Everly || Steve Rogers

8. I Am Not Wearing That

The nurse plucked the needle from Steve's arm after filling multiple vials with his blood for further testing. Everly huffed from where she stood leaned back against the wall next to Peggy. Nobody seemed to know where to go from there. Without Dr. Erskine, the entire project was basically trashed. 

"Think you got enough?" Steve asked sarcastically as he pulled his sleeve back down.

"Any hope of recreating the program is locked in your genetic code." Peggy explained.

"But without Dr. Erskine, it would take years." Everly added sadly, gazing down at the tiles beneath her feet. Steve glanced at her and fixed the cuffs of his sleeves. 

"He deserved more than this." He sighed.

Everly peered up at him, still not used to doing so. "If it could work only once, he'd be proud it was you."

She turned around to watch the workshop below through the window as Steve was. Colonel Phillips swerved in between projects, guiding two more men along with him. One of which she recognized to be Senator Brandt. Peggy started toward the door, and Steve curiously followed. So naturally, Everly tagged along.

"We're not even close to this technology." She heard Howard say as he picked apart a submarine Erskine's shooter had almost escaped in. As it turns out, Steve caught up to him and caught him just before he made his escape. Not long after, he crunched a pill that took his life. Obviously, he had a thing or two to hide.

"Then who is?" Brandt asked, seeming to be in a rush to get somewhere. It was as if his time was too valuable to be wasted here. Everly's eyes flicked to the man standing quietly behind him, who she assumed to be an assistant of sorts.

Colonel Phillips was quick to answer, "Hydra." She scrunched up her face in confusion. Though she'd heard the name tossed around here and there, she never knew just what it meant. "I'm sure you've been reading our briefings."

"I'm on a number of committees Colonel-" 

"Hydra is the Nazi deep science division. It's lead by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions." Peggy interrupted as she, Steve, and Everly finally reached the bickering group of men. The senator removed his hat, unable to peel his eyes away from Peggy. 

"Hydra is practically a cult. They worship Schmidt. They think he's invincible." Colonel Phillips returned the attention to him. 

"So what are you gonna do about it?"

"I spoke to the President this morning." Everly smirked at how easily he said this, as if he chatted with the President on the regular. "As of today, the SSR is being retasked."

"Colonel?" Peggy questioned. 

"We are taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags, Agent Carter. You too, Stark." He called over his shoulder. Howard peeked out from around the machine he was working on. "We're flying to London tonight." Everly glanced at Steve oddly.

"Sir, if you're going after Schmidt I want in." He said confidently.

"You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." The Colonel replied, his voice void of any and all emotion. Even Everly was offended at the abrupt nature of his comment.

"The serum worked." Everly stepped forward, face scrunched up in confusion. She knew this was not what Erskine had intended for Steve. This is not what they had all worked so hard for. And she was not about to let him waste the rest of his days in a lab.

"I asked for an army and all I got was you." He answered, glaring at Steve. "You, are not enough." 

As the Colonel walked away Brandt took his place. "With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point." He began as he twirled his hat in his hand. "I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it. Paper." His assistant scurried over to him, holding up a newspaper for the three to read. The title read 'Nazis in New York, Mystery Man Saves Child.'  Everly looked up at her best friend and back to the paper. It was odd to think that the world saw Steve as a hero.