Fanfic Captain America/Push fusion: "Acquisition of Influence"

[hiddencait]

Title: Acquisition of Influence
Author: hiddencait
Rating: T.
Characters/Pairing: Dr. Abraham Erskine and Steve Rogers
Spoilers: Captain America and Push (verse more than movie)
Genre: Angst, introspective
Wordcount: 999
Summary:That gift could be a curse of monumental proportion, or a gift to everyone who ever encountered it. Erskine could only hope it would prove to be the latter.
Author's Note: So this was supposed to be an answer to one of the drabble memes - specifically the one that asked for "2-3 sentences from a story you never wrote." I suppose you can guess how well I failed at that whole 2-3 sentences part.  Anyway, this is an answer to plingo_kat's prompt of "That one Push AU where Captain America was the first "out" Special and he changed the war. If you want to include Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers that's totally cool too?"  And it went all sorts of introspective and angsty on me. Not sure how that happened lol.


Acquisition of Influence

“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

It started with the Nazis and experiments into psychic warfare. A great many psychics died in the concentration camps at the hands of doctors and scientists who thought they were working towards a superior race.

They didn’t know that “new” race was already among then, and had been for years, hiding in the crowds and just trying to stay off the government radar. The war made that impossible.

It’s possible the war might have wiped psychics out all together if not for the brave actions of one German scientist: a man named Dr. Abraham Erskine. Erskine was part of a research team that was trying to develop a drug to boost psychic powers, to turn those with gifts into super soldiers. To the growing anger of their Nazi superiors, thus far, all attempts at manufacturing the drug had failed with a soaring number of deadly results. Scores of psychics died due to this single experiment.

Eventually Erskine had enough. He fled the country, his research with him.

That alone wasn’t the reason he was immediately branded a traitor. Erskine, as he revealed with great trepidation to the Americans who sheltered him, was almost certain that actually succeeded in perfecting the serum he had his colleagues had worked for.

Now all they needed was a subject to test it on. After months of search through the ranks of the U.S. military and those few soldiers who dared come forward and admit to their other gifts, Erskine had all but despaired of every finding an appropriate candidate.

He literally stumbled on the perfect psychic all by accident. He was at a recruiting booth and overheard the recruiter and a nurse discussing what to do with a young man who had apparently attempted to enlist in multiple occasions and had even given false information in hopes of passing the various entrance requirements. That determination intrigued Erskine.

So did the one common thread he discovered in the young man’s various enlistment papers – the notation of a psychic ability that the military had dismissed as “a minor power” and “of no conceivable military use.” Erskine knew better. That gift could be a curse of monumental proportion, or a gift to everyone who ever encountered it. Erskine could only hope it would prove to be the latter.

He snapped up the young man for his program, and the longer he observed this “Steve Rogers,” the more he admired him and felt sure he had chosen properly. He only hoped his serum would do its work without damaging the core of sheer goodness the young man possessed.

The night before Rogers was to undergo the procedure, Erskine sought him out, wanting to assure himself once more that his protégé would be a force for good instead of tyranny. It was then that the young man dared to ask the question Erskine knew he must have been thinking all along.

“Why me? It’s not like I can do much with my empathy powers now – not sure how that’ll change even with your serum…”

Erskine eyed him, trying to decide which truth to tell him. In the end, he settled for the one that was in some ways the most dangerous – the one that had started the Nazis on the path of psychic warfare in the first place.

“Steven, let me tell you of the first man I ever met to share your gift. I will admit, his was slightly different – almost the opposite of yours if you will. Instead of feeling the emotions of those around him, this man could influence the emotions of those around them. His gift was subtle, but it was eventually enough to draw countless followers to his side. And eventually, those followers started a war.”

He waited for his protégé to put the pieces together, and when finally Rogers’s eyes widened in horror, Erskine nodded.

“Yes, his name was Adolph Hitler. And he is what I hope you will never be, and yet is also part of what we hope you may become.”

He raised a hand to stall the young man’s protests.

“I know, that is not how your gift functions thus far, and that may never change. However, you must consider what I see in you – a man with both empathy and compassion. It is that compassion that makes your empathy all the more impressive, and that compassion that I think will keep you from becoming a monster, even if your gift does change.”

“What… I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do.”

“Inspire others to be as you are, Steven. Compassionate and determined to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.”

Erskine looked away, heartsick at the memory of far too many souls who had been lost for lack of just such a man as the one sitting in front of him. He left after only a few more trivial pleasantries as neither he nor Rodgers were quite ready to continue such a weighty conversation.

The next morning proved every bit as extraordinary as Erskine had hoped it would be, though granted, the more physical side effects of the serum were something even he had not expected. But what of Steven’s gifts?

A bullet ended his musings.

As was almost to be expected, the military promptly forgot the possibilities of Rogers’ other gifts in the face of his new speed and strength and rapid healing.

With Dr. Erkine’s words of warning and encouragement all but etched into his skin, Captain America decided it was best to allow them to forget. He didn’t want to find out the hard way whether or not the military would use his now stronger and far more versatile empathy as a weapon, to force loyalty from their soldiers and terror into their enemies.

Part of him knew all too well that the answer would be likely be a resounding “yes.”

Comments

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

*smiles* It's now almost my personal headcannon that Hitler had to have some kind of gift - there was just NO logical reason for an entire nation to follow him.

But yeah, I can only see it being safe with Steve, because even in cannon Captain America has that compassionate hero complex that would never allow himself to really make use of that kind of gift.

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Yeah I was actually talking with the friend who was over for the writing night about that. For all that empathy is not one of the psychic gifts most people think of as flashy weaponry, it can be so stinking dangerous. It's just so insidious - even telepathy has limits cuz you can sorta recognize when thoughts aren't your own. But emotions go all over the board anyway, so it's much harder to catch that influence.

(And yeah I love those books by McCaffrey - some of my faves of hers)

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Yeah pretty much - it's just odd. And I agree that an empath would be a really hard person to get close to - receptive or projective frankly.

That's all assuming the empath reaches adulthood with anything close to sanity which in my head is very very rare *shudders*

And wow, talk about deep conversations lol. Can you tell the psychic side of things (and empaths in particular) is one of my things? I actually have 50k of a psychic soldier story from the NaNo before last. It was a LOT of fun - I need ot see about figuring out a plot for the second half one of these days.

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Yeah definitely. I have this concept of a "center" just due to personal history - basically I burrow into my buddy Kym when I feel like everything is getting overwhelming. I know her well enough to know what's her and what's me, and that concept can work as almost a filter to everything else, ya know?

And eeeee that's not good sweetie. *snuggles* Though that answers my question about how we'd managed to be online at the same time lol.

But yeah, you can definitely read Traces if you'd like! It might at least give you something to read while sleep dodging. You want me to email it?

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Pretty much yeah. Basically physical contact makes the empathy that much stronger - which definitely helps in a block situeation.

Ick ick ick.. yeah that definitely happens. Sorry lovey!

Umm we just had damn Daylight Savings hit again so it's 1600 here.

Hmmmm I have a couple Doom fics if you like - one is OC-soldier centric but I still think it's pretty good http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5166810/1/Handle_ID_Angel and the other is a twincest/reincarnation fic if you're interested? http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6532094/1/As_My_Soul_Remembers_Yours Sadly there really was not a lot of good Doom fic out there. It's one of very few fandoms were I can honestly say I'm probably one of the better writers in that fandom. And gah Star Trek is huge.. my brains so scattered I'm not sure I can focus enough to think of good recs for that. Hmm....

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

I always feel kind egotistical saying that, you know? And gah it'd be REALLY nice to actually have something decent to read over there!

Oh jeeze.. disconcerting to say the least. Gah... Feel free to shoot me emails/comments if you need someone to talk too when they mess with the meds again.

Seriously I hate the whole freaking concept of Daylight Savings. It made sense when they did it however fucking long ago - but it's completely illogical now.