The same process that made Juggernaut also made Lady Marvel, but while he was an accident, she was an intention.

Celestro took the chaotic science from the lab explosion and spent seven years turning it into a milder, safer procedure, and when they needed a recipient for their breakthrough, they asked the top student at the FBI Academy: a twenty-six-year-old woman who was only one week away from graduating. She accepted, and Celeste Jones became Lady Marvel, the second-strongest superhuman in the world.

There were mixed reactions to that. People liked her, but they also started debating the ethics behind intentionally altering a human being, even if the risks were incredibly low. Celestro, being the people-pleasers they were, promised to never conduct an experiment like that again, which Lady Marvel later found out had always been their plan. One's enough, Dr. Palmer had said. Any more will make us look like Frankenstein. It was still brought up every now and then, but for the most part, the world had gotten over it.

Lady Marvel herself didn't think about it that much. More than eight years had passed, after all, but her 'origin story,' as people called it, was so closely tied to Juggernaut's that thinking about his meant she had to think about hers, too. Figuring out their relationship and how it ended up like this meant going back to the reason they were even coworkers in the first place.

She was walking through the lab, which was now a tourist attraction. Most of the real equipment had been stripped away, but the neon-lit switchboards and panels remained, along with the electrical burn marks and a single, monstrous-looking machine in the center: the supposed cause of it all. Most people, her included, didn't know what the lab was researching or the exact details of how everything went wrong—they were old trade secrets, kept only by those who were working there at the time.

It wasn't the busiest of places anymore, but it still got its fair share of visitors, and Lady Marvel broke in during the early morning, before it even opened, so it would be empty. The lights were off, but sunlight poured in from the glass panels on the ceiling and bounced around the room. She sat down on the top of the short steps that led up to the raised machine and ran her eyes across the room, waiting.

"Of all the places you could've asked to meet," Juggernaut said, walking out of the shadows of a connected hallway and leaning against a wall, "you picked here."

Lady Marvel studied him, trying to gauge an emotion as he looked around the room. There should be something: nostalgia or disgust, awe or annoyance, positive or negative, just some sort of feeling, but there was nothing on his face but indifference. It was as if he had absolutely no regard at all for the place that changed his entire life as well as the course of human history, and even though he'd been like this for as long as she'd known him, it was still unnerving.

"What did it feel like?" she asked.

"You asked me that same question eight years, three months, and twenty-six days ago," he said, "and my answer hasn't changed."

Lady Marvel simply shrugged. "Why are you a hero?"

"Because I believe in truth, justice, and the triumph of all that is good," he replied monotonously.

"No."

"Because I'm an egotistical maniac on a power trip."

"No."

He looked surprised this time, if not a little relieved. "Alright then," he said, eyes narrowing in a challenge. "Why don't you tell me why I'm here?"

"I can't. That's the problem." Lady Marvel shook her head. "I may not be the best hero out there, but I did start out with a genuine desire to do good...and I don't see that in you. Not even the slightest, remnant hint of it." She stood and went down the steps, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I honestly have no fucking clue why you're here. But whatever the reason is, I hope it's enough to make you care, even a little."

Juggernaut straightened off the wall but didn't come to meet her halfway. He just watched her get closer and asked, "Care about?"

"Supers are dying. Callidus could be back. We can't get anything done if we're constantly at each other's throats." She stopped right in front of him. "Let's be civil, let's be calm, let's just do this right for once."

They were bold words, considering that this was also another argument, another tense exchange that would push them further apart and make them talk even less than after the barn. But if that was what it took for things to go smoothly, for things to go back on track until they figured out what was going on in the city, then so be it.

Juggernaut met her harsh stare evenly, and they stood like that for what must've been only a second, but it felt longer. He just nodded and left without a word, apparently having come to the same conclusion that they weren't on the best of speaking terms anymore.

Now alone, Lady Marvel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Did she just burn a bridge? She hoped not, but it didn't matter. Whatever just happened was bad, but she trusted him, and she knew he trusted her. They had shit to do, and she had faith they'd get it done.

That was good enough for now.

___________________

eight years, three months, and twenty-six days ago

Celeste Jones twirled the pen between her fingers, staring down at the dotted line. It stared back at her, welcoming, inviting. Promising. This was a precedent of a decision: there was no example to look up to, no one with experience who could offer advice. She took her time, mulling over every little thing that led to this decision.

She'd already gone through a major career change. She'd gotten her Master's and spent the following year as a junior architect, and then she pulled a one-eighty, ignoring her mother's worries over a life-threatening career, and applied to the FBI. She was sent to Quantico for training, but only one week before completion, Celestro came looking to recruit someone for their new super-procedure.

She didn't know how many people they'd already considered or how many of them declined, but she said she was interested. They took that as a yes and flew her out to Los Angeles to explain the procedure, her soon-to-be-job, and everything else that would happen if she agreed.

Celeste looked up. "And you're sure the procedure won't kill me?"

Dr. Palmer chuckled and steepled her fingers. "While we can't guarantee that the effects will be exactly as outlined, we can guarantee your safety. You won't get all the same abilities as Juggernaut, and I doubt what you do get will be as powerful as his, but rest assured, you won't be harmed."

Celeste flipped through the contract again. She was only twenty-six, and her future stretched ahead of her, balancing between two very different realities. The decision she was about to make would change everything. Technically, she hadn't finished Quantico, and if she signed, she would never get to. There was no going back.

She clicked the pen and signed.

"What's life without a little risk?" she mused, sliding the clipboard across the desk.

Dr. Palmer ran her fingers over the signature like she couldn't believe it was really there. Celeste could tell that Celestro genuinely hadn't known if she would say yes, though why they were so nervous, she didn't understand. They were promising a fulfilling life of adventure and heroism that millions of people dreamed of. Celeste wasn't stupid—she knew there would be inevitable strings attached, and it wouldn't fully live up to what anyone expected, but she was willing to try.

"I'll send this in for processing," Dr. Palmer said, bursting with excitement, "and contact you when the procedure has been set up. Thank you."

Celeste left her office. An ID was clipped to her pocket; it was a temporary one, the kind they gave to visitors. If everything worked out, she would be getting a permanent one soon, and it probably wouldn't say Celeste Jones.

Someone turned a corner into the hallway and ended up walking in front of her. She didn't need to see his face to know who it was—who else would be walking around in a cape? She froze, watching the distance between them grow, and then she speed-walked to catch up.

"Hey," she said.

Juggernaut turned around. The indestructible man had a small scar on his face; she knew that already, but it was a little easier to see up close than in photos.

She stuck out a hand. "I'm Celeste."

"From Quantico," he said, taking off his glove to shake her hand.

"From Quantico," she repeated, surprised they'd already told him about her before she even signed on. It made her forget what she was going to say, and she stood there, watching him and thinking.

Juggernaut managed to keep eye contact for a long time before he got confused and looked around, clearing his throat. "Was there something you needed to say to me?"

Celeste was suddenly too aware of all the people going through this hallway. She didn't want any of them to hear what she had to say.

Instead, she asked him, "Are you busy tonight?"

________________

"So we've talked about the heat, the stars, the Pacific, and the earthquakes, but I don't think any of that is what you were going to ask me."

They'd ended up on a stroll through a park, after sunset so that their presence was less noticeable. Celeste planned on having her identity be public, but she didn't want it revealed right now by paparazzi who would think she was Juggernaut's new coworker or—considering the trends of tabloids—his girlfriend. It was why he'd been kind enough to show up in normal, inconspicuous clothes. In the quiet of the night and with the sparsity of people here, no one gave them a second glance.

They'd talked about everything except what she wanted to ask, because even though he kept bringing it up, she kept changing the subject. She would feel bad for wasting his time, but if he wanted to leave, he would've done so already. And if he hadn't wanted to come to the park, he would've suggested somewhere else.

Besides, they were going to be coworkers. The small talk had to happen at some point. It was better now at a place where they had plenty of other things to look at and crickets to fill the silence than in the office, where it would be awkwardly quiet and enclosed.

But, the small talk also had to end because they were strangers and there was only so much they could say. Celeste had to get to the point.

She nervously stuffed her hands into her pockets and asked, "What did it feel like?"

"The lab explosion?" Juggernaut clearly knew what she meant, but he still seemed surprised she'd asked. "That question popped up in a million interviews. Looking online would've given you the answer."

"I know," she admitted. "But I wanted to hear it from you, without all the cameras pointing in your direction."

Juggernaut glanced past the fence at the ocean, his face lit by the moon rather than stage lights like she was used to seeing. "It felt like what it must've looked like. Electricity and broken glass." He looked at her sideways and smiled. "Are you afraid it's going to hurt?"

"My procedure is the same process as what made you," she said. "Figured I should prepare myself."

"I wouldn't worry. It might be the same process, but it sure as hell won't be the same execution."

Celeste laughed. "I was promised as such." His watch suddenly lit up, and she raised an eyebrow. "Work? At nine pm?"

"Time doesn't make sense when you're a superhero," he sighed. "But I do have to go."

"It's okay." She stopped walking and smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem. And good luck." He started backpedaling but said, before turning away, "I'll see you around."

________________

Two years later, Lady Marvel was typing up a report. Her office was the size of a roomy broom closet, but she liked it this way. There was only a desk, a chair, and a computer, and an ancient filing cabinet, too, but it was empty aside from the random baseball that sat on top of it. Most of her in-building work happened in conference rooms and offices on other floors, so she was rarely here. There wasn't even a guest chair.

There was a knock on the door, and after she said to come in, Juggernaut poked his head in. "Are you busy?" he asked.

"Nope!" Lady Marvel closed her report, nowhere near done. "Not at all."

"Great." He came inside, took the baseball from the cabinet, and threw it from hand to hand as he paced around. "I have a proposition."

"I'm listening."

"How do you feel about being part of a team?"

Lady Marvel tilted her head. "A team of superheroes?"

"Yes. Fox was thinking—"

"Fox?"

"Fox?" he repeated, equally confused. "The director of superhero activities, and soon-to-be vice president?"

Lady Marvel shook her head. "I've never met her. Everything I do goes through Palmer and Michael."

"You've never met her." Juggernaut laughed nervously. "Wow, you...you're in for a rude awakening. Anyway. She thinks the next step forward is a superhero team."

Lady Marvel leaned back in her chair, considering. "Who would be on it?"

"You, me, this new kid named Echo, Alder, and we're still looking for a fifth."

Lady Marvel had met Echo once, and she'd never even heard of Alder. She didn't hate or love the idea of a team, but she also couldn't come up with a legitimate reason to not say yes.

She shrugged. "Sure. I'm in."

He tossed the baseball to her. "Great. You're second in command."

Lady Marvel caught it and turned it over in her hands, inspecting the loose threads and dirt smudges. They didn't know whose it was. "I think a team has great potential," she said, throwing it back to him. "But it could also be a disaster."

Juggernaut gently placed the ball back on the filing cabinet. "Oh," he said, heading out the door with a wink, "I don't doubt that."