Can Beauty Come Out Of Ashes

Make It Count

Dr. Abraham Erskine P.OV.

I gripped my bag tightly as I made my way down the dark corridor. My mind was buzzing, mostly from fear, but I had to do this. Several men passed me as I walked, most saying a 'Hail Hydra' here and there, some gave me a respectful nod. I never spoke to them, I was too afraid my voice would betray me and that I might blurt out what I was about to do. There was no telling what Schmidt might do then.

My stomach rolled thinking about the possibilities; what Johann Schmidt and my assistant, Dr. Arnim Zola, could come up with. I shook my head to clear it, there was no time to think of such things. Time was of the essence.

If time is so precious why are you even here!

"Because I can't walk away like this! How would I sleep?" I growled to myself.

"Dr. Erskine?"

I jumped at the sound of my name and spun to see a young soldier standing only feet away from me. He was a handsome boy, blonde hair and blue eyed, the epitome of Arian perfection. He had a look in his eyes though, a nervous look, as if he weren't sure if he should even be addressing me. That was a normal reaction though. The soldiers very rarely interacted with the scientists at HYDRA and vice versa. How odd that we were all to be on the same side but not sure if we could trust one another, what type of army is that?

Still not trusting my voice, I made a shooing gesture with my hand and the young man seemed to accept this as normal behavior. He walked away, leaving me alone in the corridor. Thankfully, the next door on my right was my destination. Carefully, I looked around to be absolutely sure that no one was coming before I unbolted the heavy metal door and slipped inside.

I had always hated these types of rooms. Experimental rooms, my left foot. These were cells and they looked the part. The room was very dark, no windows were set into the walls and the only light came from various overhead fixtures that were very dim. The floor was hard concrete and looked to be caked from centuries worth of dust and probably blood. Chains were bolted into the wall but why they were still in use I didn't know, the person they kept here didn't fight back much.

"Bütenblatt, " I whispered softly. It was so dark and silent I couldn't be sure that who I was looking for was even there. After what felt like an eternity there came a soft "Doc," from the far corner of the room.

Slowly, I made my way toward the voice, letting my eyes adjust to where I could see the faintest outline of a body, small as it was, lying on a cot. As I got closer, two eyes peered at me from the dark, and though they had never seen the sun they were as bright as gemstones.

A chair sat next to the cot and I gently placed myself in it. My body felt tense and every few seconds my eyes travelled to the door on the far side of the room. I may have had trouble seeing in this room but the small creature next to me did not. Those bright eyes could see every move I made and could read me just as easily as I could words on a page.

"You're leaving."

That voice, so soft to be in such a hard place. It sounded sad but was so gentle even when it spoke in perfect German as it had just now.

I only nodded and we lapsed back into silence for a few moments before I gained the courage to speak. "I am going to America," my voice startled me in the silence of the room, "I do not know if I will make it but I will try very hard. Schmidt took my serum, it has... changed him. Made him more determined and I fear that..." I didn't know want to go on but I forced myself, "That he... we will actually succeed with creating an army but one in his distorted image."

Silence again, "You'll make it."

I looked over into those bright orbs, "How can you be so sure?" It could have been my imagination but my eyes could detect a soft smile below those bright eyes.

"Because, you have to. Schmidt can't win and you need to make sure that the other side has a fighting chance."

A flash of white and a skinny, pale arm was held out in front of me, "You're going to need a secret ingredient."

I only stared at the extended appendage, it was thin and pale enough to where I could see the faint, blue lines that were veins. I looked back up, "Are you sure?"

Another soft smile "Just make sure that whoever you choose, is worth it. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man. That's all I ask."

It took several minutes but with tears in my eyes and three vials of blood stored safely in my bag, I made my way back out of the HYDRA base. A train was waiting for me and two failed attempts on a super soldier serum, but my third try would work. My third try would live up to my promise that I made in a dark cell to someone who had nothing and everything to give. A little guy can make the biggest change. And that little guy was Steve Rogers.