Athena Erskine was beautiful and bold. A female scientist in a world of men. Athena lived every day outnumbered but not outsmarted. Athena had to force her way into every room. So that she could demonstrate how much brighter, she is than all the men...
"If you don't sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice."
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Athena was sat in the back of the car with Colonel Phillips driving and her Vati in the passenger seat.
Athena looked out at the sea of men around her. Athena was just unimaginably glad that she had Peggy Carter. The two had worked a few times together. Athena could claim that she knew Peggy, maybe not amazingly, but she did know Peggy.
Speaking of Peggy, Athena looked out of the car, searching for the woman. Athena spotted her in front of a row of men. One had stood in front of Peggy. As Athena watched, she swung her fist out, punching the man straight in the face and sending him to the floor.
"Well done, Peggy!" Athena cheered as Phillips pulled the car to a stop.
"Agent Carter," Phillips called as he stepped out of the car. Athena leapt out behind him, leaving her Vati to get out by himself.
Peggy spun around, saluting to Phillips, "Colonel Phillips." Peggy sent a small smile to Athena, also glad to no longer be the only girl.
"I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good!" Phillips praised Peggy before tuning to the idiot lying on the floor, "get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention 'til somebody comes tells you what to do."
"Yes, sir," the man stood up, snivelling slightly at the blood leaking out his nose. Athena knew that whatever he did, he deserved it.
"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men...." Phillips told the men as he walked down the line looking at each one of them in turn. He did pause slightly at the sight of Steve, "And because they're gonna get better. Much better." Phillips then gestured at Athena and her Vati, "The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldiers. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell."
And boy did Athena hope that Phillips was right, for she could not imagine a world where Hitler had won. Though Athena supposed if Hitler won, she would not be alive, which explains why she could not imagine it. But Athena could not let that happen. She would fight to her last breath.
And they did test the men. And poor Steve failed every single test as Hodge passed every test. But still, Abraham and Athena stuck by their decision to go with Steve. Abraham and Athena weren't looking for physical prowess. They were looking for someone with a brave and loyal heart. If it had been up to Abraham and Athena, they would not have done physical test's they would have done some written test and tests to prove loyalty.
