After the War

The vote

Loki

I tended to keep myself away from most people, except a select few, like Thor, Brunnhilde and Sif. Apart from them I also had connections with Natasha, whom I used as a library. But now that those agents of S.HI.E.L.D. had arrived I tried to stay on the background even more, for I didn't feel like a confrontation that might turn nasty. Of course this did not turn out the way I wanted it to, like most things seem to lately. And with lately I mean years, like, since 2011 I think Midgardians called it, that was the year it pretty much all went wrong for me.

"Loki, long time no see," I heard behind me a few days after the agents had arrived. I was sitting on a couch trying to read the second part of the third book from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I knew who was standing behind me even before I turned around saying, "Shouldn't you be with the Avengers arranging a trip to the Quantum realm?" He shook his head, "I'm not really fit to go." "How unfortunate, maybe you should go to them nevertheless." "Actually I wanted to talk to you." "And why is that?" "Because of the last time we saw each other." "Ah, yes, when I stabbed you through the heart with me scepter." "Yes, that time." "You heard your precious Captain America when he told you that I was brainwashed at the moment, right? Or were you too busy swooning over him." "First of all, I don't swoon over Captain America, second, yes, I heard that, which is why I wanted to talk." "Well then, in that case you might want to sit down." I put down my book as he sat down on another couch, facing me. "I wanted to tell you that, after a lot of thought I have decided that I don't blame you anymore. You were brainwashed and could hardly control your own actions." Well, that's a surprising twist. "And I should be glad about that? That you don't blame me anymore?" "There's no need for that." "Then why are you here?" "Because you seem to have quite some opinions about what we're about to do, but you don't speak up." "You want me to help?" "I'm sending some of my people in there... they might need a magician to help them." "And I happen to be one..." "Which is why I want your help." "And you... trust me?" "No... not yet, but I want to. I want you to prove that you're a better person than the one I know." "And why is that?" He shrugged, "I like it when people prove themselves." "But you mostly just want me to help protect your friends when they go try to take down Thanos?" "Yes." "And why would I do that?" "Well... don't you want revenge?"

Of course I wanted revenge on Thanos, and I would have found a way to do so myself, but this... was tempting somehow. It meant I wouldn't have to go in alone. I would have others with me... like Thor. I could fight side by side with my brother, like I had done many times before. I did kind of like the thought of that. "And what makes you think that I will actually help your friends?" "See it as the least you can do for me after what you did to me. I know you couldn't control your own actions completely, but you could to some degree." Why does this seem reasonable? "Well, I'll see what I can do for you, but I can't make any real promises." "I didn't really expect you to."

Shuri

It was a few days after the agents had arrived and Harley and I were working on some extra suits in my lab. "So, they're still going for time travelling then, huh?" I nodded, "I guess, yes." "I thought we put a stop to that plan?" "So did I... But, hey, maybe they needed something to tell the agents while they're figuring out a real plan." "Then why are we working on these suits?" "Well... can I tell you a secret?" "Of course you can?" "Tony asked me to put vibranium in the suits and since we have enough of it here I agreed. Now, thanks to vibranium these suits can survive open space... and we're gonna need helmets for those suits... so..." "How do you know they will survive open space?" "We tried it with a doll, and after that we might have tried it with a monkey, who came back alive and in one piece." "A monkey?" "He was okay!" "But...," he sighed, "whatever. What happened has happened." "Indeed." "So, you think he's planning to go into space?" "Yeah, that's what I think... I think the time traveling might be a backup plan." "Sounds good, but then why did he tell S.H.I.E.L.D...." "About the time travelling? Maybe because Tony and Steve are still sorting things out." "Between each other?" "Yeah, that too, but I was actually talking about the plan. They're not sure of how to get to what they want yet I guess." "Makes sense, I mean, they want to take down a gigantic purple idiot... You think they'd take us with them?" "You think your suit can survive space?" "I don't know, maybe, maybe not... and we probably don't have to leave the ship before we land anyway, so I guess it's just a precaution and stuff." "Yeah, sounds logical." "But still, you think they'd take us with them?" "You'd like to go, huh? Don't worry, I think Stark will take you with him." "And how about you?" I sighed, "I don't think they'll let me go, I'm the Queen of Wakanda, which makes me "too valuable"." "That sucks." "Yeah, it does. So, I guess I won't be going into space any time soon." "But, you're an amazing fighter now that you have the powers of the black panther!" "Yeah, I know." "And they would have let your brother go, even though he was the King!" I sighed, I still didn't like to think of what had happened to T'Challa, "Yeah... I know..." Harley seemed to sense the change in my mood, because he suddenly pulled me into a hug, "Hey, we'll get him back." "I hope so... I mean... I guess I'm doing okay as a Queen... I just don't really like it, so we better get him back." "Yeah, that and you care about him." "Yeah, that too."