Path to Protection (BuckyBarnes x OC)

Intruder

     "Ms Calaway, could you bring me the penicillin injection from the back room? We'll need that if we want Rogers to survive the combination of serums," Dr Erskine ordered me.

     "Got it, doc," I saluted jokingly and hurried through one of the halls to retrieve the requested injection. My relationship with the doctor wasn't as official as it would be with an officer, but I still had a lot of respect for the man. He was an incredibly smart scientist, and I was grateful that he had set me on the path that ultimately led to becoming an agent.

     He and I arrived at the lab in the early morning, so I was still pretty drowsy. There was a lot that needed to be prepared for Steve's arrival, and I could feel everyone's anticipation for the experiment.

     I stepped into the storage room, furnished with shelves on which boxes of equipment and medical supplies were stored. On the side, I noticed Howard Stark, the famous engineer and scientist. He and I never connected well with each other, simply because I thought he was a \too arrogant, and he believed that everything I achieved was offered to me on a silver platter. Somehow, we managed to work together for the sake of the experiments, but we only tolerated the other when ordered to do so. It was infuriating that one could never deny his genius since he could easily be identified as one of the most brilliant minds of this country. He was also a huge ladies' man and was convinced he could get any dame he wanted; it was another thing I disliked about him because, consequently, that meant he sometimes tried to get with me.

     "Morning, Willow," he greeted with a playful smirk. Despite always claiming that he disliked me, he insisted on calling me by my first name instead of Miss or Agent Calaway.

     "Stark," I responded. "Mind telling me where the penicillin injection is? Dr Erskine is preparing for Carter and Rogers' arrival."

     "It's right there on the top shelf," Howard replied, not looking up. He was busy rifling through the papers on the desk. I thought they were presumably some files on either the serum or Steve. Howard was one of the main contributors to the potential success of the whole project, so he needed to be ready for anything that could go wrong.

     I grabbed a small step ladder from the side to help me reach the shelf since I wasn't tall enough to reach the top. After I had climbed up a few steps, I noticed Howard eyeing me from the corner of his eye. I ignored him, at first, and stood up on my toes, reaching my arms up to pull myself up to inspect the shelf.

     "Um, Howard, the penicillin isn't here," I murmured and lowered on my feet when I noticed him grinning ear-to-ear. The realization finally hit me; the whole thing was a plot to get me reaching up in my—way too tight—uniform.

     I groaned and climbed back down while glaring at the man. "I despise you, Stark."

     "Oh, I know, that's what makes it more fun," Howard chuckled to himself and leaned on the shelves. "I already prepared the injection. It's on that desk over there. I was just about to bring it to Erskine, but, since it's you, I'll let you take it to him yourself."

     "So kind of you," I snarled sarcastically and grabbed the injection on my way out.

     God, that man.

     I made sure to slam the door a bit harder than I usually would before I walked back to the platform in the middle of the room where I saw Dr Erskine already talking with Steve. With a spring in my step, I walked over to the two.

     "Hello, Steve," I greeted him. "How are you feeling today? Got any jitters?"

     The blonde looked around him nervously before turning back to me. I understood his shifty behaviour; the advanced machinery and medical equipment frightened me at the beginning, as well. "Excited," he said. "Scared as hell, but... excited."