บท 25: Eyes Of The World
I wake up to the sound of my door being broken down. I look up from my cloud and see Lucario practically radiating annoyance. I blearily look at Lucario, I was a bit cranky from having my dream interrupted and my door now being broken.
Lucario: "I am glad you finally woke up. I was going to try using an Aura Sphere if you didn't get up after I gently knocked on your door."
I think hard about my response and decide to try the classic Cell move. I slowly move my hands to my forehead. Lucario doesn't seem to know what is about to happen.
Rio: "SOLAR FLARE!"
SHIIIIIII
Lucario: "AHHHHH MY EYES!!!"
I start running as Lucario thrashes about. I see Yang coming out of her room to see what is going on and after seeing the situation she quietly goes back in her room. I just keep running until I make it to the training room. I am far enough away that I decided to go to the Astral Realm. Once inside the Astral Realm, I make a bed and go back to sleep.
POV Nick Fury
Knock Knock
Fury: "Enter."
Phil Coulson enters the room with a file in hand.
Phil: "Director I have the completed investigation report for the Russian Mafia Massacre."
He hands me the file and I look through it.
Nick: "This doesn't say much. How can we still not know who killed so many in one night?"
Phil: "We have exhausted all leads. Even the other gangs have no idea who did it. All that was left was a note saying to 'stay out of my territory', many are scared because they don't what this territory includes. Technically there are no signs of anything abnormal with this case as the time of deaths are confirmed to be around the same time and all but the deaths in the Mafias HQ died from bullets."
Nick: "What about the deaths in the HQ? Have we got a conclusive report on what killed them?"
Phil: "Various causes but the most interesting is of the leaders, We have confirmed they died either by asphyxiation or heart attacks. Everyone else was either a bladed weapon or gunshot wounds."
Nick: "I guess that will have to do. Now what about the vanishing mountain incident?"
Phil: "We have gone through the area with every type of sensor or instrument and found nothing out of the ordinary. It is as if the mountaintop just never existed. We checked the records and confirmed someone lived there. We sent out a request to find and question this individual if they appear again but we believe it very likely this was an attack to assassinate the man who lived there. The person who lived there seems to be the former leader of the Ten Rings. Besides that we managed to retrieve an old satellite image of what the mountaintop used to look like but nothing so far as to how it disappeared."
Nick: "I don't care what you have to do but find out what happened there. The security council is nervous about a mountain just disappearing. Next what of the mysterious satellite that was recently discovered?"
Phil: "We have searched through every record of satellite launches and cannot find a match for this ODIN satellite. We have attempted to contact the satellite but they have not responded to any messages. Our technicians and analysts have gone over everything they can see of the satellite and they are not 100% sure what its purpose or origin is. Moreover, the insignia has never been seen before. We are still checking historical records but it will take some time. Our analyst's best guess would be it is a spy satellite. They also say it could be a weapons platform but they can't be sure unless they see what is inside the satellite or if it does something."
Nick: "Keep me posted and maintain constant surveillance on this unknown satellite. If it does anything let me know immediately."
Phil: "Yes sir."
Nick: "Now have we found out how these Santa presents got into all those houses?"
Phil: "Uh, well, yes sir. We have thousands of camera footage from all over the world showing the same man dressed as Santa delivering the gifts from a bag that couldn't possibly hold the presents. The footage seems unreliable as this man would sometimes appear long distances away at the same or nearly the same time as other copies of him."
Nick: "Are you suggesting this is the real Santa and he just happened to appear this year or that we never caught him on camera before? I can't exactly give that explanation to the council."
Phil: "That's just what we have found so far and we are trying to come up with a reasonable explanation but so far nothing sort of magic or so advanced technology that we wouldn't even be able to understand it if it was right before our eyes."
I rub my eyes trying to figure out what is happening in the world today.
Nick: "Have we confirmed the Red Menace has disappeared and not reappeared?"
Phil: "Yes sir, we have tested multiple known methods to confirm the Red Menace is indeed gone. We have found no evidence as to where he went just that he is gone."
Nick: "I suppose that's some good news. Have we still not found out where he came from?"
Phil: "We haven't found where it comes from but we have identified the first incident. It happened in the mansion of Seto Kaiba the CEO of KaibaCorp. We investigated but found no evidence to suggest Mr. Kaiba or his company had any involvement in the creation of the Red Menace."
Nick: "If we are certain he isn't involved then call back any investigators into the Red Menace and have them reassigned to that incident in Canada. Anything else to report?"
Phil: "No sir."
Nick: "You are dismissed."
POV Alexander Pierce
Pierce: "So no one knows anything about that satellite? I see. No that will be all Fury. Yes goodbye."
I end the call with Fury and start the call with the other Hydra heads. They pick up and the council is convened.
Strucker: "What news do you bring Pierce?"
Pierce: "Unfortunately nothing good. Shield and my resources have learned nothing that we already didn't know about any of the 4 cases. The satellite remains a mystery, the Red Menace is missing, the mountain seemingly never had a top, and how this Santa lookalike infiltrated all the most secure places on the planet in one night to deliver presents or coal is a complete unknown. Even tracing the gifts is impossible."
The other members seem put off by the news.
Whitehall: "Are we to assume that our security is no longer good enough?"
Pierce: "Usually I would immediately say yes but from what we have gathered this being might be a more mystical creature. He stole nothing hurt no one and left almost as quickly as he arrived. He arrived in ways that can only be via the use of magic. There are also numerous reports that he talked with people or children who initiated a conversation. Everyone said he was a kind old man and he gave them exactly what they wanted for a gift even if said want was something they had never asked for verbally. We have no feasible way to stop him besides trying to injure him but apparently, even ruthless murderers couldn't be brought to try and harm him."
Strucker: "So what we should just ignore it and move on!"
Pierce: "We have no real choice. We can spend money but this being knew where everyone was at. He infiltrated the base where the Winter Soldier was being held at left him a gift. A gift no one but the Winter Soldier could open. What was inside was just a marble but the Winter Soldier grabbed it without orders and once touched it vanished. We had him checked but found nothing out of the ordinary. Furthermore, Zola has told me that trying to stop this being is likely a fool's errand and will only waste resources. If you want to waste resources trying to stop a possibly omniscience being who doesn't seem to be intent on doing more than giving us coal, then go ahead I won't stop you, but I won't help you either."
Strucker: "Fine I will wait and watch for now."
Whitehall: "Anything else to say."
Pierce: "No that is all I have for now."
Whitehall: "Hail Hydra!"
Pierce: "Hail Hydra!"
Strucker: "Hail Hydra!"
With that the call ends and I am left alone in my office thinking what to do with the information we have.
'I can leave the Satellite to Fury. I can use Hydra to dig deeper into the mountaintop incident, if it was a weapon Hydra must have it. I am also curious about who killed off the Russian Mafia. I will send some agents to look into it but I believe nothing has been found on it. It was an unfortunate loss as I had a few investments in that gang. I am sure I can pressure whoever killed them to see things Hydra's way and assist us.'
POV Ancient One
Ancient One: "I am surprised you have come to see me, Odin. I figured you would be too busy running Asgard to come down to Midgard."
Odin: "I wanted to meet with you about the recent happenings. When I was visiting Midgard a short while ago I met a strange creature made of glass that manipulated reality like it was nothing. Even I fell under its control. Then we had an unexpected visitor Asgard a few days ago. One I recall comes from Midgard. He called himself Santa Claus."
I just smile politely while thinking of that enigmatic being. If I didn't possess the Time Stone I would have assumed he had it instead.
Ancient One: "Yes, I do know of the being you talk of. Both have disappeared with no traces of where they have gone to. If this is your way of asking where you can find them I am afraid I have no idea. Nor do I know where they came from."
Odin looks at me with a scrutinizing gaze. He is likely trying to see if I am withholding info.
Odin: "You didn't give him the stone did you?"
Ancient One: "No, I didn't. I also am not sure how he did his time traveling. My best guess would be either advanced technology or magic. Both options I am sure you are already aware of are currently impossible."
Odin sighs at my statement.
Odin: "I got a chance to speak with Santa. When I spoke with him I couldn't help but feel like he was a nice old man just looking to give joy to everyone. He even gave me advice. Advice that I will share with you if you can answer one question."
Ancient One: "You have piqued my interest please ask away."
Odin: "What happened to the Hell Dimension? I can not find it anymore and I can not find anyone with Mephistos stench anymore."
I wince slightly at the memory of that place and the monster that I saw. Odin clearly sees this as he stares at me with a demand for answers.
Ancient One: "Mephisto and the entire Hell Dimension were destroyed and moreover Chthon has been injured by the same being. I had never seen this being before but the mere sight of him had frightened me. I am not certain where this being came from nor where it is now. I do know that Mephisto and every last demon are gone and that Mephisto in a desperate attempt to save his life had opened a hole into the Choas dimension. The Chaos dimension has shrunk considerably and Chthon has stopped influencing any of his agents while he heals from the large damage he received."
Odin: "If this being entered the Chaos dimension but failed to kill Chthon does that mean it was slain?"
Ancient One: "Unfortunately I don't know. I do doubt it though. Chthon is mighty but that thing was near the level of a concept."
Odin: "If that is so then I will just keep an eye out. Now I will give you the advice Santa gave me. He said and I quote, Leave the Crystal Imperium alone, they are more powerful than you know and they have the best interest of the universe at heart. Let the new generation take over from us old ones. I for one will heed his advice you do with that what you will but I need to head home before my wife gets angry." Farewell Ancient One."
Ancient One: "Farewell Allfather Odin."
With that Odin leaves and I am left thinking about the words he said.
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Authors Note:
So as I am sure you can tell I tried to show the POVs of other factions. I hope I did well. Also don't worry about Lucario he will be fine, Rio was just cranky from being rudely awoken from a nice dream. Now let's talk dimensional lords, Chthon is injured but not dead the MC does not know this. Santa has apparently delivered coal to Hydra and what was the gift for Bucky, in the wise words of the tootsie pop commercials, The World May Never Know. Anyway until next time Ciao.
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