Captain America was born many times.
But truly, there is only one time people mean when they talk about the birth of Captain America. And they mean that day under Brooklyn. The day that skinny Stevie Rogers was loaded into a coffin and Captain America came out.
In that metal sarcophagus, Steve was injected with the Super Soldier Serum and bombarded with Vita Rays. The second it began, Steve could feel his insides falling apart. Dissolving into a pinkish slurry. It started with his muscles, his limbs, his bones. He screamed. But he did not let it stop. The forging of a weapon is painful.
Sixty-odd years later, a new weapon was built much the same. This time with bones of steel and iron, blood of hydraulics, and a mind of wires. Steve wondered if it screamed too. If copper blazed with synthetic pain as wars were fought across motherboards. If it too saw that Nothingness. And if that scared it.
an Ultron rewrite, taking place just after the events of The Avengers, and featuring a whole lot of angst.
Reading SNAFU and Monkey Clothes is recommended
Words: 1162, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English
Series: Part 4 of Neurasthenia
Fandoms: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton, Thor (Marvel), Nick Fury, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Ultron (Marvel)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Thor, Bruce Banner & Clint Barton & Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark & Thor
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ultron is happening right after Avengers; in late 2012-early 2013, which obvs has big implications for the universe and lore etc etc. you'll get it don't worry, Steve Rogers-centric, Steve Rogers Has PTSD, Steve Rogers Has Issues, PTSD, Super Soldier Serum (Marvel), Super Soldier Serum Side Effects (Marvel), its rough. the side effects are rough, Post-Movie: The Avengers (2012), Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Pre-Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Sad Steve Rogers, Depressed Steve Rogers, but he'll never admit that. bc 1940s, Whump, Steve Rogers Whump, Angst, Plot Heavy, Action, Internalized Homophobia, Self-Harm, Repression, Blood and Gore, but in flowery language, Not Tony Stark Friendly, but not fully anti either. we believe in nuance in this house (he IS a complete asshole but he's trying (and fucking up)), Other Additional Tags to Be Added