Capítulo 294: Chapter 294
Chapter 294:
– Layla –
The morning sun filtered through the curtains, and I stirred awake on the soft pillow bed I had made on the floor. A small smile crept onto my lips as I realized my three daughters—Hilga, Sia, and Lia—had woken up and all snuggled up against me sometime during the night.
I gently brushed a few strands of hair from their faces, leaning in to wake them softly. "Girls," I whispered. "Time to get up."
Hilga was the first to stir, blinking groggily as she stretched. Sia and Lia followed, rubbing their sleepy eyes and yawning. "Mommy," Sia asked. "Is everything okay now? Is the fighting over?"
I smiled warmly, stroking Sia's dark hair. "Yes, sweetheart, it's all over. Everything's okay now." As I looked at them, I couldn't help but marvel at how much they'd grown. Sia and Lia were starting to look more like their other mothers—Sia a near mirror image of Sona, and Lia resembling Rias more with each passing day. Even their expressions were the same. Hilga, on the other hand, had started to take after me more than Hela, though her nose and eyes were still unmistakably Hela's.
The door to the nursery creaked open, and Natasha strolled in. "I see you're all finally awake."
The moment the girls saw her, they perked up. "Aunty Nat!"
Natasha chuckled and made her way over to them. "Good morning, girls," she greeted them, ruffling Hilga's hair before turning to me. "Hestia's finished making breakfast. Come on, girls."
Hilga jumped up with a giggle. "I have to pee first!" she announced loudly, darting off toward the bathroom. Sia and Lia burst into giggles and chased after her.
Natasha sighed, shaking her head with an amused smile. "Hilga's definitely getting her crassness from Hela," she said, crossing her arms as she watched them disappear into the bathroom.
I couldn't help but laugh softly, nodding in agreement. "No denying that," I said. "But I wouldn't change a thing." A small sigh escaped me.
Natasha noticed right away, of course. She always did. "You okay?" she asked, settling down beside me on the pillows.
"Yeah," I replied, though I knew she could hear the regret in my voice. "I just… I missed the potty training years, you know?." I chuckled softly, rubbing my temple. "Although, I'm kind of thankful. Changing poopy diapers wasn't something I looked forward to. I used to have my Shadow clones handle most of that."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You had your clones do the dirty work? Don't you get all those memories anyway?"
"Yeah, but at least I didn't end up getting peed or pooped on."
She laughed. "Smart move. And your girls were all mischievous little troublemakers during that time, I'd say you dodged a bullet." We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Natasha's tone shifted slightly. "Speaking of dodging bullets… catch me up on what's been going on in Earth DxD the past few days. I need the full story."
I gave her a curious look. "I thought you weren't working with S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore?"
Natasha leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm not in the field anymore, no. But I'm still technically a consultant. Fury's paranoid, as usual. He wants to know exactly what kind of chaos he's walking into in a week. So… how bad was it?"
I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the past weeks settle on my shoulders. "It's been rough. Some countries were absolutely ravaged by the devils, while others barely felt the effects."
"That's not all though, right?" Natasha asked.
I continued to explain. "Before I came back here last night, we made a global announcement from Japan explaining that the two worlds—Earth DxD and this one—are going to merge soon. We figured it would be better to give all the people a heads up and not let global panic ensue."
Natasha raised her head off of my shoulder and nodded thoughtfully. "We'll have to make that same announcement over here, too. You know that, right?"
I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands. "I've given so many impromptu speeches lately, I'm exhausted. But yeah, I know it's going to fall on me again." Dropping my hands, I glanced over at her, my voice betraying the fatigue I felt. "I just hope people are ready for it. There's going to be a lot of confusion and panic."
"Andrea is supposed to stop by in the next few hours," Natasha mentioned casually. "They're going to start distributing the formula across Earth Marvel. My guess is they'll want to do the same over on Earth DxD soon."
I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "She and Tony don't need my permission for that. It's not like I'm the queen of Earth or something."
Natasha shot me a pointed stare, raising an eyebrow. "No? You're not?"
I pouted, crossing my arms defensively. "I'm not!"
Natasha smirked, as if she knew something that I didn't, before leaning in slightly. "Whatever you say, Layla. It's not like you could take over the planet anytime you wanted and no government could stop you. They're all very aware of that fact, by the way."
Just then, the sound of giggles echoed down the hallway as the three girls came rushing back into the room, their faces glowing with excitement.
"Breakfast time!" Hilga shouted, nearly tripping over her own feet in her eagerness. Sia and Lia followed close behind, grinning from ear to ear.
I stood up, shaking my head with a fond smile. "Let's go see what Hestia's whipped up for us."
Natasha gave a mock salute. "Lead the way, Queen Layla."
Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but laugh at her teasing as I followed my daughters toward the kitchen.
Sitting at the breakfast table, I watched my girls eagerly dig into the stack of chocolate chip pancakes Hestia had made.
"Mommy! Look!" Hilga exclaimed with her mouth half-full, waving a fork loaded with pancakes. "Chocolate chips! Hestia made our favorite!"
I smiled warmly at her, my heart melting at the sight. "I see that, sweetheart. You're all so lucky."
Natasha sat beside me, sipping her coffee and casually scanning the room. I couldn't help but notice something was off. "Where are Frigga and Hestia?" I asked, frowning slightly. It wasn't like them to miss a meal, especially one with the girls.
Natasha set down her cup and shrugged. "They've been spending time with the half-devil you dropped on them. You know how they both are when it comes to family."
I frowned. I hadn't given him much thought since I dropped him off. "How's he doing?"
"Not great," Natasha admitted, her voice dropping lower. "Whatever was done to him was… borderline horrific. He's messed up, Layla. It's going to take a long, long time to heal him. Asia's been able to fix his physical injuries, but those mental scars? Twilight Healing can't touch those."
I nodded, feeling a tight knot of guilt form in my chest. I wasn't equipped to handle that kind of trauma either. What if there was no healing him? What if his mind was too far gone? A drastic idea crossed my mind, one I hadn't considered until now. "If he can't recover…" I started cautiously, "... we might need to erase his mind. Start over from scratch, make him a child again, and let him relive his entire childhood with a better family."
Natasha tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That could work, if it comes to that. Plus, your adorable little girls could get a brother."
At that, all three of my girls—Hilga, Sia, and Lia—perked up, their eyes wide with excitement, their mouths still full of pancakes. "WE'RE GETTING A BABY BROTHER!?" they asked in unison.
I chuckled, shaking my head slightly. "Maybe," I said. "But I need to talk to Frigga and Hestia about it first."
Lia, the most curious of the three, tilted her head. "Are they joining your harem too, Mommy…?"
I nearly choked on the orange juice I had just sipped, coughing and sputtering while Natasha burst into laughter beside me. She leaned over, patting me on the back as I tried to regain my composure.
"Where did you hear that word?" I asked, my voice still hoarse from the coughing fit.
The girls exchanged innocent glances before they chimed in unison, "TV!"
I groaned inwardly. My girls were smarter than most children their age, but it seemed like they had been spending a bit too much time glued to the TV in the penthouse.
"That's it," I declared, wiping my mouth and standing up. "We're getting out of the house today! Where do you three want to go?"
Immediately, the girls started shouting over each other.
"The park!" Sia yelled.
"No, the zoo!" Lia chimed in.
"I want to see the dolphins at the aquarium!" Hilga exclaimed.
I like that last suggestion the best. "The aquarium it is, then. Let's go see some dolphins."
The girls cheered, their excitement filling the room as they scrambled to finish their pancakes.
…
Natasha and I strolled hand in hand, watching our girls dart from exhibit to exhibit, eyes wide with wonder.
"This is nice," Natasha said softly, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "Not everything has to be explosions and death."
I smiled, appreciating the calmness. "It is nice," I agreed.
[Booooooo, yes it does!]
I chuckled quietly to myself, letting the System's comment slide.
We had rented out the entire aquarium for the day to avoid being swarmed by my adoring fans. Even now, I could sense hundreds of people gathered outside the building, held back by security. Still, my heightened senses picked up on something—or rather, someone—that had slipped past the perimeter.
"Andrea's here," I mentioned casually, glancing toward the entrance.
Sure enough, moments later, Andrea Stark strolled down the hallway. A glowing blue badge sat atop her chest, brimming with power. It looked like they perfected the nanotech suits.
"Hi, Andrea," I greeted her with a small wave.
"Hey, Layla. Natasha," Andrea smiled, greeting us both warmly. After the pleasantries, her expression shifted to a more serious one. "So, how bad was it?" she asked, clearly referring to the chaos back on Earth DxD.
I sighed. It seemed like everyone wanted to know about the state of things. I gave Andrea the same abbreviated version I had given Natasha earlier as the three of us fell into step behind the girls, who were now eagerly running toward the touch tank, excited to pet the stingrays.
"We've been watching the stars a lot more this past month," Andrea said as we walked. "Our telescopes are picking up weirder and weirder results. We're seeing stars we've never seen before in our night skies."
I nodded thoughtfully. "That means the Convergence is almost here," I said. "I thought we'd have at least a week, but now it's looking like we may only have days."
Andrea nodded, her face tightening with concern. "That's what Tony and I are thinking, too. We've ramped up drone distribution, but we wanted to check with you first."
I sighed and shook my head. "I already told, Natasha. I'm not the queen of Earth."
Andrea paused, raising an eyebrow. "I mean… Technically, you are…."
"Huh?" I blinked, my head tilting in confusion. I turned to Natasha, who was now pouting slightly at Andrea.
"That was supposed to be a secret," Natasha grumbled playfully before turning to me to explain. "Okay, so you know how Hela was queen of Asgard, and Asgard rules over the Nine Realms?"
Well, human governments were never really comfortable with that, but since Asgard didn't make Earth pay taxes and let the humans rule themselves, they never made a big stink about it. I nodded, urging her to continue.
"Right," she continued. "Well, technically, Hela only rules over eight realms now. She signed Earth over to you as some kind of betrothal present. It's mostly symbolic, but... it's official. Earth is yours now."
My jaw dropped. "Wait—what?!" I exclaimed. "She gave me the entire planet as a betrothal present?"
Natasha nodded, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Yep. She figured it wouldn't matter in the end since the realms will all unite after the marriage anyway. But yeah, she made it official. Most governments don't even know about it yet. It's been kept quiet to avoid a panic."
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Hela..." I muttered, exasperated. "She's always making these bold, reckless moves. But why did she think this was a good idea?"
Before we could dive deeper into that topic, my daughters came rushing back, their faces beaming with excitement.
"Mommy, mommy!" Hilga shouted, tugging at my hand. "We got to pet the stingrays! They're so soft!"
I smiled warmly, pushing thoughts of planetary ownership to the back of my mind. "That's great, sweetie. Did you have fun?"
The three girls nodded eagerly. I bent down, kissing each of their foreheads. "What's next?"
"Let's go see the dolphins next!" Lia was practically bouncing on her toes.
"Good idea," I said, standing back up. "Let's go see some dolphins."
"..."
…Sia pressed her little hands against the glass and complained softly, "The dolphins look sad, Mommy."
Lia, standing next to her, nodded. "Yeah, they're not swimming."
Hilga crossed her arms with a frown. "The tank's too small. They don't have room to swim." She stomped up to the glass, they just floated there in the water and staring listlessly at the walls.
Hilga then did something that made me blink and do a double take. She started making dolphin noises. Very accurate dolphin noises that seemed to get the attention of the creatures in the tank.
"Wait... is that Allspeak?" I asked, turning to Andrea in surprise.
Andrea held up her hands, looking just as surprised. "Don't look at me. I might have the body of an Asgardian now, but I didn't get the ability to speak every single language in the universe."
The dolphins swam toward Hilga, responding in their own series of clicks and whistles. My three-year-old was talking to the dolphins. I watched them, fascinated. "I think Hela mentioned something once about the true Allspeak… only the gods of Asgard can speak to animals, plants, sentients… basically anything." Sia and Lia were starting to look a little jealous that Hilga was the only one talking to the dolphins. I placed a hand on each of their heads and smiled softly. "Just wait until Hilga's done chatting with her new friends. I'm sure she's discussing very important things… like whatever depressed dolphins talk about."
A few minutes later, Hilga turned back to us, her big eyes wide with that irresistible puppy dog look. "Mommy," she started, her voice soft and pleading, "can we please rescue the dolphins? They hate it here."
I sighed, knowing what was coming next. Andrea crouched down to Hilga's level. "Sweetie, we can't just steal the dolphins. They belong to the aquarium."
Hilga shook her head. "But they want to go back to the ocean, where their families are! They told me they used to live there before they got captured."
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Sia and Lia tugged on my shirt, giving me the same hopeful puppy dog eyes. And then, next to me, Natasha was trying—and failing—not to laugh. I sighed again, realizing I was trapped. "You know," I muttered under my breath, "I've done worse things than stealing a bunch of illegally acquired dolphins."
Andrea snickered. "You're going to spoil them, you know that, right?"
I rubbed my temples, crouching down so I could look all three of my daughters in the eyes. "Listen, if we rescue the dolphins, we're probably never going to be allowed back here. You understand that, right?"
Lia didn't seem bothered at all, bobbing her head. "That's okay. Other than the stingrays, the rest of the fish were boring. All they do is swim in circles."
"That's what fish do, sweetie," Andrea said with a chuckle.
Natasha had fully given in by now, laughing loudly at the situation, while I just shook my head.
"Alright," I relented and stood back up.
[Grand Theft Dolphin!]
The girls cheered, jumping up and down with excitement. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation myself now.
The dolphins floated in their tank, glancing at me expectantly. I raised my hand, focusing on some basic telekinesis, and one by one, I gently lifted each dolphin out of the tank. They squeaked and clicked in surprise but seemed to calm as Hilga spoke to them some more. With my other hand, I opened a portal to an empty beach in Florida. If I was committing a felony, it was definitely not going to be in the same state. Besides, the waters outside Manhattan were kind of gross. Florida's warm, clear ocean seemed like a much better option.
Hilga, Sia, and Lia all cheered as the dolphins were carefully deposited into the open ocean. The dolphins quickly swam off. The girls were already kicking off their shoes and running toward the ocean, playing in the shallow water and occasionally flying above it with their wings. Natasha followed behind them, keeping a close eye on the girls since none of them knew how to swim yet just in case.
Meanwhile, I stood there on the shore with hands on my hips, shaking my head. "I guess this turned into a beach day all of a sudden," I said.
Andrea smiled. "I mean, why not? Who doesn't love an impromptu beach day?" Andrea grinned at me. "You know what?" she said mischievously. "You should do your announcement video in a bikini."
I shot her a look. "You want me to deliver the most important news of humanity's lifetime… from the beach, wearing a skimpy bikini?"
She wiggled her eyebrows. "Absolutely. It will be sure to go viral immediately. I bet 70% of the world will click on it if only so they can stare at your chest." I rolled my eyes as Andrea pulled out her Stark phone, already hyped up about filming. "Come on, Layla, let's do it! It'll be hilarious! If you get it over with now, you won't have to do it later."
[She makes a fair point.]
I mulled it over for a second, fighting the grin pulling at my lips. It would be pretty funny. I remembered how serious and formal Amaterasu and I had been in our announcement video back on Earth DxD. We were straight to the point, completely serious as we tried to prepare people for what was coming. This would be a stark contrast.
Eh, Screw it…
"Alright, let's do it," I said, pulling a black bikini out of my inventory. The beach was empty so I didn't mind changing there in the open. I slipped my clothes off and put on the bikini.
[Historians will watch this hundreds of years from now and be very confused…]
Andrea grinned and held her phone up. "The lighting is absolutely perfect right now. Florida beaches are great for filming."
"Alright," I muttered under my breath, letting out one last sigh. "Let's get this over with." As Andrea hit record on her phone, I stepped into frame, with the waves softly crashing in the background. "Citizens of Earth Marvel, I'm Layla of the Fallen, and I have some very important news to share with you all…"
– Nick Fury –
"Duh fuck is this shit…?" Nick Fury grumbled to himself as he watched the video of Layla telling the people of the world that they were about to merge with an entire separate Earth.
–Tony Stark –
Damn, she looks hot in a bikini." Tony said with a whistle. "This video seems pretty important… I wonder if I should watch it in the bathroom–Ow!" he flinched as his wife, Pepper, smacked him upside the head.
– Carol Danvers –
She'd spent the last two years settling the endless conflicts in space, and finally made it back to Earth. She was in the process of getting reacquainted with life on Earth when the new phone she'd just purchased dinged with a notification. She watched the video of the beautiful woman she hadn't seen in two years with a smile on her face. "You know, I think I recognize that particular beach," Carol said to herself.
XXX
A bit of a calmer chapter…
Capítulo 295: chapter 295
Chapter 295:
The waves lapped against the shore as I watched my three little angels—Hilga, Sia, and Lia—laugh and squeal, attempting to master the art of body surfing. Their tiny arms flailed against the waves as they threw themselves forward, tumbling into the foamy surf, only to pop up giggling. Natasha and Andrea were nearby, teaching them how to get that perfect balance, while I hovered above the water, my 16 black wings spread wide, catching the sunlight. It felt like a perfect day.
[Incoming.]
A sudden tingling ran down my spine, there was a familiar energy approaching fast. I turned, just in time to see Carol Danvers flying through the sky, stopping inches from me with a grin as brilliant as the sun. We exchanged smiles, and she let her gaze linger over me, taking in my risque beach outfit. "You look really good in a bikini, Layla," she teased, eyes roving over me with obvious appreciation. Her eyes lingered on my breasts and thighs the longest.
"I'll never turn down Flattery from a pretty lady," I chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "When did you get back to Earth?" I asked her.
"Only a few days ago," she said casually. "I spent the past two years in space—keeping the galaxy safe, keeping tabs on the biggest Empires and the Celestials especially." Her gaze shifted to my wings, then back to me. "Looks like you've added a few feathers since I last saw you. And your little ones… they're adorable."
I felt my smile falter for a second, a pang of sadness breaking through. "Yeah," I replied quietly, glancing down at Hilga, Sia, and Lia, splashing around, blissfully unaware. "I was... trapped in a black hole for two years. Missed so much of their lives. I'm just trying to make up for it now, you know?"
Carol's eyes softened, and without a word, she closed the space between us, wrapping her arms around me in a warm, reassuring hug. Maybe the hug lingered a bit longer than it should have, but neither of us seemed to mind.
"Momma!" Lia's voice called up to us, and I pulled back, looking down to see three pairs of little hands waving up at me.
"Come play with us!" they all shouted.
Carol glanced down at the water while chuckling. "I really should've brought a bathing suit since I knew you were at the beach."
I smirked. "That's not a problem. I've got you covered." Using Creation of All Things, I easily created a bikini that matched my own, except hers was pure white. "Now we match!"
[And now you get to ogle her wearing a bikini just as skimpy as yours…]
Carol raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You know my size?"
She took the bikini with a grin, and since the beach was mostly deserted, she didn't hesitate to shed her uniform right there in mid-air. As she changed, I couldn't help but steal a few glances at her own bare breasts and hairless lower lips. Carol was a lot bolder than I remembered her.
[If she's been doing nothing but fighting in space for two years, then she's down bad…]
Once Carol was dressed in her bikini, she floated back to me, a sly smile playing on her lips. We drifted down to the water, laughing and splashing as we joined Natasha, Andrea, and the girls. Hilga, Sia, and Lia immediately latched onto us, their laughter and squeals filling the air. The waves surged around us as we all played, with Carol and me helping the girls float on their tiny surfboards. Natasha and Andrea laughed as they held the girls' hands, while Carol relaxed in a way I hadn't seen before, fully joining in the fun.
After a while, Carol floated closer to me, her expression suddenly turning serious. "You know, one of the main reasons I'm back on Earth is because of the Convergence," she said, keeping her voice low. "It's drawing all sorts of energy, and some worlds might try to invade during it."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "I don't doubt it," I replied, more amused than concerned. "The Dark Elves are bound to make a move. They've probably been itching for revenge on Odin—though they don't know he's dead."
Carol raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And if they do, what do you think will happen?"
"They'll learn the hard way," I said confidently. "Under Hela's rule, Asgard is stronger than ever. And that's not counting my fallen angel siblings, who are stationed there now. If the Dark Elves try anything, it'll be their funeral."
Carol chuckled, and we spent the next few hours basking in the simple joys of sunshine, sand, and surf. Eventually, though, the girls started to get tired and hungry.
I scooped Lia up, kissing her cheek. "How about we all get some dinner? Are there any good seafood places nearby?" I asked Andrea.
Andrea pulled out her phone. "Let's see… Jarvis, can you find us a nearby restaurant?"
"Certainly, Ms. Andrea," Jarvis's familiar voice chimed from the speaker. A second later, Andrea smiled. "There's a fish restaurant with amazing reviews just down the beach a few miles."
"Perfect," I said, and with a wave of my hand, I opened a purple portal right in front of us. One by one, we stepped through, landing on a lively beach near the restaurant.
Unlike the quiet stretch we'd just left, this beach was crowded with families, couples, and groups of friends, all frozen mid-movement as we appeared. I laughed, giving a small wave to the crowd while leading the girls toward the entrance, knowing my face was one of the most recognized on the planet.
Inside, the hostesses and waitstaff stopped dead, openly staring as we entered. Andrea took the lead, striding up to the hostess with her usual calm. "Could we rent the restaurant for the next hour? We'll pay triple your daily revenue."
One of the managers stepped forward, eyes practically shining with greed. "Absolutely, ma'am! Right this way."
We were led to the largest booth. The girls' faces all lit up in excitement as they were handed kids menus and crayons that they could use to color them with.
Carol leaned back, watching the kids happily scribble on their papers. "Playing on the beach, a meal at a restaurant… This is a lot more mundane than I was expecting another day with you would be."
Natasha laughed, slipping her hand into mine. "What, you expected nonstop galaxy-saving action?"
Carol smirked and shrugged. "Maybe a little…"
I laughed along with them, savoring this rare moment of peace and normalcy. The waitress approached, still a bit wide-eyed, and we placed our orders. I ordered for the three girls since they were all too busy coloring to really care.
…
The night air was cool, and the city below was quiet. It was one of those rare, peaceful moments.
Carol and I sat side by side on the rooftop of my penthouse, the wind gently tousling our hair. I'd just finished filling her in on everything that had happened on Earth DXD while she was gone—the Behemoth's attack on Japan, Riser Phenex's brutal assault on New York and D.C., and the war in the underworld. The more I spoke, the more Carol's expression shifted from surprise to disbelief.
"That's… a lot, Layla," she finally managed, her tone laced with shock and just a hint of admiration.
I looked down, the unease still gnawing at me. "Carol… do you think I'm a monster? For letting my siblings wipe out the devils?" My voice was barely a whisper, but Carol heard.
A second later, she moved closer, wrapping her arm gently around my shoulders. "Layla, you're not a monster," she said firmly, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "If anyone would know, it's me." She hesitated, her face shifting as if debating how much to reveal. "I've done far worse things—things I've only hinted at before."
I turned to look at her, curiosity and concern blending together. "Like what?"
She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "Once, I came across a planet covered entirely by a sentient fungus. It had absorbed every life form on the planet and was developing space travel to spread and infect other worlds." She paused, her voice growing quieter. "To stop it, I found the largest asteroid I could manage and hurled it at the planet. Wiped it out completely."
I watched her, feeling the weight of her words settle between us. "You… destroyed an entire world?"
She met my gaze. "Was that genocide? Maybe. But not every species can live in harmony. Some are just incompatible with others, they'd destroy everything else if given the chance." Her voice softened. "Sometimes, you have to make hard choices."
Her words lifted a weight I hadn't realized I was carrying. I leaned my head against her shoulder, and she rested her cheek on the top of my head. We sat in silence for a while, the quiet understanding between us filling the space as we gazed up at the stars.
Then, something caught my eye—a flicker in the sky, like the stars were blinking out one by one. I straightened, squinting. "What is that?"
Carol followed my gaze, her brows knitting as she noticed it too. Thousands of shapes, large and clustered, had moved into orbit, blotting out entire patches of the sky.
"It looks like a whole bunch of meteors," Carol murmured, a hint of tension creeping into her voice. "But there's no meteor shower scheduled, and none of them are… falling."
A chill ran down my spine as I kept watching the shapes overhead. Whatever was up there wasn't natural.
Just then, Natasha came running up to the roof, her steps urgent and uncharacteristically loud. "Layla! Carol! You both need to come inside—now."
I met Carol's gaze, both of us sensing the tension radiating from Natasha. We wasted no time following her back down to the living room, where she pointed at the TV. On the screen was a familiar yet unexpected figure making a dramatic introduction.
"Humans of Earth," the man on the screen announced. "I am Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants."
I felt a flicker of anger as he launched into a tirade about all the oppression mutants are under all over the world and how he won't allow such outrageous injustices to continue. I glanced at Natasha, who shook her head slightly.
"It's not like that anymore, Layla," she contradicted his words. "While you were gone, Akeno, Jean, and Ororo formed their own hero team. Those three have become really popular online—you know, because they're all "super hot" and have "cool super powers". Mutant popularity has actually grown by a lot, and that's on top of your own support for them!"
I nodded, irritation simmering beneath the surface as Magneto continued his rant. "The world doesn't owe you anything, Magneto," I muttered, watching as he theatrically spread his arms like this was all some kind of performance to him.
Then Magneto's tone darkened. "You might have noticed some large objects in the sky," he sneered, a disturbing glint in his eye. "With a single meteorite, your so-called 'guardian angel' managed to save this world, taking out an alien menace two years ago." He spat out the words, his disdain for me seeping into every syllable. "Yes, meteors are powerful—and dangerous. Which is why I have surrounded the entire planet with thousands of them!" He raised his arms in triumph. "Earlier today, Layla of the Fallen announced that our global population would soon double. Mutants are already outnumbered! I will not allow us to become even more diluted! Layla, you have one hour to surrender to me, or I will destroy every major city on this planet! Meet me in space if you dare…"
And with that, the screen went dark.
"What the fuck?" I muttered, staring at the blank screen. The audacity—the sheer disregard for innocent lives—had me reeling. My mind was already calculating how many meteors I might be able to stop if he released them. "If I use shadow clones and cosmic Susanoo… maybe even the Power Stone… I might be able to surround the planet. But…" I trailed off, realizing the plan would exhaust everything I had.
Carol and Natasha each placed a hand on my shoulder, their expressions resolute. Carol's blue eyes met mine with fierce confidence. "I can handle him. Magneto's not the first megalomaniac I've brought down."
I nodded, knowing that if anyone could take him head-on, it would be Carol. But something about this didn't sit right. Magneto was strategic. This whole spectacle, the broadcast, the ultimatum—it felt too flashy.
A knot of suspicion tightened in my chest. "It's not just him, I'm sure of it," I murmured. "He's got some kind of backup plan. Otherwise, why would he risk calling me out? He has to know he can't handle me whatever he tries."
Natasha's eyes sharpened as she listened. "Then we go in ready for anything. He's trying to bait you, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's hiding something bigger than what he showed on that broadcast."
I nodded, feeling my resolve harden. "Alright. we'll go. If he wants a fight in space, let's give it to him," I said, looking between Carol and Natasha. Both of them grinned at me.
My phone blew up the second Magneto's smug face disappeared from the screen. Calls, messages—at least ten people trying to reach me at once. Sighing, I swiped to answer Akeno first, and the panic in her voice hit me immediately.
"Aunt Layla, Jean is missing! Ororo and I can't find her anywhere! We think… we think Magneto kidnapped her!"
"Shit!" I muttered, my mind racing. I kept my tone steady. "We'll find her, Akeno, don't worry. Hang tight, and stay safe."
I hung up, meeting Carol's and Natasha's concerned stares. "Phoenix has been taken. Magneto must've ambushed her—probably while she was heading to class or something."
Natasha's eyes narrowed. "I'm surprised someone as powerful as Jean could be taken that easily."
"Normally, I would be too," I replied, running a hand through my hair in frustration, "but she's used to hearing the thoughts of everyone around her. With that helmet, Magneto could've walked right up to her. Hell, he might have injected her with something remotely. Jean's got a lot of power, but when she isn't channeling the Phoenix Force, she's not invincible."
Before I could catch my breath, my phone buzzed again. It was Andrea.
"Are you guys alright?" she asked, sounding both worried and ready for action. "What's the plan?"
I exhaled, laying it out quickly. "I'm going to send five shadow clones around the planet with my cosmic Susanoo. It's our best shot to contain all these damn meteors. I'll need Jarvis to find the best positions for the clones."
"On it," Andrea replied without missing a beat.
A moment later, Jarvis's smooth voice came through, already calculating. "The optimal points for planetary coverage are as follows…"
"Perfect," I said, committing the locations to memory. Andrea kept rolling.
"Do you want Tony and me to jump in?"
"Yes, be ready," I replied, glancing at Carol and Natasha. "I have a feeling Magneto's got a backup plan. After protecting the planet, I'll be drained, so if he tries anything else, it's on you guys to stop him."
The next call was just as expected, it was Fury, and he was livid. "You've got some nerve, putting me on hold, Layla!"
"Well, Nick, the entire planet's on the line. I have to prioritize," I snapped, filling him in on the plan—only for him to cut me off with bad news.
"That bastard didn't just grab Phoenix," Fury growled. "We have reports that some of the strongest mutants on the planet went missing this morning. All at the same damn time!"
"Great," I muttered.
Natasha spoke up. "Looks like we're dealing with possible mind control," she noted, tension obvious in her voice. We all knew just how dangerous a mind-controlled Jean could be. She was a planet killer…literally, that was her job.
I grimaced, realizing that after creating the planetary shield, I'd be tapped out. Facing Jean—or any of the other missing mutants—after would be very difficult.
"Layla, you still have the Mind Stone, don't you?" Natasha asked suddenly. Her unspoken plan was obvious, she wanted to use the stone in the event that Jean and the other mutants really were under mind control.
"I do," I admitted, "but I don't trust anyone else to use it right. The only person who's ever managed it correctly was…" I trailed off as a wild idea hit me. Reckless, insane even, but it might work.
I grinned, meeting Natasha and Carol's eyes. "I think we're going to need to break someone out of Asgardian prison real quick."
Carol raised an eyebrow, and Natasha's lips twitched in a knowing smirk. "Let me guess. The one person crazy enough to wield the Mind Stone to its fullest potential?"
"Yep. Time to pay Loki a visit…"
[I'm sure he won't try to stab you in the back…]
I couldn't argue with the system's warning about Loki—he was risky, no doubt. But I had the perfect solution for keeping him in check: sicking his own mother on him. I knew for a fact that Loki still loved Frigga deeply, no matter how much he despised Odin. If anything, he probably loved her more than in canon, especially since she despised Odin right back.
Before we left, I went to Frigga's room to fill her in and get her on board. I found her there, sitting beside Vali, who was fast asleep in her bed. Vali had his own problems that would need dealing with after this, but for now, Loki was our priority.
Frigga looked up at me as I approached. "What brings you here, Layla?" she asked.
I took a breath, knowing this was kind of a bold plan. "I need your help, Frigga. I'm planning to break Loki out of Asgardian prison…" I explained what was going on.
She let out a deep sigh, clearly weighing the risks. "You'd be entrusting him with the Mind Stone," she murmured, her voice laced with concern. But I could see the understanding in her eyes—she knew we were out of options since Magneto only gave us an hour before he was going to start dropping the asteroids in orbit and they became genuine meteors of pure destruction.
"I know, it's a huge risk," I admitted, "but you know Loki. He's too clever to get caught up in anyone else's schemes. And if anyone can keep him from backstabbing us, it's you."
Frigga rose from Vali's bedside, her stance calm yet resolute. "Very well," she said, a hint of that maternal fierceness in her eyes. "I shall accompany you and make sure that Loki doesn't betray you… And if he tries to, well, sometimes a mother has to give their unruly child a proper spanking."
XXX
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