Avengers in the Multiverse
Greenleaf: I GOT IT! I FINALLY GOT IT! TAKE THAT UNCOOPERATIVE TECHNOLOGY!
Dana: (chuckles)
Greenleaf: I do not own The Avengers, Pokemon and anything else you recognize!
Chapter 2: Distortion Future Part 2
"I don't know about you guys, but I think I've lost my appetite for the moment." Natasha said quietly.
"Where's Laura? Where's my wife, my kids?" Clint asked Tyene pleadingly. Tony made a noise of surprise at the revelation, while Hank Pym gave Clint a quick but sympathetic look.
"They're safe." Tyene said comfortingly. She waved a hand, revealing an extra room where a young brown haired woman was playing with a pair of kids. "Dana's constructs are taking care of them."
Clint let out a choked gasp of relief, resting his head in my hands.
Scene Begins Again
The world of Jotunhime is not a home for the faint of heart or the warm blooded. It is an icy fortress where the sun rarely shines, and visitors from other realms must tread with caution.
"That's Jotunhime?" Jane asked nervously, staring at the image of the icy fortress.
"Looks pretty inhospitable." Pietro remarked.
"It depends on the temperament." Thor said, his voice slightly defensive. Sif and Odin both frowned, signalling that they had seen it. "Those who call it home would disagree."
For years, it has been locked in a seemingly eternal silent conflict – one that began with the death of their first great king, Ymir. His son Laufey, the Treacherous as he was known below, took the throne after him. He was a cruel and high handed ruler; forcing his people into unwanted wars in order to engulf the entire universe in permanent winter.
The Asgardians looked stunned at this information. Natasha scowled, being reminded of the Red Room and its various bosses. Nick Fury didn't like the look Kalaa was shooting him.
He was met by Asgardian forces when he attempted to take Midgard. Due to a critical mistake, Laufey lost this conflict. The victor, Odin, decided to strip the heart of Jotunhime away in order to 'humble' the defeated king.
The Casket of Ancient Winters was what stabilized Jotunhime's environment. Without it, ice melted and the weather became intolerably warm and inconsistent. Many died in the years following the war. Laufey's subjects, who once begrudgingly accepted his rule, began to rebel, blaming him for bringing them to this.
Laufey had five sons that survived to adulthood (six, in truth – but the 'runt' was half Asgardian, something the king would sooner die than acknowledge to his people). Berjak, Uruk, Gardez, Girshank and Z'rrz were all as vicious and hateful as their father, and they were his generals.
They took their own people as slaves to work in mines and factories, in order to once again challenge Asgard for rule of the nine realms. But one day, the bifrost roared and struck Laufey and four of his sons dead.
Why is this important?
The impact of the so called Infinity War stretched to the corners of the universe. The disjointed Jotun people were lucky to suffer the least; unfortunately Uruk Laufeyson managed to survive the war.
He maintained his father's slave labour, planning to seize control of the universe. Asgard stood kingless, thanks to the Princes's sacrifice and Odin's foolishness. Their army was largely decimated. Uruk thought that with his ancient enemy lain low, he could win the war with little effort.
However, the immortals always dearly underestimated those they considered beneath them – particularly those who didn't share their royalties. For this reason, Uruk was slain before he could even mount such an offensive, and the Jotuns lent their support to the collation in their effort to destroy the Gauntlet at the heart of the conflict.
**~A Week Before The Liberation of New York~**
Two Jotun children, both nearing their majority, struggled to make their way through the snow and stone. The boy was chained to an iron harness; while he had successfully cut loose the load the weight still pressured his shoulders. The girl's right arm was bleeding, leaving trails of red in the snow.
"Need any help with that?"
The two looked around in a panic; the metallic voice was unlike anything they had ever heard before. A moment later, an armoured being descended from the sky.
It was a power armour – red, gold and blue in colour. A pair of birdlike wings extended from the back, two shoulder lazer canons embedded in them. It was a bizarre mix of style and substance, like an original design that had been heavily altered by a different party.
Pepper put her hands over her mouth, her cheeks flaring a bright red. Tony, meanwhile, was grinning and pumped his fist in the air.
The warrior tapped the side of her helmet, and the face mask pulled back to reveal a black haired girl with brown eyes. Her expression suggested a mix of uncertainty reserved for when an attempt to lift the oppressive aura with levity had failed.
"I'm serious...that shit looks heavy."
The Jotun girl all but crumpled in relief. "Oh, thank Ymir – I thought Uruk's men had caught up with us. You – you're a mortal, are you?"
"Well, I don't know if mortal is the term I'd use. My name is legend." The girl boasted in a friendly way, walking around to the boy. Once she found the lock, she raised one hand. The repulser blazed to life and blasted the chain apart. "Stark. Reyna Stark." She added.
" That's my daughter. Is she mine and Pepper's?" Tony asked hoping that either Kaala or Tyene would say yes.
Tyene bit her lip slightly. " Yes, that is your daughter and no, she's not yours and Pepper's. This was when you whole "man-whore" thing was in full swing. Her mom had mob connections so when you refused to provide her and essentially her mob, she kept you from your daughter. She's seven years old at the moment; last I checked on her she was smoking and getting in trouble for hacking the British Government. She's a lot like you." Tyene said
" When this is all over, I'm tracking her mother down, have her hauled off the jail and getting my daughter." Tony growled.
Hank and Steve both looked at Howard Stark's son with new eyes. Clint nodded in agreement.
Another girl emerged from the shadows. Her steps were slowed by hesitation, but once the lock broke she lifted the irons from the boy's shoulders. Her long dark hair tossed around her face thanks to the fierce wind; concern showed plainly in her dark green eyes. She wore a black trench coat over black clothes. While the cold wind would have had a normal mortal's teeth chattering, she gave no indication it bothered her.
"M'yrra." The Jotun girl said. "This is my brother, Elladen."
The cloaked girl murmured, "May I see your arm, M'yrra?"
M'yrra looked curiously at her before raising it. The cloaked girl examined it for a moment before muttering a few words; the wound sealed up as though it had never been there to begin with.
"You're Liesmith's daughter." M'yrra said after tentatively stretching her fingers. "You have his eyes."
"...Yes," Freya Liesmith said somewhat reluctantly.
Elladen said a few words in his native language. "Ymir bless you." He said sincerely.
"...huh?" Reyna said, slightly confused. "I-I'm a little confused. Don't get me wrong – it's awesome you're not immediately attacking my friend! But...isn't...?"
"He killed Laufey and his sons. Decimated his followers." M'yrra said with a small smile. "No, Stark, I am not angry. I am overjoyed."
" REALLY! He nearly destroys their planet and their people and those two are happy about it?!" Odin roared, causing Hope to look at him weirdly.
"Did you miss the part where it said that Laufey was a tyrant who exploited his people? Why wouldn't they be happy about it?" The Wasp asked sarcastically.
" If you actually did your job right the first time, then maybe a lot of what happened before and after could have been avoided." Tyene said coolly.
"... ..." Freya and Reyna exchanged surprised looks. "...I see that my grandfather knew little about the former king." Freya said.
"Him!" Elladen snorted. "That was his fault. When he took the Heart of Jotunhime, Laufey alone controlled the winters of our world. Because he could do that, we all became his property. Breathe the wrong word near him, and you would burn. He put my grandfather and great grandfather in irons, and our mother still suffers under Uruk's whip."
" Remind me again why you took that the heart of Jotunhime from them?" Frigga asked, appalled.
" I took it because..." Odin started but Frigga cut him off.
" It was a rhetorical question. I am not in the mood to speak to you right now" Frigga snapped, her pretty eyes narrowed.
"Already I don't like him." Reyna noted dryly. "So this guy was kind of an asshole."
" I am not an, as she called it, an asshole! Stupid girl, I am king of Asgard!" Odin roared.
" Oh just shut up will you!" Tyene snapped.
" And don't insult my daughter senile old man!" Tony snapped while Pepper glared at him.
M'yrra laughed bitterly. "That's one way to put it. I bless the hand that struck him dead – I merely resent the fact he missed one."
"I take it he's the one who's responsible for that?" Freya gestured to the broken irons.
"Uruk Laufeyson." Elladen spat his name out like a curse. "It's a pity Laufey didn't dash his head against the wall at birth, like he did to any child born a runt – he is not only evil, but stupid. Anyone he can capture is worked to death."
"Can't you rebel?" Reyna asked, brow furrowed. "I mean, he can't have enough people to keep you all at bay, can he?"
M'yrra sighed. "Would if we could, daughter of Stark. But Uruk controls the winters now. If he thinks he will loose, he will make sure we all burn until nothing is left in this world but ash."
Nick Fury shot Odin a cold look. As much as the Director of Shield believed that sometimes, sacrifices were necessary, he couldn't see any justification for this. "And you did nothing? You just stood aside?" He demanded.
"You'd have me interfere with another world?" Odin asked sarcastically.
"Bringing down a tyrant who practices slavery and murder on a regular basis? Yes! That's the only purpose for people like us." Nick Fury responded dangerously.
"Now I know I don't like him." Reyna said sourly.
"..." Freya paused for a moment, looking deep in thought. Reyna shot her a look that simply said, what should we do?
None of the Avenger's children believed in leaving innocents to their fates, no matter where they lived.
"...I can get the Casket back for you." She said.
Elladen and M'yrra's eyes lit up in tandem. Reyna could tell that this was a very broken hope being rekindled. "You-You can do that?" Elladen asked.
Freya nodded. "The weapon's vault of Asgard is one of the few places that remains in tact. Heimdell may still watch at the gate, but I know more than one way to travel between worlds. I can bring it back here, where it's meant to be."
M'yrra bit her lip, as if forcing herself not to get too excited. "Uruk will suspect something. What will stop him from slaying our mother and the other slaves once he realizes we have the casket?"
"Banett. Gourgeist. Trevenant. Frostlass" Freya intoned.
" Banett; pure ghost type Pokemon. It's an abandoned stuffed animal possessed by a ghost set on seeking revenge on the child that threw it away." Kaala said
" Okay, that's not creepy." Scott said looking more than a little freaked out. Rocket let out a small whine of agreement.
" Gorgeist; grass and ghost type Pokemon. Basically, it's a sentient pumpkin that enjoys tormenting it's prey before devouring them." Kaala said clearly on a roll.
" Again, not creepy." Scott said starting to freak out. Groot let out a dismayed sounding noise at the sound of another grass-based creature who was vicious and cruel as opposed to gentle and kind.
" Trevenant; another grass and ghost type Pokemon. This one is a ghost tree that is inhabited by the spirit of a child that died while lost in the woods." Kaala went on blithely.
" That one is not as bad as the other two. Still kinda freaky though." Scott said. Peter, meanwhile, was having mild flashbacks to when Yondu had kidnapped him from Earth has a child.
"And finally, Frostlass; an ice and ghost type. A Pokemon Yuuki-Ona, a Japanese ghost woman, can create ice as cold as the arctic. A real force to be reckoned with." Kaala finished up, grinning.
" That one's actually kinda cool." Scott said, resulting in Hope and Wanda both giving him a look that screamed, What the hell is wrong with you.
Elladen jumped backwards with a cry of 'Ymir's Bones!' when four cackling spirits appeared in the air around them. Banett was laughing, its zipper mouth open revealing the malevolent poltergeist within its toy doll body. Gourgeist shuddered in anticipation for claiming its next victims. Trevenant, a massive ghost tree, let out a low growl that would make Bor himself shiver. Frostlass swayed slightly in the wind, blue eyes glowing with false comfort.
M'yrra stared at the creatures in frightened awe. There had been stories of the beings that had been brought into the world when Thanos used the Gauntlet for the first and last time so far, but she had never seen them before now – any that had been brought to Jotunhime had fled to the far north to avoid Uruk's enslavement.
"My ghosts can free those enslaved while Reyna runs distractions." Freya explained.
"I'm going to light up their world," Reyna added with a dangerous grin, dropping her mask over her face once again. The arc reactor in the middle of her chest piece lit up. "Uruk can see what its like to burn himself. But I'll need help knowing where to go."
M'yrra and her brother exchanged a single look. "I'll go with you," Elladen said. "M'yrra, when the casket returns, you must use it immediately – Uruk will undoubtedly release the failsafes once we confront him."
" What sort of fail safes does he have?" Thor asked
" You don't want to know. Trust me, you don't." Tyene said, a dark look crossing her face.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged a look. Having been in a country with similar struggles, they had a fairly good idea of what Uruk was holding over the Jotun people's heads.
M'yrra nodded.
**~Back to the Present~**
So it came to pass that Jotunhime was finally liberated of the conflict brought on by Laufey and his sons. With the casket returned home, the winter stabilized. Once again in control of their futures, the Jotuns placed Elladen as their new king.
Freya had done something no Asgardian had done before – she had successfully gained the alliance of an enemy race. Not out of fear, or with suppressed resentment, but mutual respect and trust. M'yrra followed her down to Earth afterwards as a sign of good faith and Elladen's promise to send aide for the confrontation with the weakened Thanos.
" Smart girl, she'd make a great queen." Frigga said with a smile
Odin scoffed at that remark, earning him an annoyed and unimpressed look from Gamora.
" Just because you were unable to do your job properly doesn't mean that I can't think that someone else can do it better." Frigga snapped, rolling her eyes and wondering for the millionth time how her husband had changed so much. It was as if the man she had fallen in love with had died years ago.
Thus, the universe came to a pause in the final conflict.
Freya, Reyna and her sister Jade Stark were laughing over Catelyn's antics as the silver haired speedster 'delivered' everyone's dinner. Karen Rogers was discussing repairs with Jared Danvers, who was now out in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. James Rogers was speaking amicably with Cassie Lang, aka Ant Woman and the eldest of the New Avengers.
Talisa, Aska and Fenrir were playing a knife game to Lila Barton's annoyance and concern. Jade Stark was assisting their Elven allies with the car repairs. Cooper and his younger brother Nathaniel were explaining some Midgard culture to M'yrra, who hung curiously on their every word.
Melissa Barns sat off to the side with Elizabeth Banner, reading a book and enjoying the quiet while her Houndoom slept at her feet. Just by looking at them, you could tell they shared a very intimate friendship.
Janet Lang Jr, Cassie's half sister, took a big drink of soda before glancing at her companion. "I wish we had more days like this." She said wistfully.
"I agree," De'lih'la, a Dark Elf, agreed. Her skin was pale as the moon, her hair black as a raven's wing. She had been born after the universe came into existence; you could tell by her eyes. While Malekith and his folk had black eyes, hers were a dark blue. "To go from the ship to this...I hadn't known such things could exist."
" That's a dark elf! Why haven't they destroyed her?" Sif wondered.
" Because, she crash landed on Earth, they found her and took her in. I will admit, Aska was wary of her at first but they eventually warmed up to each other. The wariness was mainly because her Father told her about what they did and what almost happened to her mother." Kalaa explained.
"Is that why you decided to help us?" Janet asked curiously. "I mean, wasn't your boss all about returning everything to the primordial void or some other crap?"
De'lih'la bit her lip. "Yes, he did. But...I was born into the universe, myself and my friends. Because of that, I saw the worlds in ways he didn't...or wouldn't. I could never tell." She frowned. "At first, I just wasn't brave enough to give up the only home I knew for the uncertainty of the primordial... but now, I stay because I know its worth saving."
"That's strange...by would being born into the universe be different?" Gamora wondered. Usually, Dark Elves were quite dangerous and antagonistic towards them.
"Once born into the universe, the Primordial can't influence them as closely." Tyene said. Everyone waited for her to explain what that meant, but the Construct shook her head. "Spoilers."
Janet grinned. "Well, you know what Roddenberry said. There is no race that is wholly evil."
"...Roddenberry?" De'lih'la echoed. "Was he one of your astronomers?"
"Er, not quite. Let me till you about this awesome show called Star Trek." Janet said, beaming at the idea of having a friend to binge-watch her favourite show with.
Samantha Wilson asked for a refill of the soda; it was hard to hear her over the roaring of the resting teens and their hungry Pokemon.
Elizabeth's Hydregon, Tri-Pod as he was affectionately called, had led the charge to the huge pots of Poke-Puffs that had been prepared for them. The dragon had quite the sweet tooth. Though Samantha's Braviary, Justice, gave him some stiff competition.
" Braviary; a red and white bird the size of a truck that will fight to the death to defend it's trainers and friends. It a very loyal Pokemon." Kaala explained.
Sam Wilson gave a small smile at that.
"...And then it was like, but wait a damn minute!, if a handful of borderline neanderthals could curbstomp these 'Psychlos' without much trouble, then how the hell did the world's military fail stop them the first time!" Cooper finished, gesturing wildly as he said this. M'yrra let out a laugh of confusion and disbelief. "Word of advice, never use Battlefield Earth for your first drinking game. You'll be vomiting for days afterwards."
"Oh god, that movie." Pietro moaned, while his sister snickered. When Steve looked oddly at him, the speedster morosely explained, "First drinking game for us, too."
"And I defeated you by thirty minutes." Wanda said, smiling fiendishly.
Nathaniel got a good laugh at his older brother's foolishness. "I told you, you should have started with a Steven King movie."
"Pffft, are you kidding me? If I wanted to die, maybe!"
"Who is Steven King?" M'yrra asked.
"Horror writer."
"You...have books meant to scare you?" The Jotun seemed puzzled at that.
"What else are books for?" Cooper asked jokingly. "But seriously, if you want to try a drinking game before shit goes down – and I would recommend it – I say let's make it one of the nineties Disney movies."
"Okay, Laura and I have a third child. That's great, when does this happen?" Clint asks
" Spoilers." Is all Tyene says. Kalaa gave Pietro an odd side-eye at that.
Nathaniel laughed. "That's the worst come on I've ever heard you say, Cooper." He remarked. M'yrra stuttered in embarrassment while Cooper glared at his brother and whacked him over the head with his paper plate.
"Just remember not to invite Aska or Fenrir. They have an unfair advantage...unless we're watching the Twilight movies. We were all out cold for three hours afterwards."
Off back towards the table, Aska sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Talisa gave her a look. "You're nervous." She stated.
"How would you know?" Aska said hotly.
"Because you always do that with your shoulders when you're nervous." Talisa responded matter of factly.
Aska let out a small groan. "Fine. I'm nervous. How can you not be?"
"Who said I wasn't? Becoming Queen...even thinking about it..." Talisa shook her head and took another bite of chicken. "Of course I'm frightened."
"That means you're smart." Fenrir said, smiling wryly at his sister and cousin. "Only a fool is eager to ascend. 'A ruler should never sit easy.'. Two heads will be better than one, I think."
"Shockingly, that doesn't make me feel better." Aska sighed. "I'm already contemplating the mistakes I'll make."
" I take it that's my eldest child?" Thor asked.
" Yep." Kaala said.
"Of course. That's what I'll be there for." Talisa said teasingly. Aska gave her a half hearted glare before taking another drink; her Pikachu Bolt hopped up on her knee and began eating off her plate.
" That's so cute!" Cassie said brightly. "Can I have one daddy?"
" I've got just one question." Pepper said
" Fire away." Tyene said
" If our kids are there, then, where are we?" Pepper asked
Tyene and Kalaa exchanged looks. This was not an easy bomb to drop.
End Chapter.
We am so. so. so. sorry this took so long. I promise the next chapter will come out sooner.
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