I have uploaded 20 advanced chapters on my Patreon for the readers. Go check them out and read them, and please don't forget to give this story a Powerstone and show your support.
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Here's my Patreon: "patreon.com/Hussain678" — 20 advanced chapters have been uploaded there.
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"It worked."
Watching the strange phenomenon unfolding in the sky, Tony and Steve both let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Since Clark's battlefield with the Dark Elves was in outer space, among all the Avengers present, only Tony was capable of operating beyond Earth's atmosphere—and even then, his current Iron Man armor could only support short-term space activity.
So when Clark went off to fight the Dark Elves, Tony and Steve could only stay on the ground, silently spreading oil. The oil, of course, was still soy sauce.
Thus, when they saw the Dark Elf warship vanish, Tony and the others immediately knew Clark had succeeded. They had a clear understanding of Clark's strength. That beam of light just now was clearly one of his ultimate attacks—its power seemingly without limit. So far, they had yet to see anything Clark couldn't destroy.
Moments later, as Tony and the others looked up, a blue portal opened beside them. Clark stepped out, still wearing his Superman suit.
He glanced at the group gathered below and smiled.
"Well? Pretty great, right? Took me less than ten minutes. Oh—Tony, did you manage it?"
Clark didn't spell it out, but Tony understood what he meant. He shrugged helplessly.
"If I hadn't acted quickly, I probably wouldn't have convinced them yet."
"Alright. Looks like things are settled here," Clark said. "I'll head home first. I've been out for a while."
He sighed lightly—he hadn't expected the Dark Elf issue to be resolved so quickly.
Originally, he thought the Dark Elves would cause trouble in Asgard first, then arrive on Earth like they did in the movie. Instead, they had come straight to Earth from the start.
Soon after, General Zod—who also possessed a so-called "D-skill"—hijacked Earth's broadcast signal to threaten the planet. Clark found the timing a little surprising; to him, it felt like someone had just handed him a life that was thousands of miles away.
Faced with the Dark Elves' enthusiasm, Clark could only accept it awkwardly. That also meant that from the moment the Aether appeared to the Dark Elves' arrival, less than six hours had passed. It was easily the fastest-paced movie plot Clark had ever experienced—so fast he could still make it home for dinner.
"Then I'll head out too," Tony said, saying goodbye to Steve and the others after Clark left.
Before leaving, he added, "If you have time, you should check out the new Avengers base. There's a space corridor on the rooftop of Stark Tower that leads straight there."
After Tony and Clark departed, a rainbow bridge descended from the sky and landed before Steve.
Thor emerged from it, leading a small unit of nearly a hundred Asgardian soldiers.
"Steve," Thor said, "Heimdall told me he saw a Dark Elf ship appear near Earth. Where are Clark and the others?"
Thor had left early and didn't yet know that Malekith had hijacked Earth's video signal.
The moment Heimdall warned him about the Dark Elf ship, Thor immediately gathered a nearby patrol and rushed to Earth, hoping to stop the Dark Elves before they caused any destruction.
"Uh…" Steve felt a little awkward answering. Honestly, the question itself felt almost ridiculous.
"Well," Natasha said calmly from beside him, stepping in to help, "you're probably a bit late. The visit's already over. Clark and the others finished the fight and went home."
"The battle is over?" Thor looked confused. He had rushed over the moment he received Heimdall's warning—how could it already be finished?
After hearing Natasha's words, Heimdall, far away in Asgard, gazed toward Earth's orbit and noticed that the Dark Elves' main warship was gone.
Even so, he didn't fully trust the explanation. Dark Elf technology was advanced enough to evade even his sight. Still, Heimdall used his powers to relay what he had seen to Thor.
Thor's first thought matched Heimdall's—that the Dark Elf flagship had cloaked itself. But then he remembered Clark's seemingly limitless destructive power. There was no reason for Steve and the others to lie.
After a moment of thought, Thor turned to the two commanders behind him.
"You return first. I have other matters to attend to. Heimdall!"
As Thor shouted toward the sky, another rainbow bridge descended, enveloping the remaining Asgardian soldiers and transporting them away.
After Heimdall sent the soldiers back, Thor looked at Steve and said with a smile, "Send my regards to your director."
Then he gripped Mjolnir, spun it a few times, and flew off toward Britain. Since Clark had already dealt with the Dark Elves, Thor had no intention of returning to Asgard just yet.
After all, returning might mean facing Odin's restrictions. It was far better to stay away and go see Jane and the others. Besides, Odin had countless affairs to manage—he probably wouldn't even notice if his son disappeared for a while.
Ever since meeting Jane, Thor had stopped caring about the throne of Asgard. His life had found a new meaning.
So without much hesitation, Thor flew toward London to find her.
After Thor left, Steve fell silent.
He had read Thor's file and knew exactly where he was headed—to London, to his girlfriend. Clark had gone home. Tony had gone home. Even Thor, a god not of Earth, had found a place to belong.
But what about him?
After sleeping for decades, his homeland no longer existed. His closest friend had died in the war. And now, Steve didn't even know where "home" was anymore.
As these thoughts weighed on him, Steve remembered the date he had never finished.