An Uncertain Future

The Past and Future

A/N: I finally got around to writing this chapter. It's been like, what? Over a month since I updated this. Oops. Sorry about that. I had finished this chapter the other day, but I read it over and realized that it was far too short. Like only six pages long. So I wanted to make it at least ten pages. Anyway, he's a chapter that's long overdue.

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NIGHT HAD FALLEN ON THE ARMY BASE and many of the men were currently winding down after a long day of training in the mess hall. One soldier, however, had decided to head to the barracks to avoid the others. Much like school children, the men never ceased to bother Steve during meals or while he tried to sleep. He ignored them, as much as he could. They were just like the others who picked on him back at home. So it wasn't anything new. Besides, that wasn't the only reason why he needed to be alone.

Tomorrow was the day.

The experiment that would be conducted on him was only hours away, and Steve was nervous. The procedure that was meant to turn him into a super-soldier was going to happen tomorrow! He didn't understand all the science that went behind it much, after all, he wasn't the smartest guy. Steve was no Howard Stark. However, he couldn't help but worry just a little bit.

Ever since he had been accepted into the army, Steve had put a lot of trust into Dr. Erskine. He didn't doubt that it wouldn't work, not as much as a few other people. However, there was still doubt about why he had been chosen. There were plenty of other men who were far more physically talented than he was that would be perfect for the procedure. Steve was sick, he always has been. So what exactly did Dr. Erskine see in him? What did Delphia see?

After being here for some time, Steve learned that Delphia had helped Abraham choose him as the subject for their experiment. He was unsure what exactly she could have seen from him after only speaking with him for a minute at the Stark Expo. Steve didn't understand why she even spoke to him in the first place! He was a meek little man who was surrounded by plenty of other strong soldiers who should have captured her attention. She could have spoken to a man who was taller than him, healthier than him, more handsome than him... But she chose him... Why?

There was a knocking at the entrance that brought Steve out of his thoughts. He turned away from the book that he had been staring at blankly to find Dr. Erskine entering the barracks. "May I?"

Steve cleared his throat, "Yeah."

"Can't sleep?" The older man asked as he walked into the room.

Steve shrugged his shoulders, "I got the jitters, I guess."

Abraham let out a small chuckle and sat down on the bed across from Steve. "Me, too."

They were quiet for a moment before Steve decided to spoke about what was on his mind. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Just one?" Abraham raised an eyebrow. He imagined that Steve would be a tad bit more curious about what was going to happen tomorrow. After all, if everything went according to plan, Steve's entire life would change.

"Why me?"

The older man was quiet for a moment as he came up with an answer. "I suppose that is the only question that matters." He took a deep breath and briefly glanced down at the bottle of schnapps he brought for them. "This is from Augsburg. My city. So many people forget that the first country that the Nazi's invaded was their own. You know, after the last war the... my people struggled. They... they felt weak. They felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags and the... and the..." He waved his hand as the memories of what had happened bombarded him. "And he... he hears of me, my work and he finds me. And he says, 'You.' He says, 'You will make us strong.' Well, I am not interested. So he sends the head of HYDRA, his research division. A brilliant scientist by the name of Johann Schmidt." The older man inwardly shivered at the thought of the mad man. "Now, Schmidt is a member of the inner circle and he's 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 fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a 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."