The next day, we gathered Steve and began our drive to a secret location where the project was underway. Steve sat between Agent Carter and me, his eyes darting to the windows as the landscape passed by.

"I know this neighbourhood," Steve said, his voice tinged with recognition. He pointed to the right side of the car as we passed a narrow alley. "Got beat up in that alley," he added, his tone matter-of-fact. He then pointed to a parking lot we passed. "And that parking lot. And behind that diner..." His voice trailed off, and he looked down, lost in thought.

"Did you have something against running away?" Peggy's voice broke the silence, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, not turning to look at him. Steve shook his head in response to her comment.

"You start running, they'll never let you stop," Steve replied quietly, his voice resolute. "You stand up, you push back. They can't say no forever, right?" He looked out the window, his words hanging in the air. I nodded, agreeing with his sentiment.

Peggy spoke up again, her tone softening. "We know a little of what that's like, to have every door shut in your face," she said, glancing at me briefly. As we were women, the weaker sex. Men think because we are female, that we cannot be as strong as them, or better than them. 

Steve seemed to pause at that, clearly considering her words. Then, with a small chuckle, he turned to us. "I guess I just don't know why you'd want to join the army... When you're both beautiful dames," he spoke without thinking but began to stumble over his words, realizing his misstep. "I mean, agents. Not dames. You're both beautiful, but..." He trailed off, unsure how to navigate the awkwardness.

I raised an eyebrow at him, then smirked. "You really don't know how to talk to women, do you?" I teased, and Steve let out a soft, nervous laugh.

"I think this is the longest conversation I've had with two women," he admitted, glancing between Peggy and me. I looked ahead, hiding the smirk that tugged at my lips. "Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on," he muttered, his gaze dropping to the floor. I felt the weight of his words, and my smile faded as I caught a glimpse of the vulnerability behind them.

"You must have danced," Peggy replied, her tone curious.

Steve shifted slightly in his seat, a soft laugh escaping him. "Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying. And the past few years... it just didn't seem to matter that much. I figured I'd wait." He spoke the last part with a quiet resolve, and I turned my head to the left, intrigued by his words.

"Wait for what?" I asked, genuinely curious about what he was waiting for. I noticed Peggy tilted her head slightly to the right as well, her expression mirroring my own curiosity.

Steve's eyes softened as he looked ahead. "The right partner," he said simply, his voice carrying a sense of quiet conviction.

I raised an eyebrow at his answer, my gaze flicking briefly to Peggy, who was smiling warmly at his words. Steve was the kind of man who deserved that kind of love. A woman would be incredibly lucky to have him in her life. I couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of admiration for him at that moment.

The drive to the Brooklyn Antiques store finally came to an end as the car rolled to a stop outside. As the vehicle halted, I swung open the door, stepping out onto the concrete pathway with a soft click of my heels. Steve followed me out, glancing around, his eyes landing on a nearby shop that wasn't the one we'd come for. Clearly, he wasn't sure which store we needed to head into.

Peggy was the last to emerge from the car, giving Steve a quick once-over before she slammed the door shut behind her.

"This way," she instructed, beginning to walk toward the Antique store. I followed behind Steve, who was still curiously eyeing the place.

"What are we doing here?" he asked, his confusion evident.

"Follow me," Peggy replied with a calm, clipped tone, as she opened the door. Steve quickly adjusted his hat before stepping inside, the small bell above the door ringing softly as we entered. I stepped in after him, closing the door behind me and hearing the bell chime one last time.

From behind a curtain, an elderly woman emerged, eyeing us with a knowing gaze as she studied our arrival.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" the elderly woman asked, but her tone was laced with intent—this was a security question. Only those in the know would understand the correct response to gain access.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," Peggy replied smoothly, her British accent heavy and distinct. The woman didn't acknowledge the response with a nod or gesture, but instead turned and walked over to the counter. As the three of us passed by, I heard the faint buzz of a mechanism being triggered—a signal that the back door had been unlocked. We stepped through the curtain into the back area, stopping in front of a large, double bookcase.

Without hesitation, the bookcase swung open, revealing a plain corridor that led to the experimental room.

Peggy and Steve moved side-by-side through the door, and I followed closely behind. The heavy doors slid shut automatically behind me—no guards holding them open or formal announcements like in the old days. We made our way down the hallway, ignoring the curious stares from a few people we passed. By the time we reached the end of the corridor, the double doors swung open as though on cue, and two MP soldiers stood at attention, holding them open for us.

We stepped onto a small balcony that overlooked a vast, circular room filled with machinery—panels, consoles, and other scientific equipment scattered throughout. In the center of the room stood the pod where Steve would undergo the procedure. As we entered, I noticed the room fell eerily quiet, all eyes turning to Steve with uncomfortable intensity.

"Good luck," I said softly, placing a hand on Steve's tense shoulder. His muscles seemed to relax under my touch, as though my presence provided some comfort. I left my hand there for just a moment before letting it fall away and walking toward the archway into the observation chamber, which offered a clear view of the pod.

"Senator Brandit, glad you could make it," Colonel Phillips' voice rang out as he entered the room, shaking the Senator's hand firmly.

"Why exactly am I in Brooklyn?" Senator Brandit asked dryly, his tone sharp and unimpressed at first glance.

"We needed access to the city's power grid. Of course, if you'd given me the generators I requisitioned," Phillips trailed off, hinting at the lack of support from the Senator.

"A lot of people are asking for funds, Colonel," the Senator interrupted, cutting him off. I quietly took a seat at an empty booth, my eyes shifting between Phillips and the Senator. The Senator continued, glancing at Fred. "Oh, and this is Clem... uh—"

"Fred Clemson, State Department," Fred said, extending his hand to Phillips, who shook it quickly. "If this project of yours comes through, we'd like to see it used for something other than headlines," Fred added, a clear implication that he wanted Steve to be seen as more than just a story.

"Jesus. Somebody get that kid a sandwich," the Senator muttered as he approached the full-length window, eyeing Steve.

"That kid, Senator," I interjected, unable to stay quiet. The Senator's cold gaze shifted to me. "Is the bravest soldier I know." I stood my ground, defending Steve—his size and weight didn't define him. His heart was as big as they come.

"And who is this fiery woman?" The Senator asked, eyeing me with curiosity.

Colonel Phillips turned his stern gaze toward me, clearly not pleased with my outburst.

"This is Agent Reverdin, one of our best," Phillips replied, his voice carrying a tinge of reluctance, clearly not enjoying the praise. But I knew what it meant: to him, I was one of the best—and so was Peggy. Both of us had earned our place.

I leaned forward from my seat, extending my hand to the Senator. He accepted it without hesitation, but I gave his hand a firm, assertive squeeze.

"One tight grip you have there, little lady," he remarked with a smug smirk, which only made me force a tight, thin smile. I didn't care much for his words, especially the "little lady" part, but I'd heard worse.

I released his hand and sat back down, crossing one leg over the other as I waited for Abraham to begin the experiment. The moment was interrupted by screeching feedback from a nearby microphone, causing the guests to wince at the noise.

"Do you hear me? Is this on?" Doctor Erskine's voice echoed through the speakers, reaching everyone in the room. The Colonel and the Senator settled into the front row, watching intently. "Ladies and gentlemen, today, we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace..." he began, his tone measured and serious. "We begin with a series of microinjections into the subject's major muscle groups."

I noticed Peggy moving to the right of me, sitting quietly in her chair, her eyes fixed on the procedure unfolding before us.

"The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change," Doctor Erskine continued, his voice steady and confident. Meanwhile, the nurses assisting him carefully prepared the blue serum, placing it into small pods ready for injection into Steve. "And then, to stimulate growth, the subject will be exposed to Vita-Rays."

As he finished explaining, the first needle was inserted, and the serum began its work.

"Serum infusion starting in... five, four, three, two, one," Doctor Erskine counted down. The liquid from the glass tubes slowly disappeared into Steve's body, the injection now in full swing.

Stark pulled a lever on a nearby panel, and the pod began to shift, rising from its slanted position to stand tall and upright. The doors closed with a hiss, sealing Steve inside. Though the pod was now obscured, there was a window that allowed Steve to see out—and us to see in. I nervously rubbed my thumbs together, feeling the unease gnawing at me. I didn't want to watch Steve suffer.

The pod's window began to glow with an intense white light, its brilliance so overwhelming it nearly blinded everyone in the room. As Stark turned the dial, he called out the percentages, his voice rising with each increase. The higher the numbers climbed, the more intense the light became. I squinted against the radiance by the time it reached sixty per cent, noticing that everyone around me was already shielding their eyes.

Then, Steve's scream shattered the air, a long, agonizing wail that sent a chill down my spine. I've heard my share of screams in my time, but this one... was different. The kind that makes your hair stand on end. Peggy leapt from her seat beside me and sprinted toward the archway. Without thinking, I jumped up and rushed to follow her out onto the balcony.

"Steven!" Erskine's voice rang out in panic as he rushed toward the pod, gripping the handles near the window to peer through, but all he got was a blinding light. "Steven!"

"Shut it down!" Peggy shouted, her voice urgent as she gripped the cold railing.

"Steven!" Erskine pounded on the pod's door, desperately trying to reach him.

"Shut it down!" Peggy cried again, her concern mounting as the light inside intensified.

"Kill the reactor, Mister Stark!" Erskine spun around, his voice sharp with authority, directing Stark to act. I saw Peggy ready to sprint down the steps, but I knew that if she went down there, she'd be putting herself in danger too. I quickly grabbed her wrist, halting her movement.

"It's too dangerous, Peggy," I said firmly, pulling her to a stop. She whipped her head around, her expression wild with urgency.

"No! Don't!" Steve's voice rang out from within the pod, making both of us freeze. "I can do this!" he yelled, his determination clear.

My hand released its grip on Peggy's wrist as I saw she wasn't going anywhere. I clenched the railing next to her, my eyes locked on the pod, watching as the light grew even more blinding. Stark continued to turn the dial, pushing the percentage higher.

"That's one hundred," Howard's voice came through, clear and steady, as the electricity around us buzzed. Suddenly, sparks erupted from the equipment, and the lights above flickered, casting an eerie glow. The light from the pod dimmed, and then—silence. The machine powered down with a heavy hum, leaving us in tense anticipation. I didn't move, my focus was fixed on the pod. I gently placed my hand on top of Peggy's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Mister Stark!" Erskine's voice cut through the quiet, his eyes wide with urgency as he gestured for Howard to open the pod.

In an instant, the pod doors slid open, revealing Steve. My breath caught in my throat—he was different. His body was transformed, muscles sharply defined, his abs chiselled, and his chest strong enough to match. Sweat covered his skin, but his steady breath gave proof that he was alive. The temperature in the room had definitely risen... but this was something else entirely.

Erskine didn't waste a second helping Steve out of the pod, and Peggy was already down the stairs before I could even react. I quickly followed, as the room buzzed with excited chatter and the men from the observation booth started to emerge. Peggy made her way through the crowd that had gathered around Steve, standing right in front of him.

"How do you feel?" she asked, her voice full of concern. I pushed through the crowd to stand beside her, now up close and personal with Steve and his impressive physique.

"Taller," he exhaled, his eyes scanning the room. Peggy, almost timidly, reached out and touched her fingertips to Steve's left pec, but quickly recoiled, unsure of herself. She grabbed a white shirt from a nearby nurse, and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. It was clear she was a little taken with him.

"You look taller," she said, unfolding the shirt and offering it to Steve.

"Well, I think you look great," I chimed in, my gaze drifting over his newly sculpted body, the golden sheen of his skin catching the light. "Very great," I added with a teasing grin. I was never shy about flirting when the moment called for it. I took a lingering glance at his abs, enjoying the view until they were covered by the shirt. As I raised my eyes, I noticed a hint of blush colouring his cheeks, and I couldn't resist giving him a wink, letting a smug smirk tug at my lips.

Suddenly, I heard a metallic click, like the sound of a lighter flicking open. Everything seemed to slow for a brief moment as I spun toward the source of the noise. But before I could fully react, I saw the flick of a cog, the spark, and then—an explosion. Time snapped back to normal as the blast knocked me off balance. Without thinking, I grabbed Peggy and Steve, pulling them to the ground and shielding them with my body as shards of glass exploded around us.

The room seemed to freeze for a moment, the chaos settling around us. But deep down, I had a feeling this was far from over...

*******