The magic! It's here! Please be careful! For the next 3 days, Erikson Sterling has been replaced by an alternate universe version of himself. (Perhaps from a world where Merc never happened, or from a place where Hydra never lost.) The downside? Erikson is now in that universe.
In a world where Merc never happened...
Merc never abducted Sterling. Sterling continued in SHEILD being the cocky, confident, little shit he was before. He was less strict with rules. He was more forgiving of others. He was less defensive of SHIELD's moral standing. He didn't get into field work. He held no scars. He took showers. He befriended Germaine from the start. When SHIELD fell he got out quickly and didn't go undercover in Hydra. Instead he got a really nice office job where he thrived.
And he was happy there. He wasn't broken. He wasn't damaged. He didn't feel like a misshapen puzzle piece in society anymore. He felt... normal.
So he never went back to SHIELD.
Erikson had been dating Chen before SHIELD fell and it took several years for him to propose. He didn't feel the threat of death like he did in the other universe. He took his time. Courted her longer. They were currently engaged to be married, the wedding coming up in the next few months. They were very excited and had planned a simple yet intimate ceremony with their close SHIELD friends.
Prepare to meet Mercless Sterling for the 3 days of the Mercversary.













