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"Are you really the Knight of Divine Retribution?"
Billy couldn't help but confirm for the third time, his expression still a mask of pure disbelief.
"Yes, I am!"
Fini replied impatiently. While Billy's shocked face was amusing at first, being asked the same thing over and over was getting old. As Billy opened his mouth to ask again, Fini cut him off: "Look, believe it if you want, or don't. Just drop it!"
Billy hesitated, then whispered, "Then where's your armor? And that dragon from yesterday?"
"Do you really think I'd bring a set of enchanted armor and a giant dragon to university?!" Fini looked at Billy as if he were an idiot.
"Uh..." Billy scratched his head. It made sense, but a part of him still struggled to bridge the gap between his ordinary friend and the hero on the news. "Then, after school, can I see them? Just to be sure?"
"No."
Fini saw right through him. Billy wanted "seeing is believing" proof.
"Why not?" Billy's suspicion flared up again.
"Because I'm busy!" Fini glanced at him, enjoying the cocktail of confusion, doubt, and conflict playing out on Billy's face. He finally relented with a grin, "Alright, fine. I'll let you see them when the time is right."
"Really?" Billy's excitement returned instantly. "When? Tomorrow? Today?"
"We'll see over the weekend," Fini replied.
Billy was perhaps his best friend at university. After spending over six months in the soul-crushing isolation of Vormir, Fini had learned to cherish these connections. That was why he didn't mind Billy knowing the truth.
"It's a deal then!" Billy was brimming with anticipation. He was starting to believe it now; surely Fini wouldn't mess with him this much if it were a joke?
"So, what happened with the aliens yesterday? Were they really trying to invade?" Billy asked in a low voice before the professor arrived. The news was full of theories, but none of them could be as accurate as an eyewitness account from Fini.
"Yeah. Some alien wanted to rule the Earth. I wasn't a fan of the idea, so I gave him a beating and blew up their mothership while I was at it."
"That is so cool!" Billy's eyes sparkled, looking as proud as if he had done it himself.
"And the big guy in the red cape with Iron Man? Is he your friend too?" Billy continued. He was realizing that having the Knight of Divine Retribution as a best friend came with some serious insider info.
"Do you know anything about Norse mythology?" Fini asked.
"You mean like Odin and Zeus?" Billy answered, looking a bit muddled.
"Odin, yes. But Zeus is Greek!" Fini looked at Billy with pure disdain. "Please, for the sake of our department, never tell anyone you study languages."
They had to study various texts and histories for their major; even a layman shouldn't mix those two up.
Billy waved it off. "They're all gods, right? None of them are as powerful as God anyway. Why do you ask?"
"Forget it. Do you know Thor, the God of Thunder?" Fini gave up on making Billy guess.
"Wait... are you saying that guy was the Thor?" Billy asked, his jaw dropping.
"Yes." Fini nodded.
"No way! Isn't he just a myth?"
"The world has literally turned upside down, aliens are falling from the sky, and this is the detail you find hard to believe?" Fini gave him a look of utter pity.
"But... but..." Billy looked genuinely distressed.
"What now?" Fini asked, confused by the sudden shift in mood.
"Does that mean God—the big guy upstairs—is real too?" Billy looked at Fini with genuine fear. "I've made so many promises and oaths in His name... is He keeping a tab? Fini, are you on good terms with God? Can you put in a good word?"
"..." Fini massaged his temples and let out a long sigh.
"They aren't 'gods' in the way you're thinking. Practically speaking, they're just aliens who visited Earth a long time ago and left behind legends. As for God, I don't know him, and I'm not even sure if he exists in this universe."
Fini's explanation allowed Billy to breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly pivoted back to Thor: "So that guy is the God of Thunder. No wonder people saw him throwing lightning around."
"Though, his hammer, Mjolnir... it's a bit small, isn't it? I expected a massive warhammer, like a Paladin's!"
"Maybe because its original owner was a woman," Fini mused, thinking of Hela. It made sense that a weapon forged for her would be more compact and elegant.
"What about the big green guy?" Billy pressed on. He had a million questions. "I remember you went looking for him once."
"His name is Hulk. He's a friend, but he was being mind-controlled by the invader yesterday."
Thinking of Hulk, Fini felt a pang of concern. Tony had called him last night to say Bruce was back and the scepter's influence had faded. However, Bruce was taking it hard. Half the damage in New York—the parts not caused by aliens—had been the result of the brawl between Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man.
Because Hulk looked so different from the Chitauri, people hadn't labeled him an "alien," but most of the public still viewed him as a monster or an enemy.
This Battle of New York hadn't been as grand as the original timeline. There was no nuclear missile launched by the World Security Council to serve as a rallying point. Instead, the most enduring image in the public's mind was Fini and his Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
After being missing for half a year, he had reappeared to save the planet. His mysterious identity only fueled the fire of his growing cult following. Currently, Fini was enjoying a level of popularity that, in the original timeline, would have been shared across the entire Avengers team.
"Are you and Tony Stark really friends?"
Billy was like an inquisitive puppy. Fini's head was starting to ache. "Alright, you get exactly three more questions. After that, no more for the rest of the day. Choose wisely."
"Why?" Billy's eyes widened.
"First question!" Fini said expressionlessly. "Because I'm tired of answering you."
"Wait, that counts?!" Billy froze, a look of immediate regret on his face.
"Second question!" Fini laughed as Billy desperately clamped his hands over his own mouth. "Yes, it counts."
Terrified of wasting his final shot, Billy sat in agonizing silence for several minutes. Finally, he asked with uncharacteristic seriousness: "Will you always be there to protect the Earth?"
Fini paused. The smile faded from his lips. After a long silence, he sighed softly.
"Perhaps."
(End of Chapter)