Vengeance - Chapter Thirty-Six
Author: Milady Dragon
Author's Note: I won't be able to post on Thursday, I have family in town. This chapter doesn't end on a cliffhanger...sort of.
4 February 5193 (Earth Standard Date)
Imperial Throneworld
Clint had fairly vivid memories of the old vaults back in the original Playground, back before SHIELD had moved to the base in the UK, after it had become almost impossible for SHIELD to survive in the US. They'd been subterranean, dark, and spartan, with uncomfortable furniture and what he now knew had been the odour of sweat, evil, and despair. The longest resident of those vaults had been Grant Ward, before he'd been moved to a regular prison, where he'd spent the rest of his life.
The vaults had been just a step up from a bare prison cell.
The current Playground had the same sorts of vaults, and the dragon knew that his mate had designed these based on the old design. They were considerably more up-to-date, with better hidden cameras and a stronger force field barrier separating the living area where the various 'residents' were housed and the hard metal chair where the interrogator would sit in what was relative comfort.
Well, not really. Those chairs could do some serious damage to a person's back, let alone giving them a sore arse.
The other side of the gloomy room held a plain cot and toilet, and that was about it. The light was from an indeterminate source in the ceiling, the better so no one could break a fixture and do some damage with the shards. The cot was bolted to the metal flooring, to keep a prisoner from utilising it as a weapon as well.
Clint had, in fact, never met Councillor Petra Thorne before. She was a tall woman, mostly human – although there had to have been some alien in her blood at some point, judging from her deeply violet eyes – and she was every bit the aristocrat in her bearing, despite now wearing basic prison greys and having bare feet. Clint would have guessed her at somewhere in middle age, perhaps near seventy, her face unlined except for a couple of laugh-lines around her mobile mouth. Her black hair was cut in a stylish bob, reminding him just a little bit of how Lisa wore hers, although he thought it looked much better on his sister.
As haughty as she tried to appear, the dragon could practically smell the fear on her. He had to wonder if she was another reincarnation, or just someone HYDRA had converted to their cause.
Steve stepped forward, right up to the invisible barrier that separated their side of the room from the cell. Clint held back, as did Phillip and Arthur, content to let their friend take the lead in the questioning. After all, this had been a threat to the Imperial family, and was thus Shieldsman jurisdiction.
He knew for a fact that the Empress was watching from the security suite on the main floor.
"Ms Thorne – " Steve began.
"It's Councillor."
"You have been removed from the Council by order of Her Imperial Majesty, and your seat will be filled in an interim election that will be held within two standard months."
Thorne gave a minute flinch, and Clint doubted that anyone else would have caught the tiny movement; but then, there was a reason he still carried around the nickname, Hawkeye.
"These are some serious charges against you," Steve continued. "Her Imperial Majesty is willing to forego the death penalty if you decide to cooperate with us in our investigation."
"I don't know what you mean," the former Councillor denied. "I don't even know why I'm being held against my will."
"Ms Thorne, you know every well why you're here…the attempted murder of the Imperial family."
"You can't prove I had anything to do with that." Thorne tilted her head back, looking down her nose at Steve…which was a neat trick, considering that Steve was about half a foot taller than she was.
"You know, if you hadn't tried to run, we might never have suspected you right away." Steve shifted slightly, planting his feet a little farther apart and tucking his hands behind his back in a form of parade rest. "Once we caught you at the spaceport, using forged documents in an attempt to leave Throneworld, we knew you were the one behind it. Although, we'd managed to gain information that linked your company directly to Persephone Corporation, and to Derek Anthony's doomsday weapon project, so even if we hadn't found the evidence we needed in your house here on Throneworld we could have held you on a charge of being complicit in a terrorist plot."
"You had no right to search my home – "
"We had every right," Steve rolled over her objection. "We have proof that you were in collusion with Derek Anthony, also known as Uther Pendragon, and that your company was traced back through the dedicated server that Anthony's scientists were using to record their experiments. Anthony has been charged and is waiting indictment for his connections to HYDRA and for being responsible for contracting to complete a doomsday weapon against Imperial edict. Yes, he was a resident of Stark's World, but the Central Computer has ceded the investigation over to ImpSec and Torchwood and has terminated Anthony's residency for breaking the accords that his ancestor signed when applying for a place in Cartel Space – "
"And you trust a computer of all things?"
Which, of course, was a confirmation that HYDRA had no idea that it wasn't just a computer running Stark's World. Clint was glad; he didn't want anyone to target Stark. Sure, the guy was an egotist and more than a little crazy, but he was a friend.
The smirk that decorated Steve's handsome face was a treat to see. "You, apparently, have no idea just what the Central Computer is, then, if you think that. Her Imperial Majesty trusts the Central Computer implicitly, as well as the information broker known as Sakura, who was also a help in discovering what HYDRA has been up to."
Thorne's eyes flickered toward Phillip. "This is a Torchwood plot, Grand Master. They're throwing this false evidence on me, to get me out of the way and in revenge for voting for the audit of the Institute. Once you fully investigate the bombing, you'll see who was really responsible." A small, superior smile graced her features. "By putting this so-called enquiry into Torchwood's hands, you're playing into their plan."
Clint felt his mate's shoulder shaking slightly through the close contact they had, and he could tell it was from laughter, and not anger. Phillip was amused by Thorne's accusations, and trying very hard to keep his placid mask in place and not laughing in her face.
Steve sighed. "Oh, Ms Thorne," he shook his head, pity dripping from him like sweat would drip from anyone not a long-lived super-soldier. "You might as well give up that line of accusation immediately. You were never going to win the audit vote. There's far too much respect for Director Coulson-Jones and the Torchwood Institute for that sort of thing to ever happen, not on Her Majesty's watch."
Clint had to wonder just what this audit thing was, and made a mental note to ask his mate about it when they had time. It obviously had to do with the pretence of getting Phillip to Throneworld.
"That just means Torchwood could get away with murder and no one would know," Thorne pressed, despite the fact that she was on the losing side. Clint wasn't sure if she was keeping it up out of some sort of need to cast aspersions on his mate, or if she really believed it.
His own snort of amusement earned him Thorne's attention. "Of course, you'd think this was funny," she snapped. "You're a Harkness-Jones, and at the very heart of the corruption. Power has gone to your heads, and you don't care who you step on in order to get your way."
Clint's eyes widened. Alright, it was obvious she really did believe that. Still, despite that epiphany, he couldn't help but laugh right in her face. He felt his mate touch his hand, to get him to back off, but the dragon couldn't now if he tried. "You're nuts. Absolutely nuts. Do you have any idea at all how many planets and people that Torchwood has saved in its existence? All the way back, during Earth's 20th and 21st centuries, Torchwood operatives were putting their very lives on the line to save innocent people who might have been hurt or killed – or worse – by aliens trying to take over their world. Torchwood is the reason we even have peace now, and you can't see that beyond your own fucking need to knock down an organisation that has sacrificed and bled and died for you and your ancestors, without any expectations of at least a nice 'thank you'. We've fought Daleks and Cybermen and Skrulls and mad gods and any number of antagonistic races while you and yours remained ignorant at just how close they've come to being destroyed."
He took several steps forward, giving that insufferable woman his best murder glare. "What have you done, Thorne? Who have you saved? I'll tell you who…no one. You've spent your time gathering power and money and not using it to help those who need it. You should be ashamed of yourself, and pray for thanks every night to whatever deity you worship that Torchwood was willing to do this for you and for those you care for, and not ask for a damned thing in return."
The woman's face had gotten paler and paler under Clint's verbal assault. She truly seemed upset at Clint's words, and he couldn't be more pleased.
"What are they going to find at your businesses and your home on Trafusis?" he went on inexorably. "Just what have you done, all in the name of HYDRA? Because it seems to me you've fallen for their spiel hook, line and sinker. You actually believe the poison they've been spewing. You're up to your neck in this, and did you even question them when they came to you and told you all this?"
Thorne visibly attempted to regather her composure. "I've seen the evidence of Torchwood's ways. They've become nothing but a cult, making people believe in reincarnation and magic and your family is at the heart of it! And your 'Once and Future King' bollocks! Playing off people's fears and superstitions!"
Clint couldn't help the full-bellied laugh at her ridiculous claims. He glanced back toward his nephew; Arthur was rolling his eyes at her.
"Like I wanted any of that destiny shite," Arthur denied. "I just want to live my life with my family, and leave all of that behind. It's not done me any favours, and power doesn't interest me one jot."
Thorne was looking at Arthur as if he was some sort of puzzle she couldn't figure out. "You say that now, but I know all about the Pendragon Protocol. I know what that means!"
Oh, shit…
Phillip was muttering something that, even with his dragon-enhanced hearing Clint couldn't catch but inferred it was all cursing. Steve was shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
How had she known?
Clint had, because Phillip had complained enough about it. But there should have been no way Thorne could have discovered the Protocol, it was something that Danielle had kept carefully hidden, simply because she knew Arthur wouldn't agree to it.
Arthur's expression was confused. "I'm sorry…Pendragon Protocol?"
Thorne snorted. "Please. Stop acting as if you don't know all about it. You've managed to manoeuvre yourself into the perfect position to take control of the Empire if anything ever happened to the Imperial family."
"This was what this whole thing was about?" Steve asked incredulously. "You wanted to assassinate the Empress, the Consort, and the Heir in order to expose the Pendragon Protocol?"
"Wait," Arthur cut in, sounding incredibly put out, "is she serious? Is there really something called the Pendragon Protocol? That would put me up as Emperor? And whose brilliant idea was that, anyway, so I can go and cuss them out for even suggesting such a thing?"
Clint took several steps backward, in order to get out of the line of fire. If there was something Arthur hated above all else, it was all that Once and Future King crap. It was the main reason the Protocol had been kept quiet: to keep Arthur from fighting tooth and nail against it.
Arthur was a dragon; 'tooth' and 'nail' wasn't just a metaphor.
"Did you know about this, Uncle Phillip?" Arthur demanded. "It's obvious Steve did. But did you?" He threw his hands up. "No, don't answer that. Of course you did. Grandfather and Grandtad most likely did as well. And, apparently, you all thought it was perfectly okay to do this to me, knowing how I feel about being the ruler of anything?"
Arthur sounded betrayed. Clint didn't blame him. He'd been through enough with all the baggage that destiny had laid right at his nephew's feet. To discover that his own family, who should have known better, had conspired against him like that?
The problem was, Dad and Tad and Phillip had known this would happen. Hells, Danielle had known. They'd all decided to hide this from Arthur until the Protocol had to be enacted, because each and every one of them had known that, while Arthur would have hated it, he would have done his duty if it became necessary for him to step into the role of Emperor of the Human Empire. The only way they could have ensured that occurring was to drop it in Arthur's lap without warning, and let his sense of duty take over.
None of them had liked it. Clint knew that Phillip had fought against it. But, in the end, it had become one of the many secret protocols the former Empress Juliana had set into motion. And Danielle had agreed to it.
"Arthur," Phillip began, "your grandparents and I argued against the Protocol. We didn't want you put into this position. But none of us could talk Empress Juliana out of it. And, you have to know we would have helped you in any way we could if it had actually played out."
Clint glanced over at Thorne, curious to see how she was reacting to the family drama in front of her. Her expression was one of stunned shock, and it occurred to the dragon that HYDRA must have told her that Arthur was fully complicit in the Protocol, as was Torchwood. He could see it now: HYDRA informing her that Arthur was the Named Heir in case the entire Imperial family was killed, and that he'd have the backing of Torchwood, which would put the Institute in the unique position of being in control of the entire Human Empire.
HYDRA must have talked her into planting the bomb, and the evidence against Clint's mate. Then, if the Pendragon Protocol had been put into place, HYDRA could have come out of the woodwork and claimed that Phillip had been the one responsible in order to put his own nephew on the Imperial throne.
Oh, it was such a Machiavellian plot. Clint was grudgingly impressed. It was what he'd been afraid of when Barney had come forward and had explained his suppositions.
"You…didn't know," she whispered, realisation blooming across her features. The words were quiet, but it cut across the recriminations like a knife. It had everyone in the room glancing in her direction. "You honestly didn't know about the Protocol."
Arthur rolled his eyes at her. "I fucking did not," he snarled. "The last thing I want to do it rule the bloody Empire. I had enough of that in my first life, and sure as hells don't want it in this one. And my family knows that."
That last sentence had Arthur spinning back toward Phillip. He jabbed a finger into his uncle's chest, which Phillip took without protest. "Don't think I'm not having words with the Empress about this, Uncle Phillip. I flatly refuse to rule anything."
To Clint's surprise, his mate's lips curled up in a tiny smile. "Please do. And I'd like to be there when you do, since we all kept telling her and her mother this wouldn't be a popular decision."
"They lied to me," Thorne continued. She was shaking her head in disbelief. "They had me convinced that you knew about it, and condoned it. That's why I agreed to go along with their plan…" She gave a little, self-deprecating smile. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, if just to wreck their own lives like they just wrecked mine. They don't deserve any sort of loyalty from me, not now."
"Thank you, Ms Thorne," Steve said. "We appreciate your cooperation."
Clint was sincerely glad that someone in HYDRA was showing some sense.