Chapter 5007: Advance on York, Advance (Forty-Three)

"Understood." Shiler's tone didn't change. He hung up and looked back at Thor. Thor was looking at him too, his expression making it clear he hadn't been eavesdropping, but was waiting for Shiler to finish the call and tell him what it was about.

"We have to make a trip to the Renaissance Alliance headquarters," Shiler said. "I'll explain in the car."

Thor lowered the hand he'd raised to open a portal and followed behind Shiler, walking out of the hotel and getting into the car. As Shiler turned the steering wheel, he said, "The Renaissance Alliance found out it was Loki who controlled a chemist into dumping poison in the sea, creating fish that were both huge and vicious."

"Why?" Thor asked.

"Maybe he wanted to sabotage the Renaissance Alliance's event receiving visitors from other universes, or maybe he just wanted to poison humanity."

"I see." Thor paused, then said, "But you don't think it was him. You think he confessed to being the culprit because he wanted to do me a favor, so that I'd look like the hero by contrast."

"The timing of the evidence appearing is too convenient," Shiler said. "The photos had just been exposed, and immediately afterward Loki's criminal evidence was found. It's hard to say it wasn't deliberately arranged."

"If he didn't do these things, I wouldn't be in trouble either," Thor said. "He dug a trap for me to fall into, then pulled me back up, so I'd owe him a favor. I'm not that stupid either."

"The problem is the trap wasn't dug by him," Shiler said. "Think carefully. Since the Civil War ended, you've been keeping him locked up. He hasn't had the time to dump poison."

"I... can't be sure I actually kept him locked up," Thor still lacked some confidence. He fiddled with his fingers. "Maybe he escaped, and I just didn't notice."

"Is that so?" Shiler asked. "Think harder. Especially recall his state right before he truly broke free."

Thor naturally thought of it — the last big fight he'd had with Loki. He naturally also recalled that Loki must have swapped identities at that time. Because after that, Loki became very calm, even gentle. That was clearly the Loki from the Central Universe.

And in that argument, his real brother had acted somewhat hysterically, even completely unable to communicate, smashing everything in the room that could be smashed. It was indeed unusual.

"Maybe you can try observing emotions," Shiler said. "Loki can't stay completely rational in front of you. Even if he wants to hide it, there will be cracks. You're too special to him."

Thor fell into memory again. Thank the Asgardians' good memory — he really did find some clues in many scenes he didn't want to revisit. When facing him, Loki's emotions were always extreme — either mocking sarcasm or vicious abuse.

Even the gentle disguise he put on didn't look the same as the Central Universe Loki's genuine gentleness. Before, without a control group, Thor hadn't thought there was a problem. But thinking back now, a disguise is a disguise. Loki was always aggressive toward him. That aggression couldn't be concealed; it leaked out in every detail.

"If he's that irritable, maybe he really didn't escape," Thor said. "Then why would he take the fall for the mastermind? Just to shape my heroic image?"

Shiler didn't speak, but slowly put on his sunglasses.

Thor frowned. "It's night right now."

*Screech—* The harsh shriek of sudden braking tore through the night sky. The crowd panicked and surged into the streets. Police cars marked with the Renaissance Alliance emblem converged from the intersections on both sides.

Shiler opened the car door and got out. Thor got out from the other side. He wanted to know what was happening, but soon, dense shadows swept in from one side, and waves taller than buildings howled toward them.

Shiler looked up toward the direction of the waves. Thor roared and reached out his hand. Instantly, all the seawater froze. He flew into midair, roaring: "What are you doing?!"

"Namor, you're crazy!" Arthur's voice came from behind the waves. He leaped up — perhaps the timeline was still early, his features weren't that weathered yet, but rather slightly young.

Thor reached out and grabbed, pulling Namor directly up from the seawater below. He struggled and shouted: "This bastard poisoned my fish farm! He wants to poison you all!!! Let me go!!!"

Thor loosened his grip slightly, but didn't fully let go of Namor, because he'd already discovered this tsunami had been stirred up by Namor. His power was everywhere in the water.

"I never did that!" Arthur said.

"Bullshit! I already found the magical traces of you opening a sea route. Residual energy can't be faked. It was you who poison the fish farm and transported those problematic seafood to York City!"

"I did open a sea route from the Atlantic to York City, but that was to transport my seafood too," Arthur explained. "As demand increased, the coastal fish farms simply weren't enough. I had to build new ones deeper out. That naturally required opening a sea route for transport. What does that have to do with poisoning?"

"It was definitely you! Otherwise no one could possibly pull it off..."

"You two wait a moment," Thor said. "Is anyone there?"

Thor looked down at the car on the ground. A red-haired figure walked out of the car. She pressed her earpiece, then used a grappling hook to reach the building's rooftop.

"You're mistaken, Namor," Natasha said. "We've already investigated thoroughly. The poison was administered by a human chemist controlled by Loki. Loki is a powerful mage; transporting seafood wouldn't be difficult for him."

"Then where is he?!" Namor roared. "He nearly ruined my business. I'll make him pay!"

"He's already dead," Thor said. "I killed him with my own hands, right at the Renaissance Alliance headquarters. Everyone saw it."

Namor froze. He was full of rage but didn't know how to vent it. Natasha looked at him and said: "I can understand you mistaking Arthur for the culprit. Chasing him in the sea wasn't enough, so in a fit of anger you chased him onto land. But your current behavior has seriously endangered the personal safety of York City citizens. Please come back with us and cooperate with the investigation."

Namor looked like he'd been doused with a bucket of cold water. He indeed hadn't wanted to flood York City. He'd just gotten carried away fighting Arthur in the sea. Arthur ran onto land, so he chased onto land. But these two sea-dwellers were used to controlling seawater, so they brought the seawater up with them. If Thor hadn't stopped it in time, York City really would have been submerged.

"I... I didn't mean to," Namor hurriedly defended himself. "I didn't want to endanger York City. I just..."

"That's why it's a request to cooperate with the investigation," Natasha said. "Otherwise, we'd already have the divine power chains on you."

Namor's Adam's apple bobbed. He glanced at Thor — the meaning was obvious: the owner of the divine power is right here, so there's no need for chains. But he also felt some relief. Good thing Thor had blocked the seawater. Otherwise, with this one incident, the two of them would definitely have spent ten days to half a month in prison wearing shackles.

Ever since Thor gave the Renaissance Alliance a whole pile of divine power equipment, the Renaissance Alliance really did have ways to deal with these superpowered beings. The divine power chains were a bit like the Lasso of Truth — thrown out, they'd automatically track and bind, and once on, couldn't be broken. As long as they were creatures of the Nine Realms, none could break free. The divine power handcuffs were similar to human handcuffs, except they suppressed superpowers. Wearing divine power handcuffs meant you could serve time in prison just like a normal person.

Actually, Namor had been jailed once before. Also because he hadn't watched the sea-folk fighting on land, and he himself got arrested and locked up for seven days. After that, he became much more polite — accurately speaking, much more cowardly.

"Precisely because of this matter, and because you're also a victim, we didn't take arrest action," Natasha went on. "Please cooperate with our work."

Namor had no choice. He glared fiercely at Arthur, then leaped down from atop the building, turning into a stream of water that burrowed into the police car.

Shiler lightly tapped the side of his sunglasses' temple, as if talking to himself: "The heroic bearing of the Nine Realms' ruler turning the tide — perhaps deserves to be seen by more people."

When Thor returned to the car, Shiler was already sitting in the driver's seat. He sighed and said: "Right now we indeed urgently need a culprit. Otherwise who knows how many people would start fighting. Loki is indeed the most reasonable explanation, but like you said, it doesn't seem like him."

"Why did you change your view?"

"You might not know him well enough," Thor recalled. "His mind magic is very powerful. Sometimes he can even fool me. If he wanted to do this kind of thing, he wouldn't need to control a human chemist. He could directly control these two sea-folk. He wouldn't even need to control them — they already have a grudge. He'd just need to instigate them a little, and they'd naturally fight. That commotion would be far bigger than some person getting slapped by a fish, and would achieve his goal of sabotage."

The car started moving again. Thor continued: "Maybe you don't know how good Loki is at this kind of thing. As long as he wants, he can mess up any plan or event into a complete shambles, then still extract himself perfectly, leaving you no handle to grab."

"Often, Odin isn't unaware that he's deliberately causing trouble. But Loki's methods always align with some people's interests. If you move against him, those people won't agree. That's the fundamental reason he gets away with it."

"Sounds like he has rich experience indeed," Shiler said.

"So if he wanted to sabotage the Renaissance Alliance, he'd definitely find a backer — someone with conflicting interests against the Renaissance Alliance, someone happy to see this event fail. The sea-folk obviously aren't such people. Leaving aside their stance, their power is also too weak."

"And if he stirred up this trouble to do me a favor, the trouble is too small. The charge of instigating sea-folk conflict clearly isn't enough to make me — who killed him — look like a hero."

"Even though York City was nearly flooded?"

"It just looks big on the surface," Thor shook his head. "The seawater they brought ashore only amounts to a few hours of rain. It's not enough to submerge York City."

"Looks like you still need a bigger mess."

The car stopped in front of the Renaissance Alliance headquarters. And almost at the same time, another group of black-clad figures landed from midair, running right into Shiler who had just gotten out of the car — making his words seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Good evening, Dr. Lansherr." Shiler took off his sunglasses, looking at this silver-haired man's face, lined with the traces of time, and those still hawk-sharp eyes.

"I'm afraid it's not that good." The man's English carried a German accent, sounding exceptionally cold and hard, like a breech-loading gun cocked and ready to fire. "It's been a long time since anyone made such a wrong decision regarding mutants. I'm here to correct it."