The quinjet flew steadily above the clouds, with a sea of rolling clouds and brightening stars outside the portholes.
Inside the cabin, it was warm and quiet, with only the low hum of the engines as background noise.
Artoria leaned back in her comfortable seat, while Minerva sat beside her; there was just enough distance between them to look out for each other without being too crowded.
The bitter cold of the Greenland ice sheet and the mentally exhausting operation just finished felt like they had been isolated in another World.
However, the subtle fatigue from deep within her body, and every detail of the frozen system and the sleeping soldier still playing clearly in her mind, reminded Artoria that everything she had just experienced was not a dream.
She closed her eyes to rest, but her consciousness did not fully relax.
The perspective of the Herrscher of Truth slowly receded, but the inertia of that "understanding" of the underlying structure of all things remained.
She could "feel" the precise internal structure of the aircraft, the stable flow of the engine energy, the energy field of Minerva beside her—which was completely different from Earth technology yet perfectly integrated into the current environment—and she could even faintly sense the "Friend of Asgard" mark between her brows and the subtle, warm connection to a brilliant point of light in the distant starry sky.
This operation to thaw Captain America seemed clean and neat on the surface, perhaps even easy.
But only Artoria knew that the precision of power control, the integrated application of multi-system knowledge, and the handling of emergencies involved had reached a new level.
Especially at the last moment, at Fury's request, she had forcibly "pressed" the consciousness that was about to wake back into deep sleep and finely adjusted the entire life system into a perfect state of artificial sleep—this required higher energy control and mental focus than simple awakening and repair.
If not for her experiences and studies in Asgard, and if not for the "understanding" characteristic of the Herrscher of Truth that allowed her to see through every fine detail of the life system, it would have been impossible to do this so effortlessly.
"Body function monitoring: moderate fatigue, energy reserves recovering, mental load high but stabilizing. It is recommended to have at least twelve hours of deep rest after returning."
Minerva's voice sounded beside her, calm and waveless, yet carrying undeniable concern.
A part of her optical sensor was always locked on Artoria's vital signs.
"Mm, I'll have a good sleep when we get back."
Artoria did not open her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling slightly.
With Minerva by her side, she could always feel at ease, confident enough to entrust her back to her, and open enough to reveal her fatigue.
"Any new news from Tony? About those materials?"
"Three hours ago, Mr. Tony Stark sent seventeen encrypted messages. The content consists of preliminary test data on the energy conduction efficiency of 'stardust', exclamations about the basic physical properties of 'Uru ore', and requests to expedite the next step of joint research."
"Emotional index of messages: highly excited and urgent."
"I have replied according to the preset protocol, informing him that we are handling urgent matters and will contact him upon return."
Minerva reported, her tone as steady as ever, as if Tony's exaggerated messages were just routine work briefings.
Artoria couldn't help but chuckle.
She could imagine Tony dancing around in the lab with those Asgardian materials.
To Earth technology, those materials were equivalent to opening the door to a new World.
Tony's excitement was completely understandable, which was one of the reasons she was willing to share these resources—in the storms of the future, a Tony Stark with more powerful technology and equipment would definitely be an important ally.
"I'll contact him when we get back."
"I expect he's been on pins and needles waiting."
Artoria said, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.
"Steve Rogers... Captain. He will wake up in two weeks."
"Can Fury and the others be ready?"
"Based on an analysis of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past behavioral patterns and resource mobilization capabilities, the probability of completing basic information infusion, identity disguise, limited social environment simulation, and the formulation and preliminary implementation of psychological intervention plans within the specified time window is 87.4%."
"However, the definition of 'ready' is subjective, and the reaction of the target individual has a high degree of uncertainty."
Minerva analyzed objectively.
"His body and will, strengthened by the Super Soldier Serum, may accept and adapt to information far faster than an ordinary person, but the shock caused by the seventy-year time difference and cognitive gap is difficult to quantify."
"Risks remain."
"Yeah..." Artoria replied in a low voice.
She could understand Fury's caution and agreed with the necessity of giving Steve a buffer period.
But artificially "delaying" the awakening of a hero who had just been rescued from seventy years of freezing and whose body and mind were completely "ready" always left her with a complex, indescribable emotion.
It felt a bit like... taking a firework that had already been lit, one that should have been blooming brilliantly, and shoving it back into the box, telling it to "wait a little longer, the time isn't right yet."
But this was reality.
The reality of S.H.I.E.L.D., the reality of this World.
The "awakening" of an individual hero must be considered within the larger chessboard.
"Our cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be getting deeper and deeper."
Artoria opened her eyes and looked at the familiar lights of Long Island getting closer outside the porthole.
"Captain America, Iron Man, Thor... and the potential Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye... This World is placing those scattered 'pieces' on the board one by one."
"And us..."
She turned to look at Minerva, her emerald eyes appearing exceptionally clear in the dim light of the cabin.
"Are we 'new pieces' that broke in unexpectedly, carrying our own rules and colors? Or... observers?"
"Based on existing behavioral logic and objective analysis," Minerva met her gaze, the blue light of her optical sensor stable, "we are neither 'pieces' that completely follow the rules of this game, nor are we pure 'observers'."
"We possess independent action capabilities and judgment criteria."
"The primary goal is to ensure your safety and the realization of your wishes; the secondary goal is to maintain a positive relationship with cooperative forces to optimize the survival environment and resource acquisition."
"Within this framework, we intervene selectively and exert influence, but avoid being completely incorporated into the control of any single system."
"Well summarized, Minerva."
Artoria smiled and reached out to gently hold Minerva's slightly cool hand.
"We are who we are."
"Travelers, passersby, but since we are staying here and have people and things we care about, we cannot truly stay out of it."
"Then let's... play our game in our own way."
The aircraft began to descend in altitude, and the silhouette of the cottage on the Long Island coast became clear in the night.
The familiar light of the lighthouse dragged a long beam of light across the sea.
Everything seemed no different from when they left, but it seemed as if something had quietly changed.
Returning to the cottage, the familiar scent of the sea breeze and the peaceful atmosphere of home instantly enveloped her.
little ai's soft greeting sounded in the house, reporting that everything was normal during their absence.
Artoria took off her coat, kicked off her shoes, stepped barefoot on the slightly cool floor, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally back..."
She went to take a hot shower first, washing away the fatigue and the last trace of chill brought by the ice sheet.
After changing into the most comfortable pajamas, she walked to the living room and found that Minerva had already prepared warm honey milk and some easily digestible snacks.
"Thanks."
Artoria curled up on the sofa, sipping the milk, the warm feeling spreading from her stomach to her limbs.
Minerva sat quietly on the single sofa next to her, entering a low-power standby and rest state, but her core perception still covered the entire house.
After finishing the milk, Artoria didn't go to sleep immediately.
She went to the study and opened the metal box containing the Asgardian materials.
stardust, Uru ore, Void Crystal, embers of the Eternal Flame... In the indoor light, they quietly emitted a restrained and mysterious luster.
Just by being close to them, one could feel the vast potential contained within.
She picked up a small piece of stardust and held it in her palm.
The cool touch felt like a galaxy flowing inside.
The perspective of the Herrscher of Truth allowed her to "see" its extremely pure and highly ordered energy structure, as well as its near-perfect affinity and guidance characteristics for external energy.
Imagining using these materials to upgrade Minerva's equipment, creating more powerful armor, weapons, or new functional modules... her heart was filled with anticipation.
Again thinking of Tony, thinking about what Earth-shattering new inventions he might come up with using these materials... the corners of Artoria's mouth couldn't help but rise again.
The technology tree of this World might have certain branches ignited in advance because of these materials from the God Realm.
However, the priority was rest.
She carefully put away the materials and closed the box.
Returning to the bedroom, Minerva had already arranged the bed to be warm and comfortable.
Artoria lay down naturally, and then... reached out to Minerva, who was standing quietly by the bed.
A silent invitation.
Minerva's optical sensor flickered slightly in the darkness.
Without hesitation, she took off her coat, moved gently onto the bed, lay on her side, and let Artoria nuzzle over like a cat looking for a heat source, stretching out her arms to wrap around her waist and burying her face in the crook of her shoulder.
The familiar position, the familiar cool touch, the familiar scent.
Artoria sighed with satisfaction, her tense nerves completely relaxing.
"Good night, Minerva."
"Good night, Artoria. Deep rest protocol initiated."
Only the steady, intertwined breathing of the two remained in the room.
The sound of the waves outside the window came faintly, like the most distant lullaby.
However, the moment before sinking into sleep, a few images flashed involuntarily in Artoria's mind: Thor's painful roar and Loki's falling phantom by the broken Bifrost; the calm, profile face of Steve Rogers in deep artificial sleep after the thaw; Fury's unfathomable, deep single eye; and... the wise and gentle light in Frigga's eyes when she talked about runes in the Asgardian library.
These images intertwined, as if predicting something, or as if they were just the last few ripples on the water after a torrent had passed.
She knew that the peace was temporary.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s chessboard was unfolding, the aftereffects of the Asgardian turmoil had not yet dissipated, Loki's life or death and whereabouts were a mystery, and the undercurrents of the Universe might already be surging...
And she and Minerva were already in this vortex, unable to pull themselves out, nor willing to.
But at least for this moment, in this little harbor that belonged to them, in the peace woven by each other's body temperature and breathing, they could temporarily put down everything, sink into a dreamless slumber, accumulate strength, and welcome the tomorrow that would surely come.
The night grew deeper, and the waves of Long Island beat against the shore tirelessly.
And in the distance, in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most confidential medical room, a legendary soldier who had slept for seventy years was also sleeping quietly under artificial protection, waiting for the dawn of returning to the World.
And on the other side of the more distant starry sky, by the broken Bifrost, the blond Thor leaned on his newly forged war hammer, gazing at the boundless void and the rolling energy clouds beneath his feet, not knowing what he was thinking about, or perhaps... waiting for something.
Everything was just a brief calm between storms.
New waves were already quietly brewing in the invisible depths.
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