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*****
A flash of disappointment crossed Nick Fury's dark face at Fini's blunt refusal, though he hadn't held much hope to begin with. He nodded and moved on to his next question.
"What exactly are you going to Asgard for?"
"Personal privacy," Fini replied calmly, meeting Fury's gaze. Telling him the itinerary was already a courtesy; prying into the specific contents of the trip was pushing it.
"I need to be aware of the situation," Fury insisted, refusing to back down. He stared at Fini with a rare intensity. "You are effectively representing the entire Earth."
Fini found the notion amusing. He shook his head and laughed. "Rest assured, I don't have that much influence yet. It's just private business—I'm going there to trade for something."
Although Fury was dying to know what kind of item warranted a trip to the realm of the gods, he ultimately didn't ask. He could tell Fini had no intention of answering.
"Is there really Hydra in SHIELD?" Fury asked, steering the conversation back to the topic that had brought him here. He had already confirmed the answer for himself before seeking Fini out, but with so few people he could trust within his own organization, he needed outside confirmation.
"Yes," Fini nodded. He looked at Fury and added, "I can only tell you this: if you truly resolve to investigate, be extremely careful. Don't end up dead."
Fury froze. Fini's words sent a genuine chill down his spine. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means they are dangerous. If you start digging, they will try to kill you."
SHIELD and Hydra were so intertwined that they were practically indistinguishable. Unless Nick Fury bypassed SHIELD's resources entirely, it would be nearly impossible for him to move without being noticed.
Fury's expression soured. He didn't want to believe it, but experience had taught him that Fini's warnings almost always stood the test of time.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Fini said, rising from his seat.
He had given the necessary warnings. If Fury still managed to nearly get himself killed like he did in the original timeline, it would simply mean he wasn't cautious enough, or that it was his destiny to face that trial.
As for how Hydra would react to an investigation, Fini couldn't say for sure, though assassination seemed the most likely route. After all, he didn't even know the current status of Project Insight. Without Nick Fury in the way, Alexander Pierce might even find a way back into the Director's chair.
Fini hoped both organizations would eventually vanish, but he had no desire to get caught in their crossfire. There was no "experience" to be gained from them. Aside from the Winter Soldier, most Hydra agents were just elite operatives who couldn't even hold a candle to Clint or Natasha. Fighting them would be like bullying children—he'd get about as much growth as he would practicing skills alone in the snowy mountains.
"When is the earliest you'll be back?" Fury asked as Fini stood up.
Fini was the biggest card in his hand besides that woman, and since she was currently in some unknown galaxy, Fini was the more reliable insurance policy for immediate trouble.
"At the earliest? About a month," Fini estimated. Besides trading for the star map, he planned to learn about the other Nine Realms and the state of the wider universe, so he expected to stay for a while.
Fury nodded, deciding to hold off on a full-scale purge until Fini returned and his own safety could be guaranteed. According to his current intel, the enemy had been hidden for a long time; a few more weeks wouldn't hurt.
Preparations for the Voyage
A few days after the meeting with Fury, the New Year's bells chimed. Fini had successfully survived another dangerous year.
Once the festivities passed, Fini began preparing for his departure. First, he called Skye, who was still staying with her biological parents.
"You're going on an alien vacation again?" Skye asked, her voice a mix of surprise and worry.
"Mhm. A month at the shortest, six months at the longest. Be careful while I'm gone. If you run into any real danger, go find Master Ancient One."
"Can I come with you?" Skye asked immediately. Her days were becoming quite monotonous; when she wasn't practicing her vibrations, she was surfing the web as a hacker.
"Not this time." Fini hesitated for a second but ultimately turned her down.
While the trip to Asgard was unlikely to be dangerous, he was traveling in his official capacity as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj. It wouldn't be appropriate to bring an outsider along, even if she was his sister.
"Next time. Next time I'll take you into the cosmos," Fini promised, comforting the disappointed Skye. He only hung up after swearing he'd make it up to her.
Next, Fini double-checked the items he intended to use for the trade.
First was a portion of Vibranium he had acquired from Wakanda. Vibranium was a top-tier metal even on a galactic scale; he figured it would be a fair trade even for a rare star map.
Second, he had purchased the most advanced gaming consoles on the market, along with a massive library of games. Asgard might be technologically advanced, but their entertainment was notoriously archaic—mostly endless banquets. The games might not be "valuable" in a traditional sense, but they were a novelty that Asgard lacked.
Third, he prepared high-end, exquisite food gift bags to hold his "Violet Fried Chicken Rolls." In terms of rarity, the rolls were actually the most precious item, as he was the only supplier in the entire universe.
He also packed various other sundries—ornate jewelry, stylish clothing, and anything else he thought might catch a god's eye. He ended up with a massive pile of luggage. Fortunately, he planned to summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to help carry it all through the portal.
After one last check of his gifts, he visited the lab to give Helen Cho and Shuri final instructions. He told them to keep a close eye on the Scepter and to contact Tony Stark if anything went wrong.
Finally, he informed the Ancient One of his departure. She simply told him to be careful and not to bring shame or trouble to Kamar-Taj.
Once everything was ready, Fini summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and mounted it. He activated his Breathing Technique, gripped the Vibranium pendant he'd dubbed "Dragon's Food," and focused.
Following the coordinates provided by the Ancient One, he tore open a spatial portal to Asgard.
Unlike the Bifrost, the spatial portal was instantaneous. In just a few seconds, he crossed an unimaginable distance and arrived in the realm of the gods.
The transit was fast, but the drain on his energy was significant. Fini had barely caught his breath when a resonant voice rang out before him:
"Welcome to Asgard, Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj!"
(End of Chapter)