"He came pretty fast, didn't he? Did he time his arrival?"
Loki sensed Thor's arrival, and so did Artoria. She wanted to add some spice for the God of Thunder, to make him remember the charm of Extra-spicy Mapo Tofu, but the arrival of a big boss forced Artoria to give up that wonderful idea. She didn't know why the Ancient One was so free as to come to her place to play.
"Alright, Big Boss, please speak your mind. Don't scare me, thanks."
Artoria ordered her subordinates to bring up some good tea and a tea set to entertain this 'hard-working' big boss who had come before her via a spatial portal from Mount Everest. Honestly, that shiny bald head was a bit blinding. Artoria complained inwardly. Although she didn't know much about brewing tea, she knew the basic process, and she soon poured a cup of freshly brewed tea for the Ancient One.
"Artoria, do not interfere too much in this battle. If you step outside of Earth, even I won't be able to save you."
She didn't specify the details, but this one sentence carried many meanings—basically telling Artoria not to get too wild. Once she left Earth, she would be powerless to help. Artoria could handle anyone who came to Earth however she liked, but she just shouldn't get carried away and leave the planet.
The Ancient One took a gentle sip of the tea Artoria prepared and found it surprisingly good. She didn't expect Artoria to have some knowledge of tea; it happened to be her favorite, Da Hong Pao. This brought a touch of comfort to the Ancient One's originally calm expression.
"Don't interfere too much? Is it because some dangerous person is coming?"
Hearing the Ancient One's words, Artoria frowned in thought. Was Thanos coming to watch the battle, or was he watching from the Chitauri territory? It was unimaginable. Artoria understood the Ancient One's meaning, but she really wanted to know the exact reason why she couldn't leave the planet. If Thanos was truly there, Artoria wouldn't mind staying put. If it was just one of the Black Order, she might actually have a chance of winning.
"The secrets of heaven must not be revealed."
The Ancient One didn't give a direct answer, but that faint smile and that sentence made Artoria's chest nearly burst with anger. Was that necessary?'Secrets of heaven must not be revealed'? I know more than you do, you bal—ahem! I'm not angry. As a queen, how can I lower myself to the level of a 'charlatan'? Not angry.
"Those two little brats of Odin's have run off to Earth again. Truly a nuisance."
Unaware of what Artoria was thinking about her, the Ancient One's eyebrows furrowed slightly. It wasn't just Odin's two boys; the gates of Avalon also seemed to be fluctuating. Should she go back to camping by Merlin's gate and give him a whack with her staff the moment he poked his head out, letting him know that Earth wasn't very welcoming to those on the mystery side right now?
"Big Boss, I guess you're the only one who dares to say that!"
The Ancient One didn't hide her words from Artoria, and Artoria silently gave her a thumbs-up. Artoria sensed the ill-will in the Ancient One's tone. It was understandable; your home being visited by outsiders at any time who ignored the host... isn't there a saying? 'Ask before entering the temple.' They had no manners at all and were so overbearing. Who would like such 'guests'?
But who can blame anyone—Earth is just too weak right now. Anyone can take a swipe at you. If the Ancient One weren't guarding the planet, even worse would be waiting. Right now its heroes are still growing; there's no true pillar to hold the sky. Perhaps the new Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, can convince the Ancient One to hand over both the gem and the world.
"All right, time to stretch my muscles. Artoria, stay safe and don't do anything reckless, understood?"
Finishing the tea Artoria poured for her, the Ancient One rose to leave. Her parting words carried the warmth of an elder to a junior, touching Artoria enough to present her with a large tin of her finest Da-hong-pao. The Ancient One was delighted by Artoria's thoughtfulness—rare to find such social grace in a superhero these days. This girl knows her manners.
With a nod to Artoria, the Ancient One accepted the gift, then casually sketched two golden circles in the air. A portal of glittering particles opened in the room. She glanced back once before stepping through; the ring shrank and vanished behind her.
"magic… amazing. If I want that kind of freedom, that Mystic Code is absolutely essential."
Watching enviously, Artoria recalled the Jeweled Sword. In the game it's only a three-star Craft Essence, but here it's practically a pseudo-relic. The Sword of Zelretch, pinnacle of Second Sorcery-enabled Mystic Codes, can draw on the mana of infinite parallel worlds. With it, running out of energy would be a thing of the past.
Used properly, it might even let her glimpse the Second magic and travel between worlds. In the game it drops like candy, yet in reality she hasn't pulled a single copy—outrageous. Did the gacha mutate once it crossed dimensions? The thought left her deflated.
"Sir, radar shows a high-energy object closing on your position. Contact imminent."
"That's not good news."
They were cruising at ten thousand meters; a crash endangers everyone aboard, and debris raining onto homes or forests could kill people or spark wildfires—no scenario ends well.
"What's up, Tony?"
Banner had heard Jarvis's alert. He stared at Tony, bewildered. Someone launched a missile to shoot them down? Not good. He needed answers.
"I'll handle it. Hey, beautiful, open the deck; I'm heading out."
Suited up, Tony addressed Hill, but she wasn't his subordinate. Ignoring the playboy, she ordered her team to verify the facts and report to Nick.
"You dare ignore the great Iron Man? Fine, I'm remembering this. When you visit my company, you'll be bringing me tea and water."
Hill's disregard darkened Tony's face. Who do you think I'm helping here? Muttering threats, he charged his palm repulsor.
"Open the deck and let him out. Captain, take a fighter and accompany him. Dr. Banner, remain on the carrier for now."
Nick arrived just then, authorizing the deck to open. His doting, almost paternal leniency drew odd stares; if his skin were lighter, people would swear Howard Stark had worn a green hat.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.