When the helicopter was spotted, Triton had just come back from Hawaii, where he’d discovered that what had happened to them had happened everywhere else in the world too. One young woman less than two months out from her Terrigenesis insists she can tell that it also happened on at least some other planets, though no one has any idea just how far her range goes, or exactly how far away the nearest inhabited planets are.
She’s one of the few who woke up in time to actually see her sister crumble into dust. Most of them just woke up and found their loved ones gone. Part of Medusa is still convinced her husband just stepped out of bed, that he and Crystal and Gorgon will walk back into her sight at any moment.
It’s a very great relief when the first man out of the helicopter is George Ashland. He’s followed by a trio of military men though, two in camouflage, one in a more formal uniform. The last steps forward with Ashland, who whispers in his ear. He bows slightly with a, “Your Majesty. I am General Wright. I assume King Blackager is dead?”
She gestures to herself, Karnak, and Triton. “While most of the deaths went unwitnessed, we have every reason to believe the three of us are the only members of the Royal Family still alive.” She wonders how she can say it without breaking.
“My condolences to you for your losses,” says General Wright, and while Ashland looks far more stricken, he sounds genuinely sad. Maybe over his own loved ones; he’s likely lost some too. “So you are now sovereign?”
“I am.” She supposes technically the throne should pass to Maximus, but it’s not going to, and he might be dead too anyway.
“Very well,” he said, and his voice was now all business. “As you know, when we agreed to help settle you and your people on this island under our protection, you agreed that, in return, you would be of service to the United States if we ever requested it.” Certainly she knows that, the great price they all held out hope they’d never have to pay. The Sokovia Accords came as a form of protection for them, at least once it was clear noone was going to care much what they did here on New Attilan, because it limited what the country could make them do. But in a crisis like this, such a treaty might easily start getting ignored.
“I am here more to give an advisory on that than anything else. Right now, we are not making any requests. However, you must realize, the world is about to get far more volatile. It is possible it may come to war, and then we will expect you to do your part. It may even be for your own protection as much as ours; a nation of superpowered people is likely to be especially vulnerable.”
“I understand,” is all she can say to that, and she forces her still short hair to stay flat on her head, even as she hears the murmuring behind her. Word of who’s now President and exactly how he feels about them has spread through island already. She suspects if they tried rebellion, the world would turn against them, as betraying those who protect them. But it might come to that if they try to draft their people into an army to fight Thaddues Ross’ wars.
Next to her, Triton says, “I believe that goes both ways, that if we need your help…”
“Do you?” Ashland asks anxiously. “I mean, I know you get your fresh water due to one person here…”
“He’s alive,” Medusa says; that was the first thing she confirmed when she assessed the island’s current situation just now. “Unfortunately, the two people that allow us to grow enough crops are both dead. They’re far enough along that with only half our people left to feed, we should be fine this year, but next year might be another matter, unless we get something or someone else before then.” She hopes they do. If they need the U.S.’s help to survive, rebellion might not be an option.
“We will absolutely help if you need us to,” says General Wright. He might believe that, she supposes, and his country might even come through, depending on whether Ross wants to make use of them. Medusa knows enough about what happened in Puerto Rico to know he won’t otherwise.
She’s got time, at least. Time to assess the abilities of everyone still alive on the island, especially since a few more will go through Terrigenesis, and they also might get more Earth-born Inhumans in. Time for the people to select a new Council; this is one affair they’ll be heavily involved in the decision-making for. Time to prepare for all of the world’s possible actions in relation to them.
For now, she holds her head high and her hand out for the general to take. “You’ll want more information on our current status, I suppose. We’re still working on that ourselves, and you can receive the information with me, though it’ll only be the basics, probably.” She’ll see to it that it is, that they won’t learn anything today they wouldn’t inevitably find out anyway. Make a show of being open; that’s a good way to start this.