Never Ending | Marvel Black!OC | [in rewriting]

CHAPTER EIGHT • Tension.

• NEXT DAY 7 AM. AT THE SSR BASE •

As usual, Janet is the first from the serum's scientific team to arrive here. Maybe she's too early, it's only 7, but the thing is no one else is going to be there before 9.

Janet goes towards the lab to test the serum but again, she's stopped by a guard.

"- Can I help you?

- Not really, I mean I know where I'm going.

- Name tag."

Janet frowns, slightly tilting her head to the side. Why is she asked for her name tag while it was not needed when she was with Howard? Maybe it's a mistake, she thinks. He must mistake her for someone else.

"- I'm part of the scientific team I--

- Name tag, ma'am."

Well, it seems like it's absolutely no mistake. The guard is looking at Janet with a cold face, clearly just doing his job and ready to neutralize her if needed: his hand is already on his billy as if she personally threatened him. Janet could prove to him how deeply wrong he is, but she knows the safest for her right now is to just surrender. Just as always.

"Here, my name tag."

The agent takes her name tag while Janet looks away. Once again, she may not talk and say anything out loud, but her eyes speak for themselves.

"- Can I go in, now?

- You don't have autorisation for this, you can't access the room.

- I'm sorry?

- Check with Colonel Phillips, keep moving."

Janet sighs, she takes her ID back before going to her desk to get started on something else in the mean time. Out of Dr. Erskine, her, and Howard, she's the one who can't access those labs. What a coincidence. It's been only a few days that she's here and it's already starting to feel worse than her old work atmosphere. Maybe she shouldn't have come at all, maybe she can still go back there. At least she was making progress on a real thing even if she didn't have credit for it. Janet is just looking at the void, not even working anymore. She's nervously tapping her pen against her desk lost in her thoughts, nearly crying with anger. The evening before was not the easiest one, and it's only getting worse now. It never stops, nothing is ever just fine.

"Morning, agent West."

Janet lifts her eyes to Howard, he's warmly smiling at her, just as each time. Howard is a very open person even with his great renown. Janet is just looking at him, she keeps the same expression on her face for a few more seconds before finally letting a weak smile get drawn on her face. It's not even a smile back, it's just that his smile is very contagious, and that this little affection touch fell right at the right time.

"- See? I finally learned that name.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you."

Janet can't help smiling more again at him, still playing with her pen. Out of everybody, Howard's company is the best she got here. He's the only one who talked to her as a person, with the polite greetings and all, the little jokes and small talks.

"- You left early yesterday.

- Yes, I had to work on another project of mine at the same time.

- Oh, okay. How is it going?

- Pretty good, making progress."

Howard keeps smiling at Janet while taking his stuff out. She wants to know more and has a hundred questions to ask about this project. He didn't even give one single detail about it but Janet knows that whatever it is, it must be insanely interesting. However, she knows how it goes here, if she gives him even one more second of attention people will think she's just one of those, one of his pinup girls. There's nothing wrong with them, they do whatever they want and deserve the same respect as the other ones. The problem is with all of the judgy people out there who think that they should be belittled just because of that. It's kind of sad to have to think about every single small action, but one mistake, one word, one smile at the wrong time could lead to a whole other direction. Janet looks down at her papers, politely smiling.