NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter 12: The One.
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One Month Later: Camp Lehigh, Main Lab.
(General P.O.V)
The sterile scent of the lab was punctuated by the faint hum of machinery, a sound that had become all too familiar to Bond over the past month.
He stood in the corner, arms crossed, observing the chaos unfolding before him.
Dr. Erskine and Howard Stark were deep in a heated debate, their voices rising above the whir of the Vita Ray Chamber.
"Honestly, Erskine, if you had just followed my blueprints instead of your own whims, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Stark exclaimed, gesturing animatedly at the Vita Ray Pod, which was currently leaking a faint green glow of gamma-saturated radiation.
Erskine, his brow furrowed in frustration under his glasses, shot back, "And if you had actually understood the principles behind the Super Soldier Serum, we wouldn't be facing a potential disaster! I will not be known as the father of Supermen who gave everyone cancer, Stark!"
Bond couldn't help but smirk at Erskine's response, but the tension in the room was palpable.
Time was running out; Colonel Phillips was due to arrive for the first trial later that day, and the candidates for the Super Soldier Program were expected to arrive that week. They needed to fix the Pod, and fast.
As the two geniuses continued to bicker, James's mind raced.
He had spent the last month absorbing every detail of their discussions, every nuance of their work.
They might have only regarded him as the soldier assigned to guard them, but he was more than that; he was a keen observer, a veracious learner and he had been reading Erskine's papers in his spare time, giving him some measure of understanding on the Super Soldier project.
"Have you calibrated the radio wave emitter?" James interrupted, his voice cutting through the argument like a knife.
Both Stark and Erskine paused, their eyes narrowing at him.
Stark was the first to recover, rushing to the Pod. "What do you know about it, Bond? This is advanced technology!"
Erskine, however, gestured for James to continue. "Please, go on."
Bond took a breath, feeling the weight of their attention. "Vita rays aren't natural electromagnetic radiation like X-rays or UV. They're a combination of gamma rays for their high energy, which can ionize atoms and molecules, thus mutating DNA, and radio waves to mitigate the effects of the gamma rays."
Erskine nodded, his expression shifting from annoyance to intrigue. "Exactly. Otherwise, the gamma rays alone would lead to cellular degradation and kill the subject."
"Okay, maybe you do know what you're talking about."
Stark admitted, turning to the controls. "I'll calibrate the radio wave emitter now."
He flipped switches and adjusted dials, but when he turned on the Vita Ray Pod, nothing happened. The Pod remained silent, its glow dim.
"Or maybe you should just stick to Nazi hunting, Sergeant Spy," Stark teased, a smirk on his face.
But James wasn't deterred. He approached the workstation, his eyes scanning the dials. "You forgot to adjust the radio waves' high wavelength to balance out the gamma rays' high energy."
He turned a dial with precision, and the Pod sprang to life, humming with energy.
Stark and Erskine exchanged surprised glances as the Vita Ray Pod began to function smoothly, the green glow stabilizing into a gentle yellow pulse.
"How did you know that?" Erskine asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and respect.
James shrugged, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "I've been listening and paying attention to you both. You're more brilliant than I will ever be, but sometimes you just need a fresh perspective."
Stark chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned. I was wrong twice. Maybe we should start charging you for your insights, Bond."
Erskine smiled, the tension in the room dissipating. "Indeed. You may not be a scientist, but you certainly have a knack for problem-solving."
As the three of them stood before the now-functioning Vita Ray Pod, James felt a sense of camaraderie forming.
---
The Trial that afternoon was a success. Colonel Phillips was happy on their progress and said so. Erskine and Stark however, attributed the success to Bond, further adding to his impressive resume.
This earned Bond another promotion. From Sergeant all the way to Second Lieutenant, skipping over 3 ranks. Bond had the option to lead a full Platoon into war, but chose to remain as Erskine's bodyguard.
Over the following days, Erskine's interest in Bond deepened, to the point of bouncing ideas off the young soldier while in the Lab. The German Scientist was often left awed by his insights.
During Bond's routine training with Peggy, Erskine noted Bond's physical condition: his resilience, his scars, and the quiet almost superhuman strength in his movements.
In quiet moments, he would strike up conversations, subtly probing James's history.
"James, have you ever considered that you might be more than just a soldier?" Erskine asked one evening as they were driving back to Erskine's house.
James frowned from the driver's seat. "I'm good at what I do. That's enough."
"Good isn't the word I'd use," Erskine replied. "You've survived what should have been impossible. You've shown strength—of body and will—that most men can only dream of. You saved me."
"What are you getting at?" James's voice turned guarded, staring at Erskine on the rear view mirror.
Erskine took a deep breath, his tone shifting to one of earnestness. "I think you'd make an ideal candidate for the Super Soldier Program. You've already proven—"
"No," James interrupted, his voice firm. "I've seen what happens when men try to play God. I won't be part of it."
The image of Red Skull's faceless visage was something Bond didn't want to happen to himself.
The refusal hung in the air, heavy and final. Erskine didn't press further, but the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.
---
The next day, Erskine sought out Peggy Carter. He found her in the mess hall, poring over intelligence reports.
"You need to convince him," Erskine said without preamble. He'd already discussed with Peggy the day before as she was technically Bond's CO.
Peggy looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Convince Bond? He's not exactly the persuadable type."
Erskine sat down across from her. "He's more than just a soldier, Lieutenant Carter. He's exceptional. But he doesn't see it. He doesn't trust himself—or anyone else—with that kind of power."
Peggy leaned back in her chair, considering his words. "Maybe he's right not to. You're asking him to risk everything, to become something he might not recognize."
"Which is why we need him," Erskine countered. "He's grounded. Has lost loved ones but remains unbroken. He might be young but he understands the weight of power. Unlike Shmidt, Bond wouldn't abuse the gift. He's the One."
Peggy sighed, tapping her fingers on the table. "I'll talk to him. But don't expect miracles."
---
Peggy found James in the training yard, his fists slamming into a punching bag with relentless force. She watched his shirtless tanned form, admiring the shifting cords of muscles while waiting until he finally paused, sweat dripping from his brow.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said, stepping closer to the punching bag which was leaking sand from fissures along it's surface.
James didn't look at her. "What do you want, Carter?"
"To talk," she replied. "About Erskine's offer."
James stiffened but didn't respond.
"You're not afraid, are you?" Peggy pressed.
He turned to her, his expression dark. "You think this is about fear? It's about principle. I won't be some lab rat for an experiment that could go wrong in a thousand ways."
Peggy held his gaze, her voice steady. "And what if it goes right? What if you could end this war—not by killing more people, but by inspiring others to fight for something greater?"
James hesitated, the weight of her words sinking in. "It's not that simple."
"No, it's not," Peggy admitted. "But nothing worth doing ever is. Erskine believes in you. So do I. Think about it, that's an order."
With that she left. Bond watched her go, complex emotions on his face, mind struggling to find an answer to a question that had been haunting him for weeks.
"What makes a Super Soldier Super?"
---
The next morning, Bond approached Erskine in the lab.
"I'm not signing up for your serum," he said bluntly. "But I'll help you. As an assistant, lab rat or whatever you see fit."
Erskine's face lit up with relief. "That's all I ask, James. Thank you."
James nodded, already feeling the pull of responsibility. He wasn't ready to take the leap Erskine wanted, but he could still contribute. For now, that would have to be enough.
And Whatever the future held, Super Soldiers or not, he would face it on his own terms.