Chapter 3
The days leading up to Steve's transformation were full for both of us. Steve was being given last minute training. Meanwhile, I was learning all I could about the serum and memorizing all that I could. The night before the transformation, I spent with Steve, both of us enjoying just being with one another. Doctor Erskine came to join us halfway through the evening.
"Can I ask a question?" Steve asked.
"Just one?" I snarked.
"Why me?" Steve asked ignoring my comment.
"I suppose that's the only question that matters." Erskine answered, displaying a wine bottle, "This is from Augsburg, my city. So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know, after the last war, they... My people struggled. They... they felt weak... they felt small. Then Hitler comes along with the marching, and the big show, and the flags, and the, and the... and he... he hears of me, and 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.
"Yeah, 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 the 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 told Steve.
"Thanks. I think." Was the reply. Erskine smiled and gestured toward the wine.
"Get it, get it." gesturing to the wine "Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier, but a good man." Erskine instructed Steve.
"To the little guys." Steve said in a toast. Steve was about to drink when Erskine remembered the procedure was happening the next day.
"More for us then." I said jokingly. Erskine smiled softly before pulling something out of his pocket. He held his hand out to me.
"Is that?" I whispered. I thought that I had an idea of what was in his hand but I wasn't sure. Erskine laughed and opened his hand. There in the palm of his hand was a gold link necklace with a small pendant. I reached out and carefully picked it up. Upon closer inspection I could see that the pendant looked almost exactly like a fairy pendant that I had when I was a little girl. I grinned and turned to Steve.
"Steve? Could you please put this on?" I asked. Steve flushed but took the necklace from me and attached it around my neck. With that done Erskine handed me a tiny bottle that the fairy would hold. It was full of a bright blue liquid. The serum.
"I will protect this with my life doctor. Hopefully these precautions will never need to be used." I said. Erskine nodded and handed me one last thing.
"I was able to make two more vials. The procedure tomorrow will use all but one vial that have already been made. Hopefully you will put this to good use. For yourself or others." He told me. The three of us continued to talk about everything and nothing for the next few hours before we turned in for the night.
"I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. Behind that diner." Steve commented as the car drove us through his old neighborhood to the facility where Steve's transformation would take place.
"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy asked.
"You can't say no forever, right. You gotta stand up and push back, ya know." Steve said. I nodded in agreement from my spot in the front. I had turned slightly around just so I could see them and be a part of the conversation.
"I know a little what it's like." Peggy answered in agreement.
"I guess I don't know why you'd want to join the army. You're a beautiful dam... a beautiful, woman... an agent..." Steve told her, stumbling over his words. It was funny to see him get all flustered and tongue-tied because that never happened when he was around me.
"You don't know how to talk to a woman, do you?" Peggy asked, looking slightly annoyed by his rambling.
"I think this is the longest conversation I've had with one." Steve said.
"So what am I, then? Chopped liver?" I asked, hurt by what he had said.
"What?! No! I didn't mean it like that! I... it's just..." Steve backtracked, shaking his head frantically.
"So you think that I'm a guy." I said accusingly.
"No! Your just really easy to talk with." Steve muttered.
"Is that cuz I beat a guy up or?" I asked leaving the question hanging.
"Umm. When you cussed actually." Steve said, embarrassed. Peggy snickered. That was when we finally reached our destination. We exited the car and entered the antique store where Peggy said a code or something before leading us into a back room. We just entered the room when the bookcase at the other end opened to reveal a swarming military complex. We continued on through the doors at the end of the hallway and entered the laboratory where Steve’s transformation was to take place. Everyone momentarily stopped moving to see us and then Peggy was leading us down to Erskine.
"Good Morning." He said smiling. There was a flash of someone taking a picture, "Please not now.”
"You ready?” Erskine asked, Steve nodded hesitantly, “Good.”
“Take off your shirt, your tie, and your hat.” Erskine instructed Steve. I watched, not Steve getting ready but Col. Phillips interactions with the people in the viewing section.
“Senator Brandt, glad you could make it.” Phillips said.
“Why exactly am I in Brooklyn?” He demanded.
“We needed access to the city’s power grid. Of course, if you’d given me the generators I requisitioned...” Phillips began.
“A lot of people are asking for funds, Colonel.” Brandt interjected, “This is a...”
“Fred Clemson, State Department. If this project of yours comes through we’d like to see it used for something other than headlines.” Fred Clemson said.
“Jesus. Somebody get that kid a sandwich.” Brandt commented. That’s when I turned back to Steve. I caught a hold of his hand just before he started to get into the transformation pod. He was shaking a little.
“You’ll be fine. I promise. We’ll be back with Bucky before you know it.” I told him, squeezing his hand encouragingly. He nodded before getting onto the pod's back rest.
“Comfortable?” Erskine asked.
“It’s a little big.” Steve commented. Erskine chuckled.
“You save me any of that schnapps?” Steve asked.
“Not as much as I should have. Sorry.” Erskine admitted. It was true, I only had about one maybe two glasses but Erskine only left Steve about a glass.
“Mr. Stark! How are your levels?” Erskine called.
“Levels at 100%.” Howard Stark replied.
“Good.” Erskine said.
“We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready... as we’ll ever be.” Howard answered. I stifled a laugh at this comment, Tony was definitely his father’s son.
“Agent Carter, Kandace. Don’t you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?” Erskine asked.
“Yes, of course. Sorry.” Peggy said.
“I ain’t going nowhere.” I said, glaring slightly at him. Erskine nodded before motioning me to stand at the edge of the platform.
“Do you hear me? Is this on? Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path of 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 the growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays.” Erskine said before going over to Steve who was receiving a shot of penicillin.
“That wasn’t so bad.” Steve said.
“That was penicillin.” Erskine said.
“Serum infusion beginning in five, four, three, two, one.” Erskine said. Steve winced as the serum was injected, before his eyes widened and his gasped.
“Now, Mr. Stark” Erskine said. Howard nodded shortly before pulling down a lever. That lever started the pod to turn upright and to encase Steve as he was saturated with the Vita-Rays. When the pod was finally upright, several lab assistants attended to the mechanical components while Erskine checked on Steve.
“Steven? Can you hear me?”
“It’s probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?” Steve asked.
“We will proceed.” Erskine said nodding at Howard. Howard turned on the power for the Vita-Rays before beginning to increase the amount.
“That’s 10%.”
“Twenty percent.”
“Thirty.”
“That’s 40%.”
“Vital signs are normal.” An assistant called.
“That’s 50%.” Howard called.
“Sixty.”
“Seventy.”
Steve started screaming at seventy percent. I knew it would happen but it still startled me. Everyone was moving then, except for me and a few others, I knew that Steve would want to continue, no matter the pain he was in.
“Steven!” Erskine shouted, pressing himself against the pod.
“Steven!” He shouted again.
“Shut it down!” Peggy cried.
“NO!” I shouted.
“Steven!” Erskine shouted again pounding on the pod door.
“Shut it down!” Peggy demanded again.
“NO! Don’t! Let Steve de-“ I cried.
“Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark!” Erskine shouted, “Turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactor!”
“NO!” Steve and I shouted at the same time. I took Erskine’s place at the pod.
“Don’t! I can do this!” Steve called. Howard nodded moving back to the Vita-Rays wheel.
“Eighty.”
“Ninety.”
“That’s 100%.” Everything was fine before the pod began to suck in too much power and the appliances began to fry. Thankfully it only needed to be at 100% for a few seconds and shut down by itself. Everyone stared in awe at the pod before Erskine shouted, “Mr. Stark?”
Before Howard opened the pod I stepped back to wait just before it. As the pod opened, my breath caught and my brain shorted out for a moment. Then Erskine was there helping Steve out of the pod.
“Steven. Steven.” He said softly. I caught his other arm, looping it over my shoulders. I may not have been that strong but I could help Steve stand upright until he figured out his new body. I looked up at the booth to see Col. Phillips shaking his head.
“The son of a bitch did it.” I saw him mutter. I smirked at him before looking up at Steve.
“I did it.” Steve gasped.
“Yeah, yeah. I think we did it.” Erskine agreed.
“I knew you’d be fine. Well done, punk.” I said. Steve blinked looking startled before he smiled at me.
“You actually did.” Howard whispered.
“How do you feel?” Peggy asked when she got to us. Steve paused looking around, noticing that he was leaning heavily against me and stood up straighter.
“Taller.” He said.
“You look taller.” Peggy said.
“And definitely stronger.” I added.
“How do you like Brooklyn now, Senator?” Col. Phillips said to Senator Brandt.
“I can think of some folks in Berlin who are about to get very nervous.” Brandt said.
Once Steve was standing again, I looked around, knowing what was about to happen and glad that I had secured Steve’s freedom from the labs. Erskine was the first to notice him. The doctor’s eyes widening. That was all the warning I had that something was about to happen.
BANG!!!
I hid against Steve’s side and he had instinctively shielded me, fear and adrenaline raced through my body.
“Stop him!” Erskine shouted. Then the sound of gunfire and Erskine had to bullet holes in him. The agent began running, with Peggy at his heels, while Steve first approached Erskine. Erskine pointed at Steve’s heart before he died from his wounds. I didn’t let Steve have anymore time. I grabbed his hand and began pulling him to the exit. I was only pulling him for a second before Steve began to pull me instead. I let go of his hand just before we got outside.
Steve barreled into Peggy, forcing her out of the way of the speeding car.
“I had him!” She shouted.
“Sorry!” Steve cried before running after the car.
“We’ll be back.” I told Peggy before I raced after Steve. I followed after him at a short distance, never truly catching up. At least not until the agent crashed his car. I stayed at the corner of the building, not making myself a target. I followed after Steve every time he left one spot.
“Wait, don’t! Don’t!” Steve said when the agent had the gun pressed against the little boy’s head. I came to stand beside him, no longer worried about being shot. When the agent realized that he was out of bullets he threw the boy he was holding into the harbor. Steve cried, “No! Don’t!”
“I got the kid Steve. You go get that bastard.” I told him. Steve hesitated and still checked on the kid.
“Go get him! I can swim!” The boy said. Steve nodded and took off after the agent. I went to the most likely place for the boy to get out of the water, pulling off my blouse, glad that I had decided to wear layers. The boy blushed as I helped him up and began to rub him down. The blouse may not have held much water but it helped.
We looked at the end of the dock in time to see the man being thrown onto it. Steve climbed up after. The man tried to stab Steve but Steve dodged and kicked him in the chest. The man lost hold of the serum and the “last” veil of serum was “lost”.
“Who the hell are you?” Steve demanded.
“The first of many. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail Hydra!” The man said as he bit down on a false tooth that had enough poison to kill him in seconds.
Steve stared at the dead body before looking up. Our eyes met and I could see the anger, confusion and something else, something I couldn’t place. Steve stood looking at his hands, now, in shock. I had to get him back to Peggy and Howard. He needed time to process his transformation.
“C’mon, Steve.” I said taking his hand and tugging gently. He tried to wrench it away from me, most likely afraid of his new strength. I ignored his struggles and began to walk back to the lab.
“I meant it when I said you were definitely stronger. I already knew what you would be able to do once you had the serum in you. I’m not afraid of you or your strength, Stevie. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to make me afraid of you.” I said, refusing to let go of his hand as I continued to pull him along. Steve froze making me stumble because of the sudden stop even though I was the one pulling him.
“Did you know what was going to happen?” He asked. I sighed sadly before tugging his hand again and we continued to walk as I explained.
“I wasn’t sure. Me being here has the potential to change everything and unfortunately the only way I can help is through mitigation of the potential after effects of any particular event. If I knew what would happen if I saved Erskine, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat but I didn’t so I couldn’t. I’m sorry, Steve. I wanted to but I knew that it might happen so I made back up plans.” I said softly as we made our way back to the lab through the streets of Brooklyn. Steve nodded slowly and unwound my fingers from his hand. I tried to tighten my grip but his hand slipped from mine, only for him to place his arm around my shoulders. I sighed and sunk against him for awhile as we walked.
“They think that there isn’t any more serum. Don’t they? That’s why Erskine gave you two more veils and that is what’s in your fairy necklace. Isn’t it?” He commented after we had walked in silence for a while. I nodded.
“Ja, that’s one thing I knew wouldn’t change whether Erskine survived or not. I’m not going to let one of my best friends become a lab rat just because they want more of the serum. You heard what Erskine said about the first person to take the serum. He wasn’t lying about bad being worse and good being great.” I said. Steve sighed, but we kept on walking in silence towards the laboratory.
“Steve?” I asked softly.
“Yes, Kandace?” He answered.
“Please don’t forget what I said when we first talked about the multi-verse.” I said.
“You mean when you explained where you were from? Yes. I remember, you said that I would be on the front lines.” Steve replied.
“It’s going to take some time to get there.” I said. Steve nodded and we looked up at the same time realizing that we were outside of the laboratory.