Helena Stark: A WWII Widow

chapter three: Recruits

"Recruits, attention!" A voice shouted making me jump. It has been almost a month since I found out about my husband's death. Howard suggested that I assist Agent Carter with the new recruits to get my mind off of things. He also said that we should send Rosemary away from the war with Jarvis. She wasn't happy, but she was safe in America.

I wanted to take Rosemary with me, but I knew it was no place for a four-year-old girl. So I agreed to send her away. I keep writing to her, but it's no replacement for me being absent from her life right now.

It took days for Rosemary to start to be herself again, she barely ate, but once she saw me trying to keep going. Well, she tried as well. Eventually, she was eating again, but she still insists on wearing green everywhere since that was what she remembered her father wearing when he left.

I also haven't read the letter they gave me, I haven't gotten the courage to open it up and see the details of Rafael's death, I just wasn't ready. Not yet. "Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter, and this is Ms. Stark. I supervise all operations for this division."

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? Thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army," a man said.

"What's your name, soldier?" Agent Carter asked.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty."

"Step forward, Hodge." Agent Carter ordered. "Put your right foot forward."

"We gonna wrestle? 'Cause I gotta a few moves I know you'll like." Hodge said making me angry and infuriated, Agent Carter was about to punch him, but I beat him to it. I heard all of the men gasp as Agent Carter gave me an impressed look.

"Agent Carter." A voice called out.

"Colonel Phillips." She said turning around.

"I can see that you two are breaking in the candidates, that's good." He said giving us an impressed look. "Get your ass up out of that dirt, and stand up in that lineup at attention until somebody comes and tells you what to do."

"Yes, Sir," Hodge said as he jumped up, I noticed his nose was a little crooked now. Serves him right, you never speak to a woman that way, much less a lady in the military.

"General Patton has said: 'War's are fought with weapons, but they are won by men.' We are going to win this war, because we have the best men." Colonel Phillips said before stopping and glancing at Dr. Erskine. I looked where he stopped and saw Mr. Rogers, I never expected to see him again. "And because they're gonna get better. Much, better.

"The Strategic Scientific Reserve. Is an allied effort. Made up with the best minds of 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'll be the first. Of a new breed of super soldiers. And they, will personally escort Adolph Hitler Through the gates of hell."

I looked at the men, they were all big and strong, but they seemed to lack character. Hodge definitely lacked chivalry, maybe chivalry from the old tales really is dead. I guess we'll just have to see what happens and find out. Knowing the military, they will pick the biggest and strongest, but is that what we really need. If this experiment works–emphasis on the if–then there would be no need for somebody to be big, bad, and strong. They would just need to be a good American soldier.

"Pick up the pace, sweeties. Let's go, let's go. Double time." A loud voice said behind us as the got closer. I was driving the jeep with Peggy next to me, and let me tell you, that man was loud.

"That man is going to give me a headache..." I muttered under my breath as I observed the men. Howard insisted that one of us be present during this process, while he worked on money and building the machinery exactly to my specifications. I can't say that I'm complaining though. Spend days in a little underground secret facility, or be outside watching some very attractive men try to succeed.

"Come on, faster, faster. Move. Move. Squad halt." He shouted then pointed up. "That flag means you're only at the halfway point. The first man to bring it to me, gets to ride back with Agent Carter and Ms. Stark." He said making me roll my eyes, all of those men are focused on winning with brute strength. The only way to get that flag was either teamwork or actually using that thing inside your head called a brain. "Move, move! Come on, get up there. That's what you got? This army is in trouble. Get up there, Hodge. Come on, get up there. Nobody's got that flag in seventeen years."

"I doubt anybody will get it in another twenty," I said as I watched the men, except one, was standing back and just watching. I guess he does have some brains, is that Mr. Rogers? I watched as they tried and failed, then they were called back in. However, one wasn't listening as he looked up at the flagpole.

"Come on, come on, fall in. Let's go, get back in formation. Rogers! I said, fall in." The man shouted making me cringe, but then Mr. Rogers pulled the peg out of the flagpole and it dropped to the ground. I guess they can use their brains, well at least one of them.

"Thank you, Sir." Mr. Rogers said as he took the flag and handed it to him, then he climbed into the jeep with us. Peggy and I glanced back with a smile, this guy definitely knows how to use his brains before muscles, which he does not seem to have. I wonder how he got into the army, much less this division. I thought they wanted men who were in-shape and strong thugs, but they managed to pick someone who seemed like he knew what it was like to be on the losing side and still stand your ground.

We arrived back at the base and I quickly jumped out and walked briskly towards my tent, I was supposed to get a report from Howard today, so that means that he will probably have a letter for me from Rosemary. I went into my tent and looked around and spotted the report from Howard, I quickly read through it, but there was no letter from my daughter.

I looked at the back of the report confused to see a small note from Howard:

I'm sorry Helena, it's not a very big letter...

I continued down and saw a little note below what Howard had written, which appeared to be from my daughter.

Hi Madre,

Mr. Jarvis said this is how you write a letter, but I'm not sure it's the American way. I miss you, Mamma, Uncle Howie says that you'll be back soon and that I can keep watching him work. I can't wait to see you Madre, but then I have to go back with Mr. Jarvis. He makes me drink too much tea, Mamma, I want hot cocoa again. I love you and I miss you.

Love,

Rosemary

I put it down and sat back, Howard didn't tell me that he was letting her stay in America long enough to see the experiment. He told me he was sending her back to England with Jarvis to the country before I would be back. I guess that's not true.

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