Chapter 131: Back to Earth II
The trip to Earth was uneventful—silent and easy. Before long, they returned via the Bifrost, arriving back on Earth in the middle of a desert. All around, there was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.
"How are we supposed to get transportation in the middle of this?" Natasha asked, glancing at Dave as he led the group.
Dave smirked confidently. "I have my own magic," he replied. "And if you're forgetting, there's always S.H.I.E.L.D. I bet they'll be here in ten minutes."
As soon as he finished speaking, a subtle voice echoed in his ear through his enhanced senses.
"Correction: five minutes," Dave added with a nod, as they waited.
"Yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D. would definitely pick up a massive energy signature like this," Natasha noted.
Sure enough, before long, a helicopter appeared on the horizon, heading straight for them. Moments later, it landed, and Phil Coulson stepped out to greet them.
"So, it was you," he remarked with a smile. "How was your trip to the realm of the gods?"
Dave waved a hand dismissively as he casually conjured a portal. "Ask your spies," he said with a shrug, motioning for Diana to follow him. Together, they stepped through the portal, heading to Dave's house.
"We'll fight later," Diana said to Natasha as she left, glancing back with a smirk.
Natasha nodded as the Asgardian portal closed behind them. Phil turned to her. "How was the trip?" he asked.
Natasha shrugged lightly. "Eye-opening," she replied.
Phil smiled. "Good. Fury will want to hear the details."
With that, he gestured toward the waiting Helicarrier. The group boarded the aircraft, and it took off, heading back to their base of operations.
As the Helicarrier ascended, Natasha gazed out of the window, the vast expanse of the desert shrinking beneath them. Phil sat across from her, flipping through a tablet filled with reports and energy readings.
"I assume you brought back more than just stories?" Phil asked, raising an eyebrow.
Natasha smirked, crossing her arms. "You could say that. Let's just say Asgard's armory was... generous."
Phil tilted his head, curious. "New toys?"
She nodded, resting her hand on the hilt of the Mystic heart Sword, now strapped securely at her side. "This blade is no ordinary weapon. It's... alive in a sense. It chooses its wielder and has a thirst for decisive strikes. I'll let the lab boys drool over it later."
Phil smiled knowingly. "Fury will be pleased to hear you've leveled up. What about the others?"
"Diana picked something equally unique, but I'll let her tell you about it when she's ready. As for Dave..." Natasha paused, leaning forward. "He's a wildcard, Coulson. His power is unlike anything we've encountered. He defeated Thor and from the looks of it he was holding back."
Phil sighed, nodding. "Fury had the same sentiment. He's already started drafting protocols, but you know how Dave is—if he doesn't want to cooperate, there's little we can do."
Natasha gave a dry laugh. "Exactly. He'll help when it suits his goals, and we just have to hope his interests never goes against ours."
Phil leaned back, thoughtful. "And if they?"
Natasha's expression hardened. "Then we're in trouble."
The Helicarrier landed smoothly on the S.H.I.E.L.D. base's main deck. As the team disembarked, they were greeted by Nick Fury himself, his signature long coat billowing in the wind.
"Romanoff," Fury greeted with a curt nod. His gaze then shifted to the weapon at her side. "I take it the trip was productive?"
"You could say that," Natasha replied. "I'll debrief you in full, but let's just say Asgard has some fascinating technology."
Fury's single eye scanned her intently before landing on Phil. "Get the reports and energy readings analyzed. I want to know everything about what they brought back."
"On it," Phil replied, heading off with the tablet.
Fury turned back to Natasha. "And Dave?"
Natasha hesitated. "He's... unpredictable, as always. He and Diana went their own way. But we might want to keep an eye on him, especially with what he's bringing to the table."
Fury's face remained stoic, though the weight of the situation was evident. "We're always watching, Romanoff. Now, let's get to work."
Soon, they returned to the meeting room, where someone else was already waiting to greet Natasha. "You're awake?" she said, eyeing the man seated across from her, reading some files.
"Maybe... or it's just a big, bad dream," replied the man as he set the file down and stood up to greet her.
It was Steve Rogers, the Super Soldier. S.H.I.E.L.D. had recovered him from the ice, and now, after decades, he was awake again.
"Good, you're here," Fury said, walking into the room alongside Phil. "Natasha has some intel she wants to share."
They all sat down as Hawkeye entered too, watching Natasha with interest. "You're back," he said simply.
Natasha gave him a small nod, a faint smile crossing her face. Soon, she began her debrief. "Let's start with the basics," she said, pulling up holographic files on the table.
"Loki attempted to use the Bifrost to destroy a world as punishment," she explained, pointing to an image of the Bifrost structure. "The Bifrost isn't just a transportation tool—it's also a weapon. It can completely obliterate planets if leveraged properly."
Fury frowned as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "So, it's more than just a rainbow bridge. It's a weapon of mass destruction?"
"Yes," Natasha confirmed, nodding toward the screen. "But Dave stopped him. In the process, things got... complicated. Loki ran off—or he might be dead. I'm not sure."
"Dead?" Phil asked, glancing at Natasha with raised eyebrows.
She shrugged. "He fell into some sort of deep space after the fight. Whether he's alive or not is anyone's guess."
Fury sighed heavily, rubbing his temple. "Great. Just what we need—an unpredictable god of mischief potentially running loose."
Steve, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "And this... Dave? He's the one who stopped Loki?"
Natasha nodded. "He's powerful, Steve. Probably one of the most dangerous individuals I've ever encountered. If he wanted to, he could destroy Earth with a single punch."
"You're joking, right?" Steve asked, looking at her incredulously.
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