In the bustling New York City, the heat was almost suffocating as Howard Stark, founder of Stark Industries and a prominent figure in the war effort, oversaw the completion of the Vita-Ray chamber, a vital part of Project Rebirth. As an SSR agent wiped his sweat, he eagerly reported to Howard that the chamber was ready for inspection.

Removing his protective gear, Howard wasted no time in approaching the chamber, followed by a group of exhausted and relieved SSR agents. After a thorough inspection, Howard touched the chamber and remarked, "I think we should rename it from Project Rebirth to the Brooklyn Project."

Perplexed, one of the agents asked, "Why, sir?"

Howard laughed and folded his arms. "To put a little pressure on Oppenheimer. His work in Los Alamos made him think he's special."

The agent rolled his eyes at Howard's pettiness but refrained from commenting, instead returning to work.

Deep beneath the bustling city streets of New York, Peggy donned a gas mask and tight leather suit as she ventured into the murky depths of the sewer system. She nimbly leaped over a divider and pressed forward, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any signs of danger.

As she continued her exploration, she eventually came across a metal door. Peggy approached it with caution, her hand instinctively moving to her weapon. With a twist of the lock, the door creaked open, revealing an empty room beyond. Relieved that there was no immediate threat, Peggy shone her flashlight around the room before closing the door and resuming her survey of the sewer system.

For an entire week, Peggy tirelessly explored the tunnels beneath the city, studying the intricate layout and operation of the sewers.

At Camp Lehigh, New Jersey,

Dr. Erskine closed the file containing many photos of soldiers as potential candidates of Project Rebirth and pushed it away. He turned to Colonel Philips and confessed, "Sorry, Colonel Philips. I can't see any of them getting my serum."

Colonel Philips sighed and said, "This is the third batch of candidates you have refused. It can't go on like this. Either you find yourself a candidate or you have to silently accept the candidate chosen by me."

He picked up the file and walked out of the office. Dr. Erskine was left alone with his thoughts as he massaged his temples. He considered the implications of the wrong choice of a candidate and the dangerous consequences that could follow. He knew he couldn't compromise on the quality of the person who would receive the serum, even if it meant rejecting all candidates suggested by Colonel Philips.

In the Norwegian town of Tønsberg, the cobblestones echoed with the ominous sound of metal clanking and rumbling.

* CLANK *

* CLANK *

* RUMBLE *

* RUMBLE *

Two men were dashing across the deserted streets, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. One of them shouted at his companion, urging him to go and inform the keeper about the impending danger.

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Jan looked back at his friend Erik with a worried expression and hesitated. But Erik, with determination in his eyes, picked up a Molotov cocktail and shouted at Jan to leave him behind and run. The urgency in his voice was palpable as he warned Jan about the imminent danger.

With a heavy heart, Jan reluctantly obeyed and hurried ahead, while Erik prepared to face the threat head-on. Gripping his rifle tightly, he hurled the Molotov cocktail towards the approaching danger, his face set with grim determination.

The cobblestones shook with each thunderous clank, causing Erik to stumble. Suddenly, the clanking reached a deafening crescendo, and a tank burst through a nearby building with a bone-chilling roar.

* RUMBLE *

* CRASH *

Erik's blood ran cold at the sight of the HYDRA tank, its deadly purpose evident in its dark emblem. He turned to run, but it was too late. The sound of gunfire echoed through the streets as the HYDRA soldiers caught up to them.

* RAT-A-TAT-TAT *

* RAT-A-TAT-TAT *

Erik's body convulsed with each bullet that hit him, and he fell to the ground in a sickening thud, a pool of blood spreading around him.

* THUD *

His lifeless body lay there, a symbol of the brutal tactics of HYDRA.

Jan ran towards a towering structure, his heart racing as he heard the clamor of the HYDRA soldiers getting closer. He reached the door and barged in, panting heavily as he slammed it shut and locked it. An old man appeared from upstairs, his wrinkled face etched with confusion as he peered at Jan.

Before the old man could say anything, Jan gasped, "They're coming!"

The old man scoffed, trying to reassure Jan. "They'll never find it!"

But just as he finished his sentence, an earth-shattering *BOOM* shook the tower to its foundation, followed by the sound of bricks and debris raining down. Jan's body was crushed beneath the rubble, his lifeless eyes staring at the old man. The HYDRA soldiers burst into the tower, their boots thudding on the stone floor as they closed in on the old man.

After a few moments of tense silence, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room, causing the HYDRA soldiers to snap to attention. The old man watched as a figure emerged from the rubble - it was Johann Schmidt, the notorious leader of HYDRA. His pale, waxy skin and sunken eyes gave him a haunting appearance that sent shivers down the old man's spine.

He scanned the room, commenting on how long it had taken him to find the place.

Approaching the old man, he said, "Give me what I want, and the Reich will show its gratitude."

But the old man refused, "I will give you nothing."

Schmidt smiled and replied, "You and I share a commonality of great vision."

The old man shook his head, "I am nothing like you."

Schmidt's eyes roamed around the room, and he remarked, "Oh, no, I don't suggest that. But what others see as superstition, you and I know to be science. The oldest science."

The old man clenched his teeth, "What you seek is just a legend."

Schmidt countered, "Then why do you try so hard to hide it? The Tesseract was the jewel of Odin's treasure room. It's not a thing one buries."

Grabbing the old man by the shoulder, Schmidt turned him toward the tank, pointed at the town, and whispered in his ear, "But you can help them, right? I assume you have grandchildren. I've no need for them to die."

The old man was terrified and glanced at the wall behind him. Schmidt caught his movements and threw him on the floor as he walked towards the wall. He searched through the wall and his hand finally landed on the eye of a serpent and he pushed it. A wooden box carved like a snake appeared and the old man had a defeated look on his face.

Schmidt opened the box and immediately a blue radiant light illuminated his face as he gazed inside the box with an enraptured look. He glanced at the old man who had an amazed look on his face and asked, "You've never seen it, have you?"

The old man snapped out of his reverie and said, "It's not for the eyes of ordinary men."

Schmidt looked inside the box and replied, "Exactly." He shut the box causing the light on his face to disappear and ordered his men, "Commence firing."

The old man was enraged and lunged over to attack Schmidt but he was held back by the HYDRA soldiers as gunfire and screams echoed in the background. The old man struggled and shouted, "Fool! None of us can control that power. You will burn!"

Schmidt aimed his revolver at the old man and replied with a smile, "I already have."

* BANG *

The old man dropped to the ground, blood splattering on Schmidt's HYDRA label pin causing the tentacle's head to turn into a red skull.