Meetings

"Walter."

He looked up. "Elyia. I thought you were with the girls or is that...?"

Elyia/Lady Loki smiled and winked. "An illusion of course. Though technically I am with them so I'm doing as you requested. But I was hoping for a quick moment of your time?"

Walt nodded and stepped off to a side alcove after looking around. "Emma is gathering the others who wanted to speak to me but we'll have to make it quick." He frowned and rubbed his stomach. "I've still got a bad feeling so this meeting probably isn't going to be the "good" kind. What can I do for you Loki?"

Elyia smiled and stepped into the alcove to join him and out of her illusionary disguise. She appeared as she had before a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in green, gold and furs. A vision almost too good to be real. A goddess. "I would like my small boon now if you please."

Walt blinked but then nodded and smiled after the briefest of moments. "You surprised me, Loki. That was sooner than expected. But certainly. If it is something I can grant you immediately I'd be glad to do so and repay my debt."

Loki smiled winsomely. "Actually it is something. Something you have on your person at this very moment, infact. Something I want incase one of your "gut feelings" is correct and things go badly instead."

Walt's mind whirled through a mental checklist of things that he had in his inventory incase if "trouble"... some he would be very reluctant to give and many more that would just be unusual for Loki to request of him. "I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific about-"

"Right belt pouch," she said easily.

Walt blinked... again she'd surprised him. "Are you sure that's what you want? And you know that those are keyed to me personally. They wouldn't work for you. It's not like it would do you much good."

Loki smirked. "Quite certain and to the contrary. That is exactly what I want and it would serve exactly it's intended purpose."

Walt shrugged and reached down to his belt and a secret pouch hidden there on the right hand side. It had slight extra dimensional properties and reaching in he quickly found what he wanted at exactly his fingertips, ready and waiting, and drew it forth. "I always carry these when traveling other worlds." He drew forth the collar. "This one is like the ones the others are wearing. A covert collar. It won't be recognizable to others except for Primes and other collared Characters. It's keyed to me as the owner and-"

"Yes, yes," Loki said holding out her well manicured and emerald painted nailed hand. "I understand. Whosoever wears it shall be your property and they'll be unable to remove it themselves."

Walt placed it in her hand... but he didn't let go. "May I ask who it is you want to use it on?"

Loki searched his eyes and after a moment nodded and said, "Preferably no one... but in the event things take a turn here I want access to Prime in the event I have to flee..."

Walt nodded and rather than let go he gently wrapped her fingers around it staring into her eyes. "I understand. The only way you can leave this multiversal instance is as "property". Quite the double edged insurance policy and gamble."

She smiled a bit sadder. "I've learned after many losses and failed gambits to hedge my bets in the extreme. Always."

He patted her hand. "If... that should ever come to pass... Prime is tough on gods and goddess in general and "trickster" gods most of all. Slavery would suit you ill, my dear. I don't want that for you my friend. But I promise you," he held her gaze and slowly let go. "I would do my best to give you as much freedom as I possibly could give you. I swear it."

She smiled softly. "You freely make that vow unbidden and asking nothing in return?" She watched him nod solemnly. "I honestly believe that you would... thank you, Walter."

Walt smiled at her. "You're very welcome, Loki."

A long moment passed between them as they just stood there smiling and looking at one another, their bond growing. Finally Loki shook her head. "I was right about you."

"Oh?" Walter asked. "How's that?"

She smiled enigmaticly. "You're definitely unique and most definitely not boring."

Walt laughed and bowed. "I shall take that as high praise!"

Loki turned, an alluring vision walking away, and commented back over her shoulder, "Good. It was meant as such!"

Walt watched her go idly wondering where their partnership, their "relationship", was heading before he heard the sound of high heels aproaching with others. "Emma," he whispered recognizing the sound of his "date's" foot steps. "Another intriguing lady drawing me into plots." He sighed and began straightening the hated tie... then shrugged and removed it entirely, stuffing it in his pocket. "I got too many people tugging at my strings as is. Best to ditch the noose," he muttered with a smile stepping out of the alcove.

Sure enough she came around the corner with Xavier, Jean and logan. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting long?"

Walt smiled and shook his head. "Not long at all. Shall we?" He opened the door ushering them into the meeting room they were standing outside of smiling as if he wasn't the one who was the guest.

Emma and Jean smiled and Logan chuckled but Charles looked serious on the way in. Walt shrugged and took a seat then pushed back and popped his booted feet up on the table leaning back and getting comfortable. "Bee in your bonnet, Chuck?"

Logan chuckled again and followed suit mimicking Walt and relaxing before whatever was going to happen. Charles Xavier raised an eyebrow but didn't comment and instead said, "Concerns... but before we address them perhaps we should start on a lighter note first?"

Walt shrugged and tipped his hat back. "It's your show and your party. Shoot."

Logan grinned. "First things first. Hell of a nice job on that whole Orchis thing. Before whatever it is these guys have to say I want to say we owe you one. Heck we owe you several by my reckoning."

Walt smiled. "Happy to help. You know that and you know I can't abide those type of assholes. This world is better off without 'em."

Jean smiled but it was a bit strained. "Still... you showed little mercy to them and-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Jeanie," Walt said. "I know what you're trying to say but honestly... would they have shown any of you mercy if the shoe were on the other foot? Friday."

(("Yes, Boss. Here's the relevant information we took from their data stores."))

Walt gestured and Friday began displaying all of Orchis anti-mutant plotting over the past couple of years. It was a somewhat intricate web of events in a multitiered plot for one purpose. Wholesale mutant slaughter, public sentiment erosion and eventual extinction... and it didn't end there. There were many non-mutants on the list who had either been killed already or were marked for termination along with or after the "mutant problem" was dealt with. Practically the entire super community was on the list. "Mutants were first but their eventual aim and intent was the neutering of the human race... and then it's fall. I'm betting that most of the rank and file didn't know it but they were willing walking the path to eventual human extinction and machine domination." He shook his head. "All because they were blinded by hate. They were willing to hurt, kill even, massively large numbers of normal humans just to cause you damage. The people they were out to so called "save"... and in the process they created monsters and then became monstrous. Rabid. They needed putting down and I don't feel one iota bad about it. Because that's how you handle a vile job that needs doing. You do it. Quickly. Efficiently. Then have done with it when it's over. I took no pleasure in it. It was a job that had to be done and I'm going to make damn sure it was done throughly so we don't have to do it again. Because that'd be something to be ashamed about."

Logan grunted agreement and then nodded and so did the others until finally Charles nodded too sighing. "I can't dispute that logic."

Emma nodded crossing her arms and Walt did his best not to stare at how it helped emphasize her lovely assets. "You did mutantkind and the nation of Krakoa a great service," she said. "A debt we can likely never repay. We were right to trust you woth citizenship and you showed it to all. We'd be ungrateful if we didn't acknowledge that fact... but it did raise some concerns we should address and the sooner the better."

Walt sighed and put his boots down from off the table and leaned forward. "Brass tacks then. Let's get to it."

Jean Grey nodded. "As you know many of us are telepaths and even though we can't get into your head and most of us don't like going where we aren't invited we pickup on surface level thoughts unintentionally. Like a radio playing nearby."

Emma Frost picked up where Jean left off. "I spent much of the evening with you and your entourage tonight. Then mass numbers of your forces came to our aid entering into our proximity repeatedly. Certain... thoughts were broadcasted repeatedly over and over again."

"Thoughts pertaining to "Ownership", "Property", "Characters" and "Prime" were repeatedly "overheard" by us and those like us," Charles Xavier said. "We were wondering about and concerned by the context."

"They're concerned because your guys insisted on leading away a bunch of the jerks we captured," Logan said dismissively waving a hand. "It looks a bit suspicious but I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about and you've probably got a rational explanation."

Walt smiled and arched his eyebrow as he steepled his fingers. "Well that's simple to explain. The reality I'm from, our earth is referred to as "Prime" and people from there are "Primes". Primes take "ownership" of people from other fictional realities that they call "Characters" as property in either a personal or professional context. Effectively we're a culture of conquers and slave owners. According to our laws I own this world and everyone and everything in it that it contains. This whole existence is, legally speaking, mine. So the majority of those people are my property, either directly or indirectly, or work for me and are leading away more of my property to be dealt with in the manner of my choosing. Simple as that. Any other questions?"

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters Linda T Duck Shocket Raccoon Lady Loki Elizabeth "Betty" Brant Gloria "Glory" Grant and Mary Jane "MJ" Watson

Will Return In

Gwen's Big Reveal to the Mary Janes

Coming Soon]