For better or worse, Marvel owns all of this stuff, not me.
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Many thanks to my wonderful Betas, Bobbie23 and MasterQwertster, who write some pretty cool stories. Go read them!
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Chapter 38: Grieving
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Previously: US military personnel were onsite to investigate –accurate, yet planted— evidence that Natasha had killed their fellow soldiers. Meanwhile, their pawns infiltrated the Avenger's Headquarters using the sole sample of Pym Particles HYDRA had originally stolen.
TheAppendix's mercenaries intruded Avenger Headquarters to re-brainwash Bucky Barnes into the Winter Soldier, while planting bombs. In the ensuing chaos, Bucky was killed by War Machine, with Captain America trying to kill him in retaliation. Iron Man and Lady Sif arrived shortly after, with the latter successfully escaping with the Captain. Falcon was caught in an explosion, while Vision was unharmed. Many US soldiers were also killed or wounded by explosives concealed by Pym Particles until they re-grew in size to detonate.
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"You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage."
-Granny Esme Weatherwax, "Witches Abroad" by Terry Pratchett
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Four Weeks after the Battle of Avenger's Headquarters
Blurrily, Sam Wilson woke up, a too familiar ache of pain in his stiff body. The sudden input from his senses –beeping sounds, smell of cleaning products, voices in the background—were nearly overwhelming, yet through bitter experience he persevered through it. Subconsciously he remained still, now remembering he had been in a firefight. Bit by bit his memories came back to him, even as he overheard a feminine voice reporting he should be waking up any moment now.
From underneath hooded lids, he caught sight of two men enter his room to stand by the bed. They wore black suits with white hirts, their concealed weapons bulging under the fabric, and their gait screamed ex-military. While he saw no ID's, he immediately pegged them as some sort of government agents. Possibly they were private security, but they would have left him alone in that case.
It…it was Avenger's Headquarters. Natasha. I came to help her, killed her attackers, but she'd already gotten away. And…there was an explosion. I was too close to it. This is a hospital.
Still motionless, Sam registered a cool piece of metal around his left wrist. Handcuffs.
Suddenly alert, he tests the range of the constraints by moving his arm away from the barrier of the bed only to hear metal clinking against metal as his arm doesn't get far. "Huh?" he croaked
Diligently, one of the strangers leaned forward with a cup of water to give Sam a few sips. "Who're you?" Sam rasped.
"We're just here," the one with the cup began, who Sam dubbed 'Good Cop,' "to make sure you're alright. When you're ready, we'd—"
"We'd like to ask if you're willing to sign the Sokovia Accords!" brazenly declared one Tony Edward Stark, as he waltzed into the room.
"Mr. Stark!" bit out Good Cop. "You aren't supposed to be here!"
Judging by their angry reactions, Sam suspected that the two strangers had become more than accustomed to the billionaire ex-playboy's more insufferable exploits and tactics. The one that made you fantasize about killing him and blaming it on one of his former one-night stands who did not take rejection well.
"Oh, come on," Tony waved dismissively. "What's the harm? Sammy-boy's happy to sign up for the Accords! He isn't at all like Captain America, who's innocent of the nasty crimes he's been accused of!"
"Then why'd he run!" angrily snapped the man who was probably Bad Cop.
Now I get it, Sam realized. To help disguise his thoughts, he rubbed his face as if still half-asleep. Whatever happened, Steve's the fall guy in all of this. Tony's obviously doing whatever he can to do to protect me, make sure I don't blurt out anything incriminating. He's probably been here irritating them from day on just to make them slip up in front of me. Falling back on his reputation as an obnoxious jerk, a cover he plays so well, so he could give me the head's up.
Clearly Good Cop and Bad Cop had meant to trap him into an admission. Or perhaps he was feeling uncharitable, and they really were going to give him the benefit of the doubt while asking him some pointed questions. Except I don't really know who they are yet, or who're they're with, or how long I've been out. A frown scrunched up his eyebrows for an instant. And I think the drugs are still making me a little loopy after all.
Most importantly, Sam did oppose the Sokovia Accords, and was proud to firmly have Captain America's back.
Tony knows this, and expects me to lie.
Which was a problem, because Sam would have to sign the Accords to prove his intent. As a former soldier he was a man who took his oaths seriously. Which raised the time old question: what was the value of a promise made under duress?
I can't help Steve if I'm in prison. For crying out loud, I don't even know where he is, and if I got arrested, he'd risk everything to break me out.
Dimly he noted how Tony was still riling his 'guests' up, buying Sam more time.
…I'll sign. Best case scenario, we later change them legally to be more in line with the New York Accords. Worst case scenario, I defect. And even if we don't, I'll give the Sokovia ones a fair chance, to see if they actually live up to their intent. See if they work in reality, and if the politicians can adapt if necessary. That, is something I'll be willing to commit myself to.
XXX
Avenger's Tower (again)
(Formerly Stark Tower. Also, again)
Colonel James Rupert Rhodes, a.k.a. Rhodey, stared off into the nightline of New York.
"You shouldn't stay stuck in the past. Goodness knows, it never did me any good."
Rhodey did not react to the words, as Tony came up beside him, carrying two glasses of brandy. "I'm not thirsty," Rhodes politely said when he saw them.
"Good, means I don't have to go back for yours," Tony retorted, as he started one of them. :)
A small smirk graced Rhodey's face before it turned grim once more. "And I'm not stuck in the past."
"Liar."
Ignoring him, the man who was War Machine turned his gaze back to the city.
XXX
Flashback
Literally rocketing down the hallways, he passed over corpses of dead men and women. Some of whom War Machine had played poker with only a few nights ago. Felt like a lifetime ago.
Sensors detected the sound of gunfire, and throwing caution to the wind he cut his repulsors to skid across the ground to appear in a doorway. That was why he wore armour after all: to protect others.
In an instant, he took it all in.
One gunman firing a heavy machine gun at someone just behind another doorframe; his suit's onboard computer scanning and identifying the target as Captain America. And the attacker –surrounded by even more bodies— was drawing a grenade launcher.
The man's back was to War Machine, yet that new weapon was already almost aimed at his teammate and friend. Even a super-soldier would be killed by explosives like that. There was no time for anything fancy. So, as any proper soldier would, Colonel Rhodes acted.
Two repulsors fired, and the threat fell dead.
It was only then it occurred to him how uncharacteristically passive the leader of the Avengers had been during the shootout.
Stepping forward, Rhodey finally saw who it really was, face turned towards him as it lay on the floor: Bucky Barnes.
Then a vengeful Captain America attacked…
XXX
Present
"If anyone's to blame, it's me," Tony said. "Yeah, we were so happy with that wonderful failsafe that would've put him to sleep, but I should've put in more contingencies." He paused before starting his second glass, and shrugged. "Of course, if he'd put himself to sleep to foil their plans when they first showed up, they'd have just slit his throat."
Fists tightening, Rhodey flatly ordered, "Don't. Tony."
Internally, Tony winced as he realized he had pushed too far. Four weeks was not long enough. So, he changed the subject. "Sam's signed up. Not like he had much choice, unless he wanted to be a martyr of course. I doubt he really fooled anybody, except maybe a preschooler. Anyways, so long as he's signed and marches to the new beat, there's nothing the government can do. I figure he's going to stick around to see if the Sokovia Accords actually do what they're supposed to. Personally, I'm just glad he's awake and able to take care of himself. I was getting tired of playing babysitter."
This was not an attempt at humour. As the leader of the 'true' Avengers, Tony had been kept busy drawing up new training schedules that were free of Roger's 'taint,' media events, meeting various government officials, etcetera.
These meetings had included important discussions with the new Director of SWORD, Abigail Brand. She was a logical choice, having been Selvig's second-in-command, who had handled all of the practical aspects of running the organization, even before her predecessor's untimely end. While a bit more ruthless and cynical than Tony wanted for leading Earth's intergalactic relations, she was tough and fair-minded enough, that in his eyes it balanced out. The two of them had been discussing Stark Industries' return to weapons development, with an eye for arming SWORD's space stations and defense satellites. The tricky part he encountered when engineering them, was designing something that ensured said weapons were powerful enough to protect the planet, while simultaneously impossible to be turned around and used to threaten the Earth in macabre irony.
Of course, Tony darkly thought, I bet the Appendix are throwing a bloody party. Just the kind of system they want to kill Thanos when he shows up, which is why it's so imperative that they can't take control of the system to launch any orbital bombardment when the whim strikes them.
Hence the long hours Tony had also put in to fruitless efforts to find them. From the computer pad he had found near Selvig's corpse, it looked as if the genius had hit a breakthrough in that regard. He had theorized that a cloaked ship could be found by scanning for O2 and looking for pockets in the air where no gases were present. Infuriatingly, just as Tony believed they were going to crack the case wide open, one of the randomized scans his satellites had been doing over America (in addition to ones with set search patterns) found the gutted Dark Elf fighter craft. Abandoned in the woods and stripped of everything of value, there was no telling if the Appendix would even resort to using the cloaking device again.
It was honestly a wonder there had been time to watch Sam's back.
Tony glanced at Rhodey again, before looking back at the horizon as his own dark thoughts surfaced. Would I have used that failsafe to save him, or would I have used his brainwash-imposed killing spree as an excuse to kill the tool that killed my parents?
It had been four loooong weeks since he had received that fateful video.
In hindsight, it was obvious that the Appendix had sent it for the explicit purpose of sending Iron Man flying off in a berserker rage. Even worse was Happy spelling it out for Tony once his friend had found the video.
And of course, said 'friend' had gone and told Pepper.
Alright, no, it's good he did that. Even if she did get upset about it…
Pepper Potts had not chewed Tony out, no. That he was used to. Had some sort of tolerance. Her teary eyed and she quietly asked how he could be so reckless?
He shuddered in memory.
Fortunately, talking with her had helped Tony realize that Bucky was just as much the victim. For crying out loud, the man had been friends with Howard Stark! He was one of those few who had actually liked Tony's dad!
Unfortunately, those discussions had redirected Tony's anger in a way not even his beloved could mollify. It was Natasha and Steve who had first learnt about HYDRA and the Winter Soldier. Who had dumped all of those files onto the internet, which somehow failed to mention anywhere the assassination of two such influential members of both America and SHIELD. Finally, while it was no surprise that Natasha had given no hints she had known –Which, he bitterly had to remind himself, is no proof—, a dozen offhand comments from Capsicle, or the way he deflected certain topics, took on a new light. He knew. He knew and he never said anything, trying to keep it buried. Mister Truth and Justice said nothing.
Finishing his drink, Tony idly twirled the glass in his hands. "We'll keep on playing nice for now, while looking for the Appendix. Get hold of Sharon Carter to contact both the CIA and SHIELD, and work our way using the intelligence agencies and our own resources. The rest of our efforts we'll put into preparing for Thanos. As for Steve, we'll let him come to us. No need to rush into that conversation."
Rhodey absently nodded. Hopefully I'll know what to say by that point…
Despite the urge to go get more brandy, Tony stayed by his friend. Hopefully I won't punch out too many of his perfect teeth.
XXX
Deep Space
Carefully, Thor checked he had a deployable spacesuit as a back-up, before adjusting the forcefield. Secure within the extended bubble of air, he stepped out of the safe walls of Frigga's Wrath, flagship of the allied fleet, to walk upon her hull.
A truly massive tankard of mead in one hand, he gazed upon the cosmos. Idly his mind painted visions of Jane Foster within the constellations.
I needed this, the Avenger thought as he felt the stress flow out of him. He gulped down a few more mouthfuls. Just…peace. A reminder of what I'm fighting for.
The last few weeks had become increasingly hard as the savagery of the war against Thanos escalated endlessly. Thor knew that if he were human, his face would bear heavy scars right now.
In a week or so however, he was to be recalled before King Odin to fight a different sort of battle: diplomacy. Seeing the success of the united forces of Xandar, and Asgard and her allies, other civilizations were willing to entertain the possibility that Thanos could be defeated.
Thor had no delusions it would be as easy as they believed.
After all, Thor bitterly knew, it truly matters not how many billions of his minions we slay. Victory will only be ours if we slay the Mad Titan…and ensure he never acquires any of the Infinity Stones.
Oh well, as he tried to cheer himself back up, at least I'll finally be able to meet those Guardians of the Galaxy!
XXX
Somewhere in the US
Steve Rogers woke up.
And yet at the same time, it felt as if he had been awake for weeks. Or, at the very least, his body had been moving about. Eating what was put in front of it. Responding when told to go wash up. Sleeping when given a blanket. It was his mind that had been asleep.
Oh…
…Bucky.
Once more grief squeezed at his heart, but now Captain America had recovered enough to embrace it, and hold it fast. Acknowledging his feelings, but refusing to let them consume him anymore. He was a soldier –a warrior— at heart, and he had to find out what was wrong around him. Find who was responsible.
Standing up, Steve took stock of his situation.
Jeans and a hoody that was a little tight to wear. Rubbing the long stubble on his face, he had an estimate of approximately four weeks since he had shaved last, but neither he nor his clothes stank as if it had been that long. Right, they've been washed. And someone told me to clean up too, and that's what I did. Sensitive ears picked up running water, from what he presumed to be a creek. Trees surrounded him, and he tried to narrow down where he was from the species and their details, even as his nose belatedly registered the smell of cooking meat, making his stomach growl with appreciation.
Spinning around, he saw Sif staring at him from where she crouched motionlessly by a fire. A small woodland creature was being roasted by the flames. "So, you're finally truly awake," she gently said. Nothing about the state he had been in, or how long it had taken. Simply a statement.
Like him, she was wearing a bland hoody and jeans, although he caught a glimpse of her compacted sword at her side, and his Avengers' wrist computer encircling her arm where the sleeve rode up.
"Tony can track that, you know," he said as he pointed at the latter.
"I took care of it," she simply said, with the authority a woman who had lived over 1000 years. She knew he was still adjusting, trying to find something ordinary to focus on.
Then Steve's eyes locked onto hers.
"What happened?" he asked his girlfriend, in a tone which seemed too calm to be real.
"When I arrived, Stark and Rhodes had subdued you, while Bucky was lying dead. Given the state of the bodies around him, and the weapons nearby, I assume that the compulsions in his mind had been reborn," Sif stated. "I can only guess that Colonel Rhodes found himself forced to kill your best friend before using the failsafe, or it didn't work."
Steve's chin fell to his chest. "No. I'd just activated it when Rhodes fired. Another second or two…"
Silence fell between them.
"He was my friend."
Privately, Sif knew that her fellow Avenger had done the right thing. Her personal experience, and a whole month to think it through, helped her plan what to tell Steve once his mind had healed. "Do you remember when Lorelei came to Earth?" she asked.
"The Asgardian who could control men?" he clarified, just in case, given how disorientated he felt. "She tried to kill Bruce, and Natasha beat her half to death."
"Yes," and there was suddenly a satisfied grin on Sif's face that was unnerving. "And she had been on Earth before, which is when I helped Son of Coul and his companions. But what did the reports say about her time before she was imprisoned in Asgard? And why I was sent to hunt her down that time?"
"You were the one to capture her before," Steve realized. "…and she took control of someone you cared about."
Face hardening, yet at the memory, and not Steve's words, Sif gave a stiff nod. "His name was Haldor, and he was my lover. Until he was enthralled by Lorelei. She used his skills as a warrior to lead her conquests. At least when she was not compelling him into her bed. Eventually, he was killed on the battlefield before I saved him."
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "After several years, Lorelei's rebellion was finally put down, and I was the one to defeat her. Applying an artifact that robbed her of her powers, I freed her slaves. All of the men." Sif's eyes darkened as she saw the past. "Victims who tasted the breath of freedom again…and remembered all of the crimes and atrocities they had committed while under her control. The dead at their feet, including even their own loved ones. While Lorelei learnt to control that appetite of hers, yet a part of her still savoured tormenting other women into accept how little their love meant before her power. Forcing her slaves to then kill them as 'proof' of their commitment to her.
"Haldor only had me. No family, and no other friends.
"But the worst part?" Sif finished with barred teeth. "The worst were my orders…to bring her back alive. Which I did, as duty commanded me. Even if I had to fight off those whom I had just freed from captivity to do so. It was the law, and I carried it out, despite how much I hungered to seek my own revenge on the woman who took the man I cared for. Later, I took solace in how she suffered for six hundred years in that prison, barring a brief breath of freedom before I put her back. Begging me to kill her instead of condemning her back to it. Goading me, by bringing up Haldor."
She closed her eyes, and slowly the tension eased out of her.
"Thank you," Steve whispered. "Thank you for trusting me with that."
He craned his neck to look up at the blue sky, with patterns of the dawn still breaking across. Steve hesitated, struggling to think of something to say. Grappling with the turmoil of emotions inside of him, pulling him in multiple directions at once.
"There is one other thing," Sif added. "I never really said goodbye to Haldor, especially when we parted ways for what was only supposed to be a brief impasse. It was during this time that Lorelei enslaved him. Therefore, I never got to tell him how I truly felt. Which is why I'm happy that you have that chance now. Bucky Barnes' final words."
Steve's head snapped down to look at her in confusion, while she silently pulled out an I-Phone from her coat. Turning it on like he had taught her, she put in a password (random letters as per Avenger policy) to open it, and then scrolled through the options. A few seconds later, she handed it over to him, and stood up. "I'll leave you in privacy."
Then she placed the food beside the fire so it would not burn, and left.
It was a video file, waiting for another security code to access it.
Pausing in thought for a moment, Steve typed in H-A-L-D-O-R.
"Access granted."
XXX
"Steve, if you're watching this, I'm probably dead," said Bucky.
Based on his clothes and hair-length, Steve estimated the Bucky on screen was from only a few weeks ago. He was out of his cell, sitting on a chair in a plain room.
"Sif suggested this to me after you fought the Appendix. How you guys almost died on that spaceship, and learnt how grief and vengeance helped turn them insane." He shrugged with a cocky grin. "Given how I'm probably dead of unnatural causes, you can guess where I'm going with this already. But I've got to do it anyways. I'm going to give a copy to all the Avengers, just in case."
Eyes hardening, Bucky went on. "Knowing you, you're probably blaming yourself for my death, or whoever else got caught up in it. I don't know how it happened, but I'm hoping it involved a lot of hot women." A smile cracked through. "This is the part where you smirk and make some comment about being my wingman. Seriously though, I hope you find yourself someone, because America's greatest hero being single is just wrong!"
Bucky cocked his head to the side. "And yeah, I'm joking from beyond the grave, but that's life. If you can't find something to enjoy about it, then what's the point?" Groaning, he rubbed his face. "Listen to me, sounding philosophical, and I can't even get drunk anymore!"
With a sigh, the monologue continued. "Like I said, you're blaming yourself. You weren't fast enough. You didn't figure out what they were planning. You weren't there when I needed you. Just like back on the train in '45.
"It's not your fault.
"There, I said it. The time when I fell, you couldn't save me, and thought I was dead," Bucky flatly said. "But you know what? What I regret the most about that time isn't what happened next when the Soviets found me, it's that I didn't get to say goodbye before that piece of metal –flimsy, cruddy piece of Nazi construction— broke off. We both thought I was a dead man then, Steve. I should've died, but instead I spent over sixty years walking around like a zombie under someone else's orders, with that as my last thought. I. Didn't. Say. Goodbye.
"So now I am: Take care of yourself Steve, and I'll see you later. Just don't you pass the Pearly Gates before you're old and gray. Until you've loved a woman –or man, I'm not judging— and had a family. Adopt if you have to. Whatever you do though, don't stop living your life, and don't forget that we will see each other again. And when we do, I expect to hear all about it.
"And I'll tell you what I've been up to with Dum Dum, James, Jim, Gabe, Jacques —hopefully I'll have learnt French better—, and you can bet Peggy'll be there too. By the time you get there, maybe Colonel Phillips will have loosened up. Maybe. Oh, and we'll have your Mom's home cooking waiting for you."
Letting out a deep breath, it seemed as if a great weight had been lifted off of Bucky's shoulders. "Huh. That felt better than I thought it would. I won't bore you with the rest, because you know it all already, or it'd be boring. Just remember what I said Steve.
"See yah around."
He nodded at whoever was holding the camera, and the screen went black.
XXX
Sif waited for over half an hour before she came back, and found tears still rolling down from Steve's eyes.
"Thank you," he simply said.
"You're welcome."
Then she fixed up the camp some more. When he was ready to talk about it, she would listen. In the meantime, Sif would not pressure him.
XXX
Nidavellir
At last Loki's slaves had found it: Nidavellir, one of the Nine Realms, and home of the Dwarves.
They stopped to clean and bandage their wounds, and eat to refresh their energy. Only at their best could they fulfill their mission.
Nidavellir was an unusual planet for such a technologically advanced culture. The surface with covered with jagged mountains, undeveloped and left to its natural state. It was misleading to newcomers, as the Dwarves' orbital defenses were as devastating as they were discreet, ensuring the Dwarves never had (until now) any unwanted guests besides Asgardians, who had their Bifrost to slip around such issues. As for the inhabitants, their preference was to build their massive cities deep underground, so as to escape the three suns overhead.
This was relevant to their mission, since while the Dwarves –to their keen regret— acknowledged that IT was most secure on their homeworld, given their role with IT, they outright refused to keep it anywhere near their own people. So IT was kept above ground. It was unlikely that any intruders would get past their spaceships and fortresses.
It took half the day to hike there, yet even that short distance was an amazingly convenient coincidence given the relevant size of a planet. They literally could have come out on the other side of the world. As it was, they needed frequent breaks under tents to shelter them from the three suns and potential heat stroke, in order compete their mission. Fortunately, Master Loki had provided them with detailed maps and information for this last stage. Long ago he had scouted out the place they were headed, studied it, and created a weakness. A weakness they were now to implement.
Finally, they were there.
Black and imposing beneath the everlasting sunlight, it was only the size of a large house back on Earth. There were no creases that could be seen, as if it were simply a massive slab of sleek metal that had been dumped down. Patrolling it however were twenty Asgardians in full battle armour, the only presence the Dwarves were willing to tolerate. Even as the war against Thanos waged across the stars, these guards, or their replacements as they were rotated out, would never be removed.
The thirty humans settled down to work, prepping stolen, military grade weaponry. Rapid fire grenade launchers, sabot rounds, rocket launchers, anti-tank guns, everything. They would have only one chance to act upon their Master's will. The most important job however was being performed by their leader, as he did a last, diligent check of the most important device they had created. Loki had only given instructions on how to build it, fearing that if Heimdall's all-seeing eyes should discover it, Asgard would immediately and preemptively attack. Odin would never tolerate the slightest risk.
"Now," was all the leader said, entering the initialization code into the device, and pressed the red button to activate.
(When Dr. Selvig had helped create it, adding his own Infinity Stone influenced genius to the task, he had been manic in his insistence that it be a red button).
Down below, a dull 'thunk' rang out.
XXX
The Sanctuary
(Domain of Thanos)
Thanos grinned in pleasure as he looked through his instruments.
While the interference of this alliance prevented him from dealing with Earth personally, he was pleased that his contingency was bearing fruit.
Loki, even after all Thanos had done to relieve him of his pride, still arrogantly believed himself resistant to any of the Mad Titan's own acts of mind control. Even sweeter, it never occurred to the little frost giant that this influence was transferable, that for every man and woman Loki assumed domination of, hidden protocols had also left them open to Thanos' mind.
All this time, unbeknownst to even them, Loki's remaining agents upon Earth had been acting on behalf of their one, true Master. Enacting a plan that Loki had only dreamt up as a contingency for when he truly had no other cards to play.
Which would have been a waste, Thanos mused. Such a delightful creation. It's a wonder really that he never chose to use it sooner. Some scrap of ridiculous sentiment perhaps? No matter.
While it will inevitably start with the Dwarves, it will follow the scent of the Terrans back to Terra itself. If it destroys that world, the Infinity Stones will remain, for they are beyond its power. If it merely damages Terra, it is guaranteed to still leave it vulnerable, and 'Prince' Thor might even be diverted to seek vengeance upon it. And then I will come and make both my servants.
If it fails, then I have lost nothing, and Terra will be left all the more vulnerable.
His grin stretched even further.
Either way, his beloved Death prospered.
XXX
Nidavellir
Bardon Barsilson, Captain of the Guard, paled as he whirled at the noise.
Across the black surface of their charge, mechanisms flexed and moved, segments folded away and shifted as the prison began to open.
Eyes swiveled to the concealed locking mechanism, but it was clear that nothing was there. Only the Allfather should have the key, and yet impossibly their worst nightmare was now beginning. Then he recalled how it was supposed to work. A mechanical key, however sophisticated, was deemed by the Dwarves to be a weakness to the structure, so they devised one that would work at range. Albeit, and only such a short range that it would work the same. If that holds true…
Harnon Transon, his second in command, struck his fist against the emergency alert. King Odin himself had overseen the forging of this prison, and he had been explicit that those tasked with its defense should place priority on warning the Nine Realms of what had been unleashed. Horrifyingly, the gem remained dull, without the glow of activation.
"Whoever it is has to be close by!" roared Captain Bardon, just before they were fired upon.
Fired upon by those who their ancestors had mistaken as gods.
Wielding powers and technology still beyond Earth's comprehension.
(Barring individuals like Tony Stark and Bruce Romanoff-Banner).
Armour and shields deflected the assault, and half their team crossed the terrain in seconds to fall upon the mortals insane enough to try this.
Dimly the Asgardians processed that their prey were Midgardians as they cut through them with swords that could slice through vibranium with equal ease. In a mere four seconds, two thirds of them were dead. Then the guards saw a pattern to the slaughter: the bodies that fell before them were merely a distraction.
"NO!" cried Bardon as he raced around a large rock they had overlooked in their charge.
Striking downwards with his spear, the leader of the Midgardians fell dead. Another strike, and the device in his hand was destroyed.
But the damage was done.
Blood freezing in their veins, the Asgardians took in the ongoing sight of the turning locks, whirling gears and tumblers, and knew deep within their bones that the creature's release was inevitable. There was nothing they could do to prevent it, even without the distraction posed by those who released him. They would stand between it and the Nine Realms till it stole their last breath.
"Stand together," Bardon ordered with a calmness he did not feel. He had failed his duty, and his family was disgraced. Worse, the evil was unleashed. All he could do now was provide his men with a death worthy of Valhalla. "It may be weakened enough for us to contain it."
They knew it would not.
The doors clicked open.
XXX
Mass was displaced and re-sorted as the prison folded itself open, almost like a flower. What had been a solid surface parted to let in light and air for the occupant.
The chains fell away, their links covered in bloodied barbs to hold their captive in place. Strong they were, stronger than anything else the Dwarves had created, barring Mjolnir itself. And even they had barely been enough to stop what had been entombed alive here. Sealed away, because it had been beyond the even the wrath of Asgard, a kingdom of warrior gods, to kill it.
Or…possibly…just possibly…they were afraid to kill it.
That Odin Allfather feared that there might be some truth to the prophecies of old. Or worse, fearing its death would take the future unto an even darker unknown horizon, beyond his sight to control or defy.
Nevertheless, the time was now.
At long last it was free, announcing its escape with a deafening roar.
"For Odin Allfather!" screamed Bardon, as he led the charge.
His torso disappeared between the massive fangs into the abyss of its core.
Armour and shields were rent asunder by claws, while again and again they were consumed by hungry jaws which showed no ill effects from years of imprisonment.
In only five heartbeats it was over, as a dark-grey figure stood over the carcasses of false gods, bathed in their blood.
Fenrir.
Lokison.
Wolf god.
Herald of Ragnarok.
XXX
Author Notes:
A scene that Bucky deserved. Not the last of him either, I have one more appearance for him.
I confess that the scene with Tony and the two glasses of brandy was inspired by season 2 of MASH, specifically when the higher-ups send a psychologist to evaluate the doctors.
The reason that the Avengers who signed the Sokovia Accords are back at Stark Tower as opposed to the fancy place we saw in Spiderman: Homecoming, is sadly that WAS the place that just got blown up. We just never saw it as developed as that in the previous films.
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Next Chapter: "Ragnarok"
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Please Review and I will get back to you!