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August 2008, Puento Antiguo, New Mexico.

The town of Puente Antiguo lay in ruins, a stark reminder of the recent battle. Smoke curled into the sky, the acrid scent of burning debris and charred flesh lingering in the air. Justin Hammer stood amidst the devastation, his expression a mask of grim determination. The clatter of his team moving through the wreckage filled the silence, their faces reflecting the exhaustion and grimness of the day's events.

"Bag and tag every piece of Asgardian tech and armor," Justin commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We need to get it all before they pay attention to us again and beam it all up. Kaecillius, get a specialist team here ASAP to assist with gathering everything." He gave everyone a hard stare, his lips thinned, "Take the bodies as well, every body part. Bagged, tagged, and ready for transport."

Phantazia nodded, already relaying the order to those of the security team not in the nearby vicinity. Domino on the other hand whistled through pinched lips, walking up to him, a hard look on her face, "You sure about that last one, boss?" She asked, grimly watching as those of their own who had died were collected, "I normally don't care what you get up to, but desecrating alien bodies never ends well in the movies." Her eyes flicked upwards, "Especially not when they can just beam down to profess their displeasure."

Justin rarely saw Domino serious, so he gave her words considerable weight, but in the end he shook his head, "This whole thing seemed more like a civil war than an invasion, they'll be busy I wager." To appease her, he added, "But we'll just store the bodies for now for a few days, see if anyone comes looking, if not, they obviously didn't care, right?"

Unless Loki had changed things even more, no one would be coming for the bodies anytime soon. All the better for him. Although the real price was the Destroyer armor, Vanko was already picking up every piece on his order, Thor had smashed it quite comprehensively.

Smash was his go to move, he and the Hulk were remarkably similar in some ways.

Kaecillius disappeared to fetch their research teams, the ones more suited for the work of dealing with the bodies, and the rest. Justin eyed the orange portal with want. He didn't have many hours a day to practice, but he'd finally begun emitting sparks with his own sling rings.

Soon, he thought covetously, soon…

Justin's eyes scanned the area afterwards, taking in the sight of his battered team and the fallen Einherjar. The civilians of the town had either fled or been caught in the crossfire, and it was now his responsibility to manage the aftermath. Thankfully, because they'd been so thorough in the town's destruction, it would also allow him to completely craft the narrative.

"We got lucky." He surmised, looking over the few fallen on his own side, walking across the line of bodies, thankfully single digits due to Extremis and the arrival of the HAMMER team.

Domino followed him, glancing around, hands not far from her weapons, "Oh, how so?" She asked, likely playing devil advocate, as she knew more about combat then he'd ever learn.

But he did have some slight knowledge advantages she lacked.

"There's no way this was Asgards might, if anything, with the ornamentation on the armor…" He stopped to toe an Asgardian corpse thoughtfully, "They were palace guards or something similar." He surmised.

This all had seemed like a foolish Loki ploy, not a war strategy from Asgards god of war. He had a feeling there was a stark difference between the two.

Domino grimaced, "If this was their version of fat complacent nepotism warriors, what are their actual warriors like?" She didn't seem enthused at the thought this was the bottom rung of warriors, whatever Loki had immediately on hand.

Oh sure, generally speaking palace guards or royal guards were considered the elite of any monarchy in history etc, but reality was that palace guards spent the majority of their time standing guard, never facing battle. Skills did dull over time even with sparring now and then to keep fit. And for Asgard who likely had some of these guards doing the job for hundreds of years?

Justin had probably seen more actual life and death battles than some of these ones.

Justin breathed in heavily, the scent of burning bodies in the air from the unlucky civilians burning in their homes polluting the air. "Let's hope we don't find out. The world isn't ready…"

He looked towards the horizon, eyes narrowed as he pondered what could be done to narrow the gap in the short term, "Yet…"

----------------------------------------

Twenty minutes later, as his teams were canvassing the town, more teams coming in due to an open portal to Cairo that Kaecillius was holding open, Justin finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and inform the world.

Pulling out his phone, Justin dialed a secure line, waiting for the connection to be made. Ellis knew not to ignore when he called on this line.

Which is why he felt significantly annoyed when it took three calls to finally get the man to pick up.

"Hammer, this better be important!" Ellis groused, "I was on the line with the Russian President, he was not impressed to be put on hold…"

Justin grit his teeth together, Ellis don't get uppity with me, not today! "Oh, the Russian President, I suppose that's important…" He drawled sarcastically, "When you're done arguing about pointless human rights with him, do give me a call back to deal with the fact Aliens invaded a small town in New Mexico, wiping it, and the SHIELD contingent stationed here, out - with no survivors." Then he hung up.

It took seconds for his phone to ring, and he answered sweetly, "I see you've made some time?"

There was cursing on the other line, Ellis yelling to someone, "I don't care, get the VP to appease him, make up an excuse, I have to take this!" Before his attention turned to Justin, his voice deadly serious, "What happened, Hammer?"

Justin let his irritation fade, in this case it would be no use to continue to push on Ellis, who had been a good little minion throughout it all, "Well, Asgard is apparently real, and we had a visit from Thor and Loki." He said calmly.

There was a long pause on the other line, before Ellis slowly spoke up, "If it was anyone but you, Hammer, I'd be requesting a mental evaluation… So… Nordic myths are real…" He sounded utterly done with life. "How bad is it?"

Now that he thought about it, this man would be President from Iron Man to what…? Civil War? Talk about a stressful time to be in office.

"Thor seemed mostly harmless and happy to assist, somewhat like a large puppy… If the puppy could also summon storms and probably bench press a submarine - he was also heavily crushing on a human girl, so we at least have that lever." Justin reported, "To everyone's great surprise," He continued sarcastically, "It seems Loki is performing some sort of coup, attempting to assassinate Thor, and also sending several hundred troops into Puento Antiguo, wrecking the town." Before the President could fully fall into a panic, he reassured him, "Not to worry, myself and the team eradicated every last alien invader, while Thor went back home to deal with this coup."

"Do you have confirmation on this divide? How likely are they to return, do you need military assistance right now?" Ellis asked rapidly.

Justin took a deep breath, feeling exhaustion seeping through him, the mental strain of the battle and its aftermath a considerable weight, and he wouldn't stop for hours yet. "Well, I'm cautiously optimistic, but if you could get the ball rolling on reading in the World Security Council, NATO an-"

The phone conversation lasted far longer than he'd hoped, as almost two hours later, after the Defense Secretary and Homeland joined in - the briefing finally finished for now, and he could hang up the phone.

His eye twitched as it immediately began ringing again.

----------------------------------------

Thirty minutes later,

Justin pinched the bridge of his nose as he held the phone away from his ear, really, who's idea was it to let Ross be the contact to the Joint Chiefs anyway?

The asshole had already gotten the summary from the Defense Secretary, but Ross being Ross, and unfortunately important enough Justin couldn't dodge his phone call indefinitely, had reached out to him to get the full details, claiming he was the point of contact to the Joint Chiefs, which could be true, and knowing him, could also not be true and he'd appointed himself. He'd certainly been on a shorter leash since trying to bully Hammer Industries and Stark industries in favor of Oscorp.

Seeing Bucky walking up, he spoke quickly into the phone, "Something came up, General, let me put you on hold." Eager to get away from the man already haranguing him on why he didn't call in the army.

The goblin suits wouldn't have done shit to Asgardian energy weapons or strength, Justin thought, not that the army even had that many proficient operators of the new armors yet.

With that thought, he used his glasses to send a text to Sunil, any sight of Osborn?

Ending the call after a few seconds of listening to the general curse, Justin turned to Bucky. "What's on your mind, Barnes?" The new Captain America stared at him with a raised eyebrow, notably at the phone he'd just hung up, not put on hold.

Justin shrugged, "Mistakes happen." He smirked slightly, "Don't tell me you didn't wish to do the same to the brass back in your day…"

Bucky smiled so briefly it was gone in a flash, Justin used the instant replay on his glasses just to ensure he'd actually seen it. "Busy day ahead, so I'll skip any more small talk, what do you need, Captain?"

Bucky's gaze was intense, looking around them, lips thinned in displeasure. "We need more training and better planning, Hammer." He said bluntly, "This battle was a mess, and we got lucky. We can't rely on luck next time, we need to do war games and simulations, and become an actual team."

Justin nodded, appreciating Bucky's candor. "Agreed. We'll start with a full debrief soonest, and then set up a rigorous training schedule. We need to be prepared for anything." He fiddled with his phone for a moment, ignoring the incoming call from Ross. "Write me up a list of what you need or think needs to be done, use Frank and Brock, pick their brains on modern military methods."

Bucky nodded seriously, "I'll do that," He hesitated briefly, eyes going behind him, towards their ad hoc medical area. "Miss Van Dyne and you seem… Close, I think she'll need to talk to someone…"

Justin frowned, "What do you mean?" He craned his neck, looking for her.

"She just killed over a dozen people." Bucky said with a grimace, "People like me, well…" He shrugged uncomfortably, "It's a familiar ache, but a civilian like her?"

Justin nodded slowly, he'd forgotten not everyone saw the world quite like he did. For him, all the people that didn't matter to him personally were barely more than cardboard cutouts. He didn't feel anything about their deaths, their suffering.

Hope could be as ruthless as him in business, but personally killing that many people, even if they were aliens…

"I'll talk to her." He promised, Bucky nodding, walking off to continue overseeing things.

Just then he received a message back from Sunil, his glasses flashing, No sightings, Iron Man on the move. Gulmira.

Justin groaned, now, really Tony? And what the hell was up with Osborn? If he kept any kind of eye on them, then both of them were occupied, so why the hell was the crazed maniac not showing up somewhere?

How on earth is the drugged nut job managing to stay quiet?

----------------------------------------

Minutes later, as he dodged another call from Ross, Phantazia walked up to him and Domino in long hurried strides, Interrupting his own walk towards the medical area.

His eyes were on Hope, a brewing anger in his gut as he realized she hadn't been treated yet, not properly, anyway, after almost three hours. Why hadn't she said anything? He immediately sent a group text to the entire security team demanding a dose of Panacea for Hope, now!

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Domino snarked, only for Phantazia to completely walk by her without a word, eyes only for Justin.

"Sir," She said quietly, "Team Epsilon found survivors, over a dozen in total." She reported, lips barely moving.

Justin appreciated her discretion, eyes on Bucky's back, currently at the end of the street. He turned back to Phantazia, "No they didn't." He said calmly, meeting her gaze.

"Sir, th-" She aborted what she was going to say, nodding slowly, "Yes sir, understood, I'll remind Epsilon there were no survivors."

Justin nodded sharply, his men were all people whose limbs and lives had been restored to them through Justin, they were loyal. Even to this extent, he could count on them. Epsilons team lead had been a Navy Seal, who'd quit to take care of his two daughters, horribly maimed in an accident, doomed to a life of constant assistance and care - care he could barely afford, scraping by.

The man would assassinate the president without blinking if Justin gave the word. He'd handle this.

"Make sure all the teams know, Eileen." He added quietly. "There are no survivors. None."

"Yes sir."

Any witnesses could attest to the fact that weirdly dressed men with spears did not in fact set most of the town on fire or blow it up. He couldn't have that.

By the time SHIELD or the Army rolled in, he'd have sanitized as much as he could, whatever would implicate them, muddying it enough no one could say it wasn't the Aliens who did the deed.

Besides… A town wiped out by aliens, beat back by Justin Hammer, who saved the rest of America and the world from similar destruction?

That sounded so much better than - town almost wiped out, a dozen survivors - Survivors tell of massive collateral damage from HAMMER.

Truth was subjective,

It came down to who had the most money and influence.

Which neatly made Justin Hammer the most truthful man in the world.

----------------------------------------

He was stopped again from approaching Hope, by a call he couldn't refuse, especially as the caller would already be very annoyed that he hadn't been the first one Justin had reached out to.

He sighed as he raised the phone to his ear, eyes pinched as he watched the hurried efforts of his people as they gathered up everything of interest, digging through the rubble to make sure not a single piece was missed.

Alexander Pierce was calling, and this one required a bit more finesse. "Pierce," Justin began as he answered the phone, his voice steady. "I suppose you've been briefed…"

Pierce's response was terse and suspicious. "I should have been the first one called, why didn't my men contact me, Hammer? Where's Garrett and Sitwell?"

Justin's lips twitched, as he fought to keep smugness out of his voice. "The Asgardians wiped them out. We barely managed to survive ourselves. It was chaos all around." He stepped away from the others, voice low, "As it is, I lost several men, and almost lost several of my team as well. We barely held on here Pierce, your agents were normal men and women, they were mincemeat before they knew it."

Of course they'd have to destroy all the bodies, because they would not look like Asgardian victims as they were, but it was easy enough to do. Kaecillius new volcano portal trick was ideal for disposing of evidence.

It's not like anyone could say Asgard didn't have weapons that completely vaporized all the SHIELD agents…

Pierce held his tongue throughout his explanation, even though Justin could literally feel his simmering anger across the line, he barely finished talking before Pierce shot out, "I'm supposed to believe all my men died and you all walked away fine? it seems awfully convenient, Hammer…"

Justin's voice grew chilly, "I myself was literally stabbed through by an alien spear, and had to kill aliens with my own hands to survive. Only Extremis saved me, I lost several of my security team, what exactly could your agents have done to these people other than die?"

There was a pause, then Pierce spoke again, his tone icy. "I see… We'll discuss this further. For now, what can you tell me about the situation?"

Justin took a few minutes to explain a general outline of what happened, with only a few embellishments. Ensuring he stressed to the HYDRA and SHIELD leader that he felt this black eye was enough, and that Asgard seemed embroiled in their own issues, no further action needed, except for buying more weapons and defensive equipment of course.

He even quoted the man a decent price too. Only for very big bulk orders though.

Seconds after he hung up with Pierce, he was forced to divert from Hope again, as the President's office called, patching him through to NATO operations, and the Secretary General.

Minutes later,

Electro had woken up, and was bouncing around him all of a sudden, literally crackling with excitement. "Did you see that, Hammer? I was awesome! Zapping those bastards left and right, like pew pew pew!" He formed finger guns, shooting at imaginary enemies.

Thankfully this time not actually shooting anything, just making the motions… And the sound effects. Spiderman villains, they're all cracked in the head…

Justin sighed, holding his phone to his ear, covering the speaker with his other hand. "I'm on the phone with the Secretary General of NATO, Electro. Can you tone it down?" He asked unfailingly politely. No, he wasn't glaring at him, his eyes just looked like that.

Electro grinned, unabashed. "NATO, huh? Bet they're impressed with my performance. Should I do some sound effects for them too?" He asked, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Before Justin could respond, Bucky appeared and grabbed Electro by the collar, dragging him away. "Come on, Sparky. Let's go cool off." He said gruffly, giving Justin a quick nod.

Justin gave Bucky a grateful nod back. "Thanks, Barnes. I owe you one." That man is just way too… Much.

Bucky smirked. "I'm used to babysitting the problem child." He said, dragging a protesting Electro away.

Then finally, he could hang up, minutes later, and made it to see Hope.

Justin found Hope sitting on a makeshift medical bed, one of the security team members administering a panacea shot to her broken collarbone, finally. He approached, his expression softening, although inwardly he was seething that it had taken them this long to heal her.

He'd need to find out who failed where, and showcase his displeasure. Maybe becoming Electros bodyguard for a few months would make whoever failed more diligent in the future.

"Hope, I'm sorry you got hurt," He said quietly, sitting down next to her, grasping her hand as the shot began to work, "I don't want to see you risk yourself like this again. I can give you the Extremis/super serum mix, I should have already. It'll make you stronger, more resilient, it will let you regenerate wounds like these."

He momentarily forgot he hadn't actually told her about that Super Soldier serum addition before, eyes widening as he smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Hope smiled through the pain, just rolling with it. "I appreciate the concern, Justin. But I like being me. We'll see about the serum later maybe. For now, let's just focus on getting through this mess, I'm assuming you've already been fielding calls from everyone?"

Justin sighed, squeezing her hand gently, "Yes, and somehow not a single one of them so far has said thank you for stopping an alien invasion," He snarked irritably.

Hope kissed his cheek, looking him into the eyes softly, "Thank you for stopping an Alien invasion." She said, her lips quirked, like she was about to laugh.

Justin snorted, a reluctant smile blooming on his lips, "You did as much if not more as me for that, my dear." He bumped shoulders with her lightly, "Are you…" He fumbled for words, feeling very unequipped for dealing with this.

Lying, sure. Manipulation, no problem, gaslighting, he was your man. Honest compassion and empathy… He could admit he somewhat stumbled there at times.

Hope smiled, but it was brittle, "It had to be done." She said, as if she'd been repeating that to herself the entire time. The three hours she sat alone. Fuck, he wanted to murder someone.

Justin leaned his head against hers, putting on arm around her shoulder, "It did, but it's okay to feel bad about it, it's okay to not be okay."

She chuckled, and if it was a bit wet, he didn't mention it. After a few minutes she finally spoke up, "You got that from a movie didn't you?"

"Hey… I can be emotional support." He protested, leaning back and looking her in the eyes.

Hope smiled a more honest smile, as she gazed into his eyes, one hand lifting up to ruffle his hair, her collarbone now healed, "Sure you can." She teased.

"I supported the hell out of Yelena!" He said, insisting on defending himself on this.

Hope gave him a dry look, "That woman doesn't need emotional support, she'll play whatever emotion she thinks works best for her goals in the moment."

"And I support her in that." Justin said stubbornly.

Hope broke out laughing, laughing so hard she bent over, clutching her stomach. Justin pouted for a minute, but it was hard to hold back a smile at her sudden cheer. I guess I'm not so bad at this as I thought, he thought smugly.

Her laughter eventually died off, and they sat in silence for a moment, Justin's thumb stroking the top of her hand as she just looked into the distance with distant eyes. Her face was covered in sweat, her hair sticking to it, and there was a splatter of blood on her neck, and yet Justin still found her absolutely breathtaking.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Strong women. Was there anything better? Even when they bent and kneeled for you, that steel remained hidden in velvet, always there.

She noticed him staring, and got an odd look in her eye, like she was psyching herself up for something, her lips parting.

Her phone rang, Justin knew it was hers and not his, because in no world would he have the ringtone for I'm a barbie girl attached to any of his contacts. Hope cursed lowly under her breath, the moment lost, as Justin raised a curious eyebrow, glancing at her phone.

"It's my dad." She said succinctly, sounding very annoyed all of a sudden.

Justin could understand it, Hank Pym annoyed him just generally by existing. He couldn't help but smirk though, "His ringtone is, I'm a barbie girl?"

She sneered at her phone, not answering it, "If he thinks all I am is a toy he can mold to whatever he wishes, why not?" She looked resigned, as the phone kept ringing and ringing, "I better take this." She said apologetically.

Justin kissed her check, "We'll talk later, let me know if you need anything."

As he walked away, he immediately leveled a glare at Domino, whose face looked way more innocent than necessary.

"Don't say it!" He warned.

"Sure is a lot of hand-holding and kissing cheeks for just friends." She said sweetly.

"...Like you would know what hand-holding is like you degenerate." He fired back,

"Words hurt." She pouted.

"Thought you liked a little pain." He snarked back.

"... You're right~, please sir, can I have some more?" She said teasingly, eyes wide open and pleading.

"Domino, I will give you fifty thousand dollars if you don't talk for the next hour."

"I'm rich now, I don't need fifty thousand dollars."

"... Are you just saying that to make me up the bid." He asked with annoyance.

"Is it working?"

"Fuck you Domino, just… Fuck you."

Still, he couldn't help but smile, what a day, and as always, Domino was there to force him to crack a smile.

The best investment he ever made.

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Later that night,

The army and its SHIELD hanger ons were only an hour away from Puento Antiguo, but Justin had already left, having finished what he could for the day. The town was wiped clean of anything they didn't want seen, all the bodies, gear and weapons removed from site.

Now he was finishing up the day by dealing with the last loose end. It was also a bit of a catharsis. When you've had a bad day, nothing could improve your mood like giving someone else a really bad day.

Well, except sex.

And ew… He just thought of sex and Agent Garrett in the same thought, he felt sick.

In a dimly lit room, in one of Justin's many many secret warehouses around the world, (honestly Justin wasn't sure what country they were in right now, Kaecillius could be really handy like that.) Agent Garrett was tied to a chair rather expertly, looking defiant despite his predicament. Justin stood in front of him, flanked by Yelena and Domino.

He'd sent Phantazia to bed, having used her powers so extensively and then organized the clean up, she was suffering from a migraine from hell, and he didn't need her here for this anyway, it was much more Yelena's domain.

And Domino did so like to watch.

"Garrett," Justin began, his tone pleasant as he sat in front of the man. "You're going to tell me everything you know about HYDRA's plans. Especially any plans they have for me."

He knew the man was fairly high in the hierarchy, higher then Sitwell, almost to the level of Coulson he believed, when it came to security clearances.

Garrett sneered. "You think I'm just going to spill my guts because you ask nicely?" His eyes were cold, the man already knew he was dead, knew he was going to suffer.

It's what made these kinds of interrogations difficult. A man that knew he was going to die, and knew he was going to suffer no matter what, had every reason to spite you by holding back what you most wanted to know.

Torture really wasn't a very effective way to gather information. But until a proper truth serum was developed, they had to make due.

The one Maya and Cho had tried and tested, didn't so much make someone tell the truth, as it made them simply talk constantly, every thought and random brain blurb just spilling out nonstop.

It was… Progress he supposed.

Justin smiled, his eyes cold. "No. But you will spill them. Because if you don't, we'll make sure you wish you had. You've seen what we can do. You know we're not bluffing."

Yelena smiled sweetly, "I have had plenty of training, on both ends. We'll have lots of fun together."

Garrett glared at them, "It doesn't matter what I say, I know your type, you'll still torture me, so fuck you, I'm not giving you shit, Hail HYDRA!"

They all watched him, the confusion in his face as the cyanide capsule in his fake tooth failed to kill him.

"Sorry, but we've watched all the spy movies, searching for a fake tooth is literally the first thing we did." Domino said lightly, tittering as she hid a smile behind her hand, "But thank you for confirming you'd take the cowards way out."

Garrett glared at her, eyes almost popping out of his skull as his face reddened, "What did you call me, bitch!?

"Yelena, he doesn't seem to have the proper respect, not like a guest of ours should, please fix that." Justin said, sitting calmly before Garrett.

Yelena smiled, rolling over a tray of tools. "I'll have him singing by sun up!"

…

What a nice treasure trove Agent Garrett was…

Justin could do a lot with this information… A lot indeed.

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As the iridescent light of the Bifrost faded, Thor, the Warriors Three, and Lady Sif found themselves standing before the golden realm of Asgard. The gleaming spires of the city stretched skyward, their grandeur reflected in the waters below. The air was crisp and cool, with a faint hint of the sea, and the scent of ancient magic seemed to hang in the atmosphere, heavy and foreboding.

Behind them, the surviving warriors stood still, waiting for orders, all of them avoiding his eyes, none of them speaking. The loss of honor in their defeat was enough to still any loose tongues. Asgard, Thor knew, would have much to say about recent events once it became known Midgard was capable of repelling them as such, even if it was nowhere near the full might of their warriors.

Thor took a moment to look around, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet awe-inspiring landscape. The Rainbow Bridge shimmered in front of them, a kaleidoscope of colors that connected Asgard to the Bifrost. Ahead, the massive gates of the city stood open, inviting yet intimidating. For a moment, Thor felt a pang of nostalgia mixed with an uneasy sense of foreboding. He turned to Heimdall, who stood vigilantly by the entryway to the rainbow bridge, his golden armor glinting in the Asgardian sunlight. His eyes looked even more distant than usual, he thought.

"Heimdall," Thor began, his voice a deep rumble of restrained emotion. "What is happening? Why did Loki send the Einherjar to Midgard? Has he lost his mind?" Why did you allow it? He almost wanted to say, but bit his tongue, knowing it was Heimdalls lot in life to serve, not question his ruler.

And despite the bad decisions being made, in Thor's honest opinion… Loki was still currently King, and as such commanded Heimdall.

Heimdall's usually impassive face showed a flicker of concern. His golden eyes, capable of seeing all across the Nine Realms, held a glint of something close to sorrow. "Loki has indeed acted strangely, Thor. His actions defy the order of Asgard. I have seen many things, but even I was taken aback by the orders he sent to the Einherjar palace guards. But… They were also countersigned by Odin, the King himself coming to order me to let them through." Thor had never seen Heimdall confused before, and yet he looked it now. Thor found that he did not like it overmuch.

Thor's brow furrowed deeply, anger and worry simmering just beneath the surface. "Where is Loki now? And what of Father? Wasn't he still in the Odinsleep?"

Heimdall nodded gravely. "Yes, Odin remains in the Odinsleep, unresponsive to any attempt to rouse him. Loki has taken up residence in the Allfather's chambers, acting as regent."

Thor opened his mouth, before closing it shut helplessly, sharing a concerned glance with his friends. Because surely Heimdall realized the contradiction in what he was saying? How could Odin both be asleep, and capable of appearing before Heimdall and giving orders.

And why did Heimdall not recognize this dichotomy? Loki… What have you done? Thor thought with despair building in his chest.

The news had hit Thor like a blow, his friends' concerns becoming reality, and he, the fool he was, had not listened. He glanced at the Warriors Three and Sif, seeing his own concern mirrored in their faces. "I must go to him. Now." He waved at the warriors behind them, "You four take these and hurry to the palace, who knows what else may be wrong."

Please Loki, let this all be a misunderstanding, this can not be what it looks like! He thought sorrowfully.

"And you, Thor?" Hogun asked quietly.

Thor started spinning his hammer, a grim look on his face, "I'll be going ahead."

He took to the sky, quickly leaving the rainbow bridge behind, the Warriors three and Lady Sif running down the bridge far behind him, the warriors following. Even sans one arm and pale with blood loss, Fandral still outpaced the warriors behind him, Thor noted, before he flew out of sight. Heartened by the fact his friend still had his strength.

That feeling swiftly abandoned him, as he flew forward, anger and fear battling through it in his heart in equal measures.

He flew swiftly, until he arrived at the palace, ill at ease at the few guards around, he moved swiftly through the golden halls, his footsteps echoing ominously against the marble floors. The grandeur of the palace, with its towering columns and intricately woven tapestries, seemed to mock the urgency of his mission. As he neared the Allfather's chambers, the tension in the air thickened, like the oppressive calm before a storm.

Thor didn't know what he'd find, but he was growing increasingly afraid that it wouldn't be good. That his friends had been right. That Loki was… That the Destroyer truly had been meant to kill him.

That Loki, his brother, was truly capable of such. Where did I fail you so, Brother? He thought, moving forward, was there truly no other recourse?

The doors to Odin's chambers were slightly ajar. Thor pushed them open with a force that sent a sharp creak through the air. Inside, the scene was both surreal and horrifying. Freya, his mother, lay deathly still on a sedan, splayed out, wearing a pink nightgown, a spilled goblet of wine beside her outstretched hand on the floor, the deep red liquid pooling on the floor like blood. The sight sent a chill down Thor's spine. No… Loki, what have you done!?

"Loki!" Thor's voice boomed through the chamber, filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. His eyes landed on his brother, standing casually by Odin's sleeping form, a dagger held loosely in his hand. The dagger's tip hovered dangerously close to Odin's throat, the Allfather deep in the Odinsleep, unaware of the peril. Or… And this disturbed Thor far worse, aware, and just unable to do anything about it.

Loki turned slowly, a faint, almost amused smile playing on his lips. His eyes were a cold, piercing green, filled with a strange mixture of triumph and madness. "Ah, Thor, dear brother. You've returned. I was wondering how long it would take you to come to your senses." He cackled quietly, "Did my present assist you?"

Thor had never seen his brother quite so… Carefree almost. Like he didn't need to play at civility, or at sanity. He feared what he saw playing in his brother's eyes.

Thor's grip on Mjolnir tightened, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "What have you done, Loki? Why is Mother … What have you done to her, Loki? What madness is this!?" He roared, emotions spiking, thunder roaring in the distance.

Loki tilted his head, looking at Freya's prone form with a detached curiosity. "Oh, she's just sleeping," He said nonchalantly. "A particularly potent mixture I concocted. It's quite an accomplishment, really. It's not easy to put someone like Freya into a slumber." He wiggled the fingers on his free hand, "~Magic!" He sang, giggling to himself afterwards.

Thor's eyes widened with horror and confusion. "Why, Loki? Why have you done this? Why, do this to our mother, why attack Midgard? Why all this deception?"

For a moment, Loki's expression softened, a flicker of something like regret passing over his face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a mask of cold resolve and madness. "I had questions, Thor. Questions that needed answers. Have you thought about what Justin Hammer said? About Hela? About Odin's secrets?" He chuckled throatily, "As well as that, I felt the mortals needed… A reminder, to not so willfully play with gods, hence the attack." His eyes flashed with sudden anger, "Justin Hammer knows more than he says, he tried to lie to me!" He thundered, grip tightening on the dagger he held to Odin's throat, "I could have taken him myself, but I wanted him to see as everyone around him paid the price for his temerity…"

Loki then rolled his eyes, "And of course, the idiot Aesir couldn't even manage that. Against mortals. What good are you even?" He spat.

The mention of Hela brought a deep unease to Thor. He shook his head, trying to dispel the creeping dread. "It's all lies, Loki. Myths and stories. There's no truth in them." He also felt a stirring of true horror at how Loki, his brother, was speaking of them as if they were not both Aesir.

What had transpired in the short time he'd been gone?

Loki's eyes darkened, and he let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "Oh, but there is truth, Thor. There's always a kernel of truth in every lie." His voice grew quieter, more intense. "I found the truth, I went looking, as regent I have access to Odin's library... Hela, Odin's firstborn, the Goddess of Death, was real, is real. She was his executioner, his weapon of conquest. And when he had no more use for her, he banished her, erased her from history, locked her away in Helheim." He smiled mockingly, "So he could have a baby boy with his war trophy wife…"

Thor took a step back, his mind reeling. "No, it can't be..." Father wouldn't do that, he wouldn't!

Loki's smile widened, a grim satisfaction in his eyes. "Yes, Thor. Odin's firstborn, his most loyal daughter, cast aside like a broken tool when he no longer required her. And he lied to us about it. Just like he lied about so many things." He cocked his head, spitting out bitterly, "We were never truly his children, we were objects, crafted for a purpose of the great Allfather…."

Thor's voice was choked with emotion. "Loki, put down the dagger. We can talk about this. Maybe there's an explanation for all -"

Loki's expression twisted with bitterness, his skin slowly turning a cold, icy blue, his eyes a deep red, Thor reeling back in shock and disgust, before sudden realization hit him, and made him want to vomit, no… Father no… You didn't... He couldn't have kept this secret. Couldn't have lied to Loki, to Thor, about this for all this time.

Hela was enough, but this… Father… He suddenly understood Loki's slide into madness. If Hela was real, and then Loki found this out. Thor's heart ached for his brother, even as he saw to his regret, his brothers almost pleased look at his Instinctive revulsion. I've already lost… How can I get my brother back, now?

"An explanation? Like there's an explanation for this?" He gestured to himself, the frost giant blood coursing through his veins making his appearance alien and otherworldly. "He used me, Thor. Just as he used Hela. A pawn in his games, a monster to unleash when it suited him. And you... You were cast aside as soon as you became inconvenient."

Thor flinched at Loki's words, the raw truth in them cutting deep. "Loki, I... I didn't know." He said pitifully, unable to come up with better words at the moment.

Loki's gaze was filled with a mix of pity and scorn. "Of course you didn't. You never wanted to see it. But now, I see everything clearly." He pressed the dagger closer to Odin's throat, drawing a thin line of blood, his smile one of pure mad glee. "With the time magic in Odin's Library, my magic has expanded beyond you pathetic Aesir!"

"Stop!" Thor shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber. He lunged forward, only for his hand to pass through Loki as if he were made of mist. The illusion faded, and Loki's laughter filled the room, harsh and mocking.

"Still so easy to deceive," Loki's voice taunted, echoing from all around them. "But it doesn't matter. The truth is out, and the game is almost over."

Thor's heart sank as he looked out of the chamber's large windows, just in time to see the Bifrost activate, its energy surging towards… Going by Loki's words, Hela being banished, what would his brother do… Helheim. His face paled in horror. "Heimdall," he whispered, realization dawning. "Heimdall wouldn't... He wouldn't..."

Loki's laughter grew louder, more manic as an illusive clone stepped forward out of the wall. "Oh, but he would. I've been hidden from Heimdall's sight for ages. A simple illusion, a tweak of enchantment of the mind, and he thinks I'm Odin, issuing commands, I didn't have enough power before, now... He doesn't question the Allfather, even when the orders are to obliterate Helheim."

Thor's eyes widened in shock and anger. "Loki, you can't! You're going to destroy an entire realm! You can't do this!"

Helheim wasn't a realm full of life, but it was one of the whole, its destruction would affect the entire tree of Yggdrasil, throwing the realms out of balance. There was a reason that all of the dead world's of the nine still existed and hadn't been fully destroyed even if they had the capability, Loki knew this, had he gone fully mad? Not to mention that Hela, if she was truly their half sister, didn't deserve this.

Loki's voice came from behind him suddenly, filled with a cold, bitter resolve. "Oh, but I can, Thor. I will. No more threats to my throne. No more Hela. Helheim will be no more." He laughed wildly, arms outstretched as Thor turned around, "And after that, Jotunheim as well, I'll be the King who ended all threats to Asgard, definitively, for all time!"

"FOR ALL TIME!" Echoed across the chamber.

With a roar of anger and despair, Thor shot out of the chambers, Mjolnir pulling him through the air towards the Rainbow Bridge. He had to stop the Bifrost, and he had to prevent the destruction of Helheim and Jotunheim. The weight of what Loki had revealed pressed heavily on him, a dark, suffocating truth that shattered the foundations of everything he had believed.

Even if he won here. Everything had changed. Everything.

His father… Thor's resolve firmed.

His father was not fit to be King.

These secrets were not kept for the realm, for their safety and prosperity. Loki and Hela, two sides of the same coin. Hidden by their father for selfish personal reasons.

Thor knew all about selfishness. Could see it now. Could see himself grow to be even more of his father's son. And he rejected it utterly.

He tore the part of him that was Odinson out, and released it in the ether, he was Freyjason now. Maybe it was purely symbolic, but it made him feel less unclean.

Centuries…. CENTURIES, he'd lied! Millenia!

As he flew towards the Bifrost, the landscape of Asgard blurred beneath him, its beauty and serenity a stark contrast to the chaos that was unfolding, the citizens unaware of the danger. The golden spires and lush gardens seemed almost mocking in their tranquility. The storm clouds that had gathered above the palace followed him, dark and foreboding, as if the very skies themselves mourned the revelations of the day.

Mourned the loss of a father. The likely loss of a brother. The failure of Thor, who couldn't fix anything!

Thor landed with a crash at the entrance to the Bifrost Observatory, the powerful energies of the bridge swirling around him. Heimdall stood at his post, his expression a mask of confusion and concern.

"Heimdall!" Thor shouted, rushing towards the gatekeeper. "You must stop the Bifrost! Loki has deceived you! He's not Odin!" For good measure, he slammed his hammer down, a ring of lightning spreading out, shocking the man, and ensuring no Loki was hidden in front of him under illusion.

Heimdall's eyes widened in shock, but his hand immediately moved to his sword to deactivate the Bifrost.

Before he could, he was encased in ice, Loki appearing behind him, holding the Casket of Ancient Winter in his hands, red eyes gleaming with pleasure as he watched Heimdall freeze over, one hand desperately reaching for his blade.

"Brother!" Thor roared, flying forward, Mjolnir shooting for his brother's face.

Which again turned out to be an illusion, as Loki appeared behind him, back at the rainbow bridge, clicking his tongue loudly, the Casket nowhere to be seen. "We could do this all day, just give up, Thor." His face grew cold and bitter, "And do not call me brother, not anymore, we never were, it's all a lie crafted by Odin." He scoffed in abject disgust, "Hela was his favorite broken toy, I was his pet monster…" He leered at Thor, "I wonder what that makes you…?"

Thor looked up, tears in his eyes. "Your brother. Always." He said, before raising his arm, and smashing it down on the bridge.

Loki got tossed off his feet as the bifrost screamed, the rainbow bridge shaking, "You fool!" He screamed, some clarity returning to his eyes, "What are you doing!?"

"I can't allow you to wreck the nine realms, in your madness you've forgotten the balance, yet I can't fight you, brother, this is the only way." Again he slams Mjolnir down, the rainbow bridge cracking.

"NO!" Loki screamed, the casket suddenly in his hands again as a blizzard worth of ice and snow shot his way.

Thor flew up in the air, above the avalanche of ice and snow, spinning his hammer, before he struck down like a lightning bolt, smashing the rainbow bridge, cracking it in half, the bifrost immediately stopping, the power waning. Underneath them a storm or chaos and power erupted due to the power leak.

"What have you done…? You… You've ruined it." Loki moaned madly, fingers raking through his hair, "Do you even realize that without the bifrost Asgard is worthless as a sovereign, you absolute oaf!?"

Thor smiled sadly, kneeling at the edge of the broken bridge, "Aye, I realize, brother, but it is better than the havoc losing realms would have on all of us."

"I'm not your brother!" Loki roared, green energy coating his hands as he shot forward, daggers materializing as he reached for Thor's throat, Thor too slow to react.

Clang!

Both of them slowly looked upwards, following the slim shaft of Gungnir, until they settled on the weary face of Odin Allfather.

With a twist of the spear, Loki was hurled away, rolling across the broken bridge. Odin leveled Gungnir at him with sorrow written across his face, "I will not allow it, my son."

"Son… Even now, you dare!?" Loki snarled, roaring as he threw a wall of magic at Odin, one that turned into a cavalcade of beasts, all snarling and spitting as they rushed the Allfather.

"Loki, no!" Thor cried out, even as Odin effortlessly banished the beasts with a simple tap of Gungnir against the remains of the bridge.

Odin slowly stepped forward, even as Loki crawled back towards the edge, snarling like a wild beast.

"Father…" Thor said, rising up, giving him a hard stare, "He's my brother." He insisted, grabbing his father's arm.

Odin stared down at Thor with one eye, casually spinning Gungnir to deflect the magicked daggers Loki threw in the moment, no longer verbal, just snarling and growling at his presence, in hatred and fear. "I must do what's best for Asgard." He said sorrowfully.

Thor stepped in front of him, "Best for Asgard, or best for you?" He asked, determination swelling in his chest.

Odin cracked a smile, "Midgard has been good to you, even for such a short time, my son."

Thor glared at him defiantly, "You didn't answer me, Father."

Odin sighed heavily, moving past Thor, who suddenly found himself unable to move, golden chains restricting him. "I will not have another Hela… How a mortal found out about that…" He sighed deeply again. "Thor, when you are king, you will realize this, one of the ways to know when you are making the right choice or not, is by the level of hate you feel towards yourself for making it." He leveled Gungnir at Loki, a tear running down his eye, "When you do what's best for the realm, even though it pains you inside."

"No! You do not get to do this and claim it's good for the realm! This is Loki! My brother, your son!" Thor roared, veins visible, muscles straining as he fought the enchantments keeping him stuck. "Father! Do not do this!"

Loki, some measure of mental acuity returned to him, chuckled bitterly, "Ah, I'm meant to be banished now as well? Just as Hela, what is it then, Jotunheim?"

Odin looked at him, shaking his head slowly, "No… You'd return with an army." He said sadly. "I'd send you to Helheim if you didn't have the capability to traverse realms. I can not risk Hela escaping. I'm… Sorry. Loki." He shook his head slowly, "Attempting to destroy two realms is beyond a simple crime, Hela would have escaped… I can not allow it."

"Father, STOP!" Thor screamed, thunder striking down from the storm clouds above, Odin deflecting it with Gungnir with an easy motion.

Thor cried as he realized the futility. Realized he'd been living a lie.

Loki, his face pale, his lips thinned in realization, started to chuckle, "I see…" He began to laugh hysterically, tears running down his face as he got pure confirmation of his beliefs, "To hide Hela still, you'd kill me? Thor knows as well, going to kill him too?" He asked, beginning to cackle in hysterics.

"He will come to understand the necessity. To see the bigger picture." Odin said, moving suddenly with a speed that belied his age, Gungnir unerringly pointed at Loki's heart. Thor wordlessly screaming for his brother, for his father to stop, for everything to just STOP!

Yet Odin wasn't fast enough to prevent Loki from simply diving off into the still churning miasma where the energies of the bifrost were still swirling, slowly dissipating. The god of mischief, the liesmith, disappearing into the ether. Lost forever.

Having chosen to end on his own terms instead of falling to Odin's spear.

"LOKI!" Thor screamed, before sobbing wildly in his bondage, eyes glaring at Odin through the tears. "He was your son! Father, how could you!?"

Odin slowly lowered Gungnir, leaning against his spear, "You'll make a better King then I, Thor…" He said to the bitterly crying prince. "But in this matter… You couldn't go with your heart… His crimes… The risk of leaving him free, jailed or banished, he was a threat to the realm."

"I… CHALLENGE YOU!" Thor roared absolutely incensed, the bindings around him exploding, Thor immediately falling down on one knee, the magical effort having exhausted him.

"Asgard will no longer suffer your rule!" Thor said emotionally, tears still running down his face, "I will no longer accept it!"

His face turned grim as he stared up at his father, "Mother will not accept it…" He swore.

Odin, still weary from the Odinsleep, heart broken from what he felt he'd had to do, let Gungnir fall from his hands, closing his eye.

"What's done is done." He intoned with finality.

"So be it."

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Kamar-Taj,

"You're early, but you'll do I suppose." The Ancient One said, looking down at a confused Stephen Strange, who'd been sitting angrily at her doorstep.

His career had been destroyed, everything he'd ever worked for, gone. A simple shot now taking care of most any injury, any meatball surgeon able to handle surgeries when they just needed to remove any obstruction and then give the patient a goddamn shot.

Like his entire life was a joke. Like medical school was a joke. Like he, the god damn best thing to ever happen to medicine, was a fucking joke…

"I've come to lea-"

"Here you go." She chirped, handing him a broom.

"Isn't this a little bit Harry Potter…" Stephen drawled holding the broom like it held diseases, well away from his body, with the tip of his fingers.

He wasn't sure if he believed what he'd heard, but the people he'd managed to find and interview, they'd all been able to do things not thought possible. At least… Before Panacea, he thought bitterly.

"Oh no, it's for sweeping." She said cheerfully, walking away.

Stephen's face flushed in anger, "Sweeping!?" He yelled after her.

She turned around, smiling enigmatically, "We only have an opening for a janitor right now, Mr. Strange."

"Doctor." He corrected her automatically.

"Surely not, I've seen many things in my long life, but never a doctorate for janitorial duties." She said, her smile widening.

"I am not god damn sweepi-"

An orange portal opened in midair before him, two wizards and what looked like a Minotaur stepping out, one of them carrying what looked like a Phoenix.

Stephen grabbed the broom and began to rapidly sweep as he followed them.

The Ancient One simply smiled, a twinkle in her eyes.

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New York,

Charles Xavier stared into his cappuccino, waiting.

It was days like these that made what he did so hard. The choices he had to make for all of them, even when it hurt someone close to him.

Emma Frost slid into the seat opposite of his with impeccable grace, the barista bringing her drink, already made before she'd even walked in.

Charles frowned at her, lips curled in distaste.

"Really, Charles, you're going to judge me, right now?" She said with a mocking tilt of her head.

He nodded stiffly, "There is a difference between a just cause and doing it for your own amusement, Miss Frost."

Emma Frost smiled, a truly amused smile, "Ask the person's mind you violate if they care if it was for a good reason or not, Charles. I think you'll be surprised." She waved a hand dismissively, "We both do the same thing, I'm just honest about it…"

"We are not the same." He said icily.

She slipped her drink, a small smile on her face still, "Whatever you say, Charles. Do you have my payment?"

Charles nodded, staring at her, wetting his lips, struggling with asking the question. "And the deed… It's done?"

She smirked, raising an immaculate eyebrow superiorly. "Of course. Hank McCoy no longer remembers anything about human experimentation, while still able to finish up the last touches of his work."

Charles nodded, closing his eyes. He hadn't been able to make himself do it, not in the end. But it still needed to be done. He pushed a USB stick across the table.

Emma smiled, taking the USB and giving it a small kiss, chuckling softly, "Oh, Charles, I do love doing business with you, it's so amazingly… Profitable."

He opened his eyes, eyeing her, "You were about to say simple." He accused her wryly.

She shrugged easily, a shark like mien to her attitude suddenly, "Well Charles, when I can extract payment from you, for not only getting a ton of information on Justin Hammer out of dear Doctor McCoy's head, but also plenty of research notes… Why, it's like you're paying me to get paid."

"He is your ally." Charles said sternly, "Our ally."

"Mhm, yet you screwed him like this." She said, and Charles disliked her more like this then when she pulled the ice queen routine. The smugness was nauseating. "Don't worry, I didn't get Extremis out of this, Dr McCoy hardly knows everything after all, but it was juicy either way…"

"And Hammer's a business rival as well as an ally." Charles sighed, slumping slightly. He'd known she'd take advantage, but really, he'd hoped she'd become a better person after taking the reins of her company.

"So you can learn, or you just choose the worst option on purpose? I'm undecided which I'm leaning towards…" She mocked lightly.

"Miss Frost, are we done here?" Charles said stiffly, almost regretting choosing this avenue.

Almost.

It was still better than him doing it himself, breaking his word like that.

"If you betray him, I'll have to move against you." He warned, calling on Morph to come wheel him out.

"Here's a tip for free, Charles." Emma said, suddenly icily serious again, leaning forward. "You have to mean it, or a threat is pointless."

Charles left the small coffee shop, feeling like things were slipping away from him a little too fast.

----------------------------------------

China,

Slowly the calligraphy brush caressed the canvas, as he pondered the servant behind him.

"A mad dog has its uses." He acknowledged, neither praising nor denigrating his servants' initiative.

Only time would tell if his servant would rise with accolades,

Or join the mad dog as nothing but a disposable tool sent to the slaughter.

He eyed the masterpiece he'd created, scoffing as he brushed a thick line across it.

Another skill perfected to the utmost limit of humanity.

It was boring now.

"Make this mad dog heel, the time is not ripe." He murmured, giving one last order to his loyal servant.

----------------------------------------

Out at sea, The ship Schrodinger's cat.

Bruce Banner couldn't even fathom how he'd been talked into this.

It couldn't have been the pretty redhead, because Bruce really didn't do relationships. Even the short carnal ones were a bad idea when he might suddenly become the Other Guy while… Inside.

He shuddered at that thought, hands gripping the railing. The icy wind sent shivers down his spine. He'd had nightmares like that, it made it hard to eat for days after.

He looked back as he heard the footsteps on the deck, the man who'd introduced himself as Nick Fury walking up, followed by the mild mannered assistant type who seemed to go wherever he went, Phil Coulson.

He hadn't had much dealings with secret agent types, but even then, he was almost positive that wearing that much leather was bad spy behavior.

"Doctor Banner, now that we are at sea, let's get you briefed." Fury said clippedly, hands behind his back.

Bruce shook his head, "Taking me out to sea, alone on this… You're either mad or desperate." I wonder if the crew knows what they've signed up with, be thought, watching the agents that ran the ship moving about in the distance.

Fury scowled, "They all know what they signed up for, it's not like you'll die from a dunk in the damned water if you rip the ship apart, so you have nothing to worry about, Banner."

That was supposed to be… Comforting? Bruce looked at Coulson, who was giving his Boss a tired look.

"I'd prefer not to cause casualties…" Bruce muttered. Again asking himself why on earth he'd accepted this.

It was the stupid fully equipped state of the art lab they'd given him onboard, allowing him to research his cure. He didn't exactly have any other offers laying about for that kind of thing.

None that he would touch anyway.

"We all die someday, Banner, if it's worth anything, I have faith that you won't lose control with my men onboard." Fury told him bluntly, almost glaring at him with one eye.

Bruce sighed, not really willing to argue. "What do you want then." He asked plaintively.

Fury nodded at Coulson, who handed Bruce a hunk of rock.

"What is this?" Bruce muttered, moving it about in his hands.

"Vibranium, we need you to build a scanner that can find it down to several hundred feet deep." Fury said, still scowling.

Bruce was realizing this might be the man's normal face. He looked at the rock again, seeing the metal within now that he was focusing more clearly, "Why me? It's hardly my specialty?" He asked.

Coulson spoke up, his voice mild, "With your genius it shouldn't be impossible, and you're more trustworthy than most other scientists in… Today's climate."

Bruce tried to not take that as you're the only one dumb enough to accept this secret trip without any knowledge ahead of time of what it's about. But it still felt like that was the answer. "This is just… A Vibranium hunt then?" He asked, feeling slightly let down. How utterly mundane.

Fury wasn't the type he'd thought to be chasing his fortune.

Fury scowled even harsher, "Not in the way you're thinking." He started pacing slightly, "Hammer somehow got Bucky Barnes alive and well. At first I thought it must be a clone, but I got reports from people I trust that say he's the real deal." He glared at Bruce, "That means the Soviets had someone with the super soldier serum on ice since the 40s and he hasn't aged a damn day, still alive and well."

Bruce looked at the hunk of rock with new eyes, everyone knew about Bucky Barnes and Steve Roger. Although he hadn't been aware of the one man being alive and well… But… That meant.

"You want me to find Captain America, and you think he might still be alive?"

Fury smiled, as Coulson practically vibrated next to him, "Think you can do it, Banner?"

Bruce looked at the rock thoughtfully, "Give me a week." He decided.

Whatever else he did, this was something worthwhile, he could push his cure back a little.

Captain America deserved to come home.

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