I looked at Steve as he sat in a bed as a nurse took his blood.
"Think you got enough?" Steve asked rolling down his sleeve.
"Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code. But without Dr. Erskine it would take years." Peggy said.
"He deserved more than this." Steve said sadly.
"If it could work, only once, he'd be proud it was you." Peggy told him.
————
"HYDRA is the Nazi deep-science division. it's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions." Peggy explained as we walked over to Colonel Philips and a couple other men that stood in front of the strange submarine.
"HYDRA is practically a cult. They worship Schmidt. They think he's invincible." Colonel Philips said.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" One of the men asked.
"I spoke to the President this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked." Colonel Philips said walking over to Peggy and I.
"Colonel?" I questioned.
"We are taking the fight to HYDRA. Pack your bags, Agent Carter, Agent Barnes. You, too, Stark." Colonel Philips told us. "We're flying to London tonight."
"Sir? If you're going after Schmidt, I want in." Steve said.
"You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." Colonel Philips told him.
"The Serum worked." Steve said.
"I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough." Colonel Philips stepped to walk away.
"Colonel, you can't do this to him. He's better than any Soldier you've ever had even before the serum." I protest.
"Then if you feel that way, Agent Barnes you can stay with him." Colonel Philips told me.
"(Y/n)..." Steve started.
"I've made up my mind." I say.
"With all do respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." One of the man known as Brandt, who was previously with the Colonel said as he stood in front of Steve. "Paper. The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands." A man walked over handing Brandt the paper.
The headline read, 'NAZIS IN NEW YORK MYSTERY MAN SAVES CHILD.' I scanned the page and found some stuff about me but not as much as there was about Steve.
"You don't take a Soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?" Brandt asked.
"Sir, that's all I want." Steve agreed.
"Then, congratulations. You just got promoted." Brandt said.
—————
I stood by Steve as he took some breaths.
"I don't know if I can do this." Steve sighed.
"Nothing to it. You sell a few bonds. Bonds buy bullets. Bullets kill Nazis. Bing bang boom. You're an American hero." Brandt's Aid said.
"It's just not how I pictured getting there." Steve said.
"The Senator has got a lot of pull up on the Hill. You play ball with us, you'll be leading your own platoon in no time. Take the shield." He told him. "Go."
"Good luck." I say as Steve is pushing out on stage.
Brandt's Aid looked me up and down again before asking, "Are you sure you don't want to be a dancer?"
"Positive." I replied.
———
"Who's strong and brave here to save the American way?" Woman sang.
"Not all of us can storm a beach or drive a tank. But there's still a way all of us can fight." Steve spoke.
"Who vows to fight like a Man for what's right night and day?
"Series E Defense Bonds. Each one you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun."
"Who will campaign door-to-door for America? Carry the flag shore to shore for America? From Hoboken to Spokane The Star-Spangled Man with a plan. We can't ignore there's a threat and a war we must win. Who'll hang a noose on the goose-stepping goons from Berlin? Who will redeem, heed the call for America? Who'll rise or fall, give his all for America? Who's here to prove that we can? The Star-Spangled Man with a plan. Stalwart and steady and true. Forceful and ready to defend. The red, white, and blue. Who'll give the Axis the sack and is smart as a fox? Far as an eagle will soar. Who's making Adolf afraid to step out of his box? He knows what we're fighting for. Who waked the giant that napped in America? We know it's no one but Captain America. Who'll finish what they began? Who'll kick the Krauts to Japan? The Star-Spangled Man. With a Plan!"
—————
I travelled place to place with Steve for weeks, never going on stage but the song still got embedded in my brain weather I liked it or not. I have been asked countless times to be a dancer but every single time I said no, I am still an Agent no a dancer wanting attention. But I always worried about Bucky every since he left I hadn't heard a single word from him not even a letter.
———
"How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?" Steve asked and the crowd was completely silent. We were in Italy at an army base camp five miles from the front. "Ok. Uh... I need a volunteer?"
"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" I heard a man yell causing the crowd to laugh.
"Bring back the girl's!" Another man asked causing all to cheer in agreement.
"I think they only know the one song, but, um, I'll see what I can do." Steve told them.
"You do that sweetheart." A man mocked.
"Nice boots, Tinker Bell!" Another one yelled.
"Come on, guys, we're all on the same team here." Steve said hopelessly.
"Hey, Captain! Sign this!"
It wasn't long till the girls came running past me to get back on the stage and for Steve to come back.
"I thought you did great." I say.
"I don't think so." Steve sighed.
"Don't worry, pal. They'll warm up to you. Don't worry." Brandt's aid said to Steve.
—————
I sat down beside Steve on the steps behind the stage listening to the rain fall and watching Steve draw.
"Hello, Steve. (Y/n)." I heard a familiar voice say.
"Hi." Steve said happily looking up.
"Peggy." I smiled.
"Hi." Peggy said.
"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.
"Officially, I'm not here at all. That was quite a performance." Peggy said as she sat down on the other side of Steve.
"Yeah. I had to improvise a little bit." Steve explained, "The crowds I'm used to are usually more, uh."
"Twelve." I say before Steve could.
"I understand you're America's New Hope.'" Peggy said.
"Bond sales take up a 10% bump in every state I visit." Steve told her.
"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?" Peggy questioned.
"At least he's got me doing this. Phillips would have had me stuck in a lab." Steve said.
"And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey?" Peggy asked looking at Steve's drawing, "You were meant for more than this, you know. (Y/n) you as well. What?"
"You know, for the longest time, I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted and I'm wearing tights." Steve said but right as he finished speaking there was a loud honk from a car horn.
We look to see men rushing over to an ambulance and taking out someone.
"They look like they've been through hell." Steve commented.
"These men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men when up against him, and less then 50 returned. Your audience contains what was left of the 107th. The rest were killed or captured." As those words left Peggy's mouth my heart dropped.
"No." I gasped.
"The 107th?" Steve immediately questioned.