Without waiting for Russell to reply, Odin raised Gungnir and traced an arc through the living room air with its tip, pointing precisely toward Thor and Loki.
"We of Asgard are willing to do this. After all, we have always managed the complicated balances in this region of the universe. We established an order among the Nine Realms that, while imperfect, is effective enough.
We know every faction's temperament, the rhythm of every energy channel, and the old unwritten rules preserved in stone tablets and songs.
You can copy all the underlying data of the Nine Realms, but the tangled web of relationships behind that data is what truly takes time to cultivate and maintain."
Russell remained silent, his interlaced fingers tapping lightly twice against his knees, the habitual rhythm of someone carefully weighing his options.
His gaze left Odin's face and settled on Thor, who was looking back at him with a complicated expression.
He glanced at Loki next. Beneath that thoughtful expression, a calculating gleam churned in the depths of his green eyes, asking, Is there a share for me in this deal?
Finally, he looked at Peter. The young man, who had been sitting quietly at the dining table all this time, stared at everyone with an expression somewhere between shock and bewilderment, as though thinking, Did I just witness a historic negotiation?
Russell stroked his chin, his fingertips slowly sliding back and forth along his sharply defined jaw.
Everyone in the living room waited for his answer. The wait felt like a stretched-out timeline, every second magnified several times over, every faint breath clearly audible.
Tiny bubbles quietly rose and burst in the glasses of lemonade on the coffee table.
Just when everyone thought Russell would remain silent, or finally say no.
The corners of Russell's