"If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"
After finishing his phone call with Gwen, Ye Li turned to Thor and the others and said, "If I can prove that Dark Elves do exist, how about letting me pick an item from Odin's Vault in Asgard?"
Sif: "A bet?"
Fandral: "A bet sounds good~"
Volstagg: "Indeed, not bad~"
These two were gamblers.
"Well..."
Thor hesitated: "I don't have authority over the vault… I need to ask my father."
Fandral whispered: "Didn't you take a sword last time?"
"Hey! That was only because I couldn't find Eitri, I..."
Thor argued, "That was just once, there won't be a second time!"
The usually quiet Hogun suddenly spoke: "Once there is a first time, there will be countless times after. Desire is like an endless tide..."
Thor: "??... What are you talking about, Hogun?"
"Oh, I..."
Hogun was also confused—why had he suddenly said that?
He didn't notice—
The golden gemstone on Ye Li's black bracelet flickered briefly...
"Hey!"
Fandral asked Ye Li, "Since this is a bet, what happens if you lose?"
Volstagg: "Yeah, yeah! You should have a stake too, right?"
"Heh, think about it..."
While strolling back indoors through the rain, Ye Li spoke persuasively to Thor and the others:
"The Dark Elves are Asgard's great enemies. If I prove they still exist, it serves as a warning for Asgard's safety. Isn't that worth exchanging for a single treasure? And if the Dark Elves are truly extinct, you lose nothing. What else do you expect me to offer?"
"Huh?"
Thor and the others were swayed: "That… kind of makes sense..."
…..
"Whew~"
"Whew~"
Matilda was playing with a cat ball.
Suddenly— "Huh?!"
She felt something pinch her waist!
She turned around angrily: "Who?!"
"Eh, what the..."
—It was Ye Li's mischievous hand.
…..
Ye Li pulled her slender waist closer and said,
"While there's a heated battle going on outside, you're just here calmly playing with a ball, huh?"
"Li, you're the one who told me to stay put..."
Matilda felt a tingling sensation.
It reminded her of when she was watching cartoons earlier…
And when she was secretly watching people play cards…
Inside the young girl's small body, something seemed to be awakening.
"Alright."
Ye Li withdrew his hand and instead wrapped both arms around her: "Matilda is very obedient~ Do you want a reward?"
"That..."
Matilda rubbed her legs together slightly, her small, delicate feet wiggling cutely: "Can we try that again...?"
"No problem~"
…..
"Killian!"
Dr. Maya Hansen (developer of the Extremis virus, who once had a one-night stand with Stark) questioned Killian: "Iron Man has stormed in with a powerful squad! Is this your plan?!"
"Shut up!"
Killian's face darkened, faint orange flames coursing through the veins on his neck.
…..
The deaths of Savin and Ellen Brandt, whom he had sent to capture Stark, made him realize that something was wrong. He hadn't expected Stark to actually come knocking on his door.
But fortunately...
He still had a backup plan...
Killian's gaze shifted to a female Extremis virus test subject who was restrained—
—It was Pepper...
"What are you planning to do?"
Maya Hansen, still holding onto her conscience, stepped in front of Pepper. "Stop using such despicable methods!"
"Oh? What are you doing?"
Killian pressed a button, and Pepper's image disappeared. "It's just a projection."
"I know..."
Maya Hansen's eyes wandered. "I'm just reminding you… don't do this..."
"Are you ordering me?"
Killian picked up a handgun and wiped it down. His eyes, glowing with fire, only seemed to grow colder...
Gulp~...
The female doctor unconsciously swallowed...
Just then.
Tap! Tap! Tap Tap!
Boom—!
A wave of gunfire and explosions grew louder as it got closer.
At the same time, a subordinate rushed in to report: "Iron Man is coming this way!"
Killian frowned and pointed his gun at Maya Hansen—
She flinched in fear!
However...
Maya Hansen gritted her teeth and stood firm: "You want to kill me? Then go ahead! But what about your soldiers? What about your research? What about yourself? If you overheat..."
"Hmph~"
Killian just chuckled and flicked his gun to signal his subordinates: "Let's head to the Colonel. Take her with us."
…..
A young girl, heavy-lidded, dozing in the man's arms, murmured: "Li, I want to be like Jessica too…"
Ye Li placed her gently on the bed and tucked her in with a soft voice: "You'll have to wait… I have to go to Greenwich. When you wake up, you can go home by yourself, or I'll have Jessica pick you up, alright?"
"Mmm… okay..."
The girl responded softly, murmured, and drifted off into a sweet sleep...