Chapter Five: Tragic Asgard!

“What? They borrowed him?” Hao Yun’s jaw dropped, unable to believe it. With the way Tony valued the Illuminati, how could S.H.I.E.L.D. possibly take someone away? No, the key issue is, knowing full well that S.H.I.E.L.D. is riddled with Hydra spies, Tony still let them borrow someone? Has he lost his mind?

“Didn’t Tony raise any objections?”

“None at all. He told Steve about Bucky’s whereabouts, and then Captain insisted on returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. with Natasha to help out.” Angel shrugged—Captain America was a symbol of the American spirit, and though she knew Steve’s actions were questionable, she hadn’t raised any objections. After all, Tony’s father had been killed while Bucky was unconscious; it was a topic far too sensitive.

“So, did you tell Steve and the others what you know about the future?”

“Of course not!” Angel spread her hands. Did he really think their family was foolish enough to blurt out information about the future?

“The only ones who truly know all about the future are us, Tony, and Pepper. Even Rhodey and Banner only know about Hydra; they haven’t told anyone else. This time, we told Steve about Bucky in advance only because we didn’t want the future to fall apart. Who knows, Steve might stubbornly believe Tony would kill Bucky for revenge and insist on acting alone… You know Tony’s temper—proud and arrogant. One careless word and he’ll be at Steve’s throat.” Angel looked utterly helpless. One was a living symbol, the other her own brother-in-law... Who was she supposed to support?

Besides, Steve was Bucky’s closest friend and wanted to save his life… But what about Tony’s thirst for justice over his father’s murder? For this, they’d even slowed Banner’s integration process, and there was still a major hurdle left unsolved.

“Alright, I overlooked it. I forgot that Cap is all about friendship.” Hao Yun thought for a moment, realizing that Fury must be meddling behind the scenes. After all, Natasha and Barton were originally agents. If Nick Fury wasn’t stirring the pot, he’d never believe it.

“Mom, on this trip, I accidentally acquired a legacy. I want you to accept it. Remember, this legacy must never be passed on; you must study it on your own.”

With that, Hao Yun handed over the Chakra Cultivation Technique, Sage Body, Rinnegan, and Wood Release Ninjutsu to his mother, using up all three slots at once. Relying on his knowledge of the Ninja World, he personally taught Angel the art of ninjutsu. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spread the techniques among three people—it was simply that consolidating the same power in one world was more effective.

After all, in the Marvel universe, cultivating one powerhouse was far more useful than having a crowd of foot soldiers.

Thus, Hao Yun’s mother, Angel Potts, truly became a force to be reckoned with, her potential reaching even the ranks of the Celestials! As for Baymax and its set of equipment, it had finally retired from action and returned to its true calling as a family doctor.

…

At that moment, in Asgard, Thor returned with Jane Foster, only to be dealt a heavy blow.

On the operating table, the Asgardian healers did everything they could, but in the end, gave Thor a hopeless answer.

“We’re sorry, Prince. We cannot remove the substance within her body. In fact, we have never encountered such a material anywhere in the universe.”

“You don’t even know what the Aether is? You’re all quacks!” Thor roared, his voice so loud it startled everyone in the main hall. Before he could truly lose his temper, his father Odin’s voice came from the doors beside the infirmary.

“It seems my words have always gone in one ear and out the other, haven’t they, Thor?”

“She’s sick!”

“She’s a mortal!” Odin, holding the Eternal Spear, approached Thor.

“Mortals get sick, and they die. They have their own hospitals. That’s not a reason to bring her to Asgard. You must understand, Thor, even among vegetables, not every one is fit for the banquet table!”

Lying on the medical bed, Jane Foster’s face darkened. She finally understood why Thor’s friends from the Illuminati never thought much of him. Even her mentor Selvig had advised her to break up with Thor.

So this is it—Asgardians have never respected Earth. Listen to their words: ‘mortal’—how dismissive!

“And who exactly do you think you are?” Jane Foster, furious, sat up and shot back.

“I am Odin, King of the Gods, Protector of the Nine Realms!”

“Oh, so you’re Thor’s father? Now I finally understand where Thor’s arrogance comes from—he inherited it from you, the King of the Gods.”

Jane Foster would not remain indifferent as in the original storyline. First, Thor hadn’t demonstrated any invincibility; on Earth, everyone knew that Iron Man, Hulk, and the Thunder Knight could stand against him. Second, her mentor was a special member of the Illuminati—she had powerful backers!

If it really came down to a fight, Odin might not even be able to handle Earth’s heroes!

“Insolence!” Odin slammed his staff on the ground, thunder crackling. “Are you questioning me, mortal?”

“Father, please calm down.” Seeing his girlfriend about to clash with his father, Thor hurried to smooth things over. “Father, I brought Jane to Asgard because her illness stems from our own negligence.”

“Negligence? What do you mean?” Odin frowned ever so slightly. Asgard had always seen Earth as a vassal—could they really have done something significant?

“The substance she absorbed by accident is a trophy Grandfather sealed on Earth—the Aether!”

At those words, Odin fell silent for a long time, his face shifting through a storm of emotions. At last, he gave a brusque command: “Guards, take Miss Foster to rest. Thor, come with me!”

What followed proceeded much as it did in the original story.

Because of the Aether, Odin wanted to kill Jane Foster and extract the Aether for sealing, but Thor stood in his way. Then, the sudden attack of the Dark Elves on Asgard occurred, the Queen was killed, Odin fell into a coma, and Asgard was sealed off. In the end, Thor was forced to release Loki, hoping that Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, would extract the Aether himself.

Meanwhile, on Earth, following Selvig’s prophecy, the Illuminati officially warned every nation of the impending catastrophe caused by the Convergence, citing unusual spatial fluctuations.

Earth. New York. Illuminati Headquarters.

Rhodey: “What do we do now? The British authorities don’t believe a word we say; they’ve expelled us from the country. We can’t even get through the door—what if the Dark Elves break out?”

Unlike the last time, when an alien invasion had already started, this early warning failed to attract the attention of the world’s governments. In fact, Britain had expelled every member of the Illuminati.

With the Convergence drawing near and such a unique situation approaching, how could Rhodey, a soldier, not be anxious?

But, true to the Illuminati’s core principles, they would never directly oppose any national government.