CHAPTER 14
Sorry for the delay. Between exams and holidays there really wasn't much time left to write. Anyways, hope you had wonderful and safe holidays. Wish you a happy new year!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own. The characters belong to MARVEL.
CHAPTER 14 FAMILY MEETING
Getting all of them together after Hel's summon turned out slightly harder than anticipated. Once the clever heads set out to solve a problem, there was no stopping them. Especially, since Peter had relayed the parts of Hel's story with Hela. Hank might have been less enthusiastic, but it seemed any kind of hope to gain the upper hand on Thanos was enough to get him out of the lab. Their lab was, as Shuri excitedly put it, a dream come true, easily on par with anything she'd had in Wakanda.
Once they were gathered in the throne room, Hel strode in. Bucky followed her figure with his eyes, as she ascended her throne. A cape curled around her shoulders. "I know, I didn't give you a very good explanation as to your reasons for being here when you first arrived." She arranged the cape around her as she sat.
It's Loki's green, Bucky noted almost absently. Amidst the revelation of Hel's grief and their lead on Thanos and Hela, it seemed mundane to focus on the colour of clothing. There were more interesting observations to make. Her father is taking up post to her left. Protecting her weak side. Bucky shifted to the side, more into the shadows of the columns. Hel seems more determined than before. Something in her posture. Hel sat on her throne not like the broken girl he and Sam had met. She assumed the air of a queen, pulling it around herself like a shield. Sam threw him a sideway glance. He had noted the difference as well. Further away, Shuri and T'Challa straightened their posture.
"It is time, I remedy that. I know, some of you already heard parts of the story of why I brought you here." Hel took a deep breath. "So, allow me to show you." A wave of her hand. Green tendrils curled around themselves to present them with images of Hel's fight against Hela. Without having to say a word, the narrative of Hel fighting against an imprisoned and mad Hela unfolded down to the stab in her back. Caused by the death of another god and his negligence.
Bucky allowed his eyes to wander over the assembled crowd. The Wakandan siblings wore matching solemn expressions. Focused on the information presented, already dissecting details for strategic value. Janet van Dyne stared at the display with horror written across her face, while her husband watched on just as impassively as before. Hill and Fury seemed to examine parts they had overlooked in Loki's display of the fight, while Strange scratched his chin in thought.
"Hey," Sam mumbled next to him. Bucky turned his head back towards his friend. "Do you believe what she's telling us?"
"I have no reason not to," Bucky replied easily. "Hel might not be the most welcoming person at first glance," he diligently ignored Sam's snort, "but she cares for her subjects in her own way. And like it or not, we're her subjects for now."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "I still have a feeling that she isn't telling us everything."
"Hel rarely does."
"Very trustworthy then."
Bucky glanced back at Sam from the corner of his eye. "Do you think Fury tells you everything? Or Steve? 'Cause I very much doubt that."
That seemed to get Sam thinking.
Meanwhile, Hel let her magic change the picture to a close-up of Hela, antlered helmet and all. She looked back over her shoulder to her father. Loki took the hint with a slight nod. His own magic curled into an image of Thanos next to Hela. "I do not think, I need to introduce the Mad Titan anymore. You have all seen what he is capable of." Hel's eyes raked over the two figures. "With Thanos' use of the Infinity Stones he offset the balance of life and death. A feat made significantly easier by the Goddess of Death by his side. I felt the rip in the universe as well as all the souls plucked from existence."
Hel visibly braced herself for the next part. Several of the assembled stared at the young woman in shock. It was one thing to be disintegrated but an entirely different to feel every single soul leaving the mortal plane of existence. Especially Peter made a face of concern.
"Within the maelstrom of it all, I felt your souls. Some of you I had marked already, some are marked by their fates as destined for greatness. And so, I pulled you from the Soul Stone's power and into my own realm."
"This type of magic must have a price," Strange interrupted, staring at her in contemplation. A few paces away, Wanda looked down at her hands, brows furrowed.
Hel merely nodded. "It will. But not for you. I will pay the price and gladly as long as we defeat the Mad Titan and his pet goddess." Her mouth curled into a snarl. "Speaking of which, some of you analysed his tactics in the attack in Wakanda and New York as well as on Titan. Hope, could you tell us what you found out, please?"
Bucky perked up as Hope gave her recount of the observed tactics. Partially it was what he already knew. "Thanos relies on powerful allies and sheer numbers to overpower his enemies. The war in Wakanda proved devastating in the sense that not only were the aliens outnumbering us but also far stronger than any human could feasibly be," she recounted calmly. Bucky allowed his mind to sort through the information while Hope talked and either Fury or T'Challa added their own observations. Eventually, they fell silent.
"Thank you," Hel nodded her head, "as most of you know, my father once was under the yoke of Thanos." Hank Pym snorted. "And thus, he has a more detailed insight into the machinations behind Thanos' plans of attack."
Without waiting for Hel to ask his opinion, Loki took a slight step forward. "What I can add to your knowledge is this: Thanos is incredibly suspicious of anyone and everyone around him. Once Gamora left his side, not even his so-called children were safe from his paranoia and wrath. Even before that from what I could gather, his leniency was limited. His punishments tend to verge on torture for every small misstep one dares to make." Loki let his eyes wander across the crowd. "His weakness is his love and hatred for the beings closest to him. His distrust isolates him from anyone who might dare and think about helping him."
"So, if we could get in contact with Gamora, we might be able to beat him," Starlord called out with wide eyes. A smile flitted across his face. "With Gamora's help we might be able to get to the bastard. Right in the head too."
The gods exchanged a glance atop their dais while the humans mulled the idea over. Eventually, Hel nodded her head. "Yes, that might be a reasonable idea," she turned her gaze upon Hope, "I suggest looking into that idea more closely with Loki and Doctor Strange as your counsels. They have extensive knowledge of both magic and Thanos' thinking. Speaking of, Doctor Strange." The man straightened his back, the cloak ruffling around his shoulders proudly. Hel's lips curved into a faint smile. "As guardian of one of the Infinity Stones and Sorcerer Supreme, do you think it a viable option to gain access to the Soul Stone and Gamora's consciousness within?"
For a moment, the only sound was their combined breathing. Strange and Hel stared at each other in a silent conversation. Finally, the sorcerer gave a miniscule nod. A new image flashed into existence in golden light. Colourful stones, radiating with energy.
Bucky's daggers were in his hands before he even registered what was happening. He took a small step back from the stones that manifested in front of the images of Hela and Thanos. His eyes flickered between the gods and humans around him. So that's what Thanos was after. Never got a good look at them back on Earth and their descriptions were only so good. An icy blue glow caught his stare. That looks almost like, like that thing Red Skull used. That HYDRA harvested.An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. Bucky pressed closer to the shadows, fighting his flight instinct as he sheathed the daggers.
Bucky looked up and startled. The image of the stones had changed. The slightly bigger orange stone was now front and centre, the clear focus of conversation. I must have missed some part of his explanation. Bucky straightened his back. He looked at the other stones lined up towards the floor. Or most of it while I was lost in thought…
"The Soul Stone is one of the most powerful artefacts that can be found in our known universe. Even among the Infinity Stones. It can only be attained by means of sacrifice. The sacrifice is said to be irreversible." He furrowed his brows. "Although I tried to find out what exactly has to be sacrificed, I'm afraid Wong might have more expertise in that field of study. What I do know is that it can be found on the planet of Vormir and a guardian is supervising the test to attain the Soul Stone."
"Wong you say." Hel squinted at the stone's projection. "Do you know whether he was taken away during the Snap?"
Strange shook his head. "Not that I know of. I was not with him when the Snap happened, so I cannot be sure. If he wasn't pulled into the Soul Stone, he would be guarding the Sanctum Sanctorum."
Bucky watched carefully, as Loki's back straightened. His green eyes flickered between the assembled humans and the stones floating between them. The cogs in his mind were visibly turning. His eyes flicker as if he's going through possible plans to attain the knowledge and discarding them just as swiftly. Bucky tensed. That can't be a good sign.
Next to him, Sam seemed to come to the same conclusion. Slowly, he shifted closer to Bucky and relaxed his muscles to be able to bound away quickly if needed. A powerful, sorcerer with a history of trying to conquer other planets in a place of powerful magic doesn't sound like the best idea. Even if Hel trusts her father.
"Loki," Hel's voice was quiet, "After we are done here, I want you to scry, whether Wong is still in New York. You will bring this information straight back to me and Doctor Strange. No detours, no illusions or other spells. You give us the information personally before anything else happens."
"Yes, my Lady." Loki sketched a bow to his daughter, who didn't even look in his direction. Instead, her eyes met Bucky's gaze across the room. Keep an eye on him, her expression seemed to say. I trust him but just in case. And Bucky nodded at the unspoken command.
Hel turned back towards Strange. "Do you know of a ritual that gives us access to the Stone's core where Gamora might be found?"
"Didn't you rip us out of the suction or whatever going into the stone?" Starlord threw in. "Shouldn't you know how to, you know," he wiggled his fingers, "get us in?"
"Even supposing it is some kind of magic," Shuri spoke up before Hel even opened her mouth, "we still have to assume that the core is guarded against intruders. And considering the stone is currently not used but filled with souls, it is safe to assume, we'll have to hack some kind of firewall."
"I am very good at hacking," Drax offered.
"Uh, not that kind of hacking?" Peter threw in. His eyes flicked between the obvious magic in front of him and the male. "More like, it's an invisible defence mechanism like a code word that we need to give to enter."
"We might need to combine our magical and scientific knowledge to decipher that kind of code," Janet threw in, chin resting in her hand. "Wanda or I might have powers more fitting for this kind of endeavour."
Loki scoffed. "What you call science is just another form of magic."
"Not relevant right now," Hel interrupted calmly. "Before we can combine any abilities at all, we have to compile all the information needed to work further on the problem. For that we need to find Wong and get his information."
"Good luck with that. The man is notoriously stubborn." Strange crossed his arms over his chest. "And he won't fall for your intimidation tactics."
Bucky noted the glint in Loki's eyes. As if he feels personally challenged to put that theory to the test. Hel was right. We might need to keep an eye on her father. He bumped lightly into Sam's shoulder, taking care not to accidentally jostle the other man more than necessary. Once Sam tilted his head in acknowledgement, Bucky turned his head towards him just as innocuous. "Keep an eye on the god. Hel is cautious of Loki's intentions. He might do something to go behind our backs or try and achieve whatever goal just opened up before him." Another quick glance, then Sam nodded his head once.
Up on the dais, Hel shifted her attention once more. "Now that you have the information needed to continue hunting Thanos, I think it is time for me to reveal the plan I have been working on by myself."
A ripple went through the assembled. Mumbles arose. Discontent, unsurprised about the secrecy of their host while they were left to fend on their own. Hel simply waited until the voices died down again, back straight, chin high.
"As Shuri and her science department can tell you, I brought them a crystal from another planet with the task to locate its owner. What I didn't tell any of you is that I found the crystal while traversing the universe with Val in search of Hela. We found the crystal atop a cave where we located remains of Hela's magics." Loki's head whipped around to stare at his daughter. "Val is the last Valkyrie left over after the fight against Hela. And as much as it pains me to say, she is a very competent warrior and currently our only link between Helheim and Midgard. More specifically between our knowledge and the village Thor is building in Norway for the populace of Asgard."
"You didn't tell me you were keeping contact with her." Loki tilted his head, eyes calculating. His tone was deceptively calm, but Bucky saw the roiling discontent underneath.
Hel simply raised an eyebrow at him. "This is my realm. I hardly owe you an explanation, father dearest. Besides, that's why we are having this meeting," her lips quirked in a grin, "to share our knowledge and build a plan of attack from there. As I was saying, I kept Val in the loop on your whereabouts, making her our link to Thor and his powers of attack should we find an opening as well as general planning. Should Wong be amenable to aide us we have another potential link to the Avengers as well as the magical community on Midgard."
"You have everything planned out it seems," Fury noted. "But given Thanos' strategies and army-" He looked to Hill.
"We will need more than a few Asgardian warriors and the Avengers," she said, nodding. "They are a good start, but compared to aliens…" The two SHIELD agents exchanged a thoughtful look, already working through possible strategies and contingencies with their given resources.
From what I saw in Wakanda, Thor is a force to be reckoned with. Should he bring even more warriors like that into the fray we might be able to keep Thanos' army at bay. Bucky crossed his arms over his chest.
"Wakanda can send support as well. If we can contact our tribes, I am sure, they will rise for our cause," T'Challa said. He turned his head to Shuri.
His sister met his gaze with a confident nod. "The lab here is amazing. I can definitely whip something up to get us some serious advantage on them. And with more time on our hand than last time it'll work out." Shuri's grin bordered in maniacal. "With our clever heads and some magic," she looked at Wanda, "we're going to beat the shit out of Thanos."
Shuri's inventions and Wanda's magic are impressive. Combined they might stand a chance at defeating the forces. Bucky's eyes flitted around the room. Overall morale seemed much improved from their initial feeling of hopelessness after the defeat by Thanos. I hope, Stevie is pulling himself together just as well. We'll need them all on top of their game. Otherwise not even Shuri's extraordinary inventions combined with all the magic in the world can help us…
"Even with the assistance of all these people, I doubt we'll be able to pull it off," Starlord threw in. "I fought Thanos and it took some serious planning from me and the facial hair Bros to even get a chance at defeating him. Given that your armies and teams didn't do so hot last time, I doubt it'll go that different this time around."
From what I saw, Drax is on par with Steve and me, giving us the advantage of three superhuman-powered people among the armies aside from the Asgardians, with Loki and Hel fighting on our side with their magic. Bucky paused. His eyes wandered back to Hel. No, Hel is going to fight against Hela and given their last fight, Loki will want to stay by her side probably with a bit of backup as well. We can't count on those two.
"It might work out," Peter threw in, "I mean, last time we knew each other for what? Five minutes? Planning was not really possible given we knew nothing about each other. But in here and planning this all together as well as training – it will make a difference." The teenager looked around for some kind of approval, grinning back at Shuri's enthusiasm.
"Sergeant Barnes," Janet van Dyne suddenly spoke up, "you are the one among us with the most experience in the field," her eyes held a silent apology, "What do you think?"
Bucky's head snapped up. All eyes turned on him. His first instinct was to slink away into the darkness. There is nothing to fear. They just want your opinion. He took a deep breath, cleared his head. "Given all the information, I think we might have the foundation for a sound strategy. However, I doubt we'll be able to accomplish it with our current numbers. We need the Asgardian, Wakandan and whatever else support we can gather. And, of course, Gamora."
"What do you mean?" Wanda asked.
"From the attacks on New York, Titan and Wakanda we can draw up Thanos' preferred strategy. Peter is right, we know more about each other's fighting style to successfully plan attacks." The teenager beamed. "I trust Fury, Hill and the others to come up with an appropriate battle plan for our troops and Shuri is the most intelligent person I've ever met. With their help we'll be able to prepare to the best of our abilities."
Sam shifted his weight, already looking tired. "I can hear a 'but' in there."
Bucky nodded his head once. "I assume, Hel will go after Hela to reclaim the power she stole. Given their last encounter went," he paused, "abysmal, it is safe to assume, Loki will not leave her side. Leaving us two gods short even with the addition of Thor and Val and whomever they bring along. Besides, Hel mentioned Hela had her own army, thus adding more numbers to our enemy forces." A murmur rose among the assembled as they realised their miscalculation.
Atop her throne, Hel pursed her lips in thought. Her eyes stayed glued on Bucky, considering his assertion. "I knew, I chose you for a reason to be my second in command, brave one." She ignored her father's pointed stare resolutely.
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Hope drew closer to Bucky and Sam. Her eyes were intent, and Bucky felt reminded of Peggy. Are those our only two options?
Shifting his stance slightly out of the shadows, Bucky met her gaze head on. "We need more troops. Powerful allies on par with the aliens Thanos throws at us. You might have seen the battle maps, but I know you didn't fight against him. I did. He had viscous hounds stronger and faster than anything I have seen before. And if I struggle to fight them," he let the thought hang in the air.
"Oh yeah, those were awful little critters," Sam chimed in. "You need more than one shot to kill them. I think the Wakandan armour was effective against them, so we might need more of that."
The click of a heel drew their attention back to Hel. She rose from her throne, waving away all of the holograms in front of her throne as she strode forward. "I trust that Shuri and her team, with any magic they might choose, will be able to develop weaponry and armour to protect us. Still, more allies might be a good idea." She stared at the floor in front of her, magic curling around her until the cape disappeared. "Of course, I have my own troops of ghosts hidden away to fight Hela's army, so that shouldn't be a problem," Hel said as if that explained why she had not brought that thought up until now. A moment later, Hel's eyes landed back on her father.
Loki seemed to guess what she wanted. He shook his head. "You cannot possibly ask this of me."
"You're their king," Hel simply said. "Just because you denied your heritage does not make it any less true, I'm afraid." Her appearance wavered as blue skin and sunset eyes emerged. "You have the power to take the throne and you'll make a good king."
Loki stared back at her. Something around his edges seemed to waver like an illusion threatening to disappear. One deep breath later, his appearance stabilized once more. "Do you need them?"
"I am afraid, we will need any help we can get. And given uncle's knowledge of our realms, he might send someone looking for you there. And you know how I feel about my Golden Hearts." Hel stepped up to her father, one hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "You changed since those days. You grew, father." And almost inaudible she added, "I trust you, Dad."
Loki's head snapped up; eyes wide. Bucky couldn't see Hel's expression, but he would bet she showed one of her rare, soft smiles. Sam shifted closer towards him, mumbling, "I'm beginning to see why you like her. She's convincing when she wants to be."
"She's not so bad, ey," Bucky mumbled back with a small grin. Sam raised an eyebrow at that, still slightly dubious.
Loki straightened his back, shoulders thrown back as if at court. "Very well, my Lady. I shall see to it that the Jøtuns are secured as our allies. After all, it is my birth right to rule over them." His eyes flashed a blood red then, markings shimmering into existence for just a moment. Loki didn't allow these changes to manifest just yet. Instead, he concentrated on his clothes. Golden stones manifested around his collar; his gauntlets transformed from simple leather to gold. The coat appearing around his shoulders was a dark green, almost blue with golden shoulder guards. His trousers thickened until they appeared either plaited or layered into stripes.
This looks almost like the clothes he wore on his attack against New York, Bucky thought. I doubt that's a coincidence, but still. Should he have included so many parts of a heritage he seems to disregard? From the other's looks, the former New Yorkers recognized the patterns as well. This Loki looked closer to the madman they had met than the somewhat sedated version that was around them until now.
The glimmer of mischief was back in his eyes as well. "So, should I accompany the wizard to his friend before I wage war, or would you like to do that yourself?"
Hel merely raised an eyebrow. Without giving her father an answer, she turned back towards the others. "I apologize for my behaviour towards you all. I will not cite apologies as to why it happened. I am the regent of this realm and my behaviour was inexcusable." She folded her hands in front of her, offering a small bow. "I also apologize for keeping you as isolated as I did. The different tasks are of course in need of experts, but I should have allowed for exchange of ideas between the teams and offered my own knowledge to further your progress. Considering our common goal, I should have encouraged and acknowledged out need to grow into a team."
"At least now we're all set," Wanda spoke up, "and with the basic level of training we can work on furthering our abilities together."
"I would love to fight with the others," Mantis offered.
Bucky felt a cautious smile tilt his lips. Maybe… Maybe we can work with this enough to grow closer together…