"Dante, you really are the bane of my existence!"
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment."
"But so what if it's Peggy Carter? She's not the Director Carter from my timeline. What do I have to be afraid of?"
"You sure sound tough." Dante elbowed Fury in the ribs. "Then why haven't you sat down this whole time? What's the matter? Feeling guilty?"
"This is just me showing proper respect for a World War II hero and a Super Soldier from another timeline!"
"Damn… No wonder you're the boss. You're so good at flattering the higher-ups. Why don't you act like this around Pierce?"
"Alexander Pierce doesn't even belong in the same league as Peggy Carter"
Dante gave Fury a big ol' thumbs-up.
This is why he's Director.
A masterclass in flexible morals and bureaucratic integrity.
Peggy Carter, meanwhile, sat off to the side—serene, composed, completely unfazed.
Unlike Steve Rogers in the main timeline, who spent decades frozen and technically still had the mentality of a young man, this version of Carter had lived.
She had truly survived from the era of World War II all the way into the modern multiverse, with firsthand experience of battles across Earth, space, and even alternate timelines.
This was a real veteran.
A true stabilizing force.
Dante honestly wanted to shake hands with his future self for sending someone like her back.
"Oh, right, Director Carter. About what we discussed yesterday—joining the Bureau…"
"Hm? Didn't we already go over that?"
"We did. But what I meant was, I was hoping you'd take on the role of Commander... and I'm just a Special Task Force Captain. I don't really have the authority to appoint someone to that post."
But as soon as he said it, Peggy Carter raised a brow and cut in:
"What do you mean 'Commander'? I've never done that before." She shrugged. "I've always led from the front. I don't mind commanding small-scale ops, but the FBI's Commander position would mean staying behind the scenes, managing the big picture. Not really my style. That special team you mentioned? That's what interests me."
"Ah... well…"
Dante suddenly felt awkward.
Who would've guessed that she still wanted to charge headfirst into battle?
He shot a glance at Fury, silently signaling say something, you're the one in charge!
"Uh—ah—right! Well, technically, there's no one better suited to be Commander than Director Carter…So let's do this, we'll table the Commander talk for now. Agent Dante, Director Carter will be assigned to your Star Team for the time being... Don't forget to register her ID at Internal Affairs!"
Fury gave Dante a forced smile as the latter glared daggers at him.
What could he do? Even after wielding power for years, seeing Peggy Carter's face instantly dragged him back to being just another rookie agent.
Her authority was absolute.
And honestly...
In the original timeline, Carter had always wanted to stay on the frontlines. Age and seniority had pushed her into a leadership role she never really wanted.
But this version? She had the Super Soldier Serum. If she wanted to get out there and throw punches again?
Let her live the dream.
…
Seeing that Fury clearly agreed, Dante had no choice but to drop the issue.
Still, it was a huge win for his Star Team. Having a veteran like Carter on the squad was a godsend.
After all that, Dante left Director Carter at HQ and took his leave.
Fury and Melinda May clearly still had a lot to talk about with the legend in the room.
As soon as Dante stepped out of Fury's office, his old phone—which he'd only just gotten back from Hela after trading her a brand-new model—buzzed three times in quick succession.
Three different texts from three different numbers.
Dante tapped his screen and opened the first one.
It was from Bruce Wayne.
Ever since they met, Dante had been asking Bruce to help source rare materials through his insane billionaire connections.
Like, say... Terrigen crystals.
But when he saw the total price on this one, he physically winced.
Two Terrigen crystals. Almost three million dollars.
Yeah... definitely not giving up on embezzling funds anytime soon.
Then came the second text.
Short and sweet:
"It's all taken care of."
Dante nodded.
Grant Ward really was the king of efficient wet work.
He had stealthily eliminated Agent Sitwell—who held key positions in both the FBI and HYDRA—and from the phrasing, it sounded like he'd taken out an entire group of HYDRA-colluding U.S. politicians too.
Most importantly? No leaks. No evidence. Not even a whisper.
So far, no one had even noticed those people were gone.
In terms of assassination skill, this dirtbag was way more precise than Bucky Barnes.
Everyone loved to say the Winter Soldier was an unstoppable assassin, but honestly? That was mostly hype baked into his lore.
Still… Dante wasn't planning to let him off the hook just yet.
He had promised to spare Ward's life.
But others might not feel the same way.
Feeling good now that the day's plans were on track, Dante opened the third text.
It was from that narcissist Tony Stark.
Judging by the tone, he expected it to be something smug and unhelpful.
But then—
Dante's eyes went wide.
"Holy crap, Tony Stark! You're the real MVP, showing up right when I need you most!"
Dante hadn't expected Stark to hand him this kind of gift.
The message also included a request to meet up.
Only issue? Dante's Quinjet was out for maintenance, and sending the Airbus to pick up just him felt excessive.
So...
Dante casually strolled back into Fury's office.
Under the gaze of five stunned individuals, he started rummaging through Fury's stuff like he owned the place.
He grabbed a set of car keys—and bolted.
"Are you kidding me?! Can't you buy your own damn car?!"
"I don't have a driver's license!"
Dante flashed Fury a smug, unrepentant grin and sprinted out of HQ.
Even Peggy Carter, who had seen some wild things in her time across the multiverse, found this level of "superior-subordinate interaction" absolutely baffling.
The middle-aged Dante she knew from other timelines was always calm, strict, and deadly serious.
But this version?
Completely outrageous.
(To be continued.)