The spaceship slowly descended toward Silvermoon City.
Josh, his wife, Carter, and the others stood on the bridge, enjoying the beautiful view of Earth.
But just then, a bright flash suddenly burst out over the Pacific Ocean.
"What's that?" Margaret frowned. Why was there such a bright light coming from Earth? "Oh, that's the Marshall Islands. The military is doing nuclear tests again," Peggy Carter said casually after recognizing the location.
The Marshall Islands, a small island country in the Pacific, had been America's main nuclear test site from 1946 to 1958.
So at this point in time, seeing a big explosion there was nothing unusual.
After hearing Carter's explanation, Margaret understood.
At that moment, the ship landed in Silvermoon City.
But they didn't stay long. They quickly took a shuttle back to Earth.
Unlike the carefree Josh, Margaret was going crazy missing the kids.
As soon as they reached Chicago, she rushed off to find them.
Peggy Carter was also getting ready to leave.
She had been gone for a whole year—her IMF team was probably falling apart.
But before leaving, she wanted to have an honest talk with Josh.
So the two of them went into the study.
"Josh, after I deal with everything waiting for me, I plan to resign from my job as IMF Director," Carter said as soon as they entered.
"Huh? Why?" Josh was surprised to hear her decision.
"This trip to space really opened my eyes. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've come to the conclusion that Earth is developing too slowly. Compared to those space civilizations, Earth's countries have no way to defend themselves," Peggy Carter said.
"So what are you trying to say? That I should share the tech I have to help Earth defend itself?" Josh said with a half-smile. Was this woman finally laying her cards on the table?
"No, of course not. I don't know what you went through to get all that, but it's yours. You're not responsible for helping other countries," Peggy Carter said, shaking her head.
"…Then what do you think should be done?" Josh was slightly surprised by her answer.
"Lead them, Josh. Earth needs a strong leader. And after everything we've been through, I truly believe you're the only one who can do it—isn't that right?" Carter said.
"…Peggy, do you even know what you're saying?" Josh raised an eyebrow. "Right now, you sound like those fanatics during World War II who blindly followed the little mustache guy or Red Skull."
"No, it's different. You and I—we're not like them. They only saw their own country, their own people, and that tiny Earth. But we've seen the universe. Think about those powerful civilizations out there. Do they have freedom or democracy? Without a strong leader to protect them, everything falls apart," Carter said, more and more passionate with every word.
It was clear that this trip into space had deeply shaken her—so much that it had completely changed her worldview.
"…Do you realize what your choice could bring to Earth? Death and war." At this point, Josh couldn't help but feel it was a bit funny. Had their roles reversed?
"Of course I understand. But if a civilization wants to grow strong, those things are always part of the path, aren't they? Dying on the road to progress is better than being slaves to aliens in the future. If it helps humanity stand tall in the universe, then those sacrifices are worth it," Carter said firmly.
"You know, Peggy… right now, you feel like a stranger to me." Josh stared at her serious face for a long time, then sighed.
"Maybe," Carter shrugged. "I know it's a lot to take in all of a sudden. But I mean it."
"Even if it means sacrificing Rogers?" Josh asked suddenly. "What if I told you there's a good chance he's not actually dead?"
"Rogers…" Peggy paused for a moment when she heard the name. She looked at Josh, then slowly nodded.
"Yes. Even if it means sacrificing Rogers. I did love him once, and I used to think he was the future of mankind…But the truth is, a single super soldier can't do anything when facing the vast universe, can he?"
She herself was now a super soldier—The strongest known one since Rogers, all thanks to Josh.
So no one was more qualified than her to say this.
"What about you? What are you willing to give for this?" Josh asked again.
"Everything," Carter answered firmly.
Silence filled the study.
The two of them just looked at each other quietly.
Two hours later, Carter walked out of the Kahn estate, looking calm and refreshed.
"Let's hope you really mean it," Josh muttered as he stood by the window, watching Peggy Carter drive away.
He took a long drag from a cigar.
He didn't usually smoke, but right now, he felt like he needed it.
Since arriving in this world, Josh had changed many people's fates—But no one had been changed as completely as Peggy Carter.
Her body, her beliefs—everything had been reshaped.
It was… interesting.
Still, during their talk, Josh hadn't agreed to let her resign from her IMF post and work directly under him.
If she was really loyal, he'd rather have her stay where she was—and become his hand within the IMF.
That way, he'd gain full control of another intelligence agency.
It would also be a way for her to prove herself.
Josh wasn't going to trust her completely just because of one conversation in a study.
Especially not with Ouroboros and the Hydra Council involved—There were too many secrets, and if Carter found out how much she'd been deceived, who knew what she'd do?
After Carter left, Josh didn't rest for long.
He talked with Margaret, and soon the whole family boarded a plane bound for Europe.
During the year he'd been away, Austria had almost finished its full political transition.
They were ready to rename the country and form the United Kingdom of Austria.
And his daughter—Carol Kahn—was going to become the kingdom's first queen.
Back then, Josh had been cautious about the whole idea.
But now, with his power growing so fast, he didn't care much about what the U.S. thought.
The world's "third superpower" could rise ahead of schedule.
Yes… let's start with testing a hydrogen bomb.
In the original timeline, the most insane nuclear test was the Soviet Union's Tsar Bomba in 1961.
Its power was so terrifying that neither the Soviets nor the U.S. dared try anything bigger afterward.
Now, Josh had decided that the United Kingdom of Austria would take its place in history.
There was just one problem: where should they detonate such a massive bomb?
Would Tiamat get angry?
Yeah, he'd better check in with her first.
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