Chapter 164: Chapter 164: A New Base
The moment Stormbreaker was born on Nidavellir, Thor felt a deep, almost primal bond with it. Holding the axe, he knew he was its sole master; no one else could lift it, not even Groot, who had contributed the handle.
When it was time to return to Earth, Rocket was curious about visiting Star-Lord's home planet, but Star-Lord declined—he wasn't ready to go back yet. In the end, the Guardians of the Galaxy departed, while Thor returned to Earth with Nebula and Minerva.
As they faced the fallen Sokovia, Thor held the Power Stone in hand, eager to test the strength of Stormbreaker. The results were more than satisfying.
In a remote mountain forest, Thor and the Avengers landed slowly.
"Come out. I know you're still here," Vision called out toward the cliff.
A robot with a shattered body and missing arm struggled up the cliffside—it was Ultron. Though his physical form was destroyed, a fragment of his consciousness had separated in advance, determined to witness his vision come true. But now, it was all over.
"Let me say goodbye to Ultron," Vision whispered.
Tony sighed, nodding as he waved the others away.
Vision approached Ultron, speaking softly. "Ultron, you're afraid."
Ultron sneered, "Afraid of you? Or of that Thor?"
"Afraid of death. You're the last of your kind."
"Tony wanted to create a savior, but instead he made a puppet!"
Vision replied, "We've all disappointed someone, I think. Humanity is strange. They see order and chaos as opposites, yet they try to control things far beyond their grasp. Even in failure, they find…grace in their efforts. That's something you missed."
Ultron coldly replied, "Humanity is doomed."
"Perhaps," Vision said, "but things aren't beautiful because they last. I'm honored to be part of it all."
"Such hopeless naivety!"
"Maybe," Vision replied, "but I was born only yesterday." He shrugged, accepting his own innocence.
With a flash of golden light, Vision moved swiftly, ending Ultron's final spark.
In Upstate New York, a new Avengers base had been established.
"Hey, I was wondering who was building this place—turns out it's on your land!" Steve grinned, patting Thor on the shoulder. "You always anticipated the Avengers expanding. Are you ready for it?"
Tony chuckled, "A huge place like this went up so fast, with plenty of resources. I heard the mayor gave you some assistance. Thor, when did you start dealing with politicians? I thought you hated them!"
Thor smiled without comment. Who would've thought that Wilson Fisk—Kingpin—would rise to become the mayor of New York? His influence was undeniable. In a world without superpowers, a figure like Fisk would have truly ruled the scene.
Vision then approached. "Thor, I hear you brought back one of the Infinity Stones?"
With a mischievous glance at Tony, Thor revealed the deep purple Power Stone.
"The Power Stone represents boundless physical strength. With it, one could destroy an entire planet."
Tony's expression grew serious. "Have you noticed something strange? Each of these Infinity Stones is supposed to be nearly impossible to find. Yet, in just a few years, four of them—Space, Mind, Reality, and Power—have all surfaced on Earth. Doesn't that seem odd? It feels like someone's pulling the strings."
"Actually, it's five," Thor corrected. "The Time Stone has always been here on Earth, protected by the Ancient One, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme."
"As for this so-called mastermind…he's the reason I forged Stormbreaker. Thanos, the World Destroyer."
With the Ultron crisis behind them, the heroes enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
Carol, realizing the importance of martial arts, began visiting Thor every couple of days for sparring. Thor's strength was hard to control, and regular sparring partners often ended up injured. Without weapons, they were evenly matched—Carol had greater strength, while Thor was more skilled. Neither could easily break through the other's defenses.
But whenever the fight escalated, Thor would summon his mighty axe. Captain Marvel would back off immediately, saying, "That's one terrifying axe! One hit, and I'm done. I may be tough, but I'm not stupid!"
==============================================
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other chapter.
==============================================