DC Heroes in Marvel

"Ah, what's wrong?"

Anton looked at Coulson with a dazed expression, completely confused. What did he mean by our time may be running out?

"Leave it to the other team? Oh no—doesn't Earth have plenty of time left? Or wait, is it Asgard that's running out of time? What are you talking about?"

Anton felt like he had completely broken S.H.I.E.L.D.'s sense of normalcy.

But now, after the damage was done, Coulson seemed to use his wealth of experience to drag them both down to a level of confusion Anton could only describe as "mental retardation," leaving him in dire need of a recharge.

"Loki has appeared! I'm sure he's met Thor!"

Coulson's tone grew solemn. "If Ares is actually Loki, we cannot allow Loki to act freely on Earth, let alone start a war."

"Ah, that's what you meant."

Anton scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Loki is definitely a big problem—a serious threat to Earth. You're not wrong there. But the current fight between Loki and Thor doesn't really involve Earth just yet. As for what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to do…"

Asgard's existence was still a temporary secret to S.H.I.E.L.D., but Anton figured they'd learn the truth sooner or later—either from Thor or other sources. There was no need for him to hide it.

Besides, Anton's target was the Destroyer. His goals didn't conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission to maintain stability. 

If anything, their objectives complemented each other, paving the way for a potential collaboration.

The Destroyer was a threat that would require extreme measures to neutralize. It could probably only be stopped with nuclear weapons. 

But deploying a nuke? That was out of the question—unless the situation became as dire as the Battle of New York, when aliens had completely overrun the city. 

Otherwise, the U.S. would never drop a nuke, especially not in America.

So, Anton figured it was logical for him to act in the name of justice and deal with the Destroyer himself.

Hearing Anton's explanation, Coulson paused to think before asking, "So… Thor is a threat?"

"Thor is not a threat," Anton replied curtly. "His presence just tends to cause trouble."

"I think I get it… sort of," Coulson said, still a bit unsure. He hesitated before asking, "You seem to know a lot about this—Thor, Loki, all of it. What do you actually know?"

"Before I explain," Anton said, "you need to understand that the starry sky we live in is part of what's called the World Tree."

He continued, "The World Tree connects nine realms. Earth, for example, is called Midgard. Because it's at the center of the World Tree, it's also referred to as the Atrium. Beyond Midgard, there's Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Nidavellir, Jotunheim, Helheim, Niflheim, and Muspelheim—these are the other eight realms, or planets."

"Wait—this is mythology, right? Are you saying it's all real?"

Coulson's surprise was palpable. The World Tree system of Norse mythology… He'd been brushing up on Greek mythology lately, but on the advice of some experts, he'd also picked up a full set of Norse mythology books.

Unfortunately, those late-night study sessions hadn't made things much clearer. At least now he had some context for what Anton was saying, but the revelation left him reeling.

"Of course, it's true," Anton nodded. "However, unlike what you might think, magic can also be explained scientifically. Humans are biologically different from those who call themselves gods. These beings naturally possess extraordinary powers, which is why they are revered as deities."

He paused before continuing, "They use the World Tree system to describe all the realms under this starry sky. Thousands of years ago, during a great war, Odin, the King of the Asgardian gods, came to rule over the Nine Realms. Because humans were weak, the gods refrained from interfering with their beliefs and sealed the Bifröst—the Rainbow Bridge, a space passage connecting the realms. This is why miracles vanished for thousands of years and why mankind began to consider the gods as mere myths."

"Then why have they appeared now?" Coulson asked, frowning. "Have they changed their minds and decided to rule Earth again?"

"On the contrary," Anton replied. "The people of Asgard view themselves as far above such concerns and think of Earth as remote and insignificant. Although I'm not particularly fond of their existence, I have to admit that, aside from a few with extreme views, many Asgardians are quite noble. They pride themselves on protecting the weak. Think of it like this: just as elephants don't intentionally trample ants, humans also try to protect endangered species when they disrupt the ecological balance. Do you understand what I mean?"

Coulson was taken aback. "So… to the Asgardians, humans are ants? Or perhaps endangered creatures?"

"You could see it that way," Anton said. "As far as I know, Thor is here because he made a grave mistake, offended Odin, and was exiled. Meanwhile, Loki is about to ascend the throne. However, Thor, as Odin's eldest son and first heir, has always had strong support among the Asgardians after years of proving himself in battle. He's seen as an uncrowned king. If he regains his divine powers, he'll be the strongest contender for the throne."

"Ah, so it's all about the throne," Coulson murmured, catching on. "Loki would kill Thor to secure his claim, wouldn't he? So Thor isn't the threat—Loki might send someone to Earth to kill him. That's the real threat we're dealing with."

"Exactly," Anton nodded.

"In that case," Coulson suggested, "maybe we can just ignore Thor and let Loki deal with him. That would resolve the crisis naturally."

Anton's smile was sharp as he stared at the worried agent. "Coulson, this is Earth—the domain of humanity. Are you saying we should let beings from other worlds come and go as they please? That no matter the damage they cause to our planet, we should just hold our noses and accept it? Is that how S.H.I.E.L.D. operates?"

His tone grew pointed. "The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.—do they wait until Earth is on the brink of destruction before being forced to act? That's not how we in the Justice League handle things."

"I'm just speaking hypothetically," Coulson said, shaking his head. "Of course, we can't just let that happen. But if Loki does make a move, we need to prepare in advance."

As he spoke, Coulson's thoughts drifted to Wonder Woman.

"Anton, one last question. I hope you'll answer me truthfully."

Anton gave him a steady look. "Go ahead."

Coulson leaned forward. "Wonder Woman, Diana Prince—is she real?"

Given the current situation and the apparent involvement of "Zeus," it seemed plausible that Wonder Woman might be a "weapon" left behind by the god. 

If so, her existence could explain why Anton and others knew so much about the inner workings of Asgard and other realms.

Anton's response was calm. "Yes, she's real."

Coulson nodded, unsurprised but still processing the confirmation. He couldn't help but ask, "Where is she?"

Anton's expression remained unreadable. "When the time is right, she'll reveal herself."

…

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