112

Chapter 112: Avengers Assemble?

Theoretically, there are infinite timelines, and only a few may experience abnormalities. However, to detect these anomalies in a timely manner, all timelines must be monitored.

This requires substantial manpower and resources, far beyond what a single time administration or organization can provide.

Thus, a special role was created: the Time Observer.

Each timeline has a corresponding observer to monitor for abnormalities. In theory, with countless timelines, there would be countless observers.

The birth of observers is random. They may come from any individual in the corresponding timeline.

As it happens, the observer in this timeline is a clone of Peter Parker.

"The danger comes from my identity, Peter Parker," the observer said, stepping out of the rectangular door.

"According to the timeline, he should have turned into a lizard and died in the arms of Gwen Stacy, but one day, everything changed."

"That day, he seemed to transform, gaining immense power and becoming Black Superman. Under his influence, the timeline underwent countless changes."

"Black Superman? What powers did he gain?"

"Unparalleled strength, endurance, speed, defense, flight, perception, heat vision, and he seems to grow stronger by the moment. So far, there have been several power surges," the observer explained. "In fact, I am puzzled. Such a timeline is to be pruned. Why to attack the anomaly "

"This is an order from above," the leader replied, looking at everyone. "We don't need to question it. We just need to know that our goal this time is to deal with Black Superman and arrest him. This is crucial."

"He is different from the time criminals we've faced before. We must first lurk and then take him by surprise. Remember, before we put the collar on him, he can destroy us at any time! And only if we fail will we consider destroying the timeline."

"Then what should we do?" asked the soldier.

The leader replied, "The current timeline should be close to when the Avengers first assembled. This might be our opportunity."

High in the sky, unseen by anyone, Peter stood in the clouds, quietly watching.

---

The Cosmic Cube has awakened, and it is in the human world.

Humans want to harness its power, but they will not succeed. Only our allies can harness it.

He will be the vanguard, and our Chitauri army will follow.

Give him an Earth, and we will have the universe.

As for humans, what else can they do but wait for death?

S.H.I.E.L.D. underground base.

For a long time, they had a problem: they possessed the Cosmic Cube but couldn't use it.

Since the deaths of Howard Stark and other senior figures, they hadn't found a suitable person to study it.

In the MCU, S.H.I.E.L.D. found Dr. Selvig in "Thor," but in this world, they missed him due to Peter's interference.

A few days ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. found a barely suitable candidate: The Leader.

The Leader's extremely high intelligence made him more than capable of studying the Cosmic Cube, better than most people on the planet, but he was a bit uncontrollable.

This was nothing in the eyes of the conceited S.H.I.E.L.D., who often saw only the huge benefits.

Just now, the Leader detected an abnormal energy fluctuation from the Cosmic Cube, causing researchers in the entire base to evacuate. At the same time, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson arrived.

"The Cosmic Cube started on its own? What energy level has it reached now?" Fury asked.

"It's still climbing. The Leader concluded that someone may have activated the Cube elsewhere," Coulson said.

"Damn it, the Cube is here with us. Are you saying someone can remotely activate it through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s countless defenses?"

"That's probably not what he meant."

"Forget it, when can our people evacuate?"

"Within half an hour."

"Faster. Move all the equipment in the second stage simultaneously," Fury ordered, then went to the location of the Cosmic Cube.

The Leader was controlling the equipment there.

S.H.I.E.L.D. monitored him closely, even restricting his telepathy with corresponding equipment.

"I can't stop it," the Leader said when Fury arrived.

"Are you kidding?"

"I'm serious, it's out of control now."

"Then cut off its power supply."

The Leader looked at Fury with a frustrated expression. "Don't you know, it's a power source itself."

"."

After the Leader showed off his superior intellect, he continued, "I've been here too short a time to finish the calculations. I only know it's releasing interference and gamma energy rays. Don't worry, the levels are low and harmless."

"."

Fury realized he was only exposed to the Leader's constant display of intelligence, so he wisely ignored him and found Hawkeye, who had been lurking nearby.

"Didn't I ask you to monitor the Leader?"

"You can see more clearly from a distance. He has no problems."

"What about the Cosmic Cube?"

"It activated suddenly. Didn't the Leader say someone might be activating it from the other side?"

At this moment, the Cosmic Cube fluctuated again, this time opening an energy gate.

After a surge of energy, a figure walked out of the gate.

It was Loki, who had fallen into the void of the universe, encountered Thanos, and been sent back to invade Earth.

Loki, holding the scepter inlaid with the Mind Stone, looked around at the retro mechanical equipment and the crowd surrounding him. He realized he had finally returned to the Nine Realms.

"Sir, please put down your spear!"

In the crowd, he suddenly heard a commanding voice. He didn't hesitate. An energy ray shot from the scepter, and the battle began.

Firearms couldn't harm Loki.

Later, as in the MCU, he used the Mind Stone to control Hawkeye and the Leader. Although the Leader had telepathy, it was nothing compared to the Mind Stone.

The Cosmic Cube also fell into Loki's hands.

"Loki! What do you want to do?" Fury finally asked.

"Oh, you know me?" Loki looked at Fury.

"I didn't recognize you at first. You just looked familiar. Then I remembered that you, like Thor, had been punished by Black Superman."

"..." Loki was speechless.

He remembered when his butt was burned, and felt angry.

Damn, was his first appearance so awkward?

"Yes, I am Loki from Asgard," Loki gritted his teeth. "I have a mission to take revenge on the bastard who stole the throne and tried to kill me. I will prove to Odin who is truly worth trusting."

"And the first step I must take is to liberate you."

"Liberate us?" Fury didn't care about Asgard's family affairs. He was more concerned about the Earth's crisis.

"Of course, I will conquer you and free you from this nihilistic freedom," Loki said, ordering the Leader to act.

The Leader used telepathy to knock out several agents around him.

His abilities were naturally enhanced by the Mind Stone.

Loki was surprised and laughed. "Very good!"

Soon, Loki and his followers took the Cosmic Cube and left the underground base, which was destroyed in the portal's self-collapse and explosion.

Fury and the others narrowly escaped and continued to chase Loki by helicopter, trying to recover the Cube. However, they didn't expect Hawkeye to shoot an arrow and crash the helicopter.

Only then did Fury realize the pain of having his shooter taken by the enemy.

But the situation was beyond his control. He mobilized manpower to rescue those buried in the underground base and searched for the Cosmic Cube.

Finally, he said, "Coulson, let's go back to the base. This is a level 7 incident. We're going to war!"

"What should we do?" Coulson asked.

Fury was silent for a moment and said, "It's time to call in the soldiers."

---

Stark Tower.

Tony Stark hadn't had an easy time lately. It was actually quite miserable.

Pepper Potts finally discovered the truth. Tony always knew this day would come, but he never wanted to face it.

But now, even if he didn't want to face it, he had to.

No matter how much he hid, unless he truly dumped Pepper and went somewhere far away, he would be caught eventually.

But if he really ran away, Pepper would definitely break up completely in anger, and there would be no chance for them. This was not what Tony wanted.

So, after struggling for a long time playing hide-and-seek, Tony was finally caught.

At this moment, he had never been so well-behaved. He sat awkwardly on the sofa, carefully looking at Pepper's cold face beside him.

Jarvis suddenly appeared and said, "Sir, Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D. called, and he insists on seeing you."

Tony's eyes lit up, "Very good. I mean, he came at the wrong time. There's nothing we can do about it. I can only go and see him. S.H.I.E.L.D. usually doesn't come to me unless it's a big deal!"

"Really?" Pepper asked suddenly.

Tony stopped immediately and said, "Okay, just tell him I'm not available."

"Sorry, sir, I can't help you with that."

"."

The atmosphere fell into a solemn silence again. Tony felt that time passed so slowly. Every minute and second was torture.

Finally, he couldn't help but break the silence. "Um, Pepper? I'm a little thirsty, would you like a glass of water?"

After saying it, he cursed himself for being stupid. He couldn't even talk now. He couldn't even speak properly.

Sure enough, Pepper sneered. "You want to drink water now? Aren't you afraid your bladder won't hold up later?"

Tony said nonchalantly, "Dear.."

### Revised Chapter

"Who is it? Your dear?"

Tony took a deep breath and nudged forward tentatively. When he found that Pepper didn't refuse, he nudged again.

As he got closer to Pepper, he carefully stretched out his hand and placed it on her thigh. Seeing no resistance, he was ecstatic, though he maintained a calm exterior.

"Of course it's you. Who else could it be?"

According to the usual routine, Pepper should give in and then the two of them would reconcile.

Damn it, why hadn't he realized it would be so simple before! If he had known, he wouldn't have hidden his feelings for so long.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Pepper suddenly said, "I'm pregnant."

"Yeah, of course, you're pregnant." Tony started, but then he froze, standing up abruptly and stepping back. "What did you say? You're pregnant!?"

Pepper saw Tony's reaction, and she couldn't tell if she was pleased or upset. "Yes, it was when we were on vacation."

"Wait, I remember taking protective measures at that time."

"Yes, but I thought you were not going to survive, and I wanted to leave you a part of me. So I secretly pierced a hole."

"."

Tony collapsed back onto the sofa, lifeless. "How is that possible?"

The news came so suddenly that he couldn't react immediately.

In truth, as an experienced playboy, he knew about this tactic. Many women tried to get pregnant by rich men to secure their future. Naturally, he took full precautions to avoid such a situation.

But because the person involved was Pepper, he had been careless.

"Is it so difficult for you to accept that I'm pregnant with your child?" Pepper looked at Tony, disappointment flashing in her eyes.

"No, I just need a moment to process this." Tony wiped his face. "You know I'm not ready yet."

Pepper's hope dimmed. "So, what do you want to do?"

Tony was asking himself the same question. Suddenly, he was going to have a son or daughter, but he wasn't prepared to be a father. He doubted he could be a good one.

He thought of his father, Howard. In some ways, he had perfectly inherited from his father, but family education was blank. Howard didn't care much for him while alive, and after his death, Tony had no guidance.

This was one reason Tony was slow to start a family and have children. He hesitated and even feared it.

But he couldn't blame Pepper. She didn't know the truth at the time and thought he was dying. Under such circumstances, she was still willing to have his child. What could Tony say?

His emotions were complicated: hesitant, resistant, confused, moved, and expectant. He couldn't calm down.

As time passed, Pepper became more disappointed. Maybe she expected too much. She hoped Tony would mature, but he was still the same.

She finally sighed and said, "I understand, Tony. I'll resign from Stark tomorrow."

"Let's get married," Tony said suddenly.

Pepper was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"Let's get married, Pepper," Tony repeated. He walked back to her, knelt on one knee, held her hand, and said, "You know my background. I've always been afraid of starting a family. I'm not ready. But if it's you, I think I can try. Marry me, Pepper."

Pepper withdrew her hand, covering her mouth in excitement. She looked at Tony with sparkling eyes.

Tony scratched his head, annoyed. "Damn, it shouldn't be like this. My proposal should be grand and romantic." He looked at Pepper. "Or maybe the one just now doesn't count. I'll prepare a grander one another day."

Before he could finish, Pepper kissed him. They embraced and kissed. Tony gently patted her back. "I'm sorry, I've been such an ass. I failed you, Pepper."

"It's good that you know, so you can't be a lousy father."

"Of course, I swear, I'll be the best father in the world."

They were deeply affectionate when Jarvis's voice interrupted, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't want to disturb you, but my program has been rewritten because of your call."

"."

"Stark, I'm in a hurry." Coulson's voice came directly. Tony impatiently picked up the phone.

"I'm Tony Stark's living dummy. Please leave a message."

"It's urgent."

Pepper covered her mouth, eyes shining, giggling. Tony rolled his eyes and said into the phone, "Then hurry up."

The nearby private elevator opened, and Coulson walked out.

Tony was unhappy. "Security vulnerability?"

"We didn't do it on purpose."

"Maybe next time I visit SHIELD, I can unintentionally create some loopholes?"

Pepper welcomed Coulson warmly. "Phil, come in."

Tony was jealous. "Why are you calling him that?"

"I can't stay long."

"His name is Agent."

"Come in, we're celebrating."

"That's why he can't stay long."

After a mix of warm and less warm greetings, Coulson handed Tony a document. "Please look at this. The sooner, the better."

If it weren't serious, SHIELD wouldn't involve Tony given their current relationship.

"I don't like people handing me things," Tony said proudly.

"It doesn't matter, I like people handing me things," Pepper smoothed things over, taking the document and handing it to Tony. "Didn't you say SHIELD would only come for a big deal?"

The long-lost "honey" put Tony in a good mood. He said, "You should rest now, I'll handle this."

He looked at Coulson. "Wait here."

"."

Coulson hesitated. "Can you help us contact Black Superman?"

Tony didn't look up. "He'll appear when he wants to."

After greeting Tony, Coulson rushed to another superhero.

Compared to Tony's annoyance, he was excited this time. This mission involved bringing his idol, Captain America Steve, back to SHIELD headquarters.

Steve reviewed the SHIELD information. Some he had seen, some he hadn't.

"Looks like you've caused trouble again," he said.

"Strictly speaking, trouble has come to us," Coulson replied, excited. "Hello, it's an honor to officially meet you."

Steve looked at Coulson strangely.

Coulson became nervous and incoherent. "I mean, it's really an honor to have you join."

Steve smirked. "Will those guys join in this time?"

Coulson, stunned, realized who Steve meant. "This crisis might endanger the entire earth, and we need all our strength. It's time to save the world."

"I understand, but I think I may not get along with them," Steve hesitated.

He didn't bluntly say he couldn't work with Tony, but after the last incident, he had distanced himself from the Starks. He doubted he could collaborate with those who only cared about fun.

Steve had even revisited the girl resembling Carter, which made him feel even more conflicted.

Coulson didn't know this. To him, Steve was brilliant. "Captain, they are difficult, but don't they need your leadership?"

Steve couldn't ignore the world's safety. He sighed. "I understand, I'll try to get along with them."

Coulson was moved, seeing Steve as taking responsibility to save the world. 

---

After escaping SHIELD's underground base, Loki controlled militants, hijacked equipment, and set up a new base in an abandoned warehouse.

Loki sat on a stone pier, watching the busy men. His mind wandered.

The Mind Stone activated, pulling him into an illusion.

"The Chitauri are becoming impatient," the Chitauri leader pressed him again.

Loki replied, "Tell them to be serious. I will lead them to a glorious battle!"

"Battle? Those weak humans?"

"They are not weak. There's Black Superman. I hope your army is as invincible as you say."

He didn't know about Black Superman's battle with Odin, but the image of his burnt butt haunted him.

"How dare you question us? It was he who gave you the scepter and knowledge." The Chitauri leader scolded. "And you are an exiled, defeated loser."

"No! I am the king of Asgard!" Loki responded loudly.

Becoming the vanguard of invaders was burdensome for him. Previously, he just wanted his father Odin's approval.

Everything changed after Thor returned. Loki lost everything. Odin's focus shifted to Thor, leaving Loki jealous.

What hurt more was Thor wanting to kill him for the throne. Loki didn't care about the throne, but it was a way to prove himself.

He wanted to show Odin, his mother, and Asgard that he was the best.

He also cared about Thor, despite his envy. Thor trying to kill him felt like betrayal.

He only realized this when he felt suffocating disappointment.

He thought they were brothers, but now he felt wrong. Thor betrayed him.

Loki's biggest obsession now was revenge, making Thor feel his pain.

Though Thor had already felt deeper betrayal pain.

Loki said, "The throne should be mine, and I will punish the one who betrayed me."

"Haha," the Chitauri leader sneered. "Lead us to war. The master will assist you with Black Superman."