Chapter 425: Shut Up, Frieza!
"It's lively out there. What's going on?" Ethan walked into the Lucky Dragon. The place was already packed.
The tourists had only seen some of the superheroes.
In fact, Thor, Doc Ock, Deadpool, Wanda, Kingpin, Strange and other Hell's Kitchen superheroes had already arrived through the Homestead and were sitting in the restaurant.
Wanda all but flew to Ethan and threw her arms around him, as if afraid he'd disappear again.
Her embrace was full of the joy of reunion, and a barely perceptible worry.
Everyone around them looked on warmly, wearing doting auntie smiles that held both blessings for the couple and a little envy of such pure feeling.
"Sorry I made you worry." Ethan's voice was full of tenderness and apology. He gently stroked Wanda's hair, trying to convey how much he'd missed her and how grateful he was.
Just then, Pietro, Quicksilver, chimed in through a mouthful of chips: "Wanda's the one who set up the Hell's Kitchen tours, you know. Who knew it'd work so well? Now everybody out there's fighting to come visit!" He said it with a touch of pride, as if this were his doing too.
With Ethan back, familiar faces appeared one by one around the restaurant.
Logan, the Wolverine, sat in the shadows of a corner, saying little. But the glass in his hand stood out: his quietest, deepest way of welcoming Ethan home.
Magneto and Professor X sat in another corner, absorbed in a game of chess. Now and then they looked up and smiled at each other, a smile of mutual respect and of relief at Ethan's return.
Strange, Doctor Strange, gave Ethan a smiling nod. His deep eyes glinted with wisdom and insight into everything.
He seemed able to see the essence of all things, yet in this moment all he wanted was to offer his sincerest blessing to this pure feeling.
Kingpin, normally the cold, ruthless gang boss, wore a rare gentle smile now that his godson was back.
It was a tangle of feelings: pride in how Ethan had grown, and relief that he'd come home safe.
Tony Stark, titan of the tech world, was acting like a kid right now, snacking and staring at Ethan without blinking. His eyes held both the joy of seeing an old friend and curiosity and concern about everything Ethan had been through.
Deadpool, who always presented himself as an unruly free spirit, gave Ethan only a quick glance before going back to soothing the little baby in his arms.
The baby wasn't his own. But he'd said he would give Lady Deadpool a family, and that meant accepting everything about her, including this unexpected little life.
He was clumsy, but full of love, and it was moving to see him keep that promise.
Soft light filled every corner of the restaurant, mingling with the faint glow from outside the window to create a warm, slightly mysterious atmosphere.
Every face was full of complicated emotion: a longing that had crossed time and distance without cooling, mixed with the joy of reunion and welcome, as if to say, You're finally back, Ethan.
Ethan stood in the middle of the restaurant, his gaze slowly passing over each familiar face, and an indescribable warmth welled up in him.
It wasn't just a physical warmth. It touched the softest place deep in his heart.
He took a deep breath and silently made up his mind: whatever the future held, this place and these people were treasures he would give his life to protect.
He gently let go of Wanda, and the two exchanged a look full of unspoken understanding and tenderness.
Wanda smiled faintly. In her smile was the joy of reunion, and trust and pride in Ethan's abilities.
"Speaking of which, after half a year apart, every one of you looks like you've been completely reborn. You've all gotten a lot stronger." Ethan spoke with a touch of wonder. He closed his eyes and used his Observation Haki to sense every inch of the restaurant and every presence in it more deeply.
Wanda's presence was like the deepest black of night, intertwined with the silhouette of a witch. It was an Authority over darkness and the unknown that inspired instinctive awe.
Kingpin's presence was like the coming of doomsday, a giant of destruction and power following him like a shadow, a sign of his unmatched destructive force and iron will.
Strange's presence was the most unique of all. He was like an arbiter standing at the border of light and darkness, the two ends of the scale balancing the world's two poles.
And the rune power surging between them was the key to his mastery of balance, harmonizing all things.
Thor's presence was like a mighty thunderbolt, every breath seeming to carry the roar of the heavens. The lightning-wreathed hammer wasn't just his weapon. It was the symbol of his Authority as the God of Thunder: the Authority of the Hammer.
The two old men playing chess at the back, Magneto and Professor X, each gave off a distinctive presence. Magneto's represented the Authority of Magnetism. His existence was like a vast magnetic field, able to command the metal and magnetism around him.
Professor X's presence was subtler. It represented the Authority of the Mind, able to see into people's hearts and sway their thoughts. Their chess game wasn't just a contest of wits. It was a collision and fusion of two powers.
Tony Stark's presence was in a class of its own. In Ethan's perception, his armor became a battle suit shining with the brilliance of technology, and the book clutched in his hand symbolized his endless pursuit and mastery of knowledge.
That Authority of Knowledge made him the embodiment of technology and wisdom.
But the change that surprised Ethan most was Gambit's.
Having fused with the Card Master's power, Gambit now gave off an elusive aura of fate, as if every card in his hand held the path of every fate in the world.
Of course, none of them had truly comprehended an Authority yet. They only had the beginnings of one. Fully comprehending it would still take a long time.
While Ethan was observing them, someone else was observing him.
"Hahahahaha! So this is that godson of yours? He doesn't look like much, Kingpin. Why not kill him, and then come conquer the universe with me!"
"Shut up, Frieza!"
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