Chapter One: World of Tomorrow

I stood backstage with Howard, waiting to go on and show off our new repulsion energy technology. Even though I didn't think it was ready yet, he insisted on showing the car at this year's Stark Industries Expo.

"Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion, and the World of Tomorrow! A greater world. A better world."

I pulled Howard away from the girl so she could take her place onstage. "Come on, that's our cue, Huxley."

He straightened his tie out as I placed his top hat on the top of his head. "Are you ready to shock the world, Susie?"

Huxley and Susie were our own little inside-joke-nicknames for each other. Our favorite comedy movie was Bringing Up Baby starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant- swoon - and we had often joked about how we reminded the other about their characters in the movie. Him, a world-renowned genius scientist. Her, an annoying rich girl who follows him around throughout the whole movie.

Clearly he was happier with his name than I was, but I didn't complain.

"Always, doll," I answered him before flattening any wrinkles on my dress and facing the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark and Dr. Joanne Moore!" the brunette girl announced into the microphone, and the audience cheered as we walked onto the stage.

Howard handed one of the dancing girls his hat before pulling the one who'd announced us into a dip kiss. The girls in the crowd were screaming their heads off at that, and I turned towards them to roll my eyes dramatically, fists firm on my hips. "And here I thought we were holding an expo to show off our greatest inventions, not our kissing skills."

Pulling back from the girl, Howard winked at me. "Who says we can't do both?" Laughter bubbled up from the crowd, and the girl he'd just kissed handed Howard the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he spoke into it, quickly becoming serious, "what if we told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground… at all?"

Everyone gasped as the girls removed the wheels from the red car to reveal the repulsors stamped with the Stark company logo. As Howard moved to set up the control panel, I took the microphone from him and continued to explain. "That's right, folks. With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology, you'll be able to do just that." I stepped back to the edge of the stage as Howard pushed a few buttons and slid the red lever up.

The music that filled the room began to build as the car lifted off the ground, and I crossed my fingers behind my back. My good luck obviously had no effect though, as only a few moments later the automobile came crashing back down on the stage, startling the audience.

Howard and I shared one of our famous silent-conversation-looks before shrugging, and Howard chuckled and cleared his throat as he took the microphone out of my hands. "I did say a few years, didn't I?"

He handed the mic back to the girl we'd originally taken it from before taking my hand in his and we left the stage together. "I told you we should have waited until next year to test the flying car," I reminded him.

"Relax, Jo!" he swung me around, clearly pleased with himself. "Didn't you see their faces? They loved it!"

I pulled away from him, shaking my head. "Your self-confidence is absolutely riveting."

He laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, shut up. Don't you need to go find Erskine to go test some more potential super soldiers or something else far, far away from me?"

"Ass."

"A) language," he chided with a quick glare. "B) that's why you love me!"

He swooped in to kiss my cheek, but I stepped away with my arms crossed behind my back. "In your dreams, Stark."

I knew that if I stuck around he would just flirt further, and normally I would have been up for our normal banter, but I'd been abnormally exhausted lately and didn't have the energy to deal with him. So, I went off to find Dr. Erskine in the enlistment center. He wasn't in any of the exam rooms, so I went to check near the entrance, bumping into somebody right as I spotted the man I'd been looking for.

"I'm so sorry," he immediately began apologizing, and I couldn't help but chuckle when he blushed as he looked at my face. "Dr. Moore!" he recognized me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I was just going-"

"Please," I dismissed his stammering with a wave of my hand, "just call me Jo, everybody does. And don't worry about it… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

He held his hand out, and I took it in mine to shake it. Based off his small stature, I was surprised to find he had a firm grip. "Steve. Steve Rogers."

"Well, Steve Steve Rogers," I joked, and his blush deepened, "as much as I would love to stay and chat, I'm afraid I have a previous engagement and must be on my way."

"Right, so do I. Have a previous engagement, I mean."

I couldn't help but love how adorable this guy was. Everything he was saying made me laugh, and I hoped he knew I wasn't laughing at him. "Of course. Well, it was a genuine pleasure to meet you, Steve."

"The pleasure was all mine, Dr. Moore."

Patting his shoulder, I flashed him another small smile and corrected, "Seriously, just Jo," before stepping past him to go speak to Erskine, who had been watching the interaction with a grin. "Dr. Abe," I greeted.

"Joanne," he nodded once. "Who was that young man you were just speaking with?"

"That would be Steve Rogers. Why do you ask?"

"He seemed very adamant about enlisting."

I looked over my shoulder even though Steve was long gone, before turning back to Erskine with a quizzical look. "Him? Enlist? He couldn't have weighed more than ninety pounds!"

His smile grew as he went to follow down the same hallway Steve had gone down. "Yes, but that is where we come in, fräulein."

That sly devil. "You want to enlist Steve in the Project Rebirth program?"

He asked the nurse sitting at the welcome station for Steve's file before sending her to clear out the room he would be in. "The boy has heart. Passion. The serum can take care of the rest."

I took the file from Erskine's hands, my eyebrows shooting up to my hairline at the long, long list of physical ailments Steve suffered from. Then, I noticed that this was his fifth time trying to enlist. "He's dedicated, that's for sure."

"I knew you would agree with me, fräulein. Come, let's go meet our newest candidate."

I stepped into Steve's room first, my eyes still poring over the file in my hands. "Thank you," I mumbled to the MP in the room, which he took as his cue to leave. "Steve Steve Rogers," I glanced up to smile at him. "Long time no see, doll."

Erskine came in behind me and took the file from my hand. "So," he asked Steve. "You want to go overseas? Kill some Nazis?"

Steve's expression bounced back and forth between confusion and apprehension. "Excuse me?"

Stepping forward, Erskine held his hand out to shake hand with Steve before introducing himself. "Dr. Abraham Erskine." He pointed towards me. "You've already met Joanne." Steve nodded at me, and I offered him a smile in an attempt to calm him down a bit.

"Steve Rogers," he turned back to Erskine and introduced himself in return.

"You mean to tell me," I put my hands on my hips, mock horror on my face, "I've been calling you the wrong name this entire time?" I shook my head and sighed. "How embarrassing."

Steve finally cracked a little grin, and I was glad to see that he was at least slightly comfortable in the situation. "Where are you from, Dr. Erskine?"

"Queens," Erskine answered simply, and I knew he was just teasing Steve. "73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany." Beat. "This troubles you?"

"No," he replied easily, and I smiled. Most people automatically didn't trust Germans, and this was just further proof of how innocent and pure Steve's heart was. With every word, I was more and more convinced that he was the perfect choice for Project Rebirth.

"Where are you from, Steve?" I asked, referring to file Erskine was holding and a wary looked crossed the boy's features. "New Haven? Paramus? Five exams, five cities."

He started to sputter something about it being a mix-up, or the wrong file, and Erskine mercifully cut him off. "No, it is not the five exams we're interested in, Mr. Rogers. It's the five tries. But you never answered my original question- do you want to kill Nazis?"

Steve paused a moment. "Is this a test?"

"Yes," Erskine and I nodded once at the same time, and Steve looked between the both of us before taking a deep breath- a precursor to an answer that would steal mine away.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."

I was rendered speechless. It wasn't as if the words themselves were anything special, anybody could say them. It was the look of pure sincerity that graced his features. "Well," Erskine spoke, snapping me out of my reverie, "there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is a little guy, huh?"

As Erskine left, I followed after him and Steve after me. "We can offer you a chance," I told him. "Just a chance."

"I'll take it!" he said immediately, and I almost laughed at his excitement. Even if we had to put him through hell to get there, I already knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Steve was the soldier we would end up with.

"Good. So," Erskine smirked slightly, "where is the little guy from, actually?"

"Brooklyn."

Nodding, Erskine stamped Steve's enlistment form with his seal of approval. "Congratulations, soldier." He left, and I knew I was supposed to follow him, but I couldn't help but pause to watch as Steve beamed down at his file. "Well, Steve Rogers from Brooklyn," I crossed my arms over my stomach. "How does it feel to be a soldier in the United States Army?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Amazing."

I smiled again before stalking off after Erskine. As soon as I caught up, I asked, "He's our guy, isn't he?"

"Oh, yes."

"Phillips won't like it, you know," I asked, eyebrows slightly raised.

With a reassuring pat on the soldier, Erskine leaned in and mumbled, "Then it's a good thing Colonel Phillips is not the one to make the choice, yes?"

Laughing, I half-hugged Erskine by wrapping an arm around his shoulder as we walked. "I knew I loved you for a reason, Dr. Abe."