Thor leaned back in Emma Frost's expensive chair, his hands behind his head, not yet having finished planning his trip to the DC Universe, when the office door was pushed open from the outside.
The newcomer had long, soft, golden curly hair, and her icy blue eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.
She was dressed in a sharp, pure white suit, exuding an aura of cold arrogance that kept strangers at bay.
It was Emma Frost Frost, the lord of Frost City.
Her gaze first fell on Thor, then swept over the two new, strangely drawn Bat Tuotuo on the desk, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.
"Oh, isn't this the true master of Frost City?" Emma Frost's voice was cool, with her usual teasing. "Finally deigned to return from outside and inspect your territory?"
'Here they come.' Thor had expected it, and didn't move an inch, only lazily lifting his eyelids.
"There's no other way. There are too many bad people out there. Someone has to maintain world peace." He made up a story off the top of his head.
Emma Frost ignored his banter and went straight behind her desk.
Thor reluctantly stood up from his chair to make room for her.
Emma Frost sat down and habitually tidied the table, pushing the two Bat Tuotuo aside as if they were something that bothered her.
But her own White Queen Tuotuo and Thor's Thor Tuotuo remained tightly packed together.
Thor found her insincere actions somewhat amusing.
He didn't say anything more, but stepped forward, bent down, and gently placed a kiss on Emma Frost's smooth forehead.
Emma Frost's body stiffened for a moment, a fleeting glint of light flashing in her icy blue eyes, but she quickly regained her regal composure.
"You've worked hard," Thor said softly. "I heard about the Mutants army; you did a great job."
Emma Frost's eyelashes fluttered, but she didn't say anything; only a faint blush crept up her ears.
She turned her head away, avoiding Thor's gaze, and spoke curtly in a commanding tone, "Good to know. This is... a reward for you."
'He's being arrogant again.' Thor chuckled to himself, but didn't point it out, and smoothly changed the subject.
"By the way, I'm planning to send the refugees stranded in the DC Universe back sometime."
He thought Emma Frost would, as usual, offer a queen-like, scathing critique of this "losing deal."
However, Emma Frost simply tapped the cold tabletop lightly with her fingertips and calmly uttered two words: "Too late."
"What do you mean?" Thor was taken aback.
"Literally." Emma Frost looked up at him. "More than half of the DC refugees have already submitted applications for permanent residency to City Hall, and quite a few have directly applied for low-interest loans from Erik, bought land in the East Side, and are preparing to settle down."
She paused, her tone tinged with complex emotion. "They don't want to go back. For Thor, this is home."
Thor fell silent.
He hadn't expected this outcome.
Frost City, a city built on Void, was originally just a base he created for self-preservation.
Now, however, it has become the unique and absolutely safe final destination in the hearts of countless exiles in the universe.
An indescribable sense of accomplishment and responsibility quietly grew in his heart.
Seeing the unusually complex expression on Thor's face, Emma Frost's gaze softened.
The tense atmosphere in the office disappeared, replaced by a gentle tranquility.
She suddenly stood up, her elegant high heels clicking as she walked up to Thor.
To Thor's somewhat surprised look, Emma Frost reached out and grabbed his collar, then stood on tiptoe and pulled him toward her.
Cool yet soft lips, carrying her unique, diamond-like fragrance, pressed passionately against my skin.
Thor paused for a moment, then took the initiative and put his arm around her slender waist.
Just as the atmosphere in the office was heating up and heading in some indescribable direction, a soft, suppressed cough came from the doorway.
"Cough cough cough..."
The sound wasn't loud, but it exploded in their ears like a thunderclap.
Emma Frost abruptly released her grip and shoved Thor away.
She turned her back, frantically straightening her slightly disheveled collar and hair. Her aura of a cold and arrogant queen instantly crumbled, leaving only embarrassment and anger on her face.
Thor didn't seem to care. He turned back to look at the doorway, a hint of lingering regret on his face.
A woman stood in the doorway, with her signature long red hair, but her expression was neither the gentle nor resolute one that Thor remembered; instead, it was one of unprecedented solemnity.
Jean Grey, the Phoenix from the Red Label Zombie Universe.
'This is... the perfect timing,' Thor thought to himself.
Jean Grey completely ignored the awkward yet romantic atmosphere in the office, her gaze fixed intently on Thor, as if confirming something.
The surrounding air, due to her inability to fully contain her phoenix essence, began to distort slightly, becoming hot and oppressive.
Emma Frost also sensed something was wrong. She quickly composed herself, turned around, and her icy blue eyes were full of vigilance.
"What happened?" Emma Frost asked in a cold voice.
Qin didn't answer her, but walked straight towards Thor, her voice a little hoarse.
" Thor."
We're in big trouble.
" In Frost City, something... lurks." Jean took a deep breath, seemingly searching for the right words, "... an Omniverse Level being on par with me."
The moment those words were spoken, the temperature in the entire office seemed to plummet to freezing.
Emma Frost's face drained of color instantly, replaced by a cold, deathly pale white.
Frost City is absolutely safe; this has always been her belief, and it is the cornerstone of the city's existence.
Now, this foundation has been cracked by an invisible hammer.
"He's been here for at least six months." There was a hint of frustration and lingering fear in Jean's voice. "I used the Phoenix Force to scan the entire city countless times, but I found nothing. He perfectly shielded me from his senses, as if he didn't exist at all."
His target is you.
The moment the words left his mouth, Thor vanished from his spot, and the next second, he appeared beside Jean, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
A gentle yet irresistible force surged in, instantly calming the restless Phoenix Force within Qin's body.
"Don't be nervous." Thor's voice was calm, revealing no emotion. "Explain clearly."
Qin steadied herself and quickly said, "I couldn't lock onto him, so I asked the God of Time for help."
" Loki?"
"Yes." Jean nodded. "He couldn't give a specific location, but by tracing the timeline, he confirmed two things. First, this being is Mutants. Second, his target is indeed you."
An Omniverse Level Mutants.
It can perfectly block the detection of the Phoenix's origin.
He had been lying in wait in Frost City for six months, with a clear objective.
Countless pieces of information flashed through Thor's mind as his supercomputer-like brain frantically searched for all his memories of the Marvel Universe from his past life.
One name after another was filtered and then eliminated.
Franklin Richards? No, that doesn't fit his character; he's not that insidious.
Legion? That's even more impossible. If he came, the entire city would have been turned upside down by his schizophrenia long ago.
The Marquis of Death? He's already been killed...
One powerful Mutants was rejected, until a name forgotten in the corner of memory suddenly jumped out.
A madman who enjoys manipulating reality and treating life like a drama.
A United Kingdom politician who should have been dragged into Void and utterly Oblivion by rage.
' James Jaspers... The Mad Hatter.'
Thor's pupils contracted slightly.
It was you.
He suddenly remembered the polite, British shopkeeper who called himself Agate at the " Wonderful Cute Creatures Shop " earlier.
They really hid it well.
Seeing that Thor remained silent, Emma Frost and Jean assumed that he was struggling with this unprecedented crisis.
However, the next second, Thor suddenly chuckled.
The laughter was soft, yet it carried a cold, chilling quality.
"Interesting."
Emma Frost and Qin were both stunned.
"He's been hiding for half a year, just to watch the show from the shadows?" Thor's lips curled up, but there was no smile in his eyes. "Then let him keep watching."
He turned away, ignoring the topic, and his gaze returned to the dark gray Bat Tuotuo on his desk.
"The matter concerning the DC Universe can't be delayed any longer."
He announced his decision to Emma Frost and Jean, who both looked on in astonishment.
I set off as planned.
'You want to put on a show, is that it?' Thor thought calmly to himself. 'Then I'll play along.'
'However, who directs the play and where the stage is are not up to you.'
'Let you, the audience member, wait a little longer.'