"Astrology? You can read the future by looking at a palm?" Alex's casual remark made Thor's eyes flicker with curiosity.
If anyone else had said this, Thor would have laughed it off. But after fighting shoulder to shoulder with Alex, he knew better than to doubt him outright.
After all, Alex did have all sorts of baffling tricks up his sleeve. If he really claimed to know astrology—well, who was Thor to say it was impossible?
"So, you really have that kind of power? No wonder you set up that trap at Stark Tower so early, and grabbed Loki's scepter in advance…" Tony, standing beside them, couldn't help but let out a low chuckle of realization.
It dawned on him all at once—Alex's uncanny foresight wasn't just luck or gut instinct. He'd planned every move in advance for a reason.
"He really knows astrology…" Loki, bound securely not far away, narrowed his eyes at Alex, an uneasy glint flickering across his face.
Seems I'll have to be even more wary of this Alex in the future.
While the others whispered and speculated, Tony's words only made Thor more convinced. After a moment's thought, he simply lifted his sturdy palm and held it out to Alex without hesitation.
"Asgard's prince, heir chosen by Odin himself… What sort of bloodline secrets lie here?" Alex stared at Thor's big, calloused hand, a spark of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
Outwardly calm, Alex clasped Thor's palm with both hands, bowed his head, and pretended to study the lines intently.
Ding. Removable storage device detected!
The moment his skin touched Thor's, that familiar icy prompt popped up in Alex's mind. Without missing a beat, Alex mentally dove straight into Thor's C drive.
What he found made him suck in a sharp breath. He'd guessed it might be vast—but seeing it for himself was something else entirely.
Thor's C drive showed 1000GB already in use. But the real kicker? A staggering 1500GB still free!
"A total capacity of 2500GB? So this is what it means to be an Asgardian god…" Alex gaped, dumbstruck for a second at the sheer scale of divine data.
"What is it? Does my future look dire?" Thor asked, his brows knitting together at Alex's startled expression.
"It's fine, it's fine—let me take a closer look…" Alex muttered vaguely, pretending to trace the lines of Thor's palm as he slipped deeper into the file system.
Inside the used storage, countless chaotic files were scattered like digital debris. The cluttered cache alone was enough to make one's head spin.
But after four or five tense minutes, Alex finally pinpointed the file he was after—The Bloodline of the Asgardian Gods.
"Found it!" His eyes gleamed. Without wasting a second, he checked the file's size.
"55GB?!" The number made Alex's pulse race. He tightened his grip on Thor's hand, mind whirring at what this could mean.
Magneto's genes only took up a 10GB file, but Thor's bloodline was a staggering 55GB?
Well, considering Thor's outrageously sturdy body and his near-immortal lifespan, it made sense that his bloodline file would be this massive. Still, Alex couldn't help but glance back at his own C drive.
After days of intense training, Alex's total capacity had grown to 107GB. His system cache alone hogged 40GB, while Magneto's genes sat comfortably at 10GB. That left him with just 57GB free.
He looked at that remaining 57GB… then back at the 55GB Asgardian file. Sure, he could copy it—but if he did, wouldn't he be left with a measly 2GB of space?
Wouldn't that basically be inviting death?
What'll happen if I copy it? Alex wondered, his eyes narrowing. Will I really be stuck with only 2GB left… or will the divine bloodline kick in immediately and expand my storage to over 2000GB, like Thor's?
It felt like standing at the edge of a rickety plank bridge, swaying high above a bottomless gorge. Theoretically, crossing it was fine—just don't slip. But staring down at that abyss, who wouldn't hesitate?
Strength or survival—this was the bet staring him in the face.
But Alex wasn't one to linger in fear for long. In a single breath, he clenched his jaw and made up his mind.
So far, every file he'd copied—whether Magneto's genes, stolen skills, or hard-won knowledge—had taken effect instantly. By that logic, the bloodline of Asgard should be no different.
It's now or never.
He forced himself not to think about the 2GB cliff edge any longer. Steeling his resolve, Alex hit Copy on the Bloodline of the Asgardian Gods—then Paste straight into his C drive.
Of course, shifting 55GB wouldn't happen in the blink of an eye. And with all the Avengers watching him, Alex needed a cover.
Luckily, once the transfer bar appeared, it ran on its own. So Alex simply lowered his head again, pretending to pore over Thor's palm, while his thoughts wandered deep into the Marvel Universe he knew so well.
"Thor," Alex said slowly, his voice dropping low, "I see… that in the near future, maybe just a few years from now, your father—Odin, the All-Father—will fall…"
"What!?" Thor's booming voice cracked the hush like thunder. "That's impossible!" His face went pale, eyes wide in disbelief.
Even Loki, chained up nearby, stiffened at the revelation, his expression flickering between shock and something more tangled.
"Don't get worked up yet, Thor. Let me finish reading everything carefully…" Alex said quickly, seeing how Thor's expression had darkened like an approaching storm cloud. The last thing he wanted was for Thor to yank his hand away now.
Thor wasn't some impulsive kid anymore—though Alex's words rattled him enough to make him want to sprint back to Asgard immediately. Still, with a deep breath and a clenched jaw, Thor forced himself to calm the raging thoughts in his mind.
Alex lowered his head again, the weight of what he knew pressing down on him. Honestly, he wished he could conjure up some hopeful lie, something to ease Thor's heart.
But when he sifted through everything he remembered about Thor's story… there really wasn't much good news to be found.
His mother—gone. His father—gone. His beloved hammer, shattered by his own sister. Asgard itself, wiped off the map. He'd led his people through the stars, searching for a new home, only to cross paths with Thanos. Then his brother fell. His loyal friend Heimdall fell. Almost all the Asgardians—gone, dust scattered through endless space…
Is he fated to be a king with no stars left to guard?
Alex's eyes dimmed a little as these memories played out in his mind, one grim moment after another. A wry sigh slipped through his thoughts.
I wish I had something better to tell him, Alex thought, his heart heavy. But the future, as he'd seen it, offered no easy comfort for the God of Thunder.