Note:
Zeta: I tried to get their character. Never watched much of the Avengers enough, but I might have gotten some bits here and there. By the way, this is Part 1 of Chapter 2. The rest is still being written out.
Tony: Just start already!
Zeta: Whatever. Though thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy this.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this; The Avengers belongs to Marvel and the Persona Series belongs to Atlus.
Chapter 2: Hidden Agenda
The Avengers had just completed a mission that ended in disaster. The attack on the IFID HQ in Lagos ended with Wanda sending the bomb activated by Crossbones to a building filled with innocent civilians. Pietro thankfully managed to get all of them before she sent the bomb that was soon to explode on contact, but the media still managed to get the public to see them as uncontrolled and volatile. Pietro, however, was majorly spared from the insults of the media, as the civilians were grateful for rescuing them, even trying to give him small gifts. But the media still tried to slander him unsuccessfully. The public, as a result, had backlashed against them and the media just presented Quicksilver as the hero of the day.
The supers had all gathered in the conference room in the new Avengers facility, with a stern, and secretly annoyed Tony, and the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross.
"Five years ago, I had a heart attack...and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because, after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the Army had never taught me. Perspective" Ross then mimicked a golf swing before continuing his (awfully boring and uninteresting) monologue.
"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word, vigilantes." Natasha narrowed her eyes at the insinuation and piped up.
"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" she asked, stressing out the 'you' in the question.
"How about "dangerous"? What would you call a group of U.S. based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders… "Steve frowned at his jab as he ripped the team apart into shreds.
"and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind." Ross then walked to the side and activated a projector screen displaying a world map.
"New York" the screen focused on the location, presenting a video from the Battle of New York against the invading Chitauri. The Hulk was moving around as the people fled in terror from the invaders and ended up with the Hulk sending rubble to the ground by complete accident on top of the person recording. Rhodes then turned to Rodgers, trying to see a reaction from him, only to find him glaring at Ross.
"Washington D.C," The video changed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier crashing down into the waters, with the resulting waves crashing into the harbors and dragging people with it. Sam merely let his head down due to the guilt that was beginning to gather deep within his chest.
"Sokovia" The video changed to the city of Novi Grad and its citizens fleeing from the threat of the Ultron Sentries and flickered to the floating isle that was Ultron's meteor. Wanda and Pietro were angered at the Secretary and glared at him for his attempts of slander. The screen changed to the falling buildings that had deteriorated due to the ravages of war. Tony merely stared at Ross with disdain, his anger slowly trying to escape his hold on it.
"Lagos" The screen finally flickered to the recent disaster of a mission, the building in flames with the authorities trying to put it out. This made Wanda distressed, knowing that it was her fault for causing this accident.
"Ok, that's enough." Steve interrupted Ross' spiel on how their team was deemed uncontrollable. He was putting a lid on his anger before something happened that would not make the U.N. happy.
The Secretary of State turned off the monitor before turning to the gathered team. "For the past four years, you operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution" One of the assistants handed Ross a thick book with the name "Sokovia Accords".
"The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only when and it deems it necessary." Ross explained as the team passed the book around and skimmed through it.
The Captain spoke up, "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Ross scoffed at the notion the Super Soldier made.
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences." This riled up Tony even more, as well as the others, who were boiling with rage against Ross. Pietro, however, gave a smirk.
Thor had left to Asgard dealing with some problems, while Bruce had left to find ways to be able to meditate and regain control of Hulk, ever since the Hulk had been pacified by the 'Butterfly Man' before being able to run off from Sokovia.
"Believe me, this is the middle ground." Pietro laughs at what he considers an absurd statement. The rest of the team look at him, confused by his strange reaction.
"Really? The middle ground? Because that just sounds like 'We don't trust you to turn on us, so we want you under us.' Sokovia had been suffering while the rest of the world watched as it burned. Even when Ultron lifted part of Novi Grad from the ground to destroy the world, you people just watched as it happened." Pietro slammed his fist on the table, glaring menacingly at the slightly pale Secretary of State, who had a poker face on.
"Honestly, you politicians only care for yourselves and don't think of how it will affect the people of your own nation. If it weren't for the Avengers, the world would have ended as we know it, because of your incompetence." Tony looked smug as Pietro tore Ross to shreds along with his arguments. Steve smiled proudly at the young man's defensive arguments, while Wanda was in awe of her twin at how he stood against all odds despite the Accords and her inability to control her powers.
"When we were in Sokovia, HYDRA was taking innocents as human guinea pigs for their own vile experiments, in which my sister and I gained our powers. After the Ultron incident, we didn't know what to do, but we knew we wanted to help others. Wanda is still learning to control her powers, but it was not her fault that the bomb was detonated. That country and its military didn't have enough resources to deal with it, but Wakanda does. The U.S. and Europe do, hell even the U.N. do as well. But what did they do? Nothing." After the long speech, the entire room was silent and tense.
*Clap* *Clap* "Well said, Speedster." Tony got up, after hearing his speech. He had not been in favor of the Accords, but his guilt was heavy on him after seeing the innocent lives lost. But after hearing Pietro and his own story of his life in Sokovia, he felt much worse when he imagined doing nothing to stop Ultron, or the Chitauri, or even HYDRA and their experiments.
"So, we all agree to not sign this farce of the Accords?" he asked the team, who all nodded in agreement, even Rhodes, though reluctantly.
"Ross… tell you what. We'll take this version of the Accords, and we'll come up with our own. Maybe we can… come to an agreement of sorts?" Tony smirked while gloating over Ross' failure to get the Avengers under his control. The ex-general was fuming and promptly left the facility as soon as possible, never glancing at the superheroes behind him.
After he left completely out of the facility, Tony began to laugh his ass off at Ross' reaction and impromptu escape from being ripped apart.
"Oh, wow. I never knew you had it in you, Pietro. That was one awesome roasting you gave the Secretary of State, who probably had never heard of a no before in his life." Tony praised the now smug Quicksilver.
"No problem, Tony. I just felt like pointing out the flaws in his argument on how we do things to prevent further tragedy. But, doesn't this seem odd that they're now doing this after all this time?" Pietro asked the team, who were slightly torn, but gathered up their wits about.
"I do not know. But I'll be with Rhodes and Vision to work out our propositions on the Accords and how we should work now. We still need to find out who will oversee the selection of our future missions." Steve explained while Tony nodded in agreement and left with Rhodes and Vision behind him to another room.
Tony became pensive for a second trying to remember something that still bothers him about the accords.
"You do need to be ready, but I cannot tell you when. You will know when the time is right. Trust yourself and your abilities as well as the powers of your companions. The time will be right with the coming of a contract. Farewell."
Realization had then dawned on him when he remembered Philemon's vague message, "Wait! I remembered!" The remaining members turned to him questioningly.
"What did you remember, Tony? A date with Pepper?" Natasha remarked with a hint of teasing in it.
"Ha, ha, very funny. No, I'm talking about the Philemon guy. He mentioned something about a contract in my dream, but he never specified what contract. He must have been referring to the Accords." Tony explained his memory of the dream.
"So… we're going to get this new power soon?" Wanda asked, still frightened at the prospect of gaining a new power other than her own. Pietro comforted her as best as he could by wrapping Wanda in his lean arms to melt away the fears.
"I suppose we are. But he only said that we would know when the time would be right." Tony frowned at the cryptic message.
"Well, we'll deal with that as we go on. For now, let's focus on making a draft of our accords to present to the U.N. that will be meeting in Vienna." The team all agree and head to where the Captain was working to help work out the Avenger's Sokovia Accords.
Ross was furious at the idiot of a mutant who had ruined his plan to get the Avengers in his hands and refused to speak during the journey back to the White House. He then left towards his office when they arrived and after speaking with the President, who was not happy with the results, in order to work on his secret project.
When he entered office, Ross went incognito and began hiring scientists and engineers to begin planning the construction of a secret military project called the Laser Pinpoint Firing System or the LPFS. The LPFS would be a weapon used to counter future attacks from space and on Earth, as it could target anywhere around the globe.
The LPFS consisted of four major satellites that would form the targeting system. Using improved GPS programs and military-grade instruments, the satellites could target even an ant on the ground; however, the issue was mobility of the satellites while in space. Small rocket thrusters were installed into the main guns, and three smaller satellites would be sent out to guide each major satellite into position, so a total of nine small satellites were constructed.
The space satellites would be monitored and controlled by the hidden space station, Ignotus Excalibur, where another crew of scientists and programmers were creating the programs needed to operate the system.
After the events in Sokovia, Thaddeus Ross accelerated the progress of the construction of the laser system satellites and soon had them sent to orbit the Earth in space. The creation of the program was still slow, so he began trying to hire other companies to help him work in the background on the project.
Most companies jumped in but were not capable of even creating the required programs. Stark was out of the question as the CEO was part of the Avengers team. And only one company remained that he had not approached yet.
Redlaw Nanotech Industries pride themselves on being the leading producer of nanotechnologies and programming as well. The CEO and owner, Esper Redlaw, was one who was responsible and conscious of the effects of his own technology and how it could change the world for both the better and the worse. The co-owner of the company, Pierce Collins, was a friend of Esper's and helped build the company up. The two were friendly competitors in the tech field along with Tony Stark.
Ross was planning to meet up with them later when a beeping tone was heard from his desk. Picking up the phone, he spoke up.
"This is Ross. What is it?"
"Mr. Secretary, progress report on the LPFS system. The construction is nearly complete, but the programming is only half-way done. We estimate the completion of the system to be around a year, maybe less if we had support from other companies." A crisp, subtle voice spoke from the other end.
"Well, Dr. Nocte, I'm planning to see another company and see if I can get them to help support the project. I'll give you their answer tomorrow. Have a good day." The exhausted Secretary then left the office and headed to his home to end the day.
"You too, Mr. Secretary." The man, called Dr. Nocte, was a man of many faces. One minute, he would be an excellent scientist working to create progress in mankind, to one who wishes nothing but its destruction.
Dr. Nocte was never a moral scientist, and neither was that his real identity. Serges Mint was an ex-HYDRA scientist who left the cult because of their change in ideals. HYDRA was never originally a pro-fascist group and neither did it wish for the end of humanity's freedom, but it was to bring about a revolution. The original HYDRA's goal was to bring about the return of their true leader, whose form was based on the symbol, an inhuman named 'Hive'.
But that ideal was still not right. He had searched after betraying his former and foolish colleagues and found an answer in the form of a man who resembled an ordinary man, yet he held a peculiar dark air around him that it was making his skin crawl with fear and fill him with a sense of dread.
He spoke of a creature born from the despairs and malice of humanity that wishes to grant their call for death by releasing a deity that would bring about the Fall of Humanity. However, that deity was sealed away to prevent the being to call on it; therefore, making it impossible to bring about the apocalyptic event. However, he mentioned an alternative method: to create a portal to the Human Unconsciousness and summon the beast and rule the world by granting their desires.
Serges believed in the man, yet not a man. He felt power flow through his veins, granted by this being of complete mystery, and went on to accomplish this goal. When Ross hired him to complete the LPFS project, he knew he could use it to create the system perfect to summon this being of malice. He then dubbed it the NYX system, after the deity that was sealed by a simple, foolish boy who did not know better about humanity.
After the call ended, the mad scientist then turned to his assistant, Rene Osiris, who was aiding him in his goal to better humanity under a new rule, who then downloaded the LPFS programming and uploaded the NYX programming to replace it, ensuring their success.
"Soon… my Lord. Soon, you will descend upon humanity and grant their desire for death and bring about a new era, where you will rule all." The madman laughed manically and turned at another set of data with an insane smile.
"The Shadow Serum is nearly complete."