"Good afternoon, William." Odin, dressed in a casual suit, handed him a wine glass with a hearty laugh. "Try this wine from Asgard. If you like it, I'll have some sent over for you."
Holding the glass, William hesitated for a moment before deciding not to drink it. He sniffed it and then shook his head as if the wine were too strong.
"Let's put the drinking aside for now. You'd better tell me why you're in London."
Though displeased by William's clear distrust, Odin actually respected his caution.
"There's unrest in Vanaheim. As the ruler of the Nine Realms, I've had to cut short my vacation and prepare to return to Asgard to fulfill my duties."
Unrest? This early?
William thought back to what he remembered from the movies. Before Thor was cast down to Earth, the other realms had indeed experienced prolonged turmoil.
As for who caused it, the films were never really clear.
"Do you need my help?"
"Thank you," Odin said with a smile and a shake of his head. "I may be old, but Asgard hasn't weakened to the point where we need outside help."
He patted William's shoulder.
"But I do appreciate your willingness. If a real crisis arises, I'll come to you—one of Asgard's allies."
Giving Odin a nod, William played dumb and asked,
"Then why are you here?"
Odin didn't care whether William was pretending or not. He spoke solemnly.
"This recent unrest smells of conspiracy. If war breaks out and I expend too much power on the battlefield, I'll fall into the Odinsleep before long.
That would only worsen the chaos across the Nine Realms. And yet Queen Krystin of the Light Elves continues to insist that the Dark Elves still exist.
Even though I've dispatched people to search the universe, we haven't found a single trace."
"So, William," Odin looked at him with hope, "as the master of the Space Stone and a legendary archmage, perhaps you possess some unique ability to help me find evidence of the Dark Elves' existence."
William finally understood—this visit was ultimately about the Tree of Life.
Maybe Odin truly believed he didn't have much time left. And with Krystin being so stubborn, Odin had come to him out of desperation.
Realizing Odin was panicking gave William some relief.
He considered his response. Even if he admitted the Dark Elves existed, he'd have a hard time explaining how he knew. He couldn't very well say he could see the future.
That explanation would only bring more trouble.
So he simply shook his head.
"The only thing I can confirm is that when Krystin spoke, her mental energy indicated she wasn't lying. Beyond that, I'm afraid I can't help."
Sigh. Odin sighed in disappointment.
"We tested her mother magically years ago and got the same result—no lies detected. But a prophecy that's been around for thousands of years... people stop paying attention if nothing comes of it."
That was true. No one remembered ancient prophecies unless disaster was at their doorstep.
After some thought, William said,
"If you want a definitive answer, perhaps you should speak to the Ancient One at Kamar-Taj. With the Time Stone, it wouldn't be hard for her to look into Asgard's future."
"No, William." Odin refused outright.
"You're mistaken, child. What we must never do is actively observe the future. From the moment you see a single glimpse of your future, it begins to change.
And from past experience, all those who love to gaze into their own futures—be it individuals or entire races—end up extinct."
That serious?
William couldn't help but suspect Odin simply didn't want to see the Ancient One.
Then his thoughts shifted. Odin's Odinsleep didn't occur until after Thor's banishment. Was the old man exaggerating the situation just to pressure William into pushing Krystin to plant the Tree of Life sooner?
Thinking about it, William wouldn't put it past the old guy to do exactly that just to prolong his own life.
Seeing William's eyes darting, Odin knew exactly what he was thinking. He sighed to himself—how cynical people had become.
Back in ancient times, Odin thought, just his deeds on Earth would have been enough for countless people to lay down their lives for him.
He also couldn't understand why the Space Stone would acknowledge someone as selfish and self-serving as William.
"Help me find the Dark Elves," Odin offered, "and I'll let you access the Casket of Ancient Winters once a year. How about that?"
William froze. Access to the Casket meant he could forge an Ice Sentinel Armor.
And if he got the Eternal Flame, maybe he could create a Flame Sentinel Armor too.
With the Lightning Armor already on him, that would give him a full set: Lightning, Fire, and Ice.
Of course, since this was a negotiation, William, being Chinese, wasn't about to take the first offer.
"How about this?" William countered. "If I eliminate the Dark Elves, you give me the Casket outright. But before that, I want access to both the Casket and the Eternal Flame."
"Eliminate the Dark Elves?" Odin narrowed his one eye.
That line alone told him the Dark Elves were real.
With that confirmation, the gloom in Odin's heart suddenly lifted.
He was a warrior through and through. If the enemy was real and not imaginary, then preparations weren't a waste of time. In fact, he welcomed the opportunity to destroy them completely.
With his resolve set, Odin's confidence returned. He smiled.
"Then you'll have to tell me why you want access to the Casket and the Eternal Flame."
William didn't care if Odin figured it out or not. He raised his hand, and his sleeve transformed into Sentinel material, covering his palm.
A flicker of lightning danced in his hand.
Odin understood immediately.
"You mean you can absorb elemental energy and use it directly?"
"Something like that." William shrugged. Whether it was the Sentinel armor or his own power didn't matter—it wasn't like he was going to give the armor away.
"Help me destroy the Dark Elves, and the Casket is yours. Help me plant the Tree of Life, and you get the Reality Stone," Odin grumbled.
"William, aren't you being a bit greedy?"
William rolled his eyes.
"Those are all items you're not even using. Better to hand them to your ally and strengthen someone who's helping solve your problems."
Ha, now you're calling yourself an ally, Odin thought, giving William a sidelong glance.
"Fine. I agree to let you access the Casket and the Eternal Flame. But both must remain in Asgard."
Before William could argue, Odin added,
"If you don't want the Frost Giants or Fire Demons coming after you, this is the way it has to be.
Whenever you need to recharge, you're welcome to Asgard. Our gates are always open to you, William."
William thought for a moment and realized Odin was trying to deepen his ties to Asgard.
Every visit to recharge would strengthen his sense of belonging there.
But to William, as long as he got into Odin's vault, if anything ever happened to Asgard, he could just teleport in and grab the Casket anyway.
He smiled and shook Odin's hand.
"Deal."
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