"Sir, that's the situation."
After Aaron and the others left, Coulson immediately reported every detail of what had happened to Nick Fury, leaving nothing out.
Listening to Coulson's thorough account, Nick Fury unconsciously tapped the desk. The irregular tapping conveyed the complexity of this spymaster's thoughts.
"Thor, Thor's hammer Mjolnir, Aaron who's both a 'River God' and 'Superman'… It's not April Fools' Day, is it?"
Nick Fury looked up at Agent Hill.
"I've urgently contacted DC Comics and also checked the global foster-care database from twenty to twenty-five years ago. There's no record of a foster child named Aaron."
"It's possible he didn't grow up on Earth the way they do in the comics, or he might have used a false name before—or is using one now."
Agent Hill analyzed calmly and methodically.
Nick Fury wiped the corner of his mouth. "So we still know nothing about Aaron's background or identity?"
"A week ago, he suddenly arrived in the U.S. and took over Osborn."
"In just a few days, he introduced the 'New Life' serum, capable of curing cancer, restoring youth, extending lifespans, and even regenerating limbs—basically giving people new hope and buying off all our allies."
"After that, he showed flight speeds of at least Mach 10, plus strength possibly on par with Superman. It could be this 'Superman from Asia' also has an invulnerable body, super vision, and other powers that terrify people."
"And now, he's become a 'River God,' summoning water at will and pulling out three legendary items from it?"
"All this in only a week! Give him a few more years—will he be dragging Earth around on a chain? Blowing out the sun in one breath? Punching apart the entire solar system?"
"In order to understand Aaron, analyze him, and plan for him, S.H.I.E.L.D. has kicked off a comic-book reading frenzy internally."
"They've read through every detail about Superman, and the more they read, the more shocked and horrified they become."
"Superman is beyond human power to handle!"
"DC has Batman—we do not."
"All we have is Tony Stark, that 'ironsmith man' with an ego the size of the moon and a penchant for overstepping boundaries. No matter how you look at it, he's nothing like Bruce Wayne."
"Any trace of kryptonite? Without kryptonite, how can we fight Superman? Are we supposed to get ten thousand women to…convince him by force of numbers?"
Nick Fury was clearly irritated—normally a bad emotion for someone in his line of work.
But an agent is still human.
"Now, besides studying Superman, I'm told to dig into Norse mythology too? Thor's shown up—so does that mean Odin and the Frost Giants are about to make a grand entrance as well?"
Nick Fury's gaze flitted to a file on the table, which showed a large, green-skinned figure.
"Ah…this little planet sure is bustling!"
Agent Hill said nothing.
No one who knew about these events found them anything but bizarre.
In such a short time, we have a 'God on Earth' (Superman), plus the Norse god Thor.
Oh—and that green fellow, the so-called Hulk?
Nick Fury's voice carried more than a little fatigue. "Where are our Mr. Thor and Mr. Superman right now?"
"According to reliable intel, after Aaron and Thor left, they've been resting in a nearby town. Coulson is shadowing Thor, who seems…rather remorseful?
"As for Aaron, it appears he's 'training' two new employees."
"Females?" Fury asked, not even looking up.
Hill nodded.
"So our 'Superman' is quite insatiable, huh? Well, that body of his could probably wrestle a hundred bulls."
"That's good news, isn't it? At least it shows he's more down-to-earth, more human in some ways."
Nick Fury actually liked Superman in comics—righteous, moral, obedient to human laws, and most importantly, not real.
He didn't like Aaron because Aaron was real, and, damn it, he knew how to throw his weight around.
"You're already Superman, yet you still play those dirty human power games. How are us normal folks supposed to live?"
"Damn it, I hate clever superpowered beings!"
"So…I'll be working on a private luxury jet from now on?"
In the most upscale inn in the small town, Darcy was staring at the flimsy blue flight-attendant uniform in her hands. The question came straight from the heart.
"Twenty grand a month—intern rate."
Darcy's expression changed in a flash. She imitated the sweet smile of a real flight attendant.
"Dearest boss, right this way! What would you like to drink? Soda? Juice? Coffee?"
"We can also provide private services—like personal massages, milk facials, dinner companionship, entertainment…we do it all~"
She tossed him a seductive grin.
Aaron pointed to the uniform in Darcy's hand.
Darcy froze momentarily, then headed straight to the dressing room, swaying her hips in a way that made anyone fear for the stability of her "peaks."
Jane stood there gaping at the scene. "Flight attendant? Astronomy?"
"I mean, do those two things have anything to do with each other?"
Aaron sat down casually. He still had to wait here for Loki to deliver something concerning Darcy. No rush to head back.
Anyway, Felicia and "hardworking" Norman were running the Osborn Group just fine. No need for him to go back and stir things up.
A boss should care about subordinates' mental and physical well-being. That's what makes a good boss!
Suddenly, Aaron dialed Norman. "Find some time to send our President a set of New Life."
"Yes, Boss!"
Norman didn't ask why; he simply agreed. Aaron nodded in satisfaction. Now that's a proper subordinate.
"New Life? As in that 'Fountain of Youth' featured in the news? Did you really find the Fountain of Youth?"
Jane Foster's ears perked up; she instantly forgot about the whole flight attendant-versus-astronomy connection and zeroed in on Aaron's mention of "New Life."
"There's definitely such a thing as a Fountain of Youth, but this isn't that." Aaron shook his head.
After all, this was Marvel—myths and legends basically exist for real, so a 'Fountain of Youth' likely does exist somewhere.
"No harm telling you now. You're both employees of the company, so these are part of the benefits."
Aaron glanced at Darcy, who had quickly changed into the uniform. It stretched tightly over her chest, which stood out very obviously.
She was braless.
Darcy looked annoyed. "It doesn't fit right?"
"No worries. On the plane, just wear it as is. The onboard surveillance isn't connected to the net, and the pilot's also female. Just throw on a coat before you leave the plane."
Without giving Darcy time to argue, Aaron changed the subject. "In our New Life line, there's an anti-aging injection. With regular use, you can easily live to a hundred twenty and keep your youthful looks for decades. By the time you're in your seventies or eighties, you'll still look like you're in your twenties. It's a must-have for beauty!"
Darcy had been about to protest about the uniform, but now her eyes lit up.
She spun and leaned closer, cooing,
"Dear boss, did you say…these are company benefits? I'm your exclusive flight attendant, and I'd love to stay pretty serving you for decades!"
No woman can refuse the lure of eternal youth.
Darcy was talented in driving, in her figure, and in astrophysics. But when it came to staying forever young, her resistance was zero.
She'd never really considered dating, having focused all her attention on astronomy. She subconsciously touched her still-smooth cheek. She was currently at the most beautiful stage for a Western woman. Actually, it was nearly over—maybe by next year, or even later this year, her appearance would decline noticeably.
"New Life" hit her right in the sweet spot.
A billionaire, a superhuman, a god, a friend to all women…
The more Jane looked at Aaron, the more she found him attractive. Most crucial was that he knew every paper she'd ever published. If that wasn't true love, then what was?
"Boss, here's your water."
Darcy leaned forward with a glass of warm water, revealing a dizzyingly deep cleavage between the "mountains."
At the same time, she gave Jane a little wink.
"Jane, it's getting late. We'd better go back and rest. I'm sure our boss has some, uh…official business to handle tonight."
With a mysterious smile, Darcy looked at the window. The sun was setting fast.
Jane didn't suspect anything. She nodded, "All right, Boss, you have a good rest. We'll discuss work matters tomorrow."
Aaron nodded and exchanged a knowing glance with Darcy. As he took the water, he felt something tickling his palm—a silent signal—and understood immediately.
"Let's go. I booked two rooms: yours on the left, mine on the right, and the boss in the middle. That way, we can protect him from both sides."
Darcy's tone was odd, and Aaron immediately got the hint, but Jane remained clueless.
She just looked puzzled. "Aren't you staying with me? We still have a job to do."
She picked up the notebook they'd gotten back from Coulson, planning to organize more data that night.
Darcy shook her head. "It's too late to change the reservation, and I'm tired. I'll get some sleep. Goodnight!"
Throwing on a robe and covering her body tightly—lest anyone else see—Darcy left, while Jane, smiling wryly, had no choice but to return to her own room to work.
Late at night, Jane was still sorting through data, occasionally talking with Dr. Erik Selvig by phone about their findings, when she heard loud thumping and a woman's high-pitched voice coming from the next room.
"Singing at this hour?"
She lowered her head, then froze. Something wasn't right. She lifted her head again and listened.
Her expression turned shocked, then anxious.
Hands trembling, she called Darcy.
Ring…ring…
No answer for a while, and Jane's heart sank halfway.
Just as she was about to hang up, the line picked up.
"Mm…mm? Mmm~ Jane, what's up? I'm just…taking a bath~ It feels so good! The water's so warm…and there's so much of it!"
"Why don't you come try?"
Jane, who had been regaining her composure, felt it slip away again.
She could hear the rush of water hitting the tiles, loud and intense. Obviously, the shower setup here was fantastic—plenty of hot water and lots of it.
"No, it's nothing, really! Sorry to bother you…"
"Wait, don't hang up. Maybe there's something else on your mind? We can…just chat like this?"
Jane stood there, phone in hand, listening to Darcy's murmured words and the sound of rushing water, at a total loss for what to say.
After a while:
"Mm, ouch, I just fell. Could you come to room XXX and help me? My legs gave out, and I lost the water flow, so now I'm stuck…can't move!"
"Jane, you will help me, right?"
Jane stared blankly at her phone's screen. Unbeknownst to her, two hours had passed, and her phone was now warning her it was low on battery.
"Jane—I really need your help…I…I can't do this anymore!"
Hearing Darcy's strained voice and fearing she'd hurt herself badly, Jane bit her lip and headed out to check.
She opened the middle room.
Right then, her phone died from low battery.
Downstairs, Erik Selvig, troubled by the continuous busy tone and now the phone being off, stared worriedly. He didn't know why, but he felt a hollow emptiness in his heart. The Jane he regarded like a daughter somehow seemed…different.
Meanwhile—
"Another round!"
"Haha, the drinks of Midgard are fantastic!"
At a small-town bar, Thor was kicking off another night of revelry.
He drank himself silly all night, beer after beer. He was thrilled, and Coulson—who'd once been at odds with him—was now gamely joining him, plus two of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s notorious heavy drinkers, all of them challenging Thor.
At the bar, old grudges vanish in the face of good drinks. If one cup can't bury your sorrows, have another.
Cup after cup, Coulson was nearly out cold, but Thor was still unfazed.
"Haha, fantastic!"
"So Midgard can be so much fun. This drink is great! Cheers!"
Coulson forced himself to continue, remembering Nick Fury's instructions, refusing to quit.
Not long after, a very drunk Coulson kicked a stool. "Drink, everyone! Tonight's tab is on me—Coulson! Nobody goes home sober!"
"Excellent! Your tolerance may be low, but you're a decent drinking companion. I, Thor Odinson, forgive your past misdeeds. Drink!"
Thor drained another cup and slammed it down with such force it shattered on the floor.
Down below, the bar's staff could only bend down with pained expressions, sweeping up fragments.
From a distance, the bar owner rubbed his head, looking distressed. "How many glasses are left?"
"At this pace…maybe an hour more?"
The employee tried mentally calculating the rate of broken glasses, then pulled out a calculator and spent a while crunching numbers. That was the best they could come up with.
But now Coulson's fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were also smashing their glasses with each toast.
"How about now?" The bar owner grew even more anxious.
The staff's brain nearly overheated, fingers clicking rapidly on the calculator. "Four people, same rate of smashing…like this, like that…no, that's off…should be—yes, that's it…"
A few minutes later:
"We can hold out about fifteen more minutes?"
"Ah, five minutes just passed? Let me recalculate…"
By midmorning the next day, Aaron—who kept up his daily exercise routine—dragged both ladies out for sandwiches, milk, some sit-ups, and squats. Then he opened the door to greet the bright sun.
Erik Selvig rushed over, face full of worry. "Have you seen Jane or Darcy? I've been looking for them all morning!"
Aaron instinctively started to look behind him but quickly shook his head. "I think they went out early. Said something about buying something."
Erik relaxed. Buying stuff—that's all right, then.
Until—
"Hey, Dr. Selvig!"
"Jane! Darcy! You…both of you!!"
Erik watched in horror as the two emerged from behind Aaron. Glancing back at Aaron, his vision went dark.
His student was snatched, and the student's student was snatched, too? So he took both teacher and student? Didn't leave anyone out?
Almost at the same moment—
Back in Asgard, Loki first visited Jotunheim, then spoke with Odin and Frigga, then issued a few stern warnings to Heimdall. Finally, he returned alone to the Golden Palace. Sitting on the throne, he gazed over the vast and empty hall, feeling a surge of pride.
But then—
He remembered Thor, and he remembered Aaron. All his good mood vanished with a "snap."
Loki's expression shifted. It was his first time being so blatantly threatened by someone, yet he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept it.
He could lie to everyone else, but he couldn't violate an oath made upon the Gungnir.
Think of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, whose sacred relic was stolen, their homeland shattered, unable to regain its former glory even after a thousand years.
They still didn't dare make a move.
They didn't dare break the truce lightly.
Partly because they feared Odin's might, partly because of the vow.
But now, Thor's actions had broken that vow, so war was on the horizon!
Laufey wouldn't miss the chance, and Loki was willing to give him that chance.
But first, he had other troubles to handle.
"Hmph. Even if you're a God on Earth, that's still just Earth's God, while I am Lord of the Nine Realms!"
"All right then, looking at how impoverished Midgard is, I suppose I'll be magnanimous and throw you a few scraps!"
After bracing himself mentally, Loki obediently headed to the Asgardian vault.
He stared at one treasure after another, each with its own glorious history. He hesitated for a long time before finally settling on two items.
"These two…should be fine to hand over, right?" he muttered.
~~~
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