Soren followed the trail of scorched grass, flattened trees, and terrified guards until he finally found Zilant.
The Frost Thunder Python, forty meters of scaled muscle and coiled menace, was in the middle of devouring what appeared to be a massive ten-meter-long Asgardian thunder rhino, a beast few would dare to approach, let alone eat.
Crackles of static leapt off Zilant's shimmering, icy-blue scales as he inhaled his prey like noodles, his bulging belly distorting his sleek, serpentine form.
Soren rubbed his temples.
"Zilant!" Voice echoing through the clearing.
Zilant froze.
The python's long body twitched, then trembled as caught red-handed.
With a massive gulp, he finished off the last chunk of the unfortunate rhino and turned toward his master, eyes blinking innocently like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar.
The snake's enormous head lowered, bowing before Soren in a show of intimate respect, its tongue flicking with affection.
Soren crossed his arms, half amused, half exasperated.
"You've been here a few months, and this is what I find you doing? You couldn't hold back? Eat… I don't know, less?"
Zilant tilted his head, clearly confused.
'You told me not to hurt anyone.' His look seemed to say. 'I didn't. This one was just crunchy.'
Soren sighed, softening.
"Forget it. You're coming with me. Earth could use your... unique talents."
Zilant let out a long, thunderous hiss of joy, excited at the mention of Earth and, more importantly, the Manhattan seafood.
Asgardian cuisine just didn't have the same zing.
As Soren turned to leave with Zilant slithering beside him, Phil Coulson and Thor approached.
Phil stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the towering serpent, whose eyes were now curiously scanning him like a human appetizer.
"You weren't kidding about the pet."
"Zilant's practically family." Soren said with a grin.
"Well. A family member who eats his weight in livestock daily."
Phil blinked.
"Right. So... just to clarify. This thing doesn't eat people?"
"Only on holidays." Soren deadpanned.
Phil laughed nervously. Then stopped.
"…Wait, was that a joke?"
Before he could demand clarification, Soren turned to Thor.
"You joining us?"
Thor shook his head, resting his hammer over his shoulder.
"Not yet. My father's preparing our defenses, in case there are more players involved. The Tesseract... it's more than just a cube. Odin suspects something, something is pulling strings behind Loki."
Soren nodded.
"Good. Stay ready. If things go wrong, we'll need backup."
Thor clasped Soren's shoulder.
"Take care of my brother. If he's still the Loki I knew... there may still be a way back for him."
Soren offered a faint smile. "I'll try not to thrash him. Too much."
Then he turned to Coulson and pointed to Zilant's coiled back.
"All aboard. He'll take us down to the Bifrost gate, you to Thor."
When Soren made the offer, gesturing casually to Zilant's back, both Thor and Phil Coulson instinctively twitched… that universal urge to raise a middle finger flaring within them.
They didn't, of course. But oh, they wanted to.
Thor crossed his arms tightly over his chest.
"No offense, but I'll pass. I've... had a history with that snake."
Coulson glanced sideways. "History?"
Thor grimaced, eyes narrowing at Zilant, who blinked innocently.
"Let's just say I once challenged him to a 'friendly spar.' Lightning against lightning. Frost against thunder."
Soren raised a brow.
"Let me guess. He turned you into a frozen fish stick?"
"Blasted into a frozen fish stick'" Thor corrected with dramatic flair.
"I couldn't even use Mjolnir. Didn't want to risk hurting the beast."
Zilant let out a pleased, low rumble that sounded suspiciously like a smug chuckle.
"Since that day." Thor added solemnly, "I do not 'play' with Zilant."
"How about you, Buddy?"
"You still want me to ride that?"
"He's surprisingly cozy once you get used to the cold."
Zilant lowered himself, scales glittering under the Asgardian sun, clearly enjoying the attention.
"You're serious." Phil said, eyes darting between Soren and the snake.
"Come on, Coulson." Soren said with a chuckle.
"You've survived exploding cars, alien tech, and Tony Stark's ego. You'll be fine."
Phil gave one last, doubtful glance at the python's back before exhaling sharply and muttering:
"God, I miss helicopters."
With an awkward leap, he climbed aboard.
Soren chuckled and gave the snake a pat on the side.
With a burst of icy wind and static crackle, Zilant surged forward. His massive form blurred with speed, darting toward the palace and the portal like a living thunderbolt.
"I reegrrrrrrrrrreeet thisssss!"
Even Thor, despite his Asgardian strength, could barely track the motion as Coulson screamed...
Boom!
A loud boom echoed as Zilant burst through the portal, his body coiled mid-air.
Soren quickly took control, guiding the beast into a soft landing above the hospital courtyard.
"Careful!"
"We just landscaped that garden last week!"
Zilant huffed but obeyed, his coils hovering effortlessly before settling down in a neat curl in the empty yard.
Phil Coulson stepped out of the gate behind them, brushing off his coat like he'd just survived a tornado.
Soren turned to him. "What now, Coulson?"
Phil gave Zilant one last wary glance, then turned serious.
"Time to get moving. I'll report back to HQ and help push for the formation of the Avengers Initiative. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."
He offered a rare smile.
"Having Asgard as an ally takes a lot of pressure off."
"Glad I could help." Soren replied.
"Though it's mostly my charm that won them over."
Coulson laughed dryly, shook his head, and walked off.
Manhattan Shoreline
Back at the shoreline, Soren gave Zilant a quick wave as the giant python cannonballed into the sea with a happy roar that sent a twenty-foot wave slapping against the docks.
"Hey! Careful, you're gonna cause a tsunami at Coney Island!"
Zilant flicked his tail, sheepish.
Soren levitated above the sea, pointing sternly.
"Three rules!"
"One: No more rhinos. Two: Eat like a snake, not a black hole. Three: If you get fat again, I'm making you into a tonic broth."
Zilant shivered.
"Yeah, that's right. Snake stew with carrots. Behave."
With one final hiss and a sulky dive, Zilant vanished beneath the waves.
Everlife Medical Center
By the time Soren returned to the hospital, dusk was already rolling in. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he let his mind drift.
"Loki will make his move soon." He muttered.
"Tesseract… Chitauri… New York won't know what hit it."
He stood, grabbed a few glowing vials from his lab and tucked them in his coat.
"Time to pay Osborn a visit."
Osborn Industries
"Welcome, Mr. Macaluso." The new secretary greeted him with a flirtatious smile and an unnecessary hair flip. She adjusted her blouse just enough to draw attention.
"Are you here to see Mr. Osborn?"
"Unless he's changed species, yes." Soren replied, not even glancing up.
Her smile faltered slightly, but she quickly composed herself and led him to the executive suite.
The doors opened to reveal Norman Osborn standing behind his desk, peering through reports with a storm cloud on his brow.
Soren grinned and held up a metal case.
"Osborn, I brought you something special. You're gonna love this."
Norman looked up slowly.
"Is it legal?"
"Define legal."
"…That's what I was afraid of."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Dare you peek into my other tales? The opening three chapters of select stories are free to all.
PhantomDream