Steven G. Rogers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thekidfrombrooklyn) wrote2012-07-03 09:46 pm
thekidfrombrooklyn) wrote2012-07-03 09:46 pm
Entry tags:
The Tale of Steve Rogers, part 5
"You win wars with guts."
Philips and Erskine walk to the excercise grounds as the recruits do pushups. (Well, the other recruits do pushups. Steve has done a push.) As they often do, they're discussing Steve.
"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?"
"I wasn't just thinking about it," says Erskine. "He is the clear choice."
"When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, What the hell? Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him."
"Up!" orders Carter, and the recruits get to their feet to start jumping jacks. Erskine and Philips stop to watch.
"If you stick a needle in his arm it'll go right through him. Look at that," says Philips as Steve struggles to keep up. "He's making me cry."
"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical," says Erskine, with the air of someone who's tired of having the same argument.
"Do you know how how long it took me to set up this project?" responds Philips. "All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-his-name's committees?"
"I know," Erskine says, "I'm well aware of your efforts."
"Then throw me a bone," says Philips. "Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders--he's a soldier."
"He's a bully."
"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor," says Philips and picks up an unarmed grenade. "You win wars with guts." He pulls the pin and tosses the grenade in the midst of the recruits. "Grenade!"
The recruits scatter, hiding behind trucks or throwing themselves to the ground.
All but Steve.
Steve throws himself onto the grenade and curls his body around it. "Get away!" he shouts when Carter tries to approach him. "Get back!"
The seconds tick by, and the grenade doesn't explode. Steve slowly sits up. "Dummy grenade," someone says, "all clear."
Steve looks around. "Is this a test?"
Philips looks at Erskine, who shrugs. "He's still skinny."
Philips and Erskine walk to the excercise grounds as the recruits do pushups. (Well, the other recruits do pushups. Steve has done a push.) As they often do, they're discussing Steve.
"You're not really thinking about picking Rogers, are you?"
"I wasn't just thinking about it," says Erskine. "He is the clear choice."
"When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought, What the hell? Maybe he'll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you'd pick him."
"Up!" orders Carter, and the recruits get to their feet to start jumping jacks. Erskine and Philips stop to watch.
"If you stick a needle in his arm it'll go right through him. Look at that," says Philips as Steve struggles to keep up. "He's making me cry."
"I am looking for qualities beyond the physical," says Erskine, with the air of someone who's tired of having the same argument.
"Do you know how how long it took me to set up this project?" responds Philips. "All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What's-his-name's committees?"
"I know," Erskine says, "I'm well aware of your efforts."
"Then throw me a bone," says Philips. "Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast, he obeys orders--he's a soldier."
"He's a bully."
"You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor," says Philips and picks up an unarmed grenade. "You win wars with guts." He pulls the pin and tosses the grenade in the midst of the recruits. "Grenade!"
The recruits scatter, hiding behind trucks or throwing themselves to the ground.
All but Steve.
Steve throws himself onto the grenade and curls his body around it. "Get away!" he shouts when Carter tries to approach him. "Get back!"
The seconds tick by, and the grenade doesn't explode. Steve slowly sits up. "Dummy grenade," someone says, "all clear."
Steve looks around. "Is this a test?"
Philips looks at Erskine, who shrugs. "He's still skinny."