Star Mistress: Captain America / Part One in WC Marvel

Welcome Home

While Steve was away training with his unit, Bree was home, working as a nurse in the enlistment centers. She knew she was doing good here, but also knew that she could do better out there, though she was happy to make any kind of difference at all.

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Allies Base

Colonel Phillips was speaking with Erskine as they were watching Peggy Carter train the men at their base.

"I guess I just don't understand the European sense of humor, Doctor," Phillips told him. "You're not thinking of picking the Rogers, are you?'

"I am more than just thinking about it," Erskine answered. "They are clear choices."

"When you invited a 90-pound asthmatic onto my Army base, I let it slide because I assumed he'd be useful to you," Phillips told him. "Like a gerbil. When I saw that you got that girl a rightful place at the clinics back in their hometown, I didn't mind because we're not risking anything here with her heart after the fevers. I never thought you'd pick them." They stopped near an open truck, a crate of grenades inside. "You put a needle in that guy's arm, it's gonna come out the other side." They watched Steve struggling to do his push-ups. "Look at him. He's making me cry. She can't be much better."

"I am searching for qualities beyond the physical," Erskine replied.

"Do you know how long it took me to set up this project?" Phillips asked. "The groveling I had to do in front of Senator Brandt's committee?"

"I'm well aware of your efforts," Erskine answered.

Phillips pointed toward where Hodge was powering through his push ups. "Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's hip, he's fast, and he takes orders. In short, he's a soldier."

"He's a bully," Erskine stated.

Phillips just stared at Erskine, reaching for the crate in the truck. "You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." He grabbed a grenade. "You win them with guts."

"Like that sick man over there, with all his ails, and his sister who has a weak heart, enlisting for duty five different times, risking their already fragile states to serve the greater good?" Erskine asked.

Phillips gave Erskine a look, looking to prove him wrong, pulling the pin, hurling the grenade toward the soldiers. "Grenade!"

The grenade landed in the grass, stopping in front of the recruits.

Steve's eyes went wide, as the rest of the recruits scrambled away. Hodge yelped, throwing himself underneath a nearby Jeep.

Peggy made for the grenade, but Steve got there first.

Without hesitation, Steve threw himself on the grenade so that if it exploded, he would take all of the blast and no one else would be harmed. "Everybody down!" He waited for the explosion, but nothing happened. After a moment, Steve opened his eyes, confused. At the truck, Phillips just glared. On the crate, there was a label that said the grenades were just meant for training and were inert. Erskine smiled at Phillips. Peggy smiled at Steve. Hodge peaked out from under the Jeep, shamed. Steve was still splayed over the inert grenade. "Uh, is this a test?"

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Night - Camp Lehigh, Barracks

Steve was sitting alone on his bunk.

Around him, eleven other bunks lied stripped, their footlockers empty.