The Beginning (Steve x Reader x Bucky)

(14) SSR Warehouse

Howard Stark, in overalls and goggles, begins taking apart a Hydra minisub, slowly. Steve stares at him as a nurse and SSR doctor draw blood from him. Peggy and YN watch with concern.

"You think you've got enough?" Steve asks, annoyed with how much blood they've taken. The nurse ignores him and fills the vial in her hand. She places it next to the dozens of other vials filled with Steve's blood.

"All of Dr. Erskine's research and equipment is gone. Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code. But it would take years." the red head pauses. "At the moment, you're the only Super Soldier there is." she finishes.

YN makes her way over to Howard. "Hey, I've managed to control 3 out of 4, as of yesterday." she tells the brunette. It's been a week since she was given her powers, and is quickly learning how to control them. It's quite impressive.

"That's good! So which one is left?" he asks her. "Hmm... energy manipulation." she answers. The man in overalls nods.

"Okay, I feel that one will be the most difficult to control. So, it may take awhile." he explains. This time YN nods. Just as their conversation ends, Colonel Phillips and Senator Brandt walk into the room.

"Colonel Phillips, my committee is demanding answers." the Senator states. 

"Great. Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car?" the Colonel states, blankly. Brandt frowns, shutting up.

Phillips turns to Stark and YN as Steve and Peggy join them. "What have we got?" he asks the group before him.

"Well, speaking modestly, I'd say I'm the best mechanical engineer in the country..." Stark trails off, opening a hatch. Impressive circuitry blinks inside. "And I've got no idea what any of it is or how it works. We're nowhere near capable of this technology." he concludes.

"Then who is?" Brandt asks Phillips. 

"Hydra." Brandt looks at the Colonel, blankly. "I'm sure you've read our briefings." the Colonel continues.

"I'm on a number of committee's, Colonel." the Senator states. The red head joins in the conversation, "Hydra is the Nazi deep science division. It's led by Dr. Erskine's first test subject, Johann Schmidt."

"Hydra's practically a cult. They worship Schmidt, think he's invincible." the Colonel adds in. "So what are you going to do about it?" Brandt questions.

"I spoke to the President this morning. As of today, the SSR's being re- tasked." the Colonel says. Everyone's shocked. "Colonel?" Peggy asks in shock.

"We're taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags, Agents. You too, Stark. The four of us fly to London tonight." the Colonel states.

"Sir? If your going after Schmidt, I want in." Steve tells him. 

"You're an experiment. We're sending you to Alamogordo." Phillips tells the blonde.

"As what, a lab rat? The serum worked!" an annoyed blonde raises his voice. 

"I asked for an army. All I got was you. And you are not enough." the annoyed Colonel states. YN looks to Stark with a 'let me tell them what I can do, so Steve can come with us' look. Howard shakes his head and mouths "no."

Steve looks defeated. Brandt waves over his aide. "With all due respect, Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. You've seen Steve here in action. More importantly, the country's seen it." the Senator states, defending the blonde.

Brandt's aide comes over with a copy of the New York examiner, "NAZI SABOTEUR FOILED! MYSTERY MAN SAVES CIVILIANS!", handing it to the Senator. In the photo, Steve is deflecting gunfire with a starred car door.

"Enlistment lines have been around the block since this hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol, like this and hide him in a lab." the Senator claps. Steve looks surprised. He didn't expect Brandt to stand up for him.

Brandt turns on his charm, becoming a consummate politician. "He needs to be out there, showing the world what the American fighting man is made of." he says looking to Steve. "Son, do you want to serve your country? On the most important battlefield in this war?" he continued.

"It's all I want." the blonde tells him. "Then congratulations. You just got promoted." Steve and YN smile.

"Congrats, Stevie. You finally get to do what you've been dreaming of your whole life." YN tells her best friend as they walk away from the group.

"Yeah... Now all I have to do is not mess up." Steve tells her. 

"I don't think you will. You'll do great, and when this is all over, you, me and Bucket can get ice cream." YN reassures him, smiling at the thought of her and her friends going out for ice cream, like how they used to do when they were younger.

Steve and YN talk for a while longer before finally going their separate ways, preparing for their trip to London.