Man Out of Time

Chapter Two: Birth of a hero

"So. Boot Camp, huh? It's so- booty." Steve tried to strike up a conversation with one of the other recruits, but he had walked away, disgusted. "That was rude."

"Line formation!" Colonel Phillips yelled to the twelve men and they immediately fell into a line. "Our goal is to create the finest army in history. But every army starts with one man. By the end of this week, we're going to chose that man."

Steve didn't know what that meant. But, frankly, he didn't care. He was in the army! Next they were introduced to Agent Peggy Carter with a- well, with a bang. Steve thought she was very beautiful and she took an immediate liking to him. Love at first sight. She was on loan from British Intelligence. Not long after, Erskine started checking out the recruits. One day, Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips could be seen arguing. About what, the men couldn't tell, but they barely noticed they were there, an officer was working them so hard.

"Who do you think we should choose?" Abraham asked, somewhat knowingly.

"Well, Blonsky of course." Chester Phillips replied.

"And why is that?" Erskine questioned.

"He's strong, he's tall, he's fast, he takes orders. He's a soldier."

"He's a bully."

"Oh, sorry," The Colonel smirked, "I forgot you wanted Mr. Weakling over there."

"His heart is three times the size of anybody else's here." Erskine came back.

"Huh." Phillips said as he threw a fake grenade in the middle of the men. "GRENADE!"

Erskine and Phillips watched on as the scattered men made a dust storm, running all over the place. When the dust cleared, every man had shelter. Except Steve. He was on top of the grenade, braced for it to explode, so it would blow up him and the others would be safe. Colonel Chester Phillips looked right at Dr. Abraham Erskine's smiling face.

"He's still skinny."

Steve watched as, one by one, the other recruits were asked to leave until there was only one left- him. He was trying to figure it out in his dorm when Erskine walked in. He sat down next to Steve.

"Why me?" Steve asked Abraham the question he had been asking himself for so long.

"You were best recruit." Erskine answered, pouring wine into two glasses.

Erskine could tell he was confused, so he explained further.

"I did not always work for the S.S.R. Not long ago, I was a scientist working in Germany. I created a solution that could turn anyone's body into a body that performed on the peak of human perfection. The Super-Soldier Serum. Some evil men wanted to use it to make an army. But a man named Johann Schmidt, he, he became obsessed. He tried to get me to inject him with it, but I refused. So, in a fit of white-hot rage, he did it himself. It- he-"

"He what?" Steve asked, more than a little scared.

Erskine looked right in his eyes.

"The serum reflects what is on the inside. Good becomes great. Bad.... it becomes worse. Just promise me that no matter what happens tomorrow, you'll stay the same. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man."

"I promise."

"Well in that case, cheers!" Erskine said as they clanked the cups together than put them up to their lips. "NO!"

Abraham proclaimed, grabbing Steve's glass/

"The procedure tomorrow. No fluids." Erskine said, downing both cups. Steve looked at him, dazed. "What? I don't have procedure tomorrow." He joked.

The next morning, Steve found himself in a car with Peggy. They were driving through a part of town he was all-too-familiar with.

"I got beat up in that alley," Steve told her, "And behind that restraunt. Behind that movie theater..."

She giggled a little, but then gazed into his eyes.

"And you never gave up?"

"I figured if so many men weren't giving up fighting a whole army of bullies, why should I give up fighting just one jerk?"

Peggy smiled and looked back front.

"Here!" A voice from the front seat called as they pulled up to an antique shop. Peggy and Steve got out. They went in and a little old woman came to greet them.

"Wonderful weather, isn't it?" She asked, expecting a certain answer. Just as Steve was gonna say " I guess", Peggy spoke up,

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella."

The woman led them down a secret door down to a metal room with many computers and a capsule in the center of it. He met Erskine, who strapped him into it. He put something into Steve. He winced with pain.

"That wasn't too bad." Steve said, aching in pain.

Erskine looked worried. That was penicillin."