Ororo closed her eyes for a second. As she stood near Sam, she could feel the energy he was talking about.
Ororo's power connected her to the weather. Because of this, she always felt a wild storm of clouds, wind, and lightning inside her mind.
She constantly had to keep her emotions under strict control.
But right now, standing near this man, the inner storm just stopped.
His warm, pink energy washed over her like a gentle morning sun. It calmed her heart completely. She felt a deep, rare sense of peace.
Ororo opened her eyes and looked at Sam with deep respect.
"Your energy... it is very peaceful,"
She said softly.
Sam gave her a small, polite nod.
"Thank you. I try to keep my inner world quiet."
Scott crossed his arms. He still didn't trust Sam.
"We don't need your 'energy',"
Scott muttered, glaring at him.
"We have a school that takes care of our own."
Sam looked at the angry teenager.
Sam was a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
He had fought a giant war machine, saved Tony Stark, and possessed the power of a glowing flying sword.
He had no desire to argue with a jealous boy in the middle of a shopping mall.
"I am not here to fight you,"
Sam said gently. He turned his attention back to Jean.
Jean looked nervous.
"Are you leaving? But... if you walk away, the voices will come back."
Her hands started to shake.
"I don't want to hear them again."
"Do not worry,"
Sam smiled reassuringly.
He raised his hand and gently tapped the center of her forehead with his index finger.
He let a small drop of his liquid, pink Qi flow directly into her mind.
Jean gasped. She felt a warm, comforting blanket settle over her brain. It felt safe, solid, and incredibly strong.
"I have left a small shield of my Qi around your mind,"
Sam explained, lowering his hand.
"It will keep the loud voices away. It will act as your wall so you don't have to use your own strength. It should last for at least a week."
Jean touched her forehead. Tears of relief filled her green eyes. The mall was still beautifully silent to her mind.
"Thank you,"
She whispered.
"Thank you so much."
Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple white card with a phone number on it. He handed it to her.
"A shield is only a temporary fix,"
Sam told her.
"If you want to learn how to control the water yourself, call me. I can teach you something. But it is your choice."
Jean took the card and held it tightly against her chest.
"I will call you."
Scott opened his mouth to protest, but Ororo put a gentle hand on his shoulder, silently shaking her head.
Ororo knew that Sam was not a threat, and she saw how much pain he had just taken away from Jean.
"Have a good weekend, everyone,"
Sam said. He nodded respectfully to Ororo one last time.
Then, he turned and walked away.
He moved through the busy crowd so smoothly and quietly that within seconds, he completely disappeared from their sight.
Jean stood there, finally at peace, holding the card that could change her life.
Later that evening, Sam was back at his quiet mansion.
He was sitting on the balcony, enjoying the cool night breeze, when his secure phone buzzed. It was Natasha.
"How is the desert?"
Sam asked, smiling.
"Hot, dusty, and full of surprises,"
Natasha's voice came through the speaker. She sounded very intrigued.
"A man broke into our camp today. He is huge, blonde, and fights like a tank. He took down a dozen of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents with his bare hands just to get to the hammer."
"Did he lift it?"
Sam asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"No,"
Natasha replied.
"He grabbed it, pulled with all his might, and nothing happened. He dropped to his knees and looked like his heart was broken. Fury's people think he is just a crazy, highly trained mercenary on steroids. But... I was watching him, Sam."
Natasha paused, lowering her voice so no one in her camp could hear.
"Since I reached the peak of the Qi Gathering Stage, I can feel the world differently,"
She explained.
"This man... his body is too dense. His energy feels like a sleeping thunderstorm. Sam, tell me the truth. You know things that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't even have files on. Is he the real deal? Is this the God of Thunder?"
"He is,"
Sam said simply.
"His name is Thor. He is the Prince of Asgard."
"A god,"
Natasha whispered.
"But if he is a god, why couldn't he lift his own weapon?"
"Because power without wisdom is just destruction,"
Sam explained, his voice calm and deep.
"His father, the King, took his power away and sent him here to learn a lesson. He has to learn humility. Right now, Thor is just a very strong mortal man. He has to prove he has a good heart before the hammer will accept him again."
Natasha let out a soft laugh.
"You always see the whole board, Sam. S.H.I.E.L.D. has supercomputers, satellites, and hundreds of spies, and they are running around completely blind. You just sit in your garden and know the secrets of the universe."
"I just know how the energy of the world works,"
Sam replied modestly.
"But you need to be careful, Nat. If a prince is cast out of his kingdom, the things that hate him might come looking for him. Gods have very big, very dangerous enemies."
"Let them come,"
Natasha said.
Her voice wasn't scared at all. It was confident and sharp.
"I have a rushing river of Qi inside me, Sam. I feel stronger than I ever have in my entire life. I'm actually itching to test it out. I will keep a close eye on our fallen god. If anything big falls from the sky, I'll let you know."
"Stay safe, my love,"
Sam said.
"Always,"
She replied, and ended the call.
Sam looked up at the stars. The pieces were moving into place. The Avengers were slowly coming together, and the world was getting ready for a new era.
40+ more chapter on [email protected]/phelio