A sonic boom echoed through the air.
In the distance, several kilometers away, a shadow shot into the sky, speeding straight in this direction.
Vex clenched his right hand, but then...
---
Vex clenched his right hand, but it was Lewis, hugging him out of fear.
Jane also instinctively leaned towards him.
Without hesitation, Vex placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her behind him.
As all this was happening, Thor grabbed Mjölnir, raised it high to summon lightning to strike himself, restoring his power and transforming into his full royal asgardian armor.
"Great!" Volstagg exclaimed in surprise. "Mjölnir has accepted you again!"
"Now Loki's in trouble! Haha—"
"Asgard is saved!"
...
Thor was also smiling, though more reserved.
He looked at Vex sincerely and said, "Thank you for waking me up!"
Vex: "..."
Waking you up?
When did that happen?
He had no idea.
Behind him, Jane seemed a bit eager.
—The bond she had developed with Thor over the past few days made her happy for him.
But...
She had just been hiding behind Vex. Would it seem bad to leave so suddenly?
—After all, it had only been a few days.
While she hesitated...
"You seem to be in a hurry," Vex kindly reminded. "If you wait too long, things might change. Go quickly."
Thor glanced at Jane, who was standing behind Vex, and remained silent for a few seconds.
To step up at such a critical moment and trust him so much, they must have known each other for a while, right?
At that moment, the sky shifted dramatically, as if something was coming.
"The Bifrost!" Sif said excitedly. "Heimdall is summoning us!"
Thor's expression grew wistful—no time left, huh?
Between romance and the fate of Asgard, the latter was obviously more important.
He looked at Vex again.
"When I've sorted things out, we'll have a drink together!" Thor promised.
"Of course!" Vex happily agreed.
Hurry up and go already!
"I'll come back to thank you as well," Sif said solemnly.
"I'll be waiting," Vex replied gently.
The other three Asgardian warriors were about to say their goodbyes too...
But before they could, a rainbow-colored beam of light enveloped Thor and his companions, taking them away.
All that remained was a mysterious rune imprinted on the ground, steaming.
Jane felt a bit of regret.
Maybe she should have been braver just now...
But it's okay!
Thor will come back, and then she can explain everything!
Vex, on the other hand, thought...
Next time?
You won't be seeing them for another two or three years at least.
Suddenly!
A flash of light hit Vex's eyes.
Squinting, he looked ahead and saw Agent Coulson, with his characteristic polite smile, walking over and stopping a few meters away.
"Hello, sir. I'm Agent Phil Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D. Here's my ID."
Coulson held out his credentials.
Vex felt a little disappointed...
No chance to make fun of that ridiculously long title anymore. What a shame.
"Sir, it seems like... you know who we are?" Coulson asked perceptively.
Vex blinked and didn't answer right away.
'System.' Vex asked inwardly. "What's my identity in this world?"
The system didn't respond.
So...
Was he currently an undocumented alien?
Not that it mattered.
With power like his, there was nothing to fear anywhere.
Might as well...
Go rogue completely!
"I just arrived on your planet. I don't know anyone," Vex said bluntly. "M78 Nebula, Vex."
Coulson pursed his lips.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't believe that.
But five "aliens" had just left on a "rainbow."
Maybe...
It wasn't so hard to accept?
"Wow! Cool!" Lewis said in awe. "Are you a space traveler?"
Hmm?
That was a good explanation!
Vex nodded calmly and gave Lewis a look that said, "You're pretty smart."
"Our mission as a starborn race is to find suitable planets to settle, expand, and strengthen our species."
Hearing this, Lewis' eyes lit up!
She tightened her grip on Vex's arm.
Coulson was also surprised,
He hadn't expected this "alien visitor" to be here looking for a place to settle...
"Are you sure you're just here to settle?" Dr. Erik Selvig asked skeptically. "With such power, capable of space travel, how can we be sure—mmph mmph mmph—"
Lewis covered Erik's mouth and glared at him.
"Don't listen to him!" Lewis explained. "The old man's just confused... Jane, say something!"
"We're not doubting you, we're just making a hypothesis," Jane said cautiously. "After all, compared to you, humans are quite weak..."
"That's where you're wrong," Vex shook his head. "I was drawn to this planet because I sensed powerful individuals here. That's why I chose this spot to land."
Jane, Lewis, and Erik all turned to look at Coulson in unison.
Being a government agent, he must know something, right?
"Well, there are some," Coulson admitted cautiously. "But before that we need to give you a full assessment.
To ensure...
"That you pose no threat to Earth before allowing you to... expand your species."
Coulson's tone was firm, but he didn't feel very confident.
Considering the destructive power Vex had displayed...
Even the Hulk would probably get beaten down by him, right?
If Vex refused...
They'd be in big trouble.
But they couldn't just let him roam freely either.
They could only hope...
"No problem," Vex agreed. "I understand—like an immigration check, right?"
Coulson breathed a sigh of relief.
He signaled to his team to stand down.
"It's great that you understand!" Coulson said, smiling warmly.
"I do have conditions," Vex grinned. "I won't accept restricted movements, and you can't take any samples from me. Also, after the assessment, you'll introduce me to a super-powered woman."
Uh...
Those conditions were tough, but it was better than direct conflict.
"No problem!" Coulson agreed immediately. "The full assessment will begin tomorrow. Until then, we won't restrict your movements, but one of our agents will accompany you."
Coulson waved his hand.
Hawkeye, holding his compound bow, emerged from the shadows.
"This is Agent Hawkeye. I hope you two get along." Coulson introduced.
Hawkeye gave a curt nod, acknowledging Vex.
Vex's eyes drifted down to the compound bow.
Hawkeye's bow...
That should be a nice piece of gear, right?