The Portal
The portal was an experience unlike anything Tony Stark had ever known.
One moment he was in a forest on the outskirts of New York—
The next, he was standing right back in Manhattan.
"This is… simply incredible!" Tony exclaimed, looking around at the familiar city skyline.
Turning to Linen, he continued excitedly, "Is this magic? Linen, can anyone learn this kind of magic? Or are there prerequisites—like you have to be smart to master it?"
He added quickly, "If I carve magical runes onto my armor, could it cast spells too? I think we should research this together. Of course, I'll pay you a generous hourly rate!"
Linen didn't even look at him. He raised his head slightly, gazing up at the bright sun overhead.
"I still have things to take care of, Mr. Stark. Goodbye."
Before Tony could reply, Linen vanished from sight.
"Tsk… cold as ever," Tony muttered, shaking his head. Then, with a smirk, he said, "Jarvis, how's your day been? Feeling excited?"
Jarvis's calm voice replied through the armor. "Sir, the existence of magic, ghosts, and even vampires is certainly… intriguing. However, you have a dinner appointment with Miss Pepper at seven. It's already three in the afternoon."
"If you don't wish to be late—and prefer to arrive without the armor—I suggest you head home now."
"Oh, damn it!" Tony slapped his forehead. "I actually forgot something that important? What are we waiting for then? Jarvis, take us home!"
With that, his armor activated, and he soared into the sky.
Manhattan – Linen's Apartment
"Fifteen creative points… enough to make the next video."
Sitting at his desk, Linen studied the glowing numbers on his system interface before opening the side mission panel.
His recent encounters with Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark had earned him a fresh batch of creative points.
Just as he'd suspected—even if it was with the same Avengers, he could continue to accumulate new points every day through contact.
But now, he had to think carefully. How should he complete this side mission?
After all, completing one would immediately raise his current abilities by a whole level. That was exactly what he needed right now.
[Side Mission Details]
Name: Victor Landon
Crimes: Seven counts of sexual assault
Objective: Force him to plead guilty and ensure a life sentence.
Linen leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he searched the name online.
The reports matched: Victor Landon had assaulted seven young girls, but due to "lack of evidence" and "private settlements" with the victims' parents, he was acquitted.
"Disgusting…" Linen muttered.
"Killing him would be easy," he thought grimly. "But making him confess—that's the challenge."
He tapped his pen against the notebook. "And I'll need to make sure the presiding judge is part of the plan. Otherwise, even if Landon admits guilt, the sentence won't reach life imprisonment."
His eyes shifted to the final line of the mission screen—
[Reward: Hidden Secret]
That, more than anything, made Linen curious.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters – Director's Office
"What about her?" Thor asked, looking toward Nick Fury. "Is she also someone with this… 'spoiler system'?"
Through Fury's explanations, Thor had already learned what the Spoiler System was capable of.
He was still frustrated—after all, the last time he'd entered the mysterious "theater," he'd caused a scene and been thrown out.
And though he now carried regret for his father's death—brought on by his own arrogance and recklessness—Thor understood one thing clearly:
If he could truly see the future, maybe Asgard's fate could have been different.
In response to Thor's question, Nick Fury gave a small nod.
Thor leaned forward eagerly. "When can I enter that theater again? I promise—I won't lose control like last time!"
Fury shook his head. "Not for now. We can only enter the theater when a new spoiler video is created."
He turned toward Natasha. "How's the situation with Linen?"
"Not bad," Natasha replied. "Everything he was tasked with has been almost completely resolved. We're just waiting for the final stage."
"By the way," she added, "you saw the report about Victor Landon, right? My guess is—Linen's next target is him."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure about that?"
"His expression," Natasha said simply, taking a sip of her coffee.
"When that case was broadcast on the news, I noticed something—an emotional flicker in his eyes."
She set down the cup. "I haven't known him for long, but from what I've learned and from both of our encounters, I can tell—he's someone with strong principles. A man with a moral line he won't cross. He's kind at heart, and beneath his composure, there's warmth."
She continued, "A person like that would never let a scumbag like Victor Landon walk free. He'll make sure justice is served—one way or another."
Thor, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke. "Who exactly is this Linen? Is he also bound to the Spoiler System?"
"Not quite," Fury replied, shaking his head. "We know him through footage shown in the future theater. He's a magician—an incredibly powerful one."
"Magician?" Thor frowned. "Like Loki?"
"Loki?" Natasha repeated softly, remembering something Linen had once mentioned—something about meeting Loki in Pompeii.
Thor nodded proudly. "Yes. My younger brother. He's been studying magic under our mother since childhood. He loves his tricks, sure, but he's a capable Asgardian warrior nonetheless."
"After my father ascended to Valhalla, Loki became the new King of Asgard."
Both Fury and Natasha exchanged looks.
Thor, now exiled to Earth, had no idea that everything happening in Asgard—the death of Odin, his own banishment, even the throne itself—
was part of Loki's grand deception.
He didn't even know…
that his brother's true schemes had only just begun.
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