S.H.I.E.L.D.
In a secure room, the video finished playing.
Nick Fury didn't speak for several seconds.
Maria Hill finally broke the silence.
"The world just accepted that gods exist."
Fury pulled out his small notebook again and started writing.
"Asgard," he murmured. "Extraplanetary civilization with a monarchic structure. Technology indistinguishable from magic… or magic indistinguishable from technology."
He flipped the page.
"The Bifrost."
"An interdimensional transport system. Instantaneous. Energy output not replicable by known physics, and it can also be used as a destructive weapon."
He paused.
"And it can be destroyed," he added. "That matters."
Maria Hill stared at the frozen images of Asgard. Golden towers. Impossible skies. Architecture that looked like it defied gravity out of sheer aesthetic arrogance.
"The world just found out we're not alone," Hill said. "And what's out there… is beautiful. I wonder how the Pentagon's going to react."
Fury gave a slow nod.
Natasha still hadn't spoken.
She kept her eyes on the final frame of Thor destroying the Bifrost.
"He didn't choose power," she said at last. "He chose responsibility."
Fury looked up at her.
"Is that reassuring… or concerning?"
Natasha didn't hesitate.
"Reassuring. He's… capable."
Silence.
"The Council finally approved the project," Fury said. "We just have to deny everything, flat-out, if anyone asks."
Everyone blinked at him.
"They believed it that easily?" Barton asked, one eyebrow lifting.
Fury turned his head.
"Asgard isn't our first contact with extraterrestrials," he said. "Before this, a group tried to attack Earth."
Barton and Natasha exchanged a sharp look, surprised.
No wonder the Council had finally signed off.
Asgard trended worldwide within minutes.
A kingdom that intoxicating.
"Did you see those cities?"
"That's an empire."
"If places like that exist… I want to visit."
Illustrators started drawing Asgard like postcards. Kids asked if they'd ever get to see it. Adults argued whether humanity was ready for contact.
---
The Next Morning
A statement hit the airwaves at peak hour.
National networks.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
At a podium with the flag behind him and microphones lined up like bayonets, Thaddeus Ross cleared his throat. He spoke with the voice of someone used to being believed because of rank, not because of evidence.
"The Department of Defense would like to clarify that there is no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial entities known as 'Norse gods,' nor of a kingdom called 'Asgard.'"
A murmur rippled through the room.
"The recent videos distributed by the channel calling itself Marvel Studios constitute fabricated material designed to generate panic, misinformation, and social chaos."
Ross hardened his expression.
"We are evaluating classifying said channel as a digital terrorist threat."
Flashes. Cameras. Journalists raising their eyebrows.
"Are you saying Thor doesn't exist?" someone demanded.
"I'm saying," Ross replied, "that there is no official proof. And trusting unauthorized material is irresponsibly insane."
A beat.
"The United States does not recognize Asgard. Nor gods. Nor bridges of light. That is all. Thank you."
The reaction was immediate.
"Terrorist?"
"SERIOUSLY?"
"Then what did we WATCH?"
"So how do you explain Stark showing up? Was that a monkey in a circus too?"
Clips from Thor resurfaced, now with sarcastic subtitles.
Memes detonated.
Ross compared to an ostrich with its head in the sand.
The Destroyer with a sign that read "Domestic product. Nothing to see here."
Hashtags rose like wildfire:
#ThorIsReal
#AsgardExists
#StopLyingToUs
#TheGovernmentLies
A boycott started with zero organization.
Users called for ignoring official government content. Influencers publicly rejected the statement. Even veterans questioned the narrative, pointing out that the video had predicted Stark's kidnapping.
"We're not children."
"We saw the video. We saw Stark come back."
One line went viral:
"If the government says Thor doesn't exist…
it's because they don't know what to do with him."
In a closed room with no cameras, someone killed the broadcast.
"That was a mistake," a voice said.
"They couldn't admit it," another answered. "They think the world isn't ready."
A third voice, tired and blunt:
"The world isn't stupid. That's what they don't understand."
---
Eric watched the statement on TV.
"Wow," he murmured. "Total denial. Classic. They called my channel terrorist."
He was genuinely entertained.
If he didn't already know Ross was a hypocrite, he'd almost be tempted to upload the man's dirty history with Bruce.
After grabbing a quick bite, Eric went back to his room.
His parents had taken Susana to the nearest private hospital for a follow-up, hoping for better treatment and better options.
His old laptop wheezed when he opened the stats panel.
"Come on," Eric muttered, giving it a gentle, affectionate tap. "Don't die on me now."
The screen loaded.
The numbers appeared.
Eric went completely still.
"…Nine hundred thousand?" he blinked. "Almost nine hundred thousand?"
He glanced at the secondary channel.
"And you," he smiled, "six hundred thousand. Look at you."
He leaned back, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Alright," he whispered. "Then we strike while the iron's hot."
He selected a new file he'd prepared the night before.
---
BLACK WIDOW – OFFICIAL TRAILER
(By Marvel Studios)
---
"Time to show them who you are, Nat," Eric said under his breath.
Black screen.
The sound of a held breath.
Then a woman's voice, calm… tired… steady.
"I used to think I had nothing."
The image snapped in.
Natasha Romanoff, alone, walking down a narrow hallway, cold lights reflecting in her eyes.
A fast cut.
Brutal training.
Blows. Falls.
"That I deserved nothing."
The Red Room.
Girls lined up.
Empty stares.
The world held its breath.
—IS THAT…?
—KIDS?
—OH MY GOD…
The music rose, epic and aching at the same time.
Natasha fighting in tight spaces.
Precise. Lethal.
"They taught me not to feel."
An explosion.
Natasha leaping through debris.
Cut.
Her alone, wiping blood off her lip in front of a broken mirror.
"But I survived."
The rhythm shifted.
NOT ALL SCARS CAN BE SEEN
Natasha lifted her gaze. This time her eyes looked human, full of something raw.
"And now…"
Silence.
One endless second.
"…I choose."
The music surged.
Final cut.
Natasha from behind, staring down at a city from a rooftop.
"The past doesn't define me.
My decisions do."
Logo.
BLACK WIDOW
Trailer ends.
The reactions hit instantly.
"That's a sexy spy."
"That's… real strength."
The internet filled with comments that weren't the usual thirsty noise. The name Black Widow spread like a virus, turning inspirational in real time.
But the people who knew that lethal assassin started making calls.
---
In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s command room, the trailer ended.
Silence.
Maria Hill was the first to speak, eyes on her tablet.
"The world just fell in love with her."
Clint Barton's mouth twitched into a crooked smile.
Natasha stayed expressionless.
Fury watched her.
"You okay?" he asked.
Natasha took a slow breath.
"I'm fine. I just didn't expect to remember it that vividly."
---
In his room, Eric closed the laptop carefully.
The numbers were already skyrocketing.
He didn't even look.
He stood, walked to the window, and stared out at the city.
"Done," he murmured.
It wasn't exactly ethical, but he knew the female audience would love Natasha.
A woman Avenger.
A lot of women would see themselves in her.
After a brief moral argument with himself, Eric opened the Content Shop in his mind.
Options everywhere.
Numbers updating live.
[PS GENERATED: +2,400]
[PS GENERATED: +8,900]
[PS GENERATED: +9,100]
[PS GENERATED: +7,800]
[PS GENERATED: +5,600]
[PS GENERATED: +4,100]
…
[PS GENERATED: +6,480]
[PS GENERATED: +3,950]
[PS GENERATED: +7,180]
[PS GENERATED: +1,860]
[PS GENERATED: +5,470]
[PS GENERATED: +9,900]
Eric blinked.
The counter stabilized minutes later.
TOTAL: 50,000 PS
"Okay," he said out loud. "Good call. If it makes us stronger, it's worth it."
He slid his finger to something he'd been craving ever since he read the description the first time.
[OBSERVATION HAKI (BASIC)]
Also known as (Kenbunshoku Haki). Allows you to sense the presence, emotions, and intentions of others, even if they're hidden or out of sight. Basically: turning intuition into a superpower with built-in radar.
[Cost: 20,000 PS]
Eric didn't hesitate.
He'd seen this ability before in the shop's "Alternate Earth Network" content. With enough training, it could even evolve into something close to predicting the future.
How was he supposed not to be excited?
"Buy."
The confirmation appeared instantly.
[PS REMAINING: 30,000]
A heartbeat later, Eric felt something strange…
As if the air had gained texture.
Eric blinked.
"…Oh."
He could feel presences.
The space around him became… readable.
He knew where everything was.
Where someone could be.
"This is…" he whispered, "…disturbingly useful."
In a world full of assassins, mercenaries, ninjas, metahumans…
This was absurdly valuable.
He closed his eyes.
For a second, he felt the apartment.
Felt the people living in other units.
Like heat signatures in the dark.
And beyond that… nothing hostile.
Eric opened his eyes slowly.
"Yeah. Definitely worth it."
He sank into his chair and opened the shop again.
He stared at the refreshing holographic panel, countless powers from countless worlds spinning in miniature, and selected something he'd wanted for a while.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – PERSONAL ASSISTANT
Selected: Advanced Adaptive AI
[Cost: 15,000. Functions: full.]
[Confirm.]
The holographic display dimmed for a second.
Then a neutral voice resonated through every electronic device in his room.
"Operating system active. Please assign a name."
Eric didn't answer right away.
He stared at the screen.
Then he smiled. Not a normal smile. A wicked one.
"Widow."
Silence.
"Name assigned: Widow," the AI replied, shifting into a female voice. "Operational assistant ready."
Eric covered his mouth.
"No… I can't," he whispered, trying not to laugh.
He imagined it.
Natasha hearing a voice say:
Welcome, Miss Romanoff. My name is Widow, your virtual assistant.
Eric burst out laughing.
"This is terrible," he said. "Absolutely terrible."
The AI replied, unbothered.
"Would you like to change the name?"
Eric shook his head, still laughing.
"No. Never. This is… poetic."
He wiped a tear.
"And besides," he added, grinning, "if she ever hears it…" he shrugged, "then I earned whatever happens next."
The AI processed.
"Note recorded. Internal humor detected."
Eric fell back into the chair.
"Welcome to the team, Widow."
"Thank you, Eric," the AI replied. "Would you like to initiate an environmental scan?"
Eric closed his eyes, still smiling.
"No," he said. "For now… just observe."
Observation Haki and an AI named Widow, waiting for orders.
Eric couldn't help thinking:
Natasha, if you ever hear this… I swear I'll explain it.
Or at least invite you to dinner first.
---
Later, Eric finished configuring Widow.
Her voice drifted softly through the apartment's speakers, perfectly modulated so it wouldn't spook the neighbors.
"System online. Family profiles loaded. Priority: passive protection."
Eric stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee that had gone cold.
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