Avenge | Book 1

"Why Me?"

"Faster, ladies! Come on!" I yell out to the soldiers as they do push ups.

"My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul." Peggy adds on as we both pace in front of the soldiers.

"Move it!" I say.

"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?" I hear Colonel Phillips say to Dr. Erskine.

"I'm more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice." Erskine responds.

"When you brought a 90-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide." Phillips looks at him, "I thought 'What the hell'. Maybe he'd be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him."

"Up!" I demand to soldiers.

"You stick a needle in that kid's arm, it's gonna go right through him." Colonel continues.

"Come on girls!" Peggy shouts.

"Look at that." Phillips looks at Steve then back at Erskine. "It's making me cry."

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Dr. Erskine explains.

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project? All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees?"

"Brandt. Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts."

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

"He is a bully." Erskine points out.

"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." Phillips makes a good point while walking over to the back of a car to grab a grenade, "You win a war with guts." He says unpinning the grenade and throwing it over by the boys.

"Grenade!" He yells as they scatter but Steve.

"Get away!" Steve yells as he jumps onto the grenade.

I start to run towards him but Peggy holds me back realizing it's a dummy grenade.

"Get back!" He shouts still on it.

It doesn't go off. The soldiers sit there in confusion.

"It was a dummy grenade." One of the soldiers yell.

Steve looks around confused as Peggy and I walk about a foot or two in front of Steve.

Erskine, Peggy, and I smirk.

"Is this a test?" Steve questions still on the ground.

"He's still skinny." Colonel says to Erskine bitterly as he walks away.

----------------

"May I?" Dr. Erskine says as he opens the door to Steve's bed quarters.

"Yeah." Steve says as Erskine walks to the bed across from Steve.

"Can't sleep?" Dr. Erskine questions.

"I got the jitters, I guess." Steve answers.

"Me, too."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Just one?" Dr. Erskine asks back as he sits down on the bed.

"Why me?"Steve asks, seriously.

"I suppose that is the only question that matters." He admits. "This is from Augsburg. My city." Erskine gestures to the schnapps in his hand. So many people forget, the first country the Nazis invaded was their own... You know, after the last war, my people struggled. They felt weak, they felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags." Dr. Erskine takes a deep breath. "And he hears of me... My work. And he finds me. And he says, 'You'" Erskine points to Steve as if he acting out the story. "He says, 'You will make us strong.' Well I am not interested." He sets down the bottle.

"So he sends the head of Hydra, his research division." Erskine continues, "A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt. Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle. And he is ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and Teutonic myth.... Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But for Schmidt, it is not a fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is great power hidden in the earth, left here by the gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man."

"Did it make him stronger?" Steve finally starts talking.

"Yes... but there were other effects." Erskine pauses, "The serum was not ready." He admits, "But more important, the man... The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great. Bad becomes worse."

There are a few seconds of silence between them.

"This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man who has known power all his life, may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength... And knows compassion."

"Thanks. I think." Steve says as he takes that all in.

"Whatever happened tomorrow, you must promise me one thing." Erskine says pouring them some schnapps. "That you will stay who you are." He looks up at Steve. "Not a perfect soldier, but a good man."

"To the little guys." Steve toasts.

"No, no. Wait, wait. What I am doing?" Erskine says as he grabs the glass from Steve. "No, you have procedure tomorrow. No fluids."

"All right. We'll drink it after." Steve says.

"No, I don't have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after? I drink it now." Erskine takes a drink as Steve smiles.

---------------

Dr. Zola walks into Schmidt's lab. Zola turns around as he closes the door, surprised of what he saw for a split second before Schmidt turns of the light.

"Is there something in particular you need?" Schmidt asks.

Zola hesitates to talk as he looks at the artist who is paining Schmidt's portrait, confused about the red paint.

"I... I understand you found him." Zola says stuttering a bit, still taking in what he saw.

"See for yourself." He gestures to the pictures on the table.

Zola walks up to look at the pictures to see Dr. Erskine in them.

"You disapprove." Schmidt says as Zola picks up a photo with a weird look on his face.

"I don't see why you need to concern yourself" Zola looks up to him smiling then back at the photo. "I can't image he will succeed.... again."

"His serum is the Allies' only defense against this power we now possess. If we take it away from them, then our victory is assured." Schmidt explains.

"Shall I give the order?" Zola asks after a couple seconds of silence.

"It has been given."

"Good." Zola nods as he turns to walk out.

"Dr. Zola." He calls after him. "What do you think?" He turns on the light.

Zola turns around and walks up to get a better view. "A masterpiece." He says then walks out.