Loki had expected the man to show fear and apologize profusely. Instead, he was met with the opposite reaction.
The stranger furrowed his brow in confusion, turned to Thor, and asked, "Did I hear him wrong?"
Thor crossed his arms and shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. He had initially thought the stranger would apologize, at which point he'd stop Loki from taking things too far. But now, Thor saw an opportunity to assert authority in front of the refugees.
Loki immediately caught on to his brother's intention and smirked. Turning back to the stranger, he plastered a forced smile on his face.
"Hehe~"
"I must have misheard you earlier. Care to repeat what you said?"
As Loki spoke, a faint green glow began to flicker behind his back, magic pooling in his palm. He was ready to strike the moment the stranger dared insult him again.
But Russell tilted his head, his expression thoughtful, and said, "Actually, maybe I'm saving you."
Loki froze, momentarily thrown off.
Saving me?
The words made no sense. Loki's brow furrowed in confusion, and before he could respond, Russell laughed.
"Don't get it?" Russell asked, his tone amused. "It's fine. You'll understand now."
With that, Russell abruptly swung his arm and smacked Loki's face, slamming him against the reinforced glass of the porthole. Loki let out a yelp, sliding down the glass with a dull thud.
Ah, that familiar sensation, Russell thought with satisfaction.
Thor's eyes widened in shock. While Loki wasn't the mightiest of Asgardians, he was no pushover—and yet he hadn't even been able to react before being struck!
Thor's tone turned serious. "Who are you?" He stepped forward protectively, shielding the refugees behind him.
Heimdall and Valkyrie drew their weapons, their postures tense.
Russell, unfazed, smirked and said cryptically, "Friendly reminder: never trust the eyes given to you by a raccoon."
"See you next time."
Before anyone could react, an orange portal appeared behind him. Russell stepped back into it just as Hulk lunged forward, missing by inches.
The cabin fell silent, the bizarre scene leaving everyone stunned.
Several seconds later, Thor broke the silence.
"I hate raccoons," he muttered. "Why would I take their eyes? Ridiculous."
His tone carried the conviction of someone convinced he was full of wisdom. Heimdall sighed quietly, certain that Thor didn't even know what a raccoon was.
Meanwhile, Loki peeled himself off the porthole, wincing as he touched his swollen face.
Where is he?
The man had vanished completely, as if he had never been there. Loki's face contorted with a mix of rage and humiliation.
"Did I get beaten… for nothing?" he muttered, his voice cracking.
Void Land
Russell stepped out of the portal into the Void.
The spaceship incident had been a test—a way to see whether the people meant to die in Ragnarok would somehow end up in the Void or continue along their timeline.
Russell leaned against a nearby surface, replaying the events in his mind. The operation had failed.
Asgard had exploded. Both Hela and Surtur were dead, and Russell had "participated" in the event. Yet he hadn't received any system entries.
His previous assumption—that simply participating in someone's death could trigger a reward—was clearly wrong.
Russell thought back to the first time he'd crossed over. He had killed Killian, and Killian had indirectly caused Tony Stark's death before he died. He had gained an entry from Tony Stark.
The connection seemed clear:
Killian was his direct kill, so the entry was guaranteed.Tony Stark's death, however, was caused by Russell's actions playing a key role.
Russell muttered to himself, "So it's not just about participation. I need to play a critical role in their fate. Without me, the outcome wouldn't have happened."
This explained why Ragnarok hadn't worked. Even without Russell, both Hela and Surtur were destined to die. His presence hadn't made a difference.
Russell smirked. "I guess that rules out farming major battles like Infinity War or Endgame. Otherwise, I'd just have to toss in a skill and collect entries for Strange, Spider-Man, Thanos, and the Black Order. Too easy, right?"
The idea of repeatedly exploiting such events amused him briefly before he dismissed it.
"Of course, no bugs allowed," he sighed.
Still, the realization wasn't entirely disappointing. It simply meant he had to rethink his strategy. Instead of waiting for the final moments of Ragnarok, he'd have to intervene earlier, altering events in a way that made his role decisive.
But that came with its own risks. Leaving the doomsday point in the timeline could trigger a time branch.
An Epiphany
The mention of time branches sparked a thought in Russell's mind.
When he first crossed over, the TVA hadn't come after him immediately. They only arrived after Tony Stark's death.
"So, it's not just about being a time traveler. The TVA responds only when someone's fate is significantly altered."
Russell narrowed his eyes. That would explain why Kang couldn't locate him. The machine Kang used at the end of Loki was supposed to foresee everything, yet it hadn't detected Russell's movements.
If Kang couldn't track him and the TVA only responded to specific changes, then Russell might be a unique anomaly in the timeline.
"Guess I'll just have to test it," he muttered, opening another portal and stepping through.
The Leader Spaceship
Back on the ship, Loki returned to his cabin. Looking into the mirror, he winced as he touched the swollen side of his face. He had disguised himself earlier to avoid embarrassment, but now, seeing the damage only fueled his anger.
"Damn you," he muttered through gritted teeth. "If I ever meet you again…"
A voice interrupted him from the shadows.
"Oh? And what will you do?"
Loki froze, his blood running cold.
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Added 'All the Powers Russell has Till Ch 45' Auxiliary chapter do check it out.