June 12, 1943 - Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City.
"Say, Tommy, we gonna pull this off soon?"
Tommy didn't answer right away. He kept his eyes on the polished buildings in front of them. They were leaning against the side of the road, smoking their cigarettes, just outside their bar, which hadn't opened yet.
Tommy had wrapped up his business there after making sure everything was in place, though he knew money would be tight for a while. They had spent nearly everything. Arthur had stayed behind with Polly to handle the final details. He had also given Polly his last few thousand in savings, just in case they needed more.
'Might have to deal with that bastard again.'
In the back of his mind, he thought about the loan officer he'd met at the National City Bank of New York.
"We'll see," he said, blowing out a stream of smoke that drifted into the air. He watched it curl and twist before spotting a jeep rattling down the street. As it pulled up beside them, Tommy patted Jesse on the shoulder. "And when we do, Jesse, gamble it all right."
"You know I will," Jesse replied with a laugh. Tommy could hear the grin in his voice even without turning. He then chuckled when he heard Jesse adding, "Tommy, you know what I'm best at in a casino? I'm real good at losing money, ha!"
That was the plan, after all—Jesse was supposed to keep disappointing Polly, losing money, but not their own—other people's money. The addicts'. As Tommy thought about how they were about to start printing money, his eyes shifted to the jeep.
Bucky was behind the wheel, looking uncomfortable. Tommy smiled as he greeted him, "What's with the face, Sergeant Barnes? You swallow some bad coffee this morning?"
"Might as well have," Bucky grimaced. Tommy flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it before climbing into the Jeep, sitting beside Bucky. He glanced at the sergeant, who looked exhausted. "You know what I just found out?"
Tommy had a sense of what this was about. He pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and took a drag before replying, "Well, I'd like to be in the know too, Sergeant."
"You bastards sure know how to keep a fella on edge, don't ya? Remember what happened the last time a sergeant picked you up? Got himself bloody discharged, you sly devil."
Tommy smirked. "Why's that? And say, Bucky, don't bother punching back if I knock you flat, alright?"
"Goddammit, you and your shiny badges. I should've punched you more when we were both just privates."
Tommy laughed at Bucky's grumbling. He glanced over at Jesse, who was walking to his own truck as the Jeep pulled away, bumping along the uneven street. They headed out of the city, towards the training facility.
Tommy leaned back, enjoying the breeze as he puffed on his cigarette. The further they drove, the more the city faded, and the trees thickened, the smell of pine mixing with the tobacco.
After a stretch of silence, Bucky finally spoke up. "So, Tommy, what's the deal with Mandy?"
Tommy was lost in his thoughts, his eyes on the road as it narrowed into a gravel path. The rustling leaves caught his attention, but he was trying to remember. A girl, yes—but, "Who's Mandy?"
"Are you serious? Mandy!" Bucky was surprised. "The girl from the expo! You had yourself a grand time with her—don't tell me you forgot already."
Tommy felt the Jeep shake slightly as Bucky tightened his grip on the wheel. He glanced over, seeing Bucky stare at him like he'd committed some kind of crime. Tommy blinked, trying to remember.
He did recall having a bit of fun, but was her name really Mandy?
"Was she blonde?" Tommy asked.
"...Yeah."
"Well, I guess her name was Mandy then."
"You're a dickhead, Tommy," Bucky said, shaking his head. "She was all over you. I remember you two sneaking off somewhere private too. Goddamn, Colonel. I didn't know you spit a game like that."
Tommy just smirked, taking another drag from his cigarette.
"Poor Mandy," Bucky continued. "Mary told me she kept asking about you..."
Mary must've been the other girl at the expo. But he didn't care much about that. He let Bucky keep grumbling as he gazed out at the woods. The wind rushed past, ruffling his hair, and Tommy found himself enjoying the quiet more than the conversation.
Instead of thinking about Mandy, his mind wandered to why he was being called to the training facility when he was supposed to be off-duty. 'Had they finally chosen the candidate?'
Steve's face popped into his head. Tommy thought about Dr. Erskine's decision. Chester and he had some influence over the project, but ultimately, it was Dr. Erskine's call. And the doctor—being as stubborn as he was—had probably already made up his mind to pick Steve, no matter what anyone else said.
"Well, here we are," Bucky stated as Tommy spotted the watchtower around the corner.
After passing through the security gate, the Jeep came to a stop in front of the command center. The distant sounds of drills and shouted commands echoed from the training grounds. Tommy gave Bucky a pat on the shoulder and said, "Thanks for the ride, Sergeant Barnes."
"Say, Tommy," Bucky said as Tommy stepped out of the Jeep, "Why don't you come catch up with the boys? They've been asking about you."
"The boys, huh? Looks like it's time," Tommy muttered, glancing over at Bucky. He remembered that Bucky wouldn't be around much longer. And since the boys hadn't been transferred into Chester's unit yet, Tommy figured they must be with Bucky's group.
"Yeah, it's official," Bucky said. "What do you think?"
The men were shipping out to England tomorrow. Tommy hadn't met the loud Dum Dum Dugan or the quiet Gabe yet, but he asked, "Mess hall?"
"Mess hall." Bucky grinned. "They'll be glad to see you."
Tommy's lips twitched into a small smile as Bucky drove the Jeep around the corner to park it. Pulling out his cigarette pack, Tommy lit one as he made his way toward the command center. The soldiers on duty snapped to attention as his boots echoed against the polished floors.
Heading toward Chester's office, he noticed a woman with SSR badges on her collar. 'A woman in the SSR?'
She must have heard his footsteps because she turned, her eyebrows knitting together as she took in his lack of uniform and called, "Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Shelby…"
'A Brit,' Tommy thought.
Her accent was a dead giveaway. He stopped just before her, close enough that she had to look up at him, the height difference making her gaze sharp as she continued, "It seems you take our project far too seriously, Colonel."
Tommy could tell she was being sarcastic as he took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke right in her direction. "And who might you be?"
"Carter. Agent Peggy Carter," she replied. "I've heard plenty about you, Colonel Shelby. British descent, brilliant strategist, but violent in nature—at least, that's what they say. Seems like being violent in nature might not be quite the truth."
"You think so?"
"Not until I heard you messed up Sergeant Arthur."
Carter's eyes were sharp. Her mouth matched. Tommy's lips twitched into a faint smirk. She sure had quite the personality. He chuckled, "Is that so?"
"Carter? Carter!"
A muffled call was heard, and before Carter responded, the door to Chester's office burst open with a loud bang. Chester stood there, his face flushed with frustration as he barked, "Carter? There you are! I need you to speak to the scientists about being reasonable—"
He stopped mid-sentence, noticing Tommy for the first time, and called, "Shelby?"
"Colonel," Tommy greeted with a nod.
Chester immediately strode over, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Just in time. Come in."
Carter glared at Tommy before walking in, following Chester into the room where Dr. Erskine was sitting on a couch that hadn't been there before. Carter took a seat beside the doctor, while Tommy noticed the smile on Dr. Erskine's face contrasted with the frustration on Chester's. It was clear to Tommy what had happened.
Without addressing Tommy's casual outfit, Chester sat heavily in his chair and began, "Doctor, do you realize you've sent a 90-pound man with asthma? Even the guy sweeping the streets would be a better choice! And now you're telling me you want him for this project? It's absurd!"
"Colonel," Dr. Erskine responded firmly, "it's not the size or strength of the body, but the quality of the man that counts."
Tommy sat on the couch across from Dr. Erskine, watching Chester, who looked exhausted. The colonel ran a hand over his receding hairline and turned to Carter, "Carter, you've got to say something."
"Colonel, I trust Dr. Erskine's judgment," Carter replied evenly. "He knows his serum better than any of us. If it's quality he's after, then we should follow his lead."
"That's why I keep saying Shelby is our best bet!" Chester barked, pointing at Tommy. "He's everything you want in a super soldier! That 90-pound kid wouldn't last a week in basic training!"
"Colonel Chester. Lieutenant Colonel Shelby has certainly done what most men wouldn't in their lifetime, but, uh," Dr. Erskine's voice trailed as the scientist turned to him.
Tommy knew the scientist didn't want to hurt his feelings with his words. Fortunately for Dr. Erskine, Carter wasn't the same, as she finished the thought bluntly, "He's a violent man, Colonel Chester."
"We've seen him beat men senseless—men with whom he shares history, almost like brothers. Fellow soldiers from the Allies, captains at the command post, even a sergeant he should consider a brother," Carter was staring at him directly, making Tommy curl up his lips.
His unfocused eyes slowly regained their color as she continued, "Would he do that for a good reason? Maybe. But even so, that only proves he's self-serving. Someone like that isn't fit to be a super soldier. There's no telling when he might turn on anyone in this room."
"So what?!" Chester roared. "He wins us wars!"
Chester was furious. The colonel even stood up in response. He might be thinking Carter would be on his side. But she was just directly insulting a lieutenant colonel in his very eyes.
Tommy didn't take Carter's words to heart. Deep down, he agreed with her. He might just nuke them here if the benefits outweighed the costs. Seeing Carter still staring at him intensely, he just flashed her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Colonel," he suddenly called. Tommy's voice might have brought down Chester's anger.
The colonel turned to him before sighing. Chester sank in his seat, and mumbled, "Isn't that what we all want? To end this bloody war?"
The room fell into silence. Everyone kept their mouths shut; Tommy could feel the tension vividly. But he didn't care as he took a long drag of his cigarette, the smoke curling lazily through the air, which made Chester roll his eyes at him. "Really, Shelby? Now?"
"Take it easy, Colonel," Tommy said with a smirk, exhaling a cloud of smoke that quickly spread through the office. The familiar scent of tobacco filled the air. He noticed Carter's furrowed brow and Dr. Erskine's wary glance.
'Why's he looking at me like that?' They'd been talking about him, none of it particularly flattering, yet he hadn't responded once. But now, of all times, the doctor was wary? 'Strange.'
Tommy glanced at the glowing tip of his cigarette, then broke the silence, "Colonel, why don't we see the quality Dr. Erskine's talking about before we make any decisions?"
"Ha! Alright, Shelby." Chester was tired. "I suppose that's fair."
"Carter, you handle the division. Shelby, stick around too. I want you nearby."
Tommy smiled as he nodded. He could feel Carter's gaze on him; she might be wondering what he was trying to do. In truth, there wasn't much of one. He was just curious to see how Steve—this scrawny guy—would perform.
That, and Johnny was also in the batch of new recruits. He'd want to check on him too. Tommy took another drag of his cigarette as Chester motioned him to hand one. He tossed the colonel the pack, and soon the room was even thicker with smoke as Chester lit up.
Tommy stood, brushing his coat as he spoke, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
"And where are you headed, Colonel?" Carter asked him with a frown.
She once again looked at his outfit up and down. Tommy could tell what she was thinking. But he just smiled at her and spoke, "Off to see my boys."
Tommy thought that before they headed across the pond, he might as well catch up on some good old times.