The MCU- the veil of realities

The Commencement

Vedika stormed out of the containment chamber, Loki's mocking laughter still ringing in her ears, his cruel words replaying in her head. 

You're not enough...

The phrase looped in her mind, bringing back memories of every time someone had doubted her, every time someone had dismissed her worth. She clenched her fists, trying to shake off the lingering self-doubt as she made her way down the corridors. The sting of Loki's words cut deep, making her second-guess her every move, her every decision.

As she neared the lab, familiar voices caught her attention.

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve's voice came from inside, tense with suspicion.

Without hesitation, Vedika pushed open the door and entered swiftly, her voice sharp as she interrupted their conversation. "He is."

Tony, Bruce, and Steve all turned to look at her, startled by her sudden entrance. Tony, of course, was the first to recover, his trademark smirk appearing almost instantly. "Geez, you could knock, you know. What if we were, I don't know, doing science-y things? Or, you know, holding a secret boys' club meeting? Might need a 'No Girls Allowed' sign for you."

Vedika rolled her eyes but allowed herself a small smile before turning to Steve, cutting through the tension. "Fury's hiding Project Pegasus from you all."

Bruce and Steve exchanged quizzical looks, while Tony's smirk faded slightly as he became more serious. Steve, ever the soldier, was the first to ask, "Project Pegasus?"

"The energy business you think Fury's been running?" Vedika continued. "It's just a front. The real goal is to harness the power of the Tesseract—to create weapons. Weapons that could be used against alien threats. This has been in motion ever since Thor landed in New Mexico last year."

Steve frowned, digesting the information, while Tony folded his arms, his sharp eyes studying Vedika intently.

She then shifted her gaze to Tony, her tone more direct as she added, "That 'warm light for all mankind' line Loki threw at Fury? That was meant for you. Loki plans to use the arc reactor at your tower to open the portal. In New York."

Tony's expression shifted from skepticism to surprise, his brow furrowing. "And when were you going to tell me this?"

Vedika let out a soft laugh, a little too bitter for Tony's liking. "Would you have listened if I told you?"

Tony's lips quirked, but his eyes remained serious. He knew she was right. He rarely listened when it wasn't his idea.

Steve, still processing, asked, "Why didn't you tell us this on the deck?"

Vedika's smile faded as she turned to the captain. "Well, you see, Captain, S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't what it was in 1945. It hasn't been that for a long time. And frankly, I don't agree with what they stand for anymore. I don't trust them. I don't make a habit of revealing secrets to people I don't trust."