Before We Fall

Chapter 3

I walked out of the tent, Peggy walking next to me as we made our way to the new recruits. They all stood in a line, looking around.

"Recruits, attentions!" They immediately straightened at Peggy's voice. "Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter and this is Agent Donovan. We supervise all operations for this division."

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? Thought I was signing up for the US Army." A rather rude man spoke up.

"What's your name, soldier?" I asked of him. He looked me up and down.

"Gilmore Hodge, your madjesty." He saractically answered me. I raised a brow at him.

"Step forward, Hodge." He stepped closer to me.

"Put your right foot forward." I ordered him. He placed a foot ahead of the other and I had him right where I wanted him. He leaned closer to me and I leaned back slightly.

"We going to wrassel?" From the corner of my eye, I saw Steve glaring at the back of Hodge's head. "Because I got a few moves I know you'll like."

I reared my arm back, balling up my fist and connecting it to his jaw with all my strength. He instantly fell into the dirt and some of the men started to shuffle their laughter.

"Agent Donovan." I whipped around to face Coronel Phillips.

"Coronel Phillips." I greeted him as he walked closer to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at the recruits.

"I can see you're breaking in the canadits, that's good." He looked down at Hodge. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention until somebody comes and tells you what to do."

Hodge quickly got up and stood in line. Back straightened. Blood was slowly falling out of his nose.

"Yes sir." He obeyed the order. He glanced down at me and I smirked at him.

"General Pattinson has said 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 paused as he caught sight of Rogers. I tried to hide my smile as he gave me an 'Are you kidding me' look. "And because they're gonna get better."

"The Stragtic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. And at the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super soldiers. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell. Agent Donovan, Carter. " Phillips left with my father and I turned back to the recruits.

"Tomorrow will be the starting of your training day. So get a good nights rest. You'll need it. You're dismissed." They all looked around at each other, waiting for the first person to move. I also waited to see who would move first. But nobody moved.

"I said 'you're dismissed.'" I said louder and with more authority. Rogers was the first one to move as he stepped forward a few feet. Cautionary looking at me, making sure it was the right move. Then Hodge moved after him, actually stepping completely out of line and everyone followed at him. I shook my head at their retreating backs and turned to Peggy.

"Am I that innocent looking?" I huffed as my palms hit my thighs. She bite her lip, not wanting to answer.

"Kind of. I mean, you are only 5'1' and under a 100 pounds so kind of. You got Rogers pretty scared of being hit after what you did to Hodge. But the kid is pretty brave stepping out." Peggy told me. I huffed again.

"Tomorrow's going to be a long day." I sighed. She just shrugged.

I watched the next morning as the recruits climbed up and down the wall, as ordered to do. I wrote down quick notes, my cursive writing looking quite elegant against my father's chicken scratch.