บท 186: Chapter 187: Avengers' Departure and Loki Joins the Quiz
"I'll stick to the original plan and go find Strange," Bruce Banner, now in his Hulk form, said.
"Bruce, do you want to smash something to reminisce about the old days?" Tony Stark asked.
"No, thanks," Bruce Banner turned and left.
"Tony, mind giving us a lift?" Steve Rogers' gaze turned to Tony Stark.
"Give us a lift? What do you mean?" Scott Lang asked.
"Exactly what you're thinking," Steve Rogers replied.
"I'll shrink a bit first," Scott Lang immediately shrunk and hopped onto Tony Stark's suit.
Then Tony Stark lifted Steve Rogers in his arms and took off into the sky.
"What are all those things up in the sky?" As they got closer, the group saw the sky filled with Iron Man suits, and Scott Lang couldn't help but exclaim loudly, "Tony, tell me I'm not seeing things!"
"There's, like, hundreds of them?" Steve Rogers was equally astonished.
"Five hundred," Tony Stark was just as shocked as Steve Rogers.
"If you had 500 Iron Man suits during the Battle of New York, we wouldn't have struggled so much," Steve Rogers said.
"I never thought of making an army of Iron Man suits before the Battle of New York. I fought alone before that, and I could handle any crisis on my own as Iron Man. I didn't need to create an army of suits," Tony Stark explained while flying, "After the Battle of New York, I realized Iron Man alone wasn't enough, and I recognized the importance of the Iron Legion. I created some, but I ended up destroying them all during the Killian incident."
"Did you really only think of making an Iron Legion after the Battle of New York?" Scott Lang pointed at the numerous Iron Man suits battling the aliens and said, "Look at them now, so imposing!"
"The Battle of New York has changed so much that nothing surprises me anymore," Tony Stark said.
The Iron Man suits were flying at a fast pace, and before long, they arrived at Mount Anonymity.
Since the Battle of New York had deviated so far from their knowledge, the trio didn't rush into action. They found a concealed spot to hide and decided to observe first before taking any action.
Crack! Crack!
Thunderbolts flashed, tearing through the sky like enormous claws.
Looking up, they saw Thor flying through the air with his red cape billowing. With a swing of his Mjölnir, a massive lightning bolt descended, striking down multiple Chitauri warships with each strike.
Two words: impressive!
"Why do I feel like Thor was stronger when we fought alongside him back then?" Tony Stark looked up at Thor and commented.
"Yeah, the Thor from back then seemed much more powerful," Steve Rogers agreed.
"Thor's become stronger, so what about you, Captain?" Scott Lang's words were cut off by a swear, "Holy shit! Are you kidding me?"
"Scott, what's with the shock?" Tony Stark snapped, "Why don't you just announce our presence to everyone while you're at it?"
"Captain, Captain's up in the sky!" Scott Lang's voice trembled.
"What Captain up in the sky? Isn't Captain right next to you?" Tony Stark felt like slapping this moron.
"No, it's not our Captain. It's the Captain from this Battle of New York," Scott Lang extended a trembling finger to the sky, "Look, he's up there!"
Steve Rogers and Tony Stark followed Scott Lang's pointed direction and widened their eyes. In the sky, a figure dressed in the star-spangled uniform, shield in hand, was soaring through the air, slaying enemies left and right. His shield would fly out and bisect multiple Chitauri soldiers before they even hit the ground.
"That's really me, but how am I flying?" Steve Rogers doubted his own eyes.
"Captain, why not try flying now to see if you can?" Tony Stark remarked.
"If I could fly, I would have flown long ago. How could I have hidden until now?" Steve Rogers said, pausing before adding, "Even someone who can't fly like me can fly now. I'm curious to know how you've changed in this bizarre 2012."
As they spoke, the 2012 version of Tony Stark appeared. He waved his hand, and the suit transformed, forming a sleek red blade. He sliced through several Chitauri soldiers in one swift motion.
"Nano technology!" Tony Stark exclaimed, abruptly standing up. "I just developed Mark VII recently. How can they have nano technology already?"
"I wasn't part of the Battle of New York, but look, who's that?" Scott Lang pointed again.
Actually, there was no need for him to point; everyone saw it. After all, a giant several dozen meters tall stood out quite a bit.
It had to be said that Scott Lang's abilities were perfect for the situation. He stood there, towering over everything, a punch from his left hand turned a Chitauri warship into scrap, and a tap from his right hand caused a rain of Chitauri soldiers to fall like raindrops.
But when it came to killing speed, Pietro Maximoff was the fastest. He wielded his sword, his body turning into a blur, and as he moved, Chitauri soldiers were cut in half. With Quicksilver's speed, it wasn't until their bodies were sliced in two that they realized they were being attacked.
It could be said that Pietro Maximoff was invincible here. The Chitauri soldiers attacked desperately, yet not even a single strand of his hair was touched. Whenever he struck, no alien could escape.
It was like a reaper of aliens. Wherever he passed, not a single alien was injured—they all died on the spot.
Wanda Maximoff's performance was equally impressive. Her scarlet energy constantly radiated out, each release taking the lives of numerous Chitauri soldiers.
"Damn, the Maximoff siblings are here too!" Tony Stark was shocked. "Weren't they supposed to join us during the Ultron incident? They're showing up early!"
"Scott also showed up early, right?" Steve Rogers said. "But it looks like this Pietro won't be taken out by bullets. That's good news."
"T'Challa's here too." Tony Stark looked at Black Panther.
"Compared to T'Challa, I think Natasha is more impressive," Steve Rogers said.
Tony Stark looked closely and saw Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, darting through the alien crowd like a super warrior. It was as if a tiger had entered a flock of sheep; she could easily take out a large group of Chitauri soldiers.
"When did Natasha become so powerful?" Tony Stark was surprised. "This isn't something an ordinary person can achieve. Has she become a super warrior too?"
At this point, Tony Stark noticed a few moments where flames flickered faintly in Natasha Romanoff's eyes, and there was a hint of flowing magma on her skin.
"S *! Extremis virus!" Tony Stark suddenly realized, feeling baffled. "Is Natasha crazy? How could she inject that trash?"
"Not just Natasha, Clint too," Steve Rogers said. "Both Natasha and Clint have become super warriors, just like her."
"He can breathe fire too?" Scott Lang watched as Clint Barton opened his mouth and shot out flames, igniting a few Chitauri soldiers.
"Indeed, it's the Extremis virus," Tony Stark saw Clint Barton breathe fire and realized, "I really can't figure it out. How did Killian's Extremis virus end up with them…"
"Holy s *!" Tony Stark's words were cut off by Scott Lang's exclamation.
"Scott, what now?" Steve Rogers couldn't help but start lecturing. "After all you've been through, how can you still act like an amazed schoolboy? Can't you stay calm? Don't you realize that acting like this is likely to expose us?"
"It's not that, Captain, it's Loki… Loki!" Scott Lang shouted. "He..."
"Seeing Loki isn't normal? He's the one who brought the aliens, the mastermind behind the Battle of New York," Steve Rogers evaluated his own aerial figure and said.
"Captain, take a look at Loki, I guarantee you'll say 'holy s *' too," Scott Lang said.
"How's that possible? You're talking like I've never seen Loki before," Tony Stark didn't realize Steve Rogers had said something similar earlier.
"Then take a look here," Steve Rogers raised his hand and pointed in a direction to Tony Stark.
"Sure, sure, like I'm as surprised as you…" Tony Stark followed Steve Rogers' pointed direction, and then he exclaimed, "Holy s *!"
"Not bad, right?" Scott Lang shrugged.
"Captain, why are you getting startled like Scott? After all you've experienced, how can you still act so amazed?" Tony Stark enjoyed his own heroic display and shouted at Steve Rogers, "You're over a hundred years old, act your age instead of like a young student fresh out of school!"
"Tony, take a look, and you'll say 'holy s *' too," Steve Rogers said.
"How's that possible? You're talking like I've never seen Loki before," Tony Stark didn't realize he had said this before.
"But take a look, here." Steve Rogers raised his hand and pointed in a direction to Tony Stark.
"Fine, I'll look. It's not like I'm…" Tony Stark followed Steve Rogers' pointed direction and suddenly yelled, "Holy s *!"
"I told you," Scott Lang shrugged.
"Loki fighting side by side with the Avengers, slaughtering Chitauri?" Tony Stark felt his brain was about to explode. "What kind of scenario is this?"
"Yeah, what kind of scenario is this?" Steve Rogers echoed, "Loki is the mastermind behind the Battle of New York, the one who brought the aliens. And now he's fighting alongside us against the Chitauri?"
"I know this 2012 is messed up, but this is way beyond messed up!" Tony Stark said, "Could it be that Loki has also joined the Avengers?"
Yes, the reason the three of them were so shocked and repeatedly exclaimed in surprise was because they saw Loki, who had triggered the Battle of New York, fighting alongside the Avengers, slaughtering aliens.
It was simply absurd.
"If you're heading that way, be careful where you step. We just waxed the floor," Bruce Banner turned his head to see a bald woman in a yellow robe standing there.
"I'm looking for Dr. Strange," Bruce Banner said to the Ancient One.
"You're about five years early," the Ancient One walked to the side of the rooftop and pointed her hand, "Stephen Strange should be over there, performing surgery 20 blocks away. But he's currently on a vacation in Chicago, so I, like you, have a certain strange feeling."
"On vacation?" Bruce Banner was taken aback. What the hell? They had spent so much time researching, determining the location of the gem, and traveling through time, only to be told that Doctor Strange wasn't even in New York?
"It doesn't matter if he's not here," Bruce Banner saw the Time Stone on the Ancient One's chest, "I need that."
"I can't allow that," the Ancient One refused, as in the original storyline.
"I'm sorry, but this isn't a request," Bruce Banner stepped closer to the Ancient One.
"You won't do it," the Ancient One remained composed.
"Yes, I don't want to, but I need that gem. I don't have time to argue with you," Bruce Banner reached the Ancient One and reached for the gem, but the Ancient One struck him with a palm, knocking his soul out of his body.
"What the hell?" Bruce Banner stared at his ethereal form, shocked by the Ancient One's strength.
"Let's start over, shall we?" the Ancient One smiled, "Alright?"
"I'm really sorry, but we need that gem. Our world needs that gem. Countless lives are waiting for that gem to save them," Bruce Banner said.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you," the Ancient One refused, "Helping your reality would mean destroying mine."
"Forgive me for being frank, but I don't think science supports your claim," Bruce Banner said, walking briskly up to the Ancient One.
The Ancient One halted at his words. She raised her hand, and a golden line appeared out of thin air.
"The Infinity Stones create the timeline you know. Taking one away would create a branch," as the Ancient One explained, the dynamic effects of the Infinity Stones and the branching timelines appeared on the golden line, "This might benefit your reality, but it won't be as good for mine. In this new branch of reality, we would lose our primary weapon against the forces of darkness. Our world would be destabilized, and millions would suffer. Tell me, Doctor, can your science prevent all that?"
"No," Bruce Banner said, "but we can erase it. After we're done using the stone, we can return each stone to its original point in time, putting it back the moment it was taken. That way, from a temporal perspective, it would have never left that reality."
"Yes, but you're missing the most important part," the Ancient One turned away as she spoke, "To return the stones, you must survive."
"We will, I promise," Bruce Banner stepped up to the Ancient One.
"I can't risk my reality for a promise," the Ancient One still refused, and her reasoning sounded rather sound, "The Sorcerer Supreme has a duty to protect the Time Stone."
"Then why did Strange hand it over?" Bruce Banner asked.
"What did you say?" the Ancient One's expression changed instantly.
"Strange, he gave the stone to Thanos willingly," Bruce Banner said.
"Was it voluntary?" the Ancient One asked.
"Yes," Bruce Banner said.
"Why?" the Ancient One asked.
"I don't know, maybe he was wrong," Bruce Banner said.
"Or maybe I was wrong," the Ancient One stared at Bruce Banner for a while. She waved her hand, and Bruce Banner's massive body, lying in a corner, flew over and merged with his soul.
"Strange will be one of our best," the Ancient One took out the Time Stone and handed it to Bruce Banner.
"So, there must be a reason for what he did," Bruce Banner said.
"Perhaps you're right," the Ancient One said, "I'm counting on you, Bruce. We're all counting on you."
"Thank you," Bruce Banner expressed his gratitude.
"Oh, by the way, let me remind you," just as Bruce Banner was about to leave, the Ancient One added, "The Mind Stone isn't on that mountain. Oh, it's now the Scepter."
"The Scepter isn't there?" Bruce Banner asked.
"It's in a base of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the Ancient One pointed in a direction, "Everyone is up on that mountain fighting aliens now. If you want the Scepter, now is the perfect time."
"Sorcerer Supreme, what the hell happened in this 2012? This is clearly our past, but why is it completely different from our past?" Bruce Banner couldn't help but ask, "What exactly happened?"
"I'd be happy to reveal the truth to you, but you don't have much time," the Ancient One smiled, "Are you seeking answers to your inner doubts or solutions to your world's problems?"
"That's a shame." Bruce Banner was definitely going after the gem. He immediately contacted Steve Rogers, "Hey, Cap, I know where the Scepter is, but I need some assistance."
"We only saw the Tesseract here. The Scepter isn't in Loki's hands," Steve Rogers asked, "Where's the Scepter?"
"It's inside a facility of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Bruce Banner said.
"Infiltrating facilities, that sounds like Scott's specialty," Steve Rogers turned to Scott Lang beside him, "Scott, help Bruce. The Scepter is in your hands now."
"No problem," Scott Lang's face mask closed.
"I'll give you a lift," Tony Stark launched a mini-drone. After Scott Lang shrank, he hopped onto the drone and flew towards the center of New York City.
"What's that?" Steve Rogers asked. On the battlefield, there was another change – some Iron Legion soldiers were carrying bomb-like objects, much smaller than nuclear bombs, heading towards the portal.
"They're also planning to blow up the mothership. But what kind of bomb is that? I've never seen it before," Tony Stark was surprised by the "Bee Bombs."
"Whatever bomb it is, since we're using it against aliens, it must be a powerful weapon," Steve Rogers said.
He was absolutely right. As those Iron Legion soldiers flew into the portal with the "Bee Bombs," the portal ignited in flames that nearly consumed the entire sky. It seemed like the entire world was shaking along with it.
Then, the Chitauri soldiers dropped to the ground as if their souls had been taken away.
The Battle of New York was over.
So simple.
"No casualties?" Steve Rogers sounded uncertain.
"Indeed, none," Tony Stark said, "On this mountain, apart from these superheroes, there's no one else. And these superheroes seem to have gained a significant boost in power. These aliens can't touch them at all."
"We fought that battle so brutally back then, and you were carrying a nuke ready to sacrifice yourself to end the war. But they…" Steve Rogers had an immensely surreal feeling, "Zero casualties?"
"Uh-oh!" Tony Stark suddenly exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Steve Rogers asked.
"They're handing the Tesseract to Thor, asking him to take it back to Asgard!" Tony Stark said.
Steve Rogers looked closely, and indeed, Nick Fury placed the Space Stone into a specially made case and handed it to Thor.
And Thor didn't waste any time. With the Tesseract in one hand and Loki in the other, a rainbow bridge descended from the sky, and they disappeared.
Steve Rogers: "…"
Tony Stark: "…"
The two exchanged a glance, both bewildered.
Why did Thor do it so straightforwardly?
He left with the Tesseract right after the war ended?
Did Nick Fury have no objections?
Back then, it seemed like Alexander Pierce was coming to argue with them. Yet this time, they didn't even give the other side a chance to argue – they just took it!
"Now what, Cap?" Tony Stark asked.
"What else can we do? The mission has failed. At least we won't be able to get the Space Stone," Steve Rogers said helplessly, "Let's retreat. We can't possibly go to Asgard to get the Tesseract."
When they regrouped with Scott Lang and Bruce Banner, there was some good news on this side – they had the Scepter and the Time Stone.
"Is there any other choice for the Tesseract?" Steve Rogers was somewhat unwilling to give up.
"No, there's no other choice," Scott Lang said helplessly, "We don't have any other options. We only have one vial of Pym Particles left per person. Let's not think about it anymore, let's go home."
"If we don't give it a try, then no one else will be able to go home," Steve Rogers still wasn't ready to give up.
"I've got an idea!" Tony Stark realized something and quickly said, "There's another way to get the Tesseract and more Pym Particles. Remember, military base, Camp Lehigh."
"When were they around?" Steve Rogers asked.
"They were around…" Tony Stark said, "I think I know when."
"How far?" Steve Rogers asked.
"What are you guys talking about?" Scott Lang was utterly confused.
"It looks like we'll have to improvise," Steve Rogers didn't answer directly. He pointed at the Scepter and said to Scott Lang, "Take this back to the base."
"New Jersey, '04, '07..." Then Steve Rogers and Tony Stark began setting new coordinates for time travel.
"If you go, and it doesn't work, you might not be able to come back," Scott Lang reminded from the side.
"Thanks for the encouragement, Ant-Man," Tony Stark first said to Scott Lang and then turned to Steve Rogers, asking in a serious tone, "Do you trust me?"
"I do." Steve Rogers said solemnly.
And then, the two of them disappeared on the spot.
"Bruce, you're just going to stand there and not talk them out of it?" Scott Lang helplessly looked at Bruce Banner.
"I trust them." Bruce Banner said, "We should go too."
Two beams of light flashed, and Bruce Banner and Scott Lang also disappeared on the spot.
The Endgame Avengers left just like that, and apart from the Ancient One, no one noticed.
Although due to the Answer Space, the Battle of New York was drastically different, and it was completely different from the Battle of New York that the Endgame Avengers experienced, strangely enough, the Endgame Avengers still took the Mind Stone and the Time Stone, just like in the original timeline.
Thor was unaware of all this. He walked hand in hand with Loki on the Rainbow Bridge.
"Really, Thor? We just experienced a victory, and you're so eager to take me away?" Loki said, "I mean, shouldn't we celebrate? Have a drink or something?"
"I don't think they'd welcome you," Thor said.
"They don't strike me as stingy people," Loki didn't find anything wrong, "We just fought side by side, right? I also killed quite a few enemies."
"Enemies?" Thor said, "You mean 'friends.'"
"Come on, since the moment you guys captured me, I've severed all ties with them, I have nothing to do with them anymore. They were never my friends, not ever," Loki grinned, "So I can still return to Earth now, their celebration party probably hasn't started yet."
"Loki, you shouldn't think of going back to Earth." Thor said, "Because I simply don't trust you. I don't know if you have some scheme after helping us defeat the Chitauri."
"So you're taking me away from Earth right away? So that I won't have time to execute any scheme, no matter what?" Loki asked.
"Exactly." Thor said.
"Well, you really disappoint me. You're so unwilling to trust me." Loki said.
"For someone who tried to kill me, shouldn't I be skeptical?" Thor said.
"Whatever." Loki shrugged and then asked, "Why did you only bring the Tesseract back? Why did you leave the Scepter on Earth?"
"The Scepter is still useful on Earth." Thor said.
The rainbow light suddenly disappeared, and they arrived at Asgard.
When Odin learned that Loki had been captured and brought back, he didn't even spare him a glance, and threw him directly into prison.
"Father, I've done so much for you, and you won't even spare me a glance?" Loki seemed composed on the surface, but his heart felt like it was being cut with a knife.
Loki lay in the prison, his mind recalling everything about his time in Asgard, thinking about every little thing between him, Thor, and Odin. Unconsciously, he fell asleep.
When he woke up again, he found himself in a very strange space.
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