His words were cruel, but they were also the truth; such is the way of the world.
When one empire falls, another rises. This is the rule of the world. On Earth, such instances are commonplace. Countries are often overthrown, and new ones are established in their place.
As a Chinese person, Han Yu understood this all too well, a spectacle he was quite accustomed to.
"Yes, I know," Loki said, gritting his teeth. "So, I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal? What kind of deal?" Han Yu asked with a smile. If that was the case, he could certainly intervene.
"I'm willing to trade my life for a chance to prevent Asgard from losing!" Loki declared, his eyes filled with determination.
This was a massive decision for Loki. He was someone who held himself in high regard, a trickster who enjoyed deceiving others, and he would never have considered sacrificing himself for anyone.
He always believed his own life was the most important thing, and he would always protect himself first. He had, after all, used this as a reason to trick Thor on many occasions.
Now that he could say this, it was clear how determined he was.
Han Yu smiled and said casually, "Very touching, but what use is your life to me?"
This question stumped Loki. Was he strong? Han Yu had Wanda, who was stronger than him.
Was he a prince? If Asgard was destroyed, what good would being a prince do?
Come to think of it, he was utterly useless to Han Yu.
"How about this, I'll point you in the right direction."
Seeing Loki's troubled expression, Han Yu didn't want to make things difficult for him. After all, Loki had made this request for the sake of his home, and that spirit was commendable.
"Please, tell me," Loki said.
"Join Earth's Sanctum Sanctorum and protect Earth for a thousand years. This is to repay your debt for invading Earth, and also to repay my debt for helping you solve Asgard's problem. How does that sound?"
A thousand years. If an Earthling heard this, they'd probably be speechless. For Earthlings, whose lifespans rarely exceed a century, a thousand years is an astronomical number. Just a year or two can bring about significant changes in a person.
Now, to say a thousand years... what did that even mean? None of the Avengers present could comprehend it. Even Captain America, the oldest among them, couldn't grasp what a thousand years entailed.
Loki was a bit stunned. A thousand years wasn't short. Asgardians had an average lifespan of around five thousand years. Han Yu was asking for a thousand, which was already a fifth of his lifespan. It was definitely a significant amount.
He had previously said he would give his life to Han Yu. Forget a thousand years - he'd be at Han Yu's beck and call for two thousand, three thousand years, until the day he died and was finally free.
Now, Han Yu only wanted him to protect Earth for a thousand years. Actually, based on the previous terms Loki offered, he could have even protected Earth for several thousand years. But Han Yu hadn't asked for that. Instead, he proactively offered a thousand years. This was helping Loki a great deal.
"I, Loki, swear on my life, if Han Yu can help Asgard through this disaster, I, Loki, will protect Earth without reservation, forever!"
Loki said this with utmost seriousness. The fact that he would say such a thing showed how perilous the situation in Asgard was.
Seeing the other person had sworn an oath, with an unprecedented serious expression, Han Yu wouldn't make things difficult. He immediately said, "Okay, I believe you. I agree."
"Han, do you need our help?" Stark came up and said.
"Not for now. Just keep an eye on Earth," Han Yu said. "Alright, we need to find someone first, someone who was originally from Asgard."
Loki was a little confused. Who was Han Yu talking about? What did he mean by "originally from Asgard"? Didn't she live in Asgard anymore?
Han Yu left with Loki. The Avengers couldn't help. If he let them come along, someone would definitely become cannon fodder.
Night fell.
On the road, Han Yu was driving his car, making a phone call. He said to Ultron on the other end, "Help me find someone, Johnny Blaze. Get it done in fifteen seconds."
The words had barely left his mouth when rapid typing sounds filled the phone. Soon, Ultron's voice followed, "The address has been sent."
"Alright," Han Yu replied, then hung up.
There wasn't a wasted word. Ultron didn't ask what was going on either. If he wanted to know, he could just hack into the Avengers Tower's surveillance cameras. Han Yu hadn't asked for his help, so Ultron didn't pry. He wouldn't bother asking about things like that. If Han Yu needed assistance, he would certainly come without hesitation, but if nothing was said, Ultron would just go back to playing his games.
\n\n
A short while later, Han Yu, Galacta, and Loki stood in front of a bar.
The bar didn't look very appealing. Several letters on the sign had already dimmed, and the remaining letters flickered, as if they were about to break down any second.
"The person we're looking for is in here?" Loki asked.
He had thought it would be some kind of big shot. But would a big shot be in a dilapidated bar like this?
"Just be patient and watch," Han Yu smiled, then pushed the door open and went inside first.
Galacta followed him inside without a word. After some hesitation, Loki followed as well.
At the bar, a long-faced man was rummaging through his pockets, seemingly looking for something. He then said to the bartender with a苦 expression, "Jack, I really don't have any money. How about this round of drinks..."
"Johnny, you're a regular customer, and I don't want to make things difficult for you, but you owe me a total of four hundred and seventy dollars in bar tabs. You can't make things difficult for me either; I have to make a living."
As the bartender spoke, several large men walked up behind the long-faced man and stood on either side of him.
The long-faced man secretly thought, This is bad. It seemed he wouldn't be getting out of this easily tonight. His hand quietly gripped the bottom of a chair, ready to fight when a voice rang out.
"I'll pay for him. Four hundred and seventy dollars, right? Here's five hundred dollars. Keep the change."
A fair hand held several crisp new bills and handed them to the bartender. Seeing that someone had paid for the drinks, the bartender didn't say much. He took the money and gave a look to the burly men standing behind the long-faced man, and they walked away.
The long-faced man turned to look and saw an unfamiliar Asian face, accompanied by an impossibly beautiful young girl, and… Loki?
Everyone knew about Loki's invasion of New York. The long-faced man knew even more. Seeing Loki following Han Yu, he was still very surprised.
"Thanks, brother. My name is Johnny, what's yours?"
"I know who you are, Johnny Blaze, also known as..."
"Ghost Rider!"
-----------------------
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