NOVEL WEB Chapter 78: Chapter 78
When Kurohane finished speaking, the atmosphere instantly froze. The four Avengers from the future remained silent, their eyes fixed on Kurohane with cold stares.
"You don't need to look at me like that. Everything I said is true. Believe me, even if our world is destroyed, I will still survive." Kurohane's voice was cold, almost a whisper, yet utterly deadly. "Then I will find your Universe and destroy it, leaving only a few of you alive in the entire Universe, enjoying endless solitude and regret!"
Kurohane's aura suddenly shifted, his gaze piercing. A dramatic curve lifted at the corner of his mouth, like a demon crawling out of Hell, emphasizing his threat.
"Now, tell me your choice. Do you still want the Infinity Stones in my hands?"
"Yes, even if you don't give them to me, I will take them."
It was Future Tony Stark who spoke, his hair and beard, now streaked with white, trembling slightly. Even in soul form, his eyes were red as he said in a firm, determined tone, "When you come to my world, we will stand together to face you. Even if we might ultimately fail, we absolutely cannot fail now. My kid needs me to save him!"
"What about you?" Kurohane raised an eyebrow, looking at Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and Scott Lang. "Even knowing that you will destroy this Universe, you still want to save your Universe? Even though this world also has Avengers, and people like you."
An unknown dread and the immense weight of responsibility emerged, almost crushing the future Avengers. If they weren't in soul form, they would likely be struggling to breathe, choked by the moral dilemma Kurohane presented.
After a minute that felt like an eternity, Future Steve spoke, his voice heavy, full of dilemma. "Tony, we cannot satisfy ourselves at the expense of others. That's wrong. It seems what happened truly cannot be changed, Tony. We already lost five years ago."
"Steve..." Future Tony sighed heavily, deciding not to press further. But he didn't give up at this moment. Since this world had Kurohane's unexpected presence, he would find the Infinity Stones in a different world and a different timeline. As for the Pym Particles needed for time travel, this world had them! Once he obtained enough Pym Particles, he would finally get the Infinity Stones!
"Teacher Ancient One, do you think I can hand over the Stones to them now?" Kurohane's expression shifted into a smile as he looked at Ancient One happily.
Ancient One smiled and nodded, then removed the Eye of Agamotto from her chest. Without a word, she hung it around Kurohane's neck and said with satisfaction, "I still don't trust them, but I trust you. Didn't you test them because you wanted an answer? Now you've got your answer, haven't you?"
"Test? Answer?" Future Steve tilted his head and thought for a long time but still couldn't understand, but Dr. Banner had already understood Kurohane's meaning.
"Kurohane, Mage, do you mean you're willing to help us with the Infinity Stones you possess?" Banner asked, his tone full of hope.
"Because you're somewhat unreliable, I'm genuinely afraid you'll take the Stones and not be able to bring them back!" Kurohane smiled helplessly. He had gotten the answer he wanted. "Tony's words show that you have strong faith and the courage to face sacrifice. Steve's words show that you still hold justice in your heart. If one of you hadn't given me the answer I wanted, you wouldn't be taking these Stones today."
Kurohane found another place where he could immediately earn Justice Points, and that was the final battle in Avengers: Endgame! Not only were there countless minor soldiers, but also Thanos and his four generals. Even just being an observer there could net him several hundred Justice Points!
Only after returning to his own world would he have enough strength to face Asgard's invitation, and HYDRA's rebellion. After all, he was a legitimate HYDRA agent. He wasn't comfortable with someone else being the leader, he'd rather control the organization's development himself. That was far more reliable than Nick Fury's deep cooperation with the Skrulls. Since the official organizations in this world were unreliable, he would establish a reliable underground organization, ensuring justice was never delayed as much as possible!
Regarding the loyalty of the new HYDRA organization, there was no need to worry. With the Mind Stone and Telepathy, any form of disloyalty from his subordinates wouldn't escape him. By then, little Earth wouldn't be able to hold him, he also wanted to be the one who became the Pirate King, but his journey was towards the stars and the sea!
Future Tony suddenly felt that Stephen Strange was a genius. The one-in-fourteen-million chance, perhaps the most crucial factor was indeed Kurohane, the unexpected person who didn't exist in the original timeline?!
"So... you mean you're coming back with us?" Tony asked, a mix of disbelief and hope in his voice.
"I'm also an Avenger. My teammates also include Steve, Tony, and Banner," Kurohane answered calmly. "Sorry, Mr. Scott, in my world, you're still in San Quentin prison, and not yet Ant-Man, so I hope you don't mind."
Kurohane once again showed everyone that he knew about the future, as Ant-Man's mouth fell open, staring at this terrifying Mage in disbelief. Only Tony quickly entered the zone, considering the possibility of Kurohane returning with them!
"For the time travel suits, I can make you new ones with nanobots, however, Pym Particles aren't enough for the trip. How will you..." Tony began, thinking practically.
"Do I still need to tell you Hank Pym's current whereabouts?" Kurohane cut in, his tone slightly sarcastic. "Find him, and get some Pym Particles. Remember to return the same amount you took after everything is done."
Kurohane truly didn't understand why they had to go back to the secret base in New Jersey to get Pym Particles, when they could get them in this world. Was it just so Tony could see his living father, and so Captain could see Agent Carter? Full of nostalgia, making up for regrets, but a bit illogical. After all, getting Pym Particles from Dr. Hank Pym in this timeline was much easier than sneaking into a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base!
"Anyway, call me after you get the Pym Particles. Here's my phone number."
A small slip of paper containing a phone number appeared in Kurohane's hand, and he slipped it into Tony's suit pocket. As he put away the paper, the four souls simultaneously returned to their bodies.
"Teacher Ancient One, if you don't mind, could you help me open a portal to send them to San Francisco?"
"Of course." Ancient One nodded, a faint smile on her lips.
As the four future Avengers departed, Ancient One opened another portal, and summoned three Asgardian princesses from different timelines. Sylvie held a cup of tea in her hand, and elegantly raised her cup towards Kurohane, displaying her graceful demeanor.
"Kurohane, how will you handle me, this time traveler?" Sylvie asked, her eyes challenging, reflecting Loki's cunning charm.
"I'll kill you for good!" Kurohane replied without hesitation, his gaze cold, filled with unshakable determination.
Enjoying the story? You can read 7 chapters in advance on p@treon/Rzzzy!