Loki: Winds of Winter

Chapter 46 - New Operative(s)

SHIELD agents wished they had been informed before hand by the 'High Princess of Westeros' that the motherf*cking Punisher was coming to the hellicarrier.  Guns were pulled and alarms were sounded as soon as he appeared.  He gave them all a tired look, kept his hands where they could see them, and said, "I was asked to come here.  Said her name was Ragna."  Agent Maria Hill cut through the swath of men to meet the Punisher. 

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Castle," she said neutral facial expression on her face.  Frank Castle let his eyes roll slightly.

"Where is this Ragna?  She said she had a 'once in a life-time proposition' for me," Castle explained and Maria Hill sighed.

"Why am I not surprised.  Follow me," she responded and the Punisher followed behind her, ignoring the stares from the other SHIELD and federal agents.  

Ragna was pouring over maps of Europe, tracking the movements of each individual Wight Walker army.  Bucky was standing behind her, his arms folded across his chest.  Sandor Clegane was standing on her other side, his hand resting on his sword.  The doors opened and Ragna raised her head.  "You could have warned us," was all Maria Hill said as she stepped aside and let Frank Castle into the room.  Ragna beamed like a thousand suns and stood up from her chair.

"Thank you, Agent Hill.  I'll take it from here," she answered and the door was closed.  She extended her hand to the Punisher.  "Ragna Frostborn.  Daughter of Loki and Sansa Frostborn of Westeros.  It's a pleasure to meet you, Frank Castle," she introduced.

"So, you're not from around here," was all the response she got.  Ragna laughed lightly as she sat back down and her fingers flicked.  Bucky sighed as he poured a glass of water and passed it to Castle.  He hated it whenever she made him feel like her servant and not her attache. 

"No, Mr. Castle!  I'm not from around here.  I'm from an entirely different realm.  One where skills like yours, would not go unappreciated," she said as she took a sip from her own beverage.

"So... your world is fine with vigilantes?" the Punisher queried.  

"My aunt is fine with justice.  She understands that when the law is too slow, that sometimes, others act quicker.  You act quicker, and the American government and judicial system don't like that.  They have to have all the power and say you are acting 'outside the law'.  I don't operate that way," Ragna informed him.

"So you share the power?" Frank Castle questioned, knowing that the answer was going to be a 'no'.  

"I believe in using people with abilities, such as yourself, to my advantage," Ragna said and Castle chuckled.

"At least you're honest," he responded.

"I pride myself on coming out and telling people exactly why I need them.  I need Midgardian contacts I chose for myself.  This one doesn't count," Ragna said, thumbing over her shoulder at Barnes.

"Wow!  I didn't choose you either," Bucky retorted and Ragna flung her red hair dismissively as she looked at him.  She gave him a mischievous smirk and wink.  She turned back to look at Frank Castle just as the door to the conference room was opened and Agent Maria Hill entered again.

"You wanted an interview?" she asked as she stepped aside, revealing a young(ish) man with short, dark hair, and a leather jacket.

"Ah!  Mr. Brock!  So glad to make your acquaintance," Ragna said as she stood up and walked around the table to greet him.

"Not exactly sure why I'm here, but... pleased to meet you too?" he said/asked as he took her hand. 

"I'm sure your positively gobsmacked.  I mean, how often do you get to meet a princess?" Ragna posed in return as she led him to the table and took up her seat again.  

"A princess?  Oh!  That's right!  From the Land of Magical Ponies," Eddie Brock answered.  Ragna smiled and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly when Eddie Brock's head twitched to one side before he focused on her. 

"The others might think you're here for an interview, but you're not.  You see, I don't want to talk to you."

"You don't?" Eddie, Frank, and Bucky asked simultaneously.  Ragna shook her head, leaned back in her chair, and steepled her fingers.

"No, I want to talk to your counterpart," she said and Eddie Brock stiffened.  Her eyebrow went up a smidge.  "Ah!  Yes!  That's right!  Nobody knows, do they?  But I do."

"How do you know that?  If you know what I think you know," Eddie Brock asked.  

"A magician never reveals his secrets, and mine are staying close to my heart," Ragna said, placing a hand over her bosom.  That was when she leaned forward again, looking him in the eye.  "Now, I want to talk to the other you.  The parasite."

"Parasite?!" Eddie Brock shrieked as he suddenly was concealed beneath a layer of black, slimy threads, grew several feet, and snarled in Ragna's face.  Sandor Clegane drew his claymore, Bucky Barnes drew a 9mm Glock, and Frank Castle pointed a .357 Magnum at the creature.  Ragna just grinned.

"I'm sorry.  I don't mean 'parasite'.  I mean Venom," she corrected herself.

"How do you know me, tasty girl?" Venom asked in his deep, raspy voice.  

"I know many things about many gifted, and under appreciated people.  Those are the people I like.  Those are the people I contact, because I can always use them.  And trust me, I have uses for you two," Ragna said, flicking her pointer finger between the two men on the opposite side of the table.  Castle holstered his gun and sat down.  Venom remained, and so did Clegane's claymore.  "I want a team of mortals I can rely on to help me deal with the Wight Walkers.  I don't trust SHIELD, or any of this world's government goons to properly look after the people."

"You care about our people?" Castle asked and Venom's head twitched from side to side.

"Not all people bad enough to eat.  You want us to protect the people who are good enough not to eat," Venom said and Ragna smiled.

"My armies face the Wight Walkers on the war front.  I need people to cover the streets in the modern world.  I bring the medieval to the battlefield, and you bring reality to the common man.  They must be safeguarded.  Despite what some might think," Ragna said, giving Barnes the barest glance over her shoulder, "I detest civilian casualties.  Innocent blood is not the blood my berserker heart calls for.  It yearns for the blood of those who would kill indiscriminately.  For you, Castle, you believe in justice.  Your realm's justice is delayed; always making the innocent wait and wait for justice.  Venom, you just need to feed and the guilty are the only ones Brock will let you eat.  Both talents and skills I can use.  And, I'm willing to pay."

"The perks of being a princess.  You have an allowance," Bucky commented from behind her.  Ragna turned in her chair and fixed him with her emerald glare.

"I earned my money.  Every penny I have was hard won.  I dispense it how I will.  And I'm willing to pay these men for their services," Ragna countered dryly.  

"A good man would not accept money for good deeds.  Eddie says so," Venom responded.

"But a wise man would.  I'm not asking for good men.  I'm asking for ruthless, bloodthirsty, warriors.  Men who aren't afraid to kill in order to defend what they hold dear," Ragna said as she stood up, facing the Punisher and Venom.  "I'm asking for you."

"She sounds like Uncle Sam recruiting during World War II," Bucky murmured, making Sandor scowl at him.  

"Unlike Uncle Sam, I pay well.  So, you can save the world, and get rich doing so," Ragna said.  

"I can buy more tater tots and chocolate!" Venom exclaimed enthusiastically and Frank Castle made a face.

"All the tater tots and chocolate you can eat.  I might even throw a Westerosi boar in there for you," Ragna bargained.