Chapter 42
“Oh my gosh, Peter, did you hear?” Ned asked, as Peter came out of his bathroom and shoved his Spider-Man suit in his closet.
He was brimming with news, Ned knew about not only Spider-Man but also about his mentor, under both identities. “Yeah. Mr. Barnes got married.” He said. He had yet to get out of the habit of calling him anything but that, Jay, Jim, or any other nicknames that couldn’t be connected to him didn’t work, so it was either Mister Barnes in school and in private, or Mister B when someone else could hear. The B was because it was some Russian word for warrior, Boyevik, or something of the sort, Peter didn’t care much.
“Good for him. But no, the other news!” Ned exclaimed. “It’s everywhere!”
“What? What is it?” Peter asked. “C’mon man, tell me, don’t leave me hanging like that.”
“Alright, alright. The Starks are divorcing!” Ned exclaimed.
“Wait, what?!” Peter asked. He glanced at his wall, at the old autograph. “I was at their wedding, back with my parents. There’s no way they’d be divorcing! They’re like the ultimate power couple!” He exclaimed.
“Well, they are. Look!” Ned turned his laptop so Peter, plopping down on us he’s beside his new friend could see.
Lilith Stark filed for divorce, the headline read.
Peter grabbed the laptop, Stark Industries tech, ironic, and browsed through what the internet was saying.
The question is what happened? They were going strong for a decade and now divorce?
What about the kids?
Do you think she cheated
If anyone cheated, it would be him. She gave birth a year ago, and it’s definitely his kid.
Go Lilith Evans! Don’t be blockaded by the rich white man’s power play. Get free, own your rights.
He’s going to be the victim here. Everyone knows Lilith is as dark as the devil she was named after
She was named after the first woman, before Eve, kicked out of Eden because she dared to consider herself equal to Adam, and then Eve was created from Adam’s body part in the myth so she would never think herself equal.
Peter switched over to a new tab and searched Stark divorce
Pages came up, but after a short while of scrolling, he found the exact details.
Lilith Stark is filing for divorce from Tony Stark on grounds of personal issues between the two.
She is aiming for 10 billion dollars, complete custody of the couple's two underage children (Teddy Stark being 20 years of age), Anthony Ronald Stark and Hermione Morgan Stark, as well as several of the couple’s joint properties and the rights to the Avengers website and copyright as their official PR manager.
Tony Stark has yet to make a statement, but Lilith has said, “Tony may not care who he reveals certain information to, but though our breakup centers around information and its effects that could hurt many people if it were released, as well as a personal betrayal.” She went on to say, “I will always love the Tony I married and who helped me raise Teddy, and then gave me my Ron and little Hermione, but the man I am divorcing isn’t him anymore.”
That was when Peter stopped reading. He had always idolized both of the Starks, having Teddy in his school for a year didn’t help matters either, but he saw that public attention was leaning very heavily in Lilith’s favor.
Ned’s computer dinge, and he pulled it back. “Oh. My. Fuck.” Ned never cursed, so it had to be something major.
Tony Stark running for president, "Our country needs the right person at the helm,” repaintes Iron Man red, silver, and blue with his slogan Vote America’s Greatest Patriot in smoke trails in the sky over New York City
“No fucking way.”
“Frigga, what are you doing on my throne?” Freyr demanded of his sister.
“I came to see my beloved elder brother,” she drawled elegantly, “and in the process decided to see what it might have been like had it been my birthright to rule Vanaheim after Mother.”
“And what did you find?” Freyr asked.
“It’s awfully uncomfortable.” Frigga declared. “I would much rather occupy my own throne back on Asgard.”
“And about that. How fares your patience?” Freyr asked, lips pressed thin.
“Thor stumbled along his route, but my patience fares well enough.” Frigga answered in a light, airy lilt.
“Yet you protect Father’s murderer, the one who led to Mother’s eventual death millennia before her time was due.”
“Death comes for all of us. It is fitting that our Father should die by the hand of it’s servant.” Frigga said. “I likely will too.”
“You allow her in your own House?”
“It is the House of Thor, if you have not heard, Freyr, and my stepdaughter and I have gotten over any of our disagreements.”
“Stepdaughter?” He asked, then rolled his eyes in a very unkindly manner. “Of course, so the rumors are true and you are mothering your husband’s bastard firstborn.”
“By now, Hela is as much my daughter as Loki is, though neither was born of my blood but rather that of Alina Svarensdottir”
Freyr put that aside to figure out later. His sister only spoke in riddles when she wanted something, purposefully hiding her usual blunt manner. “And what are you really here for, sister dearest?” He drawled imperiously. “Surely not to ask me to repeal the oath of vengeance towards Hela Odinsdottir and all in her house?”
“No, she deserves that much.” Frigga said. Freyr was reminded that it was never a good idea to truly get on his sister’s bad side. She forgave, but she never forgot so much as the slightest grievance if she cared enough about it to remember, even millennia after the fact. “I came here to see to it that though Thor can no longer be your heir, as he is the King of Asgard and that bylaw was instituted by Mother during the war and was never erased when you ascended, but you are still unmarried and without so much as a bastard, much less a wife, a queen, and a true-born child. You need an heir.”
“And you want to be reinstated to that position.”
“Oh no, Freyr. I don’t yearn for power. I am the dowager Queen of Asgard, and my soon to be daughter in law is perfectly able to help Thor rule where I can not. But I have two sons, Freyr, both equally beloved even as Loki is not of my blood.”
“Loki has his own throne if he so wishes. Jotunheim has no king.”
“Jotunheim is a barren wasteland, Loki would be better off ruling Svartalfheim or Muspelheim. No, I do have a touch of the sight Freyr, and I see you will never have children of your own flesh and blood. True-born or not, legitimate or not. And yet you need an heir, and an heir who can rule. Odin never had as much sight as I do, but Gungnir has been known to give hints to Kings of Asgard. He spoke true when he said both my sons were meant to be kings, although only one, only Thor, could sit on the throne of Asgard.”
“He intended to have Loki as a puppet king of Jotunheim.”
“If there was anyone of anything left there to rule, Freyr. Of nine realms, only four are prospering, Asgard, Vanaheim, Midgard, and Alfheim. Nidavellir is as always, and the rest are next to nothing, soon may very well be nothing. Thor is wise to have chosen his bride from Midgard, as I am Vanir and both Father and Odin’s mother were born of Alfheim. You need an heir, and Loki dots that description perfectly.”
“How would you know where to find him?”
“Loki will come to you, do not worry. He knows a chance when he sees one, especially if it is a chance to shrug off the chains Odin helped him put around himself.”
“Alright Frigga. On one condition.”
“And what might that be, Freyr?”
“You, Frigga Freyasdottir, will tell me what Gungnir showed you of Midgard that Odin feared so very much.”
“Odin didn’t so much fear her, as respected her power and ingenuity.”
“Who is she?”
“Midgard’s shadow ruler.”
Freyr knew who a shadow ruler was. It was a term for a person who held all the power, but few even suspected, much less knew how much they could truly do. Bor’s wife had been the shadow ruler, even before the two were married and her crowned. Midgard was the largest realm of all, it was the largest planet in the universe that he had heard of that contained life, but it was also fractured, and fractured meant easier to seize for someone who would. If all of Midgard was ruled by a shadow ruler, Freyr could see why Odin had been wary so much as he had been. He listened to Frigga’s tale wisely, even as he spotted the deaf ails she was omitting.
Protecting her, he noted. Just as she had been protecting Hela. Nevertheless, Freyr did make good on his word. Loki Odinson, crown prince of Vanaheim.
For once, Tony Stark answered his own doorbell. His favorite lawyer was standing there, and he had gone over many of them over the years, before settling on keeping this one on retainer.
“Rodddy, come on in. Who am I suing for libel this time?” Tony asked Roderick Lane.
“It’s not libel because nothing was officially said and what was said was entirely truthful and easily proven. Tony, I have paperwork for you.”
“Roddy, you know I don’t like to be handed things,” Tony said as he popped open a beer from his bar.
Roddy passed up one whe offered, he needed to do this sober, it was enough one of them was going to be stupid drunk by the end of the day, at least it wasn’t going to be him. “Well you’ll have to take these,” he said, handing over the file folder, and then dropping a USB drive with the same information. “Your wife is filing for divorce, and the public is on her side. You'll be lucky to keep Stark Industries at this point.”
“Wait, come again?” Tony asked.
“Your wife is filing for divorce.”
“No, no way. Sure we had a spat, but these things happen, right? What about the kids?”
“Your eldest is a legal adult. Teddy Stark will stay separate from this. There’s no doubt though that your wife will get custody of both your son and daughter though.”
“No, no, no, no, no. No. Jarvis, check to see if I’m awake and don’t hallucinating.”
“You are perfectly conscious sir.” Jarvis said in a slightly more clipped tone. “I’m going to miss Mrs. Stark and the children.”
“J! You’re acting like this has all been decided already. Celebrity court cases take months if not years!” Tony exclaimed. “What are we countersuing for?” He asked.
“We aren’t.” Roddy said, “your goal here is to come out with your reputation, company, stock prices, and everything you own down the drain. It’s a foregone conclusion, and this car will be fast. Bribery is illegal, but your wife publicly donated several million dollars to the count house that is judging your case, it’s perfectly legal, and when she said, with the donation, that it is to speed up the court system for everyone, it’s obvious what she wants. This will be an open and shut case within the month. My goal is to say ok, get you to sign the papers, and keep this as small of a debate as possible.”
“No, we are not doing that.” Tony said. “I am not loosing my kids.”
“She has every right, and she will get full custody, Tony. Please, let me do the talking.”
“No. No, Roddy. I am not loosing my own fucking kids.”
“Tony, there’s very little me or my firm can do.”
“What do I pay you for then?!” Tony barely managed to hold himselfblack from yelling in Roddy’s face, but then immediately calmed him and said, “I don’t care what legal bullshit we have to do, I’m not losing my kids.”
“Tony, she's filing under New Jersey law. They don’t need proof to divorce, just the desire and paperwork of one partner.”
“Then what can we do?”
“Lessen the blow. If she can’t prove it’s your fault, I can get it lessened to legal separation. It’s far easier to get a divorce from there, but it’ll stay that way for a few years. That’s your chance, it’s a risk.”
“I’ll take it.” Tony stated firmly.
Within the month, the court case was resolved. Lilith Stark was legally separated from her husband, she had stopped at that. She could have gotten a full divorce, but she knew Roderick Lane. If she won on one front she’d lose on another. Nevertheless, she kept the last name. Lilith Evans would be too great of a beacon.
“Mom, will I get to see dad again?” Seven year old Ron asked.
“Of course honey. We just need a little time apart, alright? You will always have me.”
“But what if something happens to you? The internet says your life expectancy is very small. You work with the Avengers.”
“Ron, the internet says a lot of things, not all of which will end up true. Don’t worry about me, I won’t die while you still need me.”
“Alright mom.”
“The Avengers are dead. They always were meant to be. The world needs someone to stop the apocalyptic events from happening, not to avenge them after they already have. Skyenet, initiate the Protectors program. You’re in charge.”
“Aunt May, did you watch the news?” Peter asked, as he dropped his backpack and entered their apartment. His eyebrows show up as he saw Mr. Barnes standing behind his couch, metal arm on full display, standing behind…. Lilith Stark. Lilith Stark was in his apartment. The one and only Lilith Stark.
“Peter, come sit down, we were just talking about you.” May said, because that is totally what every teenager wants to hear.
Nevertheless, he did what she said. “What about me?”
“You’ve been accepted into a new program, to develop the talent of the next generation, Arnie’s recommended you personally.” Lilith Stark said, “though now that I think about it, you look sort of familiar.”
“My parents worked for Stark Industries, I got your autograph at your wedd- sorry, shouldn’t mention that.” Peter said.
“Isn’t this the best, Peter?” May asked, “You’re going to be in a program with some of the most talented young adults of your generation.”
“And I’m sure he’ll fit seamlessly.” Mr. Barnes said, because that didn't sound threatening at all the ways he did so.
“Of course!” May exclaimed. “Can I ask about the particulars of the program?”
“It’s a sped up schooling program, I arranged it so that he can do both this and take courses at Harvard, MIT, or Culver, all three were very pleased by his records, those were sent with the pSAT test results, as automatic requests for scholarships, your school does that for all students, and all three have said they would be very glad to have him if he so chose. The program also has him interacting with other kids from around the world who have been accepted, ranging in age from 13 to 22, everyone is very good at something. Barnes tells my your nephew has a talent for chemistry, as well as being very talented and well rounded, that is perfect for the program, out of the other kids already accepted, we have a thirteen year old tech and computers expert from Wakanda, twenty one year old twins with enhanced abilities, not to mention their astounding strategic plans, from Sokovia, my son Teddy is on there, given his aptitude for engineering and his shapeshifting talent, we have 15 year old Cooper Barton, who other than enhanced senses and a flawless memory can talk anyone into anything, a nineteen year old master with anything to do with computers, and there are several more whose replies I am still awaiting. The program will be led by my sister and James, who seems to adore formality even given he is my brother-in-law.” Peter had forgotten that tidbit temporarily. But it seemed nearly everyone in this program was enhanced in some way or another. And given how he had been recommended, they probably wanted both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He didn’t mind.
“That is simply wonderful.” May said. “Can you send me a full list of the details?”
“No problem, I keep hard copies on hand, I find they’re easier sometimes.” Lilith said, as she placed a booklet on their coffee table, which May immediately picked up.
“The Protector’s Program?” May asked.
“Of course.” Lilith agreed. “And I hope your nephew can join us, because we only take the best.”
Only Peter noticed the logo in the bottom left corner. A dragon, spurting flames that formed a phoenix, strangely familiar.