On a dim, starless planet, Peggy Carter and the young Brian lay unconscious on the ground, completely still. Judging by their positions, Peggy had tightly held Brian to her side, her back facing away as if shielding him from something. However, there were no signs of life around them, leaving no clue as to what had happened to them.
Not long after Peggy fell unconscious, Steve also appeared on this desolate planet and quickly found her. Seeing Peggy collapsed, he rushed over, picking her up and cautiously surveying their surroundings. But like before, he saw nothing unusual.
"I can't stay here for long!" The thought crossed Steve's mind. As a super soldier, he knew this kind of supernatural event was too dangerous for him to handle. He felt an overwhelming urge to leave this place as soon as possible.
Even if he couldn't find a way to return to Earth immediately, he needed to retrace his steps and explore a way back, rather than waiting idly in such a perilous environment. With both Peggy and Brian mysteriously unconscious, Steve was sure danger lurked nearby.
This place was not safe to linger in!
With that thought, Steve quickly picked up Peggy and Brian, carrying them both as he hurried away from the area. Even after they disappeared, there was no further disturbance, as if Steve's fears were nothing more than unwarranted anxiety.
When Steve had first arrived, he had cautiously marked the path he had taken. However, when he followed his markers back to the original location, there was no sign of the distorted space that had brought him here.
Along the way, he did spot some objects from Earth, like empty soda bottles and discarded bricks, but they were simply lying there, undisturbed. There were no clues or signs that could help him find a way back.
"Is there no way back?" Steve frowned as he looked around at the desolate and unfamiliar surroundings. Although he had been prepared for the possibility of never making it back, finding Peggy had reignited his hope for survival. Yet now, it seemed that hope was starting to dim again.
"No! I can't give up! Peggy is still alive! I have to hold on and bring her back. And this child, he's innocent. I can't abandon the hope of survival!" Steve quickly regained his composure, resolving to explore the area further.
Though the objects from Earth seemed random, they suggested that twisted spaces could appear anywhere. If Steve could seize the right moment, he was confident he would find a way back to Earth.
Of course, Steve wasn't searching aimlessly. He made sure to mark his path, not only to keep track of where he had explored but also to avoid losing his way back to his starting point.
"Steve!" Suddenly, a voice rang out. It was Robert. Although they had ended up in different locations after crossing through space, Robert's sensing abilities allowed him to quickly locate Steve.
Hearing Robert's voice, Steve sighed in relief. But before he could respond, Robert frowned, looking at Peggy and Brian, making Steve's heart skip a beat.
"What is it? What happened?" Steve asked, a feeling of dread creeping into his voice as he looked nervously at Robert.
"They have a powerful energy inside them. This energy is merging with their bodies, enhancing their internal energy, but it's also consuming their... life force..." Robert explained slowly, carefully considering Steve's feelings, worried that the older man might pass out from shock.
"Life force?!" Steve's heart leapt with fear. He quickly examined Peggy, noticing that she seemed to have aged even more.
It was important to note that thanks to the anti-aging drugs developed by the Avengers, Peggy had retained a healthy, vibrant appearance despite her advanced age. But now, Steve could clearly sense an aura of decay from her, sending him into a panic.
"Let's head back first, this way!" Just as Steve was processing this information, Robert's eyebrows twitched as he sensed a spatial anomaly. Detecting the presence of Kara and the others through the distorted space, Robert quickly grabbed Steve and the others and plunged into the twisted dimension.
With a swish, Robert transported himself, Steve, Peggy, and Brian back to the abandoned building, exactly where the Avengers were waiting. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Baron Mordo had just arrived, summoned by Clark. Seeing that his help was no longer needed, Mordo nodded and was about to open a portal to leave when Robert stopped him.
"Wait a moment. Kamar-Taj has extensive knowledge of such matters. Stay and take a look at what's going on," Robert suggested. "And while you're at it, open a portal to transport us back to Avengers HQ. They need immediate medical attention."
"Alright," Mordo agreed, opening a portal of fiery light to transport the Avengers back to their base.
It wasn't just the Avengers who returned, but also the kids who had been playing soccer. However, Johnny Storm had taken them off to play elsewhere, distracting them with his fire-based antics. As for Brian, who still hadn't woken up? The kids seemed to have forgotten about him, fully absorbed in their new superhero playmate.
"They have a powerful energy inside them, almost on par with the Space Stone, but it doesn't seem to be related to the spatial distortion we encountered earlier," Robert explained as he looked at Peggy and Brian lying in their hospital beds, addressing Mordo.
"So, if there's a power on par with the Space Stone, could it be one of the Infinity Stones?" Kara interjected, raising her hand as she suggested the possibility.
"No way! Absolutely not!" Robert reflexively denied the idea. "I can sense this energy. It's not a solid entity, more like a liquid—a bit like Tony's liquid robot."
"That's called a nano-armor," Tony Stark corrected instinctively.
"It really is a flowing liquid, and it's dark red. There are also fragments merging into her body," Kara noted, observing the finer details of the mysterious energy inside Peggy.
"Liquid... and fragments?" Baron Mordo's eyes glinted with realization. After a moment of deep thought, he conjured a dark red, flowing substance in his hand, saying, "Does it look like this?"
"Yes! That's it!" Kara confirmed excitedly.
"This is indeed one of the Infinity Stones. It's called the Aether, or the Reality Stone. According to the records, it has the power to alter reality. The last time it appeared, it was in the hands of the Dark Elves," Mordo explained, sharing the knowledge stored in Kamar-Taj's archives.
"The power to alter reality? Then why is it inside Peggy?" Steve frowned. He had a decent understanding of the Space Stone, knowing that ordinary people couldn't even touch it. How could the Reality Stone have secretly lodged itself inside a person?
"That, I don't know..." Mordo said, spreading his hands in resignation. "I can try using an exorcism spell, but my power may not be enough to expel the Reality Stone. Theoretically, only a stone can deal with another stone..."
Mordo didn't finish the thought, but it was clear that the Earth's safety in past invasions wasn't just due to the strength of the Ancient One. She had also wielded the Time Stone, and the combination of that stone with her time magic had been enough to deter many powerful forces.
"Hmm!" Steve watched intently as Mordo formed a spell, casting a yellowish glow over Peggy and Brian. Their bodies jerked slightly as the magic touched them.
But that was all. The Reality Stone didn't budge, and in fact, as more magic poured in, the power of the stone seemed to react, escalating its influence. Under Kara's keen gaze, the Reality Stone's energy surged, with more fragments embedding themselves into Peggy and Brian.
Kara was perplexed. Although the Reality Stone had split into two, both parts seemed to act like the original, and they continued to fragment. How could this be? Weren't Infinity Stones supposed to be finite? This defied her understanding.
As more fragments merged with Peggy and Brian, their life forces were further drained. Brian, being a child, still had plenty of vitality, but Peggy, already an elderly woman, couldn't withstand such rapid depletion.
"Stop! If you keep using exorcism magic, they won't be able to hold on!" Kara quickly warned Mordo, who immediately ceased his spell, his face turning grim.
But though Mordo had stopped, the Reality Stone didn't. As if acting on its own, it continued to embed more fragments into Peggy and Brian.
Peggy and Brian's life forces kept draining. Brian, with his youthful vigor, still had a buffer, but Peggy's situation was dire. Already elderly, she was on the verge of collapse.
"Hmm!" As Steve's expression turned increasingly desperate, Robert stepped forward. Unlike Mordo, he didn't try to expel the Reality Stone's power. Instead, he used healing magic to replenish Peggy and Brian's life force.
Normally, healing magic couldn't reverse natural aging or restore life force lost through intrinsic damage, like the kind caused by the base weakness of the animal warriors.
However, in this case, the life force depletion stemmed from an external force—the Reality Stone altering their genetic structure and siphoning their vitality. This counted as an injury, and Robert's healing magic could treat it.
In the world of Dragon Ball, healing magic wasn't considered particularly extraordinary, as there were items like Senzu Beans and the Dragon Balls, which were far more potent. Healing magic seemed mundane in comparison.
But in this world, it was different. Robert's healing magic shocked those who witnessed it, with some even believing it was a power that challenged the authority of death itself.
Unaware of this notion, Robert continued to channel his healing magic, initiating a clash between the power
of the Reality Stone and the rules of restoration.
While the Reality Stone was said to have infinite energy, Robert's healing magic, apart from a few restrictions, also required minimal energy expenditure, easily keeping pace with Robert's natural recovery.
Visibly, Peggy and Brian's appearance and complexion gradually returned to what they had been before encountering the Reality Stone. In fact, the balance of depleted life force and restored vitality caused Brian to age slightly, while Peggy even showed signs of regaining her youth.
For Peggy, this was a blessing. But for Brian, still a child, sudden growth was far less welcome. Children dream of growing up, but to have it happen so quickly was cruel for someone whose mind had not yet matured.
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