Chapter Fifty-Seven: Thor: "This is What I Call Strategy..."

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[Somewhere in an underground base]

The base was shrouded in absolute silence, a shadowy veil obscuring vast stretches of space, making it impossible for any device to detect the presence of Erika.

Relying on her mirroring ability to constantly shift her appearance and identity, and by receiving information through her psychic senses, Erika rapidly searched for her target, while simultaneously gaining a swift and thorough understanding of the base's layout.

Whenever iris verification was required, she would immediately use her mirroring skill to condense a silvery-white body on the ground. The metallic sheen of the mirror image would slowly peel away, and through her unique abilities and sensory perception, she would morph her features into those of the person whose iris needed to be scanned.

In this manner, Erika and her mirrored forms strode confidently through the corridors of the base. Through her psychic link, she was now acutely aware of her destination; the entire map of the base was sketched in her mind.

She was searching for a file.

A file concerning Tony's parents.

Through Ross and Hydra, she had already learned the location of this file.

Soon, guided by her senses, she arrived at a special room.

She paused, having found what she sought.

She picked up the disc and inserted it into a nearby device.

[Bucky Barnes]

[REDACTED]

[Siberian Branch, December 16, 1992...]

[Once committed to killing Howard Stark, released by REDACTED...]

[Original sin REDACTED analysis...]

"Oh, what a surprise for me. I was just wondering how to find this little darling!"

Erika teased, kissing the disc in her hand. The disc contained the video footage of Tony's parents' murder, along with other information.

It involved the Winter Soldier and a secret super-soldier project, but Erika's attention had never been on that. Super-soldiers might be a state secret for Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D., but for Roald and Stark, the disc's meaning and utility were very different.

For Stark, it meant finally learning who murdered his parents; with his intellect, he would surely uncover further clues. Roald, however, only needed to ensure that the disc found its way into Stark's hands at the right moment.

After confirming the disc was undamaged, Erika shrugged, made a backup, and reached out to Roald through her psychic link.

...

Kel'Thuzad's slight smile sent an eerie chill down the spines of the onlookers, as if someone were breathing cold air against the backs of their heads; they all shuddered involuntarily.

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Tony Stark, clad in gleaming new armor, descended from the sky trailing a blazing red tail of light before the assembled crowd.

Spotting Rogers emerging from the ruins with his shield and the speechless Wiccan looking on, Tony flipped open his visor, wearing a roguish grin.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Tony. I hope I made it in time to catch the grand finale of this party. My friends, can you tell me where the game is at right now?"

"My friend, I'm honored to inform you that today's festivities are over. The moment you arrive, I'm getting ready to leave," Wiccan replied. Before the battle began, Wiccan had Bonewraith put Tony out of commission with a single kick, not wanting the spotlight-hungry Stark to disrupt the Lich King's carefully crafted script. To avoid unnecessary complications, it was time for Wiccan to make his exit.

"Indeed, Scourge, tonight's revelry may be over, but our rivalry has only just begun. Next time, I'll make sure you’re picking your teeth up off the floor," Kel'Thuzad laughed, signaling his retreat. Grommash, catching the cue, knew it was time to step back as well.

Seeing two of the most powerful players bow out one after another left Tony, who was just gearing up for a comeback and ready to stir the scene, utterly bewildered.

What was going on? Did Tony Stark have no presence here?

They all stopped playing the moment he arrived?

"What? Wiccan, tell me this isn't real—I just got here, and you're telling me it's over? There are still so many..." Tony spread his hands, about to say "so many spiders left," when he suddenly noticed Zazara's floating arm clench. A mass of crypt spiders instantly turned to ash, and the crypt demons crumbled into bone dust as their time expired.

After this, she glanced coldly at Tony, her eyes clearly saying:

—The spiders you wanted are now gone!

"???"

Tony's bafflement matched that of most of the distant spectators. He looked from Zazara to Wiccan, then at the vanished horde of spiders.

"Wdfk!"

Ignoring Tony's impotent fury, Zazara also prepared to depart.

"Hey, hey, Wiccan, you have to tell me what's going on. My curiosity is at an all-time high, seriously. We're friends, right?"

"Yes, we're friends, I won't deny that. But the moment you showed up, our battle ended."

"Uh-huh? Are they looking down on me? Do you believe I won't have Jarvis hunt you all down and give you a little warning from my suits?"

Having never been so thoroughly ignored, Tony was getting heated.

"Sir, just now you violated Federal Constitutional Amendments Four and Five, the Privacy Act. Jarvis..."

"Oh, no, don't bring that up. Jarvis, what I want to know is why they don't include me."

"Sir, that's beyond my capabilities. I'm only an AI, after all."

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"My friend, this isn't your war. You have no obligation to be involved. Besides, you wouldn't understand even if I explained, so I've decided not to tell you for now," Wiccan said, patting Tony's armor with a metallic clang.

"So you are just ignoring me!" Tony glanced at Thor, then at Loki, who lay some distance off, questioning his life, and finally at Grommash and Zazara. "I know who you and he are, but who are those two?"

"Yeah, who are you guys anyway?" Wiccan and Grommash both looked at Thor, curious about the blond powerhouse who had inserted himself into the fray, and then turned their gazes to Zazara, feigning ignorance as they asked.

"I'm from Asgard—yes, that's right, I'm something of a god. That over there is my cousin—yes, cousin. As for the lady, I have no idea..." Thor raised his hammer, feeling the mood for battle had vanished; Tony's arrival had doused all the excitement.

"Cap, I think it's our turn now," said Nick Fury's voice in Rogers' earpiece.

With a sigh, Rogers stepped toward the oddly assembled group.

For his country, he would step up, no matter what.

But suddenly, the frost that diffused around them not only concealed Zazara's figure but also brought a biting chill to everyone present.

"Hello, everyone. You can call me Kel'Thuzad," he said, tilting his head slightly, his disguised face curling into an enigmatic smile as Loki's scepter flew into his hand from afar.

"Everyone, I've come to negotiate."

"Hey, that's my brother's scepter! Stop—"

All eyes turned to him.

"A cousin is still a brother," Thor said, raising his hammer to Kel'Thuzad, only to see all the rubble and debris rise at a gesture from the latter, as if it might come crashing down upon them at any moment.

He hesitated, then lowered his hammer and shrugged.

"Uh, what I mean is: I hope you'll return what you borrow."