Returning to the long-unvisited villa garage, the first thing Malrick wanted to do wasn't to introduce the Marvel Universe to Diana and Kara as their local guide.
What he truly wanted was to enter his inner world and use the Time Stone to accelerate time.
The gestation period for the Regedo Clone was a hundred years.
In the DC Universe, he could only wait helplessly.
But now that he was back in Marvel, a hundred years—or even a thousand—would pass in an instant.
Still, before he began time acceleration, Malrick needed to deal with one final matter: Paradise Island, which was still floating above the sea of blood.
"Is this the Marvel Universe?" Diana stepped out of the garage.
Outside, the February sea breeze carried a crisp chill. She walked toward the railing, gazing at the glimmering ocean.
"It doesn't look much different from our world."
Malrick and Kara walked up behind her.
"Of course not," Malrick replied. "No matter which version of Earth you stand on, they all look more or less the same."
Diana nodded thoughtfully.
"Is this your home, Malrick? Are we going to live here from now on?"
She and Kara looked up at the cliffside villa that towered over the coast.
Neither of them knew what kind of life awaited them here. They had simply followed Malrick into another universe, trusting him completely.
If this were a fairy tale, they would have been like mermaids who drank a magic potion to join the prince on land—filled with uncertainty but drawn by faith and affection.
Fortunately, though Tony Stark's influence had rubbed off on Malrick, he wasn't the kind of man who would let the mermaids turn into foam under the sunset.
"Well… probably not here," Malrick said after a pause.
He actually wanted to take them to New York, but he wasn't sure if they'd like living among steel towers and constant noise. Compared to New York's chaos, the Los Angeles coast felt far more peaceful.
However, his hesitation only made Diana misunderstand.
"Oh, I see," she said softly, her expression warm with realization. "You're still young, right? Haven't graduated or found a job yet?"
Malrick blinked.
"What?"
"The other Wonder Woman told me," Diana continued matter-of-factly. "It's not easy for young people to buy a home in modern society. Even Superman's still paying off his mortgage."
She smiled gently.
"Malrick, you're like our world's Superman. You saved the Red Room, destroyed HYDRA, and even traveled to save other worlds. It's normal if you haven't had time for work. If you're short on money, we can take some jewels from Paradise Island to sell. If Mother objects… we'll just sneak a few out."
"Wait, what?" Malrick froze.
Was this really happening? Was Diana trying to sponsor him?
Before he could respond, Kara spoke up too.
"I can help earn money as well," she said seriously. "Kal once told me Kryptonians could make good money as porters."
Malrick nearly choked.
The way she said it—with her calm, earnest face—made it sound like an alien princess applying for a construction job.
"You've completely misunderstood," Malrick said, rubbing his temples. "This actually is my home—or rather, it belongs to the Stark family."
"I was just deciding whether we should live here or in the city."
"Really?" Diana asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't have to pretend, Malrick."
"What are you talking about?" he said with a sigh, patting her head. "With my strength, how could I ever be short on money?"
Diana crossed her arms, unconvinced.
"Being strong doesn't make someone rich. Superman's strong but still struggles with bills, while Batman's just rich. That's how human society works, isn't it?"
"That's because Superman's too kind," Malrick replied with a grin.
She tilted her head.
"He's kind, yes, but how does that make him broke?"
At that moment, the armor beside them stirred, and JARVIS's calm, polite voice echoed from within.
"Miss Prince, Miss El, there appears to be a misunderstanding. The Stark family is quite similar to the Wayne family," JARVIS explained, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
Then, as though presenting a grand dossier, he began listing Malrick's achievements and affiliations.
"Under Master Malrick's guidance, the world remains stable. He oversees multiple corporations with assets totaling several hundred billion dollars. In addition, there are two major organizations under his leadership: the Men in Black and Kamar-Taj. The Men in Black monitor extraterrestrial threats, while Kamar-Taj safeguards dimensional balance."
As JARVIS spoke, holographic projections illuminated the air—showing scenes of Malrick battling HYDRA, enduring nuclear blasts, and driving off Skrulls.
Diana and Kara exchanged glances of awe as they watched.
"So I really misunderstood," Diana admitted at last, gently taking Malrick's hand. "But if your company ever runs low on funds, the offer to 'borrow' a few jewels from the island still stands."
Malrick laughed.
"No need for that, Princess. Unless you want Queen Hippolyta chasing you back with a lasso."
Diana's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered.
"Oh right! Mother and the others are still in your world! Are they alright?"
"Of course," Malrick assured her. "I was just about to talk about that."
He turned toward the ocean beyond the mansion's cliffside.
"Since there's no divine power from Zeus in the Black Sea here, I don't recommend placing Paradise Island there. I have two better options."
He raised two fingers.
"Option one: an uninhabited island in the Pacific. I can buy the land and relocate Paradise Island there.
Option two: placing it inside Kamar-Taj's pocket dimension. It's secure, only accessible to mages, and a future Mage Academy will be built there. It'll stay safe and connected to the outside world."
Malrick thought for a moment, then added,
"Or, if you prefer, I can store it inside one of my spare world rings—but that world would need to be maintained."
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