Marvel : The great sage

SSR Barracks – England, 1943

Alex adjusted the cuffs of his uniform, feeling the snug fit of the military jacket. It was still strange, this new body—stronger, faster, more resilient. Every movement felt precise, calculated, as if his muscles anticipated his intentions before he even acted.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he stood in front of the mirror.

[Muscle adaptation complete. Current condition: Optimal.]

'Good to know, Sage,' he thought.

Steve, already dressed, walked up behind him. "You keep staring at yourself, people are gonna start thinking you're in love with your reflection."

Alex smirked. "Can you blame me?"

Steve rolled his eyes but chuckled. "Come on, we've got a briefing."

The two of them stepped out, walking through the SSR base. Soldiers saluted as they passed. It was still a strange sight—both of them towering over most men now, their presence commanding attention.

At the far end of the hall, Peggy Carter stood beside Colonel Phillips, her arms crossed as she spoke with a group of men.

Alex immediately recognized them.

The Howling Commandos.

A smirk tugged at his lips. This was going to be interesting.

---

"Ah, the Rogers twins." Dum Dum Dugan, the burly soldier with a bowler hat, grinned. "Heard a lot about you two."

Alex shook his hand. "All good things, I hope."

Dugan snorted. "Mostly. Still figuring out which one of you is uglier."

Steve laughed. "Definitely him."

Alex clutched his chest mockingly. "Betrayed by my own brother."

The other men chuckled. Gabe Jones, Jim Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, and Jacques Dernier all exchanged nods with the twins, already sizing them up.

Bucky, leaning against a jeep nearby, smirked. "I don't know about you boys, but I'm interested to see if these 'super soldiers' can keep up."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Wanna put that to the test?"

Before Bucky could answer, Colonel Phillips cleared his throat. "Save it for the battlefield."

His eyes settled on Alex. "And you—try not to break any of my men before the war actually starts."

Alex grinned. "No promises, sir."

Phillips muttered something under his breath before turning toward Peggy. "Carter, make sure they don't do anything stupid before the mission."

Peggy's eyes flickered toward Alex, unreadable. "No guarantees, sir."

Alex smirked. 'I like her.'

---

Later that evening, as the camp settled, Alex found Peggy at the firing range, her pistol methodically firing at the targets.

He leaned against the wall. "You're scaring the paper dummies, Carter."

Peggy didn't look away as she fired another shot. "And yet, you're still standing here."

Alex chuckled. "What can I say? I enjoy a challenge."

She lowered her pistol, finally turning to face him. "Is that what this is? A challenge?"

He stepped closer, just enough to be in her space but not enough to push. "You tell me."

Peggy studied him, her sharp eyes unreadable. "You're different from Steve."

"That a good thing?"

A small smirk tugged at her lips. "It's... interesting."

Alex tilted his head. "That sounded dangerously close to a compliment, Agent Carter."

Peggy holstered her gun. "Don't get used to it."

He watched as she walked away, that familiar fire in her step.

[Analysis: Subject's heart rate increased by 6%.]

Alex grinned. 'Oh, I am going to enjoy this.