The Scientist ⍟ Captain America

Three

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," Athena answered, absently mindedly distracted by one of the light shades.

Athena watched as the lady walked towards the desk. Athena smiled at her as she beckoned Steve to follow her into the back of the building. Steve followed her and didn't mention how strange it was that they had stopped in front of a bookcase. That is until the bookcase swung open, revealing the hidden facility behind it. Athena gave Steve a knowing smiled before she walked into the facility. Steve seemed so surprised that this facility was here. It was hiding right under his nose.

Athena stopped at the top of the stairs to give Steve time to survey the scene in front of him. It was a large circular room. There was a pod in the middle surrounded by lots of blinking buttons and dials. Everybody had stopped what there were doing to stare at Steve. Upon sensing that Steve didn't love the attention, Athena beckoned for him to follow her with her head.

They walked down to Abraham, who handed Athena her lab coat that she shrugged on.

"Good morning," Abraham shook Steve's hand. But they were interrupted by a sudden bright flash of light, "please, not now." Abraham requested, waving the photographer off.

"Are you ready?" Athena asked. She had flipped into her scientist mode, and there was work to be done. When Steve nodded his head, Athena smiled "good. Take off your shirt, your tie, your hat and your shoes," Steve looked, extremely confused and slightly flustered by request, but Athena had already turned around and was talking to Howard about how the start-up procedure had gone.

"Can you please lie down in there?" Athena then asked, pointing at the pod when Steve was ready. Athena watched Steve get in before leaning over him, "Comfortable?"

"It's a little bit," Steve smiled. He then turned to Abraham, who had joined them "you save me any of that schnapps?"

"Not as much as I should have. Sorry. Next time." Abraham smiled, "Mr Stark, how are your levels?"

"Levels at 100%," Howard told them as he walked over to look at Steve.

"Good," Abraham smiled.

"We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn," Howard told them before adding quieter, "but we are ready as we'll ever be."

Athena gently hit Howard in the chest, "have some more confidence. I'm vastly more confident in this than I was in your car." Athena teased as she went over to the controllers. Athena could hear that her Vati was talking to Agent Carter, who had arrived not long after Athena and Steve.

Athene heard as her Vati took a microphone taping it with his fingers, where he was satisfied that it was on. He had their attention, and he started speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. We begin with a series of micro-injections into the subject's major muscle groups." As Abraham was talking, Athena pulled out three of the injections, placing them into the holders by Steve's left arm. She gave him a kind smile as she did it. 

The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. And then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays." Abraham continued.

Athene leaned over Steves's left arm again, gently swabbing the upper arm. Athena then stuck a needle in, pushing the plunger in so that the liquid entered Steve's system.

"That wasn't so bad," Steve smiled.

"That was penicillin," Athena smiled.

Athena gave her Vati the thumbs up, and so he started the countdown.

"Serum infusion beginning in five, four, three, two, one." Abraham counted down.

As Abraham was counting down, Athena walked over to next to Howard. Howard gently nudged her and smiled, aware that this was a big moment for her and her Vati.