For Good Luck
Chapter One: Agent Elise Marion Carter
1943
The rhythmic sound of heels against linoleum floors echoed through the hall, drawing distracted glances from several people talking in the yellow hallway. Doctors, nurses, military police, and young enlisting officers spared several glances at the source of the staccato beat.
A slender young brunette walked confidently and authoritatively past the bystanders. Her appearance would account for the distracted glances that led to several appreciative stares.
Her dark brown hair framed her fair face with soft curls that fell to her shoulders, which were straight back in perfect posture. As she walked down the hallway, she kept her deep brown eyes foreword. Long dark, thick lashes shaded the very serious and determined look in the beautiful pair of eyes. Luscious red lips were turned in a serious frown, but were also vibrant and beautiful against her fair skin.
With dignity apparent in her every step, she continued down the hall with only one destination in mind. She passed the nurses station without a pause.
No, she wasn't a nurse. Her brown uniform, a jacket and skirt, and the pins over her left and right jacket lapels was proof of this.
Within a few more steps, she turned her body and entered a large room filled with even more people than the halls. Here, she finally paused and her perceptive eyes swept over the room's population.
Doctors could be seen through another doorway, where curtains were hung for examination rooms. Nurses shuffled about the larger room, which was full of several chairs, all of which were taken by half naked men.
The woman sighed from her spot near the door. This was the medical wing of the enlistment facility, where the young men trying to enlist were cleared for duty or turned away.
And where she would be stationed for her own mission for a few more days.
"Agent Carter," came a very accented voice from behind her.
Agent Elise Marion Carter turned on her heel to meet the kind but tired eyes of Dr. Abraham Erskine. At the sight of the old German doctor in his overcoat and hat, Elise's brown eyes brightened and a beautiful smile graced her red lips.
"Doctor Erskine," she greeted warmly in her own very British accented voice. At the sight of a familiar face, Elise's once stern, serious expression softened.
Dr. Erskine smiled at the young woman's happy greeting. Over the past several months since he fled Germany, he and the young agent had gotten to know, respect, and befriend one another. This was even before she had been assigned to help him in his top secret enhancing procedure that was sure to help the war effort. They were two foreigners stationed within New York to scout out the candidates for Erskine's procedure.
"Elise," Erskine amended, falling back on familiar names with a smile, "I was just leaving. I didn't expect you to still be here."
Elise smiled softly and looked out across the sea of men wearing only their underwear. Thankfully, most of them held newspapers in front of them, reading the pages while also covering themselves.
"I actually just returned to collect some of the files that have passed through since this morning," she answered, her eyes turning to the doorway where the doctors could be seen checking soldiers before returning to the doctor. Erskine smiled and nodded. She was a very thorough and diligent worker.
A sigh from the young agent beside him caused Erskine to furrow his brows questioningly.
"We are running out of time, Abraham," Elise said in a soft whisper, her eyes darting around the room. "I fear we will not find the one we seek here."
Erskine smiled fondly at her admission.
"There are plenty of soldiers already enlisted to choose from, Elise. We have many options," he reminded her. Elise turned to him with a frown.
"Yes, and I've helped train many of those soldiers, looking for the one that will fit our need," she answered, shaking her head with a sigh. "And they are all the same."
Erskine sighed and smiled sadly. Elise wasn't wrong, but in the thousands and thousands of soldiers enlisted, couldn't there be one that would be right for the job?
"Well, go ahead and collect the files. I'll wait for you in the hall," Erskine said softly, smiling as he turned to leave. Elise returned the smile and nodded, also turning to head towards the office. She didn't look where she was going, and when she finally did turn her gaze forward, it was too late.
Elise suddenly collided with something, or rather someone.
"Oh!" Elise exclaimed in surprise, looking down. She saw the thin, bare figure of a man, and her eyes bugged slightly as she realized her hands were on his bare skin. Quickly, Elise backed away and retracted her hands, clasping them behind her back as she met the young man's gaze. His eyes were a bright blue, twinkling despite the otherwise sickly appearance of his body. His light blonde hair was combed neatly to the side, and his shoulders were pushed back respectably. His eyes were nearly in line with hers. He would be just her height if she weren't wearing her heels.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the man said, a faint blush tinting his hollow cheeks. Elise smiled politely, shaking her head.
"No. I'm sorry. That was most definitely my fault," she answered in her British accent. "I wasn't paying as much attention as I ought to."
The young man raised his brows slightly at the sound of her voice, but then he smiled and shook his head.
"No ma'am, I shouldn't have paid so much attention to you—I mean, I should have paid more attention to you, but I shouldn't have been distracted by you," the man fumbled, growing more nervous as he saw Elise's brows furrow and her eyes become concerned. "I mean...ah..." the young man averted his eyes and embarrassedly scratched the back of his head.
Elise found the action almost endearing and sweet, and she couldn't help but smile softly. Letting out a small chuckle, Elise called for the man's attention as he shyly looked up.
"You don't talk to many women, do you."
It was an observation, more of a statement. The blonde man smiled embarrassedly and shook his head.
"Not pretty ones," he said with that twinkle in his eye. But then suddenly the twinkle disappeared and he seemed to backtrack. "I mean...not that you're not pretty, 'cause I am talking to to you. Not very well though, because, yes, you are very, very pretty..." the man said, gesturing to her and nodding as he looked over her.
At this point, Elise was holding back an amused smile.
"Thank you—"
"Rogers, Steven!" came a loud and impatient voice. The man in front of Elise suddenly perked up and glanced behind her. With a smile, he looked back to her and nodded.
"Like I said, I'm sorry for running into you, ma'am. Excuse me, but I'm up," he said, watching her for another half of a second before smiling and walking around her.
Elise stood still in her spot, a confused but pleasant smile on her red lips. Then slowly, she turned to look at the small man she had just met. Steven Rogers. With a sad smile, she thought to herself how it would be impossible for him to make it into the army. It was for the best. He wouldn't last long in the war, even if he had all the luck in the world.
With a sigh, Elise turned and walked towards the doctors' rooms, intent on retrieving the files of notes for the day.
Elise breathed a heavy sigh as she leaned back in her desk chair, shutting her eyes for a moment. After what seemed like hours and hours of pouring over the files that lay on her desk in front of her, she was getting a headache and a pinch at the base of her neck. She couldn't wait until she was finished with her assignment in New York City. Then she could return to the base and military post as co-supervisor of her division, where she belonged.
"Elise?"
Elise opened her eyes and turned to see Erskine standing in the doorway. She smiled tiredly.
"Yes, I'm finished. Are you hungry?" she asked offhandedly, making Erskine laugh. Gesturing towards the kitchen of their safe house, he shrugged.
"We need groceries. I'm just finishing up some work in my lab. I thought maybe you'd need a break and perhaps a walk? To the market?" he squinted his eyes warily, knowing it was a stretch. But Elise laughed, shaking her head.
"I will go pick up some groceries. I need to check in with Colonel Phillips and Peggy anyway," she answered, standing from her seat at her desk. Erskine nodded and turned to leave the room.
"Make sure to pick up something good to drink as well. Thank you!" he called over his shoulder. Elise laughed and shook her head at her old, tired German friend.
In minutes, she put a coat and hat on. Grabbing a small wallet and some money from a safe. She tucked it into a pocket inside her coat. The next object she pulled from the safe felt cool in her hand. Even as she tucked it away inside her coat, the cool metal of the pistol reminded her of its presence. Fully equipped and ready for her outing, she left the apartment building.
The cool early-evening air felt refreshing on her skin, despite the slightly dirty smell that accompanied most of New York City. However, she couldn't enjoy the walk too much. She still had to be on edge for any sign of enemy threats. Hydra was still looking for Erskine and undoubtedly if they found him, they'd find her as well and know she was linked to his experiment.
Still, the change of scenery from a boring load of files was very welcome. There were people conversing outside shops and bars, children running up and down the sidewalk, and automobiles rolling down the streets. Even as she passed the busier part of the street, she was content with what there was to see and hear.
Until she approached a particular alley.
Thump! Thwack!
The unmistakable sound of a beating reached Elise's ears, and a worried frown came across her red lips. Quickening her steps, she hurried to the alley to see a larger man punch down a much smaller figure.
Elise's eyes widened as she realized that she recognized the smaller man. Even bloody, she recognized that face. Steven Rogers.
With a shocked expression, Elise watched as Steven pulled himself up and raised his fists.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" the bigger man sneered in his Brooklyn accent.
"I can do this all day," Steven answered tiredly, stumbling slightly but clearly determined. Elise frowned and quickly ran in her heels towards the bigger man, just as Steven stepped forward to attack him. The big Brooklyn man raised his thick left arm and blocked Steven's punch, winding up his right arm to throw a counter punch.
"Hey!" Elise called loudly, barely a step away from the big man, catching him off guard. Before the big man could react in any way, Elise threw her right fist at his face, in just the way she had been trained. Her fist collided hard with his jaw, hitting him with so much force that the man stumbled and fell to the ground.
From his place to the side, Steven watched in awe.
Fearlessly stepping towards the big man now on his behind and leaning up against the fence behind him, Elise prepared to rip into him. But suddenly, another figure was beside her and grabbing for him. With surprise, she looked to her left to see a dark-haired man in uniform leaning down to grab the bully by the collar of his shirt and hoist him up to his feet.
"Pick on someone your own size!" the man in uniform said, kicking the big bully in the butt and out of the alleyway. Elise watched the man stumble away, and only then did the pain in her hand register. Shaking it slightly at her side, she forced herself to forget about it. Instead, she turned to see the man in uniform in front of Steven, bending down to pick up a folded paper from off the ground.
"Sometimes I think you like getting punched," the dark-haired man said, opening the folded piece of paper in his hands.
Peaking over the man's shoulder, Elise saw it was an enlistment formed. And Steven had been denied, which wasn't a surprise to her.
"I had him on the ropes," Steven answered, squinting his eyes closed in pain as he dabbed his cuts with his jacket sleeve. As he opened his blue eyes again, they landed on Elise.
She offered him a small smile, her eyes taking in each cut and forming bruise on his face.
"Hello again, Steven. It is Steven, isn't it?" Elise asked, her smooth British voice attracting the attention of the tall dark-haired man. His eyes swept over her and then turned back to Steven, who smiled shyly at her.
"Just Steve," he answered, shrugging his left shoulder but then wincing in slight pain. Elise involuntarily took a step towards him, wanting to help his pain, but she caught herself and forced herself to stop abruptly.
Steve didn't seem to notice. He turned to his taller friend and gestured to him with his right hand.
"And this is..." Steve paused, his eyes filling with realization as he looked at his friend in uniform. "Bucky, you get your orders?"
The dark-haired man smiled down at his blonde friend.
"The one-o-seventh. Shipping out for England first thing tomorrow. Sergeant James Barnes, by the way, ma'am," Bucky said with a charming smile, offering his hand to the pretty woman. She seemed to straighten up as she turned to him, taking his hand in a firm handshake. She smiled politely but guardedly.
"A pleasure, Sergeant Barnes. I'm Agent Elise Carter," she said self-assuredly, retracting her hand after a few firm shakes.
Bucky raised his brows slightly and glanced at Steve, who nodded, still looking at the pretty girl that had found him in the alleyway.
"Thank you, Agent Carter," Bucky said, nodding his head towards Steve. "For looking out for him. He was lucky you stepped in."
"Shut up, Bucky," Steve whispered to his friend as he shot him a glare. Elise couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. She could see the special friendship and love between the two men. She was glad Steve had someone like that in his life, though it appeared he would be losing that person tomorrow. This made Elise frown.
"Well, I should be on my way," Elise said, gaining the attention of both men. "It was good to meet you, Sergeant. Good luck in the war," she said, politely smiling at Bucky who nodded and smiled back. She then turned to Steve, her eyes and smile softening into real, genuine care. "And it was nice seeing you again, Steve."
Steve blushed slightly and nodded, glancing embarrassedly at Bucky.
"It was good to see you too, Miss Carter. I-I mean Agent Carter," he amended nervously. Elise smiled, laughing softly.
"Please, call me Elise," she requested, a slightly hopeful look in her brown eyes. Steve stared into them, their warmth finding his heart and warming his chest...and his cheeks. Blushing once again, Steve nodded.
And the beautiful white smile that she gave him only proved to warm his heart more.
"Good bye, Steve," she said softly, beginning to step back, preparing to leave. Steve smiled and nodded, raising a hand to wave once.
"Bye...Elise."
Elise smiled softly and with that, she turned and left the alley to resume her mission: groceries.
Still in the alley, both Steve and Bucky watched the beautiful woman disappear.
"Wow," Bucky finally let out, turning to look at Steve. "And you want to leave her to go to the war?"
Steve sighed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
"She'll be off to England, too. Even she'll be where the action is, and I'll still be stuck here," he said frustratedly. "I should be going."
Bucky sighed inwardly, sadly looking at his friend so down on himself. Forcing a smile, Bucky threw his arm around Steve's neck and pulled him towards the alleyway entrance.
"Come on. It's my last night! Gotta get you cleaned up," he said, removing his arm as he realized how dirty Steve really was.
"Why? Where are we going?" Steve asked confusedly. Bucky smiled and glanced down at the newspaper he had been holding in his hand the entire time.
"The future," he answered, handing Steve the newspaper. Looking down at the paper, Steve unfolded it and studied the article. Staring back at him was an ad for the World Exposition Of Tomorrow, 1943. Finally looking back up at Bucky, he met his friend's excited eyes.
"Come on!" Bucky laughed and threw his arm around Steve's neck again as the two walked out onto the sidewalk.
All Steve could do was follow his best friend...for one more night.