"Achoo—who's secretly thinking about me behind my back?" Alex Ray snorted, shrugged, and kept walking.
He was dressed casually today—his floral shirt especially vivid in the sunlight, beach shorts fluttering in the breeze, and flip-flops making soft slapping sounds with each step.
He strolled leisurely down the street, enjoying the summer warmth and sea breeze.
Just then, Wanda Maximoff hurried over, her expression filled with concern. "Are you okay, Alex? Did you catch a cold?" She reached out, trying to touch his forehead.
Alex smiled and stepped back slightly, dodging her hand. "My nose isn't runny. But if you keep getting this close to me, Wanda, I will get a nosebleed."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye—she was wearing a sleek black bikini. Her figure was undeniably alluring.
Alex couldn't help but be impressed. Wanda's really grown up... She's got real potential.
Wanda seemed to sense his gaze. Rather than pulling away, she blushed slightly and looked pleased.
She glanced at him through her lashes and caught him staring directly at her. Her cheeks turned even redder.
Looks like Alex still likes me a lot... and likes the bigger kind, Wanda thought to herself, pleased. She made a mental note to wear more revealing clothes in the future—just to keep his attention fixed squarely on her.
"I haven't taken you out in a while," Alex said, more gently now. "I should really do that more often. You've been working so hard lately. Managing a company that big—hell, managing X-Corporation—has to be exhausting. If it ever gets to be too much, just say the word."
He gave her a concerned look. After all, she was only in her twenties. Taking over an enterprise like X-Corp—especially one with so many illegal holdings—was no small thing.
Sometimes Alex wondered if he'd done the right thing by handing it to her. Would he really end up relying on Wanda to support him for the rest of his life?
But Wanda must have sensed his hesitation. She stepped forward and gently hugged him.
"It's not hard. Really," she said softly. "As long as I can help you, I think it's all worth it."
Her eyes were filled with determination and trust. Alex's doubts eased a little.
They gazed at each other, and the air around them thickened with tension. Alex leaned in closer, ready to kiss her.
But right then, his phone rang, ruining the moment.
Alex groaned and answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This better be important, Tony."
"Whoa, whoa, no need to get snappy," Tony Stark replied on the other end, sounding smug as usual. "I hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. database today. Found something big. You're gonna love this."
"Get to the point," Alex snapped.
"Alright, alright. I'm serious now." Tony's tone shifted. "Someone wiped out a whole S.H.I.E.L.D. unit. One guy. Wore a black robe. You know him—Loki. And guess what? His target's your Space Stone."
"Be careful, man," Tony warned.
"Got it." Alex hung up, his brow furrowed.
So... the Avengers plotline is starting. But Fury's dead. The Chitauri are on their way. And there's no one left to gather the Avengers.
He rubbed his forehead. This is gonna be a mess.
Endgame was looming—and most of the key players were missing. If Loki really was after his Space Stone—the Cosmic Cube—it would all fall on Hell's Kitchen to defend Earth.
Alex sighed. Guess I'll have to coordinate with the Illuminati on this one. Still, Hell's Kitchen is unofficial. I'd rather leave planet-saving to the feds.
"Come on, Illuminati. Don't leave me hanging," he muttered, staring up at the sky. "Let me stay in the background this time."
To be honest, Alex wasn't worried about Loki. The Chitauri weren't a real threat—not to someone like him. As long as Thanos didn't show up in person, Earth was safe.
Still, he couldn't help but hope for more.
If this was just the original Avengers storyline, then there wasn't much benefit. It was basically just the prologue to bigger events.
But if future-Tony showed up to collect the Infinity Stones—or even variants from another timeline—then things got interesting. Through them, Alex could access the other Stones.
And if the Time Variance Authority showed up when Loki was arrested, then maybe—maybe—he'd have a shot at meeting the God of Stories version of Loki.
But he wasn't counting on that. There was only one God of Stories Loki, and he'd already been born. The Loki in this timeline wasn't him.
Still... there were a lot of possibilities to plan around.
Wanda, watching Alex closely, noticed how serious he had become.
"What happened?" she asked.
Alex shook his head, forcing a smile. "Nothing serious. Come on—let's just enjoy the date. We'll deal with everything else later."
Meanwhile, not far from them, a figure appeared at a theater plaza.
He wore a golden horned helmet that curved like an antelope's, golden and black Asgardian armor, and a green cape.
Loki Laufeyson.
He stood atop a raised platform, overlooking the panicked crowd below. His face was set in a sneer—eyes filled with arrogance, as if the world already belonged to him.
He frowned.
Too noisy.
With a flick of his hand, a pulse of energy exploded outward. Police cruisers flipped into the air, crashing loudly. Civilians screamed, fleeing in all directions in pure terror.
The sheer power of the blast froze the crowd. Panic turned to paralyzing fear. No one dared move.
They stared up at the intruder with wide eyes, terrified of provoking him.
But Loki wasn't finished.
He raised his voice, calm and commanding—but dripping with scorn.
"Everyone… KNEEL!"
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
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