Chapter 57: Are Humans Truly Worth Protecting?
"Fuck! What is this crazy weather? It was clear skies a moment ago, and now suddenly it's pouring rain?"
"Damn it! I left my sheets out to dry..."
"Why is this rain so heavy?"
In areas untouched by fire, complaints filled the air. Just yesterday, the weather forecast had assured everyone there would be no rain for the entire week. The sudden downpour took everyone by surprise.
However, for those trapped by the flames, things were very different. The unexpected storm not only halted the fire's spread but caused the flames to dwindle. Some devout Christians even knelt on the ground, praising God for this miraculous intervention.
At the center of the inferno stood the original Flame Demon, the very first incarnation of Containment Object-457. Enraged, he looked up at the sky, bewildered by the rain that disrupted his fiery rampage, weakening him considerably. Unable to understand why the sky suddenly turned against him, he contemplated fleeing. The Flame Demon had grown in intelligence, and after some deliberation, he decided it was time to retreat and spread his fire elsewhere.
The Flame Demon sensed something was wrong. Not only was the rain unusual, but he also detected a group of people in strange outfits wielding peculiar weapons. They were methodically extinguishing flames and hunting down his split entities. To his horror, several of his fragmented forms had already been captured.
Amid the charred remains of a forest, Skye proudly pointed toward a group of firefighters in Foundation uniforms. "See those guys? They're warriors from our organization, humanity's front-line defenders. If you hadn't run off, you could've been one of them."
Thor scoffed at her words. He wasn't impressed by the supposed glory of these mortals. He was, after all, the prince of Asgard. One day he would return to his kingdom, and if he were to protect anyone, it would be his people—not a bunch of humans.
"I'm not one of your Earthlings! I'll protect my kingdom, not yours. And I don't see anything glorious in what they're doing. All I hear are people cursing at them."
Suddenly, a slow clap echoed through the clearing. Loki materialized from thin air, applauding his brother. "Well said, dear brother! These mortals don't deserve to be protected. They no longer recognize that they live under Asgard's protection."
Skye, startled by the unexpected visitor, quickly drew her pistol and pointed it at the mysterious man. "Who are you?"
Holding his scepter, Loki stared down at her with regal authority. "Who am I? I am the new king of Asgard, ruler of the Nine Realms! Now, mortal, kneel before me!"
Skye, still aiming her gun, was taken aback. This man was handsome, though not as striking as her boss, Northstar. Yet something about him seemed… dim-witted?
Loki seethed. This foolish mortal dared to disrespect him? She was supposed to crumble under his divine presence, wasn't she?
"Why aren't you following the script, woman?"
With a twisted grin, Loki raised his scepter, preparing to strike. Thor, recognizing his brother's intent, immediately intervened, pushing Skye aside and standing in her place. A beam of light shot from Loki's scepter, hitting Thor squarely and sending him flying backward, crashing through a pile of charred wood.
Loki showed no remorse for hurting his brother. He turned his attention back to Skye, who instinctively emptied her entire clip into him. Seven bullets passed through Loki's illusory form before he disappeared.
A decoy!
Realizing she had been tricked, Skye quickly reloaded her gun and scanned the area. Although the situation was unnerving, she remained calm. Trained to deal with anomalous threats, she pulled out her satellite phone with her free hand.
"Northstar, help me!" she called out desperately.
Back at the New Mexico base, Northstar frowned upon hearing Skye's distress signal. "What happened? Did you encounter Containment Object-457?"
"No! It's someone new! He seems to know Containment Object MC-25—Thor—and they might even be brothers!"
"Loki?" Northstar's expression shifted. This was serious. If they didn't handle this correctly, Skye could end up as "Dead Skye."
Northstar glanced at his watch. Sending reinforcements would take too long, and he couldn't get there himself in under ten minutes. Ten minutes was more than enough time for Loki to kill the unawakened Skye a hundred times over.
Thinking quickly, Northstar devised a plan. "Don't worry. Take out your satellite phone. It has a projection function. Activate it, toss it on the ground, and then kneel down with your eyes closed."
Skye was dumbfounded for a moment, unsure whether to trust him or not. "Are you serious?"
Shaking with fear, Skye hesitated. Was Northstar messing with her to make her death more bearable?
"Do it!" Northstar commanded sternly.
With a deep breath, Skye decided to trust her boss. She activated the phone's projection function, dropped it on the ground, and knelt as instructed, her heart pounding in her chest.
Would this plan really work?
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