S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the plaza, elderly Steve held Mjolnir in one hand, his shield slung over his back, while the other hand gripped the cuffs on dark-faced Thor.
"I've already told you, I was banished to Earth by my father. Heimdall won't heed my call, and the Bifrost won't appear," dark-faced Thor said, head held high, nostrils flaring with pride.
Elderly Steve shot him a sideways glance. "That's not your problem. Little Spider can open a portal."
"I can't."
Magic sparks flickered, and Charlie stepped out of a portal.
He shook his head. "Magic won't get you into Asgard. There's some mysterious force protecting it."
Dark-faced Thor puffed up with pride. "Of course. My father is the Allfather. No one can overpower his strength to breach Asgard's spatial barriers."
"That's not Odin's power."
Charlie crossed his arms. "If I'm right, it's something even more mystical."
"Could it be my grandfather?" dark-faced Thor mused.
Elderly Steve had no patience for this guy. It was because of him summoning Mjolnir that he'd been kidnapped by Lady Deadpool.
He stepped up to Charlie. "If magic can't get us to Asgard, then we'd need the Bifrost, but Heimdall won't answer our call."
At that moment, Carter approached.
"I recall you mentioning once that dark matter could enable a transit function similar to the Bifrost," she said.
Charlie turned. "Dark matter and dark energy aren't the same thing." He shrugged.
In the movie universe, when the Bifrost was destroyed, Odin used dark matter to send Thor back to Earth.
But while Odin could wield dark matter, Charlie had no clue how it worked.
That didn't mean he was out of options.
Looking at the smug dark-faced Thor, Charlie smirked.
What's there to be proud of, getting caught by a bunch of mortals?
As expected, every superhero has an embarrassing black history.
Charlie guaranteed this guy had more than one.
Without hesitation, he flashed behind dark-faced Thor and kicked him square in the rear.
"What are you doing?!"
Dark-faced Thor fell face-first, humiliated, only to have Charlie pin him down with a foot on his back.
Instantly, the crushing force nearly suffocated him.
Face red with rage, he gritted his teeth. "You bastard… I'll pound you to death!!"
"Oh, really?"
Charlie's smile was playful as he conjured a high-temperature webbing orb.
In an instant, a blinding crimson glow lit up the sky, radiating intense heat.
He aimed the glowing orb at Thor beneath him, grinning. "You've got one minute to beg Heimdall for help, or I'll smash you with this."
If summoning didn't work, threats would.
"You—"
Sensing the extreme heat above him, dark-faced Thor's heart raced with fear.
This is the invincible Spider-Man?
Truly terrifying.
Though trembling, he remained defiant.
"Hmph, I'm the future king of Asgard. I won't yield, and Heimdall won't—"
While dark-faced Thor talked tough, elderly Steve quietly backed away.
Carter, retreating as well, called out, "Don't overdo it, or we won't have funds to fix the damage."
"Got it."
Charlie shoved the glowing orb into dark-faced Thor's mouth.
"No—"
"Boom~"
Dark-faced Thor's eyes widened as muffled explosions rang out, black smoke pouring from his nose and ears.
Seeing this, Charlie nodded slightly.
"Not bad for a guy who can withstand neutron star heat. A few thousand degrees does nothing to you."
This guy might be weak, but his health bar was thick.
Charlie eased up, and dark-faced Thor spat out a puff of smoke, his earlier fear now replaced by anticipation.
That euphoric sensation felt amazing.
He giggled, taking a deep breath, sucking the smoke back into his nostrils.
"Inhale~Exhale~"
"Ah~~"
Dark-faced Thor closed his eyes, savoring it. "What a wonderful feeling. You can hit me with more."
Charlie: "."
Not only does this guy look like a cotton worker, but he's got the same hobbies?
Seeing no change in the night sky, Charlie knew this tactic wouldn't scare Heimdall.
Time for a new approach.
Ignoring dark-faced Thor's "reasonable" request, he turned to elderly Steve.
"Old man, find a top-notch photographer."
"Photographer?" Elderly Steve frowned. "For what?"
Charlie gave dark-faced Thor a sly look. "To shoot a photoshoot for the great Thunder God, of course."
He gazed at the night sky. "I want everyone on Earth to see every hair on Thor's body. Not just Earth—across the universe, too. Thor's exclusive photoshoot.
Oh, and a photoshoot's not enough. I'll head to an island and hire a pro director to film a special movie. You know, one with a plot. As for the cast~"
He stroked his chin, but elderly Steve leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"Asgard's so hot, the pure love between a palace soldier and Thor is opposed by the Allfather Odin. Thor loses his love, and Hela comforts his wounded heart. They fall in love and give birth to Loki—"
Elderly Steve's story got wilder, and the calm night sky began to churn with dark clouds, lightning flashing as golden streams seemed to lock onto him.
Seeing this, Charlie's expression shifted. He raised a hand, summoning a black-and-red spider.
"Chirp chirp chirp~"
"Snap!"
He gripped the spider, and the aura of the Black Death Sword erupted.
Instantly, the golden streams in the sky hesitated, then slowly dissipated.
Clearly, the golden light's owner didn't want to clash with Charlie.
Elderly Steve wisely shut up.
Soon, a vibrant beam appeared in the night sky, and elderly Steve stood tall, smug.
The first to open Asgard's gates with Greek mythology!
Who else?!
Charlie gave the old man a thumbs-up, while Carter couldn't bear to watch this theatrical scene.
In the end, wasn't it brute strength that forced the issue?
She shook her head and walked off.
"It's late. I need my beauty sleep. Don't forget the cosmic trade deal."
With that, Carter piloted a quinjet off the floating island.
Bathed in the Bifrost's light, Charlie, Steve, and Thor vanished into the night.
In the radiant beam, dark-faced Thor was still shaken by that destructive aura.
He was certain it was his father's doing.
But his father feared that destructive force and chose to compromise.
So…
He glanced at Charlie's back, shivering.
The invincible Spider-Man—truly invincible?
How could a mere Earth produce such a terrifying mortal, one even the Allfather feared?
This was absurd!!
He was losing it.
Meanwhile, elderly Steve curiously touched the colorful barrier around them.
"Wow, is this made of glass?" he asked.
Before dark-faced Thor could answer, Charlie looked up, as if seeing through the vibrant beam to its end.
"Something's wrong," he said.
"What?" Elderly Steve frowned.
At the Bifrost's other end, Heimdall, clad in heavy armor, wielded a greatsword to control the bridge. But a sly prince ambushed him from behind.
"Bang!"
A swift blow, and Heimdall collapsed, eyes rolling back, the Bifrost's transport function halting.
"My dear brother, with me here, you're not getting back to Asgard."
Loki sneered, full of mischief.
The colorful light vanished, and the three in the Bifrost lost its protection, plunging into endless darkness.
When Charlie opened his eyes again, he saw a towering, high-tech skyscraper.
The skyscraper was bathed in dazzling lights, but the area around him was a stark contrast.
Filthy streets, ragged passersby, rickety awnings…
A slum.
Charlie scanned his surroundings, thoughtful.
The Bifrost's interruption had sent them to another planet.
In the sky, a small spacecraft suddenly shot out of a void rift, crashing into a nearby junkyard with a boom.
Instantly, the surrounding crowd rushed toward the junkyard, excited as if spotting treasure.
In the chaos, Charlie saw them fight brutally for prime spots.
Savage, violent, lawless.
Amid the crowd, elderly Steve raised his shield, ducking in a corner.
"Oh, sh*t, these guys are brutal! Can't you respect an old man? Don't shove me!!"
On the other side, dark-faced Thor roared, "I'm the future king of Asgard! Clear the way—"
Before he could yell more, he was swallowed by the surging mob.
Half an hour later, the three regrouped.
Charlie uncuffed dark-faced Thor. "Your dear brother dumped us here like garbage."
He was almost certain this was Sakaar, a planet used by others as a junkyard and exile for criminals.
"Garbage?"
Dark-faced Thor stood. "Impossible. Loki's my brother. He wouldn't do that." He refused to believe it.
Charlie's expression turned odd. "Your brother… you two close?"
"Of course."
Dark-faced Thor huffed. "He's my blood brother. We've loved each other since we were kids."
Elderly Steve leaned close to Charlie, whispering, "Looks like this Loki's a bad seed too."
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, hiding his true self from childhood. Probably born rotten."
"Let's call him Hyper-Loki!"
"Nicknaming him before we've met?"
"We'll meet eventually."
"Fair point."
Their hushed chatter gave dark-faced Thor the sinking feeling of being badmouthed but powerless to stop it.
Before he could speak, a blue device clamped onto his neck.
"What's this?"
Dark-faced Thor touched it, only to be paralyzed by a strange electromagnetic toxin.
"Zzzzt~"
Arcs sparked, and he collapsed, convulsing.
"The Thunder God's scared of electricity, huh?"
Elderly Steve sensed malice and knocked away a flying electromagnetic device with his shield.
Charlie, meanwhile, crushed one in his hand, sparks bursting.
Thanks to their spider-sense, neither was caught off-guard.
"Click click~"
Soon, a swarm of robotic soldiers surrounded them. A white-haired man in ornate robes floated above, smiling at the two.
"Welcome, honored guests, to Sakaar." He gave a gentlemanly bow, maintaining his smile.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Grandmaster?"
"Wow, the invincible Spider-Man knows my name? I'm truly honored," Grandmaster said, surprised.
Charlie crossed his arms, smirking. "You've heard of Spider-Man's exploits?"
Grandmaster landed gracefully. "Of course, I'm a fan." He stepped forward eagerly, as if to hug Charlie, showing no malice.
But the earlier sneak attack made Charlie wary—this guy was no saint.
Charlie stepped back, dodging Grandmaster's enthusiasm.
"Looks like Loki's not the only reason we ended up here," he said.
"Loki…"
Grandmaster paused. "That's got nothing to do with me."
"Fine, I'll believe you."
Charlie glanced at the towering skyscraper. "I'm curious about what's fun around here. Guess I'll stick around."
Grandmaster's excitement grew.
"Mr. Spider-Man, I'm thrilled you'll stay. Follow me."
"Sure. Old man, keep up—don't get snatched."
Charlie stepped onto a hovering platform with the robotic soldiers, speeding toward the skyscraper.
In the crowd, dark-faced Thor was carried by robots in another direction.
"Where are you taking me?" He struggled, only to be zapped again by the neck device.
"You bastards…"
"Sorry, you're not a guest. You're a captive. You're going elsewhere."
"No!!"
Envious of Charlie's VIP treatment, dark-faced Thor could only watch.
Sensing his gaze, Charlie said nothing.
Every Thor had to go through this.
They called it training.
Soon, Charlie and elderly Steve followed Grandmaster to a lavish building.
The palace-like space, gleaming with gold, left elderly Steve in awe.
"He's loaded."
Charlie whispered, "Grab a few things later. I'll fund your retirement."
Elderly Steve rolled his eyes. "With this stuff, I could fund my own."
"No, no, haven't you heard? Old folks get bullied if they're alone."
"Hmm, good point."
As they chatted, Grandmaster plopped onto a gilded throne, surrounded by women of various cosmic races.
"Honored Mr. Spider-Man, feel free to choose," Grandmaster said, waving as the women approached to flaunt their charm.
Charlie, stone-faced, pushed away a red-skinned, bald woman. "Too kind, but the invincible Spider-Man's not in the mood."
Elderly Steve stepped back. "Me neither."
They exchanged glances, seeing mutual admiration for Grandmaster's audacity.
This guy was thirsty.
Of course, Grandmaster's alien aesthetic differed from Earth's.
To aliens, these women might be top-tier.
Charlie figured he wasn't worthy.
Grandmaster wasn't thrilled by Spider-Man's rejection.
But soon, he threw a grand feast.
Food-wise, Charlie wasn't fond of live, colorful octopuses or singing slime worms.
He definitely couldn't handle a bearded woman juicing fruit on the spot.
"Grandmaster, I think it's time for your games," Charlie said bluntly.
Grandmaster's smile faded.
"Seems you're not pleased with my arrangements." His tone carried a threat as robotic soldiers raised their weapons.
In a flash, a crimson beam swept through, turning the soldiers into scrap.
Charlie rubbed his wrist casually. "You'd better have a show I like, or I don't mind making you play my game."
Grandmaster's eyes narrowed, but he sat back down.
"Well played, invincible Spider-Man."
He forced a smile. "We both have infinite lives. We're kindred spirits. You'll love my game."
"I'm expecting a surprise."
Charlie patted a woman trying to sneak the only edible green vegetable, signaling her to stop.
He eyed Grandmaster. "A game needs stakes."
Grandmaster smiled. "Exactly my thought. What do you want?"
"Send us to Asgard, and hand over your scepter."
Charlie had his eye on the gem-encrusted scepter, symbolizing Sakaar's rule.
Grandmaster, meanwhile, coveted Charlie's body.
"Deal. If I win, your soul leaves your body, and it's my trophy," he said.
"Done," Charlie grinned.
The Game King of Sakaar? That's his title!
Elderly Steve had an epiphany.
"Another guy after Spider-Man's immortality. But he's already got infinite life—why bother?"
Like the Collector, Grandmaster had lived countless years, each with their own obsessions.
Infinite life didn't mean invulnerability.
Charlie pondered how this Grandmaster differed from the movie universe's.
In one universe, Grandmaster toyed with the Avengers and gods like playthings.
His thoughts were interrupted as Grandmaster waved.
"Since we're full, time to get moving."
The opulent hall turned transparent, morphing into an arena box.
Outside the window, a vast arena roared with countless spectators.
At its center, a green beast bellowed, while dark-faced Thor was slammed into ruins by a raging Hulk, staring skyward, hopeless.
Charlie and elderly Steve exchanged glances.
"Is that the missing Dr. Banner?"
"Looks like it. No wonder Carter couldn't find him."
"Not important."
"Nope, not important."
"Classic moment. Takes me back."
"Shame our Loki missed this. He'd be thrilled."
"He's seen it once."
"When?"
"At the movies."