Heroes of MarvelHeroes of Marvel
Clank!
“Are you the big guy from earlier?” The person approaching Dr. Banner wasn’t anyone else but Thor, the same Thor who had mentioned wanting to have a one-on-one showdown with Hulk. Clearly, Thor had witnessed the transformation of Hulk back into Dr. Banner.
“Hmm? You are… you’re that alien from Asgard! I’ve been wanting to meet you. Would you be interested in helping me with some experiments? I’ve been researching alien lifeforms recently,” Dr. Banner exclaimed with excitement upon seeing Thor approach.
“Experiments and research?” Thor had initially come looking for trouble, but Banner’s unexpected response left him baffled.
Inhale!
Given Dr. Banner’s current authority within SHIELD, he indeed had the means to provide Thor with many things. Of course, saying these things in his current state was akin to delivering a powerful punch into cotton for Thor, who had originally come prepared for a confrontation. The punch had no impact at all.
“What do you mean… by this?” As Banner kept advancing, Thor’s voice started to tremble slightly.
“My meaning is… perhaps you would be willing to accompany me back. There’s usually not much to do, just provide me with some of your hair, blood, and even body tissues, if you’re willing…” In response to Thor’s inquiry, Dr. Banner earnestly answered.
In the next instant, Dr. Banner’s previously empty hand had already grabbed onto Thor’s arm, as if fearing that the alien subject he’d just encountered might escape.
“You!… What are you trying to do?!…” Thor, taken aback by the individual in front of him, clutching his oversized pants, and recalling his earlier words, suddenly felt a shiver down his spine.
Clearly, even the mightiest individuals could be overcome when faced with a scientist driven by scientific curiosity. Thor, who had come in with such determination, was now standing in front of a scientist with an empty hand and only his oversized pants, feeling quite horrified.
This scientist was asking for his hair, blood, and tissues?! Just the thought was terrifying!
Hu!
“I think I’ll pass on that one-on-one! I’m heading back! I need to go check on Loki!” Shaking off Dr. Banner’s grip on his hand, Thor exclaimed nervously.
Then, Thor briskly walked over to where Lin Rui was, putting some distance between himself and Dr. Banner. Naturally, Lin Rui, who had been concerned that Thor might stir up trouble, almost burst out laughing upon witnessing this scene. However, with Thor having been scared off, everything seemed to have settled down.
However, Lin Rui had originally intended to spar with Thor, to test the extent of Thor’s recovery of power. If Thor’s strength was adequate, Lin Rui had even planned to ask him for assistance against Dormammu.
But now, it appeared that Thor wasn’t up to the task. In fact, not only Thor, even Loki, whose strength hadn’t been suppressed, wouldn’t be suitable.
Thus, the events that unfolded among Lin Rui, Thor, and Dr. Banner in the Sahara Desert turned into something of a farce. Apart from causing some trouble for Tony, SHIELD, and even himself, there wasn’t much gained.
Even Loki, who was supposed to be detained by SHIELD, was taken away by Sorcerers who unexpectedly appeared. Lin Rui and his companions seemed to have gained nothing from this encounter.
“Sigh! After spending so much time and effort, am I destined to be nothing more than a spectator in this situation?” Watching his companions who had gone through a senseless battle on his behalf, Lin Rui felt a touch of guilt within him.
“Never mind, if I’m destined to stay out of this, then I can only hope that the Ancient One and the other Sorcerers manage to drive Dormammu away successfully. After all, according to the original storyline, Dormammu is supposed to be defeated by Doctor Strange. It’s just that the Ancient One…” Lin Rui concluded with this thought.
Next, Lin Rui felt apologetic as he expressed his apologies to Tony, Rogers, and the others. If he and Thor hadn’t engaged in combat here, Loki wouldn’t have been drawn into causing such a major incident.
However, Tony and the others reassured him; while Tony’s Iron Man suits were damaged, they could be repaired, and the SHIELD operatives who were injured had strong physical constitutions and ample medication for a swift recovery.
As for Hawkeye, the blow from Loki seemed to have missed his heart due to some reason, so he wasn’t gravely harmed and would need only a couple of days’ rest. Overall, this incident was neither too significant nor too minor.
Nevertheless, it gave Tony, SHIELD, and Lin Rui a renewed sense of the disparity between Earth and other alien civilizations. After all, except for Hulk’s intervention, Loki would have been a force to reckon with.
“Let’s go, let’s regroup and head back. We can leave a small team behind to handle the aftermath. I’ve heard reports that a few search teams are approaching from the southwest. We better make our exit,” The Quinjets that had been hovering in the air earlier had landed, and now Captain Rogers took charge of post-battle operations.
Captain Rogers didn’t intend to engage with the search teams gradually closing in from the southwest. After all, they were local search parties, and while SHIELD was responsible for safeguarding Earth and its people, these minor matters didn’t require their intervention.
Besides, the opposing teams hadn’t yet reached SHIELD’s level of operation.
However, when Jack heard Captain Rogers’s words, his gaze flickered. Not long ago, he had personally sent away a group of desert explorers who appeared to be in distress. If those search teams were looking for that particular desert exploration team, even if they scoured the Sahara Desert, they wouldn’t find them.
Under Captain Rogers’s command, a highly skilled SHIELD team swiftly began to clear the battlefield. Working alongside Tony in his Iron Man suits, they tidied up everything that should remain hidden from civilians’ sight. Then, they boarded the Quinjets and retreated.
Once SHIELD had withdrawn, only Lin Rui’s group remained on the ground. Since they had sorcerer Jack among them, they didn’t take the SHIELD jets back. Tony had SHIELD help transport the damaged Iron Man suits while he planned to return with Lin Rui and the others.
“Let’s go, I’ll teleport you back first,” Seeing the SHIELD Quinjets disappear into the horizon, Jack extended his hand and began tracing symbols in the air.
Whoooosh~
Soon, a golden magic portal materialized in front of them. Lin Rui and the others stepped into it one by one, transporting them back to the Stark Industry building in New York City.
……
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