Brooklyn — Day
Children scattered as a black sedan cruised down the street. Inside, Steve sat beside Peggy and Alex, watching the familiar sidewalks drift by. They exchanged few words, each lost in their own thoughts.
The sedan pulled up in front of an antique store.
Steve blinked. "This where we're stopping?"
Peggy smirked. "I'm redecorating."
---
Antique Store — Day
The bell above the door chimed. The store was quaint, cluttered with relics of old. The woman behind the counter nodded politely.
"Lovely weather this morning, isn't it?"
Peggy nodded. "Yes, but I always carry an umbrella."
"You can't be too careful."
"Best to be ready for a shift in the wind."
The code exchanged, the woman reached beneath the counter and pressed a hidden button. A submachine gun was tucked out of sight.
She led them through a hidden door.
---
Antique Store – Security Foyer — Day
A Marine stood before a massive steel door. As it hissed open, he snapped to attention.
---
Rebirth Lab — Day
Steve and Alex stepped out onto a platform that overlooked a massive underground complex. Scientists moved with purpose, engineers adjusted glowing panels, and a film crew prepared their equipment.
The centerpiece loomed ahead—two identical devices resembling metal cradles encased in glass and coiled in wires. Behind them, six Vita-Ray reactors hummed with life.
In the center, Dr. Erskine made his rounds. Alex's eyes caught the group watching from above.
---
Observation Booth — Day
Colonel Phillips entered to find Senator Brandt and his entourage.
"Why are we in Brooklyn?" Brandt asked, disgruntled.
Phillips gestured below. "Power grid access. Of course, if you'd approved the generator I requested…"
"Lot of hands out these days, Colonel." He gestured to a man beside him. "This is... Fred Clemson."
"Heinz Kruger," the man corrected subtly. "State Department."
He eyed the operation below with feigned interest. "If this works... we'd like to ensure it's used for something useful."
Brandt glanced at Steve and frowned. "Jeez, somebody get that kid a sandwich."
---
Rebirth Lab — Day
Erskine guided Alex and Steve to their respective cradles.
"Comfortable?"
Steve sat uneasily in the outline built for a much larger man.
"You save any schnapps?"
Erskine winced. "Not as much as I should have."
At the console, a man adjusted dials. Alex recognized him and blinked.
Howard Stark stepped into view.
"Coils are steady. We might black out Brooklyn, but we're ready."
Steve stared. "Didn't I see you at the Expo? That flying Cadillac—did it ever get off the ground?"
Howard smirked. "Three minutes of glorious flight."
"What happened after?"
"We landed. Technically."
Alex smiled. "You've got this, Steve."
Steve took a breath, nodded. "Yeah. I do."
Erskine nudged Peggy gently. "Agent Carter... perhaps you'd be more comfortable in the booth?"
She gave Steve a warm look before stepping away. He watched her go, smiling back.
Everything was ready.
And everything was about to change.
Dr. Abraham Erskine reached up and tugged down the overhead microphone, his eyes drifting toward the observation booth. Through the glass, he waited until Colonel Phillips stepped beside a speaker. Then, Erskine rapped the mic with a firm, deliberate tap. A sharp buzz echoed in the booth—Phillips flinched, raising a hand to his ear with a grimace.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Erskine began, his voice calm yet firm, echoing through the room. "Today, we do not advance another step toward destruction. Today marks our first stride on the path to peace."
INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH - CONTINUOUS
From his seat, Brandt observed the proceedings with a skeptical brow, his arms folded.
DR. ERSKINE (V.O.) "We will commence with a series of micro-injections administered directly to the subject's primary muscle groups."
As the words filtered through the speakers, Peggy Carter stepped into the booth. One of the officers, Clemson, stood respectfully and offered her his seat. She nodded gratefully and sat, eyes fixed on the lab below.
INT. REBIRTH LAB - MOMENTS LATER
Howard Stark and his team of experienced assistants made final checks on the complex machinery surrounding the central platform. Monitors flickered with green light, and the steady rhythm of an EKG filled the space with a pulsing beep.
Erskine addressed the room with the steady confidence of a man standing at the precipice of history.
"The serum will trigger immediate cellular transformation," he explained. "To regulate this transformation and prevent uncontrolled growth, the subject will be bathed in Vita Rays."
With a subtle nod, Erskine silenced the microphone and turned to a nurse nearby. She opened a silver case with a mechanical hiss, revealing a sleek aluminum syringe gleaming under the lab's lights.
She carefully primed the needle, drew back the plunger, and—without hesitation—plunged it into Alex's and Steve's arms at the same time. Steve flinched but quickly exhaled, forcing himself to relax.
Alex glanced at him with a small smirk. "That wasn't so bad."
Steve grinned. "Y-yeah."
Erskine chuckled. "That was only the tetanus shot."
From a concealed panel, a carousel emerged, slowly rotating to reveal thirteen pristine vials of a glowing blue serum. Twelve were swiftly distributed—six each into two sleek injector devices by Erskine and the nurse.
At his signal, a technician deployed two curved metal pads bristling with hundreds of microscopic needles. They extended and latched onto the bodies of Alex and Steve, securing them in place.
"Initiating serum delivery in five... four... three... two... one."
With a click, the devices activated. Invisible needles plunged into their skin. The serum flowed—a glowing blue liquid slowly draining from the tubes into their veins. Steve's and Alex's muscles seized; the veins along their arms and necks bulged. Their bodies began to tremble.
Erskine immediately pressed another control. Cushioned restraints slid into place, cradling their heads, keeping them still as their eyes flared with brilliant, unnatural blue light. The injection was complete.
"Now, Mr. Stark," Erskine said.
Howard Stark grabbed a metal lever and pulled. The platform groaned and began tilting upright. Both brothers were raised slowly, like missiles prepared for launch.
Panels along the ceiling unfolded. A metallic hood descended, enclosing their heads in the Vita Ray chamber. A small window framed their faces as Erskine spoke into the mic once more.
"Steven? Alex? Are you both able to hear me?"
Alex's voice crackled through the speaker, discomfort clear in his tone. "Ahh, this seat's not exactly luxury."
Steve followed, his voice tight. "Is it... too late to go to the bathroom?"
Erskine smiled softly. "We'll continue."
Stark flipped a switch. A deep hum rolled through the lab as the Vita Ray reactors powered up. A large gauge on the side wall began to climb—ten, twenty...
Alex and Steve clenched their jaws as waves of light and energy surged around them. The orange glow inside the chamber intensified. Technicians scrambled for their goggles. Peggy sat forward, fingers interlaced, silently praying.
Thirty... forty...
Both brothers shut their eyes tightly as pain set in, their expressions twisting. Erskine leaned closer to the monitors, checking vitals. All stable. He nodded at Stark.
Fifty... sixty...
Steve's head jolted backward as his body convulsed. The EKG surged in tempo, beeping rapidly. Peggy stood, breath misting against the glass in front of her.
Seventy... eighty...
The glow surged once more, flooding the window until their faces were no longer visible. The EKG screamed.
Ninety...
A scream erupted from the speaker—Steve's voice, raw and agonized. Erskine rushed forward, eyes searching the window.
"Steven?!" he called, alarm in his voice. "Steven!"
Peggy bolted from her seat, hurrying down the stairs toward the lab.
"Shut it down!" she shouted.
The lights flared brighter. Scientists and onlookers shielded their eyes.
"Mr. Stark!" Erskine barked. "Kill the reactors!"
But then, through the cacophony of alarms and static, a voice pierced the noise:
"Y-you... can do it, Steve..." Alex's voice trembled through the pain.
And then Steve responded, voice strained but steady:
"Yes... I can do it."
In the observation booth, Brandt and Phillips exchanged a glance—shocked and awed.
---
To be continued...