"He's on the move. Looks like around forty this time, including the Abomination Xenomorph. More vampires are about to have a bad day!"
"Adam only got this far thanks to the vampires! When the hell are those bloodsuckers going to go extinct?"
"Soon enough. He'll wipe out the ones in New York eventually."
It was common knowledge that Adam had a special fondness for vampires. They were numerous and relatively easy to deal with.
Even if the vampires in various strongholds fought to the death, they could at most kill off a batch of Xenomorphs. Adam could simply capture more hosts and replenish his numbers. He didn't care about the casualties at all.
Naturally, everyone still assumed this operation was aimed at the vampires and that he would continue expanding his Xenomorph forces. That only made people more uneasy.
"We can't let this continue. We see no upper limit to how many of those things he can have! If we allow him to keep growing unchecked, it'll be a disaster. We need to stop him immediately... even if it means using force!"
Fury had reached his limit. He ordered Coulson to locate Adam and negotiate, while preparing troops. If Adam refused to comply, they would resort to armed intimidation.
But the news came back quickly: Adam wasn't hunting more vampires. He had loaded his Xenomorphs onto a helicopter and was heading for New Mexico.
...
"I must be out of my mind for even arranging transport for you."
Tony Stark looked at the large group of Xenomorphs and immediately regretted agreeing to Adam's request. "Jarvis, run a diagnostic on my brain. Did he mentally control me?"
"No, sir. Everything checks out."
"Really? Maybe subtle psychic suggestion? Something more insidious than direct control. He can command dozens of these things at once... maybe that's how he does it." Tony sounded distinctly uneasy.
"You should stop worrying about that. Did you sort out the mess with Ross? I'd rather not visit you in prison," Adam said into the headset, confident that Tony could hear him.
"A billion dollars and they think I have some issues. Ten billion and they decide I did nothing wrong. A hundred billion and they'd declare me a public hero. But why would I spend a hundred billion? Those guys don't care about Ross's life. They care about whether the projects he oversaw can continue."
"Let me guess... the Super Soldier Program? That's the only explanation for why he's so obsessed with hunting the Hulk," Adam said.
"Sometimes I wonder if you've already read the script. More people these days want to get in touch with you and bring your Xenomorphs into the Super Soldier initiative. You probably already guessed they asked me to reach out." Tony frowned, visibly irritated.
Those people didn't believe there was genuine friendship between Tony and Adam, but they did believe in a financial relationship. They had discovered Tony had wired money to Adam, and such ties often proved more reliable than friendship.
"Plenty of people have tried contacting me. They're all waiting for the right moment."
"Like this time? The second you leave, a vacuum forms. Your base is going to attract a lot of unwelcome visitors," Tony warned directly.
Adam might not be a traditional superhero, but Tony found dealing with someone as capable and promising as him far preferable to working with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Adam didn't respond, only chuckled softly. The defensive forces he had left behind were strong enough to handle most threats. Even if some truly powerful intruder showed up, it wouldn't matter.
Because the Queen had already slipped in among the forty-plus Xenomorphs accompanying him.
...
Asgard. The flat, disk-shaped realm floated serenely among the stars.
"Your recklessness nearly triggered another war across the World Tree!" Odin's aged face was filled with anger and disappointment as he stared at the son in whom he had placed so much hope.
"I want war!"
Thor and Odin's argument erupted fiercely. The God of Thunder shouted in the great hall, "Why must we cower? I am fully capable of wiping out those Frost Giants! Asgard has the strength to conquer Jotunheim and end all wars within the World Tree once and for all! Your greatest son has the power to slay Laufey! I don't understand why you spend time watching over Midgard and researching the Celestials instead of supporting your finest heir!"
Extreme admiration could easily breed extreme resentment.
Thor didn't hate his father, but a son who idolized him so fiercely naturally wanted to earn his approval through the methods he knew best. Yet his bold actions had only earned rebuke.
The father-son relationship soured. Thor felt wronged, and a vague sense of sensitivity took root.
Odin shot a fierce glare at Loki standing nearby. Loki promptly lowered his head, looking innocent.
"You were spying on your father?" Odin's tone grew cold.
"I was watching over my father! The Celestials aren't so impressive. That Midgardian drove one off... I can do the same!" Thor shouted.
"Heimdall told you? Of course. I never instructed him to keep such a trivial secret... just as I never imagined my son would use petty tricks against me!"
Loki's head sank even lower.
Odin's expression darkened considerably. Even though he was nearing the end of his long life, he was still the All-Father. Not even his own son could speak to him this way... let alone spy on his actions and openly admit it!
His close monitoring of the Celestials wasn't truly about them. It was about the greater Celestials themselves!
Over a thousand years ago, he had allied with every pantheon of the World Tree to battle the arriving Celestials... and suffered a crushing defeat!
The Eternals on Earth were powerful agents created by one of the mightiest Celestials. How could Odin not pay attention? He was already too old. Simply sustaining his own vast divine power brought him pain and strain. If the Celestials returned, he would have no strength left to fight as he had a millennium ago.
"Enough, you reckless fool. You understand nothing!" Odin was bitterly disappointed. The hot-headed Thor had no grasp of his father's burdens.
"You cowardly old man!"
The words burst from Thor's heated mind before he could stop them. He froze on the spot.
The entire hall fell deathly silent. Everyone stared at Thor in shock. Even Loki, who had been subtly fanning the flames, widened his eyes in disbelief at his brother.
Was he insane? Thor had just insulted the most exalted, powerful, and domineering All-Father of the World Tree!
"I see now. You're jealous? Jealous that a Midgardian accomplished something you couldn't, so you resort to violence. After a thousand years of education and nurturing, I raised you into a fool who solves every problem with brute force."
Odin suddenly seemed much older. He had only been hesitating before, contacting the Ancient One merely as a precaution. Now his resolve hardened.
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