章 67: Borrowing Power
"It's still summer, yet all of Japan's Inland Sea has frozen over. Isn't that a bit extreme?" Miss Stark leaned casually against the back of the sofa in Nick Fury's office, idly scrolling through news reports on her phone.
On-screen, footage showed entire oceanic surfaces turning solid in seconds, the temperature plummeting drastically.
"And North Africa—Egypt, no less—is blanketed in snow. Ridiculous. There's a two-meter-thick layer on the Pyramids," she continued, pulling up Stark Industries' satellite network to check the global temperature anomalies. There was also a peculiar monitoring alert—a silver streak shooting across the planet at blinding speed.
Stark Industries' satellites had pinpointed and traced this anomaly, mapping its path through every location where reports of unusual events had surfaced. Each time, it seemed to linger briefly before moving on.
"Seems like whoever's behind this isn't even trying to hide. Quite the open display," she murmured, switching the satellite view from Earth's surface to the edge of the solar system.
There, the planet-devouring swarm loomed ominously, creeping closer to Earth with every second, consuming everything in its path. Fortunately, it appeared to only target planets teeming with life, sparing Neptune and Uranus.
"JARVIS, how long until that thing reaches Earth?"
"Based on our current data, it should arrive within eight days," came JARVIS's slightly mechanical response through her phone.
"Only a week left…" she mused.
The door to Fury's office swung open, and Nick Fury stepped in, face stormy.
"Finally finished getting chewed out by Pierce and the World Security Council?"
Fury's expression grew even darker as he shot her a glare, clearly unfazed to find her lounging in his office.
"What are our chances?"
"Nick, trust me—you don't want to know the odds," she replied.
Current human technology was utterly incapable of combating the planetary devourer swarm. Fury, no fool, knew that something like a nuclear strike was laughably insufficient against such a force.
Hearing her reply, he took his seat behind his desk, looking out at the serene, sunlit sky. It was hard to imagine that Earth was on the brink of annihilation.
"Where's that woman? Carol Danvers?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"Are you peeking where you shouldn't again?" Fury's face betrayed a slight hesitation at the mention of Carol Danvers. Her existence was supposed to be a tightly held secret, with no official records. How Stark had found out, he couldn't fathom. But there was little he could do—especially with the planet's future hanging in the balance.
"Carol… she's not on Earth right now, and I haven't been able to contact her," he admitted, pulling out a small, slightly aged device.
A pager. Stark raised an eyebrow. In the age of satellite phones, Fury still carried a pager?
"How does that pager even work? Can she receive it?"
"I tried calling her, but she's never responded. I don't know if it still works, but I can't just throw it away," he said with a sour look.
"Page her anyway. Earth's situation is looking bleak. If she doesn't come… I'll think of something," Miss Stark replied nonchalantly, raising her hands slightly.
"I'm giving you level-ten clearance and unrestricted access to global resources. Find a solution."
After a moment's thought, Fury made his decision. He had no other choice but to rely on this wildcard. With Earth on the brink of disaster, they needed every available hand.
"Fine. You handle the plan. S.H.I.E.L.D. will manage the information. Keep the public calm."
With Fury's approval, Miss Stark walked to the window and gazed out at the tranquil Washington skyline. Unaware of the impending swarm, the city carried on as usual, serene and oblivious.
"I'll keep this under wraps, but you'd better move quickly. Every second counts," Fury sighed, leaving the room to inform Pierce and the World Security Council. Only through the UN's authority could S.H.I.E.L.D. fully suppress the truth and avoid public panic.
As Fury walked out, Miss Stark's expression grew more serious. She possessed two Infinity Stones, wielding powers over infinite energy and reality itself, but she wasn't sure even they could handle the swarm's vast scale.
She pulled Fury's chair aside, settling down behind his desk. Was there anything else she could rely on, or was Kamar-Taj her only option?
Stark wasn't sure if even the Ancient One could handle this situation.
Yet, magic—a force elusive and nearly intangible—lingered in her thoughts… wait. She had another option, didn't she?
A grin crept onto her face as she stood, snapping her fingers.
In an instant, a rift opened within Fury's office, leading directly to the realm of Asgard.
Outside Asgard's Rainbow Bridge, the tear in space blinked open.
"Hello, Heimdall. Long time no see. It's a pleasure," she greeted the guardian of the Bifrost.
"I've seen it—the threat to Midgard. The Allfather is expecting you in the palace," Heimdall replied in a cryptic tone.
Stark frowned slightly at his formal response. She never enjoyed speaking with relics from a time long past, especially ones who wielded technology that far surpassed Earth's.
With a reluctant sigh, she stepped forward, disappearing into Asgard's golden palace.
She had been here before—the opulent halls of Asgard and the royal residence of Thor's family. The grandeur was timeless, almost like a film set built to convey majesty itself.
She cleared her throat as she saw the elderly Odin seated on his throne.
"Allfather, I'd like to borrow one of your treasures to save our planet."
"I know why you've come, and Asgard is willing to lend its aid to Midgard," the king of the gods replied, unsurprised by her appearance in his hall.
Odin was dressed in a loose, white robe, his silver hair cascading down in a flowing mane. He was Thor's father, a figure whose authority was tempered by the wisdom only age could bestow.
"Follow me, child. Asgard's vault is yours to explore. Take what you need."
He rose, clutching a golden staff in one hand as he approached her.
The staff he held was none other than Gungnir, the legendary spear of Asgard—a symbol of power, the key to the vault, and the Rainbow Bridge.
With a flash of light, Stark and Odin found themselves in a new location: the Asgardian treasure vault.
Miss Stark looked around, seeing numerous fascinating relics.
A massive golden gauntlet, adorned with empty sockets that seemed to hunger for something, caught her eye.
Nearby, an altar burned with an eternal flame—the Soulfire. Another stone tablet stood tall, its surface occasionally lighting up with intricate script.
But what truly captivated her was a smaller, crystalline object resting on a pedestal.
It was a delicate, ancient-looking box, translucent and ice-blue in color.
...
"Darling, the city government sent a notice saying we destroyed three police cars, but I remember we only wrecked two?"
Susan Storm frowned as she walked into the lab, holding a fine slip from the New York City government.
"From that armored truck job, right? I'm pretty sure it was only two. Are they trying to squeeze extra money out of us or what?" Reed Richards replied, eyes fixed on his tablet, not even bothering to look up.
Annoyed at his dismissive attitude, Susan planted her hands on her hips. With a flicker of her mental energy, Reed's tablet seemed to vanish, as if erased by an invisible hand.
"Ugh—alright, alright, I'll set it aside, dear."
Similar things had happened before, so Reed wasn't exactly caught off guard. This small bit of "superhero couple dynamics" was almost routine by now. He glanced up, chuckling awkwardly.
"There. Now, what were you saying?"
Satisfied, Susan sighed and went on, "In about half an hour, I'm going to try on wedding dresses. Then we need to book a band for the wedding. But we still have the décor team and flowers to figure out. There's just a lot to do."
"Take it easy, Susan. I promise—we'll get it all done." Reed stood up, giving her a reassuring hug.
"Hey, guys! Got the new uniforms—what do you think?"
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch and Susan's younger brother, strolled in, holding up a uniform crowded with sponsorship logos. The branding nearly covered the "4" emblem on the chest.
Susan stared, speechless, as Reed muttered near her ear, "Honestly, even if he's your brother, I'd rather be dead than wear that."
Susan nodded in agreement, visibly disturbed by the sight.
Just as she was about to comment, she sensed something strange—a disturbance of sorts. Along with her invisibility powers, Susan had gained a heightened sense of spatial awareness. Trusting her instincts, she turned toward the helicopter platform outside.
"What's wrong, Susan?" Reed asked, noticing her sudden alertness.
Without responding, Susan focused intently on the platform outside the glass wall. Suspended at the top of the Baxter Building, the platform was suddenly rippling as though submerged in water. A sleek, white aircraft with black and gold accents materialized on the platform, and from the open hatch emerged a gorgeous, elegant woman
"Hey, Susan, got your message and came right over. So, I hear congratulations are in order—you're getting married, right?" the woman called out, her presence as high-profile as her entrance. "Though I have to ask—why wasn't I invited to the engagement?"
It was none other than Miss Stark, fresh from her business trip to Asgard, sporting a light, low-cut fitted top that complemented her figure and black, hip-hugging pants. While she walked over to them, Johnny could hardly keep his jaw from dropping.
Stark approached Johnny, an amused glint in her eye. "Nice suit, but how about we replace that big '4' with a huge, bold Stark Industries logo?"
Johnny snapped out of his daze, quickly pulling the logo-covered suit behind his back.
"Actually, I've met one of your distant relatives. Want me to bring him by to meet you sometime?" Stark said with a wink, adding to Johnny's bewilderment.
Turning to Susan, she took her hands warmly, "So, it's been a while, huh? When was our last meetup?"
"Graduation day," Susan smiled, surprised by Stark's sudden appearance. "You threw a huge party at your beach house."
"Good times," Stark chuckled, glancing at a large contraption under a tarp in the lab. "So—this is why you ordered those anti-gravity engines?"
"Uh, yes…something like that…" Reed mumbled, a little embarrassed his work was so quickly deduced.
"Oh, got spare funds, huh?" Stark teased, prompting a sharp look from Susan toward Reed. He broke into a nervous sweat.
Before Reed could protest, Stark made a move to lift the tarp.
"Uh—please don't! I haven't finished assembling it yet…" Reed stretched his arm to intercept, looking flustered.
"Alright, alright, I see you're all busy," Stark laughed, stepping back. "Speaking of which, how's the wedding planning coming along?"
"I was just heading out for a fitting when you arrived," Susan replied.
"Perfect! I'll join you," Stark said, taking Susan's arm. "An international designer once offered me a wedding gown. I'll just pass it along to you."
"Oh, no, you really don't have to—" Susan tried to protest, but Stark had already turned to Reed.
"Reed, borrowing your fiancée for a bit!"
Reed barely glanced up, waving her off distractedly, "Sure, go ahead."
With that, Stark guided Susan toward the door, leaving Johnny and Reed behind in the now quiet lab.
After a moment, Johnny turned to Reed, whispering, "Who is that woman? She's incredible. I think I'm in love…"
Reed rolled his eyes, giving Johnny a skeptical look, "Forget it. You're out of her league."
Flustered, Johnny's smile turned sheepish, though he couldn't look away from the direction Stark had gone.
"Who knows…maybe my charm will win her over someday…" he muttered, trying to convince himself as he watched her disappear with Susan.
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