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Dragonborn's Might makes Right by Infonticus

Game X-overs & Avengers Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure, Words: 356k+, Favs: 1k+, Follows: 1k+, Published: Aug 25, 2021 Updated: Jun 12, 2022

514Chapter 23

Chapter 23: On the Galactic Collision Course, Part 1

[Mona's Orbital Observatory - Sakaar]

Occasionally, there would be particularly uneventful moments in my warlord dragon of Sakaar schedule when I could do nothing but wait for my subordinates to finish their work/research. And as much as it was entertaining to stare at my head of Astrology and Divination magnificently-round stocking-clad ass as she put the finishing touches on her creation, it did get monotonous after doing so for an hour straight.

So, with nothing better to do, I watched some space television.

= V =

"-adies and Gentlemen, Fortnite Match#11 is about to come to a close! Lila Barton, our crowd favourite, is alone and up against the last three competitors! Can she pull off this clutch move and turn the tides once again, or will the famed Fortnite champion meet her match today?!"

"The odds are certainly stacked against our favourite eight-year-old!The Storm is closing in all around them, threatening disintegration to anyone it touches. Her three enemies, now in an uneasy truce and agreeing to work together to fill her full of lead-flavoured holes! Wary of any tricks as they advance closer to her hiding spot, and- Lila bounces a sneaky grenade right in the centre of them! The grenade strats! THE GRENADE STRATS! It shreds two of them into chunky bits, the last one is on his last leg but open fires with his gun- BUT HERE COMES LILA WITH HER SIDEARM AND POPS TWO QUICK SHOTS INTO THE OTHER EIGHT-YEAR-OLD'S SKULL! BLOOD AND BRAINS ARE FLYING EVERYWHERE! IT IS ALL OVER! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LILA CLAIMS VICTORY ROYALE! THE STEAMING CORPSES OF NINETY-NINE OTHER CHILDREN ONCE AGAIN BEARING SILENT WITNESS TO HER HARD-EARNED VICTORY! CAN ANYONE STOP THIS HUMAN CHILD'S RAMPAGE?!"

"With this victory royale, Lila Barton wins the pot of 1,000 V-bucks! We can only imagine which weapons and other gear she'll purchase for the next match! And more importantly, will it be enough for her to win the next match as well? Place your bets now!"

"Tune in tomorrow for Fortnite Match#12! More children brutally murdering each other for your entertainment- only here on Sakaar Entertainment Network! Might makes Right!"

= V =

It was pleasing to see that broadcasting Project Fortnite for the entire galaxy was the right move. Despite Sakaar being a feared galactic superpower, everyone was still watching our broadcasts. It also helped that we were doing it for cheap, because I was less concerned with turning a profit. But still the Units were flowing in- mostly from the gambling.

A few more of these Battle Royale matches and the underperforming children will be culled- proving themselves to be genetic dead ends. The children who do prove to have an acceptable capacity for violence in them will be promoted to the next tier: Smaller matches a la Counterstrike: Global Offensive or Rainbow Six Siege to teach them squad-based tactics. After that will be larger scale battles between two factions a la Star Wars Battlefront 2 or the Battlefield games to teach them platoon-based tactics, and how to pilot and repair vehicles.

And after all that, they'll graduate into fully-fledged 2nd generation Sakaarian Raiders. Of course, I fully expect some of them to try and sabotage raiding operations out of revenge for what I put them through, but between my [Clairvoyance] and the promise of selfish gain, the dissidents will either be executed or converted. And that will leave me with the meanest, most violent recruits ever raised to crew my Dread Armada.

Their genetics will then be mixed and matched to produce more children in Zee's labs before being promptly deposited into Project Fortnite in a wondrously violent circle of life. Not 'Survival of the most capable to reproduce.' But actual Survival of the Fittest. Yes, I was aware this method was crude and inefficient, but the capacity for violence was the metric to measure them. Much better than those other civilizations who just let their population run wild- letting their societies' cowardly weaklings weigh down their strong… like how the Nova Empire does or Asgard did during the latter half of Odin's rule.

Well, the Nova Empire is going to be extinct soon, and so will the Kree Empire. Neither having proved to be considerable obstacles against me, and the true obstacles to my ultimate victory here in the MCU were going to be dealt with soon enough…

I turned my eyes back to the girl on her hands and knees a few steps away from me. Mona, my Head of Divination and Astrology who in her usual scanty outfit with the body-stockings clinging to her incredible ass, was busy setting things up for my latest toy.

"That should do it!" She happily announced as her slender frame stepped away from her work. "Hev, the [Scrying Pool] is now attuned properly to the star of Sol. Anything within that solar system won't be able to hide from our scrying now."

"Finally! I can cross that off my list." I exclaimed- my dovahkiin form standing up from the couch with a clack of Dragonplate and walked over to my new and improved method of scrying.

= H =

Nora OpFor Notes:

Nora OpFor Note #3: I'm too dependent on the easily-defeated Clairvoyance spell to search for my enemies. Find better passive detection abilities.

Solution :

The [Scrying Pool]

With just a thought, any object or individual may be remotely viewed regardless of its magic resist. The image reflected on the pool's surface like a tv screen.

A circular pool of water the size of a football field within Mona's Orbital Observatory. Lined with gold bricks mined from the asteroids countless aeons old, and filled with pure water drawn from comets who have witnessed the birth of galaxies. There is a certain mystical power to be found in things that were ancient to such a degree. And all that power can be gathered and concentrated towards piercing through considerable amounts of magic resist.

It is not without its limitations which makes it a partial solution at best. I cannot scry for threats that I was not already aware about. And unlike the [Clairvoyance] spell, the Scrying Pool is not portable by any means, nor can it show the viewer the direction of its target. As a result, the next stage in its research will be to try and make it more compact.

= H =

Stopping just at the edge of the pool, I looked down to the pristine mirror-like surface.

"Show me my greatest enemies." I commanded the calm waters. It wasn't necessary to verbalise the command, but it helped to make the target clearer in my head. And with a shimmer, the pool reflected the sight that I wanted to see, and Mona couldn't help but look confused as she looked at the sight reflected on the water's surface.

"Are you certain that these are the greatest enemies' that you were referring to, Hev?" She asked- doubt dancing in her sea-green eyes, "They appear to be normal humans to me…"

I patted her head patronisingly.

"You'll find that these 'humans' hold more energy within their bodies than Klee's SJDs… and they still manage to hide it from our detection methods until now." My deep, rumbling voice answered her as I continued to look into the pool. "But more importantly, these are just two Eternals out of countless thousands or millions. They won't be an easy foe for us."

The Eternals (from the marvel movie 'The Eternals') were sentient golems made from primordial cosmic energies. They were crafted by god-like beings who were known to materialise stars and galaxies as a hobby. And these Eternals were the first line of defence my greatest enemy had arrayed against those who would do harm against them: namely myself.

But they didn't know that. Not yet at least.

These specific two Eternals were currently living in the dusty Australian outback. Masquerading as- and nigh indistinguishable from- mere humans, they went about their daily lives. Just a powerfully-built asian man and a smoking hot platinum-blonde woman living in a cozy mud hut together. I wanted a piece of them actually. They were essentially the magical equivalent of androids and gynoids. They were the holy grail of [Enchanting]. If I could disenchant even one of them, it would go a long way to making my own. I already had magical AI in the form of Klee's Jojocos, but they were just dumb robots in comparison to these Eternals who were thinking and feeling machines.

However, just plucking one of them off earth and disenchanting them wasn't an option.

I was 80% certain that the destruction of any Eternal would alert their masters, and Sakaar would be assaulted by the Celestials: Angry god-like beings who made the galaxies that were currently warring over. They were the true Final Bosses of the MCU. I'd win the fight of course; but Sakaar would likely be a lifeless, smoking ruin from collateral damage and all the hard work I put into building up its population and economy would go to waste. My abilities were not geared towards defending myself. And that's why I was already on the offensive against them.

"However, they don't seem to be reacting to the construction of my Dragon Tower on Earth." I mused- staring at much younger and hotter Angelina Jolie's naked form as she showered in her little mud hut.

'Thena' I think her name was. Able to materialise monomolecular blades using her inherent cosmic energies. Water dripped down every tantalising crevice on her naked, graceful frame. Why the Celestials chose to give them working sexual bits, I don't know, but I'll be sure to put that feature to very good use later on. Her and other female-analogue Eternals… right before I disenchant them. But naked showering haemonculus made of cosmic-energy aside, I was still mildly concerned by their lack of response to my actions.

"Can they not detect the Dragon Tower I'm erecting, or do they just not comprehend what I'm trying to achieve?" I wondered out loud, "Oh well, if they're just going to let me achieve my war goals without a fight, then who am I to argue?"

"Your final war goal is to erect a Dragon Tower on Earth?" Mona puzzled. "Whatever for? Isn't it just a sturdy perch for your dragon form?

"Ha! It's so much more than that, but essentially, yes." I guffawed- a deep booming laughter following it, "If that tower on earth gets finished, I win. I mean, who else in this entire universe is going to be able to stop me? The Nova and Kree Empires are unaware of the rapidly approaching completion of Johanna's orbital shipyard. Asgard and the Nine Realms are firmly under Sylvie's control. Thanos is going on a wild goose chase for my balls. The Avengers are divided and are growing increasingly corrupted- even without me whispering in their ears."

Mona looked pensive.

"So… we're almost at the end of our stay in this universe?" she murmured.

"Yes. Barring more surprises, I'd say we're more than halfway done here… But I wouldn't count on it. Surprises have been a staple here."

"After that… What will you- we do, Hev?"

"This universe will likely just devolve back into peace." I answered with a roll of my blood-red eyes, "Everyone who stays behind will get a large domain of worlds to rule however they like- perhaps try their hand at running a peaceful utopia. Meanwhile, I'll lead the Dread Armada across the multiverse to continue our grand conquest for all eternity. Tier-11 on the Company Scale, is far from the ceiling of power after all, and I intend to find it. You can stay here if you'd like, Mona…"

"No, I want to go with you!" Mona shouted, as if the mere suggestion was enough to frighten her, "Discover new stars, chart new constellations… but most of all, be with you, my greatest patron!"

How tooth-achingly sweet. For her overt declaration of affection, I patted her head gently right over her witch hat. It's nice to have someone so affectionate, obedient and incredibly useful. Then I remembered something- something important. A quick glance at the mystical clock on the back wall told me that it was time for that daily ritual.

"Alright, it's that time of day again where I have to ask the question: What has Klee gotten herself into today?"

[Delaware, USA]

In the heart of his Hydra cell's headquarters, Daniel Whitehall adjusted his eyeglasses as he observed the little girl seated in front of his desk.

This child, Klee, just continued to happily enjoy her pint of ice cream- even when she had been escorted into the premises by four armed guards- she was still unaware that she had been kidnapped. Children were far too sheltered in the 21st century, he had found; but today, such ignorance worked in his favour. Of course, he took no pleasure in kidnapping children, but needs must. Not only was Johanna Schmidt on speaking terms with the doctor who held the formula for eternal youth, she was also housing the person who was holding a Dragon Ball. Both persons can be easily lured to this very base now that they have Klee as leverage.

The child looked up at him as she finished her pint of ice cream.

"Are you the big boss of this place, mister?" she asked, as she pried open the second pint- coffee flavoured this time.

"That is correct. However as a Head of Hydra, it is not a common occurrence for me to take part in day-to-day operations." he told her. Not that it mattered if Klee knew of Hydra. For after all, she and her mother will only be loose ends to them once they have the information they needed.

"Oh! I'm a head of H.Y.D.R.A. too!" the child announced with a bright smile, "Explosives Expert, Spark Knight Klee~!"

"Ah, the vivid imaginations of children." He smiled along. "Ms. Klee, I would like to ask you a few things, I'll make it worth your while with more ice cream or toys or…"

"More ice cream, please!" Klee immediately pleaded, "Can I have neapolitan next?"

"Of course, you only need to answer my questions honestly…" Daniel smiled as he pressed the button to his intercom. "Sunil? Please bring a pint of neapolitan ice cream here for our guest."

"Right away, sir."

"Yay!" Klee cheered- raising her spoon aloft.

"While we wait for your ice cream… Do you recognise these, Klee?" Daniel smiled in return as he held up a pair of photographs, and recognition sparkled in the child's eyes.

"Oh, that's Auntie Zee! And that one is Steve's Dragon Ball!"

And Daniel frowned at that reaction. Auntie Zee? It would seem Johanna Schmidt had a deeper connection with Zee than simply business contacts. Could Ms. Schmidt be more than a mere physics teacher? It was a faint possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. Furthermore, it was expected that Klee would know the location of the Dragon Ball, but…

"How do you know what this is?" He placed the photo of the Dragon Ball on the desk, and Klee simply shot a confused look at him.

"Johanna told me?"

So, Ms. Schmidt was also aware of the true nature of this ball. The woman was growing more intriguing by the second. Unfortunately, that sealed her fate. He was in agreement with the other heads of Hydra. The more people who were aware of the Dragon Balls, the more volatile the current situation was. So, it served their interests to… remove those who knew about them.

"And would you happen to know how she found out that it was a Dragon ball?" he gently asked the child, "Did she run experiments on it? Perhaps with your 'Auntie Zee?'"

"You betcha! Because discovery requires expemerintation!"

At those words, he froze in his seat.

"Where did you hear that?" He asked her, a feeling of bewilderment creeping up his spine. That was his favoured epithet. Not that anyone outside of Hydra would know about it, so how did this child know about it? Was it a coincidence?

"Klee thinks it was just the other day? She happily divulged, "Johanna said it was from one of the people who used to work for her! I thought it was really clever like all the other things Johanna teaches me about."

No… it was just a coincidence. At least, he thinks it is. But could it truly be possible that the Red Skull was alive? After all these years? He wished to be able to say impossible, but given the many supposedly 'impossible' things he had witnessed over the decades, it was anything but.

His eyes were drawn to the little eight-year-old girl sitting across from him.

"Do… Do people call your mother 'The Red Skull'?" He gulped.

"Red Skull? Hmmm… nope!" Klee cheerfully replied, and for a brief second, relief flooded his chest… only for Klee to shatter it with her next comment, "Wait! I've only heard Hev call Johanna that once when I first met her. But only that one time. I think it's a title like how I'm 'Spark Knight' Klee?"

"Does the word Tesseract mean anything to you?" He prompted- unable to hide the rising sense of horror and panic in his voice. A large part of him wished that it was just a coincidence. Because if she was indeed the Red Skull's daughter… then their founder, and his former commanding officer was not going to be pleased with this kidnapping. People were disintegrated for far less.

"Sure does!" Klee cheerily nodded, "All the fancy ships and shields and guns on Sakaar run on Tesseract-Energy. Also a lot of my bombs run on that too. Johanna is the smartest! She made up all the designs all by herself!"

"Tell me something only the Red Skull would know." Daniel prompted Klee.

"Erm… Johanna has a recipe for a yummy fish schnitzel that she got from her mom?"

"Fish… schnitzel?" He whispered back, and Klee just nodded animatedly.

…

"Oh… oh scheiße."

He practically stomped the emergency button under his desk, and almost immediately, four men burst into the room with their guns raised. The same men who were there with Sunil when they kidnapped her in the first place.

"Sir, is everything alright?" His trusted assistant, Sunil Bakshi or 'Mr. Sunny' as Klee had taken to calling him, placed a steadying hand on his shoulder while handing Klee her pint of Neapolitan ice cream.

"Klee knows that face well." the child nodded in sympathy as she popped open the container. "Sometimes, Klee messes up big and makes that face too. Mr. Whitecastle looks like he made a major oopsie."

"The four of you, return Mistress Klee where you found her." Daniel urgently directed them, "Treat her with the utmost respect. The utmost respect. Is that clear?"

"Can we stop for more ice cream, please!?" Klee piped up. "Cuz I don't think this is enough ice cream for me."

"Of course, Mistress Klee, whatever flavour you want." He said- forcing a smile on his face, and facing the four gunmen. "Get her whatever she wants."

"Yipee! Thank you, Mr. Whitehall. Mr. Sunny!" Klee waved at them both before skipping away with her new bodyguards in tow. The sound of her loud humming taunting him until she was out of earshot.

"Sunil, I need a full diplomatic team to make contact with this 'Sakaar' village in Argentina." he demanded in no uncertain terms. "I do not care if it's not on the map. Find it and be sure the team knows that we are on the weaker side of the negotiations. We do not want to upset the Red Skull's allies… who are all apparently armed with weapons built using the research of the Tesseract."

"Yes, sir." his faithful right hand man replied, "But if I may speak freely… our founder is not only alive, but has also covertly assembled a fleet of ships powered by the Tesseract, found the fountain of youth, and bore a child? My apologies, sir. But it sounds like a leap in logic."

"An understandable reaction." Daniel sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose, "However I have documented and studied much stranger things in my time. The logic of normal men crumbles in the presence of great unknowns, particularly where artefacts such as the Tesseract are involved. And now, we have apparently kidnapped the Red Skull's own daughter."

Pulling out a folder from his desk's drawer, he laid it open to reveal the

Johanna Schmidt.

Sharp, clear blue eyes. Blonde hair tied in a ponytail. An almost bored scowl on her pink lips. And the crisp black suit that seemed to give her an air of authority just by standing there.

It seemed that his old commanding officer had grown to be an exceedingly beautiful 20-something-year-old over the past 65 years. But he wasn't bothered by the strangeness of it. After all, the scientific process requires an open mind- to know when to amend old hypotheses in the face of new data. Stranger things have happened after all, and he was living proof of it: Here he stood- an 85 year old man who looked to be in his early 30s thanks to biological processes that he himself barely understood.

They were operating beyond the light of science, straight into supposition and- dare he say it- magic.

Here they were, having infiltrated the most widespread intelligence agency in the entire world and yet they were still no closer to finding out the truth. Tony Stark, Dr. Zee, SHIELD, Paimon, Thor, Johanna Schmidt, the Tesseract, the Dragon Balls, Klee and possibly the nuke in Iowa as well… it was all connected, but how? And suddenly, he felt very small. Like a fly caught in the gears of the British Big Ben clocktower- unable to comprehend the machinations he was caught in. An irrelevant spec in the face of the cosmos that would not even notice his passing.

"Shall I inform the rest of the Hydra heads of this development, sir?" Sunil suggested.

"No… I will handle that personally." Daniel sighed, "Have my chauffeur ready the car… We need to talk to Schmidt for ourselves, and explain this grievous misunderstanding face to face: It is our only hope of survival."

"U-understood, sir."

(An hour later) [New York City]

Steve Rogers fixed his navy blue bomber jacket as he climbed up from the subway station and out to the slightly chilly New York afternoon.

He was running late.

He had promised to help Johanna on some errands before they picked up Klee from wasn't much else he could do to make himself useful at the moment when no one was willing to hire him, let him rent out his own place, or even own a car: All because he didn't have any valid ID, and he can only hope that the application process for said IDs were going to be less of a headache. He had hoped that bureaucracy would be eliminated over the decades that he had been asleep, but there just seems to be more of it now.

So in the meantime, he was stuck with Johanna and Klee. However, it wasn't so bad. He had come to appreciate the German woman's Straightforward no-nonsense intensity, and little Klee always lightened up the atmosphere of the room whenever she walked in with her usual innocent, hyperactive charm. He wished he could meet this 'Mr. Hev Armstrong' though. Klee needs a good father figure in her life, and Johanna's descriptions of the man can only be accurate up to a point. Steve wanted to get a measure of the man himself.

But that was for later, right now, errands.

Only, when he rounded the corner to the cafe that He and Johanna were supposed to meet in. Steve found Johanna seated in the al fresco of the cafe with two shady-looking men in suits seated across the table from her. A bespectacled man in a grey suit, and an olive-skinned Greek fellow who was in a charcoal-black suit. And Steve had a suspicion on what was happening. A pretty blonde lady sitting alone at a cafe? Yeah, this won't be the first time that's happened to Johanna. He decided that it was as good a time as any to walk up to them.

"Sorry, I'm late, Johanna." he asked, just a hint of firmness to his tone as he eyed the two men across from her, "Who are these men?"

Immediately, the bespectacled man took one look at him and… immediately recognised him?

"Captain America?!" he stammered- he and his Greek-looking friend immediately shooting up to their feet, "We... We were just leaving!"

And Steve's blue eyes narrowed. The only ones who were that skittish are those who are up to no good.

"No, you aren't. Sit, Daniel." Johanna addressed the bespectacled man before turning her clear blue eyes towards Steve, "You as well. We may as well have a round of introductions in place of our errands."

At her direction, both parties sat down at the cafe's al fresco table, but Steve didn't take it easy just yet.

"Steve, this is Dr. Daniel Whitehall, a former subordinate of mine from my old workplace." she gestured to the nervous-looking Daniel then to the Greek man in the charcoal black suit. "And his assistant, Sunil Bakshi."

"Daniel, you know Steve Rogers." Johanna continued- gesturing to Steve, "He had recently been thawed from the wreckage of the Walkure, and I had offered him a place to stay while he finds his place in this new age."

"I have heard of your exploits in the war, Captain America." This 'Daniel Whitehall' extended a hand across the table to him, "A-a pleasure to meet you in the flesh."

Well, wasn't this a bittersweet moment. Why is it that Johanna and her friends seem to be the only ones who recognise him for who he is? Couldn't the people over at the car rental or landlords recognise him too? Still, it was nice to not have strange looks when he introduced himself as Steve Rogers.

"Likewise, Dr. Whitehall." Steve gave a small smile as he shook the outstretched hand, "Any friend of Johanna is a friend of mine. And please, call me Steve."

"That is very generous of you, Steve." Daniel nervously smiled back- almost like he was afraid of him. He'd seen it many, many times. Not everyone was comfortable being in the same room as America's supersoldier after all.

"Daniel and I have just been discussing recent events." Johanna continued with an expectant tone. "You were about to ask me something before Steve arrived."

Steve watched as Daniel leaned forward, a gravely serious expression on his face.

"Are you raising young Klee to take your place in our organisation?" the doctor asked.

"No it will take years before she is in any way prepared for such" Johanna shook her head- blonde ponytail swaying, "And even then, I am unsure if she will develop the right disposition for a leadership role. Instead, I have someone else in mind…"

Johanna's eyes met Steve's.

"You're joking." Daniel breathed. "You intend for us to follow him in the future? Lack of qualifications notwithstanding. Need I remind you what happened to the last starry-eyed idealist we were… employed to?"

"The principal difference is that Steve here was actually accepted into art school." Johanna said with a small smirk, and Steve just sat confused as Daniel gave a small chortle at the apparently inside joke between the two colleagues. Proving that it doesn't matter what decade he was in: STEM degree holders will always make fun of the Fine Arts.

"What are you volunteering me for, Johanna?" Steve protested, and Johanna's clear blue met his deeper blue ones. Steve found the way that they were glancing at him was suspect and as well as the wording. And it led him to believe that the circumstances surrounding Johanna's departure from her old think tank were not as straightforward as normal jobs were. Was that why she had been hiding in a nowhere Argentinian village called Sakaar until now? Johanna had always been mysterious about her past, and though he respected her enough not to pry, he was still interested in getting to know her better.

"A leadership position in my old… organisation." Johanna shared with a small amused smirk, "A thinktank much like how Colonel Philip Chester directed you, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter to participate in the project that transformed you into Captain America. And just like them, Daniel and his cell are the bleeding edge of science and technology… I would volunteer you to head them- to impart a sense of direction to these dedicated men and women."

And Steve thought that didn't sound bad at all. He always looked up to Colonel Chester. Despite their disagreements, he respected the man. But having a job like that? Steve wasn't sure if he could make the kind of tough decisions that Colonel Chester did. Like sending men to their certain deaths just to buy more time for other men in other fronts of the war.

Moreover, Dr. Whitehall seemed personally offended by Johanna's suggestion- his lips drawn into a thin line.

"My apologies, Captain." Daniel said to him, "But I do not believe your Fine Arts degree indicates that you possess the qualities needed to lead an organisation such as ours. We haven't fallen so low yet to mistake academic achievement for efficacy in the field. Your lack of meaningful academic education can be overlooked, because- ultimately, it is your temperament that is in question here."

"Temperament? What's that supposed to mean?" Steve leaned forward, "If you have something to say, then say it straight."

"I happened to read quite a lot as a hobby. And among the books I've read chronicled adventures and operations in WWII." Daniel leaned forward as well. "Some of your tactical and strategic decisions, I've come to deeply question. Are you familiar with the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu and his work The Art of War, Captain?"

"I don't keep it by my bedside drawer, but yes." Steve confirmed, and the doctor nodded as if expecting that answer.

"How do you feel about the quote: 'Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.' ?"

Steven didn't even hesitate with his answer- looking the doctor straight in the eye as he gave it.

"I feel that every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time."

"Thank you for proving my point, Captain." Dr. Whitehall smiled before nodding grimly to Johanna, "As you can clearly hear, Schmidt, he is an idiot."

"Hey!" Steve protested, but was ignored as Daniel just continued as if uninterrupted.

"One with superhuman strength and constitution, but an idiot nonetheless. I doubt he will ever be the leader that you envision him to be, regardless of what you believe."

"I have a suspicion as to why that is." Johanna hummed in consideration- her clear blue eyes looking at him like a doctor would diagnose a patient. "And it is no fault of his own. I will have to ask around for some way to reverse his condition."

"Johanna, what the hell?" he squawked, "I thought you had my back on this?"

And the blonde just shot him an unimpressed look.

"Erskine's serum enhances the individual it's administered to: Strengthening the physiology, augmenting the five senses and amplifying mental faculties…" Johanna enumerated, "... at the cost of aggravating any mental imperfections they have. Do you believe yourself to have been perfect before the serum, Steve?"

"Wait, timeout." He called out in disbelief, "Are you telling me that you think the serum made me negatively affected my intelligence in the same way that it made Red Skull into a raving lunatic with a half-baked plan for world domination?"

Dr. Whitehall coughed awkwardly while Johanna sniffed in disapproval- radiating annoyance.

"What?" He puzzled, "Did I say something strange?

And before Steve could ask her to explain further, the doctor's Greek assistant leaned close to whisper into Daniel's ear.

"Sir…" Sunil Bakshi, who had been silent up until now, called Dr. Whitehall's attention with an urgent whisper, "The convoy has just been ambushed, and she was taken."

"What?!" Daniel hissed back in a whisper… that Steve could clearly hear with his enhanced sense of hearing, "Are you saying that she was kidnapped from us?!"

"Precisely, sir!"

"Do we know who did this?"

"Daniel… who has been kidnapped?" Johanna calmly asked in a disappointed tone that made it sound like she already knew the answer. And at the sound of her voice, Steve watched as Daniel Whitehall nervously glanced at Johanna- fear in his eyes as if he didn't want to answer that particular question.

"Klee." the doctor admitted, and Steve's eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Klee's been kidnapped?" He clarified- standing up from his seat, "Well, shouldn't we be reporting this to the police?!"

"Captain." Johanna's frigid voice ground out. "You are now in charge of the rescue operation. Make certain that Klee comes home safely."

He frowned.

"Look, I know that you're angry and worried for her, but we should let the police know about this at least, then we can work with them from there."

"The armed bodyguards that were accompanying Klee did not survive." Daniel revealed in a whisper, "Suffice to say that NYPD bureaucracy will not permit a response that is both fast enough and strong enough. And a group that heavily- armed will no doubt have sources within the police department. It will only hurt Klee's chances if this was "

"3rd of November 1942, Captain." She recited to him, "That Hydra factory in Austria between Kitzbühel and Klagenfurt… You risked court martial by disobeying your commanding officer to rescue two hundred workers, including your friend…"

"Bucky." He murmured the name of his fallen friend, and Johanna nodded knowingly.

"I may be asking you to break the law, but only for the right reasons."

And Steve understood the subtext of this: Her daughter's life was on the line, and she wouldn't trust anyone else to bring her back safely apart from him.

"Alright, I'll do it for Klee." He confirmed, and Johanna nodded in acknowledgement.

"Mr. Bakshi here will supply all the men, equipment and intelligence you need. Won't you?" Johanna aimed the question at the olive-skinned Greek man just gulped under the scrutiny, his brown eyes glancing desperately at Whitehall for assistance. And the bespectacled doctor just gave a nervous, but encouraging nod.

"Yes, we'll help Captain America." He announced under Johanna's piercing stare. "It seems that you are the acting head of our little group now. Whitehall Pharmaceuticals and its security arm are at your command, Captain."

And Steve couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. Despite knowing that Johanna was held in high regard as a former member of their thinktank, it was still bizarre to see grown men so scared of a physics teacher in her mid-twenties.

"Just stay safe, Johanna." He gave his perfected 'Captain America' smile', "I'll be back with Klee before you know it."

"Kindly see to it." Johanna replied- busy as she was staring directly at Dr. Whitehall who was looking increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked by, "Daniel and I have some things to… discuss. In particular, I want to know why my daughter was with them when this unfortunate incident occurred."

"I'll leave you two to it then." Steve muttered- feeling pity for the doctor before nodding at the Greek man. "Bakshi, you're with me. We should give these two their privacy."

"Yes, sir." Mr. Bakshi affirmed as they began walking down the street, "We have a squad of men and the vehicles already previously assembled in the parking lot just around the corner."

And it was just then that Steve noticed something peculiar with the way Sunil Bakshi held himself.

"You a military vet, Bakshi?" He asked.

"Formerly of Her Majesty's Royal Navy Police, sir." Bakshi answered with a parade-perfect salute.

"It'll be nice working with a professional." Steve nodded with a smile, "Well, it'll be a search and rescue op. Brief me what we know about the situation, and whatever assets in the area. We have an eight-year-old to save."

Internally, Steve couldn't help but wince. Poor Klee… she's such a sweet kid too. He couldn't imagine how frightening it must be for a kid like her to be kidnapped.

[In a black SUV somewhere in New York]

"McDonald's! McDonald's! McDonald's!" Klee cheered- happily bouncing on her seat while a new set of frowny, big burly men sat around her and a lady in the blue uniform who was seated right across. It was a lot more spacious than the car with Mr. Sunny and Big Burly Men #1-4. But she hoped that they had ice cream too. Neapolitan was the best!

"Uh, lady… are you a head of Hydra too?" She asked, "'Cuz those guys in the car were also Hydra. You didn't have to blow them up."

And Klee watched as the lady in the blue uniform just sighed with that same sigh that Hev, Johanna, Albedo and Jean all do when someone out there does something stupid.

"Oh Whitehall, you couldn't help but monologue to the kid, could you?" the lady seemed to say into the air before massaging her head and smiling at Klee.

"Yes, sweetie, I'm also a Head of Hydra. You can call me Auntie Hale."

"Should we put a bag over her head or something, ma'am?" Big burly man #8 asked the lady in blue who just rolled her eyes.

"Clearly you haven't raised any children if that's what you're suggesting to make a kid more cooperative." 'Auntie Hale' grunted, "Let me handle this."

She smiled at Klee.

"Sweetie, what was your favourite item from the McDonald's menu back in Argentina?" She asked, and Klee just smiled big right back.

"Klee hasn't had a McDonald's before, but Big burly man #4 said that it's really yummy, and that I should try it!"

"I can see how they wouldn't have a McDonald's in that little Argentinian town of yours." the nice lady agreed.

"We have a lot of stuff at Sakaar!" Klee beamed. "But this is the first time I've heard of a McDonald's before!"

"Yes, they're very delicious." the nice lady nodded with a smile, "We'll have someone order at McDonald's, but only if you behave, okay?"

"Okay, Klee will behave so very much!" she answered

It wasn't like in Monstadt where there were only a few places to eat or drink in the whole city. Sakaar was huuuuge! She had eaten from like a hundred different places and none of them had anything called McDonald's. And at that thought, Klee suddenly felt worried as she remembered something she isn't supposed to do?

"Uh… Auntie Hale? Is McDonald's a person?" She asked, and the older lady just smiled.

"Yes, he is. McDonald's is a funny clown with red hair, yellow overalls and big squeaky shoes."

"Oh… so then the food is made out of real McDonalds?" Klee had to make sure. Auntie Hale and the Big Burly Men #4-8 just looked at her confused.

"Klee isn't allowed to eat people like the Sakaarians do." She explained, "Jean, Albedo and Johanna said that it's not good for Klee's tummy like ice cream is."

"...They eat people in Sakaar?" Her new auntie goggled in surprise- her eyes looking pretty funny to Klee at how wide they opened.

Klee giggled at the sight.

"Yep! The Sakaarians say it's really yummy, but Klee is a good girl, so she doesn't eat people. The meat looks really weird and icky when its fresh from the bone too." Klee nodded. She remembered all those restaurants and stalls with the strange meat made from Kree, Xandarians, Krylorians and all the other -orians. Most of the time only Sakaarians ate them, but sometimes, she would see Kree eating a Kree steak too and things like that. It's weird how they always look so happy to eat those kinda meats.

"Ohmygod." Big Burly Man #5 whispered- sounding scared to Klee's ears, "Things are more fucked up in Argentina then I ever could have imagined. No wonder she didn't react to seeing dead bodies…"

"So, can we please eat something that isn't made out of McDonalds, Auntie Hale?" Klee pleaded- not wanting to be a bad girl and get a really bad tummy ache, "Klee doesn't want them to butcher a live McDonalds like the Sakaarians always offer to do."

And everyone in the car with her just made a face. Klee couldn't figure out what kind of face they were making. It was sort of like scared but also icked out? Something close to those two. Klee could understand getting icked out by icky meat, but scared? Were they really allergic to meat taken from a McDonalds clown?

"My nephew works as a Mickey D clown sometimes…" Big Burly Man #6 whispered- sounding just as scared as #5 did, "Oh fuck, the mental image is gonna make me sick."

"Fucking Argentinians, man. I never want to find myself stuck there." Big Burly Man #5 breathed while he did a little shiver, while the other Big Burly Men just silently nodded in agreement.

"Hold it in, you babies." Auntie Hale rolled her eyes again before putting on a smile for her.

"No, Klee… McDonald's is just the name of the restaurant." she reassured her, "They serve normal food there like burgers (from beef) and fries and milkshakes and ice cream. If their ice cream machine isn't broken, that is."

"Ice cream?!" Klee yelled excitedly- just bouncing on her seat. Everyone was giving her yummy food today! This is the most ice cream she'd had in a while! Even Johanna only lets her eat like two tubs a day! And that was two more tubs than Jean lets her eat! Johanna's friends, Mr. Whitehall and Mr. Sunny let her eat four so far, but she was sure that she could go for six! No, she can eat eight if she really tried!

"Yeah, as much as you want, sweetie." Auntie Hale's smile just widened, "Just keep quiet so that you don't give my men PTSD about your hometown."

Klee wanted to know what PTSD is. Was PTSD some kinda tummy ache? It was kinda funny that Big Burly Men almost as big as Hev could get tummy aches. But she already said that she behaved, so that's what she'll do. She can't wait to go back home and tell Hev all about how she gave people PTSD! He always found things funny, and when Hev laughed, Klee always found it easy to laugh along too.

Today is going to be so fun!

[A nowhere town in the Mojave Desert, California]

Squatting in the barn of one of the locals, Gamora took a bite out of the fruit that she had plundered from the owner's refrigerator.

"Father must know that we succeeded beyond our wildest expectations." She told her sister who was laying down on a bed of hay.

"What a shame." Nebula gruffly noted. "I was looking forward to an opportunity to 'sacrifice' you for the sake of the mission."

"You wouldn't have made it on your own." Gamora smugly shot back at her sister, "I doubt you would have gotten three steps back to Father before stumbling into another trap… But back to the matter at hand. Can your cybernetics be upgraded to be able to contact him?"

Nebula took on a thoughtful look before flipping open the forearm of her cybernetic left arm and running her own diagnostics. Gamora let her sister work in silence as she peered out of their motel room window. For all their differences (and murderous rivalry), she had actually warmed up to her blue, adoptive sister. Nebula may not have been bright in most things required to be a master infiltrator and assassin like herself, but tech was definitely where her mostly-cybernetic sister had her beat.

"No luck." Her sister reported, much to her dismay, "My cybernetics are already the best in the market, but not even it can contact Father from a galaxy that barely has barely evolved sentient life."

"Fine, we'll have to find another way…" Gamora groaned in frustration. "Can we build an interstellar comms transmitter from scratch?"

"It's… possible, but it will take weeks." Nebula mused. "And that is if we can find all the materials needed to construct it."

"But lacking better alternatives, it's our best option right now." Gamora muttered, "Something to send one message, that's all we need. That's all Father needs. Just one message, and the entire Chitauri fleet and the Black Order… they will all come to sweep aside the weak defences of this planet and pluck these Dragon Balls away from these primitives. Exiled Asgardians or no. And with the Dragon Balls in his possession, he's one wish away having all Six Infinity Stones transported to him, and from there, a single snap of his fingers away from balancing the cosmic scales."

"If Father is kind, he will let us have that snake Loki." Nebula gave a sadistic smile. Surely a sign of the end times, because the times when Nebula would agree with her was happening with frightening regularity nowadays. And to think, all it took was for them to be hopelessly marooned on some barely-developed planet.

"For once, sister, we're in agreement." Gamora smiled along, "All of my things and things were in that ship."

"So were mine." Nebula added. "That's why I hope Loki is still alive and well. So that when we find him, we can personally make sure that he's not."

It was not the sisterly bonding that Gamora hoped, but this seemed to be the sisterly bonding that Gamora needed. She normally didn't humour Nebula with her sadistic plans, but this time, she felt that the target really, really deserved it after marooning them on this primitive planet.

[A seedy motel room in Nevada]

Clint Barton made sure that the whole kilogram of his plastic explosives was properly primed to detonate.

"I never intended to stab SHIELD in the back." He shared to the other person in the room, "But that hadn't stopped me from setting up a contingency plan a few years back. People sometimes forget how good my eyesight is. It was obvious that Director Fury was already setting things up for my capture just in case I did something like this. But as far as betrayals go, mine is pretty mild: Just a simple computer virus to erase all records of me from every file in SHIELD and government databases. All while giving me some fresh cover identities to slip into. Also a couple of untraceable millions."

He uncoiled the det-line for his plastic explosives and attached it to the triggers.

"Now, some people would say that going into a working relationship with a contingency plan was already setting myself up for the mindset to fail. And to that, I'd say that those same people should drive without airbags and seatbelts because that would be setting themselves up for the mindset to fail."

He double checked the trigger just in case the tension was wrong, but smiled when it was just right.

"There is no shame in having a backup plan for relationships. Just like why people carry umbrellas with them when it's currently not raining: It's only natural to prepare for things outside your control. People change, times change, circumstances change… it happens, and it's okay. So when an unexpected circumstance like say… having my entire family killed in a nuclear explosion and Director Fury making every attempt to hide that fact from me? That advice still applies. I've already done all the crying and shouting and impotently pounding my fist against the uncaring earth, and now, all that is left in me is an almost optimistic kind of calm."

And with a metallic click signalling that he had assembled it correctly, the explosive was all ready to go. Now, it was time for the trigger mechanisms.

"After all, I'll have my family back. It'll be as simple as making a wish: 'I wish that explosion never happened.' So, it doesn't matter how many people I kill or torture from this point onwards, because I'd be turning back the clock for everyone. I could kill SHIELD agents all day, strangle Nick Fury with my own two hands, set the world on fire, and things will still be just peachy at the end- or at the beginning. Whichever it is. Also, you might want to stay really still for this part. Wouldn't want this collar of yours to go off, now would you?"

And Loki- who was tied firmly to his chair- could only stay perfectly still.

"I'll admit, those illusions of yours were pretty neat." Clint complimented as he fiddled with the bomb's transceivers, "No wonder you've been able to hide from SHIELD for so long even in the desert. But unfortunately for you, my Dragon Ball made my sight go from 'very good' to 'just plain cheating.' First it lets me shoot magic arrows, then I find out that it can grant wishes, then now its enhancing my body? I would love to keep one of these things after the wish is used up."

"So these… seven 'Dragon Balls' when gathered together can grant a single wish?" Loki muttered in deep interest while Clint continued to work on the metal collar around his neck.

"You were lying when you said that they were yours to begin with, weren't you, Loki?"

"I certainly was not! They are mine!" Loki feverishly denied before taking a more sheepish tone, "I'm simply… chronologically-challenged in the matter."

"They're yours, you just haven't gotten them yet?" Clint scoffed, and Loki smiled at him.

"Precisely."

"Well, whatever helps you sleep at night, Loki." Clint murmured. "As for your original question, the Dragon Balls release a dragon that grants the wish. At least, that's what Paimon says."

"And what- pray tell- is the dragon going to do once it has been set free and grants its wish out of gratitude?" Loki questioned with a critical look, "Am I to believe that an all-powerful wish-granting being such as itself would be content to simply live alongside us?"

"After granting the wish, Paimon said that it's going to leave the universe to get payback on its old enemy somewhere else."

"And you believed that?!" Loki laughed.

"Sure can." Clint shrugged, "I imagine the dragon is like a man being locked in a cell. He promises the ants crawling on the floor that if they are able to hand him the key to his cell, he'll grant a wish of theirs. And once he's free, he's naturally going to leave his cell and maybe get payback on the one who put him there in the first place. Meanwhile, the ants get what they want. Maybe they'll wish for a big pack of jelly beans all for themselves, or maybe they'll wish for a rival ant hill to be exterminated. We're the ants in this scenario."

"An intriguing analogy, but…" Loki replied. "How will our 'arrangement' work?"

"When we first met, you hinted that you can sense where the other Dragon Balls are." Clint observed, "So, here's the rub: You lead me to the other Dragon Balls, I make my wish and you'll be back on that spaceship of yours like we never met. And before you get any ideas…"

He tapped a steady beat on the plastic of the explosive collar.

"Let me remind you that you have a kilogram of high explosives poised to send powdered Tungsten straight up into your skull. It doesn't have much of a blast radius the way that it's shaped, mainly because all of that destructive potential is all focused on shredding your head into a fine red mist. And before you get any clever ideas…"

Clint raised a finger and tapped the metal collar around Loki's neck- just underneath his chin.

"If you tamper with it, it detonates." *tap* "If you stray too far away from me, it detonates." *tap*"If my heart stops, it detonates." *tap* "If I think you're trying something funny, I'll detonate it myself." *tap*

And with each tap on his collar, Loki looked just that bit more worried.

"Would you stop tapping at it?!"

"Alright, no sense wasting anymore time." Clint conceded with a smrk, "Where's the closest Dragon Ball that you can feel?"

"Mine and yours. However, your 'director' also carries one on his person." Loki deadpanned, causing Clint to raise an intrigued eyebrow.

"He does?" he hummed as he considered it, "Guess that makes sense? He'd definitely want to keep that one close to his chest. But that also means that Fury would never let the Dragon Ball leave his possession, we'd have to face him down if we want it. So, let's hope the other Dragon Ball will prove to be softer targets than the director of SHIELD. The next closest Dragon Ball, where is it?"

Loki pursed his lips in concentration.

"The next closest one is… to the West." He gestured with his chin, "Right by the ocean."

"California, huh?" Clint mused, "That could work… And what about the others?"

"Far to the east." Loki replied before getting a pained look in his face, "Far enough that I cannot pinpoint them from this great of a distance."

"That's fine, that's fine." Clint smiled- patting Loki's shoulder reassuringly. "Looks like we're heading to the Golden State. The weather should be nice this time of year. Better than Texas blizzards or the Nevada heat, I'll tell you that. Now come on, we got a long road trip ahead of us."

And with smooth motion, Clint used a knife to cut through the ropes holding Loki to the chair.

"The 'Golden State.' How charming." the alien man muttered- massaging his once bound wrists. "Ugh… very well. So I assume your plan is much the same as mine? We find the bearer of the Dragon Ball and force him to give it to us?"

"Eventually, yeah." Clint shrugged- already packing what little worldly possessions he had left into a travel bag, "But first, we're going to do something you didn't do, and get a feel for his powers before we jump into the fighting. Because if you, me and Fury are a trend enough, then that bearer will be some hardcore badass who'll hand us our butts on a silver platter if we try to fight him head on. So, we'll settle in at a nice safe distance, observe him from there and once we get his Dragon Ball's powers all figured out, that's when we hammer out a battle plan."

"That sounds like it has needless amounts of waiting around."

"Nah, it has just the right amount of waiting around for someone who actually wants to win fights." Clint retorted with a snort, "Besides, it's California. I promise that you won't get bored with the food at least… you can eat human food, right?"

"Of course, but none has ever hold a candle to Asgardian cuisine."

"Well, Asgard's got nothing on us Americans!" He couldn't help but laugh back, "Because if there's one thing we know how to do, it's to eat great food."

"I am brimming with excitement." Loki deadpanned, earning another guffaw of laughter from Clint as well as a hearty slap on the back.

"That's the spirit! Here." He threw the Norse god a plaid scarf. "To hide the collar."

All the while, Clint considered his next move. He, Loki and Fury all carried one Dragon Ball. With the next one in California. So, by the process of elimination, that means that there are a total of four Dragon Balls here on the West coast… while the other three are all somewhere east. That's fine. He may as well save Fury for last. But he had to wonder: Were the other Dragon Ball holders in as big of a pickle as he was now though?

[The Tribal Council Chamber, Wakanda]

There were Five Tribes of Wakanda, and only one Star Orb.

"I don't like this, Brother." Shuri muttered to T'Chaka who sat down beside her.

"Neither do I." He sighed- trying to hide his discomfort and look dignified in his usual black outfit with silver embroidery. "But what can we do? Father already promised to listen to the concerns of the other tribes and mediate the issues concerning the Star Orb."

And to think that the last few days had been so magical for Wakanda.

They had taken to calling the artefact as the 'The Star Orb.' An artefact that allowed whoever held it to control Vibranium at will- moving and morphing that sacred metal with just thoughts. They still could not make out where the thing came from, or even how it does what it does. Regardless, they could not deny how useful it had been. Because in a nation where everything revolved around the effective utilisation of Vibranium, that was practically the greatest power that one could possess. And though the Five tribes of Wakanda held vastly different opinions on where the Star Orb came from or even what it truly is, they were united in agreement (Shuri included) that this Star Orb was going to change the face of Wakanda… forever.

The River Tribe who were traditionally responsible for producing most of the agriculture in Wakanda. Without their expertise, Wakanda- with their limited arable lands- would starve within the year. But with the Star Orb, their proposed hydroponics dome that would have taken years to build… was erected in a single day. And the food supply looked to be even more plentiful and stable in Wakanda's future.

The Merchant Tribe who were traditionally responsible for managing most of the industrial production of Wakanda. Everything from clothes to tools to baskets to buildings to jets, they manufactured. Integrating the Star Orb into their manufacturing pipeline, the prices of almost every material good began to decline. And Shuri was grateful that the budget to expand her lab was now within her reach, everyone was expanding. Even the humblest stratum of Wakandan society now had the spare pocket change to buy a new pair of shoes or take an extra day off thanks to the more robust economy.

The Mining Tribe who- as their name suggested- were in charge of the largest and richest Vibranium mine under Mount Bashenga. They used the Star Orb to will the Vibranium ore to rise from the ground itself. Shuri had never seen the supply of Vibranium so high in all her life. And surely, it was the greatest bottleneck for Wakandan society: how fast they could mine Vibranium. But now, that bottleneck was removed and Wakandan society in the past few days have seen a surge in Vibranium utilisation never before seen in their history.

The Border Tribe who were in charge of ensuring that Wakanda had strong and secure borders from those who would seek to destroy or take all that the previous generations of Wakandans had worked so hard to build. The cloaking fields that hid Wakanda from the rest of the world were vital, but power intensive. So when it was found out that the Star Orb could rework their Vibranium reactors to output as much as ten times the energy, the Border Tribe took the chance to expand the city's borders by a few hectares with the wider world none the wiser. And for the first time in over five decades, Wakanda held the possibility of having more land to work with: More land that could be farmed or turned into homes or dedicated to their industries.

And finally, the Golden Tribe, or simply the 'Royal Family', as the average Wakandan knew them to be, were the ones to decide how the Star Orb was distributed among the other Four Tribes of Wakanda. It was a tribe of four people. The ruling king and her father T'Chaka, their spiritual leader and her mother Ramond, the heir to the throne and her brother T'Challa, and finally herself… the princess and second in line to the throne Shuri.

All together, the Five Tribes had been using the Star Orb to make Wakanda an even better utopia for those who lived in it. And it had been so simple at first. Her father, the King, declared that no tribe was held above the other as they were all equally important. So, everyone was to share the Star Orb- each tribe was to have possession of the Orb a few days at a time before being placed in the hands of another tribe.

"Just a few weeks." Shuri muttered despondently to herself, "That's how long it lasted."

The Tribal Council Chamber was full of mutterings and whispers as Shuri watched her father- the king- sitting tall like a proud statue at the head of the chambers. His tar-black outfit stood out and commanded the attention of the entire chamber. Meanwhile, the delegations from the four other tribes spread out in neat, segregated groups across the room in a parade of greens, reds, cream and blues outfits.

And at the forefront of it all, the River Tribe elder with his green robes and large lip plate pleaded his case to her father the king.

"The River Tribe requires the Star Orb!" Shuri watched the ageing man beg her father, "For the first time in two decades, Wakanda's crops are no longer at the mercy of Africa's driest season! With the Orb's power, we can increase our food output three times over. My King! If you wish for our people to have full bellies in the coming months instead of starving ones, the River Tribe must have Star Orb for a bit longer! Just a few days!"

Garbed in red and orange, the Mining Tribe elder snarled at the River Tribe before facing her father.

"My King, the Mining Tribe finds the River Tribe's proposal unacceptable!" the old man furiously denounced, "We of the Mining Tribe had previously struck a deal with the River Tribe. We were to have five more days with the Star Orb, and in exchange, the River Tribe accepted half two tonnes of Vibranium for their hydroponics dome project! If they are to renege on the agreement, then we ask- no- we demand proper compensation as is just under the Wakandan Law!"

Not to be outdone, the Merchant tribe elder in her blue and cream colours stood up and announced to everyone.

"The Merchant Tribe would like to remind all in attendance…" she gently pointed out to all of them with an air of unmistakable smugness, "Today and the three upcoming days have been previously slated for us to utilise the Star Orb."

However, the last tribe- as if to hammer in the fact that everyone had something to complain about- also stood up.

"The Border Tribe…" the last tribe's elder announced in his navy blue garments,"...Would also like to remind the Merchant Tribe that we are still waiting for the appropriate recompense when we graciously handed them the Star Orb during their 'economic emergency' a few days ago. We will happily take tomorrow and the day after."

Incredulous stares were shot at the Border Tribe Elder as silence pervaded the room… then the shouting and bickering began anew, even louder this time.

Shuri watched as her father gave a subtle nod to his bodyguard- to the bald-headed Dora Milaje. And immediately, the elite all-female warriors stomped the butts of their sonic spears in a loud synchronised boom that reverberated across the entire Tribal Council room like a great thunder. And the chambers plunged it back into respectful, orderly silence.

"It is like they have forgotten that there are five tribes in Wakanda." T'Challa whispered to her. "The same tribe that currently rules Wakanda."

"Greed blinds, brother." Shuri reminded him as her eyes were drawn to the gleaming Star Orb sitting quietly on its cushioned pedestal next to her father's throne, "Especially when the prize glitters so brightly."

Shuri turned her brown eyes towards her father- the elder of the Golden Tribe. He was king. That was Wakandan tradition, wasn't it? The strongest rule, and the others follow his example. All he needed was to claim the Star Orb for themselves for a few days. And the things that she could make possible with the Star Orb! The other four tribes would do as they always have for the past few centuries, but she- Shuri of the Golden Tribe- would actually change things for the better. In her honest belief, Wakanda's future lay not in the wisdom of its many ancient traditions, but in the potential of its great Vibranium technology.

The Star Orb in her hands for a few uninterrupted days… that's all she needed to change Wakanda forever. And for a brief moment, Shuri's brown eyes met with those of her father's. The same ones that she had inherited, and she tried to silently convey her thoughts through the gaze.

'Come on, father. We are on the cusp of a Golden Age that Wakanda has not seen since the discovery of Vibranium. You only need to exercise your power as the king just this once!'

Her father with his greying hair and beard looked away. The weight of this decision seemed to rest heavily on him: His lips pursed in his goatee, his hands gripping the armrests of his throne, and he looked to the ceiling as if Bast herself held the answer. Minutes passed by and all the leaders of Wakanda could only wait patiently for his word as king.

"Measuring whose need for the Star Orb is greatest is beyond my abilities- beyond any of ours." He solemnly began, "It is something only our Goddess Bast in her infinite wisdom can truly know. And thus… As King of Wakanda and the Black Panther, I am instituting a voting system for the Star Orb's usage of the next few weeks."

"No!" Shuri gasped in denial as she cast a betrayed look at her father. They were so close! All he had to do was claim the Star Orb for their own! But instead, he was going to put it to vote?! An African utopia had just been a mere sentence away and he threw it away just to please those close-minded traditionalist fossils?!

Of course, her own voice was drowned out by the shouting once again roared to life. and Shuri was unsure who was shouting the loudest now as they stumbled over themselves to cast their own votes. Not that it helped, because the results were…

"The River Tribe votes for the River Tribe!" "The Mining Tribe votes for the Mining Tribe!" "The Merchant Tribe votes for the Merchant Tribe!" "The Border Tribe votes for the Border Tribe!"

…predictable.

The four tribal elders looked at each other with heated stares. Expecting each other to change their vote to selflessly vote for another tribe. All while it didn't occur to them to extend the first gesture. But… there was one more tribe who hadn't cast their vote. Their father was still the tribal elder of the Golden Tribe, and that fact was enough for Shuri to feel hope rise in her chest. They can still claim the orb! Her father needed to vote for their own tribe and the voting will be equally tied to one all.

"The Golden Tribe…" her father began, "...votes the River Tribe."

Shocked gasps echoed through the room.

"This is outrageous!" The Merchant tribe elder roared- jabbing a finger at Shuri's father, "You planned this from the very beginning!"

"The nerve of this fool!" Shuri heard T'Challa hiss under his breath, "Father had already given them the chance to solve it democratically, but still it is not enough to appease. Especially when Father could have simply claimed the orb for himself."

"I know, brother." Shuri responded with a pained sigh. "I know."

"Watch your tongue before our king." Okoye, the commander of her father's Dora Milaje, warned the elder. But that did not stop him, so heated was his anger.

"No. For even that is in dispute." the Merchant tribe elder looked her father in the eye, "The Merchant Tribe will challenge the king today!"

"You dare?!"

"Yes, we dare!" the old man affirmed- rage in his wrinkled eyes, "It is our right under Wakandan Law. Ritual combat for the throne of Wakanda, and the possession of Star Orb."

Those last few words seemed to rouse something in the other tribes. Chaos once again reigned until the Dora Milaje once again stomped their spears to the ground.

"Silence!" Okoye boomed, "Our king is about to speak."

Her father stood up from his throne- chest out, shoulders back, and an steady gaze on the four tribes gathered before him standing taller than she had ever seen him stand.

"I, T'chaka, as King of Wakanda and as the Black Panther, do accept these challenges. So, Hone your blades, steady your spirit; the Wakandan sky shall witness us do battle within the mandated three days. Until then, usage of the Star Orb shall be withheld from all, and the Star Orb shall be kept safe and hidden... This meeting of the Tribes is adjourned."

And at those words, rather than feel emboldened, Shuri only felt certain doom.

(Hours Later) [Shuri's bedchambers]

Out on the balcony of her bedchambers, Shuri leaned on the bannister as she watched the Wakandan sun begin to set.

"A second time is too soon." She quietly muttered to herself- her hands clenching into impotent fists. It was too soon for her to see her hopes and dreams shatter before her eyes again. Only this time, it was with her brother's dream of a united Wakanda too. Their father might be the Black Panther, but ritual combat for the throne of Wakanda traditionally removed such blessings for a fair fight. And Shuri knew there was nothing fair about this! Her father was no longer in his prime- he hasn't been for the past decade and a half! And this was while the other tribes all had young, strong men… all angry at her father's supposed tyranny. Her father's odds… they weren't good.

And that was the exact moment her brother decided to walk in.

"I could feel you worrying from all the way on the other side of the palace, sister." T'Challa tried to joke and lighten the mood, but Shuri wasn't having any of it.

"Brother, we have to do something." she whispered as she gripped her older brother's arm.

"We can't, Shuri." T'Challa told her- as if he was forced to accept it too. "If we intervene, then any faith the five tribes have for the traditions and laws of Wakanda will crumble. And we will return to being warring tribes fighting amongst ourselves."

"We already are!" Shuri almost yelled out- the urgent panic ringing in her voice, "The other tribes cannot be trusted to rule Wakanda. You were there- you saw how they acted and the greed in their eyes. The Star Orb has corrupted them completely now. But more importantly, do you even remember what Ritual combat entails? Father hasn't fought for the throne in over a decade. He doesn't have it in him to win against any one of the other tribes- much less all four! You can't just leave him to-"

"I know, sister… I know." he scowled in frustration, "That's why I'm here."

Shuri pursed her lips- unsure if she should suggest the solution she had been thinking of… "We should just take the orb, and go."

"I agree, sister."

And only when her brother responded did she realise that the words left her mouth. She just say that outloud?! Wait… what did her brother say? With her jaw dropped in shock, Shuri could only shoot a gobsmacked look at her brother.

"I'm serious, Shuri. Take the Orb." T'Challa insisted with a serious look, "Take it, build a rocket and launch it into the sun."

He had her in the first half, not going to lie, but the rest just sounded insane to her.

"But why?" Shuri had to ask, "We could do so much good with this orb!"

"And yet, the Star Orb has only brought out the worst of Wakandans, sister." Her brother sighed, "The more I think about it, the more I'm led to believe that this orb was a test from Bast herself. A test for Wakanda… that we have failed. One day, we may become worthy of such a gift from Bast, but today is not that day."

"Alright, brother. You win." Shuri sighed, "Let's get that orb."

T'Challa smiled brightly at her- patting her back.

"I knew that I could count on you, sister! Bast will surely be impressed by this act of wisdom. Come on, sister. Let's get to the vault."

It was a short walk to the vault, actually. The private vault of the Golden Tribe was just an elevator ride down to the depths of their mansion.

And contrary to popular belief of the Wakandan public, there were no piles of gold or silver. No cache of Vibranium. Just historical artefacts preserved through the centuries. And there at the centre of the room, held within a suitcase-shaped container and seated on a pedestal was the Star Orb itself. Without hyperbole, it had become a symbol of Wakanda already. The key to Wakanda's bright future… so it made sense that there would be guards posted.

Shuri gulped nervously as she saw that there were two bald-headed Dora Milaje with their signature Vibranium sonic spears and red uniforms guarding it.

"Let me do the talking, sister." T'Challa confidently whispered as they approached the two guards.

"My Prince, My Princess." the two women nodded at Shuri and T'Challa. "Do you have business with the Star Orb, perhaps orders from the King?"

"No orders, honoured Dora Milaje." Shuri listened as T'Challa did his signature 'I am the crown prince of Wakanda' smile, "No business either. I will simply be bringing the Star Orb to the Temple of Bast, and pray to it so that I may beg Bast for wisdom in the coming days."

Shuri was of the opinion that was the stupidest excuse. There was no way the Dora Milaje would…

"As you command, my Prince."

… relinquishing it without so much of a challenge. One of them turned on her heels to pick up the Star Orb's container and carefully handed it to her brother- their eyes meeting.

"However, our king has ordered that the Star Orb be kept within its container at all times for everyone's safety, my Prince." She gently reminded T'Challa.

"That is acceptable. Thank you." He smiled back as he accepted the Star Orb. And with that, Shuri and T'Challa rode the elevator up to their home with the Star Orb in hand.

"Now, all we need is to get this to that satellite launch platform of yours at the eastern border of Wakanda, sister." He told her as the elevator doors opened they began making their way to the landing pad where they could commandeer a Royal Talon Fighter aircraft to take them to the launch facility.

Shuri just stayed silent as they walked- her conscience weighing down heavily on her shoulders. She didn't believe as T'Challa does- having never been as devout to Bast like her brother is. But she knew his heart was in the right place. So, it pained her to have to betray her brother's trust in her, but it was for the greater good. She'll pretend to launch it into space, but instead hide it away and use it to advance her research by decades. And with her inventions, she'll launch Wakanda into a golden age of prosperity and plenty. Because she wanted to help her fellow Wakandans- not out of a religious obligation to some absentee god, but because it was just the right thing to do.

She spared a glance at her brother… Hopefully, he will eventually forgive her for this.

The sun had already set on Wakanda when they reached the airpad. The starry sky above Wakanda the Royal Talon Fighter right where they expected it to be. The sleek triangular frame of the Wakanda's premiere VTOL aircraft proved to be a reassuring sight to her.

"Come on, brother, help me prep this for flight." Shuri told her brother as they climbed onto the aircraft.

"But it looks ready to go?" He gestured around them as the POST lights lit up the cockpit.

"Brother, it is not as simple as starting a fossil-fuel car. Give me a minute… or at least, you would know that if you had finished your piloting lessons."

"I'm the Prince of Wakanda…" He shrugged with a carefree smile, "I can always have Okoye or the other Dora Milaje to pilot me around."

"You mean to say that you're still afraid of flying?" Shuri smirked as she continued to run diagnostics on the ship.

"I prefer to have both feet on the ground." T'Challa sniffed, "Also, my first attempt left a bad taste in my mouth for piloting. It's good that I have one of the best pilots in Wakanda as my sister then."

"Not the one of the best, brother. The best."

"And this is why mother always says that she has no humble children." T'Challa laughed- oblivious to the tightness in Shuri's smile. Why was he making this harder than it has to be? She was still feeling dirty for betraying her brother's trust like this. It was for the good of Wakanda, but she still can't help but feel guilty… However, before she could wallow more in her guilt, the diagnostics finished up and the ship was good to go.

"Alright, here we go." She reported- looking over the holographic displays of the ship, "Reactor is on, powering up navigation and cloaking systems. Just give it a few more seconds…"

"Wait… something is wrong." T'Challa murmured as he stiffened up- his dark eyes searching the darkness of the airpad behind them. "Shuri, switch on the ship's exterior lights."

And as the fighter's searchlights turned on to illuminate the airpad around them, both of them noticed exactly what was awry- namely the dozen men in black cloaks sneaking up the rear of their ship just as the ship's exterior lights blasting the cover of night away from them. Like deer in the headlights, they stopped in their tracks as they were spotted- their vibranium swords and short spears already out. And almost immediately, her battle-trained brother was the first to react- hurling the Star Orb to land just beside Shuri at the cockpit before grabbing a sonic spear off the Talon Fighter's weapon rack.

"Take off, Shuri!" T'Challa shouted as he jumped off the aircraft and back onto the landing pad. "I'LL HOLD THEM OFF! GO!"

"For the Tribe!" The dozen or so men shouted their warcry as they charged T'Challa. In the Wakandan night, sparks flew and metallic ringing echoed out as Vibranium spear met vibranium swords in furious combat. The hum of the Vibranium engines growing with each second passing as Shuri pushed the ship's power transmission systems to its limit all to expedite powering up the flight systems.

"C'mon… C'MON!" Shuri gritted her teeth before finally, the rest of the holographic displays came online and her eyes lit up, "Brother! I have it, get on!"

Her hand just gripped the fighter's throttle- holding it still.

"Don't be stupid, T'Challa! Get on!" She cried out to him. But he was still in the middle of his heated fighting, the dozen men proving more than a match for even the well-trained prince of Wakanda.

"RAAAGGHHH! GO, SHURI!" she heard him roar out, "JUST GO!"

Teeth gritted, eyes welling up with tears. Shuri pushed the fighter's throttle forward- pouring power into the engines and the rear hatch of the ship began to close. Her brother's fiercely-fighting silhouette shrinking as she gained altitude and distance from the airpad. And that was when a sonic wave from one of the men's Vibranium spears shot out- slipping through the closing gap of the rear hatch… and right towards her!

* VOOOM! *

"Gughhh!" Shuri groaned out as she was blasted out of her seat and against the piloting console.

"Manual piloting systems malfunctioning - Autopilot activated."

"Navigations malfunctioning…"

Then everything faded to black.

(An unknown time later) [In an unknown location]

Shuri woke up to the morning sun shining over her eyes.

Painfully pushing herself onto her feet, she stumbled over the sand and soil that now coated the interior of her wrecked ship as the memory of her brother fending off a dozen men flooded into her mind.

"Brother?! T'Challa?!" Shuri shouted in panic Morning light stream through a dozen places throughout crashed ship as she tried to hold on to the vain hope that her brother had managed to board the ship himself while she was knocked out- that she did not leave to die. But no… she was alone here, and she couldn't but fall to her knees.

"Brother…" She whispered as the tears began to well up in her eyes again. And there in the corner of the ship, she saw what she had almost died for. The Star Orb's container had broken from the rough landing, and the Star Orb itself was… cracked open to reveal the electronics stored within.

"A decoy with a tracking beacon…" Shuri muttered in realisation as all the pieces fit together, "No wonder the Dora Milaje were so quick to give it to us! It was a trap set up by father to catch would-be thieves… like the ones who ambushed us."

The real Star Orb is likely still back in Wakanda- hidden away just as her father had said it was. Apparently, he still had clever tricks up his sleeve as her father had clearly anticipated those thieves, but he did not anticipate for his own children to try and take the Star Orb for themselves! And now, the other tribes will likely use her foolish actions as more justifications to dethrone her father. Oh, if only she hadn't be so stupid! If only she hadn't been so greedy with the Star Orb, if only she had only kept her mouth shut, if only she hadn't gone along with her brother's plan, if only she hadn't been so distracted, if only… So many ifs, and yet here she was all the same: Stranded in the middle of parched steppes of what looked to be central Asia while the current state of her brother's survival remained unknown to her.

"I… I have to get back to Wakanda." Shuri steadied her breath, and wiped away her tears. As Princess of Wakanda, she would be disgraced once she returned home, but all she wanted to do now was to make sure her family didn't suffer for her mistakes.

Then a strange sound caught her ear- making her lift her tearful eyes towards the east where the dawn sun was still just peeking over the hills. There, out in the far distance, a lone man wearing an Asian-style straw hat and a fluttering black cloak was walking atop a hill- his large muscled silhouette inset in the warm glow of the rising sun. And as if announcing his arrival, a strange song seemed to roll across the valleys.

"Tsukamou ze! DORAGON BOORU!

Sekai de ittou SURIRU na himitsu~

Sagasou ze! DORAGON BOORU!

Sekai de ittou yukai na kiseki~

Kono yo wa dekkai takarajima~

Sou sa ima koso ADOBENCHAA!"

"Why do I hear asian pop music in the distance?" Shuri muttered in confusion. It was probably nothing.

- Chapter 23: On the Galactic Collision Course, Part 1 End -

Chapter 24: Spider-Man saves his Damsel-in-Distress on Sunday

…

AN:

I totally didn't add 5k at the very last minute… and made the chapter delay.

Hail Steve! That was an incredibly hard scene to write. A balancing act between humour, and the gravitas of Steve's first step into the dark side. All in all, had to rewrite it an annoyingly large number of time.

Wakanda has a lot of faults… but I chose to focus on the fact that segregating your entire society into four distinct factions with competing interests, clashing cultures and not enough resources to go around was a disaster. The ritual combat part is great, but only if you're actually strong enough to win it. Also, the weebs have come to bring the light of anime to Wakanda.

Fellow author 'The Dark Wolf Shiro' has a discord server where I hang around… with, I quote from him, 'a bunch of other authors and a load of porn.' Here's the link for that: discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd

Bonus Scene: Sakaar Entertainment Network

[Mona's Orbital Observatory - Sakaar]

Well, it was time to watch more space TV.

= V =

"Coming up next on Masterchef Sakaar!"

"Will the Red team impress Chef Xiangling with their rendition of Rah-men? Or will the blue team steal victory right from underneath them by impressing Chef Hu Tao with their steamed prawn dumplings? Meanwhile, Raiden Ei once again finds herself carrying an umbrella under an angry Chef Ramsay's thunder and lightning."

"Raiden Ei, you focking donkey! There's enough apricot chutney here to trigger anaphylactic shock in every Kree from Sakaar to Hala! And this duck's so fucking raw that if you gave it to Klee, she wouldn't know it was dead!"

"I'm so sorry, chef!"

"Instead of being sorry, why don't you try roasting your duck for longer than five bloody seconds!"

"Sara, help me please!"

"I apologise, my Almighty Shogun. I cannot help you, for I am on the other team in this challenge."

"Uwaaahh~! I don't want to be eliminated!"

"Will Raiden Ei's worst fears be vindicated and find her on the chopping block? Or will she redeem herself in the eyes of Chef Ramsay during the pressure test? Be sure to find out when you tune in tomorrow to…"

"MASTERCHEF SAKAAR!"

= V =

When I allowed my waifus to do whatever the hell they wanted, I didn't think hosting a cooking show would be one of them. But I suppose having unlimited money makes people bored. Personally, I wasn't fond of cooking shows, but the good-aligned, doe-eyed Xiangling asking me to abduct MCU Ramsay just to host space Masterchef? That was hilarious enough for me to go along with it. Well, it wasn't a permanent gig anyway. She had me warping him to and fro Earth. So that he could spend time with his friends and family. The intergalactic commute from Sakaar to Earth wasn't much of a barrier for us after all.

"I wasn't expecting Ei to make it this far into the competition." I muttered to Mona, who was watching alongside me as we sat on her plush red couch.

"Me too." Mona commiserated, snacking on some popcorn, "Even back when we were under Aether, her lack of cooking skills were legendary. She was a black hole of culinary skill- sucking flavour and palatability out of every dish she touched."

"That sounds uncharacteristically harsh for you to say." I noted with an amused smirk.

"If anything, I am understating things." Mona deadpanned. "You would not believe how much she has improved over the course of these few episodes."

"Speaking of which, how Zhongli and Venti managed to drag Raiden Ei out of her room to participate in the show was a mystery to me."

"I think I overheard them mentioning how they would give her an item named 'Dark Souls Pre-order receipt' if she reached the latter half of the show." Mona recalled.

"Yes, that would be a tantalising enough prize to draw her out of her room." I nodded, "I keep forgetting that it's only 2011 here. Speaking of which, I hope she finishes this challenge quickly. Her stream of Counterstrike Source was the most entertaining thing to come out of her room lately. It's funny how people think that they can beat a lightning deity in a game all about lightning fast reflexes."

With but a thought, I switched channels… to yet another show hosted by my waifus.

= V =

"Last night on Sakaar's Got Talent!"

"The last qualifying round got smouldering hot as twelve new acts performed for a spot for the top twelve. These hopefuls have to up the ante if they want to impress judges Venti, Yun Jin, and Simon! Tonight, the battle is on for the quarter-finalist positions! First up is Kree-ativity! A four-Kree band straight from the heart of the Kree Empire from the planet Hala! Kree-ativity, let's hear their introductions!"

"We want to make it big on Sakaar! Planet of Opportunity for those strong enough, skilled enough and stylish enough to take it! And you wil find that Kree-ativity definitely has those to spare! We'll knock the judges off their seats with our modern interpretation on Kree folk music!"

"But is it enough to earn the approval of the judges?"

"Bravo! And I am certain that even my fellow judges have felt your passion in the strings! Right, Simon?"

"Absolutely. Terrible!"

"That is always your criticism!"

"I'm being serious, Venti!"

"Don't be serious, feel the music. The crowd feels it too, am I right?!"

*"WWWWOOOOO!"*

"You can't just approve of every bell end who strums strings like they're scratching an itch!"

"I am sorry, Simon. But I agree with Venti on this. Oft times, sheer passion and potential in the arts can compensate for a slight lack in experience. It was one of the things my mother taught me as an opera singer."

"Oh, come off it, Yun Jin! All I'm saying is that some level of skill should be expected from a quarterfinalist!"

*"BOOOOO!"*

"What? You know I'm right!"

"As Judge Simon bickers with the crowd and his fellow judges, the other acts watch nervously from behind the stage as their brief moment to shine bright across the galaxy comes closer and closer… With one question in their thoughts: Who will reach the quarter finals?"

"Find out tonight on Sakaar's Got Talent!"

= V =

"I don't know why they keep having me abduct British TV personalities." my deep voice commented, "But it's incredibly funny all the same."

"Overly critical people disparaging people's passions are not as entertaining for me." Mona harrumphed- likely because she had been on the receiving end. "Is this commonplace for the British people?"

"I'd say it is." I shrugged- grabbing a handful of popcorn from Mona's bowl, "The Brits love to- as they say- 'take the piss out of people.'"

"How mean." Mona sniffed.

"Maybe you should start your own show where you tell people's fortunes." I jokingly suggested, "I'm sure there's a snarky brit out there that is sufficiently knowledgeable in Astrology."

"No, thanks." Mona immediately refused, "I do not practise Astrology for fame or fortune… Yun Jin was a good fit for the show, as was the drunk bard. He was always vocal in his wish to share the passion of his craft to the masses and his fellow bards. I believe this was a good fit for him. I'm happy for him."

"Aye, and even Venti can pubcrawl for so long." I guffawed. "He must have drunk enough wine in the past few days to fill my Dragon Tower. But I'm still amazed with what everyone has been coming up with… it makes me wonder how else I can channel that creative energy."

Time to make space netflix or something.

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