Howard checked his watch. He still had seven minutes before security started asking questions.
Peggy flexed her fingers, rolling her shoulder like she could already feel the serum working. She glanced at the small round record player he had placed beside the vial.
"And this?" she asked, picking it up. "You brought me a record player, too?"
Howard shrugged. "Not my idea. The person who gave me the serum wanted you to have it."
Peggy raised an eyebrow. "And you don't know what's inside?"
Howard shook his head. "Nope. Just told to make sure you got it."
He wasn't lying—not really. He just left out the part where Tony was the one who gave it to him.
Peggy studied his face for a second, like she knew he was holding something back. But instead of pressing, she turned her attention to the device.
It wasn't an ordinary record player. It was small, smooth, and had just one button on the top.
Without hesitation, she pressed it.
A holographic map flickered to life above the device.
Howard's eyes widened. "Well, that's new."
The map showed the Arctic. Cold, empty, endless ice—except for a single red dot.
Over the red dot, glowing words appeared:
Location of Steve Rogers.
Howard felt his breath catch in his throat. He turned to Peggy. She was staring at the map, frozen, her hands clenched tight.
More words appeared beneath the red dot:
He's frozen in ice. Recovering him would be hard. SHIELD cannot be trusted yet. Solve the situation inside SHIELD. Keep your emotions in check. Don't do anything stupid. If they can make a scapegoat out of you, just imagine what they would do to him. 1 week is all you have. That serum you took is more than just your regular SSS. You will know soon enough. Take down the traitor and meet me at the location. 1 week is all I can give you. Good Luck.
Silence filled the room.
'You gotta be kidding me. Oh, Tony, these things you are doing ain't good for my heart,' Howard swallowed hard. "Well… that's not what I expected."
Peggy took a slow breath, her voice steady but sharp. "Who gave this to you, Howard?"
He hesitated. He could tell the truth. He could tell her it was Tony.
But if he did, she'd have more questions. Dangerous questions.
So instead, he just said, "Someone who wants to help."
Peggy didn't look away from the map. Her fingers hovered over the red dot, tracing it like she could reach through the projection and pull Steve out of the ice herself.
Howard knew that look.
She wasn't just going to sit here and do nothing.
She found a little ray of hope after so many years and she won't let it go.
She was already planning how to get him back.
The player disintegrated into dust before their eyes, the holographic projection flickering out as if it had never existed. A faint hum lingered in the air for half a second, then silence.
Peggy's eyes remained locked on the empty space where the map had been. Her fingers, still hovering in midair, slowly curled into a fist.
Howard exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that's one way to make sure no one traces it."
Peggy didn't respond right away. Instead, she sat back, taking in a deep breath before finally speaking. "Howard." Her voice was even, but there was an edge to it. "What are the chances that what I just saw is true?"
Howard didn't hesitate. Didn't even blink.
"One hundred percent."
Peggy turned sharply to face him, searching his expression for any sign of doubt. She found none.
"Just like that?" she pressed. "You're certain?"
Howard folded his arms. "Peggy, you know me. I don't say things like that unless I mean it. If this was some wild theory or a half-baked guess, I'd be the first one picking it apart. But the person who gave me that player? The person who gave me that serum?" He shook his head. "They don't deal in maybes. If they say Steve's out there, then he is."
Peggy exhaled, her gaze dropping to the floor. For a long moment, she was silent.
Then, softly, she asked, "Who?"
Howard hesitated. He could feel her looking at him, waiting. And for a split second, he considered telling her the truth about Tony. But he knew Peggy. He knew how she operated. If she knew Tony was involved, she'd demand to meet him, demand answers and that wasn't an option. Not yet.
So instead, he gave her the only answer he could.
"As the message said. 1 week. Solve the situation here and then meet him at the location. Sorry, Peggy. I can't put him at risk."
She stood, rolling her shoulders again, as if testing the serum's effects. Already, Howard could see a difference—the stiffness in her joints was fading, the exhaustion in her posture easing.
She was getting stronger.
And if she was getting stronger, that meant whoever was trying to keep her locked away? They were running out of time.
Peggy met Howard's gaze, eyes sharp and filled with something he hadn't seen in decades.
"I have one week," she said, repeating the words from the message. "One week to take down a traitor in SHIELD and set things right."
Howard nodded. "Yeah. And I have a feeling it's gonna be the longest damn week of our lives."
Peggy smirked. "Then we'd better get started."
Howard grinned. "That's the Peggy Carter I know. But we'll start tomorrow. Or, you can always do it the good old ways. You know, smash through everything, beat up a few agents for information."
"That'd depend on the serum's effect. Just be ready tonight," She said, clenching her fists.
Peggy couldn't sleep. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. The message, the serum, Steve... everything was swirling in her head.
A strange warmth spread through her body, starting from the injection site in her arm. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. It felt like her blood was heating up, moving faster, changing.
She sat up, gripping the edge of the bed as a wave of dizziness hit her. Her heart pounded. Her muscles tensed.
The stiffness in her joints faded. The aches and pains she had lived with for years disappeared, melting away like they had never been there. Her hands, once lined with age, became smoother before her eyes.
She rushed to the small mirror on the wall.
Her face was changing. Wrinkles softened, then vanished. Her silver hair darkened, returning to the rich brown it had been in her youth. Her eyes, once dulled by time, grew sharp and bright.
Her breathing quickened. She touched her face, feeling smooth skin, and firm muscles.
Then came the real change.
Her body burned—not with pain, but with power. Strength filled her limbs. She clenched her fists, and for the first time in decades, she felt unbreakable. Her posture straightened, her muscles firmed.
Peggy took a deep breath. She felt alive. More alive than she had in years.
As for the cameras, Howard took control of it after leaving Peggy's room.
Peggy took a deep breath and clenched her fists. The surge of strength in her body felt unreal, but there was no time to question it. She had a mission.
She stepped toward the heavy metal door and gripped the edges. The thick steel groaned under her grip. With a sharp breath, she pulled. Metal bent like it was nothing. The door ripped open, and the sound of tearing steel echoed through the hallway.
The guards outside snapped to attention.
"Stand down!" one of them ordered, raising an electric baton.
"What the hell? Who is she?" The other one aimed his taser.
Peggy stepped forward.
They moved fast. She barely had time to react before they attacked.
An electric baton struck her shoulder. Blue sparks crackled over her skin. She braced for pain, for the numbing shock... but felt nothing.
A second guard jabbed a taser into her ribs. The prongs dug into her skin. Sparks flew.
Peggy frowned. She could feel the pressure of the attacks, but no pain. No weakness. If anything, the shocks only made her more aware of how strong she had become.
Her fist struck the first guard, sending him flying into the wall. He crumpled, groaning. The second tried to swing at her, but she caught his wrist, twisted it, and sent him crashing to the floor.
The third aimed a sonic gun at her. A deafening pulse of energy blasted through the hallway. Peggy staggered back, ears ringing.
Annoying. But not enough.
She pushed forward, grabbed the sonic gun, and crushed it in her hands like it was made of paper. The guard's eyes widened in fear.
"Don't ever do that again."
Then she knocked him out with a single punch.
She turned toward the exit. As soon as she opened the gate...
A sharp, burning pain tore through her leg.
She gasped, stumbling forward.
Another bullet hit her other leg. She collapsed to one knee.
The pain was intense. Real. A shock after feeling invincible just moments ago. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay focused. "Armor-piercing bullets, huh?"
A new group of guards stood at the end of the hallway. Black armor. Heavy rifles. Lethal unit.
They weren't holding back.
Peggy braced for another shot, but before they could fire again, something strange happened.
The pain in her legs faded.
She glanced down. The bullet wounds were closing. Muscle and skin knitting together right before her eyes. 'Wow! Instant regeneration?'
The guards hesitated, watching in shock.
Then Peggy heard a voice in her head. She was shocked for a moment but quickly recovered. [What are you waiting for? You have instant regeneration. Fight till your heart's content. Get used to your new body. And no worries, you won't die. Oh, if you are wondering who am I? Well, I made that serum and there are countless nanites running in your body. I'm simply speaking through them. So, chop-chop. You have fifteen minutes to get out of there.]
Their hesitation cost them.
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