13 Steve

[Brooklyn, 1942]

In the alley behind a theater, Steve aka the future Captain America or the 70-year-old iced virgin stood with his fists in front of him. Balancing on the heels of his shoe, he moved his torso up and down and weaved from side to side, trying to look intimidating. But his opponent was easily double his size, with fists the size of Steve's head.

[WHAM!] His opponent advanced toward him, Steve leaped forward, hitting him with an uppercut and then getting a good punch into his opponent's stomach.

The hit didn't even make the man flinch as Steve lacks the strength to even deliver a proper punch.

You see he had never been a fit guy; he was skinny and frail, and because of his asthma, he couldn't even do enough exercise to add some extra muscles and because of this ineligible for joining the army.

The war had been raging on for nearly two years, Europe was on high alert, and day by day the situation there seem to be getting only worse. Innocent Men, women, and children were losing their lives and their homes as enemy forces invaded country after country, leaving millions dead in the aftermath.

This frustrated him, across the seas, brave men of this country are already showing the Axis that the price of freedom is never too high.

He wanted to be over there fighting together with the allied forces more than anything in the world, he wanted to serve his country, defend it, die for it, and march toward the freedom and liberation of millions of grateful citizens.

Alas, nothing can be done as he couldn't get past anyone in the recruitment centers, no matter how many attempts he made.

His opponent came back at Steve, swinging his large fists. Steve ducked one punch and then another.

He stepped lightly back & out of the way as the guy swung again. Smiling, Steve tried to get another hit in.

But this was a mistake, Steve's opponent grabs his fist and hammers him in the jaw with this other fist, knocking him into a line of garbage cans.

Steve got up and tried to throw a punch at the guy, the guy didn't even bother to block and threw a hard punch that connected to Steve's face knocking him down again. This time Steve felt a jolt of pain from his lip before he felt a strong metallic taste in his mouth.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" The man said. Steve groans in pain as he struggled to breathe.

He unsteadily got to his feet. "I can do this all day." He said wiping his bloody mouth. The man let out an amused laugh, as he looked at Steve with wonder.

"All day? Pft... You can't even stand still on your feet." The guy shakes his head and just as he went to swing someone grabbed the man's shoulder.

Steve who had closed his eyes which he had shut in anticipation of the punch looked behind the man and saw a handsome Youngman with crimson red eyes that seems to glow in this dim alleyway.

"I'd appreciate it enormously if you could just leave the guy alone." The red-eyed man said calmly. "And go on your merry way."

"Better get out the way, pretty boy, or you're gonna get hurt and all." The large man snarled as he turns around to face the stranger.

Before the guy could take a swing at him, the stranger lands a powerful right hook, followed up by a swift elbow to the jaw. The big guy goes down like a sack of potatoes.

Steve stifled a groan on seeing how easily the man knocked out the chum, if he had a normal healthy body could he be able to knock out the man with such ease? Maybe not but he would surely put up a good show.

"You okay mate?" The stranger helped him to his feet. "I am fine, it's just a scratch. Thank you." The stranger reached out for a handshake.

"Theodore Miller." Steve who was about to shake the stranger's hand noticed the bloodstains on his hands and then his eyes landed on the elegant piece of suit the man wore, even the fedora hat he wore looked expensive as fuck.

"Uh... Steve Rogers." He withdrew his hand, he can't just soil his benefactor's clothes with his blood, that would be extremely rude and shameful.

"Next time be careful." Theodore said and claps Steve on the shoulder, Theodore turned on his heels and headed for the opening of the alley.

Steve let out a sigh of relief, he knew no matter how tough he try to act the man would have pummeled him till he beg for mercy. His body already has enough defects he doesn't want to add a broken nose or ribs, it was a blessing that someone came forward to help him. If not he would have been laying on a sickbed later in the day.

"Steve!" He knew that voice. It was his best friend, Bucky. He looked ahead and saw Buck at the foot of the alley.

"Hey, did you do that to my friend?!" Bucky pointed an accusing finger at Theodore. "Bucky, wait he saved me. Don't punch him!" Steve quickly yelled out to clear the misunderstanding, Bucky who was about to grab the stranger by his collar and probably teach him a lesson stopped immediately.

"Umm, he did?" Steve made his way over to Bucky. "Buddy sometimes I think you intentionally get into troubles," Buck said.

"James Barnes, I apologize for my manners. I appreciate what you did for my friend." Theodore lightly grasp the brim of his hat and left without a word.

"Lucky Bastard…" A group of girls scattered into the opposite lane looked at Theodore with dreamy eyes as the man strode down the lane with an apathetic look on his face.

"Jealous?" Steve chuckled.

"Who wouldn't be? Just imagine landing one of those chicks." Bucky motioned with his eyes at the two pretty girls into that group, both of them have an hourglass figure and beautiful juicy lips.

Steve shrugged. "You get your orders?" He asked. "Yeah, 107th ships to England first thing tomorrow" Steve was sad, Bucky couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be him, a part of him wished he had been in Bucky's position. Steve didn't have anybody who would miss him if he went. His parents were gone, and his closest friend, Bucky, had already enlisted into the army.

For once he wanted to be productive, show his worth to the world, make his dead parents proud, he wanted to help his country win the war. He knew across the ocean things would be chaotic & he might lose his life, but dying for his country seem to be a better option than dying as a useless guy.

"Why do you have such a long face? This is my last night here, Come on." Bucky said while putting his hands around his shoulder.

"So, what's the first stop. Church?" Steve asked.

"Yeah…maybe second stop." Bucky grins. Steve raised a curious eyebrow at this as they start walking out of the alley.

"Where are we going?" Bucky whips out a newspaper and hands it to Steve. He pointed at the front page there was a picture of a peculiar event taking place in Brooklyn at 6 pm Today. The page reads: 1942 WORLD EXHIBITION OF TOMORROW.

†††††

A few hours later, Bucky and Steve made their way onto the event grounds. The event looked like something out of a sci-fi novel. Huge, dummy futuristic buildings had been erected, and they stood alongside smaller tents and pavilions.

High above the ground, a monorail silently glided by, carrying passengers from one end of the event to the other. Making their way farther into the event until they came across, Howard Stark, the millionaire inventor and the greatest playboy of the decade to grace the land of America stood on a raised platform next to a Cadillac, with few smocking hot models.

"Ladies, you know how hard it can be putting on makeup in a car that's bouncing like a kangaroo on a trampoline?" Howard Stark said with a smile.

"What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile wouldn't touch the ground at all?" As the crowd watched, Stark hits a button, suddenly the car lifted up off the ground. It was floating inches away from the ground, the crowd gasps.

Bucky and Steve gape, impressed by such display. "Holy cow!" The audience erupt in awe and positive words as they looked at the miracle in wonder.

"With Stark Gravity Reversion technology you'll be able to do just tha—" His words were interrupted by a loud pop followed by the loud noise of the engine breaking down. The Cadillac dropped back to the ground, shaking the platform.

"I did say a few years, didn't I?" The audience applauds, as women swoon over Howard to shake his hand, and maybe if lucky, they will get a hug.

"Let's go, they should be here by now." Bucky looked said as he surveyed his surroundings. "Ah, speak of the devil…" Bucky suddenly waves at the distance, in the midst of the wave of curious people two girls waved back at him.

"Hey, Steve. What do you say we treat these ladies?" Steve looks sheepish and shook his head. "You think they will date someone like me, you go ahead and mingle with them, I will look around." Steve said while staring at the tent of the US army recruitment booth in the distance.

"You're kind of missing the point of a "double date." I don't see what the problem is. You're about to be the last eligible man in New York." Bucky tried to persuade him, but Steve kept his gaze fixed at the tent and heed no mind to his words.

"You're really gonna do this now?" Bucky eyes the recruitment sign with annoyance. "I'm gonna try my luck" Steve said.

"As who? 'Steve from Ohio?' They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you! You know it's illegal to lie on an enlistment form, don't you?"

"Um, Sergeant is everything okay?" One of the girls interrupts their quarrels. "Just give me a moment girls."

"Buddy, Buddy It's a war. Why are you so keen to fight? There're lots of other important jobs—"

"You want me to sit in a factory? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon while the men are laying down their lives? I can do as well as them and I got no right to do any less. That's the thing you don't get, Bucky. It's not about me."

"It's my last night… fine do as you wish. Just don't do anything stupid…" There was nothing Bucky could say or do that would convince Steve, so he gave a wry smile and hold out his hand.

"Take care of yourself." They shook hands, before parting ways. "Let's go ladies." Unknown to the two, Dr. Erskine, the creator of the Super Soldier serum, a man in his late 50s, listened in on the argument.

The Doctor was about to recline back to his house, but now he is having second thoughts. Erksine has a gut feeling that the scranny-looking young man might be the one he is looking for.

Several miles away from the event atop of a Three-story building stood Theodore with Selene by his side, he stared in the direction of the exhibition with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Everything is in order… As it should be." Theodore personally had to make sure that Steve meets the doctor, without Captain America and the Iron man the Marvel universe is pretty much doomed, they are both essential for this world, Rogers is the one who taught Stark how to be selfless and to believe in the goodness of people. While Stark taught Rogers to appreciate that there are things in this life that outrank duty.

Throughout the movies and comics Steve proved his worth and his leadership, there are few heroes out there who could handle the kind of responsibility he does and he does so with an aplomb that makes it look easy.

His time in war shaped him and when he was found and revived in modern times, he took what he learned on the battlefield and put it to work as Avenger.

While Tony is all that and more, the fact that he is not the product of the super-soldier serum makes him not less of a hero, but more. He is, wealth and intelligence aside, just like any of us; this makes him more relatable than any hero.

And besides, who says Tony was nothing without the suit, then honesty demands that without the serum Steve was a 97-pound weakling with a big heart.

He created much of the tech and gadgets the Avengers use, including the Hulk buster and Iron Spider suits.

He also figured out time travel; great as Avengers is, neither Captain America nor anyone was ever going to pull that off.

Tony played a key role in defeating any number of villains over the course of his life, starting with Iron Monger and ending with Thanos, but in the end, none of this is what makes him one of the greatest Heroes of time.

What makes him great is the change he underwent as a person. He was just a narcissistic playboy concerned only with his own pleasure. Over the course of his life, he slowly becomes the most selfless character, nearly dying multiple times before his ultimate sacrifice.