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Steve Rogers walked the halls of the United State Armed Services Recruitment Center with a dejected look. Standing in front of a poster with a cut out face of a saluting Soldier, Steve had his face illuminated and placed onto it, only to see only have his face due to his size and stature. "Come on." Someone hit his shoulder lightly. "You're missing the point of a double date." Steve turned, and saw his best friend, James Barnes, or as he called him, Bucky. "We're taking the girls dancing." Steve shook his head.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you." Bucky sighed, knowing exactly what he was planning on doing.
"You're really going to do this again?" Bucky asked. Steve shrugged.
"Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck." Steve explained.
"As who, Steve from Ohio?" Bucky asked. "They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you."
"Look, I know you don't think I can do this." Steve tried to explain.
"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war." Bucky tried to get his best friend to see that this was life or death. Not some fight he could get out of with help.
"I know it's a war." Steve stated.
"Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs." Bucky stated.
"What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?" Steve scoffed.
"Yes. Why not?"
"I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky. Bucky, come on. There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them." Steve stated. "That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."
"Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove." Bucky said, before sighing. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." Bucky ordered.
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Steve returned. Bucky chuckled before pulling Steve into a hug.
"You're a punk."
"Jerk. Be careful." Steve ordered. "And don't win the war till I get there!" Bucky saluted his friend as he left. Steve turned and walked to the enlisting area. But unbeknownst to him, he had been observed by two others.
"I think you've found your candidate, sir." Y/N told Dr. Erskine.
"I believe you are right." The doctor agreed, before following Steve. Y/N stayed put, letting the doctor gain distance away from him as he began to grin like an idiot.
"...and here, we, go." Y/N said, before turning heel and walking after Dr. Erskine. Steve was currently finishing an examination to see if he was eligible to join the army, when a nurse walked in and whispered something to the doctor, who nodded, and began packing up.
"Wait here." He told Steve.
"Is there a problem?" Steve asked, nervously.
"Just wait here." The doctor repeated and pulled the curtains closed. Steve quickly rushed over to a chair and pulled on his boots, believing that he was about to be in some major trouble, when a soldier walked in, and Steve froze. But he was immediately confused when Dr. Erskine and Y/N walked in.
"Thank you." Erskine said to the soldier, who left. Y/N looked Steve up and down.
"I forgot how skinny he was in the beginning. Jesus. The super soldier serum did wonders." Y/N thought.
"So, you want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis." Erskine said, reading Steve's file.
"Excuse me?" Steve asked.
"Dr. Abraham Erskine." Erskine introduced himself. "And this is my assistant. Y/N." Y/N waved, trying to keep his excitement low. "We represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve."
"Steve Rogers." Steve said, shaking the man's hand. "Where are you from?" Steve noted the man's accent.
"Queens. 73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany. This troubles you?" Erskine asked.
"No." Steve answered. "How about you?" He pointed at Y/N.
"Here. America." Y/N said. Not a complete lie, but enough to where he could keep his origins a secret.
"Where are you from, Mr. Rogers?" Erskine asked. "Is it New Haven? Or Paramus?" Steve realized the file was on every single one of the tries he had taken to get into the army. "Five exams in five different cities."
"That might not be the right file." Steve tried to explain.
"No, it's not the exams I'm interested in." Erskine stated. "It's the five tries. But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill nazis?"
"Is this a test?" Steve asked.
"Yes." Erskine said.
"I don't want to kill anyone." Steve explained. "I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from." Y/N smiled.
"Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is a little guy." Erskine said. Steve raised an eyebrow. "I can offer you a chance." He pulled the curtains open and stepped out of the room and Y/N followed. "Only a chance."
"I'll take it."
"Good." Erskine stamped down on Steve's application.
"So where is the little guy from? Actually?" Erskine asked.
"Brooklyn." Steve answered.
"Congratulations, soldier." Erskine handed Steve his file. Y/N patted the mans shoulder.
"Welcome to the army." Y/N grinned.
- Timeskip -
Steve stood in formation with the other soldiers. He was one of the few in line who stood at attention, while the rest were talking to one another. "Recruits, attention!" Quickly, everyone stood up straight with their arms at their sides. "Gentlemen, I am Agent Carter. This is Dr. Erskine's assistant Y/N L/N. I supervise all operations for this division." Y/N was carrying a box with clipboards in them and was handing them out, but was having trouble doing so with only being able to use one hand to hold the box.
"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria?" A soldier asked. "I thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army." Y/N's eyes went wide as he quickly handed the clipboards out.
"What's your name, soldier?" Agent Carter asked pointedly, standing in front of the soldier.
"Gilmore Hodge, Your Majesty." He answered, cockily. Y/N winced as he moved around Agent Carter and continued to hand out clipboards.
"Step forward, Hodge." Carter ordered. Hodge chuckled, but obeyed. "Put your right foot forward."
"We gonna wrassle? 'Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like." Hodge winked, before receiving a swift right hook from Agent Carter, knocking him to the floor. Y/N burst into laughter, unable to help himself. Hodge picked himself up and glares at Y/N. "What's so funny?!"
"You picked a fight with one of the best agents we've got, and got laid out in one punch." Y/N explained, handing out clip boards and still laughing. "And you deserved it." Hodge stormed over to Y/N.
"Hodge! Back in line." Agent Carter ordered. But Hodge didn't listen. He swung wide, going for a right hook, aimed right at Y/N's left cheek. But the color in Y/N's eyes shimmered.
"Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, 1989. Issue #9." Y/N's eyes turned from Y/E/C to Dark Blue, before dodging his attack and smashing the box that once held the clipboards over his head, knocking Hodge to the ground before someone yelled out him.
"Agent Carter! Boy!"
"Colonel Phillips." Agent Carter stood up straight as Y/N grumbled quietly as his eyes went back to normal.
"I can see that you are breaking in the candidates. That's good!" Philips said, before glaring at Y/N. "But show a bit more respect. These are the future soldiers that are gonna win the war."
"Respect is earned. Not given." Y/N stated. Philips scoffed, before looking at Hodge.
"Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention till somebody comes tells you what to do."
"Yes, sir!" Hodge said, dusting himself off and wiping the blood from his nose.
"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapon, but they are won by men." Hodge stated, inspecting each and every one of the cadets. "We are going to win this war because we have the best men." He noticed Steve, and he was utterly disappointed, but hid it to a degree. The only reason people would know was that he hesitated to continue after seeing the man. "And because they are going to get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man." He pointed to every solider in line, but Y/N knew who was going to be picked. "At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldier. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of hell."
The following weeks would fly by. Steve was put through the ringer, as he was both the smallest and skinniest in the whole program. He would be laughed at and ridiculed by most of his other peers, especially Hodge, who would make things intentionally harder for him, like kicking down the support beam of an obstacle course, causing the barbed wire to fall onto him. Later on, in the training Steve would be falling behind in running formation as the soldiers approached a flagpole.
"Pick up the pace, ladies!" The Training Officer ordered. "Let's go, let's go! Double time! Come on! Faster! Faster! Move! Move!" He stopped in behind a Humvee which Agent Carter and Y/N were in. Y/N had filled out everything, so he watched the squad with interest. Mainly the asthmatic Steve Rogers.
"Squad, halt!" The squad halted and Steve was finally able to catch his breath. The Training Officer pointed at the flag. "That flag means we're only at the halfway point. First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Carter and Mr. L/N." The soldiers rushed to the pole, attempting to climb it.
"Move, move! Come on! Get up there! If that's all you got, this army's in trouble!" Hodge pulled the current soldier trying to climb up away and began to try his hand. "Get up there, Hodge!" Y/N chuckled as he watched Hodge lose his grip and fall.
"Come on! Get up there! Nobody's got that flag in 17 years!" He gave the soldiers a few more seconds before seeing no one was going to get the flag. "Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go! Get back into formation!" He ordered. Steve just walked to the flagpole and looked it up and down.
"Rogers! I said fall in!" Steve just took a breath, before holding the flagpole in place and removing the metal rod that kept it standing, before letting it fall. Every single one of the soldiers, as well as the drill sergeant, and Y/N moved over to make room, knowing he had earned the flag.
"Thank you, sir." Steve said to the drill sergeant, handing the flag to him before jumping into the Humvee with Y/N and Agent Carter. He smiled at Agent Carter before they drove off, leaving the rest of the soldiers in the dust.
The next test was just basic exercise, being over seen by Agent Carter. Colonel Phillips and Erskine were walking to the candidates, discussing who was going to be the first super soldier. Y/N followed closely behind, even though he knew what would happen.
"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?" Philips asked.
"I'm more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice." Erskine stated.
"When you brought a 90-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, "What the hell." Maybe he'd be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." Y/N watched the candidates continue their exercise, as Steve struggled to keep up.
"You stick a needle in that kid's arm, it's gonna go right through him." Philips said, before pointing at the man. "Look at that. He's making me cry."
"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Erskine reminded the colonel.
"Do you know how long it took to set up this project? All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?" Philips asked, reminding Erskine that this whole thing wasn't easy to get.
"Brandt. Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts." Erskine stated.
"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him." Philips pointed at the soldier, who wasn't even breaking a sweat in his exercise. "He's big, he's fast. He obeys orders. He's a soldier."
"He is a bully." Both Erskine and Y/N stated.
"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." Philips stated, before walking around to a box of dummy grenades, and grabbing one out of the box. "You win wars with guts." He pulled the pin off the grenade and tossed it to the cadets. "Grenade!" Philips yelled, before everyone began to rush away from it. Agent Carter rushed to throw the grenade as far away as possible, but Steve was closer and quicker, throwing his whole body on top of it.
"Get away! Get back!" Steve yelled, bracing for his inevitable demise. Y/N smiled as he gave Colonel Philips a smug smile.
"I think he's just proven our point, sir." Y/N stated. Steve slowly moved off of the grenade and looked at Philips.
"Is this a test?" Steve asked breathlessly. Philips looked back at Erskine who shrugged.
"He's still skinny." Philips stated, walking away.
"He's still skinny." Y/N mocked quietly, before looking at Steve. "He won't be for long."
- Timeskip -
Steve sat in his quarters alone that night, reading one of the many books he had packed for himself when Erskine knocked on the door. "May I?"
"Yeah." Steve nodded, closing his book as Erskine entered.
"Can't sleep?" The doctor asked.
"I got the jitters, I guess." Steve explained.
"Me, too." Erskine sat himself opposite to Steve on the bed.
"Can I ask you a question?" Steve asked.
"Just one?" Erskine joked.
"Why me?" Steve questioned.
"I suppose that is the only question that matters." Erskine said, before pulling a bottle out of a paper bag. "This is from Augsburg. My city. So many people forget that the first country the nazi's invaded was their own." Erskine sighed.
"You know, after the last war, my people struggled. They felt weak. They felt small. 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. 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. So, when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man."
"Did it make him stronger?" Steve asked, curiously.
"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." Erskine explained with a smile.
"Thanks. I think." Steve said.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man. To the little guys." The two clinked glasses, before Erskine's eyes went wide. "No, no. Wait, wait. What am I doing? No, you have procedure tomorrow. No fluids." Erskine realized, taking back the glass from Steve.
"All right. We'll drink it after." Steve said.
"No, I don't have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after? I drink it now." Erskine stated, downing his glass, making Steve smile.
- POV Change -
Y/N's eyes snapped open, as he looked around his bunk. Noting that everyone was asleep, he threw the thin cloth blanket off of him and pulled on his boots. He snuck out of the bunk, and raced out of camp to a clearing in the woods. Y/N popped his neck as he jumped up and down in place.
"Alright. Let's see what I'm made of." Y/N said, pulling off his jacket, leaving him in a white tank top undershirt. It had been about a month since he had woken up in the MCU, and the testing of his powers was going slowly. He knew that his powers had limitations, he could feel it. But figuring out those limitations came with time and practice. The instant he found a safe place to practice, he immediately tried using everything at his disposal, but found only a fraction would work. Anything past a certain threshold of power was unavailable, as if it were locked behind a door he was not allowed to open. Currently, he wasn't allowed to use anything with powers past the level of Mid-Tier. He could freely use street-level heroes, and a few mid-tier level powers. But things like an Iron Man Suit, or powers like Sentry or Captain Marvel were out of the question.
He braced his whole body and grit his teeth. "Colossus, 1997. Issue #1."
Y/N let out a slow exhale, as his whole body turned into osmium, the metal that covered Colossus' body. He grunted as he got used to his new body, the weight pushing onto him. But he found it protective and safe, knowing very little could harm him. He advanced to a tree, which had many marks and dents on it. He began working into it, as if it were a punching bag. And the tree soon found itself being busted into pieces.
The tree tumbled down, as Y/N felt the metal begin to retract and disappear off of him. Taking in a deep breath, Y/N steadied himself. In his current state, Y/N found himself unable to use more than one power at a time, and the one's he could use drained his energy quickly. He wiped his forehead as he began wondering what to use next.
"I assume that the tree falling wasn't you?" Someone called out to him, and Y/N froze. He knew that voice. He turned and was face to face with Doctor Erskine.
"Evening sir." Y/N
"Y/N. What is all this?" Erskine asked, gesturing to the clearing and the many damaged tree's.
"This is my secret." Y/N stated, sitting down on one of the fallen tree's, and Erskine sat next to him. "But I can't control it. I can't use my full potential."
"Potential is the final stage, in one's path." Erskine stated, sitting next to the boy. "How long have you had these abilities?" Y/N pondered that thought. Erskine was destined to die the following day, so would it hurt to tell him the truth? Or should he stick to character, lying about his past and person.
"My whole life." Y/N said. A half truth. Truthfully, he had only had these powers for a month, but this was his new life and had his powers the whole time since he woke up.
"And you have yet to fully grasp these abilities?"
"Yes sir." Y/N nodded.
"How do you use these abilities?" Erskine asked.
"It's like opening a book. And the knowledge within that book is passed on to me." Y/N explained. "But the use of that knowledge is from someone else, and put into an unfamiliar body. Me."
"What I seem to understand, is that you need to embrace it." Erskine stated. "Do not treat these abilities as foreign pieces of power. Treat them as a part of yourself, and maybe, you will be able to understand and use this gift to your potential." Y/N nodded, taking in what the doctor was saying. "Now, we've been out here for too long. We must get back, we have the procedure tomorrow." Erskine said, standing up and walking back to the camp.
"Dr. Erskine, sir." Y/N called out, and the doctor turned back to Y/N. "It's been an honor working with you sir." Erskine smiled nodded, walking off. Y/N sighed, before looking at his hand. He knew what was going to happen, and knew exactly what power's he was going to try and call upon.
- POV Change -
Armin Zola, a Swiss scientist working for HYDRA, walked into the main room of Johann Schmidt, the leader of HYDRA, but froze in place, seeing him posing for a self portrait. Schmidt flicked a switch and the light pointed at him turned off. "Is there something in particular you need?"
"I understand you found him." Zola said, nervously.
"See for yourself." Schmidt gestured to the table in the room, and Zola went through photo's of Doctor Erskine in America. "You disapprove." Schmidt noted Zola's sadness. "I just don't see why you need concern yourself."
"I can't imagine he will succeed. Again." Zola quickly corrected himself.
"His serum is the Allies' only defense against this power we now possess. If we take it away from them, then our victory is assured." Schmidt stated.
Shall I give the order?" Zola asked.
"It has been given." Schmidt explained.
"Was it someone under... his tutelage?" Zola asked.
"If you are referring to the Society, then you need not worry yourself. I have sent someone more than capable of taking care of this." Schmidt promised.
"Good." Zola turned to leave.
"Dr. Zola!" Zola froze and turned slightly, as Schmidt flicked a switch and turned on the light pointed at the portrait. "What do you think?"
"A masterpiece." Zola stated before leaving.
"I do not require you're help in disposing of trash. Hitler might have sent you to help me, but I need no help from fantasies." Schmidt said to the man cloaked in darkness, hidden in the corner of the room. The man just growled, not liking his work criticized by someone who was a mere child in his eyes, but remained in place. "If things do go wrong, I will allow you to step in." Schmidt stated. The man said nothing and just walked out of the room.