The Wizard and the Void - Chapter Twenty-Three
Author: Milady Dragon
"…and that's it," Barton said. "We used that teleport ring and came back here."
The entire group in on the Hydra thing was spread out around a large sitting room at Shield Keep, the fireplace cracking brightly, casting the room in warmth. Maria had taken a place on a chair that a woman Nick introduced as Melinda May had provided, to make up for all of the visitors, sitting near Grand Master Stephen, who'd taken an overstuffed armchair that looked as if it was about to swallow him whole.
Everyone who had been at Grand Master Ianto's house was there, except for Baroness Eirlys, who'd stayed home as she'd claimed it didn't have anything to do with Baronial business…well, not Gateway business, at least, until the Hydra cabal could be brought before the entire Quorum. Master Mack had also stayed behind, claiming that he had students to teach. Novices Jemma and Leo had been excused when they'd turned twin pairs of puppy eyes on their teaching Master, wanting to go to wherever their friend was.
Nick and Baron Tony were representing the Council of Barons for the Western Lands, both glowering at the Elven archer, although Barton seemed to weather the attention well, despite the fact that he was half-dressed and his feet were bare, and had a dark bruise on his jaw that looked pretty painful. It was obvious he hadn't been treated with respect by Hydra.
Novices Jemma and Leo weren't in the meeting. They'd accompanied Novice Daisy up to her room, claiming that she looked terrible and needed to rest. Maria couldn't argue with that, and that was before Barton had shared with them everything that had happened with Hydra.
After, she could understand that young woman wanting to sleep for a week. Although Maria doubted that was going to happen. Just because of the nightmares Daisy Coulson was likely to have over this. Especially if it was true that Master Phil had died…and come back to life. That would have scarred anyone.
She wondered just how Grand Master Ianto dealt with it when Captain Harkness was killed, or vice versa.
On second thought, she really didn't want to know.
Honestly, Maria hadn't known what to expect from the house belonging to the man who was considered one of the worst Void Wizards to have ever lived. She'd imagined a dark keep, all stone, with an oppressive atmosphere and shadows in places shadows shouldn't exist. Instead, it was airy, and bright, with more windows than the Great Wizard's own house had…yes her house was smaller, but the sheer number of windows…all showing a mountain view that was nothing less than breathtaking.
She'd gotten the stone part right, though. It was obvious this place had once been some sort of battle keep, but it had been transformed into a home that anyone could have wished to raise a child in.
And yes, there was magic, but it was a combination of all three types: mostly Void-less or Cardinal-less magic, but with a surprising mixture of both woven about the place that reflected the Wizards who lived within. The wards were incredibly ornate, and that unPlotable spell was amazing. No one would have been able to find this place, not even with some major magical help.
She was very surprised that Grand Master Ianto had been able to with his scrying crystal, actually. But then, he'd been searching for Novice Daisy, and not the Keep, so that most likely had more to do with it than anything. He was also very powerful, to boot.
The Keep's Steward, Melinda May, was magicless but no less competent for it. When they'd all shown up in the foyer without warning – thanks again to Grand Master Ianto, who certainly knew his way around teleportation magic – she'd taken it in stride and gotten them all settled in the sitting room they currently were in, and even managed to rustle up refreshments for them all.
There was only a vague taste of Void in the roasted meat, most likely because a Cardinal lived there as well. Everything else was clean.
Barton had taken center stage. The story he'd shared had seemed fantastical. But Maria had no doubt that every single word was the truth.
She had some very serious worries about it.
No, change that to fears.
Nick had told them about his certainty that Master Phil had died from the wound Loki had given him. Maria hadn't exactly doubted him, but she also had to wonder just how much of that had been Nick reinterpreting what he'd seen into something else, to perhaps explain his accidental pronouncing of his friend's death.
The chain of Vibranium that was lying on the table – and Barton's own serious words – were something else altogether.
"We need to get word to Wakanda," Nick was saying. "King T'Chaka needs to know that someone's got a hold of Vibranium and is using it to kill my friends."
Baron Tony nodded. "That shit is dangerous. I know Wakanda once used it in every bit of technology they had, but when the Wizards came back, they immediately stored it all away, to avoid that sort of thing. Current ruler King T'Chaka has especially cracked down, since Prince T'Challa is a Wizard. Cardinal, I believe."
"And there are many different ways to keep a Wizard from accessing their magic," Grand Master Ianto pointed out. "Ones that don't include killing a person."
"You seem to know a lot about the Wakandan Royal House, Stark," Nick noted.
The Baron Ferrous shrugged. "Geniuses hang out. I met Princess Shuri at a gathering once. She's a kid, but some day she'll be even more brilliant than me, and I don't say that lightly."
Maria didn't let her mouth drop open at that pronouncement, but it was a close thing. The Baron was quite unable to be humble when it came to his own intelligence, and he'd never say anyone was smarter than he was. The Wakandan princess must have been something very special indeed.
"Then I'll leave that to you," Nick said. "I might just get the runaround if I try."
The Baron shrugged again. "Sure."
"Would you mind returning that," Grand Master Ianto waved toward that innocuous-looking silver chain, "back to its rightful owners? I trust the Wakandans with it before anyone else. They have experience with that sort of thing, even if they seem to have misplaced some."
Stark reached out and snagged up the chain, using the cloth that Barton had wrapped around it. "I'm kinda surprised it didn't contaminate the Teleport spell you used to get here."
It was Barton's turn to shrug. "That cloth it's in is a magical Shroud, so it obscured the chain's properties. I'd like it back when you get rid of that thing. Got it during one particularly crazy mission…to Buda-Pest."
That had the Baron's eyes widening in shock. "I heard about that. That was you?"
"Not just me."
"Damn," the man breathed, "you guys do good work. King Wolfgang was a dick, what he was doing to those kids…"
Maria blinked. "Excuse me?" she couldn't help but demand. She'd heard about Buda-Pest, and what had happened there, and she was understandably confused by what Baron Tony had just said.
"The previous King of Buda-Pest," the Baron explained. "He was fond of stealing magical children from their families and…well, I could use the term 'abusing' them, but that word wouldn't be strong enough." He moved forward, holding his hand out to Barton. "Thanks for that."
Mistress Pepper was smiling, as the archer shook the outstretched hand. "It was kids. No matter how bad the four of us got, we weren't gonna let that bastard hurt innocent children, magical or no."
That…was news. Maria had heard the rumors about the razing of Buda-Pest, and how so many innocent people had been murdered by the Dark One and his companions. Now, she had to wonder just how innocent they'd been, if they were hurting magical children.
It gave her yet one more thing to think about.
From what she'd believed, the Dark One hadn't cared about anything, except for how much damage and destruction he could wreak. To know that he and his gang – including Nick, she couldn't forget that – had gone in and destroyed an entire city just to save children…now, his adoption of Novice Daisy wasn't so farfetched.
"I want to know about the man Master Phil pulled from the Void," Grand Master Stephen said, adroitly changing the subject. "Do we know who he is?"
"Well," Barton said, "he was holding this."
He stepped around one of the sofas, reaching down for something hidden behind the piece of furniture. When he moved back into view, he was holding a shield.
It had a white star in the center, blue contrasting against the white. Three circles – one white, and two red – encircled the central blue. Maria frowned, wracking her brain for something, she thought she knew what it was…
It was Baron Tony, once again, who seemed to recognize it.
At least, judging from the cursing he was doing.
"You willing to share with the class?" Captain Harkness asked sarcastically.
"Sorry," Baron Tony replied. "It just…that, that belonged to Sir Steven Rogers." He made a handwaving gesture while gaining an expression that made him look slightly constipated.
Barton was nodding. "I recognized it right away." Strangely, he blushed a little. "Phil has a really old piece of art with him on it in his study."
Grand Master Stephen's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. "The Paladin of the Western Lands?"
"Yep. That Sir Steven Rogers."
Alright, this was now officially bizarre…if it hadn't been before.
"But he vanished during the Century War," Mistress Pepper exclaimed.
"I'm afraid I'm not up on my history of the Western Lands," Grand Master Ianto said. "Can someone explain this to me?"
"The Century War was fought over three hundred years ago," Grand Master Stephen began. "It didn't last a century, though…Baron Tony, it's part of your family history, correct?"
"Yeah. I had an ancestor pretty heavily involved." Baron Tony slumped down in the chair he'd taken, in front of the fireplace and next to Mistress Pepper. "Howard Stark – my no-good father was named for him – ran black missions during the war. Apparently, he was one of the people who discovered the man, Steve Rogers, when they were looking for a symbol against the Despot and the Skull and their followers."
"For propaganda purposes?" Grand Master Ianto assumed.
"Exactly." Captain Harkness answered that; it wasn't a surprise that the Deathless would have known about the Century War, since he'd been around back then. "Sir Steve, though, wasn't one to sit back and be the symbol. He got out there and fought."
"Did you know him?" Something crossed the Cardinal Grand Master's face; Maria couldn't say what the emotion was.
"It was easy to follow him," the Deathless admitted. "He had a hand-picked team…the Howling Commandos. I wasn't part of that, but I saw them at work, and they did a lot of good. I think I can safely say that, without Sir Steve and the Commandos, the war would have lasted that entire century everyone thinks it does."
"The Avatar said that a version of Hydra fought in the war," Nick pointed out.
Captain Harkness frowned. "I don't recall that. But, like I said, I wasn't involved in whatever missions the Commandos ran. And I'll be the first to admit my memories can be hazy, the farther back they go. Humans just weren't meant to be immortal, and I forget things. It's why I didn't recognize that shield immediately…I needed a reminder first before it came to me."
That admission had the entire room going silent. Maria, in that moment, felt bad for him, to lose his memories in the years he'd been Deathless, until his far past was completely forgotten. It sounded horrific, almost as badly as losing everyone he loved.
"What happened to him?" Grand Master Ianto asked.
"No one knows," Baron Tony took up the tale once more. "We know he was directly fighting the Skull. There was a rumor that the Skull had some form of magic, but that's up for debate."
"The spell cutting all magic off from the world was in affect back then," Maria had to say.
"Yeah, but we all know the spell was flawed." The Captain shifted a little in his seat. "Magic was popping up all over in little ways, up until the spell finally cracked apart. It's entirely possible that the Skull had some form of minor magic, or an artifact that hadn't lost its enchantment. We know those are still being located all around the world. And Torchwood Castle has been doing the same thing for centuries, finding and storing dangerous artifacts."
"That doesn't explain how he ended up in the Void," Grand Master Stephen said, "and I doubt we'll know anything unless and until he awakens."
"There's still the question about just what was done to that Void Point." Maria didn't want to think anyone was powerful enough to seal off a Void Point, but evidence there was to the fact that Master Phil had done just that.
"And the whole 'coming back to life' thing." Grand Master Ianto looked a little amused, and it raised Maria's hackles.
She wanted to call him out on it, but he was just saying what she was thinking. That the Dark One was now, for all intents and purposes, immortal. It was an idea that Maria simply wasn't comfortable with. And to be as powerful as all that…
No, she wasn't happy at all about these developments.
"Phil's handled Void Points before," the Hawk commented. "And this time the Voids had messed with it. I can't do a thing with magic, but even I knew something was wrong once we were in the same room with that thing. And what it was doing to Daisy…" He set the shield down against the wall, the better to rub his hands together worriedly.
"How bad was it?" Mistress Pepper asked quietly.
"Bad. We all know what happens to Voids or Cardinals who are cut off from the sources of their power, and it was gonna happen to Daisy eventually. But, what she managed to do with that ring, even with her magic being suppressed and under intense emotional stress…" he grinned. "She was awesome."
"That she is." The Head of Cardinal Order looked very proud.
"So, he closed it," the archer continued. "From what he said, he really had no choice. He couldn't leave that sort of power to Hydra, and the Void needed to heal."
"Well done," Grand Master Ianto said, "and I'll tell him so when he awakes."
From what Barton and Steward Melinda had said, Master Phil had collapsed the moment they were back at the Keep. They'd gotten him and his dragon up to bed, and left him to rest. There was no telling how long he'd be unconscious.
"At least we know who's behind Hydra now," Nick growled, "we can do something about them."
"We'll need to call a Quorum," Grand Master Ianto said. "And we'll need to replace Alexander and Gideon as soon as possible. Someone will need to take control of the Voids, someone who can be trusted."
"We'll also need to put out warnings on those involved," Grand Master Stephen added. "We'll handle the Wizard side; can you, Baron Nicholas, and Baron Tony, handle the Council of Barons?"
"Count on it." The smile on Nick's face was full of promised retribution. "I'm also going to set Natasha out on their trail. There's no one who can hide from her, and she never gives up. She's absolutely relentless. Hells, I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't on Ward's trail already, and she'll be pissed off that Phil and the Hawk saw him first."
Mistress Pepper had an expression of contemplation on her face. "Do you have anyone in mind to suggest for promotion to Grand Master of Voids?"
Maria knew they'd have to do that before finding another Head of Order for the Western Lands. And, if she was honest, she had no idea just who among the Voids that could be trusted.
The Cardinal Grand Master was looking at her knowingly. "I do believe you have a candidate in mind, Pepper."
She smiled. "Only the same one you've come up with, Ianto."
Glancing between the pair of them, Maria realized with dawning horror just who they were talking about. "You can't be serious!"
That outburst earned her every eye in the room; especially Barton, who looked like he was about to cross the room and attack her for even thinking about Master Phil in the wrong way. As subtly as she could, she prepared a Stun spell, wondering if he was just as good as the rumors said at hitting whatever target he aimed at. He didn't have his bow, but there were plenty of things in the room that could be used as a weapon.
"I believe I can be totally serious," Grand Master Ianto said serenely. His words seemed to relax the Elf, and he stood down from whatever violence he was considering.
"Grand Master Stephen." Maria turned to her superior. "Surely you see just how wrong this is!"
"I don't see it as wrong at all," he answered. "I think the only Void we can trust implicitly is currently asleep upstairs." He shook his head sadly. "Maria, you need to let this go. If Master Phil ever deserved punishment for his past deeds, then that time is long behind us. He's lived a quiet life, raised a rather impressive child, and has most likely punished himself over and over for what he'd once done. If anything, he's just proved himself by walking into that meeting and then being killed by the rogue Voids. And just because he came back doesn't negate the fact that he hadn't known he'd be resurrected by the Void. He went in there willingly, risking everything to bring us the information we need to shut Hydra down. He has proved himself."
"He isn't the Dark One anymore," Mistress Pepper murmured. "He's Master Phil Coulson, Void Wizard, father of Daisy Coulson, Cardinal Novice."
"Maria," Nick joined the gang-up, "Phil's parents fucked him up, but he's learned how to be what he was meant to be: a good man. He's my friend. If you can't accept that…"
"You'll kick me out of bed?" she snarked angrily.
"No." His face was fond…well, as fond as Baron Nicholas Fury ever looked. "But it's over. It's in the past. Phil's more than made up for what he's done. And Grand Master Stephen's right: there hasn't been a day that's gone by that Phil hasn't regretted what he did. He's finally learned where the blame of that lies, and it's taken him a long time to deal with it. So, you should think about giving the man a second chance."
Then he turned to the others. "You can ask, but I'll be willing to bet my eyepatch that he'll turn you down flat." His face had morphed into smugness.
"If we explain it right," Grand Master Ianto said, "I'll take that bet, Baron Nick."
Maria wanted to argue against this. They were wanting to put the Dark One in charge of all the Voids in the world. The man who was responsible for more death and destruction than some small wars was being offered all that power.
Still, and she hated to even think it, the idea made a sort of sense. If Master Phil was like Grand Master Ianto, in being so connected to his source of power that he was close to immortal, and so powerful that he could close a diseased Void Point on his own, then he was already powerful enough to fight off all comers for the position, although Nick seemed pretty certain he wouldn't accept it.
Which, really, seemed a bit out of character for a man she'd long believed to be out for that sort of power and authority anyway.
She still didn't like it.
Then, she realized she didn't have to. They were going to do this whether she objected or not. She wasn't the one who would have to work with him. And besides, it really wouldn't be up to the Wizards in this room to appoint a new Grand Master…it would be the task of the rest of the Void Wizards, to nominate who they'd want to take charge. The problem was, they were correct in a way…there really wasn't any other Void who was above reproach at this point, and who was powerful enough to hold onto the position against any comers.
But it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out.
Just in case.
She may have been given a lot to think about over the last day, but that didn't mean she'd forget just who Phil Coulson was.
She wasn't about to, no matter what anyone else said.