Chapter 9
A flicker of green light flashed before his eyes as the world reestablished itself. Fury stepped out of the fireplace into the central hall of the Assemblage. The fireplace was one of three great hearths at the base of the Vérendrye tree, the centrepiece of the Assemblage. Its Ivory bark climbed into the lofty reaches of the hall, filling the room with a soft glow. All along its branches nestled in between golden leaves roosted hundreds of owls, waiting for their services to be acquired. Fury often wondered what went through their thoughts as they watched the bureaucrats scurry from meeting to meeting far beneath them.
"Welcome back Chairman," a neatly dressed woman stood to his side in formal address, "You're back early. I trust your voyage was enlightening."
"As you were Director Walters," The woman relaxed slightly, "Enlightening it was... There was an unexpected development. We will have to jump ahead with the Avengers Initiative. I want you to move forward with Protocol 34."
"Right away sir, I will put the Council under lockdown immediately. They won't do anything outside of my men's watchful eyes." She then switched to a more hushed anxious tone. "But sir are you really seriously considering one of the Councilmen in Stoner's assassination?"
"Of course I am. The culprit has an intimate level of knowledge of the actions of myself and my predecessor, a level of knowledge only the Council is privy to. And besides to do what they did to Stoner requires an almost unheard of power and the Council contains four of this realm's most powerful wizards."
"I guess that makes sense," she mumbled "Especially in light of the latest incident."
"And what praytell may that be?" Fury stopped in his track and gave her his signature glare.
"Well sir... there was a break in."
"Where...?"
"The Adamantine Halls sir, the night you left...but we have our top operatives on it."
"Hmmmm...The Adamantine Halls you say. We must have had quite the burglar, those halls contain the most secure vaults in the Assemblage. Did they manage to take anything?"
"We're not sure sir. Once they had broken in, it appears they went straight to the sixth level, to Room 4855. According to our files this room contains Project HULK, but upon investigation all that was in the room was a small wooden chair, a basin and what appears to be a makeshift bed."
"So my predictions were right, eh? Don't worry Director nothing was stolen. I moved Project HULK to a more secure location earlier that day."
"It seems to make sense that one of the Councilmen is involved as the only way to access the Adamantine Halls is with clearance from a member of the Council."
"Exactly! Well I have a meeting with our would be conspirators right now so if we're lucky maybe one of them will crack under the pressure and confess."
"Good luck sir." She paused for a moment to process the newfound information before speaking up again. "Before you go sir, what exactly is Project HULK? and why would someone in the Council want it?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." he said with a smile as he turned to leave.
"Chairman wait!" She cried after him . "It looked like a person was living there...What's going on?" Fury just laughed and continued his long ascent up the spiraling gilded staircase to the Council chambers at the apex of the Assemblage.
Outside the door he paused to take a deep breath before entering into the warzone of glares. The Council room was small filled predominantly by a large inordinately carved oak table. It glistened with light from large skylights giving the room a misleadingly peaceful air.
Any peace was immediately interrupted by the blonde woman to his left. "Chairman, Where have you been!" She shrilled, "Do you have any idea what state we are in right now? Stoner was just assassinated. We could be next! You can't just slink off whenever you want."
"At ease Councilman Carpenter." He said flatly.
"At ease? How can I be at ease when our lives are threatened every day while some dark lord is afoot?"
"Seigneir des Ténèbres?" The man to her left spoke in a thick joual accent. He was the youngest and most handsome of the four Councilmen. "I t'ink you are getting trop excité ma' cherie. T'ere 'as been no signes de la darke magique"
"How else do you explain the state Chairman Stoner was found in; sitting in his office as if it was a normal day, still breathing like all was well but no life was to be found in his eyes and when shook no spirit did rise. Rather he shattered into a cloud of ash. They stole his soul, gentlemen, and we will be next!"
"You spineless little midgardians, always running away at the first sign of trouble like a chicken without it's head." A large grizzled man, who like Fury had his vision impaired by an eyepatch, however his was on his right side rather than left and was much more innate being golen and gilded with designs signifying his noble background. "Stoner was a weak old excuse for a man. If nordic blood had run in his veins he would not have been so easily subdued."
"You norsemen 'ave your 'eads dans le cul. Si tu etais la', you would be pareil, nut'ing but a pile de cendres. Une soul est une soul, Nordique ou non."
"And I suppose you would have fared much better frog?" The older man grumbled, while the younger returned a cheeky smile.
"How can you two waste your time showboating when we are in a crisis?" Councilman Carpenter shrieked, her hair frazzled by worry.
"What's with this fuss anyways?" The eldest grumbled, "Stoner nodded off over a month ago and nothing of it. The world still turns. Clearly whatever happened as mysterious as it may be is not as nefarious as some of you are making it seem. The coot must have charmed himself out of existence. He's always been a bungler when it came to magic."
"You mean most t'ings." The other giggled.
"This is no laughing matter, Councilman Lebeau. So I suggest you start taking things seriously as you soon may find yourself in the face of death." Fury said flatly as he at last waded into the conversation. "And as for you Councilman Borson, unless you can tell me how Chairman Stoner ended up as powder, I don't think you truly understand the severity of this situation. Not only are we no closer to understanding how the fuck the most important person in the realm ended up sans soul, but just this past week someone managed to skip their way right through the Adamantine Halls as if it was some quaint city park in Ville Marie. Except that this couldn't have been some Wicken Guides, because unless I am wrong, we are the only ones with access to that section and I for one am not strutting around with pigtails and batwing biscuits. Clearly we have a serious situation on our hands. Would anyone like to speak on this?"
The room became deathly quiet and the three bickering Councilmen gave shifty uneasy glances amongst themselves.
In the western corner of the room sat a large stoic looking man. As always he had yet to say anything, but his eyes said more than enough. To his left was his aide, a woman consumed by her voluminous red hair. He nudged her slightly and she broke the silence with her unpleasant voice.
"Councilman Boltagon feels it is you Chairman Fury who needs to provide answers. What have you been doing with Project HULK?"
As the mention of Project HULK the tension in the room jumped dramatically and all eyes turned to Fury.
"So it's true!" Carpenter exclaimed, "IT has disappeared. We're all doomed now. How are we supposed to survive against that! I always knew it was trouble. But it was supposed to be safely locked away in the freaking Adamantine Halls. If they aren't safe, nothing is."
"According to the records our honorable Chairman conveniently entered Room 4855, hours before the break in." Boltagon's aide continued, "So the question remains what exactly have you done with IT Chairman Fury?"
"Câlisse! Fury you putain sournoise, what secrets are you 'iding?"
"If you think you can try and blackmail us with this, you've got another thing coming. We Norsemen do not take kindly to threats. I knew it was a mistake to appoint you. You Midgardians always hide behind your weapons afraid to stand like a man."
"Are you guys finished?" Fury began, "Can I start or do you need more time to spout wild conjecturing and baseless accusations."
"Baseless! You let that monster free!"
"T'as guelle woman. Let le gars speak."
"We good? Well then, I suppose its time to let yall in what I have been up to. As Councilman Boltagon so astutely pointed out, I did enter Room 4855 before I left for the National Academy, where I have been for the past week, because in light of Stoner's death, the security of the Assemblage has been compromised and so I thought it pertinent to move Project HULK to a more secure location."
"Wait you mean you took the most dangerous weapon in the realm to the National Academy? Carpenter seemed livid, "You took IT to a school full of children! What would possibly compel you to bring it to a place with so many vulnerable people?"
"My son is there right now along with many good Nordic youth. They are hardly vulnerable."
"You can't 'onestly t'ink que son fils would be able to stand dix secondes contre le monstre."
"This is Project HULK we are talking about. There was a reason its locked away in the Adamantine Halls. Or at least was...Oh GOD we're screwed."
Against Carpenter's persistent worry even Borson seemed to grow uneasy.
" Fury, If you dare think of using that beast to threaten my son or blackmail me nothing in the six realms will protect you from my wrath."
"There is nothing nefarious behind my actions. We needed some place more secure, at least until we have this Stoner situation settled."
"Councilman Boltagon wonders why, If security was what you were looking for, you didn't take the beast to Akpatok? Surely it would be out of harms way there."
"Why didn't we do that in the first place? After what happened in Cornwall why would we put our people, ourselves at risk?"
"Because he's not a beast is he? He's a child, no older than your loghead of a son Councilman Borson."
"So what? You've gone mou Fury? Become un saint des enfants? Tu es vraiment fou."
"For once I agree with the Frog. How can you even compare that thing with my son? My son does not turn into a beast that destroys all in its path."
"Listen, we do not live in the same world we used to anymore. After what happened in Britain, we are at risk of powerful dark magic. Those necromancers in Calderon are reaching into the darkest voids, summoning unspeakable horrors and that bastard Hill over in the Shield is constantly on our heels. What do we do if one of them turns their eyes on us? What do we do if a dark lord appears in our realm? Project Hulk is an asset because he is not just some mindless beast. He is a child, and as he learns and grows we can unlock that power inside him for our own use. I left him under Xavier's tutelage to mould that child into a force for good. Being under the influence of our realm's most powerful wizard has to be beneficial to the child. So far that boy has learnt nothing but pain and darkness being constantly locked away from the rest of the world. No wonder nothing good has come out of him, when nothing good has gone in. Let him for once in his life be a normal child, experience happiness and who knows what untapped potential will arise."
"What about when something goes wrong? How will you guarantee the safety of our children?"
"Will having the boy under the supervision of Xavier definitely doesn't hurt, however to ease your worries an agreement has been made with the Guardian Spirits, who are using their power to suppress the demons within."
"Councilman Boltagon is concerned that If all was going so well why was there a need for you to end your trip early? Why did you call this meeting?"
"Nothing gets past your beady little eyes do they Boltagon?" Fury sighed, "I called this meeting because I believe that Stoners murderer is hiding at the National Academy."
"Pourquoi?"
"Because, during my stay there was an attempt on my life."
"I KNEW IT!" Councilman Carpenter almost screamed, "They are after us! Oh my god am I next? Why did I even run for this position in the first place?"
"Why indeed?" Lebeau sneered.
"I'm not afraid. Let them come. I dare them to try and face me."
"Councilman Boltagon indeed finds this as an interesting development, Chairman Fury but if what you say is true why did you leave Project HULK within reach of our enemy?"
"As bait." Everyone seemed slightly perplexed by this so he continued. "After their failed attempt at my life our would be killer will most likely expect us to retreat away and thus disappear back into the shadows. But Councilmen, as you all know we are scheduled to attend the opening quodpot game at the academy in a few weeks. Surely if Stoner's killer is at the academy they will not be able to resist the temptation of the entire Council and Project HULK in the same place."
"Tzo you want to make it plus facile de killing of us?"
"How are we supposed to catch this guy if he's hiding in the shadows? By using bait to lure him out we can finally catch them and end this threat."
"I'm not sure how comfortable I am using myself for bait. This guy is trying to kill us. I'd rather he didn't succeed."
"Shut up woman. I for one like this plan. Finally some action. Lets show him that we are someone to be trifled with."
"You just want to show off tes muscles in front of son fils."
"Councilman Boltagon approves of this plan. Let us end this crisis."
"What about you Councilman Lebeau will you support this plan?
"Whatever, Ça me rend fou."
"Councilman Carpenter?"
"I can't take this. Why is this happening to us?"
"I don't know, but lets end it together."
"Fine, but I want our top operatives with me."
"Chicken." Borson scoffed.
"Enough! No more infighting. It is time we put our energy to catching this guy. This meeting is adjourned, let us go and prepare our trap." With that the Council stood and left to their quarters. Fury remained behind, a sly grin on his face.
"Alright Councilmen, let the games begin."
