A more reasonable man wakes up in Franklin Hall's body, and a deranged Graviton transcends into a fully realized Singularity.
Singularity (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes AU, Graviton SI)
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Chapter 1
"Can't you feel the power?"
A voice echoed through my mind. And then, without warning, a catastrophic explosion of some kind followed, rippling through my entire being. It wasn't an explosion in the traditional sense. There was no fire, no heat. It was all-consuming eruption of energy, gravitational energy. The world went dark in an instant, a void of nothingness consuming all of my senses.
I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open as if jolted by electricity before blinking rapidly against the harsh lights above. I found that I was lying in a hospital bed with crisp white sheets draped over me. A searing headache pulsed behind my eyes as the fluorescent lights above hummed incessantly. The sterile scent of a hospital room overwhelmed my nose. Confusion fogged my mind. Wait, why am I in a hospital?
I was a college student in a decently safe place and I was decently healthy last I checked, though I was on some powerful meds, but I'd certainly have no reason to be here.
Two nurses were hovering over me, a man and woman wearing a nurse's uniform, rather than a white coat, marked their profession.
I tried to move, to get up, but my limbs felt too heavy, as though they were being constrained by something.
I glanced at my hands and discovered they were bound by restraints. A tug confirmed what I already suspected; these bonds weren't something I could easily break free from.
"What am I doing here?" I asked the nurses, my voice sounding strange to my own ears.
"It's okay, Franklin," the male nurse responded calmly, "There's been an accident. We're just worried you might've been exposed to something-"
"What the hell do you mean by accident? There was some explosion but I wasn't anywhere near something combustible!"
"Shut it down Hall, that's an order!" a voice belonging to a different man demanded.
Suddenly, a memory that wasn't mine surged forth. It was of a man, Franklin Hall, conducting an experiment with gravitational forces for S.H.I.E.L.D., to create super soldiers. An experiment that resulted in that explosion. Followed by the blackout.
A realization hit me like a thunderbolt. Franklin Hall? The scientist that would become the supervillain Graviton? I was... in his body?
The male nurse started to say something, but his words were drowned out by my panic. I tried to control my breathing, to somehow convince myself that this was all some bizarre dream, but my heart was beating like a jackhammer. I was in a strange place, in a strange body, a body that was not mine. I had no idea how I got here or how I could be here. Fear and confusion gripped me, and suddenly the room began to tremble, the sudden quake mirroring the fear ricocheting in my mind. The nurses stumbled back, their faces etched with surprise.
I looked at my now freed hands, my breath hitching in my throat as the reality of my situation came crashing down.
Franklin Hall.
The name echoed in my mind. I continued to glare down at my hands, seeing not my own familiar lines and scars but those of another man. No, not just any man. Graviton. Now me.
"This has to be some kind of a dream," I muttered to myself, my own voice sounding foreign to me, confusion melding with an inexplicable fear. The memory of the experiment replayed in my mind, of being caught in the blast. It felt so real, like it was my own memory, not just Hall's.
But it couldn't be. It shouldn't be!
Panic welled up in me. And with that panic, an uncontrollable surge of power erupted from me, and the nurses were suddenly flung against the wall. I watched in disbelief as everything around me floated mid-air, suspended by an invisible force. I looked at my hands again, my breath hitching in my throat as the gravity of my situation came crashing down.
The force that was disrupting everything, that was pushing and pulling at the world around me - it was gravity my mind supplied far too quickly, and somehow, I was the one controlling it.
Fear and frustration spiked, fueling the chaotic force. I was losing control, the room threatening to tear apart under the strain of my uncontrolled power. Objects rattled and shook, gravity's hold on them becoming erratic.
My panic escalated as I realized I had no control over this newfound power. It felt like an unstoppable torrent, fueled by my overwhelming emotions. The walls groaned under the strain, and the medical equipment clattered to the floor. I was on the verge of tearing the room apart when a hissing sound filled the air.
I turned my head to see a dense cloud of sleeping gas creeping into and quickly engulfing the room. I tried to hold my breath, tried to move away, but it was too fast, it was already infiltrating my nostrils and lungs. Its sedative properties quickly took effect, overpowering my desperate struggle for control.
The edges of my vision started to swim in a blur, and the last thing I saw was the unyielding stare of Nick Fury, cold and unflinching, before darkness claimed me once again.
My final coherent thought wasn't of anger or fear, but surprise. A surreal observation amidst this chaos.
Huh, he still had hair.
(best pic I could find of a front facing Fury with all black hair)
-------
When I opened my eyes next, I was no longer in the hospital but in a chillingly cold cell. Rather than a decently comfortable bed and restraints, I only had restraints as I was held up like a prisoner.
And like in the hospital, my restraints had failed against my power of gravity. Could it be a result of whatever had been keeping me asleep, or my power contained, no longer working?
This was likely the Raft, I realized. My prison was far too advanced to be anything other than the very best that S.H.I.E.L.D. had for superhumans of my power. I had been locked away in the closest thing to maximum security outside of the Negative Zone, left to slumber for what seemed like years in a medically induced coma. I felt a stab of anger. They had imprisoned me, denied me my freedom, my rights. (Sure Franklin was Canadian but we're neighbors damnit!)
Despite having committed no fucking crime!
But I was not the Franklin Hall nor the Graviton that would've been. I would not resort to bloody violence, to revenge. I wanted justice. I wanted retribution. I had been unjustly locked up, stripped of my life, and I very much deserved to be compensated for that.
Nick Fury would hear from me. Not from the Graviton who devolved into a deranged mad man who only justified the injustice, but from the singularity of potential far beyond.
But in order to do so, I needed to get the hell outta here. And seeing no place to go but up, I levitated into the air, using gravity to push myself into the air.
Once outside of my cell and in the wider area of the prison, I saw that I wasn't the only one freed from their prison, as villains of all kinds were running around all amok; either still in their prison uniforms or having found their costumes.
"Where the hell am I? How long have I been stuck here?" I muttered to myself, running a hand through my new beard. It was certainly long enough for this beastly mane to appear, though I found myself actually liking it. I just needed to give it a proper wash and trimming, it being rather rough in some places.
"Longer than me, and I've been here for six years." Standing before me was a man, dressed in an elaborate costume that had some sort of royal theme, his face hidden behind a tight purple mask. I felt that I should know, or at least have an idea of who this guy was, but he wasn't ringing any bells for me. He spoke with a German accent though, which meant that there was a not small chance he was HYDRA of some kind. But I found myself a bit too preoccupied to pay that thought any further.
"WHAT!?" I roared out. A wave of anger and resentment washed over me. Over six years? I had guessed that it had been years, but I certainly wasn't happy to have that confirmed so bluntly yet ambiguously. I had been in a coma, imprisoned for over six years, a decade potentially even, while S.H.I.E.L.D. just forgot about me?
When Fury knows damn well that I hadn't done anything outside of losing control and panic when I got my newfound powers. As if that wouldn't have been a reasonably normal reaction to something so unexpected, that fucking paranoid slime!
I felt the energy surge again, my rage amplifying it. The room shook as debris started falling from the ceiling. But I quickly put a lid on it, it'd be a waste to perform a repeat of the hospital, spending that energy so wildly. Though the urge to repeat what Pain did to Konoha with an all-out Almighty Push strongly appeals to me. But no, I'd be better off directing that towards something that wouldn't instantly get the Avengers on me. And so I burst up straight through the metal ceilings, my quickly formed gravity barriers shielding me while also allowing me to push through the steel.
As I took in the panorama of the endless ocean, a slew of fragmented memories washed over me. They weren't my own recollections, but Franklin Hall's. Visions of his time in the lab, the quiet hum of machinery, the countless nights spent poring over theories and equations. I could almost hear the low murmur of his voice as he spoke about gravitational forces, the passion in his words becoming tangible in the echoes of his memories.
In the past, I had been a simple college student with no background in advanced physics or gravity research. Hell, I passed my first physics class with a C and hardly retained any of it. But now, with Hall's memories becoming an inherent part of my psyche, I found myself understanding concepts and ideas that I never thought I could.
Hall's knowledge was a lifeline, a crash course in controlling the unruly force that I'd somehow inherited. It was bewildering, like learning a new language overnight, but also exhilarating. For the first time since this bizarre twist of fate, I felt a sense of control with the immense power that lay at my fingertips, despite my initial introduction to it.
Once I found myself out of the Raft and into the deep ocean it was in, I realized that I might have made a few enemies in case any of the villains almost drowned. But screw it, I doubt most of them were much of a threat to me outside of whatever organization they belonged to happening to find some kind of superweapon. And considering that this was Marvel, odds were good that it was a case of maybe, but I should still be fine. Especially when I could always just throw it and them out of orbit or put them through a second of Vegeta's training in the Gravity Chamber.
As I burst through the icy waters, a cold wind bit into my skin. I was in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by miles of frigid water. The sight was breathtaking, but I had no time to admire the scenery. I had a mission.
In a swift motion, I propelled myself upwards, using my control over gravity to fly. Only, I didn't need to push against the ocean's depths nor did I need to block myself off from the water.
And now, I found myself breathing in fresh, though salty, air and feeling sunshine for the first time in years. Already my body is appreciating the natural sensations, greatly above the artificial and sterility of the Raft. The sensation was exhilarating. Freedom. It was intoxicating, it was empowering. But it also served as a cruel reminder of what had been stolen from me. Yet also of what I will gain.
The city of New York was a few miles away, its skyline a comforting sight. I had no idea how I knew this since I lived in Massachusetts for all of my life, perhaps another residual piece of knowledge from Franklin Hall's memories, I suppose.
And something that grabbed my attention even more than the Big Apple was a rather noticeable landmark of the Marvel Universe. The Helicarrier, now sunk into the water. …with an enlarged castle sticking out of it from some areas? Well, I guess if Fury having hair didn't rule this being the MCU out, this certainly did.
Suddenly, I just realized. I was a fugitive now. S.H.I.E.L.D. would be looking for me, as they would with all of the other escapees from The Raft. I, Franklin Hall, Graviton, was now a wanted man. And my escaping during such an inconvenient time would not endear me to them or the Avengers. But that was the thing, wasn't it? I wasn't Franklin Hall. I wasn't Graviton. I was me, trapped in the body of a man who was destined to become a villain via his pride and ego. But I didn't have to be that man. I didn't have to be a villain. Didn't want to either if I'm being honest.
The rumble of a helicopter shattered my reverie, and I looked up to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. chopper descending. So engrossed had I been in my own thoughts, I'd failed to notice its approach. And it appeared that they hadn't registered my presence until just now, judging by the surprise in Nick Fury's eye.
"Evac now! Abort the mission! Everyone off this barge!" Fury barked to his troops, preparing to evacuate himself.
But I couldn't be having that, now could I?
I lifted up my hand and pulled Fury towards me, as I did I also flew into the sky dragging him along with me. I'll freely admit that I was rougher than I needed to be with my speed, but I'm sure he could handle it just fine, head of super spies and all.
Our momentum sent us soaring, Fury dangling behind me. His solitary eye widened in a fleeting moment of fear before it morphed back into a glare. He reached for a gun, but I simply tossed it away with a gesture of my finger and a flicker of my will.
"Put me down, Hall!" Fury yelled over the rush of wind that whipped past us, his voice barely audible. He struggled against the gravitational force, but it was futile. I was in control here.
"No, Fury," I responded, my voice cold and firm. "I think we need to have a little chat."
XXXXXX
first main update of the year, which also happens to be a new story as well.
I was originally going to post this thread after I had chapter 4 made but I decided to do it before then as I wanted to start the first month of the new year with a new story, and its almost the end of January. And considering that the last time I made a new story was March of last year, I figured that a decent chunk of time has passed since then for a new one to be made. Plus, this was rather well liked on my snippet thread and got 200 follows on FFN, so it seems to me that people would like to see more of it.
This story was mostly inspired from a bit of writer's block for most of my stuff from last summer and a bit of me wanting to write a story for Marvel (no idea what to do with the MCU tbh, it being rather mid rn plus it being so already explored by others doesn't leave me with much ideas besides something with the Boys). Also, because I did DC with Amazo-n Prime fic, I wanted to even it out with a Marvel fic.
That, and just from how preventable the conflict with Graviton was. Just don't try to murder Fury and a bunch of innocents and he'd already have the sympathy points needed for Fury to be the unreasonable guy in all of this with his paranoia. mad scientists, smh.
Now, as for the next chapter, Fury and Graviton will be having a bit of a not so friendly chat. As for the rest of the Avengers, it'd be a lot more positive even if they do come to blows.
(edit: By the way, due to seeing a comment by a head showrunner, I've decided that I want to try and flesh out his idea on having EMH share a universe with two other cartoons, the Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-Men. (though both shows are going to be different due to changing things to better fit with the wider Marvel universe.)
so, tell me what you guys thought and I hope y'all liked it
Also, fun fact for those of you already familiar of me/another fic of mine: If it wasn't Amazo as the inserted character in Amazo-n Prime, then odds were likely that it was gonna be an insert into Graviton before I wanted to go with someone already native to DC. And as you could tell so far, this is gonna be a bit more serious than Amazo-n Prime would be. (not to say that our MC won't fuck around a bit, he's an OP character in my fic, of course he's gonna. just don't expect things to be as easy or for similar approaches to be made.)
A voice echoed through my mind. And then, without warning, a catastrophic explosion of some kind followed, rippling through my entire being. It wasn't an explosion in the traditional sense. There was no fire, no heat. It was all-consuming eruption of energy, gravitational energy. The world went dark in an instant, a void of nothingness consuming all of my senses.
I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open as if jolted by electricity before blinking rapidly against the harsh lights above. I found that I was lying in a hospital bed with crisp white sheets draped over me. A searing headache pulsed behind my eyes as the fluorescent lights above hummed incessantly. The sterile scent of a hospital room overwhelmed my nose. Confusion fogged my mind. Wait, why am I in a hospital?
I was a college student in a decently safe place and I was decently healthy last I checked, though I was on some powerful meds, but I'd certainly have no reason to be here.
Two nurses were hovering over me, a man and woman wearing a nurse's uniform, rather than a white coat, marked their profession.
I tried to move, to get up, but my limbs felt too heavy, as though they were being constrained by something.
I glanced at my hands and discovered they were bound by restraints. A tug confirmed what I already suspected; these bonds weren't something I could easily break free from.
"What am I doing here?" I asked the nurses, my voice sounding strange to my own ears.
"It's okay, Franklin," the male nurse responded calmly, "There's been an accident. We're just worried you might've been exposed to something-"
"What the hell do you mean by accident? There was some explosion but I wasn't anywhere near something combustible!"
"Shut it down Hall, that's an order!" a voice belonging to a different man demanded.
Suddenly, a memory that wasn't mine surged forth. It was of a man, Franklin Hall, conducting an experiment with gravitational forces for S.H.I.E.L.D., to create super soldiers. An experiment that resulted in that explosion. Followed by the blackout.
A realization hit me like a thunderbolt. Franklin Hall? The scientist that would become the supervillain Graviton? I was... in his body?
The male nurse started to say something, but his words were drowned out by my panic. I tried to control my breathing, to somehow convince myself that this was all some bizarre dream, but my heart was beating like a jackhammer. I was in a strange place, in a strange body, a body that was not mine. I had no idea how I got here or how I could be here. Fear and confusion gripped me, and suddenly the room began to tremble, the sudden quake mirroring the fear ricocheting in my mind. The nurses stumbled back, their faces etched with surprise.
I looked at my now freed hands, my breath hitching in my throat as the reality of my situation came crashing down.
Franklin Hall.
The name echoed in my mind. I continued to glare down at my hands, seeing not my own familiar lines and scars but those of another man. No, not just any man. Graviton. Now me.
"This has to be some kind of a dream," I muttered to myself, my own voice sounding foreign to me, confusion melding with an inexplicable fear. The memory of the experiment replayed in my mind, of being caught in the blast. It felt so real, like it was my own memory, not just Hall's.
But it couldn't be. It shouldn't be!
Panic welled up in me. And with that panic, an uncontrollable surge of power erupted from me, and the nurses were suddenly flung against the wall. I watched in disbelief as everything around me floated mid-air, suspended by an invisible force. I looked at my hands again, my breath hitching in my throat as the gravity of my situation came crashing down.
The force that was disrupting everything, that was pushing and pulling at the world around me - it was gravity my mind supplied far too quickly, and somehow, I was the one controlling it.
Fear and frustration spiked, fueling the chaotic force. I was losing control, the room threatening to tear apart under the strain of my uncontrolled power. Objects rattled and shook, gravity's hold on them becoming erratic.
My panic escalated as I realized I had no control over this newfound power. It felt like an unstoppable torrent, fueled by my overwhelming emotions. The walls groaned under the strain, and the medical equipment clattered to the floor. I was on the verge of tearing the room apart when a hissing sound filled the air.
I turned my head to see a dense cloud of sleeping gas creeping into and quickly engulfing the room. I tried to hold my breath, tried to move away, but it was too fast, it was already infiltrating my nostrils and lungs. Its sedative properties quickly took effect, overpowering my desperate struggle for control.
The edges of my vision started to swim in a blur, and the last thing I saw was the unyielding stare of Nick Fury, cold and unflinching, before darkness claimed me once again.
My final coherent thought wasn't of anger or fear, but surprise. A surreal observation amidst this chaos.
Huh, he still had hair.
(best pic I could find of a front facing Fury with all black hair)
-------
When I opened my eyes next, I was no longer in the hospital but in a chillingly cold cell. Rather than a decently comfortable bed and restraints, I only had restraints as I was held up like a prisoner.
And like in the hospital, my restraints had failed against my power of gravity. Could it be a result of whatever had been keeping me asleep, or my power contained, no longer working?
This was likely the Raft, I realized. My prison was far too advanced to be anything other than the very best that S.H.I.E.L.D. had for superhumans of my power. I had been locked away in the closest thing to maximum security outside of the Negative Zone, left to slumber for what seemed like years in a medically induced coma. I felt a stab of anger. They had imprisoned me, denied me my freedom, my rights. (Sure Franklin was Canadian but we're neighbors damnit!)
Despite having committed no fucking crime!
But I was not the Franklin Hall nor the Graviton that would've been. I would not resort to bloody violence, to revenge. I wanted justice. I wanted retribution. I had been unjustly locked up, stripped of my life, and I very much deserved to be compensated for that.
Nick Fury would hear from me. Not from the Graviton who devolved into a deranged mad man who only justified the injustice, but from the singularity of potential far beyond.
But in order to do so, I needed to get the hell outta here. And seeing no place to go but up, I levitated into the air, using gravity to push myself into the air.
Once outside of my cell and in the wider area of the prison, I saw that I wasn't the only one freed from their prison, as villains of all kinds were running around all amok; either still in their prison uniforms or having found their costumes.
"Where the hell am I? How long have I been stuck here?" I muttered to myself, running a hand through my new beard. It was certainly long enough for this beastly mane to appear, though I found myself actually liking it. I just needed to give it a proper wash and trimming, it being rather rough in some places.
"Longer than me, and I've been here for six years." Standing before me was a man, dressed in an elaborate costume that had some sort of royal theme, his face hidden behind a tight purple mask. I felt that I should know, or at least have an idea of who this guy was, but he wasn't ringing any bells for me. He spoke with a German accent though, which meant that there was a not small chance he was HYDRA of some kind. But I found myself a bit too preoccupied to pay that thought any further.
"WHAT!?" I roared out. A wave of anger and resentment washed over me. Over six years? I had guessed that it had been years, but I certainly wasn't happy to have that confirmed so bluntly yet ambiguously. I had been in a coma, imprisoned for over six years, a decade potentially even, while S.H.I.E.L.D. just forgot about me?
When Fury knows damn well that I hadn't done anything outside of losing control and panic when I got my newfound powers. As if that wouldn't have been a reasonably normal reaction to something so unexpected, that fucking paranoid slime!
I felt the energy surge again, my rage amplifying it. The room shook as debris started falling from the ceiling. But I quickly put a lid on it, it'd be a waste to perform a repeat of the hospital, spending that energy so wildly. Though the urge to repeat what Pain did to Konoha with an all-out Almighty Push strongly appeals to me. But no, I'd be better off directing that towards something that wouldn't instantly get the Avengers on me. And so I burst up straight through the metal ceilings, my quickly formed gravity barriers shielding me while also allowing me to push through the steel.
As I took in the panorama of the endless ocean, a slew of fragmented memories washed over me. They weren't my own recollections, but Franklin Hall's. Visions of his time in the lab, the quiet hum of machinery, the countless nights spent poring over theories and equations. I could almost hear the low murmur of his voice as he spoke about gravitational forces, the passion in his words becoming tangible in the echoes of his memories.
In the past, I had been a simple college student with no background in advanced physics or gravity research. Hell, I passed my first physics class with a C and hardly retained any of it. But now, with Hall's memories becoming an inherent part of my psyche, I found myself understanding concepts and ideas that I never thought I could.
Hall's knowledge was a lifeline, a crash course in controlling the unruly force that I'd somehow inherited. It was bewildering, like learning a new language overnight, but also exhilarating. For the first time since this bizarre twist of fate, I felt a sense of control with the immense power that lay at my fingertips, despite my initial introduction to it.
Once I found myself out of the Raft and into the deep ocean it was in, I realized that I might have made a few enemies in case any of the villains almost drowned. But screw it, I doubt most of them were much of a threat to me outside of whatever organization they belonged to happening to find some kind of superweapon. And considering that this was Marvel, odds were good that it was a case of maybe, but I should still be fine. Especially when I could always just throw it and them out of orbit or put them through a second of Vegeta's training in the Gravity Chamber.
As I burst through the icy waters, a cold wind bit into my skin. I was in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by miles of frigid water. The sight was breathtaking, but I had no time to admire the scenery. I had a mission.
In a swift motion, I propelled myself upwards, using my control over gravity to fly. Only, I didn't need to push against the ocean's depths nor did I need to block myself off from the water.
And now, I found myself breathing in fresh, though salty, air and feeling sunshine for the first time in years. Already my body is appreciating the natural sensations, greatly above the artificial and sterility of the Raft. The sensation was exhilarating. Freedom. It was intoxicating, it was empowering. But it also served as a cruel reminder of what had been stolen from me. Yet also of what I will gain.
The city of New York was a few miles away, its skyline a comforting sight. I had no idea how I knew this since I lived in Massachusetts for all of my life, perhaps another residual piece of knowledge from Franklin Hall's memories, I suppose.
And something that grabbed my attention even more than the Big Apple was a rather noticeable landmark of the Marvel Universe. The Helicarrier, now sunk into the water. …with an enlarged castle sticking out of it from some areas? Well, I guess if Fury having hair didn't rule this being the MCU out, this certainly did.
Suddenly, I just realized. I was a fugitive now. S.H.I.E.L.D. would be looking for me, as they would with all of the other escapees from The Raft. I, Franklin Hall, Graviton, was now a wanted man. And my escaping during such an inconvenient time would not endear me to them or the Avengers. But that was the thing, wasn't it? I wasn't Franklin Hall. I wasn't Graviton. I was me, trapped in the body of a man who was destined to become a villain via his pride and ego. But I didn't have to be that man. I didn't have to be a villain. Didn't want to either if I'm being honest.
The rumble of a helicopter shattered my reverie, and I looked up to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. chopper descending. So engrossed had I been in my own thoughts, I'd failed to notice its approach. And it appeared that they hadn't registered my presence until just now, judging by the surprise in Nick Fury's eye.
"Evac now! Abort the mission! Everyone off this barge!" Fury barked to his troops, preparing to evacuate himself.
But I couldn't be having that, now could I?
I lifted up my hand and pulled Fury towards me, as I did I also flew into the sky dragging him along with me. I'll freely admit that I was rougher than I needed to be with my speed, but I'm sure he could handle it just fine, head of super spies and all.
Our momentum sent us soaring, Fury dangling behind me. His solitary eye widened in a fleeting moment of fear before it morphed back into a glare. He reached for a gun, but I simply tossed it away with a gesture of my finger and a flicker of my will.
"Put me down, Hall!" Fury yelled over the rush of wind that whipped past us, his voice barely audible. He struggled against the gravitational force, but it was futile. I was in control here.
"No, Fury," I responded, my voice cold and firm. "I think we need to have a little chat."
XXXXXX
first main update of the year, which also happens to be a new story as well.
I was originally going to post this thread after I had chapter 4 made but I decided to do it before then as I wanted to start the first month of the new year with a new story, and its almost the end of January. And considering that the last time I made a new story was March of last year, I figured that a decent chunk of time has passed since then for a new one to be made. Plus, this was rather well liked on my snippet thread and got 200 follows on FFN, so it seems to me that people would like to see more of it.
This story was mostly inspired from a bit of writer's block for most of my stuff from last summer and a bit of me wanting to write a story for Marvel (no idea what to do with the MCU tbh, it being rather mid rn plus it being so already explored by others doesn't leave me with much ideas besides something with the Boys). Also, because I did DC with Amazo-n Prime fic, I wanted to even it out with a Marvel fic.
That, and just from how preventable the conflict with Graviton was. Just don't try to murder Fury and a bunch of innocents and he'd already have the sympathy points needed for Fury to be the unreasonable guy in all of this with his paranoia. mad scientists, smh.
Now, as for the next chapter, Fury and Graviton will be having a bit of a not so friendly chat. As for the rest of the Avengers, it'd be a lot more positive even if they do come to blows.
(edit: By the way, due to seeing a comment by a head showrunner, I've decided that I want to try and flesh out his idea on having EMH share a universe with two other cartoons, the Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-Men. (though both shows are going to be different due to changing things to better fit with the wider Marvel universe.)
so, tell me what you guys thought and I hope y'all liked it
Also, fun fact for those of you already familiar of me/another fic of mine: If it wasn't Amazo as the inserted character in Amazo-n Prime, then odds were likely that it was gonna be an insert into Graviton before I wanted to go with someone already native to DC. And as you could tell so far, this is gonna be a bit more serious than Amazo-n Prime would be. (not to say that our MC won't fuck around a bit, he's an OP character in my fic, of course he's gonna. just don't expect things to be as easy or for similar approaches to be made.)
Last edited:
Chapter 2
Our momentum sent us soaring, with Fury dangling like a dragged doll behind me. His solitary eye widened in a fleeting moment of fear before it morphed back into a glare. He reached for a gun, but I simply tossed it away with a gesture of my finger and a flicker of my will.
"Put me down, Hall!" Fury yelled over the rush of wind that whipped past us, his voice barely audible. He struggled against the gravitational force, but it was futile. I was in control here.
"No, Fury," I responded, my voice cold and firm. "I think we need to have a little chat."
----
My words cut through the wind, a defiant challenge that refused to be silenced. I locked gazes with Fury, a silent promise that I would not be subdued or dismissed as I had been before.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Fury?" I said, allowing a touch of bitterness to creep into my voice. "A decade or so, if I'm not mistaken."
Nick Fury remained stoic and unresponsive, his one good eye trained unwaveringly on me. "I'm not here to fight you, Fury," I continued, floating a little closer.
"What do you want, Hall?" he finally spoke, his tone gruff and guarded.
"I'm here for compensation." I simply stated.
"Compensation?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "For what?"
I let out a humorless laugh. "For the ten years of my life that I will never get back." I began, my voiced laced with venom, "For being imprisoned and left in a medically induced coma. For being treated like a criminal when I was the victim!" I spat out. Fury's face hardened at my words, but he didn't interrupt. "That's what I want compensation for. You're going to pay me for those lost years. Money, resources, whatever it takes."
His response came out as a scoff, "Ridiculous."
My gaze didn't falter though it did narrow in anger at the dismissal. "Is it really? After everything I've endured because of you?" I questioned icily. "Is it really that absurd to want justice, Fury?"
For a moment, Fury fell silent, seeming to digest my words. He finally responded, "You think you're entitled to justice?"
"I know I am," I retorted, the icy wind matching the frost in my tone. "I've done nothing wrong, Fury. I woke up following a face to face encounter with an explosion of energy of space and time then with incredible powers I couldn't control. And instead of helping me, or even speaking to me, you locked me up!"
Again, Fury fell silent, the wind whipping at his hair as we stood high into the sky. His gaze locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. Then he answered, "That doesn't change the fact that you're a danger, Hall. You disregarded my order to stop the experiment, leading to substantial collateral damage. You almost tore that hospital apart along with everyone there, and that was just from freaking out. You were brash before you had your powers and couldn't control them, you couldn't be trusted with them and it was too much of a risk to just let you go free."
I glanced away from Fury, taking in the city beneath us. We were high enough now that the buildings looked like little more than toys. The view was breathtaking, but my mind was elsewhere.
As much as it irked at me to admit, Fury did raise a valid point. I had been doing substantial damage to that lone hospital room, and with my power out of control then, it wasn't unreasonable to assume that the rest of the hospital was at risk, the building and the injured or sickly within.
So I'll give him that, I needed to be subdued, at the time.
However, that didn't justify keeping me subdued. If the worry was that I'd rampage while awake, why not just wake me up while in that prison cell clearly meant to keep me restrained?
Because he didn't want me awake. It wasn't just that I was out of control, of his control. It was also the main reason why supervillains left prison in this multiverse and its sister-verse; either because they escaped or the government had need of them. And with my body being far beyond that of a baseline human despite Franklin Hall having no semblance of anything extraordinary such as an X-gene, it was obvious what it was.
The Super Soldier Serum that I recreated.
No, not just recreated. I transcended. Doctor Abraham Erskine only enhanced a sickly man to the pinnacle of what the human body could become to the point of being superhuman, Franklin Hall did the same with the addition of control over one of the four fundamental forces in the universe! (albeit accidentally, but never let it be said that science didn't involve a bunch of accidents before you got lucky)
That Nick Fury tried to hoodwink me, to spin what he did as being the right thing rather than to satisfy his paranoia or greed. It no longer just irked me, it pissed me off.
As much as I wanted to choke the life out of Fury, or just crush the neck that his shit was spewing from, I couldn't give in lest it justify his actions. Instead, I allowed myself to marvel at the sensation of flight, of freedom, once more. But then I reminded myself of the grim reality. I was on the run, a fugitive in a body that wasn't mine, due to one man's paranoia.
But I did have power to carry me through at the very least, it was more that could be said for most in my situation. And that reassurance calmed me down some.
"And if I refuse?" Fury challenged.
"Refusal isn't an option here, Fury," I asserted vehemently. "There will be consequences."
Fury's single eye met mine, a flicker of apprehension seeping through his hardened facade. "Are you threatening me, Hall?"
I grinned grimly, levitating us higher, the world below shrinking into nothingness. "Not a threat, Fury. Just a simple truth. And while I would love nothing more than to exact some vengeance and revoke your limb privileges, I have a less brutish method of getting back at you."
Fury's expression remained guarded as he asked, "And what would that be?"
"You know, Fury, there's something that you seem to forget. I have power, yes, but not just my control over gravity. I also have the power of publicity." I replied with a sly smile and I could feel him stiffen in my gravikinetic grip, "If I were to go public with my story, can you imagine the uproar it would cause? The general public would be outraged to learn that SHIELD has unlawfully imprisoned an innocent man for a ten years without any due process. It would be a shitshow for you."
"Do you think that would be enough to rattle me?" Fury questioned, seemingly unfazed. And true, while it'd be a disaster for PR, there was worse outcomes.
"Oh, that's just the beginning." I continued with my grin turned wicked, "The real concern for you would be the scientific community, both within and outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. They wouldn't take kindly to the fact that one simple mistake, one moment of paranoia from you, led to the unjust imprisonment of a fellow scientist. Sympathy and concern would flow, but it wouldn't stop there. Many of them would question any involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. Who's to say you wouldn't do the same to them? The fear of being the next victim of your paranoia would be all too real."
"Do you truly believe they would believe you?" Fury challenged.
I paused for effect, relishing the weight of my words before continuing, "Perhaps not all, but many would sympathize or, at the very least, be concerned that they could be the next target of your paranoia. They would question their own safety working with S.H.I.E.L.D. It might even push some of them to sever ties altogether, which is something you certainly want to avoid."
"And I'm well aware of how desperately SHIELD wants superhuman agents. That you offered a scientist's wet dream of unlimited resources to me ten years ago already gave me an idea, the fact that I was still locked up rather than awakened or 'neutralized' meaning that you haven't replicated my genius or solved the issue of your agents being too weak only cements it. I doubt any superhumans or heroes would want to work with SHIELD either if they'll just be captured so they could be freely studied without consent."
"You're playing a dangerous game, Hall." Fury's voice was a warning, but the flicker of worry in his narrowed eye told me he was considering the possibility.
I let my lips curl into a knowing smile, "Dangerous? Maybe. But sometimes the truth needs to be revealed, and the consequences faced. You took ten years from me, Fury, and I won't let that be forgotten. Going public is just the tip of the iceberg. I have the power and the story to bring down the walls you've built."
"You're underestimating the repercussions this could have." Fury countered through gritted teeth.
My voice grew stronger, my words punctuated with a sense of triumph. "No, Fury, I'm not underestimating anything. I'm merely leveling the playing field. You took a decade from me. A decade that should have been spent researching, making a difference in the world. But instead, I was locked away in both a cell and my own body. Why shouldn't I return the favor?"
Fury's eye was stormy, the world reflected in its inky depths. His mouth was set in a tight line, but he didn't retort immediately. The silence between us was heavy, punctuated only by the sound of the wind as we hovered above the city.
"You can't blame me for the consequences of your own actions, Hall," he finally spoke, his voice thick with conviction. "You knew the risks and you took them anyway. It was your actions that caused the accident and that forced me to do what I had to do."
"I did," I agreed, surprising him. "But it was you who decided to turn a mistake into a crime. You were the one who decided my fate without any evidence of ill intent. That's on you, Fury."
Fury was silent again, contemplating my words. For a moment, I almost thought I saw regret flash through his eye, but it was quickly replaced by the same cold determination. "The world doesn't need any more threats, Hall. We have enough to deal with already if you couldn't tell when you left the Raft."
"And you think I'm a threat?" I asked, maintaining eye contact.
"You were, Hall. You could be again."
His words echoed in my ears, an unpleasant reminder of the past. "I was scared and uncontrolled back then. But now, I'm different. I've had time to adjust to my powers, to control them. Otherwise you'd be paste."
Fury crossed his arms. "And yet you're here, threatening me. Seems like you're still a danger."
"This isn't a threat. This is a negotiation," I corrected him.
"You call this negotiation? You're throwing threats and ultimatums at me!" He fired back, visibly frustrated.
"No, I'd like to call this a case of 'aggressive negotiations'. After all, from you I've lost a decade of my life, Fury. A decade of opportunities, experiences, and growth. Now in exchange, I'm demanding justice. One way or another, you're going to help me reclaim what I've lost. Or I'll ensure that you'll lose as well."
I locked gazes with Fury, the tension crackling between us. "Now, do we talk about compensation, or shall we see just how far this little secret of yours can spread?"
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the whistling wind. Eventually, Fury grounded out, his voice mixture of furious and resigned, "What's your price for this... compensation?"
That was the question, wasn't it? The price for a stolen life, a lost decade. The gravity of the question hung in the air heavier than we did.
"To start with…" I was about to outline my conditions when I noticed a sudden shift in the nearby vicinity. Something powerful and fast approached our vicinity, catching my attention. From what I could sense from the gravity of the surrounding area, it was a man, accompanied with an uniquely dense hammer.
Panic briefly flashed within me at the realization that one of the most powerful of the soon to be Avengers was closing in. However, I quickly reminded myself of Graviton's resilience, having taken blows from Thor and the Hulk along with taking on those two on along with three other heroes.
"Your power is impressive, for a mortal," Thor Odinson announced, standing before me with Mjolnir in hand. "Stand down now before anyone else is hurt, and you may yet walk away from this."
#########
Fury and Hall had a bit of a chat, going about as well as could be expected (a lot better than in canon), before Thor popped in. Originally, this would've been an entrance done through an attack rather than just an announcement, but since Fury isn't loudly writhing in agony, Thor chose to take a more diplomatic approach since an 'innocent' wasn't immediately at risk.
The rest of the not yet formed Avengers will be soon to join in the talks, much to Fury's relief at first before remembering that they're decent people who already aren't the biggest fans of him.
"Put me down, Hall!" Fury yelled over the rush of wind that whipped past us, his voice barely audible. He struggled against the gravitational force, but it was futile. I was in control here.
"No, Fury," I responded, my voice cold and firm. "I think we need to have a little chat."
----
My words cut through the wind, a defiant challenge that refused to be silenced. I locked gazes with Fury, a silent promise that I would not be subdued or dismissed as I had been before.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Fury?" I said, allowing a touch of bitterness to creep into my voice. "A decade or so, if I'm not mistaken."
Nick Fury remained stoic and unresponsive, his one good eye trained unwaveringly on me. "I'm not here to fight you, Fury," I continued, floating a little closer.
"What do you want, Hall?" he finally spoke, his tone gruff and guarded.
"I'm here for compensation." I simply stated.
"Compensation?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "For what?"
I let out a humorless laugh. "For the ten years of my life that I will never get back." I began, my voiced laced with venom, "For being imprisoned and left in a medically induced coma. For being treated like a criminal when I was the victim!" I spat out. Fury's face hardened at my words, but he didn't interrupt. "That's what I want compensation for. You're going to pay me for those lost years. Money, resources, whatever it takes."
His response came out as a scoff, "Ridiculous."
My gaze didn't falter though it did narrow in anger at the dismissal. "Is it really? After everything I've endured because of you?" I questioned icily. "Is it really that absurd to want justice, Fury?"
For a moment, Fury fell silent, seeming to digest my words. He finally responded, "You think you're entitled to justice?"
"I know I am," I retorted, the icy wind matching the frost in my tone. "I've done nothing wrong, Fury. I woke up following a face to face encounter with an explosion of energy of space and time then with incredible powers I couldn't control. And instead of helping me, or even speaking to me, you locked me up!"
Again, Fury fell silent, the wind whipping at his hair as we stood high into the sky. His gaze locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. Then he answered, "That doesn't change the fact that you're a danger, Hall. You disregarded my order to stop the experiment, leading to substantial collateral damage. You almost tore that hospital apart along with everyone there, and that was just from freaking out. You were brash before you had your powers and couldn't control them, you couldn't be trusted with them and it was too much of a risk to just let you go free."
I glanced away from Fury, taking in the city beneath us. We were high enough now that the buildings looked like little more than toys. The view was breathtaking, but my mind was elsewhere.
As much as it irked at me to admit, Fury did raise a valid point. I had been doing substantial damage to that lone hospital room, and with my power out of control then, it wasn't unreasonable to assume that the rest of the hospital was at risk, the building and the injured or sickly within.
So I'll give him that, I needed to be subdued, at the time.
However, that didn't justify keeping me subdued. If the worry was that I'd rampage while awake, why not just wake me up while in that prison cell clearly meant to keep me restrained?
Because he didn't want me awake. It wasn't just that I was out of control, of his control. It was also the main reason why supervillains left prison in this multiverse and its sister-verse; either because they escaped or the government had need of them. And with my body being far beyond that of a baseline human despite Franklin Hall having no semblance of anything extraordinary such as an X-gene, it was obvious what it was.
The Super Soldier Serum that I recreated.
No, not just recreated. I transcended. Doctor Abraham Erskine only enhanced a sickly man to the pinnacle of what the human body could become to the point of being superhuman, Franklin Hall did the same with the addition of control over one of the four fundamental forces in the universe! (albeit accidentally, but never let it be said that science didn't involve a bunch of accidents before you got lucky)
That Nick Fury tried to hoodwink me, to spin what he did as being the right thing rather than to satisfy his paranoia or greed. It no longer just irked me, it pissed me off.
As much as I wanted to choke the life out of Fury, or just crush the neck that his shit was spewing from, I couldn't give in lest it justify his actions. Instead, I allowed myself to marvel at the sensation of flight, of freedom, once more. But then I reminded myself of the grim reality. I was on the run, a fugitive in a body that wasn't mine, due to one man's paranoia.
But I did have power to carry me through at the very least, it was more that could be said for most in my situation. And that reassurance calmed me down some.
"And if I refuse?" Fury challenged.
"Refusal isn't an option here, Fury," I asserted vehemently. "There will be consequences."
Fury's single eye met mine, a flicker of apprehension seeping through his hardened facade. "Are you threatening me, Hall?"
I grinned grimly, levitating us higher, the world below shrinking into nothingness. "Not a threat, Fury. Just a simple truth. And while I would love nothing more than to exact some vengeance and revoke your limb privileges, I have a less brutish method of getting back at you."
Fury's expression remained guarded as he asked, "And what would that be?"
"You know, Fury, there's something that you seem to forget. I have power, yes, but not just my control over gravity. I also have the power of publicity." I replied with a sly smile and I could feel him stiffen in my gravikinetic grip, "If I were to go public with my story, can you imagine the uproar it would cause? The general public would be outraged to learn that SHIELD has unlawfully imprisoned an innocent man for a ten years without any due process. It would be a shitshow for you."
"Do you think that would be enough to rattle me?" Fury questioned, seemingly unfazed. And true, while it'd be a disaster for PR, there was worse outcomes.
"Oh, that's just the beginning." I continued with my grin turned wicked, "The real concern for you would be the scientific community, both within and outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. They wouldn't take kindly to the fact that one simple mistake, one moment of paranoia from you, led to the unjust imprisonment of a fellow scientist. Sympathy and concern would flow, but it wouldn't stop there. Many of them would question any involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. Who's to say you wouldn't do the same to them? The fear of being the next victim of your paranoia would be all too real."
"Do you truly believe they would believe you?" Fury challenged.
I paused for effect, relishing the weight of my words before continuing, "Perhaps not all, but many would sympathize or, at the very least, be concerned that they could be the next target of your paranoia. They would question their own safety working with S.H.I.E.L.D. It might even push some of them to sever ties altogether, which is something you certainly want to avoid."
"And I'm well aware of how desperately SHIELD wants superhuman agents. That you offered a scientist's wet dream of unlimited resources to me ten years ago already gave me an idea, the fact that I was still locked up rather than awakened or 'neutralized' meaning that you haven't replicated my genius or solved the issue of your agents being too weak only cements it. I doubt any superhumans or heroes would want to work with SHIELD either if they'll just be captured so they could be freely studied without consent."
"You're playing a dangerous game, Hall." Fury's voice was a warning, but the flicker of worry in his narrowed eye told me he was considering the possibility.
I let my lips curl into a knowing smile, "Dangerous? Maybe. But sometimes the truth needs to be revealed, and the consequences faced. You took ten years from me, Fury, and I won't let that be forgotten. Going public is just the tip of the iceberg. I have the power and the story to bring down the walls you've built."
"You're underestimating the repercussions this could have." Fury countered through gritted teeth.
My voice grew stronger, my words punctuated with a sense of triumph. "No, Fury, I'm not underestimating anything. I'm merely leveling the playing field. You took a decade from me. A decade that should have been spent researching, making a difference in the world. But instead, I was locked away in both a cell and my own body. Why shouldn't I return the favor?"
Fury's eye was stormy, the world reflected in its inky depths. His mouth was set in a tight line, but he didn't retort immediately. The silence between us was heavy, punctuated only by the sound of the wind as we hovered above the city.
"You can't blame me for the consequences of your own actions, Hall," he finally spoke, his voice thick with conviction. "You knew the risks and you took them anyway. It was your actions that caused the accident and that forced me to do what I had to do."
"I did," I agreed, surprising him. "But it was you who decided to turn a mistake into a crime. You were the one who decided my fate without any evidence of ill intent. That's on you, Fury."
Fury was silent again, contemplating my words. For a moment, I almost thought I saw regret flash through his eye, but it was quickly replaced by the same cold determination. "The world doesn't need any more threats, Hall. We have enough to deal with already if you couldn't tell when you left the Raft."
"And you think I'm a threat?" I asked, maintaining eye contact.
"You were, Hall. You could be again."
His words echoed in my ears, an unpleasant reminder of the past. "I was scared and uncontrolled back then. But now, I'm different. I've had time to adjust to my powers, to control them. Otherwise you'd be paste."
Fury crossed his arms. "And yet you're here, threatening me. Seems like you're still a danger."
"This isn't a threat. This is a negotiation," I corrected him.
"You call this negotiation? You're throwing threats and ultimatums at me!" He fired back, visibly frustrated.
"No, I'd like to call this a case of 'aggressive negotiations'. After all, from you I've lost a decade of my life, Fury. A decade of opportunities, experiences, and growth. Now in exchange, I'm demanding justice. One way or another, you're going to help me reclaim what I've lost. Or I'll ensure that you'll lose as well."
I locked gazes with Fury, the tension crackling between us. "Now, do we talk about compensation, or shall we see just how far this little secret of yours can spread?"
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the whistling wind. Eventually, Fury grounded out, his voice mixture of furious and resigned, "What's your price for this... compensation?"
That was the question, wasn't it? The price for a stolen life, a lost decade. The gravity of the question hung in the air heavier than we did.
"To start with…" I was about to outline my conditions when I noticed a sudden shift in the nearby vicinity. Something powerful and fast approached our vicinity, catching my attention. From what I could sense from the gravity of the surrounding area, it was a man, accompanied with an uniquely dense hammer.
Panic briefly flashed within me at the realization that one of the most powerful of the soon to be Avengers was closing in. However, I quickly reminded myself of Graviton's resilience, having taken blows from Thor and the Hulk along with taking on those two on along with three other heroes.
"Your power is impressive, for a mortal," Thor Odinson announced, standing before me with Mjolnir in hand. "Stand down now before anyone else is hurt, and you may yet walk away from this."
#########
Fury and Hall had a bit of a chat, going about as well as could be expected (a lot better than in canon), before Thor popped in. Originally, this would've been an entrance done through an attack rather than just an announcement, but since Fury isn't loudly writhing in agony, Thor chose to take a more diplomatic approach since an 'innocent' wasn't immediately at risk.
The rest of the not yet formed Avengers will be soon to join in the talks, much to Fury's relief at first before remembering that they're decent people who already aren't the biggest fans of him.
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Chapter 3
Huh, he didn't have a beard.
Strange thing to focus on, I know, but while I knew that most versions of the Thunderer were clean shaven, it felt weird seeing a live action Thor without the facial hair or even a resemblance to Hemsworth after associating the name with the guy for a decade.
Regardless of what appearance he had, all that mattered now was that he currently has appeared before me.
I assessed Thor's presence and the situation at hand. Now, while I was more than confident in my abilities to handle him, I didn't want to escalate the situation further if I didn't have to. Since that would lead into a fight with him, followed by the rest of the yet to be Avengers joining in. A disaster of a situation that could get me cemented as a villain and thus no longer entitled to what I deserved in the eyes of the heroes, aka the people Fury wanted working with SHIELD in any capacity. Also the people I needed to view me in a sympathetic light so that Fury couldn't go back on his word without losing rapport with them.
Thankfully, it was clear that while Thor was prepared to fight if necessary, he wanted to engage this with some diplomacy. Something I was more than happy to do.
Hmm, I don't recall Thor having appeared on Earth before my coma so I probably shouldn't act too aware of him, not with Fury nearby to notice anyway. But I could pass it off as an assumption based on his appearance matching with the myths, since Thor was either blond or a redhead in said myths along with the mighty hammer.
"Going off on the blond locks and hammer, I suppose that you'd ought to be Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder? Regardless of who you are, I'm not here for a fight," I reassured him, meeting his gaze while holding my hands out. "I'm just engaged in some aggressive negotiations with Director Fury regarding compensation for a grave injustice he has committed against me."
Thor arched an eyebrow skeptically as he asked, "A negotiation, you say? This appears to be more of an act of aggression. This man does not seem at ease." While his grip on Mjolnir didn't relax, he at least seemed willing to hear me out.
"I'm sure he isn't," I conceded, not mentioning that it was entirely intentional. "But this is a matter between Fury and I, something long overdue."
"Perhaps, you could have found a less threatening manner to communicate," Thor pointed out.
"Perhaps," I acknowledged with a nod before shaking it as I continued, "But unfortunately this was the only way to get Fury's full attention."
Thor glanced at Fury, then back at me. "Yet now you have mine as well."
"That's true," I admitted. "And I'm more than willing to talk it out with you too while I have your attention. Eagerly, even. After all, you're not the one who had me unjustly imprisoned within my own body for a decade."
A flicker of surprise passed over Thor's face. His gaze shifted to Fury, a silent question in his eyes. Fury looked back at him, but didn't deny my claims. The tension in the air spiked, and I could feel the gravity of the situation weighing on the God of Thunder.
"You were unjustly imprisoned? For a decade?" Thor asked, turning his gaze back to me.
"Indeed," I replied. "You see, I've just awoken from a decade long coma that was forced upon me, courtesy of Director Fury here. Ten years of my life were stolen from me. Now, I'm merely seeking compensation for the years I lost."
Thor's expression darkened as he turned back to glare at Fury, his voice a low growl. "Is this true, Fury? That you've unjustly imprisoned this man, within his own body no less?"
Fury nodded, his mouth set in a firm line. "It is, Thor. It was a complicated situation. He was a danger to himself and others."
Well now, wasn't that a surprise. I very much expected Fury to either deny it or hide the truth behind a simple 'it's classified'. Then again, it's not like that phrase would mean much to someone who wasn't even a citizen he had authority over, let alone someone so far above him in power.
"Then why hasn't he been released before now?" Thor pressed.
Fury fell quiet, his one-eyed gaze boring into Thor as he assessed the God of Thunder. After a moment, he answered gruffly, "Because he's dangerous, a ticking time bomb, Thor. His abilities are... unpredictable. They extend beyond the scope of our understanding and control."
"And what might these abilities entail?" Thor queried, a single brow arching in intrigued skepticism as he returned his focus to me.
"His abilities encompass the manipulation of gravity."
"Such an ability indeed holds a formidable magnitude of power, and it does explain what I could sense from him," he commented, acknowledging the situation's literal gravity. "Yet, the sheer possession of power doesn't immediately render him a menace, does it?"
A hint of irritation crept into Fury's tone as rebutted. "It's not just his power that's the issue, Thor. This man is unpredictable and volatile. He demonstrated his potential for destruction when he couldn't control his powers ten years ago. He was a danger to himself and everyone around him. I had him detained to protect the public."
Oh that bald bastard, trying to turn Thor against me, aren't you Fury?
Thor turned his attention back to me, his gaze hard but not unkind. "Is this true?" he asked.
"Yes, it is," I admitted without a moment of hesitation. "When my powers first manifested, I lost control and caused an incident, it's true. After all, most mortals would have no grasp on such power after lacking such for all of their lives. And my imprisonment, in not only a prison meant to contain the most dangerous of criminals while in a coma no less, was Fury's response to a freak accident. It wasn't right."
The God of Thunder was silent for a moment as he seemed contemplative, his stern gaze flicking between Fury and me. He seemed to be weighing the truth in our words and digesting them, measuring the right course of action.
"I see," Thor said, looking contemplative. "And you seem in control now. Have you caused any sort of harm since your awakening?"
Before Fury could answer, I cut in. "Actually, Thor, I haven't caused any harm since my awakening outside of some structural damage in escaping my unlawful incarceration. I'm here to demand compensation for the decade of my life lost in captivity. Fury took it upon himself to play judge, jury, and executioner and locked me away without any due process or even hearing my case."
"Then, the matter appears to be more complex than what initially meets the eye," Thor said, his gaze bouncing between Fury and me. "Justice is one of the cornerstones of Asgard. A man deserves his day in court if he is to answer for his actions or to seek assistance, not to be silenced and hidden away." While I agreed with the sentiment, I couldn't help but find it ironic considering that was literally what happened to Loki after his last scheme against Asgard.
Oh yeah, this current situation also was a scheme of his meant to distract Thor. I'll be sure to bring that up once I get what I came here for.
He looked back at Fury, speaking in a commanding voice that held a hint of disappointment. "Is that the justice of Midgard, Fury? A man makes a mistake and he is punished without trial or chance of redemption?"
Fury's gaze hardened, his jaw tightening. He seemed to be at odds with Thor's line of questioning, but he couldn't deny the weight of the god's words. After a moment of silence, Fury sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"Justice is a complicated matter, Thor," he replied, his voice gruff. "In my line of work, I've had to make tough decisions to protect innocent lives. I believed at the time that detaining him was the right course of action. But perhaps I should have considered alternative measures."
Thor nodded, his expression softening slightly. "It is never an easy task to make such decisions, Fury, but it is important to remember that justice should always be pursued, even in the face of difficult circumstances. This man deserves a fair chance to be heard and to seek recompense for the wrongs done to him."
Turning his attention back to me, Thor spoke with a more sympathetic tone. "I cannot undo the past, nor can I personally offer you compensation for the lost years. However, I can assure you that justice will be served. I will ensure that your case is heard, and that Fury is held accountable for his actions."
"Thank you, Thor," I said sincerely, my voice laced with gratitude. "Your support means more than you know. I assure you, I don't want to harm anyone or justify Fury's paranoia. I'm just trying to reclaim the decade of my life that was taken from me."
Thor turned back to me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "If that is indeed the case, then I see no reason why you shouldn't have the chance to present your case in a court of justice. The righteous should never fear the truth."
I couldn't help but smirk at Fury with that comment, while Thor likely didn't intend for any more meaning than that, the double meaning was too ripe to ignore or let be ignored. And going by the scowl on his face, Fury got the meaning.
The SHIELD director now frowned deeply. It was clear he was not expecting the conversation to go this way. But the presence of the God of Thunder and his demand for justice put him in an uncomfortable position. Not only did he have to worry about me spreading my story, he also had to worry about a being that SHIELD has no hope of taking on, and if by some miracle that they do, risk pissing off a significantly more powerful civilization in Asgard and in turn, Odin.
Even if he somehow managed the impossible against Thor, I don't fancy Fury's odds against an enraged Skyfather.
"Now then, shall we continue this discussion back on the ground?" Thor suggested. He looked between Fury and me, his demeanor indicating that this was more than just a suggestion - it was an expectation. After all, this was to be a civil discussion.
"Certainly. The only reason I dragged Fury up here in the first place was simply so he couldn't just brush me off as he did before. After all, for all I knew, he could've just had me wait in a room only to be knocked out once again. Rather hard to do that again up here."
"Indeed, a more conducive environment might help facilitate our discussion," he continued, his voice ringing with authority. He extended his hand to Fury, offering him an alternate means to descend.
Fury looked reluctant, but under Thor's stern gaze, he had little room to protest. He crossed his arms, clearly disgruntled but resigned.
"Fine. Let's take this to ground level," he acquiesced, his tone reflecting his displeasure, before taking Thor's hand, greatly preferring to depend on Thor than experience any more time under my care.
I could hardly suppress the smirk on my face. Once more, Fury was not in control of the situation, and it was a sight to behold. So I lessen my hold on him enough to allow Thor to carry him but kept a low grasp in case he tries to run. And to him it must've seemed as if I let go completely based on his tension lessening somewhat.
Seeing our agreement, Thor nodded solemnly. With one last glance at the sprawling city beneath us, he wielded Mjolnir with a swift and practiced motion. In an instant, he was descending from the sky and I followed along.
As we descended towards the ground, the wind whistled past us, whipping through my hair and beard as we moved. The cityscape below seemed to grow larger with each passing moment, a reminder of the mortal world we were about to reenter.
As our feet finally touched the solid ground, Thor released his hold on Fury's arm. Fury, who still seemed wary of the situation. He spun around to face us both, his brows furrowed with annoyance.
"Now then, let us continue our discussion," Thor declared, his words echoing against the silence of the empty barge.
"Now that we're on solid ground," Fury began, his voice laced with irritation, "let's get straight to the point. What exactly is it that you want for your compensation?"
As I began to outline my conditions, once again, I sensed a sudden shift in the surrounding area. I couldn't help but feel annoyed, knowing that it was probably another unexpected arrival like Thor's. And true enough, three figures were approaching at a rapid pace. But unlike Thor and his hammer, these three were much smaller.
And one of them wasn't even human.
The first one wore a suit that I immediately recognized from the Avengers roster, despite never seeing it in person before. It was Ant-Man, or rather Hank Pym, one of the original members and the original Ant-Man. His suit was iconic and resembled the insect he had taken his name from with its red and black color scheme.
Next to him stood a petite woman who exuded confidence despite her small stature. She too wore a suit with wings, indicating that she was the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, another founding member.
As they landed, their gazes sharpened with wariness and curiosity as they fell upon us.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell us, Fury?" Ant-Man asked, breaking the silence. He gave a quick glance to Thor and then to me, analyzing our presence.
"Not really." Fury flatly denied.
Wasp scoffed and glared at Fury with an unimpressed expression, before turning to look at me and Thor with a questioning gaze. "Then how do you explain these two?" She asked, gesturing towards us.
Deciding to seize the moment, I spoke up and introduced myself before the director could. "Greetings, Miss…Bumblebee, I am Doctor Franklin Hall."
"Bumblebee?" She blinked in surprise at the name, letting out a quick laugh. "I guess these colors would give off that look, but unlike a bee, I can sting you more than once, so call me the Wasp." she declared, briefly charging up her stingers before powering them down.
"Understood, the Wasp," I acknowledged with a chuckle, turning to the other hero with an insect-themed moniker. "And you must be Ant-Man, judging by that creature of yours."
Ant-Man blinked at me in surprise, before nodding, "You'd be right. And you, you're the physicist? No one's heard from you since you joined SHIELD ten years ago. What happened?"
"That's-" Fury started to speak, but I couldn't stand his twisting of words any longer.
"Simple to explain," I interjected before Fury could respond and happily did so. "I was put into a coma for that decade because Fury was afraid of my powers despite having done no crime."
"You were what!?" Wasp exclaimed in shock, her disbelief evident, "Fury, that's beyond messed up!"
"This is exactly the kind of situation I wanted to prevent!" Ant-Man chimed in, "Hall needed help, but instead you locked him away as if having power was a crime. I thought that it was bad enough that you weren't even attempting to reform the prisoners you've captured, but to think that you'd go this far on someone who was innocent! No wonder not a single prisoner in the Big House has been discharged yet."
"So much for SHIELD 'making the world safer', huh Fury?" Wasp sarcastically asked.
Ant-Man crossed his arms, his tone firm. "I've worked with you for years, Fury. I've always supported SHIELD's mission, even when it was difficult, to keep the world safe. But this... this is a betrayal of we stand for."
Fury's gaze hardened, his voice taking on a defensive edge. "You think you understand the weight of the decisions I have to make? The threats we face? The world isn't black and white. I make the hard choices to protect people. Sometimes that means taking extreme measures."
Wasp countered fiercely, "Imprisoning an innocent person is not a 'hard choice', it's a wrong one."
And just when it seemed that Fury had to deal with enough people pointing out that yes, paranoia is not justification, what would potentially be the most entertaining one to point it out arrived.
Iron Man.
As Iron Man descended from the sky, his repulsors glowing with vibrant energy, a smirk played on his lips. He had always been one for grand entrances, and this situation seemed to call for it. The gravity of the situation, quite literally, demanded his attention.
"Hey there, Fury," Iron Man quipped as he landed gracefully next to Wasp and Ant-Man. The arc reactor in his chest illuminated the area with its pulsating light, casting a glow on his sleek armor. "I heard there was a prison break and thought I'd drop in to lend a hand. But it seems like things have gotten a little heavy around here, what with the intense mood and the absurd gravitational density that should only hypothetically exist."
At that bit, I chuckled a bit. I wasn't even actively exerting myself yet, merely keeping a barrier around myself in case of an attack. Not from the heroes, though it'd be powerful to resist Iron Man or Thor's first strike, but against any kind of snipers that Fury might try to get here. Man's the superspy, I wouldn't put it past him to somehow arrange for that, likely through that watch gadget of his.
Fury's eyes narrowed as he took in Iron Man's presence. "Stark. Just what I needed," he muttered under his breath, already annoyed by the philanthropist's presence.
Iron Man, undeterred by Fury's dismissive comment, (likely smirked) and walked closer to us, his suit emitting a faint hum of his Arc Reactor.
"Well, you know me, Fury. I just can't resist a good party," he said playfully. "Though it seems like I'm fashionably late to this one."
Iron Man tilted his head slightly, "And I can't say I'm surprised to find you at the center of controversy, Fury," he replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
Fury, seemingly unfazed by Iron Man's jape, crossed his arms and retorted, "Stark, this isn't a party. I'm dealing with a situation here, and your quips aren't helping."
Iron Man only tilted his head at him quizzically, his helmet shifting from Fury to me. "So, what's the deal here? You're the one with the gravity tricks?"
I nodded, acknowledging Iron Man. "Yes, Doctor Franklin Hall. Fury here decided to imprison me for a decade without any due process, all because he couldn't handle the fact that I gained extraordinary powers."
Iron Man's helmeted face turned to Fury. "Imprisoning someone for having powers? That's a new low, even for you, Fury."
Fury's jaw tightened, his frustration evident. "This isn't as simple as it sounds. He's dangerous, and I had to take precautions."
Iron Man scoffed, "Dangerous? We're all dangerous in our own ways. That doesn't justify locking someone up for ten years without a trial."
Wasp, who had been observing the exchange, chimed in, "Tony's right, Fury. What you did is inexcusable."
Thor, who had been silently observing the exchange, spoke up, "This man has been wronged, and justice must be served. It is not for one mortal to decide the fate of another without due process."
Fury's frustration was palpable, and he glared at the assembled heroes. "You don't understand the threats we face and what I deal with. My decisions are made to protect innocent lives."
Iron Man shook his head. "I understand what you're saying, Fury, but this is too far. We can't allow you to continue operating like this. There has to be consequences."
While I very much appreciated the sight of the soon to be Avengers ripping into Fury, I really ought to steer this conversation back to my demands. "Iron Man is right. I want justice for the years Fury stole from me. Compensation for the unjust imprisonment."
Iron Man turned his attention back to me. "Compensation? What are you thinking, a lifetime supply of shawarma?"
My expression remained serious, though I let out a grim smile. Perhaps I'd give the Middle Eastern a try later, but the only thing I hungered for now was retribution. "I'm thinking something more substantial, Stark, though I suppose that it could get me the equivalent."
"The equivalent of a billion dollars per every year I was in that coma would be a reasonable start," I stated, the sum of my demand coming easily.
Fury blinked, the wind and the gravity of my demand momentarily throwing him off balance.
Iron Man let out a low whistle. "That's quite the price tag, Hall. But I have to say, it's not entirely unreasonable considering what you've been through."
I only shrugged, "While it may not seem that way to someone like Fury, a human life is priceless. But I suppose that if I had to measure the years lost in one, then I suppose that billion would be adequate."
"Hall, you're insane," Fury finally managed, his voice struggling to retain its stern command against the sheer audacity of my demand. I couldn't blame him there, a sum like that would've very much dented SHIELD.'s finances for some time to come. Especially when they also had to repair three maximum security prisons for superhumans/villains. But I couldn't really find it in me to care as that was more of a SHIELD problem rather than a me problem.
"Do you really need ten billion?" he then challenged, "One billion is already the kind of money that an average man could never spend in his lifetime. Hell, not even a generation of spending could make a serious dent in that."
"Perhaps," I conceded to that point, "but no amount of money can buy back the years of their life that I lost, the life unlived."
Fury's rebuttal was swift. "You've been enhanced by the super soldier serum. Arguably, your lifespan will extend beyond that of an average human."
"Don't twist this, Fury," I warned, feeling a flare of irritation. "Don't you dare to justify actions that have already cost me dearly into a benefit."
Fury's jaw clenched, a hint of frustration in his eyes, as he gritted out, "When you're demanding ten billion, it's hard not to." He paused, collecting himself. "But let's be practical. That's not even money you'd want. Not with the consequences attached."
I raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate.
"Simply put, even I have people that I must answer to. And while SHIELD operations already cost more than the GDP of a medium sized first world country, I still have to justify significant purchases. And trust me when I tell you that if there's one thing that could never escape the sights of any one, it's money.
Now one billion, it's a pain in my ass but something I could manage. But ten? That's something I can't just explain away, especially not as quickly as you'd like or in a time frame your impatient ass could stand to wait. So I'd have to explain to my superiors just what kind of terrifyingly powerful superhuman I had to bribe not to cause a political shitstorm or a natural disaster. If you think having distant SHIELD operatives looking at you is bad, just wait until you have the unbridled attention of every nation that contributes to SHIELD's equivalent to the CIA, FBI, NSA, Hulkbuster unit, and other secret groups become a pain in your ass."
Fury's words gave me pause as I considered them for a moment. Indeed, the prospect of being under the microscope of the world's most powerful organizations wasn't the most appealing.
But that didn't mean I was willing to simply let him off the hook that easily.
However, I suppose that this was where the yet to be Avengers arriving proved to be a bane. As I was more than willing to accept the risk and the consequences of taking what I wanted all at once.
After all, what possible harm could your average or super spy organization truly do to me? I controlled gravity itself, so good luck to the Black Widow or Winter Soldier trying to assassinate me with a sniper rifle of any caliber of bullet or laser when they would merely bounce of any SHIELD I had. And after the last time with gas, never again, as I would simply have a field that blocked out anything other than simple oxygen. The only real issue would have to be poisoning, but it'd be hard for a spy organization to poison you if you dropped a meteor on their bosses and sources of funding.
But, I was trying to be reasonable here and pushing against Fury's 'reasonable' excuse, even if ten billion was only a mere fraction of what S.H.I.E.L.D. uses overall and could easily be funneled from other projects, may hurt that image and give a smidgeon of sympathy to Fury. Especially as he was still trying to do good here, even if basic human decency was absent from his dictionary.
"So, can we settle on one billion?" Fury proposed, seeming to take my silence as accepting his explanation. "It's a compromise that would make both our lives easier."
It might, but no, a counteroffer was in order.
"How about this, then," I proposed, my voice firm. "How about one billion for now, and the rest, let's say... over the course of ten years? It'll give both you and SHIELD time to build up to that amount without denting you too severely or raising too much attention so suddenly."
Fury narrowed his eyes, clearly weighing the pros and cons of my counteroffer. After a moment of tense silence, he finally nodded. "Alright, one billion now, and the rest over ten years. But I want your word that you won't cause any trouble during that time." And by trouble, he meant me singing my story for all to hear.
"Also, I want everything else that SHIELD has taken from me. Every scrap of my research notes that SHIELD has undoubtedly seized, along with whatever else you may have seized in my absence. And the smoothing of any issues that my disappearance would have caused with the IRS."
Fury nodded in acknowledgment of the conditions. "Agreed. Then this should settle-"
"Oh, but there's one more thing." I sweetly added.
Fury glared at me, thoroughly having had enough of me, but silently urging me to continue.
"And lastly, I want no involvement with SHIELD unless it is entirely by my own decision. Even if required by law, American or international, involving scientists or superhumans, I will not be obligated to comply with any actions from SHIELD. his applies under your tenure as director or anyone else's that follows you. I also want physical and digital copies of this agreement as well, in case anyone has selective memory and conveniently forgets."
Now, did I truly need this? No, not really. After all, I was more than powerful enough to flat out ignore anything that SHIELD would try to push on me.
Such as the Superhuman Registration Act.
But I wanted that exemption straight from Nick Fury for a few reasons. The look on Maria Hill's face when she'd try to force me into it only to see that I was legally exempt by Nick Fury himself.
And secondly, to really push at Fury here as far as I could go. One last show of dominance to end this bout of aggressive negotiations.
For a brief moment, Fury's eyes burned with anger so intense that if he had heat vision, he'd put Cyclops to shame. "You're pushing it, Hall. That's not a request I can grant."
I met his stare head-on. "It's not negotiable. I refuse to have my life shackled to SHIELD's agendas any longer."
Fury's jaw clenched from the implications of such a demand. It was a direct challenge to SHIELD's authority, something he couldn't easily concede. Something he'd rather avoid altogether due to the potential precedent it could set.
"I can't promise that level of detachment," Fury replied, his tone firm as he tried to weasel out of that.
"Then we have no deal," I stated resolutely. And while I couldn't just use a show of force, I merely whistled a tune mimicking that of a bird. Fury's eyes narrowed sharply at the implication.
For a tense moment, a silent standoff unfolded. Fury's intense gaze clashed with my unwavering resolve.
Finally, Fury relented, as he gritted out. "Fine, Hall. No direct involvement unless at your discretion."
Satisfied with the concession, I nodded with a smug smirk. I didn't intend to sever all ties; S.H.I.E.L.D. still had a role in safeguarding the world, especially against the Skrulls hiding among us. But I wasn't going to play nice with them either, because fuck them and fuck Nick Fury in particular.
And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that as soon as I left, Fury would be having my every action tracked by agents of some kind while also having his scientists preparing some way to kill me should I live up to the threat he saw me as. To that, I say,
"Then have a deal, Fury."
Because I had said for our deal, I would destroy him otherwise, but rather than with a story, it'd be through force. After all, who'd expect to find a corpse in space?
I could see the tension ease from his shoulders, relief evident on his face. Not a happy relief, but one of knowing that least he had one less problem to deal with.
"Deal," Fury grunted begrudgingly, as he held out his hand to me. I took it, sealing our agreement with a firm handshake. As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
It was a long time coming, but my demands were met. My justice was served, and I've avenged myself.
"Good, now if there's nothing else, then I have bigger problems to deal with than meeting your demands, I've already wasted enough time with you. Seventy four escaped supervillains are now on loose all across the country, maybe even the world by now." Fury ranted.
"And how did this happen, Fury?" Iron Man demanded.
"I don't know, but we can find out, together. Come work for me, as SHIELD agents you can make a real difference."
"No!" Ant-Man denied as he walked up to Fury, "This is your fault. If you've actually tried to rehabilitate these villains rather than just keeping them locked up like you had with Hall, then many of them may not even still be villains! They could've been reestablished members of society or even heroes themselves!"
The rest of them stood by Ant-Man's speech as they all glared at Fury for even suggesting that they'd work for him, He hadn't exactly proven himself to be the best employer after all. But that silence solidarity was broken by Iron Man, "I agree with you Pym, but Fury's right."
"What?" Wasp sputtered in disbelief, "You of all people are going to work for SHIELD? After what they did to Dr. Hall?"
"Not a chance in hell," Stark said. "The only thing Fury has been right about so far is that we could make a difference, together. One on one, we could take down a villain or two, but seventy-four is more than any of us could handle on our own. But together, we could have a chance. The world is going to need us, but not as SHIELD agents. We need to be a team. And together, we could work to right the wrongs caused by all of these villains."
The room fell into a heavy silence as Iron Man's words hung in the air. The weight of his proposition settled on each hero's shoulders, their minds racing with the possibilities and risks that lay ahead.
Ant-Man nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "He's right," he said, looking at the rest of the group. "We've all had our fair share of run-ins with villains. We know what it's like to fight alone. But if we combine our powers, our strengths, there's no limit to what we can achieve."
Wasp nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with determination, "Let's do it, then. Together."
Thor's smile widened as he spoke up, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Indeed, together we could be a formidable force for good. The world will surely benefit from our efforts."
"Now that's all well and good, but like any good team, you guys are going to need a name. Nothing tacky like the Thunderbolts or campy like the Justice League, but something that really speaks of what you're setting out to do, so to speak." I recommended.
"What we're doing is looking to do is not just right, but to avenge." Iron Man said, channeling back to that leader energu.
"We could be Avengers. Oh, that could be our team name!" Wasp pointed out.
"Kudos, quite the name you've chosen, and rather catchy I'll add." I clapped.
"Well thanks, you kind of lead us to that though. And speaking of that, why not join us?" she urged.
"Indeed, you power over gravity would allow you to do quite well in proving the director's disingenuous assertion of you wrong." Thor added.
"Well, I'm flattered that I'm even being considered, but I'm sorry to say that I'll have to decline. I still need to get some semblance of a life together before deciding on anything as big as such a commitment."
"Fair enough, and even if you're rich enough to never need to work a day in your life, trust me when I tell you that you're still going to need something meaningful to do. Especially with minds like ours. So, if the superhero thing isn't for you right now, or even ever, how about a job at Stark Industries? You could certainly do a lot of good working with us." Tony said.
"Control over a fundamental force of the universe certainly could, couldn't it," I mused with as smile as I stroked my beard, "From simply saving on fuel costs on shuttles by reducing their gravity or just carrying them to space. Hell, I could make mining asteroids a feasible capability..."
Even if I couldn't see the man's eyes behind his helmet, I could certainly imagine the dollar signs that must've flashed on Tony's eyes. Though I'd imagine that he was much more interested in the space faring possibilities and potential mining of exotic materials he could use for his armor.
"And to think that Fury would've keep me locked away, the most his peanut brain would've came up with was using me to come up with gravity based weapons or some such."
"Those weapons could help SHIELD agents-"
"Fuck that, I could be helping humanity as a whole with my abilities." I smacked that notion down before turning back to Stark, "Now I'm not just going to say that I'm in, but know that I'm strongly considering accepting that offer."
Tony chuckled, "That's the spirit, just head over to Stark Industries whenever you've 'strongly considered' and we'll be happy to have you."
"Now that you're done coming up with names and poaching my former personnel, I'd like to remain you all that we still have a supervillain problem that we'd ought to be dealing with." Fury interjected.
"Speaking of villains, I suppose that I could provide some assistance, if only so expedite your problems." I spoke up, "For one, I have heard some speaking regarding a plot of sorts. It turns out that when you've been in a coma for so long, people tend to overlook you. But I was groggy when waking up, so I didn't get the voices nor all of the details. But apparently this was all a plot from some kind of enchantress concocted with a prince of mischief."
"An enchantress? Prince of mischief?" Thor mused before his eyes widened in alarm, "By Odin's beard! If this is who I think it is, then I must return to Asgard at once! The threat this sorceress poses is too great!"
"Wait, before you go, Thor. Can you tell us who this 'prince of mischief' and 'enchantress' are?" Fury asked urgently.
"That would be my brother, Loki, the God of Mischief, but he was supposed to be imprisoned in the Isles of Silence! But if the Enchantress is involved, then that would explain his involvement as only she would be powerful enough to break my Father's spell. Now, I must go and warn him, but I will return to aid you in Migard's time of need as soon as I can. Farewell!" With that, the God of Thunder shot off into the sky, leaving the remaining heroes, Nicholas Fury, and me, behind.
"Well, I guess that I'd best be off myself. Good to meet you all, Avengers. Fury, I hope you get a second eyepatch."
With that, I flew off, leaving the rest to their devices.
As I took to the sky, my mind raced with the possibilities that lie ahead. While my revenge on Fury was sweet and undestructive to anyone other than SHIELD, my mind couldn't help but consider what else was in store for me now.
A job at Stark Industries.
Perhaps an official membership with the Avengers.
And the ability to do some real good with my powers.
All sorts of possibilities to live out this new life of mine.
Now, what should I do first? Where would I go?
Besides getting my bank account reopened and checking into a hotel. I needed somewhere to stay and Hall's house was just too uncomfortable to really consider my home now.
Well, I suppose that I could pay some visits, now and when I've gained some cash.
One Incredible.
One incredible and legal.
And perhaps one fantastic.
So, with my plans and goals in place, I made my way towards the horizon, the endless possibilities stretching before me.
#########
So, after months I finally managed to get this out. aaaahhhhhhhhh, finally. That halfway point was kicking my ass a ton ngl, but I finally broke through that wall to get the rest of this out.
So Hall finally gets his revenge on fury, but our boy is gonna have to wait a bit for logistics to have the rest of his revenge delivered to him. And he spills the beans on Loki and Enchantress' plot, meaning that Odin won't yet be in his Odinsleep quite yet. Meaning that both their plan and they are rather fucked lol. (I considered added a bit from Thor or Loki's POV of Thor arriving back to tattle to Odin, but my muse is being a pain to work with and i don't want to delay this any further, so perhaps I'll add it in the next chapter.)
Now, if you can tell by the ending bit, Hall plans on making some visits to various heroes. First, he'll be visiting the Hulk since Bruce wouldn't have seen the Avengers fighting Graviton on TV and so wouldn't have felt that the Hulk needed to help. So he'll be trying to nudge the Hulk into helping.
Next is She-Hulk, she's a pretty damn good lawyer and Hall might need some legal help for reintegrating back into normal life, perhaps for drafting up leases. Now he could go to Murdock, since he's also a pretty damn good lawyer, but let's be real here, most of us would be going to She-Hulk as our first choice for the most part lol.
And finally the Fantastic Four, he's buying the Baxter Building lol. Part of it is to just mess with Reed a bit, another is to help the FF outside since they did have some financial troubles in the comics due to their home already getting attacked by villains along with Reed's experiments costing a pretty penny. Now I'm aware that in some versions, Reed is rather well off from selling his inventions, but bro has a trope named after him for a reason and that's at play here. And the main reason is to keep an eye on Susan Storm, the one Skrull that he can reasonably keep an eye on without them getting suspicious. Hall can't exactly eye the one disguised as Madame Hydra without joining Hydra, so fuck that, or the Queen disguised as Mockingbird without joining Shield, also fuck that.
He might also interact with the X-Men later on, as X-Men Evolution/Wolverine and the X-Men are canon to this fic (the Wolverine that shows up in EMH is from that show, which is somewhat of a continuation of Evolution). If only so he could hint Xavier about the
anywho, I do hope that you've enjoyed the chapter and sorry about the wait
Strange thing to focus on, I know, but while I knew that most versions of the Thunderer were clean shaven, it felt weird seeing a live action Thor without the facial hair or even a resemblance to Hemsworth after associating the name with the guy for a decade.
Regardless of what appearance he had, all that mattered now was that he currently has appeared before me.
I assessed Thor's presence and the situation at hand. Now, while I was more than confident in my abilities to handle him, I didn't want to escalate the situation further if I didn't have to. Since that would lead into a fight with him, followed by the rest of the yet to be Avengers joining in. A disaster of a situation that could get me cemented as a villain and thus no longer entitled to what I deserved in the eyes of the heroes, aka the people Fury wanted working with SHIELD in any capacity. Also the people I needed to view me in a sympathetic light so that Fury couldn't go back on his word without losing rapport with them.
Thankfully, it was clear that while Thor was prepared to fight if necessary, he wanted to engage this with some diplomacy. Something I was more than happy to do.
Hmm, I don't recall Thor having appeared on Earth before my coma so I probably shouldn't act too aware of him, not with Fury nearby to notice anyway. But I could pass it off as an assumption based on his appearance matching with the myths, since Thor was either blond or a redhead in said myths along with the mighty hammer.
"Going off on the blond locks and hammer, I suppose that you'd ought to be Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder? Regardless of who you are, I'm not here for a fight," I reassured him, meeting his gaze while holding my hands out. "I'm just engaged in some aggressive negotiations with Director Fury regarding compensation for a grave injustice he has committed against me."
Thor arched an eyebrow skeptically as he asked, "A negotiation, you say? This appears to be more of an act of aggression. This man does not seem at ease." While his grip on Mjolnir didn't relax, he at least seemed willing to hear me out.
"I'm sure he isn't," I conceded, not mentioning that it was entirely intentional. "But this is a matter between Fury and I, something long overdue."
"Perhaps, you could have found a less threatening manner to communicate," Thor pointed out.
"Perhaps," I acknowledged with a nod before shaking it as I continued, "But unfortunately this was the only way to get Fury's full attention."
Thor glanced at Fury, then back at me. "Yet now you have mine as well."
"That's true," I admitted. "And I'm more than willing to talk it out with you too while I have your attention. Eagerly, even. After all, you're not the one who had me unjustly imprisoned within my own body for a decade."
A flicker of surprise passed over Thor's face. His gaze shifted to Fury, a silent question in his eyes. Fury looked back at him, but didn't deny my claims. The tension in the air spiked, and I could feel the gravity of the situation weighing on the God of Thunder.
"You were unjustly imprisoned? For a decade?" Thor asked, turning his gaze back to me.
"Indeed," I replied. "You see, I've just awoken from a decade long coma that was forced upon me, courtesy of Director Fury here. Ten years of my life were stolen from me. Now, I'm merely seeking compensation for the years I lost."
Thor's expression darkened as he turned back to glare at Fury, his voice a low growl. "Is this true, Fury? That you've unjustly imprisoned this man, within his own body no less?"
Fury nodded, his mouth set in a firm line. "It is, Thor. It was a complicated situation. He was a danger to himself and others."
Well now, wasn't that a surprise. I very much expected Fury to either deny it or hide the truth behind a simple 'it's classified'. Then again, it's not like that phrase would mean much to someone who wasn't even a citizen he had authority over, let alone someone so far above him in power.
"Then why hasn't he been released before now?" Thor pressed.
Fury fell quiet, his one-eyed gaze boring into Thor as he assessed the God of Thunder. After a moment, he answered gruffly, "Because he's dangerous, a ticking time bomb, Thor. His abilities are... unpredictable. They extend beyond the scope of our understanding and control."
"And what might these abilities entail?" Thor queried, a single brow arching in intrigued skepticism as he returned his focus to me.
"His abilities encompass the manipulation of gravity."
"Such an ability indeed holds a formidable magnitude of power, and it does explain what I could sense from him," he commented, acknowledging the situation's literal gravity. "Yet, the sheer possession of power doesn't immediately render him a menace, does it?"
A hint of irritation crept into Fury's tone as rebutted. "It's not just his power that's the issue, Thor. This man is unpredictable and volatile. He demonstrated his potential for destruction when he couldn't control his powers ten years ago. He was a danger to himself and everyone around him. I had him detained to protect the public."
Oh that bald bastard, trying to turn Thor against me, aren't you Fury?
Thor turned his attention back to me, his gaze hard but not unkind. "Is this true?" he asked.
"Yes, it is," I admitted without a moment of hesitation. "When my powers first manifested, I lost control and caused an incident, it's true. After all, most mortals would have no grasp on such power after lacking such for all of their lives. And my imprisonment, in not only a prison meant to contain the most dangerous of criminals while in a coma no less, was Fury's response to a freak accident. It wasn't right."
The God of Thunder was silent for a moment as he seemed contemplative, his stern gaze flicking between Fury and me. He seemed to be weighing the truth in our words and digesting them, measuring the right course of action.
"I see," Thor said, looking contemplative. "And you seem in control now. Have you caused any sort of harm since your awakening?"
Before Fury could answer, I cut in. "Actually, Thor, I haven't caused any harm since my awakening outside of some structural damage in escaping my unlawful incarceration. I'm here to demand compensation for the decade of my life lost in captivity. Fury took it upon himself to play judge, jury, and executioner and locked me away without any due process or even hearing my case."
"Then, the matter appears to be more complex than what initially meets the eye," Thor said, his gaze bouncing between Fury and me. "Justice is one of the cornerstones of Asgard. A man deserves his day in court if he is to answer for his actions or to seek assistance, not to be silenced and hidden away." While I agreed with the sentiment, I couldn't help but find it ironic considering that was literally what happened to Loki after his last scheme against Asgard.
Oh yeah, this current situation also was a scheme of his meant to distract Thor. I'll be sure to bring that up once I get what I came here for.
He looked back at Fury, speaking in a commanding voice that held a hint of disappointment. "Is that the justice of Midgard, Fury? A man makes a mistake and he is punished without trial or chance of redemption?"
Fury's gaze hardened, his jaw tightening. He seemed to be at odds with Thor's line of questioning, but he couldn't deny the weight of the god's words. After a moment of silence, Fury sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging slightly.
"Justice is a complicated matter, Thor," he replied, his voice gruff. "In my line of work, I've had to make tough decisions to protect innocent lives. I believed at the time that detaining him was the right course of action. But perhaps I should have considered alternative measures."
Thor nodded, his expression softening slightly. "It is never an easy task to make such decisions, Fury, but it is important to remember that justice should always be pursued, even in the face of difficult circumstances. This man deserves a fair chance to be heard and to seek recompense for the wrongs done to him."
Turning his attention back to me, Thor spoke with a more sympathetic tone. "I cannot undo the past, nor can I personally offer you compensation for the lost years. However, I can assure you that justice will be served. I will ensure that your case is heard, and that Fury is held accountable for his actions."
"Thank you, Thor," I said sincerely, my voice laced with gratitude. "Your support means more than you know. I assure you, I don't want to harm anyone or justify Fury's paranoia. I'm just trying to reclaim the decade of my life that was taken from me."
Thor turned back to me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "If that is indeed the case, then I see no reason why you shouldn't have the chance to present your case in a court of justice. The righteous should never fear the truth."
I couldn't help but smirk at Fury with that comment, while Thor likely didn't intend for any more meaning than that, the double meaning was too ripe to ignore or let be ignored. And going by the scowl on his face, Fury got the meaning.
The SHIELD director now frowned deeply. It was clear he was not expecting the conversation to go this way. But the presence of the God of Thunder and his demand for justice put him in an uncomfortable position. Not only did he have to worry about me spreading my story, he also had to worry about a being that SHIELD has no hope of taking on, and if by some miracle that they do, risk pissing off a significantly more powerful civilization in Asgard and in turn, Odin.
Even if he somehow managed the impossible against Thor, I don't fancy Fury's odds against an enraged Skyfather.
"Now then, shall we continue this discussion back on the ground?" Thor suggested. He looked between Fury and me, his demeanor indicating that this was more than just a suggestion - it was an expectation. After all, this was to be a civil discussion.
"Certainly. The only reason I dragged Fury up here in the first place was simply so he couldn't just brush me off as he did before. After all, for all I knew, he could've just had me wait in a room only to be knocked out once again. Rather hard to do that again up here."
"Indeed, a more conducive environment might help facilitate our discussion," he continued, his voice ringing with authority. He extended his hand to Fury, offering him an alternate means to descend.
Fury looked reluctant, but under Thor's stern gaze, he had little room to protest. He crossed his arms, clearly disgruntled but resigned.
"Fine. Let's take this to ground level," he acquiesced, his tone reflecting his displeasure, before taking Thor's hand, greatly preferring to depend on Thor than experience any more time under my care.
I could hardly suppress the smirk on my face. Once more, Fury was not in control of the situation, and it was a sight to behold. So I lessen my hold on him enough to allow Thor to carry him but kept a low grasp in case he tries to run. And to him it must've seemed as if I let go completely based on his tension lessening somewhat.
Seeing our agreement, Thor nodded solemnly. With one last glance at the sprawling city beneath us, he wielded Mjolnir with a swift and practiced motion. In an instant, he was descending from the sky and I followed along.
As we descended towards the ground, the wind whistled past us, whipping through my hair and beard as we moved. The cityscape below seemed to grow larger with each passing moment, a reminder of the mortal world we were about to reenter.
As our feet finally touched the solid ground, Thor released his hold on Fury's arm. Fury, who still seemed wary of the situation. He spun around to face us both, his brows furrowed with annoyance.
"Now then, let us continue our discussion," Thor declared, his words echoing against the silence of the empty barge.
"Now that we're on solid ground," Fury began, his voice laced with irritation, "let's get straight to the point. What exactly is it that you want for your compensation?"
As I began to outline my conditions, once again, I sensed a sudden shift in the surrounding area. I couldn't help but feel annoyed, knowing that it was probably another unexpected arrival like Thor's. And true enough, three figures were approaching at a rapid pace. But unlike Thor and his hammer, these three were much smaller.
And one of them wasn't even human.
The first one wore a suit that I immediately recognized from the Avengers roster, despite never seeing it in person before. It was Ant-Man, or rather Hank Pym, one of the original members and the original Ant-Man. His suit was iconic and resembled the insect he had taken his name from with its red and black color scheme.
Next to him stood a petite woman who exuded confidence despite her small stature. She too wore a suit with wings, indicating that she was the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, another founding member.
As they landed, their gazes sharpened with wariness and curiosity as they fell upon us.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell us, Fury?" Ant-Man asked, breaking the silence. He gave a quick glance to Thor and then to me, analyzing our presence.
"Not really." Fury flatly denied.
Wasp scoffed and glared at Fury with an unimpressed expression, before turning to look at me and Thor with a questioning gaze. "Then how do you explain these two?" She asked, gesturing towards us.
Deciding to seize the moment, I spoke up and introduced myself before the director could. "Greetings, Miss…Bumblebee, I am Doctor Franklin Hall."
"Bumblebee?" She blinked in surprise at the name, letting out a quick laugh. "I guess these colors would give off that look, but unlike a bee, I can sting you more than once, so call me the Wasp." she declared, briefly charging up her stingers before powering them down.
"Understood, the Wasp," I acknowledged with a chuckle, turning to the other hero with an insect-themed moniker. "And you must be Ant-Man, judging by that creature of yours."
Ant-Man blinked at me in surprise, before nodding, "You'd be right. And you, you're the physicist? No one's heard from you since you joined SHIELD ten years ago. What happened?"
"That's-" Fury started to speak, but I couldn't stand his twisting of words any longer.
"Simple to explain," I interjected before Fury could respond and happily did so. "I was put into a coma for that decade because Fury was afraid of my powers despite having done no crime."
"You were what!?" Wasp exclaimed in shock, her disbelief evident, "Fury, that's beyond messed up!"
"This is exactly the kind of situation I wanted to prevent!" Ant-Man chimed in, "Hall needed help, but instead you locked him away as if having power was a crime. I thought that it was bad enough that you weren't even attempting to reform the prisoners you've captured, but to think that you'd go this far on someone who was innocent! No wonder not a single prisoner in the Big House has been discharged yet."
"So much for SHIELD 'making the world safer', huh Fury?" Wasp sarcastically asked.
Ant-Man crossed his arms, his tone firm. "I've worked with you for years, Fury. I've always supported SHIELD's mission, even when it was difficult, to keep the world safe. But this... this is a betrayal of we stand for."
Fury's gaze hardened, his voice taking on a defensive edge. "You think you understand the weight of the decisions I have to make? The threats we face? The world isn't black and white. I make the hard choices to protect people. Sometimes that means taking extreme measures."
Wasp countered fiercely, "Imprisoning an innocent person is not a 'hard choice', it's a wrong one."
And just when it seemed that Fury had to deal with enough people pointing out that yes, paranoia is not justification, what would potentially be the most entertaining one to point it out arrived.
Iron Man.
As Iron Man descended from the sky, his repulsors glowing with vibrant energy, a smirk played on his lips. He had always been one for grand entrances, and this situation seemed to call for it. The gravity of the situation, quite literally, demanded his attention.
"Hey there, Fury," Iron Man quipped as he landed gracefully next to Wasp and Ant-Man. The arc reactor in his chest illuminated the area with its pulsating light, casting a glow on his sleek armor. "I heard there was a prison break and thought I'd drop in to lend a hand. But it seems like things have gotten a little heavy around here, what with the intense mood and the absurd gravitational density that should only hypothetically exist."
At that bit, I chuckled a bit. I wasn't even actively exerting myself yet, merely keeping a barrier around myself in case of an attack. Not from the heroes, though it'd be powerful to resist Iron Man or Thor's first strike, but against any kind of snipers that Fury might try to get here. Man's the superspy, I wouldn't put it past him to somehow arrange for that, likely through that watch gadget of his.
Fury's eyes narrowed as he took in Iron Man's presence. "Stark. Just what I needed," he muttered under his breath, already annoyed by the philanthropist's presence.
Iron Man, undeterred by Fury's dismissive comment, (likely smirked) and walked closer to us, his suit emitting a faint hum of his Arc Reactor.
"Well, you know me, Fury. I just can't resist a good party," he said playfully. "Though it seems like I'm fashionably late to this one."
Iron Man tilted his head slightly, "And I can't say I'm surprised to find you at the center of controversy, Fury," he replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
Fury, seemingly unfazed by Iron Man's jape, crossed his arms and retorted, "Stark, this isn't a party. I'm dealing with a situation here, and your quips aren't helping."
Iron Man only tilted his head at him quizzically, his helmet shifting from Fury to me. "So, what's the deal here? You're the one with the gravity tricks?"
I nodded, acknowledging Iron Man. "Yes, Doctor Franklin Hall. Fury here decided to imprison me for a decade without any due process, all because he couldn't handle the fact that I gained extraordinary powers."
Iron Man's helmeted face turned to Fury. "Imprisoning someone for having powers? That's a new low, even for you, Fury."
Fury's jaw tightened, his frustration evident. "This isn't as simple as it sounds. He's dangerous, and I had to take precautions."
Iron Man scoffed, "Dangerous? We're all dangerous in our own ways. That doesn't justify locking someone up for ten years without a trial."
Wasp, who had been observing the exchange, chimed in, "Tony's right, Fury. What you did is inexcusable."
Thor, who had been silently observing the exchange, spoke up, "This man has been wronged, and justice must be served. It is not for one mortal to decide the fate of another without due process."
Fury's frustration was palpable, and he glared at the assembled heroes. "You don't understand the threats we face and what I deal with. My decisions are made to protect innocent lives."
Iron Man shook his head. "I understand what you're saying, Fury, but this is too far. We can't allow you to continue operating like this. There has to be consequences."
While I very much appreciated the sight of the soon to be Avengers ripping into Fury, I really ought to steer this conversation back to my demands. "Iron Man is right. I want justice for the years Fury stole from me. Compensation for the unjust imprisonment."
Iron Man turned his attention back to me. "Compensation? What are you thinking, a lifetime supply of shawarma?"
My expression remained serious, though I let out a grim smile. Perhaps I'd give the Middle Eastern a try later, but the only thing I hungered for now was retribution. "I'm thinking something more substantial, Stark, though I suppose that it could get me the equivalent."
"The equivalent of a billion dollars per every year I was in that coma would be a reasonable start," I stated, the sum of my demand coming easily.
Fury blinked, the wind and the gravity of my demand momentarily throwing him off balance.
Iron Man let out a low whistle. "That's quite the price tag, Hall. But I have to say, it's not entirely unreasonable considering what you've been through."
I only shrugged, "While it may not seem that way to someone like Fury, a human life is priceless. But I suppose that if I had to measure the years lost in one, then I suppose that billion would be adequate."
"Hall, you're insane," Fury finally managed, his voice struggling to retain its stern command against the sheer audacity of my demand. I couldn't blame him there, a sum like that would've very much dented SHIELD.'s finances for some time to come. Especially when they also had to repair three maximum security prisons for superhumans/villains. But I couldn't really find it in me to care as that was more of a SHIELD problem rather than a me problem.
"Do you really need ten billion?" he then challenged, "One billion is already the kind of money that an average man could never spend in his lifetime. Hell, not even a generation of spending could make a serious dent in that."
"Perhaps," I conceded to that point, "but no amount of money can buy back the years of their life that I lost, the life unlived."
Fury's rebuttal was swift. "You've been enhanced by the super soldier serum. Arguably, your lifespan will extend beyond that of an average human."
"Don't twist this, Fury," I warned, feeling a flare of irritation. "Don't you dare to justify actions that have already cost me dearly into a benefit."
Fury's jaw clenched, a hint of frustration in his eyes, as he gritted out, "When you're demanding ten billion, it's hard not to." He paused, collecting himself. "But let's be practical. That's not even money you'd want. Not with the consequences attached."
I raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate.
"Simply put, even I have people that I must answer to. And while SHIELD operations already cost more than the GDP of a medium sized first world country, I still have to justify significant purchases. And trust me when I tell you that if there's one thing that could never escape the sights of any one, it's money.
Now one billion, it's a pain in my ass but something I could manage. But ten? That's something I can't just explain away, especially not as quickly as you'd like or in a time frame your impatient ass could stand to wait. So I'd have to explain to my superiors just what kind of terrifyingly powerful superhuman I had to bribe not to cause a political shitstorm or a natural disaster. If you think having distant SHIELD operatives looking at you is bad, just wait until you have the unbridled attention of every nation that contributes to SHIELD's equivalent to the CIA, FBI, NSA, Hulkbuster unit, and other secret groups become a pain in your ass."
Fury's words gave me pause as I considered them for a moment. Indeed, the prospect of being under the microscope of the world's most powerful organizations wasn't the most appealing.
But that didn't mean I was willing to simply let him off the hook that easily.
However, I suppose that this was where the yet to be Avengers arriving proved to be a bane. As I was more than willing to accept the risk and the consequences of taking what I wanted all at once.
After all, what possible harm could your average or super spy organization truly do to me? I controlled gravity itself, so good luck to the Black Widow or Winter Soldier trying to assassinate me with a sniper rifle of any caliber of bullet or laser when they would merely bounce of any SHIELD I had. And after the last time with gas, never again, as I would simply have a field that blocked out anything other than simple oxygen. The only real issue would have to be poisoning, but it'd be hard for a spy organization to poison you if you dropped a meteor on their bosses and sources of funding.
But, I was trying to be reasonable here and pushing against Fury's 'reasonable' excuse, even if ten billion was only a mere fraction of what S.H.I.E.L.D. uses overall and could easily be funneled from other projects, may hurt that image and give a smidgeon of sympathy to Fury. Especially as he was still trying to do good here, even if basic human decency was absent from his dictionary.
"So, can we settle on one billion?" Fury proposed, seeming to take my silence as accepting his explanation. "It's a compromise that would make both our lives easier."
It might, but no, a counteroffer was in order.
"How about this, then," I proposed, my voice firm. "How about one billion for now, and the rest, let's say... over the course of ten years? It'll give both you and SHIELD time to build up to that amount without denting you too severely or raising too much attention so suddenly."
Fury narrowed his eyes, clearly weighing the pros and cons of my counteroffer. After a moment of tense silence, he finally nodded. "Alright, one billion now, and the rest over ten years. But I want your word that you won't cause any trouble during that time." And by trouble, he meant me singing my story for all to hear.
"Also, I want everything else that SHIELD has taken from me. Every scrap of my research notes that SHIELD has undoubtedly seized, along with whatever else you may have seized in my absence. And the smoothing of any issues that my disappearance would have caused with the IRS."
Fury nodded in acknowledgment of the conditions. "Agreed. Then this should settle-"
"Oh, but there's one more thing." I sweetly added.
Fury glared at me, thoroughly having had enough of me, but silently urging me to continue.
"And lastly, I want no involvement with SHIELD unless it is entirely by my own decision. Even if required by law, American or international, involving scientists or superhumans, I will not be obligated to comply with any actions from SHIELD. his applies under your tenure as director or anyone else's that follows you. I also want physical and digital copies of this agreement as well, in case anyone has selective memory and conveniently forgets."
Now, did I truly need this? No, not really. After all, I was more than powerful enough to flat out ignore anything that SHIELD would try to push on me.
Such as the Superhuman Registration Act.
But I wanted that exemption straight from Nick Fury for a few reasons. The look on Maria Hill's face when she'd try to force me into it only to see that I was legally exempt by Nick Fury himself.
And secondly, to really push at Fury here as far as I could go. One last show of dominance to end this bout of aggressive negotiations.
For a brief moment, Fury's eyes burned with anger so intense that if he had heat vision, he'd put Cyclops to shame. "You're pushing it, Hall. That's not a request I can grant."
I met his stare head-on. "It's not negotiable. I refuse to have my life shackled to SHIELD's agendas any longer."
Fury's jaw clenched from the implications of such a demand. It was a direct challenge to SHIELD's authority, something he couldn't easily concede. Something he'd rather avoid altogether due to the potential precedent it could set.
"I can't promise that level of detachment," Fury replied, his tone firm as he tried to weasel out of that.
"Then we have no deal," I stated resolutely. And while I couldn't just use a show of force, I merely whistled a tune mimicking that of a bird. Fury's eyes narrowed sharply at the implication.
For a tense moment, a silent standoff unfolded. Fury's intense gaze clashed with my unwavering resolve.
Finally, Fury relented, as he gritted out. "Fine, Hall. No direct involvement unless at your discretion."
Satisfied with the concession, I nodded with a smug smirk. I didn't intend to sever all ties; S.H.I.E.L.D. still had a role in safeguarding the world, especially against the Skrulls hiding among us. But I wasn't going to play nice with them either, because fuck them and fuck Nick Fury in particular.
And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that as soon as I left, Fury would be having my every action tracked by agents of some kind while also having his scientists preparing some way to kill me should I live up to the threat he saw me as. To that, I say,
"Then have a deal, Fury."
Because I had said for our deal, I would destroy him otherwise, but rather than with a story, it'd be through force. After all, who'd expect to find a corpse in space?
I could see the tension ease from his shoulders, relief evident on his face. Not a happy relief, but one of knowing that least he had one less problem to deal with.
"Deal," Fury grunted begrudgingly, as he held out his hand to me. I took it, sealing our agreement with a firm handshake. As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
It was a long time coming, but my demands were met. My justice was served, and I've avenged myself.
"Good, now if there's nothing else, then I have bigger problems to deal with than meeting your demands, I've already wasted enough time with you. Seventy four escaped supervillains are now on loose all across the country, maybe even the world by now." Fury ranted.
"And how did this happen, Fury?" Iron Man demanded.
"I don't know, but we can find out, together. Come work for me, as SHIELD agents you can make a real difference."
"No!" Ant-Man denied as he walked up to Fury, "This is your fault. If you've actually tried to rehabilitate these villains rather than just keeping them locked up like you had with Hall, then many of them may not even still be villains! They could've been reestablished members of society or even heroes themselves!"
The rest of them stood by Ant-Man's speech as they all glared at Fury for even suggesting that they'd work for him, He hadn't exactly proven himself to be the best employer after all. But that silence solidarity was broken by Iron Man, "I agree with you Pym, but Fury's right."
"What?" Wasp sputtered in disbelief, "You of all people are going to work for SHIELD? After what they did to Dr. Hall?"
"Not a chance in hell," Stark said. "The only thing Fury has been right about so far is that we could make a difference, together. One on one, we could take down a villain or two, but seventy-four is more than any of us could handle on our own. But together, we could have a chance. The world is going to need us, but not as SHIELD agents. We need to be a team. And together, we could work to right the wrongs caused by all of these villains."
The room fell into a heavy silence as Iron Man's words hung in the air. The weight of his proposition settled on each hero's shoulders, their minds racing with the possibilities and risks that lay ahead.
Ant-Man nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "He's right," he said, looking at the rest of the group. "We've all had our fair share of run-ins with villains. We know what it's like to fight alone. But if we combine our powers, our strengths, there's no limit to what we can achieve."
Wasp nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with determination, "Let's do it, then. Together."
Thor's smile widened as he spoke up, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Indeed, together we could be a formidable force for good. The world will surely benefit from our efforts."
"Now that's all well and good, but like any good team, you guys are going to need a name. Nothing tacky like the Thunderbolts or campy like the Justice League, but something that really speaks of what you're setting out to do, so to speak." I recommended.
"What we're doing is looking to do is not just right, but to avenge." Iron Man said, channeling back to that leader energu.
"We could be Avengers. Oh, that could be our team name!" Wasp pointed out.
"Kudos, quite the name you've chosen, and rather catchy I'll add." I clapped.
"Well thanks, you kind of lead us to that though. And speaking of that, why not join us?" she urged.
"Indeed, you power over gravity would allow you to do quite well in proving the director's disingenuous assertion of you wrong." Thor added.
"Well, I'm flattered that I'm even being considered, but I'm sorry to say that I'll have to decline. I still need to get some semblance of a life together before deciding on anything as big as such a commitment."
"Fair enough, and even if you're rich enough to never need to work a day in your life, trust me when I tell you that you're still going to need something meaningful to do. Especially with minds like ours. So, if the superhero thing isn't for you right now, or even ever, how about a job at Stark Industries? You could certainly do a lot of good working with us." Tony said.
"Control over a fundamental force of the universe certainly could, couldn't it," I mused with as smile as I stroked my beard, "From simply saving on fuel costs on shuttles by reducing their gravity or just carrying them to space. Hell, I could make mining asteroids a feasible capability..."
Even if I couldn't see the man's eyes behind his helmet, I could certainly imagine the dollar signs that must've flashed on Tony's eyes. Though I'd imagine that he was much more interested in the space faring possibilities and potential mining of exotic materials he could use for his armor.
"And to think that Fury would've keep me locked away, the most his peanut brain would've came up with was using me to come up with gravity based weapons or some such."
"Those weapons could help SHIELD agents-"
"Fuck that, I could be helping humanity as a whole with my abilities." I smacked that notion down before turning back to Stark, "Now I'm not just going to say that I'm in, but know that I'm strongly considering accepting that offer."
Tony chuckled, "That's the spirit, just head over to Stark Industries whenever you've 'strongly considered' and we'll be happy to have you."
"Now that you're done coming up with names and poaching my former personnel, I'd like to remain you all that we still have a supervillain problem that we'd ought to be dealing with." Fury interjected.
"Speaking of villains, I suppose that I could provide some assistance, if only so expedite your problems." I spoke up, "For one, I have heard some speaking regarding a plot of sorts. It turns out that when you've been in a coma for so long, people tend to overlook you. But I was groggy when waking up, so I didn't get the voices nor all of the details. But apparently this was all a plot from some kind of enchantress concocted with a prince of mischief."
"An enchantress? Prince of mischief?" Thor mused before his eyes widened in alarm, "By Odin's beard! If this is who I think it is, then I must return to Asgard at once! The threat this sorceress poses is too great!"
"Wait, before you go, Thor. Can you tell us who this 'prince of mischief' and 'enchantress' are?" Fury asked urgently.
"That would be my brother, Loki, the God of Mischief, but he was supposed to be imprisoned in the Isles of Silence! But if the Enchantress is involved, then that would explain his involvement as only she would be powerful enough to break my Father's spell. Now, I must go and warn him, but I will return to aid you in Migard's time of need as soon as I can. Farewell!" With that, the God of Thunder shot off into the sky, leaving the remaining heroes, Nicholas Fury, and me, behind.
"Well, I guess that I'd best be off myself. Good to meet you all, Avengers. Fury, I hope you get a second eyepatch."
With that, I flew off, leaving the rest to their devices.
As I took to the sky, my mind raced with the possibilities that lie ahead. While my revenge on Fury was sweet and undestructive to anyone other than SHIELD, my mind couldn't help but consider what else was in store for me now.
A job at Stark Industries.
Perhaps an official membership with the Avengers.
And the ability to do some real good with my powers.
All sorts of possibilities to live out this new life of mine.
Now, what should I do first? Where would I go?
Besides getting my bank account reopened and checking into a hotel. I needed somewhere to stay and Hall's house was just too uncomfortable to really consider my home now.
Well, I suppose that I could pay some visits, now and when I've gained some cash.
One Incredible.
One incredible and legal.
And perhaps one fantastic.
So, with my plans and goals in place, I made my way towards the horizon, the endless possibilities stretching before me.
#########
So, after months I finally managed to get this out. aaaahhhhhhhhh, finally. That halfway point was kicking my ass a ton ngl, but I finally broke through that wall to get the rest of this out.
So Hall finally gets his revenge on fury, but our boy is gonna have to wait a bit for logistics to have the rest of his revenge delivered to him. And he spills the beans on Loki and Enchantress' plot, meaning that Odin won't yet be in his Odinsleep quite yet. Meaning that both their plan and they are rather fucked lol. (I considered added a bit from Thor or Loki's POV of Thor arriving back to tattle to Odin, but my muse is being a pain to work with and i don't want to delay this any further, so perhaps I'll add it in the next chapter.)
Now, if you can tell by the ending bit, Hall plans on making some visits to various heroes. First, he'll be visiting the Hulk since Bruce wouldn't have seen the Avengers fighting Graviton on TV and so wouldn't have felt that the Hulk needed to help. So he'll be trying to nudge the Hulk into helping.
Next is She-Hulk, she's a pretty damn good lawyer and Hall might need some legal help for reintegrating back into normal life, perhaps for drafting up leases. Now he could go to Murdock, since he's also a pretty damn good lawyer, but let's be real here, most of us would be going to She-Hulk as our first choice for the most part lol.
And finally the Fantastic Four, he's buying the Baxter Building lol. Part of it is to just mess with Reed a bit, another is to help the FF outside since they did have some financial troubles in the comics due to their home already getting attacked by villains along with Reed's experiments costing a pretty penny. Now I'm aware that in some versions, Reed is rather well off from selling his inventions, but bro has a trope named after him for a reason and that's at play here. And the main reason is to keep an eye on Susan Storm, the one Skrull that he can reasonably keep an eye on without them getting suspicious. Hall can't exactly eye the one disguised as Madame Hydra without joining Hydra, so fuck that, or the Queen disguised as Mockingbird without joining Shield, also fuck that.
He might also interact with the X-Men later on, as X-Men Evolution/Wolverine and the X-Men are canon to this fic (the Wolverine that shows up in EMH is from that show, which is somewhat of a continuation of Evolution). If only so he could hint Xavier about the
anywho, I do hope that you've enjoyed the chapter and sorry about the wait
Interlude 1
Just to note, this will mostly be from Thor and Loki's POV. We'll return to our scheduled MC next chapter
#########
With a sense of urgency driving him, Thor stormed into his father's grand throne room. The sound of his heavy boots echoed off the walls and marble floors as he called out to Odin.
"Father!" Thor gasped, coming to a stop before the imposing figure of his father seated upon his golden throne. The King of Asgard's face was stern and solemn, his one eye piercing through the crown prince with a penetrating gaze.
"Thor, I see that you've finally come to your senses regarding what you are responsible for, about what your choice should be." Odin spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
Thor shook his head, determination etched on his face. "No, Father," he spoke firmly, "I still stand by my decision to aid Midgard, by my choosing of it. Especially now more than ever, when it has become even more of my responsibility. Moreso considering that the affairs of Asgard have been the cause of its latest strife."
Odin raised a single eyebrow, curious at his son's words. "Explain yourself, Thor. As far as I am aware, the only interference from Asgard has been by your hand."
"Loki has escaped the Isles of Silence and has spread his mischief to cause chaos amongst the mortals of Midgard." Thor's voice held a hint of frustration.
Odin was silent for a moment, his face impassive. Then, his face twisted into a furious scowl, "How is this possible, when I myself enchanted the prison with magic beyond that of Loki's abilities?"
"Apparently, the Enchantress had freed Loki from his prison and is aiding him with his scheme," Thor explained. "They have unleashed dangerous villains upon Midgard as a distraction while they plot against the rest of the Nine Realms."
"Is that so, Thor?" Odin asked inquisitively, "And how did you come about this knowledge?"
"From the words of a mortal who was wrongly imprisoned among the villains," Thor replied grimly. "He happened to overhear the plots of those working for Loki and Amora and shared them with me."
While looking greatly concerned, Odin remained skeptical. "While this news is of great concern should it prove true, you must understand that I cannot simply trust the words of a mere mortal. But I cannot ignore this either." Odin said, before gazing afar, "Heimdall, use your all-seeing gaze upon the Isles of Silence and report back."
"I see that Loki is still sulking within the Isles. He has yet to escape from your magic, All-Father." Heimdall's voice boomed through the room. "However, it may be an illusion of his. If any could deceive my sight, it would be Loki."
"Then we must confirm for ourselves," Odin stated firmly as he stood from his throne. Raising his powerful spear, Gungnir, he channeled the power of the Odinforce to bring forth Loki from his exile.
Nothing had happened.
"He still remains despite your summons, All-Father. And shows no active signs of resisting either, or any kind of strain. This is undoubtedly an illusion." Heimdall declared with unwavering certainty.
A furrow deepened on Odin's brow as he realized his magic failed in retrieving Loki. The trickster had truly eluded him. Suspicion flashed in Odin's narrowed eyes, and a revelation dawned upon him.
"Since I wouldn't have expected anyone to dare defy me in freeing him, that illusion may have been enough to convince us that he had remained stranded should I have had Heimdall gaze upon him. But knowing that the Enchantress is involved, she must have freed him from the Isles of Silence, and far too quickly for my liking. This must've been planned." Odin mused to himself before turning to address Thor, "Yes. The attack on Asgard with the Frost Giants was meant to fail, and he intended to be banished. With him thought to be trapped in exile, Loki would've been free to act beneath our notice. And with you needlessly occupied with Midgard, they would've been free to go about and conquer the Nine Realms without you there to stop them while I would be under the Odinsleep."
"That he would not only just attack Asgard, but to do so only as a means of distraction! And to further spread chaos to Midgard as well!" Thor seethed, his fist clenched tight as he fought the urge to smash the walls.
"It pleases me to hear that you are still concerned for your home despite your neglect of it in favor of Midgard." Odin said pointedly.
Suddenly, a second revelation struck Odin. Ignoring Thor's impending protest his claim, Odin urgently instructed, "Heimdall, where is Balder now!? Send him to me at once!"
"Why summon Balder, Father? For what need do you have of him?" Thor inquired, his confusion evident.
"He is the sole Asgardian besides yourself to have ventured to Midgard as of late." Odin replied sternly.
"Yes, to report to you about my every action." Thor retorted, still displeased with his father's constant overlooking of him.
"Balder has been painting a worrisome picture of you lately. And though I can see some truth in it, it has only driven you further from Asgard and myself." Odin continued, unfazed by his son's protests.
"That makes no sense," Thor argued, "The last time I spoke with Balder, he was encouraging me to return to Asgard. And though he may not have agreed with my actions, he accepted my decision. He would not speak to you like this unless...!"
Suddenly, the gates to the throne room swung open, and in stepped Balder. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of an angry All-Father and Odinson, his sight lingering on the former for a moment longer before shifting back to the latter.
"All-Father, Heimdall said you had urgent need of me?" he asked cautiously, for clearly the sight of such powerful beings in such a state would leave most wary.
Odin's gaze burned with parental anger as he stared at Balder. "Yes, we have quite the need for you. It seems that I may have been far too lenient with my son." he said calmly, though it could be felt by the two other occupants that it was merely a calm before the storm.
Upon seeing the look of anger on Thor's face, Balder only gave a hapless smile, "Forgive me Thor, I was only reporting to Odin as I should. After all, I still have a duty to Asgard."
That smile only served to further sour Thor's mood further, while Odin remained as stoic as ever.
"As do I, my son." Odin nodded at the words in agreement, "For your time away from Asgard could have brought great ruin to it. I see now that I was far too lenient in allowing you to go where you pleased." His disappointment was evident in his tone as he seemed to be chastising his son.
"The Isles of Silence was clearly too lenient for you, my son."
With those scathing words, Loki's face fell into utter disbelief as he had realized just who the All-Father had been truly speaking to.
-XXX-
How?!
How could it have gone so wrong so quickly?!
The plan was foolproof!
His invasion of Asgard failed just as he had expected it to. As if he would actually try to invade Asgard while Odin was still awake, near his Odinsleep he may be, the All-Father was still far too powerful to take lightly. But of course, Asgard, the land of foolish warriors, merely accepted this at face value and put no further thought into it once he was captured.
And once banished to the Isles of Silence, that should've been it. Odin, in his arrogance, would've thought the matter resolved and looked no further, while Thor would be far too distracted with Midgard and that wrench Jane Foster to pay him any notice. And with him driving a wedge between the two, through his disguise as the half blooded brother and son that Asgard accepted, Balder, that should've kept Thor far away from Asgard.
And for a while, it had gone that way. Odin was nearing the Odinsleep closer and closer as the days went on and with the massive release of mortal villains on Midgard, Thor would be dedicating his every effort into protecting those pathetic and miserable mortals.
So why the Hel was Thor back on Asgard!?
There was no conceivable way that Thor of all people would have figured out his scheme. He was far too much of a muscle headed, nobly naive, fool to ever do such a thing. The most complex thought that Thor should be having is fumbling over how to woo that Midgardian woman.
And Odin was far too blind to realize the aims of his schemes until it was too late. For despite the wisdom that the All-Father had gained throughout his lifetime, he was far too arrogant and self-assured in his own power. Believing that if he himself banished Loki away, then it would be inconceivable for him to escape, or for others to go against him and free him from his punishment.
No, it couldn't possibly be that Thor or Odin came to this on their own. Not unless…
The Enchantress.
It could only be because of her that his plan had failed so spectacularly. After all, she and that brute, more mindless than Thor, were the only ones to even know of his plan. And while he had interacted with some mortals on Midgard, he was disguised and none of the 'Wrecking Crew' had an iota of magical potential to ever hope to see past the most infantile of magics, let alone one casted by the God of Mischief!
But how could she fail so utterly!? While she wasn't as clever as he in the art of Mischief, she was one of the most powerful sorceresses in all of the Realms, her magic should've been more than enough to see her role in his plan through to completion! There couldn't possibly be room for error with her! But, she was hopelessly infatuated with... Thor.
No, there could be no conceivable way that she would simply blabber off to Thor about their plan! A plan that would dethrone Odin, have him ruling over all of the Nine Realms and with her by his side as his ally. Love can make utter fools out of anyone, but surely she of all people with the countless she seduced to gain her power would have a basic understanding…
Or perhaps she simply sought to execute the plan on her own. That was much more logical. Except for the fact that now she would have to manage the conquest of all Nine Realms on her own in addition to keeping Thor occupied! He sneered at the mere thought, as if she could just conquer all Nine Realms when she only became as powerful as she did from her body rather than her mind. And the Enchantress would never be able to rule Asgard with the same finesse and cunning that he would've.
So, either she had betrayed him, or she had more than proved herself a perfect match for that fool of brother of his. He wasn't sure which infuriated him more.
Unless...there was something he didn't know. Something that had gone awry in her plans, for it most certainly couldn't have been his, other than in trusting that harlot at all.
Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared before him, emanating with an eerie green glow. Loki's eyes widened in surprise as the Enchantress' face appeared.
"Loki," she purred, a wicked smile curving her lips. "It seems our plans have hit a minor setback."
"Minor setback!? You dare to show your face!?" Loki snarled, his anger boiling over. "Explain yourself! What went wrong!? How did they discover our plan!?"
The Enchantress scowled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "My part of the plan, Loki, is still proceeding as intended. I have not betrayed you, nor have I failed in my mission. And while I would be inclined to believe that the fault is solely your own considering your sorry state, I do not blame you for I do not know just yet how Thor came to find out. But I will get to the bottom of it and make sure that our ambitions are not thwarted. We have come too far to let a setback like this destroy our grand plans."
Loki gritted his teeth, his anger momentarily subdued by the Enchantress's words. He knew better than to cross her; her powers were formidable, and her loyalty was as fickle as the wind. If she believed their plan could still succeed, then he would have to trust her for now. Besides, he needed her on his side if they were to salvage their scheme and reclaim the power they desired. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
"Very well," Loki replied through clenched teeth. "Find out how Thor discovered our plan, and ensure that he cannot interfere like this again. We cannot afford any more mistakes if we are to hope to succeed."
A wicked smile curled on the Enchantress's lips. "Oh, I'll be doing everything in my power to rectify the situation, but I'll have to act swiftly if I'm to salvage the situation. In the meantime, you will have to act more convincingly as a prisoner, as I doubt that Heimdall nor Odin will let you out of their notice anytime soon. Well, them and the Midgardian Serpant. Farewell~"
Loki watched as the Enchantress's face disappeared from the portal. He was left alone in his solitude once again, for he refused to consider the creature dropping acid in his eyes any sort of consideration as a being, his mind racing with thoughts and questions. How had Thor managed to unravel their carefully crafted plan? What had he discovered? Loki pondered these mysteries, his mind working tirelessly to find the answers.
And though he was rather incensed at the Enchantress for leaving him here, he was at the least grateful for her blocking the ability for his mind to feel pain even if he still had to wring his body and roar in agony as if he had. And if there was any benefit to be had from this disaster, he now knew what he would subject Odin, Thor, Balder, and Heimdall to once he finally ruled over Asgard and the Nine Realms.
-XXX-
"I suppose that you are right after all, Thor." Odin muses gruffly.
"Thank you, father," Thor replied with a respectful bow as he knelt before his father.
"But know that I send you not merely as a defender of Midgard, but as an enforcer of Asgardian justice as well," Odin continued sternly. "For you are to find the Enchantress and bring her before me for daring to free Loki and aiding him in his schemes."
Thor's grip on his trusty hammer, Mjolnir, tightened at the mention of his mischievous brother. He stood tall and resolute, ready to carry out his father's orders, though he was more inclined to carrying them out for the sake of Midgard.
"Yes, father," Thor declared with determination. "I shall bring the Enchantress to justice and put an end to her and Loki's treachery once and for all."
Odin nodded, a mixture of pride and concern evident in his gaze. "Go, my son. Assist them; aid Midgard, for the humans do not need you to protect them from all the perils that they face. And do try not to let Jane Foster distract you for too long while you're at it."
"I understand. I won't disappoint you, father," Thor replied, giving a firm nod before turning on his heel and marching out of the throne room, his resolve steeled and his mind set on the task at hand. He also pointedly ignored the cheeky look his father gave him at that last comment.
With Mjolnir in hand, he leapt high into the air, using the power of his enchanted hammer to propel himself across the expanse of Asgard and towards the Bifrost Bridge.
XXXXX
Not chapter 4, I know and am sorry for, but that's still a work in progress unfortunately.
Though I did manage to get to finishing a bit of a look on the consequences of Graviton's actions. This was planned to be a bit for the last chapter, but ended up growing way too big to include, so I had it be its own chapter/canon omake. still teetering between going with interlude or chapter 3.1, but for now it'll be interlude.
And here we get to watch an All-father and Odinson have a bit of a chat to clear some things up and witness as Loki's plan takes quite the downward spiral for him, though he still's in a play for as long as the Enchantress doesn't betray him.
And considering how adept she is at reading minds via sorcery, Amora is going to rather quickly find out that she has our boy Hall to blame for fucking up their plans. Imagine her surprise that some Midgardian who wasn't even a part of the plan somehow managed to spill the beans, and I don't doubt that Loki is very much going to have a bone to pick with the mere mortal that dared to ruin his plan as he did should he find. So Hall's already got himself a bit of an enemy in Fury and may be firmly on Loki's shit list lol.
Now, with everything posted, we're back to our irregularly scheduled program.
anywho, I hope that you guys enjoyed this mini chapter and leave me your thoughts.
#########
With a sense of urgency driving him, Thor stormed into his father's grand throne room. The sound of his heavy boots echoed off the walls and marble floors as he called out to Odin.
"Father!" Thor gasped, coming to a stop before the imposing figure of his father seated upon his golden throne. The King of Asgard's face was stern and solemn, his one eye piercing through the crown prince with a penetrating gaze.
"Thor, I see that you've finally come to your senses regarding what you are responsible for, about what your choice should be." Odin spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
Thor shook his head, determination etched on his face. "No, Father," he spoke firmly, "I still stand by my decision to aid Midgard, by my choosing of it. Especially now more than ever, when it has become even more of my responsibility. Moreso considering that the affairs of Asgard have been the cause of its latest strife."
Odin raised a single eyebrow, curious at his son's words. "Explain yourself, Thor. As far as I am aware, the only interference from Asgard has been by your hand."
"Loki has escaped the Isles of Silence and has spread his mischief to cause chaos amongst the mortals of Midgard." Thor's voice held a hint of frustration.
Odin was silent for a moment, his face impassive. Then, his face twisted into a furious scowl, "How is this possible, when I myself enchanted the prison with magic beyond that of Loki's abilities?"
"Apparently, the Enchantress had freed Loki from his prison and is aiding him with his scheme," Thor explained. "They have unleashed dangerous villains upon Midgard as a distraction while they plot against the rest of the Nine Realms."
"Is that so, Thor?" Odin asked inquisitively, "And how did you come about this knowledge?"
"From the words of a mortal who was wrongly imprisoned among the villains," Thor replied grimly. "He happened to overhear the plots of those working for Loki and Amora and shared them with me."
While looking greatly concerned, Odin remained skeptical. "While this news is of great concern should it prove true, you must understand that I cannot simply trust the words of a mere mortal. But I cannot ignore this either." Odin said, before gazing afar, "Heimdall, use your all-seeing gaze upon the Isles of Silence and report back."
"I see that Loki is still sulking within the Isles. He has yet to escape from your magic, All-Father." Heimdall's voice boomed through the room. "However, it may be an illusion of his. If any could deceive my sight, it would be Loki."
"Then we must confirm for ourselves," Odin stated firmly as he stood from his throne. Raising his powerful spear, Gungnir, he channeled the power of the Odinforce to bring forth Loki from his exile.
Nothing had happened.
"He still remains despite your summons, All-Father. And shows no active signs of resisting either, or any kind of strain. This is undoubtedly an illusion." Heimdall declared with unwavering certainty.
A furrow deepened on Odin's brow as he realized his magic failed in retrieving Loki. The trickster had truly eluded him. Suspicion flashed in Odin's narrowed eyes, and a revelation dawned upon him.
"Since I wouldn't have expected anyone to dare defy me in freeing him, that illusion may have been enough to convince us that he had remained stranded should I have had Heimdall gaze upon him. But knowing that the Enchantress is involved, she must have freed him from the Isles of Silence, and far too quickly for my liking. This must've been planned." Odin mused to himself before turning to address Thor, "Yes. The attack on Asgard with the Frost Giants was meant to fail, and he intended to be banished. With him thought to be trapped in exile, Loki would've been free to act beneath our notice. And with you needlessly occupied with Midgard, they would've been free to go about and conquer the Nine Realms without you there to stop them while I would be under the Odinsleep."
"That he would not only just attack Asgard, but to do so only as a means of distraction! And to further spread chaos to Midgard as well!" Thor seethed, his fist clenched tight as he fought the urge to smash the walls.
"It pleases me to hear that you are still concerned for your home despite your neglect of it in favor of Midgard." Odin said pointedly.
Suddenly, a second revelation struck Odin. Ignoring Thor's impending protest his claim, Odin urgently instructed, "Heimdall, where is Balder now!? Send him to me at once!"
"Why summon Balder, Father? For what need do you have of him?" Thor inquired, his confusion evident.
"He is the sole Asgardian besides yourself to have ventured to Midgard as of late." Odin replied sternly.
"Yes, to report to you about my every action." Thor retorted, still displeased with his father's constant overlooking of him.
"Balder has been painting a worrisome picture of you lately. And though I can see some truth in it, it has only driven you further from Asgard and myself." Odin continued, unfazed by his son's protests.
"That makes no sense," Thor argued, "The last time I spoke with Balder, he was encouraging me to return to Asgard. And though he may not have agreed with my actions, he accepted my decision. He would not speak to you like this unless...!"
Suddenly, the gates to the throne room swung open, and in stepped Balder. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of an angry All-Father and Odinson, his sight lingering on the former for a moment longer before shifting back to the latter.
"All-Father, Heimdall said you had urgent need of me?" he asked cautiously, for clearly the sight of such powerful beings in such a state would leave most wary.
Odin's gaze burned with parental anger as he stared at Balder. "Yes, we have quite the need for you. It seems that I may have been far too lenient with my son." he said calmly, though it could be felt by the two other occupants that it was merely a calm before the storm.
Upon seeing the look of anger on Thor's face, Balder only gave a hapless smile, "Forgive me Thor, I was only reporting to Odin as I should. After all, I still have a duty to Asgard."
That smile only served to further sour Thor's mood further, while Odin remained as stoic as ever.
"As do I, my son." Odin nodded at the words in agreement, "For your time away from Asgard could have brought great ruin to it. I see now that I was far too lenient in allowing you to go where you pleased." His disappointment was evident in his tone as he seemed to be chastising his son.
"The Isles of Silence was clearly too lenient for you, my son."
With those scathing words, Loki's face fell into utter disbelief as he had realized just who the All-Father had been truly speaking to.
-XXX-
How?!
How could it have gone so wrong so quickly?!
The plan was foolproof!
His invasion of Asgard failed just as he had expected it to. As if he would actually try to invade Asgard while Odin was still awake, near his Odinsleep he may be, the All-Father was still far too powerful to take lightly. But of course, Asgard, the land of foolish warriors, merely accepted this at face value and put no further thought into it once he was captured.
And once banished to the Isles of Silence, that should've been it. Odin, in his arrogance, would've thought the matter resolved and looked no further, while Thor would be far too distracted with Midgard and that wrench Jane Foster to pay him any notice. And with him driving a wedge between the two, through his disguise as the half blooded brother and son that Asgard accepted, Balder, that should've kept Thor far away from Asgard.
And for a while, it had gone that way. Odin was nearing the Odinsleep closer and closer as the days went on and with the massive release of mortal villains on Midgard, Thor would be dedicating his every effort into protecting those pathetic and miserable mortals.
So why the Hel was Thor back on Asgard!?
There was no conceivable way that Thor of all people would have figured out his scheme. He was far too much of a muscle headed, nobly naive, fool to ever do such a thing. The most complex thought that Thor should be having is fumbling over how to woo that Midgardian woman.
And Odin was far too blind to realize the aims of his schemes until it was too late. For despite the wisdom that the All-Father had gained throughout his lifetime, he was far too arrogant and self-assured in his own power. Believing that if he himself banished Loki away, then it would be inconceivable for him to escape, or for others to go against him and free him from his punishment.
No, it couldn't possibly be that Thor or Odin came to this on their own. Not unless…
The Enchantress.
It could only be because of her that his plan had failed so spectacularly. After all, she and that brute, more mindless than Thor, were the only ones to even know of his plan. And while he had interacted with some mortals on Midgard, he was disguised and none of the 'Wrecking Crew' had an iota of magical potential to ever hope to see past the most infantile of magics, let alone one casted by the God of Mischief!
But how could she fail so utterly!? While she wasn't as clever as he in the art of Mischief, she was one of the most powerful sorceresses in all of the Realms, her magic should've been more than enough to see her role in his plan through to completion! There couldn't possibly be room for error with her! But, she was hopelessly infatuated with... Thor.
No, there could be no conceivable way that she would simply blabber off to Thor about their plan! A plan that would dethrone Odin, have him ruling over all of the Nine Realms and with her by his side as his ally. Love can make utter fools out of anyone, but surely she of all people with the countless she seduced to gain her power would have a basic understanding…
Or perhaps she simply sought to execute the plan on her own. That was much more logical. Except for the fact that now she would have to manage the conquest of all Nine Realms on her own in addition to keeping Thor occupied! He sneered at the mere thought, as if she could just conquer all Nine Realms when she only became as powerful as she did from her body rather than her mind. And the Enchantress would never be able to rule Asgard with the same finesse and cunning that he would've.
So, either she had betrayed him, or she had more than proved herself a perfect match for that fool of brother of his. He wasn't sure which infuriated him more.
Unless...there was something he didn't know. Something that had gone awry in her plans, for it most certainly couldn't have been his, other than in trusting that harlot at all.
Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared before him, emanating with an eerie green glow. Loki's eyes widened in surprise as the Enchantress' face appeared.
"Loki," she purred, a wicked smile curving her lips. "It seems our plans have hit a minor setback."
"Minor setback!? You dare to show your face!?" Loki snarled, his anger boiling over. "Explain yourself! What went wrong!? How did they discover our plan!?"
The Enchantress scowled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "My part of the plan, Loki, is still proceeding as intended. I have not betrayed you, nor have I failed in my mission. And while I would be inclined to believe that the fault is solely your own considering your sorry state, I do not blame you for I do not know just yet how Thor came to find out. But I will get to the bottom of it and make sure that our ambitions are not thwarted. We have come too far to let a setback like this destroy our grand plans."
Loki gritted his teeth, his anger momentarily subdued by the Enchantress's words. He knew better than to cross her; her powers were formidable, and her loyalty was as fickle as the wind. If she believed their plan could still succeed, then he would have to trust her for now. Besides, he needed her on his side if they were to salvage their scheme and reclaim the power they desired. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
"Very well," Loki replied through clenched teeth. "Find out how Thor discovered our plan, and ensure that he cannot interfere like this again. We cannot afford any more mistakes if we are to hope to succeed."
A wicked smile curled on the Enchantress's lips. "Oh, I'll be doing everything in my power to rectify the situation, but I'll have to act swiftly if I'm to salvage the situation. In the meantime, you will have to act more convincingly as a prisoner, as I doubt that Heimdall nor Odin will let you out of their notice anytime soon. Well, them and the Midgardian Serpant. Farewell~"
Loki watched as the Enchantress's face disappeared from the portal. He was left alone in his solitude once again, for he refused to consider the creature dropping acid in his eyes any sort of consideration as a being, his mind racing with thoughts and questions. How had Thor managed to unravel their carefully crafted plan? What had he discovered? Loki pondered these mysteries, his mind working tirelessly to find the answers.
And though he was rather incensed at the Enchantress for leaving him here, he was at the least grateful for her blocking the ability for his mind to feel pain even if he still had to wring his body and roar in agony as if he had. And if there was any benefit to be had from this disaster, he now knew what he would subject Odin, Thor, Balder, and Heimdall to once he finally ruled over Asgard and the Nine Realms.
-XXX-
"I suppose that you are right after all, Thor." Odin muses gruffly.
"Thank you, father," Thor replied with a respectful bow as he knelt before his father.
"But know that I send you not merely as a defender of Midgard, but as an enforcer of Asgardian justice as well," Odin continued sternly. "For you are to find the Enchantress and bring her before me for daring to free Loki and aiding him in his schemes."
Thor's grip on his trusty hammer, Mjolnir, tightened at the mention of his mischievous brother. He stood tall and resolute, ready to carry out his father's orders, though he was more inclined to carrying them out for the sake of Midgard.
"Yes, father," Thor declared with determination. "I shall bring the Enchantress to justice and put an end to her and Loki's treachery once and for all."
Odin nodded, a mixture of pride and concern evident in his gaze. "Go, my son. Assist them; aid Midgard, for the humans do not need you to protect them from all the perils that they face. And do try not to let Jane Foster distract you for too long while you're at it."
"I understand. I won't disappoint you, father," Thor replied, giving a firm nod before turning on his heel and marching out of the throne room, his resolve steeled and his mind set on the task at hand. He also pointedly ignored the cheeky look his father gave him at that last comment.
With Mjolnir in hand, he leapt high into the air, using the power of his enchanted hammer to propel himself across the expanse of Asgard and towards the Bifrost Bridge.
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Not chapter 4, I know and am sorry for, but that's still a work in progress unfortunately.
Though I did manage to get to finishing a bit of a look on the consequences of Graviton's actions. This was planned to be a bit for the last chapter, but ended up growing way too big to include, so I had it be its own chapter/canon omake. still teetering between going with interlude or chapter 3.1, but for now it'll be interlude.
And here we get to watch an All-father and Odinson have a bit of a chat to clear some things up and witness as Loki's plan takes quite the downward spiral for him, though he still's in a play for as long as the Enchantress doesn't betray him.
And considering how adept she is at reading minds via sorcery, Amora is going to rather quickly find out that she has our boy Hall to blame for fucking up their plans. Imagine her surprise that some Midgardian who wasn't even a part of the plan somehow managed to spill the beans, and I don't doubt that Loki is very much going to have a bone to pick with the mere mortal that dared to ruin his plan as he did should he find. So Hall's already got himself a bit of an enemy in Fury and may be firmly on Loki's shit list lol.
Now, with everything posted, we're back to our irregularly scheduled program.
anywho, I hope that you guys enjoyed this mini chapter and leave me your thoughts.
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