Disclaimer: I own none of anything. DC owns their stuff. Marvel is owned by Disney. Disney owns everything. Maybe even me, and I don't even know.

AN: Wow! Five chapters in and finally getting to the Man of Steel story arc. I know Man of Steel garnered some criticism for the dark tones and none comic-accurate Superman, but I found that to be a fresh breath of air for such a character. Man of Steel was a movie that I personally enjoyed and found to be a great starting point movie for a film franchise. On another note, I am getting many suggestions and questions about the romances for Carter. While I am not against suggestions, I find just accepting what the crowd wants to be a hindrance to creativity. To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I want to do for romance, and I am thinking of multiple different characters that I am playing around with and trying to figure out how to integrate them.

TBM10: Thank you, I try. With Jessica Jones, I am not closing that door just yet. The reason for Carter being timid is because of the lessons from Edwin, he may be a man, but he is still a kid following his grandfather's words. Also, remember he isn't Superman yet. He's just a kid from New York trying to find himself. In terms of power, I kept the ideas that Zach Synder used for Superman, where he has limitless potential. How limitless you will have to read and see.

Guest: You can stop waiting and join me in the sun.

Guest: I am unsure yet. Will keep the readers updated.

AshuraNoKami: Well, I am sorry to inform you that Kryptonite will appear in this story.

132: Never abandoning this story. I put too much effort in this story to do that.

roshane: Thank you for reading.

Guest: I don't know if I want to add Marvel Superman to my story. Foggy and Carter will have more interactions later in the story.

Guest: Thank you for getting the hint! Tony is more like his father than he realizes. It will play a part in the story.

EANID: Thank you, here is more!

Nathaniel: Thank you!

Darkest-of-Knight: Thank you, I try my best with my writing to make this a story and not just put a guy in and make it a fix-it story. For the pairing is still undecided, but I have a few I am leaning towards. I might put a poll up to get a consensus.

tanamashu: Here is more for you

NathanDavies: Glad to perk you up from a hard week of work.

Gundamfreedom0: Don't worry, this story isn't going anywhere. I am glad you like the brotherly clashing that Tony and Carter are experiencing. There will be some more clashes and maybe some resolutions.

To answer your questions about my Batman story, they are two different entities. I am sad to say that those two will never meet in my stories. Adding two heavy hitters like Batman and Superman into one story was too much for me. I wanted to do a Batman story, but I wanted to put him in a different universe. I just did Marvel because it was easy to integrate him and his rouge's gallery. As for the romance, I am sorry to say no, Wonder Woman, but there are some other DC heroines I am considering for the romance. Both powered and Non-powered.

Guest: I have an idea for him, don't worry.

Cabrera1234: Glad you do.

Guest02957: Hello! I will not say anything about the story with the technology, but I say that the black suit will make a few appearances. I might make it into a joke with the color scheme of Captain Marvel and Superman matching.

Guest: This isn't soon, but here.

Ssj blue Future Gohan: You will have to wait and see. ;).

Kiran Punnoose: I don't know yet.

Guest: I don't know the final pairing yet, but I am thinking of characters outside the MCU and Marvel.

Austrian: Well, like I said in the last chapter's Author Notes, I am open to bringing back that pairing. Yes, Carter has had it rough, but soon his life will soar. Read the chapter to find out the answers to your other questions.

Luke5921: Here is more. Tell me what you think.

TianYi: Glad you like it. Hope it held you over.

AtomicGod666: Pairing is not definite yet, but here is more.

Ego Alter Ego: Wow! Lots of things to right back about. Glad to have made your Christmas, I guess.

Glad you like that Carter just barely interacting with the Phase 1 part of the MCU. I had him mainly interact with Tony, but I felt that could be justified. I didn't want Carter to impact it too much, then it became a game of connecting dots to make sure everything was lining up. That was an interesting comparison of Lex Luthor and Tony, I just made the scene to act out like when two brothers fight over ideals.

Yeah, I wanted to make a serious scene have a bit of comedy to take the edge off.

For the Logan cameo, I was thinking back to X2 when coming up with the Old Man Logan outfit.

Carter doesn't know that he is a giant among men yet, all he has in the human aspects he was raised with. His confidence is there, but he has to be careful to not stand out and not break anything because he lacks focus. Yes, most Kryptonians are like gods and goddesses sculpted like models.

With Carter living with Peggy, I imagined that she would teach him a thing or two. She is his Godmother, after all, and would hate to help him protect himself.

Yes, with Jessica going through a traumatic event, she wasn't at her best. She lashed out, and Carter was the nearest target.

The Stan Lee cameo was something I wanted to do for a while but couldn't find a place that was just right. Also, just a heads up, this won't be his only one. The way I put it up was, imagining if, by some miraculous reason, Superman was given to Marvel. I thought of it as a character being introduced to a boss.

Yes, Nick Fury tried to outdo the master and was told, "Hold my beer, little boy, and be schooled." Spys manipulate whatever they have at their disposal, whether it be a physical ailment, disorder, or disease. Peggy just used what she had at her disposal.

Natasha has been around for a long time. As a Super Spy and Assassin, she was trained to notice the smallest detail, and this was no different. As for trying to use Peggy, well, you saw what happened to Nick Fury.

The Man of Steel Arc will definitely flip the world on its head.

Thank you for your kind words, and I hope to bring you back for another chapter. When will that be? Right here, right now!

Tony McNucklz: The truth is…. I am glad you like this. For the Iron Man suit, the Mark II was not super light, it was a heavy piece of machinery. I wanted to demonstrate the number of changes that Tony does for those suits of armor after every Mark. The X-Men will be segwayed into this gently. How may you ask? Well, you have to wait and see. This is the start of Man of Steel. Pairing is undecided at this point, but as I wrote earlier. I kicking around some ideas.

blaker316: Here you go!

Joe-El: Thank you! Yes, the relationship will expand as the story goes along. I really didn't want to keep regular Clark Kent because in this story, while he will be good-hearted, he won't be a boy scout all the time. Like I said in the author's notes in the last chapter, Phase 1 of the MCU is largely unaltered. However, from this point on, it will change. You don't come off overly negative. You can have an opinion about something and not be negative.

War Sage: You can have an opinion. This chapter saw Carter's missteps and proved that why he is all-powerful, he can still be weak in some sense.

dhnysports88: Glad you like it. Nothing is certain about the pairings yet.

Aztec 13: Glad you liked the surprise. I am glad people like how I just touched upon Phase 1 of the MCU. Like I said in my earlier author's notes, I will be introducing mutants early. I will not say if Kilgrave will come back, but I will say we will see more of Wolverine.

Freelook: Don't wait. Here's more!

kingmanaena: Thank you for your constant reviews and kind words. I will update when I can, and I hope it is soon as well!

Chapter 5: In The Sun

May 10th, 2012

Carter opened his eyes and felt the sun's rays peek through the window to dance across his face. He watched as water temporarily blocked the sun before disappearing below the window. It had been two and half weeks since he left his brother. A crabbing vessel needed deckhands, and Carter took the opportunity to join. He was designated a Greenhorn on the FV Debbie Sue by Captain Ivar Heraldson, and they have done non-stop work since he got on. Most of his other deckhands thought he would drop from the work, but his endless strength and stamina make it easy.

He was the first one up but didn't want to wait for the rest of the crew to wake, so he hopped off his bunk. As he jumped, a familiar tap hit his shoulder. It was the control key to his spaceship, and Carter had put a piece of cord around it to act as a neckless. Carter kept the key in his possession over the years but felt the need to keep it on his person ever since he felt the need to go north. Carter thumbed the key, soothing himself before he decided to get dressed.

A wool shirt and jeans were on first. Then he put on the orange raincoat along with the steel-toed boots and water-resistant rubber gloves. He didn't need to wear them, but he needed to keep appearances. He left the living quarters and climbed the wooden stairs to the deck. He opens the door and is hit head-on with the rays of the morning sun.

Carter embraces the beam and inhales a big breath of sea air. He had grown accustomed to the salt that was mixed in the air. He loved this experience every morning. He went to the bait station and started his assigned job. He was to cut the fish apart and stick them in a giant processor before filling feed bags with the ground-up fish. Carter did a handful of pouches before a voice came over the PA system of the ship, "Kid, get up here!" Carter sighed at being caught. He filled one last bag before going back into the boat and climbed some stairs to get to the wheelhouse.

In the captain's chair was a gaunt but stern-looking older man. The man's hair and beard were salt&pepper in color (1). He heard Carter climb the stairs and narrowed his eyes at him as he turned his chair to face him. "What've I told you about going out on the deck on your own, Steve?" the deep and disappointed voice of the captain asked Carter. Steve was another false name Carter came up with and some fake documents. The captain had looked at the paper for a long time. If Ivar knew they were fake, he didn't care. All he wanted was workers.

Carter felt like he was back to being a teenager, and Peggy reprimanded him and Jessica for sneaking out. He was a twenty-six-year-old man. He didn't need to read the riot act. "Not to," Carter answered with an annoyed sigh.

It was a mistake to take that kind of attitude with the captain. The older man leaned forward and pointed at the younger man. "You know what. I want you off my ship when we get back to port," Ivar demanded. Ivar pointed at the deck, "Out there, you are my responsibility, along with every other man on this ship! If you die or someone else does, it's my ass." He leered deeper into Carter's eyes to drive his point home. "Go get something to eat, and I better see you out there when the rest wake up," Ivar told him before swirling his chair to look out the windows and steer the ship. Carter walked down the wheelhouse stairs but stopped halfway down when the captain gave one last order, "You're part of a team now, start acting like it." Carter let the man finish before going down the stairs. The captain had met enough Greenhorns to know his words were empty to the kid. He gave a snort of amusement before he said to himself, "Can't believe I used to be like him." Ivar smirked at the inside joke. He was young once.

Carter went back to the deck area but stayed close to the entryway of the bulkhead so the captain didn't see him. He didn't wave to wait long as a seasoned deckhand came out with him. The older man looked at Carter uninterestedly before tugging on his final glove. The rest of the crew came onto the deck, and they all got to work.

Carter worked like a mindless robot as the boat gently rocked, and the ocean roared on occasion. The sea was relatively calm as they fished. The crew placed a crab pod on the launcher, and two of the crew threw the buoy markers onto the deck. This was the signal that it was time for Carter to do his job. He grabbed a sack of bait and walked to the pod. The rest of the men were communicating and shouting, but Carter ignored it. He crawled into the pot and hooked the bait before sliding out. The rest of the crew prepped the pod before using the winch to throw the pod into the sea.

Carter heard a splash and saw a length of rope from one of the pods on the deck. Carter walked towards the bundle, but unbeknownst to him, a pod that was being carried by the winch was starting to come loose. Another crewman noticed this and saw that it would land on Carter. He sprinted and tackled Carter out of the way just as the pod crashed to the deck. The deckhand pushed himself up and roared at Carter angrily, "Watch it, dumb-ass!" He readjusted his hat as he stood before giving the Greenhorn a tip of information, "Keep your eye open, or you're gonna get squashed." He then offered a hand to Carter, who took it to stand. Carter was thankful that the man cared that he was alive. With his life now safe, the crewman reminded Carter he was the odd man out. "Where the hell did they find you, Greenhorn," the man remarked with distaste before going back to work.

"Let's get this trap in the air," another crewman yelled to everyone.

The PA screeched to life as Ivar's voice came over it. "Gentlemen, secure the deck." All the men looked up towards the wheelhouse. "We just got a distress call from a rig due west of us. Secure the deck!" the captain revealed the reason behind the sudden change of plans.

The crew worked fast to secure the deck as the ship traveled west. Everyone went to the front of the ship and stood on the bridge. Carter watched the horizon with anticipation. It didn't take long for Carter to see the black smoke rising in the sky. The oil rig was ablaze and minor explosions popped in the smoke. The roar of a helicopter made him look starboard to see a Coast Guard helicopter head in the same direction. Carter's hearing picked up the radio transmission from the Coast Guard helicopter, "All civilian boats, stand clear. The sub-sea valves failed, and the rig is about to explode." Carter snapped in the direction of the oil rig. He used his telescope and X-Ray vision in tandem to see if anyone was inside. There were. He walked inside to ask his captain what their next move was.

Ivar's jaw clenched as he used the radio to ask the Coast Guard, "Roger, Coast Guard. What about the men left inside?" That didn't sit well with him. If people were alive, he would do what he could to help them.

The response made a pit form in all their stomachs. The Coast Guard told them, "Forget them. They're dead." Carter turned to look at the rig in shock at the dismissal of lives. He was about to leap over the side but stopped. Carter felt helpless. He wanted to go help, but there was so much he didn't know. Was the rig stable? Would he get there in time? Will he die from that? Would he make things worse? All these thoughts ran through his mind. He gripped the guard rail, and the metal groaned in protest.

His brother's and Jessica's words clashed in him. They both told him was he no help and made things worse. However, Peggy and the Jarvis family's words were pushing him to go save people. Just like he'd always done.

Ivar looked at the wreck with anger. Maybe if he saw something, he would be able to convince the Coast Guard to let them go help people. "Greenhorn, fetch me my binoculars!" Ivar called out without looking for the younger man. He didn't want to take his eyes off the rig in fear of missing something. There was no response, so the captain turned to look where he last saw Carter. Angrily he called out, "Greenhorn!" Carter was nowhere to be seen.

Carter dove right into the water and stripped off all his upper body clothing and boots before he swam straight to the rig. His strength and speed got him there in three seconds as a wave crashed against the rig's legs. Carter used the wave's momentum to get himself halfway up the leg. Carter used his hands and feet to bend the metal for footholds. An explosion from above made the rig rock and debris of ignited metal fall. It was coming right towards him. The Carter braced as the metal made contact but bounced off his shoulder. Carter looked at his shoulder and saw no damage at all. Carter looked down to see the water below funnel upward from a splash when it hit the surface.

Carter didn't have time to think about it as he started to climb. Like everything else, he was not fatigued by the long climb. He made it to the helipad and began his descent into the rig, his X-Ray vision helping guide him to the men trapped inside. The fire did nothing to his skin or body hair while he ran through the flames. He didn't even feel the heat as he ran. An explosion shook the rig and caused Carter to fall into the wall with his shoulder. Carter got his baring and ran further into the rig towards the offices. Unknown to him, fire had spread to his body. His shoulder and chest were wrapped in flames.

Carter made it to the hallway that led it to the room where the men were making their final stand. Carter ran to the door, and as he approached, the panicked voices of the men inside could be heard, "This is the last of the oxygen. I don't know how much longer we can hold out." The man had slammed their last oxygen tank on a table and opened the valve to let it out. They all hoped help would come soon. They soon got their answer when the steel door screeched as something grabbed it.

They all paused and watched in awe as Carter tore the door off its hinges by grasping it in the middle. Fire seeped in from where Carter shoved his hands through. Carter tossed it aside like an old coke can before stepping through the room's threshold. The men were divided in what they saw. His appearance made Carter appear to be a monster crawling from the pits of hell or an angel coming from heaven to help them. "Follow me. I'll get you out of here," Carter waited a second before the men walked close to him. Carter nodded his head as he turned to face the hallway. He inhaled deeply before unleashing a concentrated blast of air on the flames. While the blast of air made the flames die down, it didn't put them out. The constant source of fuel made sure of that. "Go! Get to the helipad. I'll pick up the rear," Carter ordered as he pointed and motioned for the men to run. They didn't need to be persuaded anymore and hauled it to the landing pad.

Outside the rig, the helicopter was still hovering around. "This is Coast Guard 6510. We're gonna make one more pass, then we're getting out of here," the captain of the squad radioed to headquarters about his plan. The captain was speaking from experience. He was leaving if he didn't see any sign of life from the rig. He wasn't going to risk his team if he didn't need to. As they made their final pass, Carter and the oil rig workers clamored up the stairs to the helipad. "Wait, wait. I got some guys on the helipad," one of the Coast Guard called over the radio as he pointed at the far away landing pad. His call got the attention of the pilot, who looked over to see the oil rig workers waving them down. The pilot acted quickly and flew to the rescue.

The helicopter flew in low, and Carter and the men kneeled down low when the chopper came close. The whipping winds of the helicopter blades helped disperse some of the lingering smoke. As the helicopter touched down on the pad, Carter began ushering the men towards it. The Coast Guard came out to meet the men and ensure they got to the safety of the helicopter. As the men boarded the vehicle, a loud explosion came from the main derrick of the oil rig.

Looking towards the explosion, Carter saw an explosion pulse up the derrick, and smoke belched out. Carter looks in shock and horror at the derrick. It was leaning and heading towards the helicopter. They weren't going to be able to take off in time. Looking between the two, Carter walked around the helicopter and towards the derrick. "Get the last guy loaded! We have got to go!" the pilot ordered urgently as he saw the derrick leaning.

One of the other Coast Guard members called out to Carter in panic, "Hey, let's go! What're you doing!?" Carter looked back at him before he looked back at the derrick.

Carter heard the man but ignored him. He was more concerned with the thirty-thousand-ton tower of metal coming down. He had never tried to lift something that big before. However, if he didn't try, they all died. He leaped to a metal beam at the derrick's base and stuck his hands out to grab it. Carter held his ground and kept it from falling. Carter grit his teeth, and for the first time in his life, he felt his muscles strain.

The Coast Guard officer had his mouth agape at what he was seeing. A guardian angel kept them safe and held the tower of metal up. "Go! Go!" the man hollered at the pilot. He wouldn't let the angel's sacrifice be in vain. The helicopter rose from the platform and started to peel off.

Carter held firm as he kept the derrick from falling. However, the strain had turned to discomfort. "Argh!" Carter cried out as he felt himself sinking. The beam he was standing couldn't hold the combined weight of himself and the derrick. The pilot saw the derrick jostle and turned the helicopter sharply. The men inside yelped in, surprised at being tossed about in the helicopter. Carter stood firm and held the derrick. However, as soon as the helicopter flew away, an explosion finally made it fall. As the derrick came crashing down, it took the landing pad and Carter into the ocean.

Piece by piece, the oil rig went into the ocean as it went up in a series of explosions and smoke. The helicopter flew away from the oil rig passing the Debbie Sue. All the crewmen watched it pass over.

In the wheelhouse, Ivar slowly and shakily lowered his binoculars. He saw everything that happened. "I'm turning this ship around," he called to his men over the PA. He didn't know if Carter had died or not, but all he knew was he didn't want him back on his ship.

Carter laid deep below the water's surface. His eye shut as he let the silence of the ocean overtake him. For once in a long, long time, he didn't hear anything. It took him back to when Edwin and Anna had helped him when he was young. The sensory overload he had in school had been too much for him. Anna and Edwin had coached him in finding a way to embrace everything at once. The hug they gave him was one he wished he could go back and experience till the end of time.

A loud echoing noise made him open his eyes. A whale was trumpeting. A giant humpback whale and its young swam just above him. The younger whale trumpeted back and rubbed affectionately against its mother as they swam away. Carter swung himself up before he swam in the direction of land. Carter couldn't go back to the ship. He would have to explain too much. Luckily, he had a place set up in a nearby town.

The grey skies of Kodiak, Alaska, hinted at rain to come. A line seagull glided as the wind from the ocean whipped across the land. Carter jumped from the sea to the backyard of a seaside home. His ripped physic and hairy chest still dripping with saltwater. Carter heard Chris Cornell's Seasons was playing on a radio inside the house. Another gust of wind shook clothing on a nearby clothesline making the clothing flutter like wings. Carter heard the front door close, and Carter took this as his signal to come out. His eyes immediately landed on the clothesline. He trotted over, his pectoral muscles bouncing with his every step. While he hated stealing, he was in desperate need of clothing. His pants were torn to shreds, and his underwear was barely hanging on. He grabbed a pair of socks but found them to still wet. Carter exhaled through his nose before looking around to ensure the couple inside hadn't noticed him. As he walked by a car that had its trunk open. The car belonged to the owner of the house, but he wasn't interested in the car. He was interested in the clothing sitting right there in the trunk. Carter hesitated at first but took a shirt, jeans, and rain poncho before heading to his rented home.

The house itself was nothing of merit, just a simple cottage that an older couple rented out. He grabbed his meager possessions and stuffed them in his duffle bag before locking the house up. As he left the home to move on to his next destination, he caught the familiar burnt yellow of a school bus. As kids clambered out to run to their parents. However, the bus brought back the memories of the time he saved his classmates from the river. Those days were far gone, but little has changed. Jessica was right about one thing: he was still the little boy hiding from the world.

The world had changed overnight. The world had just witnessed The Avengers, hostile aliens falling from a tear in the sky, and mutants were starting to make their presence known. Even with all the good some of them did, ordinary people rejected them. "People are afraid of what they don't understand or cannot control." Those are the words Edwin told him. He had been right. People are rejecting others from this planet. They wouldn't accept an alien from another world, not after what happened in New York.

The horn from the bus blared out and shook Carter from his thoughts. He looked north as he started to walk away in that direction.

May 12th, 2012

Carter walked on the side of one of the many highways of Nanaimo, B.C. Carter had decided to walk to enjoy the fresh cool air. The walks helped him ease his mind of all the racing thoughts. He felt the nagging need to keep going north, but he needed one thing. Food. No matter how different he was from humans, he still desired food. Not that he really needed it, but a good ole greasy burger would always be welcomed. His nose caught the sweet smell of salt and grease coming up the highway. He sped away in a blur.

The Cassidy Pub Inn was a hotspot for passing truckers and locals. Carter opened the door and went in, the heat of the building holding off the outside cold. Carter took off his grey skullcap and went over to the bar. As he sat on a stool and leaned his bag against the bar. Carter got the bartender's attention and said, "Can I get a burger and some tea, please?" The tea was something he always asked for when he ate. Edwin and Peggy always served tea no matter the meal.

The bartender gave him a once over and said, "Sorry buddy, paying customers only." He thought Carter was a homeless man looking for a quick dine and dash. Carter looked down at his person before digging into his coat pockets and pulling out a wad of bills. Carter shifted through his money before throwing a hundred-dollar bill onto the bar.

Carter felt like his brother as he over politely replied, "Please." The bartender took the bill and got to getting his order ready. He looked around and found it to be a modest place for a truck stop. The place had a modern bar look with televisions and leather seated booths. His eyes drifted to the television with a hockey game on its screen. While it wasn't his favorite sport, he would deal with it for now. He would much rather watch a football game, like him and Edwin used to.

A soft clank on the bar's surface brought his attention back. A young woman in her mid to late twenties gave him a toothy smile as she placed his order on the table. "Our classic burger and tea," the waitress said as she placed his order on the bar.

"Thank you," Carter responded as he took the burger in his hand and bit into it. It was good. Really good. Carter had paused to enjoy its flavor before digging into it some more. He put the food down before wiping his mouth with a napkin. The waitress was still standing with her serving tray across her stomach and an amused smile on her face. "What?" Carter questioned, wondering what she found funny.

The waitress shook her head with the smile still on her face before speaking, "It's nothing. I just like seeing people's reactions when they bite into our burgers." Carter snorted at the explanation. It was funny. "Just…" she pointed her head in the direction of the tea, "…why the tea?" she questioned.

Carter grinned gently. He would tell her his own inside joke. "My grandfather and aunt would always serve tea with every meal. Just seems wrong to get something to eat without it," he revealed to her. He took a sip before he placed it back on the bar. "Even if it's crap."

That got the waitress to laugh, and in turn, he laughed. Her laugh was like a melody. She then stuck her hand out, "My name's Chrissy." The smile she gave held a hint of flirtation.

Still smiling, Carter shook the hand before giving his name, "Ed." Another fake name he had used over the years.

Chrissy smirked, liking Carter's politeness, and commented, "We don't get a lot of your kind up this far." Carter nearly choked on his tea at the sudden accusation. Seeing his reaction, Chrissy pointed out what she meant, "Your accent. You're American" Carter took a deep breath in relief.

"Yeah, decided to get away from it all," Carter lied. It was the usual shpeal he always told people when they asked about him and his reasons for being in Canada.

"You're an interesting man, Ed," she told him. She had lived in the same town all her life, with the same face with the same stories, and the bar provided new faces with new stories for her to hear. It was her dream to leave this dreary town once she had enough money. Her eyes moved behind Carter at the serving window, making her musings end. "I got to go, but stay for a while, will ya? I'd love to hear more about America," she asked before walking to the serving window clustered with food.

Carter watched the woman's retreating back. Carter wasn't always one for a pretty face, but he found the innocence and optimism to be refreshing. Carter reached in his pocket and pulled out his cash before cycling through it to count. He was barely north of two-thousand dollars. Carter was going to need some money, and this place looked to need help. Maybe Chrissy working with Chrissy would be fun. He finished his food and beverage before getting the bartender's attention, "Excuse me, are you hiring?" The next thing he knew, he was being handed an apron and a plastic tub. He was back to cleaning tables. It seemed that there was always a need for a busboy wherever he went.

May 13th, 2012

Nick Fury sat in his comfortable chair in his office at the Triskelion. He had already contacted Jane Foster and was in the process of moving her to the Arctic. She requested that he include her intern, Darcy, in the move and was willing to oblige her. She would help solve his problem of pinpointing the anomaly's location in the Arctic. The problem was her dragging her feet in another project of hers. She claimed she couldn't just leave the project for another time.

The line of his office phone started to ring. Nick looked at the phone screen to see who he was calling. The name that appeared made him curse, "Fu..."

"Sir, you have a phone call," Maria Hill said as she came into his office, stopping him from finishing his thought.

Nick looked at her with a glare of annoyance, but she ignored him. She was used to those kinds of a stare. "Thank you," he grumbled before picking up the phone. "Fury."

"You think you can hide alien technology from me?" a gruff accusing voice came from the phone. It was someone Nick was very familiar with the voice.

"General Ross, let me explain something," Nick started in a neutral tone before leaning more into the phone, wanting his words to be heard clearly. "I don't answer to you," Nick explained with a bite to his words. The general had it in his mind that he needed to be a part of everything that was a threat to National Security.

Ross wasn't discouraged by the spy's words, "I don't care what you think. What matters is America and her best interests." Ross had a job to do and wouldn't let a spy organization dictate what was best. In his own office, Ross had two men with him, and he was going to make sure those two would be on SHIELD's expedition.

Nick didn't have the time or patience to deal with the general. "All dealings of the extraterrestrial are handled by SHIELD. No acceptions," Nick reiterated as he was ready to hang up. If there was a possible first contact or weapon, it was better for SHIELD to deal with it and find a proper use for it. Putting the military in charge usually meant bravado followed by loss of life.

Ross said nothing for several seconds before a calm voice said, "I'm offering some men to help."

"Nice try," Nick immediately unimpressed by the tactic.

"Come on, Fury," Ross exasperated. "Your agents are spread thin as it from the Chitauri Invasion. Your low manpower," Ross pointed out. The man was trying to his damnedest to get involved.

Nick didn't want to admit it, but the general spoke the truth. He lost a lot of good men and women that day. Sucking on his cheek in thought, he looked at Maria, who had been listening in on the conversation, to see what her thoughts were. Maria shrugged her shoulders, telling him she thought it could go either way. It was a gamble trusting Ross, but he didn't get where he was without taking some risks. "Fine, but if there is one step outta line or one missing piece of technology. None of your friends in the Pentagon or White House will stop the hellfire I'll rain down on you," Nick threatened. To make the man know his place, he imparted a simple, "Are we clear?" He waited for the man to respond accordingly.

Ross's amused tone practically danced as he said, "Crystal." The line went dead.

Nick sternly set the phone down before folding his hands and leaning his elbows on the armrests. Maria spoke for the second time since entering the office, "Was that a good idea, sir?" She knew better than to question her boss. All he did was for the betterment of the world. He formed the Avengers and got them to work together in their darkest hour.

Nick sighed before nodding his head for assurance, "Yes, Ross is like a dog. Give him a bone, and he'll do what you tell him." However, Nick never trusted anyone entirely. "Still, like any animal, you have to look out for the teeth," Nick finished as he started typing away to speed along Dr. Foster's move to the Arctic. Adding a couple of zeroes on the check would help her move faster.

May 20th, 2012

In his Malibu home in his workshop, Tony eyed his holotable's screens that floated right in front of him. There were seven screens up, six of which had schematics and different metal combinations for more Iron Man armors. Video feeds played and paused on the final screen as a program scanned faces. A face would pop up before the words "No Match" in red were displayed over the picture. The ironic part was Tony had his eyes focused on the final screen. A red glow spread across his face every time it was on display. "Where are you?" Tony mumbled to himself. He had been at this for a couple of weeks.

The door to the workshop opened, and he looked over to see Pepper walking in. He quickly shut the scanning screen down, the screen shrinking into the table. He pretended to be focusing on his new armor designs; a pad of paper and pen in his hands were used to sell the illusion. Pepper frowned in sympathy for her boyfriend. Going over to the holotable and hitting a button to summon the screen. Tony put the pad down on the table and looked at the woman. "Still looking for him," it was a statement, not a question. Pepper had been given the rough details about Tony's adoptive brother. An alien from another world had been in the same room as her, and she hadn't noticed. Hell, she talked to an alien and didn't notice. Then again, he didn't look like an alien. Then there were the powers he hid. From the stories Tony told her, she was slightly afraid at first, but the young man she met was nothing like that.

Tony tiredly sighed while pinching his furrowed brow, "Yeah." His brother had no social media or internet profile to track. He didn't leave much of a digital footprint for Tony to follow.

Pepper shook her head before looking at the cycling screen. She swiped it down to end the search. "You gotta let it go, Tony. He wants to be left alone," Pepper tried to explain the concept time and time again.

Tony grew aggravated before speaking, "Pep…." His sigh rumbled in his throat, trying to control his anger. "The guy could have helped us in New York. Just think about the lives he could have saved," Tony finished. The amount of carnage that happened during the invasion could have been minimized with Carter there.

"He's your brother Tony, not some guy," Pepper reprimanded. The fact Tony wouldn't call him his brother didn't sit right with her. He looked away from her, his anger burning like a raging fire. She sat on the holotable and reached her hand to his chin. She turned his head, so he looked at her. "Tony, he will come around. Just give him some time," Pepper pleaded to the billionaire.

Tony wanted to heed the woman's words. He truly did. However, the nightmares he experienced in his sleep and the constant tremors in the day made his patience run dry. "At the cost of how many human lives?" questioned back. It was terrifying that people made him out to be a hero. He wasn't a hero, and he couldn't save everyone. No matter how much he wanted to.

Pepper looked at the man sadly before moving her hand to his cheek and stroking it. Tony leaned into it. The soft palm was a comfort to the man. She was a clever and resourceful woman, but she didn't have an answer. Only the guarantee that she would try her best to be by her side. She then got up and made to walk out of his workshop. "Don't stay down here too late," she called out before leaving. Tony was left with his thoughts as the machines around him hummed mechanical noise.

May 28th, 2012

In the corner of the Cassidy Pub, a woman sang for the few patrons, but she wasn't anything terrific. Carter cleared off another table and again found no tip. It was a mistake to take the job. He wiped his hands off on his apron before bringing his plastic tub to the bar. He deposited the stein glasses and plates into the sink. He caught Chrissy at another end of the bar smiling at him. Their time together was something special. The relationship started as an exchange, with him telling her stories of his life traveling both America and Canada. She would tell him about the local areas and show him around town. Then it turned into a friendship, with the two of them spending time together outside of work. He even got her to watch a football game instead of a hockey game. Taking the job wasn't a mistake after all. She shot him a wink, and he smiled back. Looking down another end of the bar, he noticed two Canadian soldiers sitting and eating at a table. Nothing Carter would think twice about, but their conversation was interesting. "Wait a second. Aren't you here for the exercise?" one asked the other.

"No, there was a change in the plans," the one talking paused to take a bit of his food. "Somebody found something strange on Ellesmere," he continued to speak in between bites. "Aircom's and SHIELD are making runs out there all week," the soldier finished. SHIELD making runs up in Canada was an interesting piece of information. SHIELD never did anything without cause. If SHIELD was heading in there, maybe it was time for him to head there as well.

The second soldier shook his head in disbelief. "That rate hole. You gotta be kidding me."

The first soldier flourished his hand as he continued to speak, "I know. Crazy right?" He swallowed what was left in his mouth and finished the piece of gossip, "The Americans are there too, lots of them." Carter's eyes widened slightly at that bit of news. There was no doubt that something was going on and that something could be what he was looking for.

"Anything else?" Carter caught Chrissy talking to a table from across the room. Just a table full of truckers. She seemed distressed, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. He looked at her for a moment to make sure she was okay before going back to listening to the soldiers talk.

The following sentence made Carter really excited. "They're calling it an anomalous object. Whatever that means," the soldier said. Carter felt his heart pound in his chest with excitement. Anomalous could have just meant strange, but with SHIELD and the US army, that meant it was extraterrestrial.

"Back off, Ludlow. I'm serious," Chrissy's stern voice brought back Carter's attention. Ludlow was a trucker that used the Cassidy Pub as his usual stop for a bite to eat. The man was in his mid to late forties, with greying hair. He was well-built for a trucker and didn't have the typical pot belly Carter had seen most have. The man had a reputation around the pub for asking every waitress out and being handsy with them.

The loud voices were starting to gain the attention of both patrons, "Oh, come on, Chrissy." He made an attempt to grab her ass. His finger barely feeling the fabric fo the jeans.

Chrissy saw the attempt out of the corner of her eye and swiped his hand away. "Knock it off!" she spat at him. He was always a pig, but to actually try anything was new.

Ludlow tried a different approach. He grasped her arm and gently pulled her towards him. "Sit down," he asked sultrily while leaning in the direction of an empty chair.

Chrissy tried to pull away, which caused Ludlow clamped down harder on her arm. "Let me go," she protested and tried to tear away from him. She didn't like this asshole touching her.

Having seen enough, Carter marched over and grabbed Ludlow's wrist. "Hey," Carter said lowly. The strength in which he held made Ludlow release Chrissy. The woman took a step away, out of the reach of Ludlow and behind Carter. "Leave her alone, man," Carter ordered the trucker.

Ludlow gave Carter a look of disbelief before he shot up from his seat. The force of his movement made the table move, and a bottle shattered when it hit the pub's wooden floor. Ludlow pulled off his hat, trying to make himself more intimidating. Every head in the bar turned towards the commotion. "Or what, tough guy?" Ludlow threatened as he puffed his chest out. A glare was shot at Carter.

Carter had to look down, so he didn't laugh in the guy's face. If only Ludlow knew what Carter could do, the man would have run as fast as possible. "Or…" Carter got himself under control before staring neutrally at the trucker, unintimidated. "…I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," Carter warned the trucker while shaking his head.

Ludlow looked smug as he continued to stare Carter down. "I think I'll probably just leave when I'm good and ready," he retorted before grabbing a stein filled with beer and throwing it in Carter's face. A laugh came from someone in the bar as Ludlow then poured the remaining contents on Carter's head. Carter had such his eyes as he let the beer drip off him. Carter's face was now marred with annoyance and was livid. "Oh, there he is," Ludlow joked as he pointed his finger at the angry man. Ludlow shoved Carter in the chest, but it was like pushing a steel wall. Ludlow stumbled back while Carter stayed rooted.

Carter inhaled deeply through his nose as he took a step forward. The water and barley mixture assaulted his nose and mouth. Even though he could never get drunk, he preferred stuff that didn't reek like piss. Carter spits some of the beer that had gotten in his mouth. He didn't know what he would do when he got to Ludlow, but he would think of something. His advance was stopped by Chrissy. With pleading eyes and a calm voice, she told him, "It's not worth it, sweetie." He didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Edwin was right, just like back then. If he hit Ludlow, then what? Was he any better than the man? Was right in doing so? Would they fear him after? He made a promise to the old man that he would choose the higher moral ground.

Carter cooled himself off before he started to untie his apron. He shot the man a glare before pulling it off his head and walking towards the pub's back exit. Behind him, Ludlow decided to insult the retreating man one last time. Ludlow grabbed a beer can from his table and shouted, "Hey, asshole, don't forget your tip." He threw the can, and it bounced off the back of Carter's head. It made a sound like it was bouncing off another metal object. "Strike!" the trucker cheered as he fist pumped. Carter's jaw tensed before he walked out the exit.

The cold Canadian air whipped around him, making his wet hair gather frost. He took a big gulp of air before he exhaled, the air becoming visible. He wondered if all he did was worth it. People like Ludlow were the lowest examples of humanity, a bully that somehow always got their way. Carter knew people like Ludlow would be the first to persecute him if he revealed himself to the world.

The door behind him opened, and Carter looked over his shoulder to see Chrissy following him out. She was rubbing her arms as she shivered in the cold. He turned to face her, and she said, "Listen, sweetie, don't let that asshole bother you." She came at him with an apologetic smile on her lips.

Carter shook his head. "I don't care about me. You shouldn't have to deal with that. No one should. It's not right," Carter explained. People shouldn't treat each other the way they did.

"Thanks, hero," Chrissy said before she moved in close and placed a kiss on his cheek. Carter smiled as he rubbed the spot Chrissy had kissed. She was a good person and deserved better. Carter suddenly felt the pull and looked North. "You're leaving," Chrissy spoke up knowingly.

Carter didn't want to look at her. "Yeah," Carter solemnly responded. Even though he knew his time at the pub wouldn't last forever, he still hated leaving a friend like Chrissy behind.

An embrace from behind made Carter pause. "Come back some time, hero," she mumbled into his back before letting go. Carter smiled before looking over his shoulder at the woman. She was already heading, but before she looked off into the parking lot. "Even his truck looks like a piece of garbage," she said, glaring at a cherry red semi-trailer truck with about two dozen logs of lumber. Carter looked at it and knew she was talking about Ludlow. With a devious, lopsided smirk Carter came up with an idea. Maybe he was a tiny bit like a Stark, after all.

Later that night, after letting the alcohol leave his system, it was time for Ludlow to get back on the road. He had a significant payday coming when he delivered his load. As he left the bar, he blew Chrissy a kiss and scouted for the busboy that bothered him. Not seeing his second mark, he left. The wind blew, so he put on his trusty baseball cap and headed off to where he parked his truck. He paused in his tracks as he saw his truck. It was suspended ten feet in the air, riddled with logs. One log pierced the cab while another pierced the engine. Ludlow was at a loss as to how to report this. How was he going to get paid, and who would believe him that it all happened while he was eating.

May 30th, 2012

Carter had followed the lead that he overheard from the two soldiers. With that amount of men and interest in Ellesmere, many supplies were going to be moved. Carter followed where jobs became available. One place that was hiring out the wazoo was a company called Arctic Cargo. Carter did some digging and found out they were moving most if not all of the US military's supplies. That was Carter's ticket into seeing what they covered below the ice. Carter found the office quickly enough. He stood outside in winter clothing in front of a simple building with plain brown siding with a window decal made of the company's name displayed on the window.

Carter went into the building and took his skullcap off as soon as he got inside. The place was electric as people moved and typed away on computers. Carter took in the sight until a gruff masculine voice called out, "Hey! What do ya want?" Carter looked over to who called him. The man was in his late thirties to early forties, with a muscular build and short spiked brown hair.

Carter walked toward the man and offered a smile as he said, "Hi, I'm looking for a job."

The man disregarded the handshake and continued to look over Carter with a skeptical eye. "You look big, but that's it," he dismissed Carter.

Carter tried to contain his annoyance at the man's assumption. He retracted his hand and offered his name, "Joe Milton."

The man motioned for Carter to follow him, and they went into a backroom that was an office. The man sat behind an oak desk, and Carter sat on the other side as he dropped his pack beside him on the floor. The man exhaled heavily as he rubbed the back of his head before speaking, "Knew a Milton, big dude with an attitude that would make a saint jealous." He chuckled at his own joke. Carter stared blankly as he didn't get the inside joke. The man's laughter subsided before introducing himself, "I'm Jed Eubanks, the owner of this here operation." He stuck his arms out to tell Carter that this was all his.

Carter had a hunch that was the case as he had his own office. "So, are you hiring?" Carter pressed. He needed to get to Ellesmere.

Jed bit the inside of his lower lip in thought. He could always use more reliable men, and Carter's stature was impressive. "Yeah, why not? Just give me your papers, and we'll get you signed up to head out in the frozen hell," Jed said with some excitement. He wanted to go out himself to see a spaceship up close. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Carter pulled his bag onto his lap as he dug through it and pulled out the required papers. "Here." Carter handed the forged documents off to the man.

Jed looked over the paper and immediately saw they were an incredibly well-done forgery. "These are fake," he confronted Carter. Carter sat calmly in his chair before he snatched the paper from Jed's hands and started to walk out. "I don't care if they're fake," the man called out, making Carter stop. "But I better not get in trouble with the Feds, understand?" Jed let the warning sit with Carter for a second, so he knew how serious he was.

Carter nodded before saying, "Don't worry, you won't even know I was here." Carter would ensure he was gone before Jed, SHIELD, or the US army knew he was there.

This time Jed got up and stuck his hand out. "Welcome aboard, Joe."

June 1st, 2012

Jane Foster was a mix of emotions as she was jostled in the helicopter flying high above the snowy land below. She was excited at the opportunity to study some more alien technology. She was annoyed with the fact SHIELD had whisked her away from her research. However, she was pleased with the check she was given for her time. She had never seen that many zeroes before. She was still waiting for Thor to come back and see her. After the Incident, he left and hadn't returned, not even to her. She breathed out heavily in an attempt to soothe her headache. The helicopter shook when it was struck by a strong wind. "Ow," a long whine escaped from her fellow researcher. Darcy Lewis was her intern, and she had tagged along. She didn't want to miss the opportunity to study an extraterrestrial object.

Jane saw Darcy adjust her glasses and rub her head through her red snow hat. "You okay?" she asked, sympathetic for the other woman having a tough time. At least she wasn't getting air sick.

Darcy looked up with a pout as she whined out, "Are we there yet?" She was not enjoying her flight. Jane flashed a toothy strained smile. Lucky for Darcy, the helicopter did land on a makeshift landing site.

On the ground, Jed stood by Carter's side both dressed in heavy winter gear. They waited for the helicopter to land before Jed pointed Carter to go toward the helicopter. Carter, understanding the silent command, went over to the helicopter. He waited for the blades to become motionless before he opened the helicopter's side door. He was greeted with the sight of the two beautiful researchers. Jane first thought of jumping out of the plane, but the height discouraged her. Luckily, she was offered a helping hand. Even though she was sort of in a relationship with the Asgardian prince, she had to stop herself from staring at the dark-haired, rugged man. He grabbed her by the waist, and she used his shoulders for support. Carter gently placed her on the ground, and she said, "Thanks." She gave Carter some space to help her intern.

Darcy stood at the helicopter and, unlike Jane, made no attempt to hide her lust. "Hubba hubba," she rejoiced. When Carter grabbed her waist and helped her down to the ground, Darcy squeaked in surprise. Her face reddened from the contact, and she practically swooned like a princess when she felt his shoulder muscles. When he placed her on the ground, she pleaded, "Can you do that again?" She received a suave smile. Before she could pursue more, Jane cleared her throat and waved her over. Reluctantly she stepped away from the hunk.

Jeb came over to the two scientists to greet them. "Hi, Miss Foster, Miss Lewis. How you doing?" he asked, knowing it was a long flight through turbulence.

Jane gave a simple reply, "Good." She did have a problem with the flight.

Darcy had her eyes on Carter as she stared. She didn't hear what the man said and vacantly asked, "What?" When her brain registered what Jed asked, she gave an absent-minded, "Yeah, fine." She bit her lip as she stared at Carter. Her imagination was running wild.

Jed took the chance to introduce himself before offering his hand. "Jed Eubanks, Arctic Cargo," he stated as Jane shook his hand. Jed went to offer his hand to Darcy, but she gave a half-hearted wave.

"How far's the station?" Jane asked, wanting to get right to work.

Jed pointed eastward and explained, "Camp's just over the rise. I'll walk you over."

"Him too, please," Darcy called out before pointing at Carter. Carter raised both eyebrows, having never had this kind of effect on a single person. She bit her thumb as she stared at him and rocked on her heels.

Jane grabbed her intern by the arm and sharply hissed, "Darcy. Stop." She wanted to have some semblance of professionalism. Darcy's antics were anything but.

Feeling a bit awkward, Joe laughed nervously before saying, "Joe can take your bags. Joe. Help them out!" Carter acknowledged the request with a nod.

Jane called out to Carter as he started to take bag upon bag out of the plane. "Careful with those. They're heavy," she warned as he hung straps on his shoulders and put bags in his hands.

"I don't think he minds," Darcy said, looking over Jane's shoulders. The female duo watched him pack more onto his shoulders and arms. "God, can he just carry me?" Darcy breathed out.

"Darcy! Stare at the eye candy later. We got a job to do," Jane reprimanded as she started walking towards the camp, and Jed followed to catch up. He was supposed to lead.

Darcy stayed to ingrain the image of the man into her mind before she left to go after Jane while calling out, "I promise I'll only drool a tiny bit." She yelled it loud enough, so she was sure the object of her desire heard her.

Jed tried to hide his excitement but blurted out, "I gotta say, ladies, this is incredible. Do you think it's from the aliens that invaded New York? Like one of their spaceships, maybe?" He would be a part of history. One of the first humans to discover an alien ship. Maybe one of the first humans to explore it?

Jane liked the man's excitement. It was refreshing. "That's why we were brought in. To see if this really is something out of the world," Jane said with equal enthusiasm as she walked in line with him.

"Cliché speech there, Jane. Felt like I heard that in an 80s sci-fi movie," Darcy called up from the rear. Jane turned and cast an aggravated scowl at the other woman. They saw the makeshift compound when they reached the top of the hills. Several white buildings littered the valley and many SHIELD buildings. A military cargo helicopter flew overhead with a container attached to it.

The woman made it down to the improvised camp and into the designated command center. The inside of the command center was bare as there were only computer tables, a map of the world hung on the walls, and boxes full of survey equipment. Two men that were talking while looking at a computer took notice of their entrance and went over to them. The taller of the two approached them first. He was a tall man with the typical military disposition. His black hair was cut short, showing his widow's peak. His voice matched his profession as he greeted the two women, "Miss Foster, Miss Lewis. I'm Colonel Hardy, US Northcom." Jane stuck her hand out to offer a handshake but was ignored. He then jabbed his thumb at his counterpart. He was an older man with the only hair left on his head was on the side and the goatee. His salt and pepper hair color made his age show. "Dr. Emil Hamilton from SHIELD." The man was friendlier and took the hand while mouthing a greeting.

"Hi!" Darcy greeted, waving enthusiastically.

Hardy broke up the greet and grumbled in an indignant tone, "You're late. We were expecting you two a day ago."

Jane was taken aback by the hostility. "Sorry, we were in the middle of working on another project," she countered, standing up for herself. She wasn't a dog that came running when SHIELD called. She was working on something that was important to her.

"You were needed here," Hardy reprimanded. His bosses in the government were pushing for them to discover something big. If they did, then the military would make its move to confiscate so they could get an advantage over their enemies. He needed the female scientist's confirmation to execute that plan.

Jane was done playing nice. She walked over to Hardy and was nearly chest to chest with the man. She looked up at the man as if challenging him. Hardy raised an eyebrow at the woman's tenacity. "Last I checked, I don't work for the army or SHIELD. I am only here because of a favor I owed SHIELD," she said sharply. She stood unmoving. She combed out some snow that had gotten in her hair as she said, "I hate the snow and would much rather be back in New Mexico. If you want someone else, go find another expert on alien technology." She leveled a stare that would make Hulk think twice before raging.

Darcy then ruined with a cheerleader yell of, "Yeah!"

Jane ignored the outburst and challenged them, "Now, can you please show me what you and your people found?" Hardy and Emil looked at one another. Emil smirked in amusement, and Hardy seemed moderately impressed. Hardy gave Emil a nod and then a follow-me gesture to the two women.

In another part of the makeshift building, a young man with brown hair typed away at a keyboard as he looked over data on a computer screen. Dr. Emil spoke up and introduced the young man, "This is Agent Fitz. He's been observing the anomaly."

"Gentlemen. Ladies," the agent's thick English accent called out without looking at them.

Jane and Darcy were accustomed to the behavior. Most technology-oriented people tended to be introverts who weren't keen on being social. "Agent Fitz, tell these ladies what you've found so far," Hardy spoke up harshly, but the young man didn't pick up the man's tone.

Fitz typed a few more commands, and the screen shifted to a scan of the mountain and valley they were settled in. A small ping with the letter "A" popped up. Fitz then went on to explain what they were seeing, "Stark's satellites pinged the anomaly first. It detected a broadcast coming from within the ice. Then SHIELD's EOS satellite scanned deeper." He brought everyone's attention to an echo scan from the EOS satellite and then continued, "The ice shelf plays hell on the echo soundings." The group leaned in over the scientist's shoulder as a blurry image began to form. Fitz typed a bit more, and the image started to clear up, and he pointed at it. "But there's something there," summarized Fitz as he leaned back to let the people behind him look.

Darcy saw the picture and said the first thing that came to her mind, "What about a submarine? Like something from Russian?" It looked like it was long enough and had the same shape.

Fitz shot the idea down, "Don't think so. The amount of energy this thing is displaying makes a nuclear reactor look like a lightbulb."

"So what a HYDRA weapon?" Darcy questioned. HYDRA was known for making advanced technology. This object could have been an attempt to make some sort of deadly weapon.

Hardy burst that bubble as he added some details, "Doubtful, that's three hundred meters. Considerably large than anything we know they built back then." The US army still had records of HYDRA's old weapons and vehicles. They were never keen on making nautical ways of conquest. They looked more towards the sky.

Fitz then revealed something interesting, "But here's the spooky part." He looked towards the four before typing a couple more commands to bring up another display. The display was a chart that helped measure not only the depth but how old the ice was. "The ice surrounding the object, it's nearly twenty thousand years old," Fitz said as he read off the age of the ice. Everyone stared at the display in shock. Whatever this anomaly was, it predated HYDRA or any technology of Earth.

"So, definitely aliens then," Darcy whispered out.

Jane stepped away from the lab and walked around the compound. Darcy was tired from the trip and was escorted to their assigned area. She wasn't to get her bearings. The sun began to fall as she finally stopped and looked at a building located on a nearby ridge. From what Jane could tell, it looked to be a communications tower before a roguish voice spoke right in her ear, "Ms. Foster, I wouldn't wonder. If you get lost, we'd have a hard time finding you?"

Jane whipped around and took a few steps back to see who snuck up on her. It was a man in his early thirties, strong jaw slightly covered in stubble, piercing blue eyes, and combed-back blonde hair(3). "And you are?" Jane asked wearily. The man had his hands hidden behind his back.

Hardy appeared next to the stranger and gave a proper introduction, "This is Captain John Corben. He's my second-in-command." John gave a tiny bow to the woman but never kept his eyes off her. A charming smile played on his lips. Hardy patted him on the back and gave him a motion with his head to move on. John did as he was told and walked off.

Hardy watched as Jane tracked where John walked. John was a complicated man, always one to complete a mission no matter the cost. Hardy cleared his throat, and Jane's eyes snapped to him. "The temperature drops down to minus forty at night. We wouldn't find your body till spring," Hardy warned before offering to escort her to where she was staying for the foreseeable future.

The duo came from outside to see that the room was relatively spartan, with only two army cots, a space heater, and a corner curtain concealing what looked like a bathroom. The only additions that belonged to her were the bags being dropped off by Joe. Darcy was lying on one of the beds on her stomach, watching as Joe placed things down around the room. Coily she asked the tall man, "So big guy, you seeing anyone." She prayed to every deity on this word and others that he said no. If someone this perfect was single, she would jump on it faster than a dog on a cake.

Carter snorted at the woman's attempt. He was flattered. Since he had come in here, the woman stared and spread out provocatively as she could on her small bed. He was flattered by her advances. "No, why?" Carter asked, having an idea where this was going.

Darcy dove off her bed in a hurry as she went into her bag and pulled out a legal pad. She quickly scribbled down her cellphone number. With that part over, she walked over to him with an extra skip in her step. "Well, here's my number. If you're ever in America," she explained what was on the paper. She looked up at him with a tantalizing stare. Being brave, she then jammed the folded paper in his coat pocket. "Call me," she told the man.

Hardy was a man like anyone else and understood the attraction one has for the opposite sex. However, he was in commanding a military operation, not a college campus. "Okay, love birds, fun's over," Hardy spoke, ruining the moment. Hardy received a deadly glare from Darcy and a bashful one from Carter. Hardy then titled his nose towards the door and stated, "Alright kid, beat it." Carter couldn't argue with a military man. It was the man's base. He gave Darcy a look before he patted the coat pocket. Carter walked out and kept his eyes averted to the ground as he passed the two. He would go back to his sleeping arrangements.

Jane rubbed her temple to soothe the embarrassment her intern had just caused her. She scanned her room one more time and asked, "This is it? Where's the bathroom?" The place was smaller than a college dorm.

Hardy took a step out of the building before he stopped in the threshold, pointed to the shower curtain, and said, "Check the corner. Welcome to the military, ladies." With his final piece said, he left.

Darcy lay on her cot with a dreamy smile plastered on her face. "It's not so bad. It's kinda like camping," she chirped out. Nothing was going to ruin her good mood.

"Darcy," Jane tiredly whined out. They were there to work, not flirt with the hired help. She calmed herself and took a breath before she exhaled sharply. As she gathered her thoughts, she went to some of the bags and began assembling some tools. She started to build piece by piece a Watthour meter and pulled a thermal-imaging camera out of her bag.

"So I gave the hunk my number," Darcy said dreamily while laying on the cot. She wasn't trying to rub it in but wanted to talk about it.

Jane continued assembling more of her equipment as she responded without actually thinking, "Uh-huh, lucky you." Jane swept the thermal-imagining device to test it and found it to be working properly. She nodded as she placed it down.

Rolling over to face her boss, Darcy questioned her, "What are you doing?"

"Getting some stuff ready for tonight," Jane answered as she put the finishing touches on her gear.

"Tonight!?" Darcy exclaimed and leaped up from her cot.

"Yeah, tonight. Now keep your voice down," Jane hissed out. She didn't need the whole camp to know what she planned on doing.

"But it gets freezing around here, and at night the temperature will get worse," Darcy tried to reason. She didn't want to go out in the freezing tundra.

"Dress warm," was Jane's response.

"Why not wait for SHIELD or the Army to help us?"

"Because I don't trust them. And this could be our only chance to study a ship unimpeded. We can gather our own data and study it ourselves without the red tape," Jane answered. Jane stared at Darcy, silently telling her it wasn't up for debate. Darcy let out an exasperated whine before burying her face in the pillow.

As the sun fell, Carter took his chance to get to the object below the ice. Ever since he came to his place, the feeling of being drawn was no longer present. He had found what had been calling to him over the last couple of years. He snuck out in nothing but a plain white cotton shirt, snow pants, and shoes. He made sure not to wake anyone in his bunk. Outside was killer on his hearing; the strong gust and constant moving snow drowned out a lot of noise. With a quick scan of the area with his X-Ray vision, he found that he needed to climb up the ridge towards the communication tower. From there, he found he could easily make it to the object below. He was just going to need to make the tunnel himself.

In the valley, Jane snuck through the camp. Following close behind her was Darcy, who was shivering away. Both girls tried their best to keep warm, but it was like Hardy had predicted. A blizzard swept through the valley, and they were in the middle of it. Jane used the Watthour meter to help direct them. The meter pointed towards the ridge where the communication tower sat. She got a positive ping in that direction and smirked. She whipped out the thermal camera and pointed it in that direction. While the snow cascaded across the screen, it was still easy to read what was on the screen.

Darcy came up from behind Jane and took a look at the screen. Something stood out on the screen, a bright red human figure. "Who the hell's that?" Darcy asked as she pointed at the moving temperature signature.

Jane squinted at the screen and did see movement. Who the hell was out here with them? She grew intrigued and said, "I don't know." She then looked at the ridge before declaring, "Let's go find out." She started to walk, not even waiting for Darcy to follow. Darcy looked at her in bewilderment and looked around hesitantly. She could have let her cowardice win and go back to her nice warm cot. However, if Jane died, who would recommend her for a job? Whining begrudgingly, she chased after her boss.

The two women followed in the direction they saw think the heat signature went. They traveled for a half-mile away from camp. They came to a cliff that overlooked the freezing arctic waters. The duo turned to look at one another, looking for confirmation that they didn't miss the man. They both shook their heads. That meant he kept going forward towards the edge of the cliff. "You gotta be kidding me," Darcy complained. Was the guy suicidal?

Jane took a step closer and saw a lip to the ground that could be shimmied across. "Come on," Jane said and started to shimmy along it. Darcy did as she was told, but she was not going to look down. It was easy going as the women took their time, snow crunching under each step. Jane eventually came to an opening to an alcove. She walked in and took a breath as warm air entered her lungs. Jane snapped her head up as she noticed the temperature of the air. Why was there warm air? She dug out a flashlight from her pocket. She shined it forward and saw a thick fog of steam dancing in the air.

Darcy finally got to the alcove and let out a breath she had been holding during their climb. She bent over and gulped greedily for air before standing back up. She saw the wall of fog but noticed something. "This was just done," she pointed out. Any form of heat would be diminished in seconds in temperatures this cold. She then noticed where the heat was originating from. "Something melted the ice," Darcy concluded as she pointed to the walls and roof of the cave.

Jane nodded in agreement before she took a step into the newly made cave. "Come on, let's see where this goes," Jane said before marching on.

Darcy stood stupefied as she watched her friend's disappearing back. "You wanna follow what made that!?" she questioned her boss's sanity. For all, they knew, it was a monster that could swallow them in one bite!

"Yeah," Jane simply and continued walking.

"Real Indiana Jones of you." Darcy snarked out before walking to catch up with Jane.

With his Heat Vision, Carter walked forward as he continued to melt a path. He eventually came to the point of interest. Carter melted through an ice wall before cutting off his power and stepping onto an ice bridge the size of a road. Carter felt fatigued for a moment from the overuse of his power, but he shook his head to push it. His eyes landed on his prize. Carter looked up in awe at the source of the pull he had been feeling.

It was a large metallic oblong-shaped object about the size of a football stadium. The surface of the ship was designed with many swirls and circles. Ice had grown around and attached to the top of the vessel, making it a support structure for the cave. Carter walked toward the ship. As he got to the side of it, it was more impressive up close. Then something strange happened: a whirring sound came from the ship before its wall opened and a ramp formed before descending to Carter. It was welcoming him in. Carter took a cautious step on it before his anxiousness got the better of him. He climbed the ramp and into the ship.

About a hundred yards back, Jane and Darcy walked along the cave that Carter had made. They walked cautiously as a shift in the ice from behind made them jump. They turned a focused the flashlight behind them as they walked backward. After seeing there was nothing behind them, they continued their trek.

Walking into the ship felt natural. Carter was in the central hub of the ship, with an upward ramp leading to more levels and a lower level that Carter couldn't understand what its purpose was. As he looked around to absorb what he saw, another humming sound came from his right. In a little alcove, a console formed from particles from the ship. It is as tall as Carter's chest, grey in color, shaped like a fountain, and blue lights coming from inside.

Carter approached the console with curiosity as he inspected it. At the top of it was a small circle with a missing piece in the middle. The missing piece was all too familiar, diamond shape. Carter had an idea and dug into his shirt to take out from around his neck. Unknown to Carter, something slowly floats down from the ceiling. It stalked silently towards Carter as he continued with the console.

Carter looks closely at the only hint he ever had about his true origins. This was it, the answers he had been waiting for. He brought the key to the hole and started to slide it in. Like a magnet, the key snapped into the hole. A whirring sound confirmed that this was its purpose. The key didn't entirely go in, and Carter went to touch to fit it when he heard a second whirring noise.

Turning around, he saw the source of the second sound. It was a machine the size of a child. It was shaped like a sarcophagus before opening itself up, making it look like a beetle. The machine then hissed aggressively. Carter took an instinctual step back, and as he did, a long metallic tentacle came out of the machine from its lower body. At the end of it was a dark metal that was curved in shape like a scorpion stinger. The thing's tail lashed out and caught Carter across his shoulder. A blue hue of energy smashed against him. Carter hissed as it attacked him. For one in his life, he felt pain. Edwin once described to him what it was like getting stung by a bee; this was just like he described. Carter grasped his shoulder and looked behind him at the console. He could only hypothesize if he put the key entirely in the hole, it might call the machine off.

Carter moved to press the button with his left hand, but the machine wrapped its tentacle around it and pulled him away. Carter went to reach for the key with his other hand, but the robot jerked him back and reeled him in. It reeled him back three more times before Cater had enough. Using more of his strength and ripped his arm out of its grasp. Now free, Carter ran to the console and put the key in fully. The machine had rushed Carter again, but as soon as the key was fully inserted into the console, it stopped.

Carter whirled around to see the robot retract its appendages back into itself, turn left, and fly off to another part of the ship. Carter watched it leave as he rubbed his still stinging shoulder, but a quiet whisper made him look down a corridor. A man in dark blue, regal robes stood staring at him before turning down the corridor, out of sight. Carter wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he still called out, "Hello?" His voice resonated throughout the ship.

In another part of the ship, Jane and Darcy managed to get into the ship from a damaged section. Jane stood in the middle of a corridor and looked up in awe. She lightly laughed excitedly as she spun around to take it all in. Darcy came up next and mimicked Jane's excitement as she squealed, "We're here. We're in an actual spaceship!" She took a small camcorder from her pocket and started snapping away pictures.

Carter followed the corridor and came upon another room. As he entered, his eyes landed on a window that was frosted over on the outside. He walked forward until he passed an object on his left and could not help but have a sense of wonder. He could only imagine looking out into space through that window. Turning around, he came upon a chair. It wasn't just any chair. It was a pilot's chair. The seat sat one person, and there were two controls for each hand could rest.

Carter couldn't help but smile more as he saw more and more. It was spectacular! He wanted to sit in it and see if he could pilot it. He stopped when he heard indistinct chatter come from another intersection of corridors. It was the man from before. Carter had gotten a better look at him. His brown hair was styled in a mullet with a goatee beard combo with some grey hair by the chin. He stared at Carter impressively before walking down a corridor on his left. Carter gave chase. The man had to have answers for him. He just knew it. As he made it to where the stranger once stood, he looked down the corridor to see it was a long tunnel with no sign of the man. It was like he vanished.

"This is the coolest thing ever!" Darcy cheered softly as the two women continued to walk down a corridor.

Jane turned to the other woman with her index finger pressed to her own lips. "Shh," Jane hissed out. "We don't know what's in here." The problem they faced was that every corridor they went down looked exactly the same. Jane felt uneasy as she walked the maze, looking feverishly at every corner. "We could run into a space animal that'll eat us or a man-eating plant or a…."

She paused mid-step as she saw the same floating machine Carter encountered. It hovered at her, examining her. Darcy was busy looking at the picture she took on her camera and walked into Jane, making her stumble. She catches herself by grabbing onto Jane's shoulders. Before asking what the issue was, she saw it for herself. "A metallic bug?" she asked one in particular. The robot floated towards the new invaders, like a tiger stalking its prey.

Carter followed the corridor the man took and eventually came to a room with scarcely any light. What stood out to Carter were three pods attached to the wall that stuck out horizontally. The pods were eight feet long and made of a sleek black metal with a glass top. An ominous feeling washed over Carter as he got closer to the pods. He approached the one that was by itself. A thick layer of dust covered the glass, obscuring the object inside. Carter wiped the dust off with his hand revealing what was inside. It was the mummified remains of a female.

Carter was not afraid but was taken aback by what he saw. What he was curious about was how and why she died. It was like she went to sleep and never bothered to wake up. He turned around and saw one of the remaining pods was now open. Was that where the man came from? How did it open without him hearing it?

Jane and Darcy tracked the robot as it circled them, keeping their eyes on it. It had done this for several minutes and had yet to do anything. Jane could get rid of the feeling of being trapped. Her eyes scoured for any possible exit. She didn't know what was down any of the hallways, but it was better than what she was dealing with now. "Stay calm," she repeated several times under her breath. She was going to get them out of here unharmed.

Darcy was not alarmed by the hovering machine. In fact, she was mesmerized by it. It was the coolest thing she had ever seen. It made everything made by Stark Industries look like a whined-up toy. She lifted up her camera and watched as the screen showed it was focusing. The machine opened up and hissed. Darcy took notice but didn't lift her finger off the capture button. "What the hell?" she said before the flash happened. Like a signal, the flash caused the machine to lash out its tail and strike Darcy in the stomach. The blue energy smashed against the petite woman. The force of the attack sent Darcy off her feet and flying into the wall behind her. Her glasses flew off her face, and the camera had slipped through her hands. She landed with a heavy thud as she groaned in pain. Her camera was smashed into tiny pieces that scattered across the floor.

It all happened so fast that Jane couldn't react in time. She just saw Darcy get sent flying. She turned to look at her bleeding friend and, in a panic, screamed, "Darcy!" The machine turned its focus on her and menacingly floated towards Jane. She screamed as loud as she could.

Back in the room with the pods, Carter's hearing picked up the women's screams and grunts of pain. He sped off to find who had followed him in. The hood of Darcy's coat fell over when she fell, and she flipped it up so she could see. Jane retreated backward as the machine hovered towards her; its tail was poised to strike her. Even though her stomach throbbed in pain, the adrenaline helped her ignore it as she tried to crawl away backward. Its tentacle came up to her chest, ready to strike the researcher down. Jane's heart pounded in her chest. This looked to be the end for her. Out of nowhere, the man they had been following appeared behind the machine and grasped it by its sides to stop it from attacking.

The machine tried with all its might to slip from Carter's grip but to no avail. It attempted to lash its tentacle behind it, but it was aiming blindly. Since it could get to Carter, it attempted to go after the two women on the ground. It would at least kill the two intruders before it was destroyed.

Carter had enough. He brought the robot in the air before bringing it back down and grunted as he crushed it. The robot shot out sparks as its shell was warped by the pressure. Carter tossed the remains aside and approached the two women.

Jane had seen Thor do the same thing once, but she knew he was friendly. She didn't know about Carter. She recognized the man before as an employee from Arctic Cargo.

Carter saw the bleeding Darcy and marched over to help. Darcy was delirious from the pain and blood loss, but her basic instincts commanded her to escape. Jane stepped between the two and produced a taser of her pocket, "Back off!" she commanded in her most threatening voice. She sparked the taser to get her point across.

Carter puts his hands up quickly and tells her, "It's all alright, it's all alright. It's all alright." He looked to the pain-stricken Darcy as she pressed her hands into her abdomen. He went towards her. Jane panicked at the man's sudden movement and unleashed her taser prongs with a squeeze of the trigger. Carter watched the prongs dig into his clothing but ding against his skin. Jane watched Carter walk towards her unimpeded. She squeezed the trigger harder but got the same results. Carter ripped the prongs from his shirt and let them clatter to the ground. Jane could only watch as he walked over to the downed woman.

Carter squatted next to Darcy and gave her a reassuring smile. A tear ran down from her right eye to her cheek. He started by opening her jacket to get a better look at the injury. Darcy felt both giddy and afraid at the same time. She was giddy having a man take some clothing off her and afraid of the man that crushed a robot like a soda can. She was a mess right now, but she looked at what he did.

Carter examined that robot had pierced through her heavy coat, sweater, and shirt but didn't go through all the way. It left a deep bloody hole. Using his X-ray vision, he saw how much damage was done, his training in the medical field taking over. "You're hemorrhaging internally, and if I don't cauterize this bleed…" he told the woman how dire her situation was.

Darcy whined as she lay her head back down before looking at him, "How can…."

"What are you gonna do?" Jane asked as she looked over his shoulder. She couldn't figure out how he knew all that just by looking at the surface.

Carter looked at Darcy and offered a comforting smile. "I can do things that other people can't," he said cryptically. He put out his hand for her to grab, and Darcy took it cautiously. He grasped it gently and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He looked at Jane and instructed her, "Hold her other hand." Jane did as Carter told her. She went to Darcy's other side, kneeled down, and took her hand. Jane shook her hand to let the woman know she was there for her. Carter then got down to the nitty-gritty as he wanted her to know what was going to happen, "This is going to hurt." He was blunt with his tone, but it was the truth. He did offer her a smile, but she didn't return it.

Jane was confused as Carter hadn't pulled out any tools to help. When she watched his eyes become pools of red and felt heat radiate from him, she gasped. Beams left his eyes and made contact with Darcy. Jane felt Darcy's grip tighten like a vice and a scream entered her ears. She didn't know if the scream was her's, Darcy's, or both.

Carter felt terrible causing the woman pain. He adjusted his power to only do a minor burning to not hurt the woman more than necessary. Carter would do the procedure as quick as he could. He sealed the internal wound first before he took care of the surface wound. When he cut his power off, he noticed that Darcy had passed out. Carter noticed a tear had come down her cheek and gently wiped them away. "I'm sorry," he said remorsefully. He turned his attention to Jane, who was staring at him, petrified.

Jane had seen many things: A Norse god come to life, a robot sent by said god's brother to kill him, an alien invasion, and the literal Bifrost come down from the heavens. All that didn't compare to what she just saw. Yes, she had heard about mutants and their powers, but that didn't compare to the man in front of her. He had displayed multiple abilities, and from what she had read, mutants usually had one power. As he stood up, Jane looked up in mild horror. "What are you going to do?" she said before she could stop herself.

Carter looked at the woman with a friendly smile. "First, I'm going to get you two out of here. Then I'm taking this ship," he explained to the scientist. He looked around the ship with his X-ray vision to confirm there were no more of the robots in the area.

Jane stood up, not liking what he was saying. "How do you plan…" she started before the world around changed. Her stomach was doing backflips. She felt incredibly dizzy while she placed a hand on her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. She leaned on a stack of boxes to steady herself as she gulped down air. Suddenly a cold rush of air hit her back, and she turned around to see Darcy sprawled gently on her cot. Jane ran for the door and yelled out, "Help!" A few patrolling soldiers came rushing at the call for aid.

In another part of the base camp, Fitz sat at his computer while writing down some calculations for a new experiment. It was nothing spectacular, just simple a biofuel hypothesis. He read over his formula one more time and scuffed, seeing he had made a mistake. He took his eraser and scratched out some of it. He was taken out of his calculation by the computer beeping loudly. The seismograph on the computer began to go off the chart, and then came the rumbling. Fitz saw it start off at 3.6, making the computer shake, the table, and everything around him. Then it shot up to 7.8. Fitz stared at the screen in bewilderment before an alarm brought him back to work to reality. Fitz felt the floor beneath him shake. He sprinted to the door but not before grabbing a heavy coat from a rack. Fitz opened the door to the lab and was greeted by the arctic air. He put the coat on as he ran. He stopped running when he saw the sky lit up like a Christmas tree.

The ridge where the anomaly was buried underneath was falling apart as some excavating equipment fell. Hardy, Emil, and John all looked up at the mysterious light show. Out of the ridge and ice came the anomaly they had discovered here. Steam and ice particles shot up in the air. Debris of ice and rock fell from the cliff as the ship escaped its tomb. A roar from the ship's engine resonated in the sky as it rose higher and higher into the sky. The nose of the ship turned slowly away from the base camp before it started to fly away. Eventually, the dark ship became a ghost in the night's sky.

June 2nd, 2012

Jane and Darcy sat in a SHIELD interrogation room on a Helicarrier for a debrief. They sat on hard steel chairs with a cold steel table in front of them. After the emergence of the ship, the base camp had been put into lockdown. Multiple SHIELD units descended upon them in a matter of hours. All personnel were to be interviewed by SHIELD. It didn't matter rank or organization, you were to be interviewed, and if you refused, it was more than likely dropped in a dark hole and forgotten. Right now, that is what Jane and Darcy are doing. Being interviewed. They were just waiting for the interviewer.

Darcy looked at Jane as she bit her teeth troublingly. She tried to speak, "What are we…."

Jane interrupted her and hissed, "Shush." She had no doubt that someone was listening in on them. They needed to play it cool if they didn't want to be sent to some black site to rot. They made contact with someone who had taken an alien ship to God knows where. On cue, the door to their cell opened up, and in came Natasha Romanoff a file, notepad, and a pen in hand.

Natasha had her hair cut to her shoulders and straightened. She gave a small smile. She was assigned to interview these two. It was a common tactic of her's; she showed a familiar, friendly face. It made the target relax and made them more comfortable to speak freely. "Good to see you again," Natasha greeted. She took a seat across from them and gently placed her folded hands on the table. "So, what happened?" she asked casually. She needed to get as much information as possible. Fury expected all data by the end of the day.

Jane spoke first, "What Colonel Hardy, his team, and SHIELD surmised was a Soviet-era submarine was actually something much more exotic." She recalled the events that happened in the lab. "An isotope analysis of the surrounding ice bores suggest that an object had been trapped in the ice for over 18,000 years." As she talks, Natasha writes some details on a notepad she had brought with her. "As for our rescuer?" Jane halted as the subject came up.

"Yes, let's talk about that," Natasha interrupted the doctor's scientific rambling. That was why she was here. When the two women reported about an unidentified male on the ship, she was sent immediately to get to the bottom of it. "Can you describe him?" Natasha questioned.

It was Darcy's turn to speak. She got excited, nearly jumping out of her seat, and wantingly said, "Hot, like extremely hot. Like Texas in the summer hot!" Her heart fluttered, remembering her dark-haired savior. She kicked herself fro

Natasha had a flat expression on her face. "Besides that," she asked in annoyance. She didn't need a woman's fantasy, only facts.

Darcy got herself under control as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. "Well, he had black hair and this chiseled face and body to match. He made me feel protected when he helped me. Think Thor with dark hair." She was rambling again.

Frustrated with the woman's constant talk of hero-worship, Natasha cut her off, "Alright, that's enough out of you." She then looked at Jane, hoping the other woman had some factual information. "Dr. Foster, your input, please," she asked desperately.

Jane thought for a moment but said, "I hate to say it, but Darcy's right. He's a guy you would look twice at on the street, but I didn't really didn't pay attention to him too much." Jane hated to admit it, but to her, he was another faceless worker carrying her bags. If she saw him again, she would recognize him. She would never forget him or what he did.

Natasha pursed her lips in disappointment. She read through the file she brought with her for a moment before humming intriguingly before closing the file. "Let me see the wound you received from this "robot" you mentioned," Natasha asked.

Darcy gave a pleading look for help to Jane. Jane was "What about the people behind the gl…." Jane started, but Natasha was already talking into an earpiece hidden beneath her hair.

As she put two fingers to her right ear and said, "Give me the room. No free show." She got a groan from a mix of female and male voices from the earpiece, but they did as instructed. "Please," Natasha spoke, motioning for Darcy to show her. Darcy looked around nervously before shyly lifting her shirt and showing Natasha the nearly invisible scar by her belly button. Natasha squinted to get a better look before she reached out, touching the distorted skin.

As she touched the skin, Natasha noticed that while there was some mild distortion of the skin, it was done neatly. No raised skin, no terrible blemishes, and if she was correct, it looked almost professionally done. "How'd he do this?" she questioned as she retracted her hand.

Darcy let her shirt fall and answered, "With his eyes."

"Excuse me?" Natasha was taken back by that answer. That was new.

Darcy became enthusiastic as she recounted what happened, "Yeah, after he crushed the robot, he saw I was bleeding. He got on the floor and held my hand before she shot heat lasers from his eyes." While she hated having the blemish on her skin, it was a reminder of him. The man who saved her.

Natasha sat with a neutral expression on her face. She focused on making mental notes. The information she was given was not something to be written down. "How'd he crush a robot?" she asked inquisitively. That was part of the story that was

"With his bare hands," Jane answered this time. The thought of the raw power alone made her shiver.

Natasha thought for a moment and ran her tongue across the back of her teeth before clicking them. She suddenly got up and gave a hurried farewell, "Thank you. You'll be dropped off in New Mexico within the hour." She didn't bother to wait for the women's thanks. She needed to notify her boss. Now.

Natasha quickly hurried through the Helicarrier and ran into her boss' office. Looking up from another report he was reading and seeing the agitated assassin, Fury asked, "What's the situation?" He knew he needed to prepare for the worst if she was flustered.

"We've got a problem!" she said as she slid the file in front of him and her notes. She didn't

"We're sure this isn't mutant?" Fury asked as he looked at her notes. Whoever or whatever this man was, it was dangerous. If he was a mutant, he would relay this information to an old friend. He would know a better way to handle the situation.

Natasha knew what her boss was getting at. "No, there hasn't even been a new Omega-level mutant emergence in years," Natasha replied. It was her first thought when she first heard of the incident. However, she dismissed when Darcy and described several unrelated powers. Regarding the powers of mutants, they could have multiple abilities, but they were similar to one another. Super strength and laser vision were not related in the least.

Fury nodded in agreement with her assessment. "We got a name for this guy?" he asked his agent.

Natasha nodded as she answered, "Yeah, Joe Milton." If the name was real, then she was Annie Oakley.

Fury hummed as he finished and placed the report on his desk. He cupped his chin with his thumbs and his hands folded. He formulated a plan in his head and dictated the order, "I need you on top of this. Find him and the ship. The government and World Security Council want it back." He had both of them breathing down his neck. He didn't care about the government, but the council was making his life hell.

Natasha nodded in understanding, the technology from the ship could jumpstart their technology by decades and be used to prevent another invasion. "I'll pack my bags," Natasha stated before leaving her boss alone in his office.

A strange feeling came over Fury as he sat alone in his office. He felt this feeling one other time. Back when he dealt with shapeshifting aliens, a former Air Force pilot and an alien cat. "This getting out of control," Fury breathed out. He might follow his predecessor into retirement.

June 3rd, 2012

In the most northern part of the Arctic, a lone polar bear hunts for its next meal. He sniffs the air as it hops from one broken island of sea ice to another. It then looks into the distance, a new object in its territory, the spaceship that Carter took. He takes in two big huffs as it tries to smell anything. It finds no new meal source and decides to move on.

Inside the ship, Carter stood near the pilot's seat. Carter had found it odd that flying the ship was natural, like it was in his DNA. Carter had set the ship down on the island as no one would dare come this far north on a hunch. If he was found, he could always move it again. Carter didn't know how but suddenly, an artificial female voice came alive from the ship and issued a report, "Recursive diagnostic complete. Guiding presence authenticated. All systems operational." A loud clank came from above Carter, and the pilot's seat was suddenly lifted up and folded like the arm of a crane.

Carter watched the chair be lifted away, but his eyes caught the form of someone standing behind where it once sat. It was the mysterious man again. This time though, Carter got a better look at his face. He kinda looked like him. The man strutted forward with his hands clasped together at his waist. "To see you standing there having grown into an adult…" he boomed with pride as he examined Carter. "If only Lara could have seen this," regret laced his words. His bright smile was replaced with a sad one.

"Who are you?" Carter questioned. The man seemed to know him, but he had never met anyone like this in his entire life.

The man looked amused. "I am your father, Kal," the man stated. Carter tilted his head and scrunched his face in confusion. However, before Carter could ask any more questions, the man clarified something, "Or at least a shadow of him. His consciousness." He walked toward Carter and explained who he was, "My name is Jor-El." Jor-El circles around Carter, but Carter mimics the man.

Carter had one question on his mind, "And Kal?" Who was Kal? Then it dawned on him. A knowing smirk grew on his face while he pointed to himself and answered, "That's my name." It was weird and thrilling to know his real name. It was another piece of the puzzle that was his life.

Jor-El was proud of the man for accepting his birth name. "Kal-El. It is," Jor-El smirked as he got to say his son's name.

Carter felt relief wash over him. All his searching was done. His long journey had come to an end. He was going to find out who he was. "I have so many questions," Carter said to his father. He took a breath and looked down away from his father to gather his thoughts. Carter would finally get the answers he had searched for. "Where do I come from?" he requested first. It was one he had wondered since he was shown his spaceship. "Why did you send me here?" he added to his question. It was something both he and Edwin had wondered. Though Carter feared it might have been because they didn't want him.

Jor-El understood the reason his son would ask those questions. To be on a planet where you were not like anyone else. "You came from Krypton," Jor-El answered. The particles from the ship came up from the ground and formed a grey metallic sphere the size of a globe. Circling around the sphere were many stars, small moons, and trapped astroids. The sphere took the shape of a planet and its landscape. Jor-El turned towards the Krypton replica and began to speak, "A world with a much harsher environment than Earth's." Coming out of the planet were several small ships leaving the planet.

Suddenly more of the particles came up and formed more shapes. "Long ago, in an era of expansion, our race spread out through the stars. Seeking new worlds to settle upon," Jor-El spoke. Two figures, one male and one female, with suits that held different symbols on their chests, directed ships to go outward. Following them were three men in robotic suits placing a flag on a planet. Carter recognized the symbol on the flag as the one on his key. Carter listened intently as he observed the history of his people. "This scout ship was one of thousands launched into the void," Jor-El explained the origins of the ship they were standing on. Turning Jor-El directed Carter towards another depiction of how Krypton operated. It showed a machine similar to a giant tripod landing on the surface of another planet. "We built outposts on other planets, using great machines to reshape environments to our needs," Jor-El divulged as the terraforming machine launched a beam out of its underside and directly into the planet. A metallic cloud of dust kicked up.

Carter looked perplexed as he watched the scenes in front of him. He took in all the information. Jor-El didn't stop as he explained more about Krypton and how their people lived, "For one hundred thousand years our civilization flourish, accomplishing wonders." The ship continued to display the growth of Krypton from the technological to the social. Carter looked to see four individuals wearing impressive crowns atop their heads. Their clothing matched the crowns, all wearing robes with high collars and big shoulder pauldrons that made some look like peacocks.

Carter was amazed by the display and lesson he was getting. That was when a pit formed in Carter's stomach. If his people had accomplished so much and advanced lightyears ahead of others, that left one question. "What happened?" Carter asked.

That was a broad question. Jor-El knew where to start. The start of his people's fall. "Artificial population control was established," Jor-El started. Behind him, two figures held a cacoon with a developing baby inside it. It was selective breeding. People being genetically mapped to perform selective duties. Carter didn't understand how Krypton could take such a step back like that, or maybe his life on Earth made him unable to. "The outposts on space exploration were abandoned," Jor-El continued describing the lack of space contact. Carter snapped to Jor-El, about to ask why. "We exhausted our natural resources. As a result, our planet's core became unstable," Jor-El answered before Carter could ask. It made sense to Carter now. His world expanded too fast with no moderation, and hollowing out a planet's core could only lead to one thing.

Carter remained silent, wanting to hear all his father could tell. "Eventually, our military leader, General Zod, attempted a coup," Jor-El revealed what happened. Jor-El looked at a monochrome display of his old friend, holding a gun above his head. Eventually, it morphed into a giant head of Zod as soldiers marched behind him and starships soared over his head. Looking at the bust of the man, Carter could see that the man looked like a typical warrior. However, Carter could see how the artificial breeding of his people fell short. The man didn't understand that their world needed unification and a consensus, not a war. Changing leaders wasn't going to save the planet. A man is made for war; all he ever knew was war.

Jor-El looked at the bust of the man in a mixture of pity and remorse. His old friend had good intentions but went about the wrong way of doing it. It didn't matter anymore. What's done is done. Behind Jor-El, the ship displayed a scene of an infant, no bigger than a football, being placed in a pod. As the pod closed, a symbol was revealed on the doors. The mark matched the one on his pendant. "But by then it was too late. Your mother and I foresaw the coming calamity, and we took certain steps to ensure your survival," Jor-El revealed how Carter got to Earth. Behind Jor-El, the display showed his ship shooting across the system, away from Krypton. Carter stared at Jor-El intensely. His parent sent him to Earth to escape his people's fate. He was just as alone as he started. He was the last of his kind.

Jor-El walked out of the cockpit and motioned for Carter to follow. Carter followed silently behind his father. Carter saw more of those machines he crushed earlier. They floated along, some fixed parts of the ship and others floating near one another in wordless conversations. They came upon a room with a giant tank in it."This is a genesis chamber," Jor-El broke Carter out of his thoughts. "All Kryptonians were conceived in chambers such as this," Jor-El revealed what they standing in. Inside the tank were pods submerged in blue liquid and connected to what looked like rooted seaweed. "Every child was designed to fulfill a pre-determined role in our society, as a worker, a warrior, a leader, and so on," Jor-El summarized the purpose of the tank. Jor-El looked at the tank with mild contempt, and as he glanced over to his son, he saw the same expression. Carter's theory was proven correct. Carter looked at the tank with all the pods. Every single one was a potential Kryptonian waiting to be born.

"Your mother and I believed Krypton lost something precious. The element of choice, of chance. What if a child dreamed of becoming something more than what society had intended for him or her?" Jor-El spoke as he watched his son look at the pods. Carter nodded his head, agreeing with his parents. Everyone has a right to choose who they want to be. Just like Edwin told him, he had a choice. "What if a child aspired to something greater?" Jor-El offered the question to Carter. Carter turned to his father, shocked at the words. It was like he was back with Edwin in that cellar all again. "You're the embodiment of that belief, Kal. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries," Jor-El revealed Carter's birth. Carter had feared that he was like the rest of his people, all his DNA preordained to be something he didn't want to be. This bit of news brought major relief to Carter. Unknowingly he felt a smile of relief spread across his face.

Jor-El watched his son warmly. Even though he couldn't watch him grow, he was happy to see the man he had become. "That's why we risked so much to save you," Jor-El proudly stood tall. What he did, and the fate he was stuck with was something he would do again in a heartbeat.

Carter walked out of the room, needing to think. Jor-El followed him, and the two walked the more of the ship's corridors. Jor-El was silent, wanting to let Carter speak when he was ready. A shadow would cast over him every few steps from the passing lights. After several minutes Carter weakly spoke, "Why didn't you come with me?" Jor-El halted in his walk. Carter stopped and looked at his father for an answer. If they thought to send him across the galaxy, why didn't they think to come with him?

Jor-El felt a shadow of pain where his heart should be at the question. "We couldn't, Kal." He looked his son in the eye to show he was earnest. "No matter how much we wanted to," Jor-El turned to face his son completely. "No matter how much we love you," Jor-El would have given anything to watch his son grow up. However, he and his wife had a reason why they couldn't, "Your mother, Lara, and I were a product of the failures of our world as much as Zod was, tied to its fate." It was the logical explanation that his DNA told him was the right one.

Carter swallowed a lump in his throat. He feared what his father would say when he asked the question. He needed it answered, but it didn't hurt any less. "So I'm alone," Carter's pain covered his words. He was back where he started, alone, and not even his people were coming. He lost his parents, his grandparents, and maybe even his aunt.

"No," Jor-El's comforting tone eased Carter's heavy heart. He stood eye to eye with his son and declared, "You're as much a child of Earth now as you are of Krypton." Jor-El wanted his son to understand that while he was from Krypton, Carter was of Earth as well. "You can be the best of both worlds. A dream your mother and I dedicated our lives to preserve." He would have the body and mind of a Kryptonian, but he'd have the heart of a human. As he finished, an egg-shaped pod on the wall next to the duo opened up. In zero gravity, a suit is suspended in the middle of it. At first, the suit faced away from them, but slowly it turned towards them. It was a skinsuit made of blue chainmail-like material with gauntlets, a series of separate bands circling his sleeves. In the center of its chest was the S-shaped glyph in red and yellow on the chest with a middle embossed line in the middle of the "S." On the back was a bright red cape.

Jor-El looked at the suit with pride while Carter looked at it with wonder. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. "The people of Earth are different from us, it's true," Jor-El stated his thoughts. Carter turned away from the suit to stare at his father. "But, ultimately, I believe that's a good thing." Carter wasn't so sure and shook his head. Jor-El clarified, "They won't necessarily make the same mistakes we made." Jor-El put a lot of faith in humans, but he explained why he thought so, "Not if you guide them, Kal. Not if you give them hope." Jor-El pulled his shoulder pauldrons further apart and placed his hands on the S-shaped symbol on his chest, "That's what this symbol means. The symbol of the house of El means hope." Carter stared at the symbol with respect now. He thought for years that it was just a simple design choice, but it was revealed to be his family's symbol. Carter felt like a knight back in the times of royalty. He looked at the symbol with reverence.

Jor-El let his son take in his new discovery of the symbol. Another moment that he had lost with his son. To tell him these stories of his house. How it went from a symbol of ridicule to hope. "Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief in the potential of every person to be a force of good," he stood proudly. His words brought Carter back to the suit, looking at it intently. "That's what you can bring them," confidently Jor-El rolled his shoulders back. His son's eyes never left the suit or, more accurately, the symbol on it.

Outside of the ship, the arctic winds kicked up the fresh, soft snow in the wind. The doors of the ship open up, and a silhouette of a man stands at the opening. The man walks out, his cape billowing in the frosted air. Carter had to suit on. He looked at the scene before him, and it was breathtaking. Peaks of mountains painted with snow and the plateaus were bottomless pits of white. The wind kicked up into his face, now clean-shaven. His Heat Vision was the only way to get rid of the stubble. He walked further away from the ship as he absorbed everything around him. "Why am I so different from them?" Carter had asked his father back in the corridor. He understood that he was not human, but he didn't know how he got the powers. The sun was barely peeking out from the horizon.

Jor-El's answer was simple, "Earth's sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's was." His footprints trailed behind him in the snow, crunching with every step. "Your cells have drunken its radiation, strengthening your muscles, your skin, your senses. Earth's gravity is weaker, yet its atmosphere is more nourishing." Carter stopped in his walk. He felt whole. "You've grown stronger here than I ever could have imagined," the echoing words of Jor-El continued to play in Carter's mind. "The only way to know how strong," Carter grasped his hands into tight fists. He had done minor testing with his parents, Edwin and Peggy, but they were too scared to test him to his limits. "Is to keep testing your limits," Jor-El instructed.

There was one thing Carter had wanted to try. Carter is already faster than a jet, strong enough to lift an oil rig, survive an explosion, and didn't need to breathe air. Carter was going to push his limits, and there was one thing he always wanted to try.

Looking determined up to the sky, Carter steadied his breathing. Fear swallowed his courage. He was afraid of being hurt, hurting something or someone. He needed to stop thinking like that, to stop thinking like a human. He scrunched his face before squatting down and launching himself in the sky. He soared in the sky for several hundred meters before he descended to the sky.

His landing made a creator in the rock before he shot back into the sky. He jumped the length of a football field away before launching back into the sky. He went further and higher on this jump. It wasn't what Carter wanted. He threw himself into the sky again, getting higher and higher. Carter straightened himself out like an arrow, his two fists out in front of him, facing down. The gravity fought against him as he climbed higher and higher. He grits his teeth, and his face becomes taut as he struggles to stay at the altitude. Pushing his body forward with a grunt, Carter ascends higher. He couldn't help but laugh at the feeling of flying. The wind in his face was different from when he was running. It was freeing.

Reality came crashing as he broke through the clouds. "Uh…Oh!" Carter yelled. He saw the sun just before descending back towards the ground. "Whoa!" he began to freefall. Grasping nothing but air, his body collided with a mountain. Rocks were ejected from the impact, and boulders rolled down the mountain like marbles. Carter came to a stop at the foot of the mountain, and his body rested in a creator he made.

Carter didn't feel any pain from hitting the mountain or making the pit, but he felt the wind get knocked out of him. Gaining his bearings, he rolled over before grabbing the edge to pull himself out. The mixture of snow and gravel was coarse as his fingers dug into it. Dust and sediment mixed in the air, and boulders rolled down the mountain behind him. He took a deep breath before stepping out of the crater fully.

Discouraged is how Carter felt. Sighing heavily, he tried to think what he had done wrong. How was he supposed to be a symbol of hope, when he could push past his limits. He heard his father's words encourage him:

You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards.

He walked out of the crater. He needed a fresh start.

They'll race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall

Determination replaced discouragement. He would give it another go.

But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal.

Carter looked to the sun, the source of his power. His eyes were too powerful to be harmed. He closed his eyes and felts its rays empower the cells in his body.

In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.

He kneeled down, bawled his hand into a fist, and touched it to the ground. The snow and pebbles on the ground were pushed away. They were sucked back towards Carter's fist and floated upwards like a funnel. The ground rumbled at the pressure Carter was exerting. Like a volcano, Carter erupted from the Earth, leaving cracks in his place.

Carter soared straight up with his right fist out in front of him. Two vapor trails came off the tail of his cape. He went faster this time, so much faster that he broke the sound barrier. He smiled brightly as he continued to stay in the air. He moved through clouds, not knowing where he was going, but he didn't care. He was flying! His first flight.

The air made a whooshing sound as he flew. He flew for a minute or two before he found a low valley. He swooped in low, using the angle of the mountain to make himself go faster. He passed the mountain and entered a small valley. Recognizing some of the animals in the valley he was He passed three giraffes that were eating but soon scattered as he passed by. He broke up a herd of zebra that were grazing. Then another, and then another. He passed over the grasslands until he reached the ocean.

Wakanda

In the isolated country of Wakanda, three men and a woman were on high alert in a throne room. The throne room was elegant, with black marble floors covered with reinforced glass. In the center was a throne that was metallic and brown in color. Two pieces of metal swooped along the throne's sides like a bird's wings. It sat on a spotted leather carpet that looked to be jaguar skin. Six smaller metal stools sat around the throne. In the chair sat the king. "What the hell was that?" demanded the king. The king was a portly man with a grey beard and hair.

A younger man stepped forward. This young man was the prince, the king's son. He spoke first, "We don't know. All we know is that it crossed our borders and left at incredible speeds." It was frightening that something had entered their land, but they didn't know if it was friendly or not.

The woman offered her words of wisdom, "If it didn't stay long, that means they don't know about us." It was the queen, the one person whose words mattered more than anyone else's to the king.

"I agree with her majesty. They don't know we are here," a man the king's age spoke. The king, while bitter they didn't get a proper analysis of the intruder, was content with the answers he was given.

Back with Carter

Carter left the continent and flew over the ocean, the water breaking apart behind him. He flew until he reached more land. He came across a rocky landscape and wanted to do something fancy. Laughing as he dipped low, skimmed rockfaces, and flew low to the ground. He even saw an arch he flew through before shooting straight into the sky. He put his arms down to his sides before looking down at the shrinking world. He laughed in disbelief at how much fun this was. Looking up at the black and blue sky, he wanted to push the limits one more time. Breaking the sound barrier again, he left Earth's atmosphere.

Entering the vacuum of space made him beyond nervous. He could die from lack of air, his blood could boil, freeze to death. The list of all the negatives was long, but he needed to test his limits. He found he felt nothing, no cold, his blood stayed in his body, and he didn't need air. However, flying in space could not outweigh the beautiful sight before him. The little blue jewel that was Earth was breathtaking from this view. Satellite photos didn't do it justice. He saw the blue of vast oceans, the brown of the land dotted with green and white. Storms and vortexes were in parts of North America, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Even with the infinite possibilities and endless locations he could travel to, only one place was where he desired to go. Off he went.

Arctic Cargo

Jed sat in his office, looking at an envelope on his desk. The contract from the American government had racked in a small fortune for his business. It helped him gain a reputation as a reliable shipping company. There was only one thing that was bothering him, the envelope, or more importantly, the name that was on it. Joe Milton had mysteriously disappeared. From what he gathered, the guy just disappeared. Jed didn't even know if the guy came back with them from the site. The worst part was that Joe didn't leave a forwarding address, so he couldn't even send his pay. Jed could have taken the money and line his own pockets, but he wasn't that kind of man. Joe had earned the money; it was his.

The door opened to his office, and a charming woman in a winter coat with hair as red as fire came in. "Can I help you?" unsure why this woman would come into his office.

A playful smile came across her face before she closed the door dainty, locked it, then faced him with her arms crossed over her chest. "My name is Natasha Romanoff," she introduced herself as she dug into a jacket pocket and flashed her SHIELD bag. "Agent Natasha Romanoff." Natasha received the usual reaction when someone met an assassin.

Jed rose swiftly out of his seat as he cursed, "Shit!" He backed away until his back met the wall, heavily panting. He was going to die.

Natasha took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. "I'm not here to kill you," her calm words helped ease the man off the wall.

"Then why are you here?" Jed was cautious, taking a step towards his desk. He didn't have a clue as to why the Avenger was doing in his place of work.

Her smile dropped as she unzipped her jacket about halfway before pulling out a folded piece of paper from an internal pocket. She slapped the paper firmly on the desk. "I'm looking for someone," the paper on the desk drew the man's attention.

Jed slowly reached out to take the paper. He snatched the paper and snapped his arm back. The assassin didn't make a single move. He opened the folded paper and found it to be a photo. A photo of Joe Milton. "Joe?" Jed said out loud.

"Good, we can skip the part where you play stupid," Natasha stood up, the smile replaced with a scowl.

Jed was confused. "What did Joe do?"

"I just need to find him," Natasha answered with a partial truth. Jed didn't need to know the part about him being a suspected alien.

Jed tossed the picture on his desk. While he didn't know the man long, it didn't feel right to rat him out. "Why should I tell you anything?" he challenged.

Jed had made a mistake, and the smug smile Natasha produced confirmed it. Diggin ino her jacket, she pulled out a file. She skimmed a handful of pages before pausing, clearing her throat, and reading the information. "Three hundred and eighty-seven thousand and two hundred and twenty-one dollars is owed to the Canadian government."

"Woah…wait. Hold up!" Jed tried to cut the woman off. How did she get those records?

"Plus fines for hiring workers with falsified records and having knowledge of it."

"Okay, you made…."

"Then there is the required jail time…."

"Stop! Stop! Enough!" Jed shouted, making himself self red in the face. She had made her point. If she wanted to, she could make his life hell. "What do you want to know?" he sighed in defeat. She had information on the taxes he neglected to pay for his business.

Natasha's smug expression grew as she closed the file. "I want to know about Joe," she got straight to the point.

Jed scratched the back of his head. He needed a second to think. Natasha wasn't keen on letting him and made a move to read more from the file. "He was just a worker! I needed someone to carry heavy equipment," his words gave the woman pause. He would have to play ball if he didn't want to get nailed by the government and go to jail.

"Go on," Natasha signaled the man to speak with a flourish of her hand.

"He didn't talk much. Kept to himself. He was a good worker," Jed fired off everything he could remember about the man.

"That's it?" Natasha pushed. She needed all the information she could get. What she got was less than nothing.

Jed shook his head in disbelief. "That's it," he confirmed. "He kept to himself for the most part. Wasn't really talkative." It was honest to god truth, and Natasha saw it in his eyes,

Natasha pursed her lip in thought before she clicked her tongue against her teeth before standing up. She wasn't going to get much from the man. "Thank you. Your help has been most appreciated," she called out before she zipped her coat up and unlocked the door.

"The file!" Jed yelled out. He hoped to get it for his cooperation.

Natasha wasn't a fool. As she walked out, she answered, "I'll keep it, thanks." She had other leads to chase down. She would retrace his steps and ask around about him.

June 4th, 2012

Peggy enjoyed another night alone with her tea and her records. "It's Been a Long, Long Time" played in her old record player. The gift Carter had gotten for her. She sighed tiredly, remembering the past decade. Carter had not found himself in college, just several master's degrees and offers from the best in medical, engineering, and history fields. She was beyond proud of him when she watched him walk during graduation. She smiled tiredly as she sipped the tea that she had made. Griminaning at the taste. She looked at the cup in disgust before placing it forcibly on the coffee table.

A heavy knocking from her backdoor made the old woman jump. She hadn't heard the gate to the backyard open. It had to be a burglar, and he had chosen the wrong house. She drove her hand into the seat cushions and came out her Glock. She pulled the slide to check if it was loaded and clicked the safety off. She concealed the gun behind her back as she went to the backdoor. The curtain on the door's window showed the silhouette of a man. Peggy may have gotten older, but her training never went away. She crept up to the door quietly, slowly turned the lock without making it click, swung the door, and jammed the gun into the person's face.

Carter was greeted by his aunt's pistol aimed between the eyes. "Gonna shoot me again?" he asked rhetorically. It was a joke at the expense of that night.

Peggy gasped sharply and brought her hands over her mouth. Carter had come home! He stood in a simple plaid shirt and jeans. The Glock slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground. Tears leaked from her eyes before her arms shot around his neck. She let herself whimper as she hugged her nephew. She gathered her composure before pushing off him and cupping his cheeks with her hands. "Look at you," she breathed out. Confidence oozed off him, and he stood taller. It was night and day since the last she saw him. "Are you finally home?" hoping he was at peace and done chasing ghosts.

"I'm home," Carter said confidently. A smile and a nod solidified his words. He was home and only planned to return to the ship to learn more about Krypton. He walked into the kitchen and instantly smelt the packaged tea. "Come on, I'll make you a real cup of tea," he got to work in the kitchen.

Peggy followed behind him and sat at the small dining room table. Peggy got right to the point, burning with curiosity, "What did you find?" The anticipation was killing her.

Carter had gotten a kettle filled and on the stove before looking through the cabinets. He found three ingredients that were perfect for Peggy's tea: Gota Kola, Rosemary, and Spearmint. Combined, they tasted exceptional, but there was a second purpose. They all helped with memory and the brain. While it wasn't a miracle cure by any means, it still had some healing qualities. Carter put the ingredients into a teabag and then placed the teabag in the boiling water. With the tea being made, he turned to lean on the counter. "I found out who I was," Carter revealed. He then talked about his travels and how he was drawn north. He told her of the people he met and his time with Tony.

"I know about that," Peggy said matter-of-factly.

"How….?"

"You were good at disguising yourself, love, but not your tracks," Peggy lectured.

Carter had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry if I caused you any trouble," he felt awful that Peggy had to go back into her old ways.

Peggy waved her godson off as she. "Please, you forget who your talking to." She told him about her protégé's visit and that she sent him packing. The whistle from the kettle broke them from their conversation. From memory found the teacups that Peggy kept in a cabinet nearby the stove. He poured a cup for himself and his aunt before joining her at the table. Peggy took a greedy sip and sighed satisfactorily, "A perfect cup of tea." It was the best one she had in years.

Carter snorted in amusement and accepted the compliment, "Glad I'm good for something." Carter had perfected the mixture just for his aunt.

"What else happened?" Peggy asked between sips. She was regaled with the rest of Carter's adventures through Canada. The oil rig had her at the edge of her seat, the time with Chrissy and what happened in the Arctic. Peggy kept quiet for the entire time, only nodding or humming.

Carter finally got to the part he was dying to tell the woman. "I met my father." Peggy nearly spits her tea out.

"You met your birth father," the ex-secret agent knew what he met. Howard had been for a long time. "What's he like?"

"He's a scientist," Carter answered. He went on to explain how he found the spaceship, the consciousness of his father, and the discovery of his new power.

"You can fly!?" Peggy shouted in shock. It was as Carter explained; his powers could be limitless.

"It was amazing, like having absolute freedom," Carter described his feelings when he went flying. He described the struggles in the beginning, but he explained the confidence he felt when he soared in the air.

"Sounds freeing." Peggy was envious. All her life, Peggy had to walk a fine line. There were times she could let her hair down, but they were few and far between. She lived in an era that wouldn't allow that.

"I could take you if you want?" Carter offered. It would be his honor to give the woman a thrill.

Peggy looked at him with hope. "Really?!" That kind of freedom only comes once in a lifetime. She would be senile to refuse such an offer. And she wasn't that just yet. A firm nod was received, and Peggy would wait for that day to arrive.

Carter then brought the conversation back to his father. "Jor-El told me why he sent me here," with a heavy heart, he explained the story of his people and his parents. As he recounted the selective breeding and gene mapping, Carter could see Peggy's distaste. It was like the Nazis and HYDRA all over again. "I was the first natural birth in centuries, and with the planet doomed to implode, my parents sent me here to survive. To not make the same mistakes as Krypton," Carter spoke, making the mood somber.

"They loved you," Peggy smiled at hearing that. All his life Carter had parents that loved him so incredibly much.

Carter felt his chest go warm. "Yeah, it was the entire reason why I was sent to Earth." His parents could have saved themselves but chose to save him instead. They couldn't know what he would face but held out hope that he would grow up somewhere better than they could give him.

Peggy shot up from her chair in a moment of remembrance. Carter was about to ask what that was about before she disappeared around the corner. Carter heard the opening and closing of a door before reappearing. "I have something for you," the broad smile on her face showed how excited she was. She kept something behind her back while she walked forward. She shoved a wrapped present in Carter's face. "Happy birthday!" Peggy smiled as she held the present.

Carter was lost for a moment before realization struck him. "I forgot." He couldn't remember the last time he celebrated his birthday. It had been before he left on his journey. He took it into his hands and examined it like it was some sort of sacred relic. It was obviously not in a box of any kind; it was simply the object wrapped in paper. It had the shape of a small, flat circle.

Peggy wanted to laugh at her nephew for acting like a child. "Well, don't just stare at it. Open it!" Peggy urged. Carter then tore into it with vigor. Some things never changed.

Carter was surprised by the gift. It was a keyring. "Thanks, Aunt Peggy." He already had a key to the house, so what were these.

The old spy smirked, seeing his confusion, "Those are the keys to the Jarvis estate."

"Are you kicking me out?" Carter asked incredulously. He just got back!

"Not right away, but you are your own man. You better not expect to me make breakfast for any women you bring here," Peggy stated. She was happy for him to be back, but he didn't need to stay with her.

"Aunt Peg…." Carter started to argue.

"You don't have to take care of me anymore, Carter," she cut him off. She was old, she was dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It wasn't fair for a young man in his prime to be taking care of an old bag of bones like her.

Carter shook his head defiantly, "I'm not leaving you alone anymore. I did what I promised Pop." He had found out why he was sent here, just like Pop said he should.

"You are going to have a choice much longer," Peggy said flatly. The boy had seen enough dead family members. She shouldn't add to that count. He placed the keyring down forcibly before standing up. He didn't want to be reminded that Peggy didn't have much time left. She was ninety-one already.

Carter rubbed his hand over his mouth as he cooled the anger that almost boiled to the top. However, he let go of it and calmed himself down with a heavy exhale through his nose. "Alright, but I'll visit as often as I can," Carter left no room for arguing.

Sighing tiredly, Peggy lazily let out, "Fine." She leaned back and brought her cup to her lips.

Carter then grew a playful smirk, "So did Steve come by?" Peggy opened one eye, not falling for the simple ploy.

Peggy would play his game, but better. "He actually came over, and he was just as handsome as I remembered," Peggy gave her words a whimsical.

Even though Carter asked, he had to stop himself from gagging. The playful laugh from Peggy told him he had been played. "In all seriousness, how was he?" Carter had a feeling the man would come by. He just hoped Steve didn't get her hopes up. Peggy had lived a life without him.

"Happy to see a familiar face," Peggy told him. Though he was happy, there was sadness when he visited. The man looked at her the same loving way he did during the war, but he knew that life went on without him. He asked about her life, and she gave him the highlights. "We looked over some old photos, some with me, Howard, and Dugan. He saw some pictures of Daniel and me. He was a little taken aback by that," she saw the jealously Steve had. It could have been him.

Seeing her smile now, Carter interrupted her, "Want to see something really cool?" Carter got her interest, and she nodded, intrigued. Carter went to get his suit. The rest of the night was filled with catching up. Peggy eventually couldn't keep her eyes open, and Carter helped her to bed. After making sure she got to bed, he went to his room. Opening the door, he had one thought o his mind, "Talk about opening a time capsule." Peggy hadn't changed a thing. He could smell the fresh air, and no dust tickled his nostrils. She kept it clean. He plopped down on his bed and heard the wooden frame make small cracks in protest. He was content as he rolled over and fell asleep.

Outer Space

In the cold reaches of space, a tear in reality opened up, and out of the tear, came a ship. A Kryptonian ship. Inside, Kryptonians moved about the ship doing their designated jobs. On the bridge, one of them got a reading from their console and spoke up, "Sir, we're reading a distress signal from an old ship of ours. It's coming from a little blue dot." In the center of the bridge, a big circular metal disk displayed Earth in front of the captain of the ship.

"Jor-El's spawn," the captain said with distaste and a hint of longing.

"What shall we do, general?" a woman spoke up next to her leader. She leaned on the display to look at the unimpressive blue orb. She was curious about life on the planet and the beings on it.

"Follow it, and with it, we'll find the Codex," the captain said before turning to look out the windows.

"Of course, General Zod," the woman bowed. She would follow her leader again.

AN: That wraps up chapter five. I hope it was worth the wait. I enjoy writing this story, so I hope it draws fans back and makes new ones. My favorite part to write in this chapter was the reunion of Peggy and Carter. Also, just a reminder, the characters are "cast" as they are in MCU unless stated otherwise. I hoped it met expectations and was an enjoyable read. Till the next chapter, stay safe and healthy.

(1) Captain Ivar Heraldson – Tim Daly (Voice of Superman in Superman: TAS)

(2) Jed Eubanks – Michael Rosenbaum

(3) John Corben – Alexander Skarsgård

Knox