Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

iv. 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚙 𝚕𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑

HOWARD STARK held his sister to his chest when she walked into their lab set up in Camp Lehigh two days after she left Brooklyn. It had been a few days since the Stark Expo and longer since he had been able to hold his sister in his arms. It was a feeling beyond compare because anyone who knew Howard Stark knew that his sister was the most important person in his life. She was more than just his sibling, for she was everything to him. He breathed out a sigh of relief as the pair embraced, clutching the letter she received the night before in his fist. It angered him beyond recognition.

"So, what'd this German idiot look like?" Howard chirped, letting her go finally as people were working around them.

"Dracula meets Frankenstein," Evelyn teased causing Howard to snigger in response.

"That bad? C'mon, I bet he was a modern-day Flash Gordon," Howard said with a wink as he turned to grab the nearest clipboard with Erskine's actual message he planned to deliver to her the night before but never got around to it. "Anyway, Doc says he wants you to meet Agent Peggy Carter. She's a treat."

Evelyn grabbed the clipboard with the file on the woman. "She's the one you told my idea to?" Evelyn asked warily.

"What? 'Bout that S.H.I.E.L.D. business? I had a few drinks, it slipped out. Sorry," he said although his grin suggested he was not sorry at all. "She liked it anyhow, and I think she wants to talk to you about it," Howard chirped before pointing at her. "You need to change if we're getting to work."

Evelyn looked down at her dress, the last one her mom ever made before she stopped being able to use her hands correctly. Howard and Evelyn had not seen their mother in over a year due to the war efforts they were drawn in, and Howard knew how much it was hurting Evelyn to not see their mother. Wiping the dress with her hand as if to rid the wrinkles, she said, "All right, yeah."

Now in pants and a button-up white shirt, she tied her hair in a ponytail before helping Howard set up the next sequence of Project Rebirth and Project Venus. These were the final tests before the human trials at the end of the following week. Howard thought Evelyn was choosing the soldier for Venus, and Steve's words echoed in her ear about telling him her plans. He would find out soon enough anyway.

The door opened and Colonel Phillips walked in with narrowed eyes. "Stark!"

Both Howard and Evelyn turned at the name, Howard's mustache twitching at the sight of the enraged Colonel.

"Which one?" Howard mused.

"Evelyn," Phillips said with a roll of his eyes before his gaze hardened. "You were supposed to meet Carter out on the field! Let's go!"

Evelyn looked at Howard with a scowl. "You didn't say I was supposed to meet her now," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oops," Howard said with a smirk, turning back to the machine in front of him.

"Come on, Stark," Phillips growled out, turning to walk away. Evelyn quickly pulled her hair from its ponytail so it flowed down her back as her heels clicked against the floor while she rushed to catch up to the Colonel. "You Starks are the same. Always late," he murmured under his breath.

"I was not informed, there is a difference, Colonel," Evelyn sneered, making sure her shirt was tucked in to look presentable in front of the agent.

Phillips said nothing as he pushed open the doors to the outside world. Evelyn realized her glasses were still on her face, so she quickly removed them, hooking them to her shirt as they neared the group of soldiers standing in a line. Her gaze softened at the smallest of them all until the woman standing in front of them punched a large man right in the face as he fell to the ground.

"Agent Carter," Phillips greeted with a smirk on his lips.

Peggy quickly looked at the Colonel as she blushed a bit, and her eyes drifted to the woman following. "Colonel Phillips."

"I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good!" Phillips chirped before glancing at the soldier on the ground. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention 'til somebody comes tells you what to do."

"Yes, sir," the soldier stated quickly as Steve met Evelyn's eyes finally. She winked at him, causing him to bite back a smile.

"You must be Agent Carter," Evelyn greeted the woman.

"Agent Stark," Peggy greeted back, shaking her extended hand. "Call me Peggy."

Evelyn turned to face the group of soldiers with a smirk. "I like how you handle things, Peggy."

Phillips could not help but grin at the two strongest women he knew working together finally.

He turned to the recruits. "General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men..." His eyes drifted to Steve, who stood as tall as he could with pride. "And because they're gonna get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldiers. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell."

When the soldiers were given five minutes to get to the field where their training would start, Steve hesitantly walked over to Evelyn.

"This isn't you trying to keep an eye on me, is it?" he asked, and he noticed Agent Carter was watching the pair fondly.

"Nope, this is where I'm working," Evelyn promised, pulling him in for a hug. "But I won't lie. I'm very happy to keep an eye on you."

Steve rolled his eyes as he pulled away. "Thanks, Eve."

"Welcome, Steve. Now, hussle before Colonel Phillips verbally explains how much he hates me," Evelyn said when she saw Phillips's eyes move to Steve's figure. "Go," she whispered, pushing him off.

As Steve ran off, Peggy stepped next to Evelyn, eyes focused on Steve's retreating figure. "What's his name?" she asked.

"Steven Rogers," Evelyn answered.

"You know him well?"

"My fiancé's best friend since schooling. I met them a few years ago. He's such a sweetheart—wanted nothing more than to fight in this war," Evelyn said fondly.

Peggy crossed her arms. "Why was he so keen to fight?"

"He hates bullies. Always looks out for the little guy... even if he is a little guy," Evelyn whispered. "Bucky and I always had to look out for him."

Peggy smiled softly. "Bucky, he's your fiancé?"

"James Barnes," Evelyn sighed with hearts in her eyes. "Absolutely perfect."

Peggy grinned. "I can't wait to meet him one day. Come on, Evelyn, we should get to the field," Peggy said, nudging Evelyn with her elbow and a smirk on her face.