p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center; page-break-before: always;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"- Chapter 2 -/span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" /span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Lady Skuld, we are honored by your presence," Odin's voice broke the terrible silence engulfing the conference style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat few dealings he had over the years with the Norns had left him with a dislike of her in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's childish eccentricities wore on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanVerthandi was far more respectable in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that he would ever say style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanChildish though she was, Skuld was still extraordinarily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny Norn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir voices alone were enough to command style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt always took immeasurable effort to resist its effects./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's attention whipped back to the foolish style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer wicked grin grew style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJustice was at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Odin, great and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow lovely to see you!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt has been too long since last we spoke."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe held up her hand to silence him, "We shan't speak in this moment, I would hear nothing from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI might return later to hear your weeping at your failures, but not now."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was ready to collect their debt./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs Skuld spoke Frey's eyes narrowed just style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he had few enough dealings with the Norns, he still disliked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir voices were terrifyingly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he had to fight to simply keep command of his body when a Norn spoke left him peevish in thought towards style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that he would ever be peevish in attitude towards any of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey wasn't certain that he could defeat a Norn, even with as confident in his skills as he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat most caused him to be wary was that Norns simply felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could feel Skuld's seidr, and even got the impression of a core, but he couldn't tell where it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's seidr core didn't feel like it was in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the Norns he'd dealt with were like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir seidr was powerful, but indistinct./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590085"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young seidaugu drew her attention style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld stepped back into the shadows and moved swiftly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe stepped out of the shadows to stand before him, yet he didn't shrink back from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man briefly flinched back when she lifted her left hand, then lifted his chin and squared his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sarammr was wrapped around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a defiant look about him that told her of his refusal to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe look in his eyes briefly excited style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was handsome enough and of a good style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe estimated him to be two or three inches above six style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot as tall as her, but few men style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe considered taking him as her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would certainly be easy enough , useful even, to dispose of him when she was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a thought that was put away for later. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJustice had to be brought to her family before anything style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen she peered one last time into the currents of time swirling around him, he was still staring back at her from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis one face dead in the past, his other living in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man with green-gold eyes was still a ghost behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth the man with green-gold eyes and her Elder Sister were too style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSuch beautiful seidaugu you shall have, wearer of the mantle Keeper Of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou shall serve me alone,/em she thought with a vicious style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld commanded her sjel-seidr to touch gently at him, asking to speak with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer smile was a little predatory when he withdrew the sarammr just enough for her./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194141"/aa name="_Hlk12382241"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young corporal was shocked to see one of the elder aunts standing in front of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe few memories he possessed of her were slightly blurry, but she was still recognizable as Aideshan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat she was doing there became less important when she tried to intimidate him like the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was insulting for her to treat him like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't going to stand for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis irritation with her faded when she gently asked if he would speak with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had need of him, so he lowered his sarammr enough to let her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick hoped that it would be what Aideshan would style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had no way to know./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA little smirk crossed Frey's face as he arched an eyebrow to see the young Midgardian not back away from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanChildren always did the most unexpected style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt seemed this boy was a touch style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think poorly of the handsome lad; the boy clearly didn't know what he was dealing with./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA touch of nervousness entered Frigga's thoughts as the boy didn't back away from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he was just a Midgardian, he was also just a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had no desire to watch a child be struck down almost instantly upon arriving on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was nothing she could do except style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga didn't want Skuld to strike them all down if she tried to intervene on the boy's behalf./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSeeing the Midgardian boy try to show no fear to Skuld caused Odin to sigh style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe saw the boy's flinch, expected him to back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't so surprising to see the boy try to stand his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was only a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know what he was dealing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin did know but didn't care to watch Skuld strike down a child only moments after bringing them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Midgardians were small and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat didn't mean they deserved to lose their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis boy had parents style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin was a little too familiar with the grief losing a child brought to be comfortable letting a child die without at least trying to intervene./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe three monarchs stood by while the man they considered a boy stood face to face with the most childish of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach came to a quick conclusion that if the 'boy' was harmed by Skuld then they would intervene to heal his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of them felt like watching a child be struck down./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590208"/aa name="_Hlk501387180"/aa name="_Hlk12375711"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387180;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith one hand over the young man's heart, Skuld placed her other hand on the side of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr glowed a brilliant magenta as she commanded it into him to touch at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr showed him how the assembled fools were guilty, providing him with proof of their crimes as laid out in the truths the Great Work imparted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld didn't care about their crimes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were beneath her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, their crimes were a deep debt owed to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis debt was the trap little-sweet laid, so now Skuld cared very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe snickered again as her sjel-seidr continued to pour the truth into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was enticing to see her sjel-seidr flashing in his beautiful eyes./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387180;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12376123"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only what she wanted him and them to see that Skuld was careful to give style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe hope she saw was withheld, kept tangled even in what she was conveying to him through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was purposefully tangled both in his mind and in the clumsy machine that comprised her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLittle-sweet would suffer and fade before they could do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot even the firehawk could repair the damage this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe would make sure of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir debts to little-sweet would never be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's smile turned dark as she thought about the weeping, wailing grief they would feel when little-sweet died in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would know some the pain she felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be but a fraction of what she'd suffered, but it would be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld couldn't strike directly at their city while it was protected by her Elder Sister, so she would strike at their hearts style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRip them out and crush them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fires of golden city would be fueled by pain they inflicted on her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was what the liar Lord's little misbegotten Lord would do for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would use the blood of the Royal Line to spread that pain far and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe realm itself would darken under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, it would darken under the firehawk's wrath after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe golden city would fail and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis would be the true repayment of their debt to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be the justice she would bring to the sweet children who suffered so cruelly./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12380552"/aa name="_Hlk501387227"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs the truth finished pouring into his mind her sjel-seidr whispered her thoughts to him again to him. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you bring them the punishment they are owed?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you serve justice?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you be my Truthkeeper?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir debt must be paid/em, she whispered to him through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPaid in pain and blood,/em she thought to herself./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"a name="_Hlk12521730"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYes,/span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12521730;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" he whispered in return, his thoughts quiet after all she showed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs one of the last of the Satska Soledras, doing as she asked was the young man's only style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanObeying the hierarchy and the law was always and forever the only thing for them to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld knew it before she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe smirked as he gave her the answer she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would keep her truths and dole each one out in its own time./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"a name="_Hlk501387443"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sean McCorrmick, son of Gabriel style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTruthkeeper, I name thee."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sjel-seidr in Skuld's hands flashed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man's skin glimmered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gasped and shook as she filled him with the might of her sjel-seidr, still Skuld held him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe glimmer moved over his skin to collect in a single rune under her hand. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA long magenta line appeared vertically above his heart in the center of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the top of the line a bright flash brought another line that ran down at a steep angle towards his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnother flash brought another magenta line that appeared at the bottom of the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis one ran up at an equally steep angle up towards his right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThree more flashes brought three more lines at the center of the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them were running at an angle from top right to bottom style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile the top and bottom lines were equal in length, the middle line was longer than either of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Rune of Power formed in his flesh made of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith it formed she laid a border around, anchoring him to her and marking him as her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom there she linked him to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would be the steward of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThrough him the only truth they would come to understand was pain./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk501387939"/aa name="_Hlk12381888"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387939;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light the rune gave off was easily visible from under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom that magenta border, more lines style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo lines each formed, they twisted at the top and bottom to form a circle in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA triangle formed in the circle to block off a side quarter of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom the tip of that triangle another line ran all the way to the other side of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis circle formed a tiny link that was less than a penny's width style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs soon as one link was formed then it welded top to bottom to the next style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach link was filled with three tiny style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach tiny rune represented a different magical discipline or unique piece of magic Skuld was a Master style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe links bound together in chains, then the chains wove overtop of one another like ribbons on a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe chains ran over the young man's chest down to his lower style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUp and over his shoulders, they spilled down his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRunning down to his lower back they stopped and linked around his sides to the chains in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe rune chains ran down the young man's arms, twisting tight, to stop in a single style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA hexagonal border flashed on the back of each of his hands that was less than two inches style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithin each border a single line flashed in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the bottom of the line a four-pointed star style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the top of the line two more lines arched out into a 'V' from the top of each of those lines arched out two more, smaller 'V' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe anchoring runes on his hands were complete./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387939;"a name="_Hlk12382463"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom his chest and back the woven chains of shining runes spilled down the sides of his hips to wind around his legs, from his upper thighs style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore chains of runes weaving down his legs halted at another single rune at the tops of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe anchoring runes on his feet were an inverted version of the ones on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom his shoulders the chains of runes wove together and climbed, stopping at the very top of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMagenta sjel-seidr sparkled in his eyes as his hair quickly suffused with a matching style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA moment later all the chains flashed in a single pulse then their light died away leaving him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer runework was settled in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanControl of the young seidaugu wearing her Elder Sister's mantle belonged to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's sjel-seidr turned quickly again as she marked his heart with a special style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would draw the Einherjar to his soul when it was released from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would take him to Valhalla's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be his reward for assisting in delivering justice for her murdered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last thoughts she poured into his mind were the side effects of being outside of the bounds of time and the Sealing Ward she was going to brand The Mad style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was going to pull the entire room outside the bounds of time when she locked the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld still needed to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe moment wasn't locked yet, and her Elder Sister was still pursuing her./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12389859"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Do you understand, child of McCorrmick?" Skuld asked him quietly, looking down into his beautiful style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Your seidaugu belong to me now./emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs she'd taken him from her Elder Sister, so would she take the wretched golden city./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12389848"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNodding slowly, McCorrmick gave his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't an agreement that he felt he had much choice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs an elder aunt she was speaking for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf this was what his Aideshan wanted of him, then he was obliged to give it. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBesides/em, he thought somberly, emthey are style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emMcCorrmick wondered then if this was a test from Aideshan to see if they were still style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't a test he wanted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere could be lives riding on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't break eye contact with his elder aunt as he spoke, choosing his words style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You're seeking justice, the repayment of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou've gathered those who owe this debt here for that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere is guilt and it must be addressed before the situation can be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe guilt and the debt have gone unknown to those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to show them what I style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to show them what's gone unseen."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe panted slightly as his breathing returned to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light she was covering him with brought a crushing feeling with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly when it faded away could he breathe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a light that he'd seen before but struggled to find the memory style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man wasn't sure he possessed that memory./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12390706"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young seidaugu pleased Skuld even more with his humble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe bestowed him with a gentle style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYes,/em she thought to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemI shall have him for a lover when this is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI shall have him for my own. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA touch of smugness entered her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemMaybe when I am explaining to the Matron how I obtained justice, instead of her, I shall toss her his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span'Look sister, I even found your misplaced weapons. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo try not to lose them again,' she shall be so jealous of what I accomplished./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe looked into his pretty silver-blue eyes and could see herself in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are guilty, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTerribly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs my Truthkeeper you shall show them the truths they have refused to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou shall guide them towards their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor this, you shall be granted passage to Valhalla's Rest when your time comes due."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld stepped back into the shadows to move swiftly to the front of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe stepped out of the shadows to face everyone she'd drawn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFools, idiots, mantled liars, and her lovely new style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAgain, her smile was full of dark promises and wicked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was so much more fun than she thought it would be./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12391145"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I have gathered you here so that the veil of secrets might be pulled back from your eyes, that they might emburn/em with the radiance of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou are all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou carry a heavy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne whose weight you have been safeguarded from by a single style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou have been shielded from your own terrible natures, feed noble delusions that you might think yourselves better than you are."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld paused to enjoy their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer gaze shifted to little-sweet's true style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer smiled sharpened at his cautious style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is time to see that which has been unseen."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld still considered taking his heartstring to little-sweet after this was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe looked to the little misbegotten Lord, oblivious brat that he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe could smell the sweat and leather on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBriefly she wondered if it would smell any different if she took a flail to his back to strip away his childish style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe it would only smell more metallic as his blood stained the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEither way, his screams would amuse style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No more playing a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt is time for you to see what a true hero is," she almost snickered at those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter they were spoken she commanded her sjel-seidr into several Charms of the Keen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe charm applied itself to everyone there, melting over their brains and speeding their thoughts style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe charms would make it easier for her gathered fools to see their guilt, to see their debts and understand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would ready the little misbegotten Lord, so the truths of the Great Work would hit style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12391145;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"sjel-seidrspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" was swiftly commanded into a Sealing Ward that branded The style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis madness wouldn't be tolerated here./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12391145;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore speaking her last, Skuld swiftly made eye contact with each of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is time for you to see the debt you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRepay it if you can."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"You never style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI shall laugh as you fall!/em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12392153"/aa name="_Hlk501389201"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a last look over her gathered fools Skuld stepped halfway back into the currents of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt allowed her control without leaving herself style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMostly, it would allow her to hear their pain through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was what was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor the repayment of their debt she needed that as much as she needed the golden city to fall into style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe commanded her sjel-seidr to extend through the currents of time surrounding the little Midgardian machine /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" comprised her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer portal contained the Great Work's truths that only her Truthkeeper could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr obeyed and created an anchor /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" attached to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom her portal, it extended further to turn into another anchor on the screen covering the wall at the front of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sjel-seidr wove swiftly into dense magenta style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThese strands wove into a denser rope /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" tethered the machine and screen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last part of the tether wound its way into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe strands locking her moment in time were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNext Skuld commanded her sjel-seidr to cover the room entirely with powerful Signet style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe wards would contain the room, allowing her to move style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey all flashed then style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld tugged on the tethering to pull the room and its occupants outside the bounds of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo one else but her saw style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe smiled, safe in her locked moment./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Matron was too late./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe strong grip Skuld had on her hope wasn't going to be easily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wouldn't allow her Elder Sister to pry it from her, not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe race was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe moment in time was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was safe within it for it belonged to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was her long-awaited moment for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld sat down calmly to revel in their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe repayment was just beginning./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590248"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light from the markings was faded away, but McCorrmick could still feel them on his hands and arms as he looked down at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe markings were still on him, just under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIrritation came with being unable to remember what they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least they aren't radioactive./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe blinked for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't think they are .. oh, fiddlesticks./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least they weren't crushing him any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey reminded him of the markings he'd seen in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose were straighter and cleaner cut than what his elder aunt put on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe thought that he could hear her quiet snickering coming from them as well as an odd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't certain about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn his mind, he thought he could see two people standing behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemMen?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe two men/em, he thought, wondering why he was seeing themem./em/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd so, the cycle turns, /span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"someone whispered to him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"a name="_Hlk12394464"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking over his shoulder to see who was behind him, McCorrmick could find no one standing close enough to whisper to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo one else there could use the sarammr, so he wasn't certain what to make of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanQuickly thinking over everything he was shown he set himself to accomplish this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wouldn't be nice; however, it could still be done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemDisciplinary hearings should be clean and tidy./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick was a little nervous about failing this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite everything Eidesh had done to pull the Satska Soledras back from the brink, they were still falling into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven Eidesh couldn't stop the vile betrayal from within that was destroying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir own bodies were corrupt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAidesh was the only one who could remedy this, who could save them, if he would take them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he thought about it the young corporal became more convinced that the opinion held by most of his people was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Satska Soledras had fallen from Aidesh's path and so were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey emwere/em being punished even if they couldn't remember what they'd done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAidesh might be willing to take us back if I can pass Aideshan's test!/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHope filtered into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fate of his clan, what little of it there was left, was resting squarely on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo matter what it cost him, he wasn't going to fail them./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk500178537"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury was glad the strange woman was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a deep and wholly irrational relief that he saw on the faces of almost everyone else style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only Thor's parents and uncle who looked unmoved by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer voice, more than anything else, bothered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a noise that sounded like it was made of every tone that could crawl back into the brain to terrify and create paralyzing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAdded into that was a deep rumbling grind, like a massive and rusting engine in dire need of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAdding further to the completely unnatural noise was a screeching grating that was almost like nails on a chalk board but with a more high-pitched, metallic sound that produced an involuntary flinch when style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomehow it all came together to produce something so melodic that he needed to be physically nearer to it as it was repelling him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat truly bothered him was that the sound of her voice came with its own oppressive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt filled the room to bear down on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA voice shouldn't have style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHers hit like a 8.5 style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury knew he needed to question Thor about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny being who could do that with their voice alone needed to have a file put together on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSHIELD needed to know about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat didn't mean he wanted to see her ever style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat fact that she showed up on his hellicarrier was displeasing enough. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot knowing why was worse./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499664180"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve rubbed firmly at both his temples for a few style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNever in his life had someone's voice reached into his brain to grab hold of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhoever Skuld was, she was powerful enough to seize control of his body with her voice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't sure how he to fight a power like that but knowing more was the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve also needed to know why Thor's family was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was odd to see how Thor was smaller than his male style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor was a large man, but the men who came before him were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanImmediately, Steve could see that both Thor's father and uncle were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was in the way they carried style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe air about them seemed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat they were unaffected by Skuld's voice just made them seem more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor's mother was unaffected as well, but Steve still worried about the women in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was stunningly beautiful but didn't belong style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of them looked like they belonged where they were./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672542"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor immediately turned to his father, "Father, what did she mean?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe felt no shame in publicly asking for his father's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis father was always honest with him, always able to calm his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't feel bad about having a Norn make him nervous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were frighteningly powerful creatures./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk495952528"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They're seldom explicit in their decrees, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe must rely on the Truthkeeper," Odin style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe heaved a sigh and walked over to pull out a chair from the table for his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was going to be an annoying day, and he still had so much to do at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was so much work left unfinished, and his Council of Lords was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen Frigga was seated, he seated himself away from the table so that he could sit by her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin looked back at their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy still looked slightly confused about what just took style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat wasn't so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think there'd ever been a mortal Truthkeeper before, and certainly none so young as this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Come Truthkeeper, it's time for you to guide us."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I don't mean to be rude, but I ..." was all that Director Fury got out before his mouth clacked shut style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA strange force held his mouth style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't even make a noise./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194269"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Silence, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne of the Weavers of Fate has decreed what we are to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSit, listen, learn, and do so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou are required to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs Lord of Vanaheim, I am also required to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis doesn't mean I need to hear from you now," Frey spoke calmly with his standard sedate smile, one hand raised with a sunny yellow fire encompassing it as he visibly held the Silence of Wrath Spell in place for the mortal to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe certainly didn't need to make a display of it to hold the spell in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe did want the mortals to understand their positions style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr fire faded away and the mortal was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey furled his seidr back into his seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Now, sit," he said as he slid into a seat next to the Truthkeeper's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSitting by the Truthkeeper was the wisest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was the most advantageous seating./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury glared at the younger King for a long, tense moment before he sat quietly at the head of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know what King Frey did but starting a fight over it wasn't the best use of his time./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499220593"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNatasha pulled her chair away from the table and set it closer to the wall of the conference style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be easier to keep an eye on everyone discreetly from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA tactical vantage point was staked out, so she sat back and crossed one leg over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was going to be the most interesting briefing she'd been to in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNatasha would be very disappointed if it wasn't./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087848"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Brother, there is no need for that," Frigga said with a petite style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey was always so peevish with Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't who she would've chosen, but they made her son happy./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194289"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey turned to give Frigga the sweetest smile he could manage, "I never like to argue with you, sweetling, but these mortals, they've forgotten their respect."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe smiled when all he wanted to do was whisk her and his nephew away from the danger they were sitting in the middle of, completely unawares./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087863"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are companions to my son, and good people by his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo please, for me, do them no harm," Frigga smiled at Frey, knowing the effect it'd have./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194338"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"If that would please you, sweetling, then for you, I won't," Frey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked at Heimdall, who was standing next to Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd known them for centuries and liked none of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo be standing so near to Heimdall and be forced to smile instead of gutting the bastard with his bare hands was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sit and be silent."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them looked with worry at Thor, who shrugged and motioned for them to sit, which they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey then turned to Corporal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was quite a pretty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Truthkeeper, we're ready."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"a name="_Hlk489538428"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga's smile was a joy Frey had known his whole style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a smile that won her many arguments, so patient and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven now it still swayed him to her side more times than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis beloved sister's smile usually warmed him, but not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt hurt him to think of the many things he'd done over the last years that she could never know style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemNecessary, it is necessary/em, he reminded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe loved his family, most of them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo think of them so fractured was painful. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI've only done what was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emA small frown played at his lips at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile he knew the bounty he was gifted with in recent years belonged to her, that didn't stop him from enjoying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt scared him to be called to witness 'a terrible truth' by a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat little hope he kept for himself cautioned that it might not be this bounty that would be revealed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe wiser part of himself feared that he was about to lose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat other truth was terrible enough to draw a Norn from the temple grounds of Urdarbrunnr?/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey looked over the cold metal room then looked back to his beloved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld brought them there, she wouldn't allow them to leave before she was done with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe urge to instantly put a Life Ward on his beloved sister was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it weren't for the fact that it was a complex spell that had no way to be placed discreetly, then he would do so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey knew he was going to have to wait for the right opportunity to ward her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll his other wards were still in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know the full extent of destruction this fortress could call style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was never a concern before, so he'd never asked for details./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"a name="_Hlk36924630"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey didn't worry overly about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd touched at the many wards, charms and runes covering his nephew many years ago and could feel them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis quick verification of them only made him feel that much style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy was just as protected as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBetween being already warded, and Mjolnir's protection, Thor was most likely safe from what danger this mortal fortress could bring to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMost of his problem with it was that this fortress was mostly metal, and high into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe injuries from falling debris were what concerned him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe considered moving the situation to accommodate his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA small sigh accompanied his discarding the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin would notice his moving things, as might style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would be patient for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, he'd have an opportunity style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, this wouldn't last long enough for it to be a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sooner his family was off this thing, the happier he'd be./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey calmly turned his attention to the mortals at the table. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemA dark-skinned man with an eye patch dressed in solid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat must be Nicholas Fury./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other mortals deferred to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was good to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemShort brown hair, hawkish with a bow, that's surely Barton./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey thought he looked rather plain for such an important style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSo, this is the Noble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInteresting./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked across the table from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBrilliant red hair with a deadly beauty, small twin style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat is the Agent Romanov. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd keep an eye on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemOlder, slightly greying hair, quiet, rolled up sleeves of a button up shirt and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis must be Dr. style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat is the debt owed though?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was an odd thrum about the mortal that Frey couldn't quite style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt thrummed like seidr, but Frey couldn't feel the presence of a seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAn accident, I wonder what happened./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe disliked having a man with so little control in the same room as his beloved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that Frey believed Frigga incapable of handling style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was more than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he wasn't going to tolerate the disrespect of having a troll try to put its hands on her, even style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBlonde, boyish, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis must be the honorable Steve style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPlain clothes, no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe must not have been on duty./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey was curious if this man was truly like some of his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only two he couldn't instantly place was the woman with strawberry blonde hair and Midgardian business attire, and the Truthkeeper style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tall, slender woman didn't resemble any of the descriptions of the Avengers that he'd received./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Truthkeeper was clearly a member of the Midgardian style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt only took a moment for Frey to look over the boy's hair and decide that he didn't care for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe style was cut far too close to his scalp around the sides and back while the top was only a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked to have some sort of stiffening agent in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a fast forming opinion but solid when Frey decided that the boy might look better with at least a small style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy looked like he would be an adult in a few years, so he shouldn't have so little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey wasn't certain whether a proper hair style would make his golden-brown hair color any less style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt seemed inexplicably wrong against his pale skin and silver-blue style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis delicate features were fair to look style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was a lad of reasonable height and had a warrior's build already./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk488231030"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe younger of the two Kings was looking at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's more handsome in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanToo bad he's an emmiki, and screwed./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick nodded once then sat. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDon't get style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPutting those thoughts out of his head was easy since anything more than ogling someone from outside the clan was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did make him glad that he dyed his hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShowing up to duty with it out of sorts was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat it risked giving him away only gave him more incentive to keep it properly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSeveral of the older, more worldly members of SHIELD were already eyeing him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was all unneeded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least I don't have to worry about my hëlja./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat mask never came off outside of the clan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt never needed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe opened the only folder that mattered on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe one that had the decrypted files in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a look at Director Fury, he said, "I'm sorry to report, sir, that there were some problems with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly a small percentage of what was intercepted was able to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of it was in a unique computer language, but most of it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAlso, some of the files are only reconstructed partial style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI recovered as much as I could from the original style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were sections where the corrupted data was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere are also two notable glitches with no discernable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can only open them in the order they were placed into the file style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll be seeing the newest files first then moving backwards through them until we hit the oldest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLastly, a file can only play once the file before it has been style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were no solutions to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTrying to repair the files nearly caused a corruption in the data of several files." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIrritation at the stupid redundancy he was forced to engage in filtered through his thoughts when he looked up at the wall sized style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRegardless of the date stamp in the lower left-hand corner of every file, regulations still required him to report the date to the person in charge of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was normally the highest-ranking member in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld was that person style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was recorded May 18, 2023."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk488231030;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe file began to play,/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk488231030;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-tab-count: 4;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanthen.../span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk529208941"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn the ruins of his kitchen Anthony sat on the blackened style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hair, eyebrows and goatee were all a violent shade of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe kitchen itself looked like ground zero of a small high intensity style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMost of the counters and their contents were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCharcoal frames remained with the burnt remnants of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe stove was still smoldering while the refrigerator was missing its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts only contents were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMuch of that sooty debris had spilled out to smudge his jeans and cling to the soles of his black Converse high style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe island bar that normally separated the kitchen from the walkway that led into the living room was burned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts charred and broken stone counter had fallen through the remains of the frame, which were also standing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was leaning at an angle against the char scarred remnant of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanScorch marks crawled along above Anthony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAsh from the destroyed ceiling occasionally drifted like snow down onto his grey tee style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe circle around him that he was sitting in the middle of revealed where those scorch marks came style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony turned over a jagged piece of burnt metal in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis stare was empty as tears moved in little rivulets down his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sharp ache stabbed through the center of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike the piece of metal he was turning over, he didn't really notice it./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860937"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Why does he look so different?" asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"He, he's ..." she stuttered while looking for the right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis didn't look like the Tony Stark she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis looked like a man with Tony's face and Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was unsettling to see./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969691"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Taller, more muscular and younger," Clint style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe changes to his friend were dramatic and a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something very odd going on./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499480750"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Taller and younger, how did he manage that?" asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe noticed Tony's hair was hot rod red style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe shook his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't understand why his friend felt the need to keep dying his hair the most vivid shade style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least this was better than the citrus sherbet rainbow of a few months ago; or that ugly dark olive and electric blue style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was legendarily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBruce still remembered cringing when Tony walked into his laboratory in Avengers Tower wearing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn awkward conversation followed as he tried to determine what might be wrong with his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony had more than enough money to afford the plastic surgery, escorts and impractical vehicles that came with a bad mid-life style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he chose to go with the most glaring and offensive hair dye combinations seemed like a cry for help./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499480750;"a name="_Hlk499664231"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were several things wrong with what Steve was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe level of destruction he was seeing in an ordinary home was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, it also had clearly defined style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was oddly precise containment that was removed, leaving what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like the remains of a kitchen, but he wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe floors, walls and ceiling were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were what looked like the remains of cabinets, but it was the burned-out refrigerator that told him what room he was supposed to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe faraway look on Tony's face wasn't right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a silent stillness in it that Steve had never seen from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose two things were made eerier by Tony's physical style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked more like an Asgardian, Thor's peer, than an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of what he was seeing was the way it should've style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted to know why it wasn't./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194398"/aa name="_Hlk31795747"/aa name="_Hlk33343709"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795747;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA fearful realization came to Frey as he watched the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was from Anthony's construct, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew then that he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat he was charged with protecting was about to be exposed to the very people he swore to keep it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo worry showed on his face as he considered melting the laptop device that was playing the recordings. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo, they're probably style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld has more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I destroy it then my hand will be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis room has no windows for safety and Frigga won't leave me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI swore that I would never reveal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI gave her my oath!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat can be done/em, he thought frantically before sighing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr to form the spells he needed to begin obscuring people's memories furled back a moment after he unfurled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin and Frigga would notice him forming the spells and demand to know what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld probably won't let me use style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey defeat the purpose of her revealing these style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's nothing else I can do./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWell played style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I act, then I'll be the one to reveal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I don't act, then I allow it the be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I can do is hold my own tongue./em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795747;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBriefly, Frey wondered how the construct's recordings were able to function under Skuld's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo ordinary construct or machine was able to function under the extreme duress of Time style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe pursed his lipsem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;".span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld is forcing the construct's recordings to play so this might be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat might explain why so many of them were unable to be recovered/em, he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe shivered slightly at the thought of having to tell his beloved niece this, having to tell his style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony is going to be furious; with himself, with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy dear, there's nothing I can do./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey frowned when he realized that he was going to sit and watch as everything came crashing down again, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanConsoling himself was all he style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPerhaps this is for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSweetling will be heartbroken, but perhaps the future can still be salvaged./em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"a name="_Hlk489541621"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn an age-old reaction Frey clamped down on his seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPulling in his seidr so tightly sent the same ache spiraling through his chest that it had since he was a boy. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't allow any of his emotions to seep out through style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo long as Frigga didn't intentionally flare her seidr out to him, then he wouldn't be given style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could only keep it clamped down tightly for a few minutes at a time before the ache grew into a biting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt could very easily grow into something debilitating after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe short time he had was almost always long enough to get his emotions firmly under control. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly after they were under control would he normally let his seidr core expand out style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGiving himself away wasn't going to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished again that Odin was less disciplined and easier to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't, and never had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin's seidr was as tightly contained as it ever was, as were Odin's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe scoffed quietlyem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;", What emotions Borr's boy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat a beast./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe frowned again when he noticed the Truthkeeper glancing over at him with hints of pity in his pretty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt disgusted him to see. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I can do now is wait and watch./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a passing curiosity for Frey to know what Anthony did this time to have his hair turned a violent shade of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe also wondered what glamour Anthony wore while on Midgard that they thought he looked so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was what Anthony always looked like./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk25933983"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe front door of the Stark Malibu mansion closed silently in Rhodey's hand, locking just as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA key to every place his younger brothers lived had been his for almost three and a half style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were only a few years where he didn't have a key to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach of them wanted him to have those keys for safety and other style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOften so that he could help out with various style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike what he was currently doing, staying with Anthony on his last leave from the military before he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe scent of beef patties, cheese and fried vegetable wafted out of paper bag in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe essential blooming bulb was difficult to find at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally back at the house after his hunt he was looking forward to burgers, beers, and a ship style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey turned quickly as he heard the wailing from his brother's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSorry, sorry, sorry,/em it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe moved swiftly towards the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFear rippled through him as he got closer to the kitchen and noticed the burn marks and charred style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony!?" he yelled./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25933983;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he rushed around the corner he saw his younger brother sitting in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstantly he reached inside himself to extend his comforting soul song of stillness into the area around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts soul-whispered tune always calmed his brothers and the situations they found themselves style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNext, Rhodey dropped the food and promptly unfolded his seidr to mount a Regenerative style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt released towards his younger brother as he rushed over to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he got to Anthony he mounted a Healing Spell that he covered his younger brother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA quick check revealed no new injuries, which prompted only a small amount of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis weave was reducing the pain Anthony was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe temptation to begin working on some of the old wounds through his spell that were causing his younger brother pain sprang up style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTamping down hard on it happened swiftly and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHaving his younger brother panic and run wasn't going to help style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he had the experience to heal all the old wounds then he would've have just subdued his brother and done it./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25933983;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrustratingly, those wounds were more than what he could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last thing he mounted with his seidr was a Calm Heart Spell that he released into his brother's chest before he stowed his seidr away in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe soul song of stillness would amplify it for as long as he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was what he could do at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey took his brother's face in his hands, trying to get him to make eye style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe same thoughts streaked through his mind as had many times in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWas I gone too long again?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat happened?!/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860957"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe impossible sight before her caused Pepper to gasp style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was bigger than her, but not like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was suddenly huge with the same powerful build that Thor had, as well as the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had lunch with him just last month and he looked the same as he always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was normally Tony who hid things from her, yet somehow he was so different, like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe didn't know what had happened to either of them./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672796"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Rhodes looks bigger as well," Thor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark looked like he hailed from Asgard or Alfheim, while Rhodes was the size of a man from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would've thought they were wearing guises, but neither Stark nor Rhodes had seidr to cast magics style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout that he didn't know how they got into the states they were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he saw them both recently they looked as they always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething about this struck Thor as unsettlingly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA little anxiety surrounded his hope that they were both well, particularly the honorable colonel./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969704"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Whatever happened to Tony must have happened to Rhodey as well," Clint style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something very odd about what he was seeing, and it was only getting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNeither Tony nor Rhodey were alarmed by the obvious explosion that Tony thankfully style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow that wasn't a priority to them was bothering him./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969704;"a name="_Hlk499664297"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth Tony and Rhodey didn't seem concerned by the changes to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey didn't seem to notice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve noticed them and that they didn' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it hadn't been for their faces identifying them he wouldn't have known who they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey almost looked like two completely different style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of this was normal./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194416"/aem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAh, Anthony's brother-in-arms/span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194416;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;", Frey thought as he calmly surveyed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was glad to finally be able to observe him in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStories weren't enough to get to know someone, nor was looking at them during a healing, it might as well have been in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did pique his curiosity that they thought he looked different as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was exactly as Frey remembered style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat wasn't a good first meeting,/em he thought dryly./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk488231054"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanColonel Rhodes looked as worried up on the big screen as he had on the much smaller one at McCorrmick's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he watched this the first time there was only the need to be speedy and accurate in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sense of déjà vu pervaded his thoughts that was weird since he knew he'd already seen the people and places he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man thought it was out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis whole thing was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom the screen to down the table from him, his gaze went to Agent Barton style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe agent had a slight frown on his face as he watched the file style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt sent a little frown across the McCorrmick's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow Agent Barton was guilty didn't make style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe stalwart agent was the only person in the room who hadn't helped to create the mess he stumbled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the others' guilt he understood easily and agreed with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was another emmiki mess that strengthened his opinion that they needed their own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld declared Agent Barton guilty; so the agent was, with or without his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs one of the elder aunts she held the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was overseeing Aideshan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't need to understand what it is right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI still have a lot of time before the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just have to follow her instructions so I can pass the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI will prove our loyalty./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs with everything else he'd seen, he was sure that he would understand it by the time he needed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen he would make sure the guilty gathered there understood too. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe very last file was his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomewhere in what came before it had to be a clue that he overlooked the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick wasn't going to miss it this time./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk25934565"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony are you alright?" Rhodey asked urgently. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnswer me, are you alright?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no answer, only more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanForceful pats on the side of Anthony's face didn't draw his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Are you alright?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat happened?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis younger brother didn't look up at him, he just kept turning over the burnt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Please talk to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTell me what happened!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere's your wife?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe longer it took his younger brother to find words to answer him with the worse he feared the damage to be./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860970"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What?" Pepper felt like all the air was sucked out of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEverything just stopped for a style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWife?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony has a wife?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOf all the reckless things he'd done over the years getting married wasn't one of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was glad that she hadn't had to deal with any messy break-ups from a drunken Vegas style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe frowned then, irritated that it was probably what happened./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969736"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Tony Stark got married?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat the hell?" Clint just kept staring at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe size of the screen combined with its high resolution was giving him the impression that he was looking through a glass pane instead of watching things on a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a little ironic since it was Tony himself who insisted on these wall-sized, high-resolution style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It gives a more accurate picture," he always said./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969736;"a name="_Hlk499664364"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA small, disappointed sigh slipped out from between Steve's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere always seemed to be some woman at the heart of Tony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe thought his friend had rehabilitated his behaviors more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead, it looked like Tony had refined his ability to make problems for himself./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194448"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore letting his normal calm expression fall back into place Frey smirked for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was interesting to see Rhodes come close to striking Anthony and gain no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis nephew-by-law's temper was a massive beast that relished its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Something must be terribly wrong for Anthony to not strike back./em/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275568"/aa name="_Hlk31795807"/aa name="_Hlk25935008"/aa name="_Hlk26710045"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe damage to the house around Anthony caught Rhodey's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt only went so far yet was still too style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnother more immediate fear jumped into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Jarvis, are you active and undamaged?"/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm fully operational, Colonel Rhodes," Jarvis replied in quiet tones from the speakers in the nearby hall lights./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"a name="_Hlk25935140"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRelief tinged his thoughts with the alleviation of another style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least his younger brother hadn't lost his coded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What happened?" the older man asked./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sir and Madam had an argument about Madam's past and her family. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it ended poorly, Sir accidentally destroyed the kitchen," Jarvis replied./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"a name="_Hlk529210610"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter a short sniffle Anthony finally found the desire to speak. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanQuiet melancholy accentuated his words, "I didn't mean to, Rhodey. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI swear to god, I didn't mean style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI was just so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean to hurt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just, it was just ...span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean to." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe continued to stare at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ache in his back began to noticeably quiet down as he felt his brother's song wash over him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk500178709"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What did you do?" Director Fury asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd known Tony Stark for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew his father, Howard Stark, as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey each drank too much but were never violent style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn fact, Stark had become almost a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe began trying to talk to their enemies, trying to get them to surrender peacefully without the need for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark hadn't shied away from violence when the situation called for it, but he tried everything else before he started style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor a mechanical engineer he proved to be quite adept in either a crisis negotiation or a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor the most part he was successful in persuading people away from fights./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk500178709;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSHIELD's ranks had swelled two new types of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe first group were former villains and henchmen who just wanted a start fresh with a good-paying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe second group were vetted people who were overseeing the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe world was running out of truly dangerous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he never said as much, Director Fury was both pleasantly surprised and very proud of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was finally following in his father's footsteps to make the world a better style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was one of the reasons why he was so shocked and concerned when this new information came to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore importantly than the fact that it didn't seem like the man he'd come to know was that Stark was SHIELD's main weapons and tech style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he went rogue he could take the entire organization down with him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194475"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore relaxing his expression again, Frey style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey've had an argument, that's never good./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat they rarely argued was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat they did argue about was always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it was an argument about family, then he didn't have to stretch his imagination to know how it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey all went the same style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't normally step into any of their disagreements; it wasn't truly his place style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he did wish Anthony would be more careful with his words around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt also explained Anthony's hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Spell of Swirling Colors was one of her favorites./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194475;"a name="_Hlk31795920"/aa name="_Hlk33344992"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth Frey and Thor saw Odin looking over the screen to determine where the voice came style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey didn't move to explain and wouldn' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething like Jarvis wasn't kept in Asgard, it was rarely kept anywhere in the Elder style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished that Skuld wasn't powerful enough to force the construct to function under the duress of the Time Magics when it ought not to./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"a name="_Hlk497672860"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen Thor noticed his father looking to find where the person speaking was he turned to him, "Jarvis is a Midgardian machine father, like a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's in all of Stark's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe assists with many things and is quite useful."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe particularly appreciated that he was able to discuss the different types of coffee with Jarvis, and then have it order what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Construct Helper even kept the larger coffee mugs that he liked in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor always laughed at how interested Jarvis was in having him describe what drinking coffee felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though Stark's Construct Helper was only in the walls it was still very pleasant to be around./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"A Construct Helper without a body then?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI see," Odin kept it in mind for style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis construct functions surprisingly well under Time Magics,/em he thought, emalmost like a real mind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn his opinion Skuld more than likely had a hand in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't truly interest him, nor did this mortal's marriage style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't going to worry over whether this man treated his wife style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMortals were of no concern to style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhy am I here, Skuld?/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275585"/aa name="_Hlk25778249"/aa name="_Hlk25935950"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemHis mouth ran away with him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey kept a practiced neutral expression in place while the fear coloring his thoughts began style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least I know what happened./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a long time coming in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis younger brothers were all catastrophically impulsive in word, action and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanVery few people had the patience to handle them over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"She finally said something about it?"/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk529182600"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking up at his older brother, Anthony said, "I ..." before he looked back down style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I did it again, didn't I?"/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk25940317"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least no one is in the hospital …./span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25940317;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey heaved another style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze traveled around the wreckage of the kitchen. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span… style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to do more to get to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDaily check-ins won't do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to start working more with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I can't get this under control I'm going to lose him./em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe frowned down at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI won't lose you. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em"Alright, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI know you don't like her family." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony opened his mouth, but Rhodey shushed him. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And I agree with you that they have unresolved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat doesn't mean you can run your mouth about them every time they come style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt doesn't matter that only one of them was, is, decent to her because she still cares about all of them."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stood up, pulling Anthony up with him by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We're going to go sit out on the patio and talk this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll figure out the contingencies and work on better ways to handle future interactions."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk529211084"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Figure what out?!" Anthony snarled and pulled away from Rhodey, the color of his eyes deepening style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA dark voice in his mind whispered suddenly, emI only need to keep you from stopping me until I can burn them./em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ache in his back spiked up again with the increase in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis older brother's weave blunted much of that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat was left of that stabbing pain went straight to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What's to figure out?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe already know they're shit!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe've already figured out how much I fucking hate Thor and his fucking father!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI hate them!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them, all of Asgard."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe screamed at his older brother, "I'LL BURN THEM FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA few rapid panting breaths later he'd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The only thing I need to figure out is how to keep her from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat else is there?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe leaned in a little to give Rhodey a convincing smile as he channeled his will into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis voice was quiet but compelling when he spoke, "We could do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCall them, bring style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe could emburn Asgard/em together."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs close as he was to sidestepping his exceptionally observant older brother, he wasn't nearly close style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tension of being so close was killing him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672954"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What?" Thor said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd always thought of Stark as a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven after seeing the schematics, he still had a hard time thinking of Stark as a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was proud to fight side by side with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor listened to him, to his wise and patient style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man on the screen screamed out his hatred, but Thor just couldn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark was nothing but kind and courteous when he visited from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was mouthy for a mortal, impudent and abrasive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was just his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe truly meant nothing by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor didn't take it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark even gave him his own floor at Avengers Tower; gifted him with a Stark phone, a new and improved one every year, or sooner if it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor didn't understand. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sense of unease began to grow within him as anxiety swelled in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWho was Stark married to, and how had he fallen afoul of this woman so badly that Stark wanted to do harm to him?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow could this woman know his father?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was unsettling before, now it was just style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was very wrong to Thor./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499220603"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCuriosity cause Natasha to arch an eyebrow, while waiting for the blow that didn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark yelling at Rhodes never ended well./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499220603;"a name="_Hlk499664427"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWaiting patiently, Steve understood what was about to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did too often, and he never liked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished Tony would stop yelling at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore than that, he wished that Tony would stop getting into trouble with woman./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087939"/aa name="_Hlk492219558"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis man is married to someone who knows both my husband and son, and he wants to strike at them./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk492219558;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a painful and still confusing familiarity in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something Frigga thought style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a grief that was still fresh, one that she wasn't certain she wanted to revisit again./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"a name="_Hlk495952874"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGlancing over to Frigga Odin found a wariness on her face that mirrored his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had a terrible feeling that he might know why Skuld brought him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something he thought possible, nor was it something he knew how to feel style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe grief in that thought was still fresh and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt hadn't been enough centuries for the grief to not be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he looked at the two men on the screen, Odin felt right in thinking, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"This isn't going to end well./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194495"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe rage on Anthony's face troubled Frey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like a rage that was close to being acted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze darted to Thor before returning to the screen./spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony, I would deeply appreciate it if you wouldn't turn my nephew into a cinder./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze travelled to Rhodes then, /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"Or try to incite your brother-in-arms to lead others in an attempt to do the same./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally, his gaze settled back on his unaware style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPlans for protecting him needed to be crafted and enacted sooner rather than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like Anthony's rage wouldn't be held back for much longer./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275639"/aa name="_Hlk25778329"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIncreasing irritation filtered through /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778329;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"Rhodey as his younger brother screamed at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemHate, hate, burn them all,/em Anthony's seidr was yelling as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOver the last few years the volume of Anthony's voice, as well as loss of control and violence, had all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout the allies or tools he needed to properly handle the causes of his younger brother's outbursts, he was left with not enough time in between the frequent fits to recover his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe attempt at a convincing smile after Anthony was done yowling was insulting, painful and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt'd been over a decade since he tried style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn Asgard./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a Stark thing to do; one more sign that he was watching his younger brother slip away without being able to do anything about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn Asgard/em, whispered through his mind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was only ever one answer to these childish and dangerous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo/em, he thought with purpose and vigor, cutting off the whisper style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Put that away, or I'll do it for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't want to see it again," menace dripped from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hand clenched into a fist which he purposefully unclenched then involuntarily clenched style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAsking him to pull in their other brothers tugged at the already tight thread of patience he had. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was done with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnger roared from his tone while his volume remained style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigid vicious calm covered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We're going to talk about how you're going to handle this without hurting your wife or losing control and exploding the house and its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHave we figured out how you're going to go forward without making Howard proud of you?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's garish hair color was proof enough that his brother hurt his own wife's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSit your ass down and shut your mouth!/em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe command thundered out through his seidr just before he pulled it in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey tried hard not to yell at his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite the rightness of being disappointed and angry with Anthony's stupidity, yelling wasn't what would serve him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMeeting any of his brothers' messes with anything negative wouldn't produce the best outcome./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"a name="_Hlk529183207"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe roaring disappointment of his older brother that came crashing down on him was more pronounced with the whispering rebuke that followed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was all well-earned and he knew it as he always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA slightly stricken look crossed Anthony's face as his shoulders style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe sat back down on the floor with a small style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sharp ache decreased again as his anger pulled back without style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I didn't mean to," he whispered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's just …there was more ..."/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969766"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spana name="_Hlk499664496"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969766;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"A little tension snaked through Steve's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was about the end the argument style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could see the colonel's patience slipping style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it didn't happen, he let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and sat back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was always disappointed when Tony and Rhodey got into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe volume of the fights was always subdued, even though the gesticulating was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last gesture to be made too often was Rhodey's fist jabbing into Tony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTalking to them about it never seemed to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something between them that he couldn't guess at, and they wouldn't tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhatever it was turned violent from time to time./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969766;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSurprise tinged Clint's thoughts at the exchange between Tony and Rhodey was so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce things escalated to yelling then worse was sure to follow./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499482169"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPulling his handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his glasses clean was often Bruce's response to his teammates rowdy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe kept his handkerchief style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWiping his glasses clean again was preferable to looking at what was about to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it didn't, he was honestly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony's yelling at Rhodey was always the start of something nasty./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499482169;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnexpected relief filtered into this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey's head tilted slightly to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was interesting to see someone come back at his nephew-by-law with openly displayed ire and for Anthony's rage to not grow more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something he'd seen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMeeting Anthony's anger with more anger only fueled the fires that would burn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYet this man had physically crumpled Anthony's growing rage without raising a hand to him, or even raising his voice./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275678"/aa name="_Hlk25778395"/aa name="_Hlk25952485"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's starting to have outbursts every style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis is out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI let it get to this./span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25952485;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey stood with his hands on his hips to keep them from balling into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDistress followed in the wake of realizing he was about to punch his younger brother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe hated punching style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was too much like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he had to increasingly use Howard's tactics upset him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt left him sick and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnfortunately, there were times when it was the only way to shock his younger brother out of an uncontrolled rage in which he would hurt someone if left style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGetting them straightened out has to start style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's no more time./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey knelt down next to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's time for me to get her ready for the talk."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No, no, no!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony looked swiftly to his older style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"There's no need!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat that talk-turned-briefing was regarding was the first entry on the long list of things his wife didn't need to know about him./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk25952616"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This has to stop," he said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This hate, Anthony, it's a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe need to deal with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe can't ignore it."/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk7277842"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm not ignoring how much I hate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt burns," Anthony said quietly as he picked up the piece of burnt metal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts surface was scarred and jagged. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJust like her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn them all, it's their fault!/em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk7277842;"a name="_Hlk25954284"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Even if you have a right and reason to be angry that doesn't give you a right or reason to take that anger out on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat emis not/em how we behave," the disapproval was heavy in his voice./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk7277842;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Do you think she'll forgive me?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony asked quietly. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe already forgave me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis wasn't as bad, but I made her cry style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe she'll forgive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI hope she will. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBitter anger burned through his thoughts again, hardening style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe dark voice in the back of his mind seized on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer forgiveness doesn't erase their guilt!/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spanAnthonyspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"'s thoughts quieted./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI still have work to do./span/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk31796002"/aa name="_Hlk25954818"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31796002;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe pain his younger brother was in hurt Rhodey since it wasn't a pain he could immediately style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was one more bad day in a lifetime of bad days that were already style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMany of those days were ones that only he and a few privileged others knew style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey couldn't be shared style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted so badly to move towards better days never to go style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he couldn't see a way to even make it a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe best he could manage was trying to keep people from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Jarvis, where is she?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey had to get Anthony moved away from impulsive action and towards contemplative thought before he could go about fixing the latest mess./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31796002;"a name="_Hlk33345425"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Madam is in her laboratory setting random things on fire," Jarvis style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThrough the security protocols observing and recording everyone in the house was mandated. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaintaining the mansion's security was a responsibility assigned to this digital intellect./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA gentle squeeze on Anthony's shoulder conveyed the message that he was disappointed but still cared about his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey's voice carried its normal tolerant quietude when he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"She's calming style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou need to do the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI know she'll forgive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe loves you more than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou know that."/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk529187854"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sad smile crossed Anthony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I love her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI couldn't live without Loki."/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969778"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"That son of a bitch, I'm going to kill him," Clint calmly said, as his hand tightened around his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuddenly he knew what was wrong with what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he left that very minute then he could be to Stark's mansion in just a few hours in one of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThings could be settled once he got there./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194569"/aem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNow it all comes apart again./span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194569;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey kept a calm expression on his face as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe clamped down tighter on his seidr until his chest ached style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny sign of his internal turmoil would only worsen style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll have to collect them quickly when this is done. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was tempted to smirk as he thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"It's a pity Anthony isn't silent./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" /span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Lady Skuld, we are honored by your presence," Odin's voice broke the terrible silence engulfing the conference style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat few dealings he had over the years with the Norns had left him with a dislike of her in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's childish eccentricities wore on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanVerthandi was far more respectable in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that he would ever say style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanChildish though she was, Skuld was still extraordinarily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny Norn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir voices alone were enough to command style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt always took immeasurable effort to resist its effects./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's attention whipped back to the foolish style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer wicked grin grew style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJustice was at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Odin, great and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow lovely to see you!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt has been too long since last we spoke."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe held up her hand to silence him, "We shan't speak in this moment, I would hear nothing from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI might return later to hear your weeping at your failures, but not now."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was ready to collect their debt./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs Skuld spoke Frey's eyes narrowed just style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he had few enough dealings with the Norns, he still disliked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir voices were terrifyingly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he had to fight to simply keep command of his body when a Norn spoke left him peevish in thought towards style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that he would ever be peevish in attitude towards any of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey wasn't certain that he could defeat a Norn, even with as confident in his skills as he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat most caused him to be wary was that Norns simply felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could feel Skuld's seidr, and even got the impression of a core, but he couldn't tell where it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's seidr core didn't feel like it was in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the Norns he'd dealt with were like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir seidr was powerful, but indistinct./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590085"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young seidaugu drew her attention style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld stepped back into the shadows and moved swiftly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe stepped out of the shadows to stand before him, yet he didn't shrink back from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man briefly flinched back when she lifted her left hand, then lifted his chin and squared his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sarammr was wrapped around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a defiant look about him that told her of his refusal to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe look in his eyes briefly excited style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was handsome enough and of a good style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe estimated him to be two or three inches above six style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot as tall as her, but few men style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe considered taking him as her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would certainly be easy enough , useful even, to dispose of him when she was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a thought that was put away for later. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJustice had to be brought to her family before anything style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen she peered one last time into the currents of time swirling around him, he was still staring back at her from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis one face dead in the past, his other living in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man with green-gold eyes was still a ghost behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth the man with green-gold eyes and her Elder Sister were too style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSuch beautiful seidaugu you shall have, wearer of the mantle Keeper Of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou shall serve me alone,/em she thought with a vicious style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld commanded her sjel-seidr to touch gently at him, asking to speak with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer smile was a little predatory when he withdrew the sarammr just enough for her./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194141"/aa name="_Hlk12382241"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young corporal was shocked to see one of the elder aunts standing in front of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe few memories he possessed of her were slightly blurry, but she was still recognizable as Aideshan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat she was doing there became less important when she tried to intimidate him like the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was insulting for her to treat him like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't going to stand for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis irritation with her faded when she gently asked if he would speak with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had need of him, so he lowered his sarammr enough to let her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick hoped that it would be what Aideshan would style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had no way to know./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA little smirk crossed Frey's face as he arched an eyebrow to see the young Midgardian not back away from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanChildren always did the most unexpected style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt seemed this boy was a touch style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think poorly of the handsome lad; the boy clearly didn't know what he was dealing with./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA touch of nervousness entered Frigga's thoughts as the boy didn't back away from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he was just a Midgardian, he was also just a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had no desire to watch a child be struck down almost instantly upon arriving on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was nothing she could do except style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga didn't want Skuld to strike them all down if she tried to intervene on the boy's behalf./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSeeing the Midgardian boy try to show no fear to Skuld caused Odin to sigh style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe saw the boy's flinch, expected him to back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't so surprising to see the boy try to stand his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was only a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know what he was dealing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin did know but didn't care to watch Skuld strike down a child only moments after bringing them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Midgardians were small and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat didn't mean they deserved to lose their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis boy had parents style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin was a little too familiar with the grief losing a child brought to be comfortable letting a child die without at least trying to intervene./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194141;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe three monarchs stood by while the man they considered a boy stood face to face with the most childish of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach came to a quick conclusion that if the 'boy' was harmed by Skuld then they would intervene to heal his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of them felt like watching a child be struck down./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590208"/aa name="_Hlk501387180"/aa name="_Hlk12375711"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387180;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith one hand over the young man's heart, Skuld placed her other hand on the side of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr glowed a brilliant magenta as she commanded it into him to touch at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr showed him how the assembled fools were guilty, providing him with proof of their crimes as laid out in the truths the Great Work imparted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld didn't care about their crimes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were beneath her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, their crimes were a deep debt owed to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis debt was the trap little-sweet laid, so now Skuld cared very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe snickered again as her sjel-seidr continued to pour the truth into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was enticing to see her sjel-seidr flashing in his beautiful eyes./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387180;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12376123"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only what she wanted him and them to see that Skuld was careful to give style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe hope she saw was withheld, kept tangled even in what she was conveying to him through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was purposefully tangled both in his mind and in the clumsy machine that comprised her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLittle-sweet would suffer and fade before they could do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot even the firehawk could repair the damage this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe would make sure of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir debts to little-sweet would never be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's smile turned dark as she thought about the weeping, wailing grief they would feel when little-sweet died in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would know some the pain she felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be but a fraction of what she'd suffered, but it would be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld couldn't strike directly at their city while it was protected by her Elder Sister, so she would strike at their hearts style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRip them out and crush them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fires of golden city would be fueled by pain they inflicted on her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was what the liar Lord's little misbegotten Lord would do for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would use the blood of the Royal Line to spread that pain far and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe realm itself would darken under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, it would darken under the firehawk's wrath after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe golden city would fail and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis would be the true repayment of their debt to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be the justice she would bring to the sweet children who suffered so cruelly./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12380552"/aa name="_Hlk501387227"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs the truth finished pouring into his mind her sjel-seidr whispered her thoughts to him again to him. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you bring them the punishment they are owed?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you serve justice?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWould you be my Truthkeeper?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir debt must be paid/em, she whispered to him through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPaid in pain and blood,/em she thought to herself./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"a name="_Hlk12521730"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYes,/span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12521730;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" he whispered in return, his thoughts quiet after all she showed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs one of the last of the Satska Soledras, doing as she asked was the young man's only style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanObeying the hierarchy and the law was always and forever the only thing for them to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld knew it before she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe smirked as he gave her the answer she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would keep her truths and dole each one out in its own time./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12380552;"a name="_Hlk501387443"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sean McCorrmick, son of Gabriel style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTruthkeeper, I name thee."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sjel-seidr in Skuld's hands flashed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man's skin glimmered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe gasped and shook as she filled him with the might of her sjel-seidr, still Skuld held him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe glimmer moved over his skin to collect in a single rune under her hand. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA long magenta line appeared vertically above his heart in the center of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the top of the line a bright flash brought another line that ran down at a steep angle towards his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnother flash brought another magenta line that appeared at the bottom of the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis one ran up at an equally steep angle up towards his right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThree more flashes brought three more lines at the center of the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them were running at an angle from top right to bottom style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile the top and bottom lines were equal in length, the middle line was longer than either of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Rune of Power formed in his flesh made of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith it formed she laid a border around, anchoring him to her and marking him as her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom there she linked him to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would be the steward of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThrough him the only truth they would come to understand was pain./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk501387939"/aa name="_Hlk12381888"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387939;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light the rune gave off was easily visible from under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom that magenta border, more lines style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo lines each formed, they twisted at the top and bottom to form a circle in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA triangle formed in the circle to block off a side quarter of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom the tip of that triangle another line ran all the way to the other side of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis circle formed a tiny link that was less than a penny's width style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs soon as one link was formed then it welded top to bottom to the next style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach link was filled with three tiny style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach tiny rune represented a different magical discipline or unique piece of magic Skuld was a Master style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe links bound together in chains, then the chains wove overtop of one another like ribbons on a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe chains ran over the young man's chest down to his lower style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUp and over his shoulders, they spilled down his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRunning down to his lower back they stopped and linked around his sides to the chains in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe rune chains ran down the young man's arms, twisting tight, to stop in a single style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA hexagonal border flashed on the back of each of his hands that was less than two inches style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithin each border a single line flashed in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the bottom of the line a four-pointed star style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the top of the line two more lines arched out into a 'V' from the top of each of those lines arched out two more, smaller 'V' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe anchoring runes on his hands were complete./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk501387939;"a name="_Hlk12382463"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom his chest and back the woven chains of shining runes spilled down the sides of his hips to wind around his legs, from his upper thighs style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore chains of runes weaving down his legs halted at another single rune at the tops of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe anchoring runes on his feet were an inverted version of the ones on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom his shoulders the chains of runes wove together and climbed, stopping at the very top of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMagenta sjel-seidr sparkled in his eyes as his hair quickly suffused with a matching style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA moment later all the chains flashed in a single pulse then their light died away leaving him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer runework was settled in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanControl of the young seidaugu wearing her Elder Sister's mantle belonged to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld's sjel-seidr turned quickly again as she marked his heart with a special style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would draw the Einherjar to his soul when it was released from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would take him to Valhalla's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be his reward for assisting in delivering justice for her murdered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last thoughts she poured into his mind were the side effects of being outside of the bounds of time and the Sealing Ward she was going to brand The Mad style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was going to pull the entire room outside the bounds of time when she locked the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld still needed to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe moment wasn't locked yet, and her Elder Sister was still pursuing her./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12389859"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Do you understand, child of McCorrmick?" Skuld asked him quietly, looking down into his beautiful style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Your seidaugu belong to me now./emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs she'd taken him from her Elder Sister, so would she take the wretched golden city./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12389848"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNodding slowly, McCorrmick gave his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't an agreement that he felt he had much choice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs an elder aunt she was speaking for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf this was what his Aideshan wanted of him, then he was obliged to give it. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBesides/em, he thought somberly, emthey are style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emMcCorrmick wondered then if this was a test from Aideshan to see if they were still style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't a test he wanted to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere could be lives riding on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't break eye contact with his elder aunt as he spoke, choosing his words style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You're seeking justice, the repayment of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou've gathered those who owe this debt here for that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere is guilt and it must be addressed before the situation can be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe guilt and the debt have gone unknown to those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to show them what I style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to show them what's gone unseen."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe panted slightly as his breathing returned to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light she was covering him with brought a crushing feeling with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly when it faded away could he breathe style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a light that he'd seen before but struggled to find the memory style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man wasn't sure he possessed that memory./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12390706"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young seidaugu pleased Skuld even more with his humble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe bestowed him with a gentle style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemYes,/em she thought to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemI shall have him for a lover when this is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI shall have him for my own. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA touch of smugness entered her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemMaybe when I am explaining to the Matron how I obtained justice, instead of her, I shall toss her his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span'Look sister, I even found your misplaced weapons. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo try not to lose them again,' she shall be so jealous of what I accomplished./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe looked into his pretty silver-blue eyes and could see herself in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are guilty, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTerribly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs my Truthkeeper you shall show them the truths they have refused to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou shall guide them towards their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor this, you shall be granted passage to Valhalla's Rest when your time comes due."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld stepped back into the shadows to move swiftly to the front of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe stepped out of the shadows to face everyone she'd drawn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFools, idiots, mantled liars, and her lovely new style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAgain, her smile was full of dark promises and wicked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was so much more fun than she thought it would be./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12391145"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I have gathered you here so that the veil of secrets might be pulled back from your eyes, that they might emburn/em with the radiance of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou are all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou carry a heavy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne whose weight you have been safeguarded from by a single style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou have been shielded from your own terrible natures, feed noble delusions that you might think yourselves better than you are."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld paused to enjoy their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer gaze shifted to little-sweet's true style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer smiled sharpened at his cautious style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is time to see that which has been unseen."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld still considered taking his heartstring to little-sweet after this was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe looked to the little misbegotten Lord, oblivious brat that he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe could smell the sweat and leather on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBriefly she wondered if it would smell any different if she took a flail to his back to strip away his childish style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe it would only smell more metallic as his blood stained the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEither way, his screams would amuse style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No more playing a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt is time for you to see what a true hero is," she almost snickered at those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter they were spoken she commanded her sjel-seidr into several Charms of the Keen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe charm applied itself to everyone there, melting over their brains and speeding their thoughts style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe charms would make it easier for her gathered fools to see their guilt, to see their debts and understand style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would ready the little misbegotten Lord, so the truths of the Great Work would hit style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12391145;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"sjel-seidrspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" was swiftly commanded into a Sealing Ward that branded The style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis madness wouldn't be tolerated here./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12391145;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore speaking her last, Skuld swiftly made eye contact with each of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It is time for you to see the debt you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRepay it if you can."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"You never style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI shall laugh as you fall!/em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"a name="_Hlk12392153"/aa name="_Hlk501389201"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a last look over her gathered fools Skuld stepped halfway back into the currents of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt allowed her control without leaving herself style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMostly, it would allow her to hear their pain through her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was what was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor the repayment of their debt she needed that as much as she needed the golden city to fall into style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe commanded her sjel-seidr to extend through the currents of time surrounding the little Midgardian machine /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" comprised her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer portal contained the Great Work's truths that only her Truthkeeper could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer sjel-seidr obeyed and created an anchor /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" attached to her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom her portal, it extended further to turn into another anchor on the screen covering the wall at the front of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sjel-seidr wove swiftly into dense magenta style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThese strands wove into a denser rope /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;" tethered the machine and screen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last part of the tether wound its way into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe strands locking her moment in time were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNext Skuld commanded her sjel-seidr to cover the room entirely with powerful Signet style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe wards would contain the room, allowing her to move style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey all flashed then style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld tugged on the tethering to pull the room and its occupants outside the bounds of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo one else but her saw style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe smiled, safe in her locked moment./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Matron was too late./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590208;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk12392153;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe strong grip Skuld had on her hope wasn't going to be easily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wouldn't allow her Elder Sister to pry it from her, not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe race was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe moment in time was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was safe within it for it belonged to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was her long-awaited moment for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld sat down calmly to revel in their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe repayment was just beginning./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk11590248"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe light from the markings was faded away, but McCorrmick could still feel them on his hands and arms as he looked down at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe markings were still on him, just under his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIrritation came with being unable to remember what they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least they aren't radioactive./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe blinked for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't think they are .. oh, fiddlesticks./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least they weren't crushing him any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey reminded him of the markings he'd seen in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose were straighter and cleaner cut than what his elder aunt put on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe thought that he could hear her quiet snickering coming from them as well as an odd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't certain about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn his mind, he thought he could see two people standing behind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemMen?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe two men/em, he thought, wondering why he was seeing themem./em/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd so, the cycle turns, /span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"someone whispered to him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk11590248;"a name="_Hlk12394464"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking over his shoulder to see who was behind him, McCorrmick could find no one standing close enough to whisper to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo one else there could use the sarammr, so he wasn't certain what to make of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanQuickly thinking over everything he was shown he set himself to accomplish this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wouldn't be nice; however, it could still be done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemDisciplinary hearings should be clean and tidy./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick was a little nervous about failing this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite everything Eidesh had done to pull the Satska Soledras back from the brink, they were still falling into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven Eidesh couldn't stop the vile betrayal from within that was destroying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir own bodies were corrupt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAidesh was the only one who could remedy this, who could save them, if he would take them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he thought about it the young corporal became more convinced that the opinion held by most of his people was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Satska Soledras had fallen from Aidesh's path and so were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey emwere/em being punished even if they couldn't remember what they'd done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAidesh might be willing to take us back if I can pass Aideshan's test!/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHope filtered into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fate of his clan, what little of it there was left, was resting squarely on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo matter what it cost him, he wasn't going to fail them./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk500178537"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury was glad the strange woman was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a deep and wholly irrational relief that he saw on the faces of almost everyone else style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only Thor's parents and uncle who looked unmoved by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer voice, more than anything else, bothered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a noise that sounded like it was made of every tone that could crawl back into the brain to terrify and create paralyzing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAdded into that was a deep rumbling grind, like a massive and rusting engine in dire need of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAdding further to the completely unnatural noise was a screeching grating that was almost like nails on a chalk board but with a more high-pitched, metallic sound that produced an involuntary flinch when style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomehow it all came together to produce something so melodic that he needed to be physically nearer to it as it was repelling him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat truly bothered him was that the sound of her voice came with its own oppressive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt filled the room to bear down on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA voice shouldn't have style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHers hit like a 8.5 style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury knew he needed to question Thor about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny being who could do that with their voice alone needed to have a file put together on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSHIELD needed to know about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat didn't mean he wanted to see her ever style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat fact that she showed up on his hellicarrier was displeasing enough. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot knowing why was worse./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499664180"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve rubbed firmly at both his temples for a few style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNever in his life had someone's voice reached into his brain to grab hold of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhoever Skuld was, she was powerful enough to seize control of his body with her voice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't sure how he to fight a power like that but knowing more was the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve also needed to know why Thor's family was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was odd to see how Thor was smaller than his male style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor was a large man, but the men who came before him were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanImmediately, Steve could see that both Thor's father and uncle were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was in the way they carried style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe air about them seemed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat they were unaffected by Skuld's voice just made them seem more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor's mother was unaffected as well, but Steve still worried about the women in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was stunningly beautiful but didn't belong style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of them looked like they belonged where they were./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672542"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor immediately turned to his father, "Father, what did she mean?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe felt no shame in publicly asking for his father's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis father was always honest with him, always able to calm his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't feel bad about having a Norn make him nervous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were frighteningly powerful creatures./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk495952528"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They're seldom explicit in their decrees, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe must rely on the Truthkeeper," Odin style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe heaved a sigh and walked over to pull out a chair from the table for his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was going to be an annoying day, and he still had so much to do at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was so much work left unfinished, and his Council of Lords was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen Frigga was seated, he seated himself away from the table so that he could sit by her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin looked back at their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy still looked slightly confused about what just took style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat wasn't so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think there'd ever been a mortal Truthkeeper before, and certainly none so young as this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Come Truthkeeper, it's time for you to guide us."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I don't mean to be rude, but I ..." was all that Director Fury got out before his mouth clacked shut style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA strange force held his mouth style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't even make a noise./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194269"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Silence, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne of the Weavers of Fate has decreed what we are to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSit, listen, learn, and do so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou are required to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs Lord of Vanaheim, I am also required to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis doesn't mean I need to hear from you now," Frey spoke calmly with his standard sedate smile, one hand raised with a sunny yellow fire encompassing it as he visibly held the Silence of Wrath Spell in place for the mortal to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe certainly didn't need to make a display of it to hold the spell in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe did want the mortals to understand their positions style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr fire faded away and the mortal was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey furled his seidr back into his seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Now, sit," he said as he slid into a seat next to the Truthkeeper's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSitting by the Truthkeeper was the wisest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was the most advantageous seating./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury glared at the younger King for a long, tense moment before he sat quietly at the head of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know what King Frey did but starting a fight over it wasn't the best use of his time./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499220593"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNatasha pulled her chair away from the table and set it closer to the wall of the conference style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be easier to keep an eye on everyone discreetly from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA tactical vantage point was staked out, so she sat back and crossed one leg over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was going to be the most interesting briefing she'd been to in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNatasha would be very disappointed if it wasn't./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087848"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Brother, there is no need for that," Frigga said with a petite style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey was always so peevish with Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't who she would've chosen, but they made her son happy./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194289"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey turned to give Frigga the sweetest smile he could manage, "I never like to argue with you, sweetling, but these mortals, they've forgotten their respect."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe smiled when all he wanted to do was whisk her and his nephew away from the danger they were sitting in the middle of, completely unawares./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087863"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"They are companions to my son, and good people by his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo please, for me, do them no harm," Frigga smiled at Frey, knowing the effect it'd have./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194338"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"If that would please you, sweetling, then for you, I won't," Frey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked at Heimdall, who was standing next to Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd known them for centuries and liked none of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo be standing so near to Heimdall and be forced to smile instead of gutting the bastard with his bare hands was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sit and be silent."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them looked with worry at Thor, who shrugged and motioned for them to sit, which they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey then turned to Corporal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was quite a pretty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Truthkeeper, we're ready."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"a name="_Hlk489538428"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga's smile was a joy Frey had known his whole style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a smile that won her many arguments, so patient and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven now it still swayed him to her side more times than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis beloved sister's smile usually warmed him, but not style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt hurt him to think of the many things he'd done over the last years that she could never know style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemNecessary, it is necessary/em, he reminded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe loved his family, most of them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo think of them so fractured was painful. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI've only done what was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emA small frown played at his lips at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile he knew the bounty he was gifted with in recent years belonged to her, that didn't stop him from enjoying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt scared him to be called to witness 'a terrible truth' by a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat little hope he kept for himself cautioned that it might not be this bounty that would be revealed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe wiser part of himself feared that he was about to lose style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat other truth was terrible enough to draw a Norn from the temple grounds of Urdarbrunnr?/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey looked over the cold metal room then looked back to his beloved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld brought them there, she wouldn't allow them to leave before she was done with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe urge to instantly put a Life Ward on his beloved sister was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it weren't for the fact that it was a complex spell that had no way to be placed discreetly, then he would do so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey knew he was going to have to wait for the right opportunity to ward her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll his other wards were still in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know the full extent of destruction this fortress could call style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was never a concern before, so he'd never asked for details./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"a name="_Hlk36924630"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey didn't worry overly about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd touched at the many wards, charms and runes covering his nephew many years ago and could feel them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis quick verification of them only made him feel that much style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy was just as protected as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBetween being already warded, and Mjolnir's protection, Thor was most likely safe from what danger this mortal fortress could bring to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMost of his problem with it was that this fortress was mostly metal, and high into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe injuries from falling debris were what concerned him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe considered moving the situation to accommodate his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA small sigh accompanied his discarding the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin would notice his moving things, as might style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would be patient for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, he'd have an opportunity style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, this wouldn't last long enough for it to be a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sooner his family was off this thing, the happier he'd be./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey calmly turned his attention to the mortals at the table. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemA dark-skinned man with an eye patch dressed in solid style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat must be Nicholas Fury./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other mortals deferred to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was good to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemShort brown hair, hawkish with a bow, that's surely Barton./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey thought he looked rather plain for such an important style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSo, this is the Noble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInteresting./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked across the table from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBrilliant red hair with a deadly beauty, small twin style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat is the Agent Romanov. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd keep an eye on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemOlder, slightly greying hair, quiet, rolled up sleeves of a button up shirt and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis must be Dr. style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat is the debt owed though?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was an odd thrum about the mortal that Frey couldn't quite style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt thrummed like seidr, but Frey couldn't feel the presence of a seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemAn accident, I wonder what happened./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe disliked having a man with so little control in the same room as his beloved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that Frey believed Frigga incapable of handling style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was more than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he wasn't going to tolerate the disrespect of having a troll try to put its hands on her, even style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemBlonde, boyish, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis must be the honorable Steve style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPlain clothes, no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe must not have been on duty./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey was curious if this man was truly like some of his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only two he couldn't instantly place was the woman with strawberry blonde hair and Midgardian business attire, and the Truthkeeper style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tall, slender woman didn't resemble any of the descriptions of the Avengers that he'd received./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194338;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Truthkeeper was clearly a member of the Midgardian style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt only took a moment for Frey to look over the boy's hair and decide that he didn't care for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe style was cut far too close to his scalp around the sides and back while the top was only a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked to have some sort of stiffening agent in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a fast forming opinion but solid when Frey decided that the boy might look better with at least a small style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe boy looked like he would be an adult in a few years, so he shouldn't have so little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey wasn't certain whether a proper hair style would make his golden-brown hair color any less style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt seemed inexplicably wrong against his pale skin and silver-blue style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis delicate features were fair to look style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was a lad of reasonable height and had a warrior's build already./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk488231030"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe younger of the two Kings was looking at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's more handsome in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanToo bad he's an emmiki, and screwed./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick nodded once then sat. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDon't get style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPutting those thoughts out of his head was easy since anything more than ogling someone from outside the clan was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did make him glad that he dyed his hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShowing up to duty with it out of sorts was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat it risked giving him away only gave him more incentive to keep it properly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSeveral of the older, more worldly members of SHIELD were already eyeing him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was all unneeded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least I don't have to worry about my hëlja./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat mask never came off outside of the clan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt never needed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe opened the only folder that mattered on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe one that had the decrypted files in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a look at Director Fury, he said, "I'm sorry to report, sir, that there were some problems with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly a small percentage of what was intercepted was able to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of it was in a unique computer language, but most of it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAlso, some of the files are only reconstructed partial style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI recovered as much as I could from the original style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were sections where the corrupted data was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere are also two notable glitches with no discernable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can only open them in the order they were placed into the file style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll be seeing the newest files first then moving backwards through them until we hit the oldest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLastly, a file can only play once the file before it has been style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were no solutions to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTrying to repair the files nearly caused a corruption in the data of several files." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIrritation at the stupid redundancy he was forced to engage in filtered through his thoughts when he looked up at the wall sized style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRegardless of the date stamp in the lower left-hand corner of every file, regulations still required him to report the date to the person in charge of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was normally the highest-ranking member in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld was that person style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was recorded May 18, 2023."/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk488231030;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe file began to play,/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk488231030;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-tab-count: 4;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanthen.../span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk529208941"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn the ruins of his kitchen Anthony sat on the blackened style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hair, eyebrows and goatee were all a violent shade of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe kitchen itself looked like ground zero of a small high intensity style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMost of the counters and their contents were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCharcoal frames remained with the burnt remnants of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe stove was still smoldering while the refrigerator was missing its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts only contents were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMuch of that sooty debris had spilled out to smudge his jeans and cling to the soles of his black Converse high style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe island bar that normally separated the kitchen from the walkway that led into the living room was burned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts charred and broken stone counter had fallen through the remains of the frame, which were also standing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was leaning at an angle against the char scarred remnant of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanScorch marks crawled along above Anthony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAsh from the destroyed ceiling occasionally drifted like snow down onto his grey tee style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe circle around him that he was sitting in the middle of revealed where those scorch marks came style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony turned over a jagged piece of burnt metal in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis stare was empty as tears moved in little rivulets down his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sharp ache stabbed through the center of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike the piece of metal he was turning over, he didn't really notice it./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860937"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Why does he look so different?" asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"He, he's ..." she stuttered while looking for the right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis didn't look like the Tony Stark she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis looked like a man with Tony's face and Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was unsettling to see./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969691"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Taller, more muscular and younger," Clint style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe changes to his friend were dramatic and a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something very odd going on./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499480750"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Taller and younger, how did he manage that?" asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe noticed Tony's hair was hot rod red style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe shook his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't understand why his friend felt the need to keep dying his hair the most vivid shade style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least this was better than the citrus sherbet rainbow of a few months ago; or that ugly dark olive and electric blue style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was legendarily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBruce still remembered cringing when Tony walked into his laboratory in Avengers Tower wearing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn awkward conversation followed as he tried to determine what might be wrong with his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony had more than enough money to afford the plastic surgery, escorts and impractical vehicles that came with a bad mid-life style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he chose to go with the most glaring and offensive hair dye combinations seemed like a cry for help./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499480750;"a name="_Hlk499664231"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were several things wrong with what Steve was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe level of destruction he was seeing in an ordinary home was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, it also had clearly defined style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was oddly precise containment that was removed, leaving what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like the remains of a kitchen, but he wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe floors, walls and ceiling were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were what looked like the remains of cabinets, but it was the burned-out refrigerator that told him what room he was supposed to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe faraway look on Tony's face wasn't right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a silent stillness in it that Steve had never seen from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose two things were made eerier by Tony's physical style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked more like an Asgardian, Thor's peer, than an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of what he was seeing was the way it should've style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted to know why it wasn't./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194398"/aa name="_Hlk31795747"/aa name="_Hlk33343709"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795747;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA fearful realization came to Frey as he watched the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was from Anthony's construct, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew then that he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat he was charged with protecting was about to be exposed to the very people he swore to keep it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo worry showed on his face as he considered melting the laptop device that was playing the recordings. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo, they're probably style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld has more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I destroy it then my hand will be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis room has no windows for safety and Frigga won't leave me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI swore that I would never reveal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI gave her my oath!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat can be done/em, he thought frantically before sighing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr to form the spells he needed to begin obscuring people's memories furled back a moment after he unfurled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin and Frigga would notice him forming the spells and demand to know what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld probably won't let me use style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey defeat the purpose of her revealing these style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's nothing else I can do./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWell played style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I act, then I'll be the one to reveal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I don't act, then I allow it the be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I can do is hold my own tongue./em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795747;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBriefly, Frey wondered how the construct's recordings were able to function under Skuld's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo ordinary construct or machine was able to function under the extreme duress of Time style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe pursed his lipsem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;".span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld is forcing the construct's recordings to play so this might be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat might explain why so many of them were unable to be recovered/em, he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe shivered slightly at the thought of having to tell his beloved niece this, having to tell his style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony is going to be furious; with himself, with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy dear, there's nothing I can do./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey frowned when he realized that he was going to sit and watch as everything came crashing down again, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanConsoling himself was all he style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPerhaps this is for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSweetling will be heartbroken, but perhaps the future can still be salvaged./em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"a name="_Hlk489541621"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn an age-old reaction Frey clamped down on his seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPulling in his seidr so tightly sent the same ache spiraling through his chest that it had since he was a boy. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe couldn't allow any of his emotions to seep out through style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo long as Frigga didn't intentionally flare her seidr out to him, then he wouldn't be given style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could only keep it clamped down tightly for a few minutes at a time before the ache grew into a biting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt could very easily grow into something debilitating after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe short time he had was almost always long enough to get his emotions firmly under control. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly after they were under control would he normally let his seidr core expand out style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGiving himself away wasn't going to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished again that Odin was less disciplined and easier to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't, and never had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin's seidr was as tightly contained as it ever was, as were Odin's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe scoffed quietlyem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;", What emotions Borr's boy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat a beast./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe frowned again when he noticed the Truthkeeper glancing over at him with hints of pity in his pretty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt disgusted him to see. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I can do now is wait and watch./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a passing curiosity for Frey to know what Anthony did this time to have his hair turned a violent shade of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe also wondered what glamour Anthony wore while on Midgard that they thought he looked so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was what Anthony always looked like./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk25933983"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe front door of the Stark Malibu mansion closed silently in Rhodey's hand, locking just as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA key to every place his younger brothers lived had been his for almost three and a half style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere were only a few years where he didn't have a key to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEach of them wanted him to have those keys for safety and other style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOften so that he could help out with various style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike what he was currently doing, staying with Anthony on his last leave from the military before he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe scent of beef patties, cheese and fried vegetable wafted out of paper bag in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe essential blooming bulb was difficult to find at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally back at the house after his hunt he was looking forward to burgers, beers, and a ship style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey turned quickly as he heard the wailing from his brother's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSorry, sorry, sorry,/em it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe moved swiftly towards the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFear rippled through him as he got closer to the kitchen and noticed the burn marks and charred style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony!?" he yelled./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25933983;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he rushed around the corner he saw his younger brother sitting in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstantly he reached inside himself to extend his comforting soul song of stillness into the area around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts soul-whispered tune always calmed his brothers and the situations they found themselves style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNext, Rhodey dropped the food and promptly unfolded his seidr to mount a Regenerative style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt released towards his younger brother as he rushed over to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he got to Anthony he mounted a Healing Spell that he covered his younger brother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA quick check revealed no new injuries, which prompted only a small amount of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis weave was reducing the pain Anthony was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe temptation to begin working on some of the old wounds through his spell that were causing his younger brother pain sprang up style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTamping down hard on it happened swiftly and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHaving his younger brother panic and run wasn't going to help style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he had the experience to heal all the old wounds then he would've have just subdued his brother and done it./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25933983;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrustratingly, those wounds were more than what he could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last thing he mounted with his seidr was a Calm Heart Spell that he released into his brother's chest before he stowed his seidr away in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe soul song of stillness would amplify it for as long as he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was what he could do at that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey took his brother's face in his hands, trying to get him to make eye style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe same thoughts streaked through his mind as had many times in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWas I gone too long again?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat happened?!/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860957"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe impossible sight before her caused Pepper to gasp style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was bigger than her, but not like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was suddenly huge with the same powerful build that Thor had, as well as the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe had lunch with him just last month and he looked the same as he always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was normally Tony who hid things from her, yet somehow he was so different, like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe didn't know what had happened to either of them./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672796"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Rhodes looks bigger as well," Thor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark looked like he hailed from Asgard or Alfheim, while Rhodes was the size of a man from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would've thought they were wearing guises, but neither Stark nor Rhodes had seidr to cast magics style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout that he didn't know how they got into the states they were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he saw them both recently they looked as they always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething about this struck Thor as unsettlingly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA little anxiety surrounded his hope that they were both well, particularly the honorable colonel./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969704"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Whatever happened to Tony must have happened to Rhodey as well," Clint style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something very odd about what he was seeing, and it was only getting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNeither Tony nor Rhodey were alarmed by the obvious explosion that Tony thankfully style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow that wasn't a priority to them was bothering him./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969704;"a name="_Hlk499664297"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth Tony and Rhodey didn't seem concerned by the changes to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey didn't seem to notice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSteve noticed them and that they didn' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it hadn't been for their faces identifying them he wouldn't have known who they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey almost looked like two completely different style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of this was normal./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194416"/aem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAh, Anthony's brother-in-arms/span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194416;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;", Frey thought as he calmly surveyed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was glad to finally be able to observe him in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStories weren't enough to get to know someone, nor was looking at them during a healing, it might as well have been in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did pique his curiosity that they thought he looked different as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was exactly as Frey remembered style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat wasn't a good first meeting,/em he thought dryly./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk488231054"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanColonel Rhodes looked as worried up on the big screen as he had on the much smaller one at McCorrmick's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen he watched this the first time there was only the need to be speedy and accurate in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sense of déjà vu pervaded his thoughts that was weird since he knew he'd already seen the people and places he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe young man thought it was out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis whole thing was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom the screen to down the table from him, his gaze went to Agent Barton style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe agent had a slight frown on his face as he watched the file style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt sent a little frown across the McCorrmick's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow Agent Barton was guilty didn't make style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe stalwart agent was the only person in the room who hadn't helped to create the mess he stumbled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the others' guilt he understood easily and agreed with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was another emmiki mess that strengthened his opinion that they needed their own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSkuld declared Agent Barton guilty; so the agent was, with or without his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs one of the elder aunts she held the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was overseeing Aideshan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's done style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't need to understand what it is right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI still have a lot of time before the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just have to follow her instructions so I can pass the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI will prove our loyalty./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs with everything else he'd seen, he was sure that he would understand it by the time he needed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen he would make sure the guilty gathered there understood too. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe very last file was his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomewhere in what came before it had to be a clue that he overlooked the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMcCorrmick wasn't going to miss it this time./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk25934565"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony are you alright?" Rhodey asked urgently. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnswer me, are you alright?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no answer, only more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanForceful pats on the side of Anthony's face didn't draw his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Are you alright?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat happened?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis younger brother didn't look up at him, he just kept turning over the burnt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Please talk to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTell me what happened!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere's your wife?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe longer it took his younger brother to find words to answer him with the worse he feared the damage to be./span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498860970"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What?" Pepper felt like all the air was sucked out of her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEverything just stopped for a style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWife?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony has a wife?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOf all the reckless things he'd done over the years getting married wasn't one of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was glad that she hadn't had to deal with any messy break-ups from a drunken Vegas style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe frowned then, irritated that it was probably what happened./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969736"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Tony Stark got married?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat the hell?" Clint just kept staring at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe size of the screen combined with its high resolution was giving him the impression that he was looking through a glass pane instead of watching things on a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a little ironic since it was Tony himself who insisted on these wall-sized, high-resolution style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It gives a more accurate picture," he always said./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969736;"a name="_Hlk499664364"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA small, disappointed sigh slipped out from between Steve's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere always seemed to be some woman at the heart of Tony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe thought his friend had rehabilitated his behaviors more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead, it looked like Tony had refined his ability to make problems for himself./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194448"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore letting his normal calm expression fall back into place Frey smirked for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was interesting to see Rhodes come close to striking Anthony and gain no style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis nephew-by-law's temper was a massive beast that relished its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Something must be terribly wrong for Anthony to not strike back./em/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275568"/aa name="_Hlk31795807"/aa name="_Hlk25935008"/aa name="_Hlk26710045"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe damage to the house around Anthony caught Rhodey's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt only went so far yet was still too style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnother more immediate fear jumped into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Jarvis, are you active and undamaged?"/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm fully operational, Colonel Rhodes," Jarvis replied in quiet tones from the speakers in the nearby hall lights./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25935008;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"a name="_Hlk25935140"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRelief tinged his thoughts with the alleviation of another style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least his younger brother hadn't lost his coded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What happened?" the older man asked./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795807;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sir and Madam had an argument about Madam's past and her family. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it ended poorly, Sir accidentally destroyed the kitchen," Jarvis replied./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275568;"a name="_Hlk529210610"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter a short sniffle Anthony finally found the desire to speak. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanQuiet melancholy accentuated his words, "I didn't mean to, Rhodey. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI swear to god, I didn't mean style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI was just so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean to hurt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just, it was just ...span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI didn't mean to." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe continued to stare at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ache in his back began to noticeably quiet down as he felt his brother's song wash over him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk500178709"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What did you do?" Director Fury asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd known Tony Stark for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew his father, Howard Stark, as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey each drank too much but were never violent style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn fact, Stark had become almost a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe began trying to talk to their enemies, trying to get them to surrender peacefully without the need for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark hadn't shied away from violence when the situation called for it, but he tried everything else before he started style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor a mechanical engineer he proved to be quite adept in either a crisis negotiation or a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor the most part he was successful in persuading people away from fights./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk500178709;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSHIELD's ranks had swelled two new types of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe first group were former villains and henchmen who just wanted a start fresh with a good-paying style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe second group were vetted people who were overseeing the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe world was running out of truly dangerous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough he never said as much, Director Fury was both pleasantly surprised and very proud of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was finally following in his father's footsteps to make the world a better style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was one of the reasons why he was so shocked and concerned when this new information came to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore importantly than the fact that it didn't seem like the man he'd come to know was that Stark was SHIELD's main weapons and tech style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he went rogue he could take the entire organization down with him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194475"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore relaxing his expression again, Frey style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey've had an argument, that's never good./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat they rarely argued was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat they did argue about was always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it was an argument about family, then he didn't have to stretch his imagination to know how it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey all went the same style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't normally step into any of their disagreements; it wasn't truly his place style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he did wish Anthony would be more careful with his words around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt also explained Anthony's hair style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Spell of Swirling Colors was one of her favorites./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194475;"a name="_Hlk31795920"/aa name="_Hlk33344992"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth Frey and Thor saw Odin looking over the screen to determine where the voice came style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey didn't move to explain and wouldn' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething like Jarvis wasn't kept in Asgard, it was rarely kept anywhere in the Elder style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished that Skuld wasn't powerful enough to force the construct to function under the duress of the Time Magics when it ought not to./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"a name="_Hlk497672860"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen Thor noticed his father looking to find where the person speaking was he turned to him, "Jarvis is a Midgardian machine father, like a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's in all of Stark's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe assists with many things and is quite useful."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe particularly appreciated that he was able to discuss the different types of coffee with Jarvis, and then have it order what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Construct Helper even kept the larger coffee mugs that he liked in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor always laughed at how interested Jarvis was in having him describe what drinking coffee felt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though Stark's Construct Helper was only in the walls it was still very pleasant to be around./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31795920;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"A Construct Helper without a body then?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI see," Odin kept it in mind for style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis construct functions surprisingly well under Time Magics,/em he thought, emalmost like a real mind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn his opinion Skuld more than likely had a hand in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't truly interest him, nor did this mortal's marriage style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't going to worry over whether this man treated his wife style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMortals were of no concern to style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhy am I here, Skuld?/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275585"/aa name="_Hlk25778249"/aa name="_Hlk25935950"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemHis mouth ran away with him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey kept a practiced neutral expression in place while the fear coloring his thoughts began style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least I know what happened./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a long time coming in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis younger brothers were all catastrophically impulsive in word, action and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanVery few people had the patience to handle them over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"She finally said something about it?"/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk529182600"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking up at his older brother, Anthony said, "I ..." before he looked back down style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I did it again, didn't I?"/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk25940317"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt least no one is in the hospital …./span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778249;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25940317;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey heaved another style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze traveled around the wreckage of the kitchen. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span… style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to do more to get to this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDaily check-ins won't do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI have to start working more with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf I can't get this under control I'm going to lose him./em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe frowned down at his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI won't lose you. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/em"Alright, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI know you don't like her family." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony opened his mouth, but Rhodey shushed him. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And I agree with you that they have unresolved style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat doesn't mean you can run your mouth about them every time they come style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt doesn't matter that only one of them was, is, decent to her because she still cares about all of them."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stood up, pulling Anthony up with him by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We're going to go sit out on the patio and talk this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll figure out the contingencies and work on better ways to handle future interactions."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275585;"a name="_Hlk529211084"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Figure what out?!" Anthony snarled and pulled away from Rhodey, the color of his eyes deepening style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA dark voice in his mind whispered suddenly, emI only need to keep you from stopping me until I can burn them./em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe ache in his back spiked up again with the increase in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis older brother's weave blunted much of that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat was left of that stabbing pain went straight to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What's to figure out?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe already know they're shit!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe've already figured out how much I fucking hate Thor and his fucking father!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI hate them!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them, all of Asgard."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe screamed at his older brother, "I'LL BURN THEM FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA few rapid panting breaths later he'd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The only thing I need to figure out is how to keep her from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat else is there?!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe leaned in a little to give Rhodey a convincing smile as he channeled his will into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis voice was quiet but compelling when he spoke, "We could do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCall them, bring style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe could emburn Asgard/em together."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs close as he was to sidestepping his exceptionally observant older brother, he wasn't nearly close style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tension of being so close was killing him./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497672954"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What?" Thor said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd always thought of Stark as a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven after seeing the schematics, he still had a hard time thinking of Stark as a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was proud to fight side by side with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor listened to him, to his wise and patient style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man on the screen screamed out his hatred, but Thor just couldn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark was nothing but kind and courteous when he visited from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was mouthy for a mortal, impudent and abrasive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was just his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe truly meant nothing by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor didn't take it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark even gave him his own floor at Avengers Tower; gifted him with a Stark phone, a new and improved one every year, or sooner if it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThor didn't understand. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sense of unease began to grow within him as anxiety swelled in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWho was Stark married to, and how had he fallen afoul of this woman so badly that Stark wanted to do harm to him?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow could this woman know his father?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was unsettling before, now it was just style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was very wrong to Thor./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499220603"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCuriosity cause Natasha to arch an eyebrow, while waiting for the blow that didn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark yelling at Rhodes never ended well./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499220603;"a name="_Hlk499664427"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWaiting patiently, Steve understood what was about to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt did too often, and he never liked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished Tony would stop yelling at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore than that, he wished that Tony would stop getting into trouble with woman./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491087939"/aa name="_Hlk492219558"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis man is married to someone who knows both my husband and son, and he wants to strike at them./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk492219558;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a painful and still confusing familiarity in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something Frigga thought style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a grief that was still fresh, one that she wasn't certain she wanted to revisit again./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk491087939;"a name="_Hlk495952874"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGlancing over to Frigga Odin found a wariness on her face that mirrored his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had a terrible feeling that he might know why Skuld brought him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something he thought possible, nor was it something he knew how to feel style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe grief in that thought was still fresh and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt hadn't been enough centuries for the grief to not be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he looked at the two men on the screen, Odin felt right in thinking, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"This isn't going to end well./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194495"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe rage on Anthony's face troubled Frey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like a rage that was close to being acted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze darted to Thor before returning to the screen./spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony, I would deeply appreciate it if you wouldn't turn my nephew into a cinder./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze travelled to Rhodes then, /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"Or try to incite your brother-in-arms to lead others in an attempt to do the same./span/em/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194495;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFinally, his gaze settled back on his unaware style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPlans for protecting him needed to be crafted and enacted sooner rather than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt looked like Anthony's rage wouldn't be held back for much longer./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275639"/aa name="_Hlk25778329"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIncreasing irritation filtered through /span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778329;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"Rhodey as his younger brother screamed at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemHate, hate, burn them all,/em Anthony's seidr was yelling as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOver the last few years the volume of Anthony's voice, as well as loss of control and violence, had all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout the allies or tools he needed to properly handle the causes of his younger brother's outbursts, he was left with not enough time in between the frequent fits to recover his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe attempt at a convincing smile after Anthony was done yowling was insulting, painful and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt'd been over a decade since he tried style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn Asgard./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a Stark thing to do; one more sign that he was watching his younger brother slip away without being able to do anything about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn Asgard/em, whispered through his mind style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was only ever one answer to these childish and dangerous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo/em, he thought with purpose and vigor, cutting off the whisper style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Put that away, or I'll do it for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI don't want to see it again," menace dripped from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis hand clenched into a fist which he purposefully unclenched then involuntarily clenched style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAsking him to pull in their other brothers tugged at the already tight thread of patience he had. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was done with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnger roared from his tone while his volume remained style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigid vicious calm covered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"We're going to talk about how you're going to handle this without hurting your wife or losing control and exploding the house and its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHave we figured out how you're going to go forward without making Howard proud of you?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's garish hair color was proof enough that his brother hurt his own wife's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemSit your ass down and shut your mouth!/em span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe command thundered out through his seidr just before he pulled it in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey tried hard not to yell at his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite the rightness of being disappointed and angry with Anthony's stupidity, yelling wasn't what would serve him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMeeting any of his brothers' messes with anything negative wouldn't produce the best outcome./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275639;"a name="_Hlk529183207"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe roaring disappointment of his older brother that came crashing down on him was more pronounced with the whispering rebuke that followed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was all well-earned and he knew it as he always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA slightly stricken look crossed Anthony's face as his shoulders style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe sat back down on the floor with a small style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sharp ache decreased again as his anger pulled back without style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I didn't mean to," he whispered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's just …there was more ..."/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969766"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spana name="_Hlk499664496"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969766;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"A little tension snaked through Steve's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey was about the end the argument style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe could see the colonel's patience slipping style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it didn't happen, he let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and sat back style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was always disappointed when Tony and Rhodey got into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe volume of the fights was always subdued, even though the gesticulating was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe last gesture to be made too often was Rhodey's fist jabbing into Tony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTalking to them about it never seemed to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something between them that he couldn't guess at, and they wouldn't tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhatever it was turned violent from time to time./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk498969766;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSurprise tinged Clint's thoughts at the exchange between Tony and Rhodey was so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce things escalated to yelling then worse was sure to follow./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk499482169"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPulling his handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his glasses clean was often Bruce's response to his teammates rowdy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe kept his handkerchief style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWiping his glasses clean again was preferable to looking at what was about to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it didn't, he was honestly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTony's yelling at Rhodey was always the start of something nasty./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk499482169;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnexpected relief filtered into this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey's head tilted slightly to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was interesting to see someone come back at his nephew-by-law with openly displayed ire and for Anthony's rage to not grow more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't something he'd seen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMeeting Anthony's anger with more anger only fueled the fires that would burn style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYet this man had physically crumpled Anthony's growing rage without raising a hand to him, or even raising his voice./span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30275678"/aa name="_Hlk25778395"/aa name="_Hlk25952485"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe's starting to have outbursts every style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis is out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI let it get to this./span/em/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25952485;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey stood with his hands on his hips to keep them from balling into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDistress followed in the wake of realizing he was about to punch his younger brother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe hated punching style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was too much like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat he had to increasingly use Howard's tactics upset him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt left him sick and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnfortunately, there were times when it was the only way to shock his younger brother out of an uncontrolled rage in which he would hurt someone if left style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGetting them straightened out has to start style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's no more time./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey knelt down next to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It's time for me to get her ready for the talk."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No, no, no!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony looked swiftly to his older style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"There's no need!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat that talk-turned-briefing was regarding was the first entry on the long list of things his wife didn't need to know about him./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk25952616"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This has to stop," he said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This hate, Anthony, it's a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe need to deal with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe can't ignore it."/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk7277842"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm not ignoring how much I hate style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt burns," Anthony said quietly as he picked up the piece of burnt metal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIts surface was scarred and jagged. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanJust like her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBurn them all, it's their fault!/em/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk7277842;"a name="_Hlk25954284"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Even if you have a right and reason to be angry that doesn't give you a right or reason to take that anger out on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat emis not/em how we behave," the disapproval was heavy in his voice./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk7277842;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Do you think she'll forgive me?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony asked quietly. emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe already forgave me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis wasn't as bad, but I made her cry style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe she'll forgive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI hope she will. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBitter anger burned through his thoughts again, hardening style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe dark voice in the back of his mind seized on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer forgiveness doesn't erase their guilt!/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spanAnthonyspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"'s thoughts quieted./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"emspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI still have work to do./span/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk31796002"/aa name="_Hlk25954818"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31796002;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe pain his younger brother was in hurt Rhodey since it wasn't a pain he could immediately style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was one more bad day in a lifetime of bad days that were already style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMany of those days were ones that only he and a few privileged others knew style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey couldn't be shared style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted so badly to move towards better days never to go style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he couldn't see a way to even make it a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe best he could manage was trying to keep people from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Jarvis, where is she?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey had to get Anthony moved away from impulsive action and towards contemplative thought before he could go about fixing the latest mess./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31796002;"a name="_Hlk33345425"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Madam is in her laboratory setting random things on fire," Jarvis style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThrough the security protocols observing and recording everyone in the house was mandated. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaintaining the mansion's security was a responsibility assigned to this digital intellect./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25778395;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA gentle squeeze on Anthony's shoulder conveyed the message that he was disappointed but still cared about his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey's voice carried its normal tolerant quietude when he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"She's calming style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou need to do the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI know she'll forgive style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe loves you more than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou know that."/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30275678;"a name="_Hlk529187854"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sad smile crossed Anthony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I love her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI couldn't live without Loki."/span/span/p
p class="Textbody" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;".-.-.-./span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk498969778"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"That son of a bitch, I'm going to kill him," Clint calmly said, as his hand tightened around his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuddenly he knew what was wrong with what he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf he left that very minute then he could be to Stark's mansion in just a few hours in one of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThings could be settled once he got there./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489194569"/aem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNow it all comes apart again./span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489194569;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey kept a calm expression on his face as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe clamped down tighter on his seidr until his chest ached style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAny sign of his internal turmoil would only worsen style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll have to collect them quickly when this is done. /emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was tempted to smirk as he thought, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"It's a pity Anthony isn't silent./em/span/span/p
