The Chronicles of Captain Carter - The First Avenger

6.

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Chapter Six - Seventy Years Later, and the Arrival of Loki

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The tesseract opened a portal. Lots of tentacle parts flew out. And then jumped Peggy Carter. She stood up, shield and sword in hand, gathering her bearings.

"Ma'am." A voice called, causing her to turn around in a battle stance. "Please, put down the sword."

She didn't. 

She studied the two men who stood before her warily. One wore an eyepatch, and wore a long black leather coat, his companion  also wearing black, but a tad more casual, and allowed unrestricted movement. The insignia of SHIELD was placed on his right shoulder, proudly presented. He had blonde hair and was staring at Peggy with recognition. Behind them stood a team of scientists cowering behind various monitiors and tables, watching the scene with apprehension.

"Uh, sir? That's Captain Carter." The blonde man said. "Where's Steve Rogers?" Peggy finally spoke, looking around her in confusion, her tone panicked as she awaited their answer with dread. "I'm afraid the war ended, almost 70 years ago." The man with the eye-patch said, looking almost sympathetic. Peggy lowered her weapons, looking crushed and confused. 

"What year is it now?" She whispered, her voice threatening to break. 

"2012."

"Did we win?"

"Hell yeah." He grinned, though the expression switched to one distantly resembling sympathy. "Hey, you going to be okay?"

"Of course. We won the war." She murmured through tears. 

Sensing it was alright to approach her, the two men slowly closed the distance between them. "My name is Nick Fury. I'm the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. This is Agent Barton. "Fury introduced, gesturing to the blonde beside him, who nodded in greeting. Peggy returned the gesture. "SHIELD?" She asked, a curious expression on her face.

"Stands for the Strategic Homeland Intervention-"

"-Enforcement and Logistics Division." Peggy mumbled, looking at him with wide eyes. "How... do you know that?" Agent Barton asked, looking incredulous.

"It was my idea. In fact, I was a few weeks away from putting a proposal forward before..." She trailed off, the realization of her sudden shift in time was started to set in. Spotting the distant look in her eyes, Agent Barton interrupted her spiralling thoughts.

"So-" 

Whatever Barton had been about to say died a painful death when everyone's attention was suddenly diverted to the the machine that held the Tesseract; which had started to vibrate, the blue cube glowing fiercely in the gloomy room. Violent sparks and wisps of energy were coming off the cosmic cube and not so soon after, the energy swirled, concentrating into a powerful beam, which formed a portal, causing the base to shake. 

The room watched as a gateway was formed, transporting something - or someone -  to Earth. Once the light had melted away, a figure was revealed, kneeling. He slowly lifted his head, smiling in a deranged manner. He rose, looking upon the room and its occupants with cold and calculating eyes. 4 armed men approached him, guns pointed at his person.

"Sir, please, put down the spear." Fury requested, eyeing their new guest. But the raven-haired man merely cocked an eyebrow at the order, firing beams of energy from his sceptre. He leapt at the soldiers, who had opened fire, bullets bouncing off him like raindrops.