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*******
And so Freyr/Tony holds court.
It's determined that the undead warriors from Midgard of Old have been sent to help in the fight against Thanos. If not, the Einherjar are being enlisted anyways.
They're delighted. The Asgardian embassy has a lot of empty space, Tony suspects it's also bigger on the inside now, so they move in. Allspeak or something is established to overcome that persky language barrier. They offer training to the X-Men, Task Force, whoever so chooses to submit to their tutelage.
The gods ensure the Einherjar have their mead.
Finally, after a millenia, they have received the afterlife they were promised. Huzzah!
*******
The people detained in California are either incarcerated, won over, or incarcerated and then won over.
Hades is delighted. Even with the prophecy, he didn't think the night would turn out so incredibly well.
Narfi and Nari show up to tell them about New York but they first encounter Scott Lang and his fast talking friend, Luis. They get on like a house fire.
*******
The mysterious M-character-I-can't-remember-the-name-of was Wanda's teacher/new boss. They have a heart attack and die. They weren't good at delegation and the entire apparatus fell apart. It sounded big, but it wasn't. Wanda was a group leader or something for mutants and other enhanced. The group of plain humans disbanded, and got boring jobs. They're done with excitement and geniuses and criminal masterminds. Without purpose, Wanda is aimless and comes across something about the good things Tony's been doing. She takes her group and sulks back to Xavier's school, where she and the others are enrolled. She is put under the... care/guard of one of the Hel service hounds. The underlings are all treated much better than they were, and are happy to be loyal and of service. Under magic contracts for extra insurance.
We see none of this. It's relayed to someone by Luis because he and Scott got placed as white hats in a west coast agency by Pepper. Narfi and Nari become the east-west North American coordinators.
*******
The president gets dosed with a terragen rock that was missed in the original round up and disposal. It happens by karmic accident of course, and he becomes a mutant. Having been vehemently against enhanced sapients, it's a shock to him. He goes to a meeting, maybe it's a lesser god in disguise that reluctantly takes a shine to him. It ends up being oddly therapeutic. His stance does a 180°.
When Wakanda makes its world debut on the political scene, he's an unexpected ally.
*******
Tony—after being gently, but strongly, rebuked by Loki and Thor for accidentally-on-purpose ceasing his practice—continues his magic studies and gains much better control over his shifting ability. Maybe they need intel, so we get more of Tony's feline form, investigating and poking his nose in where it shouldn't be (to call on the story title). Figures out how to reinforce the electrical stuff that doesn't work well around magic.
Modi brings back Bruce from Vanaheim. Bruce and Jörmungandr are adorable inseparable. He works on ✨an algorithm✨ and they figure out who was tainting the water to prevent mutant gene expression. They catch them in the act and through the power of a functional justice system, Matt and Foggy win yet another once-in-a-lifetime case.
*******
Tony and Shuri try to figure out a way to make larger protection areas, like the large dome in Wakanda. Harley's little sister, Abigail, is in the room while they're discussing. She likes being around Shuri, who is friendly like Peter but not as loud. The princess also smiles 'hello' when she notices her classmate's sibling is around, instead of glancing over her.
The other youth have been learning a seidr-enhanced game Bruce brought back from Vanaheim. A different puzzle each time, trying to essentially debug ("HA! You can debug magic!!") the incorrect pattern. The board can change shape for different forms of magic (alchemy circles, galdr staves, the Stone's cube, anchor points, etc). Their board is currently flat, with lots of triangular tiles (representing earth and water) and pyramid shaped pieces (fire ∆ and air ∆—). She moves around a couple of the tiles. The others are vaguely annoyed. They get caught up in Tony and Shuri’s discussion.
Abigail places a few more pieces. They are more irritated. Glancing at the board as the group goes to help Modi make lunch (a considerable undertaking with so many enhanced around), Tony thinks it looks familiar…
When they return, Abigail has changed the board to a sphere. It lights up as the final pieces get put in the correct place. A soft chime signals the correct solution. Shuri shares a glance with Tony, eyebrows raised, over the Earth projection they've been working on, and JARVIS overlays a copy of the gameboard. Triangle tiles form a web across the globe, their edges following a number of leylines. The pyramid pieces stand at strategic positions, as anchors, some of them matching existing towers and landmarks. A global protection shield, some assembly required. Shuri turns, beaming at Abigail. The kids apologise profusely. Modi looks proud af as he hands her a bowl of strawberries.
Later, Tony groans. It's the atomic structure for badassium. Why didn't he think of that!
*******
The Guardians probably show up, something something space armada, maybe fake Ragnarok part two (ships block out the sun).
Quill's a demigod or whatever (I don't remember much about those movies). The other Disaster Bi™ gods love him or hate him.
Baby Groot is awed by Idun. She delightedly has many conversations with the seedling.
Rocket hates Fenrir. Fenrir has too much fun baiting him.
*******
Right, infinity stones... I can't remember which we have, reality, power, mind?
Something something 10 Rings: Asian Division has the fourth green stone because I don't think we actually saw that (we might have, I've forgotten)… my brain is saying "Jackie Chan Adventures!!" but that's not Marvel.
Maybe we get a Deus ex Machina, and they had the time stone/Eye of A—, and we just get a "we have made an arrangement with the 10R:AD… keep this safe" stone drop off from Dr Strange or the Ancient One.
*******
When Thanos (finally) attacks, Earth is protected by the web of towers, a(n un)holy fusion of vibranium, badassium, and godly seidr, made possible by both Tony's and Shuri's own brands of runic seidr.
The areas over the ocean have aerial anchors due to lack of a terrestrial tethering point. The Gods do what they can to reinforce them, but they didn't anticipate a huge outer-realm spacecraft flying full tilt at the planet.
It's a miracle that there's no planetary damage, though that unfortunately seems to extend to the mothership. Only a couple of the anchors are damaged, pushed so far out of place.
A hole is made in the forcefield, just like the portal in New York, narrowing the source of incoming foes. Smaller space-faring vehicles exit the main ship, spreading both above and under the shield.
(“Can we panic now??”
“No, this still isn't Ragnarok.”)
Our heroes, pantheons, allies and would-be villains have their targets.
The off planet team does exceptionally well, backed up by seidr-enhanced aircrafts-turned-spaceships. Turns out there were a few more undeclared but supposedly decommissioned ones from SHIELDRA.
Task Force and the numerous other on planet teams alternately do very well and poorly. There is cautious optimism.
Thanos has the other two stones, and when he arrives on planet, bringing them to Earth causes them to try to join the others. Maybe they don't work well when distracted. Thanos is mad. Chaos. After a time, there is no longer cautious optimism.
*******
We go to Isle Midgard, where there is Weird Shit™ happening. Tony has reluctantly stayed there, with a magic compatible JARVIS surveillance system to coordinate the teams.
Something something technical difficulties, what with Isle Midgard not being actually on the everyday dimensional plane.
The Stones really want to connect and things get dicey.
After some squabbling with the gods in attendance, Tony decides to open a portal, lest an interdimensional rift be torn into Isle Midgard. The stones in the cave are released or its opened for the others to come in, idk how that works.
Nothing happens.
Tony hears a strange sound on the other side, and curious as he always is — in both feline or human form — , he peers through the portal.
WHAM!
White out.
*cliffhanger*
*******
Astral plane time out because everything went tits up.
Communion with the Stones.
Trippy light visuals. Strobe warning in effect. Rushing noise slowly rises.
Images of everything going wrong.
Trippy light visuals intensify. Audio turns up to a roar.
Images of everything going right.
Stop.
Fade to black, like a CRT TV being suddenly unplugged.
*******
Gentle fade in from black.
Tony lives.
Thanos is defeated.
In the final battle against Thanos, the Einherjar fall valiantly. Their souls are freed from slavery, to be gently caught by the many underworld Gods.
We've lost no one we would lament being rid of.
Celebration.
*******
The Mechanic is now The Builder Reborn.
Runes and seidr repair the Bifrost. The repairs are only done after contracts are signed, covering Heimdall and appropriate uses of the Bifrost.
It turns out that All-daddy used his last huzzah to send the undead. Frigga has the throne. She was speaking to Tony about his magic. She welcomes her adopted sons and their children to Asgard, when they eventually choose to visit.
Social revolution occurs.
All is well in the golden realm.
The rulers of the Nine convene to… sign another contract. Mutually beneficial alliances. Trade and prosperity for all.
The Casket of Ancient Winters is returned, as well as other stolen treasures.
Jotunheim is repaired.
*******
The Gods decide that this was exciting and they should get out more. Some go traveling the Nine. Some try out humanoid living. By mutual agreement and consulting with Pepper and Jord, some sign another contract and start answering prayers, if they don't interfere with xyz, notably free will. Their followers rebuild temples.
Green tech continues to expand and the waterways and Earth heals.
Famine and war over resources is no more.
Global warming is no longer an imminent threat.
A lasting era of peace and curiosity à la Star Trek is dawning.
Make it so.
*curtains*
*audience applause*
*credits roll. It's a very, very, very long list. Credits end.*
*silence, and then...*
*loud clattering occurs offscreen*
"Oh Gods."
*clunk*