Thank You,
Noble Tier: "IamUgoH"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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"Oh my god! It's Tony, he's really alive!"
"Even after all that, he still wants barbecue?"
"Tony!"
"I love you, Iron Man!"
"Peace is good!"
"Honestly, after defeating the Chitauri and closing the channel, why is the history of the Terra Earth Age still faulty?"
"Come on, Tony! You're the fattest!"
"Haha, Hulk is still the funniest!"
"I wonder if that barbecue's really that good?"
"You upstairs, you're killing me with laughter!"
Seeing Tony safe and sound, everyone felt immense relief. But even then, the post on the Network hadn't been removed. In fact, it was refined and pinned to the top. Everyone could see it. Their joy faltered, hearts tightening again.
The captured images of past lives continued to play:
[ In the lobby of Stark Tower, Loki, fresh from being smashed into the floor by the Hulk, struggled to rise. He sensed something was wrong. Turning, he found all the Avengers glaring at him. Hawkeye raised his bow, an arrow aimed squarely at Loki's head. ]
[ Loki, trembling, muttered, "If you don't mind, I'd like that drink now." ]
"You bastard! If it weren't for you, would any of this have happened?"
"Damn! Loki, you're too damn smug!"
"Go on, Hulk! Keep smashing!"
"If you don't mind, care for some barbecue?"
"Oh, the audacity!"
"Loki's done for!"
"Loki: Can't beat them, might as well join them!"
Supreme Court, inside the round hall of ten elders, Elder Gladwin spoke gravely: "Hyeon, tell us about your discovery."
Hyeon's pupils trembled. His voice came out hoarse. "A minute ago… the sound-and-shadow collector over the southwest region..."
He choked, swallowing hard. Then he continued slowly, "It… captured a sound."
The elders exchanged startled glances. In the area southwest, where Hyeon had once shouted to the sky, there had only been roaring storms. No response. But to avoid missing anything, a full array of monitoring devices had been placed there. Among them, the high-altitude sound-and-shadow collector. And just a minute ago, it recorded something. A sound.
The room fell silent.
One elder asked cautiously, "Elder Hyeon, could it be an error?"
Hyeon shook his head, his tone filled with dread. "I wish it were."
He pressed play. The recording began with the howling of wind, occasional thunder rumbling through static. The elders leaned in, straining to hear. Just as Elder Sith frowned to speak, a voice cut through the storm.
"...what?" All the elders froze.
Foreheads throbbed. Hair stood on end. Cold sweat ran down their backs. Elder Sith's knees gave out; his chair screeched across the floor, "This… impossible!"
"Damn it!" The voice was crystal clear, a strong, male voice, sharp with confusion, doubt, and curiosity.
"Not an environmental glitch. Not an echo. Real." Hyeon's eyes widened, "The sky above that region is clear, there's nothing there. The instrument isn't broken. That voice was real!"
He scanned the faces around him, "I fear… There are special existences upon Terra."
The elders fell into dead silence. No one dared to speak. No one knew how to begin. That single word, what, carried too much meaning. It was a shattering of worldviews. Like a villager living a peaceful, contented life, until someone tells him that beyond his fields lies a shining city filled with wonders he could never dream of.
Elder Orson finally broke the silence, panic in his tone, , "I remember when we first linked to the Network, it was the same, wasn't it?"
They were not the first scientists, but the records remained. And even through faded text, their ancient shock could still be felt. 400 years had passed, and yet, Terra once again faced the same terror. If this truth were revealed to the public, the impact would rival the original incident.
Elder Sith rose shakily, gripping the table, "From this moment on, the Terra Federation must enter a state of war preparation! Our previous plans, insufficient! This time, we fight with no retreat!"
Another elder objected. "Fight without retreat? Isn't that excessive?"
Indeed, the Supreme Court had already begun hidden preparations, supernatural organization recruitment, private research collaborations, new element projects. But this revelation made all prior efforts feel meaningless.
Elder Gladwin slammed the table, "No, it's changed! Have you forgotten what Thor said during the Terra Earth Age?"
Hyeon's eyes darkened, "To use the Cube was to announce to the universe that Earth was ready for war."
Elder Gladwin nodded gravely, "Exactly. The Cube may be gone, but that voice means we've been noticed. We must mobilize all Terrans immediately, or even if we find the Cube again, it'll be too late."
Silence fell once more, until an Elder whispered, "Did any of you notice his tone?"
Everyone turned to him, and his face grew pale. "It sounded… as if he were wondering, why is there someone on Terra?"
A loud bang! Elder Orson's chair exploded. He froze, muttering, "Sorry. Power imbalance."
No one laughed. Gladwin's cheek was bleeding, but he didn't flinch. His words hit like a thunderbolt. The more they thought about it, the more horrifying it became. Terra… why is there someone? Could that voice, that curious voice, belong to something beyond comprehension?
Hyeon forced a bitter smile, "Maybe he was just curious… maybe that's all."
But no one believed it. Their faces were ashen. The air thickened with dread.
Finally, Gladwin straightened, "Regardless of what it means, we prepare for war, with the power of the entire world. And there's still one key point."
An Elder's eyes lit up. "The fragments of the hundred Immortal Warriors!"
The elders leaned forward, hope rekindled, "Right! The Earth Era's experiences mirror the threats we may face. Their victories guide us; their failures teach us how to improve."
This was the true value of the captured memories: to repair history's broken lines. The fire of resolve burned anew in every heart. Their gaze turned back to the live broadcast.
An Elder sighed, "Though we've won the Battle of Chitauri, the root of Terra's historical fault remains hidden. Every fragment of the Immortal Warriors is vital for us to understand our future enemies."
Gladwin nodded, "I've contacted the Management Bureau, and their team will organize the data."
The ten elders exchanged solemn looks. The Federation's hope might lie within those ancient memories.
The images grew unstable, and the scenes flickered, humans of the Earth Era. The Avengers. Heroes praised by many, doubted by some. Some hailed them as saviors. Others condemned them for destroying cities.
The audience in the live room fumed:
"Take responsibility? For saving you?!"
"Why don't you negotiate with aliens then?"
"Tony nearly died for you, ungrateful fools!"
"Yeah, go complain to the Chitauri!"
Amid the outrage, the screen shifted to a tense exchange between Fury and the council.
[ "Where are the Avengers now?" ]
[ "I don't care where they are," Fury replied, "With what they've done, they deserve a day off." ]
[ "What about the Cube?" ]
[ "It's been returned. Safely. We won't encounter it again." ]
[ "You had no authority to decide that!" ]
[ "Wasn't my decision," Fury said coldly. "I just didn't want to bargain with a god." ]
[ "Letting them roam free is reckless!" ]
[ "Yes. The world knows. Every world knows." ]
[ "So all this, just for one statement?" ]
[ "No," Fury replied. "For a promise." ]
[ Hill approached. "Director, what now? They're separated. Scattered. And if something like this happens again?" ]
[ Fury stared through the glass at the clouds, "They'll come back." ]
[ "Why?" ]
[ "Because we need them." ]
The live chat erupted:
"Typical, leaders who just talk!"
"They nearly nuked their own planet, and Tony had to fix it!"
"Fury's calm. he knows something's coming!"
"Wait… is it really over?"
No one knew. Because just then, another image appeared.
[ A dark, shadowed realm. Stone steps leading to a vast throne, and a voice echoed: "Humans… they are not the pitiful worms we expected. They have will. Defiance. They do not obey, so they cannot be controlled." ]
[ The armored figure trembled as the being before him stood, "To provoke them now… would be suicide." ]
[ Then the figure turned, his purple face twisting into a cruel smile. ]
The entire live room fell silent. Millions watched, goosebumps rising.
"Who is that? That smile, horrifying!"
"Is he the true enemy of the Earth Age? The root of the fault?"
"Looks like a purple potato, but terrifying!"
"We just finished with the Chitauri, and now this? How can we fight that thing?!"
"I don't know… but he'll come. I can feel it."
"Don't panic! Thor's back! There's still hope!"
"Yes! The answers lie within the memories of the hundred Immortal Warriors!"
The first climax faded, but this was only the beginning. The Crisis of the Multiverse had just begun. A new era, where magic and technology intertwined, was awakening.