Infinite Evolution in the Marvel universe

"Is he a scientist?"

"Wait, are you telling me that's Bruce Banner, the scientist who supposedly died after an experiment went wrong?"

Hearing Tony's words, Jane paused, glancing at Thor with a look of disbelief.

Thor shrugged. "I can't say for sure, but Banner is a doctor."

"Wow, the world is full of surprises. They say he disappeared, assumed dead, yet here he is, alive," Jane murmured, casting an amazed glance at Banner.

Bruce Banner was known in the scientific world as a brilliant mind, a genius unmatched by many. As an astrophysicist, Jane was familiar with his reputation. However according to rumors, Dr. Bruce Banner had died a few years back due to an unfortunate accident during one of his experiments.

Yet here he was, looking even younger than he had before. He'd gone through quite a lot in those missing years.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend; I'm just... a bit surprised," Jane quickly apologized, realizing her comment might have been insensitive.

"Don't worry about it. I get that reaction from many people who find out I'm still alive," Banner replied with a casual smile.

"Let's head inside and talk," Tony suggested. "To be honest, I'm inquisitive about this Aether energy. Reality-warping power that defies the laws of physics... how does something like that even exist?"

"I'd love to study the Aether inside me too, but it's precarious," Jane explained. "I can't control it, which makes it tricky to understand exactly what kind of power it holds. But when I first encountered it, it looked like a red energy mass."

"Near the Aether, the physical rules of reality completely changed," she continued. "It distorted space itself and altered gravity. Within its influence, space connects to other worlds, and the gravitational force becomes so light that even someone like me could lift a large vehicle as if it were just a feather."

Jane spoke, meeting the gazes of both Tony and Bruce, who were fascinated by her explanation.

The Aether's mysterious energy held incredible potential and could revolutionize human technology if it could be studied and harnessed.

"Thor, any idea where the Aether came from?" Tony asked, his gaze shifting to the god of thunder.

Thor hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

"There's no clear origin story for the Aether in the books we have," he admitted. "But Tony, you've seen other powerful artifacts like it."

"The Tesseract?" Tony and Banner exchanged a look, both thinking of the cube known for its immense energy and its ability to connect distant parts of the universe.

"Yes, the Aether and the Tesseract probably belong to the same category," Loki interjected. "Though our father gave us some books to help us understand the basics, everyone knows the surface is all they reveal. We may never know the true origin."

"What matters now is that the Aether has broken free from its seal and resurfaced," he continued. "It's bound to attract the attention of certain... high-level beings."

Loki's words left Tony and Banner exchanging another look, wondering if Harvey might be interested in obtaining the Aether as well.

But Tony recalled that Harvey had already anticipated the Aether's reappearance. If Harvey wanted it, he probably already knew where it was sealed and could get it without much trouble. Considering it belonged to Asgard and Odin still reigned, perhaps Harvey had decided not to act.

As for Tony himself, he wanted to study the Aether. Unlocking its secrets could advance his technology by leaps and bounds, something others would struggle to replicate. This breakthrough wouldn't just benefit him; it would be a huge win for the Void Order and Earth alike.

Still, since the Aether was now bound to Jane, his immediate priority was protecting her. With time, he might find a way to study it safely.

"Asgard has more ways in and out than just the Bifrost, right?" Tony asked, turning to Loki. "Any idea where Malekith might try to break in?"

At that, Bruce, Thor, and Jane all looked at Loki.

Loki held up his hands innocently.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Tony said, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't use the front door last time you slipped onto Void Island."

"Fine. There are three ways in and out of Asgard," Loki began. "One is the Bifrost, another is through direct navigation by star maps on a spaceship, and the last way is through certain secret passages."

"The first option, the Bifrost, would need Heimdall's approval or my father's powers to activate. So let's rule that out. The second option would bring him in through the front gate, but Heimdall would see him."

"As for the third, the secret passages are very well hidden, and only a few people in all of Asgard know their locations. Malekith probably doesn't know where they are, so the most likely scenario is that he'll try to use the front entrance, which gives us time to prepare."

Satisfied with his analysis, Loki relaxed a bit. For now, stopping Malekith's invasion and foiling his plans took priority.

Loki's comment about attracting "high-level beings" had left Tony and Banner wondering if Harvey might also desire the Aether. Still, Harvey had shown interest long before it resurfaced, so he likely knew of the Aether's location.

But for now, with Odin still on the throne, it seemed Harvey had no intention of making a move.

Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 348 at patreon.com/MythicForge11