ＳＬＡＴＥ ◼ STEVE ROGERS◼

ＥＩＧＨＴ

◼ ◼ ◼

Lottie,

I can't tell you how great it is to hear from you. I miss you and Steve more than I could ever say. I have to keep this brief, kind of in a war zone right now.

I don't know what you're doing in this war, since you won't tell me what it is you're doing, but I wish you weren't. I just want you safe, just like I don't like the idea of Steve being in the war either. I trust you though, Lottie. You do what you need to do.

This war, it isn't pretty. There's a lot I wish I could unsee. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. I'm doing well, though, and I'm safe. I'm living boldly, just like you always said.

I promise I'll see you soon, little sister. I love you, be safe.

Bucky x

"Every single time I walk into your room I swear you're reading a letter," Lottie shoved the letter from her best friend under her pillow, looking over at Howard Stark with a small smile. He wore his usual cocky smirk that got under her skin, but she couldn't deny that she enjoyed his company. "Do you have hundreds of secret lovers in the war?"

"Oh yes, all the men are lining up to dance with this emotionally wrecked woman," Lottie joked, looking down at her hands. Howard sat beside her on the bed, the smirk still worn on his face.

"I mean, I will gladly volunteer my services for a dance with a beautiful dame like you," Lottie rolled her eyes, laughing lightly as Howard's smirk grew larger. "What, you don't want to dance with Howard Stark?"

"As tempting as that offer may be, I will have to decline,"

"Don't like to dance?"

"Just waiting for the right partner,"

Howard watched as a small smile crossed Lottie's lips, her eyes trailing down to her hands as she played with her fingers. His smirk momentarily turned to a smile as he connected the dots.

"Ah, so you and this Steve fellow that Erksine brought on are just mutually pining over one another?"

"There's no pining when it's one sided, Howard," Lottie told him, looking up at him. "Steve would never believe that I actually love him. He thinks too low of himself, thinks that no one could ever love him."

"So if you don't think that he loves you back, then why don't you move on? I'm telling you, Lottie, I'm quite the catch,"

"I'm sure you are, Howard," Lottie told him, mirroring his smile. "But the heart wants what it wants. Now, I'm assuming you didn't come here for a heart to heart with me?"

Howard grabbed the briefcase that he had placed on the floor, opening it to reveal another syringe full of the serum. This would be the fourth of her exercises.

Lottie sighed, turning around and moving her hair to the front as she presented the back of her neck to Howard. He went through the familiar motions, injecting the serum into the same place as normally before they both returned to their original positions.

"What's today's test?"

"This one is going to be my favorite,"

Howard whistled, three men entering the room almost immediately. Lottie lifted an eyebrow, looking over to Howard. He only shot her the infamous Stark smirk as he stood next to the three men.

"Could you explain?"

"We're going to target language!" Howard announced with a grin, shaking his hands in the air. Lottie's eyes widened as he pushed the three men toward her. "Introduce yourselves!"

"Bonjour, je m'appelle Victor Martin. Je suis de Toulouse./Hello, my name is Victor Martin. I am from Toulouse," The man sent her a kind smile before looking to the next two beside her.

"Hallo, ich heiße Otto Muller. Ich komme aus Dresden./Hello, my name is Otto Muller. I am from Dresden."

"Hola me llamo manuel lopez Soy de valencia./Hello, my name is Manuel Lopez. I am from Valencia."

Lottie looked to Howard, her eyes wide with wonder. Never in her life did she think she'd truly have the opportunity to learn another language, let alone three. The idea of being fluent in them almost brought her to tears. She knew these were the good parts of Project Athena, the parts before the war, but she was going to accept them.

Steve and Bucky would be so proud, and she couldn't wait to show them all she could do.

"Spanish, German, and French," Lottie said with a little smile. Howard nodded his head, looking at the girl as she shook hands with the three men in the room. He couldn't even lie that he had a soft spot for her. She was full of wonder and kindness, but smart even beyond the serum.

He clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's attention. His smile became a smirk once more.

"Let's get started!"