Chapter 178: Extremis Virus (Part 1)

"Forget it, just consider it tuition fees," Daniel Davis whispered to comfort the visibly upset Stark.

In such black market transactions, if you got cheated, you could only blame your bad luck because there was no way to track the swindler. The Void itself was a lawless place where even Asgardians had no effective recourse. While ordinary people would avoid provoking Asgardians, they also wouldn't offer any help.

In the Void, official powers like the Kree Empire and Nova Empire didn't pose much threat. Instead, forces like Thanos and Ronan the Accuser held significant sway.

Once their business was done, Sif and Thor were ready to leave immediately. For Asgardians, the Void was not a favorable place. They wouldn't come here unless necessary.

"Let's visit Xandar in the Nova Empire. I hear it's a renowned civilized planet," Daniel suggested on their way back to Asgard.

Daniel initially intended for Stark to make this request, but Stark was too depressed after being scammed to notice Daniel's hints.

"It's rare to get out. You might as well take the opportunity to explore. Once we return, you won't have another chance," Daniel's proposal received Jane's support. Reluctantly, Thor agreed upon Jane's insistence.

While Thor was happily nodding, Sif gave Daniel a meaningful look, making him scratch his head. This was the very reason he wanted Stark to make the suggestion.

Upon hearing that the Prince of Asgard was visiting, the Supreme Leader of the Nova Empire personally welcomed them to Xandar. Knowing Thor was merely there to sightsee, he arranged for his subordinates to give them a tour.

Stark, rejuvenated upon reaching Xandar, eagerly explored the alien lifestyle and political system, finding value even without the technology he had hoped to acquire.

"You don't need to worry so much. I suggested coming here not for them but for you," Daniel said, approaching Sif, who seemed somewhat down.

"For me?" Sif asked, puzzled.

"Of course. On Earth, having common interests is crucial for couples," Daniel explained, recalling the dating advice he had read, which, though mostly useless, presented fresh ideas to Asgardians.

"They like each other because of distance. If they spend more time together, things might change. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Thor and Jane's eventual breakup was partly due to Jane understanding Thor's personality after living together for a while.

It's like idol worship—living with a star daily would diminish the excitement. Daniel was a living example of this.

He once admired the golden trio of Harry Potter, the characters from Attack on Titan, and the Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece. But after entering these worlds, his admiration faded, and reality's complexities could even make them adversaries.

This is akin to the adage "like an idol but don't live with them."

Watching anime, Daniel liked Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates. However, in the One Piece world, he nearly abducted two of their vital members—Nami and Robin, essential for their navigation and historical knowledge, respectively.

Marvel's world was similar. Despite Hydra's threat, Daniel prioritized his own interests, not informing SHIELD directly.

Reality is different from fiction. Defeating villains doesn't always end happily; there's a need to deal with the aftermath. 

Unlike in fiction, where heroes win and move on, real-world heroes have to deal with possible revenge and consequences. 

For instance, the New York battle in movies is thrilling, but in reality, it involves superheroes risking their lives, with cleanup efforts continuing long after.

So you can relax," Daniel reassured Sif, explaining Thor and Jane's relationship dynamics, which finally eased Sif's mind.

Daniel wasn't badmouthing Jane but stating facts. After Thor and Jane's breakup, Thor couldn't return to Asgard and wandered, eventually leading to the events of "Thor: Ragnarok."

"Earth still has a long way to go before reaching the stars," Sif said, sharing information about Xandar, making Daniel realize Earth's many countries hinder its space exploration potential.

"Let's go," Daniel suggested two days later. They left Xandar because Jane missed Earth and her friends.

Stark didn't linger either. Initially wanting to flirt with alien beauties, he lost interest after seeing them. Stark wasn't desperate to pursue any woman and preferred those who looked human.

Daniel, despite liking Western beauties, preferred Eastern women. Even rare beauties like Gamora didn't appeal to him. He wasn't a fool whose aesthetic sense adapted to the cosmos.

Boom.

With the Bifrost's activation, Daniel, Stark, Thor, and Jane returned to the abandoned building where they had left. The area was still under quarantine, but the military had withdrawn, leaving only a few police officers on guard.

They had spent considerable time in Asgard and the Void, and with Daniel's intervention killing the Dark Elves' leader, Earth hadn't faced an invasion. Only a few beasts from the Nine Realms had attacked, not even aliens.

The five major countries had debated and eventually agreed to share these creatures equally.

"Jane, you're back. Are you alright?" Jane's friend and assistant rushed over upon hearing of her return, delighted to see her unharmed. Learning that Jane had toured an alien world, she was regretful, wishing she had gone too.

Hearing Thor would stay on Earth for a while, Jane's friend perked up and excitedly pulled Jane aside for some private conversation, mostly about women's topics.

"Goodbye." Daniel and Stark waved to Thor before heading back to Stark's villa, where Daniel sensed something significant awaited them.

At Stark's seaside villa, Daniel's premonition proved correct. Nick Fury, the one-eyed SHIELD director, was already there.

"What's the situation in Asgard?" Fury asked Stark once they were seated in the living room.

"I'm not entirely sure," Stark replied, summarizing the events in Asgard. Having not participated in the fight against the Dark Elves, Stark only relayed what he had heard. Fury's face twitched upon hearing about the Dark Elves' plans and the Aether's power.

Fury then turned to Daniel, realizing Stark had mentioned Daniel fighting the Dark Elves.

"The Aether is actually the Reality Stone, one of the Infinity Stones. Its power can plunge the world into darkness. But you don't need to worry; it's been secured," Daniel explained.

"Is the Collector reliable?" Fury asked immediately.

"You don't need to worry about that. It's beyond your control. The Collector is a major player in the universe," Daniel said, knowing Fury's nature to mistrust everyone and wanting to keep all treasures himself.

Fury smacked his lips in frustration.

"Did you gather any alien data or technology?" Fury changed the topic, causing Stark's face to darken.

Stark had avoided mentioning this to prevent his embarrassment from being exposed.

"Of course, but..." Daniel looked at Stark, making Fury excited.

In Fury's mind, Daniel's look suggested the alien tech was with Stark.

"We need to share this information with SHIELD," Fury stated his demand.

"Which means sharing it with Hydra too," Daniel thought silently.

"No data," Stark admitted reluctantly, explaining how he had been cheated. Fury's face darkened further, though it was hard to tell with his usual expression.

"You..." Fury sighed helplessly. If it were anyone else, he would have scolded them harshly.

"By the way, you said Thor is staying here?" Fury recalled Thor's presence.

"Yes, he's temporarily exiled and staying with Jane. You can find him there."

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Fury stood up, knowing Thor's stay on Earth wasn't simple for SHIELD and the five major countries. Thor, an Asgardian prince and seemingly the only one, could cause significant trouble if anything happened to him on Earth. Fury was acutely aware of how World War I started.

While Thor was powerful enough to be unharmed by anyone on Earth, his actions on Earth were another matter. From what Stark and Daniel described, the universe's dark forest law meant Earth needed to hold onto Asgard's support tightly.

Moreover, Thor was a powerful asset, and if he had nothing to do on Earth, he could be recruited into the Avengers.

"Pepper, I'm back," Stark called Pepper after Fury left.

"You're back! I'm busy now, I'll contact you later," Pepper responded joyfully but hung up quickly, leaving Stark puzzled.

Stark immediately contacted his bodyguard Happy, who had since become head of security at Stark Industries, practically Pepper's bodyguard now.

"Boss, you're back! I have something important to report," Happy said upon answering.

"Hold on. Is something up with Pepper?" Stark interrupted.

"That's what I need to report. Someone's been visiting her frequently while you were away. They're in her office now, discussing something about brains. His name is Aldrich Killian."

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