Angels || Steve Rogers¹ ✓

𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 | 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧

BLOOD SAMPLES WERE TAKEN, but Kallie refused to touch them. She didn't know the entire process behind making the serum, and she would not tarnish Erskine's memory by making monsters out of what he had hoped would be men of peace. She would not create another Johann Schmidt. 

Instead, she remained down in Stark's workspace, watching as he and his team disassembled the jet-like contraption the Nazi spy had attempted to escape in. She was hoping to have some understanding of what it was, but nothing Erskine had taught her could compare. He had told her, however, that what Schmidt hoped to unlock was the power of gods... what if he'd succeeded. She shuddered at the thought, but turned, however, at the sound of approaching voices. 

"Colonel Philips, my committee is demanding answers."

"Great." The Colonel snapped back. "Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car? What have we got here?"

Howard sighed. "Speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country. But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works. We're not even close to this technology."

"Then who is?"

"Hydra." Philips shot the Senator a look. "I'm sure you've been reading our briefings."

"I'm on a number of committees, Colonel." He retorted.

"Hydra is the deep science division of the Nazis," Kallie intervened as Peggy and Steve entered the room. "Led by Johann Schmidt. But I can assure you his ambitions are much bigger than a boat."

"Hydra is practically a cult." Philips explained. "They worship Schmidt. They think he's invincible."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I spoke to the President this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked."

"Colonel?" Peggy wondered as he approached.

"We are taking the fight to Hydra. Pack your bags, Agent Carter. You too, Stark. We're flying to London tonight."

"And what about me?" Kallie demanded, frowning.

He turned back to her, thinking a moment. "You were Erskine's apprentice. He's gone. You're free to go."

"I was Erskine's confidant and lab partner, Colonel." She corrected rather firmly. "I think it would be rather wise of you to take me along."

"Why do you wanna die so bad, girl?"

"I'd rather live a life that I know was worth something than run from death like a coward, sir."

His eyebrows went up, his face holding something like surprise, perhaps even a flicker of respect. "Alright then. You're with us, Ms Johnson. You're our doctor now."

"Sir," Steve spoke up. "If you're going after Schmidt, I want in."

"You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo."

"The serum worked." He protested.

"I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough."

As soon as he was gone, it was the Senator that stepped forward. "With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." He snapped his fingers at the man to his right. "Paper." What was revealed was a front cover picture of Steve fighting the spy. Headline reads: NAZIS IN NEW YORK, MYSTERY MAN SAVES CHILD. "The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. Son," He slung a casual arm over Steve's shoulders. "Do you want to serve your country on the most important..."

Kallie tuned them out as they strode out of earshot, turning back to the boat contraption the Hydra spy had used, mouth curving into a frown. Something here was just not right. 

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another funky
time skip...

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UNFORTUNATELY, STEVE DIDN'T GET EXACTLY WHAT HE'D PLANNED FOR, and while he was busy playing theatre, Kallie was working with Stark, trying to create something new that could help them out of what Hydra tech they had access to. 

"Try it now!" She called out, using tweezers to delicately slip the last piece into place. It appeared to be a simple metal ball on a simple metal table, but if this worked... Howard flipped the switch, and the seams of the device began to glow ever so slightly. So far, so good. Suddenly, a nasty, orange glow took it over. Kallie's eyes widened, and she rushed back behind one of the control panels mere seconds before the thing blew. She huffed in irritation before getting back to her feet. She spotted one unfortunate scientist who hadn't gotten away in time. He was still alive, of course, but his nervous system was stunned, and he wouldn't be able to move for at least another seven hours. "So it works." She observed. "We just need to get it to hold a current rather than blow up the second we charge it."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" He sighed. "You know, I wonder if Schmidt has thought to make something like this. I wonder how much he'd pay me for this."

Kallie shot him a look. "Stark, if you were half as funny as you think you are, you'd be twice as funny as you really are."

He frowned. "I don't even know what that means."

She rolled her eyes. "Can we just get back to it?"

He raised his hands quickly in surrender. "Of course, Your Grace." The corner of his mouth quirked up under her glare before he hurried back to the control panel to check their energy levels. We've still got a long way to go.