American Brothers

Alex had no idea how long had passed before he woke with a stretch. Turning to look around, he discovered that he was no longer in the previous laboratory, but in a place that looked like a hospital, the smell of disinfectant filling his nose.

"Doctor!" Alex jolted awake and, without thinking, prepared to use Teleportation to return to the laboratory. Before he could move, Steve, now drastically transformed, pushed open the door and walked in, with Agent Carter following behind him.

Seeing Steve, Alex showed no surprise. He rushed forward, grabbed Steve's muscular arm, and asked urgently, "Steve, where's the doctor?"

Steve looked at the anxious Alex and fell silent, his expression somewhat gloomy. Only after a long while did he say, "The doctor is dead. Killed by a Hydra agent..."

The words struck Alex like a thunderbolt. His body swayed involuntarily. "He shouldn't have died like that!" Alex was filled with self-reproach and guilt. Before the experiment, he had kept thinking about saving Dr. Abraham, but for some reason, he had fallen asleep at the critical moment. He had not even seen the doctor one last time!

Carter looked at Alex and Steve. After a moment of consideration, she said, "Even if it only succeeded this once, he would have been proud of you."

"Alex..." Seeing the guilt on Alex's face, Steve took a deep breath and joined in comforting him. "The doctor may be gone, but we still have each other. We have to fulfill his wish."

"**, Hydra. I will never rest until they are destroyed." Alex's expression changed at once. Filled with rage, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'm going to the battlefield. I'll fight **, Hydra, to the death!"

"You are experimental subjects. You need to go to Alamogordo and undergo further testing." The moment Alex finished speaking, Colonel Phillips, dressed in military uniform and looking grim, entered the room. His gaze shifted back and forth between Alex and Steve.

Steve pointed at himself, then at Alex, and said excitedly to Phillips, "The serum worked! We're super soldiers now. We can help!"

"What I need is an army, but right now, I only have you two!" Phillips's expression darkened further, and there was a trace of resentment in his voice. "The two of you are nowhere near enough!"

"Rome wasn't built in a day. We can build an army slowly!" Alex had no intention of becoming a clown selling war bonds like in the movies. He stepped in front of Phillips, blocking his way as he said righteously, "Besides, we're facing Hydra. No matter how many troops we have, they'll be useless."

"Alex, what are you trying to say?" Carter stepped forward at just the right moment, somehow positioning herself so that she forced Phillips, who had been about to walk past Alex, back. "I know you've had dealings with Hydra before. If you have an idea, say it."

"We can gather elite soldiers from Allied nations around the world and form a strike team. It doesn't need many people." Alex gave Carter a grateful look and quickly continued, "We'll strike Hydra behind enemy lines, destroy their laboratories, and cut off every one of their heads. Of course, we can carry out any other missions as well."

"Colonel Phillips, I think that's an excellent idea!" Before Phillips could speak, Carter beat him to it. "Steve has already had his blood drawn. The serum research doesn't require them to be present at all times. They're a powerful fighting force, and we can't waste them."

Phillips glanced at Carter, then turned to look at Alex and Steve. With a cold snort, he said, "We leave for London tomorrow!"

"Agent Carter, may I invite you to join us?" The moment Phillips left, Alex began recruiting.

Steve was slower to catch on. Only after hearing Alex did he think to speak. Looking deeply at Carter, he said, "Carter, we need your help."

"Right. The strike team needs a base commander to help us gather intelligence and provide logistical support." Alex shrugged and continued, "Of course, we also need someone to deal with the military for us. No one is better suited to that position than you!"

Carter looked at Alex, then at Steve. She nodded, pressed her lips together in a smile, and said, "I'm very much looking forward to working with you."

"What about Howard?" Now that Carter had agreed, Alex felt a little more energized. Then he remembered that the team was still missing an engineer.

"He's studying the machine the Hydra agent used to escape. Unfortunately, he hasn't made any progress." Carter answered without hesitation, her mood somewhat low. "What do you need him for?"

"A strike team needs powerful combat capability, and powerful combat capability depends on equipment." As Alex spoke, he headed out of the room. He was going to find Howard. "Howard will be our engineer and equipment supplier."

"That's a good idea. I think he'll be happy to do it." Carter chuckled and followed Alex out of the room.

After Alex used a mix of threats and persuasion, Howard readily agreed to join the strike team as their dedicated engineer. "Whatever you want, I can provide it!"

After securing the strike team's two key members, Alex and Steve decided to gather with everyone before heading to London.

At the Brooklyn apartment, Alex invited the whole family over. When Vivien Leigh heard about it, she insisted on coming too.

"Tomorrow, we leave for London." Alex raised his glass and stood, looking around at everyone as he smiled. "We'll beat up Little Mustache and chop down Hydra. Just wait for us to return in triumph!"

Alex's words eased the atmosphere, and everyone could not help laughing.

"Steve, how did you get so tall?" Once Alex put on clothes, it was hard to notice his changes, but Steve's transformation was far too dramatic. When they first saw him, everyone had cried out in surprise. Monroe finally could not help asking, "You're even taller than Bucky!"

Bucky did not feel any resentment over his two brothers' sudden transformations. On the contrary, he was delighted that Alex and Steve had become so strong. He had also accepted Alex's invitation to join the strike team.

Hearing Monroe's words, Bucky leaned close to her head and pretended to be angry. "Monroe, isn't your brother tall too?"

Monroe was sharp as a tack. How could she fail to see that Bucky was pretending? Tilting her head, she pointed at Alex and the other two and said with a smile, "Uh, Bucky, you really are the shortest now."

Bucky froze for a moment, then mocked himself, "I've turned into a dwarf now!"

Laughter rang out again, louder and happier than before.

"I think you brothers should have a code name, like Zorro the Masked Swordsman or Robin Hood!" Audrey jumped down from her chair and ran between Alex and Steve. Smiling, she said, "American Three Brothers, what do you think?"

Vivien Leigh chuckled and suggested, "How about American Brothers? It rolls off the tongue better."

Audrey nodded, reached out to pull Alex and the other two's hands together, and beamed. "American Brothers—brothers united can cut through gold!"