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 9 -/span/strong/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" /span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk30278218"/aa name="_Hlk25780245"/aa name="_Hlk27082003"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe bright lighting in the workshop illuminated what it touched, but nothing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony sat on a swiveling bar stool at his workshop's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA tablet computer was in hand, engrossing him in what he was working style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey sat on his own bar stool working on the computer, farther down the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe computer itself was set into a compartment in the wall behind the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo normal sized holoscreens were being projected out from the wall on either side of a large center style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll three projections came from a single holoprojector mounted to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe two side monitors where tilted slightly out from the wall to provide a better style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe wafer-thin keyboard and contoured mouse were sitting on the bench beneath the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony, this coding is beautiful!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's a totally new programing language. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen did you create this?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked over at his younger brother who didn't seem to have heard style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony?"/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"a name="_Hlk31796105"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Other side of what?" Anthony muttered as he looked down at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe file was playing but muted since Jarvis was subtitling it in real style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemThat doesn't account for the time./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn awful suspicion bubbled up in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTruthfully, it'd been quietly growing for a few years, but he'd been studiously ignoring style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't sure it could be ignored any longer./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"a name="_Hlk27160807"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Anthony!" Rhodey called, a little louder./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Huh?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat?" Anthony looked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe tried to think of what Rhodey said but he wasn't listening./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"a name="_Hlk27161363"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This coding is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's elegantly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen did you come up with it?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey pointed to the holoscreen when Anthony looked at him with a confused expression on his face, "For the armors."/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Oh," Anthony said as he realized what his older brother was asking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen he smiled as he realized that he'd forgotten to tell him a few style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat needed to be fixed or he'd be in trouble./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25780245;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"a name="_Hlk27161563"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You need to teach me style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI've never seen anything like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWas the old stuff just not good enough anymore?" Rhodey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew how much Anthony loved to make new things just to not have the old ones./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278218;"a name="_Hlk533523995"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Oh, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo, I program in it, but I didn't create it."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA wide grin crossed Anthony's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'll let you learn it from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's adapted Skrull code with an OS styled after the one in an Asgardian scout ship."/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="_Hlk491522138"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe short conversation these men were having irritated Odin for an entirely new style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOn top of everything else the Skrull are involved as well?/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNeither he, nor any of the other Lords had seen a Skrull incursion into the Nine style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe treaties between the realms held a clause that dictated notifying every other Lord if an incursion were to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Lord who first knew of it was the one responsible for making everyone else style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven Frey wouldn't disobey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was one of the duties Odin's scout ships undertook, patrolling the borders of Asgardian space and of the Nine style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere did you get one of my scout ships?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of his scout ships, or any other ships /spanwentspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" missing from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was something Loki had access to as one point, but that was more than two hundred years style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe shook his head slightly, frowning style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow can this get worse?/em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489266873"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Skrull?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow did that happen?/span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489266873;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey arched an eyebrow as he wondered how Anthony might have Skrull style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't a people to be dallied style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven bartering with them was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't know how Anthony came into contact with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't allowed into the Nine Realms without permission, a valid cause, and a heavy escort from the Elder style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnything else was an open act of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLoki would tell him had they made it into the Nine Realms undetected by him or any other style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis own scout ships were part of the patrols that roamed the borders of both Vanaheim's space as well as the Nine style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNo evidence of their return had been style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was very curious then how Anthony might have come into contact with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey also wanted to know what Anthony thought he was going to do with their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was vastly beyond Midgardian standards./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489266873;"a name="_Hlk492233234"/aa name="_Hlk494981580"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk492233234;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNervous worry skirted at the edges of the vexed Queen's thoughts,span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga worried suddenly that Loki made contact with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were extremely dangerous style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey weren't the kind of people she wanted either of her children style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe didn't worry about Stark having one of their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe doubted very much that he could do anything with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMortals always tried to copy things from the Elder Realms when they came across style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey never style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark was a fool to even try in Frigga's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin would have the ship discreetly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wasn't a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only slightly concerning that Stark might have had something from one of Asgard's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven that wasn't so much of a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSince Stark was Midgardian there wasn't much he could do with that either./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489266873;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk492233234;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStark wasn't enough to hold her attention right style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrigga's gaze drifted down to the floor for a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Why wouldn't he bring Loki to me?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow could he take my place?/em/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="_Hlk25781388"/aa name="_Hlk27162828"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"What's a Skrull ship?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs that an Asgardian ship class?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA bomber or fighter?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter so long in the military, Rhodey couldn't resist asking more./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"a name="_Hlk528592497"/aa name="_Hlk31630685"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No, not at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Skrull are a different style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey have their own empire outside of the Nine Realms. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI just have one of their ships," Anthony kept on smiling as embarrassment crept across his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor years he'd fought his older brother on going back to having daily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce the lockdown restrictions were lifted he wasn't eager to go style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no need for them, he argued, since weekly ones were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony suspected that he'd just talked himself into having those check-ins style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn irrational part of him suggested giving his older brother a tour of the ship to placate the irritation and disappointment thus avoiding the embarrassing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe more sensible part of him knew that he was going to be giving that tour to placate the irritation and avoid restrictions on top of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though it was wholly unintentional, Anthony acknowledged that he did hide an alien spacecraft for almost a year in what was essentially his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking at it like that made it seem a little less rational and a little more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey wasn't going to look kindly on it./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"a name="_Hlk31631122"/aa name="_Hlk27163810"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631122;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You have a spaceship from a race we've never heard of?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey gave Anthony his undivided attention while immediately extending his soul song of stillness from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt encompassed the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Care to explain that?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tone he used was calm and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he could see the recognition of actions, not intentions, as it crossed his younger brother's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey both knew that anything less than a provable, unequivocal denial was going to land his younger brother with more check-ins, as well as some additional oversight and skills style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey readied the soul song of action to encourage Anthony to talk to him more if he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe outcome of its use wasn't predictable with his brothers though, so he used it carefully./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631122;"a name="_Hlk533524680"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm screwed./span/em/span/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631122;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk533524680;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRight then he knew that he'd not only lost the argument over the need for check-ins but had talked himself into tighter style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony laughed quietly at himself and ran a hand through his hair. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It was a birthday present of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom Loki," he said with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was the best birthday he'd ever style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe party Loki had waiting for him on the ship still caused his cheeks to warm when he remembered style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanCalling Rhodey to come bail him out wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was the first birthday party he had on a ship where no one was arrested. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAlthough what Loki did was still legally obscene./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631122;"a name="_Hlk27168609"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"From last year?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey had wondered if there was more to that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony told him there wasn' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite the unarguable fact that there was, the younger man still hadn't purposefully style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe knew his younger brother well enough to know that the ship, as big a point as it was, just got lost in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was why daily check-ins were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would get Anthony back into the habit of sharing important details with him so that he could make sure those things were handled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWeekly check-ins were adequate for reinforcement, but they'd proven ineffective when his brothers' skills style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony received a look which accurately conveyed his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You didn't mention that."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat his younger brother hadn't pointed out irritated style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHim returning the favor to point out the impending check-ins wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey both knew what was coming./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"a name="_Hlk31631560"/aa name="_Hlk533524727"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631560;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It was a big day, I mentioned the important stuff," Anthony shrugged style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEqual parts defensiveness and embarrassment laced through his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"It was half birthday present, half long-term style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI've been reverse engineering its systems since I got it."emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI had a year to avoid daily style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn entire year!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhy did I screw myself?!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOh, fuck me!/em/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631560;"a name="_Hlk27251224"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You've had an alien ship in orbit for a year?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI understand that human technology is generally inferior, but how did the ISS not get eyes on it?" Rhodey was a little more irritated that Anthony hadn't mentioned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow little Earth's technology was able to track was why NORAD sometimes needed a heads style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was very worrisome style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was tempted to be frustrated with his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe check-ins were going to alleviate that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a quick decision to have Anthony share his memories of the event, then he'd get anything else he needed from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey would schedule the check-ins after he had those./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528592497;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631560;"a name="_Hlk533525243"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn apologetic smile crossed Anthony's lips, "It's not in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt has a real cloaking system, not the optical camouflage that SHIELD style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI keep it on the ocean floor, a couple miles off the coast," Anthony motioned to the hallway that led out to the cliff overlooking the ocean."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis smiled softened as he remembered that monumental style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I can fly out to it from the armor's landing point on the patio, or," he stood and walked over to a metal ring lodged in the floor of his workshop, "I have easy access to it through this."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony shoved the tool chest that was sitting on it out of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe portal activated as he flared out his seidr towards it./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781388;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31631560;"a name="_Hlk27326866"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA sphere of light levitated about a meter off the floor, so Rhodey went to examine style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was about the size of a basketball and glowed with a fierce emerald style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe extended a hand and allowed his own seidr to unfold from within his seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGarnet colored seidr ran down his arm to marshal in his hand, stopping at his fingertips./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="_Hlk497675754"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"James Rhodes now possesses seidr as well," Thor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wished that the honorable colonel were there so he could discuss style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTruthfully, the upset Prince wanted to discuss more than how his shield-mates had style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTalking to him about Stark and about what happened with his mother and uncle would be most style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I didn't think it possible to give someone seidr," he said as he turned to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe would know so he asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Mother, I thought you had to be born with seidr to practice magic."/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491102087"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This man didn't possess seidr?" Frigga asked, instantly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was still trying to calm down from her brother's vicious words and didn't want to think about something as odd as what her son was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanParticularly not since he appeared to be a dwarven style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only that he was a Dvergar on Midgard that was truly curious./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk497675774"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"No, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were both ordinary mortals, and smaller as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey've undergone some style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLoki must have done something to them, but what could it be?" Thor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis didn't make sense with what little he knew of magic./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk491102172"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I don't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere's nothing I know of that could give a person seidr," Frigga worried over this as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Loki found a way to give seidr to mortals, what else could Loki do?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow Loki could do such a thing had to be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe knew that Stark had seidr of his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no mistaking what manner of beast he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other man's seidr was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe looked like a Dvergar from Nidavellir with his red seidr and dark style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was only his dark hair and eyes that made him look not wholly dwarven, but Thor said he was a mortal style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThese things couldn't both be true./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA little sigh slipped past Odin's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't think his son could be right in this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe man on the screen looked very much like a /spanspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"Dvergarspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;", probably a half-blooded style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow promiscuous the average /spanDvergarspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" was made this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spanDvergarspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" loved mingling with others and loved the children that came from those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only real surprise was finding a half-blood on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/spanDvergarspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" didn't normally let their children stray style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe truly didn't think that Loki could give this man style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow this man came to be where he was became more of a concern than he felt it should style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was Loki's involvement /spanthatspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" made it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat else have you done that I must now be worried about?/em/spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin could feel the beast within him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe tried to keep his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly by staying calm could he hope to keep the beast asleep./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk489267010"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat can't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony has seidr because of what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI felt Rhodes' seidr, observed him using it when I last went to their home./span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267010;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe scowled at his nephew then before relaxing his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUneducated boy!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot even Loki could give seidr to a man./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey thought over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe immediately discounted Rhodes having been gifted with a seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA seidr core was only possible because of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no way to grow a heartstring onto a man's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHeartstrings were almost too delicate to even have Healing Magics worked on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was ever bitter for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only other possibility that made sense was that this man had hidden what he was from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey knew from experience that magic wasn't practiced on Midgard as it was in the Elder Realms because Midgardians lacked heartstrings and seidr style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt seemed sensible that if Rhodes had wanted to fit into mortal society and lead a normal life that he might have hidden his true style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat's the best possibility but I still don't know, I'll ask after it when I see Anthony again./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267010;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only odd thing for Frey was how he made it to Midgard to begin style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis dear friend Brokkr refused to allow either Gangr or Egil to leave the capitol city without style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir mothers didn't want to allow them out of the palace, but he and his dear friend managed to convince them that the boys needed some room to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBrokkr, Huldra and Skogsra weren't unusual in that practice style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDwarves didn't let their children wander because they considered them to be the true wealth of any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey were too precious to let out of their sight for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd speak with Loki and Anthony on it when he returned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen he'd speak with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow he might have convinced dwarven parents to let him travel unaccompanied was an argument that might benefit Brokkr's sons./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="_Hlk30278410"/aa name="_Hlk31632072"/aa name="_Hlk25781468"/aa name="_Hlk27335922"/aa name="_Hlk27336988"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27335922;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781468;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632072;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Loki made this for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat was nice." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey extended his seidr just past his fingertips, slowly probing at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe emerald seidr of the shell was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeneath the shell the center anchoring felt oddly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr was mixed and a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor being such a thick concentration of seidr it felt insubstantial and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn his mind he could see the runes comprising the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough they were moving quickly he was still certain of what they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The anchoring in this is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's very solidly constructed, probably on an atypical runic style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFeels like a pentagonal construction."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn appreciative smile crossed his face as he continued to inspect his sister-in-law's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The Rune of Transverse was expertly applied as the Major style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Minor Runes are all moving very quickly in a complicated style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUraz, Ansuz, Raidho, Dagaz, Mannaz and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir steady, constant motion is style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of them are fading into any of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey're all very distinct."/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27335922;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781468;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632072;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTaking a little step closer, Rhodey smiled widely at the Loki's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"This is a very safe Wellspring Portal."emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThank you, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a very nice gift./em/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781468;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632072;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spana name="_Hlk533525695"/a"Beautiful, powerful and impressive," Anthony said, commenting on his wife and the things she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis older brother was right, it was a complicated weave created from a pentagonal runic style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat his older brother appreciated the things that made Anthony happy was one of the reasons, among thousands, that he and his brothers sought out Rhodey when they were all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike it had so many years ago, it still drew them together./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781468;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632072;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"a name="_Hlk27339398"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no denying it, so Rhodey nodded in agreement/spana name="_Hlk528595240"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27339398;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;" as he looked at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The center anchoring seems a little brown to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe seidr is mixed so finely that I can't get a handle on the second style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDid she use a red augment on a green anchor?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt wouldn't surprise me if it were purple, but I think the odds are higher that it's red seidr."/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632072;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595240;"a name="_Hlk533527095"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMotioning to the outer shell, Anthony answered, "The outer shell is pure style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInside that it's anchored in green and augmented with red."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595240;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk533527095;"a name="_Hlk31632510"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was more than he ever thought possible for him to be able to use and study magic, even though he didn't like the word 'magic' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was so superstitious with such backwards style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAutonomic energy manipulation was a far more accurate term as far as he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll the times Anthony tried to get Loki to call it that resulted in him being scoffed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA grin touched his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis brother never scoffed at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was unsurprised that Rhodey's understanding caught up with his own, and even surpassed him in certain style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was also no wonder to him that Rhodey had the time to gain that understanding while being a high-ranking military style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, Rhodey had been handling three younger brothers who needed intensive attention for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMagic stood no chance against him./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk30278410;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595240;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk533527095;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632510;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA particularly joyful retirement from the military was coming very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's grin widened style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Air Force had taken Rhodey from him and his brothers for so long that he couldn't wait to reclaim his older style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce that happened then they would be the only thing Rhodey had to worry style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe three of them were already pestering their older brother about being a 'consultant' for them./span/span/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="_Hlk489267062"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn an instant Frey knew that Thor was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodes was clearly a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe scowled at his nephew style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was such an uneducated style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRed and purple seidr?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis curiosity was piqued style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe thought that he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe never had explicit confirmation before and wasn't sure that he wanted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was incredibly interesting for him, as well as a little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only other possibility was a grim talisman, which Anthony said Loki wouldn't use, and did seem very out of character for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was something he was going to have to ask Loki style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was an old curiosity that he wanted to have settled once and for all./span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk500074510"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs magic real?/span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk500074510;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDirector Fury listened to them discuss it and found it interesting as well as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe prospect of the Skrull being involved or being Loki's allies was as bad as the Chitauri trying to invade style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe Skrull were fierce, cunning, and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir adversaries were ruthless and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't want to deal with the Kree-Skrull war spilling over onto Earth style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey'd had enough. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMagic was more style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile the Director didn't understand the magic they were talking about, he could see that they both understood what they were talking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Stark and Rhodes can learn, then other people could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/emThe Director almost chuckled at the thought of witches working for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey wouldn't be our weirdest assets./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"a name="_Hlk495225649"/aemspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe is a Dvergar mage./span/emspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk495225649;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin was glad to have that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanGlad also that this mage was willing to stand for his eldest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, his nose wrinkled at the thought of his youngest son collaborating with an Eldjotnar mage to create a portal to a Skrull style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAre the Eldjotnar involved in this madness as well?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was going to have a long talk with Lord Surtur if they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't looking forward to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe and Lord Surtur had never been on friendly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey probably never would style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe war between their kingdoms only exacerbated the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wondered if other kingdoms besides Vanaheim conspired to betray Asgard./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="_Hlk528595358"/aa name="_Hlk31632906"/aa name="_Hlk533529154"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632906;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEvery time Anthony thought it over he liked the idea of having Rhodeyspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanas a consultant before his retirement style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe arrangement had to be abided by, but he thought he could get around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony was pulled from his thoughts by a loud rumble from Rhodey's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis brother looked vaguely embarrassed before grinning./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31632906;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"a name="_Hlk25781681"/aa name="_Hlk27408677"/aa name="_Hlk27410098"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27408677;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781681;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA quick glance at his watch showed him that lunch was many long hours style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA happy twinkle shined in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You hungry, Anthony?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll go get some burgers and beers, then you can show me your ship."emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe'll plan out the check-ins and what practice he needs on the ship after style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOn an alien spaceship./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodey grinned more as he headed over to grab his jacket and keys from the little table he'd tossed them onto by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was so much that he was going to need to do to make sure Anthony's ship was being handled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe amount of work that was going to come from this dinner was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHowever, he'd wanted to go into space with his brothers since they were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNothing he'd have to do was enough to make him pass up this opportunity./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781681;"a name="_Hlk31633541"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Bring back onion rings. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI could kill for some onion rings," Anthony called after his brother as he closed the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen it was fully closed he walked back to the workbench to retrieve his tablet./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781681;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31633541;"a name="_Hlk27414684"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce his jacket was on and his keys scooped up into his pocket Rhodey turned to get a few more details to think over before he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Hey, kid, what did you mean when you said it was half long-term project?"emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat have you been up to?/em/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781681;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31633541;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking back to his older brother with a serious expression, Anthony couldn't help but be happy to be the one to tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven though he'd messed up he still got to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Humans are going into space, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm not talking about shuttles, unmanned missions and collecting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm talking about human-made and human-crewed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere will be colonies and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm talking about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHuman expansion out into the galaxy."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781681;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31633541;"a name="_Hlk27416438"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"…what?" Rhodey wanted him to say it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a dream come true, but with his brother doing it he knew it also needed strict style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDespite it making him feel like he'd fallen down the rabbit hole again he still acknowledged that this wasspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanbetter than the satellites Anthony kept working on, or the filthy nimp./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595358;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31633541;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"When Loki gave me this ship, she made me a King and said that I have to lead my people, to uplift them," Anthony smiled at the mention of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"The stars, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe're going to go together, just like we always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHuman destiny isn't here on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's out there in the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat's what the new OS for the armors style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's a test run of an OS for the ships I'm designing."/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="_Hlk489267089"/aa name="_Hlk495225667"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267089;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth Frey and Odin arched an eyebrow at that./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk495225667;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267089;"a name="_Hlk496007837"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemJust what is it Loki has promised you?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou will be Lord of Midgard?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin scowled at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere could be no Lord of Midgard for there was no kingdom on Midgard to Lord style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was also no way that Loki had to change that./span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267089;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOdin didn't see Frey's amusement tinged style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAt the back of table, the grinning Lord was pleased to see more of this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe conversation between Anthony and Rhodes started out interesting when an awkward look crossed his nephew-by-law's face at the mention of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs a slightly irritated look on the brother-in-arms face had him wondering if they were going to get to see Anthony taken to task style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey was still surprised by what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt became more interesting when Anthony let slip something that he hadn't heard anything about but left him grinning, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat have you been up to, my dear?/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Anthony wasn't born into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis unrelenting bluntness left Frey unconvinced that placing his nephew-by-law amongst royalty was a wise style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was something he was going to have to think style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething else interesting happened then./spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe're going to go together, just like we always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey dreamt of exploring the stars together?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat is a very personal dream to share with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou must have been a dear friend style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDid you look to the heavens when you were boys and decide to go together?/span/emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was something warming in that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn a very short time Frey had discovered a new side to his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was a surprisingly pleasing one./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="_Hlk25781742"/aa name="_Hlk31639652"/aa name="_Hlk27421136"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Ships?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPlural?" Rhodey was very irritated that he wasn't told of this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe building irritation was put back into its place and let it go with a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwice daily check-ins might be needed./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would all depend on what he found, on what else his younger brother forgot to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLoki's terrestrial plans had already been discussed, but now he needed to discuss why she didn't tell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's time to have a talk with her, so she understands./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLooking up to Anthony's eyes he found that his younger brother was serious about what he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony is making spaceships for humans./em/span/span/spana name="_Hlk528595517"/aa name="_Hlk533532230"/aspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27421136;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith another sigh he smiled tentatively and said, "I'll need to go over those designs to see what you've put in and left style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll make sure the build is clean."/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk533532230;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'd love that!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm working on three different style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA scout class that can double as a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA trade ship that will have resource gathering tech; mining, gas extraction, that sort of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe third is a heavy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSomething fast, hard hitting, and tough as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll of them will have Solar Sails and arc reactors for power as well as FTL warp drives to cross the longer style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI think these are good ship types to start with," Anthony finished explaining./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk27421870"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Warp drives exist?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou have a warp drive?" Rhodey felt like he'd definitely crossed over into Wonderland style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was the same feeling he had when he learned the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no end to this rabbit style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's skill in letting him know important details having degraded wasn't helping him to feel prepared to handle style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce they were on the ship the first thing he was going to do was find out what Anthony was thinking when he decided repeatedly to not tell him about this./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk533532341"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe look on his older brother's face perfectly conveyed how screwed he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no way for him to escape the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWell,/em he consoled himself,em if I give him a good tour it'll probably only be once a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMaybe I could talk him into three times a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll have to try./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Sort style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's more of a gravity-based space folding ..." Anthony stopped suddenly as his own stomach grumbled style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe grinned style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was his turn to wear embarrassment like style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Go get some food, and don't forget the onion style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce you're back I'll give you the grand tour."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk27422554"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe miracles sitting in the basement of the house filtered through Rhodey's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemGifts for mankind/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;", it was his standard thought on what was down there./spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Loki has big plans for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs this part of that?" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe discussion with his sister-in-law was going to have to happen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe more he learned from his younger brother the better a position he would have when he went into that./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnother smile warmed Anthony's face as he replied, "This is the next style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStep One: End all the world's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanStep Two: Space colonies."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn aspiring expression came over style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I like the sound of it, don't you?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanemI want it/em," hard determination filled his quiet voice./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk27423725"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Oh, wow, such modest style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhy not aim higher?" Rhodey chuckled despite his irritation with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis will change everything, for everyone/em, he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe tone of resolve combined with the avid look told him that his younger brother was preparing to go hard-charging towards his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile he didn't like having to play catch-up Rhodey wasn't concerned about Anthony losing style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of his younger brothers had ever been able to outpace style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf Loki wanted to uplift humanity and Anthony wanted to make it happen then he was going to be there making sure things were done safely and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe older man didn't want to ask the next question, but he had an obligation style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"When will the U.S. military be made aware of this?"/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSince Afghanistan Anthony had been loath to share things with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had a hard time trusting that his inventions wouldn't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was why there was only one armor out of his direct style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe War Machine was Rhodey's armor and would only respond to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSince Afghanistan, he'd needed ironclad assurances that his tech wouldn't be misused before he handed it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was the only one who would determine how his inventions were style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSHIELD never worried him; they always used his inventions exactly how he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis time was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Trust me Rhodey, it's going to be soon, and they're going to hate it."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk27425564"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe velocity at which Rhodey's eyebrow raised could only be caught by high-speed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI swear, kid, if you managed to slip something past me with alien tech I'll make a GPS bracelet out of that tech and put it on you myself./em/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWaving dismissively, Anthony said, "Don't worry, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI haven't done it yet."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe look on his older brother's face was simultaneously funny and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm so screwed/em, he thought style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Human expansion, all humans, that's the goal," he gave a brazen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Humans are going into space, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm going to lead them style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou'll be with me, so will they."/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"a name="_Hlk27428462"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDistaste surrounded his next style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis tone was calm when he asked, "These ships aren't just for humanity, are they?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThese are what you're going hunting in."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis cause had already been settled in his mind as both righteous and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat didn't mean that he enjoyed having any of his younger brothers near violence and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf it had to be done, then he was going to be the one to do it./span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA dark and wicked expression crossed Anthony's face, "Yes, I am."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHunting and burning./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31639652;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA peaceful expression fell over style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Not without style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen we find our target, I'll be with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn that last moment you emwill not/em be the one to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo you understand that?"/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"a name="_Hlk31642050"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHate and pain crossed Anthony's face as his eyes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis gaze drifted style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I want …"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBloodlust pure and simple coursed through his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA dark voice whispered at him, emLust for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPain is satisfying./em/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31642050;"a name="_Hlk27475193"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe darkness in his younger brothers' eyes always told him of their disturbing and violent style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt couldn't be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I know what you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI even agree that this needs to be done which is why I'm going to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou can watch as it style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou can cheer, smack-talk, or say whatever you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou cannot have the blood on your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm not going to let that happen," Rhodey explained patiently./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31642050;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA small shudder passed through Anthony at the thought of Rhodey willingly killing on his behalf; doing it out of something other than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt felt dirty and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis older brother had always been style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhile he couldn't imagine his brother being as foul as a Stark he could easily understand why Rhodey was going to do style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was another sacrifice for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't want his older brother to make another bloody sacrifice on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wanted a fellow monster's blood on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's gaze came up quickly, "But Rhodey .."/span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31642050;"a name="_Hlk27496285"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Onion rings and spaceships," Rhodey said firmly, shaking his head negatively to shut down the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNone of his younger brothers were allowed near style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt stoked the darker impulses that were refined in their ugly childhoods by the old style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo allow them to kill would harm them irreparably which was why he was so strict about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir hunt for a monster had to end in a death, but Rhodey wasn't going to let it touch his younger style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe old monsters had died and been fought style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe and a few others wrested his brothers bloodily from their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis new monster didn't scare style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was used to beating them back./span/span/span/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk528595517;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31642050;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPointing to his younger brother, Rhodey gave Anthony a hard style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Behave yourself while I'm style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll be back shortly."/span/span/span/span/spanspan style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk25781742;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk27428462;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk31642050;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned and went to find the deep-fried vegetable that would get him onto an alien spaceship./span/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="_Hlk489267151"/aspan style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat Loki hadn't come to Frey for a ship was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt was something else he was going to speak with her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore surprising than curious was his nephew-by-law's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony was a Midgardian Master Craftsman, but he didn't know that he was working on designs for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt surprised him that any Midgardian could understand the technology behind a machine as advanced as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony was very intelligent, but still just a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTheir understanding of the universe was very style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnthony's intelligence was one of the reasons why he was good for Loki./span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267151;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe other designs he saw Anthony working on were only Midgardian, yet his nephew-by-law was tight-lipped about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLoki told him that her husband was particular about who he shared his designs style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs with his bluntness there was no offense style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTruly, it wasn't as if Frey was keen on viewing something as childishly simple as Midgardian style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat he did think was interesting was how quickly and eagerly Anthony accepted his brother-in-arms flatly stating that he would be looking over what didn't belong to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRhodes' ability to impose his will on Anthony was wholly style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be worrying except that all he'd done thus far was trying to keep Anthony from harming style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey wondered how he was able to manage what Loki couldn't and where the boundaries of that imposition might style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen he wondered who the 'they' was that each of them kept style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWere 'they' the people at Thornburg, or the people Anthony asked Rhodes to call to for assistance?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no clue to tell him yet./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267151;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe end of the conversation was particularly interesting to Frey since he was sure and certain that he knew who their target style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis nephew-by-law was easily capable of destroying that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis capability was going to grow more extensive as time passed so it seemed odd that Rhodes would attempt to hold him back. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe sudden look on Anthony's face made it quickly apparent to Frey that Rhodes was offering to do something he considered odious so that Anthony wouldn't be sullied by style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis nephew-by-law understood and acknowledged the value of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis is the same honor that argued on Thor's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo strike Thor would be dishonorable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo strike that monster would be honorable style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBoth would be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo you keep Anthony from violence to keep him unsullied?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr do you recognize that his rage might not allow him to stop once he starts?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou will bloody your hands so that he doesn't?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat is honorable and very loyal./em/span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267151;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore amusement infused his infused his grin as he heard the stern, "Behave yourself while I'm gone."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no humor in his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe expected Anthony not to get into trouble while he was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWas this part of why he was disappointed?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe already told Anthony not to misbehave and was disappointed to return to that?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWas Anthony already upset, he doesn't look style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat cause would Rhodes have to admonish him before he lost control?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHm, interesting./emspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis nephew-by-law's brother-in-arms was an interesting man to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis honor and loyalty pleased the younger monarch style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThough it was something he would keep to himself, the fact that Rhodes wouldn't allow Anthony to strike the killing blow excited style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat meant that he could be the one to have that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrey agreed with this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt would be fine to have his nephew-by-law by his side when he ended the Dark Titan's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis hunting trip was going to see his entire fleet engaged with the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no reason to exclude Anthony from the end./span/span/p
p class="Textbody"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk489267151;"span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnce again Odin was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis exchange made one thing uncomfortably clear; the dwarven mage would move forward to hunt and kill the beast's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInstead of attacking Thor he purposefully moved to diffuse the situation by standing between the beast and his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt truly appeared to be honor motivating this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEven if it wasn't, Odin was still style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLosing one child was almost more than he could style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLosing both his children would break him beyond repair./span/span/p