Chapter 88: Loki, You Are Not A Qualified Magician
Agent Coulson's remark, "This job is fucking impossible," was still hanging in the air when Arthur and Wanda had already withdrawn from the desert barrier.
"Let's go, let's go," Arthur patted the sand off his pants. "The show is over, let's go home and have hot pot."
Wanda didn't move.
She stood in place, her eyes fixed on the sky where Lokihad disappeared, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Honey," she said, "wait a second."
"What's up? Do you still want to get an autograph from Thor before we leave?"
"No." Wanda raised her hand and pointed to the scattered ice shards on the ground. "Before he left, he left something behind."
Arthur looked in the direction her finger was pointing.
On the ground, the ice shards left behind after the Frost Giant shattered were slowly melting in the sunlight.
Normal.
But Wanda pointed to a small area among them.
The water stain from the melted ice shards in that area was a different color than the rest—it had a layer of almost invisible, pale blue fluorescence.
"scepter energy?" Arthur squatted down and touched the water stain with his finger.
It was ice-cold.
But there was a very subtle, very hidden "prickle" in the sensation, like static electricity, or like a "fingerprint" left by some kind of power.
"It's a mark," Wanda said. "Before Loki left, he 'tapped' this area with the scepter. It wasn't an attack, it was just... leaving a sign."
"What does that mean? Is he peeing to mark his territory where he just had his fun?"
"Not that kind of mark," Wanda shook her head. "It's an energetic one. Like a road sign. With this energy here, he can find the coordinates of this area at any time. Next time he opens a Portal, he can pinpoint this location."
Arthur understood.
"This guy is quite cunning. He even buried a 'beacon' before leaving to make it easier to pay a return visit."
"Yes." Wanda looked at him. "Should we clear it?"
Arthur thought for a moment and placed his hand on the water stain, a flash of golden magic light appearing.
But Wanda held his wrist.
"Wait," she said, "I have an idea."
"Go ahead."
"We won't clear it," Wanda said. "We'll use it in reverse."
Arthur blinked.
"Reverse tracking?"
"Yes." Wanda squatted down and reached out to touch the pale blue fluorescence herself. "This mark is a 'house number.' Loki left it here so he could find this place next time. But since it's already a 'beacon,' it's also 'calling out' where its source is."
"You want to follow this 'call' and trace it back?"
"Yes." Wanda nodded. "Chaos Magic is particularly sensitive to this kind of 'directional energy imprint.' I can 'grab' its residual connection and reverse-track to the coordinates where Loki first teleported from."
Arthur didn't hesitate.
"Alright, let's try. But be careful, this guy is an old hand at mind magic. If you 'grab' too tightly, he might bite back."
"I know," Wanda said. "I'll be very gentle."
She placed her hand on the pale blue fluorescent water stain.
Dark red Chaos Magic seeped from her palm, like tentacles, gently "wrapping" around that layer of fluorescence.
It wasn't an attack, it wasn't a devouring.
It was "resonance."
Like two streams of water meeting, testing each other, perceiving each other.
Wanda closed her eyes and softened her breathing.
About ten seconds passed.
She opened her eyes and said, "Got it."
"Coordinates?"
"Not a specific location," Wanda said, "it's a 'trace.' The direction of the energy fluctuation when he last used the scepter to open a Portal."
She took her hand off the water stain, and the Chaos Magicreceded.
"The direction points inland. About... 450 kilometers away inside Nevada, deep in the desert."
Arthur stood up and clapped his hands.
"Alright. Looks like this hot pot will have to wait."
He didn't hesitate and grabbed Wanda's hand.
"Let's go. Let's go see what Loki is up to over there."
With a flash of golden light from a Portal, the two disappeared from the sandy ground.
When they reappeared, Arthur and Wanda were standing in an even more desolate desert.
The wind was strong, blowing sand flying wildly at low altitude.
Before them was an old-looking, rusty steel-structured warehouse.
Most of the warehouse's wall plaster had peeled off, revealing the grayish-white concrete inside.
The three characters for "S.H.I.E.L.D." on the top had been bleached by the sun until they were almost invisible, leaving only a charred yellow shadow.
"An abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse?" Wanda asked.
"According to the coordinates, this is one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s old storage bases in the Nevada desert, abandoned about a dozen years ago," Arthur said, quickly scanning the interior of the warehouse with his super senses. "Wait... something's wrong..."
"What's wrong?"
"There's a disguise inside."
Arthur pointed to the warehouse gate.
The gate looked locked, and the iron chain on it was terribly rusty.
But Arthur's Krypton eyes could see something else—
A very subtle, dark green magical pattern, crawling over the entire gate like a spiderweb.
"Loki's illusion," Arthur said. "He 'hid' this place. From the outside, it looks like an abandoned warehouse, but inside, he's probably already converted it into a temporary command post."
"Can you break it?"
"A small matter."
Arthur walked to the door, raised his hand, and tapped the center of that dark green magical pattern with his finger.
A faint wisp of golden magic light flashed.
With a soft "snap."
That layer of dark green pattern shattered like broken glass and dissipated into the air.
The iron chain on the gate snapped with a "clank."
Arthur pushed the door open.
Inside the warehouse, it was completely different from the "abandoned warehouse" they had imagined.
It had been cleaned up very thoroughly.
On the ground was a complex magic circle emitting a pale blue fluorescence.
In the center of the circle, a middle-aged man wearing a standard black S.H.I.E.L.D. combat uniform was kneeling on the ground, staring blankly ahead.
Beside him, Loki was standing there, holding that golden scepter in his hand.
The blue gem at the tip of the scepter was emitting a faint, eerie light.
"Oh my," Loki didn't even turn his head, his tone carrying a leisurely, strolling-like composure. "You found me so quickly? Looks like the 'gift' I left behind was received?"
Arthur glanced at the Agent kneeling on the ground.
"What are you doing? Recruiting employees?"
"No, my dear 'Guardian of Earth'," Loki turned around, the scepter turning slightly. "I am simply collecting some... necessary information. This warehouse used to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison station, and this man knows many things about your Earth's defense. Including you."
He pointed the scepter at Arthur.
"A 'magic warrior' of unknown origin who popped up during the Battle of New York. Able to block my Frost Giant, able to stabilize my brother's annoying thunder fluctuations." Loki tilted his head. "I am becoming more and more interested in you."
Arthur didn't waste words with him.
He took a step forward.
No flashy moves, no unnecessary magic preparation.
Just one step.
And then his fist was already in front of Loki.
Loki's body "exploded" like smoke and dissipated on the spot—it was an illusion.
His real body appeared ten steps away.
"What's the rush?" Loki said with a smile. "I haven't finished yet. On this planet, there are many more 'variables' like you... for example, that Tony Stark who built a tower in New York, for example, that neurosurgeon who is learning magic at Kamar-Taj, for example..."
He turned the scepter and aimed it at the Agent kneeling on the ground.
The Agent groaned, and blue light welled up in his eye sockets.
"For example, those 'guests' you don't know about yet, but who will be arriving very soon."
Arthur ignored him.
He stood there, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Superman's super senses were fully activated—heartbeats, breathing, body surface temperature changes, the disturbance of air currents...
These were all details that Loki's illusion could not perfectly simulate.
"Found you."
Arthur turned abruptly and punched the air to his left rear.
"Thud!"
That punch landed solidly on something.
A muffled groan came from the air.
Loki's figure "stumbled" out of the air, staggering back two steps, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth.
The smile on his face finally froze.
"You..." He wiped the corner of his mouth, looking at the bit of red on the back of his hand, his eyes changing. "How did you see me?"
"Because you are not a qualified magician," Arthur said. "You talk too much."
He didn't give Loki time to speak.
He stretched his right hand forward, a flash of golden magic light in his palm.
"Snap—"
A golden chain made of pure Supreme Magic flew from Arthur's palm, precisely wrapping around the scepter in Loki's hand.
Loki's face darkened, and he tried to struggle.
But just as he used his divine power to break free from the chain, Arthur was already right in front of him.
This punch hit him in the chest.
"Bang!"
Loki flew horizontally, crashing into the steel frame of the warehouse, and the steel frame bent with a creak.
The scepter in his hand flew out, rolled twice on the ground, and stopped at Wanda's feet.
Wanda looked down at the scepter.
She didn't touch it.
Instead, she clapped her hands together, dark red Chaos Magic surged out, constructing a translucent energy wall in front of her, like a dome, "locking" all the aura of the entire warehouse inside.
Loki lay on the ground, looking at that layer of energy wall, his expression finally sinking completely.
"Spatial lockdown..." he said, the ease in his tone gone. "You are not ordinary people."
"You're right," Arthur walked over, bent down, picked up the scepter from the ground, and weighed it in his palm. "So, don't even think about opening a Portal to run away."
Loki looked at him, silent for a few seconds.
Then, he smiled.
It was a very faint, very cold smile.
"This is just the beginning, 'Guardian' of Earth," he said. "The real game hasn't even started yet."
Arthur tucked the scepter onto himself.
"Fine, then you can slowly watch the opening ceremony from the S.H.I.E.L.D. interrogation room."
Outside the warehouse, several black SUVs with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo were already parked not far away.
Agent Coulson jumped out of the car, holding a communicator, his expression stiff.
He saw Arthur standing at the warehouse entrance, holding a golden scepter, with Loki lying on the ground behind him, bound by a golden chain.
Agent Coulson was stunned for a moment, then took a deep breath and put down the communicator.
"You again?" He looked at Loki. "You've caused enough trouble."
Loki smiled, not saying anything.
Arthur handed the scepter to Agent Coulson.
"I'll leave this in your custody," he said. "I've helped you control the other person. He was just using mind magic to read that Agent's memories; I suggest you give him a psychological evaluation immediately."
Agent Coulson glanced at the Agent lying on the ground and nodded.
"Give me a copy," Arthur said. "Handle the rest yourselves."
Agent Coulson hesitated for a second.
Then, he took a USB drive out of his pocket and handed it to Arthur.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s record of this abandoned warehouse. It also contains surveillance footage from three days ago—the man in the dark green robe in the photos, and the scepter in his hand."
Arthur took the USB drive and put it in his pocket.
"Thanks, Agent Coulson."
Agent Coulson looked at him and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to know... how did you know this was Loki's hideout?"
Arthur smiled.
"My wife."
He turned back and glanced at Wanda.
Wanda stood at the warehouse entrance, dark red Chaos Magic slowly dissipating from her fingertips.
She said calmly, "The mark he left behind was used by me in reverse."
Agent Coulson: "..."
Chapter 89 He's so cooperative?
The lights in the safe house were on, and two cups of cold tea sat on the coffee table.
Arthur slumped on the sofa, with Wanda leaning against him, her eyes fixed on the ceiling in a daze.
Loki had been taken away by the people from S.H.I.E.L.D.The expression on Coulson's face as he left was like he had just swallowed a bomb, his eyes filled with the despair of "I really don't want to do this job anymore."
Arthur glanced at the golden scepter on the coffee table.
The blue gem at the top of the scepter had dimmed, but that "prickling" sensation remained, like someone buzzing in your ear.
"No," Arthur began, "such a big deal, and we're just drinking tea at home?"
Wanda didn't move, just saying, "He is waiting for us to find him."
"Who?"
"Loki."
Arthur sat up straight and looked at her, "You mean he let himself be caught on purpose?"
"Not entirely," Wanda sat up as well, her eyes beginning to glow with a dark red light, "but when he was caught, he wasn't panicked at all."
"Did you notice his expression?"
Arthur thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed. It was like he was going on vacation; he didn't look like someone who had been locked up at all."
Wanda reached out and pointed at the scepter on the coffee table, "The energy of this scepter is exactly the same as what I sensed in the Hydra 'The Cradle' project before. Same origin, same root."
"The Tesseract?"
"Yes."
Arthur stood up and paced the living room, "So the scepter in Loki's hand and the thing used in that crappy Hydra lab are both products of the energy from the Tesseract?"
"To be precise," Wanda said, "the energy of the scepter is 'feeding' that side. That 'The Cradle' of Hydra is, at best, a pirated version."
Arthur stopped by the window, looking at the night view outside, "Then that remark of Loki's about a 'bigger game' wasn't just empty talk. He is the vanguard sent by the Chitauri."
Wanda nodded, "The Tesseract has already been locked in by the Chitauri as a key for the Portal."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Arthur turned and walked toward the entrance to the basement in the corner of the safe house, "Let's go have a chat with him."
"Chat about what?"
"Chat about when exactly he plans to open the Tesseractand let those alien bugs into Earth."
The lights in the basement were cold White, leaving no color on anyone's face.
Loki was locked to the chair in the middle of the room. S.H.I.E.L.D. had put a pair of special Vibranium handcuffs on him, but Arthur knew that for Loki, this thing was at best a toy.
But it didn't matter.
He didn't intend to rely on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s crappy gear to hold someone.
Loki saw Arthur and Wanda walking down the stairs, and the corners of his mouth curled up, his expression like he was seeing an old acquaintance.
"Here to visit me in prison so soon?"
"You seem to be enjoying your cell quite a bit, huh?" Arthur pulled up a chair and sat opposite him, "The guy next door was just shouting 'I want a sandwich,' yet you're so quiet."
"I have no interest in Earth's fast food," Loki tilted his head, "What do you want to know by coming here?"
"What do you think?" Arthur smiled, "Didn't you say 'a bigger game'? So let's chat about when this game is going to start."
Loki looked at him, silent for two seconds, then said, "The Chitauri fleet has already entered the Solar System."
The air suddenly turned cold.
Wanda's hand silently pressed against the wall, dark red light spreading across the surface—it was the magicbarrier she had constructed.
"Coordinates?" Arthur asked, "Time?"
"You think I would tell you?"
Arthur stood up, walked over to Loki, and looked down at him.
He didn't resort to violence; he just stood there, watching.
Loki's smile slowly faded.
Not out of fear.
It was because he sensed something.
That pressure, a double layer of his Krypton physique and Supreme Magic, weighed on him like a mountain.
"So you're here to 'reason' with me?" Loki said, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm, though it wasn't as relaxed as before.
Arthur bent over and touched the Vibranium handcuffs on Loki's wrists with his fingertips.
The handcuffs snapped with a "click."
Loki was stunned for a moment.
Arthur said, "You aren't imprisoned."
He turned and walked toward the stairs, looking back, "You are just waiting here."
Loki looked up at him.
"Waiting to see just how big that 'bigger game' of yours can get."
Loki was silent.
Then, he spoke.
"In three days, New York. The top floor of Stark Tower."
"Got it."
Arthur turned and walked away.
Wanda followed behind him, the lights in the basementextinguishing behind her.
Loki's voice came from behind, "You think you've already won?"
Arthur didn't look back.
Wanda replied for him.
"You think you still have other cards to play?"
The door closed.
Loki sat in the darkness, the corners of his mouth curling into an enigmatic smile.
Back in the living room, Arthur and Wanda sat down on the sofa, and Wanda dispelled the magic barrier, letting out a breath.
"He really said it?"
"He did," Arthur picked up his phone and flipped to Tony's encrypted channel, "In three days, the top floor of Stark Tower. The Chitauri are going to open a Portalthere."
Wanda frowned, "Why is he so cooperative? That's not Loki's style."
"Because he knows he can't run, and he knows we can track his energy signature now," Arthur said, "Besides, he didn't tell the whole truth."
"Hmm?"
"He said the Chitauri fleet entered the Solar System, but he didn't say where the main force is, nor did he say how many reserves the Chitauri army has after the Portalopens."
Wanda looked at him, "So he's still playing us?"
"Yes," Arthur said, "but we can play this game with him too."
He dialed Tony's encrypted channel.
It rang twice before being picked up.
"You'd better have something serious," Tony's voice came from the other end, accompanied by the noise of an electric welder, "I'm busy upgrading the nano-suit here."
"Tony," Arthur said, "Loki talked."
On the other end of the phone, the welding sound stopped.
"Talked about what?"
"In three days, the top floor of Stark Tower, the Chitauri are going to open a Portal there."
There was a silence of a few seconds.
"What did you do to that guy?" Tony asked, "I remember he's not the type to cooperate obediently."
"He didn't cooperate," Arthur said, "He just knows that if he doesn't cooperate, he won't last long on this planet."
Tony didn't waste words, "What about the Tesseract?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is still messing around with that one," Arthur said, "But Loki said they've already installed a high-power transport device on the Tesseract."
Tony took a deep breath, "Then what are we waiting for? I need to call the whole Alliance over; we're holding a war meeting right now."
"No rush," Arthur said, "Loki only told half. I need to confirm the 'other half' that he can tell."
"How to confirm?"
Arthur glanced at Wanda.
Wanda nodded.
"Using the scepter he left behind."
The communication hung up.
Arthur and Wanda sat facing each other on the sofa, with the golden scepter placed between them.
"This thing is just a signal receiver and amplifier," Arthursaid, "It has a connection with the Tesseract, and it also has a connection with the Chitauri command ship."
Wanda reached out and touched the scepter's gem, and the dark red Chaos Magic seeped into it like Water.
"I'm not trying to activate it," she said, "I just want to 'track' its memory."
"Can it work?"
"Yes," Wanda closed her eyes, "This thing is like a mobile phone; as long as it has been turned on, it has call logs."
She opened her eyes abruptly, and dark red light exploded from her pupils.
The scepter began to vibrate.
The blue gem suddenly lit up, and a beam of light shot toward the ceiling, projecting a blurry, distorted star map in mid-air.
Arthur saw it: at the edge of the Solar System, there was a massive fleet.
Not one or two ships.
It was a fleet.
Densely packed, like a swarm of ants, hanging densely in the darkness near the Kuiper Belt.
"Holy crap," Arthur said, "So many?"
Wanda gritted her teeth, as her Chaos Magic continued to parse, "This is just the 'front row'; the main force must be further out."
The star map continued to zoom in.
Arthur saw it.
Behind that fleet, in the deeper space, there was an even larger fleet.
That scale was no longer an "invasion."
It was "occupation."
Arthur took a breath, "Are you sure this is all of the Chitauri?"
"This is all that Loki knows," Wanda said, "According to Loki's intelligence, the Chitauri flagship is parked in the direction of Centaurus. Once the Portal opens in three days, the vanguard will swarm in."
"And the main force?"
"I don't know," Wanda put the scepter down, "Loki didn't say, and the scepter doesn't remember either."
Arthur was silent.
He didn't say things like "It's over" or "What do we do?"
He just committed that information to memory.
Then he stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night view outside.
"Three days," he said, "Then let's pull off something big."
Wanda walked over and leaned against him, "How do you want to do it?"
"First, say hello to Thor," Arthur said, "That guy should have already sensed the fluctuations from Loki's interrogation, and he's probably on his way."
No sooner had he finished speaking.
The doorbell of the safe house rang.
Arthur glanced at the monitor.
Outside the door stood a tall, blond man wearing the kind of T-shirt and jeans that Earthlings wear, but that "scent of thunder" was impossible to block.
Thor.
Arthur opened the door.
Thor stood at the doorway, looking at him with complex eyes.
"I felt Loki's energy," he said, "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Arthur stepped aside to let him in, "He's in the basement, locked up by S.H.I.E.L.D., but he did say that he's going to open a Portal in three days."
Thor walked into the house and saw the scepter on the coffee table.
He was stunned for a moment, "This thing…"
"The 'gift' your brother left behind," Arthur said, "But it's not for him; it's for the Chitauri."
Thor looked at the scepter, was silent for a few seconds, and then looked up at Arthur, "What plan do you have?"
"Very simple," Arthur said, "Loki is locked up, and we have the scepter. We can use this thing to reverse-track the coordinates of the Chitauri flagship, and then, before the Portal opens, we'll 'kick down the door' first."
Thor thought for a moment and nodded, "Then what can I do?"
Arthur looked at him and smiled.
"You come with me to kick down the door."
Thor smiled too.
He reached out his hand, "Then let's do it."
Arthur shook his hand.
Downstairs.
Wanda stood at the entrance to the basement, looking at Loki in the darkness inside.
Loki raised his head, looking at her.
"You think he won?" Loki asked.
"I don't know," Wanda said, "But you have definitely lost."
She closed the door.
Walking back to the living room, Arthur and Thor were already standing by the window, looking at the night view outside.
"Is the plan set?" Wanda asked.
"It is," Arthur turned around, "In three hours, Thor and I will perform a high-precision magic projection to directly locate the Chitauri flagship. You stay here and lock down the energy connection of the scepter to prevent reverse tracking."
"And then?"
"And then," Arthur said, "we'll just wait for that door to open, and then, right in front of those alien bugs, we'll weld it shut for them."
Wanda looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling up.
"Fine."
Arthur took out his phone and sent a message to Tony, "Plan initiated, in three hours, direction confirmed."
Chapter 90: Needed Someone to Carry the mjolnir
Thor arrived.
He didn't come politely knocking on the door; he came by tearing the roof off the safe house.
Thunder was still rolling in the sky, but this guy had already climbed in through the window, his blonde hair tousled like a bird's nest, and he was carrying that mjolnirhe'd just retrieved.
"Where is Loki?" he asked.
Arthur pointed to the basement: "Down there, being watched by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."
"I want to see him."
"Already did."
Thor paused, stunned: "When?"
"Just now," Arthur said. "We interrogated him, and he confessed about opening a Portal on the top floor of Stark Tower the day after tomorrow."
Thor's expression darkened. He stared at Arthur for a few seconds, then glanced at Wanda standing by the window, seemingly judging the truth of the statement.
Wanda didn't look at him, keeping her eyes down on the scepter, dark red light circling her fingertips.
Thor was silent for a few seconds, then said: "I believe you."
"That's perfect," Arthur said. "We have a job, and we need someone to help carry the mjolnir."
Thor gripped the handle of the mjolnir: "Speak."
Wanda looked up, pointing her finger at the gem on the tip of the scepter: "This thing has a connection to the Tesseract. I can use it to pinpoint the exact location of the Tesseract."
"Where is it?"
"The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Loki's scepter has been 'guiding' it the whole time."
Thor looked out the window. Nothing could be seen in the night, but he knew the carrier was floating in the clouds above the Atlantic Ocean.
"When do we move?"
"Now." Arthur stood up and brushed off his pants. "Before that guy says too much to the S.H.I.E.L.D. people, let's get the real business done."
The night wind in New York was biting enough to make one's brain ache.
Arthur stood on the rooftop of an abandoned apartment building in Brooklyn, with Wanda beside him, clutching the scepter.
Thor crouched on the edge of the roof, gripping the mjolnir, staring at a black speck in the clouds in the distance.
"That one?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Just fly straight over?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
Thor thought for a moment and said nothing.
Arthur reached out, a flash of golden light in his palm, and a transparent magic barrier enveloped the three of them.
"We're invisible now," he said. "Let's go."
Thor swung the mjolnir and shot into the sky like a cannonball. Arthur held Wanda close behind him, the magic barrier emitting a faint humming sound around them.
The moment they broke through the clouds, Wanda saw the Helicarrier. The grey-black hull looked like a floating city of steel, its massive engines spewing a ghostly blue light, the deck brightly lit.
"It's so big?" she said.
"Standard S.H.I.E.L.D. issue," Arthur said. "It has stealth camouflage installed last month, protecting against radar and magic scans."
"Then how do we get in?"
"Through the door."
Arthur hooked his finger, and the magic barrier thickened. Like transparent ghosts, the three of them slid into the interior along the maintenance passage on the side of the carrier.
The lights in the corridor were bright, and speakers and alarm lights hung on the walls. Occasionally, people in S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms walked past the corners, but no one glanced their way.
Wanda's grip on the scepter tightened. She could feel the blue gem deep inside the scepter vibrating at a subtle frequency, like a living heartbeat.
"The door on the left, the third lock," she whispered. "In the scepter's memory, the Tesseract is stored in the bottom-level laboratory."
Arthur nodded and led the two into the left corridor.
The bottom-level laboratory was larger than imagined. It was a square space surrounded by transparent glass walls. In the center sat the Tesseract—a blue, glowing energy core—floating quietly on a special stand, with the surrounding equipment emitting a low hum.
The scepter lit up instantly.
Blue light exploded from the gem, illuminating the entire laboratory.
"Oh no," Wanda said. "There's a link between the scepterand the Tesseract; it lights up when it gets too close."
An alarm sounded from outside the chamber: "Abnormal energy in the laboratory! Repeat, abnormal energy in the laboratory!"
Arthur didn't hesitate: "Thor, open the door!"
Thor slammed the mjolnir against the glass wall, and the entire wall shattered like paper.
"Finish it quickly," Arthur said. "Leave the outside to me."
He turned around and hooked his index finger. Golden magic threads wove into a net in the corridor, pinning the guards who had just rushed over. The guards slammed into it as if they had hit a reinforced concrete wall, gasping in pain.
Wanda walked quickly to the Tesseract. A beam of blue light connected the scepter in her hand to the Tesseract, like some ancient communication line.
She reached out and pressed her palm against the shell of the Tesseract.
In that moment, her consciousness was completely dragged into another place.
Not Earth, not New York, not this carrier.
She stood in a void.
Before her was a huge, golden-glowing object—the Mind Stone.
She saw it. She saw the internal structure of the gem, saw those pure golden energy lines flowing like blood vessels. They weren't just simple energy; they were conscious, alive.
"Purify." A voice rang out in her mind. Not Loki, not anyone else—it was the gem itself speaking.
"Not block, but purify. Blocking is closing the door; purifying is making the door disappear."
Wanda jerked her hand back.
She gasped for air, sweat covering her forehead, and the scepter fell to the floor. Arthur rushed over, grabbed her shoulders, and stared into her eyes: "Wife, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Wanda said, her voice trembling slightly. "I saw it."
"Saw what?"
"The answer." She looked down at the scepter on the floor. "This thing isn't meant to control minds. It's a filter. Its energy comes from the Mind Stone, but the things Lokiused it for—controlling people, creating hallucinations—were all the wrong way to use it. It's being misused; it can do so much more."
Arthur looked at the scepter, then at the Tesseract: "For example?"
"For example, purifying things polluted by mind energy," Wanda said. "Not violent removal, but stripping away those unwanted commands, parasites, and control. The controlled people can return to normal without violence, without needing to kill anyone."
Thor walked in from the doorway: "They've started calling for reinforcements; there are more guards on the lower level."
Arthur bent down to pick up the scepter and shoved it into Wanda's hand: "Let's retreat first."
Wanda tucked the scepter against her chest, Arthur put his arm around her waist, and Thor cleared the way, blasting the blast door at the end of the corridor open with a swing of the mjolnir.
That night, in the clouds above the Atlantic Ocean, a Helicarrier was visited by three uninvited guests on a fly-by trip. Apart from a broken piece of glass in the laboratory, nothing else was lost.
S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel later checked the surveillance footage and saw nothing, only a test report: during the five-minute alert state at the scene, an "indescribable" purification wave appeared in the energy environment around the Tesseract.
No one knew what that meant.
The lights were still on in the safe house.
Arthur sat on the sofa, Wanda leaning on his shoulder, clutching the scepter, faint blue light still lingering on her fingertips.
Thor stood by the window, back to them, looking up at the night sky.
"Are you sure?" Thor asked.
"Sure," Arthur said. "Tony just sent an encrypted message; the Tesseract's energy has reached critical levels. At most, in one day, the Portal will open."
Thor turned around and looked at them: "What do you plan to do in this one day?"
"Prepare," Arthur said. "Wait for the door to open."
"Just the two of you?"
"And you."
Thor looked at them for two seconds and nodded: "Then let's do it."
He walked to the door and glanced at Arthur: "You are not enemies of Asgard."
Arthur laughed: "Who the hell has time to be anyone's enemy these days? We just want to protect this planet."
Thor said: "Enough."
He pushed the door open, and thunder exploded in the sky once more. After he left, only Arthur and Wandaremained in the room.
Wanda placed the scepter on the coffee table and looked at the gem: "Arthur."
"Hm?"
"What if purification doesn't work?"
Arthur looked at her and smiled: "Then we'll use our fists and smash it until it dares to open."
Wanda didn't speak, just leaned into his embrace.
The night outside was deep, and somewhere far away, something was waiting for them.
Arthur said: "Sleep."
Wanda closed her eyes.
That night, nothing Earth-shattering happened. It was just that the lights in the safe house stayed on.
Far away, deep in the Universe, a door had already cracked open.
But Arthur wasn't panicked.
After all, he was still holding the doorknob.
(New author asking for updates and subscriptions)
Chapter 91: The Final Battle Begins
The lights in the safe house were still on.
Arthur walked up from the underground weapons room, carrying the scepter in his hand.
Wanda stood in the center of the living room, eyes closed, dark red Chaos Magic flowing slowly around her body, as quiet as Water.
On the coffee table sat two cups of tea that had gone cold, along with a piece of paper filled with coordinates.
"Done?" Arthur leaned the scepter against the corner of the wall.
Wanda didn't open her eyes, but she nodded: "The energy veins have been linked. I can feel the 'arteries' deep within the Earth dimension flowing."
"That's good."
Arthur walked to the window and pushed it open. The night breeze poured in, carrying the mixed noises and human scent of the city.
He glanced at the time.
3:21 AM.
"What did Tony say?" Wanda opened her eyes and walked to his side.
"Just sent an encrypted message. The activation energy of the Tesseract has been surging since 10 PM last night, and it's already reached 97% of the critical threshold," Arthur said. "Slight space-time fluctuations have already begun to appear above New York, and the monitoring data from Jarvis has increased tenfold."
Wanda was silent for a few seconds, then said: "Three more hours?"
"Less than that." Arthur showed her his phone screen. "According to Tony's estimation, at most two hours and forty minutes."
Wanda looked at the constantly climbing energy curve on his phone screen and didn't speak.
The city lights outside the window flickered, and there was no special sound.
But both of them knew that this quiet wouldn't last long.
Arthur's phone vibrated again.
Tony: The spatial fluctuations over New York are already visible to the naked eye.
Arthur looked up, gazing at the night sky outside the window.
It was very dark, and nothing could be seen.
But his Krypton eyes could see—behind the clouds directly above Stark Tower, a very faint, pale blue light was slowly spreading.
Like a giant eye slowly opening above the city.
Wanda saw it too.
Her pupils reflected the blue light, and Chaos Magicdanced slightly at her fingertips: "It's here."
Arthur didn't speak, looking down at his phone.
Tony: Thor has already flown over. He said he can feel the Chitauri fleet entering the Portal.
Tony: When are you two getting here?
Arthur put his phone away and turned to pick up the scepter in the corner.
"Now."
After he finished speaking, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Wanda's waist.
Wanda's hand pressed against his chest, and the Chaos Magic wrapped around his arm like tentacles.
The two stood in the center of the living room, golden and dark red light intertwining.
The moment the light of the Portal was about to explode, a voice suddenly echoed in Arthur's mind.
Cold, mocking, with that unique, leisurely tone.
"Are you ready to welcome the guests, 'Guardian' of Earth?"
Loki's voice.
Even though this guy was still locked in the interrogation room of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was able to pierce through the spatial barrier and send words directly into his mind.
The corners of Arthur's mouth twitched, and he couldn't be bothered to reply.
A flash of golden light, and the living room was empty.
Above New York, the wind was strong.
Arthur and Wanda stood at the very top of Stark Tower, with the lights of the entire city beneath their feet.
The night sky above their heads had cracked open.
Not figuratively, it had literally cracked open.
A massive, dark green fissure with purple light along its edges tore open from the center of the clouds, like a walnut pried apart by hand.
There were no stars in the fissure, no moonlight.
It was all dense, black dots beginning to swarm downwards.
Those black dots were getting closer and larger.
Arthur saw their silhouettes—silver-gray bio-mechanical armor, trailing long exhaust flames, like a swarm of crazed wasps bombing out of their nest.
"Damn," Arthur said, "This scene is much more exciting than the New York New Year's fireworks."
Wanda didn't speak.
She raised her hands, and dark red Chaos Magic surged from her palms, condensing into a translucent energy wall in front of her, like a giant shield standing in front of the entire tower.
Then she turned to look at Arthur.
"Are you ready?"
Arthur gripped the scepter, feeling the pure blue energy emanating from the depths of the gem, which had already resonated with Wanda's Chaos Magic.
He looked up at the black dots getting closer and closer, and grinned.
"Been ready for a long time."
He gripped the scepter tightly, Krypton power exploding in his blood vessels, and golden light and dark red Chaos Magic erupted from his body simultaneously.
The first wave of the Chitauri vanguard had already passed through the Portal, emitting piercing screeches, pouncing toward them like locusts.
The entire New York could hear the sound.
Like ten thousand cicadas shedding their shells at once.
Below the city, sirens blared one after another; people were shouting, screaming, and driving their cars while honking wildly in the direction of Manhattan.
Arthur watched the dense mass of Chitauri vanguard troops rapidly magnifying and slammed the scepter in his hand onto the ground.
"Come on."
He gripped Wanda's hand tightly.
"Let's show these alien bugs what a proper Earth welcome gift is."
Chaos Magic exploded, golden light ignited in sync, and the two forces converged in the air, forming an energy net that covered the entire horizon.
The first Chitauri flying vehicle crashed into the energy net and shattered into slag.
Then the second, the third, the tenth.
Like flies hitting a window.
But those black dots didn't stop.
They continued to pour out of the fissure, more and more, denser and denser.
The Chitauri army had begun a true, all-out invasion.
Arthur stood at the top of the tower, golden light and dark red intertwining, his eyes fixed on the constantly expanding fissure as he gripped Wanda's hand tightly.
The final battle had officially begun.
Chapter 92: With a scale like this, you'd need insurance, right?
When the first Chitauri craft slammed into Wanda's Chaos Magic barrier, the entire Manhattan heard the thunderous boom.
Arthur stood on the edge of the building, watching that thing shatter into debris like a swatted fly, the fragments raining down onto the streets below.
"Good grief," he said, "this welcome gift is pretty hardcore."
Wanda ignored him, her hands continuously outputting dark red energy, pushing the barrier forward by a hundred meters.
More and more Chitauri vanguard poured out of the Portal, dense and swarming, like a hornet's nest had been poked.
Arthur took a step forward, crushing the concrete at the edge of the building beneath his feet.
He glanced at his hands; golden light and the Krypton bio-electric field were mixed in his palms, like boiling Water.
"I'll go clear the field first."
"Watch your back," Wanda said.
"By the time you said that," Arthur said, "I already cleared the field."
He jumped out.
There was no flying stance, no preparatory movement; just a step forward, and he shot toward the crowd of Chitaurivanguard like a cannonball.
The first punch slammed into the engine of a craft.
The craft exploded instantly.
Arthur didn't stop. He spun in mid-air and stomped on the cockpit of another craft; the Chitauri soldier inside was crushed flat before it could even react.
Then he took a stance and roared at the swarm of black craft before him: "Come on! Bring more! Let me warm up!"
Dark purple energy beams shot toward him, dozens of beams locking onto a single target simultaneously.
Arthur didn't dodge.
He raised his hand.
Golden light burst forth, and a thin layer of magic barrier lit up against his skin. The beams hit the barrier like Water splashed onto glass, all bouncing off.
Arthur grinned.
"Is that all? Tickling me?"
With a flick of his finger, golden magic threads shot out from his fingertips, weaving into a massive net in the air—covering the entire sky.
"Retract."
The net tightened violently, and dozens of craft crashed into each other as if bound together, exploding into a massive fireball with a boom.
Wanda stood on the building, watching the explosion, the corners of her mouth curling up.
"Clearing the field faster than I expected."
She looked back at the city streets behind her, where Chitauri soldiers had already landed and started firing.
"Then it's my turn."
She raised her left hand, and the Chaos Magic crawled up her arm as if alive, condensing into a dark red sphere at her fingertips.
Then she pressed it down toward the ground.
That energy spread down the walls of the building, unfolding like Water, forming a second layer of barrier on the street.
The Chitauri soldiers who hit the barrier were sent flying, and bullets hitting the barrier were slowed down before falling.
Wanda took a deep breath, sensing the ground network of half of New York.
"Holding on for a while won't be a problem."
Tony's voice came through the earpiece: "Everyone, I have a status report."
"What good news could you possibly have?" Arthurasked.
"Directly above the Portal, a Leviathan beast is coming through," Tony said, "It's larger than what we saw in the data."
"How big?"
"Big enough to wipe Upper Manhattan off the map."
Arthur looked up at the Portal.
Something was indeed squeezing out from inside, a dark silhouette, like a whale breaching the Water, but the size was absurd.
"This thing looks incredibly eco-unfriendly," Arthur said.
The clouds overhead burst open, and golden lightning struck down, slamming directly onto the back of that Leviathan.
Thor descended from the sky, mjolnir gripped in his hand, lightning coiling around him like a glowing snake.
"Arthur!" Thor roared, "This one is mine!"
"Fine, you go!"
Thor raised mjolnir, and lightning exploded.
The Leviathan convulsed all over from the electricity, black scorch marks burning onto its shell.
Arthur glanced at Thor's back, confirming the guy could handle it, then turned to look at the Portal.
Things were still pouring out of the Portal; Chitauri soldiers and craft were endless, like cockroaches from a sewer.
"Tony, can your hybrid node do something useful?"
"It's already starting," Tony said, "The weapon node on the Ark space station is preheating. Ten seconds later, it will be able to conduct an energy interference on the core area of the Portal."
"Effect?"
"It can drop the Portal's stability to about sixty percent, but it won't last long."
"That's enough."
Arthur took a deep breath and turned back to Wanda's side.
"Wife, I'm preparing to charge through the Portal."
Wanda looked at him: "Charge through?"
"Yes, I'm going to the other side to find the location of the mothership," Arthur said, "After Tony interferes with the Portal, I won't be able to come back. You have to hold the front line here, and wait for me to find the mothership and figure out a way to take it down."
Wanda was silent for two seconds.
Then she said: "Ten minutes."
"What?"
"Ten minutes later, regardless of whether you've found it or not," she said, "I will raise the maximum intensity Chaos Magic barrier to protect all of New York. Tony's interference won't last long."
Arthur looked at her.
Wanda didn't smile, nor was she nervous; she just looked at him like that.
Her gaze was very calm.
"Stay safe, watch your back," she said, "Just come back alive."
Arthur smiled.
"I will."
The Portal was tearing overhead, emitting a piercing noise.
Arthur stood on the edge of the building, legs bent, knees coiled with power, golden Kryptonian Energy coiling around him like Fire.
"Tony!"
"Ready! Three, two, one—interference initiated!"
The blue energy at the center of the Portal suddenly fluctuated violently, as if punched by something.
The purple light at the edges began to flicker, and the shape of the Portal became distorted.
"Now."
Arthur jumped—no, he shot toward the sky like a bullet, slamming into the violently deforming Portal.
The moment he passed through the Portal, he heard Loki's voice, piercing through space and landing directly in his mind.
"You've finally come, Earth's 'Guardian'."
Arthur ignored him.
Because he had already seen it.
The scene on the other side of the Portal was not New York's sky at all.
It was pitch-black space.
Beneath his feet, Earth floated in the darkness like a blue glass marble.
In front of him was a massive mothership.
Its size was no longer something that could be described as a "ship"—it was like a city piled up in space, its surface covered in dense armor and batteries, with countless craft pouring out of its body like ants crawling out of an anthill.
Arthur stopped in space, looked at the mothership, and cursed.
"With a scale like this, you'd need insurance, right?"
The Portal behind him was still twisting, but it had started to stabilize slowly.
He remembered what Wanda said about the ten minutes.
There was no time to hesitate.
He saw a spot emitting blue light above the mothership.
The scepter.
Ammunition supplies were exhausted; Thor's position began a countdown to clearing.
Arthur flew forward against the energy storm, speed maxed out, his body passing through the gaps between those craft, heading straight for the blue light at the top of the mothership.
Behind him, the edges of the Portal had already lit up.
Tony's interference effect was fading.
Wanda's Chaos Magic barrier was still holding.
But the Portal was slowly closing.
Arthur watched that blue light getting closer and brighter.
He clenched his fists.
"Enough, damn it."
He accelerated, accelerated, and accelerated again, slamming into the top of the mothership like a golden bullet.
Then he saw the scepter.
It was stuck in a metal slot on top of the mothership, the blue gem shining like a small sun, with surrounding energy lines connecting it to the entire mothership like blood vessels.
Arthur reached out and grabbed the handle of the scepter.
At that moment, the entire mothership vibrated.
He heard Loki's laughter coming from deep within the scepter, cold as ice.
"You think taking it away means you can close the door?"
Arthur didn't let go.
"No," he said, "I took it to open other doors."
The scepter vibrated, and the blue light exploded.
The Portal had started to close completely.
Wanda's Chaos Magic barrier shook violently over New York; she gritted her teeth, watching the rift in the sky shrinking.
Thor and Tony were still fighting.
Arthur hadn't returned yet.
"Hold on a little longer," she muttered to herself.
That blue gem shone like the sun.
Loki's laughter was still ringing.
Arthur gripped the scepter tightly.
"Wanda, are you ready?"
His voice pierced through space and reached Wanda's ears.
Wanda froze for a second.
Then the corners of her mouth curled up.
"Ready."
She said, "Close the door."
Chapter 93: Fly Back Yourself
Above New York.
Arthur gripped the scepter, his body suspended in the middle of the Portal.
Below him was the battlefield, and above him was the mothership.
The scepter shook in his hand like a power drill, and blue light sprayed out like crazy.
"I refuse to believe I can't handle you!"
Arthur gripped the scepter with both hands, pouring Kryptonian Energy from his palms, trying to suppress the energy of that gemstone.
It was useless.
The radiance of the gemstone grew even brighter, as if mocking him.
Tony's voice exploded from the earpiece: "Arthur! The Portal energy is retracting! The door is closing!"
"I know!"
"Hurry the hell up!"
Arthur gritted his teeth and looked up at the mothership above.
Then he heard Wanda's voice.
It wasn't coming from the earpiece, but directly into his mind.
"Don't suppress it by force."
"What?"
"It's alive; you have to let it flow on its own."
Arthur was stunned for a moment.
"Flow?"
"Yes, flow."
Wanda's voice was steady, as if she were standing right beside him speaking.
Arthur took a deep breath and loosened his tight grip on the scepter.
He didn't let go to drop it; he just changed his grip.
He stopped outputting power and instead let the energy inside the scepter flow on its own.
The light of the gemstone flickered.
Then it began to flow in one direction—toward the direction of Earth.
Toward the direction of Wanda.
Arthur saw a blue beam of light shoot out from the scepter in his hand, pass through the Portal, and land on Wanda atop Stark Tower.
Wanda raised her hand, and dark red Chaos Magicwrapped around that beam of light.
One blue, one red, the two forces intersected in mid-air, like two snakes intertwined.
Then Wanda began to "stuff" it back in.
Not forcing it, but guiding it.
Her Chaos Magic wrapped around the Mind Stone's energy like Water, gently pushing it back.
Along the scepter, along the beam of light, pushing it back.
Arthur felt the vibration of the scepter becoming lighter and lighter.
"Did it work?"
"It's still purifying," Wanda's voice was a bit breathless, "but I can control it now."
After she finished, she suddenly shouted: "Loki!"
Arthur turned his head abruptly.
Loki had appeared at the entrance of the mothership's command room at some point, a punchable smile hanging on his face.
"Interesting," Loki said, "do you really think you can take it away?"
Arthur wanted to rush over, but the scepter was still vibrating in his hand, and he couldn't let go.
"Wife, keep a close watch!"
"I'm watching."
Wanda pressed the Chaos Magic deeper into the scepter, and the blue gemstone emitted a crisp sound.
Cracks appeared.
Loki's smile froze.
"You—"
"Shut up."
Arthur lifted his leg, Kryptonian Energy exploded on his leg, and he kicked Loki directly in the chest.
Loki flew out, slammed into the metal wall of the mothership, and made a dent.
Arthur didn't stop; he rushed up and punched Loki in the face.
"This punch is for Wanda."
Another punch.
"This punch is for Thor."
Another punch.
"This punch is for—"
"Can you change the line?" Loki lay on the ground, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, still smiling.
Arthur looked at him and also smiled.
"Fine, this punch is for myself."
He threw the punch, Loki's head hit the metal plate, and he passed out.
The scepter became completely quiet in Arthur's hand.
The blue light turned into a soft White, like moonlight, gentle and tender.
Wanda's voice came through: "It worked."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure. It's mine now."
Arthur looked down at the scepter in his hand.
The gemstone was no longer that glaring blue, but had turned into a warm, lustrous White gold.
It was like the stone had been replaced.
He turned to look at the Portal behind him.
The door had already begun to shrink.
The purple light at the edges was shrinking toward the center, like an eye closing.
"Tony!"
"I see the door. It's narrowing."
"Give me a path, I'm coming back right now."
Tony said: "No need for a path, just fly back yourself; the door is closing too fast."
Arthur looked at the Earth beneath his feet.
Very blue.
Very close.
He tucked the scepter into his arms, took a deep breath, and jumped.
He didn't jump toward the door; he jumped forward, like diving, and plunged headfirst into the shrinking crack of the door.
The moment he passed through the door, he felt his body being tugged, as if someone were pulling his leg backward.
But he didn't stop.
He accelerated.
Golden light exploded behind him, and he shot into the New York sky like a meteor.
He heard Wanda calling his name.
Then he crashed into a layer of dark red energy net.
Chaos Magic.
Wanda used magic to catch him, completely dissipating the impact force on him.
Arthur landed, kneeling on one knee atop Stark Tower, the scepter shining with a soft White light in his hand.
Wanda stood before him, her face a bit pale, but her eyes were very bright.
"Did you get it?"
"I got it."
"Can it close?"
Arthur stood up and raised the scepter.
The White gold gemstone at the top lit up like a lamp.
He looked back at the Portal above.
The door was still shrinking, but the speed had slowed.
It seemed something was jamming it.
"Loki?" Wanda asked.
"Knocked out."
"Then who is jamming the door?"
Arthur frowned and looked at the scepter.
The light inside the gemstone was flashing.
Flashing regularly, like a heartbeat.
"It's jamming the door," Arthur said, "the Mind Stone is refusing to close."
"Why?"
"Because it doesn't want to leave."
Wanda walked over and reached out to hold the other end of the scepter.
She closed her eyes.
Chaos Magic poured out from her palms, wrapping around the entire gemstone.
"I told it," Wanda said, "it's time to go home."
White light exploded.
The light was very bright, but not blinding, washing over the entire sky like warm Water.
The Portal above shook one last time, then, like a thread pinched by someone, whooshed and shrank away.
The sky returned to its normal color.
Blue.
Clean blue.
The Chitauri aircraft paused in mid-air, then fell down like kites with broken strings.
The people on the street were stunned for a few seconds, then erupted into shouts—not screams, but cheers.
Tony's voice came through the earpiece: "The door is closed. The Chitauri command chain is broken; the ground troops are scattering."
"I know."
"You're a total lunatic."
Arthur smiled and didn't speak.
He looked at the scepter in his hand.
The White gold light shone quietly inside the gemstone, like a sleeping heart.
"Is it really asleep?" he asked.
Wanda said: "Not asleep, just cleaned."
"What do you mean?"
"Before, Loki used it as a weapon; now it's just a stone."
Arthur looked at that gemstone, then looked down at Wanda.
"Then what can it do?"
Wanda thought for a moment and said: "Don't know yet. But it listens to me now."
Arthur handed the scepter to her: "Then it's yours."
Wanda was stunned for a moment and looked up at him.
"Are you sure?"
"You understand it better," Arthur said, "take it."
Wanda took the scepter, her fingers gripping the handle.
The White gold light shone in her hand, then became even gentler, as if it had acknowledged its master.
The roar of helicopters came from afar.
Arthur looked up and recognized the S.H.I.E.L.D. livery.
"The cleanup crew is here."
"Then shall we retreat?"
"Retreat."
He put his arm around Wanda's waist, looked at the scepter in his hand, and then looked at the clean sky above.
Golden light flashed, and the two disappeared from the top of Stark Tower.
On the streets of New York, people were still cheering.
In the distance, Thor stood on the ruins, holding his mjolnir, watching the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters land slowly.
He looked up at the sky.
It was clean, no cracks, no Chitauri, nothing at all.
He smiled.
"Interesting Earth."
Tony stepped out of his armor and stood before the console of the Ark space station.
The screen displayed real-time footage of New York.
The streets were full of people.
Some were flipping the bird at the sky, some were hugging, and some were crying.
Tony leaned back in his chair, watching the screen.
"Jarvis."
"Sir?"
"Record. Battle of New York, humanity victorious."
"It has been recorded, sir."
Tony smiled, turned off the screen, and poured himself a drink.
The door to the safe house opened.
Arthur helped Wanda walk in and leaned the scepteragainst the wall.
"Finally done."
Wanda walked into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of Water, took a sip, and then looked at the scepter in the corner, saying: "It followed us."
"Let it follow."
"Aren't you worried?"
Arthur looked back at her.
"Worried about what?"
Wanda said: "Worried about it being targeted again."
Arthur thought for a moment, walked over, picked up the scepter, and weighed it.
"Then let it watch us."
He shoved the scepter into Wanda's hand.
"Come on, let it see what an Earthling is."