𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓷𝓲𝓪𝓬 ❖ 𝓫. 𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼

C H A P T E R (20) - R E B I R T H

Whilst Cassie had been at home in Brooklyn dying of boredom, Steve had been training in New Jersey.

After being chosen by Doctor Erskine for a special project, Steve found himself in the back of a car alongside a woman he had gotten to know quite well; Peggy Carter.

They pulled up to the Rogers' house and Steve glanced at Peggy before sighing.

"You seem nervous, Steve." Her soft voice sounded.

"I'm not nervous, but I'm terrified."

"Why?"

"Because I have a good feeling she's going to kill me." He said, motioning to where Cassie stood in the street outside the door. She was just about to enter the home before Steve decided to get out of the car, although he was more so ushered out by Peggy.

"Cassie."

She paused in her tracks at her name, hand still on the door handle. With widened eyes, she turned to face the brother she hadn't seen in too long.

"Steve."

He gave an awkward smile before taking a few steps closer to her and glancing back at the car he had pulled up in.

"I think I have some explaining to do."

**

"Wait hold on, slow down. You did what?"

"Joined this project called-"

"Project Rebirth." Peggy interrupted from Cassie's side in the back of the car. She placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded confidently, assuring her that Steve would be okay. Cassie smiled warmly at the gesture and began to gaze out of the window, recognising the familiar neighbourhood.

"I know this neighbourhood," Steve began, reading Cassie's thoughts, "I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner."

"Don't forget the park." Cassie added, pointing out the window at the grassy scenery.

Peggy and Steve began to converse, and Cassie didn't feel like talking. She just watched as buildings and people passed by, each having their own complications and disasters in life. She knew she wasn't the only one to feel lonely or have people go off to war, but she felt helpless. Useless. Like she had no place, like there was nothing for her to do. She was only accompanying Steve as a familiar face, and after that he would be sent off to fight, leaving her lonely once more.

She thought about Bucky and what he was doing in that exact moment, or whether he was even still alive. Of course it was horrible to think of, but it was reality. There was always going to be a chance he wouldn't make it out alive, and Cassie didn't know what she would do if that was the case. So she secretly made a promise to herself as she followed Peggy and Steve out of the car into an antique shop, ignoring anything going on around her; she would never be put down due to being a woman, and nor would she allow Bucky or Steve to tell her no.

"Cass?"

"Hm?" She hummed in response, finding herself in some sort of lab she had followed Peggy into. She didn't even remember entering, and Steve's voice was the sound to pull her out of her trance.

"Are you alright? You look a bit off-"

"I'm fine." Cassie assured with a smile, nodding her head to where Doctor Erskine was calling Steve over, "Go."

Steve pressed his lips in a thin line, hesitating before leaving her alone with Peggy. She watched as the strapped him into a pod, one Cassie frowned at.

"It's the pod they're going to use, just to make sure no one else around gets affected by the Vita-Rays." Peggy assured from the seat next to her, leaning close to her ear as to keep the conversation private.

"You seem educated on the topic." Cassie smiled as she turned her head.

Peggy shrugged before turning her eyes back down to where Steve was being injected with penicillin, "I just repeat what the smart people say."

Cassie laughed slightly at her words as she admired the woman at her side. Her brunette, short hair was tied back and out of her face, giving her a good look at her features, including her blood red lips. Cassie knew she could never pull the colour off, but she admired how Peggy could. She smiled sweetly at the woman before also turning her head to where her brother was being locked into the pod.

"Steven, can you hear me?" Doctor Erskine asked, knocking on the door of the capsule.

"It's probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?" Steve's small voice echoed from the container.

Cassie smiled and rolled her eyes, also cringing slightly as the use of her brothers full name. She only ever called him that when she had a large desire to kill him.

Doctor Erskine turned and faced none other than Howard Stark, a man Cassie deemed arrogant and self-absorbed, but she didn't truly know him so she thought meeting him would help that. Perhaps.

Howard began at ten percent and slowly raised it, all the way until seventy when Steve's yells of pain filled the room. Cassie was quick to stand to her feet, watching through the glass. Peggy shared her concern and also raised from her seat, glancing at Cassie before watching on as they continued to raise the percentage. All the way until one hundred percent when everything overloaded and the reactor shut down.

Cassie rushed out of the observation booth with Peggy quick to follow her as they entered the lab. There was silence from the pod and concern was growing inside of Cassie, no doubt thinking the worst. But her fear was replaced by so many other emotions when Howard opened the pod, revealing her now very different brother.

"...Steve?" Cassie asked, poking his upper arm which was now toned and pure muscle. He was taller and visibly a lot stronger, and nothing would take Cassie's jaw off of the floor.

"I did it." He muttered, being held up for support.

"When Bucky sees you he's gonna freak. Holy shi-"

Cassie was cut short when an explosion went off where everyone had previously been sat in the observation booth. Everyone's eyes were glued to the explosion as Doctor Erskine looked at the man holding a gun to him, not hesitating before pulling the trigger.

Cassie flinched at the gunshot before noticing the bleeding man on the floor, dropping to his side to try and help. Steve kneeled down at his other side, a mix of concern, shock and anger racing inside of him.

She watched as the doctors once white shirt was now stained red, her hands covered in his blood as she tried to stop the bleeding. She was panicked and had shaking hands, looking down at them to notice how much blood she truly had on them.

Erskine raised his hand and prodded Steve's chest before his hand went limp and fell at his side. Cassie looked up at Steve's angered face, but as she went to grab his hand, he pulled away and raised from the floor. He ran out of the room, no doubt to follow the shooter.

Cassie stayed at the doctors side until his heart completely stopped and he was lifeless, understanding that from her knowledge of her own fear that dying alone is in no way comforting. She wanted to be there until his very last breath, to make sure he knew he wasn't alone. They may not have been close or ever even exchanged words, but she stayed nonetheless.

A/N; dying alone is terrifying.