Everything happened too suddenly.
Fury watched Melinda die a gruesome death. His face showed no emotion, but his clenched fist crushed the corner of the table.
Only when he heard Adam openly discussing his next moves did Fury finally understand the man's true goal.
"Adam wants to use the Bifrost to send Xenomorphs to Asgard? Reinforcements?"
Fury immediately realized that war must have broken out in Asgard. He finally understood what the agreement Adam had mentioned with Thor truly entailed.
This madman was involving himself in a war between high-level species, deploying Xenomorphs as weapons of war and pushing them to the very front lines!
Fury didn't need to think hard to know how dangerous a war in Asgard would be. It would be a conflict between terrifying beings wielding divine power, capable of unimaginable destruction.
"You're insane. You'll drag Earth into a war it has no business being part of," Fury said in a low voice.
Adam looked down at the earpiece in his hand. "Is there a difference? If S.H.I.E.L.D. had any real ambition, you should have done the same thing long ago... forcefully researching and controlling things that were never meant to be under your authority. The only difference now is that you lost control. You lost an excellent subordinate and greatly strengthened my forces."
"It seems you planned everything from the start. Even the pheromone control of Xenomorphs was something you deliberately let me discover. Your real method of controlling them is psychic domination."
"Very imaginative, Sherlock," Adam said, neither confirming nor denying.
Fury had been thinking about the relationship between queens. What would happen if offspring from different queens met while Adam was absent? Would they fight?
This was important. It determined whether Fury should continue investing massive resources against Adam.
"As long as I still control one queen, it won't take long to completely unravel your secrets," Fury said.
The chips on the necks of many Xenomorphs on the field immediately flashed red, preparing to detonate.
But Adam reacted faster. He raised Mjolnir high, summoning a sky full of lightning. Each bolt wasn't particularly powerful, but they were more than enough to disrupt signals and destroy the chips.
The Xenomorphs suffered some pain, but as long as it wasn't fatal, they would always recover.
"It seems I underestimated divine power. From now on, I'll create a dedicated file on you and assemble a team of specialists to study you."
Fury's voice showed no emotional fluctuation, but that very coldness was the strongest expression of his feelings.
"No one likes to lose. So perhaps we should discuss the next topic: Are you interested in the war breaking out in Asgard? We might reach an agreement on certain matters," Adam said lightly as he directed all the Xenomorphs to wipe out the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents present.
"You just tricked me with your schemes, and now you want to talk about cooperation? Do you expect me to provide you with even more Xenomorphs? Or do you think that because you hold a slight information advantage, I'm a fool?"
Even someone as pragmatic as Fury felt a headache at Adam's seamless transition.
Sometimes he genuinely wanted to crack open Adam's skull to see what dangerous thoughts this man entertained all day.
"That's impossible. I won't cooperate with someone like you unless you relinquish control of the Xenomorphs," Fury said. Even he felt that his words sounded far too righteous for his own character.
"What a shame. Since that's the case, there's nothing left to discuss. Your attitude essentially blames S.H.I.E.L.D.'s incompetence on me. Am I the one who stopped you from controlling the Xenomorphs? You stole my little darlings, imprisoned them, and ultimately failed. And you blame me?"
Adam looked around, confirming that all recording devices on site had been destroyed. He then looked up at the sky and spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Then you're in big trouble, Nick Fury. You've committed theft and illegal detention. You're provoking the ruler of an entire species."
Fury grew more alert. He couldn't determine how Asgard viewed Adam. After all, the position of an Earthling who could lift Mjolnir within Asgard was still unknown.
This newly minted God of Thunder was now aggressively expanding his forces and had even tricked an entire global organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. into providing cover. Such behavior…
"You're so eager to show loyalty to Asgard. I assume you've already secured Asgardian citizenship," Fury said.
Hearing this, Adam tossed the earpiece to the nearby, somewhat confused Thor.
Thor didn't know what a green card was, but from Adam's expression, he naturally treated the term as a uniquely Midgardian dark joke.
"Thor, these people say I'm trying to become an Asgardian through this war. It's the complete opposite of your situation."
"At least we have one thing in common: neither of us wants to become a person from the other's world," Thor said, looking at the Xenomorphs that had fallen silent again. His mouth felt dry. "Let's not waste time on fools. I'll summon the Bifrost now and transport the troops! Once the war is over, you can become whatever you want!"
Thor had spent this time getting a feel for Adam's personality. He knew Adam had little interest in Asgardian citizenship, so he could reasonably guess that Adam wanted to step onto a higher stage and participate in grander wars to prove his worth and abilities.
That was normal. A large part of the values Thor had been taught since childhood revolved around exactly that.
Or perhaps Adam was interested in Frost Giants and wanted to capture some alive for parasitism.
Thor didn't care. He also wanted to return with an army to support Loki. He would prove to all Asgardians that even without his divine power, he could still help Asgard. He was still a worthy Asgardian warrior!
"Loki should have taken control of all of Asgard. I can help him. He'll definitely be happy. In the future he will be King of Asgard, and I…" Thor shook his head. It was hopeless. He had already given up.
"Heimdall!! I know you can hear me! You've seen my efforts. Now, open the Bifrost and send me and the reinforcements I've brought back!!"
"Heimdall!" Thor roared at the sky with all his might.
Adam stood at a distance, watching quietly.
Soon, an incredibly brilliant rainbow descended from the heavens, carrying the power to traverse space and shining down on Thor.
Under Adam's command, the surrounding Xenomorphs surged forward one after another into the Bifrost's light. When there wasn't enough space on the ground, they climbed over each other, piling up to push forward.
This was only the first wave.
A second Bifrost beam appeared, followed by more, continuously transporting batches of Xenomorphs to Asgard.
Adam focused his senses, confirming that the Xenomorphs had arrived in Asgard. Even across countless vast distances, his mental link with them remained stable. He finally relaxed.
"So this is the rainbow that originally sent Thor to Earth? Impressive technology," Fury said.
"Don't even think about it. This isn't just advanced science. It involves the use of higher divine power... an area you will never be able to touch."
"Time will show Thor what a grave mistake he made, sending dangerous creatures like the Xenomorphs to a battlefield they have no place being on," Fury said, his expression extremely grim.
This meant he could no longer destroy or control all the Xenomorphs.
Even though Adam had sent away his main army and his remaining forces seemed extremely weakened... the perfect time to strike... the thought of those Xenomorphs in Asgard gave Fury a headache. He hated leaving loose ends.
And these were loose ends with unlimited potential.
He had no way to go to Asgard and exterminate the Xenomorphs there. Even calling Captain Marvel back to Earth wouldn't solve it.
"Time to change your thinking, Agent. Even if I hadn't sent the Xenomorph army to Asgard, you might not have been able to deal with me. Care to guess whether I showed you all my Xenomorphs, or if I secretly kept a few hidden?" Adam's voice was like a devil's whisper.
Once the hidden Xenomorphs erupted, no one could predict the destruction they would cause.
Fury thought that at least he still held one queen. With her, he could continue his research. Perhaps in the future he would truly find a way to counter Adam.
Adam controlled Xenomorphs through psychic means? Fury was already considering which psychic-powered superhuman he should recruit to attempt the same method.
With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s massive resources, vast knowledge base, and talent pool, given enough time…
"The war has already begun, Fury," Adam suddenly said.
"War? In Asgard?"
"No. The war between you and me. Even now, you still don't truly understand me."
Adam let out a deep sigh. His voice became incredibly calm, sounding like someone who had come to terms with reality.
Fury's brow furrowed slightly. He had a bad feeling, but what could it be? He was on the Helicarrier. Surely Adam couldn't pull out some super-Xenomorph capable of firing at the sky.
Suddenly, Fury shot to his feet and quickly tapped a few commands on the virtual screen before him. "Quickly, have Dr. Kleef increase the power of the A-28 psychic shielding device..."
"It's already running at maximum power. Kleef already thought of this… Damn it, the queen is self-mutilating! It's destroying its own head with its inner jaw!!"
Fury froze in place, his expression shifting rapidly. Finally, he opened a screen, entered a password, and stared at the bloody scene.
Blood splattered onto the Adamantium, sizzling and releasing wisps of smoke.
Two scientists who had been too close were already writhing on the ground after being splashed by a few drops.
Fury's face changed completely.
How great was the distance? It had even broken through the psychic shielding to issue a suicide command to the queen!
"Surprised? I have to say, your security measures were excellent. It could never find a way to escape. But of course... as the world's top organization, it would be beneath your professional standards if you didn't turn the prison into an impenetrable Adamantium fortress," Adam's voice was terrifyingly calm.
Fury stared at the screen in silence for several seconds. "That was a queen…"
"Queen. I prefer to call the reproductive leaders of the Xenomorphs queens."
"That was the second queen. Extremely valuable. You didn't even try to negotiate terms with me. You simply ordered it to commit suicide?"
"Clever probing technique. You're constantly fishing for information."
Adam pointed out Fury's tactic but continued, "What makes you think it's difficult for new queens to emerge among the Xenomorphs? Care to guess how many Xenomorphs I've deployed across this planet? How many of them can evolve into queens, and under what conditions?"
Adam's words sank Fury's heart to the bottom.
Adam went on, "That's why I emphasized that you don't understand me, and you don't understand the Xenomorphs. You haven't even grasped their fundamental nature. They are a high-order species capable of extreme actions for survival and the continuation of their kind. And I…"
He slowly crushed the earpiece in his hand. "…am the god of this species."
Fury stared at the disconnected communication, finally understanding the meaning behind Adam's last words.
Not the God of Thunder, but…
The God of Xenomorphs!
"It seems we've provoked a troublesome individual. While I still dismiss his self-proclaimed divinity, it appears we've made a serious mistake," Fury said heavily.
Coulson, still wrapped in bandages and not fully recovered, had appeared behind Fury at some point. "Using results to justify causes has never been a good habit, but it does let us see things more clearly."
"Then what result do you see, Coulson?"
"Adam is now the God of Thunder. Regardless of how Asgard views him, that's how we should treat him. That means: Adam will be extremely difficult to kill by conventional means. Combined with the potential threat posed by the Xenomorphs, it means…"
"Adam has used the shortest time and at the youngest age to become a T0-level threat."
…
Asgard.
Loki was furious.
With multiple worlds under surprise attack and territories already lost, he was in the middle of a war mobilization.
Heimdall had activated the Bifrost without his permission as king!
Below the throne, several people exchanged glances, all seeing surprise and delight in each other's eyes.
"It must be Thor!"
"Thor has returned?"
Loki looked at the people whose morale had suddenly risen. He took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yes, my brother has returned. But I have unfortunate news: he has not regained his divine power. Participating in this war would be extremely dangerous for him."
Loki stood up, looking at the people below with varying expressions. His gaze lingered for a moment on the faces of the Warriors Three.
"You think I didn't want to bring him back? But I couldn't! I did it to protect him! With his personality, he would fight the Frost Giants to the bitter end!"
The more Loki spoke, the more sorrowful he sounded... so much so that even Sif, who knew his treacherous nature well, was almost convinced.
"I know my ascension to the throne makes you unhappy, but I had no choice! If it were only my brother…"
Loki's words cut off abruptly. He realized Thor was approaching the palace at astonishing speed.
The great doors burst open.
Under countless shocked gazes, a large group of unfamiliar creatures surged in, clustering around a tearful Thor.
"My dear brother, say no more. I won't give you the chance to fight alone!"
"…"
He looked at these familiar creatures and thought of the person who had brought him humiliation. His face nearly turned blue.
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