Odin was helped away by the guards.
Only Prince Loki remained behind, standing alone in the Vault of Asgard.
"Midgard…"
Loki murmured to himself. A cold, sinister smile suddenly crept across his face.
So it was true.
Odin was still favoring his real son!
He even went so far as to fabricate such a ridiculous excuse!
That backward world.
Those fragile, insignificant humans.
How could a place like that possibly give birth to a being so powerful that even Odin himself would fear it?
Once he inherited Odin's throne, he would personally descend upon Earth and see this so-called "powerhouse" for himself.
Earth
Three days later, night had fallen.
The construction of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary research facility was progressing far faster than expected.
At the site, another founding-era member of the Avengers had appeared.
Clint Barton.
He was better known by another name—
Hawkeye.
Compared to other members of the Avengers, he was far easier to control.
A few years from now, he would build a happy family of his own.
And once his family was within reach, his loyalty would naturally follow.
As the supreme commander of this "secret base," Renjie possessed the authority to mobilize everyone present.
Hawkeye was a disciplined agent—one who followed orders without hesitation.
Renjie noticed this.
And so, over the course of three days, he personally crafted a new set of equipment for him.
Inside the tent.
Clint stared in surprise at the briefcase resting on the table.
"This is a small gift from the boss," Android 16 said gently.
"He said you'd definitely like it."
Although Renjie himself hadn't appeared, sending Android 16 in person was already a great show of respect.
At this point, Clint was still just an agent—not yet a superhero.
In terms of rank, he was Renjie's subordinate.
This arrangement was perfectly reasonable.
Clint ran his hand over the cold surface of the briefcase, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
The image of that "supreme commander" surfaced in his mind.
That young man named Renjie—his intellect and ingenuity far surpassed even Tony Stark.
Every creation of his was enough to shake the world.
Suppressing his excitement, Clint opened the briefcase.
What greeted him, however, made him frown in confusion.
Nestled in black velvet lay a single, compact bow grip.
Nothing else.
Curious, Clint picked up the grip.
Blue-white light shimmered across its surface as it scanned and registered his fingerprints.
The next instant
Dark-gray nanomachines surged out from the grip, rapidly assembling into a nano-composite bow.
More nanomachines clung tightly to the handle, spreading across Clint's body.
In seconds, they formed a close-fitting, dark-gray nano combat suit—its defensive capability rivaling even the Black Panther suit.
Impervious to blades and bullets.
Resistant to fire and water.
It could even absorb external impacts and rebound the force back at the attacker.
"T-This… this is unbelievable…"
Clint whispered in genuine awe.
The nano combat suit even came equipped with artificial intelligence.
And the nano-composite bow in his hand could freely switch forms!
Beyond its bow configuration, it could transform into—
A gun, a blade, even a grappling launcher.
Under the AI's guidance, Clint learned that each side of his belt stored one hundred nano arrows, each no larger than a fingernail.
With a single command, they would instantly form into arrows.
The arrowheads were forged from adamantium.
Within effective range, they could even pierce Iron Man's armor.
This gift was unimaginably valuable.
"Director Renjie… what do you need me to do?"
Clint ran his hand over the dark-gray suit, his eyes fixed on the bow in his grasp, joy blazing uncontrollably within them.
He knew this equipment was worth a fortune—perhaps even an astronomical sum.
"Don't overthink it, Agent Clint," Android 16 replied calmly.
"The boss is simply looking out for you."
The gift had been delivered.
His mission was complete.
Watching Android 16's towering figure depart, Clint made a decision deep within his heart.
"Please tell the boss," he said sincerely,
"as long as it doesn't violate my personal code, I will obey his orders unconditionally."
He worked in one of the most dangerous professions imaginable—one wrong step meant death.
With this equipment, there was no doubt about it—
His chances of survival on future missions would skyrocket.
He couldn't let go of this nano combat suit.
Nor the advanced weaponry in his hands.
That was why—
He seized this opportunity, hoping Android 16 would convey his resolve and loyalty to Renjie.
"The boss will be pleased to hear that."
Android 16 paused, turning back with an approving smile—clearly satisfied with Clint's discernment.
In the not-so-distant future,
Clint Barton would become a hidden piece buried deep within the Avengers.
With his status as a senior agent, no one was better suited for the role.
"Good luck to you…"
END OF CHAPTER
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