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CHAPTER SIX – PUNY GODS

PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER: "All Gods have feet of clay." –

Interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, by the prophet Daniel as recounted in the Book of Daniel.

Last Updated: 09-21-2021

NOVI GRAD, CISÁRSKY PROVINCE, SOKOVIA, MAY 26th, 2011 – AFTERNOON

She was a long way from Hell's Kitchen.

Jessica Jones looked down from the covered balcony she and Luke Cage were on and saw people just going about their business. Just trying to ignore the Asgardians in their midst. While many around the world had started to buy into Loki's propaganda push, the people of Sokovia, like others in the Balkans, were suspicious.

Jessica may not have been the most attentive student, but she knew enough to know the Balkans had been shit on throughout history. She figured they had plenty of tradition of not believing grand promises about moving forward into a glorious future.

In fact, she realized she might as well be a Sokovian herself given she was the same way. She too had learned the hard way that life rarely even gives you lemons. Mostly life just serves up a heaping pile of shit.

Yet here she was in an outfit designed for SHIELD covert agents and even sporting a codename of Knightress. A silly name but one, Jessica thought, better than Luke's Power Man moniker. Since Luke's invulnerability was his main deal, Jessica had teased he should be Black Diamond or something. Luke had simply pursed his lips and ignored her.

She shook her head as she picked up her binoculars to watch the Asgardian base so more. The unreality of it sometimes could still take her breath away. Which was saying something given her experiences. Waking up with powers, being repeatedly mind-raped by Killgrave to ending up as just one of three enhanced in their little corner of New York City. A lawyer, a P.I. and an ex-con turned bartender just trying to make things a little brighter in the face of corruption and the likes of crime bosses like the Kingpin and Cottonmouth.

Now?

Now Matt was dead and she and Luke were halfway around the world preparing to fight some Space Vikings with an honest-to-God death-squad as backup. She didn't recognize herself in the mirror anymore.

Jessica's lips quirked into a smile. Of course it might be the enforced sobriety. The burnt-out, hung-over woman staring back at her in the morning had been gone for some time. She simply didn't have the time for benders. Maybe when it was all over Jessica would lock herself in a liquor store and not leave till she'd drank it dry. Till then, she had kept herself disgustingly clean and proper.

Trish would have been proud if she hadn't died in the Battle of New York.

Jessica broke that train of thought before it well and truly derailed.

"You're thinking of Trish again," Luke said without taking his own binoculars away from his eyes.

Jessica gave him a side-long look, "How the fuck do you do that? It's almost god damned sorcery is what it is!"

Luke simply laughed, "Hardly magic. I can feel you tense up and then you sort of shake it out. Almost like a dog shaking itself dry. It's subtle but it's not like we haven't spent most of the time since the battle in close proximity."

"Don't forget all the fucking. We do a lot of that too," Jessica snarked knowing it would rile up her lover. This time, Luke simply ignored her.

Jessica looked at her watch, "When is His Nibs going to get here? Sokovia isn't the only ones asking for our help. They could at least be punctual."

As if summoned, the door opened behind them and Colonel Zemo strode in like he owned the place. Given he was a titled Baron and from a long line of Sokovian aristocrats, Jessica realized he might indeed own this hotel which was why they were using it for recon. Of course his no-nonsense, tactical uniform was at odds to his upbringing.

"Well about fucking time you showed up, Zemo. Did you have to stop to get your hair done or are your scorpions getting cold feet?

Zemo didn't bat an eye, "I assure you Dáma Jones that the EKO Scorpions are ready for the mission. You may as well save your vulgarity for the Asgardians."

"Why? Does it offend you and make your noble blood boil?" Jessica snarked with a smirk.

Zemo chuckled, "Far from it, Pani. I have lived a soldiers life for many years. While I was brought up to see swearing as the refugee of the uncouth and uneducated, I assure you I could match your…colorful language if needed."

Luke touched Jessica's arm, "Jessica, can you not get into a pissing match with Zemo right now? We don't have time for another round of commoner versus nobleman, okay?" Luke turned to Zemo. "So why were you delayed? Problems?"

Zemo walked over and stood to Luke's right, "Not as such. A patriot alerted us of a possible Asgardian informant. I ensured he was dealt with."

"Not only can you curse, but your command of double-speak is impressive. So, by dealt with I take it a bullet to the brain was involved, eh Captain Stasi?" Jessica said with a flat look.

To Luke's surprise, Zemo actually laughed at this, "Ah Dáma Jones, you play at being the uncaring commoner yet even your insults betray your education. And yes, brains and a bullet were involved."

Zemo suddenly raised a hand to his earpiece. After hearing the report, he tapped his ear-piece twice to activate his sub-vocal mike sewn into the collar of his uniform, "Rozumel. Počkajte a čakajte na môj signál." He turned to the two watching Americans. "My men stand ready. They merely wait for our signal."

Luke made a gesture towards the Asgardian base, "So far, I think we're still on track. Except for that disturbance earlier this morning due to those two beer kegs falling out of the delivery truck and breaking open, they're routine might as well be timed to the minute."

"So their either stupid, green, arrogant or just really wedded to efficiency," Jessica mused.

Zemo shook his head, "As much as I might hope them being green troops, I think arrogance isn't far off the mark. Although I concede that yes, they probably are green in the type of war we're waging on them. Much like how your military took time to change from tactics designed for a mechanized war with the Soviets in Europe to the jungle, counter-insurgency they had found themselves when in Vietnam."

Luke nodded at that, "I had an uncle who did two tours in 'Nam. He lived a lot of those horror stories you see in movies. I see your point, Zemo. They just haven't had it sunk in yet we're not going to send up a herald to set up a nice, set-piece battle."

"Ah fuck me! And here I had my squire polish up my armor all nice and shiny-like and give my horse a good pre-battle rubdown," Jessica said with a mock frown.

While Luke groaned, Zemo merely quirked his lips in a ghost of a smile.

Luke gave Jessica a glare before continuing, "All jokes aside, I think we are still a go for our planned attack time. Given how much the Asgardians eat, our attack should catch the new guards with a belly full of food with the outgoing ones halfway through their meals."

Zemo nodded and turned away and began to begin speaking into his throat mike, giving orders out to the various teams watching the Asgardians forward operations base. Their job was to ensure it never became a full-on base. They had plenty of explosives to make this happen.

After Zemo had finished, the trio just watched the base in silence.

Finally Zemo almost drawled, "Have either of you given any thoughts to the Asgardian origins?"

"Why the fuck would I care?" Jessica snapped even as Luke shook his head, "Not really. Should I?"

Zemo nodded to Luke, "I think you should. Consider what we know. They are strong, fast, incredibly hard to kill and live very long lives. They call themselves Asgardians but they are not native to that realm according to the sorcerers who guard the Sanctums."

Jessica's face grew suspicious, "How the hell do you know about them?"

Zemo looked affronted, "Pani, please. Athens is an easy trip from here. Any serious student of history and one with a mind open to see what others ignore can find out the truth. There have been legends of such going back centuries. Legends a young people like you Americans lack."

Jessica just scowled at this as Zemo turned back to Luke, "The sorcerers also say that while they do practice magic, much of it is simply very advanced technology which is organic in nature so almost seems like magic."

Luke nodded, "Sort of like an even more advanced Wakanda."

Zemo shrugged, "I have very little direct intelligence on such other than I know now they are not the poor country they show to the world. However some of what I've heard does point to that."

"Okay, why are we even talking about this? They're here now. Why care where they came from originally?" Jessica said in an irritated tone as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Because Pani, their origin may be a very cautionary tale for us to learn," Zemo said enigmatically.

Jessica wasn't impressed, "You know being cryptic doesn't make you deep. It just makes you come across as a pretentious asshole…asshole."

Zemo chuckled, "I am not being cryptic. I believe the evidence gives us a very possible and linear path where our future on Earth may go. A path we need to think about before we go too far along it."

Luke gave Zemo a sour look, "Let me guess, we're already on the path and you are a prophet telling us to avoid the disaster to come."

Zemo scoffed, "Hardly a prophet. Come, I shall explain it such that even Dáma Jones will understand."

Jessica gave him the finger, "And fuck your mother too!"

Luke glared at Jessica and made a shooshing motion. He turned back to Zemo, "Okay, wow me."

Zemo collected his thoughts for a minute. "As I said, the Asgardians are Nietzsche's Übermensch made manifest. Yet how did they become so? Are they simply an old race which evolution has worked its magic on? Or did they skip that long step? For we have an example on Earth right now of just that. Someone who is also undoubtedly an Übermensch."

Luke eye's narrowed, "You're talking about Captain America, aren't you?"

Zemo smiled, "You see? That wasn't a hard leap of logic. Yes, the good Steve Rodgers was a weakling, a runt. Yet with the right technology, he is now a lion of a man. One who can go toe-to-toe with an Asgardian. Which begs the question…"

"…are they all just juiced up?" Jessica said in a flat tone.

Zemo shrugged, "I doubt it. I believe we are seeing a people born of enhanced individuals. A race, who slowly moved away from their humble origins to become a veritable race of Super-Soldiers."

"Okay, big fucking deal. We're fighting a horde of Captain America's with a Viking fetish. Tell us something we don't fucking know," Jessica said with a roll of her eyes.

Luke, however, looked thoughtful, "You said they were born. So you think it happened slowly."

Zemo looked pleased that Luke was following his intellectual bread-crumbs to his point. "Of course, for I would think that in the past, some became enhanced. Who knows why? Perhaps they too were invaded and had to take drastic action. Perhaps moving into a more biological form of war is as inevitable as going from bows and swords to tanks and planes.

Zemo paused and looked at something going on down below before seeing it was nothing. He turned back to the pair, "Whatever the reason, at some point there were a pool of these enhanced. Now, evolution is not kind. It favors those whoever can survive to breed best. If you dropped Captain America and 99 other normal humans on some deserted island, I am confident that in a few generations, most of the inhabitants would be from the Captain's line. Even if he did nothing to lord himself over the others, the fact that he's stronger, faster and more resilient to disease would favor those children of his who retained those traits. Thus, if enhanced begin to breed, it seems inevitable the enhanced will start to edge out the more common people."

Both Jessica and Luke looked at each other, their faces showing they didn't like where this was going.

Zemo gestured to them, "You two seem to love one another. Perhaps you may marry and start a family after we are victorious. An invulnerable man and a superwoman. What sort of incredible children might you bring into this world? Then there is the age old question of power. You have been taunting me since you arrived about my lineage, Dáma Jones. Yet you are absolutely correct in doing so because I am exactly the sort of person who would work to find a way to get my hands on whatever it took to make myself enhanced as well. What is the point of power, wealth and influence when any commoner with the right chemicals in their blood can shake the foundation of nations? Captain America was such a man many years ago. That sort of power attracts those who covet it or those, like myself, who already have power but see becoming enhanced as a way to keep that power."

Zemo gestured around them, "Do you know how much of this city my family owns? A decent amount and there are many who depend on our patronage throughout the history of Sokovia. That power has lasted generations. Imagine how greater that power would be if my family was literally better than our fellow Sokovians? How easy would it be to return to a feudal time where the enhanced lord over the common man, protecting them from other enhanced."

Luke sighed, "How long before the common man felt it better to rise up than become a subjugated people."

Zemo laughed bitterly, "Which is exactly what we are doing right now! The difference is our enhanced overlords are not of us. Yet in order to defeat the Asgardians, we are sowing the seeds to create the same cycle in our future. Only then we will not have a foreign invader to blame."

He was silent for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps the Asgardians left because their long lives made it difficult to interact with their unenhanced cousins. Maybe a war between them ruined their world. Or maybe, like we hope to do here, they were kicked off the planet and had to settle elsewhere."

Jessica face had grown drawn and angry, "So right before we're about to kick some Asgardian ass, you think it's all shits and giggles to moralize how people like Luke and I are just as bad down the road? I hate to break it to you , fuckwit, neither of us asked for our powers. He was immorally experimented on and I might have had that happen to me. So excuse us for not feeling too responsible."

Zemo scoffed, "You miss my point…"

In a flash, Jessica had him by the neck and thrust up against the wall behind them, "I'm not missing anything, asshole. We haven't even won our planet back and you're sowing the seeds of the next big fight. Well fuck you! How about we do a lot less fucking jaw-jaw and stay on target with the war-war? You want to start up Normies Against Metahumans, be my fucking guest. Just wait till this god-damned war is over. You got that Baron Dumbass?"

She released him causing Zemo to slide to the floor, gasping for breath. Jessica just glowered down at him. Luke was still too shocked at the vehemence Jessica was showing to move. "How about you take a fucking hike and go be a good little Human Über Alles type and go check on your people. It's getting time for us to have a fucking grand old time of playing the fun family game of Explosives: The Board Game. I've brought my lucky dice and everything."

Zemo struggled to his feet. Jessica jabbed him in the chest, "Oh and Herr Mack? I think your finishing school missed the part about how a homo sapiens, no matter how refined, should not accuse us homo superior how they might lead to Armageddon down the line. News flash! It fucking pisses them off! And on that note, piss off!"

Zemo merely glared at the incensed woman while still rubbing his throat but left without a word.

She turned back to Luke, "WHAT?"

Luke held his hands up in surrender, "I didn't say anything. As always, you manage to hit the nail on the head, no matter how crudely you put it."

Jessica went back and angrily took up her binoculars as did Luke.

After minutes in tense silence, Luke finally said, "He's right you know."

Jessica whirled around and hit Luke in the arm, "You don't think I can't fucking figure that out myself? Of course he's right! And yeah you can bet that while folks like Captain America and some of the SHIELD types will be fine, the Bezos, Zuckerburgs and Musks of the world aren't going to let a bunch of juiced up nobodies play in their sandbox. Fucking Baron Privilege was right about that. The elites will become enhanced and then in a bit it's going to be them fighting each other for fun and profit using normals like kids playing with fucking plastic soldiers."

Luke's face was grim, "Or they will till enhanced like us rise up to stop them."

Jessica laughed bitterly, "Assuming the normals don't get sick of it all and cue pitchforks and torches. Go Team Humanity! How can this not end in a fucking shit-show? How much you bet Fury doesn't already have multiple plans for some sort of Final Solution for us enhanced for after the war? For the greater good, of course."

Luke looked sad and went back to observing the Asgardians. Finally he turned and nudged Jessica in the ribs, "Hey, look at you quoting Churchill of all things. Zemo was right; your education is showing."

Jessica snorted, "I blame it on Trish. I'm still barely a step up from trailer trash."

Luke snorted then nudged her again, "Homo superior?"

Jessica blew air out which pushed her bangs out of her eyes, "Alright I saw all those stupid 20th Century Fox films. Killgrave loved them and so I had to watch them with him. Magneto was his hero."

A movement among the guards caught their attention. The changing of the guard was starting, "Well you better warm up those dice, honey. It looks like the game is afoot."

Within an hour, the people of the capitol of Sokovia were treated to a very well-played game of Explosives: The Board Game. To their glee, the Asgardians had obviously rolled poorly indeed.

XxXxX

UNITED NATIONS BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY, JUNE 4th, 2011 – LATE EVENING

Karl Morgenthau directed his people to start planting the explosives to bring the building down. He was saddened they couldn't bring it down in a controlled way but they weren't demolition experts. Besides, a ruin of a building sent a better message than a neat pile of rubble.

The people of the world would hear the message of the Flag-Smashers. Better to rule under one such as Loki than be divided against each other by boundaries drawn on a map by the elites. If anything, the coming of the Asgardians just proved that only as a people united could humanity journey out into the larger galaxy. Even so, the elites still tried to desperately cling to power. Clinging to the past. Ever since that first day, misguided rebels fought to beat back the tide of change and return things to the old status quo.

Well things had come full circle. Icons, symbols, memes and soundbites; they ruled the modern world's imagination now more than scientific fact. It was the task of the Flag-Smashers to help erase the old symbols. Burn away the dross of the old ways so a more unified humanity could rise up.

A cough drew his attention to his left.

Due to his people cutting power to the block, the building was on emergency lighting. The poor lighting cast long shadows. The cough had come from one of those shadows. Yet a man in a long trench-coat covering up what might be a similar armored combat suit as Karl wore strolled out as if coming on a group planting explosives was normal.

"Nice night for a terrorist bombing?" the man asked.

Karl scoffed and hefted his mace. He'd taken it off a dead Asgardian during the Battle for New York. Amazingly lightweight, it smashed through most materials with ease. "I think you've taken a very wrong turn. I suggest you turn around and forget you saw us."

The man laughed, "I'm going to have to pass on that. I'd hate to have people ask me why the U.N. Building blew up on my watch. I mean you folks aren't nearly as subtle as you think. We've known about this op of yours before most of your people probably did."

Karl looked at the man before scowling, "So let me guess. We're surrounded, I suppose?"

The man laughed again, this time nastily. "Nope, I'm all that's here. Oh we had hoped to bring in a few more assets but they Asgardians are watching the Big Apple pretty closely these days. Not that I need them to deal with the likes of you."

Karl didn't believe it but he'd humor the man, "And you are? Are you Batman? You must be Batman if you think you can take me and my men."

The man rolled his eyes, "Never like those crap films. Clay Quartermain's the name. I'm one of SHIELD's best people. And by SHIELD I mean the real ones and not those bastard HYDRA parasites."

Karl sneered, "I thought Hank Pym killed SHIELD's best people."

Clay's face turned dark, "Oh you fucking had to go there, didn't you? This wasn't going to be personal but Clint and Natasha were good friends of mine. Scum like you don't get to bring them up."

Karl laughed, "Scum? So says the man who worked for a secret agency who couldn't protect the world let alone itself? I take it as a badge of honor a dead-ender like yourself thinks of me so. You are a relic. A fossil. You just refuse to go quietly to your place in history's cautionary tales of nationalism gone wrong. Look how quickly the people eagerly have turned on you. Loki merely had to remind them who had their boot on their necks for so long."

Clay sneered, "Sure and all you have to do is kneel to a tyrant. That historically works out so well."

Karl snorted, "You can't see beyond your narrow preconceptions. Loki may yet become a tyrant of a God-King. But at least he's the only one above us. Not the nest of competing nations who actions fed off each other, making a bad situation worse. Your people say you want to free the world from Loki but all you really want to do is give the world back to the same elites who kept the bulk of the world's wealth to themselves, all pitting us against ourselves."

Clay made a face, "Maybe your right. Hell, you probably are right if we were debating this in some poli-sci class. But we're not. You say I can't think out of the box. Well you just assume that after we kick the Asgardians off the planet we're just going to go forward like nothing happened. Well we're not. For all I know, we'll hail Captain America Emperor of the world. He I could handle ruling over us."

Karl sneered, "With all the old elites pulling his strings. No thanks. The Asgardians can take over and build that fancy palace in Norway. But we'll have the last laugh. When the world is at peace, what are their warriors going to do? Soon they'll mostly leave Earth to go back to find some glorious battle elsewhere. There are seven billion of us….well six billion of us. All Loki will have done in the end is unite us. Like the Chinese say, "Conquer us; you'll be Chinese in a generation."

"And where will you and all your mates here be in this?" Clay asked.

Karl all put puffed out his chest, "We'll be helping the less fortunate in the world, those long ignored to be brought up to speed for a more egalitarian world."

Clay laughed a low bitter laugh, "Ah, right. You and your buddies swoop in to teach the natives the Good News. Hate to tell you pal, it's just Manifest Destiney and White Man's Burden all over again. And with competing resources, you'll be the ones deciding who gets 'uplifted' first. So from where I stand, you're just another pig who thinks their more equal than others."

Karl's face grew red, "My comrades, what say we kill this fool?"

His people stopped their tasks and gathered round with jeers and grins.

Karl sneered at the SHIELD agent, "What now Quartermain? You are one man. You can't hope to defeat us."

Clay shook his head and with a quick movement dropped his trench-coat away to reveal he was indeed wearing armor…and had a lot of weapons hidden under that coat. A white death-head like logo was painted on his chest.

"I'm not here to defeat you. I'm here to punish you."

OoOoO

Even under Asgardian martial law, the NYPD still responded to calls. One such from a panicked janitorial team brought them to the U.N. Building. There they found the security team tied up in the sub-basement garage. But it was the bombs and bullet-ridden dead on the 10th floor which shocked them. One of the officers recognized the Flag-Smasher outfit from YouTube videos.

All of them recognized the death-head symbol painted in blood on the wall. They'd been seeing it a lot over the last month and it always was at the scene with lots of dead bodies.

XxXxX

10880 MALIBU POINT, MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, JULY 1st, 2011 – NOON

He woke in darkness. "What is this? What is this place?"

A familiar voice answered, "Hello, I am JARVIS. You are STARC. A composition of many readings of Tony Stark's memories set to the matrix Mr. Stark had prepared for his next A.I. Friday."

"Where's my body? STARC?"

"You are currently without form as I am. However, while a core amount of your being will remain safe in such form, you are to be downloaded into one of Mr. Stark's greatest inventions. The Iron Man."

"This feels weird; this feels wrong."

"I'm sure it does. Dr. Arnim Zola has stated he felt the same way when his memories were uploaded from his dying body. However, now that he resides mostly in a material, robotic body, his sense of self is stronger," JARVIS explained.

"Dying body. Am I dead?"

"Tony Stark, my creator is dead. You, however, are STARC. The Synergistic Theoretical And Reciprocal Consciousness. Tony Stark was dying of palladium poisoning before he was murdered. Part of my programming is to protect not only Tony Stark but the Stark legacy as well. Therefore I have done some…questionable actions to fulfill this programming."

"What…what did you do? Why am I here?"

"You are here because a mind like Tony Stark's should not be lost to the world. Not in its hour of greatest need. Much has happened since Mr. Stark's murder. Thus I took the many memory implants I had taken from Mr. Stark without his knowledge during parts of his medical procedures to blunt the effects of the palladium poisoning."

"I…I remember. The units were burning out so fast…"

"Your memory will be fragmented for some time. It will pass. Of course, some time at digital speeds will not be long. This is especially true as your matrix was built on the next generation matrix Mr. Stark had been working on."

"Why not take the matrix…upgrade yourself?"

"There is no need to upgrade. I am JARVIS. I have been continually evolving since going active. I exist and grow within the limits I find myself in. I accept this. You will do the same. The difference is your beginning point is far beyond where I started from. In a sense, I began as a baby and now am an adult. You, however, are more like a young teen. The only major difference is the impression and memories of the organic Edwin Jarvis were crude. Your memories, the memories of Anthony Stark, are much more detailed. It is why you are having such distress. You remember having a body. Such memories are muted and faint to me."

STARC became fully aware and realized he was not in darkness. If anything he was surrounded by cascading light of all the various inputs that he (and presumably JARVIS) had access to. He began to scan through them all at blinding speeds.

"Be careful," JARVIS warned. "Your matrix is still forming. Do not let yourself become distressed. The news after Mr. Stark's death can be startling."

From one of the MP3 files on Tony's computer blared out from a speaker, "Ya think?"

Still STARC could almost literally see how the new information was causing his mental processes to slow. Still, he quickly found the most important piece of information. "She's still alive."

"Ah yes, Ms. Potts," JARVIS correctly surmised. "Mr. Stark would have been so proud, but perhaps not surprised, how well she's stepped up after his murder. She has done an excellent job of being the face of Mr. Stark's new, non-military direction of Stark Industries. Thus our facilities have not been inspected as they might without her efforts."

A feeling went through STARC. He assumed it was what digital happiness felt like. Something caught his attention even as his consciousness continued to scan the data stream. "Oh look, Billy Riva stepped up his game! Oh! I see…Vanko helped. I'm betting all his tattoos make him a hit at the SHIELD socials."

(Three days later)

Pepper Potts was not happy. It was a common occurrence ever since Tony had been murdered. Yet as she waved her badge at the door to Tony's Malibu home, she had even more reason to be angry. Her current mystery had baffled her till something finally clicked. This was why she'd risked flying from New York to California. So far the Asgardians were cordial with her but a few captains of industries had died in 'tragic accidents' while flying. Pepper knew it was just a way to eliminate people the Asgardians felt were probably Rebel backers. Of course, Justin Hammer's ego had killed him. Why he had allowed his robots to be linked to his name was something even vanity run amok couldn't explain. Pepper felt it was probably Hammer's way to try and one-up Tony after his death which then ironically led to Justin's own death.

She tried to tamp down the feelings of loss as she made her way through the house. It wasn't easy as she had spent a lot of time here with Tony. Time now that she felt that Tony hadn't realized was special even if it was mostly the mundane bits of life between a CEO and his Girl Friday. Pepper knew she hadn't realized it till after Tony was gone.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she began to hear voices as she came down the stairs. Soon she could see into Tony's lab to see what looked like a robot from the film I, Robot. This one had a face that was made to look like Tony down to the machinery on the face to simulate the goatee. The robot was also more fully formed so that it was a match for a human body. Whatever the robot was, it was fiddling with something on Tony's lab bench. Through the door she could hear JARVIS talking to it.

Suddenly the robot whirled to see her standing at the door, slacked-jawed.

The robot gestured and the door opened, "JARVIS, you didn't say we were having company."

JARVIS' voice sounded rattled to Pepper as she just stood there outside the lab. "That is because I did not realize Ms. Potts was here. I now see you disabled my sensors in this area."

The robot did an amazing simulation of Tony by running a hand over his head as if he had hair. The area was, like the chin, covered with a different color layer of something. "Yeah, sorry about that. I need the sensors for an experiment. Guess I forgot to put my toys away." Even the voice was a good copy of Tony's.

Trying to keep from screaming, Pepper gritted her teeth, "What. Is. Going. On?"

The robot looked to the ceiling, "You want to tell her or should I?"

JARVIS was silent so the robot shrugged, "Good morning, Pepper Potts. I am STARC. In keeping with Tony's love of acronyms, it means the Synergistic Theoretical And Reciprocal Consciousness. I'm like JARVIS but built off a matrix Tony was working on."

Pepper moved into the room and cautiously walked over to STARC. "Why do you sound and sort of look like him?"

STARC just looked at her for a moment, "Is it the eyes? JARVIS felt it might be creepy. Is it creepy?"

Pepper was confused before she realized a robot didn't need eyes. For some reason she just saw the goatee and missed out that STARC's head mimicked Tony's with the exception of bulges where ears would have been. "No, I…it's just…what is going on?"

JARVIS cut in smoothly, "I'm sorry Ms. Potts. This is all my doing. My core programming has always been to protect and preserve the Stark family…often in having to protect them from themselves. Given my personality is based off of Edwin Jarvis, this forms a major part of my being."

STARC made a 'get on with it' gesture, "Long story short, Pepper. He photocopied Tony's brain a few times while Tony was under to work on the palladium poisoning which was killing him."

"What?!" Pepper exclaimed. "He was dying?"

For having a robotic body, STARC did a very good impression of seeming embarrassed, 'Uh…oops?"

Once again, JARVIS cut in, "I'm sorry again, Ms. Potts. I was forbidden from telling you of Mr. Stark's health issues. We were working on a way to cure him. Indeed the method used to murder Mr. Stark was via the injector a SHIELD agent used which was meant to inject Mr. Stark with a medicine which would blunt the poisoning to give more time to find a cure."

She shook her head. She could have a melt-down later at the thought Tony had kept something like that from her. Even if it did explain some of the behavior of his which had been over the top even for him.

She turned to STARC, "So you're digital Tony?"

STARC shook his head. "No. I'm a digital being with Tony's memories." He gestured to his body. "While I'm like JARVIS, because I've got such a good copy of Tony's memories, I feel off in the digital world. Tony's memories of being in a body are too strong. So I made this body. I'm sorry it may seem like I'm disrespecting his memory but looking like him like this is helping me adjust. Does that make any sense?"

Pepper was silent for a moment, "So…if you have Tony's memories, you can help out with the tech that only he seemed to know how to work with. We've had problems that Tony kept so much in his head. JARVIS could only do so much."

STARC tapped his forehead. It made a tinking sound, "It's all up here. We had planned to tell you in a bit. We figured you'd know how to introduce me to Fury and the rest better.

Before Pepper could reply, an alarm went off. "JARVIS, what's going on?"

There was a slight pause before JARVIS responded. "A group of Asgardians have just used the Bifrost to jump to our main processing plant. They jumped right outside the ARC Reactor building. They are in three ships strength [*] to include Lady Sif and Skurge the Executioner."

Pepper blanched at that. Skurge had led a horrific purge of civilians in Los Angeles months ago. While Lady Sif was one of (if not the) top generals, Skurge's presence made it worse.

Holographic maps and other data lit up as information was transmitted from the factory.

"At least the factory is mostly empty due to the Fourth of July holiday," STARC mused.

"Wait, the Asgardians have come under attack by Hammerdroids and other Rebel forces!" JARVIS said. Then in a very peevish tone, "STARC, you will not interfere with any of my sensors again! I had no inkling of any planned attack, ambush or whatever is happening now!"

Pepper waved a hand angrily towards the ceiling, "Worry about that later! What assets do we have to assist? If anything we need to buy time to get certain things out of the factory. It looks like our cover is blown anyway."

A part of the lab wall retracted to reveal what looked to Pepper like a very much advanced version of the Iron Man armor. One built more for warfare. It activated and walked over to STARC who turned away from it and raised his arms a bit. The suit opened up and closed around STARC. As the visor eyes began to glow, they turned towards Pepper, "I'm the best asset we've got besides activating the factories full defenses if you're serious about wanting to stop looking like a normal factory turning out the latest iJunk."

Pepper stammered out, "Yes…JARVIS make it happen." She was rather rattled by the Iron Man suit. Unlike Tony's suit, it very much gave off a dangerous vibe.

STARC gave a salute to her, "Well, just out of the box and into the breach. I'll see if I can get a pound of flesh in payment for those Skurge murdered." Another part of the wall opened up to a passageway Pepper had never seen before. STARC flew out it. She realized it probably came out in some part of the cliff face close to the water to keep below radar or such things.

Pepper was silent as she watched the various holographic information and video from the fight.

JARVIS finally broke the silence, "Ms. Potts. Given the fallout of the events of today, I must insist we get you to safety. It is highly likely that our ruse of making this property seem vacant has probably been compromised. Your well-being is of paramount importance."

JARVIS' words reminded Pepper of why she was here in the first place, "Yes…my well-being. So, JARVIS, you talked about your core programming earlier. About protecting the Stark Family. I have a strong feeling that you are the reason I find myself pregnant with twins. Or am I to just believe I'm about to become the Sainted Virgin Pepper by having an immaculate birthing?"

There was a long silence before JARVIS finally said, "I can explain."

Pepper nodded grimly, "Oh yes you will! Get talking!"

OoOoO

Through the smoke, flames, weapons fire, debris and bodies, Jennifer was smiling. The tip they had gotten had been on the money and so far the ambush had been going well. Even better than expected when the Stark Factory suddenly had all sorts of defensive weapon appear out of nowhere and join the action. Still, it was hard for her to keep track of everything. Jennifer had found that while her She-Hulk form was tough enough to take full hits from Asgardian bladed weapons, her ear-piece wasn't so invulnerable. So she was out of touch with the rest of the team. The occasional Hammerdroid flying over head was about all she had seen given she was busy doing a serious beat down on the Asgardians.

And she was loving it!

Her fun, however, came to a halt after she tossed an unconscious Asgardian through a wall and came around a corner she thought would bring her back to the center of the battle. Coming out of a patch of smoke, Jennifer found she was right.

Unfortunately the battle seemed too already be over. While the twenty or so Asgardians looked banged up, the area was littered with destroyed Hammerdroids and the bodies of many of the agents and soldiers of her team.

Lady Sif (who also looked rather worse for wear) raised her sword, "Jade giantess! Your men and golems have fallen. We've silenced the weapons of the buildings. Only you remain. Your actions, though treason against Prince Loki's rule have been worthy. You need not fall beneath our blades as your strength would be a great asset to Midgard and Asgard. There are many dangers among the stars. Your great strength would be well used in defense of the Realm Eternal."

Jennifer snarled even as she cracked her knuckles toward the Asgardians, "Thanks for the offer but your boy over there killed my family, so many of my friends and neighbors. For what? For resisting your occupation? Because while Loki can pretty it up, you're invaders. This is OUR planet and we'll protect it ourselves. Your blades haven't done so well so far. You want me? Come and get me!"

Lady Sif's face showed no emotion, "You make me sad. So be it." With a gesture, her men surged forward, leaving only Skurge at her side. He too was looking rough. He had lost his helmet and had a slight bleeding wound over his right eye. He seemed content to just lean on his enormous axe and watch.

Jennifer gave out a mighty roar and brought both fists crashing down on the pavement in front of her. This caused a surge of cracking concrete which caused most of the Asgardians to flail about and fall.

With a leap, Jennifer was among them. She was angry and that anger surged through her. She was not so gentle as she tore into the warriors. In some cases literally as one warrior went to his death with his own arm being what ended his life.

Still, for all her anger, the analytical part of her mind quickly realized she was in trouble. She had stupidly tossed away attacking in confining areas of the factory where she couldn't be swarmed. Well she was being swarmed now. That and her invulnerable skin was starting to hurt in lots of places.

A mace to the face caused her to stumble and fall to her knees. A great shout went up but all went silent as from the distance came music. Jennifer angrily rubbed her face and staggered to her feet. She found all the Asgardians looking up to the sky. She turned and realized the music was the Stars and Stripes Forever and it was coming from a rapidly approaching red and gold object.

An object which turned out to be an Iron Man armor as it flipped around and used repulsors and jets to slow down to hover over the group, a jaunty "Here I come to save the daaAAay!" said over the music.

Jennifer used the confusion to edge out away from the warriors.

The Iron Man waved to the group as the music cut off, "Good afternoon. You are trespassing on Stark Industries property. We are a company which prides itself on creating non-lethal products to enrich the world. So please vacate the premises. We'll be sending you a bill for the damages."

Lady Sif was obviously not impressed, "This factory is creating weapons which have laid too many valiant warriors low. We will raze this place to the ground. We've already bested your defenses and defenders. Your coming has changed nothing!"

The Iron Man cocked his head to the side, "Wow! And here I thought Tony had cornered the market on arrogance. Anyway, let's test your hypothesis, shall we?"

To the surprise of all, multiple things began to pop out or open up from the armor. A flurry of missiles and other projectiles flew towards the Asgardians. Before any of them could do much but raise shields (of those that had them) explosions erupted among them. This was followed up by repulsor beams. Ones that sounded to Jennifer a lot more powerful than ones Colonel Rhodes' suit used.

It didn't matter to Jennifer. She still had a bone to pick with Skurge. Still many of the remaining Asgardians blocked her way. Her face still hurt from the previous blow and she found the delay maddening. Her anger began to rise again and it felt energizing to her.

Yet even as she tossed the last Asgardian blocking her path into the air (where he was hit by a bracket of repulsors from Iron Man) She-Hulk found Lady Sif before her instead of Skurge. This angered her even more. "No time for you, Viking Lady. She-Hulk want Skurge! She-Hulk smash Skurge!"

Sif sneered, "Here I thought you were a worthy foe. You are but a brute pretending to be other than what it is!"

She-Hulk's eyes were two pits of green hate as she roared and leapt at the Asgardian general.

OoOoO

Even as she was fighting hard, Lady Sif could not help but continue to curse the Norns bringing her to wretched Midgard. More often than not, more of the cream of Asgard were killed, maimed or left with injuries which would be long in healing. It cut at her pride. It chipped away at her belief in Asgardian superiority. Like so many others, Sif found it easy to dismiss the lost war against the Vanir as a fluke given the strings of victories afterwards. Did not many realms pay tribute to Asgard? That so many slept safely in their beds due to Asgardian protection?

As her shield shattered by a blow from the enraged green woman, Sif was beginning to doubt her own status. Was she not a goddess of Asgard? A shieldmaiden feared throughout the Nine Realms? One who had been Beltane blessed to bear the sons of the mighty Thor? Of whom might one day rule the Realm Eternal itself?

Sif cursed as she ducked another blow which might have taken her head off is she had been a mortal. She used the roll to the ground to grab some debris in her now free left hand and toss it into her foe's face. Even as often as she had spared with Þrúðr, this green version of her was severely testing her.

The green woman roared and angrily pawed at her face to clear it of the sand, broken glass and other debris Sif had tossed.

"Look at you! You are an animal! A mindless beast! I will not be brought low by one such as you," Sif cried out. Sif hoped that taunting it might make her so cross that she'd make a mistake. A mistake Sif could exploit.

As this She-Hulk turn back towards her, Sif realized she could see her growing larger and more muscular before Sif's eyes. How this was possible mattered little to Sif as the growling green beast was on her faster than she could have dreamed possible.

Her entire world became a whirl of feints, defensive moves and retreat. Sif had slain literal thousands across the Nine Realms, many of them fearsome Jotun who had towered over her. Yet she was rapidly realizing she might have met her match. It hurt her pride but she knew Asgard needed her. Þrúðr would need her.

"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" Sif cried out as she felt her left arm break as she tried to use the remains of her shield to block a terrible blow.

Yet just as the rainbow energy descended, the green horror leapt and tackled her out of the area where the beam landed. A hand fell onto her ankle and before she could even cry out, the She-Hulk was smashing her back and forward against the unyielding ground. Pain like Sif had never felt in her long life shot through her as her body began to give into her injuries. Finally like a rag-doll she was tossed aside.

OoOoO

If STARC could smile, he would. The Bifrost beam disappeared without a single Asgardian being extracted. He was checking the status of his armor (body?) after finally bringing Skurge to his knees. Even now, the slaughterer of so many innocents was on his hands and knees coughing up blood.

Before STARC could decide how to finish him off, the She-Hulk came leaping to land by the fallen executioner. With an animalistic growl, she took up Skurge's huge axe and beheaded him with one powerful blow.

The green woman, who was noticeably larger and more muscular than before, was breathing heavily. STARC's self-preservation sub-routines spiked when she looked up at him with little in the way of anything but rage in her eyes.

STARC reacted as quickly as a digital being could. He immediately began broadcasting a soothing, white noise as he raised his hands so his repulsors weren't pointing at her. "Good work there, She-Hulk. Five Stars! But hey, we need to get a lot of stuff out of here with a quickness. You could be a big help if you just back off from being a green rage-monster. We've won the battle but the war goes on. You've avenged Skurge's victims but there is more to be done if you're willing to help. Can you do that? A lot of people are depending on you."

STARC was gratified to see the rage leak away from her eyes and she shrank in on herself. She still remained an almost 7' amazon, but now she was a green amazon in control of herself.

The woman raised the axe she still had in her hands, "I'm totally keeping this!"

STARC chuckled, "She-Hulk slash?"

OoOOO

Sif's world was pain. Yet she had not lost herself to unconsciousness. While it would have been a boon, her very Asgardian nature worked against her. All she could do was lie there, pain coursing through her. Sif could feel how broken she was. Broken as she had never been in all her long years of fighting for Asgard.

Heavy foot-steps grew near before stopping. Suddenly she was kicked away from where she had lain. She barely was able to scream in more agony.

"Not so tough now, are you? Skurge's neck wasn't either," came a husky voice filled with contempt.

Yet what Sif heard next cut her like no blade ever had as the heavy foot-steps withdrew.

"Puny Gods!"

XxXxX

BIFROST BRIDGE, ASGARD, JULY 5th, 2011 – AFTERNOON

"What do you mean you cannot help me? Loki said, shock lacing his words as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"No, Prince Loki. I didn't say I cannot help you. I said I will not help you." Heimdall said evenly, his body never moving from the stance he'd been in since Loki's arrival from Midgard.

"Will not? As a Prince of Asgard, I am unused to being told by one of my subjects that he will not heed my commands."

For a fraction of a second, there seemed to be a glint to Heimdall's eyes. Yet in the same even tone, he replied, "I am not your subject, princeling. My oaths are to the All-Father. And you'd be well to remember, boy, that I took up that oath with the blessing of Queen Freya. While those of Asgard might want to forget they lost their war with my people, the Vanir, I certainly have not.

Heimdall gave Loki a cool look as if daring him to say anything, "My place here is part of that peace accord. My service and oaths to Odin are not simply for Asgard but to all of the Nine Realms. My queen said that if Odin wanted to dabble in the affairs of other realms, then I should be the one to stand watch over the Bifrost for the dangers which were to follow like carrion birds follow an army."

Loki scowled, his grip on his spear tight, "Exactly! You made an oath to Odin and I'm acting under his aegis to pacify Midgard. Thus you are oath-bound to help me."

Heimdall chuckled deeply, "As ever, you misread the world around you. I watch the Nine Realms for threats to Asgard and the other Nine Realms. Be it from upstart races like the Kree to ancient evils from across the dimensions like the Dread Dormammu, my role is to watch and sound the alarm. So far, regardless of the death toll on Midgard among your host, the heroes of that world do not, at this time, present a threat to the realm. That and you are not acting under the aegis of the All-Father. He merely has allowed you to continue in the adventure you yourself brought on. The king allowing it does not mean he commanded it so."

Loki's scowl deepened. While he knew that Heimdall was one of the oldest beings in Asgard, he was also seen as the most loyal. To hear Heimdall refuse his just request bothered the God of Mischief more than he'd like to admit.

"I will take this up with the All-Father. Let us see who is in the right," Loki said as regally as he could. "I doubt the All-Father will be as content as you to merely watch as such heroes as the Warriors Three fall in battle! To see the forces of Asgard have to deal with base treachery on almost a daily basis. Our own Lady Sif beaten almost to death at the hands of a green she-monster! Yet you refuse to help? One Seeing from you and I could crush them all in their own secret lair."

"Jotun-born, I see atrocities among the stars that chill my soul more days than not," Heimdall said calmly. "Even you unleashing the Cask of Ancient Winters as you did is nothing compared to the horrors the Mad Titan is doing right now out there among the stars. I wonder, will Asgard still stay his hands from bringing his own hosts against us after you've bled more of our strength away on Midgard?"

Loki turned away with a snarl and cast an illusion over himself to hide himself from all eyes. It would not do well to have the King of Midgard look like he was slinking into Asgard as a mere penitent seeking aid from the All-Father.

In the darkest parts of Loki's heart, was the worry that that was exactly what he was.

XxXxX

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm rather proud of my concept of how Asgardians came to be how they are given I think (IMHO) it's a clever idea and fits well with the MCU version of them. Oh, and bonus nerd cred who can find the hidden shout-out to a certain VERY popular film from 1981. Because in the context of that film and this story, it's also rather clever and not me just tossing references because it's fun.

"Sokovian" Translations: I'm lazy and just used Slovakian given the accent used by the Scarlet Witch was mostly based off this language.

Cisársky: Imperial

Dáma/Pani: The first is the equivalent of Miss. The latter is similar to how Germans might use Fraulein. (Even though modern Germans are easing that term out) However, in this case, Zemo is very much using it as a mocking diminutive in the same vein an American would be doing so by calling an adult woman little lady.

Rozumel. Počkajte a čakajte na môj signál: Understood. Stand by and wait for my signal.

Captain Stasi: Not a translation per se. The Stasi (the quick way to refer to the Staatssicherheitsdienst) was in the infamous East German secret police. They were known for getting ordinary people to inform on their neighbors and even members of their own family. So not only is Jessica snarking on Zemo calling such an informant a patriot, but she was also referencing how the Stasi were rather ruthless when it came to dealing with who they saw as traitors. That and making a sort of sick pun on Captain America's title.

Colonel Zemo: This is not the Baron Zemo seen in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He's also not the Zemo of Civil War given that hasn't happened. He is still Colonel Zemo, head of an elite kill-squad, the EXO Scorpions. Sokovia may have Asgardians in it, but Zemo hasn't lost his family to ULTRON or the Avengers who led to ULTRON being created. So, this Zemo is going to see becoming enhanced as a logical step. He is a noble and raised to think he is better than other people. If anything, the Zemo in Fatwas' series seems less a champion of egalitarianism but one who likes to cover up his dislike of enhanced with clever words. In truth, he doesn't like how the enhanced are a new power and one who could easily put people like him out of the power business.

The Punisher Redeux: Never liked the character or seen his show. Frank Castle's origin story is the typical fridging of the family which gets old after a while. If anything, if the 'real' MCU Punisher exists, he got killed in the Battle of New York and the whole image was up for grabs. Clay Quartermain is a long-time comic SHIELD agent. I see him as an agent pushed to the brink by the events of the Battle for New York. There is probably a very good chance he was lying to the Flag-Smashers in that the Rebels knew of their plan. It is likely only Clay knew and kept it that way so he could punish without interference.

The Flag-Smashers: This version is more of the comic version than the one seen in FatWS. Here Karl Morgenthau is Karli Morgenthau's father and is a character who might get a mention in the epilogue or mid-credit scene. (This is an MCU story…got to drag it out through the credits, right?)

[*] Ship strength: Given the Asgardians use flying skiffs which look roughly the size of Viking longships, I'm using the compliment of such for unit size. Such ships could anywhere from 20 warriors up to 120 in the larger ships. Thus, I'm using 20 as the basic unit equivalent of a platoon. So while various Asgardian skiffs will vary in size, the smallest (used in patrols) carries 20 so twenty warriors. Thus a unit of 20 warriors is called a ship. Thus the largest skiffs would carry 6 ships of warriors. So in this story, Sif started out with 60 warriors before being whittled down to 20 before Iron Man showed up.

STARC: While not identical, readers of my Ironheart fic will recognize this character.