Chapter 332: Iron Man's Infinity Gauntlet
The members of the Time-Space Team each returned safely with the Infinity Stones in hand. However, Clint Barton suddenly knelt on the ground with a pained expression on his face.
Everyone realized that someone was missing from the platform; Black Widow hadn't returned with Hawkeye. A sense of unease filled the air.
Doctor Banner urgently asked, "Where's Natasha?"
Hawkeye, with red-rimmed eyes, looked at them, his lips trembling but unable to utter the dreadful news.
A heavy silence fell upon everyone.
Bang!
Doctor Banner couldn't contain his frustration and angrily punched the ground.
Outside of the quiz game, Earth
Coulson, observing the situation, commented, "It seems that in the normal timeline, Doctor Banner had a close relationship with Natasha?"
Nick Fury shot him a glare, wondering why he was bringing up gossip at a time like this.
Clint Barton, with a serious tone, said, "When Doctor Banner was struggling with the Hulk, it seemed that Natasha helped him, and they got quite close. Natasha shouldn't have come on this mission."
Coulson scratched his head, "That's what I meant. By the way, Clint, in the future videos that were exposed, there were quite a few scenes with you, and it seems like your future situation is quite challenging."
The quiz Game didn't directly introduce Hawkeye's future circumstances, but from some of his conversations with Natasha, some hints could be inferred.
As unfortunate as the fate of Hank Pym's family, who perished in Thanos's snap, Hawkeye probably faced a similar situation.
He grew more serious as he heard this, and Nick Fury reassured him, "The Time Team's plan is solid. Once we snap again, we can bring back those who disappeared. Clint, you'll be reunited with your family."
After saying that, he gave Coulson another stern look. Since receiving rewards from the quiz Game, this usually straightforward agent had undergone quite a transformation, often making untimely remarks.
In the Eternal Space, Steve Rogers and Scott Lang were concerned about Natasha's situation. However, she seemed emotionally stable, even making a joke, "Perhaps I'll become a motivation, just like Coulson during the Battle of New York, making everyone perform better."
Steve Rogers smiled slightly, "No, I think what everyone needs is not that kind of motivation..."
"Natasha sacrificed herself..."
Tony Stark sighed, then looked at Nebula, "Nebula, you returned safely. I recall that you stopped the transmission when you left, didn't you?"
Nebula thought for a moment and said, "The one who came back... maybe it's another version of me."
Thor's expression became serious, "Could it be that Thanos plans to invade the future world?"
Tony Stark's face also grew solemn as he pondered, "Let's continue watching the video. It should provide us with more explanations."
In the video, the camera shifted to a lakeside pavilion where the Time Travel Team was gathered, each person wearing a solemn and grieving expression.
Tony Stark was the first to break the silence, "Does she have any family left?"
Steve Rogers lowered his head, "It's just us now."
The atmosphere became particularly sombre. At this point, Thor stepped forward and said to Tony, "You speak as if she's already dead. We have the Infinity Stones! We can use them to bring her back! So, let's stop with the idle talk and rally ourselves. We're the Avengers, let's get our spirits up!"
Encouraged by his mother and Mjolnir, Thor swept away his previous desolation and actively tried to boost everyone's morale.
But Hawkeye quickly poured cold water on his enthusiasm, "She can't come back. It's irreversible, impossible."
Thor raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry if I offended you, but you're just an ordinary Earthling. We're dealing with cosmic magic here. Saying it's impossible is too absolute!"
"Listen, I know I don't have a say in this, but she can't come back..." Clint Barton, with red eyes, said, "It's all irreparable. At least, that red guy floating in the air said so. Maybe you can talk to him, take your hammer and fly over to find him!"
As Hawkeye became more emotional, his voice choked, "It should have been me... She sacrificed herself for that damn Infinity Stone. She gave her life for it."
Seeing this, the audience outside the video was also taken aback.
Scott Lang was surprised, "Why? I just thought the same thing a moment ago. As long as we snap, we can bring you back to life!"
Natasha pondered, "Perhaps this is the cost of the sacrifice, the mysteries contained within the Infinity Stones. It's not something we can easily decipher or use. We can harness their power, but we shouldn't delve too deep into the principles behind them."
Steve Rogers furrowed his brow in silence.
At this point, the video shifted to a laboratory where Tony Stark was manipulating the placement of the six Infinity Stones on the Infinity Gauntlet.
Thor looked amazed, "You can even create a gauntlet to hold the Infinity Stones?"
Tony Stark was about to deliver a snarky reply but thought better of it. "The future me has more advanced technological capabilities. Of course, even in the present, with access to the gauntlet's prototype, I could reverse-engineer it and even create a better one. Trust me, Thor, I have the ability!"
When Tony Stark spoke these words, he was brimming with confidence.
Indeed, he had the confidence to back it up. In this unique timeline created by the quiz Game, Tony Stark could not only learn more advanced technology from future videos but also had numerous rewards from the quiz game.
Especially the technological imprint, which, though peculiar, had proven to be quite effective.
Thor, despite some skepticism, ultimately believed in Tony's expertise. However, he couldn't resist making a playful comment, "It doesn't look as good as the first one."
Tony Stark rolled his eyes; what did this brute know about technological aesthetics?
In the video, as the Infinity Gauntlet was assembled, most of the surrounding Avengers remained solemn. When Rocket Raccoon questioned who should wear the gauntlet to activate it, Thor stepped forward, "I'll do it!"
He started walking towards the Infinity Gauntlet, but he was quickly stopped by those around him.
Steve Rogers advised, "Don't rush, Thor. We haven't decided who should wear the gauntlet yet."
Thor looked at him, displeased, "So, we're just going to stand here and wait?"
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