Peggy Tries to Be Normal (She Fails)
Peggy Carter prided herself on composure.
So when Alex walked into Stark Industries two days later, she told herself—be professional.
"Mr. Ashborn," she said crisply, clipboard in hand. "Good morning."
Alex smiled.
"Peggy."
That was it.
Her pen slipped.
The clipboard tilted.
She caught it—barely.
Alex raised an eyebrow, amused. "You alright?"
"Perfectly," she replied too quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Hera, standing a short distance away, watched with open interest—and barely concealed amusement.
Peggy refused to meet Alex's eyes for the rest of the morning.
She failed spectacularly.
A Shadow That Shouldn't Exist
That evening, Peggy stayed late. Files on HYDRA movements littered her desk.
She didn't notice the man following her through the dim corridor.
Didn't hear the whisper of something wrong in the air.
But Alex did.
Miles away, in his mansion, Alex paused mid-step.
"…So you've finally moved," he murmured.
His shadow rippled.
"Darkrai."
The living darkness emerged soundlessly.
Protect her.
Leave no trace.
She must never know.
Darkrai bowed once—and vanished.
The Thing Peggy Saw
Peggy turned a corner—
And the lights flickered.
For a split second, the hallway felt… heavier.
She sensed eyes on her.
Then—
Nothing.
Behind her, unseen, the HYDRA agent's shadow twisted, screamed without sound, and was pulled into darkness that didn't belong to this world.
No blood.
No noise.
No body.
Just absence.
Peggy froze.
Her instincts screamed that something had just happened.
She looked around, heart racing.
"…Hello?"
Silence.
She felt it then—a presence. Not watching her, not threatening her.
Protecting her.
Peggy swallowed.
"I don't know who—or what—you are," she whispered, "but… thank you."
Far away, Alex felt the words.
And smiled.
Steve Notices
The next day, Steve Rogers frowned.
Peggy was off.
Not distracted—changed.
She smiled more easily. Looked over her shoulder sometimes. And when Alex passed by, her posture softened in a way Steve had never seen.
"You alright, Peg?" Steve asked during training.
She blinked. "Hmm? Yes—sorry."
Steve hesitated. "You sure? You look like you've got someone watching your back."
Peggy paused.
"…Maybe I do."
Steve didn't press.
But he noticed.
Captain America's Early Missions
HYDRA cells fell faster than expected.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Captain America led his first strike team through a weapons facility—
Only to find guards unconscious, weapons dismantled, alarms disabled.
Bucky frowned. "Cap… we didn't do this."
Steve knelt, touching the floor.
"It's like someone cleared the path."
Peggy read the report later that night.
No casualties. No witnesses. No trace.
Except for one detail:
Agents reported sudden darkness, extreme fear, and the sensation of being watched.
Peggy closed the file slowly.
Her fingers brushed her cheek—right where Alex had kissed her.
"…Alex," she murmured.
Somewhere Else
Darkrai returned to the Ashborn Dimension.
Mission complete.
Alex didn't ask for details.
He already knew.
And somewhere in New York, Peggy Carter slept peacefully see for the first time in weeks—unaware that a king of shadows and fire had quietly chosen to guard her life.