Bronze Mettle (MCU/DC SI)

[Xavier Bronze]

I exit the vehicle with the others. We're on a grassy cliff edge a few miles outside Metropolis. Looks like a park. There's an iron fence lining the cliff, but no other sign of civilization except the general lack of weeds. There's a blanket out on the grass with a picnic basket on it.

I smile, "Is this for me?"

Erik walks over, "Well we weren't going to miss the fireworks. Metropolis has one of the best displays in the country. SHIELD was accommodating. I don't know what kind of food they've provided for us."

I joke, "Or if it's poisoned."

I get a chuckle out of Mike and Ike. But Erik and Jane both look genuinely worried. I guess they're still thinking of SHIELD as the scary men in black suits who took me away and kept me locked up for weeks on end.

I clarify, "Joking. Pretty sure none of us are targets. At least for SHIELD." Now, Hydra, Ten Rings... they may be a different story.

I look at the picnic. Something doesn't feel right about this…

"Mike, Ike. Do you still have your comms with you?"

Mike nods, "'Course."

"Call Coulson, Hill, and Barton. Invite them to come see the fireworks."

Jane and Erik are giving me a look.

I smile at them, "I knew you two for two days. I've known these guys for almost a month. They're my friends, and if I'm getting an Independence Party, they're invited. No questions."

Jane gives a small smile back, "Okay."

Erik gives a bigger smile, "Of course."

Mike informs me, "Hill is away. Coulson and Barton... are on their way."

I sit on the blanket and open the basket. A bottle of wine, bags of dried fruit, a box of crackers, a tub of hummus, and what looks like freeze-dried ice cream. Not great. But not awful either.

I crack open the wine and wave Erik and Jane over. They come over and sit down, but Mike and Ike are still just standing there. Idiots. I very pointedly wave them over too, and they hesitantly sit on the blanket.

"There are no cups. I hope no-one has a cold."

I take a swig of the wine and pass it to Ike. I look him in the eye and don't look away as he awkwardly takes the bottle. Eventually, he takes a sip before handing it back to me. That guy is just too easy to mess with. I pass it to Jane.

"Thanks", she says.

Erik's the first to open the crackers and hummus. We sit and watch the city lights at night.

A few minutes later, I hear another van pull over. As Coulson and Barton's footsteps come closer I call out, "If you'd told me you were taking me to a party, I would have invited you right off the bat. I'm a little miffed you didn't think you could invite yourselves."

Coulson answers, "We thought you'd appreciate the privacy."

"Well shit, if I'd wanted privacy I would've stayed in the Spirit World. Until I say otherwise, you two are always invited."

Jane gives me another of her scientist looks, "Spirit World?"

I laugh, "Yeah, it was a whole thing, just a few days ago." She looks at me expectantly. But, I honestly don't know where to start, "I'll tell you about it later. You'll flip your shit."

She gives a little nod, like, 'I believe it', and then turns away.

This feels right. Jane on my right and Coulson on my left. Erik and Mike, Barton and Ike. These are my friends. All my friends in one place. At least all my friends on this earth. The wine is strong, so I've been able to get a comfortable buzz going. The night air is crisp and cool.

And then the fireworks begin.

It's nothing like the Bifrost. But it's something.

Then I hear one of the explosions in the sky. And that's what they are: Explosions. My thoughts turn to my enemies. The ones that could be hunting me this very moment. The Mandarin. The Ten Rings. Hydra.

Hydra. I'm not in the base. There are no cameras here. There are no microphones, no agents I don't know. For the first time in the physical world since I met Coulson, I don't feel like I'm being watched.

This is my chance. I don't know when I'll get another one. I've got to do it tonight.

I'm going to tell Coulson about Hydra.

 

[Larekko12]

And then Nike or Ike is a hydra agent.

 

[Centergg]

Anyoune can be secretly Alpharius

 

[Tarantio]

And then Nike or Ike is a hydra agent.

Click to shrink...

Nah, don't seem the type.
On the other hand directional microphones are a thing, so a park is not really a secure location, especially since it's the first time she is outside of the base aside for assignments (if I was a hydra agent that's the moment I'll watch out for the most)

 

[Xavier Bronze]

I turn to Mike and Ike, "Leave."

They look like they're about to protest before Coulson interrupts them, "It's okay."

They hesitantly comply and leave.

Coulson looks back at me and raises his eyebrows questioningly.

I talk to Jane and Selvig, "Sorry, but can you two give us a minute? Go hang out with Mike and Ike. They're… nice, I guess."

Jane looks worried, but stands up, "Is everything okay?"

I shrug a little, "...Yeah. Probably. I'm trying to keep it that way."

Erik gives me a nod and they go over in the same direction as Mike and Ike.

Clint starts to stand up but I put my hand out, "You're fine. You should hear this too."

He asks as he settles back in, "And what is it I should hear that Mike and Ike can't?"

Coulson says, "I'm wondering that too."

Wherever shall I begin... "Hydra is still around and has infiltrated SHIELD from within." Well, that was easier than I expected.

The two look at each other, and then back at me. Coulson asks, "Hydra? They were defeated almost 70 years ago, by Captain America. We both know you're sometimes wrong-"

"I'm not wrong about this. Captain America was a hero. But he was still only one man. Hydra has been around a lot longer than anyone knows. It was started as a cult centuries ago. They worship an Inhuman named Hive. It wasn't going to be taken down that easily. Cut off one head... Well, you know. So they cut their ties with the Red Skull and went underground. When SHIELD was founded it already had double agents in its ranks, and they've been spreading ever since."

He's visibly having trouble processing what he's hearing, and I don't blame him, "Is there any chance you could be wrong about this?"

I sigh, "There are some things I'm not sure about. There are things from the comicbooks that I don't know if they made it to the movies. There are things I don't remember, or that I remember wrong, or that were only referenced vaguely. This isn't one of them. In 2014 Hydra reveals themselves. They take control of the Helicarrier and almost kill everyone in Washington. Only you and a small squad of agents remain after they're done. SHIELD takes years to recover. Their reputation never does. You're forced to work underground, outside the law. There was a whole movie about it."

He's speechless. He doesn't even know what to ask next.

I guess I'll just keep talking, "It won't be as bad this time. I'm here. You know, now. We can work against it, or at least prepare for it. I know who a few of the traitors are. Sitwell, John Garrett, Grant Ward. Senator Stern is Hydra too. Alexander Pierce."

He looks positively shaken, "Alexander Pierce?"

"Gideon Malick too. And Brock Rumlow. Either Hand or List, I can't remember which. And anyone any of them recruited, probably."

He shakes his head, "Pierce alone… That's a sizable portion of the entire organization."

"That's why I told Mike and Ike to leave. I can't even trust them. There's no way to know who's been compromised. I'm not gonna lie. We're massively outnumbered, here. They've had decades to build their defenses. And all our resources... are theirs to take away. Our odds don't look good."

He looks back at me and I can see it on his face that he's already thinking of solutions, "But you've seen what happens after the lines are drawn. You know."

"I know some people. Not nearly the whole organization, but I can give you a list of agents who are safe to bring in. You had a team, in the tv show. Melinda May, Fitz-Simmons, Bobbi Morse and her ex." I turn to Clint, who's been very silent, "Romanoff is safe. She helped topple SHIELD when they took over." Back to Coulson, "Sharon Carter. Hill too. Gonzales. But anyone else, even outside SHIELD…"

"...Could be Hydra. I understand why you couldn't say anything before now."

"Because I didn't know who was listening. This is the first time I've gotten to talk to anyone alone since you brought me in."

Clint is staring out into space, "Hill thought you were holding something back. I think she'll wish she was wrong."

I sigh, "I wish she were too."

Actually, that's not true. Knowing every major world event of the next five years is seriously useful. But Hydra… That's something I could stand being wrong about.

I say, "I'm sorry I ruined your holiday. SHIELD agents can't get too many of those."

Barton shrugs, "I get plenty of time off on medical leave. Holidays when I'm healthy never seem to last long."

I look at Barton, and decide to pull out one of my other secrets, "Barton, I know about your family."

I see his hands twitch up towards his quiver on instinct before he stops them, "Is that a fact?"

I nod, "And you know since I'm only bringing it up now that I want to help keep that secret. I'm not going to tell anyone about them. I just wanted you to know that I know, and that you can trust me."

He looks me deep in the eyes, and we stay like that for a solid few seconds before he nods in approval.

I look between the two agents, "If we're gonna form this secret council against Hydra, we're gonna need a name. What about… the Vorpal Council. Knocking off the heads of Hydra, one at a time."

Coulson nods, "I like that. The Vorpal Council. The secret protectors of SHIELD."

Clint adds, "But a rabbit is a terrible logo. What about a phoenix? SHIELD, rising from its own ashes?"

Coulson responds, "The imagery is nice, but what would the name be?"

I answer, "The Order of the Phoenix, of course."

And at that we're all caught silently amused at the absurdity of it all. No laughter. Just, whatever these two do instead of it. And I don't want to spoil the mood by being the only one at my own joke, so we all just sort of stand there with satisfied half-smiles.

Coulson nods, "The Order of the Phoenix it is. With a phoenix as our logo."

I squint, imagining it, "A phoenix holding an arrow in one claw, and a film reel in the other. Wearing sunglasses."

Coulson looks at me, "Why do I get the feeling I'm being underrepresented in this?"

This time I do laugh, "Phil, you died. I saw it. Who do you think the bird is?"

Coulson cracks his signature smile, "Don't believe everything you see in the movies."

We stand there, all very pleased with ourselves, for a few seconds. I think inside we all just need a moment of levity before we can fully grasp the outstanding seriousness of what we've just done. We are now all, effectively, traitors against SHIELD.

 

[Centergg]

tehe
i don`t know how Xavier can to solve this situation...
Let out your inner angel? And hope what it is NOT the Simurgh.

P.S. I must ask, did MIB exist in this crossover universe? SCP?

 

[Larekko12]

Call superman! And see if his fortress exists and has the utter electical dominance it normally does. hunt down Billy batson. Build your league.

 

[Xavier Bronze]

tehe
i don`t know how Xavier can to solve this situation...
Let out your inner angel? And hope what it is NOT the Simurgh.

P.S. I must ask, did MIB exist in this crossover universe? SCP?

Click to shrink...

How exactly would releasing some unknown, divine, possibly cosmic entity help prevent Hydra from finding out that she knows they exist? How would she even do that when Shazam couldn't? It's kind of welded onto her soul right now. Pretty much impossible to separate until the Convergence in 2013.

The MIB is called SHIELD. Or the DEO. Take your pick. If there were a Foundation, I think they would've Secured the Hulk, Superman, or Reverse Flash by now. SCP is a probably-fictional website just like on Earth Prime. Or maybe it's called Lexcorp.

Call superman! And see if his fortress exists and has the utter electical dominance it normally does. hunt down Billy batson. Build your league.

Click to shrink...

Not a bad idea in general, but not the best way to handle Hydra. Superheroes are really only useful if there's an obvious thing to punch until it stops killing people. Who's the target? SHIELD? Until Hydra outs itself it's not a job for heroes. It's a job for spies.

But, on the more general notion of putting a team together, Superman is the most obvious choice. SI searched for Billy Batson and couldn't find him. Since Bruce Wayne is ridiculously young, she assumed that Billy hasn't been born yet. So Captain Marvel is out. But Stark, Banner, Clint and Natasha are available. Rhodey has a Stark suit without any of the personality quirks that made Ultron possible. Jessica Jones is out there. Melinda May and Matt Murdock are other more mundane additions. John Constantine is active, and, ironically, a lot safer than the alternatives for team magician.

On a related topic, does anyone know when Luke Cage got his powers? It's not on the wiki timeline and I can't remember if he ever mentioned it.

 

[Krazyfan1]

Plus, Phoenix, fire, firebender, firebender covering themselves in a birdlike aura of flame and flying around blasting hydra....that sort of thing...

 

[Xavier Bronze]

Plus, Phoenix, fire, firebender, firebender covering themselves in a birdlike aura of flame and flying around blasting hydra....that sort of thing...

Click to shrink...

What is SI supposed to be blasting? The same agents she's been making friends with for the last month? There's no tattoo or red crosshairs that tells you who's SHIELD and who's Hydra. And even if she could magically tell the apart, she'd be declaring war on one of the strongest military forces on earth, and she barely knows how to use her power. Going up against Hydra the Superhero way would be suicidal.

 

[HVulpes]

If Superman and Batman exist, other Dc heroes might. Older heroes.

If not the Justice Society and their legacy (I have to reread that), what about our favourite Martian?

Also... If you have Dc heroes, you must have their villains... Wonder if Vandal Savage or Ras Al Ghul have any Hydra contacts?

 

[Xavier Bronze]

If Superman and Batman exist, other Dc heroes might. Older heroes.

If not the Justice Society and their legacy (I have to reread that), what about our favourite Martian?

Also... If you have Dc heroes, you must have their villains... Wonder if Vandal Savage or Ras Al Ghul have any Hydra contacts?

Click to shrink...

Arrowverse is canon. Supergirl season 1 is mostly canon, with a few changes. Any characters that are in either of those, are those versions of the characters.

 

[HVulpes]

So Speed Force exist... does that mean Quicksilver will be able to tap into it?
The Red (Vixen) is real which likely means the Green exist and maybe the Black or the other ones.
The Emotional Spectrum likely exist using Roy G. Biv/Rainbow Raider as an example.
Ras had been active and the League of Assassin still is. Which might have Hydra or other villain links.
Vandal definitely is active and may have links to Hydra. Or other villains.
Reverse Flash is from the future, which is likely affected by the Marvel elements.
Zoom is from another universe, Earth 2. Does that universe have Marvel elements and which ones?
We have an inhuman gene and a metagene, maybe an X gene as well. Wonder who is experiment with them?
Oh and Constantine on Arrow proves magic is real. How does DC magic intergrate with Marvel Magic?

Some quick thinking...

 

[Curious Whimsy]

Just picked this up. And it is glorious.

 

[Krazyfan1]

What is SI supposed to be blasting? The same agents she's been making friends with for the last month? There's no tattoo or red crosshairs that tells you who's SHIELD and who's Hydra. And even if she could magically tell the apart, she'd be declaring war on one of the strongest military forces on earth, and she barely knows how to use her power. Going up against Hydra the Superhero way would be suicidal.

Click to shrink...

Drones or stuff...
focus a very hot blade of fire and cut wings off?

 

[Xavier Bronze]

So Speed Force exist... does that mean Quicksilver will be able to tap into it?

Click to shrink...

No. Quicksilver had "enhanced metabolism and improved homeostasis", whatever that means. But he doesn't trail lightning, so no time travel or other shenanigans. But that's assuming he gets his powers at all. That's nearly five years off and the butterflies are already spreading.

The Red (Vixen) is real which likely means the Green exist and maybe the Black or the other ones.

Click to shrink...

Red, yes. Green, I guess. Black, kind of redundant when you already have Black in the Emotional Spectrum, so probably not. Which leads us to...

The Emotional Spectrum likely exist using Roy G. Biv/Rainbow Raider as an example.

Click to shrink...

More than that. Hal Jordan is referenced in Arrow and The Flash more than once as a test pilot who went missing. So, Corps and rings are in too. Like Doctor Dyne, don't expect them to adhere to any particular canon too much though.

Vandal definitely is active and may have links to Hydra. Or other villains.

Click to shrink...

Who do you think his soldiers were in 2166? Once Hive died they had to follow someone.

Zoom is from another universe, Earth 2. Does that universe have Marvel elements and which ones?

Click to shrink...

Yes. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, for one, which in turn ties into the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie. Alex has a whole multiverse plotted out, just in case, with pretty much every superhero and comicbook property we know about crammed in somewhere. The Heroes tv show is Earth XSI-6, for example.

We have an inhuman gene and a metagene, maybe an X gene as well. Wonder who is experiment with them?

Click to shrink...

No X-gene. It's redundant. As far as experimentation, Ultron was stupid to think that it was hatred or determination or something that made the Maximoffs survive Strucker's experiments when no-one else did. No. It wasn't. They were latent Metahumans. Obviously. Strucker was a complete failure who got lucky, and never even realized what he found.

Oh and Constantine on Arrow proves magic is real. How does DC magic intergrate with Marvel Magic?

Click to shrink...

MCU never had magic. Asgardians are Sufficiently Advanced Aliens who unlocked some degree of divinity through their technology. Scarlet Witch uses Metahuman powers granted by the Mind Stone. Doctor Strange uses "dimensional energy", apparently. So there's no integration necessary. Doctor Dyne is probably one of the only Marvel characters using real magic on Earth XSI-1.

Just picked this up. And it is glorious.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. Happy to hear it.

 

[Centergg]

How exactly would releasing some unknown, divine, possibly cosmic entity help prevent Hydra from finding out that she knows they exist? How would she even do that when Shazam couldn't? It's kind of welded onto her soul right now. Pretty much impossible to separate until the Convergence in 2013.

Click to shrink...

Why separate? Go Banner and talk with your inner divine Hulk)))
Thx for explanations about secret services.
Make friends with Romanoff! She can plot how purify SHIELD.
P.S. Your explanations about dimensional based powers of Doctor Strange here make me suspect what he is the same as Myrddin from Wormverse and have shard of spacewhale in his brain. What is totally possible.

 

[Xavier Bronze]

Why separate? Go Banner and talk with your inner divine Hulk)))
Thanks for the explanations about secret services.
Make friends with Romanoff! She can plot how to purify SHIELD.
P.S. Your explanations about the dimensional based powers of Doctor Strange here make me suspect that he is the same as Myrddin from Wormverse and has a shard of spacewhale in his brain. Which is totally possible.

Click to shrink...

Banner took years to do his "always angry" Rage Enlightenment thing. SI doesn't even know what's in her yet. And it's completely different. She's not pulling divine powers out of her ass anytime soon.

Considering Romanoff was one of the names on the "safe recruit" list SI gave Coulson and Barton, and she's pretty much closer to Barton than his own wife, she's probably gonna be one of the first additions to the Order of the Phoenix. So yeah. That's pretty much the plan.

Alex and I have almost no knowledge of Worm. Neither do we have the time to read it for research. Nothing from Worm is in this 'verse.

 

[Larekko12]

But superman totally has a built in super spy kit in his reporter kit. If we're doing that version.


Also Martian Manhunter if they exist.

 

[Centergg]

Some more questions, because you said what don't know about Wormverse. They may or may not be heretical:
Are Thomas Wayne is current Batman?
Is there Canterlot Academy somewhere there?
What Dracula doing right now?
Wolverine exist here? X-23?
(edited)

 

[Ash19256]

Some more questions, because you said what don't know about Wormverse. They may or may not be heretical:
Is Thomas Wayne the current Batman?
Is there Camelot Academy somewhere there?
What is Dracula doing right now?
Does Wolverine exist here? What about X-23?
(edited)

Click to shrink...

FTFY... I think. Not sure if serious or troll.

 

[Centergg]

FTFY... I think. Not sure if serious or troll.

Click to shrink...

Thx. Totally serious.
P.S. "Canterlot Academy" was right...

 

[Aries Greyscale]

... Hasbro used DC as their printing/publishing house for the MLP comics didn't they?

Or one of their "Wholly Owned Subsidiaries"

 

[Xavier Bronze]

Is Thomas Wayne the current Batman?

Click to shrink...

No. There isn't a Batman, and won't be for more than a decade, if ever.

Is Canterlot Academy somewhere there?

Click to shrink...

No. No talking ponies on Earth XSI-1. Even in the Savage Land. Alex loves that show, but I'm not sure my system could take writing that much diabetes at once.

What is Dracula doing right now?

Click to shrink...

Vlad the Impaler? Probably in a crypt somewhere in eastern Europe. Dead. Not every comicbook character is going to have an Earth XSI-1 equivalent.

Does Wolverine exist here? X-23?

Click to shrink...

SI searched for him and couldn't find anything. Either he doesn't exist or he's kept people thinking he doesn't. And if no-one knows he exists, they definitely haven't tried cloning him yet.

Also Martian Manhunter if they exist.

Click to shrink...

Supergirl season 1.

 

[Centergg]

SI searched for him and couldn't find anything. Either he doesn't exist or he's kept people thinking he doesn't. And if no-one knows he exists, they definitely haven't tried cloning him yet.

Click to shrink...

Or someone (Lex) makes entire world think like this. What can be better than immortal warrior, if you can`t give immortality to yourself and don`t have access to fryptonian genetics... yet? Immortal succesor. And may !!!SCIENCE!!! help you.