Ethan exclaimed,
"So why are these Chitauri coming to steal the Cosmic Cube? And how did they even know it was on Earth?"
Aetheris flicked the ash from his cigarette and replied,"Isn't it all because of Thor and Loki, their twisted love and rivalry? Loki fell into the cosmic vortex and was taken in by the Chitauri. These Chitauri serve a mysterious doomsday legion in the universe, and their goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones. So, the Cosmic Cube is something they are determined to obtain."
When Aetheris mentioned the six Infinity Stones, everyone became completely absorbed. Even the usually restless Spider-Man didn't move an inch.
It was as if Aetheris' words had opened an ancient scroll before their eyes, filled with strange and fantastic stories. They sounded like myths, but his expression told them this was no fantasy—it was real.
"Tony, what you're saying is unbelievable. Norse gods, Infinity Stones, Chitauri… honestly, not even the most far-fetched sci-fi movies or novels on Earth come close to what you're describing."
Dr. Ethan sighed and reached out his hand toward Aetheris."Give me a cigarette."
Aetheris raised a brow."Don't you not smoke?"
Still, he pulled one from the pack and handed it over. Ethan clumsily lit it, then took a deep drag.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Since he had never smoked before, he nearly choked himself to death, coughing until tears filled his eyes before finally adjusting to the sharp taste of tobacco.
Slowly exhaling a stream of smoke, he wore an oddly contented look."I didn't smoke before, but after hearing you say the Chitauri are about to invade, if I don't take a few puffs now, I might never get the chance again."
Spider-Man looked tense. He stared at Aetheris and asked,"Mr. Stark, do you think we can actually beat those aliens?"
Aetheris glanced at the cigarette burning dangerously close to his fingers, then crushed it hard into the fiberglass ashtray. His tone carried a trace of steel."Whether we can win or not, we'll only know after we fight.
Right now, the Cosmic Cube is with me. I've already arranged for a secret base to be built. For you two, your top priority is to create the Mark 5 Hellfire Armor. I need each of you to have a suit, and I'll need another five in reserve."
Aetheris quickly did the math. He already had a Mark 4 suit. Nova, Victor, Pepper, and Betty would each need one that made four. His loyal friend Colonel Rhodey would get one as well. That left two more as spares.
Anyone who had read the original story knew Iron Man's armor had a very high rate of wear and tear. It was far from indestructible.
After thinking it through, Aetheris said,"Peter, I need you to get your aunt and uncle out of New York take them as far as possible. Ethan, it'd be best if your wife and Annie left too."
Spider-Man and Ethan exchanged glances, then nodded.
Nova raised her hand, wanting to speak. Aetheris nodded to her, and she said,"Leave the evacuation arrangements to me. I suggest relocating temporarily abroad. After all, I lived there for twenty years. It may not compare to America in every aspect, but when it comes to safety, I believe no country in the world can match it."
Aetheris' eyes lit up. She was right. Abroad might not rank among the most developed countries, but in terms of safety, its strict gun control, population management, community cooperation, and government efficiency were unmatched.
He looked at Nova with approval and smiled."We'll go with your plan. You and Ah Victor can go together. Since you're both from there, life will be easier and people will understand you. I'm entrusting the lives of my brothers and family to you. This responsibility is no small matter."
Nova smiled."I can't promise perfection, but I guarantee it won't be worse than America."
Spider-Man, raised on American education, had always heard propaganda painting that land as evil, poor, and backward.
The news about it was almost always negative. Even with the rise of the internet making the world seem like a global village, that was still only an idealized illusion.
Seeing Spider-Man hesitate to speak, Aetheris chuckled."Peter, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't hold back."
Peter glanced at Nova, then hesitantly said,"My teacher said the people there live deep in the mountains, covered in hair, wearing bark clothing, unable to make fire, eating raw meat, and drinking blood. That they're cannibals who don't believe in God, heretics and cultists. That they study witchcraft, cursing people with voodoo dolls and such."
At those words, Nova was furious. Her ears flushed red with anger. Aetheris knew this was a sign of her rage. On the bed, when Nova's emotions ran high, her ears would turn red as well and not just her ears, but even the tips of her breasts would flush like ripe cherries.
She glared at Spider-Man and said firmly, word by word,"Peter, let me tell you this very seriously. My homeland is absolutely not what your teacher described. Those are slanders and malicious attacks on my country. Our history stretches back five thousand years.
Back then, we were the Huaxia civilization. Emperor unified the Yellow River basin. We are all descendants of Yan and Huang. We had the earliest agrarian civilization, the earliest feudal dynasties. We invented printing, the compass, gunpowder, and papermaking. We created movable type printing.
We are a peace-loving nation that has never once initiated aggression against another country. We have always lived by the principle: when the granaries are full, the people learn propriety; when food and clothing are sufficient, they understand honor and shame. We don't believe in ghosts, gods, or deities we believe only that man can triumph over heaven.
Where the sun and moon shine, where the wind and rain reach, all follow our culture. All under heaven belongs to the sovereign, and all people are his subjects. Wherever the sun and rivers extend, that is our land!"
By the end, Nova had risen to her feet, her face glowing with pride and confidence. Spider-Man was awestruck. It was a sense of honor that radiated from deep within her soul.
If Aetheris weren't currently in Tony Stark's body, he would have stood up and joined her in singing, I Love You, Huaxia!
After finishing, Nova fixed her blazing eyes on Spider-Man and declared,"Reflect quietly on your own faults, and do not spread falsehoods about others. To stand in a classroom, shamelessly fabricating lies and slandering another country that is disgraceful. A teacher like that is not worthy of educating anyone!"
(End of Chapter)
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