Rumble! Rumble!
Explosions shook the Earth continuously.
Hundreds of missiles streaked across the dark red sky, leaving bright white trails behind them. They collided midair with sharp whistles, detonating into fiery clouds that rose like blooming flowers.
Within the dense, fiery clouds, countless golden-red, white-black, and blue-white figures darted through the chaos. All wore Iron Man armor.
Some fought in pairs, others focused on a single target, coordinating attacks with precise timing. Though it seemed like scattered combat, their movements formed a massive battlefield reminiscent of a world war, with entire nations exchanging volleys of air-to-ground missiles.
From a distance, it looked apocalyptic, terrifying anyone who witnessed it. Legs would go weak, and flight would be tempting.
Yet, surprisingly, just a few kilometers away from the mushroom clouds, a cluster of buildings remained calm. Streets, skyscrapers, and sports fields stretched across the district. Despite the constant roar of explosions and whistling missiles, pedestrians continued walking, chatting, and laughing.
At an outdoor coffee shop near the battlefield, dust kicked up by missile impacts swirled around. When it settled, Captain America and Banner calmly lowered their parasols, brushing off debris. Banner moved the dust-covered coffee aside and raised a hand.
"Jarvis, bring another fresh cup, and charge the dusty one to Tony's tab."
"Certainly, Mr. Banner," a robot replied, emerging from behind the counter.
Captain America gestured toward his own cup. "Mine as well, thank you."
"Of course, Mr. Rogers. Two coffees, ten Dollars, charged to Tony Stark of S Universe."
The robot returned the coffee, cleaning the counter with a vacuum. Banner shrugged.
"Sorry, Captain, I forgot today is Iron Man Day again. They're bound to bombard this place."
Captain America waved it off. "No problem. I forgot too. I just returned from a mission on a Mutant Earth last night. After agreeing to your invitation, I went to sleep with Carter and didn't check the Dimension Calendar this morning."
He looked toward the distant red clouds. Towering mushroom clouds loomed, terrifying and deadly, yet his expression remained calm, unshaken, as though watching a neighbor's elderly aunt fry eggs on a coal stove early in the morning.
"If I had known today was Iron Man Day, I would have joined the live broadcast hall to bet on Tony," he joked.
"Haha, his odds are almost nonexistent now, aren't they?" Banner laughed. "On the other hand, our odds are still worth betting on."
The robot finished cleaning, brewed two new coffees, and delivered them to the table.
"Gentlemen, your fresh coffees. Should dust settle again, notify me, and I will continue charging Tony's account."
"Thanks, Jarvis."
Captain America sipped his coffee, eyes closed, savoring the aroma. After a moment, he sighed. "Magical coffee. It relaxes the mind, restores the body, makes one feel young. Five Dollars well spent every time."
"Indeed," Banner agreed, leaning back with a content hum.
"I heard the water used comes from Zeus Spring, placed by Malrick at the edge of the Dimension. It spans a million kilometers but diminishes with each use. That's why it costs five Dollars."
Banner nodded. "Some Superheroes from other worlds have even formed teams to search for it, though it'll be useless for them."
"Right," Captain America said. "Only authorized personnel can access jump points or open portals here. Even if they find the spring, they cannot take it back."
Banner shook his head. "I'm not optimistic either. The journey is long; even spaceships could spend decades searching without success. And by the time they arrive, the water may be gone."
Captain America was about to ask the reason for their meeting when a nearby table erupted in excitement.
"Hey, it's Hulk of S Universe!"
A familiar figure with blond hair approached, grinning. He draped an arm around Banner's shoulder.
"Thor?" Banner asked, surprised. "Uh, Party Thor, right? First time meeting you?"
"Of course! Everyone calls me Party Thor. Fifty percent of the parties here are mine!" Thor laughed and winked.
"Hulk… or Banner now, right? Last Hulk Day, you took first place, and I made a nice sum!"
Lowering his voice, Party Thor added, "Day after tomorrow is Hulk Day again. I'm betting on you to win—do your best! I'll call all of Zeus's concubines; it'll be spectacular!"
"Good… good," Banner muttered, managing a polite smile. After much effort, he returned Thor to his seat.
Banner took another sip of coffee. "Betty and I attended his party before, but… she hasn't let me go since."
Captain America smiled wryly. "These gods' parties are indeed… lively. Tony would probably enjoy them more, but Pepper keeps him in check. Still, many younger Tony variants attend."
Captain America finally asked, "Banner, what did you want to meet me about today?"
"Two days ago, Jarvis found a strange Earth and asked me to take some people to investigate," Banner explained. "We're all core TVA members now, with heavy responsibilities. We haven't seen each other in a while. I thought this would be a good chance to go on a mission together."
"I invited Wanda, Hawkeye, Tony… Now it's just you, Captain."
"They agreed?" Captain America asked, pleasantly surprised. "Of course, I'm in."
"That's perfect!" Banner said with a smile, finishing his coffee. "As soon as Iron Man Day ends, we set off together."
Boom!
Just then, a pure white beam of light cut through smoke and dust, splitting the sky and Earth. Small black dots scattered, flung kilometers away. Each dot was a Tony Stark variant in Iron Man armor.
As the beam faded, Jarvis's voice rang through every Time Tablet:
"Third Iron Man Day, final winner—Tony Stark of S Universe. Specific rankings are as follows…"