//------------------------------//
// The end?  
// Story: The six headed HYDRA 
// by Malcolm Merlyn 
//------------------------------//

Business. That was the perfect way to describe things like Mann Co. A perfectly legit business that sold rocket launchers, military grade ordinance, Star Trek level ordinance and Skyrim level ordinance to two nine man teams, a story of eighteen lunatics who try endlessly to destroy each other. Of course in the Dustbowls of the US, Mann Co. now had it's competition. 

Gray Gravel Co. 

The story of Medic's not once, but TWO mysterious disappearances now began to catch the attention of the CEO of Mann Co.'s one (and only) competitor in the industry. This led to the question that Gray would try his best to answer. 

Where the hell was he going? 

This question would be answered. A robot spy would return later, a detailed report given on flipping through Medic's journal and notes, he had gone to a place known as "Equestria" by the usage of magic. Hmmm Magic. That could be useful. Attempting to bribe Merasmus with cash wasn't working too well, as his reply only happened to be sending roughly 400,000 dollars worth of robots straight into some bumper call slaughterhouse. In short. The answer was no. Wizards apparently never took bribes. Humph. 

So Equestria. How to get there now? Analyzing medic's notes further would reveal a large "gem" that had first sent him there. A gem to which the doctor still kept in his lab. While it'd hard, if not downright impossible to smuggle such a large rock out of the place, would it not be impossible to break off a piece and then analyze it? Perhaps wherever Medic was finding means of perfecting medicine, and even going as far as to finding a way to cure death, Gray still needed some advantage over the mercs that were employed by Saxton Hale. Or rather, Saxton Fail as Gray would refer to him. 

So. To Equestria it was then. With the piece of crystal in place, Gray had prepared his engineer-bots to build him a portal of sorts into the magical realm. There, he planned on finding whatever forms of magic he could, and bringing it back here. The result would end with him winning his war against Mann Co and it's army of idiots. Humph. They weren't as idiotic as he initially thought, but still not enough to get all high and mighty about. But he digressed, those idiots. Even if there was no magic, he could at least expand Gray Co. into another dimension. Selling hats there would be make so much richer than that fool Hale and his bumpkin army. 

Of course. Not attacking Mann Co. for about two months straight wasn't unnoticed by Saxton Hale. While the man did have a tendency to literally break out of his office to go wrestle sharks or box with kangaroos, he did surprisingly, pay attention to what was going on in the company. Gray Mann not attacking one or more of his facilities in a week was fishy. Him not doing anything for a month was suspicious. In two months?! There was something wrong. Undoubtedly. 

Thanks to the efforts of a certain Frenchman, Gray's plot was uncovered. 

"EXPANDING HIS HAT FACTORIES INTO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE?! THAT SLIMY LITTLE BALLBAG?! THAT'S CHEATING!" The Australian raged as he flipped over his desk. Which then... he flipped right back over again cause he was about to grill steak on it and also needed to grab the phone, which was also on his desk. "HELEN!" 

"Yes Mister Hale?" The administrator sighed as she felt as though someone shoved a dagger straight into her eardrums. 

"GRAB THE MERCS. GRAY MANN THINKS HE CAN BUY US OUT BY GOING TO AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE?! I'LL SHOW HIM AND HIS HIPPY ROBOTS THAT HE CANNOT MAKE MORE MONEY THAN ME OR HAVE A BIGGER COMPANY WHEREVER HE GOES." The man ranted. "NOW THEN... NORMALLY... I WOULD..." 

"Mr. Hale. May I politely ask you to not shout into the phone? I am growing quite old, and your nonsensical shouting may render me deaf prematurely." 

"Okay. Sorry Helen. Like I was saying. Normally... I'd go over there to Gray Co. to kick that hippy back to whatever eagle's nest he came out of... BUT... I am going to be busy fighting a few non-hippies called Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Leonidas, Odin, Dovahkinn, Vegeta and Dustykatt. After I am done hanging out with them REAL men, I might actually have time to fight some wimpy hippies. But... come on... I have priorities." 

"Like running the company..." Helen sighed. "Mr. Hale, I will have the mercs tasked on... um... let's see. Building a portal to an alternate Saturday-morning cartoon program... and then going in... um... selling hats or buying hats from the locals. And then finally, destroy Gray mann." Perhaps Mr. Hale got hit extra hard in the head one of these times he was actually fighting with or against "non-hippies". 

Speaking of Odin.... 












"And I thank you once more Celestia, for inviting me to talk today." The king of Asgard began as he sat down upon the throne that had been prepared for him at the table. Honeyed milk. A refreshing break from the strong drinks typically wined upon in Asgard. The king of the Aesir took a small bite upon the muffin which was served to him, by a certain horse he found strange even by standards of being around talking horses. Something about her eyes... 

"Yes. As you know... this HYDRA..." 

"Yes. They were the ones who had found my Tesseract when I had left it in Midgard. The Midgard I am familiar with at least. But I fear however... humans with dreams of tyranny are the least of our concerns. Celestia. Your world is a unique spectacle among the uncommon. All the nine realms, with the exception of Midgard are unique... but we are all contained within what mortals refer to as a "universe". Yours is not. Yours is also the easiest to access by means without magic, but with the machinations of the mind, be it for good or evil."

"And my worst fears are being realized. Evil is spreading. It's on the march. Equestria is not just a... middle-ground to anyone who seeks to walk the rift in space, but also a deep well for magic..." 

"Well. We can expect that from a place that holds... the elements." Odin nodded. "That does remind me..." 

"What is it?" 

"The tesseract. I am sure you know what it is, you helped me dig is up. The outside is merely a... "shell". Inside is the real power. Real power that is most likely beyond the very comprehension of even the most willed mortal. We call it an "Infinity gem"." 

"Continue."