Sharon Tyler.

That would be her Midgardian name from now on. It was Peggy's idea. If anyone asked Sigyn, she would say that she was an archeologist, and an "expert" in alien artifacts. It was unusual for a Midgardian woman to become an accomplished scientist, so they had to come up with a false story for that as well: Sharon Tyler had been born in Sheffield, England. A promising young student, she was desperate to be accepted into a university, but all her applications had been rejected because she was a woman. Howard Stark had met her during his travels, seen her potential, and used his influence to get her into Harvard. Now she was going to work for SHIELD. Peggy had arranged all these within a day. Sigyn was rather impressed.

The next morning, Howard was in the mansion, indeed. Mr. Jarvis drove them to the SHIELD facility, while Howard lamented about how boring his time in Washington DC was. Some senator had kept him waiting for too long, there weren't enough pretty girls, his hotel room only have the second best view of the city… But at least he wasn't asking Sigyn weird questions about her life in Asgard, so she closed her eyes and idly listened to him complain.

At last, he observed, "You seem quiet today."

"Not everyone in the universe is obliged to keep you entertained, Howard."

"I thought you liked preaching about how you're the eternally sworn protector of Odin's cosmic cube."

"You seemed to have understood that by now. There is no need to preach."

They had arrived. Mr. Jarvis stopped the car in front of the phone company building, then opened the door for them.

"Thank you, Mr. Jarvis."

Howard rubbed his forehead. "Uhm, Jarvis? Is there anything I should remember today?"

"You have an appointment with Agent Sousa at eleven o'clock, sir."

"Oh, right! Daniel…"

"Anything else, sir?"

Howard said no, so Mr. Jarvis got back into the car and drove away as Sigyn and Howard entered the building.

"Who is Agent Sousa?"

"Agent Daniel Sousa. Former SSR agent, started working for SHIELD after SSR was shut down. Oh, and he's Peggy's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend? Like, a paramour?"

He chuckled. "Yes. And if you meet him, don't say anything inappropriate."

"Such as?"

He leaned towards her and whispered, "Look, Daniel lost his leg in the war. I'm trying to make him a new one. One that can help him walk faster, maybe even run. That's why he's coming to my lab today."

"So, what do you want from me?"

"I don't know, just don't call him a cripple or anything when you see him."

She looked at him, offended. "What do you think I am? A savage?"

"You certainly act like one… Sometimes. Damn, I can't believe I have to teach someone manners."

Sigyn sighed. "I hate you…"

"I hate you, too."

They saw Peggy, but she seemed too busy to stop and chat with them, so they just smiled at her and kept walking. Howard wasn't taking her to the vault in the underground levels. Instead, they went to his private lab. He turned on the lights, drew all the curtains, then opened a small, secret vault behind a framed chart of elements. The periodic table, they called it.

"Here," he said, throwing a bunch of papers at her. "Everything I've done with the Tesseract so far. Files, my notes, blueprints…"

Midgardian science was too primitive to make sense, but still, she was able to understand the basic concepts. She wasn't sure what these contraptions were, but they were certainly not what she had been expecting to find. "No weapon designs?"

"Why do you think I use the Tesseract to design weapons?"

"The Red Skull did."

"Well, I'm not the Red Skull!"

"And I'm not a fool, Howard. I know you build instruments of death. I know you sell instruments of death. That's how you made your fortune."

A look of remorse, and then anger crossed his face. "I do what I have to do for the greater good."

"And what exactly is that greater good?"

"World peace."

"Instruments of death do not bring peace, Howard. That's a universal truth."

"Forget about the weapons, they're just means to an end. They bring me the money I need to pursue my true dream. If I succeed, it's going to be my life's work."

"I still don't understand."

He thought for a moment, then pointed at the light on the ceiling. "Do you see that? That's called electricity, honey. It's expensive. Our energy sources are limited. And do you know why wars are fought? They are fought over these limited resources. If I give the world unlimited energy… That's it. No more wars."

"So, you want to use the Tesseract to create a source of unlimited energy?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how to do it?"

"Not yet, but I'm close," he said, and spread one of his blueprints on the table to show her. "I've been working on a palladium core that will power a reactor. It's not exactly what I want, but if I replace the palladium with the element inside the cube—"

"What did you just say?" she cried, hoping she had misunderstood him. Otherwise, it was a madness that needed to be stopped at once.

"There's a new element inside the cube. One that is not from this world. It will take years, but if I find a way to synthesize it—"

Damn. She was right to fear. "By Odin's beard, are you insane?"

"Hey, stop shouting."

Only then, Sigyn realized how loudly she had been shouting at him. "You have no idea," she whispered in horror. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

"Well, do enlighten me. Isn't that why you're here?"

"I thought you weren't ready to hear this, but you must understand. I see that now. Howard, the Tesseract contains an Infinity Stone."

"What's an Infinity Stone?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

"Before creation, there were six singularities. Space, Time, Power, Reality, Mind, and Soul. When the universe was created, these singularities were forged into the Infinity Stones. The Tesseract contains the Space Stone. Do you understand why you can't do this now? That 'element' you found is one of the keys to the creation itself. Replicating the power of an Infinity Stone… That's a line no one in the universe would dare cross."

"What about the other five?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said there were six singularities… Where are the other five stones?"

Now she could see what Howard Stark and the Red Skull had in common. Greed and recklessness. She was trying to tell him why no one should meddle with an Infinity Stone, and he was asking her where the remaining stones were… "Not here, thankfully. I can't let you do this, Howard."

"If you think you can leave this building with the Tesseract, you're wrong. I know bullets can stop you." His voice was calm, but the threat was obvious.

Sigyn decided to respond with an equally subtle threat. "So do I."

"I hope it doesn't come to that, Sigyn. I don't really hate you. You're alright."

"I don't really hate you either, Howard. I actually respect you."

"I know. I'm great."

Sigyn shook her head. Howard was hopeless. "Look, if you do this, there will be consequences."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Because 'consequences' are a sign that you're on the right path. I know I'll make many enemies once those reactors are on the market. Enemies who don't want peace."

"I'm not talking about those petty wars you fight among yourselves! You need to start thinking on a universal scale. If you create this element, others will come for it from other galaxies, even other dimensions. I can't protect you. Asgard can't protect you."

"I never asked for your protection."

"I don't know if you're brave, or foolish, Howard, but I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the entire Midgard. The moment you replicate the powers of the Space Stone, this realm is going to become a part of a bigger universe. Your people are not ready for it."

Perhaps for the first time, he seemed hesitant. Good. He was beginning to understand. But then, he said, "How about we make a deal? You let me keep studying the Tesseract, and I won't actually synthesize the element until we both agree the world is ready. Like I said, this is going to take years anyway. Think of it as a long-term investment."

"How am I going to know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"

"Come on, Sigyn… I'm not sure why, but you care about this world. Help me make it a better place."

She thought for a moment. Indeed, if there was anyone who was clever enough to make Midgard a better place, it was Howard. She believed his intentions to bring a permanent peace was genuine. "Very well. I know your intentions are noble, Howard. It's your greed that worries me."

"My greed? Well, I wasn't exactly born into wealth. I grew up on the lower east side, I got no intention of going back there. I can arrange a tour if you want to see what that part of New York looks like. Then we can discuss my greed again!"

"That's not what I meant. Heimdall told me you went on many dangerous expeditions just to find the cube. You were willing to die for it. That's never a good sign."

Howard made no reply. He poured himself a drink, crossed to the window, pulled the curtain, and watched the streets in silence. Not knowing what else to do, Sigyn started studying his notes more carefully. Numbers, she thought as the companionable silence stretched on. Numbers were important to Howard. Arithmetic helped him understand how the universe worked.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Then he suddenly said, still looking out the window, "Your gatekeeper lied to you."

"Excuse me?"

"Your gatekeeper lied to you. I wasn't looking for the Tesseract."

"What were you looking for?"

"Not what, but who." He took out another file from his vault. "Captain Steve Rogers."

"Your greatest warrior, I know."

"And my friend," he said sharply, and left the file on the table for her.

The first thing she saw when she turned the folder open was the black-and-white picture of a fair-haired young man. He seemed so skinny that he could easily be mistaken for a child upon first glance.

"Was this your greatest hero?" she asked in disbelief. "Forgive me, but he looks so… sickly."

But Howard didn't seem offended at all. On the contrary, he looked almost proud. "Oh, he was sickly. Asthma, arrhythmia, scoliosis, to name a few… But that was before the serum."

"What serum?"

"Dr. Abraham Erskine's super soldier serum."

Yes, she recalled Jarvis saying something about this Dr. Erskine and his formula. This actually explained a lot. She found another picture of Steve Rogers in the folder, and in this one, he seemed much bigger and stronger. Heimdall had never told her anything about a super soldier serum. He had simply said Steve Rogers had been trained to be a great warrior. And she had a guess why. This miracle, the super soldier serum… Perhaps it would work on her as well. She was half mortal, after all.

"Are there more soldiers like Captain Rogers?"

"No. HYDRA killed Dr. Erskine. His formula is gone."

"Can you not recreate it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not Dr. Erskine."

"But you're clever, like him."

"That's not how science works, Sigyn. I'm trying, of course, but…"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, you didn't do anything. It's just… I think Steve might be still alive."

"What?"

"The impact of the crush probably put him in a comatose state, but the cold would preserve his body, and the serum could keep him alive. That's my theory, at least. That's why I keep going on those expeditions. And even if he is… dead, his body is still the key to replicate the serum. We had his blood samples, of course, but the government ran out of their supply a long time ago, and I… I lost the only sample I had."

Sigyn came up with an idea. "Are you sure? Is there not even a single drop of his blood left?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can locate him. With magic. All I need is something that belonged to him."

"Why would you do that?"

"We Asgardians respect every hero in the Nine Realms. I'd be honored to help you find Captain Rogers."

His eyes shone with wild excitement. "I can get you his belongings," he suggested frantically.

"No, not his belongings. I need something that was a part of him. Like blood, or hair…"

"Would tissue samples do?" She had never seen him like this before. It was as if he turned into someone else while speaking of this Captain America.

"Yes, of course."

"I'm going to make a phone call," he said, and ran out of the room.

He was furious when he returned.

"Damn it!" he yelled, slamming the door shut. "No samples left! Idiots…"

Sigyn made no reply. Instead, she watched him in silence as he paced up and down like a caged animal, muttering curses under his breath, until a woman entered and told him that Agent Sousa was here to see him.

…

Now that Sigyn was convinced that the Tesseract was safe with SHIELD, she spent most of her time in Howard's library, reading books to understand Midgard better. Sometimes, she and Ana explored New York together. Other times, Peggy came to visit her, both to chat and show her pictures of mysterious artifacts that were kept in the other SHIELD facilities around the world. She was hoping Sigyn could identify them. 0-8-4s, SHIELD called them, objects of unknown origin. Sigyn couldn't identify every single one, but most were just harmless trinkets.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked Peggy one evening as Peggy prepared to leave for her apartment.

"Of course."

"You became much more amiable towards me after you saw me with Heimdall. Why?"

Peggy returned to her seat and sighed thoughtfully, but seemingly glad that Sigyn had noticed. "I suppose you reminded me of myself. I know what it's like to do the right thing, but getting your hands tied by a bunch of narrow-minded superiors."

"What are you talking about? You're one of the founders of SHIELD. You don't have any superiors."

"Before SHIELD, I was an SSR agent. In this world, respect doesn't come easily when you're a woman. Howard was one of the first people who believed in me. I don't know if this makes sense to you. I imagine things must be very different in Asgard. At least your hands aren't tied because you're a woman."

"That's not exactly true."

"Really?" she asked, apparently surprised to hear that. "But they sent you here. It can't be too bad if they trust a woman with a powerful artifact like the Tesseract."

"They only let me volunteer because they consider Midgard a lesser world. This place would be beneath… most Asgardians." Sigyn mentally slapped herself. She was almost going to say "pure-blooded Asgardians."

"Well, that actually explains…"

"I have an elder sister. When she wanted to become a warrior, people scoffed at her. At least until she fought her first battle."

"Was she the one who encouraged you to follow her footsteps?"

"What? No. She was incredibly protective of me. She never wanted me to be a fighter. But I'm not as good as she is, so I don't blame her."

"You're married, aren't you?"

"Yes."

She studied her for a moment, as if she was deciding whether to give Sigyn a secret or not. Then, she said, "I was engaged once, did you know that?"

"To Captain Rogers?"

"Oh, no. I'm talking about my life before the SSR."

"What happened?"

"I had a brother, Michael. He knew me better than anyone else. Even myself. He knew I wasn't cut out for the quiet life. I was working as a codebreaker back then, and he recommended me to be a field agent. I thought he was being crazy. But he died, and only then, I was able to see he was the only one who truly understood me."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"He died, but not in war," she suddenly said. "He died much later, in an undercover mission. He worked for MI6. I had no idea until three months ago."

"You thought he was a soldier. In truth, he was a spy."

She smiled bitterly. "I couldn't have said it better myself. But it's not what really hurts me. I'm a spy, too. I understand he had a duty, but… He lied to us. To his family. I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive him."

"You will."

"How do you know that?"

"Because siblings always forgive each other."

She gave her a questioning look.

"During a battle in Nornheim, the man my sister loved was captured. We walked right into a trap trying to save him. I got reckless, and Haldor paid the price. Sif never blamed me for what happened, but perhaps she should have."

It wasn't the whole truth. Haldor hadn't died because Sigyn had become reckless; he had died because she was too weak to defend herself. But she wanted to know if Howard could really fix her before telling everyone here about her mortal heritage.

"Michael had a son. I wasn't sure at first, but the mother gave me a letter from Michael, and it was definitely his handwriting. That's how I found out the truth."

Sigyn smiled. "So, you have a nephew."

"He is five, and he is just… perfect. He has Michael's eyes. I haven't told my parents yet." Peggy, too, was smiling, but tears had brimmed in her eyes.

"Where are they?"

"They still live in England. Howard is planning to go on another expedition. I'm hoping to take some personal time off when he returns, and visit them. It's not something I can tell them in a letter, or on the phone."

Sigyn didn't think it was going to be easy. But it was something that needed to be done. She took Peggy's hand and gently squeezed it. "You're the strongest mortal I've ever met, Peggy. If anyone can do this, it's you. And who knows, giving this boy a good life might free you from this terrible guilt that has been haunting you. I wish you good fortune."

"Thanks."

She released her hand. "So, Howard is going on an expedition…"

"Yes."

"You don't seem very hopeful."

"I think he's becoming obsessed, Sigyn. Steve is dead. And if anyone loved Steve more than I did, it was Howard, but we all have to move on."

"Is this why you're with Agent Sousa now?"

"No, no… I truly care about Daniel. I'm just starting to fear for Howard."

Sigyn remembered the day she had told Howard about the locating spell. She had never seen the man so frantic before that. Perhaps Peggy was right to be concerned.

"Could you really find his body if you had a blood sample?" Peggy suddenly asked.

"I believe I could, yes."

Peggy bowed her head.

"It wasn't your fault Howard lost the sample."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and smiled again. "Like I said, we have to move on."

"I'd like to go on this expedition with him."

She looked at Sigyn incredulously. "You want to go on an expedition with Howard? Why?"

"Perhaps I can find another way to help."

"I don't think he would mind, but please do me a favor and don't strangle him to death during the journey. I know he can be reckless, arrogant, selfish and volatile, and he makes inappropriate jokes sometimes, but he's a good friend. After Michael, he was the second person who believed in me."

"I'll behave. You have my word."

A/N: So, about Peggy's brother… In Agent Carter, his death was the reason she decided to become an agent in the first place, but I read a theory that he didn't really die in the war, that he might actually be a spy who went dark or something. This makes sense, because later, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., there was an obituary to Peggy in a newspaper, stating Peggy had only one sibling, a brother. I added this detail about his son, so when Sharon Carter shows up in the story, she won't appear out of nowhere.