Captain America, Steve Rogers, put on his new uniform and set out.
In Ethan's personal opinion, this was the ugliest of all the uniforms Captain America wore in the Marvel movies.
It was honestly impressive that Steve could still run around in it. If it were him, the moment he saw the suit, he'd beat up the designer, then beat up Fury for suggesting it, and finally beat the designer to death…
Ethan didn't hide his thoughts and complained about it right in front of Steve. He could see that Steve didn't look too pleased. If it weren't for Coulson's thorough explanation of the design, detailing all the high-tech features incorporated into the suit, and convincing Steve that it wasn't so bad, Steve probably would've gone into battle wearing a regular leather jacket for his first mission after seventy years.
Standing by the railing and watching the monitor, when Ethan saw Steve falling behind in his fight with Loki, he couldn't help but complain again, "So what's the point of this suit?"
At least the suit Steve wore in World War II offered some degree of insulation, durability, and protection. This new tight-fitting uniform was practically useless. Was it just designed for comfort and ventilation?
"That person doesn't look like he's doing well. Should I go help?"
Diana was still kind-hearted. Seeing that Captain America, her "comrade-in-arms," couldn't beat the man in the antlered helmet, she offered to assist.
She had been quiet this whole time, but that didn't mean she was just tagging along. She had quietly absorbed all the information and now had a general grasp of the situation. She also understood that the enemy was a god.
Unlike her, a demigod, this man was a full-fledged Asgardian—though she didn't know that in this world, Loki wasn't truly Asgardian but rather a Frost Giant adopted by Odin.
She was a bit curious about the gods in this world and wanted to see their strength firsthand. Although Diana had spent time with Pepper Potts and had grown more feminine, her core personality hadn't changed. She was still the Amazonian princess fascinated by combat.
Diana's suggestion didn't get Ethan's approval. "They don't need your help. They can handle him."
Their conversation wasn't loud, but it still caught Fury's attention.
At first, Fury hadn't seen anything particularly special about Diana. She just looked like an ordinary woman. Sure, she was a bit more beautiful than average and had longer legs, but not enough to draw the attention of the world's greatest spy.
Only now did he realize he might have underestimated the woman standing beside Ethan. Their brief exchange revealed a lot.
Diana offered to help, and she knew Steve and Loki were currently in Stuttgart, while the Helicarrier was over the ocean. Did her words mean she could get there in a short time?
Teleportation? Flight?
Either way, it meant this woman possessed extraordinary abilities.
She also seemed very confident about defeating Loki. So what was her actual combat ability? Judging by her tone and expressions, she probably wouldn't have any trouble overpowering Captain America.
Fury already knew Ethan had traveled to many different worlds and picked up a few companions along the way. Even the legendary King Arthur had once appeared by his side.
"From now on, every time Ethan shows up, I need intel on whoever's with him."
Fury really wanted to investigate her, but who knew which world Ethan might pull someone from next? No matter how capable Fury was, he couldn't gather intelligence across different worlds. His only source of information was Ethan himself.
As he was thinking, the battle in Stuttgart ended. Not long after Captain America started losing, Tony Stark arrived in his armor, and Loki promptly surrendered upon seeing he was outnumbered.
When Fury came back to his senses, he saw the scene unfold. He frowned, sensing that something about the situation didn't feel right.
For some reason, he glanced at Ethan. The mage's expression hadn't changed. He didn't seem surprised that Loki surrendered so easily.
Fury didn't press for answers, trusting that he'd find out soon enough. After all, Ethan had already requested to speak with Loki once he was brought back.
"That's fine, but I'm afraid you won't be able to talk to him 'alone.'"
Fury reminded Ethan that it was impossible to have a private conversation with Loki on this ship. Every word spoken would be recorded and monitored by several people, including Fury himself. So if Ethan wanted to say anything inappropriate, he'd best not.
Of course Ethan knew this, but he didn't care. There was nothing particularly secretive about what he intended to say to Loki anyway.
Waiting was always boring, especially after a delay. Steve Rogers and the others took even longer to return to the Helicarrier, and there was one more person with them besides Tony.
"Long time no see, Ethan."
Thor, the God of Thunder. Odin's son. First in line for the throne of Asgard. Loki's older brother.
Due to his prior exile on Earth, Thor and Ethan had formed a good relationship. Upon reuniting, Thor greeted him with a hug.
"Come to deal with the trouble Loki caused?"
"Yes!"
After a brief reunion, Thor's cheerful demeanor faded, replaced by a pained expression. His little brother always found a way to stress him out.
Thor had returned to Earth this time to clean up the mess Loki created and to warn everyone that Earth was likely on the brink of war.
He personally hoped to take Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard. Without the Tesseract to open portals, the Chitauri that Loki had attracted couldn't reach Earth. Though they could still travel through space, they'd first have to get through Asgard's defenses, as it was the guardian of Earth.
While Thor explained the Chitauri, Ethan noticed that he and Tony had already met, which was probably why Iron Man didn't fight Thor during the return trip to the Helicarrier.
Although they argued a bit, both sides held back, and with Steve stepping in to mediate, they avoided a confrontation.
"Let me talk to Loki first. I've got a few questions."
Ethan turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, where's Loki's scepter?"
Since Loki had been captured, the scepter was now in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody. Neither Iron Man, Thor, nor Captain America had touched it.
"It's here."
Fury signaled his people, and someone brought out the scepter. After Ethan received it, he examined it closely. Though it was made of an unknown material and was clearly sturdy, that was all. There was nothing particularly impressive about its construction.
The only noteworthy feature was the gem embedded at the tip of the blade.
"What do you think?"
"What do I think about what?"
Ethan suddenly heard Fury's question and didn't react at first. When he looked up and saw Fury's expression, he realized he was asking if the scepter could release the people Loki had controlled, like Hawkeye, Clint Barton.
"Oh, that. I still need to examine someone directly to know."
"Then what are you studying?"
"Studying the Infinity Stones, of course."
Ethan had recently developed an obsession with revealing spoilers, and once he got the scepter in his hands, he started without hesitation.
"See this glowing part? Like the Tesseract, there's an Infinity Stone hidden inside."
Fury felt his heartbeat spike. That definitely wasn't excitement or happiness—it was pure panic. One Infinity Stone was already a huge problem. Now Ethan was telling him there was more than one on Earth.
"Which one's in here?"
From the previous explanation, he already knew there were six Infinity Stones, each representing a fundamental law of the universe. The Tesseract represented space and contained energy related to space manipulation, allowing for long-distance teleportation.
"The Mind Stone." Ethan attempted to draw out the energy within it. He didn't find it difficult to locate. But when he tried to increase the energy output, he discovered a strange force blocking him, limiting the gem's energy release to a very low level. "That's why it's so easy to control Clint and the others."
After fiddling with it for a while, Ethan noticed everyone staring at him, especially Fury, whose eyes kept shifting between Ethan and the scepter. Ethan wondered if he was contemplating whether or not to eliminate him.
"Alright, let's go talk to Loki."
"We?"
"Well, you all need to know what's going on anyway. Why sit here watching a tiny screen?" Ethan waved for everyone to follow. A large group of people headed straight for the cell where Loki was being held.
What should have been a serious, tense interrogation felt more like a low-budget guided tour.
Loki, of course, was the exhibit.
(To be continued.)
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