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...
"Machines take me by surprise with great frequency."
Alan Turing
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Athena and Steve were both seated in a Quinjet. Steve was holding onto a tablet as Athena watched from over his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders. They were watching as the Hulk attacked a crowd of screaming people.
"We're about forty minutes out from base, sir." The pilot called.
Athena watched as Agent Coulson stood up from his seat and approached them.
"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" Steve asked as he and Athena continued to watch the footage.
"A lot of people were." Coulson told Steve, "You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."
"Sadly, he is wrong," Athena murmured.
"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve asked as they continued to watch.
"Not so much. When he's not that thing, though, the guy's like a Stephen Hawking," Coulson told them. Causing Steve to look confused, "He's like a smart person."
"I read some of his papers," Athena added, "and I must say they were fascinating."
"I gotta say, it's an honour to meet you both, officially," Coulson suddenly said. "I sort of met you. I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Steve and Athena shared a look. "I mean, I was... I was present while you were unconscious from the ice." Steve handed the tablet to Athena, who continued to look at the other people they would meet. As Coulson continued to talk to Steve. "You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honour to have you on board."
"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job," Steve told him. Athena just shot him a glare for being so self-deprecating.
"Oh, you are. Absolutely," Coulson gushed, "Uh... we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."
"The uniform?" Steve questioned, "Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old-fashioned?"
"Hey," Athena called, "by saying that you are calling us old-fashioned.
"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned," Coulson told them. As Athen carried on looking at the tablet, she wondered what Coulson could mean.
✯⍟✯
Athena watched out her window as a giant ship appeared on the horizon. The Quinjet approached the boat before coming to land on one of the runways. Once they were safely stationary, the back ramp was dropped, and they headed out.
As they headed out, Coulson turned to one of the men, "stow their gear," he ordered.
"Yes, sir," the man nodded as they disembarked the aircraft.
