It was late into the night when Liu A'dou finally got a break—mainly because the National Guard had arrived. Only then did he find out the man who lent him the helicopter earlier was actually Norman Osborn, the CEO of Osborn Industries.
Liu A'dou was surprised. He hadn't guessed this polite and dignified man was destined to become the infamous Green Goblin. At least for now, Norman seemed classy and approachable. There wasn't even a hint of arrogance in his behavior.
Osborn Industries' private security had completely surrounded the captured flying fish. No one was allowed near. These corporate security forces were basically private armies. Their usual job was protecting company assets, but when needed, they could serve as armed operatives. Their gear wasn't far off from military-grade, and many of them were ex-military.
When the onlookers saw Osborn's guards block off the alien, they weren't happy. "Why? What gives Osborn Industries the right to take control of the alien? Spider-Man caught it! This is U.S. soil—it belongs to all of us!"
But the security team stayed firm, fully focused. They held the perimeter without flinching, ignoring every complaint.
Liu A'dou just shook his head. These people were all bark. Faced with armed guards, no one dared step forward.
"Liu, what are you looking at?" Spider-Man noticed Liu A'dou staring at the tent-covered alien and asked.
"Nothing much," Liu A'dou replied. "Now that things are stable, we need to figure out what to do with those two green elves."
The Elf Princess had already regained consciousness, but she was pretending to be unconscious. Liu A'dou figured, 'Fine, sleep a little longer,' and while pretending to check her pulse, he secretly sent a Ripple (Hamon) current into her to keep her asleep.
Meanwhile, Ben sat frozen beside his uncle's body. He looked blank—maybe thinking deeply, or maybe not thinking at all.
"Dead is dead," Liu A'dou said softly. "If you trust me, let me help. I can freeze your uncle's body, so you can return him to your homeland one day."
"Liu?" Spider-Man was surprised. "Shouldn't we let the government help?"
Liu A'dou shook his head. "Only you and I can know who they are. The world isn't ready. If people find out they're aliens, it would be a disaster for them."
Spider-Man didn't argue. He understood. Still, as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, hiding the truth felt wrong. But when he looked at Ben, who had just lost his uncle—just like he once did—his sympathy overwhelmed him. He remembered how it felt, the guilt, the helplessness. If S.H.I.E.L.D. found out, they wouldn't dissect the elves, sure—but they'd never be free again.
"What's your name?" he asked.
Ben didn't answer.
'Poor kid,' Liu A'dou thought. "Spider-Man, help me get the Elf Princess into my car," he said. Then he picked up the body himself.
"Sleep well," Liu A'dou whispered. As he touched Ben's shoulder, he sent another gentle Ripple wave through his body, putting the boy into a deep sleep.
"I'm heading out," Liu A'dou told Spider-Man from the car. "Please keep their identities a secret."
Spider-Man nodded solemnly. He didn't ask where Liu A'dou was taking them. He trusted he'd keep the two young aliens safe.
Kailan Elwen had a nightmare.
In it, her royal parents abandoned her. She had no food, no warmth. She wandered alone through wastelands, endlessly walking. Then she saw a caravan ahead and rushed toward it in excitement. But no matter how much she called or pleaded, no one answered.
She was still alone, quietly marching with the group, not knowing where they were going.
The dream felt incredibly real—so real it was like her whole body had been filled with lead. The Green Elf Princess was cold and hungry, but her feet kept moving. She didn't even know why she was walking with these silent people. Maybe it was because they were her kin.
But by the end of the dream, Kailan found no hope. She finally saw the destination ahead—a gaping abyss filled with death. And everyone in the line walked straight into it, like it was nothing, feeding themselves to whatever waited inside.
No matter how hard Princess Kailan tried to stop them, it was useless. Her people—her subjects—seemed to exist in another space entirely. She couldn't help a single one of them. All she could do was stand there helpless, watching her people march to their meaningless end like lifeless puppets.
That feeling of helplessness tore into her heart like a thousand stings, leaving it full of holes. No matter what she did, she couldn't save them. All she could do was curl up and cry like a lost child, powerless to change anything.
And then, she saw her mother and father appear in the line—staring blankly ahead, walking toward the abyss.
"Father? Mother?!" Kailan ran after them in tears. But it was no use. She knew she couldn't stop them. She could only watch them follow the others, disappearing into death. No. She couldn't accept that. She screamed until her throat bled. She clawed at the ground until her nails cracked. But nothing worked.
The dream was too real. The pain, unbearable. After fleeing for so long, after witnessing the deaths of her protectors, Kailan's heart was a storm of dread. Being separated from her parents only made that fear worse. And now, the dream had shown her the cruel truth of that fear.
In a quiet corner of the Expo grounds, Liu A'dou had asked Elsa to help freeze Jason's body. Along with him, six Chitauri soldiers were also sealed in ice. Of course, Liu A'dou had already confiscated all their weapons—even if they probably couldn't be used.
"What are you planning?" Elsa asked, eyeing Liu A'dou's sneaky behavior. She could tell he was up to something again.
"I'm going to ship these ice sculptures to Antarctica for safekeeping," Liu A'dou said, pointing to the frozen Chitauri. "And the body too. That boy needs something to keep him going."
Elsa stared at him. He still wasn't saying what he was really up to.
"These two kids are technically the first aliens we've truly encountered. One of them is even your fan. Don't you think this is an opportunity?" Liu A'dou's eyes were shining. Clearly, he was cooking something up.
Elsa frowned. "What does that have to do with me?"
Liu A'dou shook his head. "Elsa, you seriously lack imagination. I'm going to teach these two how to survive in space. Then, they'll become our pioneers—our pathfinders out in the universe."
"You want to use them?" Elsa asked bluntly.
That stung a bit. "Can we not call it 'use'? It's a win-win. You get that, right? They clearly have some deep grudge against the Chitauri. I'll give them power, they help me out there in space. Simple as that. Win-win."
"…" Elsa still looked skeptical.
But honestly, Elsa was judging him a bit unfairly. Liu A'dou didn't actually plan to send them into danger. He just wanted them to help spread Elsa's music through the stars—or maybe share some cosmic gossip. That's it.
And in return, he would teach them how to survive in the universe.
That survival skill? A mysterious, profound power. A knowledge from the Pandora's Magic Box itself—the Force.