agent rogers returns • j.thompson

tolerate it.

i know my love should be celebrated
but you tolerate it

C A L I F O R N I A
—
C H A R L O T T E

"Nice work, son."

"Thank you Vernon."

I overheard Jack's old friend Vernon talking to him. I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop, but I couldn't help myself.

"Really did a great job of cleaning up the mess you made."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This is your girl Carter! This whole fiasco's got her fingerprints all over it!"

"That was Underwood that we just —"

"Underwood was sprung with the help of a female psychiatrist! Who else besides Carter would be so reckless as to let that nutcase loose on this party! You said yourself that you saw Stark's butler here, acting fishy. And that woman you brought!"

"It doesn't make sense. If it is Carter, what's the angle? What's she trying to accomplish?"

"It's doesn't matter. You're gonna have to take her out."

This made my heart drop. I knew this Vernon was a sketchy man, but I had no idea how evil he was.

"I'm not gonna kill Peggy Carter."

"Who said kill? That would be wrong — morally and strategically. Killing makes her a martyr, shines more of a light on her. I need you to destroy the very idea of her. Discredit, disgrace, and subdue Agent Carter so that all this misguided work that she's done becomes unquestionably invalid."

He furrows his eyebrows. "That presents a whole new set of problems."

"Oh god," he said slowly. "I must be slipping in my old age. She's got something on you, doesn't she? It doesn't have anything to do with your blonde, does it?"

I couldn't see Jack, but I could just picture his stony face looking back at Vernon in shame.

"You don't gotta tell me what it is... it must be pretty bad, though. Shameful, even. I'll tell you this, Jack. The only way to fight leverage is with leverage," he said, making a fist.

"Dig something up on her."

"Everybody's got secrets."

"Carter's a Girl Scout..."

"If you can't find a way to take her down... then I have to question whether you're suited for high command in this government," Vernon said, walking away.

"There is no question, sir," Jack called out.

I sighed in disappointment, but I quickly snuck away.

—

"Miss Carter, a visitor. It's Chief Thompson."

"Is that good or bad?" Wilkes asked.

"Bad," I snorted.