Sersi did not know what to say.
He felt the World collapsing.
She loved humanity, she had lived on this Planet for seven thousand years, and she had long considered it her home.
She rejoiced in humanity's progress, was moved by its art, and fascinated by its loves and hates.
But now, Leon told her that everything she cherished, everything she guarded, was ultimately just a sumptuous dinner for the Celestials?
It turned out that they had all been living in a deception.
It turned out that their so-called Guardian was nothing more than a seven-thousand-year-long murder.
"No... this isn't true..." Sersi's voice trembled, she shook her head helplessly, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Arishem the Judge told us that our mission was to protect... to guide..."
"Guide them to the dining table?" Leon mercilessly interrupted the other's self-deception.
Tina's reaction was completely different.
There was no despair on her face, only anger.
She had always been skeptical of this mission; she was tired of watching the humans around her live, age, get sick, and die generation after generation, while she herself was forever trapped in a child's body.
Now, she finally knew the truth.
It turned out that their existence was a joke from the very beginning.
They were not Guardians; they were merely shepherds.
And humans were lambs to be slaughtered.
"Haha... Hahahahaha..."
Tina suddenly started laughing, her laughter shrill and full of mockery.
"So that's how it is... so that's how it is! What are we? What exactly are we?!"
Her emotions spiraled out of control.
Leon watched them quietly, taking in every change in their expressions.
He was very pleased with the effect.
Destroying a person's faith was far more interesting than destroying his body.
He didn't want a group of puppets who only knew how to follow orders, but soldiers who could fight for themselves.
"It seems you have understood your situation." Leon's voice rang out again, pulling them back from the brink of collapse.
"Now, I give you two choices."
His gaze swept over everyone, his expression serious.
"First, continue to carry out your ridiculous mission, close your eyes, cover your ears, and wait for this Planet to be destroyed under your Guardian. Then, as meritorious officials, be taken away by your creator to the next Planet, repeating the boring shepherding game. Well, though it may not be your current selves, after all, you are just robots."
"Second."
"Abandon your creator and pledge allegiance to me. Become my warrior, to carry out truly meaningful missions, to conquer the stars and the sea, instead of being a pathetic Planet nanny here."
"I will grant you true freedom and glory."
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the two confused individuals.
He knew that the seed had been planted, and all that remained was to wait for it to take root and sprout.
He turned to look at Banner, who had already consciously found a commemorative T-shirt and a pair of shorts that seemed to fit him.
Although it looked a bit comical, it was at least better than being naked.
"Dr." Leon's tone returned to its previous gentleness.
"Your first lesson went well, I'm very satisfied."
Banner gave an awkward laugh: "Thanks for the compliment. So, do we leave directly now, or stay and help them clean up the scene? I think we might need to compensate the museum a large sum of money."
"Compensation?" Leon smiled slightly.
"I never pay to clean up garbage."
He didn't know if he was referring to the Deviants or something else with that remark.
He no longer lingered, leading Banner out of the museum.
As he passed by the distraught Sersi, his footsteps paused slightly, and he left one last sentence.
"I'll give you time to gather your companions, to tell them this good news. Ikaris, Kingo, Tina... I think they'll be very happy to hear about your new discovery."
"Remember, my patience is limited."
As his voice fell, he and Banner disappeared into the hall as if they had never appeared.
Only Sersi, Tina, and Dane remained standing blankly in place.
The moment they walked out of the museum, the warm afternoon Sun of London poured down, dispelling the indoor chill.
Bruce Banner instinctively squinted, feeling a little unreal.
Just a few minutes ago, he was still in a small clinic, fearing his next loss of control.
And now, he stood by the River Thames, accompanied by a man who claimed to be a God.
He had just witnessed a big show.
It was all too crazy.
The commemorative T-shirt he wore had a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton printed on it, with the words "Gaze of History" written below.
How should he put it, it made him feel very ironic.
He looked down at himself and at Leon, who was calm and composed beside him.
His heart was a mix of emotions.
Who exactly was Leon?
To be precise, was Leon really the Sun god from Norse mythology?
Why did he seek me out? And those two women and that monster just now... Banner didn't understand, but he also knew not to ask too deeply.
But strangely, the big guy deep inside him was unusually quiet.
Normally, after experiencing intense emotional fluctuations and external stimuli, the Hulk would have already come out to cause a ruckus.
But ever since Leon appeared, the Hulk had actually become docile.
This feeling was novel and reassuring.
Perhaps, following Leon was indeed the right choice?
Banner began to have an uncertain expectation for his future.
Leon understood the tumultuous waves in Banner's heart.
But he didn't care.
Their emotions, in his eyes, were like ripples in a pond, leaving no trace after the wind passed.
What he enjoyed more was the feeling of everything being under control.
If nothing unexpected happened, the World would follow the original plot.
First, the Avengers, the Mad Titan's snap, the Multiverse crisis... But unfortunately, these events that plagued the heroes in the original story could only become stepping stones for him to ascend to the throne of the God King in his script.
And Bruce Banner, or rather the Hulk, was a major general in his plan, but the first major general was definitely Thor.
"How do you feel, Dr.?" Leon broke the silence. He didn't turn back, his gaze fixed on a double-decker bus slowly passing in the distance.
"The air in London is fresher than in Kolkata, isn't it?"
Banner adjusted his glasses and gave a wry smile.
"More than just fresh. I feel like Dorothy just stepped out of 'The Wizard of Oz' set; everything feels so unreal."
"You'll get used to it." Leon's tone was flat.
"The Universe is far vaster than you imagine, and far more dangerous than you imagine. Earth has been too comfortable for too long, like a child overprotected by parents, who wouldn't know how many hungry Beasts lurk in the forest."
He turned his head and calmly looked at Banner: "And I am here to teach this child how to pick up a weapon in advance."
Banner's heart stirred.
He heard an unusual meaning in Leon's words.
This was not just a display of power, but more like a warning.
"The Beast you mentioned..." Banner asked tentatively.
"Are you referring to those monsters just now?"
"Those?" Leon shook his head.
"Such things don't even count as appetizers. They are merely hounds kept by higher beings."
He stopped, turned to face Banner, the Sun outlining a golden halo behind him, making him look like the embodiment of the Sun god.
"Banner, you are a smart man. You should understand that knowledge is power. But sometimes, ignorance is also a blessing. Are you sure you really want to know everything I know? It might make you completely despair of this Universe."
Banner fell silent.
He looked into Leon's eyes, which seemed to see through everything; he felt as if his thoughts had been completely laid bare.
He was a scientist, and curiosity about the unknown was his innate instinct.
But at the same time, he also had a premonition that behind the answer lay a weight he could not bear.
"I..." Banner opened his mouth, then finally nodded.
"I want to know."
Leon smiled.
"Very good."
He liked dealing with smart people; it saved a lot of unnecessary trouble.
"Come with me, Dr. Our lesson has just begun."
...Meanwhile, in the shattered museum hall.
Sersi slumped powerlessly to the ground, her tears dried, leaving only an empty gaze.
A deception.
Everything was a deception.
She had always thought of herself as a Guardian, a guide, a witness to human civilization.
But in the end, what was the difference between her and the Deviants she had eliminated?
They were all just tools in the hands of the Celestials.
Absurd, pathetic.
"Why... why is it like this...?" she murmured.
Tina stood beside her, a furious anger, incongruous with her small stature, erupting from her.
She wasn't as melancholic as Sersi.
She didn't have such deep feelings for humanity, and was even somewhat annoyed by them.
But the feeling of being treated as a tool, of being deceived for seven thousand years, made her feel humiliated!
"I knew it! I knew this whole thing was a joke!" she shrieked, her voice distorted by anger.
"What damn sacred mission! We are just programmed robots! Arishem the Judge, that bastard! What did he take us for?!"
She had always hated this body that never grew up, hated this unchanging Eternity of life.
Now she understood that this Eternity itself was a curse.
It was a cage from which she could not escape.
Dane stood by, at a loss.
....
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