Banner stood in the living room, looking much better than before; although his face was still pale, at least he was no longer trembling.
Mavuika stood up from the sofa.
"I'll be going now," she said.
Tony and Banner looked at her simultaneously.
"Leaving already?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Not staying for breakfast? I just had Jarvis order fresh bagels."
"No need," Mavuika shook her head. "I'm going back to catch up on some sleep."
Tony's expression became subtle.
"...Catch up on sleep? You actually need to sleep?"
Tony's tone was filled with obvious disbelief; he had known Mavuika for sixteen years and had never seen her show any signs of "fatigue."
No matter when she appeared before him, she was always full of energy.
Besides, as the sun goddess of Asgard, a figure from norse mythology, such an existence needed sleep?
Mavuika looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
"Of course I do," she said, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. "I'm a girl, after all; getting enough sleep is very necessary."
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched.
"Fine," he took a deep breath. "Then go back and get some good sleep. Come back when you wake up, and I'll have Jarvis prepare coffee and bagels by then."
Mavuika nodded and turned to Banner.
"Get some rest," she said, her tone carrying a calm sense of instruction. "Although Tony talks a lot, he's a decent guy; if you need anything, you can go to him."
Banner nodded, opening his mouth to say something like 'thank you,' but Mavuika had already turned and walked toward the terrace.
Golden-red flames rose from beneath her feet.
The next second, she soared into the sky and disappeared into the morning blue.
The living room was quiet for a few seconds.
Tony walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the direction in which the streak of light had vanished, and sighed softly.
"She said 'catch up on sleep,'" he muttered to himself. "I really wonder what she dreams about."
Banner stood behind him, also looking at the sky.
"...Who exactly is she?" he asked softly.
Tony turned his head and looked at him.
"A friend," he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "A very good friend."
He paused, then added, "And a very, very powerful friend. You're lucky today to have been found by her."
Banner was silent.
Lucky? Perhaps.
If it weren't for her, he might still be lying in the ruins of Harlem, being taken away by the Military, locked in some underground laboratory, and becoming General Ross's endless subject of research.
But now, he was standing in Tony Stark's Villa, wearing borrowed clothes, with freshly brewed coffee in front of him and bagels about to be delivered.
This was indeed quite lucky.
"...Thank you," he said, not knowing if he was saying it to Tony or to Mavuika, who had already flown away.
Tony waved his hand. "Don't mention it. Come on, have a cup of coffee first, and then we'll talk about your Gamma Ray research."
Banner's expression stiffened for a moment.
Tony immediately added, "Not now! You rest first, eat breakfast, and recover a bit. Scientific research can't be rushed, I know that."
The next day.
Mavuika was woken up by her phone vibrating.
She opened her eyes and realized she had slept until the afternoon without knowing it; the sky outside the window had already darkened. Her phone was vibrating wildly on the bedside table, the screen lit up, showing dozens of unread messages.
She picked it up and took a look.
Tony: You're famous.
Tony: The whole internet is looking for you.
Tony: Do you need me to arrange an agent for you?
Tony: Never mind, with your personality, you'd definitely find it annoying.
Tony: Banner is still with me. By the way, his Gamma Ray theory is really interesting.
Mavuika skipped Tony's nonsense and continued reading.
Then she saw the news notifications.
New York Post: "Monster Battle Erupts in Harlem! Mysterious Red-Haired Woman Defeats Giant with One Hand!"
Daily News: "'sun woman' Saves Harlem — Witnesses Say the Woman Emitted Golden Light!"
Wall Street Journal: "Military Confirms: Captain Bronski Illegally Injected Experimental Serum, Causing Dozens of Casualties; Mysterious Woman's Identity Remains a Mystery."
There were also screenshots of social media, with #sun woman at the top of the Twitter trending list, #Harlem Monster in second, and #Mysterious Red-Haired Woman in third.
Mavuika clicked on one of the links.
It was a news video from last night.
The footage started with a helicopter aerial view; Harlem was filled with thick smoke, cars were overturned on the streets, and flames were soaring into the sky. Then the camera zoomed in, focusing on that yellowish-brown giant—Abomination.
It was rampaging through the streets, grabbing a car and throwing it into the distance; that car smashed into an apartment building, causing the wall to collapse.
Then the camera switched to ground-level filming. In the shaky footage, a little girl wearing a pink hoodie was standing in the middle of the road, eyes full of tears, at a loss.
Then a golden-red light descended from the sky.
Mavuika landed in front of the little girl, raised her hand, and blocked the Abomination's falling giant palm with a single finger.
The comment section had already exploded.
"I've watched it three times and still don't understand how she did it."
"Is that a god???"
"Who is that woman? She's way too strong!"
"Someone said it's a Valkyrie from norse mythology?"
"Bullshit, since when do Valkyries have golden flames!"
"Who cares who she is, she saved my cousin! My cousin was on that street at the time!"
"Hero! A true hero!"
"The Military waste couldn't even budge the monster after fighting for so long, and she stopped it with one finger!"
"#sun woman, well-deserved!"
Mavuika put down the phone and leaned against the headboard.
It would probably be very troublesome to go out from now on, but fortunately, she wouldn't be staying in Midgard for much longer anyway.
Once Hela came out, she could return to Asgard with her sister.
Thinking of this, Mavuika couldn't help but miss her father and Mother, as well as Thor and Loki; she wondered what they were doing now.
Mavuika put down the phone and turned on the TV.
All channels were discussing the Harlem incident.
About the Abomination and Hulk, and about that mysterious woman.
A host in a suit spoke passionately to the camera: "...No matter who she is, no matter where her abilities come from, one thing is certain: she saved countless lives! She is a true hero!"
In the comment sections, people started digging for clues.
Someone dug up a racing video from a few years ago; a red-haired female racer was speeding on a mountain road on a motorcycle, with astonishing speed and skilled technique.
Although the face couldn't be seen clearly, that golden-red long hair was exactly the same as Mavuika's.
Someone posted a blurry photo taken at the entrance of a museum, where a red-haired woman was walking through the doors.
Others started researching her "abilities."
Slow-motion replays showed that when she blocked the Abomination's fist, there was a golden glow around her; it didn't seem like ordinary fire, but a kind of purer, warmer energy.
The name "sun woman" began to be accepted by more people.
On social media, some even started drawing fan art: a woman with long, golden-red hair, Burning with golden flames, standing in the ruins protecting a child.