Loki and Thor departed Earth, and the global branches of the Joker organization suffered a devastating blow. Harley traveled to Africa to continue the search for Vibranium, firmly believing that Jason would return.

"Thor!"

As the three men walked across a grassy field, Fury was the first to speak. "I’ve handled everything regarding the Tesseract and Loki. Once the paperwork is finalized in a couple of days, you can take Loki back home."

Thor, devoid of a smile, offered a perfunctory, "Thank you."

The Tesseract had originally been left in Norway by Odin, so it was only logical for it to be reclaimed now. Truthfully, Thor wasn’t that interested in the Tesseract; it was more that the Sorcerer Supreme’s words had stuck with him. Earthlings did not yet have the capacity to use it properly; leaving it on Earth would only invite greater catastrophe.

As for Loki... once the government understood Thor’s true power, they weren’t about to risk offending him by forcibly detaining his brother. However, to save face, the government would hold a show trial before ultimately handing him over to Asgard.

With someone finally speaking, the oppressive atmosphere lightened slightly. Tony chimed in: "Thor, what’s the story with that mysterious woman from the other day? You’ve been dodging the question for days. You should tell us before you leave."

Thor looked conflicted. "It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s that I don’t know if I should. She never formally identified herself to me; I simply guessed who she was."

Fury’s interest was piqued. What kind of person could make Thor this wary? "Is her identity that special?"

Thor nodded. "Yes. Why else would I be this cautious?"

"Fine, keep your secrets," Tony muttered, rolling his eyes before asking, "What about Jason? Can you tell us about him?"

Thor nodded, a sigh escaping him as he recalled the events of that day. "To be honest... our victory in this war was sheer luck."

"Loki’s plan failed. Jason didn’t die; instead, he absorbed the energy of the Mind Stone, and his strength increased manifold. In an instant, he wiped out all the Iron Warriors. Then we fought... he was too strong. I didn’t even have the power to fight back; I was just taking a beating."

Fury guessed, "So the mysterious woman saved you."

Thor replied, "Yes. Her power is far beyond Jason’s. But she seemed to have things to discuss with him, so she sent me away."

Tony was stunned. "You weren’t even there! So you don’t actually know if Jason is dead or not."

Thor admitted it. "But it’s certain that Jason lost that fight, and he paid a heavy price for it."

Tony was nearly at his wit’s end. Thor had kept them in suspense for days just to give them that answer? Don’t talk to him about a heavy price—as long as Jason was alive, Tony wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly.

Fury chimed in with a realization: "After hearing your Intel, everything finally makes sense."

The two men turned to look at him.

Fury continued, "The Joker organization’s behavior these past few days has been bizarre. This is when the government’s strength is at its lowest, yet they haven’t made a move. On the contrary, they’ve practically vanished. I suspect Jason is the reason behind this sudden disappearance."

Thor smiled. "My guess is one of three things. One: Jason was killed by her. Two: Jason lost his ability to fight. Three: Jason is no longer on Earth. Only something that drastic would cause the Joker organization to fall into such chaos and retreat."

Tony asked in surprise, "That mysterious woman has that kind of power?"

Thor’s expression turned grave. "Her power is not inferior to my father’s."

The other two looked solemn, their curiosity regarding the mysterious woman growing even deeper.

The next day, Loki was taken to court for trial. The day after that, Thor departed with him and the Tesseract.

Stark Industries threw itself into the reconstruction of New York, and Tony reappeared before the media, regaining his former swagger.

Fury reported the status of the Joker organization to the World Security Council. After deliberation, the Council convened a global summit. Leaders from over a hundred countries jointly signed the Anti-Joker Organization Act.

Three days after the act passed, governments worldwide launched a unified, total crackdown on the organization, seeking to tear it out by the roots. This campaign was unprecedented in its intensity. Intelligence agencies provided precise data, police maintained local order, and the military stormed bases with overwhelming force.

Simultaneously, governments leveraged the public, establishing tip lines and encouraging citizens to report any clues. In an instant, the once-mighty Joker organization became like rats scurrying across a street, hunted by everyone.

Online: The Joker community was forcibly shut down, and all registered members were arrested. Freedom of speech was ignored; anyone supporting the organization online—whether for attention or out of genuine belief—was detained under the new Act.

Offline: Gangs formerly under Joker control, anyone who had participated in their violent acts, or those who had used the Joker name for profit... if they were even tangentially related, they were hauled away for investigation.

The purge was massive, and the global populace cheered. The tumor was finally being excised. The only problem was the sheer number of people involved; state prisons were filled to capacity. The government had to set up temporary detention camps on the outskirts of cities for those with lesser offenses.

As the purge continued, society slowly began to return to its tracks, looking more like it did before the rise of the Joker organization.

*

Africa. Private garden of the Joker base.

Christine was pushing Angelina on a swing, while Harley played hide-and-seek with Brian in a maze. The little girl looked up at the sky, a sudden sense of loneliness washing over her. "Mommy, where did Daddy go?"

Christine felt a sharp pang in her chest, and tears nearly spilled over. She forced a smile and kissed her daughter’s forehead. "Daddy went away for work. It will be a long, long time before he comes back."

Angelina said disappointedly, "You always say that. But I want to fly high."

Christine looked troubled; she couldn’t fly. Hearing this, Brian ran over to join in. "I want to, too! I want to fly high!"

Christine looked at the two children with a pained expression. Harley walked over and scooped them both up. "Come on, I’ll take you flying."

The two children’s faces changed instantly as they scrambled to get away.

"No!"

"I’ll throw up!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I want Daddy!!"

"Me too!!!"

Harley’s emotional threshold was low. She turned away to secretly wipe her eyes before saying, "I told you many times, Daddy is away working."

Brian frowned and complained, "But Daddy has been gone for so long."

Angelina was better at math: "It’s been... 20 days!"

Harley patiently replied, "Daddy has to wait another 100 sets of 20 days before he can come back."

Angelina started counting on her fingers. But the number 100 was far beyond her reach. She looked helplessly at her mother. "Mommy, when is Daddy coming back?"

Christine walked over and knelt down to hug them both. "Be good, darlings. Listen to Mommy. Don’t worry."

"Mommy promises... by the time you grow up to be as tall as Mommy... Daddy will be home."

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You can read advance Chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.

pat reon.com/GreenBlue17

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