Weaponised

1

Rebecca Carter

The newest recruit is blonde, rather small (it's nice to be taller than someone for a change), with gangly arms and ocean-blue eyes that would make any other self-assured girl doubt herself. My sister tells me he's called Steven, Steve Rogers or something like that; honestly, I'm not overly bothered. He's just another soldier.

Until we find out about the experiments, that is. Operation: Rebirth, the plan to make a supersoldier, a perfect weapon so that we can win the war.

So Steve and I, as well as the rest of the newcomers, train like crazy so we can go and fight. To make sure he's the perfect candidate for the program.

One day our unit goes on a huge run, for training purposes, helmets, bags and all that. I just think those above us like to yell at us and make us feel bad about ourselves but if I want to fight, I need to do this. We all do.

Steve slips behind; I fall back to stay with him, knowing how horrible it is to be left in the dust. "You don't have to stay back with me," he says, out of breath.

"I know," I reply simply, keeping my steps in perfect time with his. He smiles at me briefly before focusing on staying upright without dying of exhaustion. From the corner of my eye, I can see the little flecks of emerald in his otherwise perfect aquamarine irises, and the curve of his mouth as he breathes heavily.

We finally catch up after the group stops. Those who were already here start to scrounge at a flag pole, because if they get the flag, they don't have to run back to the base camp. Eventually they give up, but I whisper to Steve: "Hey, go pull the left pin out the bottom of the pole."

"Why?" he pants, confused.

"You don't really want to run the rest of the way, do you?" I smirk, striding up to the flagpole. The amused stares of the others are watching me, Steve too, and simultaneously we yank out the pins. As I expected, the pole clatters loudly to the ground and he and I race to grab the fallen flag. Together, we hand it to Sergeant Duffy who takes it, the flabbergasted expression on his face hilarious as Steve and I clamber into the waiting jeep.

I dump my bag on the seat, the opposite side to where Steve sits. Laughing, I take off my helmet and shake out my hair, tendrils of dark brown whipping around my head as the jeep speeds up.

Steve's face flips into one of shock. "Come on, Rogers, don't act like you've never seen a girl before," Agent Carter grins at my words in the driver's mirror, even though she's in shotgun.

"I... Uhm, yeah, I have, but... I didn't think they were allowed in the army," the blonde replies nervously. I don't know why he's like this.

"They're not."

"So, how'd you get in?" he asks, puzzled.

"Lied... Oh, and it probably helps that my sister's right there."

"Agent Carter?" I nod. "Wow."

"Yeah, I got a lot to live up to. Agent, Strategic Scientific Reserve... Isn't that right, Peg?" I lean over the seat to talk to her but she pushes me back.

"She talks herself down, but she's with the SSR too," Peggy grins.

"You weren't meant to tell anyone that, remember?!"

"Behave yourself, little sister. You're lucky you're here," Peggy turns to me, comically raising an eyebrow.

"I know, and thank you. A lot. You know how much all of this means to me," as the vehicle rolls to a stop, I hug my sister and jump out, ensuring that I pile my dark hair under my helmet. "See you soon, Peg."