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*****
Having looked through the photographs, Tony felt a sudden, unspoken urge to accelerate the construction of the spaceship. However, he remained grounded enough to know that no matter how much he optimized the pipeline, they weren't going to pull a functional interstellar vessel out of a hat in a day or two.
"These Asgardian gods don't really look all that different from us," Tony remarked, eyeing the holographic projections. Since snapping pictures had been easiest while lounging around the Golden Realm, the bulk of the collection naturally featured Asgardian landscapes and faces.
"If we're talking about a pure physical brawl without your armor, practically any random woman pulled off their streets could beat you to a bloody pulp!" Fini countered with a smirk. While Asgardians certainly shared a striking physical resemblance to Earthlings, their baseline physiology existed on an entirely different evolutionary tier—to say nothing of their staggering lifespans.
"Statistically impossible. I've undergone extensive martial arts training; I can comfortably handle a three-on-one scenario," Tony shot back, clearly unwilling to bruise his own ego. But perhaps realizing he was talking a bit too big, he quickly tacked on a crucial condition: "Unless, of course, they all happen to be carrying mystical hammers."
It was evident that Thor's display with Mjolnir during their initial encounter had left an exceptionally deep impression on the billionaire's psyche.
Fini didn't care to drag out the argument. Reaching into his Item Storage, he pulled out a gift he had brought back from his travels—a pair of exquisitely crafted matching jewelry pendants—and tossed them over.
"Asgardian enchanted jewelry. Wearing them actively preserves your physical health. One for you, one for Pepper."
Tony didn't stand on ceremony. He caught the beautiful pendants with practiced ease, turning them over in his hands with genuine curiosity. "Got any spares? Throw a few more my way so I can run some diagnostic scans and break down the matrix."
"These things are incredibly expensive!" Fini grumbled, mildly exasperated. Nonetheless, he fished out a third piece featuring a completely different design template and handed it over, using the opening to pivot to business.
"By the way, there's something else. That private research laboratory I invested in recently unlocked some revolutionary biomedical technologies. I'm slightly concerned the data might attract some unsavory, ill-intentioned characters. Have Pepper step in to help manage the logistics and set up a joint venture."
Tony, who had been completely absorbed in examining the enchanted jewelry, instantly raised his head. He arched an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Are we talking about that stunning beauty of a doctorate prodigy you've been hiding away from the world?"
"If you're eager to experience firsthand what it feels like to be permanently mute, by all means, keep running your mouth." Fini stared at Tony with absolute serenity, silently daring him to test his resolve.
When it came to Fini's bizarre supernatural repertoire, Tony's operational philosophy these days was firmly rooted in better safe than sorry. He wasn't about to push his luck. Smoothly changing the subject, he asked, "How did the experiment turn out for those Sokovian siblings?"
"You don't know yet?" Fini shot Tony a mildly surprised look before explaining, "The procedure was successfully completed a few days ago. Pietro manifested a variation of extreme superhuman velocity, while Wanda unlocked a potent blend of telepathic intrusion and raw energy manipulation."
"It actually succeeded?" Tony blanked for a second. Although Fini had explicitly outlined his intentions when he dropped by to borrow JARVIS's computational power, the billionaire hadn't quite expected Fini to actually manifest bona fide superpowers out of thin air.
"Is the process itself inherently hazardous?" Tony asked. While he harbored supreme confidence in his Iron Man armors, seeing Fini manufacture enhanced individuals with such casual ease naturally sparked a faint glint of interest in his scientific mind.
"If anyone other than those two attempted that exact experiment, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if they ended up dead on the table." Fini's response was entirely flat.
If it hadn't been for his absolute certainty regarding their unique destiny based on his knowledge of the original timeline, he would never have dared to let Pietro and Wanda undergo the procedure. Even with that meta-contextual insurance policy, the actual operational risks had been astronomical. Fortunately, the gamble had paid off perfectly.
Hearing the sheer lethality of the statistics, Tony immediately purged any passing thoughts of acquiring bio-enhancements, concluding that thoroughly mastering his mechanical engineering was a significantly safer path to power.
---
Fini spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging around Tony's luxury villa, casually trading updates. He caught up on the domestic events that had transpired during his absence while giving Tony a comprehensive breakdown of the geopolitical climate across the Nine Realms.
Upon hearing that the vast majority of the outer realms were currently thoroughly embroiled in brutal, widespread warfare, a sudden sense of systemic urgency flared up within Tony's chest. He found himself voicing the exact same question that had plagued Fini when he first learned the truth:
"But if the cosmos is in that much chaos, why hasn't anyone touched Earth?"
"Because the rest of the universe looks at us and assumes we're dirt poor. To be perfectly honest, the general impression most interstellar civilizations and cosmic realms hold regarding Earth is likely still stuck somewhere around the first century," Fini explained with a slow sigh.
"Furthermore, the news regarding the absolute annihilation of the Chitauri invasion force managed to circulate through the cosmic grapevine. A decent faction of galactic players now understands that Midgard isn't entirely a soft target. The heavy hitters don't want to waste resources on a planet with so few assets, and the weaker factions are simply terrified of taking the gamble."
"Ultimately, it's a combination of those exact factors that created the current peaceful status quo."
Tony fell into a pensive silence reflecting on Fini's breakdown. Compared to the first insultingly dismissive reasoning, his engineer's pride preferred to believe that raw, kinetic deterrence was what truly kept the interstellar raiders from knocking on their door.
As evening approached, Pepper arrived at the villa. She was absolutely delighted by Fini's thoughtful gesture, treating the enchanted pendant with immense care the moment she learned it was an authentic artifact brought back from an alien world.
When Fini brought up the proposition regarding a corporate partnership with Helen Cho's laboratory, she agreed to the terms without a single moment of hesitation. In reality, given the deep baseline of trust and history between them, a formal request wasn't even necessary—a simple casual mention was more than enough to set the wheels of Stark Industries in motion.
Following a pleasant dinner at the Stark residence, Fini opted not to overstay his welcome and play third wheel. He manifested a fiery sling ring portal and stepped straight through, arriving back at Kamar-Taj.
---
At this hour, Kamar-Taj was still roughly an hour or two away from the first break of dawn. Not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep, Fini tracked down a secluded, familiar peak nearby and sat down. He spent the remaining hours of the night quietly analyzing the peculiar resonance he had felt from the 'Evil King's True Eye' when he first conjured the Mirror Dimension, all while silently waiting for the sunrise.
As the sun slowly crested over the jagged eastern peaks, spilling its first brilliant, golden rays across the ancient sanctuary, Fini extended his arms and took a deep, refreshing stretch. He realized that after being swept up in a relentless whirlwind of cosmic conflicts for so long, simply sitting still in absolute silence to watch a sunrise was an incredibly grounding experience.
With the sun fully ascending, the characteristically disciplined sorcerers of Kamar-Taj began emerging to commence their morning training regimens. As Fini walked down the stone pathways, he crossed paths with numerous familiar faces.
He exchanged warm smiles and casual greetings with everyone he met, his mind naturally drifting back to the vivid memories of his very first days within these walls.
Back then, he had walked into his audience with the Ancient One with a heart full of nervous apprehension, deeply eager to master the mystic arts. Yet, looking back, a whole year had passed during his initial tenure without him even managing to grasp the basic mechanics of a simple Eldritch portal.
Contrasting his past struggles with his current capabilities, Fini couldn't help but marvel at how rapidly time had flown by.
Occasionally, he found himself wondering what his life would look like had he never sought out the Ancient One or chosen to study magic within Kamar-Taj. His baseline intuition gave him a very blunt answer: his circumstances would almost certainly be nowhere near as stable as they were today.
Indulging in his nostalgia, Fini continued his relaxed stroll toward the courtyard where the Ancient One typically frequented during the early hours of the morning. Along the way, whenever he ran into an old acquaintance, he would enthusiastically strike up a conversation and hand out a fresh batch of 'Violet's Fried Chicken Chunks.'
Just as Fini was nearing his destination, a familiar figure materialized at the end of the corridor, leading a small entourage of four or five sorcerers as they hurried briskly in his direction.
"Morning, Kaecilius."
Fini paused his steps, coming to a halt as he casually offered a greeting.
Time had thoroughly shifted his perspectives; he no longer harbored that intense, baseline hostility he had felt toward Kaecilius during his early days, back when he had constantly plotted to have the man expelled from the order to prevent the future crisis. However, deep within the recesses of his mind, a profound level of tactical vigilance remained firmly intact.
Catching sight of Fini, Kaecilius appeared mildly takenafresh, but he quickly recovered his composure and offered a terse nod. "Good morning, Mage Harsiesis."
The moment the words left his mouth, he swept right past Fini without a single beat of hesitation, maintaining his rapid pace. The sorcerers following closely in his wake each offered Fini a brief, respectful nod of acknowledgement before quickly catching up to their leader's stride.
Fini didn't let the cold shoulder bother him. He calmly watched Kaecilius and his loyalists disappear around the corner, letting out a soft, silent sigh before resuming his path to locate the Ancient One for a long-overdue conversation.
(End of Chapter)