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The smile was silent, but very sweet.
"What about Daisy?" Natasha suddenly tilted her head and asked Michael with interest.
"What do you think?" Michael didn't answer directly, nor did he seem nervous. He simply replied with a smile.
"All men are really bad!" Natasha shook her head and pouted.
"Daisy is my girlfriend; I like her. As for you, you're my woman now—I like you too and am also captivated by you. I have no intention of giving up either of you. So, the simplest way is, of course, to keep both. After all, rich and powerful people often have more than one woman, right?"
"I can be considered rich and powerful, right? As long as my feelings for you are true and genuine, isn't that enough?" Michael smiled and continued, "Of course, you can refuse, but I am traditional, and in my tradition, once I consider someone mine, they stay that way."
"Traditional? You're just being a playboy, aren't you?"
"In ancient times, kings had multiple wives and concubines, not to mention a large harem. So, this is really a tradition." Michael said seriously.
Natasha knew of this, but she hadn't expected Michael to use it as an excuse.
"King, huh? Is that your goal?"
Curious, Natasha asked, "What if I find another man?"
"I'll kill whoever he is." Michael replied calmly, his tone leaving no doubt he meant it.
"Alright, you win." Natasha shrugged, "Anyway, I'm not looking for anyone else—you're enough for me! But my current situation isn't exactly clear, so why don't you tell me what's going on?"
"The Berserker Staff, from Asgard. It can induce fear and anger in people, increasing their strength. This is only one-third of the staff. I'm planning to find the other two parts."
"And then keep it for yourself?" Natasha continued.
Michael smiled, "That's right because… I might be the only one who isn't affected!"
"I think Nick Fury might regret letting me handle this mission."
Since Michael seemed set on keeping the Berserker Cane, Natasha understood SHIELD would never get it back. She wasn't too concerned, though. Although she belonged to SHIELD and the Avengers, she was clearly more aligned with Michael.
And if the staff was in Michael's hands, it wouldn't be easy for anyone to take it away. Natasha was curious, though: where had Michael stored the cane?
She recalled he hadn't left the previous night, and she hadn't seen the cane.
Michael smiled, "If Fury has any objections, he can come to me! For now, though, you should just rest."
"Alright, alright!" Natasha's body was still recovering. It had been her first wild night, and she was only slightly sore. Yet, she appreciated Michael's concern.
Seeing Natasha comply, Michael relaxed.
"This cane is just a part of the whole, right? Do you know where the other parts are? Are you… truly unaffected?" Natasha leaned into him, her body trembling slightly. Thinking about it now, the memory of that fear still lingered.
Sensing her unease, Michael gently patted her shoulder and said softly, "The cane is split into three parts. I know where the other two are, and I'll find them once you're better. As for the effects, there is a minor impact; holding the cane intensifies anger, but it's manageable."
"That's a relief…" Natasha sighed. She knew how strong the influence was and didn't want Michael to experience it.
They stayed together until the afternoon, and Natasha only left when she felt better. As they departed, the innkeeper eyed Michael strangely—it was clear that the noisy night hadn't gone unnoticed.
After leaving, they found a place to eat.
"Are you going back to SHIELD, or are you coming with me?" Michael asked as they finished.
"You're going to look for the rest of the cane?"
"Yes, since I have part of it, I might as well collect the rest to prevent any issues if someone else finds them."
"And after that?" Natasha asked.
Michael thought for a moment, "After that, I'll probably start establishing a base. Right now, that's my priority."
"Then I'll head back to SHIELD." Natasha decided.
"Alright, try not to take on any missions for now. Get some rest."
They shared a goodbye kiss before Natasha returned to SHIELD, and Michael set out to retrieve the remaining parts of the cane. For others, finding them would have been challenging—the cane had been hidden on Earth for centuries, after all. But for Michael, it wasn't difficult; he knew exactly where to look.
Though the locations were far apart, Michael managed to find both pieces within half a day. Once gathered, he placed all three cane pieces on the ground, and they began to merge, attracted to each other, automatically joining to form a complete staff.
Its shape was similar to Loki's scepter, but simpler and less ornate.
Holding the staff, Michael felt a surge of anger and strength, a strong urge to release and destroy. He steadied himself and began practicing with it, but he quickly frowned—he wasn't used to handling long weapons like staffs or spears. He preferred the feel of the cane when split in two. Returning the Berserker Staff to his system space, he summoned two sleek black swords into his hands.
With a fluid motion, he swung the swords, testing his form. He nodded in satisfaction. The dual swords felt far more natural to him than the staff.
Yet, while his dual swords made of ether particles and those created with his ring were both powerful, they lacked the staff's amplification effects. Remembering the power boost the Berserker's Staff provided, he was reluctant to give it up entirely.
"Looks like I'll need to pay him a visit."
Michael murmured to himself. Originally, he hadn't intended to look for the original owner of the Berserker's Staff—an Asgardian living in hiding on Earth.
This Asgardian had once been a member of the Berserkers and was also a blacksmith. The Blacksmith of Asgard.
Michael decided to seek him out to transform the Berserker's Staff into a pair of swords, which would be both more convenient and more powerful for his style. He recalled that the Asgardian, named Elliot Randolph, was a professor at a university in Seville.
By the time Michael arrived in Seville, night had fallen quietly.
He knew Randolph's name and that he worked as a professor at the university, but he didn't know where he lived. It was unlikely he'd be at the university at this hour.
Still, finding his address wouldn't be hard.
Michael called Daisy and shared Randolph's information. Within minutes, she had tracked down his location.