Interlude: Broader Universe
Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA
A planet that shouldn't belong inside the Marvel universe appeared. Its miraculous appearance didn't go unnoticed by the broader inhabitants of the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope immediately caught the planet appearing. The telescope was the world's newest advanced telescope; unlike the Hubble telescope, its predecessor, it didn't orbit Earth but the sun, which was 1.5 million miles away from the world.
See, the Webb telescope was designed to take pictures of Mars, its dried oceans, its cavernous depth, and secretly, its long-extinct alien civilization. What would eventually be sent back from Mars would be glossed over because this new planet had all the hallmarks of a living, breathing world: water, forest, and atmosphere.
The planet that appeared had a name and long history. Vanish was the scars of its long war, replenished to a pristine state. If Cole had noticed, he would have registered the system's handiwork.
Yasmault, Located in Sector 2814, the planet Ysmault was once the throneworld of the foul Empire of Tears, a galactic empire ruled by demons.
The lone student monitoring the system jerked back and spilled hot coffee across his station. Anyone stargazer that we're focused upon on the night sky would have done a double take to the new bright sparkle in the sky.
Cole had felt the emergence, unfamiliar with magical energies, especially of the galactic kind. The pull from the planet still emanated across space and time, resonating with him as the Red Lantern metamorphosis continued.
The science world was destined to erupt in jubilation as today was the upcoming moment when Webb's telescope sent its newest Martian pictures. Now, with the planet appearing, the timeline has changed, causing ripples affecting untold people across space, especially on Earth.
The president was awoken from his well-needed rest as every facet of the government's top-ranking members were being summarily briefed and ushered from him to be flown to an unknown location.
The Americans delayed informing other government bodies in hopes of a head start on what will undoubtedly be another race into space. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the dissemination of information as other entities noticed the newest star in the sky.
Hours after its discovery, the American government released redacted photos. And the world soon learned of a new planet in their skies.
Scientist from around the world turned their eyes to the sky. A planet that appeared out from a vacant location. What sense did that make? Arguments were occurring across classrooms and social media.
Soon, another bomb was leaked; the planet was habitable, and a hundred thousand miles from Mars was inconceivable. Countries began scrambling, probes were being built, and observation satellites were rerouted toward the new planet.
Nobody knows who said it first and where it originated from on the newest planet of the Milky Way, which was dubbed Yasmault.
Undisclosed location
Hours before…
Inside a nondescript room, heads of S.H.I.E.L.D and other nondescript organizations convened; on the docket were the superhuman problems and the sudden planet that appeared.
Unlike the wider world, organizations were aware of life outside. The Kree, an intergalactic superpower, had already visited Earth. The Kree's interference with Earthlings brought about the Inhuman genome.
The Kree-Skrull War, which ended in the Skrull defeat and scattering across the galaxy, had also implicated Earth. A secret deal had allowed some of the milder Skrulls to populate Earth.
At the moment, unbeknownst to the Earthlings, The Kree, we're warring with the Shi'ar. Earth, in the dark, had no idea that the ravenous empire that conquered worlds to marry their species forcefully with the defeated was being blocked by The Kree.
Nick Fury stood before the monitor in a private room, his arms behind his back; on the futuristic monitor was Alexander Pierce.
"The first of the three Helicarriers will launch this month. I'm also in the works with Stark on a potential upgrade." Said Nick.
"Send me the schematics. But this call was to ascertain your stance on this initiative program. You want to deputize mutants and the enhanced." Questioned Pierce.
"This initiative is the best thing we could hope for, Secretary Pierce." Stated Fury.
"Don't make me regret my appointment of you, Colonel Fury." Alexander Pierce retorted, leaning back in his seat.
"We had a deal, Pierce. You sit on the council and protect our interest, and I lead the troops on the ground and abroad."
"I sat on the Council not because I wanted to but because you asked me to, Nick. We're both realists. Don't lose your edge; the eyes of the world are upon you."
Fury continued. "As long as you allow me to do the job my way, I won't let you down, sir."
"We will do it your way; if this doesn't work, phase 2 will be enacted, and you will go along with the plan."
"Deal is a deal. The best plan is always favored above any personal opinions of mine." Fury agreed.
Maria Hill entered the room, her hands carrying top-secret documents. Nick took them and sat them on his desk. He'll sign off on them later. If he knew he would become a glorified bureaucrat, he would have stayed in the military.
Maria Hill was currently Fury's acting secretary, but truthfully, she was his protege, his replacement if something ever happened. He wouldn't be Nick Fury if he didn't have contingencies in place. He adjusted his coat, and an out-of-date pager flashed briefly before being covered again. Caulson was ideal. Still, Maria was a soldier like him and would do what must be done, unlike Caulson and his civilian sensibilities.
"Ms. Hill," Pierce said through the monitor. "It's a pleasure to put a face to the file finally. I've had the pleasure of working with your lieutenant. He and Nick think highly of you."
"Pleasure mine, Secretary Pierce," retorted Maria's Hill."
"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but the meeting is about to begin."
"Guess I'll be seeing you soon, officially," Pierce said, nodding goodbyes to both before the monitor winked off.
Moments later, Nick stepped into the meeting room with Maria Hill on his heels, and the hushed murmuring of the room quieted eyes cast toward the infamous Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD.
The screens inside the room winked, forestalling greeting and conversation between the illustrious group assembled secretly to discuss numerous matters about the world at large. The figures on the screen were the newly minted members of the World Council, each an influential figure in the world.
"Thank you all for attending this meeting on short notice; any of your respective members that couldn't participate will not be reprimanded." A white-haired man said in a New York accent.
"Firstly, look to the center console, most probably aware of the newest development, but let me be the first to confirm," an image of the planet appeared. It was relatively larger than Earth. "This is Yasmault, the newest planet to the Sol galaxy."
He looked around the room, seeing all the heads and essential people of numerous organizations. A woman cleared her voice, her way of requesting the floor, eyes shifted from the New Yorker to her screen.
"As Councilman Gideon has stated, this planet has miraculously appeared," she waved her hand in front of her face. "What he failed to mention is that the planet is habitable." The lady finished as the room erupted into exclamations and murmuring.
"Councilwoman Hawley," Fury said, tapping the microphone so his voice projected across the room. "Planets just don't appear, and in
my line of work, what's on the surface isn't always what's been shown. Are we sure this isn't some hard light construct?"
"Colonel Fury, I assure you, this isn't some illusion. Our newest telescope has captured numerous images from the surface of the planet. The conversation ensued as pictured, and detailed analysis from world-renowned scientists was heard.
Asgard
While humanity was bickering, gods of humanity's past focused on the power emanating from Yasmault.
In another place unimaginable miles from Earth, a golden-eyed man holding a massive blade stood at the edge of a rainbow-colored bridge.
He was adorned in shining armor and wore an ornate helm with boar tusks curved backward, black locks splayed from his helm across his broad armored chest.
The giant warrior's eyes opened slowly, and golden Irisis sparkled, standing out on his ebony skin.
"By the Allfather," Hemidell said breathlessly. "A new realm? What manner of sorcery is this."
Hemidell's voice echoed across the Bifrost. The sentinel between Midgard and Asgard took a single step before his body broke into hundreds of colorful lights. He needed to speak to the Allfather himself, Odin.
Hemidell appeared in the throne room; the man seldom displayed his powers, but he needed to alert his liege. As soon as he arrived, he was alerted to something amiss; his prince, Thor Odinson, had displeased his father.
Hemidell took a single step and dropped to one knee. His blade, a named weapon made from Uru, was left behind him.
"My liege, I apologize for my disruption." He said, his deep baritone voice booming in the throne room.
Odin was leaning forward on his throne, one arm on the armrest, the other holding his head, his face a mask of concentration. He was in deep thought; many had wondered what could cause such a powerful god to think before he acted, but many fathers could understand the look on the aesir's face. It was a man trying to raise his children.
The murals that were the backdrop of his throne were of his many accolades, great battles, wars, and even losses, painted by gods of art and merriment.
"Good friend," Odin said after minutes of silence. "You're always welcome on my throne.
"Father-" Thor attempted to speak with a single eye, focusing on him was almost a blow, and the young aesir god inhaled deeply before going silent.
Ignoring the son that caught his ire, he focused his lone powerful eye on Hemidell. "I know why you appear before me, battle brother. The new realm that has emerged is concerning, but we must have faith in Yardgarsil that its branches are ever present and infinite, as are specks of ash.
Odin leaned back, his presence morphing into that of an older man tired from life. Odin had begun his speech, asking questions of his faithful friend and battle brother before he decided on what to do. He had to handle his son. Thor had been reckless, potentially causing war to erupt across the nine realms, and now, with the new realm emerging, old enemies were bound to react.
The Allfather stood from his throne, his queen saddened by their son, and what must be done had departed; Hemidell remained along with his other son Loki, who held a barely hidden smile as he sat on a throne near Odin.
Odin told Thor he was unworthy of his title and his family while he stripped Thor of his powers by the authority granted to him, the Allfather, and in the name of his father Bor and Bor's father before him, he banished Thor to Earth for his arrogance. He placed an enchantment on Mjølnir that allowed only the worthy to wield it. He hoped his son became worthy of his name and the power granted to him as aesir.