So I totally blame this on having spent the past few days watching Humans on Amazon Prime (and I still have 3 eps left), but I now need an AU where Stella, and possibly Steve as well, is a synth.
Howard and Erksine working together to create the world’s first fully functioning, damn near human synth.
Her being given to the treasury when the lab blows to hell and Howard says there is no way he can create more -- at least not anytime soon. Her USO days literally being time spent as a dolly, dressed up and paraded about.
Her not so much defying orders as being sent to rescue the 107th. Cause eh...what’s one broken machine. And fine, Stark, let’s see what your toy can do.
After the rescue, she becoming bonded to Bucky and the Commandos. They being the first people to really treat her as human (aside from probably Peggy).
First sign of consciousness appearing when she appears to mourn Bucky.
After the ice, Stella being found by SHIELD and Tony called in.
Tony upgrading all her systems and her body. Making it so you can't even tell she's not human.
Tony just being FASCINATED with her.
Stella just being a POWERHOUSE during the battle of New York. Coming out with nary a scratch.
Stella recognizing Buck based on her data banks. Even with the mask.
CYBERNETIC ARM VERSE SYNTH WARRIOR.
Stella having the protocols to help Buck. Buck not running after pulling her out.
Stella re-bonding to Buck. THIS TIME USING THE DNA FEATURE. Buck becoming her primary user.
Civil War becoming more about synth rights. Becoming an argument between Buck and Tony. Buck arguing he knows her, has seen her change. She’s human. Tony arguing that she’s wonderful and amazing and he will never deny that. But she’s not. At the end of the day, as mind blowing as it is, as wrong as it may seem, she’s still a machine. Does he wish it were different? Yes. Yes he does. But it’s not.
Just give me Cap operating in the Humans world.