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...
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Athena sat tinkering with a prosthetic veil. Headphones pulled over her ears as she listened to some AC/DC. Tony had recommended it, and Athena figured it was worth a try. It was a massive change from what she was used to but a good change, she supposed. Not everything could stay the same.
She was tinkering with a device that changed your voice and face so you could be disguised as anybody; when she mentioned it to one of her colleagues, they laughed, insisting that she had to watch Mission Impossible. Athena, of course, got Steve to watch with her. The two enjoyed it, though Steve did sometimes laugh at what they were doing. It also spurred Athena on to make her own face-changing veil.
What Athena wasn't expecting was a muscular pair of arms to wrap around her. Athena smiled, snuggling into their embrace. She recognised the arms and colone to belong to one Steve Rogers.
"What's up, love?" Athena asked as she pulled her headphones off her head.
"Fury," Steve mumbled.
"Ah," Athena nodded. Wrapping her arms around Steve's arms.
"He is refusing to tell me everything that I need to know to keep people safe," Steve told Athena. Athena nodded, glad that he was getting it out. People seemed to forget that while he was born 96 years ago, he had only been concise for 27 years. They needed to stop putting such high expectations on his shoulders. Steve sighed before carrying on talking. "When I complained, he told me that it was necessary. But he did reveal one secret." Steve admitted, "He told me about Project Insight."
"I'm guessing you don't agree," Athena guessed. It was a way for Steve to know that she also knew about it, so he wasn't at risk of getting in trouble for telling her. Not that Steve would care. Anything he knew, Athena knew. If somebody ever told him a secret, he would keep it from the whole world except Athena.
"It's barbaric," Steve told her. "They are putting a gun to everybody's heads and claiming that they are safe and free. People will live in fear for the rest of their lives. And it's all well and good when Fury says it's just for use against the bad guys. But what happens if it falls into the wrong hands? What then?"
"I agree, love. But I am not sure how just you and I can stop it." Athena told Steve, running a comforting hand up and down his arms.
The two stayed like that for a while. Just holding echo other. The feeling of loving and being loved. Being with the only person who truly understands you.
"How about you take the rest of the day off, my love," Athena suggested. "Fill out your reports later." The look on Steve's face at Athena suggested that Steve didn't work himself to Death; Athena amended her suggestion. "or maybe you could take. A few hours off. Go do smoothing fun, clear your head. You could even go and see Peggy." Athens suggested. "Clear your head and calm down before you get stuck back into work."
