Omniscience in Marvel

Title - New Mission.

…

In a dining room that exuded an air of timeless elegance, its center, dominated by a grand, seven-seat table crafted from dark mahogany. The table, oval-shaped and polished to a mirror-like sheen, was set with meticulous precision.

At its head sat Lucas, the host, his chair slightly grander than the rest, with high arms and intricate carvings that echoed his position of authority.

Thena sat to his right with a regal yet relaxed posture, as she ate and opposite her sat Peggy who couldn't get used to the sights she only ever saw in movies.

Despite how many times she'd been to this house, everything was as though they were expecting a visitor. She'd also wanted to ask if the candles didn't ever burn out but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

As they dined, the conversation flowed easily as they talked about her experiences in the game. Peggy didn't know that Lucas and Thena already knew everything and kept at it.

"You must've had a hard time." Lucas said as he put down his cutleries.

"You have no idea. I can only imagine what you went through to be…well, you." Peggy said as she looked at Lucas with a scrutinizing glare.

"It's something I wouldn't want to talk about." Lucas said and gave an eye gesture to Thena which Peggy caught and came to an understanding…of course her understanding was one Lucas hoped she'd have.

As they dined, the conversation flowed easily, the atmosphere intimate yet underscored by the unspoken decorum that came with their station.

"This begs a question, though." Peggy suddenly asked in a bid to steer the conversation. "How are Earth's defenses at the moment?" She asked, her expression taking a serious turn as she leaned forward slightly, her fingers tracing the rim of her wine glass absentmindedly.

The room eerily went quiet as soon as she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Lucas shrugged at the question causing Peggy to frown, but before she could voice her discontent, he continued. "You would have to ask those involved. What? Do you think just because of this little thing I did, I know everything about the World?"

"You seemed to know quite a lot."

"Those are basic knowledge to anyone born into a family such as this." Lucas shot back and glanced at Thena and continued. "Why do you think my fiance isn't showing any surprise?"

Peggy squinted her eyes at Lucas before shifting her gaze to Thena who was opposite her. "Then the Holy Gra-"

"There are things you'll come to know as you live on this side of the World." Thena said as their two eyes met. "Just take it as it comes without overthinking. However…" She paused and stylishly brought her fork to her mouth. "I will advise you to remain on one side and wait for your beloved."

"You're basically asking the Director of SHIELD to ignore potential threats to the world." Peggy argued back only for both Lucas and Thena to burst out laughing. "What?"

Lucas coughed slightly yet elegantly. "You see Peggy, This side of the World existed long before this very land you're on was even thought of as a living place. And what…? You just got introduced and you're already trying to put them under what..? Surveillance? Control? With what power?"

Peggy frowned at Lucas' words but didn't have a counter for it and just remained silent.

"I think you were too harsh, dear." Thena said, drawing their attention. "Peggy dear, the world has just entered a new phase due to the events surrounding the Tesseract."

"The Tesseract? What happened?" Peggy asked in confusion causing Thena to shoot Lucas a questioning glare to which Lucas could only smile wryly and nod.

"The Tesseract is something of a Casing that holds one of the Jewels that was formed at the birth of the Universe." Thena paused so as to gauge Peggy's reaction.

She was expecting the usual baffled expression most humans get when the birth of the universe was concerned.

Most humans believed it was created by God, some believed it came to be from the big bang. Thena didn't really understand why they would even concern themselves with that.

Contrary to her expectations though, Peggy only furrowed her brow before releasing them moments later and then nodded.

"On the day the American Captain disappeared, either one of them...Red Skull most probably, must have come in direct contact with it."

"Yeah, before his um…before he went missing, he mentioned something about the cube turning the Red Skull to ashes or something." Peggy said recalling that day…the day she heard his voice for the last time.

"Hmm, humans aren't exactly made to physically touch such an Artifact with their bare hands." Thena said. "It'd be akin to your tales, about the spiritual nature of the Gods."

"I see. And what does that have to do with anything…?" Peggy asked.

"A similar family like mine and Lucas' were given the Tesseract by Odin to safeguard here on Earth. The Earth was already well hidden and protected so no one would really think to come look for such an artifact here."

"Yeah. Asgard had just begun their battle with the frost giants when a squad of frost giants utilized that very stone to open up a portal into Earth. It was a ploy to use earth that was basically at Asgard's backyard to launch an attack." Lucas said and picked up a plate of cake from the dessert and began eating slowly.

"..."

"..."

"What?" feeling one piercing glare coming from his left, he raised his eyes to her and asked.

"Don't just stop the story halfway."

"Huh? Why? The plan was obviously ruined by another squad sent by Asgard. In a bid to seem Godly perhaps? they left the sealed off Tesseract in the hands of one of the many unfortunate men that survived the Giants," Lucas said. "It's basic Norn history. Read it up. Not all tales are false."

"I see." Peggy calmed herself and turned back to Thena who was also now eating into her cakes.

"The events you knew took place, however, on the day he was disintegrated, the space stone awoke and shot out a signal that tore through the shields and defenses placed around earth."

"What..?"

"Hmm. It created a large Portal so wide as it tried to locate its siblings and only when it found one did it close." Thena said with a deep voice. "What seemed like seconds was enough for certain beings to turn their gazes this way."

"You mean…"

"Yeah. Whether it's the…supernatural World or the…mundane world, there's work to be done separately. Do the one you're capable of and do it well. That's the best form of assistance you can give now."

"And what if I want more? What if I want to do more? I was granted 10 percent of my Vitality Stats which, as I came to understand, gives me a hundred years more than a normal human…"

Both Lucas and Thena made a fake show of surprise which Peggy noticed but continued anyway. "I can't spend it all just on protecting the mundane side of the world."

"You can and you will." Lucas said and tapped the table rhythmically causing the doors to the hall to fly open from which his butler came in and placed a folder on the table before Peggy.

"What's this?" Peggy asked without touching the folder. "Last I checked, I was the director and you were a consultant."

"Just open it." Lucas rolled his eyes at her and said. "I promise you won't regret it."

Peggy held her gaze before she finally sighed and shifted her gaze to the folder. Picking it up, she opened it and began flicking through. As she did, her expression turned from 'whatever' to confusion, then understanding before realization.

That realization made her expression turn grim. "What is this?"

Although she repeated the earlier question, this one was more purposeful, and to the question, Lucas replied. "Your new… assignment. If you will."

Peggy's fingers tightened around the folder as she read, her expression darkening with each passing page. "This can't be real," she muttered, her voice laced with disbelief.

"It is," Lucas replied calmly, watching her closely. "The reports have been confirmed by multiple sources, some of which you're already aware of. But others… well, they've been kept under wraps until now."

The amount of people sighted with powers were even less than 1 percent of the human population. It was impossible for them to overly stand out, and even if they did, Lucas' assignment to Peggy is to have them swiftly extracted and their traces covered up.

The world had just recovered from one war and didn't need another till humans were fully developed.

Peggy's gaze shot up from the papers to Lucas, then Thena. "These sightings… people performing supernatural feats all over the world… this is the prelude to what, exactly?"

"We are thinking…The Awakening," Thena answered, her voice somber. "For centuries, Earth has been largely dormant in terms of its mystical potential. But now… things are changing. Rapidly."

Thena knew the Human potential. She'd seen the data from the time Leucadius had created Adam and Eve. If those readings were to be trusted, soon ten percent of humanity would gain varying types of Superpowers.

Peggy's brow furrowed in thought. "And what caused this sudden awakening? This… surge of power?"

Lucas leaned back, a contemplative look on his face as he began to explain. "It's theorized that the events of the last war played a significant role. When the Space Stone was activated, it released an immense amount of cosmic magical energy. That energy mixed with the residual radiation left behind by the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

Peggy looked at him in shock. "You're saying that the devastation of the war and the activation of the Space Stone somehow combined to… awaken magic in people?"

"Not just magic," Thena interjected. "It's more than that. This is something we don't fully understand. But the result is clear; humans are beginning to exhibit abilities that were once thought to be the stuff of legend."

Peggy's mind raced as she tried to process the information. "But… Why now? Why after all this time?"

Her mind raced as she thought of the possibilities these news would have opened if they were available during the war. There wouldn't have been a need for people like Steve to sacrifice himself unnecessarily.

"Everything happens for a reason. The more enthralled you are in the supernatural, the more you'll understand." Thena added, "The world is changing, Peggy. And there's no time to be wasted."

Peggy took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "So, what are we dealing with here? Enhanced individuals? Superhumans?"

"I'm thinking…Meta Humans."