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*****
"Ahhhh!"
Thanos screamed in agony.
The intense heat of the heat vision was becoming unbearable, even for him.
He took a deep breath, gathered every last bit of his strength, and pushed himself up from the ground. His legs kicked off the surface, leaving a shallow, cracked crater behind. Bracing himself against the scorching heat vision, he shot upwards, flying directly toward Mike, who hovered above.
Seeing this, Mike was somewhat surprised. With a flash in his eyes, the heat vision vanished. He tilted his body slightly to the side, deftly dodging Thanos's attack, and countered with a powerful kick that landed squarely on Thanos's chest.
"Swoosh!"
Thanos was sent flying horizontally, slamming heavily into the bulkhead of the massive spaceship.
Mike followed immediately after, fiercely grabbing Thanos's head and slamming it against the wall.
Bang!
A dent, perfectly shaped like a face, appeared in the metal bulkhead. Mike continued his momentum, dragging Thanos's head as he moved, grinding it savagely against the wall for several dozen meters.
Cosmic energy erupted from Thanos's body once again, blasting Mike backward. But before Thanos could make any further moves, Mike was upon him again, striking him and sending him flying once more.
Following that, Mike moved like he was relentlessly pursuing a ball that had been tossed into the air. He delivered punch after punch, repeatedly blasting Thanos away. Then, he silently appeared behind the Titan and, ignoring Thanos's enraged roar, hurled him out of the ship.
Swoosh!
Thanos plummeted like a meteorite, hurtling straight toward the ground below.
To be more accurate, he was hurtling straight toward Odin.
"How petty."
Odin muttered under his breath. The Odinforce surged, flowing into his spear, Gungnir. He leaped lightly into the air, aiming down at the falling Thanos, and thrust the spear downward with all his might.
"No!"
Thanos roared in defiance, but he could only watch helplessly as the spear—shining like a star yet striking like lightning—pierced straight through his chest, impaling his heart.
The light in Thanos's eyes faded rapidly. As Odin withdrew the spear, the Mad Titan's body fell limply from the sky.
Looking down at Thanos's corpse, a strange expression flickered across Mike's face.
It's over... just like that? Thanos is dead, just like that?
He descended from the sky, flying over to Odin's side. "Nice work!" he said.
Odin: "..."
"You also did well," Odin managed to reply, squeezing the words out. "Let's go."
"Wait!"
Mike stared at Thanos's body, rubbing his chin in thought. His eyes flashed, and two precise beams of heat vision shot out, landing on Thanos's corpse and incinerating it completely, reducing it to mere ash.
Odin looked at Mike, speechless. "Was that really necessary?"
Thanos was already dead. Of that, Odin was absolutely certain.
"Of course it was!" Mike said with conviction.
He scanned the widespread wreckage around them and, after a moment of contemplation, his heat vision began to blaze. His gaze swept across the area, frantically destroying everything in sight.
Amidst the sounds of explosions, Mike vanished from his spot. He began to systematically and frantically destroy the enormous spaceship. After successfully detonating the ship's power core and its entire weapons arsenal, he reappeared at Odin's side.
Boom! Boom!
Surrounded by the deafening explosions and the billowing, rising flames, Mike suddenly materialized next to the All-Father.
"Okay, now we can go."
Odin lightly tapped the butt of Gungnir on the deck. He activated the Odinforce, and the two of them were enveloped in energy, teleporting away.
As a pillar of light shot upward and quickly vanished, Thanos's mothership erupted in a final, catastrophic explosion in the vacuum of space, becoming nothing more than scattered cosmic debris.
A few moments later, everything returned to tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.
Suddenly, a single point of darkness—a black deeper and more profound than the void itself—materialized above the wreckage. It began to rotate slowly, like a miniature black hole. It seemed to absorb something from the void. This lasted for several seconds before the anomaly vanished once more.
This time, the silence was truly, completely absolute.
...
Asgard.
When Mike reappeared, he was already standing on Asgardian soil, materializing within the transport chamber of the Rainbow Bridge.
This was technically his second time visiting Asgard, but during his first visit, he hadn't even stepped out of the transport room.
Although Mike possessed the ability to travel to Asgard whenever he pleased, how could that possibly compare to the prestige of being personally escorted here by Odin himself?
"Your Majesty."
Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, stood clad in his brilliant golden armor. He offered Odin a respectful bow before turning to Mike. "We meet again, my lord."
"Just call me by my name," Mike said with an easy smile.
Heimdall nodded. "Very well, Lord Kent."
"Let's go," Odin said, leading Mike out of the transport chamber and onto the shimmering expanse of the Rainbow Bridge.
Mike followed Odin, gazing at the magnificent city of Asgard in the distance. He almost unconsciously activated his super-vision to take it all in.
And so, as he admired the breathtaking scenery and listened to Odin's brief, sporadic commentary, he couldn't help but feel exactly like a tourist being led around by a tour guide.
They crossed the Rainbow Bridge and entered the city proper. Under the curious and respectful gazes of the Asgardian people, they passed through the crowds, crossed the main square, and walked the grand avenues, finally arriving at the central palace.
Mike looked upon the Golden Palace, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.
Odin gave a faint smile. "Follow me. We have another guest arriving shortly."
"A guest?"
Mike raised his eyebrows, a look of mild surprise on his face.
For Odin to personally refer to someone as a 'guest'...
An image of a specific person involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
He followed Odin to his private study. Upon entering, Mike raised his eyebrows again; the room was vast, looking more like a grand library than a simple office.
Odin said, "Feel free to look at any of the books here. We still need to wait a moment for that person to arrive."
"Is it the Ancient One?" Mike asked casually.
"You know her?" Odin looked at Mike, clearly surprised.
Mike nodded. "We've met twice."
He immediately recalled their last encounter—the time he had unceremoniously dumped Blackheart onto the doorstep of Kamar-Taj. Mike fell silent for a moment.
When I see the Ancient One in a bit, she isn't going to knock my soul straight out of my body, is she?
He muttered the thought inwardly. Noticing Odin's curious gaze fixed on him, Mike gave a slight cough, walked over to a bookshelf, randomly plucked a volume from it, and put on a show of reading it.
A moment later, a portal of swirling, golden sparks opened in the middle of Odin's study.
In the next second, a bald figure wearing black mage robes and holding a small, delicate fan appeared before Mike and Odin.
It was the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One.
"Odin."
She first nodded a greeting to Odin, then turned her gaze to Mike. Her face held an ambiguous expression, somewhere between a smile and a smirk. "Mr. Mike Kent," she said, "that... 'gift' you sent me last time... I... liked it very much."
Mike replied with a perfectly straight and serious face, "You're welcome. If you liked it, I'll be sure to send some more next time."
The small fan in the Ancient One's hand, which had been waving gently, paused for a fraction of a second. She looked at Mike and said, "Perhaps... I should also send you a few gifts next time."
Oh, man!
That's a threat! That is definitely a threat!
"Haha!" Mike let out a laugh. He placed the book he was holding back on the shelf, turned to the Ancient One, and spread his arms wide. "We're old friends! There's no need for us to be so polite with each other!"
The Ancient One used her small fan to lightly tap Mike on the chest. She smiled sweetly. "Since we are such old friends, the next time I have a matter to trouble you with, I certainly won't be polite."
As she finished speaking, the Ancient One lightly tapped Mike's shoulder and gave him a knowing wink. "Wouldn't you agree, old friend?"
Mike: "..."
"Hahaha!"
Odin couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, feeling an immense sense of secret satisfaction.
This damned Mike Kent! Finally, there's someone who can put him in his place!
"Alright, alright! Let's get down to business," Mike said, flashing a helpless smile.
The three of them sat down together. The smiles remained on their faces, but they were now tinged with a trace of solemnity.
"I suggest we form an alliance," Odin began, breaking the silence after a few moments. "A team, similar to the one on Earth... the Avengers."
The universe was becoming increasingly dangerous, and it was beginning to put pressure even on him.
The Ancient One nodded. "When you contacted me about this earlier, I already gave it consideration. I have no objections."
She paused, then turned her gaze back to Mike, her lips curved in that elegant, unflappable smile. "What do you think... old friend?"
"It's fine by me," Mike replied. He then looked at the two of them. "Did you two discover something?"
"No," Odin said, "but I do feel a growing sense of urgency. Perhaps... you discovered something?" He directed the question to the Ancient One.
The Ancient One merely smiled. "The future is volatile and unfixed. It is often best to let nature take its course. If one deliberately acts to influence the future, it is entirely possible that something even worse may come to pass."
Odin and Mike both nodded in understanding.
"So, uh... what are we going to call our team?" Mike couldn't help but ask.
The other two fell silent. They genuinely hadn't thought about that part.
Odin spoke first: "How about... 'Asgard'?"
Mike and the Ancient One both let out a cold sneer.
This old fellow is truly shameless.
"If that's the case, we might as well call it 'Kamar-Taj'," the Ancient One replied, smiling as she lightly waved her fan.
Hey! You're just as bad!
Mike's gaze followed Odin's, and together they shot a look of shared disdain toward the Ancient One.
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed slightly. "What is the meaning of that look from you two?"
"No meaning at all," they both replied, hurriedly shaking their heads.
The Ancient One snapped her fan shut and tapped it decisively against her palm. "Then it's settled!"
"Absolutely not!" Odin shouted. "If we're called that, anyone who doesn't know better will assume we're all just members of Kamar-Taj!"
"Then what do you suggest we call it?"
Odin's expression turned serious, and a veritable cascade of names spilled from his mouth.
"The Protectors... The Nine Realms Alliance... Askaken... The Cosmos Brigade..."
Listening to the endless stream of names popping out of Odin's mouth, the corners of both Mike's and the Ancient One's mouths began to twitch.
You old coot, just how long have you been preparing for this? How did you come up with so many names!
"Stop!" the Ancient One interrupted, pressing her fingers to her temples. "They are all so terrible. How did you even manage to think of them?"
Good grief, Mike thought, is her criticism always this brutally accurate?
"Then you think of one!" Odin shot back, clearly displeased.
The Ancient One turned her head to look at Mike. "Old friend, what name do you think we should use?"
She smiled, appearing remarkably confident that whatever name Mike suggested would instantly gain both her and Odin's approval.
Mike rubbed his chin for a moment. "How about... the 'Skyfather Council'?"
"That's a good name."
The Ancient One immediately expressed her approval. Just as Odin opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off. "That's two against one. You have no right to speak."
Odin paused. "Uh... what I meant to say was, I also approve."
And just like that, the Skyfather Council was established.
To celebrate its founding, the Ancient One contributed a pot of tea.
After the three of them finished their tea, they promptly parted ways, each heading in their own direction.
The entire affair had been incredibly casual, almost as if three elderly acquaintances had simply met up for tea and happened to discuss a few things while they were at it.
But in reality, the Skyfather Council was, as of that moment, the single most powerful team in existence.
Though they were only three people, they respectively represented the full might of Asgard, Kamar-Taj, and Planet Kent.
Mike hitched a ride through one of the Ancient One's portals, which deposited him on the rooftop of the New York Sanctum. He looked around at the furnishings: a rocking chair, a small coffee table, a few other chairs, and several green potted plants...
Is this a standard retirement wellness package?
"Care for a cup?" The Ancient One gestured to the teapot on the coffee table.
"No thanks, I really have to get back. I've been out for a while now."
He had left in such a hurry this time that he hadn't even had a chance to tell Raven.
"Then, until next time," the Ancient One said with a slight smile.
Mike took to the air, flying straight up and passing through the complex magical barrier that kept the Sanctum camouflaged. Once he was clear of the New York Sanctum's perimeter, he made a quick call to Raven to let her know he was safe. Then, he swung by a store to buy some groceries before finally heading home.
Right now, it was just the two of them at the house.
Gwen had gone to visit Planet Kent. Clark and Hope were living together in San Francisco. Charles was also busy handling matters related to Planet Kent. As for Erik, he was dealing with some Ravager business and probably wouldn't be back for at least a few more days.
Speaking of which, Christmas was in just two days. He wondered if any of the kids would be able to make it back in time.
"The kids... they've all grown up."
He let out a soft sigh, but a smile quickly spread across his face.
Fortunately, I didn't manage to raise any of them the wrong way.
Mike descended from the sky, landing lightly in front of his own house. He opened the door, and the sight of Raven quickly walking toward the entryway made his heart fill with warmth.
"Where on earth did you go?" Raven asked, her voice laced with concern. When she saw that Mike was unharmed, she quietly let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"I just had to go out for a bit," Mike said as he closed the door. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Raven's forehead. "I had to handle a few things. It was about Erik."
"Erik? Isn't he traveling?"
"He is."
Mike replied as he walked into the kitchen. Raven followed him, taking the bags of groceries from his hands. She began to help him wash the vegetables as they started chatting about Erik.
"That kid, Erik, you won't believe it. He was..."
As Mike recounted Erik's adventures, Raven would occasionally let out bright laughter or a gasp of surprise, and every so often, she would playfully tap Mike with the vegetables she was holding.
"Ouch!"
Suddenly, Raven let out a small cry.
"What's wrong?" Mike's brow furrowed instantly. He asked in a nervous voice as he activated his super-vision.
Raven merely smiled. She rubbed her belly gently and said in a soft voice, "He's just being mischievous."
"When he comes out, I'm going to spank his butt first!"
"Don't talk such nonsense!" Raven swatted Mike's arm, reprimanding him playfully. "The baby can hear you, you know."
"Oh." Mike rubbed the back of his head, grinning foolishly. "No experience."
He was already the father of four children, but when it came to the actual pregnancy part, he truly had no experience whatsoever.
"Pfft!"
Raven couldn't help but chuckle. She took Mike's hand and pressed it firmly against her stomach.
A faint, but distinct, force pushed against Mike's palm.
Mike froze for a moment. Using his vision, he watched the little one kicking its leg inside her belly, and a wide, unconscious smile spread across his face.
This feeling... it was really nice.
...
Avengers Tower.
In Tony Stark's personal lab, Tony was lying flat on a metal bed. He looked over at Bruce Banner, who was standing nearby. "You can start," he said.
Bruce Banner hesitated. "Are you absolutely sure you want to inject the Extremis virus?"
"Yes." Tony gave a bitter smile. "Look, I have a lot of confidence in my suits, and I'm constantly developing new tech, but... when I'm facing certain unpredictable situations, even the Iron Man armor can't always protect me properly."
He was thinking, for example, of the Battle of New York. The moment he'd run into that Kryptonian and had almost been killed by a single punch.
"This stuff is just... it's just an insurance policy I'm making for myself. Besides, I've already modified it. There won't be any problems."
Tony patted his own arm reassuringly. "Go ahead. Inject it."
(End of Chapter)