Loki wanted to escape, but with his arm tightly held, he couldn't even use his illusion techniques. Realizing he wasn't going to get away for now, he obediently stopped struggling.
Tony's lab wasn't far from the harbor. Just over two minutes later, a figure clad in iron armor descended from the sky with a loud "bang," landing ten meters away from Loki.
"Loki, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon," Tony said, recognizing him.
"I'm just here to visit," Loki replied. "And this is Xandar, not Earth. I can't harm Earth from here, so why the hostility?"
Tony's deliberate and firm tone made Loki's hair stand on end, prompting him to explain his presence quickly.
"Given your personality, you're just here to visit?" Tony asked skeptically, sizing Loki up.
"And what about your brother, Thor? He's letting you roam around freely?"
Tony's words were filled with doubt. Thor had mentioned that while Loki wouldn't be kept under strict confinement, he wouldn't be allowed to leave Asgard freely either.
It was obvious that Loki had somehow managed to sneak out.
Thor might be willing to tolerate Loki's mischief, but Tony wasn't about to indulge him.
"My brother sent me to pay respects to the Void Cult and thank Reno and the others. That's why I'm here," Loki explained. Even though Reno and his crew were powerful, Loki wasn't worried about them.
Since Reno was from the cosmos and knew of Loki's status as the prince of Asgard, as long as Loki didn't make any aggressive moves, Kael and the others wouldn't take action against him.
But Tony was a different story. Tony had never liked Loki and had a strong friendship with his brother, Thor. Tony could easily beat him up and then call Thor to take him back to Asgard.
Loki had gone to great lengths to sneak out, and the last thing he wanted was for Tony to ruin it by alerting Thor and sending him back home.
"If it were truly a gesture of thanks, your brother Thor would be here himself, not you," Tony remarked.
"How about I give him a call and check?"
Hearing Loki's explanation, Tony didn't even bother asking Reno for the details. It made sense that if Thor had time, he might visit the Void Cult to express gratitude for their help with Earth.
Without a second thought, Tony opened his cosmic communicator and began contacting Thor.
Loki, seeing that Tony wasn't going to listen and had already contacted Thor, smacked his forehead with frustration.
He knew his little escapade had just been exposed.
Loki had done his research on the Void Cult and was aware of their activity in the bounty hunter world. He had chosen to visit because Tony Stark's name wasn't on the list of Void Cult members.
Had he known Tony Stark was on Void Island, Loki would have chosen a better time to visit.
The communicator beeped several times before, after more than a minute, Thor's booming laughter came through.
"Tony! What's going on?" Thor asked cheerfully.
"How's your brother Loki doing?"
"You didn't go easy on him this time, right?" Tony asked.
"Father originally wanted to keep him confined for a longer period," Thor replied.
"But I made a promise to him earlier, so Loki was only locked up for half a month."
"He's been in a bit of a mood since, locked himself in his room. Why, did something happen?" Thor asked, his tone curious.
"If your brother is still in his room, then who is this standing right in front of me?" Tony replied cryptically.
"Standing in front of you?" Thor asked, confused.
"You'll see for yourself," Tony said, switching the call to video mode.
Seeing the request for a video call, Thor immediately agreed.
Moments later, the connection was established, and Thor could see Loki standing nearby.
Thor's eyes widened in shock.
"Loki! Have you forgotten what you promised me?!" he yelled angrily, his voice filled with fury.
"Brother, brother, don't be so mad. You know I was locked up, and I just needed some fresh air. I haven't caused any trouble!" Loki quickly explained, trying to calm his enraged brother.
"Tony, are you sure he hasn't caused any trouble?" Thor asked, turning to Tony.
"So far, no. That's why I haven't laid a finger on him yet," Tony responded.
"But guess where he is right now?"
"…Earth?" Thor asked hesitantly, glancing at the surroundings shown in the video.
"If it were Earth, I wouldn't have taken so long to contact you."
"No, the answer is Xandar's Void Island—the headquarters of the Void Cult," Tony said with a smile.
"The headquarters of the Void Cult?!"
"Loki! What are you doing at the Void Cult's headquarters? Get back here at once!" Thor's voice was filled with disbelief as he stared at Loki, his mind racing to piece things together.
Their father hadn't banned contact with the Void Cult, but the name of Kassadin, the Void God, had already echoed across the galaxy. Kassadin was a mighty figure, not to be trifled with.
Even Thor, with all his strength, found it difficult to deal with the disasters that plagued entire planets. Yet in Kassadin's hands, those catastrophes didn't survive a single day.
Thor also knew that Tony had received a blessing from Harvey Amberlock, which granted him immense power.
Tony had mentioned before that he had been to space, and it didn't seem like much at the time.
But now, seeing Tony on Void Island, the headquarters of the Void Cult, it all made sense. The force backing Tony was undoubtedly the Void Cult.
The Void Cult was a rising power, and its creator, Kassadin, was known to offer everyone the chance at a glorious evolution. His power was immense, and he could even bestow blessings upon others.
Harvey Amberlock's true identity could only be that of Kassadin, the Void God.
Thor hadn't forgotten that his father had specifically warned him not to provoke Harvey Amberlock. As long as they didn't provoke Harvey, he would return the favor by not causing trouble for them.
But now, things had gone sideways. Loki had run off to Kassadin's territory, potentially sparking a conflict between two of the most powerful beings in the universe.
Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 293 at patreon.com/MythicForge11