Stark and Steve returned to the base with heavy expressions. They had just come from a meeting with the Secretary of State, where the discussion centered on the destruction the Avengers had caused over the years while fighting threats, as well as the resulting casualties.
"I think they have a point," Stark said suddenly. "Didn't you see what happened in Lagos? What Hulk did—and that building your little witch friend destroyed a few days ago. There were people inside. Do you have any idea how many died?"
"Tony…" Steve turned to him, disbelief written all over his face. In his eyes, Tony was the last person who would agree to sign such an agreement.
Tony had always faced danger head-on, never backing down. Even though Steve was the leader, Tony's influence within the Avengers was just as strong—if not stronger.
The base, the funding, the equipment, the logistics—everything came from Tony. Without Stark's support, the Avengers would have been picked apart by politicians long ago. Stark Industries held a decisive position.
Steve lowered his head. He understood Tony's concern for the bigger picture. But once they submitted to oversight, the Avengers would be one step away from becoming a government-controlled army.
"One hundred and seventeen countries have agreed to sign it. One hundred and seventeen!" Rhodey said grimly. As a military officer, he understood the system—but that didn't mean he liked it. The justification was always the same: the people.
Steve exhaled slowly. "I won't sign it. The Avengers won't become their personal bodyguards." His voice was firm.
After HYDRA and Project Insight, he trusted no system.
The only thing he could trust… was himself.
Once, he had been a lone soldier, frozen in ice for seventy years. Now, he carried the weight of his team—and of Dr. Erskine's legacy.
They continued arguing as they walked, eventually entering the base.
"Hello."
"—What the hell?!"
Renzo looked at Rhodey, who nearly jumped out of his skin, and sighed.
"Was that really necessary?"
In truth, all three of them were startled. Steve and Tony exchanged a glance, shock evident in their eyes.
"Vision? Where have you been for over a year? We thought—" Steve began cautiously.
Renzo could see the suspicion growing in his eyes. Tony's expression behind him wasn't much better.
Renzo understood. Disappearing without a word for over a year would make anyone uneasy.
And after Ultron… they had every reason to worry.
"It's a long story," Renzo said.
To ease their doubts, he recounted his experiences over the past year—carefully omitting certain details, like his identity as a time traveler and the existence of Ultron's body.
Steve listened, stunned. He smacked his lips lightly. "That's… quite a story."
Tony, however, wasn't convinced.
"So let me get this straight," Tony said dryly. "A giant-headed cosmic babysitter and some mystical weirdo dragged you into another universe, that universe blew up like a firework, and you spent years trying to find your way back?"
He gave Renzo a sharp look. "I don't remember programming you to lie. JARVIS certainly didn't have that capability. So if you're making things up, it must be Ultron's influence."
His words immediately reignited the others' caution.
They had always assumed Renzo couldn't lie—but Ultron's influence changed that.
Who knew when he might go rogue?
Renzo sighed quietly. He had expected this.
After all, they had only known each other for a short time.
He stood up. As he moved, Tony noticed the faint blue glow behind him.
"The Tesseract?!" Tony's eyes widened. "Didn't Thor take that back to Asgard?"
Everyone stared at the cube in shock.
"This contains the coordinates of that universe," Renzo said calmly. "If you don't believe me, you can check for yourselves."
Steve and Tony exchanged another look, both frowning.
This wasn't just about Renzo anymore.
The multiverse.
If true, it meant their future enemies might not even be from this world.
Anything… was possible.
Tony felt his thoughts spiraling. The shadow of the Mad Titan still lingered in his mind, and now this—more uncertainty, more threats. He hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep in a long time.
Seeing their silence, Renzo changed the subject.
"Where have you been? And where is everyone else?"
"Barton retired. Wanda and Pietro are under confinement after… an incident. Banner…" Steve's voice faltered.
They had been searching for Banner for a year, with no trace.
"He's fine," Renzo said.
Their heads snapped up.
"He went through a wormhole and ended up on another planet. He's… doing relatively well."
Relief flickered across their faces.
Renzo's expression turned serious.
"There's something else. What happens next—you need to stay calm. Don't act impulsively."
He told them about Zemo—his plan to target the Avengers, and how he had already manipulated Bucky.
"He wants to use this situation to divide you. To break the Avengers from within."
Renzo deliberately left out one crucial detail.
The truth about Tony's parents.
That revelation would shatter everything—and Tony, for all his composure, would lose control completely.
Renzo glanced at both Tony and Steve.
"…What?" they asked in unison.
At that moment, both of their phones vibrated.
They looked down, reading the messages. After a few seconds, they slowly raised their heads, staring at Renzo with confusion—like they were trying to figure out what he was really planning.
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