After another half-hour flight, the transport plane finally came to a steady stop on the rooftop tarmac of the Triskelion. The gangway had just been set up when Thor smashed the specially made ice wall that replaced the cabin door into pieces with a single hammer blow. Thor strode out and immediately spotted a group of people standing on the tarmac. The tall man at the very front was extremely conspicuous, and he was even holding a bouquet of red roses in his hands, his face beaming like an old chrysanthemum.
Thor frowned, his face hardening. He was still seething with anger about Jane's affair, and had planned to punch Lin Xiao's infuriating face the moment they met. But when he actually saw that bastard Lin Xiao, he found himself unable to bring himself to do it.
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up when he saw the familiar golden retriever emerge from the cabin door. He spread his arms wide and ran towards the plane with an air of nonchalance, shouting, "Good brother! I missed you so much!"
Thor paused for a moment, and seeing Lin Xiao's enthusiastic demeanor, his anger inexplicably dissipated by more than half. Well, after all, they were brothers, and besides, he had only ever regarded Jane as a younger sister. Since his brother cared about him so much, it would seem petty for him to raise his fist again.
Thor sighed, the sternness on his face fell, shook his head, put a simple and honest smile on his lips again, and opened his broad arms to welcome him, ready to give his old friend a solid bear hug.
" Lin Xiao, you bastard..."
However, just a fraction of a second before the two were about to embrace, Lin Xiao's massive body, with an incredibly agile movement, suddenly feinted and squeezed right under Thor's armpit.
With a loud thud, Thor grabbed nothing but empty air, his arms catching nothing in mid-air.
He turned around, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Lin Xiao shoved the bouquet of vibrant roses into Sif's arms, who was following behind, then opened his arms and pulled the unsuspecting Sif into a tight embrace.
Sif froze, her hand hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to hug or push. Her usually cool and aloof face flushed crimson to the roots of her neck, and she stammered, "What... what are you doing! Let go of me, there are so many people here..."
Lin Xiao rubbed his forehead against Sif's. "I can't control that, I missed you so much, baby, let me see if you've lost weight."
Thor stood to the side, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, veins throbbing on his forehead. " Lin Xiao, what are you doing? Do you want to die?"
"Hey, good brother, don't mind me. I haven't seen Sif in so long. Wait a minute, let me hug her enough first." Lin Xiao buried his face in Sif's shoulder, took a deep breath of the Valkyrie's fragrance, and completely ignored Thor's murderous face.
Walker and Bobby, who were escorting Loki behind them, witnessed this scene. Bobby looked at Sif's flushed face, turned his head away in pain, clutched his chest, and muttered, "Damn boss, he's inhuman..."
Walker sighed, patted Bobby on the shoulder sympathetically, and whispered, "Brother, take it easy. How about I introduce you to someone? I have a younger sister who's still in school, and she has a great personality."
Bobby's eyes twitched, and the image of Walker's dark, fleshy face suddenly flashed into his mind, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. "... Can he even look good?"
Walker instantly became smug, straightening his back ramrod straight. "Needless to say? Absolutely gorgeous! The most beautiful girl in our neighborhood is my sister, she looks exactly like me, 1.86 meters tall, around 200 pounds, and definitely strong!"
Bobby instantly pictured a muscular, bearded "female version of Walker " in his mind, and his legs trembled; he almost knelt down on the spot. "Thanks, Walker, I think being single is great."
Loki was led down the gangway, his green robes somewhat disheveled, but he still maintained his aloof, godlike demeanor. He coldly surveyed the farce unfolding before him, his gaze finally settling on Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao finally released Sif, whose head was practically steaming, turned around, and defiantly met Loki's gaze, shielding Sif behind him. Loki's lips curled into a dangerous yet elegant smile, and he tilted his head slightly. "Back in New Mexico, I thought you, this mortal, were a bit strange. Now, it seems you really are. This Midgard superhero looks more like a street pimp."
"Likewise." Lin Xiao shrugged and retorted with a grin, "You, the second princess of Norse mythology, dressed all green, aren't you pretty good at stealing the spotlight too?"
A glint flashed in Loki's eyes. He lowered his voice and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Then we'll see. I'll see how much you really know, whether it's just empty talk, or... whether you can truly predict the future."
Lin Xiao didn't back down, taking a step forward. His smile vanished, and his eyes suddenly became extremely deep. "Then we'll wait and see. But you'd better step up your game." He leaned closer and whispered in Loki's ear, "For example, if your people go and sabotage the mothership or steal something, I don't care. I'd even be happy for them. The more chaos, the better. I don't mind."
Loki's pupils contracted slightly, a barely perceptible flicker of panic crossing his eyes. Sabotage the mothership? He did intend to use Hawkeye to operate from within, but how could this mortal know so much? Had Hawkeye broken free of his control midway? Or... had his mother, Frigga, told him?
Before Loki could even process the shock, Lin Xiao's voice suddenly pierced his eardrums like ice. "But, on the mothership, if you offend or hurt anyone... I wouldn't mind twisting your head off and using it as a football."
Loki's eyes instantly turned fierce, a bright green light emanating from them, and the metal of his handcuffs jingled slightly as he gripped them. But he quickly suppressed his anger, staring coldly at Lin Xiao: "You're threatening a god? Interesting, very interesting. I'll wait and see. After all, everyone has a mouth when it comes to empty talk."
Lin Xiao looked at Loki's extremely gloomy face, but he was secretly overjoyed, and a smug smile appeared on his lips.
What's he afraid of? When that old fox Fury signed the contract, he specifically included a clause stating that " Vought's mercenaries must not interfere with S.H.I.E.L.D..'s core facilities" to keep an eye on him. Vought's people can't even get on that Helicarrier!
What does this mean? It means Loki can build whatever he wants on the mothership, and he won't care if it gets destroyed, since the repairs are being paid for by the America, Vought's advance payment is already in his pocket! Of course, the only bottom line to ensure is Coulson's safety. But there's no need to worry about that; the trump cards he left for Coulson are enough to keep the good guy alive.
Lin Xiao deliberately kept a serious expression on his face and said in a low voice, "You're welcome to give it a try."
Although Sif couldn't quite understand the cryptic conversation between the two, she could sense the suppressed displeasure and sharp killing intent emanating from Lin Xiao. She didn't speak, but instead grasped Lin Xiao's hand in return, her fingers tightening slightly, silently supporting him.
Hill, standing not far away, witnessed the two holding hands. She raised an eyebrow and let out a very soft but clear snort. Turning to the still-stunned Thor, she forced a standard, official smile, "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.., Mr. Thor."
Wanda, standing at the edge of the crowd, was also staring intently at Lin Xiao and Sif's clasped hands. For some reason, seeing Lin Xiao's broad back protecting another woman, a strange, irritating sourness welled up inside her, and even her fingertips seemed to glow red. Wanda was startled and quickly lowered her head, shaking it vigorously. She turned her gaze to the distant horizon, inwardly cursing herself for being crazy.
A few minutes later, a small armed spaceship docked on the tarmac. Several fully armed agents pushed out a transparent reinforced glass cage, supposedly capable of imprisoning gods. Loki offered no resistance and obediently allowed himself to be pushed into the cage.
The moment the hatch closed, Loki turned around and coldly stared at the group of people outside through the glass. He saw the mortal named Lin Xiao with women on either side of him, laughing and joking with Thor, and winking at several women.
As Loki watched, the cold smile on his lips grew wider and wider, his eyes revealing a chilling interest.
" Lin Xiao..." He silently murmured the name inside the glass cage, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.