548. Departure!

Outside the timeline, the House of Mystery.

After taking over the mission from Alex, Pietro had been in a state of excitement. Although it was just a simple diplomatic task, for him, it was the first time he was acting independently.

Pietro was the team leader for this mission. Kara and Ashley were companions, but both were considered subordinates. Kara likely understood that Alex intended to train Pietro, so she didn't offer any unsolicited advice.

Behind the scenes, Kara had been studying a lot of diplomatic knowledge and trade experience, all taught by Stark. Luthor also provided her with several books.

In the transcendent space of the House of Mystery, she had plenty of time and energy to assimilate all this knowledge.

While Kara was packing up, there was a sudden knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," Kara raised her head.

The door opened, and it was none other than her neighbor, Ashley.

Since deciding to join the Overseers, Ashley had completely moved out of the Wasteland Universe. As she put it, she didn't feel any "home" in the Wasteland, and it was hard for her to form any close feelings for her parents.

Perhaps it was due to her upbringing, but Ashley was quite indifferent to family and emotions. In fact, compared to her biological parents, it seemed that Pietro, who called her "crazy-btch," was the one who could make her heart flutter.

"Are you ready, Kara?" Ashley pushed the door open and casually pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Of course, Luthor has already sent the documents. Once Pietro is ready, we can leave at any time."

Kara didn't mind how Ashley addressed her. She wasn't sure if it was because of the familiar relationship, but Venom seemed to have loosened up and started giving people strange nicknames.

Eventually, Ashley started using these nicknames too.

It could be said that everyone in the Overseers, and even the heroes in the Wasteland, had a nickname given by Venom—except for one person: Alex.

"I can feel it, Pietro is really nervous," Ashley sighed.

"That's normal. You can't stay in your comfort zone forever. If he wants to become a part of the Overseers, he has to take this step," Kara replied, putting down the book she had been reading.

"I understand. I just want to help him. Seeing him under so much pressure, I really want to share the burden, but I'm so stupid. I can't learn like you guys; I just can't get anything right."

Ashley lowered her head, a touch of melancholy on her face.

Through the House of Mystery, Ashley had finally seen her grandfather's image for the first time—not from someone else's stories or from comics, but by truly witnessing it through past timelines.

Ashley had admired her grandfather, Peter Parker, since she was a child. She looked up to Spider-Man as her idol and hoped that one day, she could become such a great hero.

But after watching her grandfather's life unfold time and time again, she realized just how brilliant Peter Parker was, while she felt how weak she was.

When Peter Parker was young, he was a kind and loving child. In high school, he even crafted his own web-shooter.

In fact, if Peter Parker wanted to, the patent for that device alone could have made him a fortune, but he didn't do that. Instead, he quietly took on the role of a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

He risked his life countless times, always at the forefront of the fight against evil. Even when he sacrificed himself, it was for the sake of saving others.

On the other hand, looking at herself, after so many years in the Wasteland, she had achieved nothing. She lacked knowledge, and without Venom's help, she couldn't even shoot webs.

Kara placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, okay? In a team, everyone has their own role. As long as you do your part, that's already impressive enough."

"But I really want to help Pietro. I don't want to hold him back," Ashley pouted.

"I think you've already changed a lot. At least you're not that foul-mouthed little girl from before, are you?" Kara smiled slightly and continued.

"I totally understand how you feel. Sometimes, I also wish I could keep up with Alex, but you know that's impossible. So, we need to find other ways to contribute."

"Like what?" Ashley raised her head.

"This mission is a great opportunity. As part of the Overseers, we can't leave everything to Alex. Completing these relatively simple tasks is also a way to help," Kara said with a smile.

"And if you want to help Pietro, start with the little things. I bet this guy never thought about whether he has a gift prepared for seeing old friends again."

"Yes, a gift!" Kara's words reminded Ashley, and she immediately jumped up. "This is a major operation involving two universes. We should be prepared with enough sincerity!"

With that, Ashley hurriedly ran towards the door. Just as she was about to open it, she suddenly stopped.

After a brief pause, Ashley turned around and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Kara, you're becoming more and more like Alex."

Hearing this, Kara also smiled.

Meanwhile, in the basement of the Hong Kong Temple in the Wasteland Universe, Alex was already on the "Hogwarts Express," accompanied by Billy Batson and the Fantastic Twins.

"Are you sure this is the right state? I feel like this train is going to fall apart any minute."

Feeling the whole train shaking slightly, Billy Batson clung to the seat, his face full of anxiety.

"Don't worry, senior~"

The thirteen-year-old Brainstorm stood in front of the driver's seat, continuously pressing buttons on various controls, her eyes flicking back and forth between them.

"It's just a dimensional travel machine. My dad's research is based on my homework assignments, but clearly, he didn't follow my design strictly. This is practically a regression in physics."

Looking at the blonde girl in a white battle suit, Billy Batson twitched his mouth.

"Girl, I mean, ma'am, you should know that our destination is a magical dimension, right? This doesn't seem to have anything to do with physics."

The Brainstorm stopped her actions and turned her head, giving Billy Batson a deadpan look. "If you actually paid attention in school, you'd understand that science and magic are two sides of the same coin. It's just energy conversion."

"Huh?" Billy tilted his head, looking at Alex.

"Don't look at me. I'm a dropout after nine years of compulsory education," Alex shrugged.

Shaking her head in exasperation, the Brainstorm returned her focus to the control panel and continued explaining.

"Everything in this world is about energy, so science and magic are essentially the same. To primitive people, if you stand in front of them with a flashlight, you would be worshipped as a sun god.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is actually based on basic soul magic. We just use formulas and data to structure it. In other words, isn't magic just a formula?

As long as it follows the rules, science and magic are the same. The difference is only in the methods. The two complement each other—pure technology and pure magic rarely lead to good outcomes."

"That makes sense," Billy Batson said, although he didn't understand a word of it. He still looked as though he had come to some great realization.

In the seat next to him, Franklin, the psychic, nudged Alex with his finger. "Are we really taking this person with us? They don't look reliable at all."

"Hey! I heard that!" Billy quickly turned his head.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Billy is a trustworthy guy."

Looking at the two children who were five years younger than him, Billy Batson was almost driven mad. He couldn't understand where Alex found these child prodigies. It was so discouraging.

He had been somewhat looking forward to his upcoming adult birthday, but now, standing in front of these geniuses, he felt that being an adult might just make him feel even more embarrassed.

While Billy Batson sulked, the Brainstorm snapped her fingers.

"Done!"

"Really? Can we start the activation now?" Alex asked, looking over.

"Yes, I've finished the adjustments. Since this is the first time using this thing and it wasn't built with my direct involvement, I needed to familiarize myself with it. But I've figured it out now—Dad's thoughts are so easy to guess~"

The Brainstorm smiled slightly, though disappointment was clearly visible in her expression. It seemed that the device created by Reed Richards and Tony Stark didn't meet her expectations.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's get started," Alex said eagerly, crossing his arms.

Being with these three kids had made Alex feel younger himself, more lively and outgoing.

"Alright, all passengers, please prepare yourselves. Our interdimensional journey is about to depart!" The Brainstorm climbed onto a small stool and pulled the horn above her head.

Woo—woo—woo—!

A deep blue light emerged from the front of the train, spreading along the runes on its surface, shining and shimmering.

At the same time, the whole train shook even more violently, and clouds of steam, composed of unknown materials, billowed out.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. There's a wall ahead!!"

Billy Batson clung to the nearby pillar, his body stiff as a sloth.

"Here we go, hahaha~"

The Brainstorm, completely unfazed by Billy's panicked cries, swayed her body to the rhythm, like a DJ standing in front of the control panel.

In an instant, the train shot forward, heading straight for the Great Wall!

Alex and Franklin laughed excitedly.

"Hahahaha."

Billy, on the other hand, screamed loudly.

"Aahhhhh——!!"

.....

📢Advanced chapters on p@treaon📢

For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

1. 30 advanced chapters of American Comics: Multiverse of Madness.

2. 30 advanced chapters of Warhammer, but Emperor's Chosen.

3. 20 advanced chapters of The Witcher: Wolf School's Hunting Notes.