I know my value

          that  was  something  that  sam  understood  on  a  deeper  level  than  he  thought  he  ever  would.  coming  back  from  being  basically  blinked out  of  existence  had  been  confusing  on  a  lot  of  levels,  but  then  to  immediately  get  warped  back  in  time  ?  he  could  only  imagine  how peggy  felt,  considering  that  she  was  really  decades  ahead  of  anything.  “  probably  more  complicated,  ”  he  acknowledged  with  a  tilt  of  his  head,  “  but  you'll  get  your  footing.  the  roads  all  lead  to  different  things  now,  but  still  have  a  lot  of  stuff  that  i  think  you'd  remember.  maybe  just  on  a  larger  scale.  "  still  a  bit  of  a  shock,  but  familiarity  helped  a  lot  with  rapidly  changing  things  he'd  found.

"  where  was  your  favorite  place  to  go  ?  they  probably  still  have  it,  and  we  can  take  a  field  trip.  or  i  can  give  you  a  little  tour  of  the  next  couple  of  blocks.  there's  a  good  pizza  place,  if  you're  hungry.  ”  sam  was  stalling,  given  that  he  needed  to  be  back  at  the  tower  helping,  or  at  least  attempting  to,  but  peggy  looked  so  out  of  sorts  it  didn't  seem  right  to  just  leave  her  there.  though  after  all  that  he'd  heard  about  her  he  was  positive  that  she  could  fend  for  herself.

The Agent liked Sam’s way of thinking. Indeed, the city was different and even wilder now, but it still had the same heart. “I suppose it would be far more disorienting to be brought to a different time in a place I don’t know at all. There are some familiar points, and they do help.” Peggy was eager to find out about all that was new, and even more anxious to investigate the forces that were bringing people here. She could often forget to look for the comfort of what was known in the middle of it.

She smiled at the question about her favorite place. The answers came to her immediately, warm and bittersweet. “It’s a tie. I have many fond memories of the L&L Automat. The restaurant is no longer open, but it was a good spot for a quick meal, and it’s where I met my ex. Even if I’m not with her anymore, she’s still one of my favorite people.” After waking up in 2012, Peggy had considered researching the future of her loved ones, Angie included, but she decided against it. Unless they were somehow connected to what she was facing now, it was wiser to not know the details. 

|

The Agent’s simplification was the perfect summary, but it somehow lacked an oomph! “That’s a way to put it…” However, as Peggy eluded to his family, Billy couldn’t help a small but genuine smile. “Same here,” he admitted before letting out a soft sigh as he attempted to silently convince himself that he’d see them again.

Her laughter was soft, reassuring, helping the young man relax in his seat rather than feeling like he was being laughed at. Her encouraging words causing a bashful smile to his lips as his gaze looked away from hers in embarrassment. “I guess, yea…” He couldn’t help but wondering if people like Martian Manhunter, Superman, Supergirl, Batman… Billy would have to work better at hiding his doubts.

Peggy’s validation caused Billy to blush slightly, shrugging dismissively as she complimented him. “It does, it’s pretty fun too,” he said with controlled enthusiasm when the Agent noted it must’ve come in handy to be able to fly. As she further questioned the immortals that had put forth their power for the Champion, Billy sighed. “I can’t completely comprehend just yet, so I don’t blame you… But they are real.” Freddie had always been better at retaining that information. It did catch his attention that she mentioned what the average person would think of as a myth. “What are they doing here?” If their powers didn’t work, there was a possibility his own abilities wouldn’t either. 

As Peggy asked about the Rock of Eternity, Billy sighed, pausing when their order was brought to the table. “Thank you…” He waited until they were alone again to answer. “I need to… change… But yea, I can invoke it. I just need a door.” He listened to her words, nodding slightly as he drank from his soda. “Like a rescue mission? Find and retrieve?” he asked. “How many people are here misplaced from their reality? What if more come through when we think we return everyone though?” Perhaps he was being greedy. He wanted his family, he wanted to help those around him, he wanted to go home and he wanted to help whoever may find themselves in the same situation… Peggy’s stern determination caused Billy to sit straight in his seat feeling something warm spreading over his chest. “Let me help you,” he asked, moved by her decision.

Every hour at this world, at this time, threw new forms of impossibility at Peggy. Even if processing information was one of her specialties, she would need some time to truly come to terms with some of the things she was learning. Multiple mythological figures being real and directly interacting with and influencing the world around her certainly counted as one of those things. “I believe Thor has somehow joined the Avengers, the new superhero group protecting Earth from other-wordly threats... Such as his brother, Loki, who has some evil plan I am still not aware of. And the Avengers are a new team in 2012, but it seems most of them were now brought here from about ten years in the future?” 

Being kept out of key information wasn’t news to Peggy, though. If she needed to figure things out, she would find a way. Speaking of which... Billy’s ability to use doors in and out of any place could be part of the answer they were looking for, if they were lucky. She thanked the waiter for her tea and took a sip from it, nodding along with what the boy said. “Yes, it might be that, but I don’t have a clear vision of what is happening yet. I am no idea what we will need, of what could work.” She sighed when Billy asked how many were dislocated. “I would guess dozens, at least. Could be many more.” She had a lot of research to do and countless questions with no answers. 

Peggy drank some of her tea before adressing his worries. “That is a significant risk. We can’t be careless with any steps we take here, not when we are poking at the very fabric of reality.” She smiled at how eager to help he sounded, happy to see his resolve, but she needed to make sure Billy knew how dangerous this was. Of course, they were both already involved and affected by it, but actively fighting this unknown force would mean a whole other level of exposure to the risks. “Whatever has the power to displace several people across time, space and even different realities... No matter how much we try to prepare, this fight will cost a lot. Maybe more than we are able to imagine. If, at any point, a path out of this situation appears, the smartest thing would be to take it.” Of course, as determined as Peggy was to go back to her own time and continue her work there, she wouldn’t leave until she saw this chaos handled. It was stronger than her. Maybe she wouldn’t even make that much of a difference, but everyone counts when a fight is that big.

    really, it shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise that loki was taking a bit more of a thrill out of this chaos than most others would. sure, it would be easy to help with his magic, perhaps even reassure people that everything was going to be perfectly fine. but where was the fun in any of that?? pausing in his rather dramatic statements that were currently being made to some of the people milling about the area, loki shifted his attention to the person who had spoken, a sly grin already beginning to form. “i think i have everything well under hand, actually. i was just informing these wonderful people they could do anything right now without much consequence. chaos and all that.” 

Oh, just what she needed. A jerk who took joy in the desperation of everyone around them. Bloody brilliant. “I can think of plenty of consequences to doing whatever you want in this sort of chaos.” From Peggy’s personal experience, the stakes became higher when disorder took over, and what happened in the middle of turmoil could leave consequences for the rest of someone’s life. “It might be under control soon, but people are far from safe here.” Even with the help of all of the heroes, there could be new storms and earthquakes at any moment, or even other forms of disaster. Peggy was almost mad at herself for wasting time talking to this person instead of continuing the work.

|

She definitely did not catch his reference… Seeing how well Peggy was taking it made Billy get the sense that the woman before him had to have some kind of knowledge of… the extraordinary. There was something else, however, in the way she asked questions, the patience in her tone. Freddie would’ve probably disagreed with what Billy was about to do. Hell! His friends and comrades from the Justice League probably would’ve had a complain or two… But he was all alone, and at least this woman, seemed willing to listen. If he had to run, he would.

“I wasn’t born like this, it was given to me when I was chosen as Champion of the last member of the Council of Wizards… It’s a long, convoluted story,” Billy realized outloud. “Magic is a thing, yes… I share mine with my siblings,” he confessed as the leg that had been bouncing under the table stopped abruptly. 

As she moved to question his abilities, he chuckled. “Not really…” he answered when Peggy asked if he could do whatever he wanted. “You’re thinking I’m cooler than I actually am. I rarely know what I’m doing,” he noted, shifting to scribble down with the crayon. “The wisdom of Solomon. The strength of Hercules. The stamina of Atlas. The power of Zeus. The courage of Achilles. The speed of Mercury,” Billy recited lowly, outlining his name as he went along. “I can fly though,” he offered, still wanting Peggy to think he was cool. “We have a place, the Rock of Eternity, from within, we can be transported wherever we think of…” Billy trailed off, looking up. If he tried it, and it worked, he could help her go back home too. “I never tried time travelling, but there were some doors that led to some… pretty unorthodox dimensions.” It was the best way he could think to put it. “Are you sure this wasn’t caused by any of the Flash Squad? Have you ever heard of Booster Gold?” He couldn’t see how he’d be blamed for suspecting them. 

.

Peggy tried to keep up with what Billy told her, but there were a lot of unfamiliar names and concepts involved. By the end, she was satisfied with understanding the general idea, and taking the risk to trust Billy with the rest. “It certainly changes one’s life, encountering worlds beyond human and becoming a part of them.” She didn’t know how old the boy was, but he seemed quite young. He sounded familiar with all of those absurd concepts, so he might have been ‘chosen as Champion’ at a rather young age. When he mentioned having siblings, Peggy smiled, even if she wasn’t sure of how literal that word was for him. “I’m glad you didn’t have to handle it alone, then.” She commented, her voice a bit lower and a bit kinder. 

When Billy talked about his powers not being so cool, Peggy laughed along. “Being able to do something and not knowing what you’re doing aren’t mutually exclusive, you know. I figure most people don’t have the faintest idea of what they are doing most of the time, even people with the ability to do the unthinkable. Even the big names with bigger powers have their moments of cluelessness, though they might hide it well.” In her time, Peggy was used to working with (or against) some of the most powerful people in the planet, and they were often improvising, or having something blow up on their faces.

The list of mythological names surprised Peggy, but it shouldn’t have. Apparently, there was no story wild enough that it couldn’t come true. “That is a pretty respectable list of powers, Billy. Cool enough for me. And flying must come in handy a lot, too.” She shook her head, wondering if the volume of information would give her a migraine soon. “But I have to ask, are the names only figurative or are Zeus, Mercury and the entire Pantheon real too? I have just learned about Loki and Thor walking around Manhattan, so I’m trying to stay ready for anything.”

This Rock of Eternity traveling method highly interested Peggy. “Now, that must be useful. Can you access it from anywhere as well? If it can take you through time, it could solve some of our current problems, maybe. Hopefully it can be a way to get you home, when things get ugly here.” There was no if there. Even if Peggy knew too little about the situation, she knew there was no way it wouldn’t get worse and more dangerous very soon. “I have never heard of either of them, but I wouldn’t rule out any possibilities. I myself am a bit clueless about all that is happening, but I intend to investigate everything I can.” She had already started, but she needed more resources.

ever since he’d realized this wasn’t the afterlife, bucky had admittedly had kind of a hard time adjusting. there was a lot to be done, and it was a lot more than he felt like he could actually help with. all he could try to do was settle in and find his place in all of this, and that was what he was working on. he was walking when none other than peggy carter stopped in front of him. his eyes grew wide, his eyebrows going up a bit. “agent carter. i think if anyone’s eyes are betraying them, it’s definitely mine. you’re as young as you were when i met you,” he said, looking her over. 

when she hugged him, he couldn’t help but hug her back, wrapping his arms tight around her. it wasn’t every day his past came up in a positive way like this. “it’s good to see you, too, peggy,” he returned. from what he knew, she was an old woman currently, so seeing her in this state was definitely not what he expected. “how long have you been here?” he asked, pulling back to look at her. 

.

“A week ago, I was in 1949. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how that happened, but this time just keeps throwing new information at me at a faster pace than I can comprehend it.” As used as she was to chaos, Peggy had never had to process so much in such a short time. It was part of her job to know about the world, to handle intelligence, and she was doing her best to adapt, but that was still quite the challenge. “I don’t know what I expected from the future, but this is... more, somehow.” 

PEGGY CARTER.

          his  head  turned  slightly  at  the  posed  question,  easy  grin  slipping  onto  his  lips  in  response.  “  you  get  used  to  it.  it's  called  the city  that  never  sleeps  for  a  reason,  after  all.  "  sam  could  completely  understand  why  or  how  someone  could  get  overwhelmed,  after  all,  being  blipped  out  of  exisistence  only  to  get  back  mid  -  fight  and  then  sucked  back  to  2012   –––  he'd  at  least  been  alive  to  live  through  2012  the  first  time  and  it  had  only  given  him  a  sense  of  nostalgia.  ”  it  gets  easier  once  you  learn  where  to  go  and  how  to  get  there.  “

That had been true for a long time, long enough that even Peggy could recognize the city’s nickname. “It has always been quite hectic here, at least since the first time I saw it. It just got much more complicated in the last 60 years.” Peggy always tried to take whatever she was given and do the best she could with it, and usually she had too little information, too little credit, too little space. She had to fight her way up or sneak her way in, just in order to do her job. Now, for the first time, there was too much. 

|

Not the same world… For some reason, the thought of crocodiles playing poker on the other side of a floating door came to mind. Billy swallowed the knot that had formed in his throat, walking a little quicker to catch up with Peggy. “I think I would’ve heard of him… Then again, he sounds like someone I know…” Everyone remembered the day Superman fell where he came from. The whole world mourned him… Had there been anyone like who Peggy had described so amicably, Freddie would’ve long taught Billy about him.

“But hey, at least your friend is back, right?” He asked with a shrug of his shoulders. It was always better to look out for the positive, or so he had learned. “Me?” He asked as they took a seat, visibly startled. “I’m not, definitely not.” Too bad his most sincere truth sounded like a lie. He further paused as she asked him for his superhero alias. “I’m not him, I know him,” he lied, trying to avoid her gaze. When Billy finally looked over his menu at Peggy, she was directing him to order. “Philly cheese steak sandwich, extra onions with waffle fries… and a Mountain Dew,” he ordered as he inwardly pondered on the cons and pros of trusting Peggy with the truth.

Once they were left alone once more, Billy shifted in place. If shit hit the fan, he’d fight his way out and straight to the Rock of Eternity. “It’s more like a WWE wrestler’s name rather than an actual title,” he tried to joke, looking around. “I can’t say it…” Looking to the table behind them that had yet to be cleaned out after it’s last use, Billy grabbed a broken red crayon before spreading a napkin between him and Peggy. He paused, his gaze looking up to her as he hesitated because…. Jesus Christ, he was going to sound insane! Quickly, Billy attempted to find the most compact, easiest way to explain the situation. “I’m a wizard, Peggy.” He decided, dropping the crayon with which he had been about to create visual representation of the word he used to change and the wizard, along with the Rock of Eternity. That statement—although a meme—was as easiest as he could sum it up.

.

“Yes, the world is most definitely better with him around.” She didn’t mean that only in the sense of Steve being a good person - which he were, of course. Peggy meant it when she said humanity was safer with Steve Rogers fighting for it. Then, as the conversation focused on Billy again, the agent raised an eyebrow at the obvious lie. The boy had just bragged about being this Captain Marvel, and now he was claiming to only know him. Instead of pointing out the incoherence, she decided to wait and see where he would go from there.

Peggy only ordered a tea for herself and watched as the waiter walked away. Then, her attention shifted back to Billy. So, he wasn’t actually in the military, which made sense. It wasn’t just his age. Billy didn’t act like someone who had been in the army, not even when he sounded like he had seen a lot. When he grabbed the crayon, Peggy was expecting him to write down some sensitive information, anything that one might avoid saying out loud in public spaces. It looked like a wise choice, and Carter was beginning to hope that something here would make sense. Then, he spoke.

Well, what exactly she was expecting? The kid showed up from another world, in the middle of a cemetery, more unaware of the current state of this world than Peggy herself, and talking of magic, metahumans, bats and kryptonians, or whatever that meant. He was either insane or from a completely different reality, and Carter had seen enough absurdity to guess it was the second option. “Okay, walk me through it.” She replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Were you born a wizard or did you become one? Are wizards common in your world?” The air of mystery when he talked about it made Peggy suppose they were rather rare in his reality, but she wouldn’t be surprised to be wrong.

“And what exactly does that mean, being a wizard? Can you just do anything you want?” Peggy wouldn’t exactly trust his every word - he had already lied to her at least twice in less than an hour - but nobody would be completely sincere in that situation, and she didn’t take it personally. She hadn’t shared everything yet either, but she had already said more than she originally intended. The more Billy told her, truth or not, the more she would be able to learn about him and his universe. “Do your abilities include teleportation, time travel or such activities?” She had a small smile, but that was her biggest interest about the whole wizard thing. If Billy could travel through time, space or even different realities, he could very helpful in finding a way out of this situation. Or maybe he was even involved in creating it, who knows?

|

Listening to Peggy—now revealing to an agent of an agency she had curiously not named—, Billy nodded slowly as he attempted to rehatch whatever he’d learned about history. Only thing that he was reminded of was that he hated school. At least her words did hint at having worked with alien technology. For that moment, he had hoped she meant Kryptonian technology… Billy also noted somewhat of a disbelief in magic, but he would keep that ace up his sleeve for now. 

“I guess?” he answered when she asked about metahumans, arching a brow and shrugging his shoulders. What caught him by surprise was her claiming to have work with him and mispronouncing the name. “Um… Do you mean Captain Marvel? Because, I promise you I know him and… he does not know you.” Sketchy? Sure, but she’d hit him in the ego. “I was definitely not alive in 1949,” Billy added for good measure. 

He did notice how her voice pitched a little, suddenly feeling guilty. At least, Billy was more familiar to the world, or so he imagined. “It’s not a big deal,” he tried to reassure, trying to lighten the mood. He even kept it together when she admitted not knowing what Kryptonians were, shrugging it off. Having not expecting her to offer, Billy hesitated. Then again, it was free food. “Yea… Alright…” He watched her for a moment before silently following after her. After all, he had no better plans so far. 

.

Not expecting that answer at all, Peggy had to hold back the laughter. “Oh, Billy, I don’t know who you are, but I can assure you, we do not come from the same world.” She shook her head, looking back to make sure he was following her as she reached the restaurant. “I can tell you that because, wether you’re in the late 1940′s or the early 2010′s, or early 2020′s for that matter, everyone in this version of the United States has heard of Captain America.” She had a playful smile for a moment, but the thought of a world without Steve was also a bit disturbing. Her smile died down as she continued. 

“Technically, Captain Steve Rogers wasn’t alive in 1949 either, but he was a few years before that, fighting nazis and saving thousands of lives.” Again, public knowledge was a safe route to go, but she didn’t mind getting just a bit personal. They were both a long way from home, and she would have to give a little more if she wanted Billy to tell her about himself as well. She entered the restaurant and took a seat on an empty table, pushing the menu towards the opposite chair so Billy could take it. It would be easier to talk about it if she had something to pretend to look at, so she grabbed a copy of the menu for herself. 

“That’s how he went down, you know. Saving others. I was the last person to speak to him before he crashed his plane on the ocean, staying frozen and presumed dead for... About 70 years, I believe. From what I’ve gathered, it was only a while ago that they managed to bring him back.” She smiled to herself, devided between the painful memories and the joy of knowing that Steve was alive, saving the world no matter what was thrown his way. That’s where he belonged, not in a block of ice at the bottom of the ocean. 

“You can confirm this in libraries, museums or even on phones, I think. He’s somewhat of a living legend now, but he’s also an old friend of mine, someone I would recognize at any place or time... And I won’t be surprised if you’re more metahuman than you show at first sight, Billy Batson, but we can both agree that you are not Steve.” She used his own word for supers, since it seemed to fit. Peggy did her best to stay in ‘investigator mode’, instead of paying attention to some flashbacks that she would rather avoid at the moment. 

“Now, when you say you’re Captain Marvel, who exactly are you talking about? You look a bit young for a Captain, but time has been behaving erratically.” ‘A bit young’ was an euphemism. In her eyes, Billy was a kid, even if he might be kid with powers. “Order your food first, though, and tell me about it after, if you feel inclined to.” She wouldn’t answer more questions until she got some answers too, but either way the boy needed to eat. 

Had anyone gone missing at home? Why couldn’t he remember anything else other than that last fight? Either way, her words gave Billy hope. His breathing returned to normal, his heart steadily returning to it’s usual pace. It’d be fine. Even if he didn’t find anyone he knew, Billy could assess the situation and change when he was sure he’d be safe. All he had to do was find his way to the Rock of Eternity… “So… you’re a civilian from the past?” Billy questioned, now focusing on the stranger, growing somewhat wary of her.

Especially when she tried to dodge his question. “I mean, that depends, doesn’t it? Was your work linked to metahumans or magic?” Billy asked more directly as his muscles tensed. He might’ve look like a wretch, and might’ve not been able to do much as Billy Batson, but that one word laid comfortably in his tongue, ready to slip past his lips. “Who are you?” he questioned when she promised he wasn’t alone. It was almost comical how the mere thought of loneliness was now painful when it had been his shield for so long…

Disappointment overwhelm Billy as her reaction to the idea of the Batman told him all the young man needed to hear. A world without Batman…. Life had never seemed so bleak. “Let me guess… no Kryptonians here either.” She was wrong: Billy was all alone. “I can eat… I have twenty bucks on me…”

.

So, the kid was lost, but he was also smart. At least smart enough to notice that she was omitting relevant information. Peggy would have to give him a little more if she wanted to earn his trust and make sure he didn’t starve in a city that was unknown to him. “I am from the past, but I am not a civilian. I am Agent Peggy Carter, and I served in World War II, amongst some other events. I don’t think I have encountered any sort of magic, but I have worked with some rather advanced science, which might look like magic to the lay eye.” The technology she had seen since appearing in 2012 was impressive, but Peggy was able to handle the shock because she was used to seeing the limits of reality bend.

“When you say metahumans, are you referring to heroes and supersoldiers?” Peggy wasn’t familiar with this century’s terminology for superpowerful people. She decided not to mention her involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. yet, but she could at least speak of what was public knowledge, like Steve’s story. For the first time in years, she could talk about him without the weight of him being gone. “If so, then yes, I have worked with them. I fought along Captain America in my time. In fact, I just learned that he was rescued and is fighting again. Back in 1949, I had no idea this would ever be possible.” Her voice almost broke in the last sentence, but she tried not to show it. If he knew anything about this world, he would know of Steve Rogers.

Now, that was already way more honesty than she had intended to offer. If Billy didn’t believe her then, there wasn’t much more she could do, even if she understood his wariness. She could easily be the villain behind whatever was happening, for all he knew. “I have never heard of Kryptonians, but that doesn’t tell you much. I am new to this time, and there are people from... Other places showing up. I wish I could give you details, but I barely understand it myself.” She smiled when he mentioned how much money he had. “Save your money, Billy. This meal is on me. Now, let’s go, you can interrogate me on the way.” She didn’t wait for his response, walking out of the cemetery and hoping he would follow. That was an awful place to make acquaintances.

he tried not to be too amused by their weapon discussion. all she needed was something that could shoot at targets? tony certainly had that, and much, much more to offer. “i’m sure we can manage to find you something,” he said with a grin. “we’ll head there in a bit,” he suggested. a small smile spread on his lips at that word. lovely. no one had ever used that word to describe him. it felt nice. “i do what i can. no worries, you can take your time. i can help pay for the apartment even when you’re out of it so your present day self still has it when you inevitably go home,” he said with a smile.

it was funny. for years, tony hadn’t really considered himself the leader of the avengers at all. a benefactor, he joked, but not a leader. once steve left, he really did become the leader, in every sense of the word. it wasn’t always easy, but he was happy to do it. the avengers were his life. “it can be difficult, but they’re good people. it’s not so much about the excitement as it is about the good we can do,” he said with a smile. 

“food would be good. i always work up an appetite. have you ever had shawarma? i know a great place,” he offered. technically, he didn’t know if that qualified as a snack, but he thought it was a good idea nonetheless. “we haven’t figured out much with it either. i think shield was using it as an energy source. you need a weapon to use the stones. the scepter had the mind stone, so loki could use it in the battle of new york. they’re powerful,” he explained. “there are six of them; the space stone, which is the tesseract, the mind stone, the time stone, the reality stone, the soul stone, and the power stone. they each have their own abilities, but thanos made a powerful weapon to use the stones with, and was able to erase half the universe. that’s why we came back here initially. we needed to get the stones so we could use them to bring everyone back.” it sounded crazy, probably because it was. he could recognize that. 

ah, yes, steve. it hadn’t crossed his mind yet, but it figured that he’d come up. “technically, i wasn’t initially invited to the avengers. something about not being a team player. but when loki arrived and stole the tesseract, they were out of options. steve had just woken up a little while ago, and they wanted him in. he is a team player, as i’m sure you know. natasha romanoff and clint barton are shield agents, or they were. shield had to make sure they had their own in the avengers, but they’re both great, despite initial reservations. dr. bruce banner has seven phds, and also conveniently turns into the hulk. thor wasn’t actually invited, either. he crashed our ship when we had loki in tow. loki is his sibling, you see, but he joined us anyway,” he explained. “we were the original group, but there’s quite a few more members now. though, we kind of split up, but that’s another story,” he said with a frown. he didn’t need to get into the accords right now. 

where to start with iron man. he figured he could start with the beginning, but that wasn’t as fun of a story as it seemed like it would be. he licked his lips, keeping his head forward as they walked. “when i was twenty-one, howard and maria died, and i took over stark industries. i transformed the company, and it became the largest tech conglomerate in the world. with that, i took on a lot of government contracts and created a lot, and i mean a lot, of weapons,” he started. “i had the honor of visiting a base overseas, and while i was there, we were attacked with my weapons, and i was held hostage. i was only able to escape because i created an iron man suit.” 

he cleared his throat. it wasn’t easy going over how he became iron man, and he still felt a lot of guilt for all the damage he’d caused over the years. “i have this,” he said, tapping on the arc reactor, “because it’s keeping a piece of shrapnel from piercing my heart. it also powers my suit. i stopped making weapons becaue i didn’t want to hurt people. and i became iron man because i had a lot of wrongs to right. now it’s just who i am. it is a hard and intense life, but time and time again the world has proven that it needs someone to protect it, and i can usually answer that call as iron man.” 

“Oh, I still have the war pension, my retirement money and some other funds... I’m sure she, I mean, I will be fine on that area. I would indeed like to keep the apartment as it is. My future self could probably use the sense familiarity when she is back, even if she doesn’t stay there for long.” Peggy was aware of what was about to happen to her 92 years old self, having seen the nursing home papers and the medical documents. It was strange to see how you would grow old and ill, but Peggy also had the peace of mind of knowing she would live through plenty. She had to get back to her time and continue the work, even if she might do a few things differently thanks to this new perspective of the future. 

It was good to see Anthony talk about his team. He clearly cared about them. Peggy couldn’t wait to see the tower and meet them all, but first, they needed a meal. “I don’t think I have, but this is a day for new experiences.” She laughed, following him. The infinity stones and unearthly conflicts were a lot to keep up with, but the plan made sense in such desperate times. “So, from what I gather, you managed to finally undo what Thanos had done and defeat him, but that was when people started being brought here, right? Do you believe this has anything to do with Thanos or the stones, or the moments the team traveled to?” Peggy was enjoying getting to know Anthony and the events that took them to that point, but she couldn’t help trying to piece together what was going on. 

She shook her head, then, focusing on what he told her about the Avengers. Peggy could see Steve waking up and taking such a role of leadership right away, going from one war to another. Even after 70 years on ice, Captain America wouldn’t let himself have a break. “I would say so, yes. I don’t think he would be capable of giving up on a fight, not when he is needed.” He went for lost causes, and he turned the table, no matter how many beatings he had to take. There was an easy smile on Peggy’s face when she talked about him, and for once not a painful one. She had spent so long in grieving Steve... It was wonderful to see him have a new chance.

“Now, you might not have started as their leader, but the role fits you well. The Avengers are lucky to have you, Anthony.” From Peggy’s point of view, he was too modest about his own capacity to guide the group. Just seeing him talk about the particularities and strenghts of each of them, it was clear how well he knew his team, easily able to synthesize who they were as individuals and together. “It really is an impressive team. Covers all the bases.” It was nice to hear that there were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents among them. It made sense, and it filled her with pride. And then, Peggy wasn’t surprised to hear about them being devided at some point. To keep that group together for over a decade, while constantly defending the planet from all kinds of threats, would be quite unlikely. She had the impression that there was more to that story, but she wouldn’t push, more interested in hearing about Anthony himself.

She became more somber when she heard of Howard and Maria passing away. She knew they were gone, of course, and Peggy hadn’t even met Maria yet in her time, but she didn’t have the details or the date. If they were gone when Tony was so young... Well, he could tell her about that in his own time, if he wished to. The thought of losing her wild, lively friend put a bitter taste in her mouth, but almost everyone she knew was now deceased. “I am sorry that you went through that. Witnessing war is something that stays with you forever.” She could only imagine the trauma he faced, along with the guilt.

|

New York. Why would he’d gone there? Unless the Justice League had called him there… Had they been battling? Was he stuck in a Sinestro nightmare? Doctor Crane’s gas was also a possibility… “A pocket what?” Was she playing PokemonGo? The more she spoke, the more confused Billy grew. “Pulled?” he asked, having caught that one word and using it as anchor. He could work with that—as fantastical as it might’ve sounded to others. The Rock of Eternity had long ago shattered Billy’s reality. “Why? What did you do?” he asked. There had to be some kinda connection. He could turn into a superhero, this woman had to be just as extraordinary… didn’t she? “Billy Batson… I don’t think so.” He had jumped times, which caused him to think of Booster Gold. The asswhooping he’d give Booster if the time traveling conman was behind it would be one for the books. “… unless you’ve heard of anyone dressed as a bat around?” 

Peggy’s heart ached at how clueless the kid looked in that situation. Her lack of knowledge of 2010′s technology didn’t help. “Forgive me, I am a bit lost here as well. Not in the city itself, I was actually working here... But in a different year, until I suddently showed up at another part of town, and another date too. It seems to be happening to plenty of people for the last few months. Some civilians, some powerful.” Peggy didn’t know if the kid was somehow involved in the extraordinary conflicts centered in NYC, but powerful could be interpreted in different ways depending on where you are coming from. That was enough to let him know that the current events were beyond human, if he was aware of the existence of that entire world. 

Now, his next question was harder to respond. Peggy couldn’t just say ‘I was founding S.H.I.E.L.D. along with Howard Stark half a century ago’, as that would make her a terrible spy, but Billy probably needed some sort of reassurance. She wouldn’t assume he was helpless, of course. Peggy had met gleeful little girls who also happened to be trained assassins, so appearances didn’t tell her much, but even if he could do a lot, he didn’t know what was going on there. “I’m still not sure if my work had anything to do with me being brought here, or if it is completely random. You are not alone in this, though, Billy. There are plenty of people working on understanding what is happening.” She couldn’t promise that all would be well, but she trusted the people fighting this thing, and she would join her as soon as she could. In a certain way, she already had.

Now, that last part took her by surprise. What sort of nonsense was Billy expecting to find there? “I have seen my fair share of peculiar costumes, but I’m afraid a bat doesn’t ring any bells.” It was a strange go-to, but not the worse she had heard of. Perhaps Billy’s bat was around town as well, and it would be only a matter of time before Peggy met them. This was New York, after all. Anything goes. “Would you like to get out of this cemetery? I am all done here, and there is a lovely restaurant right around the corner. I could use something to eat right now.” Peggy figured that some food would help handle the stress, and Billy most likely didn’t have anywhere to go for that.

          ‘  take  these  ,   aunt  peggy  -  ’    she  says  as  she  hands  her  aunt  a  pair  of  sunglasses  .   shannon  hopes  her  aunt  doesn’t  freak  out  by  her  saying  aunt  ,   hopes  she  recognizes  her  despite  shannon  now  being  30  .    ‘  it  just  means  you  aren’t  getting  too  old  to  do  stuff  .   and  -  we’re  very  attached  to  our  phones  .   we’re  ,   as  some  might  say  ,   desensitized  to  most  of  this  stuff :   the  crowds  ,   the  lights  .   makes  us  still  feel  alive  no  matter  how  dark  the  world  is  getting  .  ’