Chapter 170

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]

====

As soon as Nick Fury asked his question, Tony quickly summarized the situation for him. Everything seemed straightforward until Tony mentioned the appearance of the mysterious figure in black, which made Nick Fury frown.

Who was this person?

While Nick Fury was still puzzling over it, Tony shared his suspicions about the figure's identity.

"Another Asgardian?"

"Another son of Odin, the All-Father?"

Nick Fury was stunned.

In the next moment, he turned his gaze toward Thor and asked, "Is he your brother?"

"Is Asgard planning to invade Earth?"

All eyes focused on Thor, waiting for his answer.

Hearing Nick Fury's question, Thor frowned immediately and responded, "First of all, let me correct something. Our presence here does not constitute an invasion."

"Midgard, Earth, has always been under Asgard's protection. It's just that you mortals don't know it."

Thor spoke seriously, "Otherwise, do you think Earth has gone unchallenged for so long?"

"Without Asgard's protection, Earth would have been invaded by other forces long ago."

The implication was clear: Midgard, Earth, was Asgard's backyard. It rightfully belonged to them, and there was nothing wrong with visiting what was essentially their own garden.

Nick Fury's frown deepened as he scrutinized Thor's expression, and he realized that Thor wasn't lying.

He must be telling the truth! Understanding this, Nick Fury felt uneasy. In his view, Earth should belong to humanity, not to some gods.

Seeing the expression on Fury's face, Loki, from his cell, chuckled mockingly, "Thor, it seems they don't appreciate your protection."

Thor glared at Loki before turning back to warn Fury.

"Without Asgard's protection, Midgard's fate would not be pleasant. I don't think you're ready to face extraterrestrial forces."

Nick Fury, who had been preparing to argue, suddenly felt a heavy weight settle in his chest and fell silent for a few seconds, choosing to let the matter drop.

Because, as much as he hated to admit it, the Asgardian was right—Earth was not ready to face alien threats.

Nick Fury, unaware that tampering with the Tesseract had already crossed a dangerous line, thought to himself.

Thor glanced at Fury, then addressed the first question, saying hesitantly, "I'm not sure if he's my brother, I really don't know..."

He paused before continuing, "But aside from the royal family, no one else could awaken divine power..."

"Even you aren't sure of his true identity?" Fury's frown deepened, sensing how troublesome this situation was.

How long had it been, and already another mysterious figure had appeared?

And this one wielded immense power—what if he started causing destruction...

"Is he stronger than you?" Fury asked for confirmation.

Before Thor could answer, Tony spoke up, explaining how the mysterious figure had effortlessly defeated everyone, including Thor. Fury was stunned by what he heard.

As his thoughts raced, Fury was already planning how to deal with this potential Asgardian prince if things went south.

Later, Steve, Dr. Banner, Thor, and the others sat around a table, discussing the situation.

"I have a feeling something's not right with Loki," Steve said as he applied ointment to the injuries he'd sustained from the lightning, his gaze shifting to Thor.

"Thor, what is he planning?" Now that Steve knew Thor's identity, he thought Thor might have some insight and asked directly.

Sure enough.

"He has an army under his command, called the Chitauri," Thor began, sharing what he knew.

"They aren't Asgardian, nor do they belong to any planet. Loki plans to lead them in an attack on Earth."

"They'll certainly help him. I suspect the Tesseract is part of the deal!"

"An alien army?" Steve frowned as he continued applying ointment.

Dr. Banner suddenly thought of something and exclaimed, "He took the Tesseract to create a portal, didn't he? To bring those guys here?"

"And he took Dr. Selvig with him?"

At the mention of that name, Thor recalled the middle-aged man who had been with Jane in the town.

"Selvig?"

"He's an astrophysicist," Banner explained.

"He's a friend of mine," Thor nodded.

"Now he's our enemy," Natasha reminded them. "Loki used magic to control him, along with some of my colleagues."

Unaware that the scepter had been used, Natasha assumed Loki had cast a spell.

After listening to the conversation, Steve suddenly asked, "I don't understand—why would Loki surrender? How can he command his army from here?"

Dr. Banner shook his head. "I think it's a mistake to focus on Loki. This guy's mind is hard to grasp. If you ask me, he's just a madman."

At that, Thor immediately turned to him and warned, "Watch your words. Loki may be unreasonable, but he's still Asgardian."

"And he's my brother!"

Natasha looked at Thor calmly and said, "He killed eighty people in two days."

Thor corrected himself, "...He's adopted."

Dr. Banner continued, "I think Loki's plan involves some sort of machinery, something to do with iridium."

"Iridium?"

"What's he using that for?"

Before Banner could answer, Tony walked into the room and replied first, "It can be used as a stabilizing agent. That way, the portal won't collapse; it will be very stable."

As he spoke, Tony approached Thor and patted him on his sturdy arm.

"Nice to meet you, big star. Your hammer packs quite a punch."

Tony continued, "Additionally, according to Loki's needs, that portal can be made larger and stay open longer."

"Other materials should be easy for Barton to get. What they still need is a high-density energy source to power the Tesseract..."

Hearing Tony's detailed explanation, Agent Hill was surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Since when did you become an expert in nuclear astrophysics?"

(End of Chapter)