1943
Each passing day, she looked upon Dr. Erskine as a parental figure and while she kept her promise to write the Robertson family, she had been getting lessons from Erskine on the science subject as he worked. WIthin the time he had come into the SSR, Nat had been enjoying their talks.
"Natalie, come here," he said, and as she looked at the blue-liquefied material, she asked, "That's it?"
"Yes, but I must find the most selfless person to take it." He looked at her, "While I find our talks interesting and all that, I mean a man." Nat smirked at the comment he said, and while she already knew they wanted a man, she nodded anyways. "I prefer our talks and I have no need for a super soldier serum."
"Do you know where we will find a subject who would be a start?" He asked, and she thought about it. "Mr. Stark has a show going on tonight, maybe we can check it out while looking for someone. It will be close to the recruitment center, or wait for Colonel Phillips to make some egotistical man become a candidate for it."
"You know what? I will bring you." he said and then noted, "Go grab a civilian outfit and I will meet you at the recruitment center by the concert." Nat nodded and taking her leave, she ran into Colonel Phillips, "McGregor, I came to check on the doctor."
"He needed to rest, but the formula needs to rest," she noted to the Colonel, who didn't like her explanation asked, "And you aren't staying with him?" Nat smirked at the Colonel, "He told me to enjoy the day off." The Colonel was about to say something, but the girl had already left, excited to try on the new dress she had bought, light blue with a bow on the side, long-sleeved and girly enough to feel herself.
Having changed into her dress, she twirled in front of the body-sized mirror, her curls loose and full of life as she took a walk, then looking at the movie theater, she decided to see the new cartoon that had been released, and having found a seat, she watched the propaganda for getting men to enlist in the army when one idiot complained the first time. Another man had told him to shut up and when she heard the first one talking again, she stood up this time, "Keep that trap of a mouth shut, got it?" and the second man who had told the first one to shut up said to show some respect and got the man's attention to look in their direction.
At the end of the cartoon, Nat had just walked out when she heard someone hitting a garbage can and then she went over to investigate, and saw the bully beating on the much smaller man when one man in a uniform came to get the smaller guy out of the fight kick the big guy's ass. The man went and ran in her when he smirked, "Hello beautiful." And that was met with a punch from her, and with enough force to break his nose. "Next time you disrespect the men who laid down their lives to give assholes like you a reason to pick on a guy who cannot hold himself, you will meet more than your match." She had been lucky that no blood had gotten onto her dress as the two men came towards them. "Thanks," the man in the uniform said and she scoffed, "Men like that need to be taken a few inches down."
"Sergeant Bucky Barnes, at your service." Bucky nodded towards her and his friend afterwards, "Steve Rogers."
"Natalie McGregor. Pleasure to meet you both." she said and holding out her hand to shake both of theirs, she wondered if Mr. Rogers would have done something differently if he hadn't tried to stick up in the theaters. "Are you both going to the exhibition tonight?"
"Of course." Bucky said, having handed Steve a newspaper and he asked, "Are you?"
"I am with.. a friend." she said, then went over to hug Steve, "Thank you for sticking up to that bully. Mother was a nurse in the first world war. She recently passed."
"I'm sorry to hear," Bucky said and she shrugged, "She isn't suffering anymore." She said and then waved to the two men, "I will hopefully see you around!" and went to go to the recruitment station, knowing Erskine was waiting on her. When he saw her, he asked, "How was your afternoon?"
"Jerk at the cinema wouldn't shut up." she noted, her one hand looking a little red than the other. "And you punched him? That isn't very selflessness of you."
"I punched him after he had his ass handed to him by an officer he tried to fight with." She said, then sighed, "I don't feel like going to the exhibition now. Do you think-"
Then she heard the voices. The two men were there? She knew Mr. Rogers would be denied, then when hearing what Steve had to say, she looked at Dr. Erskine, "There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than him. That's what you don't understand, this isn't about me." Someone selfless, and could prove something at least if the serum really did work. After she saw the two men embrace and then part ways, Bucky leaving to go dancing with the girls, Steve to try and be recruited.
She presented her back to him as he passed by and knowing what Dr. Erskine was planning, she followed him towards where they were doing the examination. A military police officer going in with Dr. Erskine as she said, "If he is indecent, I am not taking a chance."
"Be my guest and wait, I shouldn't be too long." He said and as he went behind the curtain, she waited. She could hear the discussion and when Erskine had left, he looked at her and behind him was Steve, "Natalie?"
"Ah, Mr. Rogers," she greeted him and Erskine asked, "You mean..." when she gave a look to mean yes, he said, "Maybe I need more of you, Miss McGregor." he walked away from her as Steve looked at her, more confused about what had just happened.
"Welcome to the Army, Mr. Rogers." she said and he then asked, "Wait, you're a soldier, too? And to think they wouldn't-"
"No, no. You have it wrong, I am an assistant for Dr. Erskine. He just happens to work for the Army." She noted, she wasn't sure how much of the SSR she should be explaining, so she said, "I will see you on your first day." and she left to make Steve wonder what the hell happened in that brief period of time.
~~~~~~
She had arrived at Camp Lehigh in New Jersey the night before, she had spoken with Colonel Phillips, who with enough coaxing, allowed her to participate with the other men who were possible candidates for the serum. Having been dressed and ready to go in the morning at 0800, she watched as other men formed in line and having been kept a few bodies away from Steve, she stood there as Peggy introduced herself and then with a cadet by the name of Hodges tried to disrespect her friend, the woman proved her spirit when she gave him a good punch in the face. Nat had to use every fiber in her body from laughing when Colonel Phillips came and asked Peggy if she had been breaking in the new cadets for him.
After his speech, she saw how he didn't like Steve and when Peggy pulled her to the side, she asked, "What the bloody blazes are you doing?"
"Proving that an underdog has a chance. Don't worry, I already know, I am not getting chosen, but it's to make the other men sweat at least." She said, and then going to do the tasks, she watched Rogers struggle, and even Hodges seemed to glare at her the most, so when it came to the crawl under the barbed wire, she was about at the same spot as Hodges when he kicked the post in which Steve was then stuck under and Sergeant Duffy shouting at Steve to get his rifle out of the mud, she whispered to the man, "Knock it off. You proved you're better than him, now stop being a bully."
"What are you going to do to me, McGregor?" Then he laughed, "What the hell is the name McGregor? Your father and you wear your skirts like fags?" she knew Peggy was watching when Hodges started to dance around, shouting, "My ass!" Peggy chuckled a bit, before Phillips came over, "Is there an issue, McGregor?"
"No sir," she said, trying to sound gruff before she cut the small fire that had started in the poor guy's pants. When Sergeant Duffy made then run in formation, she had been placed beside Steve and she kept pace with him until they had reached the flagpole. "You see this flagpole? This is the halfway point, ladies." She wasn't as winded as Steve was, but when the men were fighting to go up the post to grab the flag, she saluted to Duffy, "Sergeant, may I continue to jog?"
"Yes, you may, McGregor." She had gotten almost 3/4 of the way back when she saw Peggy and Steve in the back of the jeep, her laughing as she continued, and then when it came to the rest of the training, Nat had come beside Dr. Erskine who was convincing Phillips to take the fact Mr. Rogers is the best candidate.
"Hodges passed every test we've thrown at him. Rogers had not."
"Colonel, Hodges is a bully, and if I have to hear him make fun of my name again, he will be dancing longer than when you interrupted."
When Erskine had taken out a dummy grenade, she watched as Steve ran for it, instead of away like everyone else. With her hair now down, she nodded to Peggy and Phillips stating, "He's still skinny."
While she was watching over Erskine, she had spoken to him about the whole fight and how she had met Mr. Rogers, after he had spoken to him before coming here. Erskine had made his choice before speaking with Colonel Phillips and it was certain. When she was outside of the bunker, Erskine had gone into the bunk to speak with Steve as she stood outside.
Hodges seemed to not like the fact a woman had proved herself more than he could ever and he asked, "What did you do, McGregor?" Having left her hair down, she turned to the man before saying, "I don't know, maybe you didn't wipe properly and it was irritating your ass."
"You did something. I know you did." He glared at her and as Erskine was coming out, she glared right back, "Back off, soldier, or I will regret doing the next thing that comes to mind."
"What can-" then her knee came up and Hodge shouted, Erskine shaking his head, "Seems Mr. Rogers would like to speak with you." Leaving the doctor with the recruit she had crippled for a few minutes, she went into the bunk, and Steve turned to her. "Thank you, everyone else picked on the little guy. But not you."
"Well, the little guy should be able to use the element of surprise to his advantage," she said and taking a seat on one of the beds, she said, "You would be going with Agent Carter tomorrow for Project Rebirth. I will be with Dr. Erskine though and will be there to get you through it."
"Thank you again, Miss McGregor." he said and after she nodded, she took her leave to a car waiting with Dr. Erskine in it, "Back to New York then?"
"Yes," she said and giving a loud sigh, got lost in her thoughts.
~~~~~
Natalie had been up since dawn, suppressing yawns as she downed her second cup of coffee. Mr. Howard Stark looked at her and asked, "Long night?"
"Don't get me started, Mr. Stark. Let's say I had to teach a few men to respect women." she noted sourly, Dr. Erskine waiting for Steve and Peggy to get there. In which he had then pulled Natalie to the side, "Do you remember the equations I had on my board?" Nat shook her head, she didn't think it was right, so instead of reading the equations to understand, Erskine nodded, "Good, less of a chance you could be killed."
"I'm sorry, killed? You mean HYDRA. Do not worry, Dr. Erskine, we have the best-"
"Child, you are mistaken, I have perfected the serum, and if I do die, I die knowing it went to the right person this time." he put a hand on her shoulder, "Do not fear my demise as I have seen it coming for years now." Nat nodded and when Steve and Peggy showed up, she stood to the side and spoke to Howard, "I would like to see this work."
"Don't we all, doll," he said and as Erskine spoke to the crowd, one of the men in the viewing window asked the Colonel, "What is she doing down there? I thought there was only enough for one."
"She is down there in case anything goes wrong." she read the Colonel's mouth, and remembered why she had volunteered. She was the control on any fires that may break out, and protecting all the Senators that had come to witness everything.
Peggy stepped beside her and asked, "Do you think this will work?"
"I believe that it will, but at what cost, I am not a hundred percent sure," she stated, knowing she had to have faith in Erskine. The man was brilliant, and when he was in the vita-ray chamber, she watched like the men on top, yet one seemed to not fit, but she wasn't sure what stuck that man out like a sore thumb. Hearing the shouts, Erskine had called to turn off the machine, in which Rogers stated to keep going and that he could go through with it to the way, and with that, the process had been completed, Rogers coming out a lot taller and as though he had been to the gym recently while eating properly.
"It worked.." Nat said quietly to herself. Peggy was amazed as well. And as everyone went onto the floor as they helped Steve out of the chamber, she saw Erskine's face as if he was seeing an old ghost and then the explosion went off.
"For God's sake," she said, using her abilities to make the bomb's effects less damaging for anyone close by, the man whom she had a bad feeling of took the last vial of the serum and then with everyone covering, the man shot Erskine. "No-" she gasped as she ran over, catching the doctor just as Rogers was, tears were coming to her as Rogers then went after the man. Erskine had died and she had failed.
"McGregor, my office, now." Phillips stated and with that, she left the man whom she had grown attached to as a child on the cold ground.
A/N: Thank you for getting this far. This is the first Marvel/Avengers/Captain America fanfiction that I forgot to state that anything Captain America, Marvel, or The Avengers related is owned by the respected parties and in turn, only Natalie and a few other unfamiliar names are of my own creation (If anyone got who Mr. Stan from Chapter 1 is supposed to be portrayed by, brownie points for you). Thank you and I will try and keep up with this story as long as I am not able to find a job and am under "house arrest" until the world slowly gets more opened.