{Chapter: 161 - You Can Send the Bills My Way}
"I'll return to Asgard and speak to the All-Father personally about this matter," Thor said, his voice rumbling like distant thunder, heavy with both duty and empathy. "If you ever find the time, you are welcome to come to Asgard. The halls of Valaskjalf remember your steps." He paused, then added with a small, rare smile, "Also… Sif asks about you often. She's had Heimdall watch the Bifrost for any glimpse of you."
Aiden blinked at that, a strange mixture of fondness and unease flickering across his face. Before he could say anything, Thor raised Mjölnir and with a defiant cry, summoned the Bifrost. A blinding pillar of prismatic light engulfed him, and in an instant, the God of Thunder was gone—leaving behind only a crackle of residual energy and the faint scent of ozone.
The moment Thor vanished, Elliott let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The tension melted from his shoulders, and for the first time in what felt like hours, his posture relaxed. Aiden, however, was already looking skyward.
A deep, mechanical rumble filled the air, growing louder with every passing second. Over the horizon, cutting through the clouds like a leviathan of the sky, came the unmistakable bulk of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier—its massive turbines thrumming like a war drum. Beneath it, a Quinjet disengaged and swooped down with military precision, its VTOL thrusters flaring as it landed in the clearing.
The hatch opened with a hydraulic hiss, and out stepped Director Nick Fury.
Clad in his trademark long black trench coat, his presence alone brought a wave of unease. One eye hidden beneath the patch, the other scanning the battlefield with cold precision, Fury moved like a man who didn't need to ask permission—because he already knew the answers.
"What the hell happened here?" he asked, his voice calm, but with an undertone of command that demanded immediate answers.
Aiden didn't even bother to hide his irritation. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "You're the one who greenlit this mission, and you're acting like you walked in on a birthday surprise."
Nick ignored the jab—for now. His eye scanned the assembled group, noting the scorched earth, the rubble-strewn buildings, and the lingering arcane energy still crackling faintly in the air.
Then his brow furrowed.
"Where's Stark?"
That single question immediately killed any levity.
Steve Rogers, ever the first to take responsibility, stepped forward, his face shadowed by guilt. "We… we didn't realize until just now. When Thor and Elliott started fighting, we were forced onto the rooftop. The structure gave out during the clash, and Aiden got us all to safety."
"But not all of us," Natasha said quietly, eyes narrowing. "Tony was still up there."
A moment of silence passed. Then—
"Oh god…" Steve whispered, paling.
"Damn it!" Clint Barton cursed and bolted toward the ruins, scrambling over concrete and rebar. "Tony! TONY!"
Natasha's gaze slid to Aiden, a sharp glint in her eyes that only someone like her could wield. "You knew," she said, her voice low but cutting. "You deliberately left him."
Aiden didn't deny it. Instead, a lazy grin played across his lips.
"He's a billionaire genius in an armored suit with a mouth that never stops. I figured he'd make it," Aiden said, half-shrugging. "Besides, he owed me money. Petty man."
Natasha raised an eyebrow and tried to hide the smirk tugging at her lips. The thought of Pepper finding out was amusing enough in itself. "She's going to love you if she heard this, right?"
Aiden chuckled, folding his arms. "Wouldn't be the first woman to try."
Just then, Nick Fury stepped closer, boots crunching on the broken concrete. His expression was unreadable.
"I'm going to need those knives," he said, nodding toward the twin blades now sheathed at Aiden's side. "They're too dangerous to be left out in the wild. If they fall into the wrong hands…"
Aiden's smile didn't waver. "Do you think that's even an option?"
Nick didn't blink. "No. I figured you'd say that."
"Then why ask?"
"Courtesy," Fury replied dryly. "It's not my strongest trait, but I try."
The tension between them was like a coiled spring, but neither made a move. Finally, Nick exhaled slowly and nodded once. "Fine. Keep the knives—for now. But they stay on our radar."
"Good luck tracking them," Aiden replied with a smirk.
Fury's gaze shifted to Elliott, and the change in tone was immediate.
"What about him?" Fury asked. "An Asgardian living on Earth, undetected. A blacksmith capable of forging weapons that rival what Stark's tech can do—and possibly with knowledge that predates Odin's conquest of the Nine Realms?"
"You want to recruit him?" Aiden asked, voice touched with amusement.
"I want to secure the safety of the planet," Fury shot back. "And if that means bringing in every wildcard we find, so be it. This man destroyed a city. I don't care what his reasons were—we need to keep an eye on him. SHIELD needs to bring him in."
Aiden's amusement vanished.
"Why?" he asked, his voice now quiet, dangerous.
Fury didn't hesitate. "Because I can't afford another uncontrolled god-level threat roaming around Earth. Loki was enough. Magneto nearly tore cities apart. We've been lucky—too lucky. I'm not counting on luck again."
Aiden took a slow step forward. "You misunderstood me. I didn't mean, 'Why do you want him?' I meant—'Why do you think I'd let you take him?'"
Fury's posture straightened. "I'm not asking for your permission."
"No, you're not," Aiden agreed. "But you should be asking yourself why Thor—God of Thunder, son of Odin—left empty-handed. You think you can do what he couldn't?"
The words weren't a threat. There was no menace in his tone. Just unshakable certainty.
Fury clenched his jaw, but said nothing. The surrounding Avengers stood still—Steve's brow furrowed, Clint digging through rubble, Natasha watching everything like a chess player mid-match. With a smirk on her as she likes this side of him being the dominant In front of probably the only man in the world who could launch a nuke without getting on the line.
After a beat, Aiden relaxed slightly and added, "I don't want a fight, Fury. But make no mistake… I'll end one if it starts. And Elliott stays with me."
Fury exhaled through his nose, frustrated but wise enough to read the room. He turned slightly, giving Elliott one more long look before pulling back.
"This isn't over," he said.
"Nothing ever is," Aiden replied.
Natasha looked at Aiden and muttered, "Still think you were funny leaving him up there?"
Aiden smirked. "Well… now I do."
"But…" Nick Fury's single eye narrowed beneath his brow as he tried to speak, his voice tinged with authority, suspicion, and that sharp edge only Fury could pull off.
Aiden, however, raised a hand calmly, cutting him off without hesitation. "Unless Elliott himself agrees to go with you, I won't allow anyone—anyone—to take him away. Not Thor, not SHIELD, not even the World Security Council."
His words echoed with an unshakable certainty. The air seemed to still around them for a moment. Even the distant rumble of the SHIELD helicarrier engines quieted in their ears.
Fury's lips thinned. He didn't like being defied—least of all so openly—but he wasn't a fool. He didn't miss what Aiden implied. The fact that even Thor had backed off… and now here stood this man, unaffected, unfazed, smiling as if it were all beneath him.
"…The real reason you want him is because of his craftsmanship, right?" Aiden asked, tilting his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
Caught off guard, Nick didn't immediately respond.
Aiden smiled faintly. "You don't really care about accountability or justice. You care about what he can make. The knives were just the tip of the iceberg for you. And while I get that—it's practical thinking—I'm not in the habit of handing people over like assets."
Fury was silent.
"I should say," Aiden continued, his voice turning just a bit sharper, "this whole disaster wasn't exactly a solo act. You did send agents to track him down without considering the consequences. If your agents hadn't spooked him—if you hadn't spurred him into panic—maybe he wouldn't have touched those knives at all. And if he hadn't…" He gestured subtly toward the ruined skyline. "…Well, I doubt we'd be standing in the middle of a disaster zone."
Nick winced inwardly, but Aiden wasn't finished.
"Of course, he did destroy part of the city in a panic, so…" Aiden shrugged with a smirk. "You can send the bill to me."
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? The cost could be more than a few million."
"Send it. I'll have enough money," Aiden said smoothly, flashing a grin. "Or I'll find a way. The knives were worth every cent."
Just then, Steve Rogers' voice rang out in the distance.
"Aiden! We could use some help over here!"
Aiden turned slightly, his posture relaxed. He didn't move right away.
Seeing the stalemate, Nick finally sighed and gave a slow nod. "Fine. I'll send the bill. But don't say I didn't try diplomacy."
With that, Aiden gave him a playful salute, then turned and strolled toward Steve.
Elliott hurried after him, his steps uncertain but full of trust. It was clear to everyone watching that he'd made his decision—no one else could protect him now. Only Aiden.
Nick sighed again and turned to Natasha. "Well? Got any clever ideas?"
Natasha tilted her head, a teasing smirk dancing on her lips. "Don't look at me. I'm just a woman in love—with complications. He's got more women than Stark has suits, and I'm just one of them."
Nick gave her a sidelong look. "You're okay with that?"
"I'm not okay with it," she said, eyes lingering on Aiden as he walked away. "But I'm not leaving him either."
For a moment, Fury saw something rare in Natasha's expression—a softness, a vulnerability. It passed quickly, replaced by her usual mask of composure. But it was there.
Suddenly, a loud crack split the air. A steel hand punched up from the rubble.
"Ugh… never again…" came Tony Stark's groan as he climbed out from the wreckage, suit battered but intact. His arc reactor flickered slightly, but the man was alive—though clearly annoyed. Dust clung to his goatee, and his face looked like he'd just crawled out of a rock concert gone wrong.
He held the silver fear-absorbing knife in his hand, its dull glow humming ominously.
"You're late," Clint muttered, helping Tony up.
Tony rubbed his back. "I feel like I just got thrown into a blender and spat out of a moon crater."
"You did," Steve replied dryly.
Tony looked at the knife, sighed, and muttered, "Alright, let's soak up all this trauma." He pressed the blade to his chest, and with a deep exhale, the fear melted away, drawn into the knife's core.
"Since the chaos is finally over," Tony added, dusting off his suit, "I'll take my leave. But Steve—remember what I told you. You ever need help, you call me. Doesn't matter what or when."
Before anyone could reply, a field of energy surrounded him and Elliott. With a whine of power and a sudden burst of wind, they were airborne—vanishing into the clouds above at supersonic speed.
The SHIELD crew stared upward, then collectively sighed.
"Well," Clint muttered, "that's one way to beat traffic."
The dust hadn't even settled yet, but the aftermath cleanup would go to SHIELD, as always. Damage Control, media cover-up, and inevitable paperwork.
---
Later That Evening – In Flight
The stars shimmered outside the small hovering craft, a sleek interstellar vehicle that hummed gently through the air. The city's glow had long vanished beneath the clouds.
Aiden hovered beside Elliott in the cockpit, both men silent as they stared into the distance.
"What's your plan now?" Aiden asked, voice low.
Elliott remained quiet for a few seconds before answering. "Can I… follow you for the time being?"
Aiden didn't answer immediately. He looked over at Elliott, reading his face. "You sure? I'm not exactly living a peaceful life. Following me means throwing away any dreams of luxury, of leisure… of chasing young girls in the sunshine. There'll be battles, sleepless nights, and blood. Lots of blood."
Elliott chuckled softly, his smile tinged with melancholy. "I've lived easy for too long. And right now, you're the only person I trust. Following you might mean losing comfort… but not following you might mean losing my life."
Aiden nodded slowly. "Alright. But I won't keep you chained to my side. I'll take you somewhere secure. A place no one can reach you without my say-so."
Elliott raised an eyebrow. "What is this place?"
"My sanctuary," Aiden replied. "You'll be safe there. And with your skills, you'll have tools and space to work on new weapons—maybe even something better than those you like."