Making It Personal

Jordie sat next to him in the dark room, smiling nervously down at him. An American man had found them on the streets in Germany, calling them by name, claiming he knew their grandfather, Abraham Erskine, who had supposedly created a “super-serum.” Whatever that was. Kaz hadn’t felt right about it, but his older brother Jordie said that he felt like they should listen to the man named Pekka Rollins.

Nine year old Kaz was just short of worshiping his brother, so of course he went with Jordie. And now here they were, in a dark room deep underground where the man had left them.

“Jordie, I don’t think this is right,” Kaz whispered, but Jordie cut him off.

“Um des Heiligen willen. Kaz, what do you want to do? This man knew our grandfather’s name as well as ours, which means he did his research on us. The only reason he would have done that is if he really wants to talk to us, and help us like he said. Besides, it’s either talk to him and maybe get something out of it, or leave our only chance for hope and go back to living on the streets, just the two of us. Which would you prefer?”

Before Kaz could respond, the door on their left opened, and Rollins walked in. He looked kind, with red hair and soft eyes, but also had the feeling of one used to having authority. He stood straight, and his suit was crisp. Kaz didn’t trust him, although he wasn’t entirely sure why. Rollins shut the door and sat down in the chair in front of them.

“Sorry, I just needed to set some things up before we began our talk. As you know, Jordie and Kaz, I knew your grandfather before he tragically passed away years ago. I also knew of his experiments, his most impressive one most of all. Do either of you know about the super-serum?” Both boys shook their heads. “I didn’t think so. The super-serum was your grandfather’s greatest accomplishment, with the ability to give Germany the way to conquer the other countries with ease.”

“That’s what we thought in past wars as well,” Jordie interrupted, looking a little embarrassed at cutting in but continuing to do so anyways. “Germany has struggled to win wars for the past seventy years, even when the Nazis ruled. What would this super-serum do that would be any different?” Rollins smiled kindly at him.

“You bring up good points. It is true that your country hasn't won any major wars for a long time, but this serum has been proven to work.”

“How? What is it? What does it have to do with us?” Kaz asked quietly. He started rolling a coin across his fingers, a nervous habit he had developed once he started learning sleight of hand.

“The super-serum is an injection that gives its recipient’s cells the ability to grow and heal themselves, giving the recipient incredible strength, speed, and reflexes. It makes whoever receives the serum a greater person. This was proven to work during World War 2. During the war the Germans were being ruled by the Nazis, but what your country did not know was that there was another association underneath the Nazis; Hydra.” Kaz and Jordie sat there silently listening. Kaz felt confused. What was Hydra?

“Hydra was an association that was led by Johann Shmidt that had one intent and purpose; cleanse the world. Purify it. Make it better than what it was. However, unlike the Nazis, they had the power and abilities to accomplish this goal. The scientists they had at their disposal, the weapons they had the use of, and an item called the Tesseract. The Tesseract was a source of endless power stronger than nuclear power that Hydra used to power their headquarters, weapons, and equipment. The Tesseract led Hydra to become very close to winning the war. In fact, they would have won World War 2, in which case Germany would have won World War 2, if it had not been for the super-serum. The Americans had a scientist on their side who used to work for Hydra, until one day he became uncomfortable with the way Hydra went about accomplishing their goals, and switched sides.

This scientist was your grandfather, Abraham Erskine. He created the super-serum, and decided to test it on a boy named Steve Rogers. Rogers started as small, helpless, and alone.” Just like us, Kaz thought as he looked at Jordie. Jordie didn’t look back at him. “Due to the serum, Rogers became the hero known as Captain America. I’m sure you both know of him.”

Kaz and Jordie looked at each other with excitement in their eyes. Their grandfather had created Captain America? And with this super-serum?

“Because of what he now was, Rogers had the ability to fight against Hydra. Hydra, the union that had been so close to winning the biggest war our world had ever seen, was destroyed by one young man in the matter of a few days. And all because of the super-serum. If one boy was able to destroy the most powerful group this world has seen in a matter of days, imagine what an army of men with the serum could do for Germany!”

Jordie sat up excitedly, his foot starting to tap. Kaz sank into his chair. He couldn’t deny the truth of what they were being told, and yet, he also couldn’t deny his instincts. Rollins was leading them on, Kaz was sure. What he was trying to accomplish, however, Kaz did not know. At this point Rollins stood up.

“We are raising Hydra back into the world, in order to finally accomplish our mission. Unfortunately, we do not have the serum with us. Your grandfather was tragically murdered for his knowledge the same day Rogers was injected, and the only vial we had was used years ago on a soldier named James Barnes. We have drawn blood from him, and our scientists have been studying it for years, trying to find the formula for the super-serum in order to re-create it. We believe we have finally done it. We have enough serum for both of you two boys.”

Jordie breathed in sharply, and Kaz stared at him in shock. Did he really just say what Kaz thought he had?

“For us?” Jordie asked, struggling to keep the excitement out of his voice. “Why?”

“We at Hydra have talked long and hard about it, and we have decided to let you two boys finish your grandfather’s legacy. He ruined Hydra and our sacred mission when he decided to abandon it, but you two boys have the chance to make it right. Agree to take the super-serum and become Hydra’s soldiers, and you will heal the world from the filth and horror that plagues it.” Kaz’s gut clenched. It sounded so good, so why didn’t he trust it?

“We agree. We will take it,” Jordie said confidently.

Kaz breathed in sharply as he looked at his older brother. Jordie met his eyes, and they were soft, pleading with Kaz to understand. And Kaz did. They had nothing in the world after their parents had died, and had seen the horror and filth in the world. Why shouldn’t they do their part to prevent other children from experiencing it as well? After meeting Jordie’s eyes for a few moments, he gave a small nod. He would do it. For Jordie, for his parents, to fix his grandfather’s mistake, no matter how terrified he was.

Rollins’s grin widened across his face. Almost too wide.

About half of an hour later, both boys were strapped on tables leaning back at an angle, both with their shirts off. Their waists, ankles and wrists had been tightly bound with Velcro, which did not help Kaz’s fear. Rollins had explained that it was because while the serum was settling into their bodies, they could lose control of their limbs until it had settled; the bindings were for their own protection.

As Kaz wriggled his arms, he noticed his right arm’s band was slightly loose. IV’s had been put into the crooks of their left arms, and the doctors were checking their vitals one last time. Finally the doctors seemed satisfied, and they went into an adjacent room separated only by a large window with Pekka Rollins.

They had been told that the radiation from the serum would affect anyone in the room, and Rollins wanted to make sure the boys received as much radiation as possible. Therefore, no one except the Rietveld boys would be in the room during the injection. Jordie would receive the dose first, and then Kaz, in order for the doctors to watch how their bodies responded easier.

“Injecting serumdosis eins now,” a doctor said over the speaker system. In a panic, Kaz looked over at Jordie, who smiled nervously at him. And then the pain started.

Jordie’s expression turned from nervousness to horror as he started convulsing. A scream burst from his lips, which was silenced when red froth started pouring from his mouth and nose. Kaz started screaming, looking back and forth from his convulsing brother and the window where Rollins was watching.

“Bitte! Help him, bitte!” Jordie was dying, it wasn’t working! Why wasn’t Rollins helping? He needed to help! Kaz started twisting and pulling his right arm, trying to free it. There.

The Velcro finally broke open, and his right arm was free. He reached out with his right arm, grabbing Jordie’s convulsing hand.

“Jordie! No!” Jordie’s movements were slowing down, the life in his eyes leaving, his gasps becoming quieter. Kaz’s heart was pounding way too fast as he realized his brother was dying.

“Injecting serumdosis zwei now,” Kaz barely heard the doctor’s voice over the speaker system as he felt Jordie’s pulse stop. And then the fire started flowing through his veins.

Kaz’s back arched and a hiss escaped his clenched teeth involuntarily. Everything in his body clenched, he couldn’t move. All he could do was make anguished noises as he felt lava pour through his veins all around his body. His grip on Jordie’s wrist was tighter than he had ever held anything before, and behind the pain all he could think about was his brother.

The feeling of Jordie’s skin under his fingers, the lack of a pulse, the expression of horror he had worn before he died. If only, if only, if only what? This was Jordie’s fault that both of them were going to die. Jordie’s…Jordie’s fault…no. Rollins did this.

When the lava reached his legs, the pain only got worse, causing him to cry out loud. The serum in his left leg froze, burning with an intensity even greater than he thought was possible.

“Something is wrong. What is it doing to his leg?” Rollins asked a doctor, surprising Kaz that he could hear him through the window. How long had he sat here frozen, feeling Jordie’s flesh grow cold in his hand, burning as if he was in hell? Hours? Seconds? Days? He really couldn’t tell.

“His leg seems to be rejecting the serumdosis. The rest of his body seems to be accepting it, and his leg doesn’t seem to be completely destroying itself quite yet. When he is done we can add synthetische maschinen to his leg, let him walk just as he could before. He will still be of use to Hydra.”

No, Kaz thought. He couldn’t help them, not after they killed his brother. But before he could think of anything else, he started to shake. Was he starting to convulse just like Jordie had? Was he about to die as well? But soon Kaz observed that he was not the one shaking, the whole room was. The walls, the equipment around him, even the window in front of him.

Earthquake, he realized with shock. If the building came down now, he would have no way to get out strapped down.

“Earthquake! Get him down, we need him!” Rollins roared.

Doctors wearing masks came rushing into the room. Kaz tried to move, to flinch away from their hands, but he couldn’t, not yet. They removed the IV in his arm and started unstrapping him. It took them some time as the floor continued to shake, increasing the tremors.

The fire inside him and the ice in his leg burned even worse than before, causing him to give a strangled cry. Rollins ran in and pulled Kaz’s hand off of Jordie’s wrist, allowing Kaz to see and feel the indents and bruises his fingers had caused to form on Jordie’s dead flesh. Revulsion spread through him as Rollins threw Kaz’s helpless body over his shoulder and ran out the door.

They were outside within moments, surprising Kaz with how dark it was outside. He had been burning inside for hours. Kaz’s bare side was against Rollins’s neck. The warmth of Rollins’s flesh against Kaz’s side seemed to hurt him more than the burn. As Rollins ran down the street to Saints-Knows-Where, Kaz started to notice that the burning was starting to fade. His left leg ached, but the rest of him felt more put together, stronger than it had before.

They were running close to a cliff by the sea, and Kaz could smell the salt in the air. Suddenly the Earth seemed to jerk from underneath Rollins’s feet, and they both fell. Kaz rolled towards the cliff, grasping desperately for a root, something to hold onto.

Fear shot through his heart as he fell off the side of the cliff.