Love & War | S.Rogers

003. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘮

"Is this a test?" Steve panted.

"He's still skinny" Philips grumbled.

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That night, Freya headed to see Steve before the day of his big experiment. When she made it to the sleeping quarters he was staying in, she stopped, hearing him talking with Eskrine.

"Why me?" Steve asked.

"I suppose that is the only question that matters. So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know, after the last war, my people struggled. They felt weak. They felt small" Erskine said.

Listening to his words, Freya couldn't help but feel a deep sense of guilt. This was her job. Protect the nine realms. Not just from outside threats but also, sometimes, themselves.

After her tremendous failure during the last battle Odin sent her on, she pushed war and battle behind her. What she failed to realize was that there were still people all over the nine realms that still needed her help.

"And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags. And he hears of me. My work. And he finds me. And he says, you. He says you will make us strong. Well, I am not interested. So he sends the head of Hydra, his research division" Eskrine continued.

"A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt. Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle. And he is ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth. Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt, it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by the gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man."

"The tesseract," Steve said. "That's what Freya was talking about."

"Yes. I think so too" Erskine said.

Johann Schmidt. Freya knew that had to be the person Odin told her about. He had the tesseract. And it was only a matter of time before he unleashed hell on this realm.

"So, when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become the superior man" Erskine said.

"Did it make him stronger?" Steve asked.

"Yes. But there were other effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man. The serum amplifies everything that is inside so good becomes great. Bad becomes worse. This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength. And knows compassion."

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"Are you nervous?" Freya asked, walking up to Steve as he prepared to be escorted to Erskine's lab.

"Uh, a little. But I'm hoping that's normal" he said.

"I am sure it is. But you are very brave, doing all this. Fighting for your country" she said.

"Thanks. I...I wanted to apologize" he said.

"What for?" Freya asked.

"Not believing you, I guess," he said.

"It's alright. I suppose there are things about this realm that I too find strange" she told him.

"It's still a bit shocking. I mean Goddess of Love and War. Well, the love part makes sense since you are a very beautiful dame" he said, eyes widening as he realized what he said.

"I mean, no, not um...a woman. I mean. Or goddess, I guess but um still technically a woman-"

"It's alright" Freya laughed, finding his stuttering endearing. "You don't talk to many women do you?"