Lucci looked down at this undignified "brother" with a hint of disgust, wanting to pull his leg away—only to find the man clinging tightly.
"Are you afraid of being punished by father if you return?" Lucci asked lightly.
The moment Loki heard this, he looked up, forcing a twisted smile uglier than crying.
"Er... Father's punishment... don't worry about that."
"At most, I'll be thrown in the dungeon for a while. I'm used to it."
"But actually... what I really can't bear is the Queen Mother's look of disappointment."
"Oh?" Lucci was slightly surprised, looking at Loki with a troubled expression, then nodded. "Alright, you do have some conscience left."
"But we don't raise freeloaders here."
Hearing this, Loki immediately stood up, patting his chest.
"I... besides, I'm a god too! My divine power is sealed, but I still have some strength! I can be useful!"
"Really?" A playful smile curled Lucci's lips.
He turned, waved to Hank McCoy, who was instructing new students nearby.
"Hank, come here."
Beast hurried over. "Prince Lucci, your instructions?"
Lucci pointed casually at Loki. "Arrange for him to do hard labor."
"With so many new mutants, the dorms and classrooms are a bit insufficient and need expanding. From today, assign him all the dirty work: digging foundations, moving bricks, cleaning toilets, you name it."
"No need to pay him, just give him three meals a day. And if he slacks, make him work harder."
The moment those words left his mouth, Loki's smile froze.
He stared in disbelief, pointing at his nose.
"Laborer...? Brother! You... are you really making me a laborer?"
He couldn't believe his ears!
He, the dignified Prince of Asgard, God of Mischief, reduced to moving bricks and cleaning toilets like a human?
He exploded, "I'm your brother!"
Lucci turned slowly, meeting his gaze with indifference.
"Because you're my brother, you get to live. Otherwise, you'd have been thrown in that pit and left for dead long ago."
Those words instantly extinguished all of Loki's complaints and anger.
He trembled, remembering that big green guy. He wilted in an instant.
Meeting Lucci's unyielding gaze, Loki could only droop his head like a defeated rooster, following Beast sadly into the distance.
He knew his "miserable" days had just begun.
After arranging for Loki to be "free labor" (and punishing him a bit), Lucci called out in his mind,
"Heimdall."
"Please inform Father: the Chitauri army has been dealt with. Midgard is safe. Also, Loki has been found—he is with me."
The next moment, Heimdall's voice responded,
"Prince Lucci, rest assured. You are the greatest hero of Midgard, the one who defeated the enemy with that sword. I have watched the whole process with my all-seeing eyes."
A note of deep awe laced Heimdall's voice. As the guardian of Asgard, he had witnessed countless powerful beings—including Odin himself.
But for someone like Lucci, who could end an interstellar war almost instantly with "law-level" power—he had never seen or even heard of such a thing!
"I will report this good news to the King Odin immediately!"
…
Asgard, Hall of the God King.
Odin had just finished handling a series of matters regarding the Nine Realms, and remembered Lucci's trip to Midgard.
He immediately contacted Heimdall,
"Heimdall, how is Lucci?"
"My Lord!" Heimdall's voice rang out, full of excitement and joy, "Just about to report. Prince Lucci has just repelled the Chitauri invasion!"
"Oh? Really?"
Odin's single eye gleamed. "Show me!"
"Yes!"
Heimdall synchronized the thrilling New York battle, especially Lucci's final sword, directly into Odin's mind through the all-seeing eye!
After a while, Odin opened his eye, filled with unprecedented shock and rapture!
"Good! Good! Good!"
He suddenly rose from the throne, repeating the word "good" three times, shaking the hall!
"As expected of Lucci!"
His face brimmed with pride and relief.
"To think, in such a short time, Midgard has been united and... risen to this level!"
Especially that last sword—Odin, a god king who had fought across the cosmos, was deeply shaken!
That was... the perfect use of the laws of space-time!
Such power was beyond even godly might, touching the origins of the universe!
After his excitement faded, Odin calmed, thinking of his disobedient son.
"Where's Loki?"
He asked in a low voice.
Heimdall replied respectfully,
"Loki is with Prince Lucci, but... it seems he's not ready to return yet."
"Hmph!"
Odin's face flashed with anger. "That rascal! He surely doesn't have the guts to see me!"
He thought for a while, then instructed Heimdall,
"Tell Lucci, since Loki's with him, don't let him off easy!"
"Good, punish him! Let him know that failure has consequences!"
"Yes, my Lord."
Heimdall understood.
Knowing Lucci was safe, Odin was in a great mood, heading cheerfully to Queen Frigga's palace.
Inside, Frigga sat by the window, her face full of sorrow, praying for her children's safety.
When she saw Odin's smile, she couldn't help but be surprised.
"Odin, what's happened? Why are you so happy?"
Odin stepped forward, took her hand, and said gently,
"Frigga, I have good news."
He explained how Lucci had handled the Chitauri army, and found Loki.
"Really?"
Frigga's face lit up with incomparable joy, standing up in excitement.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Lucci really found Loki so quickly?
If he's in Asgard's custody, that's truly great."
…
Deep space, in a dark belt filled with meteors and debris.
A massive, mountain-like floating fortress emitted a cold, throbbing aura.
Within, on a throne forged from cosmic meteorites, sat a giant with purple skin and strange lines on his chin—Thanos, the Mad Titan.
At this moment, a pale, thin figure stood before him—Ebony Maw, the most powerful strategist under his command, and leader of the Black Order.
"...According to the latest intel, my lord... the Chitauri legion sent to Earth...
...the entire army was wiped out."
Thanos's deep eyes flashed coldly.
"The entire army... wiped out?"
His voice was low and hoarse, neither joyful nor angry.
But Ebony Maw knew this was the calm before the storm.
"How could this happen?"
"The Chitauri army and Leviathan Behemoths alone are enough to destroy a civilization like Xandar. Why could a small Earth withstand them?"
Sweat beaded on Ebony Maw's brow.
He answered, voice trembling,
"From the last transmission... battle image analysis suggests... a group appeared on Earth whose strength far exceeded our expectations—superpowers."
"And, Loki's scepter... that too was lost."
Bang!
Thanos clenched his fist, the throne beneath him groaning under the pressure!
Cracks spread under his fist!
A suffocating aura filled the hall.
Ebony Maw trembled, collapsing to the floor, unable to even raise his head!
"The scepter... lost as well?"
Thanos's voice finally betrayed a hint of uncontrollable anger.
"So instead of conquering Earth and obtaining the Space Stone, we've thrown away another Infinity Stone?"
Both pawn and prize lost!
Utter humiliation for someone who'd always seen the universe as his chessboard!
"It's all Loki's fault! Truly... useless!"
Ebony Maw quickly shifted all blame to the absent "ally."
Thanos's chest heaved, barely restraining a monstrous fury within.
He knew rage alone solved nothing.
With a cold, disdainful snort, he said,
"What's an Asgardian prince worth... not reliable at all."
"In the end, it seems our own kind must act."
Ebony Maw, still prostrate, dared to ask cautiously,
"Then... my lord, what should we do next?"
Thanos leaned back, deep in thought.
Earth was now too hard a bone to chew—home not only to two Infinity Stones, but also to a group of beings with unknown power.
A hasty assault would be too risky.
His gaze penetrated the hall wall, sweeping over the vast cosmic star chart.
After a long pause, he slowly ordered,
"Transmit my command.
Cease all Earth operations for now...
Focus all efforts on searching for the other Infinity Stones across the cosmos—Power, Soul, Reality...
Obtain as many as possible!"
His eyes shone with cold, merciless light.
"As for the two stones on Earth...
Once we've gathered the rest and our power soars, we'll take them all in one stroke!"
He wanted to use the safest method to achieve his grand ideal.
"Yes, my lord!"
Ebony Maw, feeling pardoned, hurriedly withdrew.
…
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Lucci reclined under an old oak tree, enjoying this rare leisure.
His head rested on Jean Grey's soft thigh, nose surrounded by the faint fragrance of her hair, his entire being utterly relaxed.
Jean lowered her head, gently twirling Lucci's black hair with her fingers, a happy, satisfied smile on her face.
In her beautiful eyes, in this moment, there was nothing but endless tenderness and love.
Suddenly, Lucci remembered the trophy he'd "taken" from Loki—the Scepter.
He focused his thoughts—
"Buzz—"
Space rippled, and the scepter, a perfect blend of technology and magic, appeared in his hand from thin air.
The dark blue gem at its tip shimmered under the sun, as if it held a whole universe.
"Eh?"
Jean Grey leaned over in curiosity, staring at the strangely shaped scepter.
She clearly sensed a bizarre energy emanating from the blue gem.
"What is this?"
"The Scepter," Lucci explained, gently cradling Jean's arm.
"Its essence is this the Mind Stone."
"Mind Stone?"
Jean repeated, confused.
Lucci nodded, explaining calmly,
"It's one of the six primal authorities formed by the singularity explosion at the dawn of the universe.
It represents the ultimate law of all minds and spirits."
"With it, you can enter, manipulate, and even create the hearts and dreams of any living being.
In theory, if the holder's spiritual power is strong enough, they could impose their will on all life in the universe—turning the universe into an extension of their own mind."
"What... what?!"
Jean Grey was completely shocked!
Her beautiful eyes widened, her lips parted, utter disbelief on her face!
To impose one's will on the entire universe?!
What a heaven-defying, terrifying ability!
"There's actually... such a stone in this world?"
Her voice trembled with the intensity of her shock.
Lucci smiled at her adorable expression and nodded.
He reached out and touched the Mind Stone.
Click.
With a light snap, the scepter's delicate clasp popped open.
Lucci removed the dark blue, glowing Infinity Stone from the groove and held it in his palm.
Deprived of its gem, the scepter instantly lost its luster, becoming an ordinary metal rod.
Freed from its chain, the Mind Stone radiated even purer, vaster spiritual power!
Lucci gazed at the gem.
Previously, he had grasped the [Infinite Mindscape] by analyzing Professor X's telepathy.
Now, holding the Infinity Stone representing the origin of "mind,"
his understanding soared instantly!
In that moment, to his eyes, the gem was no longer just a crystal.
It became a vast universe of countless thoughts, dreams, emotions, and wills!
From the basic instincts of single-celled organisms, to the complex love and hate of intelligent beings,
from fleeting human dreams to the eternal will of gods...
All mysteries of "mind," all laws of "spirit," in this moment, poured into his sea of consciousness like an endless river, merging perfectly with his infinite mental realm!
Lucci closed his eyes.
After a while, he opened them again.
His dark eyes were now like the deepest, quietest starry sky.
They seemed to contain all the spiritual power of the universe, reflecting the emotions of every living thing since ancient times.
Jean Grey gazed into his eyes—and in that instant, she was completely transfixed.
It felt as if her soul was being drawn inside!
In those eyes, she saw her deepest desires, her most secret fears, her sweetest memories...
She felt as if she was showing her true self, without reservation, before him.
An unprecedented, utterly transparent, utterly controlled sensation turned her mind completely blank.
...
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