I get Erskine's death needed to happen, but that soon?! Didn't even give the man a chance!
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"Nothing to concern you, Rachel. I do have an update for you."
- Dr. Abraham Erskine
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The Next Morning
Monday, 14 June 1943
Brooklyn, New York
RACHEL PREFERRED WALKING TO WORK IN COMPARISON TO TAKING A TAXI. Choosing the sounds of her city over the smell of whatever the taxi driver was smoking before his shift. Even in the middle of the second world war, life still went on in Brooklyn. School buses pass Rachel on the sidewalk. The mail carrier with his satchel full of letters stopping at each mailbox. The occasional cat sunbathing on the steps of their owners home- Rachel always taking a few seconds out of her walk to give them neck scratches. She wasn't born here but Brooklyn was the only home Rachel ever truly known- hardly remembering much from her childhood in Bridgehampton.
Rounding the corner she came across her place of employment- Brooklyn Antiques. The bell on the door dinged as Rachel pushed it open, stepping inside. She was elated to see the shop empty apart from an elderly lady. The woman behind the counter, the same woman everyday, smiles when Rachel walks up. "Lovely weather this morning, isn't it?"
"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella."
That made the woman tilt her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. "I suppose you can't be too careful." Was her response.
Rachel shrugged. "Best to be prepared for a shift in the wind."
That was the trigger. The woman's facade fell, walking to the side to push a hidden button under the countertop. Hearing the faded buzzing noise, Rachel started to the back of the store- stepping through curtains and finding herself in front of a large bookcase. She stood there, waiting a few seconds for the bookcase to split in two, opening up like a pair of elevator doors.
The doors sealed shut quickly behind Rachel, who was already on her path to the office. She passed by several employees in lab coats, whom she smiled at if they made eye contact. Rachel didn't make friends easily- Steve and Bucky included. She let out a breath of relief when she made it to her destination without having to talk to anyone. Taking out her pass from the only satchel purse she owns, the same from last night, she used it on the slider next to the glass door. The red light flashes green, granting her access to open the door and stepping inside, closing it behind her.
"Dr. Erskine?" She calls out to the seemingly empty room. It was odd for her to arrive at work before her boss. Still confused she hung her purse on the coat rack, simultaneously taking her lab coat from a separate hook. She walked further into said room, clipping her badge onto the coat pocket. "Ab?" She hoped using her nickname of his would prompt something- given that he still, to this day, wasn't too keen on it.
The room was a spacious office- where Dr. Abraham Erskine conducted his life's work. Rachel was the only other person to have access to this room, besides Erskine himself. There was one word that perfectly summed up the office, and that word was orderly. Everything had its place and if Rachel didn't put things back where they belonged it would send the doctor in a frenzy. That's why seeing a file left behind on his desk bewildered Rachel.
She made her way to the desk and gazed down upon the folder, tilting her head to the side once she read its odd label. 'Project Alpha' it read.
Rachel Hayward and Abraham Erskine were close- or that's what Rachel always believed to be so. She knew all of his schemes and experiments, like the very one they were working to perfect for the United States government. But this one folder she had never seen in all her years of working beside the doctor.
She grabbed it with her hands and lifted it up to eye level, debating if she should open it or not. The temptation was strong but her loyalty was stronger. She only just decided to put the folder back where it really belonged, tucked away in the filing cabinet, but a passing shadowing in the corner of her eye made her pause.
"Today isnt file day." The shadow, better known as Dr. Abraham Erskine, spoke.
It spooked Rachel, whose heart jumped up to her throat. "I'm sorry." She apologized, trying to settle her heart by taking in a breath. "I just saw this one left on your desk. I don't recall the name?"
"It was an old project of mine." Abraham moved around her to stand in front of his desk. "I shouldn't have left it out. Had a long night last night." He focused on the folder with a look in his eyes Rachel couldn't quite read.
"Project Alpha?" She read out its label to him, hoping she could catch some sort of clue in her bosses eyes but, like before, he was impassive.
"Nothing to concern you, Rachel." He takes the file from her and, to Rachel's surprise, places it in his left desk drawer. "I do have an update for you." He locks the drawer, peaking Rachel's interest in the contents of the file even more than she had been.
"On Project Rebirth?"
He confirms with a nod of his head, turning his attention back to his assistant. "We got a green light to start shipping out to base. But I just . ." He stopped short, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Rachel understood and sighed. "Still not too keen on the candidates"?
What he goes on to complain about is the same spill she's heard time and time again. Though she lets him go on and listen, answer when needed, because everyone deserves to have someone to vent to. They were both upset over the same thing. The candidates are all fine soldiers, yes- but none possessed that heart that Abraham wanted for his chosen candidate. That was when he gave Rachel the one look she could clearly read from her boss and it wasn't something they saw eye to eye on.
"Don't." She pointed a finger at him, warning him to not go any further on the topic.
"When I envision the person I want to give the serum to, you always cross my mind."
Rachel let out a short laugh at the mere thought. "This is insane and you know it is. We don't even know if it would work the same on a female body."
"I've been working on a counterpart serum, every night after you leave." When Abraham admitted that Rachel thought back on all those nights she could tell he was up to something- she could never have imagined it was this. "One that could give you the same perks this serum give plus some to enhance-"
"We're not having this conversation, Ab." She had to stop him in fear that this conversation would end with her agreeing to something she'll regret later in life. This was a topic that always seemed to come into discussion at work. He's been bringing up the topic more than usual lately- she guessed it was since they got the green light like he'd mentioned.
Nevertheless, her taking the serum, any form of the serum- she didn't want to think any more on the topic.
"I'm gonna go put in our lunch order." She announced, heading over to the coat rack to retrieve her purse.
"Ms. Hayward, it's hardly ten." Abraham gestured to the ticking clock, hanging on the wall between two bookcases.
She waved him off as she took off her lab coat and rehung it, making sure to unclick her badge and slip it back in her purse. "I've been craving italian since this morning and you know our favorite restaurant always get too busy for orders by the time lunch rolls around." She noticed she was rambling when she listed her purse over her shoulder. She needed to make her escape. "Best I put it in now. The usual?" She asked already halfway out.
Abraham was frowning. "Yes, that will be alright."
She gave him a grin. "Be back in a moment." Was her parting words before exiting.
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- KleeAlise11