Unexpected Song

05

SSR COMPOUND

Steve as he referred to the amount of blood samples taken from him, questioned, "Think you got enough?"

"Any hope of reproducing a program is locked in your genetic code," Peggy replied. "But without Dr. Erskine, it could take years."

"He deserved more than this."

"If it could only work once, he'd be proud it was you."

SSR TECH LAB WITH THE HYDRA SUBMARINE

"Colonel Phillips, my committee is demanding answers," Senator Brandt said.

"Great. Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car?" He turned to Howard who was working on the submarine. "What have we got here?"

"Speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country," Howard told them. "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?" Senator Brandt asked.

"HYDRA," Colonel Phillips answered. "I'm sure you've been reading our briefings."

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

"HYDRA is the Nazi deep science division," Peggy informed. "It's led by Johann Schmidt. But he has much bigger ambitions."

"HYDRA's practically a cult," Colonel Phillips said. "They worship Schmidt, they think he's invincible."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Senator Brandt wondered.

"Spoke to the president this morning. As of today, the SSR is being retasked."

"Colonel?" Peggy called.

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

Steve turned to the Colonel. "Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in."

"You're an experiment," Colonel Phillips told them. "You're going to Alamogordo."

"The serum worked."

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

Senator Brandt spoke to Steve. "With all due respect, Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's seen it." He said to his aide, "Paper." The aide showed them the newspaper 'The New York Examiner' Vol. XCVII No. 33.634, Wednesday June 23, 1943, headlined 'Nazis in New York - mystery man and woman save child'. "The enlistment lines have been around the block since your pictures hit the newstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?"

"Sir, that's all I want," Steve replied.

"Then, congratulations. You just got promoted."

INT. SMALL THEATER - BACKSTAGE

Steve sweated, sick to his stomach and said, "I don't know if I can do this."

Brandt's aide stood between them and said, "Nothing to it. You and our favorite lounge singer sell a few bonds, bonds buy a few bullets, bullets kill a few Nazis. Bing bang boom, you're American heroes."

Steve swallowed hard before replying, "Not how I pictured getting there."

"The Senator's got a lot of pull on the Hill. Play ball with us and you'll be leading your own platoon in no time."

Steve considered his words as a bugle played. The curtains parted.

After a long awkward moment, Steve stumbled through the curtains as if shoved.