The Parturiency of Peggy Carter?
Friday March 2nd, 1945
It had been almost a month since Steve's death, and the heartache never seemed to leave her alone.
At least here, fighting aside their Howling Commandos, she didn't feel so alone. Quite so isolated.
It was a relief to be with family. Because over the time since Steve had founded the unit that was what they had been. For the both of them.
Today she was leading the team on a raid on a Hydra facility that they had recently gathered intel on; Forschungseinrichtung Nummer vier (Research Facility Number 4).
They could hear commotion coming from inside the facility as Dernier prepared the charge to 'open' the proverbial front door. Or steel gate, as it were.
The charges prepared the team moved into position, a nod of her head had the charges detonated and the team headed in. On her left Dugan, who had knocked one of the krauts out with the butt of his shotgun, observed, "I'll give them an "A" for effort."
"Guten tag, boys." Morita greeted them jovially from her right, "All right, nice and calm. No sudden moves or we'll tie a blasting cap to your..." A brief pause, she could see out of the corner of her eye that he was looking towards Dugan, "Hey, Dugan, what's the German word for "nuts"?"
"I don't know, Jim." He cocks his shot gun very clearly for dramatic effect, "But tie a blasting cap to them, I bet we'll hear it."
Addressing the senior Hydra officer present she orders, "Put it down." She lifts the barrel of her gun and points it more directly at him when he doesn't begin to move in a timely fashion, "Down." Finally deciding that it was a good idea he does so, carefully, "These assets are now under the protection of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. They'll be hidden out of sight, indefinitely... as will you."
The Officer, Werner Reinhardt she would later have cause to learn, informed her, "Cut off one head, two more shall grow in its place."
Unfazed she told him, "Then I guess we'll keep cutting them off."
"Get him out of here." Dugan instructs on of the boy accompanying the Commandos into the field who move to take the man into custody, "All right, boys," he yells as he orders the rest to, "let's pack it up." They made to suit actions to words.
After a while, with the artefacts, documented and pack, Dugan turned towards, "Agent Carter, what the hell is all this stuff?" He lifts the lid on a long crate.
A blue arm barely visible before she forces the lid closed, "Dangerous. Right now, we need to contain everything and get it out of enemy territory. Mr. Stark plans to go through it tonight." Seeing Morita carefully lifting up the item the Hydra officer had been holding with a pair of metal tongs, "And that, we must never touch." She contemplated the situation, "This is the last Hydra site we know of. They're finally beaten." How she wished Steve could be here for this moment.
"You don't sound thrilled." Dugan knew her too well, or maybe she was just that obvious.
"Well, these things can't simply be boxed up. Someone needs to establish a permanent unit during peacetime."
"To keep dangerous technology contained?" Morita asked.
"And watch over people like Stark who are toying with it." She told them, "Until then, all we can do is box it up, lock it up, and dedicate ourselves to making sure it never sees the light of day." She took the photograph for this item personally.
Maybe she was just being melancholy, but this day didn't feel as good as she had once thought it would.
Monday May 21st, 1945
Peggy walks the long hallways towards the cell that the animal more commonly known as Werner Reinhardt was being held. Peggy stopped for a moment than started again, animal was the wrong word for a man so depraved as that.
As she approached the door she tried once more to straighten out her jacket. Receiving Erskine's formula hadn't had the physical transformation it had had with Steve, mostly because she was a healthy size and weight for her height, so why was her clothing giving her so much trouble as of late.
She reached the door and the guard opened it for her to enter, closing the door behind her, "Werner Reinhardt." A formality, she knew exactly who he was.
Seated at a basic table wearing the customary numbered prisoner out fit he had been supplied with when he was move to this facility Werner Reinhardt looked at his visitor, looked down to the pen on the table that back at Peggy, "That was a neat trick."
"I'm sorry. I don't follow, doctor."
Indicating the pen, "It's a pen. You wanted to see what I would do with it. After all, there are so many uses, no? Escape, confession, homicide... suicide."
Peggy moves to sit opposite him, "It's true. I wanted to find out what kind of man you were. You didn't use the pen, so now I know."
"Pens are also used for signatures."
"You want a deal. How terribly shocking."
"The U.S. Government has recruited many German scientists."
"Nazi scientists, not Hydra. And they'll send rockets into space. Maybe they can strap you to one of them."
"They'll show you parlour tricks. Giving me a second chance could save all of humanity."
"I've seen all of your home movies, the bodies left in your wake, the girl you caged up. There'll be no second chances for you."
"You must be dying to understand all the items you recovered. They're fascinating, no?"
"I don't suppose you'll tell me where they came from."
"There's a story. A myth from the East of a star that fell from the heavens; of blue angels who came bearing a gift for all mankind, meant to save the world."
"You don't strike me as a believer."
"Oh, I've based my whole life on it. History just has the details wrong."
"Then set history straight."
"These visitors... they didn't come to save the world. They came to conquer it."
Peggy's clothing was starting to get the best of her, especially sitting here, she got up, "I hope you have found your accommodations satisfactory, you'll be here for a long time." With that she turned and walked to the door.
As the guard opened the door for her Reinhardt had one more thing to say, "I hope you will pay me a visit before you leave. I must say, Agent Carter, your positively glowing."
Peggy left and made her way down the hallway at a slightly quicker pace than before. When she was out of earshot of both prisoner and guard she picked up the pace and practically bolted for the door.
Slamming the door shut, locking it, she unbuttoned her jacket and reached around her back to unzip her skirt. She then lifted the toilet seat and proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into the waiting bowl.
After a few minutes Peggy placed the lid back down and flushed the toilet. Crossing to the sink she proceeded to rinse out her mouth.
A knock at the door had Peggy answer, "Just a minute." She quickly washed and dried her hands then zipped up her skirt and buttoned up her jacket before undoing the lock. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.
As she walked away she reached into her pocket and pulled out a packet of gum and pulled a slip out. She put the packet back and began chewing on the vile minty flavoured confection.
*
Peggy walked and walked around the RAT facility, chewing her gum until the flavour was all gone. Discarding it she made her way back to Reinhardt's cell and entered.
"So, curiosity brings her back. Have you come to make a deal?"
"With the devil?" Peggy started to cross the room till she was right near the table, "I considered it. As you've said, the skies might open up one day. Your work will be valuable. But if that day comes, I know who I'd want by my side." Peggy leans over, placing her hands on the table. Much better position in this outfit than sitting anywhere. "It isn't you."
"We could learn so much together."
"Instead, we'll forget... forget you, forget your work. When I leave, no one else will come, no one to hear your stories, study your deadly artefacts. You'll be buried."
"I seriously doubt that. Nothing stays buried forever."
"For as long as I have a say, you will. Farewell, Dr. Reinhardt." Peggy makes her way to the door and leaves the man to his fate. She heads for the entrance of the facility and out into the world beyond.