Love, Agent Delacroix

GRENADE!

CAMP LEHIGH, PRACTICE FIELD - DAY-

ELEVEN HEALTHY RECRUITS. Then dip to find...STEVE, looking small but DETERMINED IN ARMY GREEN.

"Recruits, Attention!" A WOMAN IN A BRITISH ARMY UNIFORM, PEGGY CARTER, STRIDES UP. "Gentlemen, my name is Agent Carter and this is Agent Delacroix. We will be supervising your induction today." Peggy says as we Take in the soldiers, each of them checking us out shamelessly. Are there any good guys left?

"To begin with, I shall need you to complete this document." I pass out the forms. Steve reads it: "LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT." Two guys next to him look at each other nervously. Steve's not fazed. A MEATY GUY, HODGE, grumbles as he takes his papers... "What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? I thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army." A soldier says to Peggy, my jaw clenches at him. "What's your name, soldier?" Peggy asks him as his gaze turns to me, looking at me as if I'm a meal to a lion.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty." Hodge replies, I take a step forward."Step forward, Hodge." I indicate where and how he should stand: "Right leg forward, arms like so... "

"We gonna rassle? 'Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like." Hodge says as he licks his lips as he looks at me, I come close, also putting one leg forward...

I PUNCH HIM SQUARE IN THE NOSE. He drops in a heap, eyes watering, a trickle of blood coming from one nostril. The men titter. Steve looks especially pleased. "Agent Delacroix! Agent Carter!" The men leap to attention as COLONEL PHILLIPS APPROACHES, impressive, all military. Erskine trails behind him.

"Colonel Phillips." Me and Peggy salute him, "I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good.* Phillips smirks at us then turns to Hodges bleeding heap on the floor. "You. Get your ass up out of that dirt and go over there in that line and stand at attention until somebody tells you what to do." Hodge scurries back. Phillips stands before the men.

"General Patton has said that "wars are fought with weapons and won by men."" Phillips notices the sickly Steve. He scowls at Erskine. "We're going to win this war because we have the best men... And because they are going to get better. Much better."

CAMP LEHIGH, BARRACKS - NIGHT

The man are unloading their gear. HODGE puts up pin-ups of women. Steve unpacks a stack of well-worn military books.

"The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort, made up of the best minds in the free world."

CAMP LEHIGH, OBSTACLE COURSE - DAY-

Recruits run through AN OBSTACLE COURSE. Steve struggles, last. THE RECRUITS SCRAMBLE UP A CARGO NET. STEVE'S FOOT GETS TANGLED. HODGE CLIMBS OVER HIM, SMASHING HIS FACE. FROM AN OBSERVATION PLATFORM, ERSKINE WATCHES as Steve grimaces but hauls himself up.

"Our goal is to create the finest army in history. But every army starts with one man."

CAMP LEHIGH, OBSTACLE COURSE - DAY-

PEGGY CHECKS A STOPWATCH. THE OTHER RECRUITS WAIT AS...STEVE CRAWLS THROUGH MUD BENEATH A BARBED-WIRE NET.

"By the end of this week, we're going to choose that man."

Hodge kicks out a support. THE BARBED WIRE FALLS ON STEVE.

"He's going to be the first of a new breed of super soldiers. And they are personally going to escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of hell."

CAMP LEHIGH, PRACTICE FIELD - DAY-

STEVE STRUGGLES TO DO A PUSH-UP. Peggy and I pace as the recruits do calisthenics.

"I guess I just don't understand the European sense of humor, Doctor." PHILLIPS AND ERSKINE WALK TOWARD THEM. "You're not thinking of picking Rogers, are you?" Phillips asks Dr. Erskine with a face that says 'are you actually serious'. "I am more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice." Dr. Erskine says with a genuine smile, I make my way over to the Two.

"When you invited a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my Army base, I let it slide because I assumed he'd be useful to you. Like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." Phillips says and They stop near an open TRUCK, A CRATE OF GRENADES inside.

"You put a needle in that guy's arm, it's gonna come out the other side." They watch Steve struggling to do his push-ups. "Look at him! He's making me cry." Phillips says as he points subtly at Steve. "I am searching for qualities beyond the physical."

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project? The groveling I had to do in front of Senator Brandt's committee?" Phillips says to Erskine. "I'm well aware of your efforts" Dr. Erskine says as they watch Hodge power through his push-ups.

"Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, and he takes orders. In short, he's a soldier."

"He's a bully." I interject, Phillips stares at Erskine and then at me for a long moment. Then he reaches for the CRATE IN THE TRUCK.

"You don't win wars with niceness, Agent." He grabs a Training grenade "You win them with guts." HE PULLS THE PIN AND HURLS THE GRENADE.

"GRENADE!" It tumbles in the grass, stopping in front of the recruits. Steve's eyes go wide. The rest of the recruits scramble away. HODGE YELPS. HE THROWS HIMSELF UNDERNEATH A NEARBY JEEP. PEGGY MAKES FOR THE GRENADE, BUT STEVE GETS THERE FIRST, THROWING HIMSELF ON IT.

"Everybody DOWN! Get back!" Steve waits for the explosion...BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. After a moment, he opens his eyes, confused. At the truck, Phillips just glares. THE CRATE, WHICH WE SEE IS CLEARLY LABELED: "M-56 TRAINING GRENADES - INERT." Erskine smiles at Phillips. Hodge peaks out from under the jeep, SHAMED. STEVE, still splayed over the inert grenade. "Uh...is this a test?"