Chapter 8
AN: Sorry about this being later than usual. I have been, and still am in a group zoom call with my law school friends.
15th August 1953
For twelve days Peggy and Howard have been back in Wakanda. Ever since they arrived back Azzuri's medical team have been assessing Michael and have realised his brain has been altered, corrupted in a way they don't fully understand yet. While working on trying to understand what happened to Michael the team are also trying to figure out a way to 'break through it' so to speak, while Peggy has been doing the same thing by talking to her brother, who will not accept that he is her brother.
It's early on a Saturday morning and Peggy, who woke up and was surprised to find that she was alone, is walking into the lab where Howard walks out of. Just like Peggy suspected she would she finds Howard working away at something.
"I didn't hear you get up," Peggy says, walking over to him.
"I didn't want to wake you," Howard explains, as he purposely got up while being as quiet as possible. "You're going to try to talk to him again, aren't you?" Howard asks, as that's what he assumes.
"I have to," Peggy says. "You're the one who said I could get through to him, I have to keep trying," Peggy admits.
"I know," Howard says, understanding why Peggy is doing what she is doing, but he can't help but worry about the effect it is having on her, and so he leans over and kisses her head.
"I was going to give you this when we woke up, but you getting one of your ideas kind of ruined that," Peggy says, handing Howard a small package, that is nicely wrapped. "Happy Birthday,"
"Birthdays are kind of irrelevant now that we don't get older," Howard comments.
"No. We owe it to each other to make them relevant," Peggy says, smiling at Howard, who can't help but smile.
"You are truly amazing," Howard says, before kissing Peggy.
"I know," Peggy says, once they break apart. "I'll see you at breakfast," Peggy says, before heading out of the lab.
"Good luck," Howard says as Peggy goes, hoping that today is the day that she gets through to her brother.
Not long after she left Howard Peggy heads straight to the room where Michael is being kept in, and just like she had done many times before Peggy walks into the room, pulls up a chair and sits down across from him.
"Are you really going to try this again?" Michael asks, and Peggy just gives him a look. "You really are incredibly stubborn," Michael tells Peggy.
"So, you told me, many times when we were growing up," Peggy informs him, knowing that that was one of her brothers favourite things to tell her.
"Look Lady, I'm not your brother. I don't know why you think I am," Michael says, clearly annoyed.
"I don't think you are. I know," Peggy tells him. "I received something today," Peggy reveals, as she had Jarvis get something and send it on for her. "Something that I think will clear up a lot of things for you," Peggy says, before pulling a photograph out of her pocket and offering it to Michael.
Feeling confused, and a little hesitant, Michael reaches out and takes a picture, and he is shocked by what he sees; a picture of him and Peggy with their arms around each other, where he is wearing a uniform.
"That is you Michael, the real you," Peggy explains, and for a second Peggy sees a look flash over Michael's eyes and she thinks, that maybe, just maybe she might have gotten through to him.
"No! I don't know who that is! My name is Nikola!" Michael exclaims, as the look disappears.
"Your name is Michael Harrison Carter," Peggy says. "And one day you're going to remember that, and I'll keep reminding you until you do," Peggy says, before getting up and heading out of the room, leaving Michael with a photo to look at.
Once out of the room Peggy leans against the wall and spends a few moments catching her breath as she struggles with talking to Michael when he doesn't know who he is. After she catches her breath Peggy knows that just catching her breath isn't going to be enough and so she heads to the gym where she proceeds to put everything she is feeling into beating up on a punching bag.
Eight Weeks Later
Ever since Peggy gave Michael the picture of the two of them there have been times where it almost seems like Peggy is going to get through to him, but then he goes back to denying that he is Michael Carter. Due to Wakanda being so advanced Azzuri's scientists and medical people, who Howard is assisting, think they are close to creating a device that will help with what Leviathan did to Michael's brain, but it will still take time.
While Peggy is in a meeting with Azzuri, a meeting that Howard didn't really feel like being apart of, he has headed down to the room where Michael is to talk to him.
"You're new," Michael notes when he sees Howard. "Are you here to tell me all the reasons why you know me too?" Michael asks curious.
"No," Howard answers. "Before you had shot at me I had never met you," Howard admits. "Though, Peggy's talked about you so much that I do kind of feel like I know you," Howard admits.
"Considering Peggy doesn't know me, I'd say that means you don't either," Michael comments.
"You don't know it, but you have someone fighting for you; the real you, and she's not going to give up," Howard reveals.
"This is the real me, not this Michael Carter," Michael argues.
"Do you really believe that? Or is that just what you need to tell yourself to make sense of everything?" Howard asks. "I had someone mess with my mind once; he made me believe something that wasn't real, and I almost did something horrible because of it," Howard says, guilt in his voice. "Peg was the one who got me to see the truth, and she's going to do the same for you; so you better accept that," Howard says, before heading out of the room, and he is a little surprised to find Peggy standing outside the door. "Hey," Howard greats.
"Hi,"
"I thought you were meeting with Azzuri," Howard comments
"I was, but things haven't changed much, so I thought I would try talking to him again. I guess you bet me to it," Peggy realises.
"Yeah," Howard admits. "The device has to sit for a few hours before we can install the next part, so I thought I would try saying a few things," Howard admits.
"Thank you," Peggy says and Howard who can see that Peggy is struggling with them still not being able to get through to Michael, which he doesn't blame her, hugs her.
December 1st 1953
Just over eight weeks have passed since Howard tried talking to Michael and ever since Peggy has been trying to get through to him while Howard and the Wakanda's have been working on the tech they need.
Having spent most of the day with Michael trying her new strategy of trying to get him to trust her while also trying to get him to remember who he is, Peggy is arriving back at hers and Howard's Wakandan home. The second Peggy walks into the apartment she realises what day it is because of the sight that greats her, and she curses herself for not realising sooner.
As she doesn't want to scare him, Peggy purposely makes more noise than normal as she walks over to where Howard is sitting on the ground, in front of a menorah, and sits down next to him.
"I thought I'd do this with Ana this year," Howard admits.
"I know, me too," Peggy admits, honestly there is a not so small part of her that is shocked with how long the have been on the run for, and an even smaller part is afraid that they're going to be on the run for a lot longer.
"When I first met Ana, she reminded me a little of my Mom," Howard admits, telling Peggy something he has never told anyone before.
"Really?" Peggy asks interested, knowing that that is big for Howard to admit as he doesn't really talk about his parents much, never has.
"She has the same caring, but formattable, nature, the same honest quality," Howard explains, feeling like he is not explaining it in the best way, but Peggy realises what he is trying to say. "My mom loved to cook, we didn't have much, but every holiday she'd always make a feast," Howard admits. "She once told me that if you couldn't find the worlds to tell someone what they mean to you then you should show them in a different way. I never forgot that," Howard reveals and as he does Peggy realises that so many of the ways Howard shows affection and that he cares now make a lot more sense.
"She sounds like an incredible woman," Peggy comments.
"She was," Howard assures Peggy, as a tear comes to his eye.
"I wish I would have gotten the chance to know her," Peggy reveals, knowing that both Howards parents died before they met.
"She would have loved you," Howard says, knowing that without a doubt, as he lays his head on Peggy's shoulder, and the two of them just stare at the unlit candle; Peggy knowing that it is best for her not to offer to light it until Howard is ready and he clearly isn't yet.
10 Days later
For Howard and Peggy the nights of Hanukkah that followed the first night were spent exactly the same way; with the two of them spending hours sitting together and staring at a menorah.
It's early in the morning and Howard, Peggy, Azzuri, and Mboye, who is head of Wakanda's medical science, are all in Howard's lab, discussing what is about to happen.
"Howard and I have talked about this, but I want your opinion," Peggy asks Mboye as while she completely trusts Howard she knows he can often not see how things he creates could go wrong. "What do you think the chances are of this working?" Peggy asks, feeling hopeful, but at the same time she doesn't want to get her hopes up, as she has experienced too many disappointments.
"Very good," Mboye answers. "Our teams have spent weeks testing it, and making sure we understand how not only ever element of it works individually, but also collectively," Mboye explains.
"Are you there any possible side affects you suspect?" Azzuri asks curious.
"The only side effect we suspect that could be a possibility is amnesia," Howard explains.
"It could be total, or restricted to a type of memory, or just a specific memory, however we've already created a protocol in case that happens," Mboye explains.
"The decision is yours," Azzuri tells Peggy. "Whatever you decide is what will happen, and I will support you whatever that may be," Azzuri says, as he knows that Peggy is the only person who has the right to make this decision.
"Me too," Howard assures her.
"Thank you," Peggy says. "I want to talk to him once more," Peggy reveals.
"Of course," Mboye answers.
"I'll go do that now," Peggy says, and she heads out of the lab.
After leaving the lab Peggy goes straight to the room where Michael is being held, and just like she has many times before Peggy pulls up a chair and sits down across from him.
"You're earlier than usual," Michael notes.
"I am," Peggy admits. "You truly don't believe you are Michael," Peggy comments.
"Because I'm not,"
"There is a way for you to know for sure, whether you are truly Michael or Nikola," Peggy explains. "Are you willing to try it?" Peggy asks.
"You're giving me a choice?" Michael asks, sounding a little surprised.
"Everyone deserves a choice," Peggy answers. "I know who I believe you to be, and you know who you believe you are, the question is do you want to find out the truth," Peggy explains, and for a few moments Michael is quiet like his pondering what he thinks.
"I want to know," Michael answers. "Sometimes, when you talk I have a sense that maybe you're telling the truth, but then the sense disappears," Michael explains. "I want to know for sure what my truth is," Michael admits.
"Okay," Peggy confirms. "I'll go get the device," Peggy says, before getting up and heading out of the room.
A few minutes later Peggy walks back into the room where Michael is being held with, but this time she walks in with Howard, who is pushing what looks like a large box on trolley, and who is the one who is going the person who is going to operate the device.
"Howard will operate the device, and I will be with you the entire time," Peggy assures Michael, honest not sure if that will give him comfort or cause him to be more on edge.
"Do you have any questions?" Howard asks Michael.
"How's this thing going to work?" Michael asks, feeling like that is a pretty reasonable question to ask.
"These are called electrodes," Howard says, as he holds them up. "I will place them over different places of your head. Once they are in place I will flip the switch and it will release a pulse," Howard explains.
"A pulse?" Michael asks confused.
"Other scientists and I used the tests we have ran on you to create a pulse, an electrical stimulation specifically designed for you, that will destroy the foreign architecture that has been placed into your brain without damaging anything else," Howard explains, purposely using the most simple explanation he can think of.
"Okay, do what you have to do," Michael requests, and once he does Peggy and Howard walk over to him.
"Lie back," Howard requests, and Michael does just that.
"Don't you want to know if it will hurt?" Peggy asks, as Howard starts to connect the electrodes.
"Pain is an illusion," Michael answers, and as Howard continues to connect them.
"It shouldn't hurt much," Howard admits, as he connects the last of the electrode. "Okay, done," Howard says. "Are you ready?" Howard asks Michael, who nods. "Peg, you should take a step back," Howard says, as he knows it would be best for Peggy not to be too close to Michael when he does this, and Peggy takes a step back. "Okay, let's do this," Howard says, once he is sure Peggy is far enough away, before flicking the switch.
Once Howard presses the switch Michael convulsive, and while he doesn't make a sound about the pain, it does look like he is in a bit of it.
"How long will this take?" Peggy asks worried.
"About ten second," Howard asks, and after ten incredibly long seconds for Peggy Howard switches the switch off which causes Michael to collapse back on the bed, as he does Howard nods at Peggy, telling her that she can approach.
"Michael, Michael can you hear me?" Peggy asks, as she gets to her brothers side, desperately hoping that he will be the Michael she knows and loves, but at the same time terrified about how being disappointed.
"Peggy," Michael says, opening his eyes. "You became the person I knew you could be," Michael says, looking at his little sister in amusement, a proud look more than clear on his face.
"You remember," Peggy says, smiling at her brother and feeling beyond happy.
"Everything," Michael says, as he tries to push himself up into a seating position.
"Go slow, you're going to feel a little stiff for a few hours," Howard advises, feeling thrilled at being able to give Peggy her brother back.
"I shot at you," Michael says, looking at Peggy, as he manage to get into the seating position. "I'm so…" Michael starts to say, guilt clear in his voice.
"It's okay, it wasn't you," Peggy assures her brother.
"A part of it was," Michael reveals. "When I refused to work for Leviathan they faked my death, and… broke me," Michael admits, really not wanting to go into details about how. "They built me up to what they needed, but they could only do that because there was a dark part of me," Michael explains.
"Everyone has darkness inside of them. You just have to harness the light," Peggy says, as she sits down on the edge of her brothers' bed, and Howard starts to disconnect the electrodes.
"Leviathan hate you. They've made it their mission to destroy you," Michael realises, as he tries to make sense of the memories that were just retuned to him, and the memories of what he has seen and done over the past thirteen years.
"We know," Howard comments.
"They framed Howard and I for things we didn't do," Peggy says. "When you're up for it, if you're willing, I would like to ask you about everything you know about Leviathan so that Howard and I could use what you know to hopefully clear our names," Peggy explains, and even though Howard has finished disconnecting the electrodes he makes no effort to leave as he wants to support Peggy.
"I'm up for it," Michael reveals. "I'll tell you everything I know," Michael says before explaining every little thing he knows about Leviathan, and the more he says the more Peggy and Howard realise that not only are they going to be able to clear their names, but they may just be able to take down Leviathan, once and for all.
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