The silence on the balcony was more unsettling than the darkness Leon had extinguished the Sun with just moments ago.
The New York night wind also seemed to understand the situation, quietly halting its steps, as if afraid any sound would disturb the scene.
The distant traffic still flashed silently, like a quiet river, reflecting the faces of everyone on the balcony.
Tony frowned, his half-eaten food suspended in mid-air.
What just happened? A living person just... vanished?
It was like an unnecessary file on a computer, casually dragged into the recycle bin, then emptied.
No, it was more thorough than that; it was a direct format.
One must know, Fury presided over Earth's strongest violent organization, directly subordinate to the World Security Council.
Well, these things held no deterrent for a Prince of the Gods.
Thinking of this, Tony almost wanted to laugh; he felt like a child who had just learned 1+1=2, and was now suddenly told the end of the Universe was a pizza.
Absurd, outrageous, but very real.
Thor took a deep breath; he wasn't very shocked by Leon's actions, simply because it wasn't the first time he had witnessed it.
But no matter how many times, he always envied Leon's strength; compared to himself, Leon was more like a God.
Even with his newly awakened God King power, his confidence still paled in comparison to Leon.
He knew Leon was strong, had known it since he was a child.
He recalled Father Odin; from childhood to adulthood, it seemed only Father and Leon could make people or things disappear out of thin air.
Leon, to what extent had he grown?
Jane and Darcy's reactions were relatively calm; they had witnessed too many astonishing feats recently.
They felt that this was, perhaps, how a God should act.
Erik recalled the legends in Norse mythology about the Sun god's destruction and creation.
Comparing them to now, he understood: those weren't myths after all, but rather instruction manuals?
Leon's heart was completely calm, even a little amused.
He, of course, knew Fury's importance to this timeline, knew he was the founder of the Avengers, the backbone of Earth's resistance against foreign enemies.
But so what?
That was Fury in the original script, not in his, Leon Odinson's, script.
In his script, Earth was his backyard, and the Avengers could be a club he formed in his leisure.
As for the founder?
Sorry, that position could only be his own.
Erasing a nuisance was like clearing annoying weeds from a garden, nothing more.
He had already planned how to utilize S.H.I.E.L.D. as a ready-made tool and how to guide future heroes onto the path he had laid out.
As for the World's safety?
Are you kidding? With him here, what danger could Earth possibly face?
He observed the expressions of everyone on the balcony with interest.
Finally, he found the silence a bit boring.
Leon slowly walked back to the bar, picking up his wine glass again.
He turned and leaned against the bar, that gentle smile returning to his face.
"Alright, the fly has been shooed away," He swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze returning to the flustered Jane.
"Now, where were we? Oh, right, Dr. Foster, about your romantic love story with Thor."
Darcy choked and coughed, spilling milkshake all over herself.
This guy?
He had just erased someone!
Now he was acting as if nothing had happened, continuing the gossip topic from before?
Was he a devil?!
No, a devil at least had emotional fluctuations, but Leon seemed to have no reaction whatsoever.
"We..." Jane's voice trembled, unable to form words.
Leon smiled understandingly.
"It's alright, Dr. Foster, I know this decision might be a bit sudden for you. You can take your time to consider it."
He turned to look at Thor, his gaze becoming serious.
"Thor, after the party, take Dr. Foster and her friends to Asgard as guests. I think Mother would be very happy to meet her future daughter-in-law.
As for Sif, she can still be a Princess. A powerful man should have several women to develop more bloodlines for our Odinson family. I've made up my mind on this; you don't need to worry. I'll talk to Father about it."
"Yes, Brother," Thor's face lit up, and he quickly agreed.
He dared not have any objections; besides, he was too happy to object.
In front of Leon now, he was like a child who had made a mistake and was awaiting punishment.
Leon nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Tony.
"Tony."
Tony's body quickly tensed.
"Your party, the food is good," Leon raised his glass, as if expressing appreciation.
"But the security system, it's full of holes."
He pointed in the direction of the elevator and shook his head.
"A head Agent who didn't even have an invitation could casually barge into your private party. What if it wasn't him today, but a more dangerous enemy?"
Tony's face alternated between green and white.
This wasn't just criticism; it was a public humiliation.
His intelligent security system, in Leon's words, had become a sieve.
"I'll upgrade it," Tony exhaled and nodded.
"Very good," Leon seemed very pleased with his attitude.
"As an investor, I'm very optimistic about your potential. So, starting tomorrow, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be under your command."
"Pfft!" Darcy, who had just recovered, choked on a chicken wrap again.
Tony quickly stood up from the sofa, looking at Leon in disbelief: "What did you say? You want me to take over S.H.I.E.L.D.? Are you crazy? Fury, he..."
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly falling silent.
He remembered, Fury no longer existed.
"An organization without a Director always needs a new leader," Leon's tone was matter-of-fact.
"And you, Mr. Stark, you are the most suitable person on Earth. You have wisdom, resources, and most importantly..."
He paused, his smile becoming playful: "You are now working for me."
Tony felt his blood pressure starting to soar again.
This bastard!
He was openly propping up a puppet! And he, himself, was that damned puppet!
But could he refuse?
Seeing Leon's calm, unruffled eyes, Tony felt what true powerlessness was like.
His proud wealth, wisdom, and technology were no longer useful.
"I need Jarvis's highest authority," Tony thought for a few seconds, then made his demand.
This was the greatest resistance he could offer.
"Of course," Leon waved his hand casually.
"All of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s databases, all its secrets, are now open to you. Including the legacy your Father left behind that Fury hid."
Tony's breath hitched.
Father's legacy?
Leon saw the ripple in his eyes, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He knew, this fish had taken the bait.
"Alright, everything is arranged," Leon drained his wine and placed the empty glass on the bar.
"Now, let's continue the party."
He looked around at the still-stiff people on the balcony, shaking his head helplessly.
"What, everyone, do you want me to personally get the atmosphere going for you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the speakers on the balcony suddenly started playing rousing music automatically, and the colored lights began to flash wildly.
Everyone:... Tony covered his face. He swore, once he deciphered Leon's power, the first thing he would do was build an Anti-Sun god suit of armor.
Thor silently poured himself another drink; he decided to get drunk and die here tonight.
To hell with the Nine Realms, to hell with Generals.
Only Darcy glanced at the cocktail-making robot swaying alone in the center of the dance floor. In the end, her foodie instincts took over.
She tugged on Jane's sleeve, excitedly whispering, "Jane! Look! The drinks that robot makes glow!"
Jane: "..."
She felt that this World might truly be coming to an end.
.....
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