"Loki's appeared. That means the Battle of New York can't be far off," Lin Feng sighed. He'd been so immersed in studying the Notebook lately that he hadn't even noticed time had flown by so quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the climax of Marvel's first phase: *The Avengers*.
In his previous life, Lin Feng had only truly started paying attention to Marvel around this time.
Although Iron Man had already become wildly popular, Lin Fengge had been a bit slow on the uptake. After all, his childhood had been dominated by DC comics like Superman and Batman.
The tragedy was Warner's dogshit management policies, which kept rebooting those two characters endlessly. By the time Iron Man had gone from his debut to his death, they were still stuck in endless cycles.
Of course, Marvel later became a pile of shit too, shoving LGBT+ content into everything. Six of one, half a dozen of the other!
Both sides were equally rotten.
Why had he been transmigrated?
It was all because he'd criticized *Wonder Woman 2* as a terrible movie, and then suddenly found himself transported to this dangerous world.
The thought made him furious.
He could have been living a carefree life, but now he was forced to struggle.
Lin Feng was preparing to intervene. At first, he hadn't felt any deep connection to this world, treating it like a dream or a game, and subconsciously viewing its inhabitants as NPCs. But as time passed, this mindset gradually faded.
Even the coldest heart grows warm. Lin Feng was no exception.
Though he wasn't a Superman, unable to protect the entire Earth from every criminal, he couldn't stand by knowing the Battle of New York was coming and would cause massive casualties.
"I'm so rich, yet I'm still worrying about global safety. Give myself a pat on the back!" Lin Feng smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, the online furor intensified. As the video spread, it triggered a massive uproar.
A madman, who claimed to be a god, went on a killing spree in Germany before being apprehended by the arriving Avengers. Though many swore the madman had created numerous clones, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person, the world's population, desensitized by countless encounters with superheroes and supervillains, remained unfazed.
Meanwhile, aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, the Avengers gathered, utterly exhausted. They had just fought a brutal battle—not against Loki, but against each other.
After retrieving Loki and the Mind Stone Scepter, the artifact's influence subtly drove them into a heated dispute that escalated into open conflict. Even Tony Stark and Captain Rogers engaged in a fierce argument. The tension between them, already fraught with unresolved issues and the deaths of Tony's parents, was amplified by the scepter's power.
Wanda and Quicksilver, who had previously begun to reconcile with Tony, now found their deep-seated resentment completely overwhelming their minds, magnified by the Mind Stone's influence.
Bruce Banner even transformed into the Hulk on the spot, nearly demolishing the Helicarrier. Fortunately, Thor arrived in time to subdue him.
However, the battle left the Helicarrier severely damaged, nearly sending it plummeting from the sky.
This operation had not only failed to stop Loki but had also been outmaneuvered by him, and Loki had been easily rescued.
"We... we've been influenced, haven't we?" Black Widow Natasha said.
Nick Fury nodded, and the others realized that this was the only possible explanation.
Otherwise, why would such intense conflict suddenly erupt today when there had been nothing before? It was impossible to deny that there was a cause.
"It's the Mind Stone Scepter!" Bruce Banner declared. "Ever since the scepter was brought aboard the Helicarrier, I've grown increasingly agitated, until I finally lost control of my anger and let the Hulk loose!"
"Lin Feng didn't mention anything about this!" Hawkeye Barton complained.
"No, he might have said it!" Tony Stark interjected. "Remember how we were all so battered and bruised before the final showdown of the Battle of New York? Now we know why. It seems our counterparts in the original timeline went through the same thing. We were tricked by the same methods, twice! How ironic!"
The group suddenly recalled this. It did seem to be the case. Although Lin Feng hadn't dwelled much on the first Avengers assembly during the Battle of New York, the limited details he did provide suggested their condition wasn't optimal.
They hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now they realized many events must have occurred in between.
The irony was palpable. They had known about this for two years and prepared for today's battle for two years, only to fall for the same trap again.
Though they didn't know exactly how their original selves had failed, it was likely due to the same reason. Otherwise, why would the Avengers have suddenly fractured, allowing Loki to exploit the opportunity? At best, Hawkeye Barton might have resisted mind control, but the outcome would have been similar.
"We were still too complacent," Nick Fury said. "Ever since we obtained Lin Feng's diary, we've become too reliant on it. While everything he wrote turned out to be true, we've become so dependent on the information it provided that we've started to dismiss anything not mentioned. This is a dangerous habit, and we must learn from it!"
Fury continued, "Also, many of us thought we'd already figured out how to solve problems after getting the diary, which led to complacency. Take Loki, for example. We thought we were fully prepared, but what happened? Despite having the diary, we were still completely outmaneuvered by him."
The others nodded, feeling ashamed. They knew so much, had prepared in advance, and were fully aware of Loki's cunning and his Mind Stone Scepter. Yet they'd still assumed their elaborate trap would prevent his escape.
The result was a catastrophic failure due to overconfidence.
"But this time, we're much better prepared!" Tony Stark declared. "Loki's already at Stark Tower. Just as I predicted, he ultimately chose this place. *Hmph*, he really does love the spotlight, doesn't he?"
At that moment, Tony Stark received the information that Loki had arrived above Stark Tower. He had anticipated this and installed cameras throughout the building, making it easy to spot Loki.
"Prepare to move out. The worst-case scenario has already unfolded. We must defeat him before he makes things worse!" Captain Rogers declared.
Captain Rogers felt deeply ashamed, especially for being unable to control his anger. He knew he could have prevented this, but his emotions got the better of him.
Yet after this confrontation, their conflict seemed less intense—or perhaps it had simply been vented.
Their previous conflict over Winter Soldier Bucky had been suppressed by the global crisis, making it seem less intense. But now, the Mind Stone Scepter's influence had triggered a massive argument, even a physical fight. After the outburst, things felt slightly better.
As for the others, their own dark sides had all been brought to the surface.
No one is truly pure, for the people of this world are inherently complex. There isn't a single person who is pure and simple.
"I've found the source of the Gamma Rays too!" Bruce Banner said, looking at the computer inside the Helicarrier. "It's on the roof of Stark Tower!"
"Deploy satellite imagery!" Nick Fury ordered urgently.
Soon, satellite images appeared on the screen. They all saw it: the Space-Time Teleportation Device had indeed materialized above Stark Tower, and above the tower itself, a massive spatial rift had opened.
The outcome was the same as in the original timeline. Though the person Loki was controlling this time was different, the result remained unchanged.
"Figures..." Tony Stark said, speechless. "It had to be my place again, didn't it? This is ridiculous. Thor, is your brother still as showy as ever?"
"He? Always has been," Thor, the God of Thunder, nodded.
He felt a pang of guilt, knowing he was largely responsible for the situation escalating this far. His intervention had prevented them from killing Loki, even though he knew it might create other problems. He simply couldn't bear to watch Loki die before his eyes.
He couldn't possibly stand by and let them torture Loki to extract the location of the Space Stone.
"Since we've confirmed the location, prepare to strike. This battle is unavoidable," Nick Fury declared. "Coulson, immediately deploy the Extremis Soldier Special Forces and the Iron Soldier Legion. Prepare for a decisive battle!"
Tony Stark instructed Jarvis, "Jarvis, activate everything we've prepared. Let him see that Earthlings are not to be trifled with."
"Boss, should we deploy Hydra's special forces to the battlefield?" Coulson asked.
"Absolutely. Let them contribute a final warmth to humanity's cause. Follow proper procedures—don't let anyone see through it," Fury replied.
(End of Chapter)