The [Whiplash] had been defeated, but the self-destruct system he had pre-installed on the drones activated. However, since they were trapped within the [Crystal Wall], they couldn't cause any damage—instead, it turned into quite a spectacle for the crowd.
Watching the fireworks flare, roll, and burst inside the Crystal Wall, Melin lowered his head and asked the girl beside him, "Aren't you afraid?"
"I'm not scared. I believe Mr. Melin will protect me." Athena's face showed not a trace of fear. She smiled cheerfully, completely at ease. As long as she was near Melin, Athena felt an unprecedented sense of safety. Even if the entire world turned against her, he would still protect her.
That feeling had no logic, no source—it simply existed. It was natural, almost destined, and she believed in it completely.
"Yes, I will always protect you," Melin replied softly, his hidden affection surfacing despite himself.
If anyone else saw the two, they might curse Melin as a pervert, but between the two of them, everything felt perfectly normal.
With the roar of the final explosions, the farce finally came to an end. Justin Hammer was taken away by the police—releasing a death-row inmate wasn't a crime one could easily escape, especially given the chaos it caused. Not only was Hammer finished, but Hammer Industries was done for as well.
Still, that was for the best. Even if Hammer Industries had never been able to shake the position of Stark Industries, having a fly buzzing around constantly was annoying. A second-rate company that only cared about profit and ignored product safety would no longer be harming soldiers.
"Miss, your father asks that you return," said [Crane Saint] Cletia as she approached Athena softly. Behind her stood [Cerberus Saint] Dardi and [Hercules Saint] Algeti.
When the three of them saw Melin, they instinctively wanted to bow, but given the public setting, they restrained themselves. Melin merely shook his head, signaling them not to worry about it.
Athena's face showed a trace of sadness—she didn't want to leave yet. She wanted to stay a little longer with Melin, but she was a good girl. Naturally, she would obey her father's words.
"All right, I understand."
"Let's go, Miss."
Cletia gently took Athena's hand and led her toward the exit of the expo. But after a few steps, Athena stopped and turned back. "Mr. Melin, will we meet again?"
"Of course we will."
"Mm-hmm! I'll be looking forward to it! Heehee!"
Watching her small figure walk away, Melin felt a pang of reluctance. He wanted to keep Athena by his side—but…
"Forget it. It won't be long anyway. I just don't know…"
…
Elsewhere, Tony was being thoroughly scolded by Pepper. His constant recklessness had indeed made her worry, and this time, he had put himself in danger right in front of her. Tony tried to defend himself but had nothing to say. Pepper was so angry she almost quit on the spot.
Luckily, Tony managed to turn things around with a sudden, passionate kiss. However…
"Seriously? Watching you two kiss feels like seeing two seals fight over a grape," Galen raised an eyebrow and commented.
"Actually… Galen just said what I was thinking," Rhodey added.
"Ahem…"
Tony and Pepper parted lips but stayed in each other's arms. Tony was annoyed—couldn't they see the mood was right? Would it kill them to stay quiet and let him have this one moment? Great, now his follow-up romantic plan was ruined.
"Anyway, Galen, tell me—why did Mu and Asura step in? Mu I can understand, since her being here means she's nearby too, but Asura? I can't imagine he'd care about a ridiculous expo hosted by a clown." Tony tried to change the topic, his voice a bit forced.
Tony was frustrated. Sure, Mu and Asura's intervention stopped the crisis before it escalated, but come on—he was Iron Man! Did they really not trust him? Did every crisis need a Gold Saint to bail him out? It made him look bad.
"Asura went with the master on a mission to New Mexico. They just got back, so they attended. As for why he stepped in… you know him. He's always the strict one. Probably got impatient watching you hesitate." Galen shrugged.
Every Capricorn Gold Saint carried the same nickname—The Legion Commander: strict, unyielding, straightforward. They preferred action over words and would rather demonstrate with their fists than explain with logic.
"Hey, I wasn't hesitating! I was worried about hurting Rhodey!" Tony protested.
"You could've destroyed his energy core at the very start, but you didn't. You let him keep attacking you—that's not protecting your friend, that's letting him be used as the enemy's puppet."
At that moment, Melin and Asura walked over, having overheard Tony's excuse. Asura immediately entered lecture mode.
"Hey, that's not fair—those reactors are delicate. One mistake and—" Tony tried to argue, but Asura cut him off.
"With your new reactor output, you could've disabled him safely while he was still near you. Disconnect nodes 15, 34, 54, and 89, and both his weapon and power systems would've gone offline. If you can't manage that, your training is insufficient."
"Uh…" Tony's face flushed red. It was the first time he'd ever been lectured in his own field—and he couldn't even refute it.
"You brought this on yourself," Galen said with a smirk. Don't think you're the only genius in the world. Sure, Asura might not have your raw talent for mechanics, but he's disciplined and twice your age. If Sanctuary had needed it, the Arc Reactor would've been perfected decades ago—without you.
Melin and Galen laughed, but Pepper and Rhodey didn't. They'd noticed that Asura seemed to know a lot about Tony's reactors and suits.
"How do you know all that? Did Tony tell you?" Pepper asked.
"No," Asura replied calmly. "I saw it."
"You saw it!?" Pepper and Rhodey both gasped.
"Surprised? Every Gold Saint holds at least two doctorates. Even Galen has one," Melin said with a smile.
"Uh…"
"So… all these years later, and you're still at the bottom of the class?" Tony focused on the wrong part, of course. Considering how many suits Galen had accidentally broken, Tony couldn't resist the jab.
"I have two!" Galen protested—but Melin, ever the mischief-maker, exposed him immediately.
"Combat Studies doesn't count. From undergrad to PhD, you're the only student."
"Pfft—hahaha! A Doctor of Combat! That's priceless!" Tony burst out laughing, completely unrestrained. Rhodey and Pepper covered their mouths, shoulders shaking as they tried not to laugh. Even the usually stoic Asura's lips curved slightly upward.
"For the record, he forced your dad to approve that degree—with his fists," Melin added casually.
"Uh…"
The laughter died instantly. Tony froze, staring at Melin to confirm he wasn't joking.
Unfortunately…
"I still—"
"No, you don't," Galen interrupted, already gripping Tony's shoulder.
"Wait—!"
"Any last words?"
"Don't hit the face…"
"I'll try."
"Swish!"
Galen and Tony vanished in a blur, leaving the others behind. Everyone silently prayed for Tony's survival.
"Oh, come on! Galen ran off again? Now I have to clean up this mess," Pepper complained.
"Haha, good luck. I believe in you," Melin chuckled, then turned to leave with Asura. Asura needed to return to Sanctuary—the place was thriving but busy, with more missions and duties piling up. He couldn't stay here long.
Rhodey also departed; he had reports to file and had to persuade the military to stop eyeing Stark's tech—though he wouldn't mind earning a medal or two in the process.
…
Less than a week later, Odin came to see Melin again.
"Loki escaped? From Asgard's prison? Right under your noses?" Melin asked with a puzzled look.
"Yes," Odin admitted awkwardly, though a flicker of cunning in his eyes didn't escape Melin's notice.
"All right… but that doesn't really concern me, does it? Loki's your son, an Asgardian fugitive—it's your problem, not mine," Melin said, smiling faintly without calling him out.
"When Loki sent the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor and his companions, your child destroyed it. I raised him—I know him well. He'll go to Earth to seek revenge…"
"Then perfect. I'll save you the trouble and clean up your mess."
"Wait!"
"What? Loki's a traitor to Asgard, isn't he?"
"Yes, but… if possible, spare his life. Let Thor bring him back," Odin said.
Melin gave him a long, knowing look.
"Ahem, he may be a Frost Giant, but he's also my son. I should be the one to judge him," Odin explained stiffly, though his flickering gaze betrayed his unease.
"Really?"
"Yes, truly."
"…Fine," Melin agreed, though he saw right through it. Odin and Frigga had deliberately let Loki escape—sending him to Earth to gain experience and understand the harshness of the cosmos.
Still, Melin didn't expose him. They were old friends, and Odin was still the King of Asgard. Some courtesies were worth keeping.
"Thank you," Odin said.
"But let's be clear—if he goes too far, don't blame me for striking hard," Melin warned before the connection cut.
"…If it comes to that."
When the link closed, Melin leaned back, a faint smile on his lips. He was curious about what would happen next.
If Loki wasn't missing but rather released by Odin and the Ancient One… would he still meet Thanos? Still lead the Chitauri invasion of Earth? Still steal the Tesseract? Still wield the Mind Scepter?
All of it was now an unknown.