A/N: Hello friends! Don't worry, I haven't abandoned you yet. While I'm waiting for the news to spread about my reboot of my three current stories (Predetermined Fate, Dear Marvel: Captain America, Once Upon a Time), I figured I would post this little 6-8 chapter story. It's basically a Carterson James Bond AU thing I came up with on a whim, and basically, I just want Tom Hiddleston to be James Bond. That was what this was inspired from, but honestly, Peggy makes a better Bond ;) NONETHELESS, please read, review, enjoy a story that I will actually update regularly. Thanks for all of your continued love & support! ~ Zenna

006

PROLOGUE

It was an unusually cold winter for Russia.

Between the war with America, the growing state of unrest, and the poverty levels rising, the country was on the verge of collapsing. There were leaders scattered around the open land, trying to get their feet planted on the snowy ground. However, it seemed that every time a new leader opened up into the light of the weakened government, someone was there to tear them right back to the ground.

Was the country building atomic missiles? Was the country racing to discover new worlds in space? Was the country truly at war with America without firing a single gun? Possibly. But none of that mattered.

The only thing that mattered was the shadows.

The leaders that stayed in the shadows were the ones that thrived and survived to live the next day. They were the ones that moved further up the food chain to engulf the next program. That was how HYDRA and Red Room survived, rebirthing themselves in the middle of the most dangerous time period in history.

From the moment that Dottie Underwood got involved, she knew that she was going to be part of something great. She had trained in Red Room her entire life, and she had faced the American SSR association several times in her past. She was ready for the next step, and that next step was organizing the biggest plan to conquer the world in history. Hitler be damned, the next revolution for Russia would have her name written all over it.

Currently, Dottie was traipsed across one of several boxes while snow cascaded down from the skies. It seemed that the weather would never cease, but in the countless fur coats that Dottie donned, she didn't mind in the slightest. The snow would cover their tracks easier than rain anyway.

"Move those boxes aside!" she commanded from her position over the rest of the Russian agents scattered around her. She was the only one not hastily moving equipment, but she certainly got her two cents in. "We have to make room for the new shipment!"

One of the agents dared to stop, halting his hurried trek across the snowy fields to stare at Dottie in confusion. "But ma'am," he attempted to protest. "We have the meeting tonight."

"I don't care what happens tonight," she retorted, adding an eye roll for good measure. "I am not leaving without my shipment taken care of."

The Russian immediately nodded, not daring to speak up again as he hurried away with a "yes ma'am" mumbled under his breath.

Dottie continued to stare after the man for several seconds, her eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of the agents doing their jobs… the jobs that she assigned them. It was a good feeling. For the first time in her life, she wasn't following orders; she was creating her own.

"When the Leviathan committee meets today," she announced, raising her voice so each and every Russian could hear her. "They will have a new leader to answer to."

She waited for the smiles and cheers to die down before she clambered off of her perch, heading inside to her office. Shrugging off her layers of fur coats, she allowed for a tiny smile to cross her face. Finally, everything was going as planned. Finally, she was going to have her moment in the spotlight. Finally, she was going to take back what was rightfully hers.

However, she wasn't able to bask in her own glory for long before the telephone located on her desk rang. She rang her fingertips across the smooth metal brass before she lifted the modern device to her ear. "Yes?" she purred, expecting one of her many agents to call with a complaint, but when she heard the voice on the other line, her heart leapt into her throat.

"You should really take better care of your agents."

Her hands shook, almost dropping the phone, as she replied, "Yes, sir." She silently cursed herself for conforming to his words so easily, but old habits never died. Her blood chilled in her system as she scrambled for words. "I didn't mean to cause any harm. I just want to rain fire on those-"

"That won't be necessary. I'll be attending the meeting tonight."

If Dottie's heart could sped up any faster, it did.

"But sir," she stammered. "I have it covered."

There was a long pause as if the person on the other end of the line was truly considering her words. But Dottie knew that she no longer stood a chance.

"I'll be there."

As the line went dead, she practically flung the phone back on its receiver in a mix of rage and fear. Whatever plans she had for the future were no longer stable.

…

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Agent Peggy Carter turned to her partner with a skeptical look on her face. After she loaded her last gun, tucking it in her back pocket, she raised an eyebrow in his direction. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; in fact, she trusted him with her life. It was everyone else that she didn't trust.

Since moving back home to London after her time at the SSR, Peggy quickly rose to the top of the ranks at MI6, hiding her face behind her numerous missions. She became the top agent of London, expanding her career in ways that she never thought possible before. However, all of that came to a screeching halt when America contacted her.

It was the height of the Cold War, a war that made America very nervous. Having grown up in the country itself, Peggy felt a strange attachment to the fearless way the government threw themselves head-first into situations that they couldn't control. This time, Peggy wasn't sure the Americans would be able to fight their way out of this one.

That was how she ended up with Agent Loki Odinson of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Working in the SSR had its fair share of time spent alongside the other government agencies, operating in the light while Peggy always preferred the shadows. Nonetheless, the CIA had left a bad taste in her mouth. When her Director decided to involve themselves in this Cold War by assisting the Americans, Peggy didn't complain. When her Director assigned her and only her to the case, Peggy didn't complain. When she discovered who her partner was, Peggy complained.

Agent Loki Odinson was not born and raised in America, nor was he American at all. In fact, he was not even from this Earth. And he made sure to remind Peggy of that daily.

Peggy didn't ask too many questions. The more she knew about his alien situation, the more she knew she would regret asking. She enjoyed living in her own world, even though she knew others existed. Facing the Russians was bad enough without having to worry about Asgardians too.

But Loki was not like every other alien story out there. He was… human. He had human qualities and feelings, and Peggy wasn't sure how exactly to deal with that. Even after working with him for the past two years on the Cold War case, she still wasn't sure how she felt about the abridged man standing next to her.

"You always have a bad feeling about every mission we go on," he pointed out, smirking in her direction. The dark-haired agent finished loading his sniper gun, aiming down the snowbank towards the camp they had just spotted.

Peggy only smirked back towards her partner, learning how to deal with his quips after all this time. "I don't exactly enjoy the company," she lied.

"You wound me. Is it your realistic British self showing again?"

Her smirk turned into a glare as she watched him aim his gun in the direction they needed. "Well, technically, I'm not a fan of Americans," she continued to lie, trying her hardest to get on his nerves. He always got on hers so easily; it was time to return the favor.

"Technically, I am not American," Loki pointed out, not taking his eyes off of their target.

It had been two years, and they had been in the heart of Russia for the past six months. It was only yesterday that they had gotten a lead to the camp that they were currently hovering over, guns shining upon the boxes that littered the snow-covered ground.

"You only remind me of that daily," Peggy retorted, shaking her head. "Why are you helping them, anyway?"

Loki shrugged his shoulders, keeping one eye on the sniper rifle in his hands. "They did not give me much of a choice," he said. "They wanted to cover up the… event, so they did us both a favor."

"They kept you out of jail and kept their asses covered for failing to protect their leader," she responded in disgust, her respect for the Americans slowly draining. "I still don't understand why they gave you a job in the CIA."

"Because I am good at what I do," Loki commented with another smirk. "They did not want the world knowing an alien almost killed their President."

"So they blamed it on the Puerto Ricans instead."

There was a long pause between the two partners as they took in the scene around them, watching the Russian agents below them scramble around. After a moment, Loki moved away from the sniper rifle and sat back on his hands, glancing up at Peggy. They only shared bits and pieces of their lives from time to time, but it was times like these that they were able to truly see each other clearly.

"Do you think the world is ready for the truth?" asked the Asgardian, raising both eyebrows as he awaited Peggy's response.

Peggy only shrugged, dodging the question further. "Working in the SSR really opened my eyes," was all she said in reply.

"You never did tell me why you went back to London."

She pursed her lips together, judging the distance between them. "It's not a story I like to talk about," she snapped, her tone harsher than intended.

"It could not be about Captain America, could it?" he questioned, toeing the line that they had set for each other.

Peggy immediately narrowed her eyes. "I thought we had an agreement. I don't talk about Asgard, or whatever other aliens you claim, and you don't talk about Steve."

"Oh, it was Steve, was it?"

"Shut up."

Loki sighed, unable to fight another smirk creeping up on his lips. "If you are going to continue to be my partner," he said, breaking the tense silence. "Do you not think I deserve to know your background? I have told you mine."

"I wish you hadn't."

But Peggy knew, deep down, that Loki was right. He had shared everything with her ever since the beginning, and she had kept everything to herself. When he was the one with the biggest secret, he shared, and she had said nothing.

She opened her mouth to retract her statement, but Loki cut her off before she could apologize. "For the record, MI6 suits you better," he commented before turning back to his rifle.

"You would say that," she replied dryly, but she still felt the twinge of regret in her stomach.

"Why are you helping the Americans anyway?" he asked after they had lapsed into silence once more. "This war that they are getting themselves into, it does not involve you."

Peggy sighed, running one hand through her own hair. "No, but if your people are idiotic enough, they just might start a World War Three."

"They are not my people," corrected the Asgardian. "I tried to kill their President."

"And?"

"And what? I learned from an oracle on Asgard that your President Truman would only bring destruction on the nine realms."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "You think one person can do that much damage?" she questioned, calling bluff to his story. "A mortal, no less?"

"I never said he was mortal."

Peggy's jaw dropped at his words, trying to process the implication that Loki had just left on the ground before he turned back to his rifle. "What?" she spluttered.

"Target's moving," was all Loki replied, immediately packing up his rifle and slinging it over his shoulder. It was time to cut off the head of Leviathan.

Peggy didn't move from where she stood flabbergasted. "I bloody hate you," she managed to say.

"You love me."

"Why did they even assign me this job?" she snapped, shaking her head in disbelief.

Loki stood up, cracking his back and loading his last handgun. He smirked in her direction, taking her hands. "Because you are my partner, remember?" he said, squeezing her hands gently.

"I'm going to kill my director one of these days for ever thinking that was a good idea."

Loki only let out a tiny chuckle as they glanced into each other's eyes. Both of them knew that this was the moment that they had waited two years for. Both of them knew that this was going to change.

A few moments later, Peggy had successfully found her way inside the building, hiding in the shadows of the Leviathan meeting. Clicking back the trigger, she kept an eye on everyone entering and exiting the room, counting off their names in her head. Their mission was clear: to bring Dottie in without any questions. But Peggy had the horrible feeling that this was going to come down to a life or death situation.

Her walkie talkie crackled to life at its lowest volume, and she turned her head from side to side, making sure that her position was not revealed.

"What do you see."

She sighed, narrowing her eyes as she glanced around the room, not getting much from where she was crouching. "It seems they decided to have a meeting," she said, sparing Loki the details.

"Do you spot Underwood?"

"Yeah," she answered simply. "I've got eyes on her."

"Are you able to get to her? Take her in?"

Peggy sighed, wishing more than anything that she could just shoot everyone in the room and be done with it. But then again, that wasn't the MI6 way. "No," she said. "She's being shadowed by someone. I can't see who."

"Keep an eye out," Loki warned. "I will find the weapons."

"Loki?" she interjected before he could end the call. "Destroy them this time, please. The CIA does not need any more guns."

She could almost hear his smirk on the other side of the line as he replied, "No promises," and ended the call without another word.

Peggy continued to watch as Dottie Underwood herself sauntered to the front of the room, placing her hands delicately on the table. She seemed to have a plan set in motion, but Peggy noticed that her hands kept shaking. Something was wrong here.

Nonetheless, Dottie begun her speech with a steady, commanding voice, one that Peggy had never encountered before. This was a changed Dottie Underwood, and that terrified her for what might happen next.

"As I am sure you are all well aware, there are weapons stored outside for your arsenals," Dottie began, earning the attention of every man and woman in the room, even Peggy. "Our plan is to infiltrate the Americans and taken them down before they even-"

Dottie didn't even get to finish her sentence before he arrived.

Peggy frowned as the doors swung open, allowing sunlight to spread in the corners of the room, shining a pathway through the shadows. She winced and ducked further behind the rail, hoping that she wasn't seen. However, the person that walked in clicked his heels on the tiled ground, announcing his presence to everyone in the room. Dottie immediately stiffened up, her hands now shaking frantically. And that was when Peggy realized that this was the moment that Dottie was terrified for.

"Before they even knew what hit them?" the newcomer spoke, allowing for a dry laugh to appear between his pursed lips. "That is not a very solid plan, Dottie."

Dottie's eyes widened as she took a step back from the long table, her gaze darting to each of the members sitting in the chairs for support. When she received none, most likely out of fear, she turned to the newcomer with a frightened shake of her head.

"Sir, I only meant-"

"I have a better plan," he interrupted once again.

However, this time, the man swiftly pulled out a gun, shooting Dottie point blank in the head. Peggy's hands flew to her mouth in shock, almost dropping her gun as she did so, at the change in events. This changed everything. MI6 wouldn't have what they originally wanted, and she needed to get back to Loki before anything else happened. If Dottie was dead, Leviathan had a new leader now, and it was the man that she could barely see from the shadows.

"How about we control them?" the newcomer continued, cleaning off the barrel of his gun before tucking it back in his coat pocket. "Anyone opposed?"

He glanced around the room, searching everyone's eyes for a sense of loyalty. When he was satisfied that everyone was on board, he turned away from the table, ignoring Dottie's corpse lying on the ground. A wicked smile crossed his face a moment later.

"Good." There was a long pause in which Peggy shifted, prepared to head back outside, but she never got that far. "Now," the man continued, turning exactly to face her. "If someone would like to bring me Agent Carter from the shadows over there, we can conclude this meeting."

…..

Outside the building, Loki had taken down all of the agents surrounding the building for protection, scattering their unconscious bodies across the snow. He shivered, despite his heritage, and turned back to the fire that he had just started. Grabbing one of the last boxes, he was just about to throw the weapons in the fire when his walkie talkie buzzed.

He threw the box anyway, ignoring the loud clang and pop it made when coming into contact with the flames, before he grabbed his device. "Peggy?" he answered quickly. "What is going on in there?"

"Peggy can't come to the phone right now. May I take a message?"

In an instant, Loki knew the plan had gone to shit. His blood froze in his veins, and his hands grew sweaty, almost dropping the walkie talkie into the frozen snow below his boots. If this man, whoever he was, had his hands on Peggy, that meant that their end game wasn't Dottie, after all. It was bigger than they had imagined, and they had walked into a trap.

In another split second, Loki grabbed one of his guns from his pants holster, prepared to shoot anyone who dared to come near him while he spoke to the unknown man on the other end.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his voice shaking in worriment.

There was a slight crackle and then, "A mutual acquaintance." Another pause. "You need to drop this, Agent Odinson, before things get messy."

Loki didn't move, his breathing growing harsher as he realized the gravity of their mistake. They could have just set off the war that they were trying so hard to avoid. "Put Peggy back on," he attempted to say calmly. "And we can figure this out. You have my word."

"I warned you, Agent Odinson. I'm afraid you've already said your last goodbye."

There was a slight shuffle before Loki heard the dreaded sound. A gun shot, followed by a thud of a body hitting the ground. "No!" he practically screamed into the device before rage consumed his system. He knew he was outgunned, but he was fully prepared to storm into the building in front of them, setting everyone ablaze with their weapons.

"Stay out of my affairs, Agent Odinson, and I shall stay out of yours."

There was one last crunching sound in which Loki knew the man had destroyed the device on the other end. Loki, however, threw his own walkie talkie into the snow, shattering it on impact. He had failed. He had failed his partner. He had failed America and this world that he now resided in. And now, she was dead.

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he realized what he had just done. He had lost the one thing that brought even a glimmer of hope in his life. He had lost his only friend.

And it was his fault.