An Epitaph to War

05

The next day, Steve and Peggy drove through Brooklyn as they made their way to the facility.

Steve glanced out the window at their surroundings and said, "I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner."

"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy asked.

"You start running they'll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. Can't say no forever, right?"

"I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face."

"I guess I just don't know why you'd wanna join the army if you're a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful... a woman. An agent, not a dame! You are beautiful, but..."

"You have no idea to talk to a woman, do you?"

"Besides the time I've talked with Liesl, this is the longest conversation I've had with one. Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."

"You must have danced?"

"Well, asking a woman to dance always seems terrifying. And the past few years just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait."

"For what?"

"The right partner."

They pulled up by an antiques shop and got out of the car.

"This way," Peggy instructed.

"What are we doing here?" Steve asked.

"Follow me."

The two went inside.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" the antique store owner questioned.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," Peggy replied.

The antique store owner pushed a button, causing a door to open and they were told to proceed.

Peggy led Steve into the hidden lab.

---

Dr. Erskine and his team were in a big circular room filled with machinery and a pod in the middle.

"Good morning," Dr. Erskine repeated, shaking Steve's hand and someone took a photograph. "Please, not now." The photographer walked away; Steve looked at the pod. "Are you ready?" Steve nodded. "Good. Take off your shirt, your tie and your hat."

Steve did as instructed, then climbed into the pod and laid down.

"Comfortable?" Dr. Erskine asked.

"It's a little big," Steve said. "You save me any of that Schnapps?"

"Not as much as I should have. Sorry. Next time. Mr. Stark, how are your levels?"

"Levels at 100%," Howard replied.

"Good."

"We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready as we'll ever be."

"Agent Carter? Don't you think you'd be more comfortable in the booth?"

"Oh, yes," Peggy answered. "Of course. Sorry."

"Good." He took a microphone and tapped it. "Do you hear me? Is this on?" He spoke to the small group that had gathered to watch Steve's preparation to become a super soldier. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. We begin with a series of micro injections into the subject's major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. And then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays."

Once the preliminary injection had occurred, Steve said, "That wasn't so bad."

"That was penicillin." He spoke to the others. "Serum infusion beginning in five, four, three, two, one." The serum was injected into Steve. "Now, Mr. Stark." Howard lowered a lever, causing the pod to move upright with Steve enclosed inside. Dr. Erskine knocked on the capsule. "Steven, can you hear me?"

"It's probably too late to go to go to the bathroom, right?" Steve asked.

Dr. Erskine turned to Howard. "We will proceed."

Howard managed the controls as he said, "That's ten percent. Twenty percent. Thirty. That's 40%."

"Vital signs are normal," an SSR doctor informed.

Steve screamed in pain as he received the Vita-Rays.

"Steven!" Dr. Erskine called.

"Shut it down," Peggy ordered.

"Steven!" He knocked on the pod.

"Shut it down!"

"Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark! Turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactor!"

"No!" Steve yelled. "Don't! I can do this!"

"Eighty. Ninety. That's 100%," Howard said. Everything overloaded until the reactor closed itself down.

"Mr. Stark?" Dr. Erskine called as Howard opened the pod. "Steven," Dr. Erskine said. "Steven."

Everyone poured out of the observation chamber.

As Steve stumbled out of the pod supported by Howard and Dr. Erskine, he said, "I did it."

"Yeah, yeah," Dr. Erskine replied. "I think we did it."

Howard grinned. "We actually did it."

As Peggy walked up to Steve, she asked, "How do you feel?"

"Taller."

"You look taller." Peggy touched Steve's abs and a small moan escaped her lips.

"How do you like Brooklyn now, Senator?" Colonel Phillips asked.

"I can think of some folks in Berlin who are about to get very nervous," Senator Brandt replied. "Congratulations, Doctor." He shook hands with Dr. Erskine.

"Thank you, sir," Dr. Erskine replied.

A bomb was detonated in the observation room and Kruger used the confusion to steal the last vial of the serum.

"Stop him!" Dr. Erskine cried. Kruger shot him and fled with Peggy chasing after him.

Steve knelt beside Dr. Erskine who pointed at Steve's chest and died.

Steve ran after Kruger. He shoved Peggy out of the way just before she could shoot.

"I had him!" Peggy cried.

"Sorry!" Steve apologized as he ran after the cab.

While chasing the car, Steve lost control over his new power and crashed into a bridal wear store. "I'm sorry."

He ran out into a street full of cars.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Steve yelled, catching up to Kruger's car at the pier and lost control again. Kruger got out of the car and took a young boy hostage.

"No!" the mother cried. "No! No! Not my son!"

"Stop it!" the young boy said.

"Don't hurt him!"

"Get back!" Kruger ordered before running away with the boy dangling in his arms.

"Let me go!" the young boy demanded.

"Let go of him!" the mother yelled. "Don't hurt him!"

As Kruger pointed a gun at the boy's head, Steve cried, "Wait, don't! Don't!" Kruger pointed the gun at Steve and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty. He threw the boy into the water. "No! Don't! Kruger ran and Steve looked at the boy.

"Go get him!" the boy told Steve. "I can swim!"

Kruger tried to escape in a submarine, but Steve jumped into the water, broke the window, and Steve pulled Kruger out back onto dry land. As they struggled further, the vial broke. Some of the contents of the liquid were on a shard of glass.

"Who the hell are you?" Steve demanded.

"The first of many," Kruger replied. "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA!" He popped a fake tooth loose and swallowed it, soon starting to foam at the mouth and died.