chapter 19

Sofia Corazon pov

My mind raced through everything Arsenal had said, but no matter how much I thought about it, I still couldn't accept it. I hated the idea of my daughter putting herself in danger. She was only sixteen—she should be worried about teenage things, not trying to be a hero. I couldn't allow it.

"Mom, I know what you're thinking," Anya said. "But I really want to do this. And you heard what Arsenal said—he won't let me go out there until I'm fully trained and protected."

"Anya, how could I call myself a good mother if I willingly let you go out and look for trouble? You could die out there," I said, my voice tight with emotion.

"You think I'll be alone, but I won't," she argued. "It's not just me—I'll be part of a team. We'll watch each other's backs."

I shook my head. "I know you'll have a team, but even with a team, you can still die."

"That's not going to happen," she said with confidence. "I'm not as easy to kill as I used to be. I have powers, Mom. I'm stronger, my senses are heightened, and I even have a sixth sense that warns me of danger. I promise you—I'm not going to die."

I let out a bitter sigh. "That's what a lot of people think when they start down this path. But I won't let you do it."

The words came out before I could stop them.

Anya looked at me in confusion. "What do you mean?"

I closed my eyes, dreading this conversation. I had hoped I'd never have to tell her. But maybe… maybe this would convince her not to be a hero.

"A long time ago, before you were even born, your father and I didn't live in New York. We lived in a small town called Blue Valley," I said. "It wasn't much, just an ordinary place. But it had its bad elements… like a group of villains called the Injustice Society."

Anya's eyes widened in surprise.

"The only reason we even knew about them was because one of our closest friends was a hero—a member of the Justice Society of America," I continued.

Her shock deepened.

"Our friend—the man who was supposed to be your godfather—was the hero known as Wildcat," I said, my voice tinged with sadness. "His real name was Ted Grant."

I paused for a moment, remembering him. A good man. A great friend. And now, just another fallen hero.

"He didn't have superpowers," I went on. "But he was an incredible fighter. He knew more about combat than anyone I've ever met. He trained himself beyond human limits—that's how he stood alongside legends. At first, he only took down street thugs, but the JSA saw his potential and recruited him. He fought alongside them for years… until the day they all died at the hands of the Injustice Society."

Anya's breath hitched.

"It was horrible," I whispered, my hands clenching. "But we were lucky. No one in the ISA ever discovered Wildcat's identity, so they didn't target us. But as soon as we heard he was gone, we knew—we knew they had killed him. And we knew we had to get out. So we packed up and left Blue Valley for New York, hoping to start over."

I looked at Anya, her face now filled with shock and disbelief.

I sighed. "That's why I can't let you do this. I watched my friend—someone stronger and more experienced than you—die because he thought he could handle this life. And I won't sit back and watch the same thing happen to you."

Silence filled the room as Anya processed everything I had just told her.

After a long moment of silence, Anya stepped toward me and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I could feel her shaking slightly, and I heard the quiet sound of her holding back tears.

I closed my eyes and held her close. For a minute, neither of us spoke. We just stayed there, letting the weight of the conversation settle. Finally, we pulled apart.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Mom. I truly am," Anya said softly. "But… did he ever regret being a hero? Did he ever regret saving lives?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

I thought back to all the memories I had of Ted Grant—his laughter, his determination, the way he always fought for what was right. No, he never regretted a single moment of being a hero. Even when things got tough, even when the risks were high, he believed in what he was doing. He knew he was making a difference.

And in the end, his courage inspired both me and my husband to be better people.

"...No," I admitted, my voice heavy with emotion. "He loved being a hero. But that doesn't change the fact that he's gone, Anya. He was supposed to be your godfather… and now he's gone. I'll never see him again. He was one of my best friends."

Anya looked down, nodding slowly. "I know," she said. "And I don't know a lot about the ISA, but we both know what Arsenal is capable of. We've seen him on the news, in clips on YouTube. He's powerful, Mom. He's one of the strongest heroes in the world. And he promised he'd watch over me and the others if we were ever in danger."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. This was too much to process all at once.

"I need time to think about this alone," I finally said. "I'll give you my answer tomorrow."

She didn't look happy—if anything, she seemed almost defeated—but she nodded. Without another word, she turned and headed toward her room.

I sat down on the couch, listening as her bedroom door clicked shut.

And then, in the quiet of the apartment, I let myself think.

Peggy Carter's POV

I sat beside Steve, waiting for him to wake up. As I waited, my mind drifted back to the memories we shared—the missions, the laughter, the hardships. Those were some of the best times of my life, not just because of Steve, but because of the friends we had by our side.

The Howling Commandos, Howard Stark, Steve Trevor, Logan, and Diana. I missed them all.

I knew Steve would miss them too, but unlike me, he never got the chance to say goodbye. I knew Diana was still out there somewhere, but not even S.H.I.E.L.D. had been able to track her down. Logan… I had no idea where he was, but if his words were true, he was still alive. He had fought in World War I, making him the second-oldest among us, with Diana being the oldest.

I wished I could see them all again—just once. Maybe, someday, we would.

As I let out a soft sigh, I noticed movement.

Steve's eyes began to flutter open.

My breath caught in my throat. My heart pounded as I leaned closer. "Steve?" I called out, my voice cracking with emotion.

Slowly, his head turned toward me, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise and then to pure relief.

"Peggy," he breathed, a soft smile forming on his lips.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. "Yes, Steve. It's me."

Before I could say anything else, he sat up and pulled me into a kiss. I melted into it, savoring the warmth I had long feared I would never feel again. For a full minute, we held onto each other, lips pressed together as if afraid to let go.

When we finally parted, he cupped my face in his hands, gazing deeply into my eyes.

"I'm glad you found me," he said. "I guess I can make our date."

His words made my heart ache. I gently pulled his hand away from my face and held it between my own.

"Steve… you did," I whispered. "But you've been asleep for a very long time."

A flicker of confusion crossed his face. "How long?"

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Seventy years, Steve. It's 2011."

Silence.

His face was frozen, processing my words. Then, he let out a soft, disbelieving laugh.

"Peggy, this isn't funny," he said, shaking his head. "You still look like you're in your twenties."

I swallowed hard. "I wish it were a joke," I admitted. "But the reason I still look young… it's because of Ed. And, in a way, he's the reason you're here too."

Steve frowned. "Ed? Who's Ed?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before explaining everything—how Ed had found him, the team of heroes he was assembling, and the battle we were now fighting against Hydra, which had embedded itself deep within governments across the world.

He listened in silence, absorbing every word.

Finally, he spoke. "I want to meet him."

I nodded. "You will. But you just woke up, Steve. I think it's best to give your body some time to recover first."

He shook his head. "Peggy, I'm fine. I don't feel weak at all."

To prove his point, he pushed himself off the bed effortlessly, standing tall without any signs of dizziness or strain. The Super Soldier Serum had done its job well—he was as strong as ever.

I let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. Let me get you some clothes, and I'll take you to the briefing room. I'll call Ed."

As I turned to leave, I couldn't help but glance back at him one more time.

Steve was really back.

And something told me that the world was about to change once again.

Ed POV

I teleported back to Sanctuary, knowing that Sofia and Anya had a lot to discuss. I gave them space and made my way toward the workshop, taking off my hero outfit as I walked.

Before I could get far, Church materialized in front of me.

"Hey, Ed. Peggy wants to talk to you—she's in the briefing room."

I nodded. "Alright, I'll be there in a minute."

Church gave a quick nod before disappearing. I changed direction, heading toward the briefing room, wondering what Peggy wanted to talk about.

When I arrived and pushed the door open, my eyes immediately landed on Steve Rogers sitting with Peggy. The moment he saw me, he stood up at attention.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Thank you for finding me," he said with sincerity, though I could tell he was surprised by how young I looked.

I smirked slightly. "At ease, Steve. This isn't the army—you don't have to call me 'sir.' Just Ed is fine. Go ahead and sit down."

He nodded and took his seat, and I did the same.

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked.

Steve wasted no time. "From what I've learned from Peggy, Hydra is still out there. When are we taking them down?"

I had to admire his determination, but I shook my head. "I love how ready you are for the fight, but I suggest you take a couple of weeks to adjust to this time period—with Peggy."

Steve frowned. "But Ed, if Hydra is still active, the world isn't safe. We need to take them down as fast as possible."

I sighed. "We will—but we have to be patient. Hydra has infiltrated nearly every government. We don't know exactly who all their members are yet. Right now, my priority is gathering intel on every Hydra operative and every hidden base."

He clenched his fists, visibly frustrated.

"If we attack too soon, the ones we miss will just go underground and start over," I continued. "We can't give them that chance. When we strike, we take them all down at once—permanently."

Steve exhaled slowly, absorbing my words. He looked disappointed, but he nodded.

"Just be patient," I told him. "Enjoy the new life you have right now, because trust me—once we locate every Hydra member and their secret bases, we're going to be busy."

Steve let out a dry chuckle. "Alright, I'll try. Thanks for talking to me. I know I seem eager, but I lost a lot of friends stopping Hydra—only to wake up and find out they're still active. I don't like that."

I met his gaze, my voice firm. "I can't say I fully understand what that's like—I've never been in a war before. But I promise you this, Steve—every single life Hydra has taken, they will pay for. Tenfold."

Steve nodded, his expression hardening with resolve. "Then let's make sure we do it right."

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AN: Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a great day. I also hope you enjoy how I've mixed Marvel and DC backstories in this chapter.

I just realized I've never actually described what Sofia Corazon looks like—so here she is!

Sofia Corazon

Also, I just want to take a moment to thank you all for the positive comments. They truly motivate me to keep writing! I originally started writing fanfiction because I was bored one day, and I never expected so many people to notice it, let alone enjoy it this much. It really means a lot—thank you!