416-420

"Alright, everyone's in good spirits, and it seems like everyone's willing to give my proposal a try... Let me think... [Time Heist] plan, What do you all think of this name?

Traveling through time back to the past, hijacking the Infinity Stones, altering the timeline of our current reality, and then returning the items."

"Wait a moment, Mark. While I've done everything I can to bring you back, you're also a very important part of my life, and I'm willing to support all your ideas.

But you know that my situation has changed now. Your sister, my daughter, Morgan, she needs me.

I mean, we can go on adventures together again, and I do hope we can undo everything we lost before, but the condition is that I need to keep what I have now. We can't risk our lives like we used to."

Tony was very straightforward about his thoughts, and in fact, despite the noble character and strong sense of responsibility of the superheroes present, they couldn't be morally coerced into choosing between the greater good and their personal lives.

Regardless of the choices they made, they should receive the respect and support they deserved. Mark had no objections to Tony's request. Although he hadn't met Morgan yet, his experiences as an orphan in his past life and growing up in a single-parent household in this life made him empathize with Tony's thoughts. He also hoped that Morgan could grow up healthy and happy under the care of both her parents.

"Don't worry, I promise there won't be any situation where any of our companions need to risk their lives. If there is, I'll be the first one to step up."

In fact, for Mark, the decision to start the final battle and undo the situation caused by Thanos throughout the universe was not because of his own valor and selfless dedication.

Mark made this decision more because of his companions. When Doctor Strange handed over the Time Stone, Mark felt a complete trust from him, and he wanted to reciprocate that trust. There were also his companions who suffered greatly from the loss of their loved ones; this was the only way to help them get out of their pain.

As for Tony's sacrifice in the original final battle, just as Mark promised everyone, if a situation arose where someone had to make a sacrifice, he would be the first to step up and bear the risk.

For Mark, who had lived through two lifetimes in different worlds, there was indeed a bit of indifference to life and death and a determination to do whatever it takes.

Of course, Mark wouldn't deliberately make himself unhappy or become a sacrifice for success. In his view, since he had the memories of his past life, as long as he tried to avoid the mistakes they had made in the original fate, the so-called final battle might not even need to be fought, and everything could end safely and smoothly when they completed the snap and returned the stones.

"So, does anyone want to withdraw now?" Everything's been laid out, and it's now up to each person's choice.

"I'm sorry, Mark. I can't accept your proposed plan myself, and both Wong and I still have the mission of protecting Kamar-Taj. I'm afraid we can't take this risk with you."

The first to withdraw were Mordo and Wong, and Mark nodded in understanding of their decision, not feeling surprised.

From Mordo's previous inner conflict regarding Mark's resurrection, it could be seen that Mordo inherently harbored resistance to such violations of natural law and couldn't agree to join Mark's Time Heist plan.

Of course, if Mark were willing to spend a lot of time and effort persuading Mordo, as he did in the spiritual world before, there was a good chance he could convince him. After all, the gap in intelligence between them was quite evident.

However, for Mark, there was no need to do this. On the one hand, as Mordo said, he and Wong were burdened with the mission of protecting Kamar-Taj, and they couldn't afford to split their focus.

The success of the Time Heist plan depended on maintaining the Earth's current stability. If all of them were to time travel and return to find Earth already in the hands of others like Dormammu, there would be no point in proceeding with the plan.

On the other hand, Mordo and Wong's inclusion would only provide limited assistance to them. First, their teamwork with the Avengers was not well established, and there were likely to be unexpected complications in their cooperation. Additionally, Mordo's emotions were a hidden danger. If he changed his mind halfway and obstructed their plan, So it's better to eliminate this risk from the start.

Next to withdraw from the Time Heist plan was Okoye, the current leader of Wakanda. Her reasons were similar to Mordo's, as she carried a heavy responsibility for Wakanda, so she had to regretfully step aside.

However, Okoye expressed her willingness to provide the maximum technical and material assistance to Mark and his team. Even offered to supply Vibranium without limit, because both Okoye and the people of Wakanda hoped for the return of their true king, Black Panther T'Challa, and the beloved Princess Shuri.

Mark solemnly accepted this commitment, assuring that their team would do their utmost to ensure the success of the Time Heist plan and graciously accepting Wakanda's offer of assistance. After all, in Mark's plan, the need for Vibranium was indeed substantial.

"So, does anyone else want to withdraw? If everyone has made up their minds to join this plan, then I'll proceed with the first phase of the Time Heist Plan," Mark inquired, his gaze scanning the remaining superheroes one by one.

From their expressions, Mark could see that they had all firmly made up their minds to join this plan. Since that was the case, Mark didn't ask further questions and continued, "It seems everyone has already decided. So, let me continue. The first step of our Time Heist Plan—

Dad, it's time to resolve the conflict between you and Captain once and for all, and as for Thor, even though we don't know what has happened to you in these five years, it would be best for you to shed all that excess baggage before we officially begin our operation!"

"Ah—!" Mark hadn't even finished speaking when Thor immediately cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground...

"Mark, Rome wasn't built in a day, and you want me to shed this excess fat in such a short time before the plan begins. It's really too challenging..."

Thor still held a glimmer of hope, hoping to persuade Mark to reconsider his decision.

But before Mark could respond, Tony had already started with his usual sarcastic tone, "Lebowski, it's high time you shed some weight. Otherwise, it'll be quite embarrassing if you get stuck at the entrance of the quantum tunnel."

"Humph! Tony, stop being a hypocrite. Why don't you deal with the issues between you and Captain first? I had no idea you guys would turn a minor disagreement into such a mess.

I even bragged about the Avengers being the most powerful superhero team on Earth in front of Rocket and the others. But then I heard the Avengers split up, with some members being globally wanted. How am I supposed to save face?"

Thor joined in the banter, and when he saw Tony picking up the conversation, he quickly changed the topic and stopped discussing his own weight loss.

However, Tony, after hearing Thor's words, was completely fired up, "You call avenging your father a minor disagreement?"

"Well, compared to past grudges, isn't the current emotional situation the most important? This little matter of yours, it's far from being as significant as mine. My brother wanted to kill me every day, and I have a war-crazy sister who killed my father. In the end, my brother and I had to kill her together. You see, have I ever complained? Compared to me, your issues are truly trivial!"

After listening to Thor's speech, Mark walked over to him with a compassionate look in his eyes and gently patted Thor's fat-laden back, "You've had it tough, Thor. But you still have us, and we'll be there for you. Now I understand why you've become this way. Time can really be a butcher!"

"Although I don't know what you're saying, I feel offended?"

"No, no, you're being too sensitive, Thor. I absolutely didn't mean to offend you. I was just speaking the plain truth. But as for weight loss, you don't need to worry. It's a simple matter to lose weight quickly and safely in this day and age!

You can rest assured; my laboratory contains many inventions that I never commercialized after I invented them. Although they may not have high commercial value, their effectiveness is top-notch. I can make you lose dozens of pounds in a week without a problem."

Mark patted his chest with confidence as he made the promise to Thor.

"Mark, that's not what I meant. I mean, could we not..."

Before Thor could finish his sentence, Mark simply turned around and left, not giving Thor a chance to continue his refusal.

With Thor's issue resolved, Mark moved on to address the awkward atmosphere between Tony and Captain. He looked at the two of them, who seemed stuck in an impasse, and directly spoke to break the deadlock, "So, which one of you wants to start? It's been almost six years, and you should have some understanding of each other's actions by now."

In the end, it was Tony who broke the ice and initiated the conversation. Tony knew that Captain felt hurt by his actions, and if he didn't take the first step, their lingering tension would never be resolved.

"It's like this, holding grudges is too exhausting, especially after several years. I no longer have the energy to hold onto past grievances. I don't like it," Tony said.

Captain smiled at Tony's words, looked up at him, and replied, "I feel the same way."

"Alright, can we let bygones be bygones between us?" Tony extended his hand toward Captain.

"Agreed!" Captain shook Tony's outstretched right hand, and the two of them, who had been estranged for a long time, stood together amicably once more. The other Avengers members around them were delighted to witness this moment, even though some of the team members were no longer present to witness it.

They believed that as long as everyone worked together and stayed united, the Time Heist Plan would surely be successfully executed, bringing back their disappeared comrades and loved ones.

"It looks like things are going smoothly. The first phase of the Time Heist Plan has been settled cleanly! Thor, you better not drop the ball. I'm going to have Baymax serve as your personal fitness coach, supervising your weight loss plan every day.

If you don't meet the standard when the time comes, don't blame me for not letting you participate in the time travel plan. You know, if we can go back in time, there's a chance to see our lost loved ones again."

Thor's eyes widened like saucers upon hearing this, his face filled with anticipation as he looked at Mark. "Rest assured, I promise you, when the time comes, you'll see Thor the Thunder God, with the same six-pack he had five years ago!"

It seemed that Mark's strategy had really worked. A simple sentence had ignited limitless motivation and enthusiasm for weight loss in Thor.

At this moment, Scott suddenly spoke up, addressing Mark with a question, "With so many of us needing to enter the quantum realm, we'll definitely need a large quantity of Pym Particles. How do we solve this problem?

Ever since Dr. Pym was dusted by Thanos' snap, there hasn't been anyone on Earth capable of manufacturing new Pym Particles. In other words, with our current supply, there won't be enough for all of us to engage in time travel. Even collecting all the Infinity Stones as you proposed won't be feasible without an adequate supply of Pym Particles for the return trip."

Regarding Scott's concern, Mark just smiled lightly and called out to Baymax. Baymax immediately understood Mark's intention and activated a peculiar mechanical device in the laboratory.

"I think you don't need to worry about this now; we don't lack Pym Particles at all."

Upon hearing Mark's words, Scott hurriedly approached to examine the special device. Inside the transparent container of this device, he found it filled with an inert solvent containing Pym Particles, and the reserve was even larger than that of Scott, the second Ant-Man.

"How... how... how did you manage to get this? It's too much! Did Dr. Pym give it to you?" Scott was shocked to see Mark having so many Pym Particles, which should be a scarce resource.

"I almost forgot; when I met Dr. Pym last time, you weren't in the doctor's lab. It seems that the doctor didn't tell you about this. In fact, there's not only Dr. Pym on Earth who can manufacture Pym Particles.

At least I can also produce Pym Particles, and we have an abundance of them. So, you don't need to worry about the consumption and distribution of Pym Particles; it can all be resolved.

So, how about it? Does anyone else have any questions they want to raise? I'm ready to address them all. Everyone can propose their ideas, and I believe that with collective efforts, we can create a more perfect plan," Mark said.

In front of Mark, Captain obviously had something to say. However, he first surveyed the surroundings and noticed that no one else continued to ask questions. Captain then posed his own question, more like a suggestion, "I don't have any issues with the other matters, but I want to know if we should call back Captain Marvel for this mission. With Captain Marvel's immense power, our overall strength would greatly improve, which would be advantageous for accomplishing our plan."

Captain's question or suggestion, depending on how one saw it, was about whether to involve Captain Marvel in this mission. He believed that bringing Captain Marvel back would significantly increase their chances of success.

However, facing Captain's proposal, Mark ultimately shook his head in disagreement. "Let's leave Earth's matters to Earth's heroes. I believe our strength is already sufficient to handle this pile of troubles. As for Captain Marvel, there are plenty of cosmic issues waiting for her assistance in the universe. We can't adjust her schedule to accommodate us."

Of course, this was only Mark's surface reasoning. In reality, his concerns were that bringing Captain Marvel on this time-travel journey could pose too many risks. Captain Marvel had always operated as a solo hero, and integrating her into a large team could lead to various issues.

Moreover, Captain Marvel's powers were derived from the Space Stone, one of the Infinity Stones, which meant she had the potential to destroy the Infinity Stones, much like Scarlet Witch. Allowing such a dangerous individual to join the mission of collecting the Infinity Stones was not a wise idea.

Mark didn't delve into the reasons for his veto, but Captain, based on the trust between them, ultimately agreed to Mark's decision.

"Alright, moving on to the second phase of our Time Heist plan. The task of creating protective suits for time travel, positioning devices, and the quantum tunnel needed for time travel will be handled by me, my old man, Dr. Banner, and Rocket.

As for the rest of you, if you have tasks, start preparing for them. If you don't, or once you've completed your preparations, help me keep an eye on Thor's weight loss journey."

Hearing his name mentioned by Mark, Rocket said. "Hey! Earth kid, you're definitely the most discerning genius I've ever seen. You're nothing like your snarky old man. I knew you could see my skills and talents!"

Mark indeed knew about Rocket's abilities, but it wasn't because of his keen judgment; rather, it was based on information from his previous life and what Baymax had told him. Regardless, Mark accepted Rocket's praise wholeheartedly.

"Plush toy, do you even know who you're talking about? Tony Stark, the greatest genius on Earth!" Tony puffed his chest out and retorted without hesitation.

"Hmph, then why wasn't it you who came up with the Time Heist plan? You even thought that time machines were nonsense just a moment ago. How does it feel to be proven wrong now?" Rocket was equally unyielding, giving it right back.

"You... you... you!" One was the Emperor of Snark in the cosmos, and the other was the King of Sass on Earth. At this moment, the battle of wits between the two sides finally ended.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Everyone, follow your assigned duties and start working," Mark intervened between the two, preventing their childish behavior.

Time passed quickly, and three days had elapsed since Mark officially initiated the Time Heist plan. However, in this short span of three days, Mark and his team had greatly increased their production efficiency through division of labor, as well as the utilization of various equipment. They had now almost completed the modification of the quantum tunnel.

Yes, modification! Scott proactively contributed the quantum tunnel that had already been built in Dr. Pym's mobile lab, significantly reducing the workload on Mark and accelerating the plan's progress.

Mark controlled a large number of micro-magnetic-axis robots to carefully disassemble the quantum tunnel from Dr. Pym's lab and transfer it to the indoor training ground at the Avengers' base.

To meet the needs of the Time Heist plan, they first replaced the power source. Originally, Dr. Pym had used Chitauri extraterrestrial batteries purchased from the Vulture, but later, in collaboration with Mark, had switched to Tony's newly invented Arc Reactor.

However, the new Arc Reactor was no longer sufficient for the design needs of Mark's plan. So, they decided to change the energy supply from a single core to a dual-core system. The Arc Reactor and a new Antimatter Energy generator would work together to provide continuous and stable power for positioning and navigation. This ensured that when they activated the quantum time tunnel, there would be enough power to generate the necessary energy output.

The modification of this part of the quantum tunnel was primarily done by Mark, Rocket, and Dr. Banner, while Tony was responsible for the design and development of protective suits for time travel and the positioning navigator for time-space travel.

The design of the protective suits was a walk in the park for Tony, who possessed nearly a hundred Iron Man suits. He completed the task effortlessly. As for the positioning navigator, since Mark had already conducted relevant theoretical research and provided precise mathematical models, the next step was to turn theory into reality and ensure the equipment's safety and stability. This wasn't a challenge for Tony.

"How's the progress? Everything going smoothly?" Captain, who had been absent from the base for a full three days, returned and visited Tony's lab.

"Going as planned. Mark has already laid the theoretical foundations for everything. If I couldn't complete the task now, it would be quite embarrassing, wouldn't it? And what about you? Where have you been these days? Not a trace of you anywhere," Tony replied, still focused on his work without looking up at the Captain.

"Well, I've been running a psychological counseling group at the Yankees' baseball stadium these days. It was the perfect time to catch up on some previously scheduled counseling work and sort things out. I can't neglect things on that end just because of the tasks here," Captain explained.

"Yeah, that sounds like you," Tony said, still concentrating on his work.

"I'm glad we can have this chat again."

"Me too. By the way, there should be a large cardboard box by the entrance of the lab, right where you're standing now. It's for you," Tony pointed to the location at Captain's feet. Indeed, there was a sizable box there, and it didn't seem light.

"For me?" Captain crouched down, opened the box, and exclaimed, "Tony, I'm undeserving..."

Captain looked at the items in the box with longing in his eyes, but his body showed no reaction. His outstretched hands, wanting to touch the contents, remained frozen in mid-air. Inside the box was none other than Captain's original shield—the Vibranium shield. It symbolized his role as Captain America, not to harm but to protect the righteousness in his heart and world peace.

However, during their confrontation over Bucky's issues, Captain believed he had betrayed his inner righteousness and felt he no longer deserved to use the shield. That's why he ultimately returned it to Tony, the son of Howard Stark who is the shield's creator.

"Take it. We've reconciled, haven't we? Besides, it was specially crafted by my father for you. I had to dig it out from the garage's junk pile with some difficulty. Otherwise, if little Morgan found it, she'd definitely use it as a sled," Tony explained.

"Thank you, Tony!" This time, Captain didn't hesitate and picked up the shield, wearing it on his left arm once again.

"Just keep it low-key, alright? Remember, I didn't prepare gifts for everyone. By the way, pass on a message to Mark for me: everything is ready, and we can start testing whenever!"

"Dad finally returned the shield to you."

Upon seeing Captain enter, Mark immediately noticed the tightly gripped shield in his hand, giving him the look of a complete Captain America.

"Yes, but Tony just told me to keep a low profile, and you spotted me right away. He won't give me a hard time, will he?" Captain was in a good mood and, unusually, engaged in banter with Mark.

"Well, not necessarily. After all, if you both don't wear your suits, Dad won't be a match for you. And if you both do wear your suits, he still won't be able to touch you.

If he's willing to shamelessly put on his suit just to bother you, then you can capture that moment and make it his dark history. I'm willing to pay a high price for it."

"Haha, it seems I can't match you and your father in terms of humor. Jokes aside, Tony asked me to come and tell you that he has completed his mission and is ready for testing."

"Got it. Captain, could you also help by informing Scott? Ask if he's prepared to become the tester for the Time Heist plan."

Scott was the designated tester for this Time Heist plan, primarily chosen because of his experience in entering the quantum realm and his proficiency in using Pym Particles for size manipulation.

However, this test was not without risks. While the quantum tunnel had been modified from proven technology to ensure the tester wouldn't be torn apart by temporal turbulence upon entry, if there were any issues with the newly developed time-travel positioning navigation device, Scott could end up in the wrong time or even be stranded in the past.

Given Scott's situation with a daughter, such an outcome was clearly unacceptable. So, even though Scott had volunteered to take on the role of the tester, Mark had asked him to carefully consider his own risk tolerance and allowed him some time to think it over.

This time, Captain didn't bring his beloved shield with him as he completed the task Mark had assigned to him. After carefully admiring the reclaimed shield, he gingerly placed it inside a capsule before approaching Scott's room.

Knock, knock, knock! "Scott, can I come in?"

Click — not long after, Scott opened the door and saw that Captain had come to visit. He quickly stepped aside to make room. "Captain! Of course, you can come in, but my room might be a bit messy..."

"Uh... 'A bit messy' might be an understatement," Captain remarked as he looked at the scattered clothes on the floor, food wrappers strewn on the bed and table, and a very strong odor of protein fermentation in the air. It was unclear what had gone bad.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I'm not usually like this, but these past few days, maybe because my daughter isn't with me, I couldn't control myself and indulged a bit too much," Scott explained with embarrassment as he closed the door behind him and joined Captain.

However, Captain looked around and shook his head. "Scott, deep down, you still haven't made a decision about whether or not to take on the testing task, to become the first tester for the Time Heist plan, have you? The mess in this room is just superficial; what's truly chaotic is your inner world."

Faced with Captain's question, Scott remained silent, unsure of how to respond. He knew deep down that he was the most suitable candidate for this testing role, and his hesitation wasn't because of the danger involved. It was more about how to express his inner thoughts and emotions.

In response to Scott's silence, Captain didn't show any disdain or anger. Instead, he smiled warmly and turned to gently pat Scott's shoulder.

"Though you haven't given a response, I can understand your feelings, Scott. You're not afraid or retreating due to the unknown dangers. Your hesitation comes from the fact that you've already lost so much but are also very fortunate not to have lost everything.

You're actually similar to Tony in wanting to undo the failures of five years ago but not wanting to lose the happiness you currently hold. But what sets you apart from Tony is that you're too kind, excessively so. You always think of others before considering your own circumstances.

It's precisely because of this personality trait that you lost your enviable job initially, got locked up in prison, but also gained the respect of Dr. Pym and the affection of Miss Hope. And now, it's making you entangled and hesitant."

Seemingly struck at the core by Captain's words, Scott could no longer maintain his silence. He reached out and grabbed Captain's arm, asking in a somewhat pleading tone, "Captain, what do you think I should do?"

"I can't make the decision for you, Scott. But if I were to offer a piece of advice, your hesitation on this matter has already revealed your inner choice. Don't overthink it too much. The Avengers aren't just made up of you as a superhero. Honestly, I kind of want to be the tester for this time. So, why don't you just let me take this opportunity?"

"Captain..." At this moment, Scott felt both touched and conflicted. He felt ashamed of his own selfishness, as his understanding Captain had voluntarily stepped forward to bear the risk and responsibility on his behalf, and yet he couldn't bring himself to voice his refusal.

"Don't be like this, Scott. I'm not joking or trying to take your place on a whim or because I see you struggling. It's been five years, which can seem both long and short.

During these five years, she was fortunate to escape the snap of Thanos but ultimately couldn't elude the passage of time. The dance we once promised to complete together remains my biggest regret towards her to this day.

If there's a chance to go back in time, it's truly a blessing for me. At least, I can repay the debt of over eighty years to her without any regrets," Captain said.

Scott knew who Captain was talking about. Anyone who had visited Captain's historical museum knew about his legendary love story with Peggy Carter. But almost no one knew that there was such a romantic promise spanning two centuries between them.

"Captain, if that's the case, then maybe I..."

Knock, knock, knock! Before Scott could suggest taking over the testing task, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

...

"So, the conclusion you three have reached is that Barton will be the tester, am I understanding correctly?" Mark asked, looking at Scott, Captain, and Hawkeye standing in front of him.

"Yes, that's right!" Scott nodded vigorously in agreement.

Just moments ago, in Scott's room, Captain and Scott had been discussing the transition of the testing task between themselves, not in the way you might think... no, it was a more voluntary handover. Just then, Hawkeye happened to come to Scott's room and knocked on his door.

Hawkeye's purpose was straightforward; he wanted to take on the testing task in place of Scott.

"Why?" Captain was the first to ask when he heard Hawkeye's intention.

"Isn't it more suitable for someone like me, who has nothing to lose and is expendable, to take on this risky job compared to Scott?" Hawkeye responded calmly to Captain's question.

However, his answer stirred waves of emotion in both Scott and Captain. They had never imagined that the man standing before them, who always appeared extraordinarily strong, harbored such a negative thought deep within him.

Perhaps it was because Hawkeye had hidden it so well all along, or maybe it was because, as a spy, he had grown accustomed to not revealing his emotions. Over the five years, even Captain, who often carried out peacekeeping missions alongside Hawkeye, hadn't detected his inner vulnerability.

Upon closer reflection, a man who had originally forsaken his glory and was enjoying the bliss of a family of five, lost all his beloved family members overnight. How could his heart possibly be without scars?

It's just that everyone has grown accustomed to his strong facade and hasn't delved deeper into the pain he bears alone.

"Barton, you're not someone who's expendable; you still have us. Every one of us in the Avengers is your concern, and we will always care about you. Don't underestimate yourself," Captain said.

"Captain is right. We're all one family. How could you ever be considered expendable?" Scott chimed in after hearing Captain's words.

"Thank you, but let me handle this testing task this time. I've made up my mind. Besides, I believe that even if the test doesn't succeed, and I'm lost in the past, you will surely find my location and bring me back, right?"

"Of course! I promise you this. Whether it takes a day, a month, a year, or even ten or a hundred years! If you truly don't return, even if it consumes the rest of my life, I will exhaust every means to get closer to you and bring you home."

"Captain, your word is enough for me!"

...

"Barton, even though you've made your decision, I still need to explain the risks of this test to you once more.

Although the time-travel positioning navigation device has undergone theoretical verification, proving its feasibility, it has never been practically tested. So, its absolute safety cannot be guaranteed.

If the navigation device fails during the test, you may end up in a completely wrong timeline, perhaps millions of years in the distant past. It's also possible that you won't receive a return signal, and you'll be stuck in the past timeline, awaiting rescue after we've fixed the malfunction.

Of course, both of these scenarios are very dangerous for you. So, if you're truly determined to accept this testing task, you must be mentally prepared to face unexpected situations."

"Don't worry, Mark. Dealing with unexpected situations has been my norm for decades before my life as a superhero, and it's what I excel at. I've always been mentally prepared," Hawkeye confidently responded.

"Haha, I almost forgot about that. Barton, you used to be a top-notch agent. In that case, let me tell you about some important things to consider for this testing task.

When you enter the quantum time tunnel, you may feel a bit disoriented and dizzy; these are normal physiological reactions.

Once time travel begins, if the navigation device functions correctly, you should appear at the designated point in time that we've set for you. Then, a few minutes later, the navigation device will automatically return you to a few seconds after you entered the quantum tunnel, which is the current time and space we're in."

"How's it going? Did you all understand?" Mark asked.

"No problem!" Hawkeye answered earnestly.

"Alright, go ahead and change into the protective suit and put on the time-space traversal positioning navigator. The test will officially begin in ten minutes.

Baymax, initiate the final safety check on the entire quantum time-space tunnel device before testing starts, ensuring the accuracy of parameter settings. Also, notify all members in the base to come here and witness this moment."

Ten minutes later, Hawkeye had already changed into the protective suit and was wearing the time-space traversal positioning navigator. The nanotechnology-based protective suit was very convenient to wear, and its predominantly white appearance was fresh and couldn't be more different from Tony's design style.

Now, all the other members had gathered here, filled with anticipation and a sense of worry as they waited for the test to begin.

Hawkeye greeted each member, then stood on the traversal platform, ready for the test.

With everything prepared, Baymax operated the entire system to initiate startup. Immense energy converged within the quantum time-space tunnel, and with a loud bang, the time-space entrance completed its opening and closing process, swallowing Hawkeye whole. The platform was now empty, with no sign of Hawkeye's presence. The success or failure of the test would become apparent a few seconds later, depending on whether Hawkeye reappeared before them.

On the other side, inside the time-space tunnel, Hawkeye wasn't feeling very comfortable. The intense pressure from the temporal energy, the erosion of his mind and will by the quantum energy, and the strong dizziness during the traversal process were making him extremely uncomfortable, even for a seasoned expert like him.

Fortunately, this process was very brief, and just when Hawkeye was about to reach his limit, he finally arrived at the destination of this test. The sensation of being back on solid ground gave him a newfound sense of life.

As he regained his composure and looked around at the surrounding environment, Hawkeye realized where Mark had chosen as the traversal point for him.

Not far away, from a house, came a voice that was both familiar and dearly missed...

"Layla!" Even though there was some distance between them, and the volume of the voice wasn't very loud, Hawkeye immediately recognized it as the voice of his daughter, Layla.

For the past five years, this voice had repeatedly appeared in his dreams. Countless nights, he had pursued the excitement brought by this voice, only to wake up with the disappointment of shattered hope, resulting in sleepless nights.

But in this moment, everything felt so real. He was so close to everything he had longed for; it was within his reach.

As it turned out, the traversal point Mark had set for Hawkeye was right next to the safe house where his family lived.

Hawkeye ran towards the direction of the voice, eager to catch even a glimpse of his wife and children. He longed to see them one more time.

However, just as he was about to reach the door of the safe house, the time-space traversal positioning navigator on his hand started beeping, indicating that it was time for him to return. The positioning navigator was about to take him back to his original timeline.

"No—Layla!" Hawkeye desperately lunged towards the door, trying to fulfill his last wish before the time ran out. But before his hand could grasp the doorknob, the powerful gravitational force of the quantum time-space tunnel had already acted on his body.

Whoosh! In an instant, just like when he arrived, Hawkeye disappeared from this timeline without leaving a trace.

Bang! Back on the traversal platform within the Avengers base, Hawkeye tumbled to the ground due to the dizziness caused by time-space traversal.

"Barton, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Natasha, who was closest to Hawkeye, rushed over to check on him, concerned about his condition.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy," Hawkeye replied, his excitement evident.

The reason for his excitement was that he had successfully returned. Although he hadn't been able to see his longed-for family, the fact that this test was successful meant that Mark's Time Heist plan was viable.

Hawkeye believed that in the not-so-distant future, he could reunite his family through his efforts. That's why he felt so excited. After responding to Natasha's concern, Hawkeye went straight to Mark and delivered the news that filled everyone with exhilaration: "The test was a success!"

Boom! After Hawkeye announced the successful test result, the atmosphere in the entire testing area instantly reached its peak, and the cheers of the few present created the illusion of a bustling crowd.

Once everyone had calmed down, Mark gathered everyone in the conference room to discuss the detailed execution plan for the next phase of the Time Heist Plan.

The first to speak was Captain America: "Now that the method has been successful, the next question is about the time and place. Almost every one of us has had contact with one of the six Infinity Stones."

"Or you can put it this way, we were almost killed by those darn Infinity Stones," Tony chimed in with a resentful tone, clearly not having a good impression of the Infinity Stones.

Seeing Tony going off-topic, Dr. Banner quickly took the lead and redirected the focus of the meeting.

"Regardless, even though we have an ample supply of Pym Particles that allow us to traverse back and forth in time to get the Infinity Stones, we need to create the most precise action plan due to our respect for the lives in other timelines and the potential risks of time travel."

"So, let's start with the Aether. Thor, Mark, what do you know about it?"

Among the group, Thor and Mark were the ones who had experience with the Aether, so Captain America directed his question to them.

Following Captain's gaze, the others also turned their attention to the two. Thor had certainly transformed since a few days ago.

With the watchful eyes of his teammates and the assistance of Mark's advanced technology, Thor was now starting to regain some of his former godly appearance. Although he still had a hefty build and hadn't fully shed the excess weight.

"Where should I begin? Firstly, the Aether isn't a gem; it's more like a puddle of goo..."

"...Let me correct that, Thor. The Aether is, in fact, a dispersed dark matter composed of countless quark-level tiny particles."

"Alright, I don't understand what you're saying, but anyway, my grandfather once defeated the Dark Elves and sealed the Aether. But due to the Nine Realms convergence, my ex-girlfriend, Jane, accidentally came into contact with the Aether, and it entered her body."

"Wait a minute! You broke up? Why haven't I heard you mention this before?" Tony interjected once again.

However, this time, even Dr. Banner couldn't resist wearing a gossipy expression as he looked at Thor.

"..." At this moment, the atmosphere in the conference room plummeted to freezing levels. Thor stood there stiffly, overcome with embarrassment, not knowing how to respond.

"Well, maybe we should continue discussing the Infinity Stones. Let's pretend we didn't hear about Thor's love life..."

What caught everyone off guard was that Mark's attempt to defuse the situation caused Thor to break down like a child, sitting on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably.

Watching Thor's emotional breakdown, Mark innocently remarked, "Did I say something wrong...?"

After a lot of effort and with the combined strength of everyone, they finally managed to comfort the sobbing Thor.

"Alright, let's continue our discussion about the Infinity Stones. Rocket, Baymax, Is it true that you came together because of the Power Stone before the official formation of the Guardians of the Galaxy."

"Yes, initially, Baymax was the first to come into contact with the Power Stone. Of course, at that time, it was still known as the Cosmic Orb, and no one knew its true danger.

Later, the members of our Guardians of the Galaxy formed bonds one by one because of the Cosmic Orb, and during our adventures, we gradually understood the severe threat that the Power Stone, as the energy core of the Cosmic Orb, posed to the entire universe.

So, after some real-world struggles and ideological clashes, we decided to entrust the Power Stone to the Nova Corps on Xandar. In other words, if we want to go back in time, we definitely shouldn't choose the period with the fiercest struggles or the time when everything has already settled.

The best choice is to take the Power Stone that was sealed on Morag."

Although Captain directed the question to Rocket and Baymax, the lively Rocket didn't give Baymax a chance to speak and explained the entire process and conclusion by himself.

"Thank you for your fantastic speech, Rocket. Now that the issue of the Power Stone is settled, let's move on to the Soul Stone.

Among the people present, apart from those who battled Thanos and saw the Soul Stone embedded in his Infinity Gauntlet from afar, I believe none of us have had close contact with the Soul Stone.

Nebula, it seems like you're the only one among us who knows something about the Soul Stone."

Nebula received a meaningful look from Captain, nodded, and began to speak, "Thanos once sent me and Gamora to track the traces of the Soul Stone. As the least seen and most mysterious among the six Infinity Stones, it took us considerable effort to find some clues about the whereabouts of the Soul Stone.

However, Gamora was always discontent with Thanos's ambitions and kept the information hidden after we found it. She didn't tell anyone until the day Thanos took me hostage and forced her to reveal the location of the Soul Stone—Vormir."

"Vormir? Is it another planet like Morag?" Natasha, who was listening attentively to each person's speech and taking notes, asked.

"Yes, Vormir is a deathly place at the center of the universe. It's where my sister Gamora was killed by Thanos."

"I'm sorry, Nebula, for bringing up painful memories. Alright, let's continue discussing the next Infinity Stone." Captain, true to his role, quickly shifted the topic while also offering comfort to Nebula.

But at this moment, Natasha, who had been diligently taking notes, stood up and said, "There's no need to continue the discussion, Captain. We've already determined the spacetime coordinates to obtain the three Infinity Stones that we haven't come into contact with outside of Earth.

The remaining three Infinity Stones—Time Stone, Space Stone, and Mind Stone—are ones we have encountered. The Space Stone and Mind Stone both appeared simultaneously in New York during the first major battle when the Avengers were formed.

And the Sorcerer Supreme, who guards the Time Stone, has a mystical sanctum in New York as well. This means that if we choose the right moment and are lucky enough, we can obtain all three Infinity Stones in the same timeline!"

With these words, everyone was astonished! It turned out that having a good memory was indeed better than a poor pen, as Natasha's meticulous record analysis led her to the optimal solution that killed three birds with one stone.

Of course, Mark, who had memories from a previous life, had already thought of this. The reason he didn't speak up earlier was twofold: he wasn't one to seek the spotlight, and he was grappling with a troubling question in his mind.

"Wait a moment, everyone! I've a question, and I hope you can help me answer it. If our plan to go back in time and obtain all six Infinity Stones is feasible, why don't we simply travel through time, find baby Thanos, and just... click!"

Rhodey demonstrated this quite graphically by making a twisting motion with his hand, implying that they could eliminate baby Thanos before he grew up to carry out his genocidal plan.

"Oh, oh, oh! Rhodey, I can't believe you'd suggest something so cruel! While adult Thanos was indeed despicable, we can't pass judgment on him before he committed his crimes; that's too harsh.

And the rules of time operation aren't as you imagine them to be. Changing the past doesn't necessarily affect the future we currently inhabit. Maybe you've seen a lot of Hollywood time-travel movies, and in those films, your method might work.

But don't forget that those movie scripts were created by writers who study language and artistic expression, not scientists who study mathematics and physics. The rules of time may be linear, but that doesn't mean changing the past will alter our future here."

"The true result is that when you change the past, a completely new timeline is created starting from that point in time. In that timeline, there will be a future entirely different from ours, but these two are parallel lines.

You can go back to the past countless times and make changes, but it will only give rise to countless parallel timelines at that specific point in time, without any impact or change on our current situation.

So, Mark's initial plan of Time Heist was aimed at retrieving the Infinity Stones, not dealing with baby Thanos.

Although the Infinity Stones we obtain from the past do not belong to our timeline, their effects can indeed influence our current spacetime."

Dr. Banner, who holds seven doctoral degrees, explained succinctly to Rhodey. But it wasn't just Rhodey who felt enlightened after Banner's explanation.

It appeared that, aside from Mark, Tony, and Dr. Banner, the others had more or less entertained thoughts similar to Rhodey's.

Now that Rhodey had brought up the question, Dr. Banner's perfect explanation helped everyone thoroughly resolve their doubts, undoubtedly removing a potential crisis from the implementation of the Time Heist plan.

The equipment and devices for safe time travel had already been completed, the best moments to obtain the six Infinity Stones had been determined, and all the problems had been perfectly resolved.

"Next, it's time to redeploy the team and plan the tasks for each squad."

In fact, the team assignment for the Time Heist plan had already been in Captain's mind.

In his view, for this plan to collect all six Infinity Stones, they needed to travel to four different locations at the respective time points: New York, Asgard, Morag, and Vormir.

For the Asgard mission, Thor was undoubtedly the first choice without question. After all, among everyone present, no one understood Asgard's situation and the events at that specific time point better than him. The home-field advantage was just too obvious.

However, to ensure the mission's success, it wasn't prudent to let Thor go alone. So Captain's idea was to have Rocket and Baymax accompany him on the mission. The three of them had worked together before, were familiar with each other, and their personalities and abilities complemented each other. Captain believed that their trio could successfully retrieve the Reality Stone.

Next were the two Infinity Stones on Morag and Vormir. Both of these locations were in deep space outside of Earth, and they were separated by a considerable distance.

However, because the Soul Stone on Vormir had a very flexible time point, these two missions could be executed simultaneously in terms of time.

Once the mission team traveled together to Morag, they would then split into another team and board a spaceship to head to Vormir, each team completing their respective tasks.

Since there were no enemies or dangers at the selected time points for these two locations, Captain decided to send Nebula, Rhodey, Natasha, and Hawkeye to carry out the mission.

Natasha and Hawkeye had a long-standing synergy built over time, and Nebula could provide them with the necessary guidance for space travel. As for Rhodey... well, Captain simply didn't know where to assign him, so he decided to include him as an extra.

As for the final three Infinity Stones located in New York, it was only fitting that the task would be undertaken by Captain himself, Tony, Dr. Banner, Ant-Man and Mark. Ant-Man, with his ability to shrink and past experience in theft, was a valuable addition to the team for their mission.

After Captain shared his thoughts, everyone nodded in agreement and approved of the team assignments. However, Captain didn't reveal the real reason for Rhodey's assignment and instead fabricated a well-intentioned lie.

Just when everyone thought everything was settled and they could start preparing for the mission, Mark spoke up with a different opinion.

"I think the team assignments could use some minor adjustments, maybe to achieve better results."

"Oh?" Captain showed no signs of discontent with Mark's opposition and instead looked directly at him, saying, "Mark, if you have any suggestions, please feel free to share. We can brainstorm together to come up with the most perfect and highest success rate plan."

"Well," Mark nodded and continued, "I believe that we can swap Baymax and Nebula's positions in the teams, and also swap me and my dad with Natasha and Barton."

"Could you explain your reasons?"

"Nebula isn't very skilled at communication and teamwork, but being with her old friend Rocket should make task execution smoother. As for Natasha and Barton, they both participated in the Battle of New York in the original timeline, and they can easily replace me and my dad in completing the mission. As for the Soul Stone, you can entrust that to us."

In the end, Mark didn't explain why he wanted to swap the mission to Vormir with his father, Tony, and even the reasons he provided for adjusting the team configurations weren't one hundred percent truthful or complete.

The real reason Mark wanted to reassign Nebula from the Morag mission was his concern about the unexpected events from the original storyline. Because Nebula had undergone extensive cybernetic body modifications, she wasn't a purely carbon-based life form. Therefore, when two different versions of Nebula from different timelines came too close, they could experience memory sharing.

The climax battle occurs in the original storyline because the two Nebulas shared memories, allowing Thanos to discover the Avengers' Time Heist plan, leading to the final battle and Tony's sacrifice.

In order to prevent that, Mark wanted to avoid it from happening, he proposed swapping Baymax and Nebula.

As for Mark's voluntary request to exchange tasks with Natasha and Hawkeye, going to Vormir with his father Tony, it was entirely a decision made to prevent Natasha's sacrifice.

Since the beginning of the meeting, Mark had not spoken much. He had been pondering the issue of the Soul Stone on Vormir.

Mark didn't know whether the orchestrator of all these arrangements was the self-awareness of the Soul Stone itself or a powerful figure from a distant past with an unknown origin. However, there was an eternal and unchanging rule to obtain the Soul Stone on Vormir:

When two people embark on the journey, one of them must lose their beloved to a soul exchange.

The location of the Soul Stone on Vormir was marked by a massive sacrificial rune, and it required the sacrifice of a beloved soul to bring forth the hidden Soul Stone from the void.

If things proceeded as originally planned, with Natasha and Hawkeye going together, the outcome would still result in either Natasha's sacrifice or, alternatively, Hawkeye sacrificing himself. Neither of these were outcomes Mark wanted to see.

However, after a long and meticulous contemplation, Mark discovered a potential loophole in this eternal and unchanging rule, one that might allow him to turn the tide. To seize this slim chance, only he and Tony could accomplish it.

This loophole was...