I didn't feign surprise when my Asgardian visitors arrived with Captain Marvel and Nick Fury in tow via the Bifrost; I only sighed.
"Do we really need to do this now, on the top of a mountain in Nepal, minutes before I start physically hunting down the greatest threat to the planet?"
"Yes," Fury said, stepping forward, "because we need to do it now. You stole an Infinity Stone out from under our noses, and we let it slide because we thought you'd at least be careful. We look away for one goddamn second, and suddenly you've got Asgardians portalling in, telling us you're fighting a one-man war against an opponent they claim is powerful enough to wipe America off the face of the earth. And what about Mercury? How did that happen!"
"My brother fucking happened," I snapped back. "You have no idea how many precautions I took before entering Limbo. It was meant to be a scouting and assassination mission—pruning high-value targets before the real war began. When I got down there, it was a complete shitshow. The last thing I expected was my brother showing up and demanding I hand over Rebellion and my head."
Surprise flickered across Fury's face. Thor and the Warrior Three looked oddly eager, while Carol struck me as sympathetic, if restrained. It was hard to tell with her stony face.
"Yeah, I took it to Mercury," I continued with a shrug, "where I thought I had the home-field advantage. I figured he couldn't take the heat. Turns out, I was wrong. It was close, but he's been at this far longer than I have. Hence, the Infinity Stone."
"Did you kill him?" Thor asked, practically holding his breath.
"No," I said after a pause. "I probably should have tried, but that would have dragged the fight out. I took his blade and sent him to another dimension. He'll be back eventually—stronger, most likely—but I bought us time."
"I didn't realize the Space Stone could do that," Captain Marvel said carefully. "Interdimensional travel."
"That part's more of a me thing," I replied, nodding toward Loki. "They've seen my personal dimension."
Loki's eyes lit up. "So that was what that was…" He gave me a long, evaluative look, likely reassessing.
"Look," I said, "we can keep standing here pointing fingers, or you can let me speak with the sorcerers, master Astral Projection, and start lobotomizing our enemies."
"The Astral realm?" Lady Sif spoke up. "Are you certain? It is filled with disembodied minds—dead telepaths, ancient psychic horrors that have ruled there for centuries, even millennia. Some are demons. You'll be painting a target on your back."
"What else is new?" I shrugged. "I won't go in without safeguards. That's why I'm here."
My reassurance predictably had the opposite effect on everybody gathered. I suppose I could've put more of an effort into lying, but they were all smart enough to see right through it.
"Someway, somehow, I'm certain your plan will backfire," Fury said, locking eyes with me.
"At the very least, hand over the stones before your attempt. Should something happen, they'll be safeguarded," Loki offered. "Though if security is the concern, nowhere in the Nine Realms is safer than the vaults of Asgard."
I laughed—loud and unapologetic.
"Did the All-Father ask you to sneak that in," I said, "or are you just that power-hungry?"
Loki smiled, clearly enjoying himself. "I merely speak the truth. Interpret it as you wish."
I turned to Thor, who looked caught off guard. "Is this what Asgard has been after the whole time?"
My gaze swept over the Warrior Three.
"No," Thor said firmly. "Our orders were clear. We came to aid in the war ahead. If my father wanted the stones, he would ask. He does not need deceit. He is the All-Father."
"But you think the stones would be safer with you?"
"Loki's tongue may be forked," Ogunn rumbled, "but he speaks the truth. Asgard's wards are impenetrable."
A man of few words, Ogun's words carried weight. I didn't want to break his heart by telling him the wards he was so proud of would fall in a few short years when the Dark Elves returned.
"I hardly think your vaults are safer than a separate dimension only I can access," I said.
"Then what about her?" Fury said, gesturing to Carol, who'd stayed quiet. "She's faced the worst the universe has to offer—and she's the only other human strong enough to actually use an infinity stone should the need arise."
"Fury, please," Carol said. "I'm plenty powerful as is, and I can't pretend I could stop her if she came for it. She's a teleporter who can multiply endlessly, and she's assembling an army that'll put the Mad Titan to shame."
I blinked, surprised. "You know about that?"
"The better question," Carol said, "is how do you? You don't have contact with the wider galaxy, as far as I know."
I glanced at Fury. "He didn't mention my clairvoyance."
He huffed, and I resisted the urge to chuckle. That was all I was going to be getting from him.
"I know things," I said. "Some that haven't happened yet. Some that were supposed to happen differently. Others that unfolded exactly as they should have."
Carol frowned and spoke slowly. "I want us to pool resources. At least until Lauren is dealt with. SHIELD, the mutants, the Avengers, the X-Men—everyone willing."
It sounded good in theory, but it felt unnecessary to me.
"This all starts and ends with Lauren," I said. "Wipe out all traces of her across the universe, and our victory against the demons is all but guaranteed. With her in the mix, though…."
"Then we multitask," Carol said quickly. "The point I'm trying to make is that your actions affect us all. The outcome of the war affects us all. The least you could do is take our help when it's offered."
"Fair," I said after a long beat. "I'm the lead on this. I'll listen, take your input, and readily concede if you have a legitimate alternative, but I get the final call."
Carol studied me, then looked at Fury, who looked ready to pop. They didn't like it—they didn't like it at all—but they needed me. I had the intelligence, the power, and the only reliable access to Limbo outside of Asgard.
"Same rules apply to you, Thor."
He smiled. "I would be honored."
I grinned back. "Excellent."
"And the other conditions?" Carol asked cautiously.
"We share resources, despite our misgivings. I have magic armor that can transform your average Joe into a superhuman capable of lifting 10 tons of weight and casually shattering the sound barrier. To survive the kind of fight we're heading into, everybody needs a power-up."
She was nearly breathless.
"I'm sorry," Fury said, his voice pitching higher than usual, "did you say ten tons?"
It must have stung. Decades of R&D, and I'd lapped them in months. The tyranny of power—those who have it gather more.
"Yup, and it's a good thing too," I said. "Lauren's been recruiting in Limbo, and the demons finally figured out their Ascendant program. They've been cranking them out like nobody's business. That's half the reason I was down there."
"How powerful are they?" Fury asked tentatively. "Are we looking at another Storm?"
"Half-and-half," I said. "Some are stronger. Some are really not. Regardless, it's going to be a shitstorm. And oh, did I mention Belasco and his son are also Ascendants now?"
"Oh…fuck," Carol breathed. Even Loki looked uneasy. Sif looked similarly concerned. The rest of the warrior three took it in stride.
"Well," Volstagg boomed, clapping his hands, "at least the fight won't be dull!"
"You're not wrong," I chuckled.
"Anything else?" Carol asked.
I smirked. "One last thing…"
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