Till the End of the Line

Chapter Two

I went home that night more excited than when I had left the house a few hours before. After I said my goodbyes to Bucky and Steve I walked over to talk to Mr. Stark, not actually expecting him to talk to someone like me. I was a nobody. But he said he saw something in me, something for greatness one day. I just laughed him off but accepted his offer nonetheless.

It wasn't anything special but I also needed a job. After losing my last one because of the war, I was starting to run out of money. I also just needed to do something to keep my mind off the fact that my two best friends were shipping off to England, leaving me at home.

I woke up the next morning getting ready for my first day as Mr. Stark's assistant. I had no clue what I would be doing yet. All he said was that he had a special project that he was needing some extra hands with.

I showered and did my normal routine before going to the closet and getting my red pantskirt jumpsuit. I didn't wear it very often, but it was one of my favorites. It had a small belt across the waist and a single button on the bust. The sleeves reach just to my elbows and the pant legs all the way to the ground.

Slipping on the brown Oxfords I wore almost everyday I grabbed my purse and walked out the door. I was too nervous to eat anything for breakfast or to even make a pot of coffee. Locking my door and sliding my key into my clutch I turned to walk out to the sidewalk. Once I finally looked up I saw a black car parked on the side, right in front of me. There was a man in a uniform standing there looking at me but not saying anything. I glanced at him as I nodded my head but kept walking. Before I had managed to even walk more than a few steps away from him he quickly opened the back passenger door. I jumped slightly at the sudden movements as none other than Howard Stark leaned out of the door.

"Betty, good morning," he said with a smile as I relaxed and smiled back at him.

"Good morning Mr. Stark," I said as he scooted over and patted the seat next to him.

"Please, Howard," he said as I sat next to him and shut the door. The man in the uniform had now walked around the car and got in the driver seat, pulling off towards whatever our destination was, "I figured on the first day of an important project I would come and pick you up."

"I appreciate it," I said as I started to get a little more comfortable, "So what is it I will be doing?"

"Nothing too bad," he said as he glanced around and looked out the window, "I really just need an extra pair of hands with me and someone to bounce ideas off."

"Bounce ideas off?" I asked him, only slightly offended.

"I need someone smart enough to keep up with me," he said as he glanced at me.

"But you don't know anything about me," I chuckled, "How do you know I'm what you need for this job?"

"I know greatness when I see it," he said with a smirk as he looked at him from the corner of his eye.

...

The next couple days had been pretty mundane for what I thought I was going to be doing. The first day was all paperwork, getting everything squared away before I actually got to work.

Walking in today I was met by Mr. Stark at the entrance. There were several men with white lab coats walking around, not paying attention to anything but what was in front of them.

"Betty," Mr. Stark said as he quickly shoved a pen in his pocket after signing a paper, "I;m glad you're here, there is someone I want you to meet." I nodded my head as I quickly followed after him, walking through the fake antique store front and through to the lab behind it. The doors opened up to a stark white hallway that had recently been sanitized. I smiled at the few soldiers who stood watch at the door that opened to the big lab. I looked down over the banister to see a weird looking object in the center of the room.