Danger Stranger
Portals

Summary:  More dimensional hopscotch. 60th in the Redeeming Grant series.
Warning(s):  Spanking used to settle/comfort. Off-screen character deaths.

###

It was probably only the super serum that had kept her alive, free from exposure to the virus, for so long. She'd managed to avoid being bitten, or scratched, while all around her, the rest of the Avengers had fallen to the curse that had swept through their world, turning friends and family into flesh-eating monsters.

She only had one option, only had one avenue left open to her, and so she'd taken a plane. It had belonged to Tony Stark, but...well, now, Stark was down, a bullet in his skull, because she'd known that he'd have preferred that fate to the one that left him a mindless creature that attacked everything that moved. Where it had been safe to do so, she'd taken them out after they'd turned. After it became clear that there was no cure. That it was impossible to go back once you'd been infected.

There was blood on her hands, but the alternative had been letting them live on as monsters. And as much as it hurt her to do so, she truly felt she had no choice.

There was only one hope left. The sorcerers. They'd broadcast messages to the survivors. People had gone to them. She'd helped some of them get there. She didn't know what happened to them afterwards, but any fate had to be better than the one waiting for her now.

***

There was one more to come.

Mordo, along with Stephen and Wong and the rest of their people, had kept their base as safe as it was possible to do so. None of them expected to survive. Indeed, they planned to seal off the doorways to the other worlds, giving their own lives in the process. But before then, they'd helped everyone to escape who was free of the virus. Sent them into other worlds and made sure they couldn't get back.

But there was still one left to come. She would have been nearly too late, but...Mordo had sensed her approach. And he found Stephen and Wong, in the library, announcing quietly, "She'll be here today."

Stephen nodded at the other sorcerer... his brother. "As soon as she is through, anyone still alive and in their right mind is ready to close the gates permanently. The copy of the letter we've sent with every refugee is ready as well. After she has gone through..." He swallowed. They'd all seen what was to happen. The Sanctums would fall. The only two options left after they collapsed the gates was becoming a mindless monster, or ending their own lives.

"There is no other way," Wong pointed out calmly. "And while it won't be the same, versions of us will still exist in other worlds."

"Better to die free than to live as one of those creatures," Mordo said soberly.

Stephen nodded bleakly. Everyone he'd ever cared about, bar the two men beside him, had succumbed to the zombie virus. He knew Mordo was right.

Mordo reached out and placed a hand on Stephen's arm, squeezing gently. "With this information, hopefully, no other world will suffer the same fate."

"We... we can't see the outcome for the other dimensions. Only our own. We have to hope..." Stephen swallowed.

"Forewarned is forearmed," Wong said. "If they know, maybe they can stop it in time."

"Or ensure that it never happens at all," Mordo added. He glanced towards the library door, sensing as the plane approached.

"That would be ideal... if it never happened," Stephen said. "We will need to open a portal from the airport. She'll never make it here otherwise," he added, getting ready to do just that. "If I can open it in the plane hatchway, maybe we can avoid her fighting off the zombies."

"We'll be prepared to push back the moment she's through," Mordo said.

"Even if we can't hold them off forever, we can hold them off from getting inside the Sanctum," Wong said.

Stephen nodded and took a deep breath. And then he was making the necessary motions to open a portal to their target. When he was done, there was an opening in the atmosphere; and a woman was staring at them, through it, in surprise. He left it to Mordo and Wong to draw her through while he concentrated.

In unspoken agreement, Mordo and Wong separated the task between them. One held back the swarm of zombies, while the other pulled the woman through the portal, as quickly as possible while ensuring no zombie could break through.

As soon as Peggy had been pulled through the portal, Stephen let go of the magic and the portal closed with almost a snap. He turned toward her, looking over her quickly but carefully. "You weren't bitten?"

Peggy shook her head. "No. But all of the Avengers were turned." She closed her eyes, a haunted look coming over her face, before opening her eyes again and looking at the three of them. "I need help...."

"We saw..." Stephen said quietly. "We... we can help. But there is only one thing you can do. This world is done for. We can get you to another one. Another dimension. But it is a one-way trip. You can never return. You can't even attempt to return. If you do... this virus will spread to other worlds and destroy them as surely as it has destroyed our own."

"There's no hope for this world?" Peggy asked, her shoulders slumping, as she felt her last hopes slipping through her fingers.

"You said yourself, all of this world's defenders have fallen," Mordo said. "Your only chance is to escape from here."

"And what will happen to you? To all of the people here?" She looked at each of them.

"We can get you through. Us going with you is not an option; we... were not able to locate a world where our alternates do not exist. And there is no time left to continue searching." Stephen smiled sadly. He wasn't afraid to die, but it would have been nice if he could have rescued his friends... his brothers.

"That doesn't seem fair," she said quietly.

"There are other versions of us, just as there are other versions of the Avengers," Mordo said. "Try not to think of it as a true end."

Wong wordlessly handed her an identical-looking envelope to the others that they'd given the refugees.

"Find our alternates in the dimension we send you. Give them the envelope. It explains everything... and they can help you once you are there..." Stephen said quietly.

"You'll have to go through now," Mordo said, leaving unsaid that the zombies would break in soon; and they had to make their preparations as soon as she was gone.

Stephen centered himself and, with Wong's help, opened up another portal. This one was fuzzier. Shakier. It wasn't to another place in their universe; it was to the dimension they'd found for her.

Mordo stood by, ready and able to help if need be. When the portal opened and Peggy stared at it, but didn't seem all that inclined to step through, he gave her a gentle push so that she'd go through to the other dimension, quickly informing his brothers, "She's safely through."

Stephen let go, staggering slightly. Opening two portals in such a short period of time was draining. He looked up at his brothers wearily. "Time to face the end of the world..." he said softly.

****

"Excuse me, please, but you requested I let you know if and when I noticed any anomalies that suggested a rift in dimensional barrier," Veronica announced to the family, interrupting their breakfast, a few weeks after Quentin had been brought to live in the compound. "A rather large disturbance has just occurred in New York City... I believe it occurred in your Sanctum, Sorcerer Supreme," she added, addressing Stephen.

Stephen's eyes widened and he slowly stood. "We should probably check that out... no one else is currently in the New York Sanctum, are they?" He addressed his brothers.

Wong shook his head. "No one should be there," he said, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.

"Maybe a few of us should go with you through the portal," Steve spoke up. "It could be a threat."

"If a threat has made its way into the Sanctum itself, it could be a magical threat, which puts the rest of you at greater risk." Stephen looked between Wong and Mordo. "I suggest we open a portal outside of the Sanctum perimeter. Walk into the Sanctum instead of opening a portal into it. That way, if it is a threat... it can't jump through the portal back here."

Mordo nodded. "We can leave the portal outside open, so if we need to call anyone for help, we can do so."

"We should have someone guarding it, in that case..." Stephen suggested. "Otherwise, it's an open invitation to have our home invaded."

"I can stay behind and guard it," Wong offered. "You two go into the Sanctum. Signal me if you need me."

Stephen nodded. "Who else is going?"

"Me..." Frank immediately volunteered. If all three of his brothers were going, he wasn't letting them go in without him.

"I don't need to go... but if you are leaving the portal open, I'll stay on this side to help guard or call for back up if Wong says you need it." Clint glanced toward his children. "I'll have a bit of powered back up too." He grinned.

"We'll be right there with you, Papa," Wanda promised loyally.

"I'll be on standby too," Steve promised. "And if need be, we can use the comms to get the rest of the family involved."

Stephen nodded. "Shall we go, then?" He turned toward Mordo, moving closer to Wong and noting Frank was moving closer as well.

"I think we're ready," Mordo replied.

"I can help you open the portal, so you are expending less energy," Wong offered.

Stephen nodded in agreement. Even if opening a portal was easy for him by this point, it was better to use as little energy as possible. Unless he looked forward through time, they didn't know what they were about to face. He tended not to look through time just for every little situation.

Wong waited until his brother was ready, then opened himself up so that Stephen could make use of his energy.

It didn't take long for Stephen to open the portal. As soon as it was open, Frank was the first through, making sure it was safe for everyone else, his gun ready to protect them if it was a trap.

Stephen waited for everyone else who was going to go through before handing the magic over to Wong so he could keep the portal open while they investigated the Sanctum.

Wong quickly stood guard at the portal, standing guard and waiting, knowing that his brothers would tell him if he was needed.

Mordo began walking with his other brothers towards the Sanctum.

Frank looked around carefully as they entered the sanctum. "Where is the most likely place someone would be?" He kept his voice low.

"It depends on why they've come," Mordo answered. "If they're looking for help, then they could be anywhere. If they're here to cause harm, they're more likely to be hiding." He glanced at Stephen. "I'll see if I can sense any other sorcerers." He reached out with his senses.

Frank gave Mordo a slightly grumpy look. The other man had managed to answer his question in the least helpful way possible, while telling Frank something he knew. He thought about making his question more specific in the hope of getting a less vague answer, but decided to hold his tongue. If it was someone with ill will, chances were, they would be a sorcerer... and Mordo would find them. If he couldn't find evidence of it being a sorcerer, then that should eliminate some of the locations; conceivably, some spots would be warded against non-magical people from finding them, after all.

Mordo opened his eyes and looked at both his brothers. "I can't sense any sorcerers." He frowned. "Can we assume that we're looking at another merge between dimensions? But the placement, here, feels very deliberate. Like perhaps a portal was opened on purpose." He left unsaid by whom. After all, both his brothers would guess.

Stephen sighed. "Let's hope whoever we... or the other dimension's sorcerers... sent through is friendly."

"And that they brought a note explaining..." Frank muttered.

"If it was us, or a version of us, we'd want to make sure whoever it was would be easy to find," Mordo said. "Perhaps we should try the library."

"As good a start as any..." Frank said, waiting for one of the other two to point him the right way.

"It's this way." Mordo gestured and began walking, keeping his steps slow so that none of them were ahead of the others.

Stephen kept his senses open, just in case whoever had come through was magical but had hidden their presence. Assuming someone had come through.

Frank moved slightly ahead, taking point, once he had an idea of where they were heading.

***

When Peggy had found herself in the exact same place that she had left, minus anyone there, all she could feel was that the worse had happened. She wasn't sure if the sorcerers had been right; that there were versions of themselves here, in whatever place she'd ended up. But there didn't seem to be anyone around.

Placing her hand on her gun, Peggy carefully opened the door, prepared to act if she saw or heard a threat.

Frank's instincts had kicked in just as they reached the door. He could sense someone on the other side and that person was moving in a manner similar to himself, which meant training of some sort. He placed himself more in front of his brothers, motioning them to take cover, and raised his own gun carefully, eyes on the door the entire time. As the door opened, he moved slightly to the side, so that if anyone exited, he'd be slightly behind them and could get the drop on them.

Peggy withdrew back sharply, as she spotted the movement. She saw a man she didn't recognize...and two men that she did recognize. "You're the sorcerers?" She spoke in a wary voice, hand at the gun in her holster.

Mordo stepped forward, though he didn't push past Frank. "Did you come through a portal?" he asked her.

Peggy nodded slowly, still obviously on her guard.

Frank only relaxed slightly, so that Peggy wouldn't feel as threatened, but so she'd know he was ready in case she did something untoward.

"Who sent you through?" Stephen asked. He suspected it was another version of themselves, but better safe than sorry.

"They were you. Other versions of you. But you weren't there." She looked at Frank. "There was another man, too. They sent a letter...to explain."

Mordo held his hand out. "Can I see?"

Slowly, Peggy reached into her pocket for the letter, not rushing or making any sudden movements. She held the letter out to Mordo and Stephen.

Stephen let her hand the letter to Mordo, as his brother had been the one to ask for it. He nodded at Frank to back away. He didn't get a sense of ill intent off of her, nor did he get a sense of any sort of magic. He felt she was probably not a threat to them.

Frank had got the same sense that she wasn't necessarily a threat, even if she could be dangerous. He lowered his gun, holstering it, and backed away to stand next to Stephen. "It's probable that I never met them in your dimension. Here, they found me and became my family..." he said, watching her carefully to see what her response to his words would be. Did she realize she'd gone through a portal into a totally new dimension?

"They said that I'd be going through to another dimension," Peggy answered. "I'm not the only one, but...I won't be able to go back. They told me that. It was a one-way trip...." She swallowed and looked down.

Mordo took out the letter and read it, showing no reaction other than a slight widening of his eyes. Then, he passed the letter over to Stephen. "I think we might have our explanation for the fluctuations here."

Stephen's own eyes widened. "If what was happening there caused the dimensional wall to thin between all dimensions and not just between it and those dimensions, they opened a portal to...."

Frank frowned. "Rifts can keep happening? Even if they aren't from her dimension?"

"Yes... I believe so." Stephen looked toward Mordo for confirmation.

Mordo nodded. "From the sounds of it, this virus, if that's what it was, moved far faster than anyone had predicted. Our counterparts in the other dimension would have had to work quickly to move people safely."

"By the time I came through, the only ones not turned or dead were the sorcerers who were here," Peggy said.

"So... they moved as quickly as possible to get as many out as possible, which caused instability in the dimensional walls. You said it was a one-way trip...?" Stephen glanced at Peggy, to confirm his suspicions that their counterparts were dead. The letter was pretty clear that they shouldn't try and open a portal to try and help.

She nodded. "They said that there were no dimensions they'd found without them there. And that there was no time to continue searching. While they didn't say in so many words, there were only two options left by then. To become one of the undead, or to die."

Stephen took a slow breath and nodded. "And they made certain that you were uninfected before sending you through... I can't imagine any version of me not making sure of that."

"They did," she replied. "But I understand if you need to check again."

Mordo glanced at his brother. "It might be wise," he said quietly, thinking not just of the potential of the virus, but to make sure there was nothing else undesirable that had hitched a ride with her.

"I agree. However, given that we do not know what the properties of this virus were... I do not have the equipment needed here." Stephen paused. "I'd prefer not to expose her to any of the family until we are certain. In fact, I'd suggest we quarantine ourselves as well, until we have determined that nothing else came through with her and we are not now host to something alien."

Frank grimaced. "Can you open a portal directly into the medical area of the compound? I can call Lincoln. Have him get with Bruce and Bryce and set a spot up so we can do what is needed. And have one of the ones on the other end tell Wong that he can shut the portal he is waiting at."

Mordo nodded. "I think that would be best," he agreed. "Though I don't necessarily think it's a good idea to have all of our medical team potentially exposed to this. Perhaps if we just have Lincoln." He looked at Stephen. "You and he can run the tests needed to, but then we'll still have two of our medical team in case of other family emergencies."

Frank shrugged. "Was thinking more along the lines of they get the quarantine area ready with all the equipment that Stephen will need. And then I can assist Stephen. I might not be a doctor, but I've done enough patching people up that I can do basic stuff. If anyone else has to come in, they can get those special suits that make them look like astronauts... but if they don't have to come in at all, it would probably be better...."

"That's what I'd prefer. Lincoln, Bruce and Bryce can help on the outside by taking the data I upload and researching it. But I'll handle the majority of checking us out. Making sure we're okay." Stephen nodded. "And I think we need to quarantine for the amount of time a quarantine was named for. Forty days. So... it will be a good idea to have someone pack a bag for each of us and leave it in the area we will be locked in." He glanced at Peggy.  "If you give us your size, we can have one of the women get you a bag together so you have something to wear."

Peggy nodded, giving her size before asking, "Is Stark Tower still standing in this dimension? That was...." She hesitated. "That's where I was based. Before."

"As part of the Avengers?" Mordo asked. When she nodded, he said, "The tower isn't in use any longer. The Avengers and SHIELD have moved to a compound. Most of it is underground."

Peggy frowned. "SHIELD is joined with the Avengers?"

"Not officially. But as a large portion of the Avengers is legally family to members of SHIELD... and they often work together... they are based in the same area," Stephen stated.

Peggy frowned in obvious confusion. "They're family?"

"Several of them have adopted others... We have several groups of families now... we all live in the compound in the lower levels. SHIELD headquarters is on the upper levels. It made sense for security purposes...." Frank grinned crookedly. "We're a family group. Stephen, Mordo, me, and Wong; who stayed behind at the portal to make sure, if there were hostiles here, that they could not get through and he could warn the others." He motioned around. "Although we're a family of brothers, as they didn't adopt me." He chuckled.

"It sounds like it's a much better outcome than, well, anything that happened in my world," Peggy said quietly. Even before the virus had hit and taken away the rest of the Avengers.... She shook her head. "Run whatever tests you need to on me. The last thing I want is to see another world fall to those creatures."

Stephen nodded at Frank, who took out his phone and called Lincoln to begin setting up quarantine rooms and to have someone go to the portal and tell Wong to return home and close the portal.

Stephen then looked back at Peggy. "Do you have any information at all on how this... virus... originated?"

"Scientists who were trying to create biological weapons," Peggy answered. "The virus wasn't contained and it spread quickly. The zombies aren't the slow-moving creatures shown in movies and on television. They're fast. No limitations of a physical body holding them back. After a bite or a scratch allows contamination, infection occurs within ten seconds. The movies got one thing right, though. Only way to stop them is a bullet to the brain."

"Well... we probably don't have to worry about the virus hitchhiking through if infection is that quick. However, we should probably still quarantine in case something else from your dimension came through that isn't naturally in ours." Stephen grimaced. "Or in case it did hitchhike and mutated in the trip over."

Mordo nodded his agreement. "I think quarantine is the best idea right now." He looked at Stephen. "I'll open the portal as soon as the area's ready. I think it's more important that you save your energy for the tests and scans."

Stephen nodded in agreement. "Agreed. I'll want to take bloodwork and have Friday do scans as soon as we arrive. And then have Friday monitoring us 24/7, so that if anything changes, we'll be notified immediately."

Frank interrupted, "Lincoln is getting the items together and he sent Pietro to tell Wanda, Clint and Wong to return to the compound."

Surprised, Peggy glanced at Frank, a bit surprised by the list of names, but she didn't make any comment on it. After all, chances were good a lot of things were different aside from the obvious.

"Thank you," Mordo replied to Frank.

"Soon as they're ready, Lincoln will call me back. He said plan to go to the family medical room," Frank said. A few minutes later his phone rang and after answering it and getting the information from Lincoln, he told Mordo where to open the portal.

As soon as Frank told him where to open the portal, Mordo did so.

Stephen was the first through, wanting to make sure everything was sealed and no one else would be exposed to Peggy or the three men who had gone to retrieve her.

Frank followed.

Mordo stepped through last, closing the portal.

"Where do you want me?" Peggy asked.

Stephen looked around. Bruce and the others had separated the medical room into four separate sections with curtains between the beds. "Pick the one you want. There isn't much privacy, but there is some, at least."

Peggy nodded and moved over to the one closest to the door, so that she'd be instantly aware if anyone came into the room.

"We were so busy finding out why and how you came, that we never found out who you were..." Frank noted, with some amusement. It didn't escape his notice where she placed herself. "I'm Frank Castle, by the way."

"Peggy Carter," she answered, looking around the room, taking in all possible exits and entrances.

Frank blinked. He wasn't a member of SHIELD, but he'd been in the compound long enough and interacted with enough SHIELD agents by this point, that he knew who Peggy Carter was.  "Peggy Carter, as in one of the founders of SHIELD Peggy Carter? As in you were in World War II Peggy Carter? As in Steve Rogers' Peggy Carter?" His voice became more and more incredulous as he continued. He hadn't talked to Steve about what had happened. Most everyone knew about Captain America and how he'd saved America by going down with the plane; how he'd left behind a grieving Peggy and how she'd never married or had kids of her own (either because she never fell in love with anyone the way she had loved him, but now knowing about SHIELD, more probably because she had dedicated her life to making sure his sacrifice hadn't been pointless). He knew that sometimes stories and reports were nothing like what actually happened, but it had never been a subject that needed discussing.

Stephen raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer, knowing that if Peggy answered any of those questions in the affirmative, they would be hard pressed to keep Steve Rogers from joining them in quarantine.

Peggy frowned, eyes darting between each of the three men in turn. "You seem to know an awful lot about me," she said slowly. But she seized on the most important thing; at least to her mind. "Steve's here?"

Mordo nodded. "He's going to want to see you. And I'm sure he won't be the only one," he added, thinking of Sharon.

"I'm assuming that when they set the quarantine area up, they made a spot so that people could talk to us without being exposed?" Stephen looked toward the ceiling.

"Yes, Doctor. You have been sealed in quite snuggly, but if you look to your right, there is a smaller room with a comfortable couch, table and a phone so that you can speak with those not in the isolation area. We tried to make it as different from the prison system of visitation phones as possible..." Friday chirped in a teasing voice, though there was an underlying current of concern.

"Are there going to be a lot of visitors?" Peggy asked, a little warily. After all, she'd ended up putting bullets in a few of the former Avengers. They wouldn't remember it, wouldn't know her, but the thought of facing them even so....

"Knowing how protective the parents are in this compound, I'd guess the only ones you would need to talk to are the three in charge: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury and Steve Rogers..." Frank shrugged.  "Until we've been cleared as safe to be around, they'll keep everyone else away." He sounded sad at that, because it meant he wouldn't be able to talk to Amy for a while.

Mordo placed a hand gently on Frank's shoulder. "We can arrange for video calls, so we can still talk to other family members," he said, able to guess at the source of his brother's sadness.

"You've mentioned family a few times...." Peggy said. "Is that true of everyone here?"

"Pretty much everyone..." Stephen said. "Frank here has an adopted daughter, Amy. Most of the families have a member who adopted the rest of them. The few who haven't joined the family in that way still have formed groups of 'sibling' relationships... such as Frank, Mordo, Wong and I."

"That must be a good thing for the families involved," Peggy commented.

Mordo put a hand on Stephen's arm, moving his brother a short distance away. "I think we need to make sure Steve is warned before he comes here."

"Agreed..." He looked up at the ceiling. "Friday...could you please have Steve meet with Bucky and Logan... and then tell him what has happened and who is here? He needs to find out before actually seeing her, but I don't want him to find out when he is alone."

"Of course, Doctor Strange," the AI responded, before doing just that: requesting that Steve meet with Bucky and Logan.

***

Bucky walked into the family room, noting that his father wasn't far behind. "Any idea what Friday needs?" he asked curiously, waiting for Steve to arrive.

"No clue... but considering it is the three of us, I suspect she is about to tell one of us something and wants the other two here for support..." Logan said quietly.

Steve walked into the family room and smiled at his father and brother, before commenting, "I wonder if it's something to do with what Stephen, Mordo, Wong, and Frank went to investigate. I know they've brought someone back with them who is being quarantined."

"You would be correct, Captain. The person they have brought back with them is Major Peggy Carter. They wanted you to have advance notice before you, Director Coulson and Director Fury were called to debrief her." Friday spoke quietly. "Dr. Stephen says they will be in quarantine for at least forty days, to be certain it is safe for them to interact with everyone. You will be able to communicate through a special phone while separated by thick, insulated and sealed glass."

Steve's eyes widened. "Peggy?" he whispered. "Peggy's here?" He knew it was a version of her from another dimension, but...still. He looked completely shell-shocked.

"Yes, Captain. I have also informed Directors Fury and Coulson. They will meet you at the quarantine area. Dr. Strange felt you might want to interview her to find out what has gone on," Friday intoned.

Bucky placed a hand on Steve's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Do you want Dad and I there when you see her? Or do you want us to let everyone else know what is going on and to give you time to handle things before asking questions?"

"I... I don't know," Steve admitted. "I never thought I'd...." He cut himself off and took a deep breath. "It might be better to have you both there. I... don't know if I'd be able to ask all of the needed questions."

"You know we'll be there for you. Phil and Nick will be as well..." Logan said quietly, placing a hand on Steve's other shoulder. "We should probably head there now."

"I know." Steve took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

It didn't take the three of them long to get to the medical area; and see how quickly Lincoln, Bruce and Bryce had set up for a quarantine. It was obvious where they would go to be able to talk to those in quarantine, so Logan motioned for Steve to go through before following him in. Bucky followed behind him. Phil and Nick weren't far behind them.

Peggy's attention was drawn immediately drawn to the small window and the people who were on the other side of the room. She walked over to it and picked up the phone, waiting until Steve picked it up on the other side before she spoke. "Steve."

"It's been a long time," Steve whispered, staring at her like he was looking at a ghost. He put the phone on speaker automatically, so that the others would be able to hear her as well. "It's...I mean...what happened?"

"You look different." She continued to watch him. "A lot different than the last time I saw you." Her eyes moved over the other men in the room, pausing on Logan. "I never met you."

"I'm Logan Howlett. Steve's adoptive father," Logan said.

"Hi, Peggy..." Bucky drawled out. "You haven't changed a bit from what I remembered...."

"That arm's new." She looked at it and then at Bucky. "It's been a long time since I last saw you." Her eyes moved back to Logan before she addressed Steve once more. "I didn't know you had an adoptive father."

"We thought he'd gone before Buck signed up," Steve said. "We only found each other again quite recently."

Bucky winced slightly at the mention of his arm, flexing it slightly. "Tony made it. It's a lot more comfortable than the old one I had before...." He looked at Logan.

Logan smiled. "Finding Steve and Bucky again after so long was a blessing. I think maybe you coming to this dimension could be another one."

"It already seems like things have gone much better here than they did where I'm from," Peggy said, almost sounding a bit wistful. "Mordo, Stephen, Frank...they told me that you've all formed a family here."

"That's right." Steve nodded. "Tony's my kid. Along with Pepper, Bruce, Jessica, Carol...I'm still working on Quentin." His smile was a little rueful.

Peggy's eyes widened. "You adopted Tony Stark?"

Bucky grinned at his brother. "Tony was his first..."

Logan smiled faintly. "What were things like where you were? I think I can already guess one way, things were different, given you are young."

Peggy nodded. "I was given the super soldier serum." She looked at Steve and placed her hand flat on the glass. "You didn't make it past the war with me."

Steve smiled sadly and placed his hand against the glass on the other side. "We're both here now."

Bucky swallowed, before clearing his throat slightly. "Can you tell us more about where you came from? Who did you know? What happened? It might be helpful to know if there are any similarities, we need to look out for...." he said, glancing at Phil and Nick to see if they had questions too.

"I was with the Avengers in my dimension," Peggy answered. "But it wasn't here. It was at Stark Tower. And from the sounds of it, there are a lot more people here than where I'm from. No one formed a family there." She took a deep breath. "And by the time I came here, I was the only one left."

"Was it HYDRA's doing?" Coulson asked, his voice gentle.

"I can't say for certain if they had any hand in the virus that swept my world," Peggy answered. "But even if they were responsible for turning people into the undead, things must have progressed far more than they ever expected."

"So, by the time you came here...?" Fury probed.

"The whole world had fallen," Peggy said quietly. "The only place still standing was the sorcerers' compound. And... I know they won't stay standing for long." Her voice dropped. She hadn't spent a lot of time with the sorcerers in her world, but she still grieved the necessary sacrifice she knew they would have made by now.

"They would have insured no one was able to come back to your dimension. That no one infected would leave it," Logan said quietly.

"It's what we would have done," Stephen confirmed.

Peggy nodded. "I know they were able to send other people to safety. The letter they gave me explains everything known in our world, about the virus and how it started. If anyone's working on creating it here...."

"We know about it. We can stop it," Steve said quietly, his hand still resting on the glass where hers was.

"I had Friday scan the letter, so you all could read it without touching it," Stephen said.

"Thank you," Coulson said. "Depending on what's in the letter, we might be able to match it with information we've collected from HYDRA already."

"Stop the unthinkable from happening..." Frank said somberly.

"If I can do anything to help stop this world from falling to the same fate, I will," Peggy promised.

"What now?" Bucky asked, looking at all those gathered on both sides of the protective barrier.

"We'll look at the information in the letter and cross-reference it with any information we have from HYDRA," Coulson said, indicating himself and Fury. "We know they were experimenting with biological warfare," he added, remembering how Grant had been infected, before Coulson had adopted him officially.

"I have a couple of people I need to talk to about you being here," Steve said to Peggy. "They'll want to speak to you."

She nodded. "Tony?" she guessed.

Steve nodded. "That's one of them."

"In your dimension... did you have family? Before everything occurred?" Bucky asked.

"The only people I was really close to were the Avengers in my dimension," Peggy admitted. "But we were more comrades than family."

"Yeah... in this dimension, you had a niece who followed in your footsteps by joining SHIELD." Bucky warned her. "You were apparently close."

"She's the other one who'll want to meet me?" Peggy guessed. "I don't know if I'll be able to live up to her expectations." Or to anyone's expectations, really.

"Just be yourself. Things will work out one way or the other. No one should expect you to be this dimension's Peggy. You aren't. Though it would be great if you found a way to fit in on your own terms," Logan said, thinking of Steve and how he might feel if she stayed.

"You have time to get used to it." Steve gave her a reassuring smile. "We don't have any expectations of you here. Just be yourself. You'll need to stay in quarantine, but once that's over, you'll have the choice of where you want to go." Even if that wasn't staying in the compound. He wouldn't try to force her to stay if she didn't want to.

"Thank you," she replied, speaking to both Steve and Logan.

"I hate to break everything up... but we should get blood samples and scans done before it is much later," Stephen said. "We can answer more questions later, after Peggy has had a chance to settle and think a bit, if that's all right with you...?" He faced Peggy at the end.

"I'd appreciate that," Peggy replied. "It's been a lot to take in."

"If you need anything at all, we'll make sure you get it," Steve promised.

"You'll keep us informed on what you find out?" Stephen asked the others, though he was looking at Phil and Nick.

"Of course," Coulson replied, while Fury nodded.

"I'll go get the equipment I'll need... when you are ready, come find me," Stephen told Peggy, before nodding at the others and returning to the private area of the isolation chambers.

Bucky nodded at Peggy. "I look forward to getting to know you," he said, before exiting the visitation barrier.

"I'll be in my room if you need to talk," Logan told Steve, before turning toward Peggy. "Ma'am..." He nodded, then followed Bucky out.

"If you need anything at all, just ask Friday to pass on a message to me," Steve said. "I'll let you get some rest." He left, along with Coulson and Fury.

*****

It had only been a week-seven days exactly-that they had been in isolation. They had thirty-three more days to go. Frank was going to go nuts before that time, he just knew it. It wasn't because he couldn't see Amy; she'd actually been visiting him frequently, making sure to bring her meals to the visiting area so they could eat 'together' and, in the evening, watch at least one TV show together. He was probably seeing more of her now than when he wasn't locked up in quarantine.

Therein lay the problem. He was locked up. Yes, it wasn't prison and he wasn't a hostage and none of the typical horrible associations with either of those situations was present... but he was locked up. He could feel the tension rising with each minute he was unable to leave the isolation.

Mordo had been keeping a close eye on both of his brothers, knowing that the isolation might be hard on them. So, he could see and feel the tension rising in Frank. After they'd eaten breakfast and Amy had left, he moved over to Frank and placed a hand gently on his brother's shoulder. "Can we talk?"

Frank looked up. "Yeah, sure. What's up?" His voice was hesitantly curious. The tone in his voice sounded worried. Had something happened?

Mordo led him into the private area. It wasn't exactly soundproof, but at least they had something of privacy. He sat down and motioned for Frank to do the same. "I've been keeping an eye on both you and Stephen. I can see that this is getting to you. Being stuck in just one place. I don't have to be a sorcerer to feel how tense you are, but it helps."

"Yeah... it... I feel trapped. Which, I'm in a safe place. I shouldn't feel that way. But I do. Can't seem to get a handle on it," Frank admitted. "If it were feasible, I'd ask to be allowed to just separate myself off in the woods. I wouldn't be near anyone to possibly contaminate them, but I wouldn't be confined to four walls." He sighed. "Only reason I haven't asked is I know Friday can't monitor me there, so there'd be no way for anyone to know if I needed help and couldn't ask. Figure no one would agree to that."

Mordo nodded in sympathy. "It is difficult," he agreed. "I know we've still got a way to go." He shifted position slightly, moving a bit nearer to Frank so that his leg pressed against his brother's. "Going outside isn't feasible right now, but there are ways of relieving stress and tension."

"No offense, but I don't think I'm comfortable jerking off when there is only a thin curtain separating all of us and the three of you would hear..." Frank snorted.

"That's not the only way," Mordo commented, giving an amused smile.

"Yeah. I know." Frank smiled ruefully. "I'm not Wade, though. Can't say I feel comfortable submitting to that either, if I haven't done anything to deserve it. Was hard enough submitting when I knew I deserved it."

"I think that was a very extreme situation then," Mordo commented. "You were fighting your own reactions. You were fighting me and Wong as well." He lightly squeezed Frank's arm. "Training might work. There's not a lot of room, but there was enough space to get a punching bag."

"We have a punching bag in here?" Frank looked interested. "How come it wasn't put up? And how did I not notice it?"

"Stephen asked for it," Mordo responded. With a slightly chagrined look, he added, "My idea of relaxing and 'letting off steam' doesn't normally involve sparring or punching bags, so it's only now that I've thought of it. It's in my section."

"I didn't see it, or I would have asked," Frank looked as chagrined that he hadn't noticed as Mordo looked at not thinking suggesting it.

"There's no time like the present, if you'd like to make use of it," Mordo said.

"Yeah. I would. Thanks..." Frank grinned.

Mordo led Frank to his section, so that his brother could make use of the punching bag.

Giving Mordo a grateful look, Frank began to work out. At first, he was being careful... taking it easy... but as he became more engrossed in the motions, he began to hit harder and faster, trying to wear himself out. Or make himself sore. His knuckles began to look scraped, but it didn't stop him or slow him down.

Mordo frowned, noticing the way Frank was punching the bag. He moved a little bit closer, though not close enough to be at risk of injury. "Frank." If talking didn't work, he was prepared to nudge his brother back using his magic.

Frank grunted in acknowledgement, but didn't slow down. This distraction was exactly what he'd needed.

"You need to stop." Mordo's concern slipped into his voice. At the same time, he gave a gentle nudge with his magic; just enough to cause Frank to take a step back.

"I'm fine..." Frank said, with a huff of air, his cardio raised. "The sting helps me focus.... "

"You can't hurt yourself," Mordo said seriously. "If you need pain to help you focus, there are other, safer ways of doing so that don't end with you hurting yourself."

Frank grimaced and stared at the wall. "You're suggesting I do what Wade does... that would mean being able to submit. You remember how long it took the last time before I was able to do that. And yeah. I know the situation is different... but part of my problem is I have no control over this situation. I don't see how giving up what little control I do have will help."

"You can control whether you submit or not," Mordo said. "You have a choice in that."

"Last time..." Frank wrinkled his nose and nearly pouted. "I felt small and helpless and like a snot-nosed brat. It's... unsettling... feeling that young and vulnerable at my age." He wasn't ready to admit it had scared him a bit, feeling that way.

"That's not always a bad thing," Mordo replied calmly. "Some of the family members gain comfort from allowing themselves to act younger and more helpless. In many ways, giving up control for a short period of time can be more freeing than keeping yourself tightly under control." As he talked, he walked towards Frank, until he could hold his hand out to his brother.

"I don't understand that..." Frank admitted. "Just the thought makes me anxious. I need to be ready in case I'm needed... so I never fail my family again...." Frank swallowed, then hesitantly shifted closer to Mordo, placing one hand in Mordo's, knuckles up, so the other man could examine the injury, assuming that's what Mordo wanted to do.

"The first time, when we came for you, I told you that we were strong enough to face down any threat." Mordo began checking over the scraped hand, beginning to treat the injuries before doing the same to the other. "Right now, there is no immediate threat. No reason not to give up control. And if you can't give up the control, if that's too difficult, I can take it just as easily as I did the first time."

"I... I'm not saying you're wrong. It probably would help me," Frank finally admitted, not able to look Mordo in the eye. "I can't do it without help, though..." He cleared his throat. That was the closest he would come to admitting he wanted to try Mordo's idea, but needed Mordo to take it out of his hands.

Mordo simply grasped Frank's hand and led his brother over to his bed. He sat down and carefully drew Frank down across his lap. "Don't worry about how you need to react, little brother. I won't let you fall and you won't harm me," he promised, before baring his brother.

Frank took a deep breath. "I know. I'm safe with you. I could never give in, if I didn't feel it." He put his hands behind him, offering Mordo that extra bit of control.

Mordo grasped Frank's hands, holding them gently. He rubbed his brother's back for a moment or two before delivering the first smack: firm, but not too hard.

Frank shifted slightly at the sting, but otherwise didn't react. He knew to bring out a reaction, it would need to hurt a lot more.

Still keeping hold of Frank's hands, Mordo continued to smack steadily, covering every inch of his brother's backside, from the crest down to mid-thigh.

"I'm sorry if I've been worrying you," Frank said quietly. "I tried not to...."

"You're my brother," Mordo replied. "I care about you. I love you. When I can see you're affected negatively, it worries me."

"I know... still. I was trying to not worry you..." Frank shifted again as his backside began to warm.

***

Peggy glanced up as the sounds of someone hitting a punching bag became the sound of flesh on flesh and she looked towards Stephen, obviously confused. "You don't seem that concerned about that noise."

"It's a frequent noise in the compound." Stephen smiled softly. The parents or siblings in charge tend to use a more personal hands-on method for discipline." Stephen paused. "...Although Frank didn't do anything to get into trouble that I'm aware of, so this might be one of the cases of someone needing settling...." He couldn't help being worried. He knew Frank. If his other brother needed settling in this way, he must be struggling more than he'd let on.

"That's common too?" Peggy frowned, unable to help being curious. "No one took that kind of approach in my dimension, at least not that I saw."

"Settling is only common in a few of the family members and some of those few, like Wade, are very open about what they need and when they need it. Most are a bit shy; everyone usually knows what is going on, but no one comments or asks questions unless the one receiving a spanking tells them about it." Stephen nodded. "Still, it's common enough in the family that you'll probably notice it occurring at least once a week. It isn't common outside of the family as far as I know. We're unique that way."

He winced as he could tell the settling was still occurring, over five minutes from when they'd first noticed it, and didn't sound to be letting up. In fact, the tone indicated it had increased in speed and force. "Frank is one that doesn't usually get into trouble or need settling. When he does... his past causes it to take a bit longer to be effective..." He sighed

Peggy nodded, glancing briefly in the direction the sounds were coming from before focusing once more on Stephen. "It did seem like he was getting...antsy, I suppose. It can't be that easy or pleasant for any of you, being locked up here for so long." She shook her head. "I only hope I brought enough warning for you all that you won't run into the same thing here."

"We know what to look for now. If the risk of the virus rears its head here, we'll have a head-start to stopping it, thanks to you." Stephen nodded. "I know it doesn't make up for losing your own home, but I know you'll have a place here if you want it."

"There are people here who I never thought I'd see again," Peggy said quietly. "I think I'd like to stay."

"Good. I know of several people who would like you to. Getting to know you the last week, I think you'd fit in perfectly here." Stephen smiled. At that moment, a soft groan could be heard and he tensed up faintly. When a tiny sob followed, he relaxed... a relieved look crossing his face. "He's finally starting to give in. Hopefully, that means they'll be done in a few more minutes..." he whispered.

Peggy glanced in the direction the sounds were coming from before commenting, "If it's been going on for that long, do you think he might need something to help? Like...ice, or gel, or something similar?"

Stephen sighed. "More than likely... Mordo is as careful as possible, but Frank is stubborn. He has a hard time accepting help. Doesn't think he deserves it. Thinks he deserves to suffer. So, he tends to hold out as long as possible..." He frowned, before going to a cabinet and pulling out some gel. "This should help. He'll probably try to refuse it, but if Mordo gets him to submit, he'll listen if Mordo insists."

"I can go to my area," she suggested. "If you want to help Mordo take care of him. He's your brother and you're a doctor, so he'd probably be more okay with you there."

"He'll appreciate that. Mordo is capable of treating him, though... and he's more likely to allow it if he doesn't have more than one person seeing him submit." Stephen smiled. "I'll slip this onto the desk where Mordo can see it and then you and I can go watch some TV. And I can answer more questions before your daily visitors arrive."

Peggy nodded. "There are still a lot of differences I need to catch up on," she commented, moving so that they could go and watch TV and give Mordo and Frank at least a little more privacy.

Stephen quickly slipped the gel onto the desk near Mordo before going with Peggy. He noted how red Frank's backside was and gave Mordo a sympathetic look before slipping out. He hoped Frank would stop fighting himself soon.

Frank only vaguely realized Stephen was nearby. His backside was an aching burn by this point and his focus was nearly completely on Mordo.

Mordo's attention was primarily focused on Frank, though he was aware of Stephen slipping into the area and placing the gel. Frank's backside, from the crest down to upper thigh, was a bright red now, bordering on scarlet. Mordo's other hand rubbed and stroked his brother's lower back, unwilling not to provide affection as well.

Frank let out another tiny groan and a huffed sob, his body slumping slightly. He had held himself tense for a long time. Between that and the pain, he was quickly tiring.

Continuing the rubbing and stroking of Frank's back, Mordo slowed the spanking until he was finally only giving light pats, though he knew they wouldn't feel as such. "I've got you, little brother," he murmured. "It doesn't matter how long it takes."

"I... I know you do..." Frank slumped a little more with the admission. And he did know. Mordo understood and was willing to do whatever was needed to help him. He trusted Mordo. "It... it hurts..." he found himself confessing. He slumped just that much further. It wouldn't take much to push him over the edge.

"I know." Mordo stopped even with the light pats, instead beginning to rub Frank's bottom, much the same way he had done that very first time. "But you're with me. Safe with your brother. I love you."

"I love you too..." Frank said, in a tight voice, before going completely limp and softly crying. "...My brother... take care of me...."

"Always," Mordo promised. "I'll be by your side and take care of you for always." He reached out the hand that wasn't rubbing Frank's bottom to summon the gel to himself.

"So... sorry I'm so messed up..." Frank choked out, not moving at all. Now that he'd finally given in... put himself fully into Mordo's hands... he wasn't going to do anything without Mordo's permission.

"No, little brother," Mordo disagreed softly. "You aren't messed up. There is nothing wrong with needing help. Even if the help is painful. Sometimes something has to hurt so it can ultimately get better." He began to rub the gel into Frank's backside.

"Sorry I can't just give in, then..." Frank's voice was rough and very soft. "I trust you... should be able to just listen... give in without you having to make it hurt...."

"You have too much iron control over yourself at the moment." Mordo continued rubbing the gel into Frank's red, heated backside. "But it's understandable. You haven't been with me, with our other brothers, for all that long. It might not always need to hurt that much or be so difficult."

"I... I hope so. I know you don't like making me hurt." Frank shivered as the gel was rubbed in, whimpering softly because his backside was very sore, but staying in place because he hadn't been told to move. He also stayed still because it felt good and was comforting; to his surprise, it was easing his nerves just as much as the spanking had.

"Not even when it's deserved," Mordo replied. "But that doesn't mean I won't do it when it's needed. I love you too much to let you flounder." He continued to rub the gel in, keeping his touch as light and gentle as possible.

"I love you too..." Frank whispered. "I... I think maybe it's easier to believe, each day I'm with the family; with you. I needed the pain to let go of the tension... but you taking care of me now is helping just as much as the spanking did. I didn't expect that."

"Maybe it'll progress more," Mordo commented. "And being taken care of will help more than the pain. Either way, though, I won't stop giving you what you need."

"Maybe... still... still feel like I deserve to hurt. But not as much as I did before..." Frank admitted, in a small voice. In this position, it was easier to confess things he'd not admit otherwise. He whimpered softly as a particularly sore spot had the gel applied. It was easier to be vulnerable and admit when he hurt too. It seemed silly to hold onto stuff so tightly when his brother had such firm control over him.

"I'll give you what you need and deserve, little brother," Mordo promised. "All you have to learn to do is leave it entirely in my hands."

"Yeah. It's hard to let go... but it's getting a little easier." Frank sounded more at ease than he had when Mordo had first found him.

"Good. I'm glad." Finishing rubbing the gel in, Mordo carefully helped Frank up and into his arms, hugging his brother tight.

Frank winced slightly as he was repositioned, but he didn't complain. He wrapped his arms around Mordo and held tight. His eyes were shining with unshed tears and gratitude. "Thank you, brother," he whispered, as he cuddled.

"I will do everything in my power to help you," Mordo promised, hugging Frank tightly.

"You do... and have. Already a lot better off than I was before you found me..." Frank smiled crookedly.

"You don't need to worry about how you react," Mordo said. "Or even what you need. I'll do anything to help you, little brother."

"I know you will," Frank acknowledged.

"I'll keep an eye on you too," Mordo promised. "So that, even if you can't necessarily tell me when you need help, I'll have a good chance of seeing it myself."

Frank hugged a little tighter at the words. "Thank you. That helps a lot."

Mordo tightened his own embrace. "I think you should stay with me for the next few nights, at least," he commented. His tone made it clear it was less of a suggestion, even though he would listen if Frank did have any objections.

"You sure? The beds in medical aren't very big..." Frank couldn't bring himself to actually refuse, even though he thought he should. He was a grown-ass adult, for crying out loud.

"We can push two beds together, if need be," Mordo answered. "But I think we'll both benefit from the closeness."

Frank nodded. "Okay... I won't argue... you're probably right."

"Good. As soon as you're ready, we can go and join Stephen and Peggy," Mordo said, perfectly content to cuddle with Frank for as long as his brother wanted.

"Okay. We should probably let Peggy know I'm okay." Frank smirked bashfully.

"I'm certain Stephen would have done what he could to set her mind at rest, but you're probably right," Mordo agreed. "Do you want to put on a pair of looser pants? Maybe even change into your pajamas, if that might be more comfortable?"

"Pajamas. That way, I don't have to change again." Frank gave a last hug before standing and shuffling to where his space and Mordo's joined, retrieving his pajamas.

Mordo waited for his brother to change and then, once Frank was ready, he wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and guided him towards the others, where he could hear the television playing.

Frank noticed they'd left room on the couch for him to sit between Mordo and Stephen. It didn't take long to settle down, everyone enjoying the movie.