As Drecarios was having a chat with one of his fellow chat members and his sister... in a world of Ice and Fire a man was standing upon an enormous wall of carved ice. The wind whipped in his face as the frigid snow of the True North splashed into his face and cloak. A brazier burned tantalizingly with the orange-yellow hue of flame and warmth amidst the snow storm.
If it weren't for his gloves and his thick fur-lined cloak he would have died of frostbite within minutes. Even now it was the warding embrace of the flames that staved off the wretched chill. He shivered at the knowledge that this would be his life. Whilst his father was off at kings landing, aiding Robert Baratheon in his rulership of the Seven Kingdoms, he was stuck with his dick in the wind, pissing off the side of the world... All the while his fellow watch members, criminals the lot of them, sneered and japed at him.
His thoughts had turned reflective and disdainful at some stage. Perhaps it was half way through the first watch where he had to stave off three of his 'friends' when they tried to shank him for being a lordling's son, even if he were just a bastard. Or It could have been the utter stupidity of the leadership... Both options were valid he'd come to realise and now he wished he had just carved his own path in the world. It couldn't have been as horrible as staying on this gods-forsaken wall and dealing with the incompetence around him.
"Ye dun wastin time yet lordlin, we gotsa watch ta be lookin ta."
Rolling his eyes where they couldn't see his face as eventually turned and graced them with a devilish grin. "I'm sorry, I couldn't understand what you were saying, perhaps you could speak properly for once?"
The rapist before his grit his blackened-yellow teeth before sneering and turning on his heels, the rough-shod sword at the man's waist smacking heavily into his legs; he'd failed to tie the sheathe down properly. Jon Snow eventually put everything back in place, his eyes darting to the tundra beyond the wall. How he'd started hating the view he couldn't give an answer to, but he does.
"YA COMIN OR NOT!?" The same rapist from before bellowed out in anger from fifty metres away.
"What did you say!?" Rage-filled curses flew through the air like hail in a particularly nasty storm as Jon Snow slowly strode up to the man and continued his watch.
~~~
Back in the office of Emma Frost, Drecarios and Tony were sharing a cordial hug despite not having physically met before; unless you counted Loki's live stream.
"Damn Elsa, it's good to see you again. I'd hoped to get out sooner but y'know, my heart wasn't exactly in the right place..." I laughed as he was trying to be casual and indirect about his little poisoning issue.
"You too Iron-Bro, I hope the matter with your problems was all settled?" Tony's right eye twitched at the surfer-bro nickname he'd just been given by me... I had to say, it made me cackle deep inside my heart.
"However fun this meeting is, we must get down to business gentlemen." Emma said something but I ignored it right alongside Tony as he simply slipped an arm over my shoulder and turned to face my annoyed twin.
"Must you kill the fun so quickly winter-fox, or is it because you've forgotten how to have fun?" She scowled at him before pointing at the chairs.
"Do as I say or I'll have both of you kicked out of my office." I huffed in mock derision, my eyes sliding to the side so I could gauge Tony's reaction. The man was going to follow what she said, not because he was intimidated but because he actually had something to say to her.
And thus I sat down in a chair adjacent to Tony's and waited for her to sit down. When she finally did sit down she immediately started in on Tony.
"What's the purpose of this meeting?" She asked succinctly.
"Other than to meet good old Elsa here, It was to feel out how you feel about hiring a bunch of the weapon designers and scientists of Stark Industries. I have no use for them since we've switched to the Phone, Computer and Luxury goods industry..."
She steepled her hands whilst glancing over to her computer, showing the various stocks the company held; amongst which were Stark Industries shares. "The cost for this? I know nothing comes for free and that you'd be effectively handing me all of the tools required to produce defence technologies and designs for the government."
He waved it off cavalierly. "A trade. You secure a large part of the military industrial complex and in exchange I get a percentage of profits and an alliance with Frost International when it comes to other companies trying to encroach on Stark Industries' territory."
The offer was grandiose, generous and down right evil. Emma couldn't say no to this and that was the exact position Stark wanted her in, since he could then effectively get closer to me and gain my aid whenever he wanted whilst having it as a part of the 'deal'. The man, whilst eccentric and egotistical beyond measure, was frighteningly intelligent. It sure wasn't an aspect of his personality that the MCU had shown very well. Luckily for me the man probably just wanted my help with material science since I have flaunted my abilities with molecular control a touch too much in the livestream this morning.
Emma, understandably, took her time deliberating... Whilst me and Tony simply struck up a conversation based upon small talk and the potential of the arc reactor. Trust me, I was a nerd still, under all of the poise and teachings of this version of me and his memories I was still that thirty three year old man who had spent every spare hour reading Marvel comics and fan fictions. I was nerding out and asking a bunch of questions that fans tried asking the comic writers but got no response on. One such question was if his arc reactor was truly cold fusion or simply a fusion reactor. I got my answer right then and there, it was a cold fusion reactor; the most foundational elements of it.
"I agree to the terms, but I wish to have it in written contract and certified by a judge. I also wish for there to be multiple witnesses on both sides that could attest to the validity of the signing. Besides that I want to ask a single question."
He nodded along and then gestured with his hands out in front of him, as if giving the floor to her despite the fact she had been talking all along.
"Why are you giving over your ability to produce weapons when your press statement less than a year ago stated that you detested the damage your weapons have done."
Even I hummed in thought at that question. It was a wonderfully precise inquiry that cut to the heart of the matter. Why was he handing the keys to the kingdom, so to speak, to us if he hated the damage that his weapons caused?
"Hmm, you could say boredom... Most would... But no. I am doing this because I see value in an alliance for multiple reasons and also because I can see Hammer Industries swirling around my former staff. So far I have kept them employed and have used them to solve some very minor kinks in my less important projects, but they are weapon designers, not advanced nuclear physicists or advanced superconductive-material specialists."
Emma interrupted. "So it's to protect them and the world from Hammer Industries?"
He rolled his eyes to the side in boredom.
"Not just that. I am not stupid, I know people will make weapons and will continue to do so, I just didn't like my name attached to it, especially what it was doing to children..." He turned sombre for a few moments before continuing, slightly harrowed, "If I can control who it goes to and have a way of observing and stopping any dangerous research before it's started, then I could keep my conscious clear whilst being practical."
"Do you wish to add that to the agreement? It is a part I will agree with if that is what you wish... I do not want to create doomsday weapons." He nodded resolutely before sighing loudly.
"Great! Now that business is done and we can get our legal teams at it, can we discuss how your brother has kept me away from a beauty like you?" He winked at Emma before turning to me in a mock pout.
'He is so fucking eccentric...' The thought cascaded in my mind so loudly that Emma snorted, her right hand going up to cover her nose, slightly abashed at the slip.
~~~
"Bastard, come here. We have a scouting mission beyond the wall."
Jon Snow clenched his jaw and loosely hung his right hand over his blade, his grey-blue eyes piercingly staring at the obnoxious twit that fancied himself a leader despite not being the First Ranger, Lord Commander nor even the First Builder... Jon would have called him a gutless wretch but it was far easier to insult the man on his receding hairline.
"My name, is Jon Snow."
The man had already walked off, his gait carrying him off to the gate under the wall. With the wind being an odious bother, Jon quickly rushed after him, his uncle, Benjen, The First Ranger, was waiting for him as he reached the tunnel.
"Ah, Jon, It is good to see you again." They hugged roughly for a few moments before breaking it off, lest the extended contact turn into common rumours spread by the scum they called companions.
"You too uncle..."
"Well, we will see about that. I'm afraid you will be travelling with us beyond the wall nephew." The taciturn man closed his eyes in a mild show of dread before straightening out his will with sheer determination.
"Of course First Ranger. Shall I go get my things or are we to set out right away." His uncle grimaced.
"Immediately, unfortunately. It seems that some of the Northern Lords have complained of wildling raids and we are to be sent as a scout force for potential retaliation if it turns out to be correct."
"Understandable. Let us go then, the sooner travelled the sooner to home and hearth."
The wind whistled ominously above as the creaking of the portcullis in front of them resounded. A chain rattled and then went taut as the steel construct slowly lifted. An icy hell awaited them on the other side and all that he had on him was his sword, his cloak and some hastily thrown together rations plus a singular bedroll. This was going to be worse than torture, he could tell.
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