I don't realize the pod is open until I feel someone's hands on me as they help me out of it. I feel as if I just ran a hundred miles. My heart is beating fast. As if it's going to jump out of my chest at any second. As I open my eyes and notice everyone looking at us in disbelief. The first thing I do notice is I am significantly taller. I used to stand just over five feet but now I know I must be pushing close to six. Am I also significantly more muscular though I still hold my petite form somehow.
Looking up I notice Howard is the one that helped me out of the pod. I glance over to Steve and my eyes go wide. Steve isn't my skinny Steve anymore. He is extremely muscular and is much, and I mean much taller.
I quickly step out of Howard's grip and rush over to Steve wrapping my arms around his exposed abdomen. He is taken by surprise but quickly responds by wrapping his arms around me in return.
"How do you two feel?" I hear Peggy ask us.
"Taller." We say at the same time.
"You two look taller." She said then hands Steve and me shirts before walking off to talk with other people.
I slide the new shirt over my head then I turn back to Steve and smile. "I guess I can't call you smalls anymore," I tell him with a giggle.
"No, I guess not," Steve remarks with a much deeper voice grinning.
I look up into his eyes, "We did it." I marvel starting to get lost in his beautiful blue eyes. The same blue eyes I've been staring into for years.
"Yes, we did." He states in agreement with a small smile.
Every part of me is screaming to kiss him. We both slowly draw our faces closer to each other.
BOOM!
Steve quickly covers my body with his as an explosion rocks the room.
We look up to see a man with a gun taking the last of the serum.
"Stop him!" Erskine bellows.
The man suddenly takes a shot at Erskine which hits him right in the chest. Steve and I run over to him. I start to tear up when I see him laying there. Erskine weakly puts his hand up and points to Steve's chest and then to mine. As if telling us that we have to keep our good hearts. We both nod our heads. Soon after that Erskine takes his last breathe. Steve gets up and runs up the stairs out of the lab. I try to follow him but Howard stops me. "Emily, no let Steve handle this. I need to get blood samples from you to see if we can replicate the serum in case Steve can't get the last dose back."
I sigh but nod allowing Howard to lead me to the medical ward. A nurse comes over with a needle and an empty vial. "Miss, please take a seat."
I do what she says and she sticks the needle into my arm. After a few minutes of sitting there, Steve walks in. The nurse does the same thing to him as she did for me. The nurse then takes the needle out of my arm then walks off.
Steve is sitting across from me with his head held low. I grab his hand entwining it in mine. He looks up at me with sadness in his big blue eyes. We just stay like that in silence until the nurse comes back to take the needle out of Steve. Just then Peggy walks in with a file in her hands.
"Think you got enough?" I ask her.
"Any hope in reproducing the program is locked in both of your genetic codes." She explains while holding the file close to her chest. "But without Dr. Erskine, it could take years."
"He deserved more than this." Steve murmurs while fixing his sleeve.
"If it could only work twice, he'd be proud it was you two." Peggy consoles.
I walk up to Peggy and hug her. She is taken by surprise but quickly wraps her arms around me. "Thank you Peggy for everything."
"You're welcome Em. I would do anything for you. You are my best friend." She smiles at me. "Well come on follow me." Peggy leads us out a door to a room where a submarine looking thing was being examined. Where Howard was explaining something. I overheard one man say, "I'm on a number of committees, Colonel."
"Hydra is the Nazi deep science division. It's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions." Peggy explains.
"Hydra is practically a cult. They worship Schmidt. They think he's invincible." Colonel Phillips finish. Steve and I just stand there listening to them. Though I already know the information being given.
"So what are you going to do about it?" The guy from before questions.
"I spoke to the president this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked." Colonel states walking toward Peggy and me.
"Colonel?" We ask.
"We are taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags Agent Carter, and Agent Barnes. You too Stark. We're flying to London tonight." I look at him confused. What about Steve?
"Sir?" Steve stops Colonel Phillips, before continuing, "If you're going after Schmidt, I want in."
"You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." I stand there stunned after hearing that.
"The serum worked," Steve argues.
"I asked for an army and I got was you. You are not enough."
"What about me I'm an experiment too?" I inquire.
"You are a great agent. You will do better coming with me." He explains then walks off.
I look up at Steve, with guilt in my eyes. I get to go over to London while he has to stay here. 'I'm sorry.' I mouth to him.
'It's okay' He mouths back.
A man walks over and stands in front of Steve, "With all due 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. Paper." He points to a guy who gives Steve the newspaper. Its headline says, Nazis in New York, Mystery Man Saves Child.
"The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. 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?" He leads Steve away from us.
"Sir, that's all I want," Steve states confidently.
"Them congratulations. You just got promoted." He shakes hands with Steve.
I look at him confused. Promoted to what?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon enough we all found out that he didn't get promoted to go fight on the battlefield. But to advertise for some kind of war bonds. He is playing some character named Captain America. I laughed the first time he told me that. It's a stupid name but I will admit it is catchy.
I got sent to London with Peggy, Howard, and Phillips so I missed the chance get to see any of his shows.
As the months ticked went by he continued to grow popular, well Captain America got popular throughout the States.
After a quick solo mission in France, I am sent to a camp in Italy, joining Peggy, Howard and Phillips. Coincidentally at the same time as Steve is here to perform his Captain America act. I beg Peggy to go see the show with me. She after many complaints she finally gives in and agrees to join me.
By the time we get there, the show had already started and Steve is on the stage giving a speech. I almost die laughing when I see his outfit, but noticing the disinterested men opt to contain it.
"I need a volunteer?" Steve speaks into his microphone.
"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" A soldier shouts. All the soldiers start laughing. "Bring back the girls!" Another guy shouts as the soldiers begin to get rowdy.
"I think they only know the one song." Steve attempts to calm the men down.
I start to grow a little annoyed.
"Nice boots tinker bell!" Another guy shouts making them laugh.
"Come on guys, we're on the same team here." Steve attempts. I start to walk towards the stage when another guy shouts, "Hey Captain! Sign this!" He turns pulling down his pants to show his ass.
They soon begin to throw things at him and he quickly runs off the stage. The girls come rushing back on. Peggy finds me and leads me away from the stage and says the Colonel wants to see us. I sigh and head over there feeling bad about Steve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as I got free time I make my way back to the stage in order find Steve. I find him sitting backstage while rain pours down into the camp. He has his sketchbook out on his lap drawing.
"Steve?" I ask quietly.
"Em, hi." He doesn't look up at me. I take a seat next to him and look at what he is drawing. On the page is a monkey in his Captain uniform riding a unicycle. I knew instantly that, it was how he is feeling.
"Is that what you feel like? A dancing monkey?" I question lightly.
He nods not saying a word. I wrap my arms around him and we just sit there in silence listening to the rain, enjoying each other's company.
"I'm sorry," I whisper nudging my face against his neck softly, my hot breath fanning his cheek.
"Why this isn't your fault." He looks up at me with defeat in his eyes.
I sigh, "I got to continue my job, while you here doing this show. You know... I always thought you were meant for more than this."
"It's not your fault Phillips didn't want me. I am honestly happy that you are at least doing what you love." He looks out in the distance then sighs and looks up at me, "But you know, for the longest time, I dreamt about going overseas and being on the front lines, serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted and I'm wearing tights."
I give him a sad smile and just lay my head on his shoulders.
After a few minutes Peggy runs over with her jacket over her head to stay dry. Once she joins us she looks over at me informing me that she needed to talk to me, I sit up when I hear a car drive up honking its horn.
"They look like they've been through hell." Steve comments.
"These men more than most," Peggy tells him while I listen. "Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him, less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what is left of the 107th. Rest were killed or captured." My head snaps quickly toward Peggy. No one told me this is the 107th we were with. The only thing that was on my mind is... Bucky.
"The 107th?" Steve and I question at the same time.
"What?" She looks at us confused.
"Peggy, why didn't you tell me it was the 107th earlier?" I ask her jumping up.
"I didn't think about it." She looks at us confused.
Steve and I run to Colonel Phillips's tent. We enter and find him typing up letters.
"Colonel Phillips," I announce walking up to him.
"Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man with a plan." Phillips jokes. "What is your plan today?" He asks.
"I need the casualty list from Azzano." Steve orders.
"You don't get to give me orders, son." Phillips sternly states.
"We just need one name, Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th." I gently plea with him.
"You and I are going to have a conversation later which you will not enjoy." He points at me.
I nod anxiously waiting for him to answer, "Please tell me if he's alive, sir. He is my brother."
Phillips looked at me and for a moment I saw a solemn look take over his eyes. He then gets up and starts looking at his files.
"I've signed more of these condolence letters today that I would care to count." I start to feel a sense of dread start to build up at his tone, "But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry."
At that moment my world comes crashing down. I lost my twin, my best friend. Steve holds me against him as I feel my legs give out. I completely tune out the rest of the conversation. The only thing on my mind was Bucky. I never thought I would lose him like this. Not in a million years did I see this coming.
"Em?" I hear Steve ask.
I look up at him finally registering his voice and coming back to my surroundings.
"Let's go." He states pulling me out of the tent.
I look at him confused while we walk out of the tent, "Let's go where?"
"Save Bucky." He said, before taking off toward the stage.
I run after him and find him backstage grabbing stuff.
"What do you mean save Bucky?" I ask confused.
"I'm going to Hydra's base and saving him and the rest of the 107th," Steve explains.
"What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?" I ask him as he packs a bag.
"If that's what it takes."
"You heard the Colonel. Bucky is dead." I state finally feeling a few tears escape my eyes.
"Emily! Do you hear yourself! He is your brother and my best friend we can't just give up on him!" He shouts.
"Fine! But I am going with you!" I yell back at him.
"No, you aren't. You are staying here." He objects sternly
"Steve like you said he is my brother. Remember we stick together." I follow him outside. Where he places the bag in the back of a jeep.
"Always and forever. But I have to go alone."
"Steve." I press again.
"You told me that I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?" He questions looking at me with his big puppy dog eyes.
"Every word," I say looking at him.
"Then you got to let me go."
I sigh and think of a way to get him there faster. "I can do more than that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After our conversation, I drive Steve over to Howard's tent, asking him if he could fly Steve to Austria. Howard and I have become great friends after the procedure, and well he owes me for something that happened a few months back. I also let Peggy in on our plans and she insists on coming with.
Peggy begins to explain the details about Hydra to Steve, while Stark flies the plane.
"The Hydra camp is in Kreuzberg. It's tucked between these two mountain ranges. It's a factory of some kind." I explain.
"We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep," Howard shouts from the pilot's seat.
"Just get me as close as you can," Steve shouts back. While putting his parachute on.
"You know you two are gonna be in a lot of trouble when you land," Steve tells me while tightening his parachute.
"And you won't?" I retort with a small smile.
"Where I'm are going, if anybody yells at me, I can just shoot them." He points out.
"They will undoubtedly shoot back."
"Well let's hope this shield is good for something." Steve looks down at his shield.
"Agent Barnes?" I hear Howard chime in. "If we're not in too much of a hurry I thought we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue." I roll my eyes at him at the same time I notice Peggy lightly whack his shoulder. Looking back to Steve I find him with a off look crossing his face. "Stark is the best civilian pilot I've ever seen," I explain. "He's mad enough to brave this airspace. We're lucky to have him."
"So do you two... Do you... Fondue?" Steve inquires but I ignore him.
"This is your transponder. Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you." I tell him as he takes it from my hands.
"Are you sure this thing works?" Steve questions Howard.
"It's been tested more than you, pal," Howard responds.
The plane suddenly jerks from the explosions coming from outside. Steve gets up heading to the door.
"Steve, get back here! We're taking you all the way in!" I shout over the explosions.
"As soon as I'm clear you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!" Steve orders.
"You can't give me orders."
"The hell I can't! I'm a captain!" He shouts back, putting his goggles on. He flashes me a grin then jumps out of the plane. I watch as he falls, I can't help but think the worst as I watch him free fall to the ground. I let out a sigh of relief when I see his parachute deploy.
I quickly close the door and get back in my seat. "Howard go! We need to get out of here!" I yell as explosions continue to rock the plane. He turns around steering us back to base. I worry about Steve, I am hoping he gets back alive.
Howard interrupted my thoughts, "So... Fondue?" He asks.
"Howard!" Peggy shrieks smacking him.
I glare at him, "No."