Eitri was practically drooling over the armor schematics Gene projected in front of him. His eyes sparkled with obsession, and the way he stared at Gene's current armor—it was like a lovesick man gazing at a goddess.
"Beautiful… it's just too beautiful," Eitri mumbled, swaying slightly as he admired the design. In his eyes, this wasn't just armor—it was a masterpiece.
"I can sense the presence of multiple alloys in this armor… powerful ones. Very powerful," Eitri said with genuine awe. "I've never seen such perfect materials combined in this way."
"Wait, are you saying even Asgard doesn't have materials ?" Volstagg blurted out.
Eitri shot him a look that said, Are you stupid? "Of course not," he snorted. Then he paused for a moment and added, "Well, maybe we have a few materials that can compete in overall strength… but nothing this breathtaking. This stuff… it's just mesmerizing."
The Asgardians exchanged bewildered looks. Since when did Midgard possess such incredible resources?
Their understanding of Earth—or Midgard, as they called it—hadn't evolved much beyond when they accompanied Thor years ago. Back then, Thor had been stripped of his godly power and banished for attacking Jotunheim. As his loyal companions, they had followed him to Midgard. The best weapons Earthlings had at the time were puny pistols—tiny metal pellets that barely tickled their Asgardian skin.
But now? They'd just witnessed an Earthling with power that arguably surpassed Thor himself.
"My current armor isn't at its peak condition," Gene spoke up. "It took some damage during the last battle, so I can't face Loki with this version."
The truth? His armor had only sustained minor damage—most of which had already been repaired by his nanobots. And thanks to the Space Stone embedded in his suit, Gene was already strong enough to take on even Odin himself. In fact, back in New Mexico, he and Odin had exchanged attacks from afar—and they were evenly matched. With the Space Stone now reinforcing his power, Gene was easily above the level of Odin's stolen power now wielded by Loki.
Simple—he wanted more Uru metal.
Uru, the same legendary substance used to forge Mjolnir. Gene had already infused a significant amount of Uru into one of his previous armors. When combined with Kree alloys and vibranium, it created a hybrid material of exceptional strength. Ever since then, Gene had been obsessed with acquiring more Uru.
And now? He had the perfect opportunity—and four "helpful teammates" to back him up.
"If you really need it," Eitri said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin, "I could forge you an entirely new suit of armor. I've crafted many armors before, but nothing as complex as this. It would be an exciting challenge for me… especially if you work with me during the process."
Before Gene could answer, Lady Sif jumped in, her voice urgent.
"Gene, you must accept! This is a rare opportunity. Weapons crafted by Eitri, King of the Dwarves, are the finest in the Nine Realms. Only Asgard's elite warriors are ever allowed to wield them. And more importantly—each weapon forged by Eitri carries Odin's blessing. Or rather, the forge at Nidavellir itself carries Odin's divine favor!"
She was practically pleading, more passionate about this than if the offer had been made to her personally.
Gene's V-shaped visor flickered slightly as he nodded. "Of course. You and I will design and build the new armor together."
Eitri burst into laughter, delighted. Craftsmanship was his life's greatest joy—and getting to collaborate with a fellow genius from another realm made his fingers itch with excitement. Ever since laying eyes on Gene's armor, he'd wanted nothing more than to dive into a creative collaboration.
But then, Eitri's expression darkened.
"Even with Odin's blessing… if Loki's power has truly reached such terrifying heights… we may still not win." He paused. "There's only one more option..."
"No way!" Volstagg bellowed. "That stuff is the rarest material in all Nine Realms! Even in Asgard, only a few hand-picked by the All-Father himself have ever been granted access. And now you want to give it to an outsider? That's against all tradition!"
"Hmph." Eitri snorted. "And what happens if we don't use it now, and Loki wins? All those rare materials will fall into his hands. Good luck asking him for them back."
Volstagg fell silent. The logic stung—but it made sense. If they didn't use everything at their disposal now, they might not get another chance. At least this way, they had a fighting chance to stop Loki.
Lady Sif also joined in the persuasion. Eventually, the four Asgardians all agreed with Eitri's plan.
"Excellent," Eitri grinned proudly. "Midgardian craftsman, you've shown me the finest materials your world has to offer. Now let me show you the pride of Nidavellir… come with me. It's time you laid eyes on—Uru metal."
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