The technology that could remotely control the Destroyer armor from Asgard—Tony Stark didn't know what it was called in the realm of magic, but on the tech side, the closest equivalent would be quantum communication.
Only that might achieve a similar effect.
"Sir, current research in both public and private laboratories worldwide has made little progress," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "If you want to advance in this area, you'll have to conduct the research yourself."
"Then we start from scratch," Tony said, after a pause. "Help me gather all the available information on quantum communication. I'll begin reading the related papers myself."
He knew full well that, just like with cold nuclear fusion, no one else could help him here. If this world had anyone capable of solving these problems, it was him. And he believed his brilliant mind could work out the details.
While Tony Stark muted the world and buried himself in the construction of the Anti-Hulk armor, the anti-Thor armor, and the anti-Superman armor, back at the New Mexico base, Nick Fury and Thor exchanged glances.
Nick Fury was deep in thought about the godly being ranked at Level 197—Rowan.
There was something in Rowan's diary that stuck with him: why had Odin, once a conqueror of terrifying strength, suddenly halted his march? Why had he given up his path of conquest, seemingly disinterested in a remote, wild world like Earth?
It didn't make sense.
Odin didn't strike him as someone to overlook a potential foothold. So, something must have happened. Something significant that transformed him from a ruthless emperor into the benevolent protector of Earth he was now portrayed to be.
Although it's been said many times that Norse mythology shouldn't be taken as a one-to-one reference, that doesn't mean it's completely irrelevant either.
In the myths, Odin was far from a kind-hearted king. He was cruel—especially to those outside Asgard.
Despite preaching benevolence, his actions often spoke otherwise. To bolster the numbers in his Valhalla, Odin would incite wars among mortal realms, harvesting heroic souls from the battlefield. Ruthless tactics for a king who claimed to protect peace.
So why the sudden shift?
This transformation was so drastic that Nick Fury could only suspect something or someone forced it—perhaps... Hela?
He didn't know the full story, but it was possible Hela was a niece or some similarly close relation to Odin. Perhaps Odin had brothers, and in the conquest of the Nine Realms, internal conflict erupted—a civil war that ravaged Asgard and forced the end of their expansionist campaign.
Hela, possibly a niece or some other blood relative, might have lost her reputation in the fallout. And yet Rowan's diary recorded her as a legitimate heir to the throne of Asgard—above even Loki.
That detail stuck with Nick Fury. Odin would rather entrust Asgard to Hela than to Loki.
It made sense in a way. No matter her status as a niece or otherwise, she was still of Odin's blood. That would naturally make her a closer successor than an adopted son.
Clearly, she had been exiled.
But the fact that Rowan even mentioned her suggested she would appear again. If she was the daughter of a deposed royal—perhaps a brother of Odin—then her return could only mean one thing: she would fight for the throne.
A massive war could erupt, a battle to reclaim the legacy of her lineage. Could this be the plot of Thor 2? Or 3? Or even 4?
Nick Fury couldn't help but analyze the situation like a Hollywood screenwriter. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"In other words, this Hela is likely to become a future enemy of the Avengers," Fury thought grimly, etching her name high in his list of threats.
Thor, after all, would become one of the Avengers' core powerhouses—one of the Big Three. Would Hela's vengeance be focused solely on Thor, or would she target the entire team?
And what if she went further? Like Loki, could she have ambitions of conquering Earth?
If so, then the entire Thor series could be seen as the Odin family's internal struggle—a full-blown family ethics drama with world-ending stakes.
Nick Fury rubbed his temple, already feeling the stress pounding through his head. The more he analyzed, the more terrifying the implications became. First Loki, now Hela—one nightmare after another.
Meanwhile, Rowan closed his diary and made a decision—he was going to New Mexico to meet Thor.
Now that he had a magical body, he needed a proper place to learn magic. Asgard seemed promising.
Of course, Asgard was also a den of dragons and tigers—dangerous in every sense. But while Odin was certainly a powerful god-level figure, he was old. He didn't have many years left. More importantly, he couldn't see future timelines like the Ancient One could. That made him a much safer prospect.
That said, Odin's legendary eye—sacrificed for wisdom—did endow him with a degree of foresight. He couldn't be underestimated.
With all this in mind, Rowan prepared to leave for New Mexico.
Even though he now had the powers of Superman, in his heart, Rowan was still a regular guy. And regular guys fly commercial. So he left a message for Gwen, telling her he was going to New Mexico for a few days and urging her to behave and finish her homework. He promised to check up on her progress when he returned.
And so, Rowan departed for New Mexico.
"Hmph, Mr. Rowan," Gwen huffed, pouting as she stared at her phone. "You think I don't know you're going to see Thor? And you didn't even take me with you!"
She pursed her lips in frustration. She'd read the diary too. She knew exactly what was happening—and she could easily guess Rowan's real purpose.
But with no way to object, she could only sit there, angrily drawing imaginary circles on the ground, cursing him in silence.
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