"Does she look good then?"
Every man, when faced with this question from his girlfriend, finds himself in trouble.
It's simply a riddle with no right answer!
"She's just a high schooler, there's nothing to look at."
Alaric said casually.
"Ohh~ so, she is good-looking."
Jane nodded with a meaningful expression.
"Don't make assumptions."
Alaric was speechless.
So women in relationships have their sixth sense maxed out?
"She's not as pretty as you, really!" Alaric quickly added.
"Alright, I get it, why are you so nervous?"
Jane laughed.
"How could I not be nervous?"
That smile of yours is making me panic a bit.
Jane didn't say anything else, just silently took note of it.
Because she suddenly realized that, ever since being with Alaric, she'd actually ignored what he truly was to others!
Alaric was handsome and a well-known superhero!
His fanbase wasn't any smaller than Iron Man's!
If it hadn't been for that call just now, Jane might not even have remembered that her boyfriend was insanely attractive!!
Such an exceptional man would surely be around many girls!
And Jane was just a humble astronomer, not some stunning beauty, could she really keep Alaric?
Jane suddenly felt a heavy pressure in her chest!
No, I have to Google this Spider-Woman later!!
Alaric noticed Jane had gone quiet, so he also fell silent.
Then he realized Loki was giving him a strange look.
"What are you staring at?!"
"…"
Loki twitched his face and turned away.
Your girlfriend is jealous, and you're yelling at me!!
But he made a mental note of this, what if he needed this kind of Alaric's weakness one day?
Might come in handy in the future!!
...
New York Temple.
Gwen hung up the call and turned to leave.
She came looking for Alaric today, not just because she wanted to see him, but also because in recent days, a monstrous lizard-type guy had appeared in New York, with a reptilian body and insane strength!
Gwen had already clashed with him twice but couldn't do anything to him.
That's why she came to seek Alaric's help, to see if they could take down this lizard together and stop him from threatening the citizens.
But since Alaric wasn't home, Gwen could only go back.
Luckily, Alaric had just told her he'd be back soon, so there was no need to panic.
...
Town in New Mexico.
Tony and the four warriors of Asgard were barely managing to hold off the Destroyer.
After intense fighting on both sides, the whole street and nearby buildings were seriously devastated.
"Where's Alaric!? How is he not here when it's most critical!?"
Tony was breathing heavily and kept calling out for Alaric.
He was extremely anxious because he realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop this giant monstrosity!
If not for his quick reflexes, he would've been blown apart long ago.
But even so, Tony's suit was now full of scratches and dents.
"Hey! Watch out!!"
Tony suddenly saw the Destroyer knock Sif to the ground, energy gathering toward her, and quickly flew over.
After all, they were comrades, he had to help.
"Sif!" Thor shouted.
The other three, Volstagg and company, also struggled up and rushed to save her.
Fortunately, Tony got there faster.
With a punch, he knocked the Destroyer's head aside, interrupting the attack, but the Destroyer grabbed him and smashed a fist into his chest, hurling him through several houses.
"Ahem… Damn, that hurts!"
"Am I gonna die here?"
Tony lay on the ground, writhing in pain, barely able to move.
There was a huge dent in his chestplate from the hit, but luckily it didn't strike the arc reactor directly.
Compared to the original Iron Monger, this monster was on another level!
In durability and power, no comparison, total disaster!
This wasn't something Tony could handle alone.
His only thought: if only Alaric would come, he could fix this, but Alaric, that guy…
Huh?
Who are those two in front of me?
Alaric?! Jane!?
What are they doing?
Tony focused his gaze.
"You two are having coffee?!"
Tony gaped at the totally relaxed Alaric and couldn't help but yell!
No, we're out here dying, barely hanging on!
And you two are chillin', coffee, sightseeing!!
Don't you see what's happening outside!?
Get up and help!
You bastards!!
"Don't panic, someone will take care of it."
Alaric raised his hand and magically removed Tony's suit.
Freed from the armor, Tony finally managed to stand up.
"Who's going to take care of it?!" Tony asked in confusion, sitting down at the table.
Loki was only present as a projection that only Alaric and Jane could see, so Tony had no idea the main culprit was literally behind him.
"Thor. This is a test for him," Alaric explained.
"Thor? Then what's the point of all of us nearly dying? And get me a coffee too, thanks!"
As soon as he saw Alaric, Tony relaxed immediately. After all, if the sky falls, Alaric will hold it up, what's there to worry about?
Tony calmly switched into 'whatever happens, happens' mode.
But as he sipped, he increasingly felt tremors around him.
As if the battle was happening right here?!
Tony turned toward the window and saw a huge, burly warrior shouting his name while fleeing from the Destroyer's blows.
"Tony! Where are you!? Are you okay!!"
Volstagg shouted as he looked for Tony.
Through the battle just now, Volstagg had come to accept Tony and saw him as a comrade.
Especially that moment when Tony ran to save Sif, it completely won over the Asgardian four.
So Volstagg, worried for Tony, came looking for him and accidentally brought the Destroyer along.
To which Tony had only one thing to say: Don't come!!
If you're gonna come, don't bring the Destroyer with you!!
Can't I get a break here!?
A blazing, destructive energy beam sliced through surrounding buildings like tofu and charged straight at Alaric.
"Hey! Alaric, time for you to do something!!"
Tony immediately stood behind Alaric and shouted.
Alaric pulled Jane beside him, raised his hand, and activated energy siphon magic.
The powerful shockwave that had just scorched everything in its path completely vanished in front of Alaric.
The Destroyer's attack, infused with Odin's divine power, was completely absorbed into Alaric.
"Hm?"
Alaric looked at his hand, sensed briefly, and understood the situation.
It seemed that after absorbing the Destroyer's attack, his supreme power had increased?
So the Destroyer's energy was actually a massive supplement to him?!
Alaric's eyes sparkled, and he looked at the Destroyer with newfound interest.