The two glared at Nick as if they wanted to eat him alive. Neither said a word, but their expressions made it clear: they wanted an explanation.
At the sight, a trace of embarrassment crossed Nick's face, and he hurriedly explained, "It's a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding."
"It's all this thing's fault. It did this."
With that, Nick shot the Flerken a fierce glare. The Flerken responded with a meow, looking utterly innocent.
Nick's mouth twitched. He could only resign himself to taking the blame.
"I'm sorry, both of you. This was my mistake."
Nick apologized earnestly, but Hela and Doctor Doom were no longer focused on him.
Hela and Doctor Doom both looked at the cat on his shoulder, their eyes narrowing.
"That's a Flerken, isn't it?" Doctor Doom asked.
Nick had no intention of hiding it and immediately nodded.
"No wonder. But Flerkens are nearly extinct across the entire universe. I never thought you'd have one."
"Just luck."
Nick offered a modest reply, and Hela interjected, "What a waste."
"What do you mean?"
Nick looked puzzled. Seeing this, Doctor Doom explained, "That was our best chance to banish Tony. But now that he's on guard, the Flerken's usefulness has been drastically reduced."
"Its ability is practically impossible to counter. Even we couldn't escape if we fell into its mouth. But with our guard up, it wouldn't be able to swallow us easily, either. That's why Hela said it was a waste."
"That last attack was the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, you didn't seize it."
Doctor Doom finished with a sigh and a shake of his head. Nick stared in astonishment, never having expected things to turn out this way.
But the three had little time to talk. Soon, Tony appeared in the sky again.
He looked at Nick, then