[Single? No More!] - Somebody Feels Left Out

* WHOOSH *

Storm flew back to the X-Mansion and entered her room through the open window.

* THUD *

She landed on the floor and sighed happily.

"Hmm?"

The sudden noise startled Storm, who looked ahead and found Mystique leaning against the wall with a smirk on her face.

"Seeing how smitten and happy you look, I suppose the date went well."

Storm blushed and nodded bashfully, "Yeah."

She walked towards the dresser, removed her jewelry, and said, "We had a great time, Raven."

Mystique walked toward her, grabbed her shoulders, and asked excitedly, "All detes, now!"

* * *

The next day,

Peggy and Wendy Lawson discussed the new project in her office in Camp Lehigh.

"So, Director Carter. Let's run through everything, shall we?"

Peggy smiled and asked in return, "Run through everything? Are you sure, Dr. Lawson?"

"Ah, don't worry. Just as long as nobody brings out their records and papers, I will not likely start poking holes." Wendy shrugged her shoulders while keeping an easy smile on her face.

"Hehe... Very well, then. Let's get down to brass tacks!" She laughed and continued, "A prospectus outlining new budgetary allocations will arrive shortly. In keeping with the agency's mandate, most funding, equipment, and manpower will be dedicated to the analysis of the Tesseract, coded as Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. So, please feel free to raise any specific requests you may have."

"Okay," Wendy nodded and asked, "When did the Tesseract begin behaving as a space beacon?"

"During the Apocalypse fiasco." She answered, but Dr. Lawson interrupted her again.

"Well, didn't SHIELD have any advanced warning? Any premonitions?"

"Nope." After shaking her head, Peggy responded, "This is the first time it has happened."

She continued with a satisfied look, "We want to learn all its secrets, and as I can see...I believe you're the best man to do so."

"Besides, don't I get some kind of support? Security?" Wendy asked.

Peggy nodded and leaned on her office table, "Of course!"

"This is Phase One, Ms. Lawson." Peggy pointed out the plans made with her forefingers, "Only very few people will ever know the full extent to which SHIELD has focused on finding out the power, source, and history behind the Tesseract. You will be our secret weapon, our ace-in-the-hole."

"Alright." Lawson raised her index finger and asked, "If I can ask, what are you trying to build with the Tesseract?"

Peggy placed her hands together and replied, "With the power of the Tesseract, we are trying to build something new. We're trying to make the world we protected the old-fashioned way safe."

Lawson frowned and said, "I feel a 'but' coming up, Director Carter!"

Carter held her hands together and said, "A big storm is coming. We want you to get out in front, and I want you to calm my fury, too."

"And, speaking of fury..." Peggy said as she raised her head to look at the door.

"Hmm?" Wendy frowned and looked back at the door.

Both of them kept staring at the door for a few seconds until...

* BAM *

"DIRECTOR CARTER! YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!"

The door slammed open, and a shocked Nick Fury stepped inside.

"Yes, Agent Fury?" Peggy asked with a smile.

Fury was about to say something but stopped when he noticed Wendy Lawson sitting before Peggy.

"Uh... Sorry, Director! Am I disturbing you?" Fury asked.

"No, Agent Fury, you're not," Peggy replied as she shook her head.

"Okay, then."

Fury took some newspapers out of his coat pocket. There were a variety of publications, and he quickly spread them over the table. He gestured toward the newspapers with one hand and said, "These were published a couple of minutes ago."

The titles printed in the headlines read: Ororo & Starlance's Date—Romance in the Corner?!

"What?!" Peggy read the headline with a frown. Looking back at Fury, she angrily said, "What kind of bullshit is this, Agent Fury? I don't like to read such absurd gossip about people."

"I'm afraid that this time, this isn't just gossip." Fury shook his head and said, while shrugging his shoulders.

He grabbed the television remote from the desk and turned the T.V. on, saying, "Take a look at this, Director."

On the screen, a breaking news report was being held where the reporter on the screen excitedly said, "Looks like this is the juiciest piece of information on the superhero, Starlance!"

"In a surprising turn of events, we have confirmed reports that the Starlance, one of the world's best superheroes, is currently dating his fellow colleague and mutant, Ororo Monroe!"

'WHAT?!' Peggy mentally shouted as her jaw dropped when she heard the report on the television.

The lady reporter with brunette hair continued, "A couple of hours ago, people spotted both Starlance and Ms. Ororo in a restaurant, having dinner together and making 'eyes' at one another."

As soon as her words fell, the screen played a video showing Val and Storm eating dinner together while laughing and smiling at each other.

Peggy was dumbfounded as she saw her brother smiling brightly and joking around with Storm, enjoying their company, and thought, 'Is... Val actually dating Ororo? Really?! H.I.M.?! This guy who refused to go on blind dates that I set up for him?! The guy who told me that he would never date somebody?! And, now, he's dating Ororo?!'

'You little shit!' Peggy clenched her fists angrily and thought, 'Just wait till I get home. I will give your lying ass the spanking it deserves!'

"... Carter! Director Carter! DIRECTOR CARTER!"

"Huh?" Peggy snapped out of her furious state as Nick Fury called out to her multiple times.

"Oh... Uh... Agent Fury!"

"Yes, Director!"

She rose and said, "You've been doing good work, Agent Fury. Work that hasn't gone unnoticed by me."

She picked her coat from the coat rack and walked towards the exit, not before saying, "You are now the Head of Operations of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.! Keep me updated, Agent Fury!"

"Y-Yes, Director!" Fury replied happily.

"Meet the project head, Dr. Lawson, and obtain all the necessary details!" Carter said as she stepped outside and slammed the door shut.

* BAM *

Fury and Wendy glanced at each other after Peggy hurriedly exited her office.

Nick Fury tried to break the ice by clearing his throat and introduced himself with a broad smile, "Hello, Dr. Wendy Lawson! I'm Agent Fury. Formerly, a pencil-pusher. Currently, Head Of Operations of Project P.E.G. A.S.U.S."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Wendy smiled and greeted him in return as she shook his hand.