Blake felt he just wasn't destined to become famous. The first time he made headlines, it was due to the media creating a crazy "couple" story about him and Tony!
Now, there's still a picture of him and Tony doing a "peace sign" hanging in his Los Angeles apartment bedroom.
The last time he showed off at the Senate, the government immediately suppressed the story, so there was no major media coverage.
This time was his second appearance, and in the photo, Blake looked a mess—disheveled, dirt-streaked, and even with a few blades of grass in his hair.
Tony wasn't much better off, awkwardly pulling one arm and one leg back, with a "ghostly" expression despite his mask.
It was all thanks to the old king of Wakanda, who not only hacked TV networks worldwide but also had world-class journalists pulled in from nearby countries to cover the battle.
Blake was caught off guard—he was crushed under a dragon-shaped ship and had just emerged when he saw a crowd of reporters snapping photos. Tony's "ghostly" look came from that exact moment.
In stark contrast to the two of them was Thor.
Though Thor knew what a journalist and a camera were, he didn't really grasp their significance. Furious, the three of them overturned the dragon ship, and suddenly, seeing the reporters, Thor's first reaction was to treat them as enemies, glaring at them with his hammer raised.
Though he quickly caught himself, the moment was already immortalized in a photo. He took center stage with his wild, unruly hair, perfectly chiseled arm muscles, his fierce aura directed at the "enemies," and his dramatic cape flowing behind him in the wind.
The more Blake looked, the more he felt he was standing next to two clowns.
"That damn old fox! He even prearranged the reporters—he must be desperate for the world to know Wakanda played a role in protecting it!" Tony slammed a newspaper down on the table in frustration.
"I don't know. I think it's pretty good. Jane even called me yesterday to praise the photo. You two are just being petty!" Thor looked at the front-page photo on the newspaper with a confused expression.
"Idiot!" Blake and Tony both yelled in unison.
Tony had just learned the term recently and found it incredibly satisfying to use.
In fact, this had been a win for Blake. Not only did he gain Wakanda as a partner, but he also received a substantial system point boost—500 points each from Black Panther, Shuri, and Okoye.
The outcome of the Chitauri War marked the completion of the Avengers plotline. Unlike solo movies, this time, the system granted a whopping 5,000 points.
His points climbed back to 5,600, and without hesitation, Blake redeemed an intermediate-level combat skill.
Since he'd already bought everything in the Level 2 shop, this rounded out his collection.
This intermediate combat skill was actually excellent. The techniques themselves were yet to be tested in battle, but his body control, strength, and speed had increased by at least 20%.
For Blake, who primarily relied on his body in close combat, this was undoubtedly a significant upgrade.
Having bought everything in the Level 2 shop, the system began an upgrade that would take a full month.
The Level 3 shop would unlock the ability to transfer items to others. For example, if Natasha didn't use a serum, her lifespan would become a serious issue for Blake.
Blake quite liked this idea. While maintaining his own strength, he wouldn't mind helping out his friends. Watching them age one by one would be far too painful.
But for now, these are all future matters, as no one knows what items will be available when the Level 3 shop unlocks.
Loki's situation has finally been settled; he will be taken back to Asgard by Thor.
As for the scepter, Blake didn't try to fight S.H.I.E.L.D. for it; he's waiting for Hydra to take it instead. This gem is tied to three powerful superheroes, and Blake is unsure what challenges he'll face in this world, so every bit of power counts, especially when it comes to high-powered figures like Vision and Scarlet Witch.
The partnership with Wakanda has many aspects to work through gradually, but since Wakanda has only recently revealed itself to the world, the old king has many things to handle for now.
So, that will have to wait.
Right now, Blake is focused on the Tesseract.
But before he could seek out Thor, Thor came looking for him.
"I need the Tesseract to take Loki back to Asgard. You know, I broke the Bifrost, and my father said the Tesseract is needed to repair it."
"That's all?" Blake was a bit surprised; they'd discussed this already.
"No, there's more. My father told me that the Tesseract belongs to you and that Asgard needs to borrow it, so I had to tell you first," Thor said honestly.
"Odin himself said that? That it's mine?"
Blake was curious. Although he had wanted this outcome, Odin offering it outright was unexpected.
"Thor, this is one of the six Infinity Stones, the Space Stone. I see your father's vault has an Infinity Gauntlet. Why give it to me?"
Thor scratched his head awkwardly and replied, "Uh… Father said that each Infinity Stone brings trouble whenever it appears, and now they're repeatedly showing up on Earth, so someone must be behind it. He's old and doesn't want to deal with the hassle, so he'd rather leave it to you."
Odin's exact words were actually, *Once the Tesseract repairs the Bifrost, leave this trouble to that rascal Blake. Even the Ancient One can't foresee his future; it's safest by his side.*
Thor had softened Odin's words a bit, but Blake still thought Thor was a straightforward guy. Did he really have to say his father was passing on the responsibility?
Couldn't he add something like it's a gesture of gratitude for taking care of Loki?
Well, fine! As long as he got the gem, Blake didn't mind.
On the other hand, after S.H.I.E.L.D. acquired the scepter, Alexander Pierce personally intervened to secure it.
As in the movies, Alexander Pierce didn't keep the scepter himself but secretly passed it to Hydra's leader in Eastern Europe, Baron Strucker.
In Eastern Europe, it's easier to conduct human experiments, and the plan to use the scepter to create superpowered soldiers is still just an idea. No one knows the success rate or how powerful the resulting soldiers might be.
For Alexander Pierce, the most important priority right now is the Insight Program.
Dr. Zola's algorithm is nearing completion, and if the program succeeds, Hydra will emerge from the shadows and take control of the entire world!
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