Everyone clapped as Howard Stark took the stage in a tuxedo and top hot. He was all flash and charm as the female presenter walked over and handed him the microphone while taking his hat. The two shared a quick kiss before he took center stage.
"Typical Howard." Peggy said as she and Clark were in the crowd to watch.
"He's got charisma and charm. At least the audience thinks so." Clark commented.
"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?" Howard asked them when he saw Peggy and Kalvin in the crowd and smiled. Four of the women removed the tires from the car to reveal something sciency attached instead. "Yes, thank you, Mandy. With Stark Gravitic reversion technology you'll be able to do just that."
Howard turned a switch and pushed a lever up on a console which turned on the four engines on the wheels. To everyone's amazement, the car actually began to float off the ground. "Whoa…" Clark muttered.
Howard gestured to the car hovering a good foot off the ground when one of the engines began to spark before it short-circuited and crashed onto the stage. "I did say a few years, didn't I?"
Everyone clapped in applause anyway, despite the test not going exactly as Howard expected. "I'm sure that must seem appealing to everyone but I'd rather stick with a jeep for now." Clark pointed out.
"Really?" Peggy wondered as the two walked away from the show.
"Yeah. I've got a thing with heights and I feel better with my two feet firmly on the ground." Clark stated and Peggy chuckled.
"The ground is well and good but up in the air is where mankind can really spread its wings." They heard as Howard Stark walked over to them. "Peggy, Kal. Happy to see you two show up at my presentation."
"Yes it was quite…interesting, Howard." Peggy remarked.
"I hope you figure out all the glitches before you start selling them." Clark pointed out.
"Don't worry, Kal. By the time I put these babies out into production they'll run smoother than jeeps, trust me. Soon enough everyone will have a STARK Industries car. I'll even make a special version for you that stays low to the ground." Howard joked. "If I'm not mistaken it looks as if I might have interrupted a date between you two. I'd say it's about time. Although I would have figured you would want to take out a remarkable woman such as Peggy to something a little more romantic. Wine and dine at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city with some dancing?"
"And I'd be delighted to if Peggy thinks that this night was good enough to warrant a second date." Clark told him as he looked at Peggy who smiled. "Of course, I'm not the best dancer."
"Then I guess I'll have to show you how." Peggy remarked.
"Well, I better leave you two it. Take care and Kal, let me know if you want to take this date someplace private. I've got the hookup at some of the best hotels in the city. Now, if you'll excuse me Mandy is beckoning for me." Howard smiled and walked off to join his date for the night.
"Don't worry. I won't be going to Howard for romantic advice. I think we'll keep that relationship professional." Clark said to Peggy and she smiled. "But I think now I could use something to drink and eat."
"Lead the way." Peggy replied as the two headed through the fair grounds to the nearest restaurant, missing Dr. Erskine at the fair's recruitment center where he encountered someone he believed would be a good match for Project Rebirth. The two got a table at a small restaurant set up for the World Exposition and enjoyed beer and some food. "What should we cheers to? The SSR? The end of the war?"
"How about the hope to a better future?" Clark suggested and Peggy cheers her beer with his and the two drank.
"Hope it is. I do suppose we should enjoy these quiet moments as much as we can. Colonel Phillips is pushing Dr. Erskine more and more to put you through the program. I think it won't be much longer until he has you leading men into battle." Peggy could tell by Clark's face that he had some personal reservations. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous. I appreciate everything you and the Colonel have done to get me ready for the war and I'm ready to do my part but I'm not sure how much of a leader I'll be when I'm actually there." Clark said. "Is that a weird thought to have?"
"No, it isn't. We've put a lot on you and I can see that but you've proven that you can handle it. Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips wouldn't be doing this if they didn't think you could do it. I know firsthand how the thoughts of who you are can change." Peggy admitted. She enjoyed being with Kal and knew he did as well and decided to try and make this work by telling him more about herself. "Do you know how I joined the SSR?"
"You were assigned by MI5, right?" Clark recounted.
"Yes but that's only the middle part of my story. I joined the British Royal Military when the war was on the horizon. Actually, I was a codebreaker and worked in intelligence much like you. In 1939, I was recommended for the Special Operations Executive…but I turned them down." Peggy told him.
"Really?" Clark was surprised at that. "Sorry, it's just that…the Peggy Carter I've come to know doesn't seem like someone who would turn something like that down."
Peggy took another sip of beer. "Well, I was a different person back then. I was actually engaged as well."
"Wow…I wasn't expecting to hear that. What happened?" Clark wondered.
"I found out that my brother was the one who recommended me for the SOE because he thought that I had the potential for greater things. We were close growing up and I admired him greatly. We had a great sense of adventure as children which I admit I lost as I got older. He was the one who urged me to join the SOE but I ignored him. He died months later during the war." Peggy said with a great deal of sadness in her voice. Clark reached over and tentatively held her hand which she accepted. "He was the one person who truly understood who I was."
"That's what made you join the SOE." Clark realized and she nodded.
"Michael was right. I didn't join before because I put aside everything I wanted as a child as my childhood. He could tell I wouldn't be happy. I just wish he were alive so I could tell him he was right." Peggy admitted.
"I think he does. And right about now, I think your brother and my father are probably looking down at both of us now and smiling." Clark said and Peggy smiled. "And knowing this doesn't make me think any less of you. If anything, it makes me admire you more. My father used to say that any person who can endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles or struggles has a great power in them. For you, Peggy, that's kind of obvious."
"Ever the charmer, Kalvin. Lucky me." Peggy smiled as the two continued talking and enjoying their evening. The start of a relationship had started and one that would have its ups and downs during the war.
Line Break xxxxx
Camp Lehigh, New Jersey
There was a new batch of recruits for Project Rebirth and most of them had been picked by Colonel Phillips or sent over from other units in the Armed Forces. Clark would show up for the recruits first training session as they're introduced to Peggy and Colonel Phillips like he was but he heard that Dr. Erskine actually submitted someone for the recruitment process. That meant that he saw something in this recruit like he saw in Clark so he wanted to meet him. He ran into Peggy and she put the box of forms in his hands to carry and be useful.
The line of new recruits for Project Rebirth were dressed in military fatigues and helmets much like Clark was when he first arrived. They were speaking with one another, waiting for whoever was in charge to show up.
"Recruits, attention!" Peggy shouted and all the recruits stood at attention. Peggy walked in front of the men as Clark walked by each one and handed them a clipboard with papers they needed to sign. "Gentlemen, I am Agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division."
"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? I thought I was signing up for the US army." One of the recruits spoke.
"What's your name, Soldier?" Peggy asked him.
"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty."
"Step forward, Hodge." Peggy ordered and he did with complete lack of respect for her authority. It was more amusement than anything else. "Put your fight foot forward."
"Mmm…are we gonna wrestle? Because I got a few moves I know you'll like." Hodge said with a wink.
"Oh, boy. That's gonna hurt him." Clark muttered and Peggy socked him across the face with a right hook that knocked him on his ass. Clark and one of the recruits chuckled as he stepped over Hodge's body to continue passing out the clipboards. "You're lucky you got off with only a broken nose. She took it easy on you."
Colonel Phillips and his aid arrived with Dr. Erskine in a jeep. "Agent Carter! Corporal Elbert!"
"Colonel Phillips." They both stood at attention.
"I can see that you are breaking in the candidates. That's good! Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention until somebody comes tells you what to do." Phillips told Hodge who immediately stood back up.
"Yes, sir!"
"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men." Phillips stopped himself when he saw one of the recruits. Steve Rogers was easily a foot shorter than everyone else and paper thin. Phillips looked over at Dr. Erskine who looked forward but couldn't hide the smirk on his face. "And because they are going to get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds of the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be among the first in a new breed of super soldier. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of hell. You better get ready for your training boys because it's only going to get harder from here. Agent Carter."
"All right, ladies. Let's move it!" She shouted and they turned before marching away.
Clark walked over to Dr. Erskine to talk to him. "Doctor, if I heard right you picked one of those recruits, correct?"
"Yes, I did. The one you can imagine. Steven Rogers. Someone I believe who will do great things and with a good heart. Spend some time with him this week if you can. I do believe you two will hit it off." Dr. Erskine suggested.
"Good recognized good, Dr. Erskine. Sounds like a plan." Clark replied.
The new recruits week started out much like Clark's did when he first went through the selection process. They bunked together, went through training together and much like Clark, Steve was kind of different from the others. His size was a big part of that as he was so short and skinny compared to the others but it was his personality as well. Steve was more reserved much like he was. He wasn't the gung-ho/hoorah/soldier like the others were. It wasn't shyness but more a quiet reserved inner strength. Despite the physical difference between him and the other recruits and even Clark, Steve gave it his all in the training and didn't quit. Clark saw him go through the obstacle course training with the other recruits and he had to work twice as hard to get just as far as the others. He stumbled, fell, and was slow but he didn't quit. He saw Steve climb the rope and even when he got his leg caught and hung upside down, he fought to free himself and kept going. When Steve had to crawl through the mud in full gear, he kept going despite Hodge kicking the barbwire down in his path.
"Rogers! Get that rifle out of the mud!" The drill sergeant shouted as he marched over there. Peggy and Clark watched Steve in the training and despite the obstacles he continued on.
"He doesn't quit. He's got a strong spirit." Clark stated. "I think I see why Dr. Erskine had him put into the recruitment process."
"What do you think?" Peggy wondered as they watched Steve manage to drag himself out of the mud and make it through. Behind all the others but he did it by himself.
"I think he'll do just fine." Clark answered with a smile.
The recruits then went on a run around the camp which was several miles. The drill sergeant pushed them on with Clark and Peggy waiting at the halfway point by the flag. Peggy was making notes on her clipboard and Clark was driving the jeep. He knew how to drive a tractor and quickly caught on how to drive a jeep.
"Pick it up, ladies! Let's go, let's go! Double time! Come on! Faster! Faster! Move! Move!" The Sergeant shouted as Clark and Peggy looked back to see them run over. "Squad, halt! That flag means we're only at the halfway point! First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Carter! Move, move!"
And like clockwork, the recruits rushed over to the pole and scrambled to climb up. It was very amusing as they struggled and pushed one another to try and get their chance to climb but no such luck. "Come on! Get up there! If that's all you got, this army's in trouble! Get up there, Hodge! Come on, get up there!" One of the men actually managed to get about 8 feet off the ground but quickly slid back down.
"Remind you of the good times?" Peggy asked Clark.
"Yes, and no one in my group got it either, including me. I'm still kind of upset about that." He joked, making Peggy chuckle.
"Nobody's got that flag in 17 years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go! Get back into formation!" The sergeant ordered and they got back on the path except for Steve. "Rogers! I said fall in!"
Steve just removed the bolt lock and pulled the screw bolt loose so the flag pole fell to the ground. To the Sergeant's and squad's disbelief, Clark smacking himself in the forehead that he didn't think of that and Peggy's amusement, Steve unhooked the flag from the flag pole and handed it over. "Thank you, sir."
Steve got into the back of the jeep with a smile on his face as Clark drove them back to camp. After training, everyone was at the mess hall for dinner. The recruits for Project Rebirth were situated at a table but were seated a table length away from Steven who was sitting by himself. Steve took a sip of water and a bite of his meatloaf when he saw someone walk over.
"Mind if I sit here?" Clark asked.
"No, go ahead." Steve replied so Clark put his food tray down on the table and took a seat.
"Corporal Kalvin Elbert but you can call me Kal." Clark held out his hand and Steve looked at him before smiling and shaking it.
"Steve Rogers." Steve shook his hand.
Clark took a bite of his potatoes and noticed Steve took a small bite. "Enjoy the food as much as you can. I've been here a while and we don't always have fresh potatoes and vegetables. I remember for a week we had to deal with the canned stuff. Eat up. You're gonna need it for the training you've got for the week."
"How long have you been here?" Steve wondered.
"Nearly a year. I was with the Eastern European intelligence division before I was recruited into the SSR." Clark told him.
"So, you've seen the training that Colonel Phillips has us doing?" Steve asked and Clark nodded.
"Seen and actually I've been through it." Clark told him which earned a look of confusion. "Agent Carter probably told you that one other person was selected for Project Rebirth. I'm that one."
"How?" Steve wondered.
"I went through the training like you and the others did but it's not just about being a good soldier. Dr. Erskine is the one who put you in this program right?" Clark asked and Steve nodded. "Then don't worry about what you need to do or what they're expecting out of you. Keep doing what you're doing and I think you'll be fine."
"Did you volunteer for the recruitment?" Steve wondered.
"No, I didn't. Colonel Phillips put me in. I worked in intelligence and my code breaking is what impressed him but I wasn't fit to be deployed. I have bad asthma and…" Clark messed with his glasses on his face. "…I'm severely nearsighted. I wasn't qualified for the field."
Steve looked at Clark and kind of found that hard to believe. "Sorry for staring it's just…you look like you should be perfect for the field."
"Looks can be deceiving and it's not the problem with my outside, it's the inside. I lagged behind everyone in the training and I think I gave Agent Carter and the drill sergeant more than a few headaches. There was one time in the obstacle course where my asthma hit hard and I fell into the mud pit. Completely soaked from top to bottom." Clark recounted, finding the humor in how it must have looked to the others and Steve chuckled a bit. "That was a cold day and not fun at all."
"I have a feeling on what that's like." Steve said.
"But I just kept at it and Dr. Erskine saw something in me that he felt was right. I probably shouldn't be telling you this but don't give up." Clark told him.
"You don't have to worry about that." Steve replied as the two continued their dinner and enjoyed talking.
The training for the next batch of Project Rebirth recruits continued and true to Steve's statement, he didn't give up. Despite physical struggles, limitations, and the mocking from the other recruits he kept at it. He and Clark continued talking and the two were becoming quick friends. Peggy was leading them in more physical training and had assigned Clark as her assistant. He followed behind, made note of everyone's progress in training and was essentially her helper. She enjoyed it and Clark didn't have it in him to tell Peggy no.
"Faster, ladies come on! My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!" Peggy ordered as the men continued their pushups with Steve struggling but persevering through.
Colonel Phillips was walking across the field with Dr. Erskine as he looked over at the recruits and saw Steve Rogers struggling in PT. "You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?"
"I'm more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice for my other serum." Dr. Erskine replied.
"When you brought a 90-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, What the hell? Maybe he'd be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him." Phillips remarked as the recruits got up from pushups into jumping jacks with Steve struggling through. "You stick a needle in that kid's arm, it's gonna go right through him. Look at that. He's making me cry. I thought we were finally on the same mindset with this program when you agreed that Elbert was a good choice. I was ready to buy you dinner and take you out on a nice date after the months of rejections you've given me. I was and I was willing to wait for a second candidate for your other serum but for months you've stonewalled us."
"Corporal Elbert is a good choice yes and he has excellent qualities but I am looking for qualities beyond the physical." Dr. Erskine told him.
"Do you know how long it took to set up this project? All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-His-Name's committees to get you everything you needed?"
"Brandt, yes I know. I'm well aware of your efforts." Dr. Erskine assured him.
"Then throw me a bone. Elbert is the brains so now we need the brawns. The fact that he can't see or run a mile without coughing up a lung is one thing but he's got a mind for analytics, tactics, and aced every single officer and leadership test we've put him through. The second he's able to move about freely like a super soldier with your serum then he's set." Phillips pointed at Private Hodge going through jumping jacks with no problem. "Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders. He's a soldier."
"He's a bully." Dr. Erskine stated.
"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." Colonel Phillips walked over to a supply truck where he took a grenade from a munitions box and pulled the pin. "You win wars with guts."
He tossed the grenade on the ground in front of the recruits without a care. "GRENADE!"
"MOVE, MOVE!"
Everyone close to the grenade ran for cover and those that were far away ducked. Clark and Peggy rushed over to toss it away when Steve jumped to the ground and curled his body around it to protect everyone. "Get away! Get back!" Steve shouted as everyone waited for it to go off but after a few more seconds nothing happened. It was a dummy grenade which meant no one was in any danger yet Steve put himself on a possible live grenade without any thought or hesitation. Clark, Peggy, and Dr. Erskine smiled as they saw that Steve possessed one quality that would make him the perfect subject for Project Rebirth: Bravery. "Is this a test?"
Dr. Erskine looked at Colonel Phillips and playfully shrugged. Phillips had to relent that Steve had the guts he spoke about but it didn't make him happy.
"He's still skinny." Phillips walked away as Clark looked over at Dr. Erskine and the two shared a smile and a nod. Steve was the right choice. It was time to put Project Rebirth into effect.
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