The New Avenger

Return

She screams, her eyes glowing a dark purple. I walk out as the door slams shut. Walking to my room I shut the door hard behind me. "I can't believe I said that, now I have to fix this...no one can know... "

"Dammit!".

Stephanie's pov

Hot tears stream down my face as the door slams shut. I walk back over to my bed and lay down curling up in a ball burying my face in my pillow. Sobs rack my body as his words run through my head "Well maybe if you never met us none of this would have happened. I wish it had been you!" I never wanted this to happen especially to Bucky. The last thing I think before I drift off is "Maybe he's right..."

1943

I turn to Steve gripping my folder hard. He notices and rests his hand on my arm.

"It's going to be ok."

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Come on."

He leads me inside where men are being taken so they can be evaluated to see if they can join the military. A few minutes later a man is ready to evaluate us. He looks at me, his eyes are disapproving but he doesn't say anything. After the evaluation, he leads me to a tent where Steve is waiting for me and I sit next to him.

"Did they say anything to you?"

I ask, looking at him.

"No, I just got told to stay here."

I watch as he gets his boots and stuff off, and a man walks in.

"So, you want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis?"

I look up at him in surprise and see the same look on Steve's face.

"Excuse me?"

I say looking at him with confusion written across my face.

"Dr. Abraham Erskine. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

He says looking up at us from the folders he's holding they must be ours. He looks at Steve, opens his file then starts listing off the places he's tried to say he was born in. as he reads them I can tell Steve starts getting worried.

"Where are you from, Rogers? Hmm? Is it New Haven? Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities."

"That might not be the right file."

He says unable to look at the doctor's eyes then Dr. Erskine says something that surprises me.

"No, it's not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries and you Mrs. Lake, why are you here

"Because I wanna help my country and like Steve I hate bullies

He looks at me and I look back. setting down Steve's file he picks up mine. As he opens it I feel anxious. Then says something I never expected.

"Congratulations, soldiers."

Dr. Erskine's pov

Later that day after I evaluate Mrs. Lake and Mr. Rogers I go and talk to Chester Philip the colonel of their group.

You're not thinking about picking them, are you?"

He asks as I walk up to him.

"I am more than just thinking about it. They are a clear choice."

"When you brought a ninety pounds asthmatic and a girl onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, what the hell? Maybe they'll be useful to you, like gerbils. I never thought you'd pick them. I mean You stick a needle in Roger's arm and it's gonna go right through him and look at that. She's making me cry."

He says shifting his gaze over to Stephanie as she tries lifting weights.

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical."

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project?"

He asks as I watch her put down the weights and attempt to do push-ups.

"Yeah, I know."

"All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?"

"Brandt. Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts."

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's a soldier."

"He's a bully."

I say keeping my eyes on the girl a few feet away from us.

"You don't win wars with niceness, doctor. You win wars with guts.

He says walking away from me. I watch his retreating form. Not once Wavering in my resolve.

Stephanie's pov

The next day we walk into a lab setting before we are two chamber-like pods that Steve and I will have to go inside. Turning to look at Steve I crack a smile and step inside watching as he follows suit. I winch as the needles pierce my arms, the liquid a light blue color. As the pod closes around me  I shut my eyes taking a deep breath. All of a sudden a burning pain courses through my body starting at my fingertips. I can hear them yelling to turn it off.

"No, I can handle it, turn it up!

The doctor looks at me and nods, turning to Howard telling him to put it to one-hundred. I let out a guttural scream.

Stephanie's pov

I sit bolt upright in my bed tangled in my sheets. I look around shaking no matter how hard I try I'll never forget that pain. Peeling the sheets of my sweat-covered body I stand up.

After a few minutes of pacing, I start calming down. Just as I'm about to go find Steve to talk about earlier my door flies open to reveal him in his super suit. The next words that come out of his mouth make my blood run cold.

"He's back."