"Loki's appeared. That means the Battle of New York can't be far off," Lin Feng sighed. He'd been so absorbed in studying the Notebook that he hadn't realized time had already reached this point.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Marvel's Phase One climax: *The Avengers*.
In his previous life, Lin Feng had only truly started paying attention to Marvel around this time.
Although *Iron Man* had already been a huge hit, Lin Fengge had been a step behind the curve. After all, his childhood had been dominated by DC comics like *Superman* and *Batman*.
It was a shame about Warner Bros.' dogshit management policies, which kept restarting those two franchises endlessly. By the time Iron Man had gone from his debut to his death, those two were still stuck in perpetual reboots.
Of course, Marvel later became a pile of shit too, shoving all sorts of LGBT+ content into their stories. Six of one, half a dozen of the other!
Both sides were equally rotten.
Why did he even transmigrate?
He was suddenly pulled into this dangerous world just because he'd criticized *Wonder Woman 2*, that absolute disaster of a movie.
Thinking about it made him furious.
He could have been living without this constant anxiety, but now he was forced to strive.
Lin Feng also prepared 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 hearts of stone soften over time, and Lin Feng was no exception.
Though he couldn't be a Superman, completely embracing Earth as his home and stopping every criminal, he couldn't stand by and do nothing when he knew the Battle of New York was coming and would cause massive casualties.
"I'm so rich, yet I still worry about global safety. I should give myself a pat on the back!" Lin Feng smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, online, the situation escalated rapidly. The spread of the video sparked a massive uproar.
A madman, claiming to be a god, committed murders in Germany before being apprehended by the arriving Avengers. Though many swore this lunatic had created numerous clones, clearly indicating he was no ordinary human, the world's populace, having been exposed to countless superheroes and supervillains, remained unfazed.
Meanwhile, aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, the Avengers gathered, utterly exhausted. They had just engaged in a brutal battle—not against Loki, but against each other.
After retrieving Loki and the Mind Stone Scepter, its influence unconsciously drove them into conflict. The argument escalated into open confrontation, including a fierce clash between Tony Stark and Captain Rogers. The tension between these two, already fraught with unresolved issues, was further inflamed by the lingering trauma of Tony's parents' deaths.
Wanda and Quicksilver, who had previously begun to overcome their animosity towards Tony, found their resentment amplified to overwhelming levels by the Mind Stone Scepter, consuming their minds.
Bruce Banner even transformed into the Hulk on the spot, nearly tearing the Helicarrier apart. Fortunately, Thor arrived just in time to subdue him.
However, the battle left the Helicarrier severely damaged, nearly sending it plummeting from the sky.
This operation not only failed to stop Loki but also backfired, as Loki was easily rescued.
"We... we've been influenced, haven't we?" Black Widow Natasha said.
Nick Fury nodded, and the others realized she was right. There was no other explanation.
Otherwise, why would such sudden, intense conflict erupt today when there had been no prior issues? It couldn't have happened without a cause.
"It's the Mind Stone Scepter!" Bruce Banner exclaimed. "Ever since it was brought aboard the Helicarrier, I've been growing increasingly agitated. In the end, I couldn't control my rage, and the Hulk broke free!"
"Lin Feng never mentioned anything about this!" Hawkeye Barton grumbled.
"No, he might have!" 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 original selves went through the same thing. We were tricked by the same method twice—how ironic!"
The group suddenly remembered. It did seem to be the case. Although Lin Feng hadn't dwelled much on the Avengers' first gathering during the Battle of New York, the limited details he provided suggested their condition hadn't been ideal.
They hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now they realized there must have been many events in between.
The irony was palpable. They'd known about this for two years and had prepared for this battle for two years, yet they'd still fallen for the same trap.
Though they didn't know exactly how their original selves had failed, they could guess it was for the same reason. Otherwise, why would the Avengers have suddenly fallen into internal conflict, giving Loki an opening? At best, Hawkeye Barton might have resisted mind control, but the outcome would have been similar.
"We were still too overconfident and careless," 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 underestimate anything not mentioned. This is a dangerous situation, and we must learn from this mistake!"
Fury continued, "Moreover, after getting the diary, we convinced ourselves we had all the answers. This complacency was our undoing. Take Loki, for example. We thought we were fully prepared, but what happened? Despite having the diary, he still managed to run circles around us."
The others nodded, feeling deeply embarrassed. They had known so much, prepared so thoroughly, and understood Loki's cunning nature. They knew he possessed the Mind Stone Scepter, yet they still believed they had set an inescapable trap. They thought no one could escape.
But overconfidence led to their downfall.
"This time, we're much better prepared!" Tony Stark declared. "Loki has already reached Stark Tower. Just as we predicted, he ultimately chose Stark Tower. Hmph, he really does love the spotlight!"
At that moment, Tony Stark received confirmation: Loki had arrived above Stark Tower. He had anticipated this, having installed cameras throughout the building, and easily spotted Loki.
"Prepare to move out. The worst-case scenario has already occurred. We must defeat him before he makes things even worse!" Captain Rogers declared.
Captain Rogers felt deeply ashamed, especially for losing control of his anger. He knew he could have avoided this, but he couldn't control his emotions.
Yet, after this clash, their conflict seemed less intense, or perhaps it had simply been vented.
Previously, their conflict over the Winter Soldier Bucky had been suppressed by the global crisis, masking the severity of their rift.
But now, the Mind Stone Scepter's influence had triggered a massive argument between them, even escalating to a physical confrontation. After the outburst, things felt slightly better.
As for the others, their own dark sides had all been brought to light.
No one is truly pure; the world is too complex, and no one is simple and straightforward.
"I've found the source of the Gamma Rays!" Bruce Banner said, looking at the computer screen 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: a temporal-spatial portal had indeed materialized above Stark Tower, and a massive spatial rift had opened above the tower.
This outcome was the same as in the original timeline. Although the person Loki was controlling this time was different, the result remained the same.
"As expected..." Tony Stark said, exasperated. "He still chose my place in the end. How annoying. Thor, is your brother still as showy as ever?"
"Him? Always the same showy bastard," Thor nodded.
He felt a little ashamed, as his involvement had largely led to this situation. It was because of his plea that they hadn't killed Loki outright, even though he knew this might cause other problems. He simply couldn't bear to watch Loki die before his eyes.
He couldn't just stand by and let them torture Loki to death to extract the location of the Space Stone.
"Now that we've confirmed the location, prepare for battle. This fight 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 also instructed Jarvis, "Jarvis, deploy everything we've prepared. Let him know 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 their last embers to humanity's cause. Follow proper procedures—don't let anyone see through this," Nick Fury replied.
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