As the dust settled over the devastated city, Thor turned to Su Zhan, his expression full of both gratitude and lingering awe. "I want to return to Asgard and report all of this to my father. If you have time, you are always welcome in Asgard. Mother often asks about you, and Heimdall says you are missed." With that, Thor called out to the sky, and in a flash of Bifrost light, he was gone.
Elliott Randolph, finally able to breathe freely, turned to Su Zhan. "Thank you," he said, his voice full of relief. He knew now that without Su Zhan's protection, he would never be safe on Earth.
Suddenly, a deep mechanical hum filled the air. Su Zhan looked up to see the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier approaching, casting a massive shadow over the ruins. A smaller jet descended, and Nick Fury emerged, his face set in a stern frown.
"Can someone explain what happened here?" Fury demanded, surveying the destruction.
Su Zhan simply shrugged. This entire operation had been orchestrated by S.H.I.E.L.D., so Fury should have known exactly what was going on. Still, Steve Rogers and the others stepped forward to give a brief account of the events. As they finished, Fury's gaze swept the group.
"Where's Tony?" Fury asked, suddenly noticing Iron Man's absence.
Only then did everyone realize that, in the chaos of battle, Tony Stark had been left behind. They remembered his injury and unconsciousness, but after Thor and Randolph's clash, Su Zhan had only protected the others, and in the confusion and lingering fear, Tony had been forgotten.
"God," Steve muttered, rushing toward the ruins with Hawkeye close behind. "He can't be…?"
"Damn, he better not be dead!" Hawkeye shouted as they began digging through the rubble.
Natasha shot Su Zhan a sharp look, her meaning clear: "Did you do this on purpose?"
Su Zhan only smiled, neither confirming nor denying. His slight smirk made it clear to Natasha that he had, in fact, left Tony to fend for himself. "Petty man," Natasha thought, unable to suppress a small pout as she remembered Pepper Potts.
Nick Fury turned his attention back to Su Zhan. "Those Twin Blades of Fear—can you hand them over? Their existence is too dangerous. If they fall into the wrong hands, the consequences could be catastrophic."
Su Zhan looked at Fury with a wry smile. "Are you serious? Do you really think I'd give them up?"
Fury sighed, already knowing the answer. "I figured as much. I trust you'll use them wisely. Then… what about him?" Fury gestured to Elliott Randolph. "Can you hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Fury's real motive was clear. He had not expected to find an Asgardian blacksmith hiding on Earth, much less one capable of forging weapons as powerful as the Twin Blades of Fear. Such talent, he believed, should not be allowed to slip away.
Su Zhan's eyes glinted with amusement. "Why?"
Fury replied, "He's dangerous. He just destroyed a city, and I have to bring him in for questioning."
Su Zhan shook his head, his tone casual but firm. "You misunderstood my question. I didn't ask why you want to catch him. I asked why you think I would let you. Thor just left, and even he couldn't take anyone from me. Do you really think you can?"
Fury frowned, but Su Zhan cut him off. "Unless Randolph wants to go with you, no one is taking him anywhere. Besides, your real reason isn't public safety—you want to see what he can craft. Don't bother dressing it up."
Fury was left speechless, unable to refute Su Zhan's blunt assessment.
Su Zhan glanced around at the ruined city and said, "If we're assigning blame, S.H.I.E.L.D. has its share. If you hadn't tracked down Randolph and forced the issue, he wouldn't have picked up the Twin Blades, and none of this would have happened. Still, since the city was destroyed by the power of fear, send the reconstruction bill to me. I'll cover it."
Though the cost would be enormous, Su Zhan felt it was a fair price for the Twin Blades of Fear. In truth, he was more than satisfied with the outcome.
"Fine," Fury relented. "I'll send you the bill."
Just then, Steve Rogers called out, "Su Zhan, come help!" Su Zhan glanced at Fury, who could only nod in resignation.
With the matter settled, Elliott Randolph hurried to Su Zhan's side, understanding at last that only Su Zhan could guarantee his safety.
Natasha, seeing Fury's gaze drift toward her, simply shrugged. "Don't look at me. I can't do anything about it. He has so many women—I'm just one of them."
Tony Stark was eventually found, battered but alive thanks to his armor. He was a little embarrassed but otherwise unharmed. Su Zhan used the silver Twin Blade to draw out the lingering fear energy from Tony's body, restoring him to normal.
With the crisis resolved, Su Zhan turned to Steve. "If you ever need anything, you know how to find me. Don't hesitate to call for help."
He enveloped himself and Elliott Randolph in a field of energy and floated away, vanishing into the sky. The aftermath, as always, was left in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands.
As they flew, Su Zhan glanced at Randolph. "What are your plans now?"
Randolph hesitated, then replied, "Can I follow you for a while?"
Su Zhan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Life with me isn't exactly peaceful. You always said you preferred to enjoy life. If you stick with me, that might not be so easy."
Randolph gave a helpless smile. "If I follow you, I might have to say goodbye to my leisurely life. But if I don't, I might have to say goodbye to life altogether. So… I'll follow you."
Su Zhan nodded. "Alright. But you don't have to stay by my side all the time. I'll send you somewhere safe. You can rest and recover there. No one will be able to take you away without my permission."
Randolph agreed, relieved. For now, he would serve as a valuable logistics and equipment supplier. Su Zhan planned to send him to the spaceship to settle down, ensuring his safety and making future upgrades even more convenient.
With the Twin Blades of Fear in hand and a new ally by his side, Su Zhan soared away, ready for whatever the future might bring.