"Don't get too excited just yet."
Soren raised a hand, calming the murmuring crowd. From within his robe, he produced a potion and handed it to Thor.
"Try this."
Thor already buzzing with anticipation, uncorked the vial and downed it without a second thought.
All eyes locked onto him.
He stood completely still. Wearing a blank expression without even a blink.
"Well? Say something!" Valkyrie leaned in, eyebrows twitching.
Thor blinked slowly, as if waking from a nap. "Uh… it tastes a little sweet."
Valkyrie's eye twitched. "I didn't ask how it tastes! What do you feel?"
Thor coughed, embarrassed as everyone glared at him.
"Right, right sorry. Honestly… I don't feel much. Just… lighter? Like I'm not carrying my own weight anymore."
Before he could say more, Soren flicked his wrist.
A surge of spatial energy wrapped around Thor and launched him straight into the sky.
"AAAAH!"
Thor's scream echoed through the island. Ever since Mjolnir shattered, he'd lost his Flight. Being hurled upward was not an experience he'd missed.
Stop screaming and focus! Soren's voice boomed telepathically.
Everyone stared upward in shock… because Thor, instead of plummeting, was drifting. Like a feather in slow motion.
Thor gasped. The panic faded as a warm force bloomed within his chest, spreading through his limbs.
He willed himself to stop falling and he did, hovering in place.
A grin split his face. "I… I'm flying…!"
Soren folded his arms. "That's the Flight Potion in action. Don't embarrass me up there, show them what it can really do."
Thor responded with a burst of motion, streaking across the sky faster and faster. The others watched with rising envy.
"I've made enough Flight potions for everyone," Soren announced.
"Get used to flying now… once the battle starts, it could save your life."
That was all anyone needed to hear.
Within moments, people were uncorking vials and rising into the air one by one.
Laughter, shouts, and astonished cries filled the sky as warriors who'd spent their lives grounded experienced flight for the first time.
Jean and Freyja remained at Soren's side, watching the chaotic joy above.
"You two should go," Soren urged with a tired smile.
"Enjoy it a little."
Jean shook her head gently. "Phoenix Force can carry me anytime. Let them have the moment."
Freyja added, "Nature magic gives me wings when I need them. I'll stay here."
"…" Their quiet loyalty warmed him more than he cared to admit.
Above, the newly airborne warriors flew clumsily at first, but quickly adapted.
By the time the potion's effects began to fade, they were landing with flushed cheeks and bright eyes.
"Alright," Soren said, his eyes scanning the gathered heroes.
"All the potions are ready. If I had more time, I could have altered your genes to give you permanent flight. But that's not possible now, so we'll have to rely on these temporary Flight Potions."
"After the battle, if you want enhancements, you know where to find me." A smile tugged at his lips.
The crowd's excitement swelled. The time-limited nature of the potions had left a tinge of regret, but Soren's words ignited hope.
Cheers and murmurs of gratitude echoed across the palace courtyard.
"Now," Soren continued, producing a heap of fine, glittering powder, "This is the last item."
"Take some, but be extremely careful. This isn't a potion… it's a potent poison. For ordinary beings, even a brief exposure… ten seconds, perhaps, could be fatal."
The assembled warriors instinctively recoiled. The eager faces of those leaning in dispersed immediately, astonished by the sheer lethality.
Soren's lips curved in a satisfied smile. From another pouch, he produced a set of small, pale pills and handed one to each person.
"Take this. It grants immunity to the powder."
"Use it wisely, this is the kind of weapon that could decide the outcome of a battle if deployed correctly."
Everyone had always known Soren was skilled with medicine, but this… this was another level entirely.
Pills, potions, and even lethal powders… his mastery extended beyond healing.
With these tools, even the most desperate situation could be turned to their advantage.
Tony Stark checked his holographic display and looked up at Soren.
"I've just notified all countries in the name of the Avengers about the imminent alien invasion," He reported.
"All nations have pledged full cooperation. Emergency protocols are already in effect. Whatever we need, we just have to ask."
Soren's brows lifted. He had intended to keep the situation under wraps, but now that the world was aware, civilians would be able to prepare and defend themselves.
The thought gave him a small measure of satisfaction.
Thor, still hovering slightly from his earlier Flight Potion test, raised a question that had been on everyone's mind.
"Soren… where exactly will the army led by the Black Order arrive from?"
A knowing smile flickered across Soren's face. "They'll bring the battle to us."
"The Blak Order will use space-jumping technology to land directly on Earth. They manipulate spatial energy to cross galaxies in an instant."
"And when they arrive… we will be ready."