Chapter 15: True—The Butterfly Effect

"Ahhhhhh—"

Flight has been humanity's dream since ancient times, cherished and pursued by countless people. But Maya Hansen was quickly learning that being whisked up into the sky by someone else was not quite the dream she'd imagined.

Within seconds, she was thousands of meters above the ground, the wind roaring in her ears. Her mind went completely blank, and she clung to Thor as if her life depended on it, gripping him like a drowning woman clutching a lifeline.

Thor, slightly distracted by her tight hold, didn't have much time to think about it. Just as they took off, a sudden system notification rang in his mind.

"Ding! Mission accomplished - Iron Man Forever! Reward: Improved Extremis formula."

Thor blinked in shock. What? He hadn't even started tackling the mission, and now it was already… completed?

The system's prompt left him in a daze. Just moments ago, he'd been strategizing about the next steps to keep Tony Stark from sacrificing himself in the future. And now, somehow, the mission was done? How?

Realization dawned on him as he glanced down at Maya Hansen, clinging to him like a koala. Could this be… the infamous butterfly effect? One small change, leading to massive consequences down the line?

After some communication with the system, Thor pieced together the whole story. Although the system was usually strict and minimalistic—providing little more than basic task descriptions—it didn't mind debriefing him after a task. Now it clarified the impact of his actions.

In the original timeline, Killian would rise to power seventeen years later, with Maya Hansen as his partner in creating Extremis. However, now Maya's descent into darkness was never complete. Her scientific ethics and humanitarian values prevented her from fully embracing Killian's ruthless approach. When she discovered he was testing unfinished Extremis on ordinary people, she couldn't condone his actions. They eventually parted ways, and Killian shot her.

Even in her final moments, Maya's last act was heroic: she managed to send all the Extremis research data to Tony Stark, urging him, "Destroy it. Start over." She ended her life with one final act of defiance, embodying both the tragedy and beauty of a brilliant scientist's story.

Later, when Pepper was injected with Extremis, Tony took the virus upon himself to better understand and refine it, ultimately creating an improved version of the serum. Though Tony's powers as a superhero came from his suit rather than physical enhancements, the Extremis serum gave him one crucial advantage: its powerful regenerative properties. This allowed Tony to withstand the brutal effects of the Infinity Gauntlet, ultimately enabling him to make the final, universe-saving snap of his fingers.

"I am—Iron Man."

And now with his interference, Maya Hansen will not go with Killian, Killian will not get the Extermis, meaning, the whole Iron man 3 storyline has been erased, ad without the Extremis, Tony would not have been able to survive even a moment in the Gauntlet. The instant he wore it, he would have been fatally injured. But thanks to Extremis, he survived long enough to perform the snap.

If the snap was truly inevitable, maybe this should be carried out by someone else.

But Who will it be? Carol? Hulk, with his one remaining arm? Or Thor himself?

Thor sighed, dismissing the thought. He'd done enough worrying about possible futures—he wasn't about to let that flickering nightmare come to pass.

Stark, Stark… if only you knew the lengths I've gone to save you!

The improved Extremis formula would still rely on the original serum as a base, which was expected to be developed years later. But with Asgard's resources and technology, Thor could help advance it significantly.

Now that the mission was complete, there was no longer any need for him to stay on Earth. He made his way back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, bidding a quick farewell to Nick Fury and Natasha. Then, bathed in the brilliant light of the Bifrost, Thor left Earth.