Ethan wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but when everyone surrounded the special cell holding Loki, he thought he saw a tic-tac-toe mark forming on Loki's broad, shiny forehead.
"Did you bring these people to laugh at me?"
Loki was usually sharp, but when it came to his brother, his IQ seemed to plummet. He acted like Thor was deliberately doing everything to target him. A classic case of persecution complex.
"Don't get me wrong, they're just here to listen," Ethan said, standing at the front, closest to Loki. "But I did come to laugh at you."
Loki turned his head and glanced at Ethan, then resumed his usual aloof demeanor. He stepped up to the glass wall, staring at Ethan through it. "Ignorant fool, do you even know who you're speaking to?"
"A frost giant raised in Asgard who's been trying to prove he's better than Thor since he was a child, but never got the recognition he craved. A guy with a serious lack of love," Ethan replied after thinking for a moment. "Oh, and a pawn used by Thanos."
With that long string of words, a few more tic-tac-toe marks seemed to form on Loki's forehead. But after hearing Thanos' name, Loki surprisingly calmed down and began to scrutinize Ethan, trying to guess who he really was.
"Who exactly are you?"
The name Thanos wasn't a secret in the universe, but it wasn't commonly heard on Earth. Loki hadn't expected anyone on this backward planet to know about Thanos—let alone about their cooperation.
"Thanos? You were working with him?"
Don't underestimate Thor's intelligence. In the original plot, he had already sensed there was someone else behind Loki. Unfortunately, when he tried to press the issue, Tony cut him off, and Loki kept diverting the topic. So even now, Thor still didn't realize that the one behind Loki was Thanos.
Ethan raised his hand to stop Thor, who was about to lose control and rush forward. "Thor, control your emotions."
Blocked mid-rush, Thor suppressed his anger. After the interruption, he felt a deep sadness.
Facing Loki again, Ethan gave a brief introduction. "My name is Ethan. I'm a mage."
"A mage?" Loki didn't bother to hide his disdain. "An Earth mage?"
He had every reason to be condescending. Though adopted, Loki had grown up under the guidance of Frigga, the most powerful mage in Asgard. Apart from Frigga and Odin, he was the best mage in all of Asgard.
Given his age and the level of civilization he came from, it was natural for him to look down on an 'Earth mage' like Ethan.
Unfortunately for Loki, Ethan wasn't an ordinary Earth mage. More importantly, Loki had no knowledge of the mage groups on Earth—some of whom even Odin had to take seriously.
"While I'd love to correct you and say I'm not from Earth... it doesn't really matter," Ethan said, raising the scepter in his hand. "You still don't know why I'm laughing at you, do you?"
Loki assumed Ethan was some clueless Earth mage trying to show off. But when he saw the scepter in Ethan's hand, he sensed things weren't so simple.
"What secret does this scepter hold that I don't know about?"
Loki was quick to react. Anyone with a normal IQ could sense the clue. Ethan hadn't hidden anything—he had openly shown the scepter to everyone.
"That depends on whether you know what this thing really is."
Loki's expression grew serious. He truly didn't know the secret behind the scepter. It seemed this mysterious mage knew something he didn't.
"I'm looking forward to the surprise you have for me."
Loki admitted his ignorance, then spread his hands and quietly waited for Ethan's next move. He was genuinely curious—what exactly was the secret of this scepter?
Ethan smiled, raising the scepter and thinking about what to do next.
Ever since obtaining the scepter, he had been constantly testing its properties, especially the method to unlock the seal on the Mind Stone.
This seal was powerful, packed with immense energy. It was so strong that even Loki thought it was the core of the scepter, completely missing the real treasure hidden inside—the Mind Stone.
The seal's purpose, beyond concealing the Infinity Stone, was to limit its energy output. As long as the seal remained, the Mind Stone's true power couldn't be used.
"Fortunately, the main component of the seal is a layer of energy."
The seal was intricate and purely composed of energy, making it difficult to break. Especially since the source of the seal's energy was the Mind Stone itself, which made it impossible to just deplete it from the outside.
But for Ethan, it wasn't too difficult. In fact, if Loki had known the truth, he could have broken the seal himself. But because of the energy's nature, he had failed to notice the hidden secret buried within.
Now in Ethan's hands, who knew the truth, he began to interfere with the energy's flow. His current strength wasn't suitable for brute force. He needed a bit of technique, which happened to be his specialty. By channeling a small amount of magic into the seal, he could destabilize its structure. All he had to do was find the right moment to give it a little 'push', and the seal would collapse.
It sounded simple, but in reality, very few Masters from Kamar-Taj could do it. Even those adept at energy manipulation couldn't manage this level of fine control.
As Ethan moved, a dazzling light burst from his left palm, linking with the light radiating from his right hand. The light flickered between both hands, releasing a blinding glow.
The sight stunned everyone—Fury, Steve, Banner—all stared in shock. Even Thor and Loki were surprised.
Thor didn't expect Ethan to unleash such power. Most of the escaping energy was from the Mind Stone. Ethan himself hadn't used much magic at all.
Loki, on the other hand, was in awe of Ethan's skill. Unlike the others, he could tell what Ethan was doing. As an expert, he recognized the advanced technique. If he hadn't already taken Ethan seriously, he now considered him a worthy rival.
It wasn't just that Ethan had brought a group of people to humiliate him like some zoo animal. It was because Ethan was a capable mage. And as the top mage of Asgard's younger generation, Loki couldn't help but want to compare himself to the newcomer.
As the energy in Ethan's hands grew more chaotic, a powerful burst of energy finally exploded. A ripple of yellow light spread from Ethan's hand. Almost everyone it touched felt slightly dizzy, but otherwise unharmed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations. You're the first people on Earth to witness an Infinity Stone."
Ethan gently shook the scepter. The yellow gem embedded in the blade's center detached with the motion, floating into the air under Ethan's Mage Hand and landing softly on his open right palm.
With a flick of his left hand, the scepter—made of unknown material was stowed into his ring space. Few people noticed the action, but Fury did. His eyelid twitched, but he held back and said nothing, shifting his focus back to the Infinity Stone in Ethan's hand.
Now that the Mind Stone had been revealed, Loki finally understood the treasure he had once held. He realized he'd been used by Thanos. Of course, Thanos had given it to him, and he hadn't uncovered the secret on his own. So… could he really blame anyone else? That made him feel even more frustrated.
"Now you know why I laughed at you."
"That doesn't prove anything." Loki tried to look calm, but his expression was catching up to Fury's. Everyone could see how bitter he felt.
"And what if I sabotage your entire plan?"
Loki was momentarily stunned. Then, with an odd expression, he grinned. "I'd love to see how you plan to ruin it."
Ethan shrugged. The Mind Stone still floated in his hand, held conspicuously to provoke Loki. "Step one, destroy your strike team."
Loki's expression changed. He scanned the room and realized someone was missing.
"Diana went to deal with your team while you were distracted by me."
While Ethan was cracking the seal and drawing everyone's attention, he'd sent Diana ahead to intercept the assault team that was preparing to attack the Helicarrier.
Ethan didn't intend to follow the original plot. Loki had walked into his own trap by getting captured—this time, there'd be no escape during the Avengers' internal conflict.
Just as Ethan finished speaking, Diana returned in full armor, carrying the unconscious Hawkeye under her arm. Everyone looked on in shock.
(To be continued.)
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