CHAPTER TWO:

TRAINING

STEVE AND Y/N stood side by side with a bunch of other men, the two of them wearing army uniforms. They had stayed silent as all the men spoke to each other, ignoring the little people beside them.

"Recruits, attention!" A feminine voice shouts. Immediately, all the soldiers in line stand straight up, fixing their postures. Along with Y/n and Steve.

A brunette woman walks in front of them. Her eyes meet Y/n's and she gives the petit girl a smile, Y/n giving a small one back.

"Gentlemen and lady, I'm Agent Carter. I supervise all the operations for this division." Agent Carter, Peggy Carter, greets firmly.

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria?" One soldier questions. Agent Carter looks at the man, her eyes narrowed. "Thought I was signing up for the U.S. army."

"What's your name, soldier?" Agent Carter asks.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty." Hodge replies cockily.

"Step forward, Hodge." Agent Carter demands. Hodge does as told. "Put your right foot forward."

"We gonna wrestle?" Hodge asks after obeying again. "Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like."

In response, Agent Carter's fist meets his face, sending the soldier straight to the ground. The Rogers siblings share a silent laugh and smile.

"Agent Carter." A voice calls.

Agent Carter turns her back to the soldiers, saluting. "Colonel Phillips."

"I can see that you are breaking in the candidates, that's good." Colonel Phillips observes. "Get your ass up and out of that dirt, and stand in that lineup at attention until, somebody comes and tells you what to do."

"Yes, sir." Hodge replies after getting to his feet, standing back in line.

"General Patton. Has said. "War's are fought with weapons but they are won by men." We are going to win this war, because..." Colonel Phillips starts, but soon trails off once his eyes land on Steve and Y/n. "...we have the best men. And woman. And because they're gonna get better. Much, better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve. Is an allied effort. Made up with the best minds of the free world. Our goal. Is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man, and now a lady. At the end of this week, we will choose that man or woman. He or she will be the first. Of a new breed of super soldiers. And they, will personally escort Adolph Hitler through the gates of hell."

~

Days later, Steve, Y/n, and the other soldiers had been training. Obviously, the other men were doing a lot better than Steve and Y/n, but they were still trying their hardest. Y/n had been doing slightly better than Steve, but still not as great as the other soldiers.

"Faster ladies, come on." Agent Carter pushes as the soldiers did pushups. "My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!"

"You're not really thinking about picking both Rogers', are you?" Colonel Phillips questions Erskine as both men walk towards the group.

"I am more than just thinking about it." Erskine responds. "It's a clear choice."

"When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic and a girl onto my army base. I let it slide. I thought what the hell. Maybe they'll be useful to you, like gerbils. Never thought you'd pick them." Colonel Phillips states as they come to a stop in front of the soldiers, both men looking at Steve and Y/n. "Stick a needle in his arm, it's gonna go right through him. And her, she could probably take it. Look at that. He's making me cry."

"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Erskine responds.

"Do you know how long it took to set up this project. All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator what's-his-name committees." Colonel Phillips reminds.

"Yes, I know." Erskine nods. "I am well aware of your efforts."

"Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast. He obeys orders, he's a soldier." Colonel Phillips tries, listing things about the bully.

"He's a bully." Erskine argues.

"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." Colonel Phillips replies before grabbing a grenade. "You win wars, with guts." At that, he throws the grenade in the soldiers direction. "Grenade!"

At the sound of a familiar word and the object being thrown towards them, all the soldiers run and hide behind things to keep themselves safe. Steve quickly pushes his sister away from the grenade before throwing himself on top of the explosive.

"Get away! Get back!" Steve shouts as Y/n goes to run to her brother, but Agent Carter grabs her arm. Slowly, Steve looks up, expecting to be blown up by now. "Is this a test?"

Colonel Phillips and Erskine meet eyes. Erskine shrugs.

"He's still skinny." Colonel Phillips reminds before walking off.

~

Steve, Y/n, and Agent Carter all sat together in a car. Agent Carter sat in-between the siblings. Y/n and Steve had been thinking about their conversation with Erskine the night before. They were intrigued. But they would make sure they kept their promise.

Stay who they are.

"I know this neighborhood." Steve observes. "I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner."

For confirmation, Agent Carter looks over at the other Rogers sibling, who nods to her before looking back out the window, thinking about a certain brunette man.

"Did you have something against running away?" Agent Carter questions.

"You start running they'll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. Can't say no forever, right?" Steve replies.

"I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face." Agent Carter states.

"I guess I just don't know why you would want to join the army if you're a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful... a woman. An agent, not a dame. You are beautiful, but..." Steve trails off, stammering as he doesn't know how to fix his words.

Agent Carter turned to his sister. "He has no idea how to talk to a woman, does he?"

Y/n chuckles, glancing at her and her brother. "I think this might be the longest conversation he's ever had with one."

"Woman aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on." Steve says sadly.

"You must have danced." Agent Carter states.

"Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying." Steve responds, shrugging a shoulder. "And the past few years, it just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait."

"For what?" Agent Carter questions.

"The right partner." Steve replies, looking out the window.

Eventually, the car came to a stop, the three of them hopping out and onto the streets of Brooklyn.

"This way." Agent Carter instructs, the siblings following the agent.

"What are we doing here?" Y/n asks, sharing a confused look with her brother.

"Follow me." Agent Carter replies, ignoring her question, the three of them walking into the shop.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" A woman greets from inside.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella." Agent Carter responds.

The woman walks behind the counter as the three walk through the curtains, standing in front of a bookshelf. Suddenly, it opens, revealing itself to be a secret door, people walking around inside. The Rogers siblings follow Agent Carter until they walk through a door, leaning on a balcony, staring down at the big lab below them, many doctors walking around.

All their eyes go to the siblings, making them stop in their tracks, continuing to stare at them. The siblings look at Agent Carter, who sighs before walking down the stairs, the two following. Eventually, they both stood in front of Dr. Erskine.

"Good morning." Erskine greets the siblings.

Just then, a large flash happened right in Y/n and Steve's faces, all of them looking over at a man holding a camera.

"Please, not now." Erskine says, the man walking away. The Rogers siblings then look over at the two machines they'll be, soon enough, getting into. "Are you two ready?"

In response, they nod in unison, slight nervousness evident on their faces.

"Good. Take off your shirts, your tie, and your hat." Erskine instructs before walking off.

The siblings do as told, Steve taking of his tie, hat, and unbuttoning his shirt, now leaving him shirtless with his pants still on. Y/n only has to unbutton a shirt she had, taking it off, leaving her in a white t-shirt and her uniform pants, just like Steve. Both siblings then slowly lay down on the machines, their breathing getting slightly heavy due to nervousness.

"Comfortable?" Erskine questions after stopping in-between the siblings.

"It's a little big." Steve chuckles in reply.

Agent Carter walks over to Y/n's side, resting her hand on the girl's bare shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine." Y/n nods, taking a deep breath. "And so will Steve."

Agent Carter chuckles, smiling slightly. "Yes, I believe you will both be okay. Because I believe in you two, Y/n."

"Mr. Stark, how are your levels?" Erskine questions.

"Levels at 100%." Howard Stark replies, walking in-between the siblings.

"Good." Erskine nods.

"We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn," Howard starts, staring between the siblings. "but we are ready as we'll ever be." With that, he walks away.

"Agent Carter? Don't you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?" Erskine questions.

"Yes, of course. Sorry." Agent Carter responds before walking off.