ℂℝ𝕆𝕊𝕊ℝ𝕆𝔸𝔻𝕊 𝕆𝔽 𝔻𝔼𝕊𝕋𝕀ℕ𝕐 (𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕟𝕖𝕒𝕜 𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕜)

IV | Chapter 1

December 1940 – United States Armed Services Recruitment Office – Brooklyn, NY

Not long after arriving in this universe, Destiny discovered that she was thrust back in time when the world was in a global war – for the second time. Thankfully, Varian gave her a heads-up on what she needed to do. Her first task: enlist in the army.

"Starr, Destiny."

Destiny looks up from reading the daily newspaper and notices the open office door awaiting its next applicant. She got up from her chair and walked inside. Closing the door behind her, she took a seat, removing her flat cap as the enlistment officer reviewed her file. "Where are you from?"

"Remember your lines." Varian's reminder echoes in Destiny's mind before she promptly replies. "Boston, Massachusetts."

At her response, the officer behind the desk glances up and down at her. "You're a woman."

"And you're a man," Destiny comments sarcastically, forcing herself not to roll her eyes at the man's curt statement. The officer scoffed, furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance."The army is no place for young women."

"I may be a woman, but I am more of a man than most men on the field. And I don't need a dick to prove it," Destiny snidely remarked as the man flushed red at her statement. Whether from anger or embarrassment, she could care less. Having faced gender discrimination from multiple universes and repeatedly proving them wrong is getting tiresome for her.

With a huff, the officer shakes his head. Glancing down at the papers before him, he flips them over as he analyzes her background information before something catches his eye.

"'Says here you're a graduate from MIT." He looks at Destiny with a perked eyebrow, leaning back on his desk chair. "It's not every day that I see an academic graduate and a woman no less seeking to join the army. Even if you are more capable than you say, the battlefield is no place for a smart dame such as yourself."

Before Destiny could open her mouth to argue, the man raised his hand, stopping her. "But I know where you can serve."

June 1943 - the United States Armed Services Recruitment Center, Stark Expo

After enlisting, Destiny was recruited into the U.S. Army's Infantry Weapons Development Program and assigned to the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) under Colonel Chester Phillips. There, she met fellow members Agent Carter, Howard Stark, and Dr. Abraham Erskine. They worked on a top-secret op known as Project Rebirth to produce an experimental serum that would breed an army of super-soldiers to fight against the Nazis. After perfecting the serum, Agent Starr and Dr. Erskine search for potential test subjects inside a recruiting station at Howard Stark's Stark Expo.

Another long day passed at the recruitment center as Destiny and Erskine reviewed countless enlisting applicants for the super-soldier program. Still, none of them suited the scientist's preferences. After finishing an interview with another applicant, Destiny heads to the front desk and glances up at the wall clock. Her jaw drops at the time: 2145. Is it that late already? They were bombarded with so many applicants from the Stark Expo that she lost track of time. She hadn't even taken a break since they started!

On cue, Erskine stood beside her, stamping a file and handing it to a nearby nurse.

"Dr. Erskine, do you want to take a break and grab dinner with me? It's almost 10, and I forgot to take my break this past afternoon." Destiny asked, surprising the scientist, who glanced at the wall clock and confirmed her words. "Time goes by fast, doesn't it? Alright, I shall join you."

Once they informed the other recruiters of their break, Destiny and Erskine headed down the corridor. They passed walls of framed enlistment posters and monochrome photos of armed military men for waiting for applicants and expo visitors to see.