Long Ago and Far Away

02

WORLD EXPOSITION OF TOMORROW

"I don't see what the problem is," Bucky said. "You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know, there's three and a half million women here."

"Well, I'd settle for just one," Steve replied, glancing at Louise who was looking around at everything with wide eyes.

"Good thing I took care of that."

Bucky waved to the dates, Connie and Bonnie, he'd lined up and glanced at Steve. "They wanted to come together."

"Hey, Bucky!" Connie greeted, smiling at Louise. "Your girl is so pretty!"

"She's not my girl."

"Is she your friend's?"

Bucky shrugged with a light smirk. "Maybe."

"What did you tell her about me?" Steve asked.

"Only the good stuff. Also told her you'd be going with someone, so no need to start fretting."

Music played and the expo announcer said, "Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world."

"Oh, my God!" Connie cried. "It's starting!"

Louise grabbed Steve's hand as she watched the stage with a grin. Steve looked down at their entwined hands with a smile. Bucky glanced down at their entwined hands with lightly pursed lips.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!" Mandy introduced.

Howard entered the stage and kissed the announcer.

A woman yelled, "I love you, Howard!"

Howard addressed the audience at the World Exposition fair. "Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all." The female assistants took the wheels off the car on stage. "Yes. Thanks, Mandy." He addressed the audience again. "With Stark robotic reversion technology, you'll be able to do just that."

Howard turned on the switch of his machine and the car started to hover off the ground.

"Holy cow," Bucky and Louise muttered.

The robots making the car hover suddenly malfunctioned and the car fell back on stage.

"I did say a few years, didn't I?" Howard said, causing everyone to laugh.

Steve disappeared, and Bucky and Louise noticed.

"Hey, Steve, what do you say we treat these girls..." Bucky began.

Louise let out a sigh. "I think I know where he went."

Bucky nodded. "I think I do too."

RECRUITMENT CENTER

A woman said to her male company, pulling him away from a mirror making him look like a soldier, "Come on, soldier."

Steve stepped in front of the mirror but was too short to fill out the face.

"Come on," Bucky said. "You're kind of missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing."

"You two go ahead," Steve told him. "I'll catch up with you both."

"You're really gonna do this again?"

"Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck."

"As who? Steve from Ohio? They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you."

"Look, I know you don't think I can do this."

Louise frowned. "This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war!"

"I know it's a war. You don't have to tell me."

"Why are you so keen to fight?" Bucky asked. "There are so many important jobs."

"What am I gonna do? Collect scrap metal..."

"Yes!"

"...in my little red wagon."

"Why not?"

"I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky, Louise."

"I don't..." Bucky and Louise began.

"Bucky, Louise, come on! There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."

"Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove," Bucky retorted.

"Hey, Sarge!" Connie called. "Are we going dancing?"

Bucky turned to the girls. "Yes, we are." He turned back to Steve. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back."

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you," Steve shot back.

"You're a punk." He walked towards Steve and hugged him goodbye.

"Jerk. Be careful." As Bucky walked away, he added, "Don't win the war till I get there!"

Bucky saluted, then started to walk away. "Come on, girls. They're playing our song."

---

Steve made his way to a medical room and noticed Louise walking in. He motioned for her to leave and she shook her head.

A nurse whispered something inaudible to a young doctor.

The young doctor said to Steve, "Wait here."

"Is there a problem?" Steve questioned.

"Just wait here." He left.

Steve glanced at a warning sign against lying on your enlistment and began getting ready to leave.

Before Louise could leave the room, an Enlistment Office MP walked into the room and Steve stared at him worriedly.

Dr. Abraham Erskine entered the room as the Enlistment Office MP quietly left.

Dr. Erskine said to the MP, "Thank you." He turned to Steve. "So, you want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis."

"Excuse me?" Steve asked.

"Dr. Abraham Erskine." He walked over and introduced himself to Steve. "I represent the Shield Scientific Reserve."

"Steve Rogers."

Dr. Erskine began looking through Steve's file.

As he did so, Steve and Louise asked, "Where are you from?"

"Queens," Dr. Erskine replied. "73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany. This troubles you?"

Steve shook his head. "No." He glanced at Louise who also shook her head.

Dr. Erskine flipped through Steve's file. "Where are you from, Mr. Rogers? Mmm? Is it New Haven? Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities."

"That might not be the right file."

"No, it's not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries. But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis?"

"Is this a test?"

"Yes."

"I don't wanna kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."

"Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is the little guy, huh? I can offer you a chance." They left the room. "Only a chance."

"I'll take it."

"Good. So where is the little guy from, actually?"

"Brooklyn."

Dr. Erskine stamped Steve's form and handed him back his file. "Congratulations, soldier."

Steve opened the file and saw that he'd been stamped with 1A. He had been accepted.

Louise placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, it looks like you made it, soldier. Best of luck."

"Are you coming with me?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I've got to get ready to ship off. I'm gonna become a nurse." After a moment's hesitation, she kissed his cheek, causing his face to flush and smiled. "Um, don't tell Bucky I did that."