"Madam, what exactly do you mean by 'forced liquidation'?" Tony finally couldn't help but interject.
The Avengers were actually out of their depth here. Their words carried even less weight than Nick's; their primary role today was simply to provide some muscle.
Yes, they were the "hired help" for the sake of appearances.
After all, they were a small squad that had successfully repelled a Chitauri invasion for hours.
On paper, they were formidable warriors. Even if they were currently low on numbers, the lack of intel on the other side meant their true strength could easily be overestimated.
Themis turned to Tony, her voice flat and matter-of-fact.
"It means placing every asset on this planet under the name of Madam Herta."
The room went cold.
Placing everything under Madam Herta's name? How was that any different from Loki's plan? Either way, they were falling under the thumb of an alien ruler.
Seeing their hesitation, Themis's usually stoic expression twisted into a snarl. "What's with those looks?! Is becoming a vassal world to Madam Herta such a bitter pill for you to swallow?!"
"Apologies, I realize you're a die-hard fan of hers, and believe me, I hold her in the highest regard myself," Tony said, trying to de-escalate.
"I'm just wondering if there's another way out. For instance, you could take the Tesseract and the Scepter with you."
That seemed to take the edge off the group's hostility.
"Madam Herta is indeed interested in those two objects, though that Scepter appears to belong to Prince Loki," Asta said, hesitating for a moment.
"Then just the Tesseract. And name your price for the rest—within reason, of course."
Tony was clearly more flexible than Nick. Under his smooth talking, the tension on Janus and Themis's faces began to thaw.
At least this guy had some vision; he recognized their devotion to Madam Herta.
In a room full of people who clearly lacked proper respect, he was the only one who seemed to grasp her greatness.
They spared a glance at the glowing reactor on Tony's chest.
Oh, so he's a man of science? That explains it.
With Tony steering the ship, the atmosphere improved significantly. The air was no longer thick enough to cut with a knife.
Nick, however, remained on edge. He remembered all too well that just this morning, the Council had demanded he secure the return of the Tesseract and the Scepter from these aliens immediately.
"Speaking of which, we don't actually know much about the rest of the galaxy. Aside from Thor, the Prince of Asgard, we only know Loki and those lackeys he brought along... the Chitauri, was it?"
Seeing an opening, Tony pressed for information.
They knew terrifyingly little about the universe.
They knew nothing of these four individuals, the civilization they represented, or this 'Herta' figure—only that their power was immense.
"You don't know much?" Asta blinked, looking stunned. "So... you mean you've never even heard of Madam Herta?"
"Not a word," Tony nodded. "Everything we know about the cosmos begins and ends with what I just mentioned."
Themis and Janus were floored. From what this man was saying, their knowledge of Asgard didn't even go beyond Thor and Loki.
Though Tony had just claimed to admire Herta while now admitting he didn't know her, they didn't take offense. It was obvious he was just greasing the wheels of the conversation.
"Aren't you one of Asgard's protectorates?" Janus asked, looking utterly bewildered. "As part of a top-tier galactic power's territory, how can your understanding of the universe be this... microscopic?"
"It's just the way it is." Tony shrugged helplessly at their disbelief. "Maybe Asgard just doesn't care about us. Last year was the first time Thor had ever visited Earth since he was born."
"That..."
The three of them traded glances, caught off guard. Only Arlan remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the political nuances.
"The workings of the universe can't be explained in a few sentences. But if you are ever lucky enough to meet Madam Herta, you must show her the utmost respect," Asta warned.
Tony had picked up on their fanatical devotion.
He leaned into the role of the curious student, offering a charming smile. "Of course. Based on your passion alone, I can tell she's extraordinary. But as for the specifics..."
He knew exactly how to play this. Nothing gets a devotee talking faster than an invitation to preach.
"Madam Herta's achievements are endless," Asta began, her voice gaining momentum.
"In just over a century, she propelled a planet with technology similar to yours to the pinnacle of the galaxy. In her teens, she solved the Soliton Algorithm and the Spark Model Conjecture. In her youth, she discovered the Sigma Baryon Transformation method. In her middle years, she proposed the Herta Sequence and published her thesis on rejuvenation. As an elder, she actually achieved rejuvenation, unlocked the mysteries of the Imaginary Flux, built a literal time-reversal machine, and once repelled the maddened Galactus, one of the five Great Gods!"
"Her name is known across every star. She has saved her home planet from total annihilation nineteen times. Her inventions are sought after by the entire universe. To give you an idea, she once created a pocket—a literal pouch—with enough internal space to hold half the universe. She used it to scoop up an entire planet of flora for her research. And the Star-Destroyers she designed? They can erase a star. Though, those aren't for sale."
Mentioning Herta made Asta lose her professional veneer; she became talkative, her youthful excitement shining through. The idolization in her eyes was unmistakable.
"It was only through Madam Herta's guidance that I was able to find my own path. Otherwise, I'd probably be stuck at home managing the family business for the rest of my life."
She was speaking with joy, but her audience was beginning to break into a cold sweat.
Truthfully, most of what Asta said went right over their heads—terms like Sigma Baryons meant nothing to them. But two things were terrifyingly clear: the pocket and the Star-Destroyers.
A pocket that could hold half the universe? Scooping up a planet for research?
Wiping out a star? A star is millions of times larger than the Earth.
The scale of power was beyond comprehension. Tony finally understood why Thor had said the Chitauri couldn't even be compared to the force behind Asta.
The sheer scale of it was suffocating. The descriptions were so far-fetched they sounded like fairy tales, yet... Tony's gut told him every word was true.
He wasn't the only one. The Avengers were pale.
The civilization behind Asta—or rather, Herta—was someone they could never afford to cross. Earth wouldn't even have the chance to struggle.
Looking back, the fact that these people were "only" asking for Earth to become a vassal state instead of vaporizing it in a fit of pique seemed... surprisingly merciful.
To them, Earth was an ant. To crush or not to crush was a matter of a single sentence.
Nick Fury felt his very brain shuddering. After managing to end the meeting on somewhat civil terms, he immediately contacted the United Nations to report on the sheer magnitude of Herta's power.
But the reply he received made the world turn dark before his eyes.
"Fake news."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.