"You want me to build a fighter aircraft capable of space flight and advanced shielding technology in a little under three years with a budget of 150 billion dollars?" Cerion asked incredulously, staring at Nick Fury, the Secretary of Defence, Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff.
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Fury asked with his infamous one-eyed stare.
"Are you nuts? I'm already involved in modifying a squadron of F18 Super Hornets, and I'm supposed to introduce energy shields in the F35 aircraft under construction."
"Is that going to affect this new project?" Secretary Pearson asked with a frown.
"Of course. If you had heeded my advice and expanded on the F35 project with some of my modifications, you could've gotten a light combat spacecraft by next year."
"Is that true?" Secretary Pearson asked in surprise as he stared at the Chief of Staff.
"The F35 project was already approved and is near completion, Mr Secretary. We could not afford to make radical modifications near the end of the project without proper consideration."
Cerion internally scoffed at the weak explanation. The fact that the F35 project had been a black hole for money, time and labour was no secret in the government. Going by the look on the secretary's face, the reality had just dawned on the man as well. He supposed the new Secretary was only familiarising himself with the playing field.
"You won't need to start from scratch. You can make the modifications to this design." said Fury, holding out a file for his consideration.
Cerion took the file, and he saw the schematics of the Quinjet inside. There were also the capabilities that SHIELD and the Airforce wanted on the crafts in question.
"The energy requirements for this proposed craft won't be satisfied with the current power plant." Cerion said as he flipped a page.
"Then change it." said Fury.
"The rocket thrusters and the wings' profile will have to go. I can make more efficient Ion thrusters for space flight and eGrav propulsion engines for initial liftoff."
"That's your discretion, Vex. You can expect a visit from an expert team from SHIELD and the Air Force. If you convince them to sign off on the design and overall functionality, you'll get the green light to proceed." said Fury.
"Fine." Cerion sighed loudly before addressing Fury. "But we'll have a discussion about that budget. You can't expect to build a light combat spacecraft with less budget than that useless F35."
"We'll take that into consideration." Fury nodded.
"Useless? Did he just call our most advanced fighter useless?" Secretary Pearson asked the Chief of Staff and Fury incredulously while Cerion walked out of the conference room at SHIELD HQ.
Outside the conference room, Maria Hill was waiting for him.
"How did it go?" Maria asked as she walked with him to the shuttle bay.
"They want a brand new fighter spacecraft. Although I haven't the foggiest clue why you people are after it now."
"The second Kree invasion has spooked many people in SHIELD and the govt. Now that they know we're on track to modernise the airforce squadrons, they want to exert military presence in space." said Maria.
"Yeah, right." Cerion snorted. "If the safety of Earth were the priority, they'd have gone for the long-range ion cannons I proposed for orbital defence instead of spacecraft that is going to be useless in case of a major alien incursion."
"For the record, Director Fury supported your idea. He also thought focusing on orbital defence would yield better results than trying to make a spacecraft. The Director thought we'd be severely outnumbered by a major space power if they visited us with a substantial fleet."
"He's not wrong. Too bad his superiors can't see the bigger picture." Cerion muttered.
"Something you're familiar with." Maria stated.
Cerion eyed the woman who was his point of contact in SHIELD.
"You've read what happened to my planet."
"Yes. You painted a bleak picture." she commented without showing any genuine emotions on her face.
"Sometimes there comes a point in the spinning wheel of civilisation that the aggregate knowledge and political systems churned out become shackles to the very spirit and to the detriment of that civilisation. I hope you have what we didn't when that time comes."
"What's that?" Maria looked at him with a frown.
"Time for correction." Cerion said as he slipped a drive discreetly into her hands once they neared the helicopter.
"Tell Fury to be discreet. You can't trust your own shadows." he whispered to Agent Hill before he boarded the jet.
Cerion kept his eyes on his laptop's screen as he studied the data Optima took from scanning the Eternals. He had developed a device capable of rerouting the energy and transmission flow inside the bodies of Thena, Druig, Gilgamesh, and Makkari. There was no conclusive evidence that the Celestials had some other way of controlling the Eternals, but they were free from any foreign meddling for now.
The chance for a detailed study of Eternal physiology also allowed him to help Makkari gain the ability to speak. The poor woman was so overjoyed when he broke the news. The rest of the Eternals were not any better. They were quite happy to be free of the proverbial leash on their necks being removed.
With their newfound freedom, they swore to help in the process of rebuilding a human civilisation on another planet.
It was all sweet and dandy, but Cerion extracted something highly valuable when he helped the Eternals.
Cerion opened a folder in his laptop named Eternals, and inside it were the schematics of their physiology, core systems and neural scheme. The data would help him in creating Eternals of his own in time.
But the most remarkable find was the power source that he found within the Eternals and the power storage within their body. He was still working on reengineering the whole tech he found within their bodies, but he was pretty sure it was a device capable of amassing energy from subspace.
Even though he was working on unravelling that sophisticated power source, the neural scheme and self self-replenishing synthetic body were now in his database. Even if he could not replicate the Eternals in their entirety, he could do the next best thing by creating a humanoid robot.
After all, he needed a body double on Earth if he wanted to search for the Power Stone in the broader galaxy.
For the rest of the flight, he worked on designing his version of a humanoid robot capable of working as his body double on Earth. He only had some minor adjustments left before he sent the design for production in Koron. The modified design could also function as a viable replacement for the Kryptonian drones currently in operation. Optima had talked about humanising the drones in the past, but now that his base was getting more human presence.
****
"These are incredible. Do you realise these robots' potential in the manufacturing industry?" Bruce asked in awe as he watched a batch of humanoid bots working diligently on the city.
"Yes, I know. I'll probably put millions of humans out of work." Cerion said, observing the bots work on some much-needed modifications on the old Kree city.
"Are you?" Bruce asked curiously.
"No. Not unless Earth's population dramatically falls in the next decade."
"So, not ever."
"That's for the best." Cerion said with a shrug. "While I'd make a killing out of selling these bots, I'd probably be responsible for society breaking down."
"Yeah. So, what do you plan to use them for?"
"They'll function better as a workforce in the city. I've been planning some modifications to the city, and I think some extra bots would go a long way in speeding up the work."
"Do I need to know what they're doing?" Bruce asked.
"They'll be adding some shields to the city and some remodelling."
"You expecting an attack?" Bruce asked with some surprise.
After all, the island was protected by a magical spell. There were very few entities capable of breaching the spell put up by the Ancient One.
"No. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared." Cerion said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Knowing the type of threats out there, he wouldn't put it past some eldritch abominations to find his island and mess things up despite the Ancient One's assurances. It was also curious that the Ancient One hadn't tried to dissuade him from searching for the Power Stone. If she had the power to see the future, then surely she could see that he was after an infinity stone.
"So, I've been meaning to ask. You said you want to find this infinity stone…" Bruce started as they walked away from the bots doing their work to the main lab.
"The Power Stone." Cerion helpfully provided.
"Yes, that. Why exactly are you bringing that planet buster into our airspace?" Bruce asked a bit hysterically.
"Planet buster?" Cerion asked with an amused tilt to his face.
"The Kree archives hold some references to the stones. It's said the Celestials used the Power Stone to decimate planets in the past."
"You don't have to worry, Bruce. I don't plan on destroying the planet." Cerion patted the man on his shoulders.
"That's not the point." Bruce said with frustration.
"What's the point?" Cerion asked as he walked into the lab and began typing away some protocols while Bruce continued to air his doubts.
"Some of the projected energy outputs in the archives of that particular stone are off the charts. In the right hand, it could shred Earth and turn us all into space dust."
"Don't worry, Bruce. I have no intention of holding the stone inside Earth's atmosphere."
"Oh." Bruce muttered before it fully registered in his mind.
"Wait! Then where are you going to…" Bruce trailed off as a planet suddenly appeared in the holographic display.
"This is a planet the Kree call C24. It's a mining planet under the Kree Empire, just under 3000 light years from Earth. The planet doesn't have any known inhabitants, but it has a nourishable atmosphere. It'll be a perfect spot to set up shop." Cerion said happily.
Most importantly, the planet revolved around a young star, far younger than Earth's sun. If anything, the planet would only accelerate his ascension to a higher level. Kale El had a better part of three decades to get where he was in strength by absorbing the radiations from Earth's sun. In comparison, Cerion only had four years. So, according to the telemetry he received from the few satellites he had sent to scout the C-24 and its sun, the radiation levels were stronger compared to the Sol system.
It was a perfect spot in case Earth was lost. It was also far away from Earth but also accessible by his modified hyperdrive within 25 minutes.
"But I thought you were looking at Titan as a viable spot." Bruce said with a frown.
"That was before I decided to go after the Power Stone. Keeping the stone close to Earth might attract the wrong sort of attention." said Cerion, thinking of Thanos.
The Mad Titan was on a crusade to collect all the Infinity Stones. Granted, Thanos only started to pick off the Stones one by one a decade into the future, but that was irrelevant at the moment.
"Wait a minute! Would the Kree allow one of their mining planets to become your base?"
"Probably not. I'm not asking for their permission." Cerion shrugged, shutting off the display.
"I imagine that won't go over well." Bruce said tentatively.
"Yep."
But Cerion was not worried about that. The Kree were no threat to him now that he had the Dauntless.
He looked at the ship in question as it was being retrofitted with some additional ion cannons for the impending journey towards C-24.
****
T'Challa always found the throne room intimidating for various reasons. Most of the time, during his younger years, it was because of the presence of different tribal leaders. But that no longer affected him after he underwent training to become the next Black Panther. Due to his perseverance and the blessing of the ancestors, he managed to overcome the trials and became deserving of the heart-shaped herb. He became a warrior blessed by Bast and became the sworn protector of Wakanda.
But despite knowing his duty, his heart would be moved whenever the council gathered to make a decision, especially pertaining to the outsiders. Perhaps the influence of Nakia, who sympathised with the outsiders, made him question himself and the council in such matters.
"The alien is a threat to Wakanda. It is arming the outsiders with advanced technology that will threaten our safety. We must act now." the river tribe elder spoke firmly.
The other council members also voiced their approval of the opinion.
"The War Dogs have clearly stated that this alien is arming the Americans with advanced weaponry. He has already gifted the military with energy shields, which they adapt into their warplanes." W'kabi spoke after throwing T'Challa a look. "If we are to act, this is the time, my king."
"I agree." T'Chaka spoke shortly.
T'Challa looked at his father and king to see what he'd say next, but his father remained in contemplation.
"It's true this alien poses a threat. If the outsiders are allowed to advance faster, they'll start to detect our nation's advancements. No doubt they'll see us as a threat and will look to extract our treasures one way or the other." T'Chaka spoke softly but carefully.
The rapid advancement of the outsiders was a threat. T'Challa acknowledged that. Once their technology advanced to a greater level, Wakanda would be hard-pressed to keep itself hidden from the greedy eyes of the world.
However, T'Challa was not sure how long they could hide Wakanda. Already, many of the outsiders knew of the secrets and treasures of Wakanda. It was only a matter of time before Wakanda was forced to announce itself before the world.
In the past, the council and many kings of Wakanda had tried their best to stymie the technological advancements of the outsiders by assassinating their foremost scientists and engineers. Yet, the outsiders have mastered the power of the atom and touched the moon. Past kings might've managed to slow down the advancement of science, but they've never succeeded in stopping it.
In T'Challa's mind, he saw hiding in Wakanda as a waste of time. Their borders were strengthened enough to withstand any incursions from outsiders. Perhaps their efforts were better spent on strengthening their neighbours so that Wakanda would have strong buffer states around its borders that act as a trip wire or a shield against the great powers of the world.
But T'Challa dared not to voice such thoughts in the council. He was allowed to stand behind his father's throne strictly as Black Panther. As Black Panther, his duty was to obey his king's will. He did not have a voice here, nor did he have the leave of his king to voice his opinions.
"I have decided. This alien is a threat that we must eliminate. The latest intelligence from the War Dogs indicates the alien is about to provide technology to help Americans with space travel. Soon, this alien might give them the technology for interstellar travel and even more powerful weapons."
The council members nodded at the king's assessment.
"T'Challa."
"Yes, baba." T'Challa walked around the throne and stood before the throne.
"The alien must die. Wakanda needs its protector to secure the safety of her people."
"The Black Panther is ready to serve." T'Challa said despite the turmoil in his heart.
"Good. We'll need to plan this carefully. There shall be no mistakes. This alien must die before he could do irreparable harm on Wakanda."
****
Cerion hummed a jaunty tune as he cooked skewers on a grill outside his beach house at Baja Cove. It was a good day, all things considered. The 2004 elections were over with unsurprising victory for the current US administration riding on the wake of military success.
He wouldn't consider being in a quagmire with no exit strategy and an ever-expanding war in the Middle East to be a military success. Still, the current administration managed to market itself to the voters as such. The people agreed and reelected the government to pursue the war to its logical conclusion.
With the election fever over, business was back to normal. New defence contracts were flooding the market as NATO nations were also shouldering the weight of the war as it expanded into Iraq and Iran. Self-interest was the strongest motivator in decision-making. NATO nations, as well as the Russian Federation, were waking up to the cold reality that the US might end up in the driving seat of a major share of oil deposits after it ousted the Arabian royal families. With Arab states falling like dominos, the greedy oil barons were gunning to roll over Iraq and then face off the Irani regime.
The craving for more oil and controlling the major source of energy on the planet was quite understandable. Whoever controlled the oil controlled a significant portion of the global economy. That was one of the reasons other nations were stepping into the Middle East, as they didn't want to see a massive number of oil fields under the control of the US.
With the war taking a different direction and more nations pitching in, Cerion found himself quite busy. Everyone with a defence contract was busy these days, and that was what ultimately led Cerion to request a secret meeting with Director Fury. He decided to cut out HYDRA when SHIELD and the military started showing interest in shielding technology and interstellar travel.
For five years, he had been preparing for this day. Allowing HYDRA to go undetected within SHIELD was the only way he could truly study them in their natural habitat. He needed time not just to find weaknesses in their organisation but to track and predict the actions of HYDRA agents. His relentless pursuit of data and surveillance had finally borne fruit. He was now in a position to cut out HYDRA.
But he was not interested in killing all of them. Nor was he interested in handing over their entire organisation to Nick Fury. In his eyes, organisations like HYDRA were inevitable in human society. So, he thought cutting out the valuable parts for his use was better than letting SHIELD and HYDRA duke it out in a shadow war. It was also one of the reasons why he never shared the intel with Nick Fury.
Cerion looked up from the grill to see Nick Fury walking towards him in casual clothes. The director of SHIELD had foregone his trench coat and was instead dressed in blue jeans, a yellow check shirt and a hooded black leather jacket.
"I take it you were not followed." Cerion said as the Director came closer towards him.
"Yep. What's it that you wanted to talk about, Vex?" Fury asked.
Cerion took some skewers out of the grill and placed them on a plate before offering them to Fury.
"Thanks."
"You'll be interested to see this." Cerion pulled a file from the top of the mini fridge that stored his beer and offered it to Fury.
Fury took the file and leisurely flipped through the pages. He could see the man stiffen as some of the atrocities committed by HYDRA started to come to light from those pages.
"I have a detailed list in this drive. Make sure that you open it on a system disconnected from any network." Cerion said while offering a drive to Fury, which the man pocketed without complaint.
"How did you come by this information?" Fury asked in a composed manner.
Cerion was impressed by the man's iron hold over his emotions even after the revelation of HYDRA's existence.
"I was looking for rogue agents who had connections with terrorist organisations. I didn't want the technology I transferred to SHIELD to fall into the wrong hands. What I didn't expect was to stumble into an organised Nazi organisation within SHIELD."
"I see. I don't like the idea of you snooping on SHIELD." Fury said with a frown.
"I don't like the idea of Kryptonian technology in the hands of terrorists across the globe, which leads to even greater conflicts."
"I don't like it either. But I also don't like to see people strolling through SHIELD servers." Fury said, glaring at Cerion.
"If this is the thanks I get for exposing a hidden enemy within your organisation, I wonder what you'll say when I bring out the other great news."
"What other great news?" Fury asked suspiciously.
"How would you like to meet an old super soldier lost in the sea during the Second World War?"
Cerion could only smirk as he watched Fury's lone eye widen and his mouth drops open in disbelief.
AN:
For artwork related to the fic:
https://discord.gg/Nw2JH25fJf