America sat cross-legged on the very edge of the sofa, grabbed a handful of popcorn, stuffed it into her mouth, and puffed out her cheeks.
She pointed her butter-covered index finger at the Blue Boy Scout on the screen who had just gotten up only to be kicked away again, and asked a question.
"Is this guy in the bodysuit even capable?" America chewed the popcorn in her mouth.
"How come any random big guy can beat him to a pulp? Isn't he supposed to be a god among men? Why can someone who's just a human get a few hits from him?"
Thor leaned back on the sofa, tossing a can of beer in his hand.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over America's face, and spat out a few words: "What do you know, you little brat?"
America puffed out her chest defiantly and slammed the popcorn bucket in her hand onto her knee.
She spent her entire life on the run in the multiverse, dodging all sorts of monsters, and had no time to read comics, let alone learn about the superheroes' backstories.
"Do you know why Superman always gets the short end of the stick when he fights someone?" Thor pulled the tab on a can, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful of beer, the icy liquid rolling down his throat.
America shook her head, her curly hair swaying with it.
Thor put down his beer can, raised his right hand, and a wisp of dazzling red Law of Reality swirled around his fingertips.
The red light rapidly converged and spun in mid-air, instantly condensing into a miniature Earth model the size of a fist.
The model even clearly shows the blue ocean and green landmasses.
"In this guy's eyes, the entire Earth is like a fragile egg." Thor opened his palm, letting the miniature Earth float above it. "With just a little force, he could crush this planet to pieces."
As soon as he finished speaking, Thor abruptly clenched his fingers.
"Snap!"
A crisp cracking sound exploded in the living room, and the red-light-formed Earth model instantly collapsed, turning into countless particles of light that dissipated into the air.
America shrank back, her gaze fixed on Thor's outstretched empty hand.
"So every time he gets into a fight, he has to let the other person punch him a few times first."
Thor curled his fingers and tapped them twice on the sofa armrest.
"This is to control the opponent's strength. Only after being hit can he accurately calculate how much force to use to retaliate. Otherwise, think about it, if Superman attacked with all his might against every enemy, it's hard to say whether Earth would even exist."
Reed, sitting at another terminal, stopped typing. He turned his chair around, and his eyes behind his glasses shone with extreme rationality.
"That's certainly possible."
Reed nodded, his finger tracing several streams of data on the virtual screen in mid-air.
According to the comics, Superman possesses a super brain. His neurons' reaction speed and computing power are sufficient to complete force analysis, reaction force calculation, and environmental damage assessment within milliseconds. This kind of force control, precise down to the molecular level, is extremely computationally intensive.
The sound of metal boots stomping on the floor came from the corridor at the back of the laboratory, accompanied by the pleasant scent of shower gel mixed with chemical cleaners.
Valeria emerged with her head of wet blonde hair.
She changed into a blue jumpsuit and was holding a white towel, vigorously drying her hair.
Hawkgirl Shayera, followed behind Valeria, wearing the short-sleeved undershirt and long casual pants that Valeria had conjured with a remote control.
The fabric clung tightly to Shayera's muscular physique, and the enormous wings on her back, unrestrained by her battle suit, could only be folded somewhat awkwardly behind her, the tips of the feathers occasionally brushing against the metal wall, making a soft friction sound.
Shayera looked extremely annoyed, arms crossed, jaw clenched, clearly very unhappy with her outfit.
Valeria walked behind the sofa and overheard Reed's analysis of the "super brain".
She stopped drying her hair, draped the towel around her neck, and a fervent glint flashed in her eyes.
"Since his calculation abilities are so strong," Valeria leaned forward, her hands resting on the back of the sofa.
"Is it possible for us to cut open his skull, extract his super brain, and use it to replace that old quantum computer in the lab?"
The air in the living room froze instantly.
America was so startled that her hand trembled, and a few kernels of popcorn rolled out of the bucket and landed on the floor.
She stared at Valeria with a look of terror on her face, desperately squeezing her body to the other end of the sofa, wishing she could be 800 meters away from this perverted little girl.
Reed jumped to his feet, the chair leg scraping loudly against the metal floor.
He raised his hand, pointed at Valeria, and spoke rapidly and logically:
" Val! You've gone a bit too far! I've taught you countless times that scientific exploration must have its bottom line! While technological development inevitably involves various biological experimental samples, it absolutely cannot be against humanity! This act of live brain removal violates the most basic ethics and morality!"
Valeria rolled her eyes dramatically, without any hesitation.
She straightened up, held up a finger and waved it in front of Reed, directly interrupting her Papa's scolding.
"Let me correct you, Dad." Valeria curled her lips into a mocking smile.
" Superman is Kryptonian, not a human. My proposal does not constitute a crime against humanity at all; at most, it's a plan to reuse resources from an alien species."
Reed was taken aback. He opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find a logical flaw to refute the statement.
Thor sat on the sofa, having no intention of getting involved in the ethical debate between the father and daughter.
He knew Valeria's true nature all too well; the girl's head was filled with crazy scientific ideas, it would be strange if she wasn't a freak.
Thor put down his crossed legs and clapped his hands twice.
The crisp sound of a slap interrupted the argument in the laboratory.
"Alright, put away your dangerous ideas." Thor stood up, his tall figure instantly blocking the light from the holographic screen.
He glanced down at Valeria. "You guys stay in the lab and keep watching. The anime will stop on its own when it's finished."
Thor turned to look at Shayera standing to the side, his gaze lingering on her wings for a second.
"I need to go check out Hawkgirl's universe." Thor cracked his neck, his knuckles popping repeatedly.
Valeria's eyes lit up, and she immediately threw off the towel around her neck, took a few steps in front of Thor, and blocked his way.
"I'm going too!" Valeria raised her chin, her face full of excitement.
" The DC Universe! Living Superman! Living Batman! It's a massive, untapped resource library! I'm going to bring my portable scanner and collect genetic samples from at least a dozen different species!"
Thor looked down at the little girl who only reached his chest, and without any mercy, reached out his large hand, pressed it against her forehead, and pushed her aside.
"Don't even think about it, kid." Thor spoke clearly, directly shattering her illusions. "Of everyone here, you and your dad are the worst. Going there would just be suicide missions."
Reed stood in front of the terminal, adjusted his glasses, and didn't argue back despite being called a noob.
He was acutely aware of his and his daughter's fighting capabilities; in a universe where gods fought each other, they truly lacked even the ability to protect themselves.
Valeria was pushed back two steps, her face full of resentment. Her eyes darted around and her gaze fell on America was still munching on popcorn.
"Then just let her come along!" Valeria pointed at America. "She can open portals and she can fight. With her protecting me, plus you, there won't be any problems!"
America for a moment, not even swallowing the popcorn in her mouth, then immediately shook her head frantically, making a big X with her hands in front of her chest.
Thor sneered and decisively refused, "I can only go by myself, with Hawkgirl as my guide at most."
Valeria stomped her foot on the metal floor in extreme dissatisfaction and shouted, "Why? You're Multiverse Level powerhouse! What's wrong with bringing a few people? Can't you even protect us?"
Thor stopped and turned to stare at Valeria.
"Have you turned yourself into an idiot through your research?" Thor mocked mercilessly.
"A big shot just came to warn me! The DC Multiverse is a very complex place! If I go, at least I can protect myself, and if I can't win, I can run away. What are you three doing following me? Are you going to be my lambs? Do you really think I'm going on vacation?"
Thor's mind flashed Lucifer's beautiful, almost inhuman face, and the undisguised sense of oppression emanating from him.
Although he has now entered the Multiverse Level, he still needs to remain absolutely vigilant when facing those old monsters who have lived for countless years and have endless trump cards up their sleeves.
Bringing these burdens along is just asking for trouble.
Valeria gritted her teeth, still wanting to argue.
"Open the door." Thor ignored her completely, turned to America, and gave the order.
America swallowed the popcorn and tossed the bucket onto the sofa. She stood up, legs slightly apart, and stretched her right arm back, her muscles instantly tensing.
A ball of blue dimensional energy gathered at the tip of her fist.
America suddenly swung her right fist and slammed it hard into the air in front of her.
"Bang!"
With a deafening roar, the spatial barrier shattered into pieces, like fragile glass.
A massive star-shaped portal took shape in mid-air, its edges shimmering with dazzling blue dimensional sparks.
Through the portal, one could vaguely see the gray city buildings and gloomy sky on the other side.
Thor walked to the metal table in the corner of the laboratory and grabbed the heavy Nth Metal warhammer.
He turned around, exerted force with his arm, and threw the warhammer directly at Shayera.
Shayera reacted swiftly, raising her right hand and catching the incoming warhammer steadily.
The heavy metal collided with flesh, producing a muffled thud. The moment she gripped the warhammer, Shayera's previously scattered fighting spirit seemed to recover somewhat, and the wings on her back suddenly spread open for a moment.
"Let's go, poor thing." Thor glanced at her and strode toward the star-shaped portal.
Without any hesitation, Thor stepped into the shimmering dimensional sparks, his tall figure instantly merging into the gray sky on the other side.
Shayera gripped the metal hammer handle tightly with her five fingers, the veins on the back of her hands bulging.
Her features contorted violently as images of the destruction of Planet Thanagar, the betrayal of the Justice League, and John's face flashed through her mind.
A torrent of emotions churned and tore within my chest, finally settling into a deathly silence.
Without saying a word, she strode forward, following Thor, and stepped into the portal.
The star-shaped portal rapidly contracted, transforming into a point of light and disappearing into the air.
The laboratory returned to silence, with only the sound of the animation playing on the holographic projection screen remaining.
Valeria stood there, staring at the spot where the portal had disappeared, muttering something in dissatisfaction, and jabbed her finger twice hard on her personal terminal.