"Welcome home."
At the pinnacle of Umbrella Corporation's spire-like structure, Sean stood before the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the towering skyscrapers and the undulating expanse of dense forests below...
"This trip was quite enjoyable." Standing behind the young man, Jean wore a gentle smile.
She had just returned to Earth from Asgard and had come to meet with Sean as soon as possible.
"Odin is keen on establishing communication with Earth, preferably forming an alliance. I believe it won't be long before his eldest son, the future heir to the throne, Thor, descends upon us." she said.
Sean showed little surprise at this news. He stretched out his arms and pulled the stunning woman in red close, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair.
Through his deliberate manipulations, Asgard had become the primary battleground for the Chitauri invasion. Thanos had arrived ahead of schedule, dealing a devastating blow to the realm of the gods.
Odin, the All-Father, had suffered grievous wounds, and Queen Frigga had tragically perished. Asgard's strength had plummeted, and were it not for the millennia of accumulated power and prestige, the realm might not have been able to retain its position as the sovereign of the Nine Realms...
Thanos would inevitably return with his Black Order... this was an indisputable fact. The last time, due to either arrogance or carelessness, the cosmic tyrant had suffered a crushing defeat, forced to retreat in humiliation.
But when he returns in full force, determined to conquer the Nine Realms, neither Earth nor Asgard would find it so easy to repel him.
Odin, the King of Asgard, understood the gravity of the impending crisis all too well.
He was aged and no longer capable of standing against Thanos at the peak of his power. His eldest son, Thor, had yet to fully mature. The storm was coming, and the future looked bleak.
"This is exactly what I wanted; to use Asgard as a stepping stone for Earth's first steps into the cosmos." Sean reclined on the plush sofa, while Jean nestled against him like a languid Persian cat.
"Odin is no fool. During my stay in Asgard, I spoke with the former mightiest warrior of the Nine Realms. Even in his old age with his divine power waning, he still possesses a keen eye for wisdom." Jean spoke softly, reminding him.
The cataclysmic battle between the Sentinel and Thanos had unleashed violent energy tides that shattered the Bifrost, which left her stranded in Asgard.
Odin, well aware of the terrifying potential of the Phoenix Force, had treated Jean with the utmost courtesy and respect during her stay. Through this, she had gained deeper insight into the mythical kingdom that had once dominated the galaxy.
Though Asgard had suffered a calamity, and its once-mighty armies decimated by the Chitauri and the Black Order, Earth's civilization still had a long and arduous path ahead if it hoped to surpass the realm of the gods.
Moreover, though seemingly frail, Odin still wielded immense authority. He had long since chosen Thor as his successor, building the prince's reputation through feats of valor and battle. Even if Asgard had been wounded, it was far from collapsing.
"Odin cannot stop what is coming. The Dark Elves will soon awaken, and the imprisoned goddess of Death, Hela, will break free. Ragnarök is inevitable. Even Odin cannot avert it." Sean said, smiling faintly.
If Odin had any other choice, he would never have lowered the proud stance of the All-Father and sought cooperation with Midgard, a world once considered primitive and backward. Convincing the King of Asgard to bow his head was no easy feat.
The young man looked down at the Phoenix nestled in his arms, then asked, "How was your time in Asgard?"
He could sense that Jean's connection with the Phoenix Force had grown even stronger.
"It was enlightening. The ancient texts in Asgard's archives were invaluable. They were filled with secrets of the vast cosmos. I learned much."
The Phoenix Force was the primordial embodiment of cosmic energy. The more one understood it, the deeper the connection became. No living being could ever fully control such supreme power.
Jean sighed softly...
Asgard was a realm of tranquility. Having sat upon the throne of the Nine Realms for millennia, it had long since lost its drive for conquest, its people were content in peaceful stagnation.
Had Asgard retained the martial prowess of its golden age, it would have had no need to fear Thanos and his armies. The Valkyries would have charged forth to meet them head-on.
"The rise and fall of civilizations are inevitable. The Asgardians, blessed with lifespans of five thousand years, divine power, and magic, are the favored children of the cosmos. Their rigorously trained warriors rival Earth's super-soldiers in strength."
Sean recounted Asgard's long history in a quiet voice:
"Bor, the first King of Asgard, waged war against the Dark Elves, drove out Malekith and sealed away the Aether, cementing Asgard's dominance. A millennium later, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim sought to invade the Nine Realms, intending to plunge Earth into an eternal ice age with the Casket of Ancient Winters. Odin, then the newly crowned king, led his armies into battle against Laufey, the Frost Giant King. In that fight, Odin lost an eye to treachery, but emerged victorious at great cost."
"As the victor, the Casket was sealed away in Odin's vault, and the Frost Giants, deprived of their power source, were confined to Jotunheim. It was then that Odin discovered an abandoned Frost Giant infant... Laufey's own child which was cast aside for being too weak. The All-Father took him in and named him Loki."
Tens of thousands of years ago, the Asgardians had been the dominant force of the Nine Realms, producing visionary rulers like Bor and Odin.
"Odin left the Tesseract behind on Earth, at Tønsberg in Norway, the site of his final battle. It was later found by the Red Skull of Hydra. In truth, Asgard and Earth had frequent exchanges in ancient times, giving rise to the myths of Norse gods. But eventually, Odin chose to end his conquests, and instead focused on rebuilding his realm. Contact with Earth ceased, and Asgard took on the mantle of the Nine Realms' protector."
"I never saw any of these records in the archives. Most were tales of Bor driving out the Dark Elves or Odin defeating the Frost Giants. Glorious victories that were celebrated in songs and stories." Jean frowned slightly.
She had long grown accustomed to Sean's omniscience. The young man seemed to foresee the future and always stayed several steps ahead.
As the host of the Phoenix Force, Jean was arguably the most powerful mutant in existence. Even Professor X who traversed the seas of the mind, or Magneto, master of magnetic forces, might not be a match for a fully awakened Phoenix.
Yet occasionally, when glimpsing fragments of the river of time, she could never find Sean's presence. He was elusive and impossible to predict, like a phantom.
"History is written by the victors. Odin wished to be remembered as a benevolent ruler. Why would he record the brutal conquests that once bathed the Nine Realms in fire and blood? Just as Thor remains unaware that he has an elder sister, Hela, the goddess of Death. She was the rightful heir, acknowledged by Asgard's throne."
Sean's fingers moved deftly, like a pianist's, teasing and toying with Jean, who lay upon the sofa. A soft moan escaped her lips, her cheeks flushing faintly.
"I look forward to the day Earth strides into the cosmos."
Jean placed a hand on the young man's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the surging vitality within.
"To forge a new world with my own hands... that, to me, is the greatest achievement." Sean chuckled softly, ceasing his ministrations.
He gazed down at the warm and pliant figure in his arms, his mind gradually settling into calm.
Beneath the dim glow of stars veiled by clouds, their bodies entwined. They were inseparable and perfectly united, like water blending into milk.