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Silence, chaos, savagery, chilling cold, the endless starry sky!
By naked-eye observation alone, it is hard to discern what kind of raging undercurrents lie hidden beneath this silent cosmos, or just how terrifying it truly is, terrifying enough to freeze life in an instant.
Viewing it from the deck, peering through that layer of special glass at the unmarked starfield outside, what one feels more is a sense of serenity, grandeur, vastness, and majestic mystery.
It's just that, after seeing such scenes too many times, boredom is ultimately inevitable.
But Pietro, whenever he has a moment, can't help wanting to press himself right up against the window, staring at the stars outside, letting his imagination run wild about something…
And now, clearly, it is no exception!
Even though he had just been beaten soundly by Arthur!
Yes, even during such a long journey, Arthur never once let up on tormenting him and Wanda.
Before meeting Arthur, Pietro couldn't have imagined, even in his dreams, that there could be someone like Arthur in this world.
His strength was so overwhelming that Pietro seriously suspected the guy could blow up a planet with a single punch. And as for speed, not only did he possess that terrifying, ghostlike instantaneous movement, but even in pure speed alone, he could completely crush Pietro.
And energy… his use and control of energy had once made Wanda doubt herself!
Just how unlucky did one have to be to run into a monster like Arthur?
By comparison, the starry sky outside felt so desirable, vast, flawless, filled with the scent of freedom!
Of course, even Pietro knew this was nothing more than idle fantasy. If the hatch were really opened, what awaited him would definitely not belated freedom, but the end of his life.
But he'd heard that Arthur could roam the universe relying solely on his physical body!
He seemed not to need to breathe, possessed endless resistance to all kinds of exposed cosmic radiation, and could even grow a pair of wings to fly recklessly through space.
"That guy is absolutely not human!"
In his discussions with Wanda, Pietro had learned another horrifying truth, that is…
Although there was still a big question mark over whether Arthur could really shatter a planet with a single punch…
This guy had, without a doubt, once devoured an entire planet!
Just what kind of terrifying existence was that?
"You really like the universe?"
A dreadful existence, a dreadful voice, suddenly sounded from behind him.
Pietro's entire body tensed instinctively. Without turning around, he saw Arthur in the reflection on the glass.
Leaning against the wall, looking at him with calm eyes.
Much as he hated to admit it, Pietro realized that when Arthur looked at him like this, he genuinely felt an inexplicable tension and fear. That definitely hadn't been there at the beginning, it had to be that bastard beating a psychological shadow into him.
Thoughts like these flooded his mind, making him forget to answer Arthur's question for a moment. To be precise, he almost forgot what question Arthur had asked in the first place.
"Peaceful starlight, dreamlike stars, things that were once far beyond reach are now right before our eyes… an experience like this really can make people addicted." Arthur's voice came again. "But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be. The calmer it looks, the more turbulent it is beneath the surface. The more tranquil it seems, the more chaotic it actually is…"
Pietro frowned. "That's not absolute, is it?"
"It's not absolute." Arthur took a couple of steps and came to Pietro's side. "It's just that many things can be explained with these words. Maybe they'll help you keep your life at a critical moment."
Pietro let out a soft breath, then gathered his courage and turned to look at Arthur. "Why?"
"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face.
Pietro shook his head and said, "Actually, I've never really understood. Why did this journey have to happen? Why leave peaceful Earth and come into the universe? You know, right now I feel like I've been abandoned. If, if I wanted to leave this spaceship right now, even if I didn't die in space, I'd still be filled with despair, because I wouldn't be able to find my way home at all."
"Like being stranded in the middle of the ocean?" Arthur said with a smile. "I can understand how you feel."
"That's why I'm even more confused," Pietro continued. "Up until now, you've never said why this adventure had to happen. I know it's because of Hydra's former leader, which is why there's this journey, or expedition, but I still don't understand whether this is really necessary. He's someone from seventy years ago. Even if he does show up, so what? What I mean is, if one day he really appears on Earth, there's no problem with us going together to take him down. But right now, roaming through the universe, heading toward an unknown direction to search for a former enemy… is that really necessary?"
What he said was rather disorganized, as if he hadn't properly sorted out his thoughts.
After a brief pause, he added, "After all, no one is forcing you to do this."
Arthur smiled. "First of all, what makes me happy is that you're at least starting to see us as a whole now, using words like 'we go together to take him down' is very comforting to hear. Second, it's true that no one is forcing me to do anything. But if, in everything you do, you always rely on others to push or force you, instead of taking the initiative yourself, then you'll always be at a disadvantage. Grasping the situation, striving forward toward a goal, that's the attitude a mature man should have."
Pietro curled his lips, about to speak, when Arthur suddenly raised his wrist. A communication interface appeared in front of him.
Natasha's image appeared before Arthur. "You probably wouldn't believe it, but Bucky is back."
Arthur blinked and was just about to speak when another call came in. He glanced at it and saw Tony's avatar.
He looked at Natasha. "What kind of outcome?"
"A pending outcome…" As soon as Natasha finished speaking, Arthur cut the connection, then accepted Tony's call.
"I can't accept it, and I refuse to forgive him," Tony said, looking at Arthur. "But… I didn't kill him. If you compare him to a weapon, then to me, he's an unparalleled abomination. Still, I'm not so deranged as to ignore the real enemy and swing the butcher's knife at nothing more than a weapon. So I demand the destruction of Hydra!"
"Alright."
Arthur answered without the slightest hesitation, clean and decisive.
(End of chapter)