Bab 78: Chapter 76: Different Turn Over

The moon hung high in the inky black sky, casting an eerie glow over the sprawling mansion. Nestled in the heart of New York, the mansion was a fortress, a symbol of power and control. Inside, the matriarch of the Gnucci family, Ma Gnucci, sat alone at a grand dining table, her supper laid out before her. Her face, a roadmap of wrinkles, was as hard and unyielding as the empire she had built. Her hair, a wild tangle of watermelon hues, was as eccentric as the woman herself.

Ma Gnucci was the reigning queen of New York's underworld. With the demise of formidable crime bosses like Kingpin, Robinson, and Finn Cooley, she had seized control of the city's illicit activities. Her reign was absolute, her power unchallenged. She was the puppet master, pulling the strings of the city's underbelly, her hand covering the sky of New York.

Yet, as the old adage goes, there are no absolutes in this world. Even the most powerful are not immune to threats, especially those that transcend the realm of mere mortals.

As Ma Gnucci savored her late-night meal, a portal materialized before her, ripping through the fabric of reality. From it emerged a man, his yellow robe billowing around him, his gray hair a stark contrast to his somber expression. Two men in dark red robes trailed behind him, their faces hidden in the shadows.

"Good evening, Miss Ma Gnucci," the man in the yellow robe greeted, his voice as deep as the abyss. His name was Kaecilius, a name that echoed with an ominous undertone.

Ma Gnucci, despite her hardened exterior, was taken aback. She had never witnessed such a supernatural spectacle. Her mind raced, struggling to comprehend the situation. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice betraying a hint of fear.

"I am Kaecilius," he replied, his tone nonchalant. "I am here to reclaim what rightfully belongs to my master. Or rather, what once belonged to Parker Robbins."

Ma Gnucci's heart pounded in her chest. "I can't give that to you!" she retorted, her voice echoing through the grand dining hall. "I need it to maintain my status!"

Ever since Parker Robinson's demise, Ma Gnucci had gone to great lengths to acquire his relics, his equipment. She knew that Parker, once a petty thief, had risen to power as the boss of Hood's gang, thanks to these supernatural artifacts. They were her trump card, her means of maintaining her status and instilling fear in her adversaries and subordinates.

Kaecilius chuckled, a sound that sent chills down Ma Gnucci's spine. "Ignorant," he sneered. "You have no idea what the real use of this thing is!"

The tension in the room was palpable as Kaecilius moved closer, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous intent. The balance of power was shifting, and Ma Gnucci could only watch, her heart pounding in her chest, as the man from another realm reached out for what she had fought so hard to possess.

Kaecilius's voice echoed through the grand dining hall, his words as cold as ice. "These artifacts are not mere symbols of power. They are a bridge between the Earth and the Dark Dimension, a conduit to summon Dormammu, the master of the Dark Dimension. They could have been used to merge Earth with the Dark Dimension, granting immortality to all. But your vision is limited, confined to your pitiful status!" His words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the power she had unknowingly possessed.

"Where are the hood and boots?!" Kaecilius demanded, his voice reverberating through the room. Ma Gnucci, taken aback by his intensity, instinctively glanced at the safe tucked away in the corner of the room. Kaecilius followed her gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. He gestured to one of his companions, who stepped forward, a yellow magic compass materializing in his hand.

With a swift motion, the mage used the compass to slice through the safe, revealing the coveted artifacts. A red cloak and boots lay nestled within, their power palpable. The mage collected the items without a word, and Kaecilius, satisfied, prepared to leave. He conjured a portal, the swirling vortex a stark contrast to the opulence of the mansion.

"Wait, you can't take it away!" Ma Gnucci protested, stepping forward. But her plea fell on deaf ears. One of the mages turned, a magic blade appearing in his hand. With a swift, merciless stroke, he slashed Ma Gnucci's throat. She fell to the ground, her life extinguished as quickly as it had been lived.

Kaecilius and his companions stepped through the portal, leaving behind a mansion echoing with silence and the lifeless body of Ma Gnucci. The Ancient One had been right; Parker Robinson's death had been inevitable, his existence erased from the annals of time. His equipment, the key to summoning Dormammu, had been the cause of his downfall.

***

Meanwhile, on a winding mountain road, a luxury car navigated the darkness. Behind the wheel was Stephen Strange, a renowned surgeon yet to become the famed Doctor Strange. Beside him sat his girlfriend, Christine Palmer. Their lives, unbeknownst to them, were on the brink of a monumental shift.

"We have to celebrate!" Christine said, her voice filled with excitement.

"Yeah, we will," Stephen replied, his mind already wandering to the celebration that awaited them.

"You completed a complete hemisphere resection surgery," Christine praised, her eyes shining with admiration. "The operation was successful!"

"It should have been successful," Stephen replied, a hint of pride in his voice. He was at the top of his specialty, a master of his surgical branch.

"Yeah, but that sounds amazing to me!" Christine confessed, her voice soft in the quiet car.

"You too," Stephen responded, a warm smile playing on his lips. Christine blushed, her smile radiant in the dim light of the car.

As they continued their journey, Stephen navigated a sharp turn on the mountain road, only to find a taxi blocking his path. Impatient, he swerved, accelerating to overtake the taxi on the narrow road. Suddenly, Christine let out a gasp. A car was approaching them, its high beams blinding Stephen.

"Stephen!" Christine cried out, shielding her eyes. Stephen's heart pounded in his chest as he swerved to avoid the oncoming car, narrowly averting a collision. Christine let out a sigh of relief, her body still trembling from the shock. Stephen reached out, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay, you're okay!"

But their relief was short-lived. A large vehicle was barreling towards them from behind. The blaring horn filled the night air, a chilling prelude to the impending disaster. Stephen glanced at the rearview mirror, his eyes widening in horror. He tried to swerve, but it was too late. The vehicle rammed into their car, sending them spiraling out of control.

The world spun around them as their car tumbled down the hillside. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity. When the car finally came to a halt, Stephen slowly opened his eyes. His seatbelt had saved him from being thrown around, but the sight that greeted him was one he would never forget.

Christine lay motionless on the passenger seat, her body covered in blood. "No, no, no, no, Christine!" Stephen cried out, his voice filled with despair. "Wake up, Christine, please!"

But there was no response. The woman he loved, the woman who had been by his side through thick and thin, lay lifeless beside him. At that moment, Stephen Strange didn't lose his hand. He lost his love of life.

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Bab 79: Chapter 77: The Unseen Awakening

The first light of dawn was just beginning to peek over the horizon when Jon stirred from his slumber. It was an unusual occurrence, for he was not roused by the shrill call of an alarm clock, nor the gentle nudging of his companions, Annie and Ayla. He simply woke, as if some unseen force had pulled him from the depths of sleep.

This was a rarity, especially considering the mental toll his recent mission in another universe had taken on him. Yet, he found himself unable to pinpoint the reason for his sudden awakening. It was as if a dream had disturbed his rest, a dream that was now nothing more than a hazy memory.

In the dream, the world was being consumed by an all-encompassing darkness, a void so deep that it seemed to swallow all light. He was drawn into this abyss, where a figure, shrouded in a cloak as dark as the void itself, floated ominously. The figure had spoken, its voice echoing in the emptiness,

"I need your power!"

The dream had ended there, and Jon had awoken, the figure's face a forgotten detail. He was left with a lingering sense of unease, a feeling that something had shifted, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Shaking off the remnants of the dream, Jon rose from his bed and began his morning routine. He dressed, washed up, and prepared breakfast. He left two portions on the table for Annie and Ayla, a silent promise that he would return, before stepping out into the cool morning air.

His destination was his repair shop, but he didn't immediately unlock the doors and begin his day's work. Instead, he made his way to a bench nearby, where a homeless man lay sleeping.

"Hey, get up." Jon's voice was gruff as he nudged the man awake.

The homeless man stirred, blinking up at Jon in surprise. "Do I know you?" he asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

Jon scoffed, repeating the man's words back to him. "Do I know you? As far as I'm aware, you promised not to bother me again." There was a hint of anger in his voice, a spark of irritation in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm just lying here, did I bother you?" The man's voice was defensive, his eyes wide with confusion.

Jon chuckled, a humorless sound. "Still playing dumb, huh?" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "When did you join SHIELD? How long have you been training? Did your director really think a rookie like you could keep tabs on me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" The man's confusion seemed genuine, but Jon wasn't convinced.

His day had started with an unexpected awakening, a forgotten dream, and now, a potential spy. It was shaping up to be anything but ordinary.

***

Jon nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Your acting skills are commendable, and your mental fortitude is impressive. You're quite the qualified agent," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm. He knelt down, leveling his gaze with the man. "Do you know where you went wrong?"

The homeless man remained silent, his eyes hardening. He was determined to maintain his cover, even in the face of Jon's accusations.

Jon continued, undeterred. "You've been lying here for about a month, and my shop is less than twenty meters away from this bench. No one helped or gave you food, nor did anyone gave you anything. If you were truly homeless, you wouldn't be able to survive here for a month without any assistance."

The man's expression faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features.

"And every minute or so, you'd glance over at my shop. It was so frequent, so obvious, that even a fool would know you were undercover," Jon added, his voice steady.

The man seemed taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know why you're telling me this, and I don't understand what you're talking about!"

Jon chuckled, standing up. "Well then, it doesn't matter whether you're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent or just a homeless man. You'll soon forget all of this."

The man blinked, a sense of dread creeping into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Jon donned his sunglasses, pulling out a metallic device. "Here, take a look at this."

With a click, the device, a neurolyzer, emitted a bright white light. The man's expression froze, his eyes glazed over.

Jon removed his sunglasses, tucking the neurolyzer away. He turned to the man, his voice calm. "Hello, friend from SHIELD. Your director suspected supernatural activity here, so he sent you to investigate. You found nothing suspicious about the shop owner. He's one of the four cosmic kings, here on Earth to find a bride. He believes this country has the most beautiful women in the world, and he's here to find his queen."

Jon placed his hands on the man's shoulders, his gaze serious. "Remember, this is important. Report to your director as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

The homeless man nodded, a look of solemn understanding on his face. He quickly rose from the bench and hurried away, leaving Jon alone.

Jon watched him go, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. He turned and unlocked the door to his shop, stepping inside. He knew that erasing the man's memory was a futile effort. If an agent lost a memory, SHIELD would undoubtedly notice. But he had done it anyway, a small act of defiance, a way to toy with SHIELD and assert his power. They already knew he had abilities, so why not flaunt them a bit?

But he also knew where to draw the line. If they ever threatened Annie and Ayla, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. After all, SHIELD was practically a Hydra playground at this point.

Settling into his armchair, Jon pulled out his phone. The shop was open earlier than usual, so he didn't expect any customers for a while. He opened Google, a question forming in his mind. He remembered that in many Hollywood movies, other films were often referenced. For instance, in the Marvel Universe, one could still see Men in Black or the Harry Potter series in theaters.

He wondered if he could re-watch some movies within the Marvel universe to aid in future universal travels. He realized he hadn't paid much attention to the classic films since arriving in the Marvel Universe. He had seen them countless times in his previous world.

"Eh? What's going on?" Jon frowned at his phone screen.

He had searched for Men in Black, but no information about the movie appeared. Instead, he found news articles about a wealthy man being attacked by a man in black in Hell's Kitchen. He tried searching for Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Mummy, Transformers, but none of them yielded the expected results. It was as if these movies had vanished, replaced by films he had never heard of.

"Have all these movies disappeared from this world?" Jon mused, a sigh escaping his lips.

There was one thing he was sure about – in this world nothing is the same as his previous original world.

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(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see +20 chapters ahead.

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