"Sigh." The problems are piling up.
In an office inside SHIELD headquarters in New York, Miss Carter, the current director of SHIELD, put aside the last report of the day, letting out a tired sigh.
More than ten years had passed since she rose to the position at the founding of SHIELD, and the problems hadn't stopped for Ms. Carter. Commanding an independent secret organization was not easy; coordination with other countries was complicated, with many bureaucratic barriers hindering progress in joint cooperation. Only in the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland were things simple and only because Artoria and Morgan intervened during the process.
There was also a conflict in the shadows between the United States and the Soviet Union, just as SHIELD had a conflict with Leviathan, the Soviet secret organization that originated from a clash with the Red Room during SHIELD's early days.
They also had to deal with humans with special powers who suddenly appeared in various parts of the world, secret experiments gone wrong, organizations with dubious motivations funded by high ranking government officials who only looked out for their own interests, and the most current problem Miss Carter was dealing with: the sudden and constant emergence of mutants worldwide.
"I'm quite glad that Miss Artoria has taken charge of the problems with magic and that sort of thing; I don't think I could handle that."
Miss Carter wouldn't know what to do with things like magic. There was a time when she had wanted to study the related details, but the moment she delved into it, she discovered that she couldn't understand it.
Artoria's guidance had been helpful to a certain extent. Magic had a lot to do with science and physics, but concepts like mystery, prana, origins, and other things left her blank. Artoria had told her that the form of magic she and Morgan practiced was very different from what was normally practiced, but she was sure that even other forms of magic were impossible for her.
She was also certain that Morgan would know more details about magic, but she preferred not to be alone with her. Miss Carter had always felt uneasy around Morgan, even though she was Artoria's older sister. She always felt as if a shadow beneath her feet could rise up and swallow her whole at any moment.
"Miss Artoria will be returning to the United States soon. Perhaps we can go for a drink during the break. I've been very stressed lately, and a break would do me good."
Miss Carter knew that Artoria's sister would follow her anywhere, but it didn't matter; Morgan was like a ghost when she wanted to be, only making her presence known when interacting with Artoria.
"Well, we won't waste the doors opened by Miss Artoria in Europe. I'll assign Fury to reconnoiter Leviathan's most recent actions and prepare accordingly. The issue with the mutants is something that can only be addressed slowly and surely."
With that said, Miss Carter continued with her work.
"Sebas, I thought that after so much time had passed since the war, attention on us would decrease... I was naive to underestimate the level of human adoration."
Morgan commented, watching as people gathered around her like bees to honey. This also happened in the United Kingdom, albeit more dramatically, because Artoria and Morgan were recognized war heroines in much of Europe. In the United States, the recognized heroes should have been Captain America and Bucky.
"In this country, heroes are greatly idolized; after all, Steve is their quintessential hero. But that doesn't mean we don't fall into that category. We actively participated in the war and are part of the same team as Captain America. Our current public image remains very high as well."
Artoria currently held a high ranking position in the British Army and also owned a famous brand of wine and spirits production and distribution with locations almost all over the world.
Several years had passed since Artoria started this business, which took off in the early 1950s when the vineyards purchased by Artoria began producing a special wine called Red Dragon's Blood. It should be noted that Artoria did not choose the name; Morgan did, since it was thanks to her and the special fertilizer she developed that the grapes in the vineyards had a unique flavor and tasted incredible when processed and fermented, though the wine turned out quite strong.
Morgan herself also consolidated great fame in the years after the war, winning several Nobel Prizes and awards thanks to her research. Her most outstanding work was related to hereditary diseases, malformations in fetuses during pregnancy, and fertility treatments, topics that, for someone with a complete research project to produce homunculi, were relatively simple.
She also became the director and owner of several private hospitals called Fairy Comfort, for which Morgan personally selected and trained the staff.
The hospitals gained fame for their efficient management and their achievements in treating emergency patients, securing Morgan a lasting place in the world of medicine.
"Well, we have to leave before more people show up and an accident happens."
The only reason more people hadn't attacked Artoria and Morgan was because they both exuded unfeeling auras: Artoria's too large and bright to let anyone near, and Morgan's too cold and silent, generating instinctive fear in anyone who approached.
They both took transport to New York, heading directly to SHIELD headquarters, but first made a stop at the Statue of Liberty since they were nearby and wanted to take the opportunity to pay it a visit.
"Well, I wasn't expecting this."
Morgan commented, looking at the magnificent statue. It hadn't been there the last time they were in New York five years ago, in fact.
"This level of detail makes me wonder if it was Miss Carter's work."
Artoria remarked, observing the majestic statue. It wasn't strange, but unexpected. Towering above them stood a monument featuring Captain Merca, Bucky, Dugan, Nick Fury, and the entire Howling Squad including Artoria and Morgan. Morgan stood at the front, with Captain America and his partner, one holding a shield and the other, Artoria, holding a sword upside down in a knightly pose. Morgan was beside him, as was Bucky, floating faintly next to Captain America, his cape billowing.
"It's good to know that in this country it's still recognized that it wasn't only their national symbols who fought in the war."
Morgan commented sarcastically, to which Artoria only smiled bitterly.
"We're attracting attention again; we'd better move."
Artoria could see the people around them realizing who they were by relating the monument's appearance to them.
It wasn't difficult, since they had already been discovered. Artoria wore a formal black suit, while Morgan wore a long dress of the same color.
On the way to SHIELD, Morgan complained about wanting to do more sightseeing, but that wasn't possible; people wouldn't leave them alone. If Morgan truly hoped to relax on this trip, it would have to be in an uninhabited place.
The following days were spent attending SHIELD meetings largely related to the budget, upcoming missions, and the role assigned to each branch in response to recent events engulfing the world.
Afterward, Miss Carter invited Artoria and consequently Morgan for a drink that evening. There was a hidden bar in Brooklyn that would provide privacy without outside interference, since Miss Carter knew and trusted the owner.
"Things are starting to go off the rails; I'm recently worried that new forces and disasters threaten to doom the world."
Miss Carter complained after taking a sip of brandy. She had learned that the U.S. government had restarted production of the super soldier serum without consulting SHIELD. They had tried to enlist Howard's help, but he refused. Lately, he had been busy outside of SHIELD and didn't have time for unreasonable requests from the government.
He already neglected his work in SHIELD's technology development unit, pursuing personal projects instead.
"Dealing with Leviathan is already problematic, and now I also have to deal with clandestine projects and mutants. I hope this doesn't get out of hand."
Miss Carter commented, taking another sip.
The last thing she wanted was to fail. Many people targeted her position, waiting for any excuse to discredit her as director of SHIELD. A bunch of sexists believed that because she was a woman, she wasn't cut out for the job. It was sad and absurd, but that was reality at the time.
"If it's too much work, then when a problem arises with the mutants, you can contact me and I'll deal with it."
Artoria commented in response to Carter's complaints. She knew that in a few years, the first conflict between mutants would begin, threatening to trigger a third world war. Artoria wanted to be present, forming relationships with one of the main mutant forces and gradually building trust and friendship. Her goal was to interact with one of the greatest powers in the Marvel Universe during its early stages: the Phoenix Force and its wielder, Jean Grey.
Ever since Artoria learned of Jean's origins in the comics and movies, she had always thought that the way she dealt with her alter ego and the Phoenix Force was flawed suppressing emotions, running from her demons, and denying her power instead of understanding it.
Artoria believed that if guided correctly, without placing barriers on her conscience as Charles did, Jean could have better control over the Phoenix Force and her powers, with minimal risk of becoming the Dark Phoenix.
"Really? I really wouldn't want to increase your workload, Miss Artoria, but if that's the case, I would appreciate your future assistance."
Miss Carter said, a little drunk, thanking them for taking the initiative in such a complicated matter.
"It seems that effort isn't enough. Has age finally caught up with you?"
Morgan, who until now had said nothing while sipping her expensive wine, sneered maliciously, consequently receiving a hateful glare from Peggy that only made her smile.
"Aren't you older than me? Do you seriously think you have the right to make fun of my age?"
Miss Carter commented, not wanting to be intimidated.
In reality, everyone there was over forty or about to turn forty, according to their marital status. Miss Carter was 36, making her the youngest. Artoria was 42, and Morgan, as Artoria's older sister, was 49 almost 50 making her the oldest of the three.
Although that didn't matter much; all three still looked young, around 23 to 27 years old.
"Wow, that's brave of you to mention it, you little brat."
"Who are you calling a brat? Miss Artoria is different, but in theory, I'm your superior! What's with your lack of respect?!"
"I don't recall ever accepting you as my superior. For me, no one is above me. I keep my distance because I am lenient with my courageous sister and always lenient with my property."
"What kind of normal person calls their own sister their property?"
sigh
While Morgan played with a nearly drunk Peggy Carter, Artoria simply sighed and drank from her vodka bottle, unconcerned about bothering anyone. Perhaps this was how Morgan made friends… probably.
Thus concluded Morgan and Artoria's visit to the United States.
"I'm starting to get a little bored with this peace."
Morgan remarked, leaning back on the high end sofa in the London villa she shared with Artoria. They had only returned a few hours earlier, and Morgan kept complaining about how monotonous things were these days.
During the war, although the enemies were weak, they were still interesting, with many diverse methods, traps, and Hydra projects Morgan could use for her own research. But currently, she and Artoria were limited to living normal lives, watching over and monitoring supernatural hotspots identified by SHIELD, with Morgan occasionally lost in her magical research.
"It wouldn't hurt to be patient, sister. In a few more years, things will start to heat up in this world. You know it yourself, don't you? The increase in mutant appearances and the growing fear towards them is a bubble about to burst, and that moment won't be long in coming."
"I imagine that's why you asked me to investigate the X gene in detail, where their powers originate. Progress is going well; soon I'll be able to create a stabilizer, but it won't work for all mutants. Does that seem alright to you?"
"If at least to avoid persecution in the United Kingdom, it will be enough."
Artoria had no intention of eliminating mutants from birth, nor of controlling or suppressing them. Based on research already conducted by Mr. Sinister, which she had discovered years earlier, Artoria asked Morgan if she could create a genetic stabilizer so that mutants, upon awakening their powers, would not suddenly explode or suffer malformations or drastic changes in appearance. This measure aimed to prevent widespread public backlash and inhumane persecution of mutants by Artoria and Morgan within government circles.
"With this we will gain great favors and… great enemies, but it doesn't matter. We will deal with whatever comes. It's better to have more allies on hand, even if they aren't from around the world."
"Well, I hope things get more interesting in the future. I don't plan on playing The Hermit again. This world is chaotic, with many mysteries and many interesting entities. It would be a waste not to join in the fun."
With a small gesture of her hands, Morgan disappeared from where she was sitting and positioned herself behind Artoria, affectionately embracing her neck.
"Despite always saying that you are no longer a king, you still think like one. You have power in your hands, but you don't use it openly. You put up barriers to your true strength, seeking allies to limit how many cards you can play, showing something more methodical than the usual ruthlessness with which you used to rule Camelot."
Morgan commented, playfully touching Artoria's cheek and breathing steadily into her ear, which made her shiver.
"It doesn't hurt to be cautious; besides, if things end so quickly, it wouldn't be any fun, would it?"
Saying that, Artoria took Morgan by the waist and lifted her into her arms in a princess's embrace, facing each other.
"Hehehe, so my cheeky little sister now likes these kinds of games? It's really refreshing to see this side of you, little sister."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Let's get up to speed with the work. Soon our new base will be in our hands and we'll have to introduce ourselves to some new friends."
Artoria didn't have a specific mission or pursue any general goal; she's not the original Artoria after all. She just wants to have fun and explore this chaotic world, just like Marvel.
She'll do whatever she wants, so why shouldn't she be allowed to be selfish?
Rome, 1962
"What a disaster, and to think this door caused so many problems at first."
Time had passed, and Artoria, along with Morgan, appeared at one of the secret entrances to the immortal city beneath the Roman Colosseum.
Artoria didn't really know when the city would actually be abandoned; she only realized it during one of the SHIELD meetings when she ran into Howard Stark.
The sisters soon realized or rather, it was impossible not to realize that the Howard before their eyes was not the true philanthropic playboy they knew.
First of all, he wasn't human in their eyes; he was more of a mass of organic and inorganic machinery that mimicked the functions and behavior of a human body, even its patterns of behavior and consciousness. This was an almost perfect replacement for Howard Stark.
Artoria knew it was a mechanical decoy of the same type that Leonardo used to continue his life before jumping through time and falling into 1956. This also meant that the Brotherhood of Shield conflict had already ended and the real Howard Stark was banished from this timeline along with Reed Richards' father. The Immortal City was then abandoned.
Artoria wanted to go and confirm this immediately, but just to be sure, she waited another year before going. The result was that the immortal city had indeed been abandoned, but apparently, it was not in its best condition.
"It doesn't look like anyone's watching. Should we go in?"
Morgan asked, to which Artoria nodded. "It's not that there's no one there, but rather that the space time anomaly that has been behind the Brotherhood of the Shield since its founding hasn't appeared."
"The fight that took place here must have been very big; a large part of the city is destroyed."
Morgan commented, looking at the buildings that combined futuristic science and ancient engineering, now just rubble and destroyed remains. It was a shame, because when she saw the place through her clairvoyant magic, it had been a fantastic place full of possibilities and now it was ruins.
"These foundations and what has been left behind will serve to build something new for Chaldea, but first we have to take control of the power plant."
This meant that Artoria had to go to the Shield Brotherhood headquarters, the only building that wasn't completely destroyed.
They walked for a while until they finally reached the entrance of the Brotherhood's headquarters, but they were interrupted halfway there by a figure blocking their path.
He was a simple man in typical Victorian era clothing, with a downcast gaze that reflected a longer life than he appeared to have lived. His hands and feet shone, and he floated faintly above the ground as if it didn't exist.
He glanced at Morgan and Artoria before saying anything.
"His Majesty King Arthur and the witch Morgan have been awaiting your arrival."
The man spoke, his voice sounding in different tones at the same time, as if several parts of himself were speaking simultaneously.
"I imagine you know why I'm here and what I'm going to do, don't you? Michelangelo."
Artoria knew that questioning the man before her would be pointless. The man was a temporal anomaly, existing outside of timelines. He could travel freely from the past to the future because he existed in both simultaneously. It was likely he already knew what Artoria would do in the future, among other things, but most likely he didn't know more than he was allowed to know. After all, Artoria's existence and everything connected to her was very special.
"Hmm, as expected, he knows of my existence. To tell the truth, my role with the Brotherhood had already ended. My only purpose now is to keep an eye on the star child, but I don't think that will be necessary."
Michel explained, as he turned around and entered the Brotherhood's compound, with Artoria and Morgan following behind him.
Walking through the halls of the Artoria and Morgan headquarters, one was dazzled by the decorations and monuments full of history and representations of important events that marked a before and after in humanity.
"I had planned to leave this timeline once everything was over, but... I was curious about all the timelines I am in and not in, about all the possible events. This one, the one that gave life to and welcomed the former king of Great Britain, is different. I can't see beyond this point. I don't know what the future will be like, and I can't find the closest path among the hundreds of billions that suddenly appeared, all centered on one person... on a former king."
While Michelangelo was talking, they entered a room whose doors remained sealed with locks that seemed both old and modern. But when Michelangelo approached, they opened automatically, revealing the interior.
It was an observatory with a glass roof that reflected outer space even though it was underground. A globe sat in the center of a circular table that rotated in the air, ignoring the laws of physics. There were also digital screens and holographic projections, along with star charts marking coordinates. Everything indicated that it was a command center.
"For a long time I had taken everything for granted, that the future wouldn't change, that we would all follow the same path one way or another. It was only when His Majesty appeared that I was able to glimpse something I hadn't seen in a long time... the certainty that the future is uncertain, at least in this timeline. I can only thank His Majesty for showing me that destiny is not written in stone."
Michelangelo said, bowing slightly as the glow from his arms and legs expanded his aura, enveloping his body in a trail of golden light.
"As a final request, as the last members of the Brotherhood, I ask King Arthur to preserve this legacy until the end. It would be a shame if everything we worked for disappeared, and if possible, please take care of that child."
With those last words, Michelangelo disappeared in a trail of light as intense as the sun.
"....."
Morgan and Artoria said nothing. They looked with curiosity at the place where Michelangelo used to be and then resumed their walk towards the control bar, with Artoria holding the prismatic cube, the master key that would secure control of the city.
"Well, that was a bit rude, wasn't it? He could have stayed a little longer and heard if we had something to say."
Morgan remarked, running her hand over the circular mass and noticing that it had already accumulated a considerable amount of dust; cleaning the place would be a nightmare.
"He said what he meant; there's no point in complaining now, we're already here, so let's claim the place."
With that said, Artoria stood in front of the central control panel, where a square slot inside a wheel glowed dimly between blue and red.
Without much thought, Artoria placed the prismatic cube in the slot, and at that very moment everything in the room changed. The spaces of the wheel that enclosed the slot lit up with zodiac symbols, and this spread across the entire board. The stained glass window in the ceiling stopped showing the image of space and turned completely white. The screens and orographic projections changed and now only displayed the emblem of the Brotherhood: an eagle encircling the world with its wings.
"Okay, with this... we can start thinking."
Chaldea would finally be born into this world.