Marvel: The Journey

[ A/N: Get ready for some rapid time jumps in this arc because Val is about to come across other Marvel characters and acquire fresh fighting skills. Also, there is a hidden plot point in this arc.]

In the bustling city of London, the year was 1950, and in a small apartment, a radio played in the background. Val sat on a couch with a cup of coffee in hand, listening to the radio broadcast. Suddenly, the announcer's voice grew urgent, catching Val's attention.

"Good evening, listeners. We have just received reports of a bizarre incident that occurred earlier today in China," the announcer said, his voice grave. "An unidentified man with glowing hands attacked Chinese soldiers who were filming propaganda for their government."

Val leaned forward, his interest piqued as he listened to the unfolding news. The announcer continued, "It seems that this mysterious figure was defending something and prevented the soldiers from passing through a specific area. We don't have many details at this point, but we will bring you updates as soon as we receive them."

Val couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Iron Fist, huh?" He knew that K'un-Lun, a hidden city in the Himalayas, held secrets to unique martial arts and fighting styles that could be extremely useful for him. While he had no interest in becoming an Iron Fist or possessing the dragon bone, he had his sights set on something much more valuable – the Obelisk.

Val's mind raced with the possibilities of acquiring the Obelisk, currently in the possession of Jiaying and he thought, 'I know that Obelisk is currently with the Inhuman, Jiaying. However, finding her and convincing her to give me the Obelisk is going to be problematic. Moreover, I won't steal it from her but make a deal with her which is the best course of action. It may not be easy, but it's worth the risk for what the Obelisk could bring me in the future.'

Val was lost in thought until the radio announcer's words snapped him back to the present. "Another exciting news we have is the emergence of Captain Carter, a female hero who has a striking resemblance to the late Captain America. Stay tuned for more details on the new hero as we take a quick break," the announcer declared.

Val's face took on a serious expression as he heard the mention of Captain Carter as recent memories flooded back to him.

...

A few months had passed since Val embarked on his journey, and Val found himself in London occupying a modest apartment. The room was filled with papers, chemicals, and glassware as he worked intently on his research on mutant blood samples he had collected previously. 

Suddenly, the sound of shattered glass interrupted his work, and Peggy barged into the room through the open window. Val was taken aback by her sudden intrusion and the sight of her tears streaming down her face. Before he could even utter a word, Peggy collapsed into his arms and wept uncontrollably. 

'What's going on with her?', Val thought as he hugged her in return and patted her back and thought, 'Did she find out that her dead brother is actually alive?'

After a few moments of crying, Peggy pulled away from him and he could see the anger and pain etched on her face. Her tears had stopped flowing, but her fists were clenched, and her voice was shaking with emotion.

"I told you that my brother, Michael, had died during the battle, and I received the news of his death on my wedding day, right?" Peggy asked, her voice heavy with emotion.

Val nodded slowly, sure of where this was leading.

"Yes, you told me that, but what happened?" Val asked, curious and concerned.

With tears still in her eyes, Peggy took a deep breath and said, "That bastard is alive! He lied to me, to our mother, to our father, to everybody!" Her voice grew louder and more passionate as she spoke, and Val could see the anger rising within her.

Val remained silent as he listened to Peggy's words. She stomped her foot on the floor and exclaimed, "That's not even the worst part! He joined a criminal organization after faking his death to his family!"

"How did you come to know about it?" he finally asked.

Peggy let out a heavy sigh and said, "As you know, there have been reports of a criminal organization operating in this city." Val nodded in agreement, and she continued, "I came here with the intention of uncovering and stopping their criminal activities. But one day, while cleaning out a drug lair, I stumbled upon a series of letters in a safe. As soon as I opened them, I recognized my brother's handwriting."

Peggy's voice trembled as she spoke, "At first, I couldn't believe it. I went to the location mentioned in one of the letters and saw him, my own brother Michael, sitting and talking with some of the most wanted criminals." 

Peggy covered her face with her hands and said, "I was so shocked and devastated when I saw him. So, I came running to you. I kept asking myself questions like, Why would he do that? Why would he do that to me, to mother, to father? Didn't he know how hard Mother took the news of his death? How can he be so heartless?"

Val sighed and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I can only imagine how you're feeling, Peggy. But, sometimes people do things that are hard to understand. We can't always explain the reasons behind their actions. What we can control is how we react to them."

Peggy lowered her hands from her face, her eyes still teary as she looked up at Val. "What do you mean?"

Val replied, "Your brother made a choice. He must have planned his death and everything for months because a decision to do something as huge as that can't be taken in a split second. So, it's up to you to decide how you want to handle this situation."

Peggy nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. She knew what she had to do, and she wouldn't let her brother's betrayal go unpunished.

Val chuckled when he saw Peggy's mood lift and pinched her cheeks as he teased her, "Did you forget what privacy means, Peggy?"

Peggy swatted his hand away as she wiped her tears and retorted, "I just followed the address on the letter that I asked you to write. And don't worry, it's in the hieroglyphic language that we both came up with, so no one can even read it."

Val let out a deep sigh and said, "Okay, okay. Let's change the subject. Come take a look at what I've been working on." He turned to his research, gesturing for Peggy to come closer and join him.

....

As Val sat on the couch recounting past memories, he was suddenly jolted out of his reverie by a slight sound emanating from one of the beakers on his experiment table. He immediately got up from the couch and strode over to the table, thinking to himself, 'This mutant experiment is going to be a long haul. I need to work on other things in the meantime.'