Shit. More than anything, I wanted to say something that would console her, soothe her conscience, assure her that everything would be fine, but I couldn't. Instead, I showed her the longing and desperation I felt, and she appreciated it, floating over and holding my hands.
"Thank you."
"I'm still going to try," I said. "The initial plan was always to take out Belasco, his son, their armies, and their loyalists. We can try to leave most of demon society intact."
"I doubt it'll be that simple," she said, "but I'm flattered that you're willing to try."
I nodded in agreement. This superheroing thing was harder than it looked. The constant meetings, the poor benefits, the long hours, and the low pay. If it wasn't literally do or die, I'd probably quit—or at least take an extended break.
"You have the Soul Stone," she said.
"That I do," I confirmed.
"But you're not ready to cut him off completely," she said.
I sighed. "Am I an idiot for postponing the process?"
She pulled me in for a hug. "Yes and no. You, as well as I, know that there'll never be a perfect time to rip a malevolent entity out of your soul. You're right not to risk weakening yourself on the eve of a big battle, but then again, that might be exactly what Shin wants."
I pulled away from her and let out a big groan. "You get my dilemma."
"But you're missing one rather obvious caveat," she said. "You're not alone, and you've made sure we can take on the Demon World and Lauren without you, if we need to."
A part of me wanted to tell her that taking on Lauren was a stretch, but a sharp look made me keep the words to myself.
"So... cut him out?" I winced, and she nodded vigorously.
I groaned. "Alright. Let me put some things in order."
We talked for a good bit afterward about everything and nothing, really. I asked her more about her work here, and she floated some ideas about restoring the X-Men on another property in New York. Obviously, it would be warded to hell and back, but it would give us more direct access to the world and its people. Living in another dimension could only last us so long.
I agreed and had her put some things in place so that we could purchase or, at the very least, rent a new spot, and popped over to have a chat with Fury.
I appeared in front of the Avengers' building in my civilian clothes, scaring more than a few people. There were some protestors gathered outside who immediately started shouting when they spotted me.
Purple eyes, white hair, and a propensity for wearing red jackets made me certain to be noticed.
The agents shuffled me into the building posthaste, and I rode up the elevator, arriving in a familiar situation room that had transformed since my last meeting. The walls were covered in holographic displays. There were more tech stations, with human and Novan agents typing away, and Fury was addressing his new group of Prometheans, Sentry included.
He looked different.
His eyepatch was gone, his face had healed over, and he looked about twenty years younger, with the frame of a younger man. Let me guess. He got himself a super-soldier injection as well.
The Asgardians, Captain Marvel, and Daredevil, of all people, were also present in the meeting room.
"Did somebody call a Super Friends meeting without inviting me?" I asked.
Fury turned to me. "Just the man we wanted to see. It appears congratulations are in order."
I frowned at his words. "Who told you?"
"Heimdall witnessed your battle and shared it with Odin, who shared it with us through Loki's illusions," Thor answered. "It was like the battle for creation, my friend. You've earned your place in Valhalla."
"So that he can raze it down with that unnatural flame of his," Loki snorted. "Just the sight of it nearly burned through my spell."
The pronouncements made me feel exposed, vulnerable, angry, even.
"How much did you see?"
"Enough," Captain America said, arms folded.
He was backed by all five of his Prometheans. In the months since Sentry had been born, I had kept my promise to Fury and helped him create an Uber Cap. The result was a physical juggernaut. His skin was nigh impregnable, his strength measured in the hundreds of tons, and on top of that, he had super-speed and some type of basic precognition. An uncanny ability to tell where attacks were coming from in any combat situation.
Captain America's team and the Global Defense Force—I know, sucky name—had been on something of a worldwide crusade since I left. No disaster was too small to be averted. Terrorists, weird aliens, and even out-of-control mutants got a visit and were promptly shut down.
In other words, they were what the Avengers wished they could be. My team stuck to New York and a few high-risk states, and I didn't blame them. With day jobs and human identities, they really didn't have time for more.
"We know you gave the Soul Stone to a fifteen-year-old," the British officer, Gwen, said. "Mighty responsible of you."
Who the fuck was she talking to?
I raised a brow but did not give voice to the anger.
She was taller than I remembered and rocked a pixie cut.
"So, it was going to be this kind of meeting."
"We just want to help you keep the stones safe," John Walker said.
He towered over everyone, and I had to look up at him.
"And nowhere is safer than my personal dimension," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Do you really think anyone is getting past my Sentinels, the Widows, Jean, the X-Men, and me?"
"That Lauren character, for one," Loki said smoothly. "And their god. From what I've gathered, doesn't he have his hooks in you? Isn't that why you gifted the boy the Soul Stone instead of holding it yourself? It would seem to me that the prudent choice would be to trust the remaining stones to champions who can protect them from you, if need be."
His words earned him some subtle nods and me several sharp looks. One of these days, I was going to strangle that wily-tongued git.
"Loki is right," Captain Marvel said, her hands resting on her hips. "And Lauren is not the only one Earth will have to worry about. The great Demon Lords will also come for the stones, as will the Kree and every other civilization desperate to maintain their power or looking for a leg up."
"Let me guess. You've already worked out where all of the stones go?" I asked Fury, but the look in his eyes told me I had been right on the money.
It was Maria Hill who responded.
"With your help, we can pick a neutral location to store the Space Stone and fortify it to survive an attack from nearly any force, and the Novans have offered to protect the Mind Stone. Odin has a particular interest in the—"
"I think I've heard enough," I cut her off. I couldn't bear to hear one more fucking word. "Where was all this concern literally one hour ago, when I was fighting the most dangerous fucking warlord in the galaxy? I'll hand the Space Stone back if you're making the ask, but everything else stays with me. If you want an Infinity Stone so badly, you can mount a one-man war on Mundus and pry the power stone from his cold, dead hands."
I nodded at Walker. "I'm sure Sentry could handle it."
I huffed, then shot Matt a harsh look.
"To think you'd even entertain this nonsense."
"You're a champion of Earth!" the Chinese Promethean said firmly, stepping up. "You cannot afford to be so selfish!"
"Who the fuck are you to lecture me on how I should behave?" I said, letting a sliver of my aura spill out.
Everybody except the Asgardians, Captain Marvel, and Walker stumbled back.
And to think I was about to tell them about my plan to cut Shin out.
"We're done here."
I teleported out of the building.
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