Hakon's eyes sparked and he opened the sandwich. "Hey, Howard, what did you put in here?"

Howard worriedly looked at Tor, he did not want to be the cause of the dog getting sick. "It's just bread, tuna, some lettuce and mustard."

Hakon frowned and looked at Tor. "I don't get it, you've had all that before…except maybe the mustard."

He scooped out a bit of the yellow substance and held his finger out to Tor who took half a whiff and growled, backing up a step. Hakon's shoulders fell then started to shake with laughter. "You… don't like mustard." He started laughing loudly. "Y-you'd eat Tuff's salt encrusted bass but not tuna covered in mustard?"

Tor snuffed, affronted, and resumed snarling at the offending sandwich then glare demandingly at Hakon.

Hakon raised his hands, fighting to contain his laughter. "I can't just wash it off, bud. Either eat it with the mustard or it goes in the trash."

Tor scowled at Hakon then swiped his paw at the sandwich, sending it flying across the floor. "To~or!" Hakon groaned, standing to clean the mess while Tor went to sulk.

Howard looked offended then aghast. "Seriously? You steal my lunch then refused to have the decency to eat it!"

Tor curled into a tighter ball and glared at Howard.

Hakon sighed and dropped the remainder into the lunch. "Sorry Howard."

Howard waved him off and smirked at Tor. "No worries, now I know to put mustard on my food and he won't come near it. Even fish!"

Hakon chuckled at Tor's expense.

Howard turned around so he could see Erskine as well as Hakon. "So, what do you think, professor—we ready?"

Erskine smiled, sadly but ready with determination. "Yes, I think we are."

Howard nodded. "Good. Easy part out of the way. Now you get to have fun finding the test subject because I am not going in there."

Erskine chuckled. "Good, I would not want to put you in there. We must find the right man. That will take a little work."

Howard suddenly grinned roguishly. "Hey, why don't we stick Hakon in there—great personality, and we'll see if it can put any meat on him!"

Hakon's mouth fell open before quickly shaking his head. "Lovely offer, but I've come to love my status as a runt. Besides, I somehow don't think Colonel Phillips will go along with that idea."

Howard snapped his fingers and gathered the blueprints from Erskine's desk. "Rats, I wanted to see what you looked like with some muscle."

Hakon shivered at the nine-hundred year old memory. "No-no—no one ever needs to see that." Again—that can remain buried. Gah! I had pleasantly forgotten that.

Erskine led Hakon out, Tor following behind them with his head held low, and Howard behind. "Let's let the colonel know then, hm?"

Howard grunted. "He'll be thrilled about it. I know I will—finally get him off my back about this. A man can only work so fast! So, got any special sign-ups in mind for finding your 'special guy'?"

Erskine shook his head. "No, definitely not. Whoever would sign-up for something like this would definitely be the wrong sort. No, I need to observe them and make a decision based on what I see in their personality."

Hakon suddenly looked up in thought. "Think Phillips might let me be in boot camp with them? They might show different faces when they think they're alone."

Erskine brightened at the idea. "It's a wonderful idea, I'll make sure he does."

Howard looked oddly at Hakon. "You, my friend, are not entirely right in the head."

Hakon frowned. "It's just boot camp, it's not like I'm actually going to war…been there, though."

Tor woofed unhappily at Hakon, then wagged his tail and ran ahead, nearly tackling the lady who always kept treats in her drawer specially for him.

Next chapter we get to see Steve. See you soon!