Back in 1945

10

I hadn't gotten to see Steve off since the sent a car to pick me up, we'll before Steve had to leave. We drove up to the camp, me and Peggy putting our stuff in the barracks we had to ourselves before meeting General Phillips back at the main base of the camp.

"Carter" the General started at we both stood at attention in front of him. "Your going to be training the squad of recruits for project rebirth. Since Jones is your responsibility you'll be training her on the side and keeping her on your side." He said demandingly. "Luteniet Jackson will be helping you when neccicary. The Doctor will also be working here and you'll be able to access him when needed to. We have two months before a decision must be made and we'll proceed to the next step."

"Understood." Agent Carter said. As she stood at rest. "When will the recruits be ready?"

"There almost done with their uniforms. Give em a real big welcome" He said with a smile. "Dismissed."

Agent Carter and I made our way over to the barracks until they let the recruits out, smoking a cigerette as we waited.

As they started filing out, I followed Carter's lead, Standing at rest as the all came to attention at the drill Sargents commands.

"Rest!" The sergeant called as all men came to attention in front of us. "This is Agent Carter of the SSR! She will be your drill instructor. You will take commands from her first and foremost." The drill Sargent lowered his voice as he turned towards Agent Carter. "Ma'am, they're all yours"

"Thank you Sargent." She said before turning to the recruits. Carter quickly turned her demeanor to one I hadn't seen before, much more serious and much more Stern. She signaled for a man standing near by to started handing out clipboards that he had been holding for awhile.

"Recruits attention!" The men followed what she said to T as she walked in front of them. Gentlemen, I am agent Carter, I supervise all operations of this division."

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria?" One of the recruits stupidly asked. "I thought I was singing up for the U.S. Army. "

"What's your name soldier?" She asked.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty."

"Step forward Hodge" He did as Carter instructed, looking back at some of his recruits as if he was doing something to show off. "Put your right foot forward."

"mhh, We gonna wrasse?" He asked filrtaously. "Cause I got a few moves, I know you'll like." Agent Carter quickly threw a punch, hard enough to knock the recruit on his ass, and make the other recruits, still looking over the papers on their clipboards, laugh.

"Agent Carter!" We heard Colonel Phillips say from behind us.

"Colonel Phillips!" Agent Carter said as she composed herself and turned to face him.

"I see you are breaking in the recruits, that good." He said as he walked up to the recruits. "Get your ass up out of that dirt." Hodge looked up at the colonel briefly before doing as instructed. "Stand in that line at attention til someone comes and tells you what to do."

"General Pallton has said" The colonel started as he walked down the line. "Wars are fought with weapons, but won by men. We are going to win because we have the best men-" He stopped as he looked at Steve, sitting almost a foot shorter than the man next to him. "And because they're going to get better...Much better." The Colonel went on to explain what the SSR was and what the mission here was.

Agent Carter worked them hard that day, I thought Steve was going to pass out more than once. Every time the men started to waiver she would call me over from whatever I was doing and have me doing more push ups or sit ups than them to show them up.

The next few weeks became a very strict schedule of non stop training, though obstacle courses, just exercise and team activities. I Ran the obstacles with them, to show I was faster, trying to get them men to put more effort into it. The other men had taken many opportunities to pick on Steve, try to slow him down, but he hadn't waivered. On more than one occasion Steve had shown that he had more of a knack for strategy, which was what the doctor was looking for but not the Colonel.

—/—

We were finally coming up at the end of the 2 months, Carter, Phillips and Dr. Erskine had to pick someone by the e d of the week, which had narrowed down the choices.

I was still helping unload boxes when I overhead the colonel and the doctor fighting over Steve as the candidate.

"Your not actually thinking of picking Rogers are you?" The colonel asked the doctor.

"I'm more than just thinking about it, he is the clear choice."

"When you brought a 90-pound asthmatic onto my army base I let it slide, I thought 'what the hell?' Maybe he'd be useful to you like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." The two over them stopped right in front of the squad still struggling with push up, Steve obviously tired and slower than the rest.

"You stick a needle in that kids arm, it's gonna go right through him." The colonel added. The men started doing jack and jumps which seemed to wear harder on Steve. "He's making me cry."

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." The doctor stated in Steve's defense.

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project?" The colonel had switched to a quieter tone now. "Hand shaking, going to be preformed in front of what's-his-names committees?"

"Brandt, yes I know, I am well aware of your efforts"

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's a soldier."

"He is a bully"

"You don't win wars with niceness doctor."

"Colonel if I may" I interjected, slightly afraid they would pick hodge. "The man you need for this project is some one selfless, who actually wants to help people and be in the action because they want to win for their country, not so they can be big and strong and kill nazis."

"What are you getting at jones? I could have you reprimanded."

"Sir, there's one very simple test" I said as I grabbed a fake Granada, pulling the pin and throwing into the squad of me. "Granade!"

Everyone jumped for cover, except for carter, who knew it was a fake and Steve who had wrapped his body around the Granade. He started shooing people away, careful not to move his body as he waited for it to go off. I look to the colonel, knowing the choice was obvious now.