Peggy watched quietly as Steve slept. It had been almost a week since she had found him and they had taken their time as they thawed him out of the ice. They also had to find some doctors they trusted to bring into this new hidden faction they were making. The man Ezekiel had thought ahead and included some doctors into the list of people we should recruit. Of course no one was told about Hydra, only the original people from the first meeting knew our real purpose.
Steve stirred slowly awake as he opened his eyes, Peggy reached over and held his hand gently as she said, "Hey sleepy head, you missed our date."
His eyes fully opened and he took in the strange room around him for a second before he turned to look at the familiar voice he just heard. He started to smile, but then froze in place as he looked at the woman who just spoke. She looked like Peggy Carter, but she was older, more mature with some slight wrinkles and streaks for gray in her hair. The woman smiled bitterly as she said, “You were asleep a long time Steve, almost sixty years.”
Steve sat up and pulled Peggy into a hug as he said softly, “Sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
She said nothing back but hugged him a little tighter. They stayed like that for a while, just being held by each other in silence. After an unknown amount of time passed, someone knocked on the door. After another minute they reluctantly released each other before Peggy said, “Yes, what is it?”
The door opened and Sam stepped inside, he glanced first at Steve before he looked at Peggy and said, “Sorry to interrupt you ma’am, but the doctors wanted to run a few tests now that Steve is awake. They wanna make sure his hibernation didn’t have any negative effects.”
Peggy looked back at Steve and asked, “Feel like getting poked and prodded by a few doctors?”
Steve swung his legs off the bed and stood up. He reached over to help Peggy out of her chair and said, “As long as you join me and start telling me about what I missed while I was asleep.”
She took his hand in hers and said, “It would be my pleasure.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Theo’s shadow clone connected to his hidden server and started looking over all the new updates he had received. Most of them were just stuff his program was looking for, signs of important marvel characters he knew of. The rest were updates from the people in the new organization that he had worked to set up. Well they didn’t actually send him updates, his program watched everyone through their digital trail, cameras and microphones on phones. It still missed things, like hand written messages or notes and conversations where no electronics were around. He already had a plan to fix that gap at some point, as he could never be too careful in the new world he was in.
After he finished checking the server, he logged off of it and opened up the newest program he was working on. Theo had a few ideas on how to make money and one of them was starting a software business. Something that he had already done in his last life, so it shouldn’t be too much work for him to do it again. He already had the coding memorized for a few of the best products he released. He also planned to launch a few other things that this world doesn't have yet. He wasn't sure if they would have it in the first place, but just to be sure he would be launching them early.
He needed as much information as possible and the easiest way to do that was to make smart phones and start social media before anyone else. Once he had a phone in everyone's hands, not much would be able to escape his reach.
Wait, am I actually turning into a villain?
The clone shook its head, that was something that the real Theo could worry about. He just had to code this first program and then get it released to the public. Everything else could come after that.
-------------------------------------------
Theo was seated on the couch in May’s living room with a new book in hand. His dad had made a habit, he stopped by the library on his way to work every few days and picked up a new book or two for Theo. They were always pretty simple kid books, but Theo never complained. It was the thought that counted and he loved his dad for that. But he didn’t waste them either, he would use them to teach Peter and Milly. Sometimes, Jean and MJ would join them to learn, but Milly stuck to Theo like glue whenever he taught Peter. The girls didn’t seem to like learning as much as Peter or Milly, but they were already more advanced than most of the older kids who May watched. Kindergarten will be an interesting experience for sure, since May’s was most likely going to be Theo’s preschool.
Uncle Ben opened the front door and said, “Honey, I am home.”
May looked out into the livingroom and said, “Welcome back dear.”
Ben smiled and started to walk upstairs as he said, “I gotta clean up, I will be down in a bit.”
Theo closed the book in his hands, he had just received the memories from his clone and took a minute to process them. His clones were starting to cut it close when they despawned. But everything had proceeded correctly so far, everyone on his list had been found and actually recruited. He was a little surprised at that, he didn’t think everyone would say yes. Only the kids and a handful of people were allowed to go to the base for now. Fury had set up another site for the rest of the members he recruited. It was another decommissioned base that had been abandoned and its location and records completely removed from everything. It would be bare bones for now, but they would build it up together with some help from Sam and a few other people.
Theo climbed down from the couch and went to Milly who had been playing with Peter, MJ and Jean. She looked at Theo and asked, “Te-o, you done reading? You wanna play with us?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Theo shook his head, pointed towards the clock and said, “Dad is gonna pick us up soon, I want you to clean up your mess before he gets here.”
Milly looked at the toys spread around them and the doll in her hand. She looked back at Theo and asked, “But we are still playing?”
“I know, but what does it mean if dad is almost here?”
Milly tilted her head to the side and asked, “We will go home?”
I am not sure if she acts like this because she is a kid or because it’s fun. She is pretty smart, so I wouldn’t put it past her.
Theo let out a sigh and said, “Yes, we will go home. But it also means that almost everyone else will be going home soon too.”
Peter nodded at that and started to pick up the toys around him. MJ followed suit, followed by Jean and finally Milly. Theo had set his book down and also helped put the toys away. They actually went around the living room and picked up all the toys not being used. It was a habit that Theo had developed with them and the other kids. Once some of the other kids noticed Theo and his group had started to pick up toys, they joined in. It wasn’t long before everything was cleaned up and put away correctly in the spare bedroom May used as toy storage for the kids.
Before they could finish, someone knocked at the door. May opened it to let in MJ’s dad, he was dressed in a standard NYC officers uniform. He reached out his hand and said, “Great to see you May. I came by to pick up Mary.”
May shook his hand and said, “James, it's good to see you again. How long has it been? A month?”
“Almost, my new position has been keeping me busy. But I was able to get off early today, so I thought I would pick up MJ myself and say hello.”
Theo and his group had just walked back into the living room and saw MJ’s dad. MJ ran past everyone else and put her arms up as she said, “Daddy!”
James laughed as he reached down and picked up MJ into his arms and asked, “How was your day sweetie?”
“Great, I like coming to Aunt May’s.”
He rubbed the top of her head and said, “That’s good to hear sweetie. We are gonna head home, so what do you say to May?”
MJ turned and looked at May as she said, “Thanks for having me over Aunt May.”
May smiled and said, “It was a pleasure to have you, I will see you next week on Monday.”
“Thanks again May.”
“Always a pleasure to help out James.”
James set MJ down and started to walk outside with her as someone said, “James, it’s good to see you. It’s been almost a month hasn’t it?”
“Yes it has Jacob, it’s good to see you also.”
Both men shook hands for a moment before James said, “I should have some time coming up around Christmas, so I can make it to the holiday party and we can catch up.”
“Sounds good, I will see you then.”
Jacob walked inside and gave May a quick hug as he said, “Good to see you May, how have the rugrats been today?”
May lightly smacked Jacob and said, “Perfectly behaved like always.”
Milly was the first to react as she ran towards Jacob with her hands raised and said, “Daddy!”
Jacob reached down and picked Milly up as he asked, “How was your day honey?”
“Great! May made cookies, Te-o and Peter gave me their cookies!”
Jacob smiled at that and then looked over to Theo who just walked up next to them and asked, “She didn’t bully you both into giving her the cookies did she?”
Theo shook his head and said, “I didn’t really want it in the first place, sweets aren’t that great. Peter wasn’t bullied though, but he also can’t say no to Milly’s cute attack.”
May and Jacob both looked at each other a little shocked, before Jacob turned to Theo and asked, “You don’t like sweets? Since when?”
“Always I guess, you just never asked.”
“But you would always eat them whenever we gave you something sweet.”
Theo nodded his head at that and said, “I thought it would be rude if I refused to eat it.”
Jacob let out a sigh as he said, “This kid, I swear you don’t act like a kid most of the time.”
May nodded in agreement but then asked, “So you don’t like my pancakes, Theo?”
“No, those are great, I just don’t really care for things like candy, cake, cookies, muffins, ice cream, you know stuff like that.”
Milly replied, “Milly will eat all of Te-o’s candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, and muffins from now on!”
Jacob patted Milly’s head and said, “We will see, I think me and May will just start making a little less. Since Theo doesn’t seem to like it.”
May shook her head and said, “Sounds like a plan to me.”
Milly waved her hands around and said, “But Milly can eat the extra!”
Jacob and May laughed at that, before Jacob reached up and pinched Milly’s cheek and said, “If you eat too many sweet things it’s bad for you. You are also grounded from sweets for the next week since you took and ate Peter’s cookie.”
Milly puffed out her cheeks at that and then turned away from Jacob. He just laughed and said, “Your actions have consequences Milly, as much as you like sweet’s don’t force others to give you them. It’s not a nice thing to do.”
Milly just kept looking the other way from her dad, Theo and May both shook their heads before Jacob said, “Alright let's head home and make dinner. It was good to see you, May. Have a good night.”
“You too Jacob.”
As Theo walked back to his house with his father and Milly he asked, “Dad, I finished this book. Could I pick out the next book myself?”
Jacob reached down and patted Theo’s head as he said, “I don’t see why not, you might not be old enough for a library card yet. But I see no reason why I can’t take you this weekend to pick out a book or two.”
Milly finally turned and looked at her dad as she asked, “Milly can come too right?”
“Oh, you are done ignoring your father now?”
Milly realized she messed up and turned away from her father again as she puffed out her cheeks. He laughed at her antics and said, “I was planning to bring you and mommy along with us.”
Milly just nodded like it made sense, but never turned back around and looked at her father. She was still trying to punish him for taking away sweets for a week.