Chapter Text
When Steve Grant Rogers stepped out of the spaceship, the first thing he saw was the greenery beyond the high concrete walls. This was the first time in his life he had seen such large trees.
“Beautiful, aren't they?”
Steve turned toward the voice. It came from a man with glasses, messy hair, and a lab coat. His nametag read Dr. Bruce Banner.
He held out his hand to shake Steve’s. “Bruce Banner. Though you probably knew that from my nametag. Call me Bruce.”
“Steve Rogers,” said Steve, shaking his hand.
“Joseph Roger’s son,” Dr. Banner said, looking him up and down.
“Yes.” Steve knew he looked nothing like his father; he was skinny as a result of being sick for most of his life.
“My condolences,” Dr. Banner said sincerely.
“Thank you.”
“Get on,” Bruce said, pointing to an open-air jeep.
They boarded the jeep, Banner sitting next to the driver—a woman. Dr. Banner gestured to her.
“This is Maria Hill.”
Steve boarded at the back of the jeep.
The woman nodded in his direction. “I’m this guy’s babysitter.” She pointed to Dr. Banner.
Dr. Banner rolled his eyes in response.
As they drove through the compound called Hell’s Gate, Steve spotted a large truck with colorful arrow fletching embedded in the tires.
Maria saw him looking at the large passing vehicle.
“A gift from the locals,” she said.
Following Steve’s gaze, Banner sighed.
“They think we’re invading their home,” he said, shifting to look at Steve.
“Are we?”
Banner looked thoughtful.
“I think we are, but that’s not what SHIELD believes.”
Steve removed his gaze from the colorful arrows.
“Why are we here anyway?”
“From what I know, it’s to understand the ecosystem here and bring it back home,” Maria Hill said. “But between you and me, I just think the rich people miss the trees they cut down. That's why they go here.”
Banner shook his head at Hill’s answer.
“They came here to see if there was a way to repopulate the scarce vegetation of Earth.” Banner looked uncomfortable. “And, well, resources, I guess.”
“Okay, gentlemen, ride’s over. We’re here. Get out.”
Steve climbed out of the jeep beside Banner.
“Thanks, Hill,” Banner said.
“Yeah, whatever. Call me when you need me. I’m out.”
She drove off before Steve had the chance to thank her. He internally thanked whatever powers that be that he had a mask on as he watched the jeep let out a belch of smoke.
Dr. Banner turned toward him.
“That’s Agent Hill for you.” He walked to the doors. “Come on, I’ll show you the place.”
When Banner said the place, he meant the lab. To be fair, it was probably the only place he dwelt in other than the cafeteria and his own room.
Banner led him to the avatar growth section. Steve found himself staring at a long-limbed, blue Na’vi with his father’s features. It floated peacefully in its tank, occasionally twitching at random intervals.
“It looks just like him,” he murmured.
“No, Steve, he looks like you,” Banner corrected him.
Steve stared at the Na’vi longer before he turned away.
“Where’s my room?”
Banner led him away from the lab to another section of the building.
“This is the dormitory section. It’s full right now, so we couldn’t get a new room for you.” Banner stopped in front of a door. “This was your father’s room.”
He opened the door.
Steve stepped inside to look around, then promptly started coughing. He immediately took his inhaler and puffed.
“Sorry about that. I forgot they didn’t touch his stuff at all,” Banner said apologetically.
“It’s okay,” Steve said, still trying to catch his breath.
“I’ll have someone—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll clean it myself. Just give me one of those masks that we use outside.”
“Alright, let me just get one.”
Banner walked off.
Steve looked into the room again carefully, making sure he didn’t inhale the dust again.
The room was just like his father’s room back at home: a queen-size bed, a bookshelf, a large desk, and a corkboard that covered the entirety of one wall.
The corkboard was filled with his father’s drawings and writings. He remembered his father’s steady hands guiding him to draw. Those same hands now left him with pieces of his father’s greatest passion: Pandora.
Steve was broken out of his reminiscing when Banner returned with a mask, a vacuum, a bucket of water, and several rags.
“Here, I thought you might also want cleaning supplies,” Banner said, handing them to him.
“Thanks,” he said, grabbing the items.
Banner nodded at him, sensing he wanted to clean the room himself.
“See you later for orientation.”
“Orientation?”
“Yeah, it just informs you of the inhabitants of Pandora. It’s set to start in five hours. You don’t have to worry about how to get there; just follow the crowd.”
Steve nodded.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” he said as he left.
Steve shut the door and began cleaning.
As he sorted through the piles of books his father had on Pandora, he noticed a simple notebook. He began flipping through the pages. It was filled with drawings and illegible writing. But when he looked closely, he realized that the writing wasn’t illegible; it was symbols.
He flipped through the whole notebook again and realized everything was written this way. After closer inspection, he realized that he knew how to read this journal.
The symbols were made by him and his father. It was a secret language that only the two of them shared. Not even Steve’s mother knew how to read it.
Just as he was about to start deciphering it, an alarm sounded. Steve tucked the notebook into a secure place in the room and opened the door.
“What’s happening?”
“Orientation!” a random guy shouted.
Steve made sure to lock the door before joining the masses heading to the conference room.
**********
By the time he reached the conference room, there were only two seats left near the entrance. He sat down and looked forward.
All the lights in the conference hall were on, and at the very front was a large projector screen. It was still blank.
As the lights dimmed a few seconds later, a person took the seat to his right and sat down. Steve turned to him and nodded. The guy nodded back and turned toward the front.
The lights turned off, and the projector screen lit up with the words:
SPECIES OF PANDORA
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am Thaddeus Ross. This is an orientation to the species of Pandora. You will learn whether you must kill them, avoid them, or talk to them.”
Ross continued.
“First, you will learn about the Na’vi people and their biology. Now, I know you didn’t sign up for a science course, but this is important.”
He was answered by laughter.
“The Na’vi are what you would call the top of the food chain. They are also able to communicate through spoken language, just like us.”
Ross continued.
“Their biology, however, is wholly different from ours. Among their people, there are only two important types of the population: those who can get pregnant and those who can impregnate.”
He was met with an uncomfortable silence.
“Yes. To the Na’vi, the concept of male and female is merely looks, a different center of balance, and muscle composition.”
The next slide appeared.
ALPHAS AND OMEGAS
“These are the sexes that matter to them. What our scientists have gathered is called designation. Designation is not chosen; it develops naturally.”
“Alphas are the impregnators. They are also known to be very protective. They are fighters and often fight to the death over an omega.”
Someone near the back muttered, “Jesus Christ.”
“Omegas, on the other hand, are known to provide, which makes them great hunters. They are also motherly, as they take care of their young.”
“As I mentioned, designations ignore male and female sexes, which leads to this being possible.”
He clicked to the next slide, showing a pregnant Na’vi male.
“That can happen.”
He paused, looking at the cadets’ reactions.
“Quite unusual, I must say, for it is only the Na’vi and no other species on Pandora that exhibit this trait.”
He looked at the cadets for a long moment.
“Next, we’ll move on to communication.”
He clicked the remote in his hand again, moving to:
COMMUNICATION
“Another interesting thing with the Na’vi is that they don’t only communicate through their language alone, but through scent as well.”
He moved to the next slide.
SCENT
“Every Na’vi has their own scent, which is emitted through the scent glands on the body. Your scent can communicate what you are feeling.”
He looked at the astonished faces in the room.
“So I suggest that when you get your avatar, you train that part of the body as soon as possible so that they don’t misread you.”
He smiled.
“Anyway, not all of you will be chosen for this program, so the lucky few will be the ones to figure this out.”
He clicked to the next slide.
“Now let’s talk about...”
The lecture moved on. It covered which plants were okay for eating and which ones weren’t. It also included which animals to run from, hide from, or kill.
By the time Ross finished, it was dinner time.
“Now, I know you are all hungry, but this information is important. You will be tested on this during the program, so be sure to study. Off you go!”
All the cadets immediately stood up and headed for the door.
Steve stayed in his seat, waiting for all of them to file out. The guy beside him did the same.
“Sam Wilson,” he said, holding his hand out.
“Steve Rogers.”
Steve shook his hand.
Recognition passed through Sam’s eyes.
“Ah, you’re the son of Joseph Rogers.”
“Yes,” Steve replied.
Sam nodded.
“My condolences. You settling in alright?” he asked.
“Thanks, and I’m settling in alright. Too much, maybe. That lecture almost made me sleep,” Steve said, smiling slightly.
“Yeah, no shit.”
They chuckled.
The room was almost empty at this point.
“So, you getting dinner?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, lead the way.”
They walked out of the conference room together.
**********
“So, what do you think of him?” Natasha said, walking out of the shadows to Ross once the room was empty.
Ross looked at Natasha. He didn’t know whether to trust her. She was a former Hydra assassin. He didn’t know if her loyalties lay with her old group or SHIELD. Either way, she was a valuable asset.
“He seems to be smart enough, although he looks a bit emaciated?” Ross said to her.
“That would be asthma and a weak immune system,” she replied.
Ross looked towards the door where Steve Rogers had just left.
“He better adjust quickly. We need more people in the program.”
“Why are you so concerned about the program anyway? I thought the whole point was making nice with the Na’vi?” Natasha questioned.
“Well—” Ross paused. “That’s part of it.”
“And the other part?” she wheedled.
“Look, Natasha, I can’t say much, but the program is for information gathering. It’s to be better prepared than before. Besides, if you're friends with the locals, you can also easily get resources with their help.”
Natasha squinted her eyes suspiciously.
“Why Steve Rogers?”
“If he is anything like his father, he would succeed easily,” Ross said confidently.
“Hmm,” Natasha said.
“That being said, he must also have a rebellious streak. Watch him for me, will you? So that he remains in his lane.”
Natasha nodded.
“I guess I also need to be in that program of yours.” She smirked and left the room.
Ross watched the former Hydra agent go and muttered, “This better work. We need to find that asset.”
**********
Steve yawned while they filed out of the orientation hall. Sam walked ahead of him, leading the way to the cafeteria.
Steve followed him.
“You know the place like the back of your hand. How long have you been here?”
“Yeah, well,” Sam sighed, “I’ve lived here for about five years on and off.”
Steve was surprised and sneezed.
Sam laughed at his expression.
“Yeah, my parents were scientists here. They would show me around the place when they were still alive.”
“Ah, where are they now?”
“Dead. Mom died in her avatar during an extraction expedition. Dad died in his human body, so he left his avatar. That's how I got here.”
“Oh, my condolences,” Steve said sincerely.
“Thanks, man.” Sam paused. “It’s so weird that both of our dads died but left avatars for us.”
“Sure it is, but I’m sure it’s nothing,” Steve replied, then coughed.
“You sick, man?”
“Yeah, just my asthma, though.”
“Huh, asthma.” Sam looked at him thoughtfully. “They sent a sick guy here to a planet that has toxic air? If I didn’t know you already have an avatar, I would have thought they were trying to kill you.”
“Nah, I can do this all day.”
Sam laughed, good-naturedly.
“That’s the attitude of a soldier.”
“Aren’t we all soldiers here?” Steve said, raising his brow.
“Fair enough.” Sam shrugged and stepped into the cafeteria.
Once they were seated comfortably, they ate in companionable silence.
“So what do you think the training will be like?” Sam asked Steve.
“Hell,” Steve said simply.
Sam chuckled.
“Yeah, that’s a given, but do you think they’ll make us do obstacle courses?”
Steve thought about it for a few moments.
“Probably, and they’ll also probably run us through simulations.”
Sam nodded, and they ate in silence.
Once they were finished, they rose together and disposed of their trays and utensils. Then they made their way out of the cafeteria.
Sam yawned.
“I’m tired, man. I’m gonna head to the dorms. Night.”
He started walking towards the dorms.
“Night,” Steve replied.
Steve didn’t follow Sam to the dorms, however. He went to the lab.
When he reached the lab, the lights were all off. The only source of light was the tanks containing the avatars.
He went up to the one housing his father’s—now his own—avatar and watched it float peacefully.
He stood there and watched the avatar until—
“SHIT!”
Steve turned towards the door just as the lights blazed on. He covered his eyes as they stung from the sudden transition from dark to light.
“What the fuck are you doing there, standing in the dark!?” said a guy probably a few years older than him, clutching his chest. The man had coarse hair and red-and-black-framed glasses.
“Um, looking at the avatars?” Steve answered.
“Yeah, no shit. But why were you standing in the dark like a serial killer? Lights exist, you know.”
The man in glasses said, still holding a hand to his chest while trying to take deep breaths in and out.
“Damn, you're lucky I don’t have a heart anymore, or I would have died.”
What he said made Steve pause. He remembered his father mentioning in one of his letters that his colleague’s son had a heart problem, so his heart was replaced with a machine.
The child’s name was—
“Tony Stark,” Steve said.
The man turned towards him.
“Yeah, that’s me. How’d you know? Is it my looks?”
He did a pose.
“My money?”
He did another pose.
“My brain?”
He did his final pose.
Steve looked at him.
“I heard about you from my father.”
Tony sank a bit, disappointed.
“Oh, your father. Joseph Rogers, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm. My condolences. He was a great scientist. One of the best here, actually, and my old man’s best friend or something.”
Tony waved a hand and returned to his work by one of the tables now that he was done looking at one of the avatars.
“Your dad?”
Tony looked at him for a moment.
“Yeah, Howard Stark. He’s retired now. Returned to Earth or something. Left me with a shit ton of his research to finish.”
Steve nodded.
“So your dad knew my dad?”
“Um, yeah, that’s what I said, unless you weren’t listening,” Tony said condescendingly.
“Yeah, well, I was just wondering if he knew how my dad died?”
Tony paused his work and turned towards him.
“I want to know that too. He never told me, and I don’t think he plans on telling anyone.”
“From what I know, though—”
Tony looked at Steve seriously.
“Your father did something that the organization didn’t approve of. I think he went too far with one of his experiments. That’s why he was supposed to be sent home.”
Steve was surprised. If his father was supposed to be sent home, there would have been a letter telling them that.
Tony paused as if collecting his thoughts.
“He didn’t want to go, though. I remember him and my dad arguing. Your dad saying he had unfinished business. Then the next thing we knew, we were holding a funeral for him here.”
Tony sighed.
“Then my dad was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to work here anymore,’ and left me here and went back to Earth.”
He turned back to the table.
Steve walked to the door, then paused when he heard Tony clear his throat.
“If I were you, Rogers, I wouldn’t stick my nose into old business. Those types can get real messy, real fast.”