On Purpose

The Cube

Steve's POV

Steve walked through SHIELD's top secret secure storage building. He had offered to help Howard do inventory. "Okay...next on the list is ... the super soldier serum." Steve nodded. They walked over to a shelf. Howard pulled out a small silver briefcase and set it on a table. He looked at Steve. Steve raised his eyebrow. "This it?" "Yep." Howard opened it. It hissed and white steam or smoke came out. Lying inside was one, chilled, blue, vile.

Steve took a deep  breath and let it out. He couldn't help, but feel like he was almost seeing himself. It was what had made him. "You know, before we found you...when we thought you were-" "Dead?" Steve asked interrupting him.

Howard nodded awkwardly. "Yeah...I kinda got into some trouble...Peggy. She had to be the hero she is and save my life again.
During the time Peggy along with others were having a lot of trouble moving on after your apparent "death". At one point I told her something. Something I still believe to this day." Howard said in seriousness.

"You were he one thing I helped make that brought good into this world." Howard continues with emotion. Steve pierced his lips. "But Peggy reminded me that...I didn't make you." Steve furrowed his eyes. "This." He said looking nodding down at the serum. "This serum, didn't make you. You were always good. You had always had a good heart. This serum...if taken by someone evil could heighten their evil, but in you...it heightened your heart. This didn't make you Steve. It just helped you do what your heart was always capable of."

Steve thought about his friends words. "I never thought of it that way. Thank you, Howard." "No probable Cap. Come on. We have one more stop." "What?" "The tesseract." Steve felt a chill run up his spine at the mention of the cube. He followed Howard.

They came to a door with a caution sign on it. "It's in there?" "Yeah. We had to keep it locked up. Gotta make sure that it doesn't end up in the hands of the wrong people." Steve nodded. Howard took a key and unlocked the door. They walked into a white hallway and there was another door, with a security lock on it.

Steve began to hear ringing in his ears. The room began to go white. Steve squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "You alright there, pal?" "Yeah, I'm good." He lied. "Okay."

Howard slowly spun the lock and put the right code in. The door opened. Steve and Howard walked into the next room to see a safe box on a table.

The ringing had gotten louder and Steve began to feel weak. He began to breath heavily and the room went white slightly. Steve tried to concentrate on Howard. He opened the box with a key and opened it. The cube was pulsing and glowing brightly.

Steve saw Howard looking at the cube in a confused manner. "What the- Steve?!" Howard turned to see Steve gripping onto the table. Suddenly the room began to spin and Steve lost his balance. His head racked with pain. Steve leaned against the wall and suddenly flashes of memories went through Steve's mind.

**************Dream Flashback*************

Bucky?" Steve asked. There, in the middle of the street, the Winter Soldier stood. "Who the heck is Bucky?" He said and aimed a pistol at Steve.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Steve sat in the armored car with his hands bound in a metal containment mechanism. "He had no idea who I was." "It's not your fault Steve." Natasha slurred. She was loosing tuns of blood.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Steve stood over Loki. Tony Stark or Iron Man stood next to him. "Mr. Stark." "Captain."