Chapter 884

"I was performing my first surgery. I didn’t exactly have much experience."

Evenson spread his hands.

"And you’re alive and perfectly healthy now, aren’t you? It barely even qualifies as a medical complication. I didn’t leave the scalpel inside you. You should be grateful for that."

Peggy Carter gave him a flat look.

Evenson immediately looked away.

He’d only nicked her a little while performing the heart-transplant surgery. His hand had slipped. He’d gone slightly deeper than intended.

It had been a long time ago.

Surely she didn’t need to hold a grudge forever.

Fortunately, Peggy was more curious than angry.

"So that’s what happened."

Her expression grew thoughtful.

"I thought I’d been blessed by fate. I believed I’d escaped aging, gained power, and finally obtained the strength to make up for the greatest regret of my life."

She looked at him.

"But I’m really just a vessel for that power, aren’t I?"

"My life and death have always been in your hands."

"Isn’t that right?"

Evenson sighed.

"Why put it that way?"

"You’re my strongest creation. When I modified you, I already knew there was a chance you’d become extremely powerful someday."

"But we’d never met before that. Everything I knew about you came from files and reports."

He gave her a pointed look.

"People aren’t exactly transparent. If you’re going to give someone that much power, you leave yourself a little insurance."

He shrugged.

"If you’d been in my position, wouldn’t you have done the same?"

Peggy was quiet for a moment.

"Fair enough."

She had founded S.H.I.E.L.D. and served as its director for years. During that time, she’d made countless decisions—some she could discuss openly, others she couldn’t.

There were even things she’d done that still kept her awake at night.

She was no longer the idealistic young officer who had first met Steve Rogers.

Years as an intelligence operative had taught her one fundamental lesson:

Always have a contingency.

Always keep leverage.

Always make sure that the power you give someone can be taken back if necessary.

She had used those methods herself.

She didn’t regret them.

If anything, her only regret was that she hadn’t possessed enough reach to put safeguards in place for everyone.

And Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. had proven the cost.

Peggy didn’t intend to dump all the blame on Nick Fury. She knew better than anyone that Hydra’s infiltration had almost certainly begun while she was still in charge.

She had failed to see it.

That failure was hers.

Peggy sighed.

Only then did she notice the expressions on Galia and the other Felheart Warriors.

They’d undergone the same modifications she had.

If Evenson possessed her heart—and therefore what she believed was control over her life—then theirs must be in someone’s hands too.

If she’d possessed a safeguard like that during her time leading S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra would never have been able to grow into the threat it had become.

She understood the logic.

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t ask the obvious question.

"So you brought this out and showed me your contingency."

Her eyes narrowed.

"That means I hit a nerve."

"Now you’re using the last resort to pressure me."

"I’m not trying to pressure you."

Evenson shook his head.

"I’m trying to make you understand that we have neither the reason nor the need to deceive you."

"And I believe you’ll make the sensible choice."

His smile faded slightly.

"One that won’t leave Captain America disappointed in you."

Peggy gave him a faint, humorless smile.

"That sounds an awful lot like pressure."

She wasn’t stupid.

Whatever the twins had wanted to accomplish, they’d already accomplished it.

Whatever they planned to do next, there was little she could do to stop them.

Even her life was supposedly in their hands.

What power did she really have?

Her interrogation wasn’t going to change anything.

Perhaps she simply wanted to make sure she could live with herself afterward.

Even if she no longer technically possessed a heart.

"Can’t you just answer my question directly?"

"Does my answer actually matter?"

Evenson’s response was surprisingly calm.

"If you’re suspicious of us, I could stand here and swear that we’re saints until my voice gives out. You still wouldn’t believe me."

"In fact, the more righteous and airtight my explanation sounded, the more suspicious you’d probably become."

He shrugged.

"I can’t argue with that."

"And I already told you that I’m not trying to threaten you."

He rested a hand on the antique box.

"As for why I showed you this..."

He walked over to Peggy.

"When words stop being useful, sometimes you have to offer something tangible."

He took her hand before she could react and placed the box in her palm.

"I’m returning what’s yours."

Peggy stared at the box.

"That’s it?"

She genuinely couldn’t believe it.

He’d just handed over his greatest piece of leverage.

Just like that.

"When I kept your heart, it was because I didn’t know you well enough to trust you."

Evenson stepped away.

"After everything we’ve been through, after working together for this long, I’ve decided I can trust you."

"So there’s no reason to keep the safeguard anymore."

Peggy’s thoughts were still scrambling to catch up.

"I’d like to thank you, but..."

She turned the box over in her hands and worked the mechanism.

The lid opened.

Her heart was inside.

Still beating.

She stared at it for several seconds.

Then frowned.

"But..."

She looked up.

"Isn’t this backwards?"

"Backwards?"

Evenson leaned over to inspect the heart.

"Does a heart have a correct orientation? Did I put it in upside down?"

"Not the heart!"

Peggy snapped the box shut.

"I mean the situation."

She struggled to put the thought into words.

"The question isn’t whether you trust me."

She paused.

"It’s whether I trust you."

Peggy looked at the box in her hands.

They had every advantage.

And despite that, Evenson had just surrendered the most powerful leverage he possessed.

How was she supposed to argue with that?

"Carter."

Evenson’s voice softened.

"I didn’t trust you before, so I kept a safeguard."

"Now I trust you, so I gave it back."

"And what changed my mind?"

"Our time together."

"Everything I’ve seen you do."

"So why can’t you do the same?"

He looked directly at her.

"What someone thinks isn’t nearly as important as what they actually do."

"Someone can have ugly thoughts and still be a good person if they never act on them."

"Someone can have the kindest heart in the world and still become a bad person through their actions."

"So morality isn’t determined by what’s in someone’s heart."

"It’s determined by what they do."

He gestured toward the box.

"Now I’ve returned your heart. You have nothing I can use against you."

"You’re free."

"So you don’t need to decide today whether I’m trustworthy."

"Watch us."

"Watch what we do."

"And then make your judgment."

Peggy was silent.

Then she nodded.

"All right."

She looked at him steadily.

"I’ll be watching."

"Good."

Evenson gave a quiet laugh.

"Then keep your eyes open."

"The Rift is stable now, and the portal is operational. You should go home and get some rest."

"You’ve been helping me here for a while."

He paused.

"Meanwhile, you’ve left Captain America sitting at home alone."

Peggy coughed.

Several times.

Evenson raised an eyebrow.

"Surely you aren’t worried about Steve’s loyalty."

"I trust him."

"Of course."

Peggy’s expression tightened.

She absolutely trusted Steve.

The problem was that loyalty existed in the heart.

Sometimes the body had... other opinions.

"Or," Evenson continued innocently, "you could stay and watch us create demons."

"No."

Peggy didn’t even hesitate.

"That sounds deeply unappealing."

She turned toward the portal.

"I’m going home."

She couldn’t care less if Steve was spending time with some random woman.

But if that woman happened to be her own niece, Sharon...

Peggy’s smile became terrifying.

Steve.

Do you know how many different ways there are to spell the word ’dead’?

Evenson watched Peggy disappear through the portal with the Felheart Warriors.

Then he remembered something.

"Carter!"

Peggy turned.

"Take good care of that box."

"The box itself was cheap."

"The seal isn’t great, the wood is soft, and I’d hate for you to leave it somewhere and have a rat drag it away."

Peggy’s expression went blank.

She gave him a thumbs-up.

Then disappeared through the portal.

Once back at S.H.I.E.L.D., she ordered the Felheart Warriors to rest.

They’d just survived a major battle.

Everyone deserved some downtime.

There would be time later for a proper graduation celebration.

Drinks and snacks not included.

Company provides the venue.

Peggy returned to her quarters, changed clothes, touched up her makeup, put on a pair of sunglasses, and prepared to head home.

She was going to check on the Captain who had supposedly been left alone.

She opened the door.

A tiny spider-shaped machine was attached to the upper frame.

Peggy didn’t notice it.

A small vial was mounted on its back.

The machine hissed.

A cloud of purple gas sprayed directly into her face.

Peggy staggered.

Her vision blurred.

"Damn it..."

She swayed.

"How did I forget about her...?"

She collapsed.

A woman stepped from the shadows.

She wore a skin-tight combat suit, and a massive black spider emblem covered her back.

She was tall and graceful.

She looked down at the unconscious Peggy and slowly licked her lips.

"Heh."

She grabbed Peggy and dragged her back inside.

"Little Peggy..."

"I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this."

After Peggy and the Felheart Warriors left, the Eredar Twins turned their attention to Evenson.

Lady Sacrolash smiled.

"You returned her heart surprisingly easily."

Lady Alythess gave him an amused look.

"Why?"

"Because possessing her heart isn’t nearly as valuable as possessing her trust."

Evenson smiled.

"Carter isn’t the kind of person who will surrender simply because her life is threatened."

"If I tried to control her with that heart, I’d only push her further away."

Thunk.

"Ouch!"

Sacrolash flicked Evenson directly between the eyebrows.

"Stop trying to sound so profound."

Alythess grabbed one of his ears and tugged.

"You think that little performance fooled me?"

"She’s a demon hunter, not a lich."

"Do demon hunters even have phylacteries?"

Evenson grimaced.

The answer was obvious.

Peggy was a demon hunter, albeit one he’d created through rather unconventional methods.

But she was still a demon hunter.

There was no such thing as a demon hunter phylactery.

Once her heart had been removed from her body, it no longer had anything to do with her.

And if destroying it truly meant Peggy would die, wouldn’t preserving it mean she’d effectively become immortal as long as the heart remained intact?

If that were possible, why would Evenson ever waste the opportunity?

He loved being alive.

If storing your own heart somewhere could guarantee immortality, he’d have removed his own months ago.

"I didn’t fool her."

Evenson pulled his ear free from Alythess’s grip.

"I told her from the beginning that keeping her heart was only a contingency."

"I never threatened her."

"As for the whole ’destroy the heart and you die’ business..."

He spread his hands.

"She said that."

"I never did."

"So how is that my fault?"

He tapped his temple.

"A contingency doesn’t have to mean holding someone’s life hostage."

"I returned the heart."

"Now I have something much more useful: her trust."

"And honestly, isn’t that the better safeguard?"

The twins exchanged a glance.

Sacrolash smiled.

"Good."

She lifted one slender finger and tilted Evenson’s chin upward.

"We were worried that absorbing Harmondis’s fel energy might have made you as stupid as he was."

"But apparently you still have plenty of nasty little schemes in that head of yours."

Evenson grinned.

"I have two excellent teachers."

"That’s because you’ve been trained well."

Alythess smiled.

"Speaking of which, while you were gone—"

"Wait."

Evenson immediately held up a hand.

"While I was gone?"

He frowned.

"How long was I gone?"

"A week."

"A week?"

Evenson’s eyes widened.

"You’re kidding."

"The battle couldn’t have lasted more than a day."

He looked genuinely baffled.

"How did a week pass?"

"Time in the Twisting Nether is unstable."

Agatha answered from nearby.

"It’s a realm of chaos. Time doesn’t necessarily move at the same rate there as it does in the physical universe."

Evenson scratched his head.

"Really?"

"This wasn’t my first time visiting the Felscar Rift."

"Why didn’t this happen before?"

"Because this was your first time entering physically."

Agatha explained.

"Previously, you only sent a projection of your consciousness."

"Your consciousness and physical body remained connected, so there was no significant temporal displacement."

She paused.

"Though there was another danger."

Evenson looked at her.

"Another danger?"

"If the twins had still been in control back then, they could have followed the connection between your consciousness and body."

"They might have been able to analyze it and determine the coordinates of the world where your body was located."

Evenson stared at her.

"Oh."

He suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Using a projection had always seemed like a brilliant safety precaution.

Apparently it also came with a massive security vulnerability.

No wonder other Warlocks hadn’t developed the same technique.

Maybe they weren’t incompetent after all.

Maybe he was simply the one who didn’t know enough to realize what he’d been missing.