Please, pretty please with a cherry on top, join my Patreon! 🍒
*****
{Chapter: 71 - A New Dawn Between Them And Eye Catching Spaceship}
"Are you awake?"
Aiden stirred from a restful sleep, eyes blinking open slowly to the sound of a soft, melodic voice he was quickly growing addicted to.
Sif.
The morning came in the ship's private quarters. The faint hum of the ship's core vibrated in the background, but within this room, time itself seemed to have slowed. Wrapped together in tangled sheets, the scent of passion and shared warmth lingered.
Aiden turned his head slightly, and his gaze landed on her—face flushed with sleep, lips still slightly parted, silver-blonde hair draped across his bare chest. Her arms were loosely around him, one leg tossed gently over his, as if reluctant to let the night end.
A sleepy smile curved his lips. "How come you're up so early?" he asked, voice husky from slumber. "You deserve a break, Sif. After last night, I'd say you earned a kingdom's worth of rest."
Sif's cheeks flared crimson at his words. The memories of their passionate night flickered in her mind like a fever dream—every kiss, every caress, every whispered promise. She lowered her gaze, trying to conceal the way her heart skipped.
"I… I have to return," she said, gently lifting her head off his chest. "I need to report Malekith's death to Asgard and the All Father. They'll be waiting."
Aiden reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Will you come back to me?"
She met his gaze, and for a moment, the fierce Asgardian warrior let her walls fall completely. "Will you wait for me?"
"Of course," he said, voice steady, tender. "It won't be long before I have you by my side. Not just for a night… but for every morning after, too."
Sif's eyes softened. Her lips quivered with emotion, and she gave a small nod. "Then I'll be waiting."
They shared a lingering gaze—one that spoke of new beginnings and uncertain futures. Then, slowly, Sif sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She gasped softly as her eyes fell on the mirror across the room.
"T-this…!" she stammered, catching sight of the soft bruises and love marks dotting her neck, shoulders, and thighs. The polish metal betrayed every moment they had shared, every passionate exchange written across her body like sacred text.
Aiden smirked as he rose behind her, the sheet slipping off his waist. He wrapped an arm around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "That's not a shame, my love," he whispered into her ear. "That's proof. Proof that you belong to me now—"
Her breath caught as his fingers traced idle circles against her hip. Then he turned her chin toward him and pressed his lips to hers in a long, slow kiss—one filled with affection, not urgency. Sif melted into it, surrendering for just a moment longer.
"You're dangerous," she whispered when they finally pulled apart.
"That's for sure," he teased, grinning.
After dressing and sharing a few playful nips and kisses between armor buckles and tangled hair, the two stepped into the ship's control room. The Dark Elf pilot stood at attention, having silently witnessed more than he dared comment on.
"I'll send you back to Asgard," Aiden said, glancing at the navigation console with a faint look of regret.
Sif shook her head firmly. "No. If you pilot a Dark Elf ship into Asgardian skies, there will be chaos—and questions. I'll return alone. You've done more than enough."
"I'll miss you."
"Me too," she said softly, squeezing his hand.
Aiden pulled her close once more, kissing her like it would be weeks before he'd taste her lips again. She responded just as desperately, fingers threading through his hair, holding onto the moment.
Then, with a final look over her shoulder, Sif stepped into the teleportation passage as the ship was hovering near it. Aiden watched until she vanished from sight. A quiet ache stirred in his chest, but it was tempered by a warmth he hadn't felt in ages.
After a long breath, he turned and motioned to the Dark Elf pilot.
"Let's finish what we started."
---
Over the next two days, Aiden spent time aboard the ship learning every detail of its operation. The pilot, though stoic, proved to be an excellent teacher. Aiden wasn't just interested in how to fly the vessel—he wanted to understand its defenses, repair systems, and navigation network.
He had also taken the time to master piloting the smaller spacecrafts housed within the hangar bay—sleek vessels, each roughly the size of an Avengers Quinjet. With nearly twenty of them ready for use, they were ideal for traveling across Earth without triggering global panic. After all, sending the massive mothership into the skies would have governments shitting themselves.
One of his first priorities was repairing the gaping hole he had carved into the hull during his initial, less-than-diplomatic arrival. Looking at the twisted metal and scorched edges, even Aiden had to admit it resembled the aftermath of a barbarian invasion more than a surgical entry.
Repairs were completed within minutes thanks to the ship's advanced technology. By the second night, Aiden had full control—overriding the previous access codes and replacing them with his own. With the entire system now under his command, he set a new course. The ship responded instantly, its core thrumming to life as it slipped silently into the chaotic, yet eerily tranquil, currents of subspace.
When the transmission ended, the ship emerged high in the Earth's atmosphere.
Below lay an endless blue ocean, its surface rippling in the afternoon light. A long bridge spanned the water not far off—metal arches and suspension cables gleaming under the sun.
"Wait a second… is that the Golden Gate Bridge?" Aiden leaned forward, squinting at the familiar structure. "It looks like it… but different. Was it destroyed and rebuilt? Or did some space mambo jumbo happen, and this is some alternate Earth?"
Before he could come to any conclusion, the air around the ship shimmered.
---
Alarms blared in S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites orbiting the planet.
Elsewhere, Director Nick Fury groaned as a red warning flashed across his monitor.
"Another one? We just cleaned up after the last alien incursion," he muttered. "Get me visuals."
Within moments, he was staring at a high-resolution image of Aiden's ship floating above the sea near the bridge.
"Notify the Avengers. I want a team on-site now. We don't know if this thing comes in peace or plans to level a city."
---
Back near the bridge, people stopped in their tracks, eyes wide and phones held high. A spaceship—dark, sleek, and fully silent—hovered above the bay like something from a dream.
The water below rippled in response to its presence, and seagulls scattered in alarm.
Then came a sound—a mechanical hum as a large hatch opened beneath the ship. A metal platform descended, unfolding into a staircase that shimmered in the light.
Gasps echoed across the crowd.
And at the top of the stairs stood a lone figure.
Aiden.
His black coat fluttered behind him, his boots gleaming with Asgardian leather, his gaze calm and assured as he descended. Though a stranger in this world, he walked like someone destined to change it.
With a mechanical hiss, the elevator door slid open. Aiden stepped out onto the metallic platform extending from the spaceship, the sea breeze tousling his hair as he squinted toward the horizon. Something fast and metallic zipped across the sky, slicing through the clouds with practiced precision.
He didn't need to guess. The gleaming red-and-gold armor, the confident flight pattern, and the sheer attitude in the way it hovered—it could only be one person.
Iron Man.
Aiden smirked, arms folded casually across his chest. "Heh… I knew he couldn't give up the suit completely."
The armored figure slowed, stabilizing just above the platform. The faceplate retracted with a smooth metallic click, revealing none other than Tony Stark, his trademark goatee barely moving as he gawked at Aiden.
"Is it really you?" Tony asked, one eyebrow arched high in disbelief.
Aiden raised an amused brow. "Can't it be me?"
Tony's eyes quickly drifted from Aiden to the spaceship behind him—its sleek, dark exterior pulsing softly with strange alien energy. His expression went from surprise to full-blown fascination in seconds.
"Don't tell me this thing is yours?" Tony asked, gesturing toward the massive ship. "It's… amazing. This isn't just next-level tech, this is next-universe tech! Is it dark matter-based? Gravity-folding drives? Wormhole stabilizers? Come on, just a peek!"
He dropped down beside Aiden with a thud, his boots hissing steam as they hit the platform.
Aiden rolled his eyes and sighed. "Sorry to disappoint, Stark, but this ship's my loot. You want to study one? Go grab your own space warlord and take theirs."
Tony placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Wow. Stingy much? I know a dozen supermodels who'd die to meet a guy with an interstellar warship—and I throw the best parties in New York. That doesn't even earn me thirty seconds with the controls?"
"Not a chance," Aiden replied firmly, though his smirk betrayed a bit of amusement. "This baby's mine. You'd probably disassemble it before I finished breakfast."
"Okay, fair, but still rude," Tony muttered. Then he squinted at Aiden. "Wait a minute… you're not wearing the same gear you left Earth in. That's Asgardian, right? And is that—?"
A rush of wind cut off his words as the Quinjet descended from the clouds above, its turbines roaring. A rope line dropped, and a familiar figure in a star-spangled uniform came up standing on the jet.
Steve Rogers—Captain America— his shield strapped firmly to his back.
"What's going on here?" he asked, eyeing the ship warily. "Fury's having a meltdown. Said there's a new spaceship hovering over a U.S. coastline like it's just looking for a parking spot."
Aiden raised a hand in greeting. "Relax, Cap. Not an alien invasion. Just me, back from a short interdimensional vacation."
Steve raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Vacation?"
"More or less," Aiden replied casually. "Spent some time in Niflheim—Dark Elf territory. Made a quick detour through Asgard. Killed a mythological tyrant or two. You know, the usual."
"Nick's not gonna like this," Steve muttered, already raising his comm to his ear. "You tell him."
"You sure?" Aiden said with a chuckle. "Because once I start talking, I don't stop."
"You're already doing that."
On speaker, Nick Fury's voice crackled to life. "Aiden. Do you have any idea the kind of mess you're causing? First, you go off the grid. Then you come back piloting a spaceship big enough to block the moon."
Aiden grinned and stepped closer to the comms mic. "Come on, Director. You know me. I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me."
Nick didn't respond immediately, so Aiden continued. "He—was planning to blanket all the Nine Realms in eternal darkness."
"There was no other way," Aiden said calmly, his voice laced with quiet pride. "I just happened to have the nerve to board it. I traveled to Niflheim—the forsaken land of the Dark Elves—and lingered in Asgard for a time. Oh, and along the way, I killed Malekith, the so-called Bringer of Darkness."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"You're probably experts on mythology by now, so you'd know—Malekith was the King of the Dark Elves, the guys from Norse mythology—Niflheim, black armor, eyes like voids, the whole nine yards. Their king, Malekith—yes, the Malekith the one who sought to drown the Nine Realms in eternal darkness. I sent him straight into the arms of Mistress Death… and took his ship as my prize."
He gestured toward the vessel, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "This spacecraft—and the last surviving Dark Elf aboard it—are my trophies. And it's impossible..."
The line went silent for several seconds.
The amount of information was a bit overwhelming, So Nick Fury was temporarily unable to react. "What's impossible?"
"Don't you want to study this spaceship? This is impossible!"
"Fine.." Nick knew that Aiden had probably already known what he was going to ask and was refused before he could even say anything. Nick finally spoke again, sounding more exasperated than surprised. "You've got to stop picking fights with ancient evils. And tell me—where are you even planning to park that monstrosity?"
Tony let out a low whistle. "You're seriously the most dramatic guy I've ever met. Even Thor would say you're over the top."
Aiden grinned as he looked back at the sleek vessel towering over them. "Don't worry. I've got it covered. I'll find a quiet place where nobody complains about parking tickets."
Then, with a casual flick, he ended the call. "Nick'll get over it."
Steve frowned. "You sure this isn't going to lead to another incident?"
"Cross my heart," Aiden said with a grin. "Besides, if something does come after me, at least I brought my own ride."
"Wait, hold on," Tony said, nudging him. "Before you go… seriously, how does the navigation system work? Is it psionic? Runic? I can't scan through it, but still, I don't see any wires in it. How does the control panel work, like it responded to voice commands in Elvish—"
Aiden waved a hand. "Nice try, Stark. Maybe next time."
With that, he turned and headed back toward the elevator. The metallic doors slid open and closed behind him, and moments later the engines began to hum with rising energy.
The massive spaceship rumbled as it began lifting off, creating a whirlwind that nearly knocked the Quinjet off course. Steve dug in his heels and shielded his eyes from the wind around it.
"That guy is going to be trouble," he muttered.
Tony, meanwhile, stood with a growing smirk, the wind rustling his hair.
"Maybe," he said. "But you gotta admit… he makes life interesting."
With a flash of his jet boots, Tony took off into the sky.
*****
You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.
patreon.com/Eden_Translation