"It's no big deal."
That was Herta's final word on the matter.
No big deal?
Looking at Asta's volatile state, it certainly didn't feel like a minor issue. But then again... if you really thought about it, perhaps only a crisis on the scale of universal collapse would qualify as a "big deal" in Herta's eyes.
Somehow catching onto Herta's wavelength, the Avengers found themselves calming down as well.
"Madam Herta only cares about things related to experiments and research, but this incident is a diplomatic provocation... no, it's an insult!" A rare flash of genuine anger colored Asta's face.
A diplomatic insult? An insult to The Blue?
The Avengers looked at the terminal in Herta's hand with disbelief. It was hard to imagine what kind of cosmic power would dare pull a stunt like that.
"With the way that guy's brain is wired, it's only natural for her to get worked up," Herta remarked casually, tossing the terminal aside.
"Xandar is a friendly civilization to us. Besides, we only just signed a ceasefire with the Kree not long ago. Xandar was there at the signing, too. This was supposed to be the final note of peace between our three parties!" Asta's expression remained grim.
Ah... that explained it.
The Avengers recalled that the whole reason Asta had been caught up in the Battle of New York in the first place was that she had been en route to the signing of that very treaty.
"The things gained by war are never as precious as the things lost. Why can't they understand that?"
No one could offer an answer to Asta's question.
The Avengers could only offer their emotional sympathy; even Tony, who had long since sworn off being a weapons manufacturer, had no desire to play philosopher on the nature of war.
Still, they understood her feelings perfectly. The longing for peace and beauty—that was a sentiment that could never be wrong.
"Well, the timing is actually quite perfect."
Just as the atmosphere began to grow heavy, Herta spoke up. "I was just planning to borrow the Power Stone from Xandar anyway."
Hearing this, Asta immediately caught Herta's drift.
This gave The Blue a justification to intervene. Xandar wouldn't normally seek out an alliance on its own, but The Blue could provide aid under the guise of a trade, and secure the Power Stone in the process.
Even if they couldn't keep it, surely there would be no issue with conducting some experiments and research on it?
"Then I'll contact Xandar right away!" Asta turned to leave, but Herta called out to stop her.
"Wait. I'm going along this time. Earth is much closer to Xandar than The Blue is anyway; we should be there in a day or two."
Her words left Asta momentarily stunned.
"Madam Herta, you're coming too?"
It was an obviously shocked reaction, though it lined up with the Avengers' own assessment.
Scientists of Herta's caliber usually weren't the type to go wandering about, were they?
With something like the Simulated Universe at her disposal, Herta could conduct the vast majority of her research without ever stepping foot outside her door.
And for the few things she couldn't do at home, she usually just had to snap her fingers and someone else would provide the necessary conditions.
Besides, Herta clearly didn't seem like the type who enjoyed sitting through diplomatic negotiations.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not going for the negotiations. I'm going to see someone," the brown-haired girl said, her gaze sweeping over the Avengers. "As it happens, you all know him."
That definitely meant they knew him.
The Avengers' expressions twitched.
Who else would be scouring the universe for Infinity Stones? Thanos.
They had crossed paths with Thanos more than a few times in the Simulated Universe. They had won on occasion, but they had lost far more often.
In fact, the memory of their first encounter with him in the simulation—where they were effortlessly crushed—was still vivid in their minds. It was that moment that had truly taught them the terrifying weight of the Infinity Stones.
"So, Thanos is hunting the Stones in this universe too..."
A shadow fell over Tony's eyes. His numerous clashes with Thanos had instilled in him a deep-seated enmity and a sense of impending doom regarding the madman. He knew all too well that a final confrontation between them was inevitable.
"In that case, can you take me along?" he asked point-blank.
Feeling the eyes of the group on him, Tony gave a casual shrug. "Since you're taking this Star Destroyer out anyway, there's no way for us to run tests in the Simulated Universe."
Well... he had a point.
Rogers wasn't like Tony; he preferred to lay his thoughts and motives out clearly. "Thanos is an enemy to the entire universe. His vision is too insane. Earth won't allow his goals to come to fruition."
He looked toward Herta. "I trust that Madam Herta can keep the Stone safe, but I can't just sit idly by while I know a disaster is unfolding."
Clearly, he wanted in as well.
Truthfully, Banner didn't really want to go. But after so many joint tests, so much time spent together, and so many battles survived, he couldn't bear to let his teammates fly off to a battlefield he couldn't reach, even if he still hated the fighting itself.
Natasha and Barton, however, were conflicted.
Emotionally, they wanted to follow the team, but they weren't just Avengers—they were agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Unless they were ready to burn bridges with the agency, they couldn't make this decision on their own.
Thor didn't have as many internal conflicts as the others, but like Natasha and Barton, his status meant he couldn't just act recklessly.
On Earth, it was fine—Earth was one of the Nine Realms under Asgard's protection, and no one would complain if Thor acted on impulse.
But once he stepped outside the Nine Realms, his every word and action would be scrutinized and interpreted as a political move.
Amidst the lingering silence, the three of them departed from the battleship.
Whether they came along or not didn't really matter to Herta. On a stage as vast as an interstellar war, even someone like the Hulk couldn't provide much of a strategic advantage as a single unit.
He was useful, sure, but only to a point—mostly for decapitation strikes or boarding actions.
Those two tactics might seem laughable in the context of galactic warfare, but Herta could actually pull them off. After all, her Space and Reality Stones were the real deal, and her portal magic was no parlor trick.
Once the preparations were complete, the Star Destroyer began its warp.
Its massive size meant it couldn't zip through space as easily as a small jump-ship; doing so would risk the entire vessel tearing itself apart. Consequently, it would take at least a day to reach Xandar.
Rogers, Tony, and Banner were led by Asta to the vacant staff quarters. Shortly after, Asta initiated the call to Xandar.
To the people of Xandar, the trade offer from The Blue felt like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.
They had already sensed something was wrong; the Kree offensive was far more aggressive than usual, utilizing tactics and weaponry they had never seen before.
It all pointed to the Kree having someone powerful backing them.
And the goal of supporting the Kree to attack them now wasn't hard to guess.
They naturally welcomed The Blue's intervention.
As for the condition regarding the Power Stone, they weren't particularly bothered. Just as The Blue trusted their character, their trust in The Blue was equally high.
In any case, it was better than letting it fall into the hands of the shadow pulling the strings.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.