Chapter Two
Zy'aire

The World Security Council was not happy. In fact, they were livid. When Aunt Soroya and Sam told them that the Kree are planning to invade Earth, the council thought it was some kind of political manipulation. They thought they were lying. Naomi and I vouching for them didn't help much. It took about a half an hour to get them to take the threat seriously, and then the council started to place blame on all of us. According to them, this wouldn't be happening if we hadn't been messing around with business outside of Earth, that we should have left well enough alone. They also blamed the enhanced for the Kree coming, but Naomi shot this down immediately, reminding them that the enhanced were created by them in the first place.

After the pointing fingers session was done, the world leaders agreed to prepare for war. D.C. and London will be evacuated as well as the suburbs surrounding the cities. Beijing is the real problem. Unlike D.C. and London, a large populace actually lives in the city itself. We're trying to get everyone out and relocate them here to Wakanda. The other world leaders are sending their armies to all three cities and the Avengers will be split between them as well. Most of the Wakandan troops will be in D.C., the Guardians will be in London, the New Asgardians will be in Beijing. Thor will be in D.C. however. The Masters of the Mystic Arts will be split evenly between the three cities. Today we're going to help the people who were evacuated settle here in Wakanda for the time being, and help transport our troops, weapons, and medical supplies to the cities.

Me, Livy, Jo, Stevie, and Lee are all in the treehouse now, trying to process the past twelve hours and catch our breaths. With things being so crazy, it's a miracle we have a moment of peace.

"I can't believe I am being sidelined." Jo grumbles from her bean bag.

"You're not being sidelined, you've been given a very important job." Livy tells her, trying to sound convincing.

Jo is going to be in the White House guarding the US president and his staff, which includes Daniel. Uncle Alex and Uncle Khari came up with this task last night with Aunt Soroya. They think it will allow her to feel included while staying safe. Jo immediately saw through this plan, she's not happy about being on guard duty. But I kind of agree with my uncles. Jo is very smart and very capable, but she's still only fifteen. War isn't the place for someone as young as she is.

Jo glares at her. "Nice try."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm going to be sidelined as well, so we'll both be miserable." I tell her with a forced smile.

Her smile isn't forced. "Your misery does make me feel a little better."

Both the World Security Council, the UN, and the Wakandan Council want me to stay out of the battle. They want me to play king, not solider. The same goes for Aunt Soroya and Sam, they've been ordered to stay out of the action as well, direct the Avengers from a distance. With Aunt Soroya it makes sense, it's dangerous to have her on the field when she's the primary target. But I completely disagree having Sam and I stay behind while the others fight. It's out of our hands though, it's what the council, my people, and the other Avengers want. We're going to be in a cloaked Wakandan ship during the fight, staying on the phone with the other world leaders and calling the shots from above.

Baba will be leading our army into battle alongside Uncle Khari. That's even worse than having to stay on the sidelines. As if I need anymore proof that Baba is a better king than I am...

I take in a deep breath and shut my eyes, repeating the same phrase over and over again: you are a good king, you are doing your best, and your best is enough. Livy told me to say that. It's been very helpful. It's like she can tell I'm repeating the phrase in my head now, she gives me a soft smile and rests her head on my shoulder, curling up against my side on our shared beanbag.

"I kinda wish I was being sidelined," Stevie says through a long sigh. He's currently sitting on Liam's lap on a beanbag chair of their own, his arms locked around Lee's neck. "We've been at the institute less than a week and now we're going to fight in a war against an alien army."

Lee nods, lazily trailing his hands up and down Stevie's back. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I have no idea how to properly fight, especially against an alien army, and I have no idea how I'm going to avoid killing the Kree soldiers without dying myself. I'm just confused."

Liam has talked before about his religion. In Hinduism, all life is considered sacred, that's why they live a vegetarian lifestyle. He's vowed that when he becomes an Avenger he wouldn't take anyone's life, but as he said, in war it will be hard to achieve that goal. I've asked before if being an Avenger in general goes against the beliefs of Hinduism, and Lee believes that's not the case. While Hinduism believes harm intended to others either physically, emotionally, or mentally is bad, Lee believes that since he is defending innocent people from those who intend to do such harm, that it's okay. I remember having a conversation with him about this once, and his exact words were 'how can it be a sin to defend people from being hurt when Shiva believes that all life is sacred?'

Stevie kisses Lee's forehead. "You do whatever you think is right, Babe. I'll be there the whole time to guard your back."

Lee smiles at his boyfriend, holding onto Stevie's waist a little tighter. "Thanks."

Jo makes a gaging noise, glancing between the four of us. "It's so annoying watching you four make eyes and kissy faces at each other all day."

Livy rolls her eyes. "Sorry for being in loving relationships."

"You should be," Jo grumbles, crossing her arms. "Being single sucks."

Livy shakes her head at Jo before checking the time on her phone, grumbling herself: "I need to get going soon. The others will need my help moving things out of the hospital."

Livy won't be fighting in this war either. Instead she'll be acting as a doctor, attending to anyone who needs medical attention during the battle. The other doctors working at the hospital will as well. Aunt Shuri, her scientists, the institute's scientists, and Analiese have also offered their services.

"This could be the last time we're all together." Jo says quietly, looking around at each of us, at the ceiling with our names painted on it, at our treehouse.

"It won't be. We'll be fine, we'll make it through this." Stevie assures her, though he doesn't sound sure himself.

I've already been plagued with thoughts of Aunt Soroya and Uncle Alex dying. I've thought about my people, my parents, my other family members dying, but I can't bare the thought of any of the musketeers dying. I won't even let myself think about it.

"Stevie's right," I say, standing up out of my beanbag chair. "We'll all live through this. And even though we're all going to be separated, we will never truly be apart. We're the five musketeers, nothing can stop us. All for one?"

I place my hand out in the air, waiting for the others to join in. Livy does next, standing up and placing her hand over mine. "And one for all."

Then Stevie. "United we stand."

Now Lee. "Divided..."

And finally, Jo. "We fall."

-

Naomi

I had to go on TV and tell the enhanced that their lives are in danger. I had to tell my people, who have already been through hell, who just started to get their lives back, that an alien army is coming to experiment on them and torture them. Again.

Zy'aire said that any enhanced who feel unsafe are welcome to take refuge in Wakanda along with those evacuated from D.C., London, and Beijing. I said this during my speech, made it very clear that no one with enhanced abilities is required to fight, but I did urge them to do so anyways. I said that the Kree want to take their new lives away, the lives they fought so hard for. I told them that everyone should fight to keep the Kree from destroying everything we love. I told the entire world that I will be fighting for the freedom of the enhanced on the front lines, and if they're able, that the enhanced should fight for their freedom too.

Soroya and Sam gave a speech of their own alongside me. They told both the enhanced and unenhanced that the threat on earth is real and we all must cooperate and do our part. They didn't mention that Soroya is the main target in this invasion, nor did they mention any specifics about strategy. This broadcast was intended to rally people together for the coming fight. We need everyone to work together if we're going to win, and we have to win. There's no other option.

After the broadcast ended, Soroya and Sam went to the White House, where they have been for the past hour or so. They're briefing the president and his staff on the battle plan and coordinating it with the army generals who have their troops stationed here for the fight. While they do that, I've been helping with the evacuation and the transportation of weapons and medical supplies. The other Avengers are helping as well, but most of them are going back and forth between the three cities and Wakanda. I'm one of the only ones staying here, someone needs to coordinate where everyone is going and help things stay organized.

The other person helping me with this task is Kieran Harlow. She insisted on helping with preparations for the war. I felt a little uneasy when she first showed up and offered her services, especially since no one else is with us, but I soon calmed down. Kieran isn't like the other Kree, not that I've ever met any other Kree before, or any alien for that matter. But she's very cooperative and determined, she really seems to want to make a difference here on Earth. She's been helping me unload medical supplies from Wakandan ships and bring them to George Washington University hospital, where the doctors will be stationed to heal people from the battle. Shuri gave Kieran a mechanical hand to replace the one she lost, made of vibranium, just like Bucky's arm.

"How is the new hand?" I ask her as we carry two heavy boxes of bandages.

She glances down at the vibranium hand, giving me a courteous nod. "I thank you for your concern. It's doing alright, your princess is a very capable and intelligent scientist.

I nod back. "She is."

"I heard your speech today, the one you gave in front of the cameras. It was very inspiring, though I would expect nothing less from a princess like yourself."

I raise my eyebrows in confusion. "Princess? I'm not a princess."

Now Kieran looks confused. "I just assumed you were. You are on the council of Earthen leaders, you command the enhanced people, and you carry yourself with such strength and elegance."

I feel my cheeks begin to heat up. I clear my throat and set the box down outside the hospital, Kieran does the same. I shake my head at her, clearing my throat. "No, no I'm not a princess. I'm the representative of the enhanced people, I bring up their issues to the council of world leaders."

"What an honorable position."

"If only it allowed me to make real change."

As Kieran and I walk back towards the ship to unload more supplies, Kieran gives me a look of pity, and of understanding. "I know what it is to have power and yet be powerless to help others. It is the worst kind of torture."

Her amethyst eyes meet mine, and in those eyes I see a lot of pain, a lot of guilt.

"It must have been hard," I murmur. "Betraying your people to come here and warn us."

"Sometimes we must do what's difficult in order to do what's right."

"I understand that. Before I was representative on the World Security Council, I co-ran the rebellion against the other world leaders. I've been fighting against the government, my fellow humans, most of my life in order to gain freedom for others like me, people with powers. And now there are more people trying to hurt them. It's starting to feel like the enhanced will never have any peace."

"They will."

"What makes you say that?" I ask, stoping and turning to face her. She does the same.

"Because you will never stop fighting until they do. I have no doubt that you will change the future for not just the enhanced, but for all humans. Your determination, your strength, your selflessness. It's far more powerful than the fire in your veins."

I feel my cheeks blush even more. "You seem very sure about my capabilities and my character despite knowing me for less than a day."

Kieran shrugs, all of the sudden looking very sad. "You remind me a lot of my mother. She too lived to help those who needed it, insisted on carrying the weight and responsibility of protecting everyone around her."

"I lost my mother, too." I whisper, feeling my own sadness creep in.

"I'm sorry. How old were you?"

"I was eighteen. You?"

"As was I."

I try my best to smile. "We have a lot in common for people of two different species."

Kieran nods. "The Kree think of themselves as perfect and humans as beneath them. It would seem we really aren't that different."

"That bad?"

Now Kieran smiles. The sight makes my breath stall in my throat, makes me feel the urge to look away, but I can't. "No. I think all Kree would benefit from having the same realization."

"I wish the other Kree were as open minded about humans as you. We may not be about to go to war if that were the case."

Kieran and I begin walking again, the sadness in the Kree woman's eyes beginning to fade away, hope replacing the sorrow. "I think there's hope for the Kree, but I think war is the only thing that will make them have a perspective change. War is the only thing my people understand."

"Well," I say with a sigh, picking up another box of bandages. "All the more reason to win this war."