The next two years following the death of Edwin Jarvis were unevenful. But that short era of peace came to an end when Sigyn received a warning from Frigga herself one day. She was on another shopping trip on Earth when the queen warned her against the Kree. The Asgardian troops were ready, but Odin didn't want to get involved in a war between the Kree and the Skrulls unless he absolutely had to. Sigyn was ordered to bring the Tesseract back to Asgard if the lab was discovered. After calling Director Keller and advising him to be on alert for any suspicious activity in the California region, she left Midgard. The refugees were glad to have her here, but they were also scared that the Kree was so close. She wished she could promise to protect them, but Asgard was determined to stay out of the Kree-Skrull war, and Sigyn knew what would happen if she betrayed a direct order from Asgard again.

After almost a day of waiting, when the cruiser was forcefully decloaked, Sigyn told them to hide. She was ready to take the cube and leave, but first, she wanted to see who had come for it. And when she saw Carol Danvers, the pilot the Kree had kidnapped, she was glad that she did. Although Carol was wearing a Starforce uniform, it had different colors. The other pilot Mar-Vell used to work with was here, too. Maria Rambeau was her name. There was a Skrull with them, and another human. He was a SHIELD agent, Sigyn recognized, one Howard and Peggy had personally recruited during the Cold War, believing his talents were being wasted in the CIA. Nick Fury.

And that damnable Flerken, Goose. She had been wandering around freely since Mar-Vell's death. She approached Sigyn and rubbed her back against her legs.

"Who the hell are you?" Fury asked.

Sigyn showed him her SHIELD ID. Normally, she wouldn't reveal herself to a SHIELD agent like this, but today, she was going to have to make an exception. Besides, it looked like Fury had already met a couple of aliens. "I am Sharon Tyler, Consultant to SHIELD."

He studied her ID suspiciously. "A Level 10 Consultant? I didn't know that could be possible."

"There are many things you don't know, Agent Fury."

"What's Level 10?" Carol asked.

"That's Director level," Fury explained. "And Consultants aren't supposed to have Clearance Levels at all."

"She's lying," the Skrull said. "Her name is not Sharon Tyler. She's not even from C-53. She's the one Asgard sent to protect the cube. Sorry to blow your cover, by the way… Lady Sigyn."

"I'll be damned!" Fury cried. "You're an alien, too?"

"I'm no impostor. I am the guardian of the Tesseract and a Consultant to SHIELD. My Clearance Level is a privilege I only use under rare circumstances, such as this one. And I have no quarrel with your people, Skrull. In fact, they trusted me to keep them safe."

The Skrulls started coming out from the shadows. Soren ran into the arms of the one who had come here with their unexpected visitors. He must be her husband, Talos, then. Soren had told Sigyn a lot about him. "I'm sorry," she said. "We didn't know what to do. Mar-Vell said the Kree would find us if we sent any signal, and Sigyn had orders not to intervene."

She gestured their daughter to come forth. Right, the girl had never met her father. She was shy at first, but they quickly bonded.

"He wasn't here for the Tesseract," Carol gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"This is war. I have blood on my hands, too. You've brought me to my family. Thank you."

The rest of the refugees were wary, but once Talos told them that his friends could be trusted, they were visibly relaxed.

"Father, look what Sigyn brought me today," his daughter said, showing him the doll Sigyn had given her. "Isn't she pretty?" Mar-Vell would always bring toys and snacks for children, and the necessities for the adults every time she came here. Sigyn had started doing the same after her death. She felt responsible for these people.

Talos smiled. "Yes, my dear, it's very pretty."

"It's alright," Soren assured him. "Sigyn has been kind to us."

For some reason, Talos seemed to be struggling to believe it. And while this was a sentimental moment, there were questions that still needed to be asked. "How did you contact SHIELD?"

He smirked. "Thank you for the warning, Miss Tyler, we'll be keeping an eye for any suspicious activity around California."

Sigyn shivered. Those were the exact words Director Keller had told her on the phone earlier today. "You've been impersonating Keller?"

"Not for long. It wasn't me who spoke with you on the phone; it was just a memory. And don't worry, he's alive."

"If you knew about me, why didn't you come to me directly? There was no need for any of that."

He chuckled bitterly. "Come to you directly? Can't you imagine my fear the moment I realized my family was at the mercy of an Asgardian?"

"What's the problem with the mercy of Asgardians?"

"The problem is, you lack it completely."

"Asgard has done nothing but to bring peace to the universe!"

"Is that so? Where do you think all that gold and riches came from?"

Sigyn had no idea what he was talking about. But Talos looked like he expected it. He snorted. "You Asgardians bury your secrets so deep that even you can't find them. But then, you're not entirely like the others. You helped my family. Therefore, you have my thanks." He nodded to her respectfully.

"Fraternizing with the enemy?" The Starforce had come out of nowhere and barged into the room.

Remembering her orders, Sigyn went to take the Tesseract and put it into the first container she could find. It was a metal lunch box, but it would do.

"Take me," Talos told them. "Let the others go. They're not warriors."

Sigyn would love to test her new strength against the Kree scum, but orders were orders. She now knew the cost of disobedience. She had to trust the Allfather's wisdom. Maybe Heimdall would let her return here to fight once the Tesseract was safe. "Heimdall, open—"

One Kree grabbed Soren and Talos' daughter and pressed a gun against her temple. "Ah-ah-ah… If the Bifrost opens, she dies."

Damn. Why did this keep happening? Why, every time she was determined to be an obedient, loyal Asgardian warrior, her conscience was tested in the worst way possible?

The Tesseract was supposed to be her priority, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not while Soren and Talos silently begged her with their eyes like that. Not while knowing that little girl saw her as a hero. Slowly, she put the box down on the floor, and pushed it toward them. They let the girl return to her mother, but it didn't mean she was safe. None of them were safe. The Kree had no mercy.

They decided to take the Skrull refugees as prisoners and throw Sigyn, Maria, and Fury out of the ship. It was unclear what plans they had for Carol and the Tesseract. As they marched to their death, Sigyn was waiting for an opportunity to break free from her shackles. They were too advanced for her magic, but maybe, she didn't need it at all. The Kree scanner had identified her as a Terran-Asgardian hybrid, but it had failed to recognize the supersoldier serum in her blood. Even after his death, Howard was looking out for her.

But before she could find such an opportunity, suddenly, the lights started to flicker, and the shackles opened themselves. Sigyn took down the nearest Kree guard, and used his gun to kill the rest. Her reflexes had been improved as well. She hadn't noticed that before. But then, she hadn't had to fight for her life since she had been injected with the serum.

Fury went to free Goose from the muzzle.

"I'd be careful with that beast if I were you, Agent Fury."

"Beast? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you aliens? Oh, and what just happened to the lights?"

"I'm not sure, but—" She paused. The answer was, apparently, no one other than Carol herself. And she had the Tesseract. "Not bad," she said, looking at the dead Kree.

Sigyn looked out the window. Accuser ships. Well, if millions of innocent lives weren't at stake, she would actually be happy to get such a chance to test her new powers. But right now, glory was the least of her concerns. "More are coming. The Accusers will destroy the realm."

"I'll deal with them."

"I can help."

"No. You're the guardian of the Tesseract. Guard it. But the lunch box stays with me."

Carol was planning to misdirect the Starforce. But there was one problem. "The cube is pure energy. We need another container."

Carol rolled her eyes. "Should I get you an oven mitt?"

"Look, you absorbed its powers, so it doesn't harm you, but the rest of us—" Goose unleashed her tentacles and swallowed the Tesseract. Sigyn sighed, knowing sooner or later, she was going to have to take it back from the Flerken. But she could worry about that later.

One would think this would be enough to teach Agent Fury why it was wise to stay away from Flerkens, but apparently, it hadn't. "I'm going to pick you up now. I trust you not to eat me."

"Go!" Carol said, and they all started running.

On their way to the hangar, they ran into another group of Kree. Sigyn was ready to fight, but Goose took care of them. Instead of being terrified and disgusted, Fury seemed to like him even more now. The truth was, Flerkens could be formidable allies, if they weren't so unpredictable.

Everything was going well, they even found the Skrull refugees and freed them, but when they ran into another group of Kree, and Goose changed sides, Sigyn was proven right about the beast. If she were alone, she would fight her way out, or at least die trying, but she had to think of Fury and Maria, so she surrendered.

"It's just like Havana," one of the Kree whispered to Fury. She didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but Fury gave Sigyn a meaningful nod. Perhaps Goose hadn't changed sides, after all.

"Cover her eyes," the same Kree soldier whispered to Soren, then revealed himself to be Talos. Disguising yourself as the enemy. Clever. It reminded Sigyn of one of Loki's favorite tricks. She and Talos managed to take down the rest.

"Let's take my ship," Sigyn suggested. "Asgardian ships are faster."

They all took her word for it, climbed aboard, but Talos was the last one, and he got shot by one of the surviving Kree before the hatch was closed. It wasn't a fatal wound, but he was going to need to rest until he healed.

"I don't know how to fly this thing!" Maria complained.

Sigyn left Talos, and went to start the ship. But it didn't start. "Damn it! They must have sabotaged the engines!"

"What now?" Fury asked. "Are we trapped here?"

"Not necessarily. You still have the quadjet."

"And how do you know it's not sabotaged as well?"

"The Kree are arrogant. They wouldn't bother with what they consider to be a piece of junk. Perhaps, for once, it's a good thing everyone in the universe underestimates your world."

"She's right," Talos agreed. "Your jet is probably still intact. The problem is, we're surrounded."

Sigyn looked out the window. At least a dozen Kree had surrounded the ship, indeed. She conjured her sword and shield.

"What are you doing?" Soren gasped.

"When I open this door, run like hell. Don't look back."

"You'll die."

Maybe, she thought. But only a few decades ago, she couldn't even dream of surviving a fight with a dozen Kree warriors. Now, she had a chance, all thanks to Howard. Her friend had trusted her with his life's work, and she had to put it to good use. She had to do what Steve Rogers would do if he were here. She owed Howard that much. She owed it to everyone who believed in her. Even if she wasn't destined to be a hero in the future she had seen, that was irrelevant today. Today, she had to be what she had to be.

Mr. Jarvis' words echoed in her head as she pressed the button to open the hatch. "I'm glad Mr. Stark was able to give you the serum. If anyone deserves this power, it's you."

She jumped from the ship, and held up her shield to cover herself from the blasts. They certainly didn't expect her to charge at them running. She could use her illusions for a diversion, but the truth was, she wanted to see if she could win this fight without sorcery. She slashed and stabbed, unleashing all that pain and anger she had been keeping inside for more than a thousand years. She didn't need an enchanted staff to turn into a Berserker.

Her mother, Haldor, Ana, Howard, Maria, Jarvis… In the past, she thought with each loss, she became a lesser person. But she was wrong. They might be gone, but they were a part of her now, and they gave her the strength she needed. It wasn't just the serum.

When the fight was over, she was standing on a pile of dead Kree warriors, covered in blue blood. The quadjet was gone. She ran to the nearest window to see if Midgard was still safe, and saw Carol Danvers destroying the Accuser ships. "Going binary," Mar-Vell used to call this state. Only, it was supposed to be an engine doing that, not a person. But then, maybe Carol Danvers, too, had been given these powers for a reason.

"Well done, Lady Sigyn."

When she turned around, she found Heimdall's projection standing right behind her. "Well done? I disobeyed yet another order. The Allfather must be furious."

"No. I could've opened the Bifrost and bring you back to Asgard against your will if I'd wanted to. We decided to see how you would handle the situation instead. And you did well. General Talos won't forget what you did for his family. Thanks to you, the Skrull Empire and Asgard can be allies one day. Odin is proud."

Sigyn hesitated for a moment. She didn't know what to say. There were things she was supposed to say, as a warrior of Asgard and the sworn guardian of the Tesseract, but then, they weren't the things she wanted to say. In the end, she decided to be honest.

"I didn't do it for him."

…

Sigyn fixed her ship and returned to Earth to meet everyone else. They were fine, except Fury's left eye was swollen. "It's just a scratch," Fury had said, but Flerkens had venomous paws. He was going to lose that eye. They went to Maria's house, and she kindly let Sigyn use her shower. Sigyn decided to do her a favor and scrubbed the shower really well afterwards. No one would want to see traces of Kree blood in their bathroom. The dinner was ready by the time she was done.

"So, how long have you been here?" Maria's daughter, Monica, asked her.

"I came here in 1950, and I've been working with SHIELD ever since." Sigyn didn't have to tell her that was a secret. Monica looked like a smart child.

"How old are you?"

"More than a thousand years old."

"Wow."

"You know, SHIELD could use a pilot like you," Fury told Maria. If only he hadn't. Working at SHIELD would only put them in danger. Sigyn still didn't know when HYDRA was going to make their move.

"I have a better idea!" Monica cried. "Mom, why don't you, Auntie Carol, and Sigyn become a team? You'd be great together. And I could join you when I grow up."

The three women exchanged meaningful looks. They all knew it would be impossible. Maria and Carol were—rightfully—upset with Sigyn for covering up Mar-Vell's death. Fury ignored this silent exchange, even if he had noticed it. "You know what, that's actually a great idea!"

"SHIELD can put together a team like that, right? A team of all female heroes?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid we can't afford to be that… selective yet. Perhaps one day."

"Sigyn, a word?" Carol asked sharply.

Sigyn nodded, and they went outside. "I know what you're going to say. I respected Mar-Vell. A lot. And she respected you. I'm sorry we covered up the incident. I'm sorry we didn't give you the recognition you deserved."

"Recognition? It's not about recognition. My best friend and her daughter spent almost six years, not sure if they should mourn me or not! The Kree might have fed me with lies, but at least what they taught us about Asgard on Hala was true. You bury your secrets so deep, even the secrets can't find themselves. And you taught SHIELD to do the same."

"Carol, I'm hardly the one who taught humanity the art of espionage. But I don't regret anything. Mar-Vell's files had to be redacted. I did what was necessary to protect people."

"You could've at least told Maria!"

"Then she would be in danger, too. Maria was one of those people I was protecting."

Carol studied her from head to toe with a suspicious frown. "You're hiding from something… or someone, aren't you? If you tell me, maybe I can help."

Sigyn considered telling her about HYDRA, but then decided against it. If she told Carol, Carol would tell Fury, and Fury would tell Director Keller. She didn't need any more blood on her hands. "I'm not hiding from anyone. But you're clearly hiding something from me. What did they teach you about Asgard on Hala?"

She shrugged. "Why do you ask? You wouldn't believe it."

"Please."

"No. If you have the courage, ask Odin yourself."

"Well, I better not overstay my welcome here. I'm going to have to take Goose with me, though. She still has the Tesseract."

"It's not my approval you need. You should ask Fury. But then, he doesn't have much of a choice, does he? With you being his secret boss and all…"

"I suppose he doesn't."

…

"I wasn't expecting to see you again," Fury said when Sigyn visited him in his office the next day.

"Hello, Agent Fury. How's your eye?"

His hand went to the metal eyepatch. "I think this is growing on me."

"We all tried to warn you, didn't we? When dealing with the extraterrestrial, it's wise to listen to those who's been around for longer than you have. Carter and Stark knew that, and it saved them from a lot of trouble back in the day."

"I assume you're here to give me another warning?"

"Yes. What are you planning to tell Director Keller about the Tesseract's fate?"

"Well, the truth, of course."

"And what truth is that?"

"That you have it."

"Technically, I don't have it."

"No. But Goose does. And you have Goose."

Damn it. "Agent Fury," she started carefully. "I know SHIELD teaches the agents to trust the system, but you've seen how fragile that system is. Perhaps it's for the best that the Tesseract remains lost."

"You don't trust Director Keller…"

"I don't trust humanity in general. Don't take it personal."

"But you trusted the Founders."

"I did. That was a long time ago. Midgard changes fast."

"Carol trusted us with the Tesseract."

"Carol isn't the one who's been working with SHIELD for decades."

"I will not lie to Keller, Sigyn. Don't waste your breath. The system might be fragile, but I still trust it more than I trust you. And the Tesseract must be put to good use. If you truly respect Howard Stark's legacy, you won't stop us."

"In that case, when he asks for my opinion, I'm going to advise Director Keller against your new project. What do you call it, the Protectors Initiative?"

"Why? Because things didn't work out between you and Carol? For the record, I think she was right to be mad at you. But if you could've put your differences aside, you'd be a force to be reckoned with."

"It's not about me or Carol. It's about what we are. Our powers come with a cost. Things we do take a toll on us. Put a bunch of strangers like us in a room, and we'll be at each others' throats in no time. There's always an excuse."

"Are you a prophet or something?"

"I'm just a woman who's seen too much."

"And I'm just a man who knows too much. I can't unsee what I saw yesterday. I can't ignore it either."

Sigyn considered altering Fury's memories, but before she could act on the thought, an agent interrupted them, saying Director Keller wanted to see him immediately.

"See you around, Miss Tyler," he said before leaving.

She put a hand on Fury's shoulder to stop him before he walked out of the office, and whispered, "Under normal circumstances, I only deal with the Director of SHIELD, Agent Fury. If we're both lucky, we'll never see each other again."