"If you are going through hell, keep going. Why would you stop in hell?"
Steve Harvey
Athena was sat in the back of a car next to Steve. Abraham had asked that she be the one to pick Steve up. Athena figured it would be a good time for him to ask any questions he had. Plus, Athena knew that Vati had Stark to help him set up so she would be superfluous.
"I know this neighbourhood," Steve suddenly told her as he pointed at the alleyway, "I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that diner." So Steve carried on telling her as he pointed out all the points.
"That's a bad thing," Athena exclaimed, "You're not meant to get beat up regularly. Did you have something against running away? or just something against not encourage somebody to beat you up?"
"You start running; they'll never let you stop," Steve told Athena, ignoring her later question, "You stand up, push back. You can't say no forever, right?
"I know something similar," Athena told him, smiling softly, "having every door shut in your face. People only taking one look at you but not looking deeper than that."
"I can't see why anybody wouldn't want to know you," Steve told her. "you're a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful... a woman. An agent, not a dame! You are beautiful, but..."
"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" Athena interrupted as she tried not to laugh. Saving Steve from his misery.
"This is the longest conversation I've had with one," Steve told her, "women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."
"That's ridiculous," Athena scoffed, "you must have danced?
"Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying," Steve told her, shrugging, "and the past few years just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait."
"For what?" Athena enquired.
"The right partner," Steve told her smiling softly.
"And I promise you will find her," Athena told him, smiling.
When the car pulled up to Brooklyn Antiques, Athena motioned for Steve to hop out of the vehicle. Steve got out and started to straighten his uniform.
Athena climbed out after him.
"Come on," Athena called over her shoulder as she walked towards the front door.
"What are we doing here?" Steve asked.
"I looking to buy a new chair," Athena told Steve entirely seriously, "now follow me."
Athena stepped through the door and held it open for Steve, who was behind her.
The store owner appeared from behind the curtain, "wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" The store owner smiled. But she knew Athena would get it right as she often saw the women disappearing through the shop.
"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.
"Now, Mr Stark," Abraham instrument.
Howard stepped to the side, 'you do the honours,' he mouthed at Athena.
Athena sent Howard a beaming smile as she pulled the red lever down. As she did it, the pod started to realise as the door closed in, trapping Steve so that he was lying horizontally.
Abraham walked up to the pod knocking on the window, "Steven, can you hear me?" Abraham asked
"It's probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?" Steve asked as a weak attempt at a joke.
Abraham turns to Athena and Howard, "we will proceed," he nodded.
Athene nodded back as she turned the dial around to on. Athena reached into her pocket to find her blackout glasses to protect her from the Vita-Rays. Athena couldn't find them in her first pocket and started patting her lab jacket down. Upon seeing what she was doing, Howard smiled and handed her the glasses he had 'borrowed' earlier. Athena sent him a playful glare as she took the glasses from him.
Howard then turned back to the spin dial, "That's ten per cent. Twenty per cent. Thirty. That's forty per cent." Finally, Howard called up as the dial slowly crept up.
"Vital signs are normal," an SSR doctor called.
"That's fifty per cent," Howard continued to call, "Sixty. Seventy."
When they reached Seventy per cent, Steve started to scream in pain.
Athena and Abraham rushed towards the pod.
"Steven!" Abraham called.
"Shut it down," Peggy called from where she had appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Steven!" Abraham repeated, knocking on the window.
Athena looked at him before rushing back to the dial.
"Shut it down!" Peggy called as Athena rushed around to the back
"Kill the reactor," Abraham called as Athena reached for the switch, "turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactor!"
Athena had just put her hand on it and was about to turn it off when Steve called, "No!" Steve protested, "Don't! I can do this!"
Athena and Howard shared a look before Howard returned to his dial, "eighty," Howard called out, "Ninety. That's one hundred per cent."
As soon as Howard had one hundred per cent, the machine started to overload. It began to flicker and flash before sparking. Athena ducked down and threw her hands over her head, waiting for it to stop. When it did come to a stop, Athena looked up.
"Athena," Abraham called, causing Athena to stand back up and press the button that realised the doors.
Athene heard the pressurised sound as the door starter to open. Athena turned to see a crack of Steves's chest exposed. And from that alone, Athena could tell you that it worked. The door continued to open till Athena could see Steve in all his glory.
Abraham and Howard rushed forward to help Steve out of the pod. Gently and carefully, they led him out, aware that his body was very different to how it started.
Athena pushed forward from where she had been stood in shock. Athena ended up standing in front of Steve, "how do you feel?"
"Taller," Steve told her, realised he no longer had to look up at Athena.
"You look taller," Athena agreed, laughing when she saw a nurse holding a shirt. She grabbed it, holding it out to Steve, "You also look less like a stiff breeze may knock you over."
Steve laughed at Athena's comment. Athena then turned to a scientist who wanted to congratulate her. Admittedly Athena was very conscious of the now very muscular super soldier standing behind her.
A loud explosion rocked the building. Athena felt Steve grab her by the waist, pulling her so his back protected both of them. Athena stood looking dazed up at him as she tried to process what had happened. What had exploded?
"Stop him!" Abraham shouted.
Athena looked up at her father in time to see him get shot twice in the chest. Athena looked across at the shooter in time to see them aiming the gun at her. Athena felt Steve pull her out of the way in time for the bullet to tear overhead, striking the pod harmlessly.
Athena heard the sound of more gunshots as someone returned fire. But Athena couldn't as she rushed towards her dying Vati. Athena pulled her Vati onto her lap as Athena rubbed his head. Athena sniffled as she desperately tried not to cry.
When her Vati motioned at Athena to lower her head, she put her ear by his mouth. "I love you and your sister," Abraham assured her, "but I shall be with Ottilia again. But remember that no matter what you and your sister do, I am proud of you, and I love you both."
"And I love you, Vati," Athena sobbed as she watched the life leave her Vati's eyes. Athena let out a sob as she brought Vati's head to her chest and rubbed his head. "Don't leave me, Vati," Athena begged as she sat rocking Abraham's body, sobs racking her body, "I love you, Vati, please don't leave me."
Athena felt as someone gently pulled her away from the body. Athena turned to bury her head into their body.
"It's okay," Howard assured Athena, gently rubbing her back, "you are okay, and everything will be fine." Both Howard and Athena know that he was lying, but neither wanted to say it. So the two stayed like that for a long time, with Howard rocking Athena's body as he assured her that he would be okay.
Athena ended up crying herself to sleep in Howard's arms as people cleared up the mess around them. Howard was working out what to do with Athena when Steve appeared at the top of the staircase and walked down.
"Is she okay?" Steve asked as he looked at the asleep Athena.
"As okay as someone who has just lost their parent can be," Howard told Stave, a slight bite to his voice.
"Okay, stupid question," Steve admitted, "should I take her back to her accommodation?"
"That's a good idea," Howards agreed as Steve lent down and effortlessly picked Athena up, taking her back.