Chapter 8
After all this time, Tony had still been unsuccessful in trying to figure out the best material to keep Thor’s bifrost from marking the front of the Avenger’s compound.
Grass — awful. It burned the grass, and Tony had to have landscapers come in and fix the problem. Obviously, money wasn’t an issue for Tony, but he was never one to just allow a natural flaw like that exist without trying to fix it.
Thor suggested ice, but Tony didn’t feel like figuring out the logistics of having a platform of magic ice out on the compound lawn 24/7. It wouldn’t be impossible, but it just wasn’t Tony’s style. And Tony was all about style.
Vibranium — no can do. The vibranium itself was never damaged, but the bifrost coming in contact with the metal created some kind of chemical reaction that left a mark. Tony tried everything — he tried making alloys of vibranium with just about every other metal known to man, he tried sprinklers with solutions that contained enzymes that might prevent such reactions — hell, he even tried outsourcing the job to Wakanda, much to Tony’s dismay. He hated outsourcing, especially when Shuri got a hold of it. Surprise surprise, Tony Stark didn’t like being shown up.
Nothing worked. For now, Tony settled on stainless steel. It was the easiest thing to replace.
He turned away from the window, chin in hand while he stroked his beard.His beard was messy and oily. He hadn’t showered for days. The bags under his eyes were dark and sunk deep into his face — he never slept normally, and now that his kid was gone, sleep was a joke. Pretty soon, he knew they’d call Wanda in to force him to sleep. If that didn’t work, they’d figure something out — they always did when Tony didn’t sleep. Pepper had to force food down his throat at this point.
When he turned, he saw Nat and Steve gathered behind him. They both looked concerned. Rightfully so. Tony knew he was a mess, there was no denying that. There was only one thing that could fix this: finding the kid. Ever since that weird parade had aired, it had been radio silence from whatever signal it came from. There was nothing else. Tony almost wondered if it was a fluke, some demented form of photoshop to torture the Avengers — but it was all over the news. The parade had been broadcasted worldwide. Whatever this was was deeper than an enemy of the Avengers just trying to get revenge.
“She said he’s coming?” Tony piped up. At the sound of Tony’s voice, their heads perked up and turned to Tony. Nat, arms crossed, nodded.
“Yea. He should be here any minute now,” she tentatively offered. After being unable to contact Thor, she contacted the next best person — Brunnhilde, better known to the team as Valkyrie. Valkyrie was busy in New Asgard being King and performing all of the duties that came with being King, However, she was also the best person to contact Thor. Residing within her town was Axl, Heimdall’s son — and Axl was the only person in the universe who could pop into Thor’s head whenever he wanted. Valkyrie gladly obliged in assisting the Avengers because she claimed Thor had business to tend to in New Asgard — and now the God of Thunder was en route to Earth
“It’s about time,” Tony sighed as something loud landed outside. Immediately, Tony made for the team’s briefing room. “I’ve been working on a new belt for him. A prototype. Megingjörð, he calls it. I probably slaughtered that. Whatever. Fri, can you tell Thor to meet us in the briefing room? Anyways. Told me it would be impossible for, as he put it, ‘mere humans’ to replicate the belt with our technology. I’ll prove him right,” Tony rambled in his confident, self-assured tone as he led Nat and Steve through the Compound. His swift steps told the pair else otherwise. The man was jittery, wired, and anxious. He could play pretend all he wanted, but the team knew his tells for being stressed, and for the past few days he’d been exceptionally bad.
It went without saying that every second of Tony’s existence the past few days were spent with him blaming himself for what had happened to Happy and the kid. Though Happy had finally regained consciousness with no helpful information to the team, the hunt for Peter had no developments. That drove Tony crazy.
Ever since Tony passed out upon seeing what was up with the so-called “Champion Games” Peter was to compete in, he hadn’t discussed the kid. He woke up, stood up, and went about his business in trying to find their “teammate”. Not Peter, not underoos, not Spider-Man. Just their teammate. It was bizarre behavior, and the team had never seen him act this way before. Just so… outwardly disinterested in Peter, pretending he was just some random teammate they had to save. A random teammate whose disappearance caused Tony to remain sleepless for days and not eat until Pepper swore the fury of the gods upon him.
When he reached the briefing room, he collapsed into the swivel chair at the end of the table, mindlessly twirling about while twisting a pencil in his fingers. The rest of the team, summoned by FRIDAY, began to trickle in and scatter about their room, spread out through chairs, leaning on the walls, sitting on the floor.
Nat glanced at Bruce. He’d been off for a few days, too. She could tell there was something he knew that he wouldn’t tell the group, but she couldn’t get it out of him. That was rare for the man — if he had a secret, Nat could get it out of him. He seemed just as antsy for Thor to get here as Tony had been. He was leaning against the back wall, avoiding eye contact, deep in thought as Dr. Banner tended to be. It was different this time, though. But Nat couldn’t tell why or how.
Thor bursted into the room with that big golden-retriever look on his face he always had.
When he saw the look on everyone’s faces, his face fell. “What? Are you not happy to see me?”
“We’re happy to see you, beer-for-brains, because you’re the only person that can help us,” Sam sarcastically shot back.
“Well, that seems to be typical of this group.” Thor put his hands on his hips, Stormbreaker attached to his back. “How can I be of service?”
Walking out of the compound gym, Bucky threw a drenched sweat towel over his bare shoulder. He was disgruntled that his workout had been interrupted by an immediate summons by Tony from FRIDAY, but the super soldier couldn’t pretend he wasn’t used to it. He’d been pumping iron to try to clear his mind — the stress and anxiety palpable in the air of the compound was really getting to him. The kid was one of Bucky’s favorite people here, and one of the few he could actually hold a conversation with. He hoped whatever he was being summoned to would bear good news. Bucky wasn’t sure how much more bad news the team could handle.
As his breathing slowed, Bucky wiped sweat off of his forehead. When the towel moved from his brow, Bucky narrowed his eyes and wondered if he’d gotten all the sweat out of them. Because standing in front of him was a bipedal raccoon that Bucky thought he’d never see again. The raccoon was perched on the shoulders of a veiny man whose muscles rippled under his clothes — Bucky had seen him around, but never actually gotten the chance to interact with the man. Besides them was the bug-like woman Bucky tried to stay far away from. One insect-themed superhero was enough for him.
“Oh, hey. Didn’t expect to run into a whole entourage here,” Bucky dryly greeted as he came to a stop.
“Well, well, well, look who decided to join the party! Should’ve brought some snacks, Buckster. You still using that arm?” Rocket sarcastically said, motioning towards Bucky metal arm that currently had beads of sweat from his neck dripping down it.
“You know snacks aren’t my style, Rocket. Maybe that’s why you’re getting so pudgy. And yes, I’m still using the arm,” Bucky responded. His tone was still flat and dry, but Rocket knew when the super soldier was joking.
The muscled man frowned and crossed his arms. “Why would you bring a snack to a party? Shouldn’t we be focused on our mission?”
Bucky furrowed his brows and cocked his head slightly. He was unable to tell if the man was serious or not.
“Drax, Rocket meant it metaphorically. He’s just teasing,” the insect-woman gently chided, putting her hand on Drax’s elbow. Bucky recalled her name being Mantis or something strange. Her gentle presence was a stark contrast from the two beside her.
“Yep. Buckster here needs to lighten up,” Rocket chuckled with a mischievous smile on his face. Drax made a “humph” noise and shook his head.
“We heard the Avengers could use some real muscle, so we thought we’d offer our services,” Drax informed Bucky matter-of-factory.
“Oh, great! More muscle heads. Just what we needed.” Rocket’s tone was so sarcastic.
“Hey now, Dumpster Diver. Can’t hurt to have a couple of extra tough guys around, right?” Bucky said, taking a few steps forward and throwing his sweaty towel on Drax’s shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah. I suppose Drax can entertain us with his invisible tricks,” Rocket mocked. Mantis picked up the wet towel and gagged, dropping it onto the floor while Drax talked.
“Invisible? Why would I want to be invisible on this mission? I want everyone to see how strong and fearsome I am!” He exclaimed, straightening his shoulders and flexing his muscles. Mantis, who was just getting over her disgust with Bucky’s towel, chimed in.
“I can make things invisible too! Like my pet moth, Gary. He’s really good at hiding.”
“That’s just great, Mantis. An invisible moth. We’re saved.”
Bucky couldn’t help but feel that things were going to get a lot more interesting with the Guardians at their sides again. He also knew how serious this was for Tony to call them in.
It turned out that Thor could not, in fact, be of service. However, the fact that Thor had come in an unfamiliar ship rather than utilizing the bifrost was not lost on Tony or the rest of the team. Thor had arrived with a familiar entourage that had helped the Avengers a few times before — whenever it pertained to space, they were the Avenger’s go-to for help. Now that they needed help with the kid, though, it felt different. The price was more serious. The Guardians accompanied Thor. Tony watched the rest of the Guardians come into the room behind Bucky, though Nebula already arrived here just after Thor. Thor was trying on the new belt Tony had made. It fit well, and it seemed to work better than expected. “This belt of strength was used by my forefathers before me. I am amazed that mere mortals like you can even conceive of its construction, let alone accomplish such a feat. Tony Stark, we may make a god of you yet,” Thor boasted as he showed off the new belt.
Tony didn’t say anything. He frowned while he watched the God of Thunder try on the belt. “You know, I ought to take that away from you.”
Thor turned to Tony and frowned. “Why is that?”
“Because you can’t get me to the one place in this galaxy I need to be. Isn’t that little rainbow road of yours supposed to be able to get me anywhere in the universe?”
“Tony-“ Rhodes began, trying to quell the man’s nerves, but Tony held his hand up to shut Rhodey up.
“Zip it. Thor needs to answer me. The one thing he’s supposed to be good for and he can’t even do that.”
Thor clenched his jaw, but he didn’t say anything. It was true — he did not know the way to Sakaar. The navigation to Sakaar was one of the most well-protected secrets in the galaxy. There were only two ways to get there: accidentally be gobbled up by the random wormholes that led to Sakaar that migrated and popped up and disappeared all throughout the universe, or be privy to some of the most well-guarded information there was. Unfortunately, Thor didn’t know how to access either. “I guess I just don’t understand how you’ve been to Sakaar and escaped from Sakaar but don’t know how to get there?” Tony angrily stated.. The first to jump in to Thor’s defense was Rocket — and, per usual, Rocket had a snappy response for Tony’s comment.
“Not to defend butterball, here,” he said, motioning to Thor, “but getting to Sakaar on purpose is no easy task. Trust me, if it was, we woulda already gotten there to stop the games and, you know,” Rocket said.
“Gotten that sweet, sweet chedda cheese,” Peter Quill finished as he strolled through the door. Nebula rolled her eyes.
“You can’t get to Sakaar. I’ve tried. And if I can’t do it, no one can do it,” Rocket gruffed, hopping up onto a chair with his head poking above the table.
“Well, I used to be able to,” Thor said. Everyone’s heads snapped towards him, and he shifted uncomfortably. “Heimdall could get anywhere.”
“Isn’t his son the one who can contact you?” Nat said, furrowing her brows and staring at the god. Thor grimaced and scratched at the back of his head.
“Welll, funny thing about that… he doesn’t even know how to get to Sakaar. Too young. Never been there. Something weird about it. I don’t know, space magic,” Thor rambled, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room.
Tony’s heart clenched in his chest. They’d brought in their last resort, and their last resort had failed. The Guardians couldn’t get there, a freaking god couldn’t get there, and none of them seemed to even know anyone who did know how to get there. Shoving everything down deep into his chest where it wouldn’t show, Tony shot up from his chair and slammed his palm on his table.
“I need-“ his voice was harsh, and he could feel a rant coming on. He swallowed, and allowed his voice to lower. Around him, everyone tensed. “I need to get there. I don’t care how you do it. We need to get there.”
Quill stepped forward. “We get that, man. The only people who know how to get there are their own pilots. Their security is so intense that Rocket can’t even hack ‘em, and-“ he pointed at the raccoon- “-this is the only time I’ll ever say anything nice to you, but if Rocket can’t get through, then I don’t know anyone that can.”
“I can,” Tony said, lifting his hands in the air. He ignored the indignant look that grew on the raccoon’s face. “Give me one of their ships, and I can get through their security.”
“Listen, pal, I know you’re a genius on Earth and all, but up there-“
“Will you two stop it already?” Nebula spat, shutting both the raccoon and the billionaire up. “This isn’t a dick-measuring contest.” Rocket and Tony shared irritated glances, but the scorn from the blue woman’s mouth was enough to keep them quiet for now.
“What contest? Are they measuring who has the longest… weapons?” Drax said with a wink, clearly confused. Nebula shot her harsh gaze towards the muscled man.
“No, Drax. It’s a figure of speech. Don’t worry about it.”
“Yea, they’re competing to see who’s better, like who’s more powerful or impressive,” Quill added.
Drax blinked. “Oh! Why don’t they just fight each other and settle it?”
Everyone in the room groaned.
“It’s not about physical strength, Drax. It’s about their egos,” Mantis added, only spurring the conversation on. Nat sighed and held her hand up.
“Enough of… dick talk. I think the important thing to ask is what exactly these games are. Are there other people who are fighting against this? People who could help us?” Nat said in an exasperated tone. She came at the problem from the perspective of someone who’d worked in intelligence in her entire life. From the short snippet they’d seen on TV about games, these ‘games’ were just a bunch of superpowered teens killing each other. Surely people on Earth couldn’t be the only ones upset about it.
Nebula, Quill, and Rocket all shared glances. Nebula stepped forward, deciding to take point to talk among the trio. Before she spoke, a beam of light emitted from one of the plates in her head, creating a hologram on the table. The hologram depicted a bunch of teenagers with different powers and abilities fighting, and everyone watched the sickening hologram in front of them while she spoke. “The Champion Games are exactly what they look like. The citizens of Sakaar vote in twenty-four of their favorite superpowered teens in the galaxy to have a battle royale. Only one comes out on top. Sakaar is the head of the Galactic Authority.”
At the mention of the Galactic Authority, all of the Guardians’ and Thor’s face fell into stern, solemn looks.
“The Galactic Authority? What’s that?” Steve asked, furrowing his brows. He leaned in closer to the hologram, clearly disturbed by what he was watching. The hologram shifted to depict a bunch of tiny dots moving throughout space. No, not dots. Steve noticed that they were spaceships. This was a gigantic naval fleet in space.
“The Galactic Authority is a ruthless force ruling over multiple systems and planets. They’re not just your run-of-the-mill tyrants; they’re the kind that feed on fear and control every aspect of life under their dominion. Their territory is guarded by some of the most advanced technology and the largest naval fleet the universe has ever seen.”
“Galactic Authority? What is this, Star Wars?” Sam asked. Nebula’s face didn’t change.
“These guys believe they have the right to dictate the fate of entire civilizations. They enforce their rules with an iron fist, suppressing any form of dissent. It’s a brutal regime, and they thrive on the suffering of those they subjugate,” Nebula answered. Nat narrowed her eyes.
“So, what’s their endgame? Why create these games? And why drag someone from Earth into it?”
Nebula sighed. “The games serve a dual purpose from them. First, it’s a spectacle meant to distract the masses from the grim reality of their lives. It’s a sick form of entertainment to keep everyone under control while they reap the benefits and take resources from all of the planets under their control. But more importantly, the games are a way for the Galactic Authority to identify potential threats or rebellious elements among the super-powered individuals they’ve rounded up. Every once in a while, the citizens of Sakaar will latch onto a kid from a planet outside of their domain. If the Authority sees that individual as a viable threat, they will comply with the vote and get that individual in the games.”
Tony’s mind flittered to the time that Peter had brought his and Ned’s Lego Millenium Falcon to the compound and forced each and every member of the time to come and gawk at it. They thought that kid was a threat?
“Sounds like they want to keep the strongest under their thumb,” Clint added, gritting his teeth.
“Exactly,” Nebula confirmed, nodding. “They want to neutralize anyone who could pose a threat to their rule. It’s a twisted way of ensuring their own supremacy and eliminating any hope for resistance.”
“We can’t let that happen. We have to find a way not just to save Peter, but to free those planets and dismantle the Galactic Authority,” Cap finished, his voice resolute. The hologram disappeared and Nebula nodded, crossing her arms.
Everyone could see a lightbulb form over Quill’s head. “I… might be able to help with that. The Ravagers, they’re uh… yeah, they’re a group, they’ve been wanting to pin these guys down for ages. They just don’t have the forces or intelligence systems necessary to take down a regime like this.”
“The Ravagers have also struggled with finding the path to Sakaar,” Rocket added. Quill nodded.
“Yea, but we can workshop that one. If we figure it out, the Ravagers will back us. We can free these planets, and more importantly, we can save the lesser of the two Peters”
Mantis slapped Quill on his arm for the comment, and the team glanced around at one another.
Then, they began to talk.
For hours, the team discussed different strategies they could take to try to find Sakaar. Nat started to write a list of names and people to contact on the board, while Tony and Vision were seeing if there was any way they could pinpoint the signal and hack the encryption surrounding it. They even tried to calculate the exact location of Sakaar, but it was useless.
At one point, Sam left and returned with Thai food. Everyone dove in and continued to strategize over the food. Normally, briefings like this would fill them all with a sense of justice and optimism, believing they could succeed, but this time, there was just a palpable sense of dread hanging over everyone. Now that the kid was involved… they couldn’t fail.
Nat noticed Bruce still lingered in the back, barely offering a comment or two here or there. It wasn’t like the doctor to stand in the back. He was usually alongside Tony and Vision figuring out logistics on the scientific side of things. She knew he’d burst sooner or later.
She stopped writing for a sec and glanced over to Quill, who was perched on the table, talking with Rocket, Thor, Clint, Rhodey, Steve, and Bucky.
“…well, yea, if the ships that pick the tributes up from the planets were so easy to hijack, someone would’ve done it already,” Peter explained indignantly.
“We would’ve done it. For the money,” Drax added nonchalantly.
“And because it’s the right thing to do!” Peter shot back. “But mostly for the money.”
The group continued to squabble and discuss amongst themselves while downing the food Sam had picked up. However, Rocket stood up from where he was sitting and began to pace back and forth along the meeting table. His fingers stroked the fur on his face; he was so close to a breakthrough. So close.
Quill jumped when Rocket shouted “AHA!” From directly behind him. Everyone’s eyes turned to the bipedal raccoon, who began to rapidly talk through a realization. “Green guy, you got to Sakaar on a ship from here, right?”
“He is not green,” Drax murmured in the background. Bruce simply nodded. Rocket whipped around to face Tony.
“Is that ship still here? In order for Bruce to have gotten to Sakaar, someone would’ve had to transmitted the route to the ship’s autopilot. We don’t know where it is, but we do know the Galactic Authority is too far from Earth for him,” Rocket jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards Bruce, “to have gotten to Sakaar from here without jumping. And no offense, Banner, but I doubt the big green guy knew his way around traveling through space.”
Bruce threw his hands up. “None taken. But he’s right. Whoever wanted me there got me there. I don’t quite remember everything that happened, but I don’t think I ended up on Sakaar by accident.”
Rocket stared at Tony. “So, Tin Can, you still got that ship?”