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If Arthur clearly stated that the Queen had already died,
Then Loki would absolutely refuse to believe it. After all, he was a clever man, one entitled to arrogance. While he didn't blindly trust his own deductions, he still believed they were close to the truth, eight or nine times out of ten.
But even if Arthur claimed the Queen was still alive, Loki would still be hesitant.
If she truly lived, why would Arthur tell him so easily?
What scheme was Arthur hiding this time?
And now, Arthur was saying, "Believe what your heart tells you…" Loki's heart told him his mother was alive. But could he really believe that?
And that last line, "Reality never disappoints anyone."
Who was that meant for? Arthur? Or himself?
This is frustrating!
The smarter a man is, the more he overthinks when it matters. Like stepping into a maze, spinning in circles between possibilities, unable to find a way out.
"I've answered your question. Now I need you to look into something for me," Arthur said, fixing Loki with a steady gaze.
"…And if I refuse? That's your idea of an answer?"
"You know," Arthur said with a grin, ignoring Loki's sarcasm, "all those people on Earth you ticked off think you're already dead. I'm not threatening you, but if I wanted to, I could drag you in front of every Asgardian and tear all your little illusions apart. So yeah… you're helping me, whether you like it or not."
Loki blinked. "You've become a little shameless lately, haven't you?"
Arthur tilted his head in mock confusion. "…Haven't I always been this way?"
Was he really worse than usual?
"Being threatened once means it can happen again," Loki said coldly. "If I get used to your threats, I'll end up your lackey. As a mortal, don't you think that's crossing the line?"
"Not really." Arthur replied with a shrug. "And I'm not the type to take everything and give nothing. Just say yes to this favor, and I swear, I'll keep this completely between us."
Loki was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "What do you want me to investigate?"
"I want to know if any earth-shattering events have happened in the universe recently," Arthur said calmly. "That's all. Just gather the information and report back."
Loki narrowed his eyes. "You didn't come here unprepared… Why cast such a wide net? Are you trying to hide the truth from me?"
"Oh, you'll find out eventually." Arthur chuckled. "But isn't it more fun to stew in speculation for a while?"
Loki ground his teeth, baring them in frustration, then forced a smile.
Arthur gave him a long, thoughtful look, then asked with a sly smile, "Sitting on that throne… do you ever feel… not free?"
"That's none of your business!" Loki growled, "Just because he named you God of War doesn't mean you're truly one of the Asgardian gods."
"I know." Arthur replied. "I never was."
He gave a faint smile, turned around, and as he reached the edge of the throne hall, he looked back and said, "Don't keep me waiting."
With a rush of wind, the wings on his back unfurled with a loud snap, and in a flash, he was gone.
Loki took several deep breaths before he managed to calm himself. He slammed a fist onto the throne, then finally closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
But then his brow furrowed.
Ever since Arthur's last visit, certain suspicions had begun to take shape in his heart…
But even after Loki inspected Earth, he found nothing out of place. Odin was still trapped in the seal Loki had cast, unable to escape. And as for any trace of his mother, there wasn't even the slightest sign.
"That doesn't make sense…"
Loki frowned. "If it really is as I suspect, then I should've at least detected some trace, a spider's thread, a ripple of his magic. His power is far too weak now to conceal anything like this. Unless… someone on Earth is helping him? But… impossible! How could a mortal pull that off?"
Meanwhile, Loki continued to spiral in suspicion and self-doubt.
On the other side, Arthur returned once more to the medical bay.
As soon as he entered, the room full of healers and technicians immediately bowed with respect. Whatever they were thinking in their hearts, though, no one dared to voice it.
Arthur found the elderly doctor he had spoken to before and explained his purpose.
The old man was left speechless. "The injuries have already recovered? He's just… not awake yet? That's impossible!"
Since Coulson had arrived, this doctor had been the one personally overseeing his condition.
No one understood Coulson's situation better.
And now, to be told the injuries had recovered? That's not something even gods can accomplish! But this man, a mortal, had done it?
He immediately had Arthur bring Coulson out of stasis. After a thorough inspection, the doctor's eyes nearly fell out of his sockets.
"How… how was this done?"
Arthur would've liked to know too. Healing arts weren't his specialty, this was entirely the work of the Disassembler System.
If the system could one day be upgraded to a Legendary Tier, perhaps then he wouldn't need to worry about limited experience or resources. He could just disassemble entire medical tomes, absorb the knowledge directly, and provide the doctor with a real explanation. But for now, that was far beyond reach.
"At this stage," the old man muttered, eyes gleaming with professional interest, "he'll definitely survive. Do you want him to wake up now, or allow him to recover naturally?"
"Is there a difference?"
"If he wakes now, it might slightly impact his mental state, disorientation, perhaps some neural strain. But give him a couple days of rest, and he'll be fine.
If you want him to wake naturally, it'll take longer. Of course, we could also trigger a gentle awakening through external stimulation, same effect, no mental damage."
"How long would the external trigger take?"
"Half an hour."
To Coulson, it felt like a dream.
A long, formless, uncomfortable dream. One where everything existed, yet nothing was real.
His mind felt like it was being coated in layer after layer of glue, sticky, suffocating. He tried to peel it away, but couldn't. All he could do was endure it in fear and helplessness.
He wasn't sure when the sound began. A soft hum, like a magical device resonating faintly in the background. His body slowly began to warm, then heat, then itch, then ache.
And then,
With a gasp, he jolted awake, sucking in air like he hadn't breathed in days.
His vision was hazy at first. He looked around in confusion and saw a group of strangers dressed like characters from a sci-fi movie, gathered around him with expectant eyes.
"Where… am I? Who are you people?"
Coulson furrowed his brows, almost blurting out: "Who am I?"