[Diana really needs to work out a better system with Steve when it comes to calling her when he's in trouble. She doesn't hear about the threat of Thanos until poor Barry Allen is disintegrating into ash in front of her, and while part of her is angry that she didn't know and that her help wasn't asked for, by the time the Avengers appear on her front step and she sees how deep the devastation really is, her anger is put to the side until they come up against Thanos and she can direct her ire to the person who truly deserves it.
Still, she's not going to leave the Avengers to their own devices, and takes them all back to France, to give the people of Wakanda space to breathe and process their own grief. The house she keeps in the country is more than large enough to support them all, and eventually she makes her way to each of them with fresh clothes and towels so they can clean up.
When she reaches Thor's door, she knocks lightly against the door frame, wanting to get his attention before she enters, making note of Stormbreaker as she does.]
[Thor looks up from where he's been considering the weapon -- or, more accurately, staring through it, lost in thought. he's grieving the loss of his brother, his home, his people for all that he thought they were safe, with Hela defeated, more, with half the universe lost. he's angry. he's tired, emotionally and physically, both, after the final battle with Thanos. and so on. he's just done, and he looks it, looks worn when he turns his attentions to her. they lost. they lost]
It was forged to defeat the Mad Titan. It failed. [a beat] I failed. [if he'd gone for the head, instead of the chest, instead of wanting to see Thanos' face as he died, like he'd wanted to see his as he killed Loki, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. and so the cycle of grief, anger, tired repeats just below the surface]
[Diana steps forward, leaving the clean clothes on the dresser nearby for now, before reaching down and lifting the axe easily. There is certainly power in it - not like her own weapons, bearing the power of her forefathers, but something not of this world.
Still, it is a good weapon. It would not have failed its wielder lightly.]
Most generals say that sometimes battles must be lost to win the war. That doesn't necessarily make it any easier on those who survive them.
[he watches her with the axe, surprised and not that she can lift it. he's so used to Mjolnir and the enchantment his father put on it, that seeing someone else lift his weapon is a surprise. then he remembers that this isn't Mjolnir and that surprise fades]
I am familiar with the saying -- my father, were he still alive, might have offered the same advice. [minus the part about this not being easy, even if that was how he meant it. his father, much as he loved him, had his flaws. that doesn't matter, though, and so he shakes his head, dismissing it and Diana, both] But this is beyond just a battle, lost. This is ... [they lost. they lost the war. you don't come back from an infinitesimal number of people simply blinking out of existence. even if they beat Thanos now, it wouldn't mean anything. those people wouldn't come back]
This is bleak. I will not disagree with you there.
[She pauses for a moment, before placing Stormbreaker back in it's place and turning to face him more.]
Perhaps this isn't a loss that can ever fully be recovered from. But there is no justice if we just let this loss stand.
[Those lost may never return, but Diana does not intend to let them remain unavenged. Even if there is no way to bring them back, Thanos needs to face justice for his actions.]
[Thor studies her for a moment, and then slowly, he nods. getting to Thanos won't bring anyone back, no, but there are still billions upon billions of people who need closure. bringing him to justice will help with that, a balm for the loss, even if it's not a cure for it, and -- well, they are the Avengers. as Stark said, even if he wasn't there for it, if they can't protect the Earth, then you can be damn well sure they'll avenge it]
You may have a point. [he pauses, straightening a little, managing to look regal, now, rather than defeated, despite the fact that where he's sitting is no throne] What we don't have, though, is a plan. [going all in is nice, but he's learned, is still learning, that sometimes having a plan helps]
[well, that would be step one of the plan, but -- well, semantics. he's not going to argue that, that in mind. instead, he nods and curious, asks:] Do I get to meet this friend? [it also helps, knowing who you're working with. the battle in Wakanda might have gone better if he knew how more than half the people present fought]
[he's kept up with some of what heroes outside of the Avengers have been doing, but not all. he hasn't had the time, when he keeps having to deal with his own never-ending string of crises. the last time he actually got to sit down and catch up, he was still with Jane]
I see. [don't think about Loki. don't think about the times that he's been 'dead' and has 'gotten better'. don't -- ah, damn it. he lets out a breath, frustrated with himself and hurting, and shakes his head. then, rather than explain that reaction, he continues:] Would it be unkind to ask him to tell of it, when he arrives?
[maybe he'll find some wisdom in it that will help them defeat Thanos. maybe it'll give him some hope again that maybe, maybe this is just one of Loki's tricks. maybe it'll just take his mind off of things for awhile, so he mercifully doesn't have to think on either. either way]
[he's not really hungry, either, but he knows he should probably eat anyway, to keep his strength up. between everything that happened on Asgard with Hela and then the mess with Thanos, he really can't remember the last time he has eaten. maybe on the Benetar with the Guardians?]
[maybe, but regardless, he starts to stand] If you'd like to come downstairs with me, however, I wouldn't be opposed? [the company really can't hurt his appetite]
Downstairs, then. [he'll meet her there -- and try to actually eat some of the food, and not just put it on a plate and stare at it. how well that's actually going for him by the time she arrives is up for debate, however]
[Diana joins him a few minutes later, gathering some food of her own and settling across from him. She watches him for a moment, as he stares down at the food for a moment, before taking a bit of her own.]
We were distantly aware of your people. [and by we, he means Asgard. Odin wasn't particularly interested in them, however, having enough on his plate to deal with already, so -- well, like he said, it was a distant awareness. just enough to make sure they didn't become a threat] Beyond that, though ... [he shakes his head]
[if Diana wants to tell him about them, he wouldn't mind]
That makes sense, in a way. We were very secretive. The weapons we guarded were best not left to the wrong hands. But we were almost exclusively female, which means I didn't meet a great deal of men until I found my way to their world.
That much, we knew. [a beat] Or at least imagined. [there were rumors] My father had a company of elite warriors known as Valkyrie that was composed entirely of women. [they're dead, now. the Valkyrie he knew is probably dead now. Sif, who he's surprised never became a Valkyrie, is probably dead, now]
[ ... Gods damn it, he really needs to stop circling the drain on all of the people he lost]
[he's not sure he'd call it progressive, given that his father also sent them to death on the shores of his sister's evil, but he's not going to get into that, at the moment. instead, he flashes her a tiny, albeit vaguely hollow, smile]
[Well there is that. Zeus created a daughter to murder his brother should he try and end humanity again. No father is perfect. His comment makes her laugh warmly in response, however.]
I'm sure they would have been lucky to have you all the same.
Now, perhaps. When I was young ... [he shakes his head, smile fading. up until not that long ago, when his father banished him to Earth, he was stupid and arrogant and he understands, now, why Loki hated being around him, sometimes. ... and damn it. next time he sees Thanos, he will aim for the head. damn his revenge, damn wanting him to suffer as Loki suffered]
Not then. I was a child; I did not yet understand the horror of war. [he pauses, then continues with what went through his head a second ago -- or at least part of it] I was naive and arrogant.
I think we all were guilty of that once upon a time. I certainly was.
[She offers a small smile.]
I was convinced once that evil was something men had forced upon them, rather than it being truly their choice. It took being thrown into a war myself to learn the difference and the delicacy of it.
If only it were that easy. [and the smile fades again] Though, there are exceptions. My brother ... [what can he say about Loki? there's a reason why his brother was known as the God of Mischief, but he was -- different, somehow, when he attacked New York, and then different again, and for the better, when they fought Malekith, when he ended up on Sakaar, back to his old self. he's pretty sure what Loki did in New York wasn't his fault, whether he was controlled by the Mind Stone, like Barton, or he just had no choice, thanks to Thanos, but either way, that evil was forced on him] ... was a complicated man. He did terrible things, in his time, but very few of them were a choice.
In the end, yes. [a beat] He stood for Asgard, when it truly mattered. For the whole of the realms. [in challenging Thanos, at the end. it was -- stupid, but noble, heroic. it bought time for Banner to get away, at least]
[he manages a smile at the touch, though the expression is more grateful than mirthful -- he appreciates the physical contact, especially right now. he even squeezes her hand a little, without turning it, edges of his finger catching the tips of hers just briefly before he lets go, and as he does, he nods again]
Stark was wise to name us Avengers.
[he'll get Thanos back for Loki, for everyone they lost]
[he nods once more, seriously, and is silent for a moment, before:] Have we anything to drink for all this food? [he could really use a drink, never mind how little Midgardian alcohol will actually do for him. maybe he'll have several hundred drinks]
[shame he can't go home, right now. shame he doesn't have a home to go to. if he could, did he'd raid his father's wine stores for something old and good]
[Yes, she feels the same. But she does have some very old, very strong liquors that she's been holding on to for a rainy day, and they will do some good old fashioned drinking. And maybe we can skip to a new timeline point in a new thread?]
[ I ... haven't actually seen Endgame. I've been spoiled like crazy for just about everything, but ... yeah. So, you might have better luck picking something you'd want to play with, and then expecting it to go completely off the rails. :P ]
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self_inflictedexhile2018-07-17 08:59 pm
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Still, she's not going to leave the Avengers to their own devices, and takes them all back to France, to give the people of Wakanda space to breathe and process their own grief. The house she keeps in the country is more than large enough to support them all, and eventually she makes her way to each of them with fresh clothes and towels so they can clean up.
When she reaches Thor's door, she knocks lightly against the door frame, wanting to get his attention before she enters, making note of Stormbreaker as she does.]
That is quite the weapon.
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It was forged to defeat the Mad Titan. It failed. [a beat] I failed. [if he'd gone for the head, instead of the chest, instead of wanting to see Thanos' face as he died, like he'd wanted to see his as he killed Loki, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation. and so the cycle of grief, anger, tired repeats just below the surface]
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Still, it is a good weapon. It would not have failed its wielder lightly.]
Most generals say that sometimes battles must be lost to win the war. That doesn't necessarily make it any easier on those who survive them.
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I am familiar with the saying -- my father, were he still alive, might have offered the same advice. [minus the part about this not being easy, even if that was how he meant it. his father, much as he loved him, had his flaws. that doesn't matter, though, and so he shakes his head, dismissing it and Diana, both] But this is beyond just a battle, lost. This is ... [they lost. they lost the war. you don't come back from an infinitesimal number of people simply blinking out of existence. even if they beat Thanos now, it wouldn't mean anything. those people wouldn't come back]
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[She pauses for a moment, before placing Stormbreaker back in it's place and turning to face him more.]
Perhaps this isn't a loss that can ever fully be recovered from. But there is no justice if we just let this loss stand.
[Those lost may never return, but Diana does not intend to let them remain unavenged. Even if there is no way to bring them back, Thanos needs to face justice for his actions.]
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You may have a point. [he pauses, straightening a little, managing to look regal, now, rather than defeated, despite the fact that where he's sitting is no throne] What we don't have, though, is a plan. [going all in is nice, but he's learned, is still learning, that sometimes having a plan helps]
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[And you can't really make a plan without knowing the terrain you're facing first.]
Leave that to me. I have a friend who may be able to help.
[Victor has been testing pushing the limits of his connection to the mother boxes and how they allow him to access technology.]
Perhaps between him, Dr. Banner and your raccoon friend they may be able to devise a tracker of some kind.
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[Victor would likely do well with meeting more people who won't judge him for his appearance.]
We've been texting. I'm sure he'll be here soon, along with Superman.
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[he's kept up with some of what heroes outside of the Avengers have been doing, but not all. he hasn't had the time, when he keeps having to deal with his own never-ending string of crises. the last time he actually got to sit down and catch up, he was still with Jane]
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[That's ... putting it lightly.]
It's not really my story to tell.
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[It's not a story Clark is fond of, to say the least.]
But I can ask him if he will allow me to tell you.
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[maybe he'll find some wisdom in it that will help them defeat Thanos. maybe it'll give him some hope again that maybe, maybe this is just one of Loki's tricks. maybe it'll just take his mind off of things for awhile, so he mercifully doesn't have to think on either. either way]
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Until he arrives, if there's anything you need, please let me know. And there's food downstairs, if you're hungry.
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[he's not really hungry, either, but he knows he should probably eat anyway, to keep his strength up. between everything that happened on Asgard with Hela and then the mess with Thanos, he really can't remember the last time he has eaten. maybe on the Benetar with the Guardians?]
[maybe, but regardless, he starts to stand] If you'd like to come downstairs with me, however, I wouldn't be opposed? [the company really can't hurt his appetite]
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Let me drop these off with Natasha, and then I'll join you.
[She's still gotta be a good host, after all. But there will be a suitably impressive amount of food for them all to dig into.]
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Downstairs, then. [he'll meet her there -- and try to actually eat some of the food, and not just put it on a plate and stare at it. how well that's actually going for him by the time she arrives is up for debate, however]
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Have you heard of my people before? The Amazons?
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[if Diana wants to tell him about them, he wouldn't mind]
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That makes sense, in a way. We were very secretive. The weapons we guarded were best not left to the wrong hands. But we were almost exclusively female, which means I didn't meet a great deal of men until I found my way to their world.
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That much, we knew. [a beat] Or at least imagined. [there were rumors] My father had a company of elite warriors known as Valkyrie that was composed entirely of women. [they're dead, now. the Valkyrie he knew is probably dead now. Sif, who he's surprised never became a Valkyrie, is probably dead, now]
[ ... Gods damn it, he really needs to stop circling the drain on all of the people he lost]
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[She heard rumors of stories, but she was never sure how much of them were true.]
How progressive of him.
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I had dreams of joining them, until I realized.
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I'm sure they would have been lucky to have you all the same.
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Now, perhaps. When I was young ... [he shakes his head, smile fading. up until not that long ago, when his father banished him to Earth, he was stupid and arrogant and he understands, now, why Loki hated being around him, sometimes. ... and damn it. next time he sees Thanos, he will aim for the head. damn his revenge, damn wanting him to suffer as Loki suffered]
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You don't think you would have been an asset?
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Not then. I was a child; I did not yet understand the horror of war. [he pauses, then continues with what went through his head a second ago -- or at least part of it] I was naive and arrogant.
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[She offers a small smile.]
I was convinced once that evil was something men had forced upon them, rather than it being truly their choice. It took being thrown into a war myself to learn the difference and the delicacy of it.
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If only it were that easy. [and the smile fades again] Though, there are exceptions. My brother ... [what can he say about Loki? there's a reason why his brother was known as the God of Mischief, but he was -- different, somehow, when he attacked New York, and then different again, and for the better, when they fought Malekith, when he ended up on Sakaar, back to his old self. he's pretty sure what Loki did in New York wasn't his fault, whether he was controlled by the Mind Stone, like Barton, or he just had no choice, thanks to Thanos, but either way, that evil was forced on him] ... was a complicated man. He did terrible things, in his time, but very few of them were a choice.
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[The world is a grey and complex place. And in many ways, they're probably better for it, even if it makes the things they have to do harder.]
I hope he was able to find his way off that path.
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In the end, yes. [a beat] He stood for Asgard, when it truly mattered. For the whole of the realms. [in challenging Thanos, at the end. it was -- stupid, but noble, heroic. it bought time for Banner to get away, at least]
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Then we will not let his sacrifice be in vain.
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Stark was wise to name us Avengers.
[he'll get Thanos back for Loki, for everyone they lost]
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[As she is now one of them, this is her fight too, she is ready to do a lot of punching.]
It is a very fitting name.
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I'm sure I can find something. Something quite strong, I'm assuming?
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[shame he can't go home, right now. shame he doesn't have a home to go to. if he could, did he'd raid his father's wine stores for something old and good]
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