Chapter 94 The Mark 6 is released
Chu Hang returned to his office in Stark Tower, his mind already filled with Ivan Vanko's design blueprints, which were brimming with violent aesthetics.
It was a technology born purely for destruction, crude and direct, yet one had to admit, incredibly creative in some aspects.
Especially his method of containing and shaping plasma energy, which gave Chu Hang some new inspiration.
Chu Hang walked into the lounge and activated the office's highest level security mode. The heavy alloy door slid down silently, cutting off everything inside and out.
He extended his hand, palm facing upwards.
A miniature, Nebula-like cosmic energy slowly emerged, emitting a soft blue light.
Immediately after, he raised his other hand, and tiny, almost invisible silver electric arcs danced on his fingertips. That was the ability to "Plasma Energy Containment and Shaping" he had just copied from Ivan, which, transformed by his own energy, had already evolved into a more advanced form.
He didn't need a keyboard, nor a control panel.
His brain was the most powerful processor, and his hands were the most precise tools.
"The energy system of the Mark5 is too fragile," he muttered to himself.
Tony's design concept was perfect, but in the path of energy transmission, he overly pursued compactness and aesthetics, leading to an unstable bottleneck in the energy circuit due to overload during extreme output.
He closed his eyes, and the complete 3D structural diagram of the Mark5 appeared in his mind.
Then, his hands began to dance in the air.
Under his control, the cosmic energy was stretched, twisted, and woven into countless energy threads thinner than hair.
And those silver electric arcs, like the most precise welding torch, re-welded and combined these energy threads at an incredible angle and structure.
A few minutes later, Chu Hang stopped his movements.
In the air before him, a complex, glowing structure made of pure energy floated.
He nodded with satisfaction, drawing several structural diagrams based on the energy structure.
After doing all this, he was as relaxed as if he had just made a cup of coffee.
He didn't do this out of kindness.
Tony Stark was his most important investment currently, and a key chess piece for countering universal threats in the future.
An Iron Man who might capsize in a ditch due to a flawed battle suit did not align with his interests.
He needed a stronger, more stable Iron Man... Malibu, the underground workshop of the Villa.
This place had become Tony Stark's personal hell.
The floor was littered with empty coffee cups and energy drink cans. Various tools and burnt circuit boards were scattered across the control panel.
"Ah! Damn it!"
Tony irritably threw the wrench in his hand; it hit the wall with a deafening clang, bounced back, and fell to the floor.
He hadn't slept much for three days.
Ever since he was "taught a lesson" by Rhodey and Chu Hang, he had locked himself in here.
He upgraded the battle suit material, optimized the flight stability system, and even added a few new gadgets.
But the most core problem remained unsolved.
Energy.
The triangular reactor in his chest could provide a continuous supply of powerful energy, but the battle suit's internal circuit couldn't withstand this extreme output.
"Jarvis, again. Simulation number 8C, power output adjusted to one hundred and twenty percent," Tony said, his voice hoarse, rubbing his throbbing temples.
"Sir, I must remind you, according to the results of the previous thirty-seven simulations, when the power exceeds one hundred and fifteen point three percent, the probability of energy circuit collapse is ninety-nine point eight percent," Jarvis reported calmly.
"I don't need you to remind me how many times I've failed! I just need you to follow orders!" Tony roared.
"Yes, Sir."
Inside the workshop, the eye lights of a brand new, more streamlined and robust red-gold battle suit lit up.
It was the Mark5.
The triangular reactor in its chest emitted a brilliant blue light, and the energy readings on the holographic screen rapidly climbed.
Eighty percent... ninety... one hundred... everything normal.
One hundred and ten... tiny blue electric arcs began to appear on the battle suit's surface, making a sizzling sound.
One hundred and fifteen... "Warning, energy circuit overload. Warning, core temperature is rising sharply," Jarvis alerted.
Tony stared intently at the screen, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Hold steady! Hold steady for me!"
One hundred and sixteen!
Bang!
With a muffled thud, the light from the Mark5's chest reactor flickered violently once, then dimmed. The electric arcs across the battle suit instantly vanished, like a toy that had lost power, standing motionless in place. A smell of burnt ozone permeated the air.
"Failure," Jarvis's voice was devoid of emotion.
"I know it failed! You don't need to tell me!"
Tony slammed his fist on the control panel, a huge sense of frustration overwhelming him like a tide.
He had hit a bottleneck.
A theoretical dead end.
He had tried every wiring scheme he could think of, revised the blueprints thousands of times, but the result was always the same.
Was this really as far as he could go?
Just as he was feeling disheartened, an email notification popped up on the control panel screen.
Sender: Anthony Chen.
Subject: Busy with your battle suit, here's a small patch.
Tony's temper flared up instantly.
It was this guy again!
And that condescending tone, treating him like a child!
With a belly full of anger, he clicked open the email.
The email content was simple, with only one encrypted attachment.
Tony snorted coldly, his fingers tapping rapidly in the air, decrypting the password in a few seconds.
A design file appeared before him.
The moment he saw the design blueprint, the anger and disdain on Tony's face froze.
His eyes widened, and his body involuntarily leaned forward, almost pressing his face against the holographic projection.
It was an energy circuit design.
But it was vastly different from his own design philosophy.
It didn't follow traditional point-to-point linear conduction, nor complex parallel or series structures. It... it was like a naturally growing living organism.
"Where did this... this guy get this from..." Tony murmured to himself.
He immediately had Jarvis load this "patch" into the Mark5's design blueprint.
"Jarvis, re-simulate! Pull the power directly to one hundred and fifty percent!"
"Sir, this is very dangerous..."
"Execute!"
"Yes, Sir."
On the holographic screen, the simulation began again.
Energy readings soared wildly, one hundred, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and forty... one hundred and fifty!
The lines representing the energy circuit on the screen remained a stable green.
Temperature normal.
Output stable.
It succeeded.
Tony stared blankly at the green "SUCCESS" on the screen, stunned for a full half-minute.
Then, he suddenly jumped up, shouting and yelling like a child in the workshop.
He succeeded! He broke through the bottleneck!
He immediately had the robotic arms begin modifying the Mark5 according to the new blueprint.
A few hours later, a brand new battle suit stood silently in the center of the workshop.
It retained the Mark5's red and gold paint scheme, but the reactor in its chest had become a more stable triangle, and its overall lines appeared fuller and more powerful due to the changes in its internal structure.
"Welcome back, buddy," Tony stroked the cold battle suit, a heartfelt smile on his face, "From today on, you'll be called... Mark6."
He picked up his phone and dialed Chu Hang's number.
"Anthony! You bastard!" Tony shouted as soon as the call connected.
"If you're calling to thank me, your method is quite unique," Chu Hang's calm voice replied.
"Thank you? Why should I thank you?" Tony retorted stubbornly, "I just wanted to tell you that I solved that little problem. I solved it myself."
"Is that so? That's good."
"However..." Tony's tone softened, "Alright, I admit, your little patch was indeed... somewhat useful. I owe you one."
He paused, then reverted to his playboy demeanor, "How about this, as a token of my gratitude, next time I go out to happy, I'll definitely call you. Just promise you won't tell Pepper."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the workshop door opened.
Pepper Potts walked in, holding a cup of coffee, a hint of worry on her face.
"Tony, you haven't been out for three days..."
Her words stopped because she clearly heard Tony's last sentence on the phone.
...don't tell Pepper.
The worry on Pepper's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, professional smile.
Tony felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up instantly.
He rigidly turned his head and saw Pepper smiling at him.
"Happy?" Pepper's voice was gentle, "That sounds like a nice name. Is it a new girl you met? Blonde or redhead?"
"No! It's not! Pepper, let me explain!" Tony's cold sweat instantly poured down.
He fumbled to hang up the phone, waving his hands frantically at Pepper.
"Happy is a place! Yes, a place! A newly opened... uh... jazz bar! Very high-end! Members only! I went there to... to conduct business negotiations! Yes, business negotiations!"
Pepper's smile became even more "gentle"; she placed the coffee heavily on the table with a thud.
"Is that so? Then next time, take me with you to 'negotiate.'"
With that, she turned and walked away in her high heels, without looking back.
Tony Stark, the superhero who had just solved the battle suit's biggest technical challenge, now stood frozen in place like a child who had done something wrong, wanting to cry but unable to.
He felt that he might have just solved a problem in physics, only to crash headfirst into another predicament in the realm of metaphysics.
Chapter 95 Thor, the Hammer God! [Bonus Chapter]
The closing ceremony of the Stark Expo ultimately turned into a fireworks display.
Ivan Vanko's drone army appeared on schedule, and War Machine was also hacked, with his guns pointed at Tony Stark. The scene was chaotic, but the outcome was pretty much as Chu Hang expected.
Natasha used the back door password he provided to reboot War Machine. Tony and Rhodey, the two metal suits, teamed up to take down Ivan Vanko, who was wearing his final armor suit. Ivan tried to take everyone down with him, activating a self-destruct sequence, but he was also dealt with.
Hammer Industries went bankrupt, and Justin Hammerwent to prison. Stark Industries' stock price dipped momentarily, but quickly rebounded, even higher than before.
A few more zeros appeared in Chu Hang's bank account.
He sat in his office, the New York nightscape visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The news was playing on TV, showing Tony and Rhodey happily receiving medals in Congress.
Everything was unfolding according to the script he had written.
Just then, his private phone rang. Encrypted line, the screen showed a one-eyed skull.
"Fury, I remember we agreed, don't bother me unless it's important," Chu Hang answered the phone, his voice calm.
"Something's happened," Nick Fury's voice on the other end was tired, carrying a barely suppressed anger. "Something fell from the sky."
"A meteorite? An alien spaceship?" Chu Hang asked casually.
"A hammer," Fury paused. "A hammer that no one can lift. It made a huge crater in New Mexico, and our people have already cordoned off the site."
Chu Hang's hand, holding a coffee cup, stopped mid-air.
A hammer. New Mexico.
He knew what it was. mjolnir, Thor's Hammer.
"So?" Chu Hang asked. "Doesn't S.H.I.E.L.D. have a lot of strong men? Let Agent Coulson try; I heard he's been lifting weights lately."
"Don't joke!" Fury's voice grew heavier. "We tried to pull it with a truck, and the chains broke. That thing is like it's grown into the Earth. Most importantly, we also found a person."
"A big blonde guy, wearing strange clothes, spouting nonsense, saying he's Thor?" Chu Hang finished his sentence for him.
Silence on the other end for a few seconds.
"...How did you know?" Fury's voice was full of wariness.
"I guessed," Chu Hang took a sip of coffee. "Don't things that fall from the sky all like to say they're gods? The last one was no different."
Fury didn't want to elaborate on that question.
"We need your help. To figure out who that person is and what that hammer is. Agent Coulson is on site; he needs a consultant."
"Consulting fees are expensive."
"The usual."
"Deal."
After hanging up, Chu Hang stood up and walked to the window.
Thor. A true god, though currently just a mortal stripped of his divine power. But the blood flowing in his veins is that of the Asgardian Godly Physique. That body, which has fought for over a thousand years, is itself a weapon.
The Asgardian Godly Physique.
He was determined to get this ability... The desert night in New Mexico was cold.
A huge meteorite crater was surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D.with barbed wire and temporary shelters. Countless searchlights illuminated the bottom of the crater like it was daytime. In the center of the crater, an ancient-looking armor suit was stuck in the mud.
The surrounding townspeople treated it as a tourist attraction, driving their pickup trucks to join the fun. There were people barbecuing, drinking, and even some who started a betting game on who could pull out the hammer. The air was mixed with the smell of grilled meat, cheap beer, and dust.
Phil Coulson stood at the entrance of the temporary command post, watching the chaotic scene outside, his temples throbbing with pain.
The air behind him warped slightly.
Chu Hang's figure appeared out of thin air.
"Good evening, Agent Coulson. It's really lively here, like a party," Chu Hang patted his shoulder.
Coulson was startled but quickly composed himself. He was somewhat used to this "Heavenly Father's" elusive way of appearing.
"Mr. Chen," he pushed up his glasses, revealing a professional smile. "Welcome to New Mexico. The situation is a bit complicated."
"I see," Chu Hang's gaze went past him, towards the tightly guarded medical tent. "Our Mr. Thor, is he inside?"
"Yes. He's very uncooperative, constantly demanding his hammer back and saying he wants to see his father, Odin," Coulson's expression was helpless. "We examined him; his physical structure is basically consistent with Earthlings, but his bone density and cell activity far exceed normal people. He's like... a perfect human specimen."
"Take me to see him."
The two walked into the medical tent. A smell of disinfectant.
A muscular man, nearly two meters tall, with long blonde hair, was tied to a reinforced hospital bed. It was Thor, who had been banished to Earth.
He had lost his divine power, but his princely arrogance and irritability were undiminished.
Seeing people enter, he immediately began to struggle, shouting in English with a strange accent.
"Release me! You Earthlings! I am Thor of Asgard! Son of Odin! You have no right to imprison a god!"
Chu Hang observed him as if watching a lion in a zoo. He walked to the bedside and looked down at Thor.
"A god?" Chu Hang smiled. "A god who can't even break free from a bed?"
"You dare mock me!" Thor's eyes widened like brass bells, his face filled with humiliation and rage. "When I get my Mjolnir back, I will show you the wrath of a god!"
Chu Hang ignored him.
He reached out and casually placed his hand on Thor's shoulder, as if checking his muscles.
"Good muscles, very solid," he commented.
The moment their palms touched.
A heavy sensation came from his palm, drilling into his bones along his arm. His body felt like it was filled with lead, every inch of muscle becoming dense. Not heavier, but denser.
It's done, he thought to himself.
The Asgardian Godly Physique.
"How does it feel?" Coulson asked softly from the side.
"Nothing special," Chu Hang released his hand and shrugged. "Just an ordinary person with a bit more strength. Maybe a fitness trainer, or an actor."
Upon hearing this, Thor was so angry he almost fainted.
"You... you ignorant Earthling!"
"Alright, let him calm down for a bit," Chu Hang turned and walked out. "I'm going to see that hammer."
Coulson immediately followed.
The two arrived at the edge of the meteorite crater.
Chu Hang looked at the unremarkable hammer at the bottom of the crater, feeling the faint runic energy emanating from it.
"Many people have tried," Coulson explained beside him. "No one could move it an inch. There's an old man named Stan Lee from the local area who came with his pickup truck to pull it, and he ended up ripping off the truck bed."
Chu Hang nodded and walked down the slope.
The surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents stopped what they were doing and watched him. Everyone knew that this "Mr. Chen" was an important figure invited by the Director, with a mysterious identity and unfathomable abilities.
Chu Hang walked up to the hammer, squatted down, and examined it carefully.
A line of ancient runic script was carved on the hammerhead.
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
He read it softly.
"You know this language?" Coulson was surprised.
"A little," Chu Hang stood up, brushed the dust from his hands. "It seems this is a qualification system. It's not about brute strength."
Then, under everyone's gaze, he extended his right hand and grasped the hammer's handle.
Everyone held their breath.
Coulson's eyes didn't blink.
In the medical tent, Thor also stared intently at the scene through the monitor screen. His eyes were full of scorn and mockery. That was his hammer; no one could lift it except him and his father, Odin.
Chu Hang gripped the hammer's handle; it was cold and heavy to the touch. He could feel a powerful will repelling him. That was the magic set by Odin.
But the next second, the newly acquired Godly Physiquebloodline within him, along with the spatial energy from the Tesseract, resonated slightly with the hammer.
Odin's magic seemed to hesitate. It recognized the homologous power within Chu Hang.
Chu Hang didn't use brute force; he simply lifted it gently.
That Mjolnir, which had made countless strong men look foolish and heavy trucks helpless, was so easily lifted by him from the mud.
There was no lightning and thunder, no changing of the winds and clouds.
It was like picking up an ordinary stone from the ground.
The entire camp, everyone's movements froze.
The barbecuers forgot to flip their meat, the drinkers forgot to clink glasses, everyone's mouths were agape in an "O" shape, staring blankly at the man at the bottom of the crater.
Coulson's professional smile completely froze, turning into pure shock.
In the medical tent, Thor's scorn and mockery also turned into unbelievable horror.
He watched with his own eyes as that ignorant Earthlinglifted Mjolnir, which he considered a part of his life.
This was even more devastating than him not being able to lift it himself.
This meant that he had not only lost his worth. Moreover, Odin, the All-Father, had found a new, more worthy successor.
Chu Hang weighed the hammer in his hand; the weight was just right. A surge of power flowed from the handle into his body, resonating with his internal energy. He could feel that if he wanted to, he could summon lightning from the sky.
But he didn't do that.
He just played with it for a moment, then gently placed the hammer back where it was.
"A nice toy," he commented.
Then, he turned and, under everyone's stunned gaze, walked out of the meteorite crater.
"Mr. Chen... Mr. Chen..." Coulson stammered, "You... you..."
"Just a souvenir, nothing major," Chu Hang interrupted him. "Now, let's talk about how to deal with that god."
He glanced in the direction of the medical tent.
"Keeping him here isn't a solution. I do have a suggestion."
"Please tell me."
"I heard there's an astrophysicist nearby named Jane Foster. Perhaps we could entrust this Mr. Thor to her for study. As... a special astronomical observation sample."
Coulson paused, then immediately understood Chu Hang's meaning.
This would both appease Thor and keep him out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s direct sight, while also allowing them to indirectly learn about him through Jane Foster's team. Three birds with one stone.
"I understand," Coulson nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."
"Very good," Chu Hang smiled with satisfaction. "Then my work here is done. Remember, don't call me for anything, important or not."
With that, his figure disappeared into thin air once more.
Chapter 96 Divine Physique
He returned to his office on the top floor of Stark Tower.
Chu Hang took off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa.
There was a burning sensation in his body; not a fever, but a deeper unrest.
His bones ached, and every muscle fiber felt like a tightly wound steel cable, making his skin throb.
He even had the illusion that his skeleton was a bit too small for his body.
He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of ice water, and chugged it down.
The icy liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, but it couldn't extinguish the fire.
This was a hunger.
Not a craving for food, but a cellular demand.
They needed energy, release, an outlet to vent this newfound power.
He closed his eyes, his senses infinitely magnified.
This feeling was a hundred times stronger than the enhancement brought by the super soldier serum.
Too much information, too chaotic, like countless needles piercing his brain.
He couldn't stay here.
With a flash, his figure vanished from the office, and the next second, he appeared in his private training room three hundred meters underground.
Tony had specially built this place for him.
The walls were a composite material of lead and Vibranium, capable of blocking all prying eyes.
In the center of the room stood a massive punching bag.
It wasn't an ordinary punching bag; its shell was a special alloy Tony boasted could withstand armor-piercing rounds, and it was filled with high-density polymer, weighing over ten tons.
Previously, when he used his full strength without activating [Infinite Rage], he could only leave a shallow fist print on it.
Now, he felt different.
He walked to the punching bag, stood still, and took a deep breath.
Air rushed into his lungs, as if igniting a furnace.
He didn't assume any fighting stance, just casually threw a punch forward.
His fist cut through the air without making a sound.
"Pfft."
A muffled, extremely soft sound.
His fist sank into the alloy punching bag without any obstruction, until his entire forearm was submerged within it.
There was no violent impact; it was more like a hot knife cutting through butter, incredibly smooth.
He pulled out his hand.
On the punching bag, a smooth, deep hole was left.
The alloy around the opening wasn't torn but, as if treated with super-high pressure, collapsed inward, compressed, its density increased dozens of times, and its surface exhibited an obsidian-like luster, cold and hard to the touch.
Chu Hang looked at his fist, perfectly intact, not even a hint of redness on his skin.
His strength itself hadn't explosively increased to an exaggerated degree, but the quality of his strength had transformed.
If his fist used to be a battering ram, now it was a neutron star compressed to its extreme.
It was no longer a simple kinetic impact, but a crushing force carrying immense mass and density.
He thought of Hulk.
That big guy's strength came from rage, with no upper limit.
And now, he possessed an incredibly high, constant baseline.
If they met again, perhaps he could stand there and let him land a few punches, to see whose recovery was stronger, or whose fist was harder.
He stretched his neck, and his joints let out a series of crisp cracks.
His lifespan had also changed.
He could feel that the rate of life's passing had slowed, almost to a standstill.
This wasn't the longevity brought by the Healing Factor, nor the slowed aging from the super soldier serum.
This was a leap in life form.
Just like Odin, just like those Asgard Godly Physique who lived for thousands of years, time for them was no longer a deadly poison, but a wine that settled power.
The older, the stronger.
As he was feeling the changes in his body, a dull thunder rumbled outside the window.
A sudden thunderstorm swept across New York.
The dark clouds hung low, and the sky was as dim as dusk.
Large raindrops pattered against the reinforced glass of Stark Tower.
Chu Hang's heart stirred.
He felt the free-floating electrical charges in the air; they became unusually active, as if cheering, leaping, and... greeting him.
He vanished again, appearing on the rooftop of the tower.
The strong wind and heavy rain instantly drenched him.
The cold rainwater hit his face, yet it made him feel incredibly refreshed.
In the sky, thick bolts of lightning tore through the dark clouds like silver snakes, illuminating the silhouette of the city's steel jungle.
A strong smell of ozone permeated the air.
He spread his arms, tilted his head back, and let the wind and rain wash over him.
An instinct originating from his bloodline made him extend his right hand towards the sky, towards the rolling thunderclouds.
As if asking for something.
"Boom!"
A massive lightning strike, thicker than all previous bolts combined, as if summoned, roared down from the sky.
Its target was not the lightning rod on the roof, but Chu Hang's outstretched hand.
The moment the lightning struck him, time seemed to slow down.
He felt no pain, only an extreme pleasure of being instantly filled.
It was like a dry riverbed being submerged by a flood, or a blacked-out city being reconnected to power.
Countless violent electrical arcs coursed through his body, but they caused no damage; instead, like docile sheep, they were tamed and absorbed by a stronger force.
The Asgard divine power within him, after devouring this pure natural lightning, boiled.
The super soldier serum amplified its potential, and the Tesseract's spatial energy provided its foundation.
Now, natural thunder became the final catalyst.
He felt his genetic chain being rewritten.
Every cell in his body was transforming and sublimating in joy.
This was no longer merely an Asgard Godly Physique.
Asgard was just a racial template.
And he, under the fusion of multiple top-tier powers, broke this template.
He became a purer, more fundamental, and unconstrained existence.
The system's cold prompt sounded in his mind at just the right moment, summarizing this transformation.
[Asgard Godly Physique] advanced to [Godly Physique].
Chu Hang suddenly opened his eyes, and a golden electric light flashed in the depths of his pupils.
His upper limit was no longer Odin.
His upper limit was infinite.
The storm stopped without warning.
The dark clouds dispersed, and moonlight once again poured down.
Chu Hang looked down at his hands; small electrical arcs still lingered on his skin, making soft crackling sounds.
His body's transformation was still ongoing, but it had shifted from a violent revolution to a gentle refinement.
He looked up, his gaze penetrating nearly a thousand meters, locking onto a lightning rod on the roof of another skyscraper in the distance.
He raised his hand, his index finger pointed distantly at the target, and the electrical arcs at his fingertip converged into a single point.
Then, he lightly tapped.
A golden electric light, thinner than a strand of hair, shot from his fingertip.
It made no sound, nor did it emit a dazzling glow; it just quietly traversed the night sky.
The next second, that lightning rod, made of special alloy and capable of withstanding millions of volts, simply vanished into thin air.
Chu Hang withdrew his hand, satisfied.
He returned to the office, changed into dry clothes, and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
The liquor went down, spicy with a hint of sweetness... As night fell.
He opened his computer, skillfully typed on the keyboard, and used his highest authority as a "Special Consultant" to access S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal database.
He pulled up all of Coulson's follow-up reports on the New Mexico incident.
The report was quite interesting, full of Coulson-esque dry humor.
Thor, stripped of his divine power, caused quite a few laughs on Earth after being entrusted to Jane Foster's team.
He walked into a pet store wanting to buy a warhorse, and after finishing his coffee at a cafe, he grandly smashed his cup on the floor, just like in Asgard, shouting "Another one!", almost getting kicked out as a drunk.
Chu Hang read the report and couldn't help but laugh.
A God who had lived for over a thousand years was clumsily learning how to be a mortal.
This show was far more exciting than a Hollywood comedy.
He continued to scroll down.
A newly uploaded, encrypted file marked "Urgent" popped up.
The title was: "Report on Second High-Energy Reaction and Unidentified Personnel Sighting in Puente Antiguo."
He clicked on it.
The report was brief but contained a vast amount of information.
The report stated that just a few hours ago, Bifrost Bridgeenergy fluctuations reappeared over the small town.
Attached was a blurry image captured from a gas station's surveillance camera.
A man in a well-tailored black suit, with long black hair, stepped out of a rented Ford car.
He was slender, pale-faced, with a faint, playful smile.
Loki.
Chu Hang's hand, holding the wine glass, paused.
The main act was finally about to begin.
Thor's brother, the Asgard God of Lies and Mischief, had come for his simple-minded, foolish brother.
Chu Hang knew that along with Loki came Asgard's ultimate weapon—the Destroyer.
A killing machine with no thoughts, only knowing how to follow orders.
He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, the ice cubes clinking crisply.
"Perfect, time to test the quality of this new body."
He leaned back in the comfortable leather chair, a curve on his lips somewhat similar to Loki's in the photo.
Chapter 97 The Destroyer Descends
Chu Hang didn't call Tony, nor did he notify S.H.I.E.L.D..
He merely used an encrypted line to leave an anonymous message for Coulson's terminal in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal database.
"Keep your people in line, don't go seeking death."
The second after the message was sent, he had already vanished from the top-floor office of Stark Tower... New Mexico, Puente Antiguo.
The afternoon sun should have been lazy, but now it was frozen by a chilling dread.
Panic spread through the town like an invisible wildfire.
A metal giant, over three meters tall, was walking down the town's only main road.
Its body lines were sleek yet ferocious, cast from a dark, gleaming metal that reflected a cold, hard light in the sun.
Destroyer.
Its movements were not fast, even a little sluggish, but each step carried immense force, leaving a clear, deep pit in the asphalt road.
A pickup truck by the roadside blocked its path; it merely waved its hand, and the over one-ton vehicle was swept away like an empty soda can, tumbling into a roadside shop window, shattering glass everywhere.
Alarms, screams, and cries mingled together. The townspeople, like ants whose nest had been disturbed, scattered and fled for their lives.
Phil Coulson hid behind a police car, yelling into his walkie-talkie with all his might.
"All units, repeat, all units! Abandon conventional weapon engagement! Immediately organize civilian evacuation! This is not a drill!"
Several Agents beside him poked their heads out, firing automatic rifles at the metal giant.
The bullets struck its smooth shell, not even sparking, and were easily deflected, making crisp clinking sounds.
The Destroyer didn't even acknowledge them, continuing its unhurried advance. Its target was very clear.
Coulson watched this scene, his back drenched in cold sweat. He had seen many sights, but this incomprehensible, absolute power was a first. A name flashed through his mind—Anthony Chen—then the anonymous message he had just received.
"Retreat! Everyone retreat beyond the safety line!" Coulson gave his final order. He knew that staying here any longer would be meaningless, only adding more bodies.
At the other end of the town, Thor was driving a dilapidated, nearly falling apart truck, its bed filled with terrified townspeople. Jane Foster and her two colleagues, Erik Selvig and Daisy Lewis, were also squeezed into the cab.
"What is that thing, anyway?" Jane looked at the approaching metal giant in the rearview mirror, her face pale with fright.
"Loki sent it." Thor's face was even grimmer than hers. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands, "He came to kill me."
He slammed the steering wheel, and the truck fishtailed, narrowly dodging a concrete block thrown by the Destroyer. He pulled the truck to the side of the road, pushed away a little girl who was almost hit, and yelled at Jane, "You all go quickly! I'll hold it off!"
"Are you crazy? You're just a normal person now! You'll die!" Jane grabbed his arm, her voice trembling.
"I am the only one who can stop it." Thor shook off her hand, a look of grim determination in his eyes, "This all started because of me, and it should end with me."
He knew he had no divine power now; a single punch could break his bones. But he couldn't watch these innocent people die because of him. This was his last shred of dignity as a Prince of Asgard.
He took a deep breath and, alone, walked towards the metal giant that was destroying the town.
The Destroyer stopped. Its smooth head plate slowly opened, revealing a void within, where an orange-red glow swirled like molten lava.
It recognized Thor.
"Brother!" Thor raised his head, facing the scorching heatwave, and shouted loudly, "I know you can hear me! I know you hate me! Whatever I did wrong in the past, I apologize to you! But these people are innocent! Let them go! All you want is me, come!"
He spread his arms, completely giving up resistance, and closed his eyes... Asgard, Heavenly Palace.
Loki, dressed in a black royal gown, sat on Odin's throne. He held the golden Eternal Spear in his hand, coldly watching everything happening on Earth through the Destroyer's perspective.
Heimdall stood silently at the Bifrost Bridge control console.
"What touching brotherly affection." Loki looked at Thor's foolish, sacrificial appearance on the screen, a cold sneer playing on his lips, "Then as you wish, my dear brother."
He raised the Eternal Spear, pointed it at the void, and gave the command... Earth.
The light behind the Destroyer's faceplate flared, and energy instantly condensed.
A scorching beam of energy, carrying an aura of destruction, shot out from the void, aimed directly at Thor's chest.
"No—!" Jane let out a desperate scream.
Coulson closed his eyes, unable to watch.
The moment before the beam hit Thor, a figure appeared out of thin air, blocking Thor's path.
Chu Hang.
He extended one hand, fingers spread.
Spatial Curvature Barrier activated.
The beam, powerful enough to melt tank armor, stopped abruptly less than ten centimeters from his palm. Like a venomous snake hitting an invisible glass wall, it twisted and hissed madly, but could not advance another inch. The surrounding air warped from the intense heat, emitting sizzling sounds.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
Everyone was stunned.
Coulson and his Agents stared, mouths agape, forgetting to lower their guns.
Jane and Erik stared blankly at the man who had suddenly appeared, their minds a blank.
Thor suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the not-so-tall yet incredibly reliable back in front of him, momentarily forgetting where he was.
"Long time no see, Mr. Thor." Chu Hang didn't turn around, his voice calm, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "It seems your life on Earth hasn't been very peaceful."
He gently clenched his palm.
The confined energy beam instantly collapsed inward, compressing into a fist-sized ball of light, then with a soft "pop," like a burst soap bubble, it vanished into thin air.
The Destroyer seemed to pause. Its programming had no contingency plan for this situation.
It raised its massive metal arm, the muscle-like structures on its arm bulging, and with a whoosh that tore through the air, it smashed down towards Chu Hang's head.
Chu Hang didn't even turn his head, merely raised his other hand to meet it.
"Bang!"
A dull, heart-stopping thud.
The Destroyer's iron fist landed squarely on Chu Hang's palm.
Chu Hang remained motionless. The asphalt road beneath his feet didn't even show a single crack. A visible Impact wave spread out from him, blowing away all the surrounding dust and debris.
"Decent strength." Chu Hang commented lightly, "A bit weaker than Hulk."
The moment his palm touched the Destroyer's shell, something new appeared in his mind.
S-Rank Ability: Adaptive Armor.
Ability Description: Can absorb external attack energy, analyze attack patterns, and rapidly generate targeted high-strength defensive structures.
"Interesting." Chu Hang thought, "Acquired."
The Destroyer was enraged. Its core program determined that the target in front of it was the highest level of threat. It retracted its fist, and the armor on its arms deformed and reassembled with a grating metallic screech, revealing a dense array of Hive-like muzzles.
"Boom boom boom boom boom!"
The next second, countless energy beams rained down like a storm, overwhelmingly shooting towards Chu Hang.
Chu Hang still stood in place, not moving a muscle.
As those energy beams, capable of leveling a small mountain, approached within one meter of his body, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The space around him began to twist and fold like water ripples.
The energy beams that entered this area were either refracted into the sky, exploding into dazzling fireworks in the clouds; or bounced back to the ground, blasting massive craters in the street; and some simply vanished into thin air, transferred to some unknown dimension.
Not a single one could touch his clothes.
"Is the show over?" Chu Hang's voice held a hint of impatience, "It's my turn."
He took a step forward, and his figure vanished from where he stood.
The next second, he had appeared like a ghost above the Destroyer's head.
He clenched his right fist, and tiny golden electric sparks crackled on his fist, gathering into a blinding light.
Then, he smashed his fist down onto the Destroyer's smooth head.
Infinite Fury.
"Crack!"
An incredibly crisp shattering sound drowned out all other noise.
A clear crack appeared on the Destroyer's helmet, which was said to be forged from Uru divine steel and indestructible.
Immediately after, the crack spread like a spiderweb, at a visible speed, quickly extending to its neck, chest, limbs... covering its entire body.
The Destroyer's massive body froze. The orange-red core energy uncontrollably gushed out from countless cracks, like a statue about to collapse.
Chu Hang's figure drifted down, landing steadily beside Thor.
Behind him, the Destroyer crashed to its knees. Its entire upper body, including its head, exploded into countless metal fragments of various sizes with a dull blast, scattering across the ground.
Only a smoking lower half remained, still in a kneeling position, reduced to a pile of scrap metal.
The entire town was silent.
Chu Hang walked to the fragments and casually picked up a relatively intact half of the faceplate. He walked up to Thor, who was still in a daze, and held the faceplate before him.
"Look closely." Chu Hang said, "This thing, in Asgard, is considered a top-tier weapon, right?"
Thor swallowed with difficulty, nodding instinctively.
"But it has no will, no soul, just an empty shell that follows orders. Therefore, it is very fragile."
As Chu Hang spoke, his fingers slowly tightened.
"Crack!"
The hard metal faceplate, which could withstand bullets, was easily crumpled into a twisted mass of scrap metal in his hand.
"And you," Chu Hang casually tossed the scrap metal to the ground with a clang, "once possessed power a hundred times stronger than it, but you treated it as a tool for showing off, capital for fighting. What difference is there between you and it?"
Thor's body began to tremble violently.
Chu Hang's words were like an invisible heavy hammer, striking his heart, shattering his last bit of pride.
He looked at the devastated town, at the displaced civilians with faces full of fear because of him, at the still-wet tear stains on Jane's face, and then at the ugly lump of scrap metal on the ground.
An unprecedented wave of shame and regret, like a breached dam, instantly overwhelmed him.
He finally understood his father's intentions.
He wasn't stripped of his divine power.
He was... unworthy of it.
Just at the moment of his complete awakening, in the distance, in the meteor crater sealed by S.H.I.E.L.D..
The long-dormant Mjolnir suddenly emitted a high-pitched hum.
"Whoosh—"
The hammer transformed into a silver streak of light, soaring into the sky, cutting through the air, and flying towards the town.
Its speed broke the sound barrier, leaving a long white contrail behind it.
Thor seemed to sense something, suddenly raising his head, looking at the light flying towards him, and instinctively extending his right hand.
The hammer arced perfectly, landing precisely in his palm.
A familiar and heavy sensation returned, as if a lost part of his body had finally come home.
"Boom!"
A massive bolt of lightning, spanning heaven and Earth, tore through the clear sky and struck Thor precisely.
In the blinding light, his cheap T-shirt and jeans were instantly vaporized by the raging energy. In their place was a form-fitting armor made of countless silver scales, and a red cape billowed behind him without wind, flapping loudly.
Thor, the God of Thunder, was back.
Chu Hang watched this scene, nodding with satisfaction.
It wasn't a waste of words after all. The young man was teachable.
He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Thor called out to him.
He held Mjolnir, looking at Chu Hang's retreating figure, no longer with any trace of his past arrogance, only pure awe and gratitude.
"Who exactly are you?"
Chu Hang smiled, without turning back.
"Just passing by."
Having said that, his figure slowly faded into the air until it completely disappeared.
Only Thor, holding Mjolnir, remained standing, gazing at the sky.
He knew he owed this man a huge favor.
And his next goal was to return to Asgard and settle the score with his good brother.
Chapter 98 Brothers' Battle
Chu Hang's figure appeared in the New Mexico desert, a hundred kilometers from Puente Grande town.
The evening wind blew, carrying sand, and there was no one around.
He wasn't in a hurry to leave; he closed his eyes, calculating his gains from this trip.
"S-Rank Ability: Adaptive Armor."
He had it now.
This trip was not in vain.
The Healing Factor and Godly Physique allowed him to get back up after being hit. This new layer of armor, however, simply prevented him from getting injured in the first place. With both, it would be difficult to die.
What was even more interesting was that its core was "learning."
The more hits it took, the harder it became. If Hulkpunched it for a day, this armor could automatically analyze gamma rays and generate defenses specifically designed to counter Hulk.
And that wasn't all.
The key was "fusibility."
He could infuse it with spatial energy, turning it into a spatial deflection armor. In the future, anyone who hit him would find their fists and bullets twisted away by distorted space.
Alternatively, he could graft the power of Limitless Rageinto it, creating a "Thorn Retribution Armor." Punch him once, and you'd get punched back, perhaps even harder.
The potential of this thing was greater than he imagined. It wasn't an inanimate object; it was a living treasure that could level up with him.
Chu Hang opened his eyes, feeling the invisible armor on his skin. It was like a close-fitting membrane, weightless, but definitely present.
"Not bad."
He muttered to himself, and his figure vanished, returning to New York... Meanwhile, in Asgard.
In the Bifrost Bridge control room, Heimdall stood like a statue.
In the throne room, Loki suddenly stood up from the throne, his crown askew. The Eternal Spear in his hand clattered to the floor with a piercing sound.
His face was pale, his lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with horror.
Just now, through the Destroyer's eyes, he had witnessed the entire process.
The man who suddenly appeared, looking much like a mortal, blocked the Destroyer's beam with one hand. Then, with his other hand, he crushed the Destroyer's head like an egg.
The mental link between him and the Destroyer was shattered by an unreasonable force with that one punch. He even felt a surge of power rush back through the link, making his head ring.
What kind of power was that?
It wasn't the divine power of Asgard, nor the frost power of Jotunheim. It was a purer, more domineering force.
One punch.
Just one punch.
The strongest war weapon in Odin's vault, the killing machine that even the Nine Realms feared, had become a pile of scrap metal.
"Impossible... This is impossible..." Loki mumbled, distraught.
His plan, the one he thought was flawless, was a joke in front of that man. He had intended to use the Destroyerto eliminate Thor, then, under the pretense of "avenging his brother," use the Bifrost Bridge to destroy Jotunheim, proving to Odin that he was the rightful heir.
Now, everything was in chaos.
Earth, that backwater in his eyes, actually hid such a monster.
"Heimdall!" Loki roared at the empty hall, his voice becoming shrill and thin with fear, "Find him for me! Use your eyes, find that man!"
In the Bifrost Bridge control room, Heimdall opened his golden eyes that could see through the Nine Realms. He was silent for a moment, then his voice, like a bell, rang directly in Loki's mind.
"Your Majesty, I cannot see him."
"What do you mean you can't see him?!" Loki exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "You are the Guardian of the Nine Realms! Nothing can escape your eyes!"
"But he is an exception." Heimdall's voice was utterly calm, "My sight, when it falls upon him, is twisted and swallowed by an invisible force. He is like a black hole outside the Nine Realms, an absolute blind spot. I can only see what he wishes for me to see."
An absolute blind spot.
These words, like a basin of ice water, completely extinguished the last shred of hope in Loki's heart.
He slumped onto the steps in front of the throne, his eyes hollow.
The unknown is always the most terrifying.
He realized that he had provoked an existence he should not have. Earth had become an unpredictable variable that he could not comprehend... Puente Grande town.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s backup forces had arrived, and Coulson was busy directing his agents to clear the scene, appease the townspeople, and, incidentally, brainwash all witnesses.
Thor, having changed into clean clothes found by Coulson, stood on the chaotic street, bidding farewell to Jane Foster.
His divine power had returned, but his gaze and demeanor were completely different from before. The former arrogance and disdain had transformed into a sense of steady composure.
"I must return." Thor looked at Jane, his eyes showing both apology and reluctance, "Loki must pay for what he has done. Asgard cannot fall into his hands."
"Will you come back?" Jane's eyes were a little red. She had just experienced a life-and-death situation and witnessed the return of mythology firsthand; her emotions were in turmoil.
"I promise." Thor solemnly vowed, "Once I have dealt with matters at home, I will return."
He turned to Erik and Daisy, sincerely thanking them: "Thank you for your care during this time."
Dr. Erik pushed up his glasses, looking at him with a complex expression: "I used to think science could explain everything. Now it seems I need to buy a few new mythology books."
Daisy, meanwhile, took out her phone and snapped a photo of Thor: "Hey, big guy, next time you come back, remember to bring some Asgardian specialties."
Thor smiled, the first genuine smile he had shown since returning to Earth.
He looked up at the sky and shouted, "Heimdall! Open the gate!"
A rainbow-colored beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping him. As the light faded, Thor's figure was gone.
Jane stared blankly at the sky, as if she could still see the shadow of the rainbow.
Thor passed through the Bifrost Bridge and returned to Asgard.
The control room was in disarray, and Heimdall was frozen into an ice sculpture. Thor shattered the ice with Mjolnir, freeing him.
"Where is Loki?"
"The throne room." Heimdall's reply was brief.
Thor, hammer in hand, strode towards the throne room.
Loki was standing in front of the Bifrost Bridge's activation device. He had plunged the Eternal Spear into the control panel, and a massive surge of energy, channeled through the Bifrost Bridge, transformed into a destructive beam, shooting towards the distant ice World—Jotunheim.
"What are you doing?!" Thor roared.
"I am finishing what you started!" Loki turned around, a crazed smile on his face, "I will destroy Jotunheim, destroy those monsters! Father will be proud of me!"
"You're insane! You're committing a massacre!"
"I am protecting Asgard! I am proving that I am more suited for this throne than you!"
Loki roared, raising the scepter in his hand, conjuring a dozen identical illusions that attacked Thor from all directions.
Thor closed his eyes, not bothering to look. He slammed Mjolnir onto the ground, and a circle of lightning storm erupted, instantly tearing all the illusions to shreds.
The real Loki was struck by the lightning, stumbling backward.
"Your little tricks are useless against me now, brother." Thor walked towards him step by step.
Loki watched the approaching Thor, the madness in his eyes turning to despair. He pulled out the Eternal Spear, and a golden energy beam shot towards Thor.
Thor swung his warhammer, conjuring a gust of wind that deflected the energy beam. He charged at Loki, and the two began to fight on the narrow Bifrost Bridge.
Each clash of hammer and spear erupted in blinding light, shaking the entire Bifrost Bridge.
Thor's strength and skill were superior to Loki's, but Lokiwas intent on activating the Bifrost Bridge and avoided a direct confrontation.
"I can't stop it!" Heimdall shouted from a distance, "The energy is out of control!"
Thor looked at the destructive beam that was about to obliterate a World, then at Loki, who was still struggling, and a look of grim determination flashed in his eyes.
He made his decision.
He no longer attacked Loki but raised Mjolnir high, pouring all his divine power into it, and slammed it down hard onto the Bifrost Bridge beneath his feet.
"What are you doing?!" Loki shrieked in horror, "If you destroy it, you'll never see your mortal girl again!"
"Boom—!"
Thor ignored him and struck again with his hammer.
The crystal Bifrost Bridge let out a mournful cry, and huge cracks spread out from beneath his feet.
When the third strike fell, the entire Bifrost Bridgecompletely shattered. A massive energy explosion threw both of them backward.
The bridge surface was broken, and below was a bottomless, star-studded cosmic abyss.
As Thor fell, he was caught by a golden light. It was Odin, who had just awakened, arriving in time to grab Thor's foot.
And Thor, in turn, held tightly to the shaft of the Eternal Spear. The other end of the spear was Loki, who was also falling.
"I could have done it, Father!" Loki hung over the abyss, looking at Odin on the throne, his face full of tears and resentment, "I could have done it! For you! For all of us!"
Odin looked at him, his eyes complex, and slowly spoke a single sentence.
"No, Loki."
These three words were the final straw that broke Loki.
The light in his eyes completely extinguished.
He looked deeply at Thor, then let go of his hand.
"No—!"
Thor let out a roar, watching helplessly as Loki's figure plummeted into the endless darkness, swallowed by the sea of stars.
Chapter 99 Steve, Welcome to the 21st Century
Chu Hang returned to his office on the top floor of Stark Tower. It was dark.
He poured a glass of Water and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. Below him was New York, its lights like a flowing river.
Silence. He disliked this silence.
A fight in New Mexico had stretched his muscles, but his heart felt even more bored. Thor had returned to Asgard, Loki had fallen into the cosmic abyss, and there was nothing on Earth that could excite him.
Peace meant idleness.
On the table was a document, Stark Industries' quarterly report. He picked it up and scanned it, noting that the energy department's profits had risen by three hundred points. All thanks to Tony's triangular reactor. That guy had a foul mouth, but he was serious about his work.
Chu Hang casually tossed the report back onto the table, where it slid half a meter away. Strings of numbers meant nothing to him. He was more interested in when the next fun "toy" would arrive.
There were two soft knocks on the office door.
"Come in."
Natasha Romanoff pushed the door open. She was in a business suit, holding a tablet computer. Her expression was standard, revealing nothing of what she was thinking.
"Mr. Chen, the exploration report for 'Project Polaris.'" She handed him the tablet.
Project Polaris.
Stark Industries' deep-sea exploration project—that was the official story. The true purpose was known only to Chu Hang and a few others: to find the plane that had crashed into the Arctic Ocean seventy years ago, the "valkyrie."
He had given the order. He wanted to find Steve.
"Any results?" Chu Hang took the tablet, the cold light of the screen reflecting on his face.
"Yes," Natasha's voice was even. "The exploration team in the Greenland Sea, at coordinates 75° N, 72° W, detected a huge metal signal. Sonar scans show it's a World War IIbomber, and the model matches."
Chu Hang's finger scrolled across the screen, looking at the green, blurry sonar images. A pile of scrap metal, submerged thousands of meters deep in the sea.
"What about inside?"
"There's an anomaly in the life signal." Natasha paused, as if searching for the right word. "There's one signal, very weak, but extremely stable. The exploration team thinks it might be some deep-sea organism parasitizing the plane wreckage."
Chu Hang's lips twitched.
Unknown organism? No. That was the super soldier serum, slowing a person's metabolism to almost zero in the icy sea. Apparent death.
He handed the tablet back to Natasha.
"Notify Nick Fury," Chu Hang instructed. "Tell him I found what he's been looking for for decades. Have his people retrieve it. Use Stark Industries' encrypted channel; leave no written records."
"Understood." Natasha nodded, without a single extra question. She knew her place.
She turned to leave.
"Wait." Chu Hang called out to her.
Natasha stopped and looked back at him.
"What would a person who has slept for seventy years want to see most when they first wake up?" Chu Hang's question was sudden.
Natasha paused for half a second, then quickly reacted. She thought for a moment and said, "A familiar face."
"Smart." Chu Hang nodded. "Go."
Natasha left, and the office fell silent again.
Chu Hang walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a glass of whiskey, and added an ice cube. In the amber liquid, the ice cubes clinked softly. On the glass, his unchanging face was reflected.
Seventy years.
A lifetime for an ordinary person. For him, it was like a nap.
Some names popped into his mind. Dugan, Farnsworth, Gabe... The Howling Commandos, those guys, were probably all dead, just names on tombstones. Peggy Carter must be an old lady by now, with White hair, sitting in a wheelchair.
Only he, Logan, and the soon-to-wake Steve Rogersremained. They had been forgotten by time.
Old friends.
The word rolled around in his heart, a little strange, yet very real.
He took out a black satellite phone and dialed Nick Fury's number.
The phone rang once before being answered.
"It's me," Chu Hang said.
"I know." Fury's voice sounded tired, with a hint of wariness. "Natasha contacted me. Mr. Chen, thank you."
"It's not thanks; it's an investment. I'm recovering my assets." Chu Hang's voice was light. "When will the salvage begin?"
"It's already started. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s icebreaker and salvage platform are on their way. In forty-eight hours at the fastest, it can be transported back to New York."
"Good," Chu Hang said. "I want to see him."
Silence on the other end of the line.
After a few seconds, Fury finally spoke, very cautiously: "Mr. Chen, we have a professional psychological evaluation team and a waking protocol. A person who has slept for seventy years, suddenly seeing a new World, can easily experience mental issues. We need a controlled environment."
"A controlled environment?" Chu Hang scoffed. "You mean, lock him in a fake hospital room, paint the walls in 1940s colors, hire an actress to play a Nurse, and play old baseball broadcasts to trick him into thinking he only fainted for a few weeks?"
Fury was silent again. He couldn't figure out how Chu Hang knew about such a top-secret plan.
"Don't play childish games, Fury." Chu Hang's tone turned cold. "He's not an ordinary person; he's Captain America. His ears are sharper than a dog's; your cheap props won't fool him for three seconds. When that happens, a startled super Soldier crashing around your Base, how much damage do you think that will be?"
"...Then what's your suggestion?" Fury's tone became serious.
"I'll go. I'll be the first person he sees when he wakes up." Chu Hang's tone left no room for negotiation. "A familiar face is more useful than a hundred of your psychologists. Your people can watch from outside."
"...Alright." Fury finally compromised. He had no choice. In front of Chu Hang, he, the Director, had no right to bargain.
"Send me the address."
Chu Hang finished speaking and hung up the phone.
He drained the whiskey in his glass, and the ice cube made a final clink in the empty glass.
Old friend, I'm coming for you... Two days later.
A secret medical facility of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the outskirts of New York City.
Agents with loaded weapons were everywhere, and the atmosphere was tense.
In the innermost observation room, Phil Coulson's palms were sweating as he stared intently at the one-way glass in front of him. Behind the glass was a fake hospital room decorated in 1940s style. On the bed, a blond man lay, connected to a host of instruments.
Captain America, Steve Rogers.
Coulson was so excited he could barely stand. This was his idol, alive.
The door to the observation room opened silently. Chu Hang walked in.
"Mr. Chen... Mr. Chen." Coulson jumped, quickly standing at attention. He hadn't heard any footsteps.
"How is he?" Chu Hang's gaze fell on Steve on the bed.
"Life signs are stable, Officer. It's like... he's just asleep," Coulson reported. "The medical team checked him; his physical functions are still in their prime, like a man in his twenties. The super soldier serum is a miracle."
Chu Hang looked at the ridiculous set behind the glass and shook his head.
"Turn off that baseball broadcast; it's deafening," he ordered.
"But, Officer, this is part of the protocol, to help him..."
"I said, turn it off." Chu Hang's voice wasn't loud, but Coulson felt a prick in his ears.
"Yes!" Coulson dared not argue further and immediately turned off the sound at the control panel.
Chu Hang pushed open the door to the observation room and walked in.
He pulled up a chair and sat by Steve's bed, watching him quietly.
Seventy years.
That face was the same as it had been on the valkyrie. Young, stubborn, with a distinct Brooklyn flavor. Even in his sleep, his brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were having a bad dream.
Chu Hang just sat there, doing nothing.
Time passed, minute by minute.
After an unknown amount of time, the person on the bed's eyelids fluttered.
Steve Rogers woke up.
His eyes snapped open, at first bewildered, then becoming as sharp as an eagle's. He sat up abruptly, scanning his surroundings warily.
White walls, old-fashioned furniture, and outside the window was... New York's nightscape?
No, that wasn't right.
Everything was too new, too clean. There was no hospital disinfectant smell in the air, only the scent of fresh paint. The bedsheet material wasn't right either.
His gaze finally landed on the man sitting by the bed.
When he recognized that face, his entire body froze.
That face, he would never forget it even in death. They had hidden from bombs in trenches together, killed people in HYDRA Bases together, and finally fallen into the icy sea together.
"...Chu Hang?"
Steve's voice was dry and hoarse, like rusty metal scraping. He couldn't believe it.
"Sleep well, Captain?" Chu Hang looked at him and smiled.
Steve's mind was a mess. He looked at his hands, then at Chu Hang. An absurd thought, one he dared not entertain, emerged.
"The mission..." He struggled to speak. "The plane... Peggy, I had a date with her..."
"The mission was a success, Steve," Chu Hanginterrupted him, his voice even. "We won. Red Skull is gone, and the plane didn't crash into New York."
Steve gasped for air, threw off the covers, and tried to get out of bed. He had to leave, had to know the truth.
"Where am I?" he asked warily.
Chu Hang ignored his question about the set and gave him the answer directly.
"A safe place." He stood up, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtains.
Outside the window, it was no longer a fake nightscape. It was the true appearance of this medical facility. Agents in uniform, futuristic corridors, and equipment flashing with various lights.
A completely unfamiliar World.
Steve's breathing stopped.
"How long have I been asleep?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Chu Hang turned around and looked at him, with an indescribable emotion in his eyes.
"A long time."
He said slowly.
"Welcome to the 21st century, Captain. You've been asleep for, approximately, seventy years."
Chapter 100: Avengers Begins [Bonus Chapter]
Deep in the Universe.
There was nothing here. No light, no sound.
Loki's body floated in the darkness. The explosion of the Bifrost Bridge had shredded his shield, and the cold and vacuum were draining his last divine power. His consciousness began to blur, and his body slowly stiffened.
He was dying.
Just then, the darkness before him split open.
Behind that opening was a fleet. Monsters cobbled together from meteorites and metal, silently anchored in the void.
Several dark figures flew out of the rift, grabbed him, and dragged him inside.
He was thrown before a throne. The throne was made of black rock, and on it sat a colossal shadow, like a mountain. The shadow merely sat there, and Loki felt breathless.
A gaunt alien walked up to him, its voice dry and raspy.
"Prince of Asgard," the creature said, "You desire a throne."
Loki struggled to raise his head, his eyes filled with hatred: "I should have been king."
"Your hatred, your resentment, we feel it," the voice was seductive, "My Master is willing to give you a chance."
The alien extended a three-fingered hand, pointing to the side. A scepter floated there, its gem glowing blue at the tip.
"This scepter will give you power. And an army, the Chitauri. They will flatten everything for you, obeying only your commands."
Loki's breathing grew heavier.
"What's the price?" He wasn't that foolish.
"Very simple." The alien forced an ugly smile, "On Earth, there's a thing called the Tesseract. Your father hid it there. Bring it back, and in return, Earth is yours."
"You will become the God of a kingdom."
Loki looked at the scepter. He remembered Thor, and Odin's words, "No, Loki."
Hatred and ambition burned.
He reached out and grasped the scepter. A surge of icy energy rushed into his body, healing his wounds and also drilling into his mind.
"I accept," he whispered.
The shadow on the throne seemed to stir... S.H.I.E.L.D.medical facility.
Steve Rogers sat on the edge of the bed. He wore a gray tracksuit, issued by S.H.I.E.L.D. On the table in front of him lay a pile of documents, which he didn't look at.
He just stared out the window.
Seventy years, the World had changed.
There were giant glowing screens on buildings, showing advertisements he didn't understand.
Everything felt like an unreal dream.
Chu Hang pushed the door open, with Nick Furyfollowing behind him.
"Captain." Fury walked up to him and extended his hand.
Steve glanced at him, then at Chu Hang, and finally shook his hand. It was a short, firm grip.
"Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury said, "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor was the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Peggy Carter was one of its founders."
Hearing Peggy's name, Steve's shoulders stiffened slightly.
"Is she... all right?"
"She's alive," Fury said, "But she's old, Steve. We're all old."
Steve said nothing.
"I'm here for more than just reminiscing." Fury pushed a folder towards Steve. On the cover was a capital letter A. "The World has changed, Captain. The threats we face are no longer Nazis with rifles. Some threats come from places we don't understand."
He glanced at Chu Hang.
"We need Soldiers," Fury said directly, "a leader. I've initiated a project called the 'Avengers Initiative,' looking for a group of special individuals to fight the battles we can't win. The World needs you, Captain."
Steve opened the folder.
Inside were files on the Tesseract, the chaos caused by Thor in New Mexico, and a report on a green monster called the Hulk.
It gave him a headache. These things were even more outlandish than HYDRA's energy weapons.
He was a Soldier, but his war was over. He belonged to the past, to that era of clear black and white. This colorful, complicated new World had no place for him.
He closed the folder and looked at Chu Hang. His eyes pleaded for help.
Chu Hang walked over and patted Fury's shoulder: "Alright, Director, I'll talk to him about the rest."
Fury nodded and exited.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
"Don't listen to his grand promises," Chu Hang pulled up a chair and sat down, saying casually, "Simply put, aliens are coming to steal something, S.H.I.E.L.D. can't handle it, and they want you to be a human shield."
Steve was a bit bewildered by his explanation.
"A lot has happened in these seventy years," Chu Hanglooked at him, "We won World War II, then faced off against the Soviets for decades, but no war broke out. Later, there were computers, and the internet. Now everyone has a little gadget called a cell phone, and they can talk to the whole World."
He paused, his voice dropping slightly.
"Howard is dead, a car accident. Dugan and the others also died of old age. Peggy... she got married, started her own family. Most of the people we knew are gone."
Steve's hand, resting under the table, clenched into a fist.
"So, it's just us left?" he asked.
"And Logan. That guy's still alive and well, just a bit muddled in the head," Chu Hang said, "Yes, it's just us old relics left."
He looked into Steve's eyes, very seriously.
"I know you feel abandoned by the whole World. You're right, that's how it is. But so what? You're a Soldier, Steve. A Soldier's job is to obey orders and defend the country. Now, it's to defend this Planet."
"Your war isn't over yet."
Steve looked at Chu Hang, at this comrade who, like him, had been forgotten by time. The confusion and loneliness in his heart seemed to find an outlet.
He picked up the folder again, his gaze changed.
"I need a uniform," he said... Meanwhile.
Deep underground in New Mexico.
A dark energy research facility jointly established by S.H.I.E.L.D. and NASA.
This was one of the most heavily guarded places on Earth.
The Tesseract sat in the center of the laboratory, emitting a faint blue light.
Dr. Erik Selvig and several scientists were recording data. Hawkeye Clint Barton leaned against the railing on the second floor, like a Shadow, monitoring everything.
Suddenly, all the instruments began to alarm.
"Energy readings are off the charts!" a scientist shouted.
The Tesseract's light grew brighter and brighter, like a blue Sun. A surge of energy erupted, and the entire Baseshook.
"Dr., what's going on?" Hawkeye asked through the communicator.
"I don't know! It seems to be... responding to something!" Dr. Erik watched the Tesseract in horror, "It opened a door by itself!"
No sooner had he spoken than the space in front of the Tesseract twisted, and a blue vortex appeared.
A figure walked out of the vortex.
He wore Asgardian green armor suit, holding a scepter with a glowing tip. On his face, there was a hint of an evil smile.
It was Loki.
"Found it." He looked around, as if surveying his own territory.
Hawkeye reacted the fastest, immediately drawing his gun: "Drop your weapon and surrender immediately!"
Loki let out a contemptuous laugh. He raised his scepter and fired a blue beam. Hawkeye rolled to dodge, and the beam hit the wall behind him, blasting a large hole.
Agents rushed up, firing at Loki.
Loki merely stood still. Bullets stopped half a meter from him, as if hitting an invisible wall, then clinked to the ground.
He slowly walked over, and with each swing of his scepter, an Agent flew away.
He walked up to Hawkeye. Hawkeye was about to retaliate when Loki grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
"You have a brave heart." Loki looked into his eyes, pointing the tip of the scepter at his chest.
Blue light glowed.
Hawkeye's eyes suddenly went blank.
He released the gun in his hand and stood behind Loki, like a loyal guard.
Loki used the same method to control Dr. Erik.
"Dr., you will help me, won't you?"
"Yes," Dr. Erik replied expressionlessly.
"Good." Loki walked to the Tesseract, took it from its device, and placed it in a briefcase.
"Officer, the Base is collapsing!" a controlled Agentreported.
"Then let's go."
Loki, with his newly acquired servants, walked towards the exit.
Minutes later, Nick Fury's helicopter arrived. What he saw was a giant sinkhole collapsing from within, blue energy devouring everything.
Coulson and Maria Hill rushed out of the ruins, supporting him.
"Where's Hawkeye?" Fury asked.
Hill shook her head, her face grim: "He was taken, Officer. And Dr. Selvig. They... seem to have defected."
Fire ignited in Fury's single eye.
He had lost the first round.
He had lost the Tesseract, and he had lost his best Agent.
The war had begun.