100 & 101
Chapter 100: No One Needs To Be Responsible
Thor was slightly taken aback by Odin's attitude.
In the original timeline, Odin had strongly opposed Thor's relationship with Jane Foster and had actively tried to prevent it.
Odin noticed Thor's confusion and said with a gentle smile, "The lifespan of humans cannot be compared to that of Asgardians. Even the most common Asgardian lives for over 5,000 years, while mortals live up to a century at most. Asgardians have never had examples of merging with mortals, and it has often led to endless loneliness after a few decades of happiness. I do not want this fate for the future god king."
"And now, though I don't fully understand why, it seems you have resolved this issue and freed them from the constraints of their lifespan."
Thor nodded.
"Most importantly, Ragnarök is approaching. On that day, this realm that countless beings yearn for will face catastrophe. A new Thor will bring immense help."
Thor was surprised and immediately retorted, "No, Ragnarök won't happen."
Odin shook his head. "The future is not static. I know you have changed many things through your own efforts. But Ragnarök was foretold thousands of years ago. Do you know what that means?"
Thor murmured, "It means it's harder to change?"
Odin nodded. "Your mother predicted many times that, although the endings differ, in every future, Surtur will be reborn in flames. Even if you do nothing, this moment will come."
Thor's expression grew serious. Odin's meaning was clear: even if he did not use Ragnarök against Hela, other forces might still bring about its occurrence.
On Earth, in a major conference room, military and political leaders were engaged in a heated debate.
"This is an affront! This is a contempt for the law! I propose the immediate arrest of everyone at Trudheim Manor!" a council member with a white beard said sternly.
"Ahem..." Nick Fury cleared his throat beside him. As S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, he had the right to attend the meeting.
"Firstly, there is no evidence against them. Everything at present is mere speculation. Moreover, you need to consider the consequences of such actions. There is more than one god at Trudheim Manor. Even if Thor is not on Earth right now, our military would have a hard time posing a threat to them. Unless..."
Nick Fury glanced around with a smirk, "Drop another nuclear bomb on New York."
The room fell silent.
"We have Captain America as well!"
"The heroes from decades ago, even if they assist, won't make a difference."
"We have the Hulk!"
"I look forward to seeing your friendly exchange with the Hulk."
"We still have Iron Man!"
"Stark is currently in the hospital."
"Mr. Stark, how are you feeling?" Happy and Pepper asked Stark, who was lying in the hospital bed, with concern.
"Very well. I feel lighter than ever. I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
"Do you have any regrets about removing the reactor?"
"Not at all. Reactor or no reactor, armor or no armor, I'm Iron Man."
"Excuse me, the doctor is here for rounds."
An emotionless voice cut through Stark's speech. Stark snorted.
Though Doctor Strange was indeed highly skilled, he had a peculiar personality and was just as irritating as Thor had described.
"Outside, you are a billionaire, philanthropist, great inventor, and Iron Man, but here, you are just my patient, and you must follow my orders."
Stark was not one to be easily intimidated, even by Thor. He would usually fight back when challenged. But the cold reactor in his chest reminded him that his life was still in others' hands, forcing Stark to comply.
He had hoped recovery would be straightforward, but now he was being asked to remain in the hospital for half a month for recovery and observation.
To make matters worse, Pepper was completely on the doctor's side...
In reality, Strange was concerned that Stark might disobey the medical orders and harm himself, which would affect his reputation...
"By the way, what's the media saying outside? How do the public view us?" Stark suddenly asked Happy.
Happy, a large man with a jovial demeanor, thought for a moment and replied, "Most people are expressing their gratitude. They see you as the heroes who saved the world. However, some believe the Avengers should be held responsible for the damage to New York, at least partially."
"Ugh..." Stark sighed, "We need to compensate the citizens affected as much as possible. They are all innocent."
"Actually," Happy pondered for a moment and added, "None of the parties involved are obligated to cover the war's damages. If compensation is to be provided, the government should handle it."
A person like Stark, with his empathy for war victims, would likely struggle to understand this. He shook his head. "I was aware of that, but I considered it charity... Anyway, Stark Industries isn't short on money."
Since returning from Afghanistan, Stark had developed a deep empathy for the victims of conflicts.
Upon learning about Stark's actions, Thor, who had just returned to Earth, sighed.
"What's wrong?" Peggy Carter, who was beside him, asked with concern. "Isn't it good that someone is willing to take responsibility?"
Thor shook his head. "Yes, he did well. Stark knew he wasn't obligated to compensate, but he still made an effort. However, many people won't see it that way. Even if he did a good deed, people will think it's what he should do."
"Although Stark Industries is wealthy, it's not enough to cover the losses of all New York. And this war won't be the last battle."
"Personally, he did the right thing and took on responsibility he wasn't required to. It seems to have saved the Avengers' reputation. But in the larger scheme, this creates the illusion that the Avengers should pay for the damages caused by evil."
"In reality, he only needs to provide basic living allowances to those who are struggling and have nowhere else to turn. That's a job for the government."
"Charity breeds resentment; never underestimate human greed."
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Chapter 101: Skye in the Rebellious Period
After listening quietly, Peggy Carter was stunned for a moment before sighing, "Your words are quite harsh."
Intellectually, she still agreed with Thor.
Thor shook his head, "It's not that I'm cruel. In my view, as long as it doesn't betray humanity's position, superheroes should have no constraints so they can develop better. Compared to that loss, Earth faces imminent destruction."
No one can guarantee that Thanos will only cause half of the destruction in the end. What if the policy changes in advance?
"In the face of a world-ending crisis, I don't want anyone holding me back, nor do I want those we protect to still be a drain."
"That's why you asked Skye to gather this information as a trump card?" Peggy asked.
Thor nodded, "Although physical strength is more useful than reasoning, dealing with people constantly trying to manipulate situations is quite annoying. I will release this information at the most opportune moment so that we can take revenge before the ultimate battle arrives. Those who can fight without worry."
"Well, I trust you and will handle things well."
"Here, this is another document you requested. It's the only one, so keep it safe. Also, don't reveal that I gave it to you!" Skye handed Thor a USB flash drive.
Even though she was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., helping Thor with this sort of thing was essentially betraying S.H.I.E.L.D. But since the founder Carter didn't object, Skye reasoned it was acceptable.
Thor took the USB flash drive, nodded in satisfaction, and thanked her, "Thanks. If there's anything you need, I'll do my best to help."
Skye rolled her eyes and smiled, "Okay, I haven't experienced what it's like to have a boyfriend at my age, so please do me a favor."
Thor grinned and hugged her, "Alright, I'll take you home tonight!"
"Ah..." Skye screamed, quickly struggling and blushing as she said, "Forget it, forget it, I'm afraid Auntie will kill me."
Thor gave her a contemptuous look, "Don't dare to act tough, cowardly!"
Skye shot him a glare, "Old-fashioned people from decades ago with your weak charm, scum!"
Skye suddenly felt her idol's image shattering. Although she was a bit amusing, she had helped him a lot.
Thor handed her a modified communicator.
"This one has been altered. If you encounter a problem that can't be solved, press the communication button. I can receive it within two galaxies. There aren't many things in this world I can't handle."
Skye showed an expression of "I believe in you," "Then, if I want to be a superhero, can you help me too?"
"That's not certain," Thor said meaningfully.
Skye was momentarily stunned, her face lighting up with excitement, "Really? Tell me quickly, what is my super ability? How can I awaken it?"
Hell, are agents this sensitive...
In fact, he didn't know much about Skye's situation and wasn't very familiar with the S.H.I.E.L.D series from his previous life, so he had to muddle through.
He tapped his index finger on Skye's smooth forehead, "What kind of super ability do you want? Haven't you heard? The poor rely on mutation, and the rich rely on technology! Are you poor?"
Skye looked puzzled.
"Do you know Iron Man? He's just an ordinary person, and now he's on par with the most famous superheroes. When are you going to ask him for an armored suit? Are you a superhero?"
Skye looked disappointed, "Forget it, that guy is obsessed with his armor, and it won't work for anyone else. Besides, his armor can't be used without the relevant skills. Look at Rhodes; he just turned the armor into a humanoid fighter."
Thor smiled, she was spot on.
Stark's Iron Man, with all his imaginative weapons and laser cannons, will in the future feature various weapons made of nano-metal elements.
As for War Machine Rhodes, his combat style is similar to that of a multifunctional fighter—either machine guns or missiles, with various conventional weapons. Compared to Iron Man, it falls short.
Not to mention the increasingly bizarre functions of Iron Man's armor—refrigeration, drying, urine purification...
Uh, really? Are you going to drink your own urine?
To summarize, Iron Man's armor evolution is: MK2, MK3, MK4...
War Machine's evolution is: MK2, MK2 change, MK2 change again, MK2 magic change...
Later Anti-Hulk armor also follows Stark's control over it. However, in Bruce Banner's hands, it became a bulky piece of equipment.
Skye took the communicator and left contentedly.
Later, Thor received a call from her in the middle of the night.
"060 bang—bang—"
Looking at the two large human-shaped holes in the roof and the floor of the second story, Skye was stunned.
"I just wanted to test the effect. Why did you come in?" Skye wanted to cry but had no tears.
She knew Thor was fast, and wearing pajamas was no excuse for such things. The problem was—how many years did her mother spend decorating the house!!!
"Oh. I was just worried that you were in danger, so I rushed here immediately. I didn't have time to knock on the door."
Thor said seriously.
The more beautiful a woman is, the more she will deceive people. I must teach a lesson to suppress this kind of attitude!
Seeing Thor's demeanor, Skye didn't know what to do and remained silent with a mournful face.
In fact, after spending some time with her, she discovered that Thor was far from as decent as he appeared on the surface. If she continued to complain about the hole in the roof, Thor would most likely take the opportunity to invite her to his manor...
In the dark room, a deep voice sounded, "I'm afraid the plan will need to be implemented ahead of schedule."
A frantic voice rang out, "Hail HYDRA !"