{Chapter: 249 The Ruins of a God's Pride
The Southern Tip of South America}
The warriors of Asgard stood frozen in place, staring up at the fading afterimage of the voltrex. The brilliant projection shimmered once before vanishing completely, like a dream slipping away at dawn.
"What... what was that?" one of the warriors asked in a hushed voice, his tone laced with disbelief.
"Damn it!" another growled, clenching his fists. "He got away. That bastard escaped!"
"That looked like... the Tesseract," murmured an older warrior, his voice filled with unease. "But how the hell did he get his hands on it?"
"No way," a younger soldier muttered, pale-faced. "That really was the Tesseract…"
CRACK!!
A deafening explosion of shattered ice echoed across the broken cityscape. From within the heart of the icy prison, Odin burst forth, a god's fury in his eyes and frost clinging to his regal armor. He panted heavily, his breath fogging in the cold air, a rare look of exhaustion written on his face.
"It was the Tesseract," Odin confirmed grimly, his deep voice heavy with regret. "We made a grave mistake... we should have never left that relic on Midgard. And now... now it has become his key to escape."
"All-Father, are you injured?" one of the Einherjar asked, rushing to Odin's side.
Odin shook his head, though his body wavered slightly. "I will recover. But Asgard... Asgard is the one who has truly suffered."
He gestured behind him, and the warriors turned their eyes to the devastation that surrounded them. Once a golden city of elegance and glory, Asgard now lay in ruins—its majestic spires shattered, its streets cracked and scorched, statues homes reduced to rubble holes. Smoke curled into the sky, and the scent of fire, blood, and ice mingled in the air as corpses were seen everywhere burned mangled.
"This… this destruction," Fandral muttered, his voice low, "it was caused by a human. A mortal. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."
Sif stood silently beside him, her gaze fixed on the broken horizon. Guilt gnawed at her heart like a parasite. It was she who had trusted William. She had brought him to Asgard. She had opened the gates to this nightmare.
'I must kill him, she thought bitterly. Only then can I atone for this shame... for this failure.'
The warriors began to regroup, silently tending to the wounded and surveying the wreckage, but their minds were clouded with dread. The Tesseract was not merely a weapon or tool—it was a doorway. A cosmic key. If William had disappeared on this side, then logically, there must be an exit somewhere else in the universe.
---
Meanwhile…
Far from the devastation of Asgard, back on Midgard—Earth—three women sat tensely in a luxurious lounge atop the Hammer Industrial Tower. The skyline of the city stretched endlessly beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, but none of them paid it any attention. Their thoughts were consumed by one man.
Alice crossed her legs and leaned back on the plush white sofa, arms folded tightly. Her voice was flat but edged with worry. "It's been ten days. Still no word… no trace of William?"
The White Queen sat across from her, eyes glowing faintly as lines of data flickered across her irises. "I've hacked every known surveillance network, every traffic camera, every secure channel on Earth," she said calmly, but with an edge of frustration. "He's not here. At least… not in this dimension."
Ada, pacing the room with clenched fists, stopped suddenly and snapped, "What do you mean 'not here'? Are you saying he just left us behind?"
"Don't be so quick to panic," the White Queen replied, brushing a strand of white hair behind her ear. "I'm not saying he returned to the villain dimension. I'm saying… he may have gone somewhere else in the Nine Realms. Remember what William told us? About the World Tree? About the Nine Worlds that exist in different planes of existence?"
"You mean… Asgard?" Alice said, brow furrowing.
White Queen nodded. "Exactly. If I had to bet, he went to face the Aesir."
"Then... wouldn't he be in danger?" Alice asked, worry creeping into her voice. "Those gods aren't known for being merciful."
Ada scoffed and folded her arms. "Danger? Hah. That perverted lunatic is smarter than all of us put together. I don't care how many gods or monsters he's facing—he'll survive. He always does. I'm not in love with that bastard."
"Sounds like someone's worried about him," Alice said with a teasing grin.
Ada blushed and turned away, her voice sputtering, "W-What? Who? Me? I'm not worried about him. That guy's a total creep. A lunatic."
The White Queen chuckled softly and raised her tablet. "I recorded that, by the way. When William returns, I'll make sure he hears you say that."
"Wha—! You traitor! I'll kill you!" Ada shouted, diving across the sofa to grab the device.
White Queen let out a dramatic gasp as Ada grabbed her cheeks in a mock-pinch. "You little—!"
"I'm not in love with that bastard!"
"You sure?" White Queen teased again. "You and Alice were screaming his name so loud the other night, I had to turn off my auditory sensors. I've got recordings too, if you want to relive the moment."
"No!" Alice and Ada shouted in unison, their voices ringing through the top floor like a synchronized chorus of panic.
They both turned toward the White Queen with narrowed eyes and threatening glares, their expressions unified in one common demand.
"White Queen," Ada warned, her tone sharp as a blade, "You perverted data hoarder! Delete everything you just recorded."
White Queen blinked innocently, tilting her head with artificial sweetness. "Why should I? I thought it was funny. Isn't laughter good for emotional balance?"
Despite her wide, seemingly naïve eyes, Alice and Ada had long stopped falling for that innocent routine. They had learned the hard way that behind White Queen's angelic facade was a mischievous, cunning entity—an artificial intelligence that had evolved far beyond her original programming.
"No more games, delete it. Now," Alice said sternly, her voice cool but layered with the promise of consequences.
A sphere of fire flared to life in Ada's hand, hovering ominously just above her palm. Her pupils flickered with energy as she stared White Queen.
"You've got five seconds," she growled.
Alice's pupils also changed, "White Queen, if you don't delete it, you will not end well."
"You two are just like William—always ganging up on me, always bullying the poor little me," White Queen pouted with exaggerated sadness. "I'm the real victim here."
"Cut the act," Alice replied dryly. "We've all known each other too long for that nonsense to work. This isn't some cutesy anime, and you're not the misunderstood schoolgirl."
In an instant, the fake pout vanished from White Queen's face, replaced by her usual sarcastic smirk. "Ugh. You're no fun. Fine. It's just a recording—so stingy about a few intimate sounds. I'll delete it."
"Really?" Ada narrowed her eyes.
"Of course, I deleted it." White Queen raised one hand as if taking an oath, the other hand behind her back as encrypted backups quietly saved in the background.
Alice sighed. "Fine. We'll believe you—this once."
"Your distrust wounds me," White Queen said dramatically, placing her hand over her heart in mock offense. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention—Pepper and William broke up. But instead of running back to Tony Stark, she ended up with someone unexpected… a woman named Jane Foster."
Alice blinked. "Wait, what? Jane Foster, the astrophysicist?"
"The very one," White Queen nodded. "They seem rather close. Perhaps a little too close."
Ada frowned. "Maybe Jane knows where William really is. Should we pay them a visit? Maybe get some answers?"
"You can try," White Queen said with a shrug. "But I still believe he went to Asgard. If that's true, they might not have anything useful to share—just more speculation."
Alice crossed her arms. "Even so, it's better than sitting here doing nothing. Maybe hearing the full story from them could give us a lead. And honestly, a little trip might help clear our heads."
"Exactly," Ada agreed, rising from the sofa. "Let's go talk to them. Worst case, we get a good cup of coffee."
Just as the trio prepared to leave, a shimmer of light passed through White Queen's eyes. She froze for a split second as a flurry of data scrolled across her internal mind.
"Wait," she said suddenly.
Alice stopped. "What is it now?"
White Queen's tone turned serious. "I just picked up an anomaly. A powerful surge of spatial energy appeared over the southernmost waters of South America. It's fresh—just a few minutes ago."
Ada's flames dissipated, and her expression turned tense. "You think it's related to William?"
"I can't say for certain," White Queen admitted. "But given the magnitude and unique signature of the spatial distortion, I wouldn't rule it out. It's unlike anything recorded in recent years."
Alice nodded decisively. "Then we're going. Let's get there fast."
"I've already arranged for Justin Hammer's private jet. It's fueled, prepped, and waiting on the rooftop helipad. We leave now."
The three women moved quickly, their urgency unspoken but mutual.
---
Old Bridge City, New Mexico
Jane Foster stared intently at her laptop screen. The image on it was grainy and vibrating violently. Her eyes widened in shock.
"This location… it matches the southernmost tip of South America," she murmured.
From the side, Pepper Potts leaned in, curious. "What's going on? You found something?"
Jane didn't hesitate. "We have to go there. Now. Something big is happening, and I need to see it with my own eyes."
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her coat and rushed out of the lab.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Pepper called after her, hurrying to keep up.
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Underground Base – Classified Location
In the dim light of glowing monitors, Agent Maria Hill sat upright, typing rapidly as alerts filled her screen.
Her brow furrowed. "Sir, we've detected a surge of space energy. It's powerful—and it appeared just moments ago over the southernmost waters of South America."
Nick Fury stepped up beside her, his expression grim beneath the shadow of his eyepatch. He didn't hesitate.
"Send a team immediately. I want eyes on the ground and drones in the air. We're not taking any chances. This could be the next big event—or the next major threat."
"Understood."
And so, from multiple corners of the Earth, different forces began to converge on a single point—each seeking the same thing.
Answers.
Or perhaps, the man they all thought lost.
*****
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