As Frieza spoke, he reached out for the Cosmic Cube.
"Wait!"
Steve, though old-fashioned, was a man of strong principles. He lunged forward, blocking the device, his scratched vibranium shield held across his chest.
"Sir, this thing is extremely dangerous. It's not a trophy, it concerns the safety of the entire Earth. You cannot take it away privately, it must be entrusted to S.H.I.E.L.D. for safekeeping."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Frieza stopped, tilting his head as he looked at this so-called human moral compass.
"Is that the organization that was just about to drop a nuclear bomb on New York City? Is that what you call safety?"
That single sentence left Steve speechless.
Tony's face also darkened, the nuclear bomb incident was indeed a low blow.
"Listen, soldier."
Frieza extended a finger and lightly tapped Steve's shield, producing a crisp sound.
"I'm not discussing this with you. If I say it's mine, then it's mine."
"What's more..."
Frieza pulled out the yellow Mind Stone from his other suit pocket and casually tossed it in the air.
"I already have one, good things come in pairs. Taking another to make a set is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
Seeing the Mind Stone, everyone's pupils constricted sharply.
Isn't that the gem from Loki's scepter? When did it get into his hands?
"If you don't hand it over..."
Steve gritted his teeth, muscles tensed. "...then we can't let you leave."
Whoosh!
Natasha raised her pistol, Barton drew his bowstring, and even the Hulk let out a low growl. Although he was a bit intimidated by the blond man, he still mustered his courage in the atmosphere of a group fight.
Tony sighed, his repulsor rays lighting up. "Buddy, even though you saved me, I really can't give you this thing. How about we sit down and talk? I can write you a check, and you can fill in any amount."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Just at this critical moment—
Thud!
A heavy thud sounded as a large figure in a red cape descended from the sky, landing on the platform.
It was the latecomer, Thor, the God of Thunder.
He had been dealing with a few other Leviathana that had slipped through, and only now did he arrive.
"What's wrong? Why is everyone so serious?"
Thor shook the alien blood off his hammer, looking bewildered at the two confronting sides. Then, his gaze swept to the corner, and suddenly he seemed to see something incredible, freezing in place.
Among the shattered glass, his brother, Loki, the God of Mischief, was wearing an extremely shameful, extremely eye-searing white and purple bodysuit, with two shovel-like shoulder pads.
The tight suit accentuated Loki's slender figure, making him look utterly ridiculous.
"Pfft—hahahahahaha!"
Thor couldn't hold back, bursting into thunderous laughter, pointing at Loki and laughing so hard he couldn't stand straight.
"Loki, is this your battle attire for conquering Earth? Is this Midgard's latest circus clown outfit? Hahahaha! It suits you so well."
This laughter instantly defused half of the tense atmosphere.
Loki, still lying on the ground, instantly turned crimson, the color matching the inner lining of his bodysuit.
He could be mocked by anyone, but not by this brainless brother.
"Thor!!!"
Loki let out a shriek of anger and embarrassment, a green light flashing in his hand. The shameful Frieza Force battle suit instantly vanished, replaced by his iconic Asgardian green robes and horned helmet.
"I will not allow you to insult the dignity of a god!" Loki tried to regain his composure.
However—
The next second, a voice as cold as the winds of the netherworld softly echoed.
"Did I say... I allowed you to take off your uniform?"
Frieza turned his head, his crimson eyes fixed on Loki, a hint of impatient killing intent in his gaze.
"Or do you want to die?"
Even with just a light sentence, Loki felt like a chicken with its neck squeezed.
That fear, etched into his bones, instantly overwhelmed all dignity.
Whoosh!
In almost 0.01 second, a green light flashed again.
Loki instantly transformed back into the white and purple Ginyu Force bodysuit, even adjusting the shoulder pads himself, then obediently lay back on the ground, burying his head low, trembling all over.
"I'm sorry, Master. I'll wear it properly."
This scene left everyone present dumbfounded.
Thor's laughter abruptly stopped, as if someone had choked him. His eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the man who was ordering his brother around, and then at Loki, who was as obedient as a dog.
Was this still the proud, arrogant God of Mischief who looked down on the entire universe?
It was as if he had a different soul.
"Stark... what's going on?" Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir, his tone becoming serious.
Tony gulped and whispered, "Thor, as much as I hate to admit it, this guy is a real monster. He's a threat to Earth. Your brother has been completely subdued by him. And, he single-handedly destroyed an entire fleet in space earlier."
"What?" Thor's heart sank.
"He's a threat to Earth?"
"Probably a threat to the entire universe." Tony added.
Hearing this, Thor no longer hesitated. As a guardian of Earth, he had to step forward.
Zzzzt—
Lightning crackled around Mjolnir.
Thor stepped forward, blocking everyone. His muscles tensed, entering battle mode.
"Mortal, no matter what you did to Loki, and no matter how strong you are, this gem belongs to Asgard. You shall not lay a hand on it."
Looking at the Avengers before him, who were treating him as a formidable enemy and striking attack poses, Frieza found it somewhat amusing.
Did these ants really think they could collectively bite an elephant to death?
"Heh..."
He chuckled softly, his body slowly lifting off the ground, hovering in mid-air.
Frieza spread his arms, like an emperor about to embrace the world, looking down at the people below. His golden hair danced wildly in the wind, and his crisp suit seemed to transform into imperial robes at this moment.
An indescribable, terrifying aura instantly enveloped the entire top of Stark Tower, making everyone feel it difficult to breathe.
"Asgard? Avengers?"
Frieza's lips curved into an extremely arrogant, extremely cruel arc. His voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced into everyone's ears.
"A bunch of foolish Earth monkeys, and you, the alien brute with a hammer."
"With your meager combat power, do you truly think you can challenge Lord Frieza?"
"Oh ho ho ho..."