Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Odin, Get Out Here
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Nick Fury and Maria Hill stood at the command center, watching as Alan finally sent the nuclear missile into the portal.
Moments later, all the Chitauri soldiers collapsed.
Cheers erupted throughout the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
The alien invasion had ended, and the nuclear missile had been averted.
Yet, Nick Fury's face remained grim.
Maria Hill noticed Fury's lack of enthusiasm. After glancing around, she leaned in and asked quietly, "Director, is there still a problem?"
Fury cast a glance at Hill. Among everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D., she was the only one he trusted now that Coulson was gone.
Listening to the jubilant noise around him, Fury said in a low voice, "I'm wondering… How was the Secretary of State able to mobilize S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nuclear weapons so quickly?"
"Even though I've been removed from my position, that was… far too fast."
Hill's heart sank at his words, though her expression remained neutral.
She instantly grasped Fury's implication:
There was a traitor within S.H.I.E.L.D.
And not just any traitor—someone in a high-ranking position.
Only someone at that level could have coordinated with the Secretary of State to launch a nuclear strike immediately after Fury's dismissal.
Fury gave Hill a subtle nod and made a hand signal that only the two of them understood.
Hill's eyes widened momentarily, then she calmly descended from the command platform.
She pretended to issue orders while discreetly exiting the command center.
Fury, meanwhile, stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the rooftop of Stark Tower.
Both the Mind Scepter and the Tesseract were now in Alan's hands.
After closing the portal, Alan teleported to the edge of the crater where Loki lay.
Loki was struggling to stand but couldn't overcome the searing pain wracking his body.
Seeing the portal closed, Loki knew his plan had failed completely.
Still, he wasn't overly concerned about his fate.
After all, he was the son of Asgard's All-Father, Odin. Earth wouldn't dare harm him.
Even with Alan standing beside him, Loki remained composed.
Coughing lightly, he said, "Alright, you've won this war."
"But don't say I didn't warn you."
"The Chitauri army wasn't mine. It was lent to me by someone else, and he will soon descend upon your Earth."
Loki grinned. "Had you surrendered to me, you could've avoided that hellish fate."
"But now? Get ready to regret it, foolish mortals."
Alan glanced at Loki, then casually tossed the Tesseract and the Mind Scepter to the ground.
"Loki, adopted son of Odin, King of Asgard. A Frost Giant by birth."
"Tell me… if I were to kill you, would Odin come to save you?"
Loki's ever-confident smirk faltered, his pupils contracting in shock.
How did this armored man know so much?
"Who… who are you?"
"Me?" Alan smiled and slowly raised his foot.
"I'm just the foolish Earthling you were talking about."
"But today…"
"I want to see just how smart your so-called gods really are."
Crack!
Alan's foot came down, snapping the arm Loki had been using to wield the Mind Scepter.
The intense pain made Loki scream in agony.
"Ahhhh!"
At that moment, Tony Stark landed on the rooftop, carrying Captain Rogers.
The Hulk also arrived, holding Hawkeye in his massive arms.
They all saw what was happening.
Watching Loki get beaten, a wave of satisfaction swept through them.
None of them felt it was wrong.
After all, compared to the destruction Loki had caused, this was nothing.
Moments later, Thor arrived, flying in with Mjolnir in hand.
When he saw Alan's foot pressing down on Loki's broken arm and heard his brother's agonized cries, he immediately understood what was happening.
"Take your foot off Loki!"
Seeing that Thor intended to confront Emperor, Tony quickly stepped between them.
"Thor, calm down."
But Thor was in no mood to listen. He shoved Tony aside and declared,
"Don't think that fighting alongside me on the battlefield makes us friends."
"The gods of Asgard will not tolerate such humiliation."
To Thor, Alan breaking Loki's arm was nothing less than an insult to the honor of Asgard.
His anger wasn't just because of Loki.
It stemmed from the pride of being an Asgardian.
Tony's energy reserves were already low, and with Thor's push, he was thrown backward.
Thankfully, Rogers caught him in time; otherwise, he might have fallen off Stark Tower.
Seeing Alan still refusing to lift his foot, Thor swiftly spun Mjolnir in his hand several times before hurling it at him.
Thor was confident—besides Odin, no one in the world could catch his attack.
Anyone who dared would be blasted away by Mjolnir.
But what happened next shattered Thor's understanding of reality.
Alan extended a hand and effortlessly caught Mjolnir, gripping it firmly as he turned to look at Thor.
Thor's eyes widened in disbelief.
Someone… someone could actually wield Mjolnir like him?
He knew better than anyone that Mjolnir was not only incredibly heavy but also enchanted with Odin's spell.
Thor had always believed he was the only one in the universe worthy of that enchantment.
But now…
"Who… who are you?"
Thor's voice trembled, and panic set in.
He tried to summon Mjolnir back, but the hammer remained motionless, as if it no longer recognized him.
"Thor Odinson, son of Odin, King of Asgard," Alan said calmly.
"And you dare speak to me of Asgardian pride?"
"Do the lives of countless people on Earth mean less than one of Loki's arms?"
Thor clenched his fists and, despite his rising fear, maintained his composure.
"Loki is a prince of Asgard," he declared.
"His crimes should be judged by Asgard!"
Thor glanced toward Hulk.
"Hulk, give me a hand!"
Thor had completely forgotten his earlier hostility.
But Hulk, being straightforward, had fought alongside Thor and even battled him once.
In a way, they had formed a bond through combat.
Hearing Thor's call, Hulk roared and charged at Alan.
As the green giant approached, Alan moved in a flash, placing a palm gently against Hulk's chest.
While Alan couldn't perform a soul-separation technique like the Ancient One, suppressing the Hulk was within his power.
The moment his palm touched Hulk's chest, the giant's form rapidly shrank, reverting to Bruce Banner.
Banner looked down at his hands in disbelief, then back at Alan.
"How… how did you do that?"
Thor, seeing Hulk subdued in an instant, stopped in his tracks.
Though impulsive, Thor wasn't a fool.
He could see the vast difference between his strength and Alan's.
For a moment, he dared not act recklessly.
He even considered seeking Odin's help if necessary.
Alan glanced at Banner and answered, "I just let the Hulk take a break."
"Now, will you still try to stop me?"
Banner stood up slowly, shaking his head.
He had no sympathy for Loki. The chaos at S.H.I.E.L.D. had been part of Loki's scheme, pushing him to lose control.
Not beating Loki to a pulp was already merciful.
"Since you insist on Asgardian judgment," Alan said, turning his gaze to the sky.
"Then let me grant your wish."
He raised his voice, his tone cold and commanding.
"Odin! Since you're already here, hiding is pointless."
"Get out here!"
Thor's expression turned serious as he looked skyward.
The others followed suit, their curiosity piqued.
Suddenly, a brilliant rainbow beam descended from the sky, stirring a fierce gust of wind.
A figure holding a staff slowly emerged from the light.
"That's… the All-Father Odin…"
Tony's voice carried a mix of disbelief and awe.
He never thought he'd actually witness the King of the Gods, a figure only mentioned in ancient texts.
—(To be continued)—