Bab 228: Great Titan
Although Zane had long anticipated that as he continued down his path, fewer and fewer people would remain by his side—whether due to time, differing alignments, or contrasting personalities—the reality of it still stung when it finally happened. But seeing the caring eyes of the large group around him, Zane's mood lifted from the gloom.
Yes, he still had these folks. No matter what, these lawless companions would always be by his side. With them, he wouldn't fear facing endless loneliness.
Seeing Zane's smile return, everyone else relaxed too.
"Zane, should I go take out that old man?" Rocket asked, brimming with murderous intent. Standing on his shoulder, Little Groot also waved his miniature vine whip menacingly. They were ready to unleash all their hostility on anything that affected Zane's mood.
Hearing this, Zane rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. We're just not friends anymore because of differing ideals. It's not like I need to eliminate him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have walked out that door." Zane said exasperatedly.
Rocket awkwardly scratched the back of his head and then turned to play with Groot and Constantine's new wings.
Watching the villa return to its lively state, a hint of conflict and coldness flickered in Zane's eyes in a secluded corner where no one noticed. "Tony, I hope you don't cross my line in the future, or I can't be sure what I'd do," Zane murmured to himself.
Clearly, his feelings weren't as light-hearted as he showed in front of Lorna and the others. Tony was, after all, Zane's first friend in the Marvel universe. It wasn't that easy to suddenly see him as a stranger.
Zane's path to godhood wasn't about abandoning all emotions and desires, becoming a paragon of reason, or turning into an avatar of death. Gods like that might wield greater power and master the rules of death better, but if Zane became like that, would he still be himself?
So, Zane clung to his humanity, including its flaws and weaknesses. Because living that way was truly living!
Meanwhile, in an unknown corner of the universe, Loki, having been knocked off the Bifrost by Thor, stood hunched before a shadowy figure.
"Loki, I can lend you an army," the tall figure in the shadows said in a deep voice.
Loki's face lit up with a satisfied smile, but before he could revel in his success, the figure spoke again. "But if you don't bring back the Tesseract from Earth, you know the consequences of deceiving me."
In an instant, an overwhelming force crashed down on Loki like an avalanche, nearly bringing him to his knees, his previously smooth forehead now covered in cold sweat.
"Great Titan, I will deliver the Tesseract to you!" Loki pledged.
Thanos, seated on his throne and facing away from Loki, smiled slightly and waved his hand. An alien, grotesquely thin and emaciated, handed Loki a scepter.
"Go. This scepter will allow you to open a portal to Earth with the Tesseract."
"Alright!"
In Tony's private elevator at Stark Tower, Coulson pressed the button for the top floor.
After seeing Tony walk out of Zane's villa unharmed, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent knew Fury had been waiting for Tony's response for a long time. Fury couldn't proactively contact Tony for specific information about Zane, as that would imply treating Tony like a subordinate, potentially freezing the recently thawed relations between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony. Therefore, Fury sent Coulson, the ever-diplomatic agent, to pay a visit.
On the top floor of Stark Tower, Tony had just emerged from his self-doubt. Exhausted, he lay in Pepper's arms, overwhelmed by a wave of fatigue. As Pepper heard J.A.R.V.I.S. alerting them of a security breach, Tony was already softly snoring in her embrace.
Pepper looked down to find Tony sleeping peacefully in her arms. He was utterly exhausted. Seeing his childlike tranquility, Pepper felt an overwhelming surge of maternal instinct, her eyes welling up with tears as she gently caressed Tony's increasingly haggard face.
When Coulson arrived on the top floor and was about to speak, Pepper's fierce glare stopped him in his tracks. Understanding her silent command to stay quiet, Coulson, adept at reading lips, swallowed his words and stood aside, blending into the background.
Nick Fury had instructed Coulson to treat Tony with the utmost respect. Fury had no desire to add Tony, a powerful capitalist, to their list of adversaries while dealing with the enigmatic Zane.
It wasn't until midnight that Tony woke up, roused by hunger. He hadn't eaten anything since hearing about Zane's return in the morning.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Pepper's gentle gaze, which brought a warm smile to his face. But his newfound good mood was quickly interrupted by an unwelcome voice.
"Mr. Stark, I understand it's a bad time to disturb you, but you should be aware of the urgency of the situation," Coulson said, forcing a professional smile while trying to keep his anxious tone calm.
Tony's expression turned cold as he looked at Coulson. "Go back and tell Nick Fury that Zane and his group mean no harm to Earth as long as you don't provoke him."
Coulson's face briefly lit up with relief, but his task wasn't over. "Mr. Stark, can you clarify your current relationship with Zane Sy and any information regarding the universe—"
Tony's face darkened completely. "Get out!"
"Understood," Coulson replied quickly.
Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Coulson knew he was just a messenger. These questions were Fury's idea, and anyone could foresee getting yelled at by Tony for asking them.
However, as a skilled agent, Coulson could deduce a lot from Tony's facial expressions and reactions. Judging by Tony's response, it was highly likely that his relationship with Zane had indeed fractured.
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