Melting Chapter 74: Infiltration on Osborn, and Ego's arrival on Earth! (Patreon)

Aaron didn’t make his words explicit, but Odin roughly caught his drift.

A flash of light passed through Odin’s eyes. “But now the problem is solved. Ragnarok won’t happen—Surtur was ripped into pieces by spatial collapse and can never descend upon Asgard again.”

He’d only shared this with Frigga; not even Thor was aware of it yet. Aaron, however, didn’t seem surprised.

“Surtur’s just one factor. He’s hardly the only threat in the universe. Compared to the vastness of the cosmos, what is Surtur anyway?”

Odin fell silent.

“You see farther than I imagined,” he said quietly. “If Thor had even half of your perspective, that’d be nice.”

He thought of his son again and sighed. Thor was already fifteen hundred years old—when Odin had been that age, Hela had already been born. Meanwhile, Thor’s vision still didn’t extend beyond the Nine Realms, never realizing how much bigger the universe beyond them truly was. Not to mention that even within the galaxy alone, there were all sorts of powerful beings:

Omnipotence City where gods from all over gathered;

The so-called greatest empire of the galaxy, the Kree Empire;

And those godlike beings, the Celestials, who were even more elusive than a dragon’s head or tail.

Yes, Asgard and other pantheons (like the Greek gods) were considered high-level gods in the galaxy, but compared to the Celestials, they were miles behind. And just recently, a certain Mad Titan had begun collecting the Infinity Stones. At the center of the universe was a near-omnipotent figure known as Eternity, the God of Gods. Thor was oblivious to all of that. He just feasted and drank in Asgard, his eyes fixed on the Nine Realms.

Even so, within those Nine Realms, Thor still hadn’t fully mastered his inherited powers and never truly earned widespread submission. But Aaron… at age twenty-two, he was in full command of his own powers, foresaw Ragnarok, and also sensed hidden cosmic threats. He’d intimidated the Nine Realms by brutally killing Eternal Surtur and subjugating the various gods. That blend of strength and cunning was astonishing—what a monster! He outclassed even Hela and Odin himself.

“Are you leaving?” Odin asked. “Couldn’t you stay a few more days? There are still people here in Asgard waiting for you.”

Odin wanted to say, “The Asgardians need you,” but stopped. It sounded too much like moral coercion.

These days, he tread very carefully around Aaron—this was a big thigh he’d managed to cling to with great difficulty; he had to be wary not to scare him away. From both a father’s viewpoint and that of the current King of Asgard, Odin had to pave the way for his son and subjects.

Ragnarok loomed like a nightmare in the back of his mind; Hela would soon break free after Odin’s death, and that was another massive headache. Thor lacked the ability to clean up messes and might only make them worse. Loki’s scheming was useless against an overwhelming crisis. Otherwise, Odin wouldn’t mind him taking the throne.

Aaron, on the other hand, was their best hope! Asgard might finally escape that nightmare of Ragnarok.

“I have a lot to do,” Aaron replied. “Besides, you’re not dead yet, are you?”

He understood Odin’s thinking but didn’t mind. Sif and the others would remain in Asgard, and he needed only a thought to arrive here from Earth—or anywhere else in the galaxy.

Even across billions of light-years, he could sense and communicate with them. If any trouble arose, they’d only have to call his name, and he’d appear at once. Meanwhile, Earth—which on the whole was far less developed than Asgard—contained many things he needed.

Odin nodded. “Take care, then. Asgard will always stand behind you.”

Aaron gave a small nod, tapped into dark energy, and vanished on the spot. Odin stared at the now-empty balcony, looking out into the distance. From there he saw the sea at Asgard’s borders, waves driven by the wind, crest after crest—each soon breaking on the sand. A heavy melancholy settled on him.

“What a monster…”

…

Earth, New York, at the Osborn Corporation.

“Boss, you’re back!”

Buried under a towering stack of documents, Felicia’s head popped out as she sensed his familiar presence.

“Little kitty, did you miss me?”

Aaron walked behind her, glancing at the files. “Hmm, these are security documents for the Expo.”

Felicia nodded emphatically, and when she noticed Aaron’s eager gaze, she gave a pained look. “Boss, my tasks aren’t done. Maybe you could help me? Speed things up?”

Aaron raised an eyebrow. “I’m the boss, and you want me to do your job?”

Felicia pursed her lips. But these documents were originally his work anyway! She had no idea why she, a mere assistant, had become a mindless signature machine, handling every major assignment and event scheduling.

By the books, Norman’s signature had to be rechecked by her, or else she’d recheck Norman’s signature… All in all, Felicia handled everything personally. Even though her body was now enhanced to Spider-Man levels, she still felt exhausted from it all.

Aaron could see her fatigue. Touching his forefinger to her forehead, he said:

“Boss?” Felicia looked puzzled. The next moment, she felt her entire body lighten by several pounds. New energy flooded her system, and any hidden ailments vanished. Even her mental fatigue from all those late nights was melting away.

“I feel like I could keep going for a whole day!” Felicia exclaimed, gazing at Aaron in wonder. “Boss, what kind of power is that?”

“Oh, just something that can instantly heal physical injuries or hidden issues on a molecular level,” Aaron replied casually. He quirked a brow. “Want to learn it?”

Felicia nodded eagerly. Aaron pulled her into the nearby lounge. “Hop on up,” he said, taking a seat and gesturing. Felicia wore a resigned “of course it’s like this” expression—she was just a little office secretary, after all, and if her boss needed her, she had to meet those needs—any kind of needs…

Moments later, Felicia felt something incredibly peculiar—fivefold sensory acuity, plus Sensory Sharing. Wait—this was all wrong. Abort mission! She flashed back to that day of fiasco, three-second territory…

“Felicia…”

“S-sorry! I’m too weak!”

Mortified, she wanted to crawl into a hole. Muttering apologies, she felt warm. She shrugged off her blazer, loosened up, and embraced herself, earning a nod from Aaron. That was the proper way to apologize, indeed.

“Sorry, Boss—I wasn’t ready. I can really start working now!”

Serious once more, Felicia started recounting the Osborn Corporation’s latest tasks, trying to redirect her focus. Aaron allowed it, not bursting her bubble.

Giggling, she said, “Boss, while you were gone, the company caught nine espionage attempts. One infiltrator was a mutant, but we spotted him right away and kicked him out. The rest were arrested, turned over to the FBI…”

Aaron squeezed gently, cutting her off. Felicia inhaled sharply. “Any…instructions, Boss?”

“You’re sure it was the FBI and not S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Felicia nodded. “Doesn’t seem like S.H.I.E.L.D…”

Aaron gave a cold huff. Anyone daring to trespass on his turf had to pay. After a quick thought, he dialed Barbara’s private number:

“Hello, this is Adeline. If this is about hiring a tutor, I’m sorry— I’m no longer working…”

Hearing that, Aaron realized Barbara was likely with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents right then.

“I have eight children here in need of lessons,” Aaron said.

Barbara started to answer when Felicia accidentally elbowed something, yelping in surprise as she tumbled onto the floor with a thud, letting out a muffled cry. Barbara’s eyes narrowed; she hung up at once and gulped down a cup of water.

Opposite her sat Nick Fury. He gave her a strange look and glanced over at the bottled water. “I didn’t know you were into plain water?”

Barbara kept a straight face. “Aaron likes plain water, so I need to adapt to his preferences—room temperature, door sizes, even my every move…”

Fury’s brows knitted. “These rich people. They’re all weird!” But he didn’t press further. As a spy on a target, one had to be ready for anything, however bizarre. It was part of the job. “You’re our best trainee from last time,” Fury said, giving her the emotional support a good boss should.

“All thanks to you, Director. By the way, I’d like to request some assistance that might help me proceed.”

“You need backup?”

At that, Fury grew interested.

“I need those eight names,” Barbara explained. “With Aaron’s personality, he won’t tolerate outsiders infiltrating his domain. If I can use that for leverage…”

Fury hesitated. “That’s complicated… Aaron, he…”

He trailed off, then abruptly said, “Sure, I’ll have them handed over to you in a bit.” Hearing the name “Aaron,” Fury agreed immediately. Evidence suggested that in the Old Bridge incident out in New Mexico, Aaron and some rumored deities had traveled to the mythical Asgard. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been in a frenzy trying to identify them—it related to aliens and gods, so no effort could be spared. As for whoever was behind these attempted infiltrations… that paled in comparison. He had no interest in cleaning up their mess.

Right after Fury set things in motion, a call came in. He grew serious, then said, “We have intelligence that Aaron’s returned to Osborn Corp!” Barbara saw her chance. “I’ll contact him now—under the guise of tutoring.”

Fury nodded. “Barbara, you’re S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best hope. It’s all on you! Try to get close to him and gain his full trust!”

Barbara just nodded outwardly, feeling otherwise inside. Get close? With what, some ragdoll? She’d already been devoured whole—physically and emotionally—by him. If anything, he was the one who had “conquered” her. She’s basically the shame of the spy world…

After sending Fury off, Barbara hurried to call Aaron. Before long, she was driving to Osborn Corp. But it wasn’t just S.H.I.E.L.D.; the entire world was stirred by Aaron’s return. Strangely, even though everyone knew what he might do, all major countries and forces simultaneously halted any direct moves after he got back. Even major state visits were put on hold, allowing Earth a rare moment of calm. Suddenly, a bunch of celebrity scandals popped up, feeding the masses’ appetite for gossip.

In this peculiar lull, Aaron obtained the file from S.H.I.E.L.D. He didn’t open it right away, instead glancing at Barbara dressed up in a Barbie-princess-style outfit. She did look pretty interesting in it.

Before he could speak, Barbara shot a challenging look at Felicia—who was recovering from “exertion”—then bit her lip, tears welling up. “I’m sorry, Master. I hung up on you earlier. Please punish me according to family law!”

She produced a whip from behind her back. Felicia gaped. Aaron raised an eyebrow. This woman… sure knows how to play.

Barbara bowed her head. “Show no mercy—punish me harshly! I’ll do better from now on. I’ll never disappoint you again!”

What else could Aaron do but indulge one of his women’s M-type hobbies? Might as well treat it as an appetizer before the main course. That day, the sky went dark for quite a while.

Only by nightfall did Aaron have time to leaf through the S.H.I.E.L.D. documents.

“Sokovian mercenaries.”

“A private detective hired by Councilman Rudolph.”

“A Ten Rings affiliate from a terrorist cell.”

“An unnamed underground gang lackey.”

“…?”

“And a ‘death soldier’ from some unknown organization?”

Looking at each name, Aaron’s lips curled. A “death soldier” from an unknown group—clearly S.H.I.E.L.D., or maybe Hydra. In the Marvel world, whenever the culprit is unknown, blame Hydra.

Even if they weren’t directly involved, they must have supported it somehow. As if a powerful agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn’t confirm these identities? Aaron didn’t care. If they couldn’t or wouldn’t clarify it, tough luck. He did know this data probably had holes.

For example, who was actually backing that underground gang? Where did these Sokovian mercenaries find the nerve to challenge him? And Councilman Rudolph—just some rookie politician? Had he lost his mind to mess with Aaron when even the U.S. military bigwigs backed the Osborn name? Likely someone shoved him up front as cannon fodder.

“They’re all taking me for a fool,” Aaron murmured, until he sensed something. He looked skyward and narrowed his eyes.

“At last…you’ve arrived?”

At that moment, out in the solar system:

“My water lily, I’m returning to your world…” On board an oval-shaped white spaceship tearing through a warp gate, Ego gazed upon the distant blue planet with a wave of emotion. “Master, calm yourself,” said Mantis softly, sensing his turbulent feelings. “If Meredith knew, she’d be thrilled.”

“Indeed, she’d be very happy,” Ego murmured. “Because I’m the star from the heavens, a brief shooting star carrying her dream—and then I vanish again. She was the luckiest woman on Earth, for she received the love of a Celestial. It’s just a pity her child, Peter, was snatched away by that damned Ravager, separating father from son…”

Ego’s lips curved wistfully, as if remembering better times. But the next instant, all that tenderness morphed into a savage grimace.

“Whoever ruined my plan shall pay with their life!”

As the spaceship rushed closer, Ego felt a sudden chill dousing his anger. He stared at Earth in confusion. “That aura…a Celestial presence? No, wait—that’s my child?!”