Agent Sakuara

When Steve arrived at her doorstep, he hesitated to knock at her door. He stood there just looking at the door, seemingly frozen from being too nervous. But before he could do anything, the door opened with a somewhat haggard and suprised Yumhee in front of him. Then the next minute, he saw visibly how she hardened her facial expression and changed her demeanor to an aloof but guarded one. She didn't talk. She just looked at him. Feeling awkward and confused, Steve master all his courage and started talking.

"Yumhee...what's wrong?" He paused for a second trying to see any changes in her expression. "I tried looking for you immediately after we were dismissed. I checked every place but I can't find you." Seeing no changes in her face, he started to get scared and anxious. He almost pleading said to her "Yumhee, please talk to me. You know you can talk to me about anything. Yumhee please...say something, anything. Just don't push me away." He hugged Yumhee tightly while silent tears escaped her eyes and her mask starts to crumble. "Don't shut me out. Don't do this to me, to you...to us. I won't let go of you no matter what happens."

Yumhee hugged Steve back and cried miserably in his arms. All her fears and insecurities, she let go all of the pain in that instant. Steve helped her into her bed and just comforted her. He doesn't know when the crying noises stopped. He looked at her face and discovered that she fell asleep. He fixed their position on the bed as much as he can and then hugged her to his c.h.e.s.t again. He just lay down there and stared at her sleeping face until he fell asleep himself.

THE NEXT DAY

Steve felt Yumhee trying to leave his arms. He opened his eyes and saw Yumhee's blushing face.

"I'm sorry. I was just going to the bathroom." Yumhee said weakly.

"No, it's okay. It's time anyway to wake up and prepare for the big day." Steve smiled at Yumhee.

"You're right. Then I'll see you in a while hot stuff." Yumhee giggled a little. When Steve was almost at the entrance, she called to him.

"Steve..." He looked back at her. "Thank you." She smiled warmly at him which he returned.

"Just remember that you can always talk to me about anything. Whenever you're ready." Then he left her room and both of them started to prepare for the day.

HYDRA HQ - SCHMIDT'S OFFICE LAB

In a big bay window in the rock, through the glass, we see an artist painting at an easel. Then a knock was heard.

"Sir?" Dr. Zola confirmed if Schmidt was available. It can be heard that a record was playing. He hesitantly enters the room and stops.

"Don't stare, Doctor." Schmidt simply said. A little amused. An artist paints his portrait, palette all shades of red. "Is it something in particular?"

"I understand you've found him." Dr. Zola asked.

"See for yourself." Schmidt replied. On the table, Zola finds surveillance shots of Erskine in New York, in a cab, buying a hot dog, being escorted by MP's. Zola looks up at Johann Schmidt standing silhouette in front of the window. He can't make out his face. "You disapprove." He said matter-of-factly.

"Berlin doesn't feel this is a proper use of their resources." Dr. Zola said honestly.

"And you are now their loyal servant? Berlin, if they care, can discuss it with me personally." Schmidt said arrogantly.

"I just don't see why you need concern yourself. I can't imagine he'll succeed—" He paused for a second then immediately said "Again."

"His serum is the Allies' only defense against the power we now possess. If we take it away, our victory is assured." Schmidt said.

Zola nods, resigned and just asked "Shall I give the order?"

"It's already been given." Schmidt replied. Zola smiles tightly and heads for the door but was called again. "Dr. Zola? What do you think?" Schmidt asked.

Zola glances at the artist, who looks queasy and frightened. Zola peaks at the painting and simply said "A masterpiece."

BROOKLYN STREET - BLACK SEDAN

Steve rides with Agent Carter, staring out at the familiar streets. Agent Sakura left the camp with his father much earlier than they did.

"I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley...and that vacant lot...and behind that diner." Steve said matter-of-factly.

"Did you have something against running away?" Agent Carter asked, curious.

"You start running, they'll never let you stop. You stand up, you push back...they can only tell you "no" for so long, right?" Steve solemnly replied.

"I know a bit what that's like. To have every door shut in your face." Agent Carter starting to reminisce.

"Who'd shut a door on you? I figure guys would be climbing over each other to hold them open." Steve tried to lighten the mood.

"Depends which door you're trying to go through." Agent Carter has a small smile on her face.

"I guess I don't know why a beautiful...agent...why would she want to join the army anyhow? She could do whatever she wanted." Steve changed his sentence midway, avoiding to sound like a man hitting on a woman as much as possible. Though noone knows that he and Yumhee were dating besides her father, that doesn't mean he'll do anything to give Yumhee any reason to even think that he's not serious about them.

"You don't know an awful lot about women, do you?" Agent Carter teased him.

"You got me all wrong, Agent Carter. I don't know anything about women. Think about it; I don't have any money, so I can't take them to dinner. I'm...kinda short. That doesn't help. Ever. And I don't dance, so that's off the table." While saying these things about himself, he starts to feel insecure. Then he remembered what Yumhee told him at the restaurant.

'You don't have to be ashamed of anything Steve. You're actually one of the very few people I know that have a very good heart. And I'm sure that whoever you end up with, is one very lucky woman. I'm sure of it, because I'd be feeling exactly that if it was me.'

With that, all his worries vanished. He finally felt like he's just like any other healthy man on Earth. He really feels so damn lucky to have Yumhee. Someone other than Bucky, he's bestfriend, to see him more than just a frail-looking man with many health issues. A smile started to appear in his face.

"You must have at least danced." Agent Carter said, curious again.

"Standing on my mom's feet when I was seven. I don't know. Asking a girl to dance seemed so terrifying, and then in the last few years it didn't seem so important. I figure I might as well wait." Steve said indifferently.

"For what?" Agent Carter asked.

He shrugs, looking out the window. "The right partner." Then he reminded himself to take Yumhee to dance one of these days. But he fails to see that this had an effect on Agent Carter.

The car slows. "This is it." Agent Carter said. The sedan pulls up to an antique store. Two bums loitering near the entrance. Two men in suits stand near a row of cars.

Steve climbs out, confused. And asked "Why did we stop here?"

"I'm redecorating." Agent Carter simply replied. The bell over the door rings. The antique store owner nods at Peggy and Steve.

"Lovely weather this morning, isn't it?" The owner greeted them politely but in truth, this is a code.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella." Agent Carter smiled at the owner which she returns.

"I suppose you can't be too careful." Said the owner. And Agent Carter replied with "Best to be prepared for a shift in the wind."

The code exchanged, the owner presses a button under the counter, where a submachine gun hangs hidden. Agent Carter leads Steve through a door in the back.

REBIRTH LAB

Steve steps out onto a raised platform and gapes. The huge, ultra-modern Rebirth Lab stretches beneath them, far larger than the store outside. Techs operate the machinery. Engineers man the monitors. A film crew sets up. They all look respectfully at Steve. His eyes alight on the Rebirth device. Glittering lenses surround a man-shaped cradle. Pneumatic panels fold below. Six vita-ray reactors loom behind. Dr. Erskine scurries about in the center of all prepping with Yumhee assisting him. Steve takes it all in, looking over to an observation booth where a group of men gather.

At the observation booth, Senator Brandt confers with his aides. A man with glasses waits a little behind.

Colonel Phillips enters and greets the Senator. "Senator Brandt. Glad you could make it."

"Why exactly am I in Brooklyn?" Senator Brandt asked, not even greeting back.

Colonel Phillips looks down to the machine below. "We needed access to the city's power grid. Of course, if you'd given us the generator I requisitioned..." Colonel Phillips trailed off.

"Lots of people asking for funds, Colonel." Then as if remembering something important, he looks to the man with glasses behind them. "Oh, this is Clem..." The man then sticks his hand out as Senator Brandt fumbles for the name of the man.

"Fred Clemson, State Department. If this project of yours comes through, we'd like to make sure it's used for something other than headlines." The man said.

Phillips nods, as Senator Brandt peers through the window at the lab. He spots Steve and sarcastically said "Jeez, somebody get that kid a sandwich."

Down at the lab, Yumhee and Dr. Erskine helps Steve onto the device.

"Comfortable?" Dr. Erskine smiled at Steve.

"You save me any of that Schnapps?" Steve asked instead of answering.

"Not as much as I should have." Dr. Erskine replied. Then he nods to the attendants, who hook up Steve. He then looks to a man in a suit making adjustments. Dr. Erskine asked the man in suit "How are your levels, Mr. Stark?" The man steps out from behind the device. Steve blinks, surprised. 'IT'S HOWARD STARK.' He yelled in his head.

"Coils are at peak, levels are 100%. We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we're ready. As we'll ever be." Mr. Stark replied. Steve eyes him warily.

"Agent Sakura, wouldn't you be more comfortable in the booth?" Dr. Erskine said worriedly.

She smiles at Steve and Steve smiles back. "I'm okay being down here. Can I have a minute with Steve?" Dr. Erskine nods and both he and Mr. Stark left.

"Steve...I'm scared." Yumhee said honestly.

Steve looked at her in the eyes and smiled warmly. "Don't be. I'll be fine. I promise." Then he squeezed her hand to further reassure her. "After this, can we maybe go out and dance?"

Yumhee smiled and simply nods. Squeezing back his hand she said "I'm actually thinking more than that." She teased him. Steve raise an eyebrow and Yumhee giggled a little. "Well, I'm pretty sure that they will have an assignment for you after this. So I requested if I can escort you as your personal trainer and also so that I can observe futher the effects of the serum and if there are any drawbacks."

"Ha, your stalking tendencies are worsening." Steve teased Yumhee back, laughing a little. But before Yumhee can reply, Dr. Erskine said that it's time to start. Yumhee kissed his left cheek without a care for the people around them and smiled at him one last time before walking to a corner and started to observe seriously. Steve blushed profusely. He was embarrassed and happy at the same time because Yumhee seems to be ready now to the idea of them openly dating. At the camp, they can't really show everyone they're dating so that Steve can have a more peaceful stay there. But someone at the booth was totally surprised at their intimate interactions, feeling a little jealous.