Ch.7

Tony coughed on his wine and Pepper scowled lightly. When he regained his voice he asked when the last time I got laid was. I shrugged. "Last night with two beautiful women."

I turned to Natalie and asked if she'd like to make it three next time. She rolled her eyes and said she had work and wasn't overly concerned with more outside it for now. I shrugged and looked to Pepper while Tony scowled and I smirked before asking Pepper if Tony was raising her to acting chief of the board of directors now that Stane was gone. Tony thought about it and said it was actually a great idea.

I was soon looking board over a menu until an ass clown with whips made a spectacle in the race tracks. I grunted when Tony asked if he was a friend of mine. I shook my head. "Nope, he's the son of an old college of your father's so he's all yours."

He walked out as Happy Logan walked in with his emergency suit. Tony suited up and went out to face the Russian asshole. I tapped my scanner and grunted as my sunglasses formed and showed me everything on Ivan Vanko. Natalie asked what was interesting and I shrugged. "The idiot out there is using a palladium core arc reactor and while crudely made, it's quite the accomplishment. If he wasn't a hard core Russian criminal with so many innocent deaths on his hands he might've been a useful asset."

Tony brought him down with ease and crushed the arc reactor while Ivan was dragged off by the cops. I tapped my scanner and neural interface link before sending cloaked men to watch Ivan and Justin Hammer who looked interested in the ass wipe. No less than a day later I was watching the news as Justin Hammer was recorded breaking out Ivan and admitting to the assisted murder of a prisoner and breaking the asshole out to get back at Tony.

Their entire conversation and location was leaked to the police which arrested them in the act of smuggling Ivan into the US when they landed on the jet Justin had. Ivan broke out and killed several guards before trying for Tony again only to die in the plaza of the Stark Expo. The bomb Ivan made vanished mysteriously through a portal and blew up harmlessly outside of earth's atmosphere. In the meantime I stopped by Tony's birthday party and gave him a picture of him, his father, his fox Foss and his mother in Ta Lo happily enjoying the brief freedom such a place brings.

I told him I thought he'd want a reminder that it was the burden on his father's shoulders that made him a hard man, not that he disliked his family. I explained to him war was hard on everyone and his father's main business had been war until we finished the prototype.

I sighed. "Your father always had plans to leave the military contracts behind because he didn't want you making weapons like he had, he wanted you bettering the world. That's why he brought you both to Ta Lo, to be free while he convinced me of his vision of Stark Industries changing the world instead of profiting off of wars that divide people."

I clenched my fist and sighed. "He was a good man and a great friend of mine Tony, but you were his everything. He just wanted you to have a better choice than he did so he pushed you away so you didn't fall into his work trying to be like him. He wanted you to be better than him and now he's got his wish. You're taking the steps towards a dream he always wanted for you and he couldn't have been prouder to know that."

Tony shed several tears in our private meeting and I left, wishing him a happy birthday before skipping out on the festivities. I was asked to go to New Mexico three days later but I was already there having sensed the Bifrost. I revealed myself in front of the hammer and the Shield agents went on red alert until Coulson had them stand down saying Fury mentioned sending an expert.

I was in my full battle suit and I looked up to Coulson as I spoke in a modulated voice. "Where is the owner of this weapon?"

He sighed. "So it is Thor's hammer then?"

I nodded and he said no one came through as far as he knows. He got a report of a secondary anomaly and I grabbed the hammer which lifted with ease, judging me worthy if however uninterested in it's power. I set it down after scanning it and told Coulson they needn't worry as the owner would come for it soon if he's on earth. I waited and watched as Coulson's men got their asses thoroughly kicked with ease including the best he had.

When Thor went to lift the Hammer, Hawkeye stood down and Thor failed to lift the hammer. I told Coulson that magic was involved and it seems Thor is no longer worthy of his hammer. He asked if Thor was a god and I shrugged. "In a way, yes, in another no, he's just an alien with super powers."

I didn't say more on that and just asked for a minute alone. Coulson gave the go ahead and I went into the room where Thor was broody. I made my rings glow and he recognized them as his own armband glowed briefly. I asked him what happened as he lowered his head and told me.

His words brought dread to my heart as he told me of the reprisal attack on Jotunheim and him having called in a legion of warriors from earth as backup when shot got bad. I hauled him up by his shirt and slammed him on the table when his words were confirmed by Shao-Lo. I growled from behind the mask. "You foolish boy! The last war with the Frost Giants decimated our ranks! There's no way Laufey won't recognize our armor and invade if this leads to war."

I slammed him back into his seat and snarled. "Odin was right to banish you, you fool! You court war when you have no understanding of the cost! Five days, five fucking days and ten thousand innocent lives along with a the entire legion of the Iron Rings died in the last war amongst the realms. Hundreds more Asgardians fell and hundreds of thousands of lives lost across the nine realms within the few months."

I shook my head. "You haven't seen war little would be prince. You don't understand what it cost us to ensure peace, what it cost the nine realms. Women and children dead as villages were frozen over, men slaughtered or shattered into bloody messes, those alive pleading for mercy or saving."

I clenched my fists and shook my head. "I was wrong, you aren't ready to lead men into battle to defend your homeland when you don't even consider the repercussions of your own actions."

I brought up my armband and tapped on it before deactivating his armband. I told him. "Until you understand what you've done you will not be allowed the courtesies as a member of the Ten Rings. You are unworthy of the blood that may yet be shed in the name of your foolish actions."

I backhanded him and told him coldly. "You're unworthy of being called my student."

He apologized and I shook my head as I walked to the door and stopped. "I expected more from you, better even. You disgraced not just Asgard, but the Ten Rings by courting war with a world whom was likely looking to cause the war you may have just given them a reason to start. Now all the nine realms are vulnerable to the horrors of a war we may not win."

He swallowed and I grunted. "One hundred and ninety-seven brothers and sisters died on Jotunheim from the reports coming in now. Know that their blood is on your hands oh prince of fools."

I left and Coulson's stopped me, asking if it was true and what we could do when I confirmed it. I grunted. "I have to gather my armies and prepare for open invasion and war the likes hasn't been seen in over a thousand years. You, you can do whatever it is you please. Once the legions of the Iron Rings are prepared, I will go to Asgard and see if Odin was successful in preventing the war with peace talks or if we're in danger."

He asked what happened back then and I tapped my wrist band before taking off a iPhone X sized crystal screen. I passed it to Coulson and he watched the previous war in first person while I vanished. I gathered the legions and sent the message far and wide to prepare but stay undercover for now. When that was done, I went to Asgard without my suit activated, opening a portal to the throne room.

I went to greet Odin and found Loki on the throne. When I asked where Odin was, he said I would speak to him if I had matters as he was the king now. I grunted. "Where is Odin, boy? I've no interest in speaking with a mouthpiece who has his own interests."

He sneered and said I had no business on Asgard then. I turned and headed to leave when he growled. "How dare you show such disrespect to your king!"

I growled. "Earth has no king."

He commanded the guards to seize me and my suit came on over me. My rings glowed and Gungnir pierced my chest through my suit from behind. I took a step forwards and reached behind, pulling the blade from my back despite Loki's strength. I lowered my mask and glared at him. "Fucking coward."

I kicked him with all the strength I could muster, sending him flying and hitting the throne hard enough to break it. My rings glowed and a forcefield formed around me from them. I dropped through the portal, leaving Gungnir behind. The portal brought me to Frigga as I stumbled into a dresser in their private quarters.

She gasped seeing me and came to my side. I stumbled and saw the dark matter from Gungnir was preventing the wound from closing with nanites. I leaned against the wall and told Frigga what happened before she helped me to Odin when she asked how she could help make it right when I called Loki a fucking coward. I told her as my suit covered Odin. "The healing abilities of my suit can help him restore his strength, but they can't help me now. Gungnir's dark energy permeates the wound preventing it from closing."

I coughed up blood as I leaned against the healing field of the bed. My vision blurred as blood pooled around me and I passed out. She asked me to hold on just a bit longer but my hearing went as I blacked out entirely. I woke up and things had gone to shit for Loki.

He'd killed Laufey, sent the destroyer armor to earth and lost it before trying to destroy Jotunheim. I lay on a regular bed in a room where Odin and Frigga entered as I awoke.