Jane watched Thor launch into the sky and disappear like a storm with a deadline. She stood in her scorched backyard, arms folded, staring at the ruined vegetable patch. "When Daisy gets back, I'm making her rework the soil," she muttered. Daisy was her assistant — still out playing somewhere — and Jane had no time for god-sized tantrums right now.
Meanwhile, at Tony Stark's Malibu lab, it was past ten-thirty and the man never slept. He was feverishly rewriting drone firmware — Second-Gen UAV code — because the Department of Defense had rifled through his original builds and was already planning upgrades. With the recent political fallout and a very public takedown of Abomination, Stark knew governments might churn out tens of thousands of armored drones if pushed. Which, uncoordinated and swarm-like, would be a nightmare even for Xville.
Tony muttered to himself as he typed: the enemy will improve materials by 30% — so our energy output has to jump 50%. Narrow the nozzle, boost single-point penetration, make the AI prioritize vital components… tick, tick, tap. The lab thrummed with calculation.
A knock. Thor strolled in, eyebrow perpetually on the warpath. "I came to New York to find you. You weren't there, so I came here." He looked past the holos and the blinking consoles with that petulant godly impatience. "You still working late?"
Tony didn't look up. "Human life is limited. I'm trying to waste mine efficiently."
Thor blinked. "I thought you'd be sleeping with two blondes in your bed."
Tony, without offense: "Since becoming Iron Man, I've gotten very responsible."
Thor, annoyed and blunt: "Help me with Ryuuto. He killed Loki."
Tony's fingers stilled. "I know."
Thor's jaw tightened. "Loki is my brother. I want vengeance."
Tony sipped an energy drink and tilted his head. "Loki made a lot of trouble for the planet. Your father won't act. You don't need to do this."
Thor left in a thunderous huff. Tony went back to coding. Gods were messy allies — and messier enemies.
Two days later at Xville Genius Youth School: Natasha Romanoff was drilling Katie Dee in close quarters while Ryuuto lounged in a tree with a Coke and a grin. He'd been watching the whole humiliating lesson like a disgruntled deity of chill.
"You're not hitting hard enough!" Natasha barked. "You keep tickling — not striking. Tickling won't stop a killer. If your blows don't hurt, the enemy will laugh and then stab you. Treat me as if I want to end you or you'll never learn!"
Katie — sweating, breath ragged, in tight training gear — took the next kick and hit the dirt. "Sister Natasha, you'll pulverize my aunt with that one."
Ryuuto snorted and sprayed Coke into the leaves. Vintage Katie: earnest, dramatic, and way too earnest about family metaphors.
"How long until the op?" Natasha asked, eyes like knives.
"About five days, unless something changes," Ryuuto said, cool as ever.
Natasha clicked her tongue. "Five days is too soon. If you want to be strong you train like you mean it. Train like every move could be your last. Otherwise you'll be a pretty vase and I'll throw it into a lake every time a fight breaks out."
Katie leapt up, chest heaving, resolve flaring. "I want to get stronger! I want to fight beside Ryuuto like Sister Susan!"
Ryuuto smiled in that way he had — half amused, half thrilled. The kid's determination was contagious. Training ground or battlefield, that stubborn heartbeat was the kind of thing that turned underdogs into legends.
But while Natasha drilled and Katie answered the wall with sweat, the air above Xville was shifting. Thor's wrath had left ripples. Tony's drones were entering the chessboard. And the gods were coming down to play.
....
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar