The Rise of the Phoenix (Marvel/Captain America/Agent Carter)

Chapter 9 - Heated Green

"Don't look so worried, I'll be back in two weeks." Howard whispered, tilting my chin up. He was going out to look for Steve, to bring him back. I originally volunteered to go with him, but Howard said no. When I went to protest he explained why.

Apparently he had been working on replicating the super soldier serum ever since Erskine's death. He said that no one knew about it, but trusted me with it now. He wanted me to continue experimenting while he was gone.

Yes I hated working with chemicals, they were too messy, but that didn't mean I didn't know how they worked. Howard had the equipment and different serums he had created so far set up in the lab back in New York.

"I always worry, Howard. You blow things up on a daily basis."

He chuckled before giving me a quick kiss and then backed up a few paces. "Two weeks at most." He said again as he backed away.

I nodded and smiled as he smiled back and then spun around, running up the ramp and on deck. I moved over to where Peggy was standing, staring blankly at the boat, wrapping one arm around her shoulder comfortingly as my other hand played with my necklace while looking at Howard standing on deck as the boat pulled away from the dock.

Once the ship began to shrink in the distance and the small crowd cleared out I pulled Peggy along to the car, driving her to her apartment. "He'll find him." I said, reassuringly, but all she could do was offer a half smile and nod before getting out of the car.

I spent the next few days busying myself in the lab, reading over Howard's notes before starting work with the chemicals. I worked alone as Howard didn't want anyone to know just yet except for Jarvis who stopped by and made sure I was properly fed and rested every lunch and afternoon.

It wasn't until day number three that everything went to hell.

"I'm perfectly fine, Jarvis, I promise. I had 8 hours sleep and a big breakfast complete with bacon, eggs, tomato and a coffee. You don't have to worry so much." I stated to Howard's butler who was making his first daily trip.

"I know how you can forget to sleep and eat sometimes when you're working. And here, I brought you a second coffee." He said, holding out the cup for me causing me beam with utter joy.

"I guarantee you, Howard is worse than I am in that department." I replied after taking a long sip and placing the cup down on the edge of the bench.

"Much, but he isn't here for me to fret over."

I chuckled, "Why don't you surprise your wife and take her out to lunch or something, Mr Jarvis?" I offered.

"Hmmm, I may. Any suggestions?"

"Howard and I like the diner two block down, they have a wonderful apple crumble."

"Very well, I'll do that. Do you need anything before I leave, Miss Morgan?" He asked politely.

"No, I'm perfectly fine." I grinned at him and he nodded before taking his coat and hat and leaving me to my devices.

I placed a few vials down on the table and read through their ingredients, trying to figure out what solution Howard hadn't tried already or what chemicals he hadn't tested yet. Erskine was truly a genius to figure this serum out.

I sighed in frustration and reached for my coffee across the bench unknowingly brushing the vials with my lab coat. When I pulled back quickly, coffee in hand, my elbow bumped two of them, knocking them out of their holder and shattering them on the ground.

"Crap!" I cursed, quickly putting my coffee back down and turning to look at the mess I'd created.

One of the serum's had been a very light blue, the other a light yellow and as I stared at the pool of liquid chemicals at my feet I saw them somehow being pulled to one another like magnets, or maybe my minds was running in slow motion.

As I continued to stare, oddly curious, the two separate mixtures combine on the ground, becoming a vibrant green.

"What the..." I trailed off as the substance got brighter and brighter, causing me to shield my eyes with my hand, trying to protect my sight from the now luminous green rays that were beaming from the puddle on the ground.

If it was possible it continued to get brighter and suddenly deciding that it probably wasn't going to stop I went to make a run for it, but before I could even take one step an ear shattering bang exploded from within the origin of the light, encompassing my entire body in an almost burning green flame, that didn't seem to actually burn, but I could feel the heat. I was sent hurtling backwards in mid air along with all surrounding furniture and plunged into unconsciousness.

I woke with a slight headache. That heavy feeling when you sleep in for longer than you should have and it only makes you feel worse, but something told me this wasn't a sleep in. It wasn't my bed. It wasn't my room. It was so white and clear and almost too bright to handle, like I hadn't seen sunlight in a couple of days and my eyes were yet to adjust.

"Alexis..." It was half a whisper from a croaky voice, but I recognised it immediately and it gave me the strength to look to my right where Howard Stark sat staring wide eyed. "You're awake." He said, stating the obvious, suddenly jumping out of his chair and standing beside me. Judging by his messy hair he'd been asleep.

"Howard... you're back. Did you find him?" I asked, in a weak crackly voice. My throat wasn't sore; my voice just seemed out of practise for some odd reason.

"What?"

"Steve, did you find Steve?" I asked him like he was an idiot, who else would I be talking about? He'd only left three days ago to find him after the crash.

"What's the last thing you remember, Lexi?" He asked, concerned.

"What kind of question is that? Why are you back? You shouldn't be back for at least another week or two."

"I've been back for three weeks." He said and continued when all I did was stare. "I only found out when I got back. Peggy told me, she tried to contact me while I was gone, but couldn't get through. Lex... You've been in a coma for a month."

"What... no... that's..." I trailed off as the memories came back. "I bumped the vials."

"The vials? Lexi, there was an explosion in the lab, no-one knows what caused it." Howard had said.

"No, I bumped them. They were two different serums, I knocked them off the desk and they shattered on the floor, that's the last thing I remember." I explained, gradually getting my strength back as I sat up.

Howard's eyes went wide and he took a small step back just as a nurse came into the room. "Alexis?" She asked before asking me routine questions. I answered them all easily, getting a little annoyed at how stupid some of them were, but Howard remained quiet, continuing to stare at me with concern.

I only spent three more days in the hospital because there was absolutely nothing wrong with me. Howard took me back to my apartment at the Griffith, which by some miracle I still had thanks to Jarvis who continued to pay my rent over the past year, and after a rather heated argument between Howard and Mirium he was allowed to help me to my room. Yes he actually legally made it past the first floor. I was dumbstruck as well, however Mirium, of course, escorted us and didn't leave until Howard did... which turned out to be 45 minutes.

I slept for another 10 hours after that and that's when the dreams started. Some of them were nightmares, but mostly just strange and amazingly vivid dreams that I soon discovered were memories.

I was dreaming of things I had long since forgotten, things I didn't even realize happened, things I shouldn't remember and now found myself incapable of forgetting.

And so it begins :) Please comment and let me know what you think :) Reviews are greatly appreciated!