December 30: Liverpool Logistics Station (rebuilt)
Inside the office used by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Artoria read a letter transferring a request for support from the United States with a serious expression.
According to the Prime Minister, the location he would be visiting was an experimental base intended for use in a secret joint project with the United Kingdom called Project Renaissance, headed by German scientist Abraham Erkina and billionaire scientist Howard Stark.
Artoria didn't know much about Marvel, but she didn't even need to use her intuition to guess that it was about the development of the super soldier serum. Ever since the United States was confirmed as an ally in the war, she knew that this event would happen sooner or later, although she hadn't thought she would be involved so soon.
Besides, she had another worry.
The letter also indicated that not only would Artoria be providing support, but Morgan, as a physician and scientist, would also be involved in the project's development.
Artoria knew why they included Morgan in this. During her time as a leading auxiliary physician, she developed treatments and medicines that made a difference during the final months of the war, earning her the acclaim of the media and the general public and the title of the witch doctor. They still added the title of witch because Morgan was quite cruel to patients she didn't like, such as making an arrogant officer who looked down on her lose all his hair or making a general who tried to flirt with her have a feminine voice. None of that was as cruel as what she would normally do if Artoria didn't beg her not to go too far, but even then, she was still quite cruel.
All her achievements resulted in her name being included in several medical books and receiving numerous awards in the pharmaceutical and scientific fields. Morgan herself quite liked this; she didn't like humans in general, but she loved it when they venerated and cheered her as a savior. In Morgan's own words, it demonstrated how much she could accomplish compared to Artoria. If she were the one ruling Great Britain, Artoria didn't deny it, but neither did she agree with her; inflating her ego too much would only bring trouble.
Artoria was not afraid of her lack of skill, but rather of her great skill.
She worried that something like the super soldier serum could fall into her hands and, instead of turning its user into a perfect soldier, create an unrecognizable, bloodthirsty, and combat hungry monster.
She would have to talk to her about this matter.
"Sigh I imagine this has something to do with the strange movements Hydra has been making."
Artoria said, thinking about the Hydra bases that were found during the counterattack on Italy. "Many research bases were found in concentration centers and shipments of weapons too advanced to be something created by humans."
These events put intelligence officers on high alert, prompting them to make emergency preparations in case of a surprise attack by an unknown weapon.
"Hydra's presence in several of the Circle's operations has become worrisome. Only thanks to you, Miss Artoria, have we been able to overcome their advances, at the cost of making them your priority to eliminate. This project is to compete with Hydra's constantly advancing technology. If we want to win this war, we cannot allow this ally of the fascists to continue to exist."
The Prime Minister said seriously.
Artoria simply listened, nodding in response. She knew what was troubling her; her fairy eyes revealed her fear and despair. She wasn't powerless; she couldn't be on every front to command and secure victory. Hydra wasn't solely focused on her, even though she had been marked as a target for absolute elimination.
If Artoria wanted to, she could end this war in just three days, but that wasn't in her best interest. She didn't want to be like the Soviet Superman and become a symbol of absolute power and suppression.
She left the office after finishing her conversation; she had three weeks to pack her things and take the first ship to North America with Morgan.
"Leave me alone, you damned lying witch! This is assault! Assault on the royal family!"
"I don't think she's in a good position to talk, little princess."
As Artoria walked through the base's corridors, she heard a rather loud scream and a calm voice she recognized very well. She sighed dryly, knowing what was coming.
"Put me down right now! That's an order!"
I shouted in a high pitched but strong voice.
"I don't take orders from scum who crawl along the walls."
I spoke in a calm but mocking voice.
Artoria, looking a little tired, went outside and saw the people making so much noise.
It was Morgan, wearing a formal black female military uniform under a white coat, holding a notebook in one hand and, in the other… a certain grown up princess who was kicking her legs in the air while being held by the neck by Morgan.
Princess Isabel was already fifteen years old and a beautiful young woman; the former childlike character that still surrounded her had disappeared, replaced by a royal aura, although now, suspended in the air, it was not noticeable.
"Can we find out why they're fighting now?"
Artoria asked with a tired sigh, looking at her older sister and the princess whom she had always treated like a younger sister.
From the moment they met, they hadn't gotten along, and every chance they got, they argued. Isabel always called Morgan an old witch, which wasn't wrong, but it wasn't something any woman liked to hear. Isabel resented Morgan because she always took up the little free time she had, preventing her from visiting her at the royal family's retreat.
That was the beginning of when she started sneaking out behind her parents' backs and entering Artoria's private residence or her room every time she was in the same region. This caused her a lot of problems every time she was discovered, but she didn't stop. She continued like this for three months.
"I found this little mouse sneaking into your room again."
"I'm not a rat!"
Morgan pointed while the princess complained about being insulted.
"Sister, let her go. Don't intimidate the girl anymore."
I requested, smiling in armor, while Morgan just snorted in dissatisfaction, dropping the princess on her butt.
"KYA! Can't you be any nicer?! Gorilla in a bathrobe!"
The princess complained, not forgetting to insult Morgan without any fear, not caring about the death glare Morgan gave her.
"Princess, I already warned you about this. If you continue to escape from the shelter, they'll end up chaining you to your bed."
I gently admonished Artoria, helping the little queen to her feet.
"But you haven't come to see me; it's because of this witch that you hardly ever visit me."
The girl complained, pointing at Morgan again, who already looked capable of uttering a curse at any moment.
"I understand, but this isn't the place to talk about this. Tell the guards to escort you to my room and we can chat for a while, okay?"
I appealed to Artoria, trying to calm things down. If this continued as it was, Morgan was perfectly capable of transforming the frog girl.
"Mm! Is okay."
Having agreed, the princess went to ask one of the guards stationed nearby, but not before sticking her tongue out at Morgan and making gestures she had learned from the Americans she had seen.
"I'm going to bury that brat one of these days."
Morgan warned angrily, cracking her knuckles and threatening punishment. Artoria just laughed and sat down on one of the supply crates scattered around the place.
"Don't worry, you won't see her for a while."
Artoria commented, passing Morgan the relocation letter that the Prime Minister had given her.
"Wow, so that's about to happen. How lucky we were to be able to witness this up close."
Morgan commented, a glint of interest reflecting in her eyes.
Artoria had told her everything she knew about this world, including the events that would occur in this war—well, at least what she remembered. Among the things she had told her was the birth of the first modern hero, Captain America, a super soldier born from a serum synthesized by humans.
At some point, Morgan felt strange wondering how Artoria knew this, so she asked her, and Artoria told her that she had an ability to see the future, but that it wasn't very powerful.
Morgan believed her, not because she blindly trusted her, but because her fairy eyes showed no falsehood in her words.
Well, in theory, she didn't lie; she had an ability that allowed her to see the future, which was derived from one of the abilities of one of her versions, the heroine Mysteryus X Alter, one of her most powerful versions. But it wasn't because of this ability that she knew so much, but because she already knew this plot from the comics and movies of her previous life.
"So it'll just be the two of us on a trip abroad? Hehehe, isn't this our little honeymoon that we never had?"
Morgan commented, sneaking behind Artoria, wrapping her arms around her neck, and whispering in a tone more seductive than playful.
Artoria said nothing, but her slightly red cheeks gave Morgan the satisfaction she wanted. Artoria was already used to her sister cornering her like this; if she gave in too much it would be dangerous, but if she didn't respond the way Morgan wanted, Morgan would do even worse things. It took her quite a while to find the middle ground where she felt satisfied.
"It's a business trip, sister, we're not going for leisure. Get ready. They gave us enough time so we won't have any problems with our move."
Saying that, Artoria stood up, letting Morgan happily hang from her arm. This intimate behavior didn't seem strange to the others, since it confirmed they were sisters of the same blood, and such displays of affection were quite normal.
If people knew that these two sisters ever had a child, it would be a scandal.
Weeks passed, and Artoria was already aboard the ship that would take them directly to the United States. They said goodbye to all their acquaintances and set sail without further worry.
Washington DC: Logistics Center
In a presentation room within the intelligence section at the US logistics base, images were shown of some of the projects prepared during the war, along with feedback on their fiercest enemies, Hydra.
The images showed sections of the war in the United Kingdom's counter attack against Italy; most were from Artoria, fighting in the same way as always, with little protective equipment, only with an iron sword and a rifle.
The images were extraordinary; they showed Artoria in a contest of strength with a giant beast vaguely resembling a human, and in the next section she had snapped its neck and torn off its head. Other images showed her withstanding shots from Hydra's energy weapons with only her body, and there were also images of her knocking down and throwing German tanks with her bare hands.
It was a spectacle of brutality, and she did it with such elegance that it didn't seem violent. The British were already used to such things coming from Artoria, but to the Americans, she seemed like a superhero straight out of a comic book, a brutal living weapon.
The presenter of the images, Margaret Carter, looked at everyone present attentively, nodding in understanding. She too had been surprised the first time she witnessed this and was happy to be able to share her experience.
But this meeting wasn't to talk about Artoria.
"These are some of the experiments and weapons produced by Hydra. Thanks to images provided by the British Army and some project files found at Hydra's experimental bases, we know what they are capable of and the scope of their plans… They will not give up until they achieve their goal of world domination. The only solution is their immediate elimination."
Miss Carter explained, making the room noisy, that they had dealt with Hydra before confirming their participation in the war.
They were like parasites; no matter how many they killed, more always appeared among the forces that considered themselves allies. The only way to stop them was by eliminating the heads that controlled the body of the organization or by eliminating those who sponsored them, the Nazis.
"Project Renaissance is designed to create the next generation of perfect soldiers. Significant progress has already been made, and as logistical support, the United Kingdom has sent Lieutenant General Artoria Arthur Pendragon and Chief Warrant Officer Morgan Morganai Pendragon."
Miss Carter presented the images of Morgan and Artoria, respectively. Everyone seemed surprised; after all, they hadn't done anything. They saw how the same woman presented was capable of throwing tanks with her hands, and Morgan, although her achievements weren't on the front lines, was very important in the world of medicine. Her fame had spread further than Artoria's, and she was quite well known in North America.
"Is it still necessary to continue with Project Renaissance? The lieutenant seems to be what we're looking for; we would just have to ask the British how they gave her that power. Perhaps we could replicate it… unless it's a special situation."
One of the officers in the room asked, "Do you believe that Artoria's strength came from some kind of experiment conducted by the British, or that she was a mutant that the UK army exploited? Either way, it could be used to put pressure on the UK."
It didn't matter if they were allies in this war; if there was an opportunity to steal technology, they would take it.
"That's not possible. Miss Artoria isn't a secret UK experiment, nor is she a mutant. They didn't give us many details about it, but her powers are due to her bloodline, which dates back more than a millennium. It's possible that her sister, Miss Morgan, has similar powers, but overall, they are two unique individuals, and it isn't possible to replicate them."
At least they hadn't tried, or hadn't managed to obtain samples of genetic material that would help them try.
Artoria and Morgan didn't bother to hide these things; after all, a situation where someone hurt them enough to draw blood would be very strange. At least someone like that wouldn't appear for another 60 or 70 years. Even if someone managed to obtain blood from both of them, they wouldn't be able to do anything with it. The fantastic properties in their blood were illusory to those unfamiliar with magic. Besides, their magical origins couldn't be understood by anything in that world.
The meeting ended with the approval of those present. Margaret Carter left the room reading the volunteer program for Project Renaissance. The super soldier serum was not yet finished, but the constant improvements in its development gave the green light to begin the enlistment process.
"We must prepare soon," she told herself.
South Carolina Marine Base
"I never thought we would be attacked by pirates," Artoria complained as she stepped off the freighter. She hadn't known pirates still existed in the Atlantic, but of the few that were there, one had to attack the freighter carrying Artoria and Morgan. It wasn't bad luck, since Artoria was quite lucky, even to a fault. Most likely, it was the effect of one of her abilities that compels her to be the center of the world, like a cosmic law where random events that make her stand out suddenly appear.
It's a convenient and problematic skill that ensures her survival, but it's useless if the opponent is too rigid.
"It was an interesting thing to do on such a long boat trip; I was starting to get bored watching you compete in drinking contests with the crew," Morgan complained, while Artoria just looked away, a little embarrassed.
She had been fascinated with alcohol since the first day of her reincarnation; perhaps her red dragon blood had something to do with it. She got a little out of control when she learned that the ship was loaded with alcohol and expensive wine. Artoria bought quite a lot and spent the voyage drinking with the crew.
Artoria didn't normally drink, as she was on duty. Even if she couldn't get drunk, she couldn't set a bad example for the men under her command, so even in her free time she didn't drink, only occasionally when she was alone at home.
Morgan didn't mind the first few days of the trip, but she started complaining when the smell of alcohol got stronger.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it in," Artoria sincerely apologized under Morgan's resentful gaze. Morgan was still angry because one of the crew members had drunkenly touched her butt, and Artoria had to stop her before she killed him and sank the ship.
"Mmm, there's quite a bit of magical influence on this continent," Morgan commented, feeling the surrounding air and ignoring the smoke from the ships and factories in the city.
"So much so in London?" I asked Artoria, knowing what she meant.
Morgan, as a fairy born in the British Isles, could know everything that happened there and control everything where her feet landed. This worried Artoria greatly at first because if Morgan used this power to cause genocide, she wouldn't be able to stop it unless she destroyed the entire United Kingdom. As long as she was within the territory of the British Isles, she would be immortal.
Fortunately, this did not happen. According to Morgan, "It makes no sense to destroy a kingdom you do not rule." This both pleased and worried Artoria.
In any case, this ability helped Artoria find various things hidden in the United Kingdom without having to search: wizards hidden within the population, magical relics once sought from the past, hideouts of ancient civilizations, and a certain temple in charge of wizards actively protecting the world.
Morgan was initially interested but forgot about it later; her priorities were elsewhere now.
Morgan's abilities were not limited to the British Isles but also extended to countries claimed by the United Kingdom, though to a lesser extent, whether or not they were under its flag. North America was once part of the United Kingdom.
"Well, this country also has some interesting things," Morgan commented, to which Artoria simply nodded.
They explored the beaches of Carolina until a private vehicle parked near them on the main road, where a young woman got out from the driver's side, greeting them and drawing their attention.
"You must be Artoria Pendragon and Morgan Pendragon. It's a pleasure. My name is Margaret Carter, an agent affiliated with the Strategic Scientific Reserve. I was tasked with taking you to the main base in Louisiana," Margaret introduced herself, shaking Artoria's hand while discreetly looking her up and down. She was surprised by how large she was in every sense, and an invisible pressure pressed against her shoulders, along with an invisible charm that invited her to stare. She wore a black military uniform with several medals hanging from it; she didn't wear a hat, so her entire face was visible. She was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, with firm, indifferent eyes that could reflect the light. Her hair, styled in a bun, shone like threads of gold.
She wasn't a woman; she was a warrior.
"Nice to meet you. I am Lieutenant General Artoria Pendragon, and this is my older sister Morgan Pendragon, Chief Assistant Physician and renowned pharmacist."
"A pleasure," Morgan responded politely. She was indifferent to humans, but at least she knew how to pretend.
Morgan stood out differently from Artoria; she was still quite tall for the average woman but more normal in stature than Artoria. Her eyes displayed the same indifference as Artoria's, but they seemed more bored than her beast sister's hawk like eyes. She wore the uniform of an English female officer, but with a longer skirt, slit at the side, revealing her white, shapely legs, with a white coat over it.
She had a mysterious presence, as if the night mist followed her everywhere; calm but not weak, like a dangerous beast lurking in the shadows, not attacking, only analyzing.
They finished their introductions without saying much; talking about work wasn't appropriate in a public place. They got in the car and drove to Luciana.
They talked during the journey, looking at the scenery of the cities they passed through. It was different from the situation in the United Kingdom, perhaps because in Europe the entire conflict was concentrated, where cities were constantly being bombed.
Artoria still remembered the London landscape before it all began and felt a little sad about her current state, but at least it wouldn't last forever.
They arrived at the Luciana Desert, where the base of the Strategic Scientific Reserve was located, and were introduced to the staff.
"He is Colonel Chester Phillips, acting head of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and his immediate superior during your stay at the base is Lieutenant Nicholas Joseph Fury, in charge of the base's defense," Margaret introduced to the two men as they greeted each other. In the process, Lieutenant Nicholas, obviously Nick Fury, was not the African American agent with the eye patch from the movies, but the original Nick Fury from the comics, an older white man with an eye patch.
This told Artoria that her stay on the base wouldn't be as simple as it seemed from what she knew in the movies.
"I thank them both for accepting this request for support; we didn't think the United Kingdom would agree to hand over its national heroine and its best doctor," Colonel Phillips commented cheerfully as they walked through the base until they reached the research area, where Abraham Erkina, the lead scientist in charge of developing the super soldier serum, was waiting for them along with Howard Stark at the entrance of the laboratory.
They introduced themselves politely, and their attention quickly focused on Morgan.
"It's a pleasure to meet Miss Morgan. Her research on cellular deterioration and molecular division is fascinating. I never thought such a brilliant mind was hidden away in the UK. If time allows, I'd like to discuss her research in depth, or perhaps have a drink," Howard praised with his characteristic superb tone, typical of the stars, without forgetting to flirt as only he knew how.
"I'm flattered, Mr. Stark, but I'm a little tired of alcohol for now. I prefer to focus on the work that's in my hands," Morgan responded indifferently, without any interest. Even as she confronted Artoria about what happened on the ship, Artoria simply turned her gaze away, avoiding Morgan's resentful eyes. It's likely she'll take it out on her later.
"This isn't the time to play games, Miss Morgan. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to discuss the details of the project with you," Abraham commented, somewhat resigned to his companion's playboy nonsense, and getting to the point.
At that point, the group split up; Morgan had to familiarize herself with the scientific development team, and Artoria integrated with the other agents.
Although she had been promoted to lieutenant general in the United Kingdom, in the United States it was not very relevant; she was assigned the position of field agent and hand to hand combat instructor, something that did not bother her.
They spent the rest of the day normally, familiarizing themselves with the garrison until night fell and there was a slight problem with room assignments.
Artoria usually didn't complain about having to share a room, even if her roommates were men.
But this time she had a lot to say.
"We're in the same room," Artoria commented, sweating profusely, while being overheard by the person who would be her partner, the one who made her so nervous.
"Fufufufu, it seems we'll be spending the whole night together," Morgan laughed maliciously, dragging out the words in a seductive tone that chilled Artoria's blood.
When they were stationed in the United Kingdom, she and Morgan slept in separate rooms in separate sections. Even so, Artoria never forgot to deploy every possible defense before going to sleep, just to have the minimum assurance that Morgan wouldn't invade her room while she slept. In fact, she didn't even sleep completely; she was in a trance like state, always ready for any danger. Although she could always choose not to sleep, remaining in that state served as a kind of trap for her, though it's very likely Morgan wouldn't fall for it.
But she didn't think it was possible to do the same now; they were close, too close. The room wasn't very big, and the two beds were very close together, or at least that's how Artoria saw it.
She didn't move; she stood frozen in the doorway, searching for any crack she could squeeze through to escape. Morgan's increasingly wicked smile did nothing to reassure her. She was cornered; Morgan wouldn't let her get away, and she didn't want to escape. This was a challenge to Artoria's integrity, and a true knight doesn't shy away from challenges.
"…Great! Let's go!"
"Fufufufufu,"
With a heavy heart but an unyielding will, Artoria entered the room with renewed determination as if she were fighting a war in which she might not survive. Morgan followed behind her with a playful glint reflected in her eyes.
(I just hope a little Mordred doesn't turn up the next morning) Artoria thought, pleading with any divine being who had ears to hear her… besides herself.