Chapter 54: Restart, Spider-Man! [54]
"Why would we fight him? Isn't our mission to protect him?"
"I get it. This guy must have died at Thanos' hands and now sees this version of him as his enemy."
"What a poor guy. He can't even tell who killed him anymore."
"What a waste of time. I can't believe I've been listening to this nonsense. What a lunatic."
"I'm out of here."
"Winning two revival matches? He's gotta be lying."
Instantly, the crowd erupted with boos. Groups of people started to leave in twos and threes.
Suddenly, Old Steve squeezed through the crowd.
"I believe him," he said.
He walked up to Xia Luo. "Little Spider, I'm happy to see you again—wait, sorry, I shouldn't be happy about that," he added with an awkward smile.
"Don't worry about it," Xia Luo replied, not in the mood for humor after having restarted so many times.
He glanced around at the remaining participants. It was impossible to convince everyone to stay, so he had to use that strategy.
Relying on his accumulated experience from multiple restarts, Xia Luo quickly persuaded Carter, Lizard Parker, and Tony to join in on the plan.
Standing next to Carter, Xia Luo put on a troubled expression.
"Sigh... this mission is so dangerous, and Agent Carter is so delicate. Who could possibly protect her? It's really a headache."
He spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, especially the various Steves nearby.
Old Steve, understanding Xia Luo's game, glanced at the other Steves who had momentarily paused in their tracks. He immediately knew what Xia Luo was up to.
"I am Captain America, a brave Avenger. I will protect every Agent Carter. It's my duty!" Old Steve declared loudly. The other Steves' faces shifted slightly, their expressions turning more hesitant.
Carter, caught off guard by this, felt quite awkward. However, she understood what Xia Luo was trying to do.
After thinking it over, she realized she didn't want to interact with those other Steves. Unlike Old Steve, who she trusted, those others gave her an unsettling vibe—too similar to the Steve she knew, but different enough to make her uncomfortable.
But then Xia Luo whispered something in her ear.
"Agent Carter, with great power comes great responsibility. The team needs more strength, so please."
At that moment, Carter froze.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Those words resonated with her, as if they carried a special power, pushing her to reconsider.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot."
Finally, almost against her will, she agreed and started walking toward the other Steves.
Seeing this, a satisfied smile spread across Xia Luo's face.
That line always worked.
Next, he turned toward Jane Foster, ready to convince her.
"If we want to succeed in this mission, reliable teammates are essential. You don't have to trust me, but you should trust it."
He pointed at Mjolnir in her hand. "Those who are worthy of the hammer can't be wrong, right?"
Jane looked over at Thor, who was standing nearby. "Are you talking about him? He doesn't seem interested in joining us."
"No, he means me," Old Steve stepped forward, smiling as he extended his hand. "Let me give it a try."
"What?"
Both Jane and Thor, along with Loki, looked at Old Steve in disbelief.
"Are you sure?" Jane asked, hesitating as she handed Mjolnir over to him. She seemed to have a hunch about what might happen.
Before Old Steve could do anything, Thor burst into laughter.
"This must be a joke. How could a mere mortal ever be worthy—"
But mid-sentence, Thor's laughter turned to shock.
"Impossible!"
"Impossible!"
Thor and Loki exclaimed simultaneously, staring wide-eyed as Old Steve effortlessly handled Mjolnir, shaking their heads in disbelief.
"I must be seeing things. How can a mortal lift Mjolnir?" Thor muttered.
"I've figured it out!" Loki chimed in. "The hammer must be broken—that's why he can lift it."
Loki clapped his hands and chuckled. "That must be it."
He quickly rushed over and grabbed the hammer from Old Steve, who made no effort to stop him, nor did Jane.
Under Tony's amused gaze, the moment Loki gripped Mjolnir, he was instantly pulled down to his knees by its immense weight.
What an awkward sight.
Loki glanced around nervously, quickly releasing the hammer and pretending nothing had happened as he dusted off his clothes.
"I was just kidding earlier," he said, trying to explain.
"I know. You're very funny," Old Steve said, picking up Mjolnir and handing it back to Jane. "So, will you join us?" he asked sincerely.
"Of course," Jane agreed without hesitation.
She smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, I think I know who you are."
"What do you mean?"
Old Steve was momentarily confused before realization struck him.
"Ah, I get it. There was news about Mjolnir being stolen from the exhibition hall. They said a woman took it. I remember reading about that."
"That wasn't stealing."
"I know. You're Thor's girlfriend, and he loves you, so his hammer loves you too."
"We're not together anymore."
"Ah, that's a shame. So, how did you die?"
"It's a long story. I went to Valhalla after I died, but it was so boring there. Then I got a strange invitation..."
The two quickly struck up a lively conversation.
Thor, curious, edged closer to listen to Jane's story.
"So, are you joining us?" Xia Luo interrupted, seizing the moment to invite Thor.
Thor thought it over, then puffed out his chest. "Alright, mortal, I'll join you. But don't expect to boss me around. I am Thor, God of Thunder, representing the glory of the northern gods—"
"I know, the glory of the northern gods. You're free to act as you please."
"I'll join you too," Loki added with a mischievous grin. "I find you lot quite amusing."
"No problem."
And just like that, the team's strength surged.
"Let's go. Off to the Titan Temple!" Xia Luo declared, leading the group to the roadside.
They hailed a cab.
——
Half an hour later.
At the base of the spire, Xia Luo waved his hand slightly, and Loki cast a spell, creating thousands of duplicates. The clones swarmed toward the Titan guards like a tidal wave.
"Damn it! What are those?"
"That many twins... no, triplets... no, wait, quadruplets?"
"Their poor mother..."
"Stop joking and deal with them!"
It wasn't long before the Titan guards were lured away by the clones, allowing the group to rush to the top of the spire.
At the massive stone mill altar, Xia Luo dropped blood into the groove.
Above them, the night sky lit up with the image of a giant spider totem, summoning Thanos to the scene.
"Greetings. I am Thanos, the leader of Titan," he introduced himself.
While Thanos was speaking, Xia Luo quietly moved toward a corner. There, he touched one of the stone pillars, revealing a virtual lock.
Skillfully, he entered the code, causing the stone pillars to shift and transform into the Titan Temple, sealing off the guards outside and leaving Thanos alone with the group of Avengers.
"What the...?"
Thanos was startled.
He scanned the group, who now eyed him with hostility, and then turned to Xia Luo in the corner.
His face darkened. "How do you know the code to unlock the temple?"
"Because you told me," Xia Luo said with a shrug and a grin.
After watching Thanos initiate the Exile Journey twice, Xia Luo had learned everything he needed to know.
The temple required a code to open, and the portal to the Exile Journey could be activated at any time, as long as they had the sacred artifact and the necessary divine power.
And the sacred artifact was hidden inside the temple.
Now, with Thanos subdued, they wouldn't have to worry about him losing control under the influence of the Mind Stone.
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