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"Nana, I don't want to take the school bus""Oh don't you start with that, young lady. It's time you learn to be independent and manage to do things like this on your own. Understand me, Y/n?" The little girl sighs with a pout. In her arms, she holds a book and in the other, a paper bag with today's lunch. "But what if it doesn't take me to school and it turns out they're kidnapping us? What if we get into an accident? Mommy will be sad""Don't talk such nonsense, girl! See, this is what I'm telling your mother about. Girls your age don't read books like The Wizard of Oz, those give you funny ideas and they corrupt your mind. You should be reading books like Harriet, Moses of Her People, or The Education of Henry Adams. Books that teach you about real life situations and first world problems. If you want to make it in the world, you need to shape your mind...""No time, Nana, bus is just around the corner""Oh. Okay, don't forget what we practiced-- no standing up while the bus is still driving, you wait until it's at a complete stop. No speaking back to any of your superiors. No eating with your mouth full and um, what else?" The elder woman scurried behind her granddaughter as she waited for the bus to stop by the curb and open the doors. Even as she stepped up, she continued sputtering. "A-and lastly, make some friends my girl. I'll be waiting right here when you return. Love you!""Love you too, Nana" She greets the driver with a nod but one he completely ignores. As she looks down the isle of seats, she finds them all booked. She walks down the middle slowly and nervous, eyes following her. She hears them chattering and murmuring with each other, about her she didn't know. No one is offering her a seat but just watching as she asses by. She almost begins to panic when she feels the bus begin to move until a hand grabs her arm and pulls her towards the seat."Hey, you gotta sit down or else you'll fall and ruin your dress!" A tall blonde girl advised her. "Here, I'll even let you sit next to the window so that you don't end up falling out, okay?" She giggles. Before she knew it, Y/n was sitting next to the window and finally has time to relax and come down from the panic. "Thanks""No problem. I'm serious though, that's a beautiful dress. Where did you get it?""My granny made it for me. She makes all kinds of dresses and sells them""Oh! I wanna meet your granny one day""Hey what's your name by the way?" A boy in front of her asks. He wasn't sitting like he was supposed to. Instead he was on his knees both hands together sitting on top of the headrest."My name is Y/n Reese. And you are?""I'm Bonnie and this is Jackson. He is as dumb as a mule so he can't function right""Bonnie I think you should stay out of the sun more, it's making you look uglier" He laughs along with a few other boys as she sits there and gasps."Go to hell! All of you!""Sorry, Bonnie. I can't hear you, those two buck teeth are in the way" "Fine. You keep laughing, wait 'till I tell my sister about the time you nearly peed yourself that time there was a spider in your hair""That's low!""Hey! Look who's back this year!" Another boy somewhere in the front seats calls out, and half the bus quiets down while some peak through the window and watch another student approaches the bus. "Look! His mommy needs to help him step onto the bus!" Some of the boys laugh."Who are they talking about?" Y/n asks the girl beside her. She gestures her head out the window."That poor boy Steve Rogers" By the door, she watches as a blonde woman helps her small son step on the bus. He was very short and she wondered if he was getting on the right bus to junior high, not elementary. "Everyone is always teasing him and pushing him around" She explains as said boy begins walking down the isle with his head hanging low. One or two times, someone would give him a shove and he would just take it. But as he walked by her seat, she noticed his hands tightly fisted as if he was holding something back."Why doesn't anybody do something about it?""I don't know? The boy seems fine on his own, besides, I know I'll be bullied too if I stepped in. This treatment is nothing compared to what the older kids at school do, so don't worry about it" Y/n isn't convinced and looks back to find the boy standing against the back door rather than sitting. The seats were packed, true, but he could have squeezed in somewhere.As soon as the bus came to a complete stop, the students rose from their seats and pushed their way out the isle. Y/n gladly waited until they all squeezed out through the door. Once the back was cleared, she stepped out off of the seat but before she could take another step towards the exit, she heard someone groaning behind her. She looks back and finds the small Steve struggling to pick himself up off the ground. She thought about what Bonnie said, that getting involved with the bullied would have you become one of the bullied. The idea doesn't sound too pleasant and she was looking forward to making friends rather than enemies.So she would turn her back and forget she ever saw him until another thought popped in her head. She thought of what it would be like if she was in his position and if she was, she would have wanted someone to help her even if it wasn't what he wanted. She looks back at the boy and walks over to him and carefully pulls him up by his arm. Right away, she knows he's shocked of her actions but doesn't exactly protest. He does pull for his arm back and gathers his things off the floor while she waits for him. And once he has his things back, he looks up at her. Just for a second, she learns that he isn't much taller than her, actually, she could see the top of his head. Then, she's met with the bluest eyes she's ever seen. They remind her of the ocean. So pretty, she thought it should be impossible for one to own such pretty eyes. She can't help but smile when she sees just how messy his hair was and she couldn't help but lick the tip of her thumb and swipe it across his cheek. His face grows red and hot and she laughs a little harder this time as she compares him to a strawberry with blonde hair."Huh? What the hell are you two still doing? It's time to get off!" Both look at the driver before she takes his hand and pulled him along down the front of the bus."Thanks" She muttered and stepped down from the bus. "Hey!" Steve retracted his hand from hers and caught her attention. She looks back and finds a frown on his face. "Thanks for that but I don't need you to hold my hand""Sorry. I wasn't trying to make you mad. It's just... those jerks were pushing you and you were standing on the bus. That's dangerous""It's okay. I understand that you didn't mean any harm. And don't worry about those guys, I'm fine""Your name is Steve Rogers, right?" He nods in confirmation. "I'm Y/n Reese""Good to meet you, Y/n. I've never seen you around here before. You're new in town?" It was her turn to nod. "You must not have any friends then""Well there was Bonnie and Jackson but I don't know where they ran off to""It's okay. I'll stay with you""Really? You're nice""Hey, Steve!" They turn their heads to the voice and Y/n sees a taller boy approaching them. Just when she thinks it's another bully, he waves at Steve and he waves back before stopping to stand beside his longtime friend and faces her. "Woah, who's this? Steve, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend""N-no! She's not my girlfriend! We just met" Y/n laughed as Steve grew flustered and red. "This is Y/n. She's new in town and doesn't have any friends""Maybe I'll see Bonnie and Jackson later but I wouldn't mind hanging out with you guys" Y/n retorted."Oh. You mean Jerkson and Bunny-teeth" The brunette boy laughed at his own joke. "This is James Barnes but everybody calls him Bucky" Steve sighed and gestured towards his friend who couldn't seem to help himself."Hey, I can introduce myself, ya know. You can call me Bucky. Steve and I, we're best friends but if you wanna be our best gal friend, I guess it's cool" Bucky finally settled down. He swipes her lunch bag and her book from her hands and holds his arm out. "Allow me to carry these for you, miss, while I show you around" With her gleeful smile, she clung onto Bucky's arm as they took off. Steve follows beside her and she instinctively holds onto his arm as well. Not paying attention as he once again begins to blush.
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"There you are! My God, I turn my back on you once and you're gone within seconds!" Y/n scolded the two men in front of her in the alleyway. She sighs when she looks over at Steve, hair untidy, clothes ruined, bruises and blood on his face. "Well at least you found Steve. Come here, what happened?" She asks as she walks up to the shorter boy and uses her handkerchief to clean the blood off his face, but not without licking the cloth. Steve is quick to protest but he can't get away from her."Our boy Steve just can't get enough of fist fighting with guys bigger than him. You already know, doll, he never changes" Bucky answers for him."Of course" She looks back Steve, shaking her head before moving to fix his hair. "You are a soldier now, Steve. It's time you learn how to be the bigger man and stop acting on impulse. You're smarter than the bullies""For once, you're wrong about one thing" Steve answered and when she looked confused between him and Bucky, Steve glances over at Bucky and he gives him the go-ahead. He looks back at Y/n and drops his head in shame. "I wasn't accepted. Man said he was saving my life by not letting me join""Oh" Her face dropped to sadness."I was stupid to think I would be accepted. All that wishful talking was us just talking like kids again""Don't say that, Steve. You know, at least you applied. Half the boys that do either end up bailing at the last minute or they don't apply at all because they wanna tuck and hide in their mommy's skirts" The two men chuckled at her words. "But you didn't do neither. I'm proud of you. Both of you" She pulls in both of the men into a hug. When she pulls away, she turns around and takes both their arms. "Anyways, we still have to go out and celebrate""Doll, you really don't have to-" Bucky tries to protest but she pulls on his arm to cut him off."Zip it! We're going out, the six of us""Six?" Steve asks, glancing over at his best friend."Billy got accepted, too. Yup, recruited to the 107th Regiment. I'm happy he'll have someone he knows well" She lightly nudges the brunette."I wouldn't exactly call it 'well', doll" Bucky mutters under his breath."What?""Nothin'. So who else is coming with us?""That's a surprise""Where are we going?" asks Steve."To the future" Y/n's eyes glimmered as she watched the fireworks pop in the sky one after another. The colors varied from red, blue, white, green, purple and pink. But she couldn't keep track of all of them. Tonight was a special night for her and her companions. "Hey, love" She turns around and comes face to face with Billy, her boyfriend of five and a half years. She hasn't gotten used to seeing him in his uniform. The same goes for Bucky, whom was watching alongside with Steve as Y/n's face was attacked with kisses from pretty boy Billy. His face showed disapproval while Steve's showed silent jealousy. It's not that they thought Y/n was out of Billy's league but the other way around actually.The two met in high school, junior year and she fell head over heels for the guy. He was the handsome, straight A student. Every girl wanted him while every guy wanted to be him. Everyone except Bucky and Steve fell for his charms. Of course he wasn't an evil man. It was more that the two men were envious of him for getting the girl the two always fought over in middle school and early high school. Only for neither of them to catch her heart. At least she didn't change nor did she disappear from their lives. They still care for her and treat her like the same ol' Y/n. She was their best gal friend, and their childhood crush."C'mon you sloths! Your surprise is waiting inside" Y/n caught their attention and they followed behind her and her partner, trying their best to keep their distance but not make it obvious. "What do you think this surprise is?" Steve asks his best friend. He shrugs in response, hands tucked in his pockets."Whatever it is, I'm sure it's good. You know how she is at surprises" Steve nods in agreement. "Come on, slow pokes! They're waiting for us!" Y/n turns back again and slowly, they come to the realization of the surprise. A little further ahead, they see two familiar young ladies wave at the four of them. Y/n hurries over to greet them with hugs and kisses. Billy, Bucky and Steve following behind. Bill and Bucky greet the two, Bucky putting on more of a smooth, flirty introduction. "Boys, you remember Bonnie and her best friend, Connie""Yeah, how could I forget? Cutest girl in our class" Bucky flirted."Oh, you sweet talker. That title was already given to Y/n but if you insist" Bonnie shrugged with red cheeks."Connie, this is Steve. Trust me when I say he's your Romeo to your Juliette" Y/n spoke but Connie's face was not convinced."Uh, where's your uniform?" Steve and Bucky scrambled to find answer whether it was a lie or not. But Y/n had them covered."He got into a fight with a bully. He beat him up but got his uniform ruined so he decided he would leave it at home" She tried to make her words sound believable and just when she thought wasn't persuaded, Billy was able to cut through the growing awkwardness and suggests that they are wasting time standing around. So they got a move on, Billy and Y/n taking the lead while Bucky and Bonnie followed behind them. Connie decided to play their third wheel as Steve tried to keep up with them. "Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world" The expo announcer said through the com. The exhibition was packed with more people inside, though Y/n wasn't surprised. She was impressed by all of the gadgets and inventions. She almost found it hard to believe that the world was advancing in amazing ways. "Oh, the flying car exhibit is about to start!" Billy tells the group and hauls Y/n with her hand closer to the stage. The rest of them following excitedly except for Steve."Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!" One of the show girls struts over to said man before giving him a chaste kiss. "You think you'll see your mom?" Steve asks her. She looks at him over her shoulder and shrugs. He takes it as an answer before deciding to offer Connie some of his popcorn. "Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won’t even have to touch the ground at all" Mr. Stark speaks and prompts his assistance girls to remove each of the wheels. "Yes. Thanks, Mandy. With Stark robotic reversion technology, you’ll be able to do just that" He turns on a switch slowly, the car begins to hover in the air. For a few hot seconds, everyone in the crowd is pleased and impressed before suddenly, the car begins to break down and drop to the ground. "I did say a few years, didn't I?" The crowd breaks into laughter and claps. His charm worked on everyone. "Hey, Steve, what do you say we treat these girls…" Y/n looks back at Bucky when she heard stop in the middle of his sentence. But she learns that Steve has disappeared. When they find him at the Recruitment Center, Bucky tells them-- well, specifically more towards Y/n-- that he would go talk to him. They approved and continued to chatter among themselves. Y/n tried her best to eavesdrop on her boy's conversation but as they were too far away and there were too many people around talking, she couldn't hear. It especially didn't help when both Bonnie and Connie were trying to talk plans for tomorrow since their partners would be gone and transported to their rendezvous together. After a few minutes, Bucky did come back empty handed and Steve watched from a distance. Bucky did fill her in that Steve was going to attempt to apply again in hopes of getting better results. He was too set on his goal that there was no point in talking him out of it. Y/n looks once back to Steve and sends her a nod, telling her he was sure about his decision. She sends one back before they finally take off.
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"I can't believe how drunk Bucky got. I also can't believe I'm leaving it to Bonnie to make sure he gets home safe" Y/n scolds herself, walking in the calm breeze with Billy at her hip to keep her warm."He'll be fine. I'll even make sure we don't take off without him""Thanks. I'll owe you one""And... speaking of tomorrow. Here," He reached into his pocket and held out a ring between two fingers. Y/n stood there stunned, "Will you marry me when I come back?""Billy...""It doesn't have to be an engagement ring, but a promise ring-- a promise to marry me when I come back""Billy, you know how I feel about this stuff. The last time someone told me to wait for their return before going away... it didn't work out the way they planned""Hey," His warm fingers catch her chin and gently pull her face up to meet his, "This time is different. I would never leave you out of the blue. I swear on my life. Will you swear on yours that you will marry me?" She shares a smile with him and nods her head."Okay" With ease, he slides the diamond ring into her finger and takes her hands."There. Now, I'll feel like I have something worth fighting for" She leans up and kisses him. He offers to take her home but when she spots Steve sitting alone on a bench outside the recruitment center, she turns it down and asks if she could leave with Steve seeing as he looked very lonely that it guilt tripped her. He hesitated but was ultimately persuaded. He kisses her goodbye and they part ways for the last time. As she approaches her best friend, he turns his head up and is almost surprised to see her still wandering around and alone. His palms rub his knees in attempt to clean off the sweat in his hands but it doesn't seem to help. "Where's Bucky and the girls?" He first asks when she plops down next to him. Her tired feet feeling relieved from the pain of the heels. "He got drunk and the girls offered to take him home. I trust they'll get him back in one piece though we should probably see to it that he isn't late tomorrow morning" He leans over, clasping his hands together and mouth open as if he's ready to say something but he won't come out with it. "What is it?""Uh, well, it's just that... I just so happened to be recruited about an hour ago and I'm being shipped to Germany tomorrow morning" Y/n grew excited as he continued breaking the news to her until she finally wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him in a hug. "Are you serious?! What the hell! That's amazing! Oh my goodness and Bucky won't know""You can tell him tomorrow""Yeah if I have the chance, I will" Y/n settled down quicker than Steve expected but then he remembered that three of her most important people in her life will be leaving for war. "The worst part of it is that you're going to be alone. It's funny, you encouraged us to apply knowing that you were going to be left alone if we were all recruited""Yeah. It is funny. One big country full millions of people yet I'm going to be completely alone. Now that the three of you are leaving, either one or all three of you may not come back. I prefer that you watch each other out there and come back to me""I'm going to write you, you know that? Any time I can, I promise to write you""Thank you, Steve" She lets out a sigh and stands to her feet, holding out her hand for him. "So we have one thing left to do before we end the night" He looks at her hand and back at her."What?" She motions her hand and he finally takes it before leading him towards one of the shops. The owner of the photograph shop was locking up his door when he saw the two walk up to him. "I'm sorry folks but I'm closing for the night. We have a big day tomorrow for-" The old man tried to explain but Y/n takes out Steve's enrollment sheet and shows it to the man. It takes a moment for him to read it before a smile plasters on his face. "Oh my! Forgive my rudeness, Mr. uh, Rogers. I assume you and your wife would like to have a picture taken before your big day tomorrow" Steve opens his mouth to correct him but Y/n didn't want him to blow it, so she nudges his rib and stops him from talking. "I understand. If you will, make yourselves comfortable on the platform and I will capture your photograph in no time" The two stand side by side in front of a floral background and the old man counts to three before snapping the shot. They both blink a few times to after the flash went off and the old man comes out from the drape. "Excellent, now just let me go develop this for you. It won't take but a second""So, you're Mrs. Rogers now?" Steve joked."Mm, it suits me don't you think? Y/n Rogers""Fits like a glove" They receive their photo back and go to pay the man but he stops them and tells them it was free of charge for men who are in service. It turned out nicely, besides the fact that Steve just so happened to blink in the photo. Y/n couldn't get enough of it as she laughed. On the walk back to her house, Steve had revealed that he met a doctor by the name of Abraham Erskine representing Strategic Scientific Reserve and is working with Howard Stark on a project called "Project Rebirth." This of course prompted him to think that maybe her mother was working on this project as well. Though Y/n didn't know much about her mother's work, just that she was a scientist that worked with the famous Howard Stark. She rarely saw her once a year, twice if she was lucky. When she asked him what the point of telling her this information was, he told her that if she wanted to, she could possibly try to find a way to work alongside her mother which could possibly mean the two can see each other once in a while. But that was a big maybe. She argued back that she was no good at technology nor science and that she would probably end up burning anything she touched. He tried to convince her but it wasn't going to be that easy. She could try but she doesn't think she will succeed. She can learn from her mother but how long will that take before she gives up and decides not to try again. She was going to have to sleep on it.
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Two months have gone by and she hasn't heard from Steve. She got three letters from Billy, two from Bucky but none from Steve. Despite that they each promised they would write her at least once a month. She was still awaiting letters from him everyday. At one point, she decided maybe it was best she send a letter first in case Steve forgot. The wait became unbearable. Some days, she would force herself to go to the mailing office to ask whether anything has been sent to her from the German camp. The woman at the front desk, Delilah, sympathized with her when she told her about her husband having left for the war four months ago. She prayed he would come back to meet their incoming newborn that was due in a month or so. When she still wasn't receiving anything in the mail, she began to think about what Steve had told her about. She can't imagine it would be easy to contact her mother through telephone and she didn't feel like a letter would really reach her. So she turned to Nana and asks how she could get in contact with her.But it only led to an argument. Nana revealing to her that she never wanted her daughter-in-law to follow the familiar footsteps as her late father and her husband. Y/n's grandfather and father both died in the service of the U.S. Army. While it was a proud title to hold in their family, Nana thought it was just becoming repetitive. She was tired watching her family leave out that front door, only to be never seen again. A knock on the door caught Y/n's attention. She stopped her sewing and paused the phonograph before walking to the front door and looking through the peephole. She gasped and took a moment to collect herself before opening the door and revealing to be her mother waiting outside. Taking a moment to look her up and down, she noticed how different she looks compared to the last time she saw her thirteen years ago. She was still beautiful and young. And Y/n always wonders why people think she's incredibly pretty. "Mom" She whispered, her voice nearly cracking. Her mother shines a big smile, her red lip stick framing it perfectly. They pulled each other into a hug and both nearly began to cry. "I thought... I thought you" Y/n pulls away as she struggles to speak. "I didn't think I would ever see you again" She closes the door behind her. "Nana called last week. Said you were asking about me and that you had something to talk about but you didn't know whether you could tell her or not" When she saw her daughter nod with a sheepish smile, she continued. "You can tell me""Well, it's about what my friend Steve told me about. Long story short, he and Bucky became my friends back after we moved. They both applied to join the army and got accepted. Steve, however, said he was approached by a doctor. Said his name was Abraham... something. He mentioned he works for the SSR, the same organizations you're part of, right?""Doctor Abraham Erskine. He's a colleague of mine, along with a whole other research department. He set out to find eligible candidates for a project we're working on. I guess your friend peaked his interest""What is this project? How does this candidate participate?""Sweetheart, you need to understand that I can't just give out information like that in the middle of a war. It's top secret, like government top secret""Sorry. I shouldn't of asked that""You couldn't have known. It's okay. So, why the sudden interest to it anyways? Cause I feel like there's more to it than you're telling me. Does this have to do with your friend Steve and Bucky?""I just really miss them and I worry for them, even though I shouldn't""Of course you can worry for them. They're your friends""Did you miss dad? When he went to the war, I mean""I did. Very much but then I decided to keep myself busy and I did that by working for hours without end. As you know, I practically drowned myself in work after he died. Sorry," Her face falls with a frown, "I don't wanna sound like I blame your father for my frequent absence. That's all on me, I haven't been there for you as much as I should have""You were right... This does have something to do about Steve. I think about him constantly. Worried that he'll be bullied and he'll end up dead because of them. Growing up, I saw how many times he would get beaten up by some bully and usually Bucky had to be the one to step in and help him. Sometimes I did. Other times, Steve just kept taking it until he passed out. Knowing I can't do that, I worry""I can see why Abraham decided to elect him then""Whatever this project is, and if you're planning to use him for it, please, don't put him in danger. He's allergic to a lot of things and has heart problems and asthma attacks. Know that he may or may not be the man you're looking for in this project-""Sweetheart, we aren't looking for the strongest man nor the healthiest. We aren't looking for a man that will walk through fire or anything like that, we're looking for the right mindset""What do you mean?" Her mother paused, staring directly into her eyes before explaining ahead."Why don't I show you instead? And you can be the judge of whether he is the right choice or not""I-I don't know. Mom, I was never really good at science""You don't have to be" She stood on her feet. "You just have to have good judgement of character and the right morals. So what do you say?" She held her hand out to her and with slight hesitation, she took it. It was called Project Rebirth. A "Super Soldier Serum" was created, thirteen years in the making and today, they would be testing it on the first human ever. That human happened to be Steve. Y/n had met Dr. Erskine, along with Howard Stark and many other scientists three weeks ago. When she learned this serum was supposed to enhance his abilities, she thought it was interesting. However, because this was the first test ever being done on a living being, meaning they didn't know whether it was going to kill him or not. That was downside. But when she heard Steve was willing to take the risk, she knew there wouldn't be a chance to change his mind. The morning of the procedure, Y/n could barely sleep. In the lab facility, she was busy in deep thought that she couldn't focus on what her mother telling her as she helped set up the equipment. "Y/n?" Her mother spoke out to her. She turns her head in her direction and sees her trying to catch her attention. "You know if you're feeling a sick today, you can wait up in the booth until Steve gets here""No. I'm fine. I just-" The double doors up top creak open. Everyone pauses for a second to see who has arrived. The lab fell silent when all came to realize the test subject was here. Though to a few, including Y/n, it was Steve. He looked different in his cream colored uniform. She looked at him like a proud mother. She waited until he got to the bottom of the stairs behind a woman. She, too, looked nervous. "Steve" Y/n called lightly and hurried over to give him a hug, catching him off guard in the process. She then pulls away and looks up at Steve. "Look at you" She smiles."Look at you" He replies gesturing the lab coat she wore. She looked like a professional, when all she was was an assistant. She steps aside and guides Steve to the large pod in the middle of the circular lab. Abraham lends out his hand and shakes it."Good morning" He greets and a flash goes off. The doctor looks over at the photographer with a look of disapproval. "Please, not now" He looks back at Steve. "Are you ready?" Steve nods. "Good, take off your shirt, your tie and your hat" Y/n beats him to it. She swipes the cap off and begins untying his tie. "You nervous?" Y/n asks him with a trembling voice. Steve looks down at her working hands and finds them shaking as well."Are you?" "Yes. Kinda. No, a lot" She finishes pulling the tie off of him and proceeds to unbutton his shirt. "How is this gonna go?""You'll get in the pod, they'll inject you with the serum and then..." He paused and waited for her to continue. "You make history. As long as you don't panic, you'll be fine" She couldn't help herself and pulled him into another hug. "Just remember, you'll always be Steve... my Steve" She whispers into his ear and pulls away to let him enter the pod. She retreats to the second floor alongside with her mother. Abraham takes the mic and begins to introduce the purpose of the project and how the procedure would work. Soon, the serum is injected and Stark lowers a leaver, causing the pod to stand straight and closes around Steve. Abraham lightly knocks on the pod and checks to see if Steve is alright. He responds and the doctor gives the go ahead to proceed. Y/n's mother taps her shoulder and gestures the goggles around her neck. She nods and follows as everyone in the lab does the same. She watches with her mother as one of the screens display Steve's vital signs and it was safe to say that he was doing just fine. Yet, she can't help but grip Steve's hat in her hand. All goes well until Steve's screaming begins to alarm everyone. A few of the scientists move to check the machines, others just wait and watch for it to end. "Shut it down! It's hurting him!" Y/n orders but she has no authority over the scientists. She groans and moves find a plug of any sort but her mother catches her arm and stops her. "What are you doing? We have to turn it off before it kills him!""It's not killing him, Y/n. Trust me. It's how the procedure works. We just have to wait and see the results" Stark announces the one hundred percent mark and the machines begin to spark. But soon, everything dies down and the vita-rays power off. The pod opens up and Y/n's heart rate deflates, though jumps, when she sees the new and improved Steve.
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Y/n blinked, rubbed her eyes and stared at the man stumbling out of the pod. Ripped and sweaty, tall and dare she say sexy. She couldn't believe she was asking herself whether that was Steve, someone she's known since they were tweens. She gathers herself and hurries over to him before everyone else surrounds him. As she neared her friend, she could begin to feel the heat radiate off of him in waves. She fought the urge to remove her lab coat just because of it. And she didn't know what to do with her hands-- it felt as though she was looking at a God, something holy and something that shouldn't be touched by the likes of her. It was a ridiculous thought, she knew but she couldn't help it. "So? How are you feeling?" She asks him as he pants down on her. "You got shorter" He answers and she scoffs."You got...," She clears her throat, "Bigger..." "That means it worked?" She nods her head reassuringly."Yes. It did. I'm happy it did" She sends him a smile, which he returns. She takes the shirt from the assistance and hands it over to him. Once he puts on the shirt, she leans in to whisper to him again. "Things are gonna be different from now on. I hope you're ready for this" He nods as she pulls away. She stands close to his side as everyone from the booth line up to speak with both Dr. Abraham and Steve-- including the woman he arrived with. An explosion shakes the lab. Glass and debris come falling down and everyone tries to duck. Steve is quick enough to turn and grab Y/n by the arm and use his body for protection. She hardly has time to process what happens but the loud eruption is enough to unsettle her. "Stop him!" She and Steve turn to look but gunshots going off cause them to dodge their heads again. A woman's scream is enough to tell them someone was shot. Steve stands, helping her to her feet before looking to see who was injured. They realize it was Abraham himself. As Steve goes to kneel beside him, Y/n looks up when she hears the gunfire continue. She doesn't recognize the man he was sketchy nonetheless. She hears even more gunfire but this time it was coming from that woman. But when she doesn't stop him, she goes after him. Before Y/n realizes it, Steve too begins to chase after this man. She was glad to see he wasn't severely injured. A few bumps and bruises and a simple bullet wound to the side didn't stop him from putting an end to this undercover spy. When Steve returned from the chase, he came back with details of this man. And it revealed that he was a HYDRA agent and it alerted everyone, especially Chester Philips. Y/n went back to the compound with the rest of the team though not without feeling like a fish out of water. She tried staying close to her mother's side as she was her pass to get through without being stopped. That was until she decided to sneak into the infirmary in the upper level of the compound where Steve was currently getting blood taken from. She figured it was to help them recreate the serum but with Abraham dead, they were going to have to build it from scrap. And Steve's blood was the closest thing to the serum. She lightly knocks on the door and opens the door just a gap to peak inside. All eyes set on her."Sorry. I hope I'm not intruding" She apologizes, opening the door all the way. "Not at all. We were just finishing up" Said one of the nurses and begins collecting her tools. The same woman was standing in front of Steve, who was sitting on the bed fixing his sleeves. She looks between Steve and Y/n and awkwardly starts to make her way to the door."I assume you'd want some privacy" She spoke in her English accent. Y/n stops her just before she could step out the door."I don't think we've met. I'm Y/n. One of Steve's old friends and-""You're Doctor Reese's daughter? She speaks a lot about you. My name is Peggy Carter. I'm glad to see Steve isn't all alone in this. It must be nice to have someone around to remind you of home" She looks over at Steve. "And I thought you've never spoken to women before" She lightly chuckles and exits the room, leaving you alone with Steve. She looks from the door to him and he opens his mouth to speak."Sorry" He muttered. "The way Peggy said that, makes me look like I never wanted to talk about you. Which isn't the case at all. You know, Peggy is the only other woman I've ever spoken to without wetting my pants""The only other woman you've spoken more than five words to besides me and your own mom, right?" They laughed together as she took a seat next to him on the bed."Yes, that's exactly right. Peggy is great, kind and...""And... if you have something for her, you can tell me. You know that""What? Me and Peggy? No. We're just friends but half the time she's too busy being my supervisor""If you say so" She drops the subject and lays her head on his huge shoulder, prompting him to rest his head on hers. She tangles her arm with his and they sit in silence for a few seconds, her thumb caressing his soft skin."One thing she said though, I can't agree more""What's that?""It's nice to have someone around from home" It didn't stay like that, however. Chester Philips announces the SSR would be relocating to London to go after HYDRA directly but when he doesn't plan on taking Steve along and leave him behind for the scientists to continue studying him, he refuses. Y/n strongly disagrees, too but it's not like she got a say in it. But she does request to come along with her mother, just so that she could learn more about becoming a scientist herself. Hopefully become an agent herself. Unfortunately, she got a straight, firm 'no' for an answer. However, her mother wasn't going to just leave her empty handed. This time around, she was going to stay in Brooklyn and study the SSR operations and get all sorts of training. It won't get her on the battlefield but at least she will be able to defend herself if need be. She began as soon as Steve set off on tour. She missed him but at least she got to watch him on T.V. or read about him on the newspaper. She can't unsee him in that spangly outfit and laughs to herself whenever she does. She couldn't believe how famous he was getting, how much money he was helping raise for war donations. The downside was that she couldn't see him as long as the war kept on. She resumed sending letters back to Bucky and Billy but three months later, their letters "I'm sure they'll get back to you. Maybe they haven't found the time to sit down and write back. I bet you they got all your letters hidden in their pillows for safe keeping" Delilah, the woman who's baby daddy is currently in service as well, tried reassuring her. Her baby was born six months ago and she had sent a few pictures of her baby girl to her husband not too long ago-- who also has answered her letters and assured her that he was still alive and breathing. "It's been three months. I'm sure they would have had enough time to sit down and write at least five words telling me they can't write back. They're in the same Regiment so I'd figure maybe one of them to write me and tell me what's going on""Hmm... what Regiment did you say they were in?""I didn't. Why?""Well what if they haven't written back to you because they're letters got lost or maybe yours? That's what happened to my letters before they started reaching Boris. Maybe he can get in contact with your men's Regiment and check up on them. What do you think?" She asks, preparing to write down their names on a scrap piece of paper. "I guess there's no harm trying. Billy Otis Lambert Jr and James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, both are assigned in the 107th Regiment" She watches as Delilah freezes and her smile falls, replaced with worry. "What?""The 107th Infantry Regiment?""Yes, why? What's wrong?" She quickly puts her pen down and scatters through the short pile of letters given to her by her husband until she stops and picks one up. Y/n watches in suspense as Delilah skims through the letter and stops at one point, her hand coming up to cover her hand. "The 107th division, Boris said not a month ago that they tried dispatching the squad but that they found out half of them were wiped out and there were two hundred of them. Apparently the last time they got in contact, they were fighting some unit of Nazi's. He didn't say much more but- wait, where are you going?!"She didn't know where she was going. Her feet were just moving, pacing through the street. As she continued, she grew overwhelmed by emotions. Pictures of Bucky and Bill popped in her mind and suddenly she wished she could just magically appear beside them and take them into her arms. She didn't know what she could do, what one woman alone could do. She didn't even know if that letter was two months old and maybe Boris just hasn't told her that they've been saved. She thought maybe she should leave this to the soldiers but it wouldn't be fair. She was there for Steve, and now, she needs to be there for Bucky and Billy.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a one week journey from the U.S. to Italy. Y/n contacted her mother and asked to be taken to see Steve but when she learned he had gone out to a suicide mission to save the 107th division who were abducted by Schmidt, she was even more determined to go. Specifically to the SSR camp where Y/n's mother, along with Colonel Phillips and the team, were located at. As well as where Steve was currently touring. It was dangerous territory, only five miles away from the front lines, or so the chauffeur informed her. When she got off of the vehicle, she wasted no time and barged into the tent where Colonel Phillips looked to be in a stressed phase. Her mother at the verge of panicking. Her mother gave her a brief run down of the situation, telling her that Peggy Carter and Howard Stark had an involvement with Steve's disappearance. The two of them had put it simply, Steve had one goal in mind and that was to save the 107th regiment when no one else was going to. It showed Steve's bravery and determination but stupidity in Chester Phillip's eyes. Agent Carter didn't hesitate to mention to Y/n that Steve had brought up his childhood friend, Bucky and how he was one of the reasons he felt the need to go on this suicide mission. Bucky and his best gal friend's fiance, Billy. It struck a chord in Y/n. And when she listened to Colonel Phillips rant about Steve's arrogance, she knew she was not inferior to the Colonel and speaking against him or even threateningly, it could possibly land her in prison. So all she could do is sit and wait like everyone else. Y/n sat in her mother's tent four days after hearing the news about Steve. Four days of waiting was weighing down on her and her mother knew that because she knew how close she was to Steve, Bucky and Billy. Losing them all in one go would be too much to for one person to take in. Y/n didn't want to believe that but Colonel Phillips received the report of a destroyed HYDRA base with no survivors in sight, it brought extreme worry to her. Especially when the transmitter given to Steve beforehand wasn't sending out any signals. For the first time, a tray of food sat in front of Y/n untouched and cold. The cup of tea was emitting steam when it was first brought to her but now, it had gone stale after hearing Colonel Phillips say he would begin to write an apology letter to Washington D.C."I'm not moving the food until you eat" Y/n's mother spoke through the silence after taking the final sip of her tea."Then it'll rot in front of me" Y/n answered back. Her voice and expression resembled that of a child when they didn't want to eat their veggies. It was a look of stubbornness. Her mother sighed back, placing down the cup and leaning over on her elbows and stared deeply to catch her daughter's attention."This is probably something you won't want to hear but listen to me when I tell you that if the moment were to come and if Steve or Bucky or Billy were to die, know that you cannot just sit here and think about it for the rest of your life. When you lose a loved one, you don't sit around and mope about it. You know I didn't. I shouldn't have drowned myself with work either but at least I didn't drown myself in sorrow. Your father became my wings and that's how I pushed forward after he died. You'll need to learn to do the same""You're right," Y/n's eyes slowly trailed up to meet her mother's, "I don't want to hear this" The sound of the tent unfolding open cuts her mother off before she could answer. They look at the intruder and find Phillips with a look of relief."Put the tea down, ladies. They're back" Y/n is on her feet and out the tent before either of them. She sees the large gathering near the center of the camp sprints over to find out if it was true. She squeezes through the sea of men, not even bothering to mutter an apology for bumping into them. A smile of relief falls upon her face when she meets a muddied Steve and Buck at the center of attention. She doesn't hesitate to jump at Steve with hugs, not even caring if she stains her borrowed uniform jumpsuit with dirt. "You saved them and came back in one piece. Thank you, thank you so much" She kisses his temple. When she releases him, she smiles up at him with tears at the verge of falling. "I did. But I had help" He gives a sideways glance at Peggy, one she returns with a nod. Y/n moves onto Bucky and crushes him in hug as well, not realizing how injured he probably was. "Hey, Steve, you didn't tell me our gal friend joined the army?" Bucky asks his best friend as he held Y/n in his arms."I didn't," Steve shrugs, "How could I if she didn't even tell me""If you boys had just read my letters, maybe you would have been a little more caught up" Y/n chimed in after releasing Bucky and moving to stand at his side."Oh, well, you'll have to fill us in on those letters, doll. They might've sorta burned in the fires" Bucky receives a playful smack to his chest. His arm wrapped around her shoulder is removed when Billy pops up and scares his friend from behind. She yelps with a jump before realizing who it was. As if all was forgotten, including her worry, her two friends watch as she crashes into his arms as they wrapped around her. "Hey! Let's hear it for Captain America!" Y/n witnesses the staring eyes between Peggy and Steve from the door. And from her spot, she didn't fail to miss the spark in each other's eyes while the dead and lonely ones of Bucky's watched from the side. She didn't catch onto what they were saying but she knew it was something intimate. What she didn't understand is the small brewing jealousy she felt from the moment she got there. She was waiting for Billy after all, her husband-to-be. She shook her head, thinking that would help rid of those feelings. When she looks back up she finds Peggy walking towards her and forces a smile as she passes by into the other section of the pub. She joins her two best friends at the bar, sitting right in between them and listens to them bicker about the upcoming war plans before drawing their attention to her. "For now, let's enjoy tonight's drinks on me with our lovely friend" Steve announces, bring his glass of liquor to clink them with Y/n and Bucky's glass. The three take a hard chug of it and wince at the strong burning feeling they get down their throats. "I forgot that I don't even drink" Y/n groans, patting her lips dry from the residue left behind. "You'll get used to it. So, tell us your plans. Are you here on vacation or here to watch the show?" Bucky asks, putting down his cup to wait for a refill. "Well if this is my vacation, I thought my first trip to an exotic country would be a sunny, fresh air, beached experience. Not my heels getting stuck in the mud" She sighs. Her pain causing her friends to chuckle at her. "But if you must know, yes, I actually do have a plan. Mother says she'll find a job for me at the SSR. That way I get to work closer with you guys""Does Billy know?" Steve asks, sighing after taking another gulp."Not yet, no""Good, keep it that way" Bucky answers, dropping the glass cup down after chugging the rest of his drink before signaling the bartender to hit him again."What do you mean? Why can't I tell my own husband?" It was like a bomb dropped on Bucky and before he could toss his alcohol back, he stops to look at her."Oh is that what that fat carrot on your finger's about?" His voice grew with arrogance and Steve tried muttering out his name in attempt to stop him from saying something he was going to regret saying. But Y/n was far too indulged into what he was he was saying, she wanted to hear him say this. "Y/n, doll, I don't think you need me or Steve to tell you how big of a mistake your making""No, not at all. Enlighten me, please" Y/n asks with gritted teeth, sending death glares in his direction. "Billy is gonna end up dead knowing you're working for the SSR. And you're gonna end up like your ma-- drowning in work that you're gonna forget about you're own child. So do yourself and Billy a favor and-" He jumps out of his seat when he feels the cold liquid spill out of his cup and soak his clothes. Y/n slams the cup down and continues glaring at her friend. The red in her cheeks proved just how frustrated she was. "How dare you talk about Billy as if you knew him so well! All you know is how to be jealous of him and complain that he's got this perfect life going for him! And same goes for you too, Steve!" Y/n switches around to face him, catching him off guard. "I didn't say anything!" Steve holds his hands up in defense. "No, both of you! I know about the little talks you two have with one another about Billy and how he isn't right for me or that he's only using me! But he isn't the only one, all the boys I ever liked in junior high, you both always tried pushing them away and for what?! So that you both could compete to see who would get the lucky girl? Well guess what, I'm not a goddamn prize!" "No, you just always had a bad taste in men" Y/n didn't even take one step away when she heard Bucky mutter under his breath, turning his back on her so that she couldn't hear him but his attempt went down in vain."I hate you!" She quickly turns around to give him a shove but she was no match for his strength. This time, Steve watched as she stormed away, sobbing with tears falling down her cheeks. Steve silently decided it was best to leave her alone to cool off. Instead, he sent a look of disapproval to his best friend next to him, who was patting the soaked stain on his uniform. The look on Bucky's face showed that he had a bit of remorse but also a bit of carelessness. "You just couldn't shut up, could you?" Steve finally asks his oblivious friend. "She had to hear the truth someday, Steve. She may not like it but it's better this way""But do you really think she wanted to hear her fiance would end up dying because of her and that she would isolate herself with work?""The truth hurts""No, Buck, I just think you had too much to drink and you're saying all this nonsense""I just don't want her to be sad if we die, Steve or if Billy dies. I want her to be strong""And she will be" Steve's eyes watch the tearful Y/n as she spoke to Billy at a close distance. The two holding hands together as she seemed to calm down. Steve wondered if she was retelling the moments prior. He wouldn't be surprised, Billy was her support.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"I'm terribly sorry for your loss" Peggy Carter choked out her words with a sob. Tears welled in her eyes, her cheeks stained with dried tears. The file that Y/n held in her hand a moment ago was long dropped to her side and her eyes could stare at nothing more but the floor. Reading the last mission report felt as though she had fallen and had no strength to lift herself up. At that moment, after having read Bucky's file and now Steve's, Y/n as though the world was suddenly against her. Peggy stood feeling helpless. She knew the bond Y/n had with Steve and Bucky was strong. She can't bear the thought of losing them both in such a short amount of time. At a loss of words, she decided words coming from a stranger wasn't going to help mend her pain. Peggy briefly clears her throat, gathering herself and the file on the bed "Your mother will be here soon. Please, take care of yourself" With no response back, Peggy leaves the room. Y/n only continued to sit in her spot on the bed. The sound of the door closing seemed to have snapped her out of the trance she was in. She blinks once and the dam breaks, tears running wild down her cheeks. Her heart throbs, feeling like it wanted to pop out of her chest. Feeling like it needed to breathe. She hated feeling this pain, it made her want to die. Her mind was running at a hundred miles, much like her heart. It felt as if it was still trying to grasp the fact that Steve was gone and so was Bucky but it was also having a difficult time doing that. Her body felt weak and numb that she wraps her arms around her middle and slowly descends onto the mattress. She lets herself go-- sobbing, trembling, dying inside. She feels alone in this world. Defeated. Her wings ripped from her soul. "I don't see why we can't tell everyone yet" Billy pouted in Y/n's face. "For over a year, your mother's been begging for a grandchild and now--""Shh!" Y/n jumps in to cover his lips. Their faces kept a close distance, with a playful smile, she scolds him for speaking out loud in the SSR headquarters. "Keep your voice down, Billy. I don't want to cause a commotion" She whispers sternly at him."A commotion for what?" He whispers back."I'm not even one hundred percent sure if I am but if anyone from work was to find out, I'll be removed from assignments ad put on maternity leave""That's for the best isn't? You need to take care of your body... of the baby""You mean the baby we don't even know if we have""I believe it" She looks at her husband hysterically. "I do! I can feel it. I can... hear her heart beat already""Now you've just gone mad" She scoffs before giving him a peck on the lips. The smile between the two sends Y/n's heart fluttering. A year into their marriage she couldn't love him anymore. While a couple of memories still remain in the back of her head, Billy has done an amazing job supporting her after the cold war. She couldn't believe him though, he was the one who experienced war and death, and on top of that, loss. But he worked hard to help her accept her own losses.Y/n rolled her shoulder as she and Billy followed up the steps leading to the front door of their house. She groaned like she always would. Her muscles still felt tightened from the vigorous jobs she had taken with Peggy about a month ago. Lately she's been thinking of visiting the chiropractor. "Still tense?" Billy asks behind her, moving her hair to the side to begin rubbing the skin that met her shoulder with her neck. "Yeah. I think it's time for a checkup" She answered back, unlocking the door and pushing open before letting themselves inside. It doesn't take long for them to settle in and drop their things to the side. Y/n wanders off to the living room after having changed into some more comfortable clothes. "Hey, so did your mother ever call you this morning?" Billy asks from the kitchen, popping open a bottle of wine. "Why? So that I could tell her that we're having a baby that I again--""No, no. It's not that. She said she went to go do some business with Colonel Phillips, right? I just thought she would have called to let you know how she was doing""Well now that I think about it, she hasn't. Maybe she got caught up with negotiations" Y/n shrugs and at that moment, the phone at her side rings. The two can't help but think of the coincidence until Y/n shakes off the idea and goes to pick it up. "Olson residence. Who's speaking?" Billy and Y/n wait in an eerie silence. The other line doesn't say anything in return, nothing does. "Mom, is that you?""Childhood friend of Steve Rogers, am I correct?" A masculine voice answers, sending shivers down Y/n's spine. When her eyes grow in shock, Billy catches on and grows wary. "Who is this?""I only need one thing from you, Y/n Reese" They ignored her question."Who is this and how do you know my name?""I want a blood sample of the man they call Steve Rogers. I know you have one. My good friend Olivia told me so""So she's with you""Of course. For now, that is. A sample of Steve Roger's blood and you can take your mother away from here and I'll pretend like we've never met. I promise you she'll stay out of harms way. But if you try something you know I won't like, then I won't hesitate to send you limb by limb to your doorstep""How am I supposed to find you?" Y/n clenches her teeth. "I hope you're not afraid of heights"Y/n couldn't take away much about this mysterious character all besides what he told her-- that he is a Frenchman living in Germany and that he was a doctor. He told her nothing more but that he might explain a little more once they met up in a small town southeast of Germany. Her hands trembled as she packed a suit case, Billy following her around trying to convince her to use another plan rather than just walk into what felt like a trap. "Love, you're smarter than this. I know you are. Please, let us go to Agent Carter or Colonel Phillips. They can help us bring backup or better yet, we can storm into wherever they are and we just take your mother back""I'm not taking that risk" "But you'd rather go to them alone and risk it being a trap?""I'll have you" "I'm flattered but I don't make much of a difference. Please, I'm begging you. Let's take the safe route. You don't have what they want. Steve's blood? That's ridiculous""But that's where you're wrong" She turns around, causing them to nearly crash. "I did take a sample of Steve's blood, after he died. The rest I destroyed but I couldn't help myself... so I took one. Made sure it wouldn't get into the wrong hands" Y/n shifted her eyes away, almost like she didn't want him seeing the shame in her eyes. "Y/n, love" He sighs. "Well there still leaves the matter about your mother. Last I checked, she wasn't even in the same state as us""That's where you're wrong again, love. The only person who knows I took the vial, was her. She saw me take it, she didn't tell another soul, she swore she wouldn't. How would that Frenchman know without hearing it from me. It all leaves my mom""And you don't think she told anyone else?""No. She's a workaholic, not a liar""I still think we should call Carter""Better we don't. She's busy with her own problems" It felt strange being back in Germany after the war. Only a year had gone by and not much rebuilding was happening due to the amount of money wasted on the war. Germany had debts to pay off but there was no money. Neighboring countries were lending in a hand to help those innocents rebuild what they lost. That's when Y/n began to wonder if she was actually helping a doctor in need by giving them Steve's blood but then she remembered the promise she made to herself. Something as small as the vial held great importance, possibly worth millions of dollars. She can't even imagine herself selling out Steve like that. They arrived at the town at noon, like they promised they would. The streets were slowly growing empty, a couple of people scattered here or there. Some looked homeless, and Y/n tried offering them whatever change she had. Although she wondered US coins proved any point. Others that walked by them looked like workers of construction. That or the women that were closing up cafes and retail shops. Y/n could easily sense the desperation but she alone couldn't make a difference if she tried. A tall, built man walks their way. He had only arrived ten minutes ago and sat on a bench melting his eyes into a newspaper until now. He stood in front of them and leaned over. He says something in German she doesn't understand until Billy saved the day and translated. "He wants us to get in the car with him" Y/n looks to her husband and he looks to her warily. "There is no turning back now" She nods her head, taking his to help reassure him but Billy knew it was to help reassure herself instead. He nods back and the two stand from the wooden bench. The built man turns away and walks across the road towards a car parked to the side of the sidewalk. The married couple follow and climb inside after the man held the door open for them. The air felt thick with strain even as they kept their hands tight together. Billy kept his hand tucked away in the pocket of his coat seeing as he wanted to play it safe-- his hand gripping onto the pistol for dear life. The drive they went on felt as though it dragged on and wasn't going anywhere. But they were, towards the thick forest outside the town. Things to a turn when they followed down a dirt path up to a small shack with a waterwheel spinning over the river at the side of the shabby house. As they climbed out, the two discreetly searched around to see if they were being watched or followed but the darkness and the thick forest was not helping. The built man shouted something and Billy prompting to follow him told Y/n he ordered them to follow. Aware of their surroundings, they filed inside the dim lit, empty house. Almost empty except for Y/n's mother sitting in a chair securely tied. Y/n gasps, stepping forward to check on her before the sound of a gun clicking reaches her ears and makes her stop. The barrel of a gun is pointed at her head and someone steps out from the darkness of the corner. She can barely make him out but that didn't seem to matter right now. "I'm glad you could make your journey. How did you like the sights? I hear it's most beautiful this time of year" "I'm not here to chat. I have what you want now release my mother""Patience, little dove. I quickly wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your friend Steve Rogers and James Barnes. I hear you three were quite close since your younger years. It almost counts as losing family. Your mother tells me you also lost your father in the first war, sad isn't? Pointless war taking away lives of the innocent. Although I don't think those that have killed can count as innocent, can they? But my daughter was. She was innocent, she was weak and therefore, she was taken from me so easily. A virus in the blood took her life away. A virus caused by the pointless war. So when those useless doctors couldn't figure out a cure, I decided I would make my own cure""And you think Steve's blood is the cure?""No, it's what's built in his blood. Don't you see? It's a reference, the key to immortality. Doctor Erskine failed to preform it but I swear my life to doing it for him. A better, stronger serum that it can bring the dead back""You dream big""This is no dream, this is the plan. So, the serum. You have it?""I do. But I won't give it to you until you release her""I won't release her until I see it with my own eyes" Y/n's nose flared with a sigh and she brings it out of her pocket, revealing the small thin container. She pops it open and allows the glass vial to slip onto the palm of her hand. With care, she brings it up and shows it to him. His eyes grow at the sight of it and a smile plays on his lips before bringing his hand forward, only for Y/n to take it away out of his reach. She clears her throat, eyeing her mom. He sighs and takes out a knife from his coat pocket before slashing the ropes cut. Putting it away, he takes her mother by the arm and picking her up, shoving her in their direction. Billy acts quick enough and catches her before she falls. "Now the vial" He holds his palm out waiting for it but Y/n doesn't move a single muscle, only stares into his eyes in contemplation. It feels like time has dragged out until she finally responses. "I think your idea is noble and while I don't know the whole picture, I'm sorry for your losses as well. However, I made a promise to myself. Breaking it would mean I'm betraying not only myself but Steve. I'd be disrespecting him and I can't do that to my best friend" Y/n raises the vial once again and prepares to smash it against the wall but another, bigger hand grips hers before she could release it. The built man was quiet and quick enough to sneak up behind them without alerting them. Y/n tries to fight against him but his other hand steals the vial and nearly tosses her to the ground as he makes his way over to give it to the Frenchman. Her blood boils as he smirks at her, looking down on her with the gun pointed at them, he begins to retreat to the door. "Thank you for your time. Thank you for the vial. I was going to let you go freely but unfortunately, I know now that you're a deceiving wench and you obviously have other agendas. However, I cannot be a part of them. Kill them, Torbust. Dump their bodies in the river when you're finished" With that, Frenchman concluded and escapes out the door. The built man he referred to as Torbust approached them dangerously, cornering the three of them. "Any ideas?" Billy asks his wife, picking up her barely conscious mother into his arms. "We have to go after him, he can't get away with the vial""Okay, love, but we need to figure out a way out of here first! We need to get your mother out""You think bullets can stop him?""I don't know. You wanna find out?" Y/n quickly swipes the pistol from his pocket and goes to aim it at Torbust. But she finds him launching himself at them and the two quickly leap out of the way of his explosive hits. "Go! Out the door!" She orders Billy and he complies. Y/n stays behind firing shots at him all while dodging his fists. She sees the bullets puncture him but only barely slowing him down. Yet, she fires down to the last bullet until all she hears is clicks and no more ammo. Throwing the weapon at him was like a pebble hitting his head. She backs into the wall, grabbing objects nearest to her and smashing them against his head, barely denting the large man. She slips underneath his arm ready to throw him another flimsy piece of wood until he catches her in the act and launches his arm again, throwing her to the other end of the room. With the air forced out of her lungs, she tries to regain her balance as he begins to grow closer. She holds her bruised body, waiting to leap out of the way again, desperate to buy herself some time. But she doesn't predict a truck crashing through the wall and ramming Torbust through the other wall, throwing him into the river along with the waterwheel. Y/n coughs through the thick dust, relieved to find Billy at the wheel of the car. She picks herself up, groaning at the pain coming from her middle. She pulls open the passenger door and climbs in."Are you okay?""Get out in reverse. Go after Frenchman." Y/n ignores his question. He complies with her order but he doesn't back down from asking her if she was alright. "Are you okay? Answer me?""I'm fine, Billy. It doesn't matter, we have to get the vial back. Follow the tracks" She groans, bending over when Billy takes a hard left turn. "You're hurt. Y/n, the baby""There is no baby! I can't have children!" Her voice broke, tears welled up in her eyes. "The doctors told me I was interfile and I didn't wanna tell you because you were always talking about having kids. I'm sorry""No. No, I'm sorry. You lost Steve and Bucky and I was trying to push those thoughts away for my own selfishness. I think for the longest time I felt jealous of them two because of your close relationship with them. Because they knew you longer than I did. And they probably loved you more than I could ever compete. It was me being selfish""You're not selfish. You never were. Bucky and Steve, they were exactly what you just described. The last I saw of them two, we got in an argument about you and other stuff. The last thing I said was that I hated Bucky. Now that I think about it, I believe it was also aimed towards Steve, too. But I was the selfish one. I'm sorry""We were all being selfish. Don't worry" His hand met her closest vacant one and squeezed. "We're gonna figure something out. Let's just catch this son of bitch first"The said man didn't bother to turn off the vehicle after jumping out. Frenchman scurried for the keys of the helicopter parked on a meadow between the mountains and trees. He warms the helicopter up and maneuvers with the buttons. Behind him, he hears a car roaring towards him and he finds the other truck running at him, Y/n climbing out of the window. Frenchman begins to lift it off the ground despite that it wasn't ready just yet. He's cocky when he takes to the sky, Y/n can't reach him from his height unless she was desperate. Y/n bites down on the blade and leaps from the hood of the roof. Despite the painful protests her body sent shooting up her body, she doesn't hesitate to stretch her arms far above until her hands reach the landing skids. Frenchman feels the helicopter tilt to the right, nearly throwing him off balance before he turns it back up right. He peaks down and sees the persistent woman struggling to hang onto the heli. Frenchman groans in aggravation and continues to fly higher and farther from the landing zone, nearly reaching the height of the clouds. When he sees that she still sticks to the heli, he begins to attempt to shake her off, turning the switch left and right but instead of flicking her off, she manages to use her momentum and reach the handle of the heli. Pulling it open, Frenchman fires at her, missing as she dodges and almost slipping off. His eyes shift from her to the sight in front of him, wanting to make sure he doesn't crash the heli. To her advantage, Y/n jumps at the man when he looks away, pulling out the knife she throws it at his neck only to puncture the leather seats behind him. She tears it away and aims at him again, but he briefly gains the upper hand and headbutts her. Frenchman takes the pistol back from the ground, and fires, this time hitting her shoulder. She stops and grabs her shoulder in pain, fighting back tears. He tries to lift the helicopter back into place, fixing the gun at her, only to realize the controls had been damaged from an accidental fire of the gun. The sound of the engine puffing was proof of that. "The helicopter won't make it very far now. It will crash before I make it to Berlin. I suppose I lost your husband by now, getting away won't be very hard. All that is left on my agenda, is to kill you. I will see you in hell" Before he could even aim straight at her, she kicks his hand away and again at his face, stunning him for a brief second. Y/n sits up, taking the vial she knew he hid away in the breast pocket of his coat. She reaches behind him and opens the door behind him. She pushes him past the edge, he fights back momentarily before receiving the knife into his stomach. It weakens him and she doesn't hesitate to kick him away, watching him fall to his death. Y/n pants, closing the door and looking at the vial she held in her hand. The relief that washes over her doesn't last long when she remembers she was still on the heli, over one hundred feet up and she doesn't know a thing about landing or even driving a helicopter. Her palms begin to sweat and tremble as she scurries to find a solution. She tries fiddles with a few buttons and renders it useless. She begins to move around the control stick, trying not to panic as the engine once again puffs out black smoke. Then it settles in. The panic. The helicopter malfunctions and it doesn't move at her will. Her breath quickly picks up as she comes to terms with her fate. That's when her eyes catch onto the running waters below her. A large stream runs below her and an idea comes to mind. It's stupid and possibly pointless if she dies but she knew the water was her best bet. Still, she knew the possibilities. She kicks the broken door open and looks down, growing dizzy. Her eyes water and she looks down at the vial in her palm. It felt lovely. A few drops of blood giving her a sense of security. It felt like her best friend was at her side-- she wasn't going to die alone. All she had to do was slip away and let it happen. It was as quick as falling asleep. There was no better way to go. "No, no! You're lying to me! She has to be out there somewhere!""Sergeant Bill, please settle down. I understand your concerned for your wife but you must understand that we are doing everything we can to find her" Peggy Carter explained to the distressed man. "Our scouts have searched the entire area, including nearby towns. There has been no sign of her, only what was left of the helicopter""Well she didn't just disappear! She was probably taken! Why haven't you searched for them?""Because the man who confronted you both has no identification on him. Asking the town was pointless, no one has ever met him before. This giant man you saw and fought wasn't found either. Not even the helicopter held a sigil of some sort. Whoever these people are, they know how to cover their tracks quickly and easily. Finding them would be difficult and could take years. I'm sorry about Y/n and everyone wishes they knew where she was, but we have no leads. I promise you we won't stop searching, however but I can't promise she'll be alive by then""Don't bother. I'll find her myself with or without you. I don't care if it takes centuries, I won't die until I find her" Leaving Peggy speechless, Billy leaves her in the dust. The anger that boiled in his veins pushes his goal further. He swears on his life he won't stop looking for her. Not until his dying breath.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Doctor Bernard, I bring an update on the search" A trembling voice calls the man behind the office door. Dr. Bernard stood gazing out the window, watching as thick raindrops fell from the night sky."Enter, Sebastian" A deep, french-accented voice speaks behind the door. The said man follows the director's orders and enters the office. "What have they found?""I'm afraid Gaël was murdered-- he fell to his death" A thunder flashed through the window, illuminating the frightening man's back."I see. And what of the blood serum?" Dr. Bernard continued, his voice almost strained with anger and frustration."Well, you see, Dr. Bernard, the helicopter Gaël was supposed to escape in was found crashed in a river. Completely obliterated. Along with the woman and the serum. Barely anything was left" Dr. Bernard tightens his fist and turns around to face his worker. "What did I tell you, Sebastian?" The doctor's head turns to look over his shoulder. He could see the daggers he stared into him."R-recover anything we find, yes! But sir, like I said, there's hardly anything to recover. The serum was in the woman's possession when the helicopter failed. The vial still broke, there's hardly anything left--""Recover anything you find!" The doctor orders, turning swiftly and slams his hand on the surface, making the few items on the desk shake and the man jump with whimpers, "Bring me the woman and whatever is left of the vial! I don't care if you have to find every little spec of glass. Just bring me whatever you find!!" "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" Sebastian scurries to the door, nearly tripping over the rugs before finally shutting the door behind him. Doctor Bernard rubs his temples and grits his teeth. He sits in his office chair and reaches to take a sip of his coffee to help him stay awake. Sighing after swallowing down the hot drink, he places down the cup, puts on his reading glasses and reaches over to a stack of files. Opening the first one he grabs, he first sees the file of a baby boy born just last month. He read the birth certificate and looks at the newborn's picture. He closes that one and sets it on one of the stacks, moving onto the next one. Y/n thought she was looking into a new life. For a moment she thought maybe resurrection did exist after death. That once your life ends, you begin a new one right afterwards. But when she remembered her past life, she knew that couldn't be the case. She remembers the first time she met Steve on the bus, she remembers meeting Bucky, Billy. Her mother was a scientist working for the SSR, a workaholic to be exact. Her father died serving under the U.S. Military in 1914. Her two best friends died a year ago and she married her long-time boyfriend. Maybe she was seeing her life flash before her eyes. She didn't know anymore. She couldn't feel anything yet she could see a blinding light that she couldn't tell whether it was a hospital or something else. She couldn't hear anything yet there were people surrounding her all dressed in white. Slowly, she turns her head and comes face to face with herself. Her face looks untouched, clean and perfect. Perhaps this is heaven? Something lifts her up and she watches herself go, taken away by something or someone. Turning her head back up, she needed to muster up the strength and once she looked up, she saw a clear blue sky. Y/n gasps at the sudden change of scenery when a familiar voice speaks to her."I told you she would get dizzy" Turning her head to the side, she finds Steve leaning back on his arms, a smile on his face. Y/n lifts herself up with her arms, shocked to see him beside her, breathing, talking, alive. It was impossible but this could be heaven. "Woah, hey, you look pale" Steve's face twisted into concern, his hand reaching to steady her shaken body."Ah, she probably just got a bunch of blood rushing to her head" Another familiar voice speaks beside her. Quickly looking to the source, she finds Bucky seated beside her, his arms propped up around his knees. His signature smile plastered on his face. A joyful smile grows on her lips realizing her two best friends were with her. So this had to be life after death where she gets to see them again. Y/n couldn't help the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "Hey, doll, I know you missed us but you don't need to cry" Bucky's hand laid rest on her knee for comfort. "What are you talking about, Buck? Let her cry, she hasn't seen us in over a year. I mean, she lost both of us at the same time, it can't be easy" Steve replies. "You guys have no idea how badly I missed you," Y/n began after wiping her tears away, "I feel like such a jerk. The last time I saw you guys before you died... Bucky," Her red eyes moved to meet his, "I'm so sorry I told you all those mean things. I don't hate you. Neither of you. You boys are everything to me. I love you both so much""Awe, you're gonna make us cry, doll" Bucky chuckles, "It was nothing, Y/n. Just a foolish fight between friends. Friends fight all the time""Yeah... um, remind me again... what did we fight about?""You don't remember?" Y/n turns her head at Steve's question. "It was at the bar after we saved Bucky and his squad," He sighed, shaking his head "I was telling you that you shouldn't be with Billy," Bucky answers with a scoff, "Ironic, really. I tell you not to be with him because he was gonna die and you would end up like your ma. A workaholic. I sure ate my words, didn't I?""Who's Billy?" Y/n asks. "You forgot who Billy is?" Her eyes look at Steve speaking. "Nobody forgets Billy" Y/n feels soft wind wisp in her ear and the sound of whispers echo away with it. It tickles her and she turns her head to find an empty spot. She looks around for a brief second, looking for the source of the voice but there is nothing. Only her and Steve."That man that was just here, where did go?" She asks Steve, who moves his sitting position. "You mean Bucky?" Her face slowly falls in confusion, staring closely at Steve's face."What kind of name is that?""He's your best friend. Our best friend""Our best friend?" They both fall silent. Y/n's mind is running in circles as she tries figuring out what he means, "But..." Her eyes look down at the grass before looking back up at him. "Who are you? Where have we met?""Brooklyn, New York. August 20th, 1931. Approximately at 8:34 in the morning. Second week of school. Your grandmother, you used to call her Nana, she walked you to the bus stop every morning""What about my parents?""Your father died serving World War I. Your mother is a scientist working for the SSR""And me? Who am I?""Y/n" He pauses and she only continues to stare in wonder before looking away and pushing herself up off the ground. Taking in her surroundings, she looks across a vast landscape. The longest field of flowers of all colors ran along the ground like an ocean. She turns around and looks at the man now standing in front of her. "Where are we?""I'm not sure. I kinda just woke up here. Y/n? Are you okay?" He reaches out his hand before she shies away from it."You shouldn't call people by names of which aren't theirs""Then what is your name?" She can't answer, not because she doesn't want to but because she can't. She has no answer. The man steps closer to her and tries reaching for her hand, only for her to shy away again. "Do you know my name?""I'm sorry. I don't" She shakes her head. "It's okay. It'll come to you. For now, I'm not leaving you until you remember. Okay?""You promise?""I promise" Shivers run down her spine as the cold wind tickle her ears. She flutters her eyes, clutches her knuckles after a swift motion of running her hands over her bare arms. She fixes her posture once the chill passed through and examines her surroundings."Do you hear that?" She turns to the mysterious blonde man but no one is left standing at her side. No one is standing anywhere near her, not for miles away. She looks around, thinking someone will pop out of thin air but nothing caught her eye. Nothing but the sea of flowers. Her eyes lift up to the sky and sees clouds beginning to gather dangerously. Thunder roars louder and louder until a flash blinds her. She wakes up in a cold sweat, her eyes flinching at the bright light in the dark room. Her teeth biting down on something hard and rubbery. Her hands gripped tightly onto the handlebars of the bed she lays in, so much that her knuckles turned white. She can't help the hard pants despite feeling her throat dry and broken. She's standing up straight but her feet can't reach the ground. She looks in the mirror in front of her but the woman looking back in unrecognizable and she's restrained against a bed with straps. Her face is pale as though she lost dozens amounts of blood. With her ears ringing, she can barely hear the voices from the people that surround her but the more she adjusts her ears, the clearer their voices get. She can’t see them clearly, but they can see her, all five of them dressed in white lab coats. One man, short and chubby, walks up to her expressing a calm demeanor. "It is December first, nineteen fifty six. The time strikes 1800, the first test to initialize in the Saint Bernard program. Preparing to extract serum into the subject now" The short man takes a vial and places it into a container connected to tubes, connected to her. He nods at someone to the side of the room as he pulls down his goggles. She feels nothing at first until a cold liquid begins to merge with her bloodstream. Her veins pop from her skin and she feels her whole body wash down in a wave of power. The machine is powered off and she falls limp against the straps. "She's not dead is she?" A woman's voice asks."Of course not. You still hear the monitor. She's still in there" "Doctor Sebastian, about her heart rate... the test is over but her heart is running sixty to a hundred times per minute. She's gone into tachycardia" Another assistant nurse comments. Before he could get a word out, another nurse hurries over and goes to check her pulse when the woman's hand rips out of the straps and grabs the nurse's throat. Instantly, the nurse’s face runs purple as she tries gripping the subject’s hand. The guards quickly jump into action and go to restrain the woman before the intercom statics and the voice of the head director speaks up. "Daydream today" A thick french accent speaks through the radio and the woman immediately drops the nurse, leaving her in a coughing attack as she tries finding her breath. "Angel eyes" The subject freezes in her spot. Moments she didn't recognize flash in her mind. Fire, ice, electricity. Four hundred bolts. Blood. "Devils delight" Those six words written down on a screen. Her head begins to pound as if a substance of some sort was forcing itself into her head. She's taken to a cell in chains. Luckily for the guards, she makes their job easier by complying to their orders and sits quietly against the cold walls. "My goodness" The same, thick voice starts as a man gazes at her, crouching down in front of the bars. "I'm sorry that they were so rough on you. We wanted to take precaution before we'd release you” No response as he faces her blank, cold and dry face, “Well, come on now, you know how to speak correct? Not even Robust had a hard time saying his first words. It's not like you lost your tongue in the accident""The accident" Her rasped voice repeats his voice. The only difference was that it came out more like a question. Her eyes, in a daze, blank and empty of color, land on the man who looked to be in his mid to late thirties. His hair was dark, at least that’s what she got from looking at him in this dark room. A ray of light illuminated a grey and dull eye. Wrinkles or bags, she couldn’t tell, adorned the man’s face."Yes, you remember the accident" He lights a smoke. Something clicks in her head and as though she was being controlled, her voice followed his."I remember the accident" "You were exposed to a chemical that granted you this remarkable strength" He exhales a puff of smoke."Remarkable strength" She looks at her hands. "You were in a coma for ten years and to this day, no one is looking for you""Ten years and no one is looking for me""You are my prodigy, you are the sigil to the Saints project. You will follow orders without questions. If I tell you to do something you will do it. If I tell you to kill someone, you will kill them. You will train your strength day and night. Train your intelligence, your agility, your endurance. You will train to be perfect""No questions. Kill. Do. Strength, intelligence. Be perfect""You are the key to immortality""The key""Goodnight, my little cygne"