I will try to post a new chapter every other week (or sooner) as my big girl job is considered essential, and they've got us pulling six days right now. Also, this is going to be the beginning of the deviation between some of the cannon in the movies as Hermione becomes more involved.
In this chapter I just want to explain that I never completely understood why everyone thought Steve could just jump into taking down Hydra bases after being on tour with the USO. Because training is a thing, even for super soldiers. Small stuff like call signs, land navigation, securing and holding a position, fire-team formations, and riding a MOTORCYCLE (because we all know broke Steve and Bucky didn't have the funds to get a drivers license in Brooklyn) without proper training. So.
June 22nd 1943
Hermione watched as a white cotton sheet was pulled over Abraham's unmoving, pale face on the gurney, and then whisked away into the depths of the laboratory. She could feel the dried flakes of his blood between the creases of her fingers and the stiffness of her nurse's skirt from further contact.
She swallowed down the urge to vomit or scream.
Steve returned from his heroic chase after the Nazi spy about an hour after he'd ran off. He's been barefoot and sweating, reporting back that the spy had killed himself with a cyanide pill, the last serum container had been destroyed in the fight on accident, and that a sunken submarine was waiting for transport back to base at Brooklyn Yard.
Hermione couldn't feel her fingers, let alone manage the strength to fight the storm of people that surged towards Steve at his entrance. She watched from the corner of her eye as Peggy led him firmly away by the arm to a physical examination office somewhere deep in the halls. Hermione caught the sight of Abraham's blood on her clothes again, and disappeared from the lab to her sanctioned room.
She took the hottest shower she could handle. She scrubbed her skin red and raw while curled under the heavy stream, and cried until her lungs felt as if they'd deflate in her chest and her heart would stop from the throbbing pain.
He's dead. He's dead. He's gone, he's dead, was a steady mantra through her head between her sobs.
When she felt the hard porcelain floor of the tub carve into the flat of her backside after her sobs had run dry, Hermione turned off the water and pulled herself out of the safety of the tub. She mechanically dried her body and slipped into a sturdy nightgown for bed.
Despite everything, Hermione knew the SSR's procedure in a situation like this. Report, recover, restart in the morning. As Steve had already made it back to base, reported in, and the blood was most likely being removed from the laboratory floor at this very moment, tomorrow was when the rest of the world would have to fall into place.
Herself included, which meant she could grieve for the rest of tonight in peace.
Hours later, soft knocks echoed off her bedroom door. Half of Hermione wanted to open the door as she knew it would be Peggy or maybe even Steve to comfort her, but the majority of her heavy heart and eyes won out, and she remained under the covers, crying softly into the night.
June 23,1943
Her alarm woke her at 8:00 o'clock in the morning, two hours past her usual schedule. She rubbed away the crust in her eyes, swallowed the dryness in her throat. Hermione slipped out of bed and put on her underthings, her nylons, and then her SSR uniform.
Her tears had stopped, she felt as if she would never be able to cry again from last night's heavy sobs, but the ring of red around her eyes were clearly visible in the bathroom mirror and the fizz of her hair had dried into something unmanageable again. She used her wand to charm her hair into soft ringlets, applied makeup to the redness and puffiness of her face, and stepped back to carefully study her reflection.
Hard, was the first word that came to mind. Her eyes were glassy, but focused, her makeup covered her blotchy skin, her uniform was pressed and neat, and her hair was styled to the perfection befitting a working woman. She looked calm, complete, and direct. An Agent.
He'd have been proud, a part of her thought.
He should be alive, the other thought viciously. Shame filled her, and she could remember the look in Abraham's eyes when he'd stopped her from pulling out her wand. He didn't want her to save him, like he wanted to die.
Hermione abruptly turned from her mirror and slipped on her shoes. She took a deep breath at the front of her door. Swallowing, she left her room with her head held high.
She avoided the Mess Hall, but grabbed a spare slice of toast from the kitchens. She nibbled on the edges of the bread as she entered the physical examination hallway, and found the blonde likeness of Steve's top half in one of the passing rooms. She swallowed the rest of her meal and came to stand next to Peggy.
Steve watched her enter the room, but Hermione carefully avoided the intensity of his eyes. The nurse at his side pulled out a needle from his arm, and carefully wheeled the multiple filled vials of his blood to the other side of the room.
"Any hope of reproducing the program is locked in your genetic code. But without Dr. Erskine, it could take years," Peggy said, continuing on whatever conversation Hermione had walked into. "Even with Hermione's assistance, he never gave anyone the full equations, so we'll be starting from nearly scratch."
Steve stood from the bed and rolled down his tan button up sleeve. He stopped before Hermione and Peggy and frowned at the wall between them. "He deserved more than this."
Hermione clenched her jaw, because yes he bloody well did, but she could see the hurt, confusion, and regret in his eyes that Hermione could trace in her own from this morning's reflection. He was probably feeling very similarly as she was, Peggy too, as Abraham hadn't only touched just her life.
Hermione focused up on his face. "If the procedure could only work once, he'd be proud it was you," she spoke up. Steve dropped his eyes from the wall to her, and Hermione gave him the smallest of smiles. She looked to Peggy as well. "He was proud of all of us, don't forget."
Peggy's makeup was as perfectly preserved as Hermione's own, but her nod back was shallow and small. Hermione watched her release a heavy breath, blink several times, and stand away from the side of the desk she'd been leaning against. "Colonel Phillips has a meeting this morning with Senator Brandt and about yesterday's- complications," Peggy said, tucking a file filled with papers against her chest. "We're expected sooner rather than later."
Hermione took that as the que it was, and led the three of them down the halls to Colonel Phillip's office. They rounded a corner just as Hermione heard Howard say, "-I'm the best mechanical engineer in the US of A. But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works. We're not even close to this kind of technology."
Hermione was in the middle of the trio walking forwards, and she could see Howard arm's deep in the mechanical belly of a submarine while Colonel Phillips and Senator Brandt stood to the side, watching his autopsy. The Senator's face crinkled in confusion. "Then who is?"
"Hydra," Colonel Phillips said flatly. He met the Senator's confused expression with a bland look. "I'm sure you've been reading our briefings."
The senator looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. "I'm on a number of committees, Colonel."
"Hydra is a Nazi deep-science division," Peggy announced at Hermione's side, and both men turned at her voice. Senator Brandt took off his hat at their approach. "It's led by Johann Schmidt of Hitler's inner circle, but he has much bigger personal ambitions."
Colonel Phillips nodded with a curl of his lip. "Hydra's practically a cult. They all worship Schmidt. Think he's invincible."
Senator Brandt motioned to the submarine and raised an eyebrow. "So what are you gonna do about it?"
The Colonel grinned, "Spoke to the President this morning. As of today the SSR is being retasked."
Well that was news to Hermione. Now that Abraham wasn't able to replicate the serum to create the super-army, what were they going to do? What was she going to do? She didn't let her confusion cross her face. "Colonel?"
He met Hermione's gaze evenly, and Hermione had the strongest feeling he was reading her mind. "We're gonna be taking the fight to Hydra." He moved his gaze to Peggy as well. "Pack your bags, Agents," he said. "You too, Stark. We're flying to London tonight." Colonel Phillips gave Peggy and herself a final nod and turned to walk away.
Steve stepped forwards. He has his hands respectfully behind his back, and his shoulders drawn up to their full height. "Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in."
The Colonel barely stopped in his tracks. "You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo."
A military laboratory in New Mexico, her mind supplied the location. To use him like a lab rat while they try to reproduce the serum. Everyone here knew that it would probably take years to accomplish. He'd most likely still be there after the War was finished, and for Steve, Hermione knew that that would be like a death sentence. Especially after yesterday.
Steve swallowed and looked back at Hermione for a split second, his eyes charged with worry and a brazen panic. "Sir, the serum worked."
The Colonel rotated his jaw. "I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough." he turned to walk again.
Hermione followed Steve's actions from earlier and stepped forwards. "Colonel Phillips-"
"With all due respect to the Colonel," Senator Brandt interrupted and Colonel Phillips turned back around with raised eyebrows. "I think we may be missing the point. I've seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country's now seen it too."
He held out this morning's copy of The New York Examiner, and across the top in big bold letters was, 'NAZIS IN NEW YORK - MYSTERY MAN SAVES CHILD' with a black and white picture of Steve holding up a removed taxi car door in front of himself like a shield.
Senator Brandt pulled back the paper. "The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don't take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in some lab." He looked Steve over and stood up straight. "Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?"
Hermione stepped forwards before Steve could utter a word. She hadn't dealt with many politicians other than Kinsley as an Unspeakable, but she knew that glint of manipulation in a person's eyes when she saw it. She took the newspaper straight out of Senator Brandt's hand and rolled it up like a thick stick.
The senator blinked wide eyes and his lips parted in shock.
Hermione firmly put herself in front of Steve before the Senator. "Now, before anyone makes any big decisions regarding the future of the United State's first Super Soldier, I feel that Senator Brandt, Colonel Phillips, and myself should have a discussion," she skimmed the room and came to the Colonel, "away from prying eyes and listening ears."
The Senator's face tinged with red and his eyebrows came down in a 'V' on his forehead. "Miss - Granger was it? Why don't you let the Colonel and myself decide who's trustworthy or not in these situations." His glare directed down at her was clear with the threat intended. "I'm sure a woman in your position would have better things to fret about."
Gryffindor alumni or not, Hermione hated powerful men who thought they could push her around. Draco Malfoy and his followers had done it to her all of her Hogwarts years with their blind hatred for what she was, school peers had done it to her at Uni because of her sharp mind and unanswered questions, and her coworkers had tried it when she became the youngest Senior Adviser in the Cooperation of European and Asian Unspeakables in recorded history. As she'd gotten older however, her tolerance for it had gotten thinner.
"You'll have to excuse my skepticism, Senator, as it was one of your committee members that was invited by your council, who killed the only scientist in the world that had been able to create more Super Soldiers for America and her Allies."
Silence rang across the laboratory, heavy, thick, and dangerous.
Then Howard snorted.
Senator Brandt's red tinged face fell quickly to a pulsating purple hue. His clenched jaw opened. Before Hermione could hear the poison she was sure he was going to spit, Colonel Phillips clapped his hands once together.
"That is an excellent idea, Agent Granger. Senator why don't we all head to my office and get a drink? I've got a good bottle of scotch to celebrate with."
Hermione could see the rage hovering just under his skin. His tongue skimmed the underside of front teeth like it was physically holding back his words, and Hermione watched as he made himself swallow and turn to Colonel Phillips with a good-natured smile.
"Course Colonel. A bottle of scotch sounds just great right now."
"Right this way Senator," he motioned with an arm. He fixed Hermione with an your-a-dead-agent kind of glare. "Agent Granger, I'll meet you there." He followed after the other man.
Hermione swallowed. She turned around to Steve and Peggy at her back. Steve had wide eyes. Peggy looked torn between impressed and disappointed. "I know," Hermione told Peggy. "I know- I'll fix it." She looked up at Steve. "But pack your bags too. I'll not leave you to become some sort of puppet for Congress."
Then she turned on her heel, and walked towards an incoming shouting match.
"What'd she mean-"
"Come on soldier, let's talk about 'the most important battlefield of the war'."
By the time she had closed Colonel Phillip's door behind her, both men had poured themselves a glass of the Colonel's alcohol. Colonel Phillips caught her eyes and held up an empty glass. "Would you care for one as well Agent?"
"No thank you, Sir," she answered and put her hands to her sides.
Senator Brandt took a seat before the Colonel's desk. He took a sip of his drink and looked over at her above the lip of his cup. "So," he said, breathing out long and slow. "What've ya got?"
Hermione's hurriedly prepared speech down the hallway fell apart at his words. She thought she'd have to fight for an entrance to say her peace. She licked her lips. "I feel that it would be wasteful to put Rogers in a lab after more than three years of experimental work, only for it to be executed perfectly. We all saw what the serum did to him and how he responded to yesterday's attack," she said. "Putting that much potential behind glass and hoping for someone to pick up Dr. Erskine's pieces when we've already got the perfect subject is-" Hermione cut herself off, "-problematic."
The senator snorted and took another sip. "Did you hear that Chester? Problematic. I think she just called you stupid."
Colonel Phillips took a drink from his own glass. "Shut it Michael. Agent Granger, what would you propose we do with him?" he said. "He's untrained."
"That can be fixed."
"He doesn't have a specialization."
"That can be trained."
"We do still need to figure out a way to reverse engineer the serum from Rodgers."
"And you have more than enough of his blood to do that, I saw it. If your scientists need further samples or information they can request it. The post works."
The Colonel grimaced. "He's untested."
"What would you call yesterday then?" Hermione asked loudly, crossing her hands over her chest. "He isn't that skinny man you saw from before the procedure anymore Colonel! You saw the photographs, heard the interviews, studied the submarine glass that he punched through. And yes, he may be green, and new to the procedures of the military, but we all know how much he wants to learn. He wants to fight, and we built him a body to do just that!"
Colonel Phillips put his half empty drink down onto the wood of his desk. Hermione could feel her words sinking in, her logic.
"He's just one man."
"Hitler is just one man," Hermione immediately argued, "and look what he did. Now think of what Rogers could do if he had the support of the SSR and its Allied interests."
Silence.
"She makes a damn good point Chester. Congress would think so too," Senator Brandt said, tipping the rest of his glass down.
Colonel Phillips sighed heavily, picked his drink back up, and finished the rest of his glass in one long pour. He smacked his lips when he put the glass down. "Fine. Fine Agent Granger, but I want his clearance through Basic Combat Training, Personal Specialized Training, and updates on the serum's conditioning on him."
Hermione fought the urge to smile. "Yes Sir."
"You will handle his training."
Hermione almost immediately agreed, but then a thought came to her. "From London?"
"You'll be needed more there. Rogers will accompany."
Senator Brandt stood up. "Now hold on a minute," he said, looking between Hermione and the Colonel. "We haven't discussed my plans."
"You plans are arguably the worst Senator," the Colonel said.
"Shut it Chester," Senator Brandt snapped back, and Hermione had the sense that they had known each other for a very long time. "The outcome is still wrapped around the recruiting stations in Brooklyn. The man could be an inspiration. A symbol for this great country."
"We didn't spend millions of dollars on this project for you to turn him into a chorus girl in one of your shows."
"I'm not saying he has to sing and dance. But we'd be a bunch of fools if we didn't take while the gettin is good," the Senator said. "He's an American Super Soldier and War is expensive."
Hermione could tell where this was going. "What would you want for him to do?"
He got up and poured himself another drink, topping off the Colonel as well. "I want him to- boost morale. Become a face that no one will forget. Sell a couple of bonds, run a couple of clips for the cinema, let everyone see how truth, justice, and the American way can change the tide of the War."
Sounded an awful lot like a political puppet, and Hermione told him so.
The Senator laughed. "It's called the chain of command sweetheart. One man does what he needs for the betterment of his country."
Hermione liked the Senator even less.
The colonel put his glass of scotch back down. "Well how about a little bit of a compromise then?" he said. He at at the corner of his desk. "We train him, take him overseas, you take your media hype and follow him too."
Hermione frowned. "You want to -film him training?"
The senator snapped his fingers and grinned like he'd came to an epiphany. "In live combat zones. Let the world see what the Nazis are capable of. Why buying a bond is the right thing to do." He nodded to himself. "Buy a bond, save a life," he said like was already writing scripts. "I like it. We'll probably have to do a publicity tour around Europe to create public interest. Sell some merchandise. Comic books, or trading cards. Lunch boxes." He nodded again and fingered the rim of his glass. "Maybe even a movie." He stood up and chugged the rest of his glass. "You're right Colonel, a compromise sounds best. I'll get my team together before you ship off tonight." He crossed the room to Hermione and firmly shook her hand. "You're absolutely brilliant you know that? Just great, thank you."
Hermione was perplexed at his sudden motivation and she could only nod her head back to him.
He released her hand and put back on his hat. "I'll be in touch Colonel," he said, before sweeping out of the office.
Colonel Phillips drained the rest of his glass. "Now you've done it," he said, putting his bottle of alcohol away in his desk.
Hermione shifted uncomfortably on her feet, completely aware of just how far she had thrown herself out of her comfort zone, and into the unforgiving eyes of history. "Well it was that or let him get his claws on Erskine's work."
The Colonel took off his service hat. "The Doctor, yes." He rubbed a hand over his balding head and pierced her with an examining eye. "I needed to talk to you about that." he motioned at the chairs in front of his desk, and Hermione obeyed, taking a seat. He fixed both eyes intensely over her. "What almost happened in the lab last night needs to never happen again, do you understand?"
Hermione was baffled. Her eyebrows drew together as she thought over Abraham's murder and came up empty. "Sir?" she asked.
"You pulling out your stick of magic Agent Granger," Colonel Phillip's said and Hermione felt her the blood leave her face.
"Sir-"
"You were in a room full of people, one was a Nazi spy, and if you had done what the good doctor had stopped you from doing- you'd be sitting in Alamogordo right now, stuck in a lab besides Rogers and Dr. Erskine knew it too," he said, his words flooring Hermione and causing her to lean back in her seat.
Because of course, he was right. There was a reason that the Statue of Secrecy was established in her world, and even if it didn't legally bind her here, it had been upheld for the same foundations. If people, goodness the entirety of the lab and the Senator, had seen what she'd been trying to do, there was no telling what would have happened next.
The implications of her almost-actions ran through her mind and she swallowed heavily. "Yes Sir. Sorry- Sir." She met his eyes.
He took a seat behind his desk. "I'm not saying that I don't understand the temptation of making a change in history," he said, "because I do now, but you have to remember why you're here. To save millions of lives in this War. You can't do that locked away in a lab in the middle of a desert."
"Yes Sir."
"Good. Go get Rogers and Agent Carter. We leave at 22:00."
July 23rd 1943
The days began to blend together.
Hermione wasn't able to stay for the burial of Abraham, or the disbursement of his personal belongings, but Howard assured her a month after his passing that she'd be able to go back after the war was over and do him right.
She helped Howard in the SSR lab in England now deconstructing and researching Hydra weapons and intelligence. It seemed that Hydra was very interested in the Norse Gods and myths, as most of their decrypted communication used old stories or characters from Norse mythology in their work. Working through their reports and plans also brought about her old fascination with ancient runes.
Her first Mastery in Origination of Foreign Magic and then Mastery in Arithmancy had taken up too much of her time for her to focus on Ancient Runes after Hogwarts. She had always found the subject interesting in her school years and it had been a plan for hers to continue additional studies on the subject after her six year term as Senior Advisor in the Cooperation of European and Asian Unspeakables was over. Obviously, that had never come to fruition, and probably never would, however, her old lessons and subsequent learning in her time as an Unspeakable could tell that Hydra was just as interested in Norse ancient runes as she was.
It was also distressing.
She had no idea how Magic worked in this world. She didn't know if Hydra had the means to combine some sort of science they already had with the runes they were researching and discovering and then create some sort of weapon. Before her arrival to this world she would have considered that idea to be impossible, but she knew now how big the differences were between her muggle world and this one, and how far technology had already been pushed. Bottom line, Ancient Runes was a constant thought in her daily activities, and she began to go over her old lessons in her mind.
Another part of her life was focused completely on Steve.
As soon as Hermione and the SSR had dropped into England, Hermione began organizing his stay at a Military base with Sergeant Duffy so that he would accomplish basic training, and test the limitations of his new body. They had shared a hurried goodbye before his departure, but Hermione could still feel the intensity of his gaze over her eyes, and the soft brush of his hand against her face even a month later. She'd be lying if she didn't say that she was counting down the days until Steve would be back from BCT (basic combat training) and Senator Brandt's scheduled European tour in early August.
Hermione drew a Mannaz rune, literally meaning 'mankind' and representing it's awareness in divinity, when Howard and Peggy walked into her office together. Hermione released the charcoal pencil she'd been using at the looks on their faces. "What?" Hermione asked as they closed her office door behind them and came closer to her desk. "What happened?"
"We've only just figured out the decryption," Peggy said, her eyes narrowing on Hermione's drawing for a moment. "Johann's finally made a move and separated himself from the Nazi Party."
"What?" Hermione asked, eyes widening.
"From what we've heard he killed Major General Schneider, Colonel General Roeder, and Major Hutter, all high ranking officers of the Nazi Schutzstaffel when they made a stop at his base last week." Peggy explained.
"Why would he-"
"Hydra has become fully financially independent from the Nazi Party with whatever weapons they've been makin in their new factories. Hitler hasn't ordered anything, but it's only a matter of time before Hydra and them go at each other." Howard said, making no pretense to how hard he was studying Hermione's many rune sketches littered across her desk.
"Is that a good thing then?" Hermione asked, looking between the two.
Peggy shook her head. "No, not yet, as the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the enemy remains the Allies to them both."
Hermione thought over that. "Does that change our goal?"
Peggy shook her head again. "No, but it does narrow it. We are tasked now to solely focus on Hydra so they don't splinter off and fill a vacuum of power when the dust settles after Hitler."
Hermione grimaced, yes they wouldn't want to engage in World War III so soon after this. "So now what? Any news from the Colonel?"
Howard sat heavily in a chair across from her desk. "Apparently, Peggy and I were to consult you on what might be next."
Hermione froze. She was very aware of the fact that Howard only knew her as 'another wizard from Oz' as he put it, and not a time-traveling dimension-crossing commuter. "Did he?" she asked carefully. Trying to not give anything away, she stamped down on the urge to look to Peggy for panicked help.
Howard studied her. "Yes. Something about 'consulting a living history book' were his exact words."
Well if that wasn't blatant permission, Hermione still looked to Peggy for confirmation.
The other woman nodded. "The Colonel thinks that Stark should be included for future maneuvers."
A weight fell from her shoulders. Her lab partner and close friend would be allowed to know. "Oh," she said and leaned back into chair. "Well before we start, does anyone want a drink? I have what's left of Abraham's bottle of vodka." She stood up, to get herself and Peggy a small glass as she knew her friend would usually want.
"Hell if it's that bad, I'll take one too," Howard said from behind her.
She poured the glasses and returned to her desk, taking the bottle with her. She seperated the drink out, and leaned back against her chair again.
Howard accepted his glass and looked at her expectantly. "What? You gonna tell me the Colonel is your uncle or somethin?"
Hermione laughed. "No, goodness no," she smiled and took a sip from her glass, feeling the familiar burn down her throat. "But do you remember the day we wet? The day I'd been shot in the Alps?"
Howard nodded and settled himself in his chair. "Hard to forget doll, I thought you were gonna die in my arms that night."
"Well the truth is, I'd arrived there three days prior. And in blaze of blue light."
Later That Night
Howard put the side of the glass cup to his forehead and closed his eyes, slumped against Hermione's guest chair, clearly tipping towards insobriety. "Everything's insane."
Peggy smiled. She had glassy eyes and was leaning against the chair besides him without her normal grace. "Welcome to the SSR."
"Ugh," Howard said and looked to the ceiling. His eyebrows came down and Hermione could practically feel the thoughts rolling around his head. "And you've just been here this whole, doing what? Trying to save the world?" he asked, dropping the glass to his lap and sitting forwards at Hermione.
"I didn't have a home to go back to, any research to go over, or magical texts to consult. The technology in this time isn't near close enough to be able to help me. So, the SSR gave me another choice and I stayed."
"Yeah by trying to save the world. Didn't just want to invent something that had been done in your time and make millions?"
Hermione frowned at the slight slur in his words. "No, it never crossed my mind to be honest," she shrugged. "And my old world didn't have some of the things that this one does, so I wasn't sure what would cause ripples in the timeline or not. For example, my world didn't have you or Stark Industries."
He huffed. "Now that's a cryin shame. Think of all the unloved dames."
Hermione laughed. "So I just did what I've always done best at, and worked in research and development."
Howard nodded and poured himself another glass of the undiluted vodka. "And now that we're here, three years later, any of our new research have to do with these?" he motioned to her sketches.
"No, this is a personal project of mine."
"For getting back to your world?" He blinked and shook his head. "I can't believe that just came out of my mouth mostly sober."
Hermione huffed a small laugh. "No. It's about Hydra," she said honestly. "-and preparing for the worst."
He blinked at her sketches and pulled some of her documents closer. "What's squiggles got to do with Hydra?"
Peggy leaned forwards at the sketches as well, glassy eyes memorizing everything available. "In my word, they're considered symbols of unsolved power. 'Ancient Runes'. Each one means a different thing, and if your string them together the right way and in the right pattern, you can make a lot of magic."
Peggy traced a finger over the Mannaz from earlier. "Would they work in this world?"
Hermione shrugged. "I haven't tested them yet, but I don't see why they wouldn't. My magic works here, and if Hydra finds a way to combine whatever they have with these runes-"
"They might be able to make them work to," Howard nodded along with her thought process. "And they sure do seem to have a fixation on Norse mythology."
"Exactly."
"Do you think you would be able to create something against Hydra if that became true?" Peggy asked. She put down the documents Hermione had been scribbling on and gave her a clear eyed consideration.
Hermione rolled the idea around in her head. "Possibly. Maybe some sort of protection as well. Runes can be tricky."
The other Agent nodded and stood up from her chair. "I'm going to report to the Colonel on this. You might be retasked to focus on this instead."
Hermione nodded and gathered her cup as Peggy left her office.
Howard finished the rest of his glass. "I feel like I already know the ending on this one, but does Steve know? You know, about everything?"
Hermione's silence as she put away the bottle of alcohol was all the answer Howard needed.
Heads up: I've taken 'Ancient Runes' studies from a little bit of everywhere and mashed it together for my own making in this story. If you are familiar with the origination of ancient runic symbols or hieroglyphs (whether that be Norse, Egyptian, Thai, Icelandic ect..) I am well aware of my bastardization moving forwards and I do apologize!
I have also finished the timeline for the first part of this story. This means I've got a general idea of what I want to happen and how it's going to go down, and all I can really report is: buckle up.