Chapter 27: Tiberius's Quotes: Never Bet Against Little Annie!

For several days straight, S.H.I.E.L.D. had failed to find any trace of the individual claiming to be the god Loki. It was as if the group had vanished into thin air; despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Sky Eye surveillance systems and spy satellites circling the globe, not a single clue could be found.

Consequently, while S.H.I.E.L.D. was currently in a state of frantic chaos, the members of the Avengers appeared much more leisurely.

One member, Iron Man Tony Stark, continued to endure various reprimands from his Pepper Potts while seizing every opportunity to indulge in debauchery and nightlife. Perhaps only when he was bored did he remember that something like the Avengers even existed.

The Hulk was temporarily missing. As a master escape artist who had achieved countless "wall-climbing" feats and was known as the master of breakouts, no one knew where he had run off to next! His ability to jump high gave him an advantage; no place could hold him. The primary reason, however, was that Annie was at school and not at home. Having had enough of being battered and mistreated by the little bear Tibs, he had naturally decided to bolt!

Next was S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff! This woman, known as the Black Widow, was practically becoming a widow! Because her close partner and "best bro," Hawkeye, had been whisked away by some alien brat! She was currently spending her days staring at the intelligence department, her anger levels maxed out, desperately hoping to find Hawkeye soon. Once she did, she would surely demand an answer: exactly how did she, Natasha, fail to compare to some wild man from outer space?

Thor, the God of Thunder, was busy making love to his Earth girlfriend, Jane Foster. After all, humans were truly short-lived. One had to understand that the Asgardian calendar was generally measured in centuries; if Thor didn't hurry, by the time he found another moment to return to Earth, the grass on her grave might already be three meters high!

Then there was Captain America. Well, this man, renowned for his bravery and heroism decades ago, continued to make use of his remaining years after being resurrected from death, loyally serving S.H.I.E.L.D. Within the agency, he could be considered one of the most veteran figures, having witnessed both the era of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and the era of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unfortunately, however, his political attributes were either misplaced or entirely negative! Just look at him—despite his status as a venerable veteran of two eras, he still ended up working as a mere frontline grunt. Truly unparalleled!

Finally, there was only Annie left! Well, Annie was currently out enjoying herself with Coulson and Melinda. They had driven the yacht from the pier out into the open sea and were now leisurely fishing.

After resolving a series of matters, Coulson, in a great mood, decided to take Annie—who seemed a bit bored after school—out to sea for some fun. He didn't want Annie spending all day at home playing computer games or learning something bad from the internet.

This was because not long ago, after seeing a video livestream of someone smashing a car online, Annie had actually wanted to try it herself! If Coulson hadn't discovered it in time, his flying sports car—which possessed an antique appearance but featured super-technology—might have ended up as a pile of scrap! That was his precious darling, Laura! Therefore, the thing Coulson wanted most right now was to minimize Annie's internet time and strictly forbid her from being exposed to those bad influences online!

"Uncle Coulson! I think fishing like this is really stupid," Annie said, resting her chin on her hands and sitting cross-legged dejectedly on the edge of the yacht.

In front of her, just like Coulson and Melinda, sat a fishing rod. The bait had been in the water for a while, but so far, there was no sign of any fish being ready to bite.

"Oh? Why? How is it stupid? I think it's great!" Coulson didn't think it was stupid at all. It allowed them to enjoy the pleasure of fishing, relax while breathing the fresh ocean air, and avoid the distractions of mundane affairs. It was wonderful! Besides, they hadn't even been fishing for half an hour; Coulson was in no rush.

"Because I've realized that if we keep going like this, even if we fish until we all starve to death, no fish will bite!" Annie had completely lost hope in Coulson's original plan of fishing and having a sea-side barbecue.

"That's impossible! Don't worry, Annie, just wait a bit longer and a fish will bite. Think about it, last time you and Auntie Melinda went out in fighter jets to play, I went out to sea alone and caught several large sea fish in no time! The lightest was ten pounds!" Coulson began to boast about his previous record again; he had indeed brought several big fish home that time.

"But this time is different!" Annie remained listless, harboring not even a shred of hope that they would catch anything.

"How is it different? It was this same spot last time, and I was all alone with just one rod! But now there are three of us and three rods! Just trust me, a big fish will bite any moment!" Coulson remained full of confidence.

"In that case, let's make a bet." Annie's eyes darted around as she suddenly thought of a good idea. "I bet we won't catch any fish. Do you dare? If you lose, you have to help me with my homework once. Whoever breaks the bet is a puppy!"

"You're on! But, if you lose, the three-day leave we agreed on last time is void!" Coulson was convinced he wouldn't lose. Since that was the case, he would take the bet. After all, he still owed her the promise of three days of leave; perhaps he could escape it this time?

"But let's set the terms first: we'll limit it to one hour. If we catch a fish, I win!" Coulson quickly added. Last time, he had caught several fish within an hour! Besides, it was evening, the perfect time for fish to surface for food. He absolutely could not lose; he was very confident! He was certain he would win this time and couldn't wait to see the look on little Annie's face when she admitted defeat!

"It's a deal!!!"

After the agreement was made, Annie extended her palm and lightly tapped it against Coulson's—one large hand and one small—officially activating the pact.

"Alright! I won! Auntie Melinda, quick, drive the boat, let's go home for dinner! Uncle Coulson, remember to help me with my homework when we get back." After the high-five, Annie jumped up happily and hurried Melinda to steer the boat home.

"Wait, wait! Little Annie! Are you trying to cheat? The timer has only just started!" Coulson was bewildered. Wasn't it supposed to be an hour? Why was Annie claiming victory immediately? Even if she threatened him with force, Coulson would not yield.

"I'm not cheating! Fine, I'll reluctantly explain it to you." Seeing that Coulson was still not giving up, Annie had no choice but to turn back and patiently explain.

"It's because of my little bear, Tibs! You know, Tibs is very powerful. As long as he is on our boat, the nearby fish won't dare come near! Because these little animals can sense the terrifying aura on Tibs! Haha, now you give up, right? As long as Tibs is here, you will never catch a single fish; they've all run far away in fear!"

*Sigh! Stupid humans! Why don't they ever learn?* The little bear Tibs, left on the deck, sighed inwardly. Without absolute certainty, how could someone with Annie's thick skin and dark heart ever give you even a tiny chance? You should be more careful next time!

"So that's how it works?!" No wonder no fish had bitten for half an hour. He had actually been feeling a bit strange about it, thinking it was just bad luck, but so that was it! Coulson stared blankly for a moment before looking at Melinda with a pleading gaze.

However, Melinda ignored him, merely shaking her head with an amused smile as she walked into the cabin. Little Annie was right; since they weren't catching any fish, they might as well go home. There were no ingredients on this boat, and since they had been out for nearly an hour, everyone had likely had enough fun. It was time to head back and prepare dinner! Skipping meals was bad for little Annie's health.

"Uncle Coulson, remember to do my homework tonight! Oh, and that three-day vacation! I'll remind you when it's time to ask for leave!"

Before following Melinda into the cockpit, Annie poked her head out to remind Coulson, and then, taking the opportunity, she gave Tibs on the deck a hard kick, sending him into the cockpit. *That's for being so thick-skinned and dark-hearted! And for taking sides with outsiders! I heard everything!*

(End of Chapter)