Title: The Beginning
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Mature
Character/s: Steve Rogers, Dr. Erskine, Tony Stark,
Pairing/s: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: 1440 words
Warnings: Character Dearth, Blood and Injury, Human Experimentation,
Major Tags: Modern AU, 
Author notes: Also for my STB Bingo prompt "Serum Injection"
Summary: Steve lays there on the machine, waiting for the moment that would change his life.

~ + ~

He feels numb. Weightless. Like his head was floating away from his body. Every nerve was alive and tingling, but it was too much, so much, that it felt like nothing. He couldn’t believe this was happening. It was finally hitting him that this was actually going to happen, that this was all real.
 
Very soon all his problems were going to disappear, or they were going to become much, much worse.
 
Steve sits on the table, hands folded in his lab, watching everything happen around him. Doctors and scientists rush about the room, barking orders at one another. It all sounds like white noise. If he were asked he wouldn’t be able to repeat a thing anyone had said.
 
A warm hand grabs his shoulder, making him jump. Steve turns to see a set of familiar eyes. “Dr. Stark?”
 
The scientist’s lips curl up in a smile. “Again, call me Tony. Dr. Stark feels too stiff and formal.” The man says. “How are you feeling?”
 
He shrugs with a soft laugh. “I honestly don’t know.” He admits.
 
“You know, if you are having doubts, no one would think less of you for backing out of this,” Tony says, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze.
 
Steve looks around the room, at all the people gathered here just for this. “I somehow doubt that.” He says. “I not going to back down anyway. I want to do this.”
 
Tony sighs. “If you are sure.”
 
“Steven. Are you ready? It’s about time to begin.” Dr. Erskine says.
 
“I’m ready,” he says.
 
“Good luck, Steve,” Tony says, giving his shoulder one last squeeze before walking over the control panel for the machine.
 
Dr. Erskine gets him to lay down on the table. Steve shifts, trying to get himself comfortable, digging his fingers into the material of his pants anxiously.
 
There is a soft hiss of hydraulics under the table as two metal pads extend out. Dr. Erskine manoeuvres them onto Steve’s shoulders.
 
A nurse comes over, syringe in hand. Steve tenses up as the needle is pressed into his arm.
 
“That wasn’t so bad”
 
Dr. Erskine gives him a look, then sighs "That was penicillin."
 
Steve breathes out an anxious breath. 'It's going to be alright' he tells himself, 'I can do this. I know I can,'
 
Another nurse walks over, pushing a cart, on it a small medical cooler box. Dr. Erskine reaches in and pulls six small cylinders filled with some sort of blue fluid, slotting them into the machine, three on each side of him.
 
Dr. Erskine gives a nod to Tony, then flips a switch on the panel on the side of the machine. "Serum infusion beginning in; Five!"
 
Tony stares intently down at a screen, tapping at a bunch of figures on a graph.
 
"Four!"
 
The first set of arms on the side of the machine raise and clamp onto his shoulders. The metal spines on the inside, biting into his skin.
 
"Three!"
 
The second set of arms clamp down onto his upper arms.
 
"Two!"
 
The third set of arms come to wrap around his chest. Dr. Erskine lays a comforting hand on his shoulder.
 
"One!"
 
The blue fluid leaves the cylinders with a sharp his. Tony drags his finger up a screen. Numbers on the screen beside it rise. The clams press tighter.
 
He can feel the cool, blue fluid enter him.
 
It burns.
 
Like thousands of little cuts were being left in its wake. Burning him up from the inside.
 
Steve squeezes his eyes shut. Trying to bite back his pained grown behind tightly clenched teach, and failing.
 
The machine begins to rise.
 
Steve fights his eyes open. Across the room, he meets Tony's eyes. He desperately tries to draw strength from the small smile the man gives him as the machine draws him in and closes around him.
 
There was no backing out now.
 
There was a small strength to be found in that.
 
Steve takes a few deep breaths.
 
Then his world erupts into fire and bright light. Everything he is was being torn apart on a microscopic level.
 
People were shouting things. Numbers. Orders.
 
Someone was screaming.
 
It sounded like him.
 
It probably was.
 
With each painful, drawn-out breath everything that he is just feels more... Bigger. Heavier. Sharper.
 
Just... more.
 
There was no way to describe it.
 
He can hear everyone in the room. Their screams, their breathing... even their heartbeats.
 
They want to shut the machine down. Turn it off.
 
"No!"
 
He could go even further. He wasn't done. Steve was sure of it.
 
"I can do this!" he cries.
 
There's a second where no one says anything.
 
Then the light gets brighter. The machine trembles, falling apart. He can hear the bolts rattle and the whine of the metal.
 
 
 
Bang!
 
Pop! Crack!
 
SCCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEACH!
 
 
 
The light cuts out.
 
So does the pain.
 
There are a few loud pops and crackles somewhere.
 
But it's all insignificant as he takes his first deep breath. And there is no pain.
 
It isn't a struggle to fill his lungs. In fact, his body feels greedy for it. Like it couldn't get enough.
 
Steve rests his head back, feeling light. Maybe even dizzy.
 
 
 
Nothing hurt.
 
He's alive.
 
 
 
He did it.
 
 
 
The machine opens up. People rush to him, their heavy footsteps echoing loudly in the space.
 
Someone takes him by the arm and helps him down from the machine. "Stephen,"
 
He stumbles, knees weak, into someone's arms.
 
Steve blinks his eyes open, but shuts them again quickly.
 
Everything looked so different. So bright and... He doesn't know how to describe it.
 
"Stephen?"
 
"Steve? Talk to us, buddy. Please."
 
Steve opens his eyes a second time, finding himself looking into Tony's warm eyes.
 
"I think we did it." Dr. Erskine says, gripping his shoulder tighter. The man smiles up at him, pride clear in his eyes.
 
"We did it. We actually did it," Tony breaths. "How do you feel?" the scientist asks.
 
"Taller," Steve says.
 
Out of the corner of his eye, he seeks Dr. Erskine's little smirk for his response.
 
Tony huffs out a small laugh, grabbing a shirt from a nurse. "Well, you certainly look taller, bud,"
 
Maybe like this; healthy and strong. Maybe Tony would be interested in him. Maybe he'd finally be able to work up the courage to ask the man out on a date.
 
People rush in from the viewing theatre to get a closer look at him.
 
One of the men, however, stands back from the crowd. His hand slipping into his pocket.
 
For a second, Steve almost worried it was a gun. But it was simply a lighter.
 
He lets out a breath he hadn't know he'd been holding watching the guy.
 
Beside him, Dr. Erskine watches the man with a frown.
 
The man looks around then flicks open the lighter.
 
"Hey, no-" Dr. Erskine says, stepping forward.
 
 
 
But it was too late, what was about to happen was already set in motion. With a small click, almost inaudible over the excited crowd surrounding him, the man sets off the bomb.
 
 
 
The glass window separating the viewing area from the operating theatre shatters with the force of the explosion, raining shards of glass over them.
 
People scream and duck.
 
The man rushes over to the cooler that holds the serum, taking the last remaining vial.
 
"Stop him!" Dr. Erskine shouts.
 
 
 
Two shots ring out.
 
 
 
Steve watches in horror as two red spots appear on Dr. Erskine's upper back, slowly growing as he begins to bleed out. The scientist buckles, collapsing to the floor, landing on his side.
 
He rushes over to Dr. Erskine, jumping over the frightened people huddled low on the floor. 
 
Steve rolls Dr. Erskine onto his back. The man's white lab coat is now red with his blood. He places his hands on the man's chest, trying to stop the bleeding.
 
But there was so much blood. The only indicator of where the bullets entered was the two holes torn in his clothes.
 
Dr. Erskine smiles up at him. Raising his hand weakly, he points to Steve's chest. The message clear.
 
'Remember your heart. Keep true to who you are.'
 
Dr. Erskine leans back, his eyes falling. The smile fades from his face as his heart gives out.
 
Steve falls back onto his heels with a shuddering breath. Blinking away his tears.
 
His eyes land on the door through which the man had escaped.
 
Pain and grief quickly turn to anger.
 
Steve was going to make that man pay.
 
Without a word to the occupants of the room, Steve gets up and bolts through the doors.