Getting enough territory for the Asgardians from Norway was a difficult feat, but a combination of international pressure and the promise of using their technological knowledge to substitute for their loss of oil revenues managed to convince them. Norway would be raking in truly astonishing income through it, some of it coming from my hundred billion – Woe to me and mine in that context.

Now we were sitting around the treaty table, the United States President was cautioning Thor that he would need treaty affirmation from the Senate. "If Congress doesn't confirm it, then this treaty won't be worth the paper we signed it with in 2019."

"This is madness," Thor said, leaning over the long, hastily whipped up legalese of the paper. "Must I negotiate with a new man every four years?"

"Four to eight," Ellis said, handing him the pen. "Might be a woman next year if Heartwood wins the election."

Thor shook his head, but since the important peace clause specified that Loki would be handed over at the end of 2018 if Thanos was not dead as, 'confirmed by a reliable, appointed party on behalf of the U.S. government.' it didn't really matter and wouldn't matter for years. Worst come to worst, Thor could ship Loki somewhere else for safety. Thor leaned over and signed it and we all felt our shoulders slump in exhaustion.

Ellis extended his hand to Thor, "Congratulations, Thor Odinson. Welcome to Earth." Thor shook it and they turned toward the crowd of ambassadors and held up their hands together into the air in a stance of victory. Applause broke out.

Peace on Earth, between man and god. One, united front. A doubling of SWORD's Firefly squads, the help of the Masters of the Mystic Arts to reach Thanos through portals. If this worked, then everything I worked for would be achieved, everything I feared averted and I would have to pay the devil whose hand I had shaken to get here.

We all pay prices.

I walked out of the main room and felt the agony on my feet, I'd been standing, pacing, moving all day. As I moved out toward the crowd, I could hear the sounds of an oncoming riot. It had been getting steadily worse all evening. The faction that had supported storming had stayed, the faction that opposed had gone, and so there weren't nearly as many people – A thousand people, maybe. But also our police line was getting exhausted and might break at any moment.

Embarrassing the U.S internationally and endanger foreign dignitaries or destroying domestic support for what was already sure to be an unpopular treaty by firing on a relatively peaceful protest.

Loving my options here. Our options here. Damn it, this wasn't my country, I had to actually persuade people to do things my way. Not the best position for me, especially in lights of the situation.

I couldn't suppress that many Wizard phones without sparking suspicion.

I shouldn't launch tear or mind control gas on them.

I couldn't call up an army or mow them down with the helicarriers.

I couldn't give them what they wanted – Which was a little fuzzy? The coalition outside had too many demands to really successfully get what they wanted. Isolationism, maybe, but with international conflict at an all-time nadir thanks to a mixture of our take overs and the Thanos issue. Besides, isolationism was the exact opposite of what we needed right now and the exact opposite of what I was willing to do. I'd rather the treaty was unpopular or, better, the United States embarrassed than that I caved to a retreat when I was on the brink of victory.

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I could evacuate the dignitaries with Quantum Tunnelers, but that would just embarrass the U.S. and weaken it internationally. Ellis wouldn't go for it.

I couldn't have infiltrators start instigating because I hadn't bothered to send any in advance.

The situation wasn't great.

Steve and Daisy were lounging out front and I walked up to them. Long had I benefited from the special status of extremely talented individuals in this world, but seldom had I actually had to deal with that fact from the other end of things.

"Do you know what these people want?"

"The United States to withdraw support from authoritarian regimes abroad, especially in former allies like India," Daisy said, cupping her hands together.

"That's… I mean, I understand the principle of protesting for that, but, uh, think they might need more people than they brought if they wanted a radical transformation of U.S. foreign policy. Candidates that are aligned with that interest. I'm just saying, the picket signs aren't gonna get the job done."

Frankly, Ellis' neglect on this front was my greatest asset. The fool was more worried about not being involved in foreign conflicts than in avoiding a potentially hostile international alliance of authoritarians. That was a mistake that would cost him everything.

To be fair, I had also subverted most of his internationalism to my interest as well, so maybe I should just say instead that the man had been outmatched generally. He had also hired a VP who had tried to have him killed, which was just… I mean, it was embarrassing and pathetic and so many other synonyms I'd get tired saying them. The single most important decision a president will ever make, unless he decides to drop a nuke, is Vice Presidents. They could be Andrew Johnson or Theodore Roosevelt, and Ellis had the worst taste since Lincoln.

"There's some associated boycotts and signature gathering, mostly it's a membership rally." Daisy said. "Or it was. I don't know why they're still out there."

"Hoping to punch through and embarrass the United States and the President," I said, rubbing my forehead. "Clever threat, the demand's just too large for them to get what they want."

"Not much we can do about it," Cap said, shrugging. He locked eyes with me for a moment and saw my frustration. "Or you, for that matter."

The worst part was that he was right.

In the end, the treaty would come out to the public alongside pictures of gassed crowds when the protestors had tried to press through a temporary breach of the police line.