When Peter learned of the matter, he was at Gwen's house.
Don't misunderstand; he wasn't doing anything untoward at Gwen's place. He was simply helping her with her summer homework. After all, Gwen had spent far too much time this summer acting as Ghost-Spider.
Gwen also found it quite strange. She wondered how Peter Parker managed to keep his grades stable while busy being Spider-Man; she felt that if she continued as Ghost-Spider, not only would her participation in the band dwindle, but her grades would inevitably slip as well.
Just as the two were tackling a math problem, Peter received a text. He pulled out his phone, glanced at it, and spoke to Gwen with a look of apology.
"Sorry, Gwen. Something came up with the Avengers. I have to go."
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. If you need any help, just call me."
Peter took his phone, donned his nanotech suit, and teleported to Avengers Tower. He found the attendance exceptionally full this time; not only was Thor there, but even Black Panther in Wakanda had chosen to join the meeting via video link.
Naturally, Peter also noticed Namor sitting on the sofa, looking like a half-frozen piece of dried fish, and cast a curious glance toward the group.
Thor, at that moment, was explaining the background of what he knew.
"The Casket of Ancient Winters is a terrifying and powerful artifact. It contains the Fimbulwinter of the primordial giant Ymir. This winter can plunge the entire world into a perpetual frost without daylight."
"A weather weapon capable of throwing the entire world back into the Ice Age. Just thinking about it sounds like a headache."
Tony nodded in understanding but then asked Thor a skeptical follow-up: "According to you, if this thing is so powerful, how did it get stolen? That's a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"
Having spoken quietly with Captain America, Peter began to grasp the general situation. A surface-world energy agency had intended to conduct undersea exploration near an Atlantean city, where they encountered Namor.
However, the subsequent development of the plot was somewhat unexpected. The group wasn't driven away or killed by Namor. Instead, something else happened: Krang, one of Namor's subordinates, staged a mutiny, inciting a large number of Atlantean soldiers to rebel.
Namor quickly realized something was wrong and led his royal guard to confront the rebels. To his surprise, the opposition pulled out the Casket of Ancient Winters and froze the entire Atlantean army solid.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Thor had learned from his brother Heimdall how the Casket had been stolen. Amora the Enchantress, a subordinate of Loki, had stolen the artifact and handed it over to the Atlantean warlord Krang. After questioning Loki, Thor immediately rushed to Atlantis and rescued Namor.
So, the question returned to Tony's earlier confusion: why was such an important treasure stolen so easily?
Faced with this question, Thor appeared slightly despondent. "Because of Ragnarok."
In Norse mythology, one cannot avoid mentioning that fated conclusion: Ragnarok. Asgard will fall, and the Nine Realms will utterly collapse in an eternal war—an event any Norse deity would undoubtedly wish to prevent.
But what did this have to do with Atlantis?
"So... you're saying that using this ice box to freeze Atlantis is also part of Ragnarok?"
As Tony spoke, he glanced at the disheartened and dejected Namor beside him before asking out of curiosity. It didn't sound like a normal sequence of events. Thor let out a rare sigh and explained what was supposed to happen.
"My father, Odin the All-Father, sacrificed his right eye to the World Tree to gain ultimate wisdom, and thus saw the future of Ragnarok. First, my brother Balder, the God of Light, will die a tragic death. Then, the Casket of Ancient Winters will be opened, and Fimbulwinter will begin. Asgard will lose the seasons of spring, summer, and autumn. Odin will be unable to enter the Odinsleep to maintain his power. Subsequently, the Nine Realms will fall into chaos due to disease and war, and tyrants and villains will rise."
Ultimately, the rising thugs would destroy Asgard, the twilight would arrive, and the gods would fall.
Everyone listened intently to this prophecy etched into human mythology. Tony then looked at Thor. "Are you sure this box wasn't opened last year? You know, the time your brother brought the Chitauri army to invade New York?"
"...I am quite certain Fimbulwinter has not yet arrived, Stark."
"Great. It seems our world is still unnervingly peaceful."
After Tony finished his quip, Bruce Banner took over the conversation. "So, did your father intentionally allow the box to be stolen? Since your brother hasn't died yet, if Fimbulwinter can be triggered ahead of schedule, then the prophecy might be broken. Am I right?"
"That is my suspicion."
"Suspicion?" Banner asked curiously. "You don't have evidence?"
"My father remains silent on the matter..."
"So you listened to Loki."
Even Captain America felt a bit speechless. Could Loki's words be trusted? If Loki's words were reliable, the world would have been at peace long ago.
Thor faltered for a moment, then glanced at Namor. After hearing Thor's speculation, Namor remained silent. He had requested aid from the Avengers in a moment of desperation and felt he had lost a great deal of face.
Nevertheless, the Avengers decided to help.
"I don't know what your take on Loki is, Thor. But based on our experience, all of Loki's plans revolve around conquest and revenge. Regardless of why he's collaborating with the Atlantean opposition, he is certainly coming for the Avengers."
The Captain looked at Thor, pulling him away from the "Odin's grand conspiracy" theory for the moment. He then looked at everyone behind him and began assigning tasks. "Tony, Bruce, Pym—you're responsible for researching the Casket of Ancient Winters. See if there are technological means to detect and suppress its effects.
King T'Challa, I hope Wakanda can assist in monitoring the conditions on the Atlantic seabed. Your technology is more advanced, and you're closer. Spider-Man, contact the Sorcerer Supreme; we need assistance from the magical world. Wasp, see what other friends we can reach out to."
"Thor." The Captain finally looked at the God of Thunder. "According to what you said, you might be the only one capable of enduring the power of the Casket. I need you to scout the situation in Atlantis. Do not act rashly; we still don't know the ultimate goal behind the enemy's blatant actions."
"Everyone, move out according to instructions."