Reigning Supreme in Every Reality

It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly.

Inside Avengers Tower,

Lyon leaned against Tony's desk, swiping through the glowing holographic screen projected over his hand.

"Nick Fury applied for release from prison an hour ago… to head into space? Says he wants to make one last contribution to Earth?"

"I understand all these words individually, but why do they sound so strange when put together?"

"Carol's only been in prison for less than half a day, and Nick Fury's already rushing to get out and clear her name?"

Lyon shut off the projection and glanced at Tony, who sat behind his desk looking exhausted. "I thought they'd be busy catching up in prison."

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "It's not about clearing her name. He, like I did before, believes that Carol's interference distracted you—which allowed those Super Skrulls to escape the solar system."

Tony's body was still in peak condition thanks to his super regeneration.

But mentally, he was utterly drained for some reason.

He leaned back against his chair, closing his eyes with fatigue. "So Nick Fury wants to head into space as Earth's lookout. He plans to keep an eye on the Skrulls in case they regroup and attempt another invasion."

"So, he really is thinking from Earth's standpoint," Lyon nodded. "Did the UN approve it?"

"No. Nick Fury chose imprisonment himself—getting out isn't that easy."

Tony added, "I heard he and Carol even got into a huge fight in prison. Carol was so furious she fainted on the spot."

"Friends turning on each other—how dramatic." Lyon raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I misjudged Fury. He really is dedicated to protecting Earth… even if everything he's done makes him a colossal jerk."

"Enough about that." Tony opened one eye. "Do you know why I called you over?"

Lyon held up a finger. "To check whether you've been… drained? You're looking kinda weak, Tony."

Tony weakly waved his hand. "Very funny. I'm in such good shape right now I could beat up Captain America. Drained? Come on, don't talk nonsense."

"Oh, really?" Lyon glanced Tony up and down.

Physically, sure, Tony looked alright—but mentally, there was absolutely nothing left in the tank.

At this point, probably the only part of him that wasn't worn out… was his mouth. Everything else was probably too weak to stand.

"Does Pepper know you're in such great shape?"

At that, Tony's eyes shot open. He forced a sheepish smile. "Of course she knows… ahem. Lyon, I actually called you over because Wakanda's finally gotten back to us."

He tapped on the screen on his desk, bringing up a series of holographic projections.

It showed the Wakandan Royal Guard, along with agents like Hawkeye and Coulson.

There were also several transparent containers filled with shimmering liquid metal.

"The Skrull invasion seems to have triggered a sense of crisis in Wakanda."

Tony zoomed in on the projection. "King T'Chaka has agreed to sell us Vibranium. And the price? Far lower than what it goes for on the black market."

"Hawkeye and Coulson are already back—with a fresh shipment of newly acquired Vibranium."

"If you need some, feel free to take some back with you."

"Later, you can also have the M.I.B. cooperate with Wakanda."

"It's obvious their king is already considering ending their isolation and trying to engage with the international community."

"Honestly, I still don't quite get it. They've used Vibranium to develop technology generations ahead of the world, yet they've been unwilling to step out."

"What's so strange about that? It's like how you've mastered all kinds of advanced tech, and nobody understands why you only use it to build suits of armor."

Lyon raised an eyebrow. "I don't need Vibranium. Instead, how about you upgrade the MIB's gear while building your new suits? Let them pay for it themselves."

"That's a big business opportunity." Tony picked up a pen from his desk and spun it between his fingers. "But if you really let them pay, well… the current cash flow of the superhero company isn't looking too great."

"Whatever's not covered, I'll handle it. Besides, Yelena went to Captain America a few days ago to license his image rights. His global recognition is insane. That's a money printer."

"You probably don't know," Tony said, "but your Yelena decided to put all the merch revenue from the Captain America IP toward establishing a charity foundation."

"She told you that?" Lyon raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Nope. Cap told me—right when I punched him in the face. He said, 'Even your brother knows how to reduce war, but you're still just an arms dealer.' So I had to."

"You two fought again?"

"'Fought' is a strong word. Well… yeah, pretty much. I told him the truth about Bucky, but said I was the one who threw the first punch. Then it turned into a fight."

Tony spun the pen absentmindedly. "But we made up afterward."

"Did you?" Lyon stared at him. "Actually, you calling me here… this was the real reason, wasn't it?"

Tony lied to Steve, claiming it was he who killed Bucky.

Lyon wasn't even sure whether that counted as protecting him, his little brother—or protecting Captain America.

But still…

"Well... He fought you, right? So… was it a fifty-fifty draw in the end?" Lyon seemed genuinely curious about that part.

...

At the same time—

At the Captain America Memorial in New York,

Steve Rogers sat in the very last row of the viewing area, gripping a vial in his hand.

The screen in front was playing an interview with Peggy Carter.

In the footage, her crimson lips and dashing demeanor were as radiant and commanding as in her youth.

Through the speakers, Peggy spoke of how her current husband had also once received help from Captain America.

As the voice played, Steve's thoughts began to drift further and further away.

Five days ago, all Skrulls on Earth had been completely wiped out.

Their fleet had also disappeared from the solar system.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, thinking the Skrull incident was finally behind them.

Steve thought so too.

At that time, he was lying in bed, reflecting on everything he had seen and experienced since waking up—it all felt overwhelming.

It was as if just a moment ago, he had still been locked in a life-and-death battle against Schmidt and HYDRA.

Then the very next moment, it was like someone had changed the set—the enemies were now aliens. From fighting in the anti-fascist war, he had suddenly crossed into a war for the survival of human civilization.

The pace of everything had changed so fast that Steve didn't even have time to process it mentally—his body had simply moved on instinct.

But, admittedly, that had helped him a lot.

When he first learned that he had been asleep for nearly seventy years—that Peggy had grown old like a yellowed newspaper—there was a brief moment where he completely broke down.

It was Tony who forcefully shoved him into the task of hunting down Skrulls, giving him a chance to breathe.

And this mission had made him realize that even if he was just an old ticket from a bygone era, he could still play some small role aboard this new world's great ship.

With that in mind, when the CEO of the Superhero Corporation came knocking, asking for the licensing rights to his image—and offering him a 50% profit share based on Captain America's global fame—Steve chose to refuse.

"I don't need that much money. Donate it all to those who truly need it. I still get a salary from the Avengers."

At the time, his words seemed to deeply move the company's CEO.

On the spot, the other party decided to donate the company's 50% share as well.

Combined with Steve's share, they would jointly establish a foundation dedicated to providing aid for war victims.

Although Steve was a bit puzzled as to how there could still be such a kind-hearted corporation, he naturally agreed.

It was only later, after looking into it, that he discovered the Superhero Corporation was actually part of Stark Industries.

It had been founded by Tony's younger brother, Lyon Stark.

This realization made Steve sigh with emotion—Howard's two sons were indeed just like their father, both kind-hearted and full of responsibility.

That sentiment lasted right up until Tony came knocking on his door again.

______

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