White lights washed over everyone's faces as a massive square, nearly the size of a football field, came into view. Ultron robots moved back and forth carrying equipment and instruments. On either side of the plaza stood two rows of semicircular buildings, their domed shapes resembling inverted bowls, likely inspired by traditional Inuit igloos.
The entire area radiated cold metal and advanced technology—the culmination of three years of Reed's work alongside S.H.I.E.L.D.
Renzo looked around curiously. His mind instantly linked to the local network, but he deliberately avoided probing any deeper. Invading their systems would be a breach of trust, and the last thing he wanted was to be thrown out.
He spotted several familiar faces—Natasha, Wong, Scott Lang, Peter Parker...
Wait... was that bandaged mummy carrying a bow and quiver... Barton?
Renzo wanted to greet them, but unfortunately, the Avengers of this universe didn't know him. Instead, they watched him with a mixture of curiosity and caution, their attention focused on the Infinity Stones embedded in his body.
Where had this man come from?
And why was he carrying Infinity Stones?
As far as they knew, the Mind Stone should have been safeguarded by the Inhumans, but Attilan had gone silent. Had they somehow created a new artificial lifeform? Like Ultron—but far more advanced? His expressions were almost indistinguishable from a human's. If not for the Stones, several of them wouldn't have been able to tell he was anything unusual.
There weren't many people in the base—perhaps twenty or thirty in total. Every one of them was a recognizable superhero registered under the Superhuman Registration Act, heroes who still appeared in cities often enough to be recognized at a glance.
"You are the last group to arrive," Professor Xavier said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Everyone who could make it is here. There are only a handful of us left."
Hundreds of heroes had once stood together. Now, after the schemes of a single witch, only a quarter remained. The irony was almost unbearable.
Mordo and Wong lowered their heads. As masters of the mystic arts, being pushed into such a desperate situation by someone who had studied magic for only a few years filled them with shame.
"The protective systems I built around New York have been destroyed," Reed said quietly. "The red mist is spreading into neighboring states."
It was the first time he had ever felt so powerless. The scientific knowledge he had always trusted couldn't solve this crisis. He couldn't even identify the composition of the red mist. It behaved like something born from another dimension.
"Wanda is expanding her territory," someone muttered. "She really intends to rule it."
No one responded.
The witch showed no strategy, no grand ideology. She simply acted however she pleased, as though the fate of the world were little more than a game.
That casual indifference left every hero present feeling helpless.
They had once held Thanos at bay on Earth. Even the Black Order had only managed to devastate a handful of city blocks before being overwhelmed by Earth's defenders.
Now they had been driven underground by one person.
"Only the Infinity Stones can stop her," Reed said.
Every eye in the room turned toward Renzo.
Damn it... you're trying to put me on the spot, Renzo cursed inwardly.
Reed looked sincere enough, but Renzo knew what he was really doing—placing all responsibility on whoever possessed the Stones.
"It won't be enough," Renzo said gravely. "Wanda's power exceeds mine. Unless all six Infinity Stones are gathered, we can't stand against her."
It wasn't an exaggeration.
After absorbing Chthon's avatar, Wanda had reached a level of power beyond anything the three Stones could overcome. Even if that avatar possessed only a fraction of Chthon's true strength, it was still enough to shake the world.
The dark incantations engraved into her soul couldn't be measured by raw power alone. With Wanda's talent, she could wield them almost as effectively as Chthon himself.
She had even established a connection with the Chaos Dimension, drawing upon its energy continuously.
Like a machine connected to an endless power source.
No one in this universe could stop her.
Perhaps the Celestials could.
Perhaps Mephisto.
Perhaps the highest cosmic entities.
But those beings weren't people the Avengers could simply call for help. Meeting them at all usually meant something had already gone terribly wrong.
Frank, however, saw things differently.
His gaze lingered on Renzo, who carried countless blessings—and curses—from various gods.
The man had somehow become acquainted with an astonishing number of divine beings.
"We should be searching for the Infinity Stones," Renzo declared, raising his voice. "Not hiding underground like frightened survivors while the world falls apart."
He hoped to reignite their fighting spirit.
And, preferably, redirect everyone's attention away from the Stones attached to him.
At that moment, two portals opened.
Two towering figures stepped through.
One was tall and broad-shouldered, carrying himself with unmistakable royal authority.
The other was even broader, sporting a thick beard that reached his neck, a large belly beneath heavy armor, and a Viking-style helmet.
Most importantly...
Mjolnir rested in his hand.
Renzo knew that hammer better than almost anyone.
The films had left a lasting impression on him, and he'd even held it himself once. In his hands, it had felt like nothing more than an ordinary hammer. Steve Rogers and Jane Foster had wielded the power of Thor through it.
He hadn't.
Sometimes I think this hammer plays favorites, Renzo thought.
Still, what surprised him even more was the bearded warrior's identity.
This wasn't Thor.
It was Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three.
The same Volstagg who had once challenged the Destroyer in Thor and been effortlessly defeated.
In the comics, however, Volstagg had later become the War Thor, wielding Mjolnir in Asgard's defense until facing Mangog.
The outcome had been exactly as brutal as expected.
The man beside him surprised Renzo even more.
Unless someone was deeply familiar with Marvel comics, they probably wouldn't recognize him.
Balder.
Prince of Asgard.
God of Light.
Heir to the throne.
Two longswords rested at his waist. His massive frame was even more imposing than Thor's, standing like a giant among men. His muscles strained against his armor, and his sharp eyes resembled those of a hunting eagle.
"King of Asgard! My friend, Balder! It's been a long time!" Reed stepped forward and embraced him.
Balder smiled warmly.
"It's good to see you again, Reed."
He truly missed his comrades on Earth.
When the Dark Elves had invaded Asgard years ago, the Avengers had stood beside him until the enemy was driven back.
It had been nearly five years.
"Where are the Carters?" Balder asked. "And Black Bolt? Strange? Why aren't they here?"
The smiles around him vanished.
Reed lowered his head.
So did everyone else.
Balder's expression darkened.
"What happened to Earth?"
One glance around the room had already told him too much.
Heroes who had once fought beside him were gone.
Logan and Hank would never willingly leave Charles.
Captain Carter was nowhere to be seen.
If Sam Wilson was here alone...
Then where was Steve?
He could see Wong and Mordo.
Where was the Sorcerer Supreme?
A terrible feeling settled in his chest.
While he had been fighting in Muspelheim and the underworld, something catastrophic had happened on Earth.
"A witch appeared," Reed said quietly. "She unleashed overwhelming chaos magic. New York has fallen."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Balder understood.
His fist slammed into the ground.
Spiderweb cracks spread across the floor.
"Damn her!"
He drew one of his swords and turned toward the exit.
Volstagg immediately followed.
They intended to march straight into New York.
"It's useless."
Charles used his telepathy to calm Balder's surging emotions.
"If brute force were enough, we wouldn't be hiding down here."
He sighed.
Of the once-great Illuminati, only Reed and Charles remained.
The others were dead or missing.
Without leadership, they had no way to oppose Wanda's overwhelming power.
"I need access to Asgard's magical knowledge," Mordo said as he stepped forward. "Perhaps it contains a way to counter Chaos Magic."
Balder looked down at him.
"Where is Strange?" he asked coldly. "And now you, his successor, wish to study Asgardian magic?"
Balder had never liked Mordo.
As the God of Light, he possessed an unusually keen perception of darkness—not merely magical darkness, but the darkness in people's hearts.
Mordo's bitterness and jealousy had never escaped his notice.
Strange could be arrogant, but at least he respected strength.
"Strange is dead," Mordo replied. "He died fighting Thanos ten days ago. His ashes still lie on Titan."
He adjusted the Cloak of Levitation behind him.
"I am the Sorcerer Supreme now."
Balder stared at him.
His eyes slowly reddened.
The news struck him like a hammer.
A friend who had fought beside him...
Gone.
For a brief moment, he nearly raised his sword.
Mordo met his gaze without flinching.
He had little respect for Balder's lofty ideals of light and justice. To him, Asgard's rulers often preached peace while settling conflicts through force.
The two men glared at one another.
Volstagg instinctively stepped forward to intervene but stopped when Balder raised a hand.
Even Balder couldn't accept Mordo personally.
Yet he represented Kamar-Taj.
The Ancient One had once stood as Odin's equal.
Whatever Balder thought of Mordo, he represented Earth's mystic arts, and that carried weight.
The two stood facing each other like rival roosters, neither willing to back down.
Renzo watched the confrontation with quiet amusement.
It would have been even better if they had actually fought.
He was genuinely curious whether Balder could match Thor.
All this scene needs is popcorn and cola.
Eventually, both men stepped back.
The tense atmosphere dissolved as they each let out a dismissive snort.
What a shame, Renzo thought.
No fight.
Charles and Reed noticed the disappointment on his face.
The corners of their mouths twitched.
What kind of battle addict is this guy?
Balder reached into his armor and withdrew a glowing blue cube.
It shimmered like the stars themselves, as though countless galaxies had been compressed into a single point.
Everyone froze.
The Tesseract.
The Space Stone.
Then they instinctively looked toward Renzo.
Oblivious to the strange expressions around him, Balder proudly raised it overhead.
"We now possess three Infinity Stones!" he declared. "It's time to deal with the witch!"
He was confident.
Apart from the highest cosmic beings, he doubted anyone in the universe could withstand the power of three Infinity Stones.
He held the Space Stone.
The Inhumans possessed the Mind Stone.
Kamar-Taj still guarded the Time Stone.
Before coming to Earth, he had even sent Lady Sif to the Collector to retrieve the Reality Stone.
That meant four Stones were potentially within reach.
With four Infinity Stones, even the laws of the universe could be rewritten.
Even Celestials would have to respect such power.
Reed frowned thoughtfully.
Balder waited for applause.
Silence answered him.
No one reacted.
He straightened awkwardly.
Perhaps these mortals simply didn't understand the significance of the Infinity Stones.
Very well.
He would explain.
Just as he prepared to begin, he noticed the strange expressions on everyone's faces.
Some even looked as though they were trying not to laugh.
The God of Light felt thoroughly confused.
Did these people no longer respect the gods?
Balder looked toward Volstagg for support.
Instead, Volstagg stared ahead in stunned silence.
His mouth hung open.
Even Mjolnir had stopped crackling with lightning.
The entire room had gone eerily quiet.
What was going on?
Balder slowly followed Volstagg's gaze.
"What the fuck?!"
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