NOVEL NEXT Chapter 239: Odin and the Ancient One’s Cooperation
Asgard.
Within the transmission chamber of the Bifröst, the All-Father Odin passed judgment on Thor:
"Thor Odinson, you have defied my orders. Because of your arrogance and foolishness, you have shattered the peace of the realm and allowed innocent people to suffer the ravages of war."
"You are unworthy to rule these realms. You are unworthy of your title."
As he spoke, Odin used his divine power to strip Thor of his armor and cloak, sealing away all of his power. He roared:
"You are unworthy of the love of your kin, for you have betrayed them."
"I hereby strip you of your power — in the name of my father, and my father's father."
"I, Odin, All-Father, banish you from Asgard!"
Odin took Mjolnir in hand and struck Thor, sending him hurtling into the Bifröst. Then, holding the hammer, he inscribed runes upon it:
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
He cast Mjolnir into the Bifröst alongside Thor. At his side, Loki stood silently, witnessing his father's judgment.
The Bifröst sent Thor to Midgard — Earth — specifically, the deserts of New Mexico.
Having completed this, Odin left the Bifröst in Heimdall's care. But instead of returning to his palace, his form appeared in Kamar-Taj.
He had cast Thor down to Earth for tempering, but Odin knew he needed to speak with Earth's protector, the Ancient One.
"Supreme Sorcerer!"
The Ancient One turned, her gaze meeting that of the All-Father radiating divine might. She said:
"Odin, Earth is not your pasture."
"Throwing your son and his weapon here is hardly the wisest choice."
Odin looked at her with a serious expression.
"Midgard is one of the Nine Realms, and Asgard rules the Nine Realms."
The Ancient One's lips curved into a faint smile.
"So you plan to take on all the extra-dimensional invasions for me?"
Odin coughed twice to ease the awkwardness.
"Ahem… I intend for Thor to train here, to learn compassion and restraint."
"A king should not think only of war."
"For that reason, I have sealed his divine power, making him a mere mortal."
The Ancient One did not agree with Asgard's methods of training their kin, but she would not interfere. Instead, she asked:
"What does Earth gain from this?"
Odin replied,
"Earth will gain the friendship of its future king — and perhaps his aid in times of great peril."
The Ancient One said slowly,
"Just this once."
Odin smiled.
"Then we have an agreement."
…
Three days later.
Triskelion Building.
In Nick Fury's office, Coulson reported:
"The investigation into the 'sky curtain' has yielded no progress. According to our intel, the entire world was plunged into darkness at the exact same moment. Satellite records show no anomalies."
"After canvassing witnesses and filtering through online data, we've found no useful leads."
Fury nodded.
"File it away and shift it to routine background monitoring. You have a new assignment."
"There's a suspected 0-8-4 in New Mexico. I need you to investigate."
"As for today's Expo and Vanko Industries' new product, Agent Hill will handle the record."
Receiving the new orders, Coulson answered,
"Yes, sir."
…
Stark Expo.
The main exhibition hall was packed with guests. For Vanko Industries' debut — especially their robot project — both corporate and government representatives were keenly interested.
Smith Dole stood with Bulma, Tony, and others. Pepper Potts, now CEO, and Happy were also present.
The announcer's voice rang out:
"Ivan Vanko's presentation will begin shortly in the main hall."
Seeing the military personnel and special agency buyers in the crowd, Tony murmured to Smith:
"They're not giving up. Looks like they want Vanko Industries to go military."
"Of course, that's assuming your robot can fight."
Smith shook his head.
"Vanko Industries will not become a weapons manufacturer, nor will we sell armored soldiers. That's not our philosophy."
The music swelled. Ivan Vanko descended from above in his Whiplash armor, landed on stage, and removed the suit via mechanical arms to reveal a well-fitted suit beneath.
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't expect him to upgrade that fast — even added flight. But I see you didn't give him the new element."
Smith nodded.
"He's still at the stage you were before. He needs to improve step by step."
"What I'm curious about is whether he can find the new element himself."
Tony smirked.
"I'll admit, Ivan's smart, but he's still behind me. I spent over a year without success — no telling how long it'll take him."
"That element was Bulma's find anyway. As long as you're not using it for weapons, I've got no objections."
Smith agreed.
"Something like that would be too dangerous in military hands."
Pepper, watching Ivan's entrance mirroring Tony's past theatrics, thought Vanko really couldn't resist competing with him — though at least he didn't put on an 'Iron Man show.'
"Whiplash! Whiplash! Whiplash!"
The chants from the crowd brought a smile to Ivan's face. He stepped to center stage, and at his signal, the room fell silent.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]