CHAPTER 124 - MY PROOF IS THIS

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The doors to the room opened and Odin strolled in with a soft stride.

The guy was just a head shorter than Thor but his physique that was full of bulging muscles were greater than Thor's, though it somehow created an illusion of him being shorter than he actually was.

Wrinkled face that had half of it hidden under that thick beard of his while the top held a golden crown that circled around his head, his gold-mixed obsidian eyepatch and a rather normal looking purple robe – A picture of a man that no one wanted to mess with.

Was it also disturbing that I could only feel something from him because of the Mind Stone in my body?

My computer senses were picking up nothing other than a healthy old man while all I got from the passive function with the Mind Stone was just a feeling that there was something about him that was eluding me.

"Father!" Thor stood up and bowed a little to Odin, an action me and Wanda copied before looking back up at the mythical Asgardian Godking.

"At ease boy. I am here just to see the man who brought an Infinity Stone inside my palace and the chaos-touched companion he brought with him." He said with a stern gruff voice that perfectly aligned with the picture of the strictly no-nonsense person I imagined he would be.

"Yes. These are-"

"I already know of them, boy."

"- Vision and Wanda of the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes. My friends and a group of the greatest warrior's across the nine realms." Thor boasted while completely cutting off and ignoring his father.

He then turned to us despite the straight eye from his father. "Wanda and Vision, this is my father. I'm sure you have read numerous texts of him but this is Odin, Allfather of Asgard and it's nine realms."

"Greetings, your highness." We bowed again and greeted him after Thor's introduction.

It is not my misconception but it felt like the place, the very atmosphere itself, became welcoming of our presence. The feeling of us being random strangers that wandered into a god's home left and was replaced with the feeling of being invited guests.

'What was that?'

[No query identified]

'But something changed.'

[No calculated evidence to your query]

[But based on the feedback from the Mind Stone, it is presumed that the realm has acknowledged your presence]

'…'

"Mind your manners, Thor. It will do you a lot of good to learn not to cut into my words when I am speaking." Odin said with a stern look on his face but Thor only looked a little accepting of his father's reproach.

"And may I ask why you are here, father?" He asked his father while Wanda and I just traded eye contact and watched the dialogue between the father and son.

"This is my castle, boy. I can go anywhere I want inside it."

"Completely unannounced into the quarters of guests and servants living on palace grounds? I doubt mother will take very kindly to hearing that." Thor's words were said in a way as if he was just stating them without any particular intentions behind them, and his father's reply was just as straight and casual.

"I'll beat out your teeth with that hammer of yours the day it reaches her ears."

Thor smiled naturally, zero reaction to his father's words and simply asked. "Why are you here, father? We would have come to you had you called."

Odin snorted, his stern facial expression never changing since the beginning, and turned back his focus on us. "What is your purpose in coming here to Asgard while armed with an Infinity Stone?"

"We have to reason for our presence here in Asgard. We only tried establishing communications with Thor and the result of that was us landing on Gorag, where Thor had been. We helped him with dealing with the army of falne demons before he invited us to his home. As for the Infinity Stone, it is an essential part of my existence and I always have it on my person." I calmly explained to Odin what led us to Thor and the events that preluded it and those that followed.

He remained silent through the whole thing, both my recounting and Thor's interjections, calmly listening with an impassive face and the stern atmosphere around him.

"I have heard all that you've said till now and I have all but one question to you and your companion beside you." He pointed at me and Wanda who stood slightly confused about what he wanted to ask us.

"You are looking for the Infinity Stones and I want to hear your reason for seeking them out. And it will do you well not to lie to me in any way."

"Father!"

"Silence, Thor!" His voice was raised at Thor for the first time all the while his eyes never left us.

I could feel the change in the air but Wanda didn't.

Odin was serious, I mean he always is, but this felt different.

Lie? Completely impossible.

I looked at Wanda and she gave me a subtle nod, aware of some of the conjectures and plans I had for the Infinity Stones. Future plans, but I guess it now needs to be updated.

"I want to harness the power of the Stones." I said.

My reply left Thor looking shocked while Odin's expression remained the same. Despite his shock, Thor kept silent and just folded his hands.

"Why?" One of the hardest questions to answer.

"My potential height as an enhanced bionic sentient body with an independent mind of my own isn't too high and the only thing I know that can push far the limit of my existence are the Infinity Stones."

I told him, took a deep breath and continued, "I'd rather destroy the Stones if not for that reason. If you want to ask what I want to achieve with the evolution I am aiming for, I can only say that it is to help me achieve my vision – my purpose for existence. I don't plan to conquer, rule, or force my vision on anyone. I only aim to confirm my existence by achieving the purpose I set for it."

My chest opened up and the Mind Stone flew out of it and floated in the middle of the room, drawing everyone's eyes to it, until Odin reached out and grabbed it.

I could feel Wanda's hands twitching to release a hex bolt at Odin for taking the Mind Stone but she knew better than to do that, so she let me handle it in the way I could.

Odin looked at the gem in his hands, staring intently at it for a bit after which his brows went up in what I think might be surprise.

He looked back at me with the gem held between two of his fingers. "You have imprinted your mind on the stone. The result of which is now feeding the growing dormant ego of the stone."

Thor looked confused at Odin's strange words and questioned his father about what he exactly meant with his words.

"It means the Mind Stone will soon become alive in the truest sense of the word and the sentient mind that will become the Mind Stone is him… if he is successful."

The clarification left Thor in a loop while Wanda's eyes shot up as she understood the underlying implications of his words.

"You mean Vis will turn to the Mind Stone? Some type of universal mind hub?" She exclaimed in astonishment to which Odin let out a soft hum.

The old Godking then let the stone fall into his palms and held it out to me before speaking. "You have shown me something new and while your earlier words held no lies or jaded intentions, no one will allow you to possess the stones without doing anything about it, myself included. So tell me, what makes your intentions with the stones trustworthy and what assurance can you give that you won't stray off your noble path to protect your world with the power you aim to gain?"

I shook my head because I had no assurance to give and I told him exactly that.

"You're right. My words alone are not enough and I cannot promise you that I won't become extreme and unforgiving with my actions. For all I know and I'm sure of, the power will corrupt me, absolutely."

"Vis!"

I looked at Wanda who was currently distressed with her eyes carrying an equal mix of concern and worry, so I took her hands in mine to reassure her and kissed her on the cheek to placate her.

My eyes were on her while my words were for Odin. "I have no assurance of controlling the power of the Infinity Stones without becoming a tyrant… but what I can assure you is that I will never do it if it risks her safety or leads her to be hurt."

"You asked me for proof and my proof is her… As for whether my vision is truly noble and just? My proof is this."

My left hand stretched out to Odin's that held the stone but it didn't reach it.

They looked at me, wondering what I was trying to tell with my action but their wonderings didn't last for long as it was cut with the sound of thunder, the air ripping apart, and a small boom as it broke through the walls and laid itself tightly gripped in my hands.

Mjolnir.

Odin's eyes fully widened as he saw me lifting Mjolnir after it responded to my call before slowly looking at Thor who shifted uncomfortably.

"So there were a few things I left out during the tales of my last journey to earth, no biggies."