Galatea and Shayera followed Thor out of the portal. One second they were greeted by the salty, humid air of the island night, and the next they were hit in the face by a hot, dry air current mixed with some unknown spice.
Shayera's body tensed instantly, her fighting instincts causing her to instinctively grip the Nth Metal warhammer at her waist and warily scan her surroundings.
Galatea stood frozen in place, her blue eyes, which always held the power of storms, now filled only with pure bewilderment.
The scene before them was completely beyond their comprehension.
Skyscrapers pierced the clouds dyed purple by neon lights, and huge holographic projection advertisements silently shifted between the buildings. One after another, uniquely designed hovermobiles, trailing long trails of light, roared past overhead.
Further away, a maglev train, like a silver dragon, glides silently along its track in mid-air.
That's not even the most outrageous thing.
A pterosaur let out a sharp, long cry as it swept across the sky, with a man wearing a cowboy hat sitting on its back.
On the street, a fat man wearing a floral shirt was walking a small Triceratops that was only half the height of a person.
Science fiction and fantasy, the primitive and the future, are roughly kneaded together here, forming a bizarre yet strangely harmonious ecosystem.
"This..." Shayera's throat went dry, and she could only manage to squeeze out one word after a long while.
Thor didn't speak, but simply raised his chin, gesturing for them to look ahead.
Not far away on a street corner, a middle-aged man wearing a red and blue tight-fitting shirt, but whose figure was obviously overweight, was busy in front of a cart.
His mask was pulled up only to his nose, revealing a stubble-covered chin and a tired face.
A sign hung on the cart: Peter's Hot Dog, Number One in the Universe!
A small, green creature, about 50 or 60 centimeters tall, was standing at the very front of the line, tiptoeing, staring longingly at the sausages on the grill.
" Hulk!" The little guy jumped up excitedly when he saw it was his turn in line.
He stretched out his thick, short arm and used a watch-like device on his wrist to "beep" at the hot dog stand's cash register.
"Payment received, fifty Frost." A female electronic voice announced.
The middle-aged Spider-Man- Man deftly slipped a sausage into a bun, squeezed on some ketchup and mustard, and handed it to the little green doll, sighing helplessly, " Hulk, I've told you so many times, a hot dog is only five dollars. You've given me too much!"
The Chibi Hulk snatched the hot dog, took a huge bite, his cheeks bulging, and mumbled, " Hulk likes bugs! Hulk's willing to give more!"
After saying that, it hugged the hot dog, which was thicker than its own arm, and hopped away.
Shayera and Galatea witnessed the entire scene, and their minds went blank once again.
That green creature... they felt their common sense being repeatedly rubbed into the ground.
Thor led them onward, and the scenery along the way was breathtaking.
The open-air venue was bustling with noise.
A burly man with red skin was holding a customer and throwing him into the air, while another woman with red skin was catching him.
The sign read, " Hulk Throw, experience the feeling of flying! One hundred Frost per throw!"
"That's General Ross and his daughter Betty," Thor casually introduced. "They're now in charge of the Star Entertainment Project in Frost City."
Galatea looked in the direction he pointed, her gaze passing over the rows of buildings and finally settling on a magnificent palace floating above the city.
The palace, cast entirely in gold, radiated a sacred and majestic light under the city lights. A Bifrost extended from the palace, connecting to a tall tower in the city center.
"What is that?" she couldn't help but ask, the palace giving her a thrill that ran deep in her blood.
Thor glanced at it, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh, that's Asgard, where I live."
He hadn't leisurely strolled around his city like this in a long time.
As they walked, he introduced the two "newcomers" to each other, and they also ran into many acquaintances along the way.
A man dressed in a dark red robe with a strange eyeball ornament hanging on his chest emerged from the shadows and nodded slightly to Thor as a greeting.
That's Doctor Strange Supreme.
Not far away, an Asian girl wearing a yellow jacket and a ponytail was chatting with a woman wearing green leather armor. When she saw Thor, the girl waved excitedly and released a string of colorful energy fireworks.
Those were Li Qianhuan and Sylvie.
A middle-aged man with gray hair and wearing a purple suit is floating in mid-air, directing several huge metal plates to be precisely welded to the frame of a building under construction.
He saw Thor, gave him a curt nod, and then continued working.
That's Magneto, the chief engineer of Frost City.
They saw that Thor had brought back two unfamiliar women, but their faces showed no surprise.
After all, it's standard practice for their boss to "bring back" a few strong individuals from outside every now and then.
Thor suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He saw that, opposite the White Queen statue that belonged to Emma Frost Frost in the city square, a similarly enormous white robot wielding a beam rifle had appeared sometime during the night.
"Gundam?" Thor rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't mistaken, then shook his head with a laugh.
That little rascal, he's really good at causing trouble.
They passed by a park entirely sculpted from ice crystals, complete with roller coasters, a carousel, and even an ice castle, sparkling and chilling.
"It's the work of Iceman and Rogue," Thor explained. "The city has expanded several times since I left, with forest parks, Jurassic Park, marine parks... and now even amusement parks."
As they traveled, the wariness in Shayera's eyes had been completely replaced by curiosity and longing.
Galatea, though her face remained expressionless, revealed her inner turmoil through her slightly trembling eyelashes.
Thor stopped and turned to look at Galatea, his expression turning serious.
"So? Are you still going back?" he asked bluntly. "I know you have a good relationship with Professor Hamilton, who created you, you even call him father. But frankly, you're just a tool he uses to keep the Justice League in check."
"With me, you don't have to be a clone of Supergirl, or a weapon of Cadmus; you can simply be yourself."
Thor's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Galatea's most vulnerable spot.
"Tell me, do you want to go back, or stay?"
Shayera remained silent, watching the perpetually aloof clone Supergirl with curiosity, wondering what choice she would make.
As for herself? She already had the answer.
No one here knows she's a traitor to the Thanagar, no one knows she betrayed the Justice League.
Here, she can start over.
Thor also said that strong fighters could earn money by fighting in the ring, which suited her perfectly.
Galatea's fist clenched silently at her side, her mind in turmoil.
Father... Professor Hamilton was genuinely kind to her, but that kindness was based on the premise that she was "useful."
She was his most perfect creation, and also his sharpest blade.
But once she develops her own thoughts and is no longer under his control, how much of that fatherly love will be left?
She looked up and met Thor's eyes, which seemed to see right through her. Her lips moved, but in the end, she uttered four words.
"I have no idea."
Thor wasn't surprised. He nodded. "Alright, I'll find you a mentor. Her experience is pretty much the same as yours."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure descended from the sky, bringing with it a fragrant breeze, and silently landed beside Thor.
The newcomer had long, fiery red hair, wore black high heels that seemed to cut right into one's bones, and was dressed only in a daringly designed bodysuit that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure.
It was Madelyne Pryor.
As soon as she landed, she reached out her arms and hooked them around Thor's neck, stood on tiptoe, and planted a big kiss on his cheek.
"You haven't come to see me in a long time, Thor." Her voice carried a hint of languid complaint.
Thor put his arm around her waist, smiled, and then briefly told Madelyne about Galatea's identity and experiences.
After hearing this, Madelyne's alluring eyes swept over Galatea from head to toe, finally settling on Thor's face. With a hint of amusement, she asked, "So you've taken a liking to her?"
"I just felt that you two have similar backgrounds and experiences, so perhaps you could offer her some guidance." Thor shook his head. "If you're not willing, then forget it."
Madelyne bit her full lips, then glanced at the clone girl beside her who exuded an aura of "I'm conflicted," and pondered for a moment.
"Fine," she drawled, "For your sake, I'll reluctantly grant your request."
She leaned close to Thor's ear, her breath sweet as orchids.
"But... what about my reward?"
Thor glanced at her and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'll give it to you tonight."