"Oh, I remember now. I've been too busy lately and forgot."
"You just said you were bored."
"Ahem, have you had enough fun with that toy? I really like it, so don't break it."
Tony changed the subject, looking at Ant-Man whose voice was already a bit distorted.
"No, Tony, you've become stingy. Let me play with it for two more days."
With that, Richard turned his back to him.
Future Tony looked at his back, somewhat suspecting if he had exposed himself and if the Demon King was toying with him.
But looking at the Tesseract in his hand, he dismissed that thought. The Tesseract couldn't be fake, so it must be that the way this Universe's me and this Demon King interact is just like this.
Future Tony had no choice but to let Ant-Man suffer a bit longer.
"Richard, where did Captain America go?"
Future Tony asked casually.
Future Captain America on the communicator was listening carefully that day as well.
"No Captain America? Only Demon Captain. He should be cleaning up the battlefield now. Tony, you're so strange today. Are you too tired?"
Richard looked at Tony with some concern.
"Uh… yes, I got hit on the head earlier and have been a bit forgetful."
Future Tony knew that asking any more would truly expose him.
This World's Captain America had joined the Demon Group.
Just then, Richard's communicator rang.
"Leader, we've caught another Hulk."
"Another Hulk? Is it the kind that drank Hulk's blood?"
"No, he looks a lot like Dr. Banner."
"Lock him in the cell for now. I'll come back and take a look."
"Tony, I have something else to deal with. I'm leaving first."
Richard casually handed Ant-Man back to Tony.
"I'll go with you. I also want to see the other Hulk."
Future Tony's heart sank. The Time Stone had failed too.
"Alright."
The two flew towards the Demon Group.
Steve, inside Stark Industries, also understood Future Tony's meaning.
He goes to save the Dr., I go to steal the scepter.
---
Future Tony and Richard arrived at Devil Mansion a step ahead.
It was grand and imposing, with sand dunes piled up on both sides, leaving only a main road in the middle and the Devil Mansion at the center.
What kind of design was this? There were no iconic buildings, and the long stone slab in the middle was just a waste of time. So much sand could easily cause unstable foundations.
Future Tony frowned and followed Richard along the stone path.
As soon as they reached the entrance, the sand slowly condensed into a human figure.
"Boss."
"Flint, you've worked hard."
"It's no hardship, Boss. I'd like to ask how to deal with these."
Flint manipulated the sand dunes on both sides to open.
Future Tony's pupils constricted. Beneath the sand were countless alien corpses, weapons, and even warships.
Ant-Man also shivered in fright.
Richard said, "Leave these here for now. Tom will come to handle them later."
"Yes, Boss."
Flint reburied them.
Future Tony understood that under the protection of such an ability user, Devil Mansion was a solid fortress.
Upon entering the Demon Group's interior, Future Tony constantly scanned the surrounding structure and transmitted the information to Future Captain America.
While riding the elevator.
Richard suddenly said, "Tony, you're getting married next month. Are you ready?"
"…"
"Of course, I've been ready for a long time."
Future Tony felt a bit complex. His counterpart in this World was getting married so early.
The elevator doors opened.
The two stepped into the cell block, where most of the cells were packed full.
Tony looked at the prisoners in these cells, all of whom were human. There were also some researchers in white coats around them, extracting their blood and recording something? He frowned.
"Richard, who are they?"
"They are all Mutants with notorious records, heinous crimes, and addiction to killing. Because their Mutant abilities have research value, they are kept here for study."
Richard explained casually.
"...You're conducting human experiments."
Future Tony felt a bit repulsed.
"That's right, this is their only value. The crimes committed by the Mutants here aren't enough to warrant ten executions. This measure was also decided by a vote of all Mutants.
Of course, if they are unwilling to serve as experimental subjects, they can choose to die.
As for whether related regulations will be written into formal laws in the future, that depends on subsequent developments."
Richard said nonchalantly.
"…"
For a moment, Future Tony fell silent.
He didn't say anything more, just gave a self-deprecating laugh.
Even his own World hadn't been properly handled, and now he had the leisure to worry about other Worlds.
He was truly ridiculous.
As they passed a cell, an angry roar came from inside.
"Stop, I am the King of Gods, Odin's son, Thor, the Thunder God! What you are doing will bring down divine punishment!"
Future Tony looked closely. It was an acquaintance.
This World's Thor, Thor Odinson.
He was shirtless, chained to a metal chair, his face contorted in a grimace as he threatened a nearby researcher.
The researcher was not holding any torture instrument, but a pair of scissors.
"Odin's son? I'm still a Level Three Researcher under the Demon King!"
The researcher scoffed, the scissors in his hand clicking.
"Quiet down! It's just cutting some hair for research. If you keep yelling, I'll put the Demon Group's newly developed hair removal cream on you, and you'll never grow hair again in this life."
"No, please, leave me some."
"Got it. You're the noisiest prisoner."
The researcher started working impatiently.
Thor closed his eyes, and two lines of tears streamed down his face.
Crying?!
Future Tony's mouth twitched.
Thor had this weakness.
"Friday, record it."
"Yes, sir."
He would take it back and show it to his World's Thor.
Continuing forward with Richard, they entered an extremely vast laboratory area.
Here, researchers and Dr.s in white coats bustled about, busy beyond measure.
Tony found that he knew many of them; they were all top figures in various fields of science.
Could it be that the Demon King had recruited all the scientists from this country?
"Boss, you're back."
"Hmm, Cruz, how's the research progress lately… No, Galan will be here in a few days. I'll ask her then."
"Boss, my project here is complete. When will the next one be in place?"
"Dar, in a few days. You all will be busy then."
"Boss, I'd like to apply for a life-extending medicine for my father."
"Pietro, you don't need to report this. There's a fixed procedure. Apply for it yourself."
The higher a scientist's achievements, the stranger their temper. Some, in certain companies, don't even put their bosses in their eyes.
But in the Demon Group, it was completely different.
As Tony and Richard walked, wherever they went, the scientists greeted them warmly and respectfully.
-------------------------------
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