"Darling, did you say that… for political reasons?"
"Just say it didn't work."
The task of taking control over the succubus hell progressed smoothly.
At first, Hela planned to raise an army, follow the example of Limbo, and subjugate this hell by force.
The outcome was unexpected.
Aron and Hela had only just stepped into the succubus hell when the leaders of this place appeared before them.
A mysterious demon in female form immediately fell to her knees and bowed deeply.
The succubus race itself was not strong. They desperately needed a powerful master in order to survive.
When they learned of the death of their former mistress, Satana, their first reaction was not revenge, but how to find a new protector.
Therefore, when Aron came with a clear intent to dominate, they did not oppose him. On the contrary, they accepted him without resistance.
Aron, without obstacles, became the new lord of demons.
"Wow… I didn't expect it to look like this." Aron laughed as he observed their ranks.
It could be said this was a true insight into the world of demons.
He had originally thought succubi were exclusively female beings, beautiful, seductive, like younger sisters in humanoid form.
But to his surprise, he discovered much more than that.
In addition to beautiful female demons, this race also had male succubi.
Moreover, there were succubi created for alien races, grotesque creatures with tentacles, multiple eyes, multicolored skin, and mouths full of fangs.
"This looks like I'm watching a vision of Cthulhu. But what on earth is that demon robot for?"
Aron was astonished when he saw a group of succubi whose bodies resembled metallic constructs, with silver skin like steel.
"Their target group is an alien race called Cassana," explained the demoness in human form, who stepped forward before him.
"What that race values most is a life form that is half human, half mechanical."
Aron observed her carefully.
She was in humanoid form, with a pure face and large eyes full of innocent melancholy.
She looked like an ordinary, gentle girl.
He was convinced that someone like her must have been forced to become a demon.
"Darling, looks like you're enjoying this environment?" Hela noticed his gaze.
"Would you like me to play the innocent, helpless girl waiting for rescue?" she teased, gently running her finger along his chin.
"Don't exaggerate. I just feel compassion for those trapped here. I have no other intentions." Aron turned his gaze away and spoke seriously.
"Then you really are a good boss."
"Too bad we can't stay longer. We should head to the other hells."
From beginning to end, Hela didn't even try to hide her disdain toward this kind of demon.
To her, succubi were useless, beings without real combat power who could only rely on the protection of others.
"What will you do with the rest of the hells?" she asked coldly.
"I'm not going there." Aron shook his head.
His curiosity had been satisfied by what he saw.
First, he was too lazy to travel from one hell to another.
But the more important reason was that in the other hells there weren't races like the succubi that interested him.
Why waste time on faceless demons who only bow and stay silent?
"No, you just want me to do the bloody work."
"…"
---
Leaving succubus hell, Aron returned to safe and peaceful New York.
This time everything was truly quiet. There were no aliens, demons, nor any threats. The consequences of the collision of dimensions had finally settled. No new demons were penetrating Earth anymore, nor were people disappearing without a trace.
Meanwhile, the Avengers continued to shape themselves after the crisis with Ultron. More precisely, Tony Stark was repairing the catastrophe he himself had caused. But due to the butterfly effect produced by Aron, events were not unfolding as in the original version of the story.
This time there was no Sokovia falling from the sky, and thus there was no Sokovia Accord that would later trigger the Civil War among the Avengers. Instead, Tony Stark was forced to sign an agreement restricting the development of artificial intelligence.
He promised never again to experiment with AI technology. Jarvis, who had already been upgraded to a super-AI, formally "returned" his data and once again became only an ordinary butler-program.
Of course, that was the story for the public.
As for whether Tony had made a backup of his version of the super-AI Jarvis, no one had any proof.
"Looks like I missed a lot while I was away," Aron muttered. He did not immediately head toward the New York Sanctum but instead entered an internet café and sat at a computer.
Well yes, sometimes even almighty wizards hide from the world in the silence of internet surfing.
"Ant-Man appeared and joined the Avengers? Wait… doesn't Dr. Pym despise Stark? Why would he allow his son-in-law to join?" Aron raised an eyebrow as he read the news.
He realized he had missed the events of the film Ant-Man 1. The second-generation Ant-Man not only defeated Yellowjacket, but in the end also joined the Avengers.
And he was not the only new recruit.
Daredevil, Punisher, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, all those street heroes were now officially part of the wider roster of the Avengers.
There was also the new Black Panther, T'Challa. Falcon Sam Wilson, whom Steve Rogers had drawn closer to the team. And there was Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, saved from the clutches of Hydra.
"This looks more like a world army than a team of heroes," Aron laughed as he scrolled through the list.
Obviously, after all those crises, the Avengers had undergone deep psychological scars. They recruited the best of the best, preparing for threats that could be even greater.
"Good idea, but still… compared to me, they're all like instant noodles from a packet," Aron muttered with a grin.
He remembered his recent experiences and a perverse, confident smile played on his lips.
Reading further, he stumbled upon reports about Steve and Hawkeye who together dismantled a terrorist network, then about Iron Man's villa in Los Angeles being bombed again. All of it seemed to him like a scene from some comic parody.
"Luckily, I'm not part of the Avengers," he said half aloud. "Otherwise I'd have to share their problems."
"What problems?" asked a voice behind his back.
Aron flinched and immediately recognized the tone. Tony Stark was standing behind him.
"I'm sure you didn't delete Jarvis's super-AI version."
"I bet you made a backup."
Aron didn't even try to guess. The moment he set foot on Earth, he knew Stark would find him.
"Backup?" he repeated with a smile. "I didn't delete anything. I just tricked those fools in the Capitol by showing them an ancient model. They don't know anything about AI anyway."
Tony sat next to him and turned on the computer. He watched the screen for a few seconds and immediately frowned.
"This is slow as hell. Jarvis, hack this network and upload new operating systems."
At that moment all the monitors in the internet café briefly dimmed, then lit up again. The hardware remained the same, but the speed jumped to a level ordinary users could not even imagine.
"So," Tony said, "do you want to know why I found you?"
Aron closed the news and opened the online game Superleague Glory. His character was already ready, and he chose Batman as his hero.
"Tell me."
"I want you to join an organization."
"The Avengers again?" Aron shook his head. "How many times have I told you—"
"No, not the Avengers," Stark cut him off. "This is something new. I call them… the Illuminati."
Aron's eyes widened slightly.
Illuminati?
That name sounded anything but reliable.
–––
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