Nick's attitude was remarkably cordial, and his answers showed he knew exactly which way the wind was blowing. Asta hadn't expected this "boiled egg" of a man to be quite so perceptive right off the bat.
Then again, looking back at the original records, he was the one who defied the Council's orders, stubbornly letting Thor take both Loki and the Tesseract away.
While Nick's antics could certainly send one's blood pressure skyrocketing, trusting his judgment in the grand scheme of things didn't seem like a bad call.
At the very least, the Avengers still saw themselves as part of Nick's team for now.
With that thought, what little resentment Asta held vanished into thin air. She spoke up kindly, "Aside from Madam Herta, you actually owe a debt of gratitude to the Guardian of Earth."
"The Guardian of Earth?"
"That's right. If she hadn't come to us personally and shown such immense sincerity, Madam Herta wouldn't have bothered speaking up for you," Asta explained.
"In truth, Madam Herta rarely concerns herself with such trifles. The Blue's original plan for Midgard... no, Earth, was to turn it into a vassal planet. We're talking a ten-hour workday with only three days off a week."
"But Madam Herta mentioned it specifically, so The Blue dropped the idea."
"..."
Nick was momentarily struck dumb. After a brief silence, he finally found his voice. "May I ask a question?"
"Of course. Madam Herta was very satisfied with the Guardian's sincerity, so she's willing to return the favor while she's still in the mood," Asta said.
"Thank you. My question is... just who is this 'Guardian of Earth' you're talking about?"
Forgive Nick's ignorance, but he had never heard of such a person.
If they existed, how could he be completely in the dark? He was, after all, the Director of SHIELD, an organization answering directly to the World Security Council.
"Well... she's a powerful sorceress who has been protecting Earth for a long time. But rather than aliens, her usual opponents are dimensional entities," Asta summarized.
Great. Two more incomprehensible terms: sorceress and dimensional entities. Since when did their little Earth become such a den of "crouching tigers and hidden dragons"?
Nick's already dark, egg-like face seemed to turn a shade blacker.
Since they were talking over the phone, he didn't have to worry too much about keeping his poker face.
"Anyway, until Madam Herta's interest wanes, you don't need to worry about Earth's safety. There isn't a civilization in this universe bold enough to lay a finger on a planet under her protection."
Asta spoke with immense pride, her tone brimming with the kind of adoration a die-hard fan has when gushing about their favorite idol.
The gloom weighing on Nick's heart finally lifted a little.
Amidst the chaos, he had finally heard some good news. At the very least, Earth now had a buffer period.
They might not be able to crank out a planet-killer overnight, but they could at least use this time to digest the Chitauri technology and build a way to fight beyond their own atmosphere.
"Also, regarding your... Avengers team. Madam Herta has some arrangements for them."
"The Avengers?" Hearing this, Nick grew a bit concerned.
Their attitude toward Herta earlier had been rather rude—but surely Herta wasn't the type to hold a petty grudge?
After a moment's thought, Nick asked, "Is this also because of the... Guardian's sincerity?"
"Not entirely," Asta replied. "As I said, Madam Herta doesn't care much for these things. Letting you use her name to hold your own in the universe was a default stance, but the specifics were negotiated by The Blue. Normally, that would have been the end of it."
"But the arrangements for the Avengers were personally mentioned by Madam Herta. Something happened recently that gave her the idea."
In just a few sentences, Nick's understanding of Herta and The Blue became much clearer.
From the sound of it, Herta was an incredibly magnanimous and powerful figure, and her relationship with The Blue seemed quite harmonious.
For her to let them use her name by default spoke volumes about The Blue's loyalty and respect for her.
But the next part was more important.
Herta—who barely noticed the outside world and didn't even care for entire planets—had specifically brought up his team.
Even Nick felt a stir of emotion. "Could it be that Madam Herta... sees potential in them?"
"No one can presume to know Madam Herta's mind," Asta said.
"Understood. I'll notify my team," Nick nodded. "How do we find you?"
"Gather everyone together—preferably somewhere high up—and then send a message to this contact."
The two hung up quickly after finishing the essential business. From a single phone call, Nick had gleaned a mountain of information.
The Council's punishment was the least of his worries now.
What truly mattered was the identity of this "Guardian of Earth," and exactly what Herta wanted with the Avengers.
While it seemed Herta wasn't some heartless scientist, it was impossible for a man like Nick not to be suspicious.
Unfortunately, suspicious or not, the "boiled egg" had no choice but to follow Asta's instructions to the letter. He simply didn't have another move.
After relaying Asta's warnings and "goodwill" to the United Nations, Nick Fury began contacting the Avengers.
Hawkeye and Black Widow went without saying; their allegiance to the team was rooted in their loyalty to SHIELD, so they were in.
Rogers was a bit harder to read regarding loyalty, but he was fearless in the face of the unknown. Since an invitation had been extended, he wasn't about to back down.
Banner had his reservations, but with a "nothing left to lose" mentality, he didn't voice any objections.
Tony was the most enthusiastic of the bunch. He agreed instantly, showing no small amount of curiosity and a thirst for discovery.
However... Nick realized he had no way to contact Thor.
Thor was supposed to be a member of the Avengers, yet when something actually came up, the man was nowhere to be found.
Giving Nick a real headache, and fearing a misunderstanding, he sent a message to Asta explaining the situation.
Asta's reply was simple: [Just do your best. Don't worry about it.]
Only then did Nick breathe a sigh of relief.
--+--
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Odin fell into deep thought.
Herta, of course, hadn't forgotten to notify Odin about strengthening the Avengers, though her phrasing left a bit to be desired.
[Send Thor to me. I'll give you back a better one later.]
For a moment, Odin wondered if Herta had come to Asgard looking for human experiment subjects. But given Herta's reputation and the way The Blue operated, she didn't seem like that kind of person.
Thinking of Thor, who had been in a foul mood for days, Odin decided to let him return to Earth.
He might not like that daughter of Earth his son was seeing, but as long as they weren't permanently tied down, letting him experience a little romance was fine.
--+--
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.