It was night.
Arthur sat on the rooftop of Camp Lehigh, staring up at the vast, star-filled sky. The flicker in his eyes and the sigh that occasionally slipped past his lips were the only quiet signs of the deep unrest churning inside him.
The feeling from the day, that strange, low thrum of anxiety, still lingered. It wasn't quite a premonition, but an undeniable sense that something was happening out there, something he couldn't control.
Now, in this base, there was no one left for casual conversation or a late-night drink. Everyone was busy preparing for the future, a future, he often reminded himself, that he was responsible for giving them.
And yet, here he was, agonizing over his own messy life.
"God, I really am selfish, aren't I…"
Arthur exhaled deeply and let himself flop onto the flat rooftop.
That's when he saw her.
A figure stood behind him, looking down with a faint, knowing smile.
Arthur blinked, then awkwardly pushed himself up. "How long have you been standing there, Agent Carter?"
"Just got here," Sharon said lightly. "But you looked… well, like you were about to solve the universe's problems. Didn't want to interrupt."
She smiled gently. "Even gods get troubled sometimes?"
Arthur sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's why I keep saying, I've never been a god or a superhero. Just an ordinary guy… with an extraordinarily large pile of worries."
Sharon considered this, then sat down beside him. Arthur instinctively shifted, then offered a sheepish grin.
"Let me guess," Sharon said, looking out at the stars. "You're thinking about Natasha… and Lily, your actual girlfriend?"
Arthur rubbed his temples in resignation. "Why does it feel like everyone in this camp knows about my personal chaos?"
"It's hardly a state secret," Sharon replied with a quiet laugh. "Especially Tony. He practically announces to the whole compound how jealous he is of you. I almost wish his own fiancée could hear him say it."
Arthur gritted his teeth. "Fine. I'll make sure your wish comes true."
Sharon chuckled softly. "You know, I actually think you and I should be pretty close," she said after a brief hesitation, her voice softening. "Because… in another time, we might have been family."
"Family?" Arthur blinked.
Sharon's smile was wry. "Yeah. Seems like it was just another one-sided crush that never went anywhere. Or maybe… you've just always been this dense?"
"…"
Arthur had no defense. Agent Carter had always been a special presence. A flicker of gentle normalcy amid a world of power suits and bloodshed. But back then, he had no room in his heart for anything romantic. In that era, just surviving was the only victory that mattered.
He couldn't deny that something might have sparked between them. But that tiny, fragile flame had been snuffed out seventy years ago, long before it could ever become a blaze.
There is no sorrow deeper than watching beauty fade with time.
Arthur sighed quietly. "Maybe I'm even more oblivious than you think."
"That's not the issue," Sharon said softly. "No one can be perfect in everyone's eyes, all-knowing, all-powerful, flawless beneath the spotlight. That's an impossible standard. The people who love you, the people you love, it all comes down to choice."
She looked away, giving him space. "Honestly, I think Tony's right. If everything feels right… why not try to have it all? Maybe the pain of trying is far less than the pain of letting go."
"That's not the point, Sharon."
Arthur shook his head. "And I don't even know why I'm sitting here discussing this with you."
"Because you've got no one else to talk to," Sharon replied simply. "The others have already told you what they think, but for you, it clearly doesn't help."
"It wouldn't help anyone," Arthur muttered.
"Then tell me," Sharon pressed, tilting her head. "What is the point?"
"The point is…"
Arthur turned to face her, frustrated. "Why me?"
He was in the Marvel universe, a world of black technology, superhumans, and gods. This wasn't some ancient society where polygamy was accepted. In a world of black-and-white morality, what made him think he could have what others couldn't? What gave him the right to hurt either of those two women?
Two women who had given so much of themselves, selflessly, to him. He desperately wanted neither of them to suffer, yet the longer he hesitated, the more inevitable the pain became.
He truly didn't know how to choose. It was a tangle far more complicated than any global threat.
If only a supervillain would appear right now, someone he could just fight and defeat. That would be perfect. Because that would be simple.
In this world, justice and evil were clear-cut. No schemes, no emotional knots, no endless loops of doubt. But feelings…
Arthur scratched his head, completely defeated. "I just don't understand…"
Sharon gave him a long, penetrating look. "You don't understand… because deep down, you actually want both, don't you?"
Arthur froze.
"You're torn," she continued, speaking the unspoken truth. "You don't want to let go of either one. Isn't that the truth? You think Natasha is incredible… and Lily is incredible too. Giving up either feels like an unbearable loss. But wanting them both, you don't have a good enough reason, or the right moral excuse to justify it. And that, Arthur, is why you're so miserable right now."
Arthur's eyes went wide.
What the hell?
He… wanted both?
The thought hit him like a physical blow. His face flushed a deep red, his lungs seized up, and his breath caught in his chest. He felt wretched, suffocating on the truth.
And in that moment of terrible clarity, he began to feel a profound, bitter disdain for his own soul.
Sharon's gaze remained fixed on him. The air between them became heavy, calm, but unbearably dense.
Then, abruptly, the communicator on Arthur's wrist buzzed.
He and Sharon answered at the same instant.
It was Tony Stark's voice, sharp and all-business:
"Sorry to interrupt the pity party, but I think we all need to meet in the conference room. Right now. Based on the data we recovered from Camp Lehigh, cross-referenced with the intel Natasha just obtained, we've confirmed the location of a critical Hydra base. So… the question is, what's our next move?"