"Consultant?"
"Yes."
"What kind of consultant?" Ethan looked very young, and in Steve's mind, a consultant should be someone with years of experience, rich knowledge, and practical expertise—at the very least, a middle-aged person.
"Magic, mysticism, and the like. I'm also pretty familiar with the Cosmic Cube."
Steve had already read the information about the Cosmic Cube, so he didn't press further. What he didn't realize was that Ethan knew far more about the Cube than anyone else.
Coulson was already aware of this and could only sigh inwardly at how casually Ethan brought up such sensitive matters. He had to emphasize again, "Let's wait until we see Director Fury before discussing the Cube in detail."
"No problem."
Ethan actually wanted to break down the dangers of the Cosmic Cube into sixteen full chapters, each divided into twelve sections, and lay it all out for Steve. That way, Steve would undoubtedly stand on his side and demand that S.H.I.E.L.D. throw such a dangerous object into "another world."
"Who's she...?"
"Diana. A friend of mine."
Steve had noticed Diana, who looked curious about everything and clearly didn't seem like an agent or a consultant.
He couldn't understand why she was coming along to meet Fury if she was just an ordinary civilian.
Coulson didn't really know why Ethan had brought Diana either, but since she came from another world, she clearly wasn't ordinary. Even if he didn't know her abilities, bringing her along for the sake of maintaining a good relationship with Ethan was reason enough.
Although their flight was fast, by the time they saw the massive carrier docked at sea, it was already daytime. Ethan realized that, because of his presence, none of the dialogue between Coulson and Steve that happened in the original plot had taken place. Maybe it was because he felt embarrassed to reveal his "Captain America fan" identity in front of others, let alone mention the Captain America trading cards in his collection.
After the plane landed on the deck and everyone stepped onto the enormous Helicarrier, Ethan finally met Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow once hailed as the top beauty in Marvel movies.
They simply greeted each other. Steve didn't go straight to the bridge. Instead, he looked around on deck and soon bumped into Bruce Banner, who was also wandering nearby.
Ethan stood not far away, quietly watching Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner talk. Having already met Thor, Hawkeye, and Tony (who was still immersed in research), plus Natasha Romanoff, the core members of the original Avengers—he had seen them all.
"Does this count as unlocking an achievement?"
Turning slightly, he saw Agent Romanoff looking at him.
"Something on your mind?"
"No. It's just the first time I've seen a real mage. I wanted to see how different you are from normal people."
Ethan smiled and waved it off. "I'm just a regular guy."
"Are all mages this humble?"
She didn't realize that Ethan's words were sincere. Compared to the other mages he had encountered, Ethan truly saw himself as an ordinary person.
Take Merlin, or the Ancient One—both of them had already transcended humanity. Even Issendra, who appeared to be an ordinary woman... given her background in the Dark World, she clearly didn't count as a normal person either.
Widening the scope beyond just mages, standing next to Ethan was someone who definitely wasn't human—Zeus, king of Olympus, and the demigoddess daughter of Queen Hippolyta of Paradise Island. Standing among beings like that, Ethan couldn't see himself as anything special.
"If you claim you're just an ordinary person, then I suggest you head inside. Soon, you won't even be able to breathe out here." Natasha Romanoff then pointed to the two still chatting up ahead. "I should probably remind them too."
Seeing Ethan nod, Natasha walked over to remind Steve and Bruce. But the two of them, being bold "non-ordinary people"—didn't immediately head inside. Instead, they walked to the edge of the deck to see what was going on.
And so, they watched as the massive turbine engines lifted the Helicarrier off the ocean, freeing it from the pull of gravity and gradually raising it into the sky.
Banner, unimpressed and muttering that it wasn't as cool as a submarine, turned and walked back toward the hatch. Meanwhile, Steve Rogers, who finally saw something familiar, was once again shocked by the drastic changes in the world. That ten-dollar bet with Fury? There was no way he was winning it.
Upon entering the bridge, Ethan finally met the one-eyed Nick Fury. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Director shook everyone's hand enthusiastically and welcomed each of them warmly, including Ethan.
"You're always welcome."
"I have good memories here and made some great friends, so I'll definitely visit more often."
Fury nodded, understanding Ethan's message. He was emphasizing that he had friends here, that he would return frequently, and that he would stand firmly with those friends.
Since one of those friends was Tony Stark—and Tony's interests generally aligned with S.H.I.E.L.D.—this essentially meant Ethan could be considered part of their camp.
That was the best-case scenario. Especially since Coulson had reported the Cube's situation earlier, Fury hadn't expected that Ethan, a mage from another world, not only knew about the Cosmic Cube's secrets, but also the potential catastrophic consequences it posed.
Their conversation wasn't loud, but Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner were standing nearby. Once Fury turned away to continue giving orders, Banner merely watched curiously—he didn't know Ethan. But Steve looked at Ethan in surprise.
"Mage?"
"I didn't have a chance to say so earlier. Yes, I'm a mage."
In the end, Bruce Banner couldn't hold back and asked, "The kind of mage from novels and movies?"
"There are some differences, but the basics are the same." Ethan reached out to shake Banner's hand. "Just call me Ethan."
"Bruce." Banner was generally an easygoing guy. Although he was a scientist and didn't quite believe in things like magic, Ethan seemed friendly enough. There was no need to doubt his identity. And if he was a fraud, it had nothing to do with him anyway. "You can call me Bruce."
He wasn't overly concerned with Ethan's identity. But Steve, standing nearby, felt more and more out of place. Seeing a flying aircraft carrier or high-tech gadgets was one thing. But now aliens and mages were popping up? His worldview was collapsing.
Steve even felt grateful he had only bet ten dollars with Fury. He couldn't understand it. He'd only slept for seventy years. So why did waking up feel like he'd entered another world?
He pulled out a bill and handed it to Fury as the director passed by. Then he turned back to the conference table. After a glance at Ethan, who was already seated, Steve sat down as well.
Once he'd finished assigning tasks to his subordinates, Fury nodded to his adjutant Maria Hill to temporarily take over command. A partition rose beside the open conference table, sealing it off into a private, enclosed space.
Seeing this, Banner grew tense, clearly thinking they were about to talk about him. Fury had to ease his nerves first.
"Don't worry, Dr. Banner. There are just some confidential matters we need to discuss. That's why we've put up the security measures."
Hearing that it wasn't about him, Banner relaxed a little. But he still kept to himself, standing alone in the corner and making sure no one came too close.
"Ethan, you said earlier that there are six Infinity Stones in the universe, and the Cosmic Cube is one of them?"
Ethan had expected this question. He'd been thinking about how best to persuade Nick Fury to willingly hand over the Cube.
"There are six Infinity Stones, each representing a different force. Each one contains nearly infinite energy. Possessing just one gives the power to destroy an entire planet…"
Ethan saw Fury's face already darkening, so he decided to push further.
"The Cosmic Cube is the Space Stone, tied to the laws of space. That's why it can easily open portals. Theoretically, if someone fully masters the Space Stone, they could instantly reach any point in the universe."
Fury's expression was pitch black. If Loki now had the Cube, didn't that mean he could go anywhere in the universe? How could they possibly capture him or retrieve the Cube?
When he asked about this, Ethan's reply offered some relief.
"Loki hasn't truly mastered the gem's power. In fact, the gem is currently in a semi-sealed state, and hasn't revealed its true form or full power."
"Its real form?"
"The true Infinity Stone." Ethan raised his hand and summoned his magic. In his palm, he condensed a glowing blue gem. It shimmered with a magical light, bearing a striking resemblance to the Space Stone. "It looks like this."
(To be continued.)
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