Chapter 48
“What kind of orders do I ignore this time around?” Yondu demanded.
“Yondu Udonta, this is a matter beyond your general insubordination.” Wanda Maximoff said, Ron at her side.
“Your telekinetic abilities and your arrow are useful, as is your iron grip on your ravagers, so you’re getting a promotion offer.”
“Oh? And what's that?”
“If you can suck it up and follow orders, you and your crew get to be the experimental Earth Space Force Unit 1.”
“And what do I get?”
“A title, a bunch of money, a very nice retirement plan, and the best of life and ship insurance, both monetary and preventative.”
“I want dittany and a port key.”
“Fine. Here’s the contract, read it over, recruit as you want. And learn some manners, there are going to be some formal events eventually.”
“And on whose authority is this all?”
“Indirect order of King Edward of Earth, by authority of me, his younger brother and heir, Prince Anthony Stark Jr.”
“That works.”
“Good. Because this is your only chance to cement your spot on the winning side.”
“Since when are there sides?”
“Since there’s Earth and everyone who disobeys. One tip?” Wanda said. “I’d advise you to make sure you and your crew revisit your opinion of Earth and the Human race. Anywhere the government of the United States of Earth can reach, crimes against humans are punishable higher than crimes against other sentient species. A bit of a deterrent.”
“And where are those laws available?”
“The internet. Don’t worry, we'll get you hooked.”
“What do you want?” Teddy asked Thor at their arranged meeting between heads of state.
Thor remembered the barista who had said the Starks were as close to royalty as you could get on Earth. She had inadvertently become a prophetess, he realized.
“I want your mother not to declare war, Edward Tonyson.”
“Well, Thor Odinson, that can be solved quite easily.”
“What do you want of me?” Thor sighed.
“I think a fitting justification is the handing over of Vanaheim as a property of the United States of Earth, don’t you think so, Teddy?” Lilith asked. “That would, of course, require the agreement of it’s King, but even chaos can’t escape death.”
“My sister is the goddess of death.”
“Oh, I’m not talking about your silly little titles. Loki is the one I hold a grudge with, not Hela. And for all he feeds off of chaos, and I don't doubt he wouldn’t mind a war, you don’t want one. And I want Vanaheim. Revenge, a symbol, whatever reasons you want to assign me. I say it’s justice and a fitting punishment. Or, of course, I could throw the power of life and death unto Asgard, I hold the latter, Darcy the former, make the prophecy of Ragnarok come true, for all we no longer hold the blood of Loki within our veins, the blood of the House of Odin is still present.”
“Then why can I not see you?”
“Because I don’t want you to. And even if we fully self-disowned, we were nevertheless both born of the House of Odin and the youngest generation eligible to complete the prophecy Freya meant for you and might have been for Loki. Good luck with your devil’s dilemma. I await a white flag. For every month I don’t get one, there’ll be a Jericho missile sent, or rather one at Asgard and three to Vanaheim. Sworn protector of the nine realms, huh. Enjoy.” Lilith stalked out.
Teddy raised a barrier. “Mom, was that really necessary?”
“Teddy, what do you think?”
“You have a thing with holding grudges. You and dad both.”
“Exactly. I don't hold a grudge against Thor, but Loki has to get the point.”
“Fine. I’ll stick by it. You’re the real power of the throne. Why don’t you just take it up?”
“Because, Teddy, as any wise person will tell you, a throne is a cage. You’re well-suited to it, you would rule an empire well. I would not go well with being chained down like so, I see that Thor is the same. It’ll be freeing to him, and it’s not like I hold a grudge, let him keep some sort of noble title.”
“We’re going back to feudalism?”
“We’re in the modern age with royalty. It’s perfectly doable.”
“Yeah, mom. I know. Thanks for all this by the way.”
“No problem Teddy. You were always going to grow up to rule. It’s in your nature, you’re a son of House Black and the Stark family after all.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“Enjoy, Teddy.”
“Maximoff, what are you doing here? You’ve been fired since you ran off with those so-called guardians years ago.” Nova Prime said.
“Well, this time I’m not back as a Nova officer.” Pietro said. “This time, I’m back as a bit of a messenger.”
“From where? Your records have you as Xandarian.”
“Don’t tell me you fell for that. Your personal notes say you know I’m not, but assumed I was a refugee of some sort so you let it stay.”
“So where are you from?”
“Earth. You call it Terra, but I have a message from the King of the United States of Earth.” Pietro said. “Or rather, I’m supposed to introduce the one who does.”
“What?”
“Your laws state that any world who wishes to send an ambassador may do so at any given time, without warning if they haven't done so yet.” Pietro said. “I’d say give her a minute for a dramatic entrance.”
“You think so little of me that I’d need a dramatic entrance, Maximoff?” Liilth said, walking into the room in full functional royal splendor. “Care to introduce me?”
“That’s Nova Prime, head boss, and this is her Royal Majesty the Queen Mother Lilith of the United States of Earth” Pietro introduced.
“Last I heard, given the size of Terra, you had several nations there.”
“That’s interesting, but false. We haven’t been divided for a while. We’re not a single planet empire either. So from the head of one empire to another, you might want to look around. The universe and it’s powers aren’t just you and the Kree anymore.”
“What did you do?”
“Expanded. Just as your predecessors did. Maximoff, you were never trained in politics, so your wife’s going to be the ambassador.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to stick around? Maybe even get Quill and his ship to as well?”
“Whatever you want, Maximoff. I have a war to win a galaxy away.” She said, and somehow, to Iraní Rael’s shock, she autonomously self-teleported.
“Skye? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t talk to me?”
I’m not. This is an e-message to give you good news. The Order of the Phoenix and by extension Planet Earth has declared war against Loki Odinson and all lands under his jurisdiction. Quake is getting shipped off to personally wrap him up in chains. Thought you might want to know the guy who killed you is getting his due.
“And Thor? He’s a good guy.”
He’s also Loki’s King and responsible for him by Asgardian law as Loki is a member of the former House of Odin, now the House of Thor, therefore there will be war against both Asgard and Vanaheim. Don’t worry, Dudley Dursley is in the same building as Thor, the most that will happen is blowing up their armory, river, or food storehouses.
“That’s War, Skye.”
“Coulson, as a high ranking member of the Order of the Phoenix for many years, I am now a Captain of the army of Earth.” Skye said from behind him, and Coulsons belatedly realized he had been talking long enough for her to track him. “And as SHIELD, under your directorship, is an illegal paramilitary organization, you have one chance to forsake it as you are very useful, to burn it yourself, all of it, or you can face treason charges.”
“Betrayal, Skye? I thought you were more than a backstabber.”
“No, Coulson, I just chose my loyalties. I thank you for introducing me to Grant,” her hand was holding a gun to him, and Couldon saw the diamond ring on that hand, “but SHIELD is going to die for good. Now you choose your side.”
He dropped his own gun. “And will I be allowed to retire?”
“An unbreakable vow to never stand against the Stark family, the government of the United States of Earth, and the Order of the Phoenix, and like the rest of their enemies you can get a name change, a permanent ban from weaponry, and yes, you can retire in peace, no ill will.”
“Too good to be true.”
“An unbreakable vow kills you if you break it.”
“Fine.”
“Great.” Skye smiled, then gave him a short hug. “Thanks Coulson, I really didn’t want to have to kill you.”
And Coulson smiled, and agreed to the threads of the unbreakable vow threading around his right arm from Lilith Stark.
“Pepper, please.”
“Anthony Stark, I don’t give a fuck what kind of immunity you now have that keeps you from being persecuted.”
“It’s not quite immunity so much per say as a pardon from Teddy.”
“You’re still either Neo hydra or saving the world, according to various sources, but you’re still a murderer.”
“I’ve been called worse. Pepper, you do realize Stark Industries, apart from its forays into consumer technology and green energy by way of Arc Reactor, is a weapons manufacturing company.”
“At least the company only sells to the government.”
“The Order of the Phoenix is the government now Pepper.”
“I don’t care about what the new world order army calls itself! I care about the fact that nepotism and elite inborn prívelege has you pardoned for literal murder! The kid almost didn’t have any family left, and you just got off without even a stern talking to, much less life in maximum security prison like you deserve!”
“And what would you have done, Pepper?” and she realized he looked both extremely hot and very dangerous.
She paused, as her breath caught in her throat, and she tried to force the words out. Tony raised his eyebrows a little, and the hotly dangerous effect intensified. Then she shook her head as she learned her mind and her fueling fire of angry righteousness returned, “I wouldn't have murdered anyone in the first place. I shouldn’t have gotten messed up in this whole shitshow. I should have taken that job offer from Lucasfilm as a paperpusher.”
“Creating fictional films about the universe when instead you could find out all about it for real?”
“I like Star Wars.” Pepper protested.
“Do you want a spaceship for your birthday? Real, live, and working?”
“You are not bribing me, Anthony Stark. I don’t care how many spaceships you can give me, I have standards much higher than body count that can at least be counted on one hand.” Pepper said, huffing and crossing her hands over her chest.
“Well, I tried.” Tony acknowledged.
“What are you going to do now?”
“Get myself a spaceship.” Tony said. “Or the Star Wars franchise.” Then he chuckled. “Or just plain both.”
“And me?”
“Feel free to continue having nothing to do with me, Miss Potts. I do know a lost case when I see one.”
“You do that. Meanwhile, I’ll go see if Peter Parker needs any help getting enough outcry to get you behind bars.”
Tony fiddled with a gun in his hands. “Sure, you go do that. He’ll have given up by now.”
“I didn’t take him for that type.”
Tony practiced bringing the gun up to a target in the lab, then brought it back down again. “Not aerodynamic enough.”
Pepper froze for a second when he brought the gun up, then unfroze as her mind continued working furiously, as she turned on her heel and went to exit the building as quickly and efficiently as she could.
Phil Coulson fucking loved loopholes. And a lack of bureaucracy to any bosses. That too. Freedom of operation and being underestimated, he just damn loved it all. All while he could relax comfortably on the couch and catch up with Audrey over coffee.