"A bunch of fools."
Leon shook his head.
"They should be grateful their chosen target is Earth."
"If they dared to bring their fleet to Asgard..."
A wisp of tiny golden Fire ignited on Leon's fingertip.
"Then they wouldn't even have the chance to turn to dust. I would burn them into nothingness."
What he wanted was all the realms, for the endless multiverse to be adorned with Asgard's golden Banner.
Banner, Adam, the Eternal... these were merely pawns he had gathered on his chessboard.
"Father must be fuming, his beard probably trembling right now."
Leon thought idly.
Odin always thought of balance, always thought of benevolence.
Now, he'd been slapped by his two sons.
Leon's thoughts were interrupted.
He sensed that the two upstairs were quite unstable emotionally.
Leon's perception quickly enveloped the Villa.
He saw Pietro's room.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Pietro's figure turned into afterimages in the room, from the bedside to the window, from the bathroom to the door.
He was trying out his newfound power over and over again.
"Not fast enough! Not fast enough!!!"
His heart roared.
"Monster! Leon, that monster!"
"He casually gave me this kind of power and then said I was 'too slow!'"
Leon's words were etched in his mind.
Humiliation and the craving for power intertwined, almost consuming him.
"I must become faster! Fast enough to protect Wanda! Fast enough to break free from him!"
Pietro didn't know that his declaration of revenge was being overheard by Leon.
Leon's perception then shifted to the next room.
Wanda's room.
She didn't vent like Pietro, but merely curled up by the French window, hugging her knees, silently watching the sea.
Under the moonlight, she appeared pale and lost.
She dared not sleep.
Leon slowly withdrew his perception, the smile on his lips deepening.
"Perfect."
He murmured to himself.
"Pietro's anger is the best fuel to drive him to become stronger. He thinks he's resisting me? No, he's just training himself according to my script."
"As for Wanda..."
Leon swirled his wine glass, watching the moonlit ripples within.
"A classic prelude to Stockholm Syndrome. Fear, dependence, plus a bit of identity crisis."
"What she lacks isn't power; what she lacks is a guide and a definer."
"And I am her god."
Leon savored the feeling of everything being under his control.
This was the proper demeanor for Leon Odinson.
Equality?
That was the self-comfort of the weak.
The Sun would only hang high in the sky, looking down on all beings equally.
Asgard's mess, the countdown to the great war.
Everything was chaotic.
But also very interesting.
Just then, Leon's brow twitched slightly.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden communication request.
"Jarvis."
"Sir?" Jarvis's voice sounded in his ear.
"An encrypted channel is requesting access."
Leon's eyebrows rose even higher.
"Oh?"
He showed a playful smile.
"Ajak, is it? It seems her leadership isn't going very smoothly."
"Connect it."
"Buzz..."
In the air before Leon, countless golden lines appeared out of nowhere, quickly sketching a holographic projection.
Soon, Ajak appeared before him.
Her face was as calm as ever, but Leon could see anxiety in her tightly furrowed brow.
"Master," Ajak's voice came, tinged with fatigue.
"Ajak."
Leon didn't get up, idly swirling his wine glass.
"Visiting so late, what is it?"
"I thought I made things very clear."
Ajak's lips pressed together.
New rules.
How arrogant that phrase was.
"Master, your rules, not everyone is willing to follow them," Ajak said in a deep voice.
"Oh?" Leon's smile remained unchanged.
"Complicated situation?"
"I hate that word. It means failure, and I never accept failure."
"Ikaris has already proven this to you with his actions."
Leon's tone was gentle, but Pietro and Wanda, eavesdropping upstairs, didn't feel that way.
They could sense Leon's displeasure.
Just displeasure made the air heavy.
"It's Druig."
Ajak continued to report.
"He disappeared with the humans he kept in the Amazon jungle. He refuses to serve you."
"And Phastos."
"He has his own family. He says he's tired of war, and he refuses to forge weapons for anyone anymore."
"As for Makkari..." Ajak paused.
"She just disappeared. She runs too fast; I can't find her."
"Druig, Phastos, Makkari..."
Leon softly recited these three names, the smile on his face growing even wider.
"Mind controller, technical artisan, and scout."
"What a perfect combination of functions. Do they think they have a choice?"
Leon slowly stood up and walked to Ajak's projection.
Moonlight spilled onto his golden hair, divine yet full of oppressive power.
"Ajak."
"I am building an army."
"I am going to conquer the Universe, flatten the multiverse! I will plant Asgard's Banner across all dimensions!"
"I grant you freedom. I grant you a god who will truly act!"
"I grant you the glory of following me."
"They won't..."
"They will," Leon interrupted her, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Free will? That's a sheep's illusion. When Asgard's war wolves are at their gates, they will understand that so-called will is worthless."
Ajak fell silent.
She found herself unable to refute him.
"Master, what do you plan to do?"
"Me?"
Leon smiled.
He turned, his gaze piercing through the darkness, landing on the Shadow behind the second-floor railing.
"I have many new toys."
"I also have a newly appointed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. under me. Tony Stark.
He is very good at using his little inventions to find rats."
"You don't have to worry, Ajak. Your task is to manage the obedient children. Sersi, Kingo, Tina... they are all smart people."
"As for the disobedient ones..."
Leon's smile turned cold.
"I will drag them out of their holes."
"Tell them they can voluntarily join us. Or, they can go reflect with Ikaris."
"That's all."
Leon waved his hand casually.
"Buzz..."
The holographic projection instantly shattered and disappeared into the air.
Ajak was gone.
On the terrace, silence returned.
Leon tilted his head back and drained the remaining red wine in his glass.
Then, he slowly spoke to the darkness on the second floor.
"Did you see?"
Pietro and Wanda upstairs stiffened.
He had already found them!
"This Universe is vast. So vast that there are all kinds of disobedient companions."
Leon turned around and looked up.
"But you must remember."
"No matter how vast the Universe, no matter how many gods there are."
"Ultimately..."
"There will always be only one Sun."
"And all things will eventually submit to the Light."
"Now, go back to sleep."
....
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