Chapter 34
“Wanda?”
“Pietro. Thank goodness. You hadn’t contacted me in forever.” They were using the Foster device, which had Pietro's energy signature in long before he left.
“I’m alive and well. You won’t get rid of me that easy. How’s Eugenia?”
“She’s good. She’s flourishing, actually. She got moved, part of her legion is still stationed on Asgard, more on Vanaheim, but she got moved to Nidavellir. Dragon fire is so useful they agreed to let her and two more in. Xi-Wao and Karonad.”
“Well, I have plenty of news to keep you sated.”
“Please tell me you’ve done something, I’m supposed to be training with Teddy Stark until I can beat him to a stalemate unless you have work for me.”
“You’re on Avengers level?”
“If I can pass her tests, I’m going to be allowed to join the team. Whenever my energy is exhausted I’m getting nonstop PR lessons.”
“Good for you.”
“You said you had news. I can whine to Eugenia, but I haven’t heard from you in a while. What happened?”
“I was the first one of us two to blow up a villain.”
“You blew up a villain without me?!” Wanda practicality screeched. “Where are you?”
“I have no clue about the location, but I’m piloting a spaceship because my instincts won’t allow me to do anything wrong.”
“You… what… how?”
“So it was a long story but an evil alien with an infinity stone attacked the planet I was on and I joined a team of other super people to stop him.”
“Pietro, that is literally how the Avengers were founded.”
“Yeah, well we’re the space Avengers. Officially it’s the guardians of the galaxy, the guy who chose the name owns the spaceship, but still. We have a muscley guy who talks very old-fashioned,”
“Named Steve Rogers.”
“Named Drax. A super spy assassin girl with parentage she wishes were secret,”
“Named Natalia Romanova.”
“Named Gamora. One who is awesome with technology and can create weapons out of absolutely anything,”
“Tony Stark.”
“Named Rocket, he’s half raccoon, half humanoid, I don’t know how. There’s the owner of the ship, a former conman with superb aim,”
“Clint Barton.”
“Peter Quill. Also from earth. And then there’s a talking tree who is the majority of our team's muscle.”
“Alright, almost the space Avengers. You missed the cut with the talking tree.”
“Sort of talking. He says only three words. But they have me.”
“Дурень, that’s good because…”
“Because I actually had an education in both annoying superpowered person wrangling and how not to die.”
“I think the last one is preferable. How about progress in what you were actually sent to do?”
“Well, Nova Corps haven’t blown my cover yet.”
Wanda sighed in relief.
“Though I did just quit first.”
“Дурень, ты. Совершенный.”
“Знаю, я. But the good news is I found a much better network.”
“Really.” Wanda asked blandly. Those idiot kids who asked their parents for siblings were dooming themselves before they even had a chance to live*.
“A bit like the Boss did with Hydra.”
“Pietro, do you think yourself to be just as capable? That was a massive endeavor and you don’t even know the place you’re in. I don’t want you to fail and then have to face the consequences.”
“Wanda, I’ve already won. Or very nearly.”
“What did you do?”
“The Ravagers are like Hydra but with a moral code and some very obvious points of exploitation. So much easier. Each ravager clan has a leader, like Hydra branches.”
“How did you get all of them?”
“I set a trap. And that’s what I need you to contact the boss for.”
“Pietro, what are you doing?”
“Wanda, trust me.”
“Alright. What do you need, other than the boss?”
“I’m going to need an infinity stone.”
Gamora listened in. Of course she did.
Whoever thought Pietro Maximoff was anything but Terran was an idiot. For all he looked Xandariam and could even pull off Asgardian, maybe even as one of the Vulcans. But anyone who actually cared to look would see the blatant Terran-ness underneath. Or rather anyone as competent as Gamora could. He was good, she admitted. But not as good as she was. He had been coddled. She had not.
As she listened, she searched for information in various databases, public and private, about the Avengers, a Terran term. It sounded like a coalition of generals, or leaders of some sort.
She didn’t know if she should be flattered or wary when Pietro’s contact said they were like a version of the Avengers off of Terra.
And then there were mentions of a Boss. Pietro was like Peter in more ways than the similarity of their names or their homeworld. He wasn’t one to follow orders. Yet here he sounded like he did.
And then when she heard about the trap he was planning, Gamora knew she had to warn Peter. She did owe him loyalty for getting herself out from under Thanos' thumb.
It was only after that she went to confront Pietro.
He gave a slight facial shrug when he saw her in his quarters on Peter’s ship. He plopped onto his bed anyways.
“Who do you work for?” Gamora asked. She had always been rather blunt.
“Mhm.” He said, ignoring her. He was checking the small metallic rectangular device he loved as much as Peter did his music player.
She went for the other route. A handgun was in her hand in seconds, and she meant to poke him with it, but before she could blink, or even see him move, he was tossing it in his hands. “Nifty little thing. I’m keeping it.” Pietro declared.
“That’s mine.”
“You pointed it at me. You have another, I’m sure though at this rate you can’t have too much funding left.”
“And you do?”
“Wrong currency. I have money that translates to the gold standard, or the vibranium standard. I don’t use credits.”
“Everyone needs money.”
“I have some pay from Nova, but it’s not like indeed to buy anything or bribe anyone. It’s all moneys good for.”
“Then how do you get all your supplies?”
“None of your business. It’s saved your ass already, why do you care?”
“Because dealing in infinity stones never ends well.”
“Ah, shit. That’s what I forgot. I need to get set on soundproofing the room.” Pietro cursed. “Either way, why do you care?”
“Because we nearly all got killed by one.”
“So that’s what that thingamabob was.”
“How did you ever expect people to believe you’re not Terran?”
“We call it earth, you know. And I really didn’t, but I don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“What’s a horse?”
Pietro rubbed his forehead as his eyebrows flew up. “Damn aliens. It’s an animal that used to be very expensive.”
“So what are you doing with an infinity stone?”
“I got most of my enhancements from one.”
“You have cybernetics?”
“No. Hyper-metabolism, chronokinesis, a bit of a mental schtick. I ignore most of it but the super-speed part. The infinity stone is in a vault you won’t be getting into now. Not like this thing was.” And suddenly there was a glint of silver and Pietro was in a different position, tossing the orb up and down.
Gamora lunged for it on the upwards arc. Pietro darted out of the way.
“What sort of things are you dabbling in?” Gamora asked, still trying to get the orb out of his hands.
“The factors that make up my life. Or do I need to mention you tried to kill this team before you joined?”
“Can’t you just speak plainly for once?!” Gamora hissed, frustrated.
“Yeah. Not happening.” He smirked, as she huffed. “You’re even more annoying than my sister sometimes.” He said, orb gone somewhere Gamora didn’t know where, as he plopped back into the pilots seat.
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah. Heard yours tried to murder you. Too bad.”
“Don’t.”
“Oh, earth was nearly destroyed four years ago by a guy jealous of his older brother who wanted the attention of daddy dearest. Not the first time I’ve seen this.”
“And your sister?”
“We’re twins, and she’s a telepath. Chances are she’s in my mind right now.”
“And you're ok with that?” Peter Quill asked, plopping down in the pilots chair.
“Never had siblings?”
“Mom died. I have no idea who my dad was.”
“You terrans are strange.” Gamora said.
“Technically my genetics don’t read as human anymore.” Pietro argued.
“Wait, you’re from Terra?”
“And you’re faking it because only non-earthers call it Terra.”
“I haven’t been there since I was eight.”
“Why?”
“Kidnapped by ravagers and never found my way back.”
“You have a fucking spaceship of your own.” Pietro said. “And I am so overdue back.”
“What, something actually happened there?”
“When was the last year you were back?”
“1993.”
“You’re American, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“The US basically controls the space around the planet, if you were already a citizen, I can get the ship in legally, while I catch you up.”
“What’s the nearest jump point?”
“Last I heard, C-53.”
“Pietro, thats Kree.”
“Don’t worry about them. Trust me that I know exactly who controls that jump point now, and this ship won’t be harmed.”
“So what’s happened?”
Pietro took out a copy of Earth History for Aliens, Vol. 14, 1990-2005, Vol. 15, 2005-2010, Vol. 16, 2010, Vol. 17, 2011, all the way to Vol. 20, 2015. “Here, catch up.”
A holographic projection flickered into existence by Pietro. “Hey, Wanda. News?”
“You’re good to come back, now it’s my turn. Good news, I won’t be bored for decades to come. Bad news? I have to tolerate you again.”
“Well you asked for work. Enjoy!”
“You get two weeks off.”
“And then?”
“My Avengers initiation, you’re also up.”
“Yes!” Pietro fist-bumped. “The boss is a miracle worker.”
“Did I mention the US government now owns Canada and Mexico?”
“Cool. Are they even going to hold elections, given everyone knows Brant is going to win?”
“The Senate wants to repeal the term limit. The vote is in a week, because of that traditionalist from Arizona.”
“Eh.” Pietro shrugged. “Politics. What’s the actual news?”
“Oh, yeah. The Baron is retiring, Eugenias already gotten rid of the rebels. She’s handing over Sokovia.”
“What?!” Pietro sat down sheepishly. “What do you mean, handing over Sokovia?”
“She’s gone for the the Romanova play. Russia is so destabilized, wonder duo are great, though I’ll never understand how that’s their date night, they want a figurehead. An Avenger is even better. She’s going to unite the whole region, America for the whole continent, both of them, the Duchess for Europe, and nobody has yet made it onto the radar in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, or Australia. Though given how Stark holds grudges, I think the Middle East is next.”
“So what are they gunning for?”
“She’s finding a girl named Karli Morgenthau** for recruitment, who's going with the slogan one world, one people*.”
“Global unification.” Pietro said.
“One world, one empire.”
“Can’t say I mind.”
“Few will say they do.”