I started this chapter at the very start of the year - literally January 1st - because I felt like it … and because Potential Breakup Song (explicit version) oddly inspired me. This chapter recaps the last few chapters while serving as a precursor for the next big season which is why there's a different format. No, it's not Ragnarök. I'm not emotionally ready for that. Nobody is.
I woke up early because I'm excited! Welcome to season five of PNG. Happy 4th birthday to this story.
Chapter 151: The Longest Week Ever
"After an eight-year engagement, Stark Industries' heiress Emily Stark married the love of her life at a small and private ceremony right in her hometown of Manhattan."
-o-
Merida stands in Emily's office, leaning against the wall. She glances at Blake who sits across from Emily and Daniel standing behind his wife, hand on her shoulder with his wedding ring catching her eye. Merida watches Emily and Daniel's eyes move across the screen as they read Blake's article about their wedding before he sends it to his editor. When she looks back at Blake, she notices that he's watching the newlyweds, eyes narrowed as if he's studying their reactions. He could time how fast they read and figure out where they are on the page. It's impressive.
The wedding was two days ago and Emily and Daniel had some work to finish in town before heading off to their honeymoon, which their departing flight would be for this evening. Before the wedding, Blake said he would write the article. It was Merida's way of asking him to be her date to the wedding when he would've said yes regardless. Emily and Daniel didn't want to rush the article but Blake started writing the moment he and Merida left the venue.
And Merida watched him write that, standing behind him like Daniel to Emily. She feels more nervous for his article to be approved than him but most of Blake's career consisted of judgment moments like this.
"Wow," Daniel states once he's finished reading. His smile grows and Merida doesn't think she's seen Daniel happier than when he got married. "This article is more than we could've asked for."
"Thank you," Blake says proudly.
Emily locks eyes with Merida. "Girl talk."
Emily stands from her desk and gestures for Merida to step outside with her. Merida hears Daniel tell Blake how the Mrs. loved the article and Merida notes to call Daniel a fucking married dork later. When she steps out, Emily closes the door and leans against it with a giddy teenage smile. Merida noticed how marriage made her unbelievably joyous as well, even more than when she first got engaged following their high school graduation. It's definitely a newlywed sentiment.
"He's a great guy," Emily whispers.
Merida nods. "That's how Blake described Daniel in the article."
Emily's smile drops as she nudges Merida. "I'm talking about Blake. I like him for you and so do your parents. They told me at the reception."
Merida knows that because her parents and friends haven't shut up about Blake Wilde either. They've done background checks him while waiting for cake at the wedding and everything about him is annoyingly clean.
"I take full responsibility for his presence in your life," Emily states.
Merida isn't surprised Emily would say that. "Matchmaker Emily, an entity we haven't seen in years, didn't do shit."
"You met him because you refused to train me, you brought him to my wedding, and you haven't stopped thinking of him since. My doing."
"Fine." Merida just doesn't want to have this conversation.
"Consider it your wedding gift to me."
Merida glances inside Emily's office where Blake and Daniel are still chatting. "He's a deadly combination of smooth and reasonable, and he speaks Russian."
Emily sighs, smiling. "I swear to Thor, Merida."
Merida shrugs as she heads back inside, walking up to Blake and Daniel who are now having a friendly conversation as if they've been friends for years and haven't met for the first time three days ago. She can't call him a fucking married dork now or else it'd ruin their moment.
"So, what are you two doing now?" Emily asks them, linking arms with Daniel.
Merida shrugs. They sound like her parents and she responded the same way.
"After I send that article in, it should be up tomorrow or the next day latest," Blake responds, taking off his glasses and putting them in his shirt's pocket. "I can't imagine they'd hold that story, though. After that," he glances at Merida, "I'm not entirely sure but I head back to San Francisco next week."
-o-
"The bride and groom exchanged their rings and said their vows before sealing it off with a kiss. It was followed by a night of dancing and cake, bouquet throwing and, just like that, the long-awaited wedding of the century ended. It wasn't a big celebrity wedding but it was as big as it needed to be. In making choices that were personal, meaningful, and memorable, they made the night intimate. Everyone was surrounded by love, anchoring the bride and groom. It's the perfect start to a new chapter for everyone present."
-o-
In the middle of the night in a forest deep on Wakanda's border, the sky was a deep blue almost black with stars littering across. Two hunters hide behind some dry bushes bordering a calm watering hole. They weren't the usual hunters on the prowl for sport since their weapons were more military-grade than the typical hunting rifle, and a beautiful elephant and cub were sleeping just across the water. The hunters could've shot them and made more money than anyone needed from the ivory tusks and skin on both mother and cub, but nothing.
They weren't hunters but waiting for something else.
And it certainly wasn't the Panther sitting on the tree branches above them, staring at them intensely with dark purple eyes.
-o-
"[REDACTED FOOTNOTE] As luck had it, I, Blake Wilde, got to stay in New York for longer than I thought. My boss loved my article on Emily Stark's wedding so much that he's letting me stay in town for a bit longer. Instead of assigning me a story, he told me to find one on my own but to be careful. I had a week to follow a lead I had my eye on for a while."
-o-
"Are the weapons shipped?" She asks as she leans forward to slip on her long blonde wig and secure it into place.
"On their way," he responds with an evil grin on his face.
"And the diamond?"
"On its way as well." He taps on his neck to set his programming on his holographic mask. His face slowly morphs into Xavier's and his partner nods approvingly as she works on her mask. "SHIELD will never see this coming. Ready to run?"
She programs her holographic mask and now wears Angela's face. "Smile at the cameras on your way out. They need to catch our faces."
-o-
"[REDACTED FOOTNOTE, cont.] You'd think it'd be hard to find a story to follow, that my boss is screwing me over by leaving me in an unfamiliar city. No headlines, no leads, no sources, nothing. I caught onto his game of him wanting to see if I'm truly worthy of a promotion, that the exclusive piece isn't a one-time fluke. He's underestimating my skills and experience, thinking that I wouldn't know what happens behind the scenes."
-o-
At a classified location, SHIELD's council sits around a table. The surface is empty: no paperwork, refreshments, communications - nothing. None of them have devices on them since no one else, not even their right-hand agents, know this meeting is occurring.
"Our top encryption agent couldn't decode it," Councilwoman Ameen nearly whispers in a serious tone, "and now she's forced to go into hiding because we're dealing with something we're not meant to understand. We need to infiltrate-"
"Even if we could get in there," Councilman Lausanne says, "the chances of getting her and our agents out are relatively scarce. We already handed the diamond to other agents, and not to mention they have other things on their plate now."
"We don't need our agents!" Councilwoman Ameen sits straight. "It was a bad idea to even think of sending them in, especially given the new circumstances. We need to get the carrier. She'd have to know the message to deliver it in case the diamond fell into the right hands."
"Not necessarily."
"This is an domestic conflict of interest waiting to happen," Councilwoman Kwon says, "and the agents we're inclined to send are compromised."
"Besides, we can't afford to send them," Councilman Rosario points out. "Their faces would be in the system and it'll point to us. We need people we can afford to deny affiliation and throw under the bus if needed."
-o-
"[REDACTED FOOTNOTE, cont.] Little does [my boss] really know that I know how the game works. Little does he know about New York and my present company here. Little does he know that I'm falling for a girl who would help me in a heartbeat … or a few. Or, no, I have fallen for her. It's complicated and beyond the point. Little does [my boss] know that said girl would run into danger before knowing what said danger was."
-o-
Agent Genevieve "Gen" binti Mikhail, Ph.D. (plural), isn't sure how much time she has left. Many people from dangerous and powerful organizations want her dead. It's not entirely her fault. SHIELD wanted her to pry and she obliged since it's her specialty, her job. It was her dream assignment until it became a nightmare.
She grabs papers and USBs from her desk, tossing them into the fireplace. She watches them burn, the last image she sees being a sketch of an annotated diamond before it turns to ash. It doesn't matter. She has to get rid of the evidence before they trace it back to her as if they don't already know she was investigating and getting close. The death threats came in and she knew she had to bail.
Can't kill her if they can't find her, right?
Besides, she memorized all she has to know but kept it to herself, which is why she's on the run. She knows too much.
SHIELD gave her a place to hide and all she has to do is stay put and stay alive. She can't promise either will happen. They promised her a top Operative agent to help protect her but she couldn't rely on them.
"I hate diamonds..." Gen grumbles. Diamonds are not a girl's best friend.
All she brings is her ID wrapped in a cardigan shoved in a bag, sunglasses, and a few loaded guns before heading out the door. She can only hope she doesn't die on the way.
-o-
"[REDACTED FOOTNOTE, cont.] All [my boss] knows is my article, the wedding, the event of the century that will change our lives going forward. He read that what struck me was how happy everyone looked and that's how weddings are supposed to go: a happily ever after with no clue on what the future will hold, but that's why everyone smiles. It wasn't a breath of fresh air, it was a breath of love. It may sound stupid and fantastical but that's the point."
-o-
Emily smiles gleefully at Daniel once they're alone at her office. Their last order of business was proofreading their wedding article and now that was finished, they're free to embark on their honeymoon. After eight years of being engaged, they finally got married and will be on the potential honeymoon of a lifetime.
"Are you ready?" Daniel asks as he pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Emily says before kissing him.
-o-
"[REDACTED FOOTNOTE, cont.] And that's all everyone needs to know. At least, for now."
A few things to say. For those of you reading SA and are familiar with the randos, they will be scattered within the many arcs hinted at here. Also, because I can't time things well, I'd like to introduce you to our last rando, Genevieve binti Mikhail. I used to wonder if her arc here will be published here first or in SA, and now I can say this story wins. Her introduction here instead of SA actually works for her character. As I was writing this chapter, I had two more arcs to plan but as I'm publishing, I have this entire season and more banked and ready to go.
Welcome to Rando Week. It's a week in the story but is a complicated and intertwined set of six arcs and 37 chapters. All the events hinted in the chapter will start to make sense along the way. All the events hinted in the chapter will start to make sense along the way.
The first arc will start next week. We'll be having weekly updates until the next anniversary!