"Ha, I think you could start a Sherlock Holmes detective agency, Natasha."
Coulson said helplessly.
Despite his words, Coulson also knew that Natasha's points were not without merit. He also felt that this situation was beyond what ordinary people could handle.
Therefore, the suspects and targets were already narrowed down to a certain range.
It was likely those mysterious and supernatural entities, considering how frequently these things appear nowadays.
For example, in Chino Town, Natasha and Hawkeye encountered a bizarre incident during a mission.
Despite being top agents with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support, they were left in a sorry state, with no ability to fight back. One could imagine how troublesome and exaggerated those entities must be.
Coulson definitely did not want to deal with those things.
"The real battlefield for those people should be over there." Natasha said, finishing her ice cream and casually throwing the trash into a plastic bag, preparing to take it away. She wiped her lips with a napkin as she spoke.
Coulson gazed at the sea, nodding. He had been virtually reconstructing the area from the damaged site and could tell that the center of the battle was not on land but in the sea. The seaside villas and roads were just collateral damage.
Even the aftershocks alone caused such destruction. One could imagine the terrifying energy clashes that erupted above the sea.
The rough calculations made Coulson want to turn and leave immediately.
Is that within the realm of human capability?
If his small frame got caught in it, he'd be obliterated in an instant, not even leaving ashes.
Coulson was frustrated that he was always assigned to investigate such tasks by the director. Although he appreciated the director's trust in his abilities, he wished for less of this trust, as his abilities were useless against these superhuman threats.
"Tony has a lot of records. I think he witnessed the entire event."
Natasha said.
"Given his personality, it would be hard to get the truth from him."
"He is somewhat different from when I first met him."
Coulson nodded, "Indeed, there have been changes. But only time will reveal what those changes are."
Tony Stark's identity was too complicated. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't deal with him directly; they could only make covert contacts and observations.
"Do you think it has anything to do with him?"
Coulson proposed a hypothesis. Natasha pondered for a moment, neither confirming nor denying it. "I don't know. It's possible he was involved, but why would he seek out Tony Stark?"
"That person has rarely appeared since the Forks Town accident. Occasionally, he dates that lady, but most of the time, he is nowhere to be found. I suspect he might not even be on Earth most of the time."
"What about your relationship with him?"
"You know, Coulson, I approached him with an agenda from the beginning. After he found out, there was no chance of further development," Natasha shook her head helplessly. Although their contact was brief, Natasha could somewhat analyze his personality traits.
Their relationship seemed friendly, but in reality, it was far from it.
He merely saw her as a neighbor-like figure, perhaps even less.
If she were to fall into a crisis and he saw it, would he save her or stand by? She suspected the latter was more likely.
He appeared cheerful on the surface but was very cold inside, with few people able to get close to him.
Certainly not her.
"Now he's becoming increasingly enigmatic. The director wants us to keep a close watch on him, but we don't even know where he truly is."
In reality, S.H.I.E.L.D. had already identified most of the properties he bought in New York. However, he almost never stayed in those properties.
They seemed more like safe houses.
It was known that he resided roughly in the wealthy areas of Long Island.
After thorough investigation by S.H.I.E.L.D., there was no significant finding, which was illogical. So, S.H.I.E.L.D. concluded that one of the mansions or estates must belong to him but was cloaked with some ability that affects human senses or memory.
This led to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents being unknowingly influenced and overlooking it.
Fury wanted to infiltrate and investigate, but considering his personality and power, he decisively refrained. If he tried something foolish and provoked the retired Butcher to return to his old ways, it would be disastrous.
He feared that the butcher's wrath might turn towards S.H.I.E.L.D., so he let him be.
Nonetheless, both Fury and Natasha were itching for answers, especially after the incident in Chino Town and the appearance of the demon, which confirmed the existence of Hell.
Could other mythologies also be real?
They sought answers, but he obviously did not care to enlighten them.
During their conversation, Coulson received a call. As the report came through, Coulson's face showed astonishment.
"I understand."
"What's the matter?"
"Our people detected an unfamiliar energy in Forks Town and found this at a riverbank." Coulson showed a picture on his phone to Natasha, who immediately saw a circular pattern about ten meters in diameter.
The pattern was inscribed with incomprehensible symbols and lines.
"I can't make sense of it," Natasha said bluntly.
"Yeah~~"
Coulson sighed, "Maybe we'll wake up tomorrow to news of Angels descending to Earth."
"I'd rather work in logistics now."
...….
"Thor?"
Pietro, who had just returned to the manor from training, looked shocked when he heard the news from Bi Xiao in the dining room. The Scarlet Witch, however, remained calm and continued to eat her meal gracefully, subtly noting Bi Xiao's preferred tastes.
She planned to learn how to cook it later on. It's easy for women to master this unwritten rule: to win a man's heart, one must first win his stomach.
The Scarlet Witch had embarked on this path.
As for Thor, she wasn't very concerned. She would do whatever Bi Xiao instructed her to do.
"You need an opponent. After the battle with the Kalumai's followers, it became evident that you still lack combat experience. Battles are the best nourishment for growth. Thor will be your best sparring partner at this stage."
"And this sparring will last a long time."
Bi Xiao took a sip of the meat soup, savoring its delicious taste, and his expression brightened.
Thor's current strength should not be inferior to Wanda and Pietro's. However, due to Pietro and the Scarlet Witch's unique abilities, they would initially dominate Thor in combat, perhaps even toy with him.
Thor's combat intelligence and experience are high, but he has rarely faced such unique opponents like Wanda and Pietro. One is a sorceress with various instant-cast spells, the other a combination of an assassin and warrior with speed and strength.
Bi Xiao could already foresee Thor coming excitedly for the challenge tomorrow, only to leave frustrated after being beaten.
However, he wouldn't underestimate Thor. Thor's innate advantages are substantial, his base stats are extraordinarily high, considered among the best in the universe. Especially after Odin's fall, if Thor absorbs Odin's power and gains his own, he would ascend instantly.
Thor typically takes heavy hits in the early stage of a battle, adapts in the mid-stage, and defeats his opponents in the late stage.
He's an exceptional combat grower. Pietro and Wanda, under his guidance, are also classified in this elite category.
Thus, the final outcome would be that Thor and Wanda, along with Pietro, would grow rapidly through combat. Following the law of conservation, if one grows, the other grows as well, maintaining a parallel level.
Wanda and Pietro would suppress Thor from start to finish.
However, once Thor adapts, the fights wouldn't be as one-sided. They would likely be prolonged battles testing endurance, stamina, and on-the-spot combat reactions.
"Wow, okay." Hearing about the impending battle with the mythological Thor, Pietro was initially confused, then excited.
A teenager full of energy and defiance, he was ready to fight Thor.
He secretly resolved to beat Thor soundly, to show Bi Xiao his growth.
Children cannot hide their feelings. Bi Xiao easily caught Pietro's determined expressions and didn't stop him, instead looking forward to a fierce battle.
Time passed quickly, and the next day arrived.
Right after Wanda and Pietro finished their meal, a dazzling rainbow pillar of light descended outside the manor, and Thor emerged. The housekeeper, previously informed, was already waiting outside.
Seeing Thor's unexpected arrival, the housekeeper's expression remained unchanged.
After a brief introduction, she led Thor on a modified electric cart along a long cobblestone road to the residential area, showing him the scenery of the manor.
Thor, having traveled through the Nine Realms, was not surprised. He had seen many beautiful places, with few on Earth matching Asgard's splendor. At most, it was a novel experience.
The housekeeper brought Thor to the manor's mansion and into the living room, where Bi Xiao introduced him to Wanda and Pietro.
They sized each other up.
Thor's first impression of Wanda and Pietro was that they were young and somewhat immature. Though their physiques matched adults, their faces were still youthful.
Yet, he sensed a dangerous aura from them, making it impossible to ignore their strength.
Wanda and Pietro, seeing Thor for the first time, were not disappointed. From appearance alone, Thor gave off an impression of masculinity, warrior spirit, bravery, and forthrightness.
But once Thor spoke, the impression crumbled.
His various naive remarks would typically excite other youngsters, making them admire Thor's heroic persona.
Pietro, being a young boy, was roused, eager to have a spirited spar with Thor.
Men's battles.
Wanda, on the other hand, was unimpressed. Girls and boys often have different thought processes. She felt Thor was naive and a bit silly, like an adolescent boy.
Wanda feared that being around Thor would infect Pietro with his naivety. Pietro then shouted, "Let's have a one-on-one, real man's fight, Thor!"
"Haha, Pietro, son of Maximoff, I admire your bravery. At your age, you are the strongest warrior I have encountered. Our battle will be sung across the Nine Realms and remembered in history."
Thor walked up to Pietro and warmly embraced him.
The Scarlet Witch's initial worry immediately became reality. She rolled her eyes dramatically and took a "half step" back, deciding to distance herself from these two foolish men.
Bi Xiao glanced at the Scarlet Witch, who had retreated "half a step" and was now standing close to him, almost pressing her small body against his. Amused, he reached out and patted her head, only to have his hand swatted away in a disgruntled and annoyed manner.
She did not want to be treated like a child.
She was an adult.
Wanda straightened her back, trying to show the man beside her that she was serious. But Bi Xiao completely ignored her, which was not permissible. Even though she was still young, his moral compass did not allow him to be that flexible.
"Alright, brave warriors, are you ready?"
In an instant, two intense gazes shot toward him. Bi Xiao nodded in satisfaction; foolish young men were the easiest to manipulate.
With a snap of his fingers,
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass rang out, and the surroundings changed. The entire manor, including the buildings, ground, walls, and trees, began to move rhythmically like waves. Before long, the manor had transformed into a massive, luxurious dueling arena.
The arena spanned tens of thousands of square meters, with tiered seating around the edges, resembling an enlarged version of an ancient Roman coliseum. Bi Xiao and the other three were lifted to a towering platform.
Bi Xiao led the Scarlet Witch to a seat that had automatically risen, sat down, and gestured to Thor and Pietro, indicating that they could begin their performance.
Rumble!
"Come, Pietro, Son of Maximoff, let us enjoy this battle together." With a burst of lightning and Thor's hearty voice, his figure descended like a bolt of lightning to the center of the dueling arena, over a hundred meters below.
Pietro, equally excited, followed in the same manner, intertwining blue and white lightning.
Their descent did not stir up a single speck of dust.
There was no conversation or exchange; the moment they landed, Thor and Pietro clashed like bolts of lightning.
Boom!
Thor swung his lightning-wrapped Mjolnir at Pietro, who gathered his Speed Force and, entering his berserk mode, refused to dodge, determined to meet Thor head-on.
The collision of the fist and Mjolnir erupted in a massive shockwave, with an earth-shattering sound and a wave of lightning, shaking the entire dueling arena for a moment.
"So fast," Wanda remarked, observing the intertwined white and blue lightning figures below, surprised at Thor's speed.
"He is the God of Thunder, who commands lightning. How could he be slow?"
Bi Xiao was not surprised.
In official settings, Thor's speed is at least light speed or even beyond. His speed is not inferior to Pietro's.
That's why Thor's basic stats are rare even in the universe.
His strength can clash with the Hulk, and his speed can compete with Pietro. Thor is also a well-rounded warrior, excelling in all areas.
Underestimating Thor's speed is fatal. Most enemies facing Thor probably wouldn't even react before their heads are smashed by his hammer.
Thor's disdain for other races is not without reason. With his abilities, few enemies can match him. Anyone lacking speed and reflexes is doomed to be hammered to death.
Just charge through, no need for strategy or wisdom, just brute force.
However, this time Thor met a true opponent.
Pietro, from the moment he was saved, took about two months to develop his speed force with the help of magical enhancements. Despite his life level not being as high as Thor's, his abilities and techniques compensated for his shortcomings.
With speed force, he was faster than Thor. The magical core provided continuous power and speed force, and his berserk mode compensated for his strength. Even against Thor's immense power, Pietro did not lose out.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— 110+ Advance Chapters!
Caught up to raws!