"Alright, we need to borrow your world's Infinity Stones now. Do you have any objections?"
Tony finished tying up the Iron Man who was about ten years older than him and laid him on a scorched patch of ground.
Beside Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Rocket Raccoon, and the others had all been stripped of their equipment and tied in a row. The Avengers of the b2 Universe leaned against a massive rock in silence.
They had already been defeated and captured. What objections could they possibly raise?
"Of course I object!" Ant Man Scott was just as talkative as Little Spider.
With his hands bound behind his back, he scooted across the ground on his backside, protesting loudly. "You got it all wrong. I'm actually your Ant Man. The Ant Man from this Universe switched sides. Hurry up and untie me."
Everyone rolled their eyes at once.
This Ant Man had already argued nonstop with the other Ant Man about who belonged to which Universe. Now that he had been captured, he was still trying to confuse everyone.
"You say you are on our side?" the Main Universe Ant Man replied calmly. "Fine, go ask if Hulk agrees."
He pointed to the right.
There, Dr. Banner was lying on the ground, the only one not tied up.
Hulk was standing on Banner's chest, roaring directly into his face. "Banner!"
His heavy breath blew Banner's hair messily across his face.
After roaring, Hulk punched him hard, then roared again.
Meanwhile, the soul of the s Universe Banner floated nearby after activating astral projection. Watching the scene, his head throbbed.
"Hulk… that Banner already merged with his Hulk a long time ago. Could you be gentler with him?"
Hulk paused, glanced at Banner unhappily, then deliberately punched him in the face again.
"Hulk smash Banner!"
The punch knocked Dr. Banner unconscious but did not seriously injure him. Still, the heavy blows made everyone wince just from watching.
The b2 Universe Ant Man swallowed hard. "I… fine. I have no objections."
"You coward, Scott!" Rocket Raccoon cursed loudly.
The intelligent raccoon was also tied up. He glared fiercely at Tony and the two Captain Americas. "I object, and I object strongly!"
"A thief breaks into your house, beats you up, ties you up, and then politely asks to use your bathroom. Would you not object?"
His words left the Main Universe group momentarily speechless.
At that moment, a golden portal opened.
Doctor Strange of the Main Universe stepped out and glanced at Rocket. "But you are an alien. Earth is not your home."
Then he looked at everyone else. "Whether the people of this Earth object or not is not the key point."
"The most important thing is confirming whether the Infinity Stones can separate the Universes."
"If the effect is confirmed, we must also consider whether someone needs to snap their fingers to speed it up."
When he said this, his gaze briefly lingered on the two Tonys.
"And if the result is not what we expect, and something worse happens…"
He paused.
"Then we may have to choose a method with an even greater cost."
"The Three Sanctums predict that only eight hours remain before the final collision of the two Earths."
Eight hours.
Everyone felt their chests tighten.
"Wait, you mean the Earths colliding is real? Only eight hours left?" the b2 Universe Iron Man asked sharply.
His messy hair fell over tense features. His pupils shrank as thoughts of Pepper and Morgan flashed through his mind. His eyes slowly turned red with panic.
"Damn it, leave the Stones here!" he roared as he began struggling violently.
He could not allow these people to take the Stones away.
If the Stones could truly separate the two Earths, that would be the best outcome. But what if they could not?
Would these people destroy their Earth to save their own?
Iron Man refused to gamble with his family and his world.
The other members of the b2 Universe also began struggling. Ropes cut into their skin, but they ignored the pain and fought desperately to break free.
Hawkeye, however, did not struggle loudly.
He stayed quiet, leaning against the boulder as he dislocated his own joints one by one with muted pops, slowly slipping free of the restraints.
But it was useless.
They were all quickly subdued again.
Hawkeye was tied up once more. The Main Universe Hawkeye even patted his shoulder. "We both know our own personalities. Do not be reckless."
"If you know me, then you know I will never give up," the b2 Hawkeye spat back.
The others stared coldly at the Main Universe group, some shouting threats, others trying to reason with them.
At that moment, the young Captain America stepped forward and reassured them that the Infinity Stones would never be used to destroy this Earth.
That promise eased some of the tension.
After all, Captain America's integrity was undeniable, and there were two Captain Americas standing there.
Still, true relief did not come.
A short distance away, the Main Universe group gathered to discuss their next move.
"We should return to our side first and attempt the separation there," Doctor Strange suggested.
"That is not fair to this Universe," the older Captain America argued. "You cannot place all the risk on them."
The s Universe Avengers had remained neutral from the start.
They were invited to resolve the crisis, but they were still outsiders. They could not favor one Earth over the other.
This dilemma gave Strange a headache.
"Alright," he conceded, "then we try here first. But who will wield the Gauntlet?"
"Me, I will!" Thor shouted from where he was bound by the Truth Lasso.
No one paid him any attention.
General Ross of the Main Universe stepped forward as his body swelled and turned red again. "Let me do it. I was President not long ago. I carry that responsibility."
Doctor Strange hesitated.
Tony shook his finger. "No, General Ross. Your political stance is too extreme, and Jarvis detected heart disease earlier. You are not suitable."
As he spoke, nano material rippled across Tony's raised arm.
"I should do it," Tony said calmly. "I have the super soldier serum, my recovery ability is strong, and I am neutral. Even snapping my fingers will not be a problem for me."
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