Ch: 212-221
Chapter 212 Weak, pitiful and helpless
Under the temptation of eternal youth and eternal beauty, Pepper didn't hesitate much before accepting this gift from Leon.
Then, enveloped in golden energy, she flew in the sky for most of the day, her excitement undiminished.
Only when dusk approached did she fly back to Los Angeles with Tony.
It proved that Pepper's adaptability was indeed very strong.
Just like the last time she accepted Tony's serum enhancement, it only took two nights for Pepper to become familiar with the application of photon energy.
The price was Tony's long-unseen, battle-damaged appearance, with a pale face and sunken eyes.
Of course, another price was the luxurious mansion built on the cliffs of the Los Angeles coast.
In just two nights, the mansion had been reduced to ruins.
"You absolutely cannot imagine how crazy Pepper is right now," Tony complained to Leon over a holographic call on the third morning.
"She actually wants to soar with me in the clouds, and she won't even let me wear my armor!"
"I think we made a mistake, Leon, Pepper she... Hey, hey! Stop, Leon is still here, don't you dare... Oh! No!"
In Leon's holographic projection, the last image was Tony being dragged out of frame by a glowing arm that entered the shot, and the call was abruptly disconnected.
"This..." In the Brooklyn apartment, Leon and Wanda, who was beside him, exchanged glances.
Wanda was there today to report on her Chaos Magic cultivation progress.
Tony's complaint came and ended abruptly.
Sitting opposite each other, both of them could almost imagine Tony's painful yet joyful scene thousands of miles away in Los Angeles at that moment.
"Well," Leon broke the silence, "They... probably went to grab some grapes. Los Angeles grapes have been a bit expensive lately."
Wanda looked at the blank projection, her cheeks slightly flushed: "I, I think so too."
But she clearly wasn't thinking that.
Because Leon could clearly hear Wanda's heartbeat gradually accelerating.
A few seconds of silence passed between them.
Leon looked at Wanda's slightly dazed profile and suddenly said, "Wanda, don't you feel... that the price of grapes in New York has also gone up these past few days?"
This perfectly timed atmosphere and heart rate range made him feel he should do something.
"Ah?" Wanda didn't immediately grasp Leon's meaning.
But when she turned her head and met Leon's gaze, her heartbeat, which had slightly quickened due to her imagination of the scene on Tony's end, suddenly skipped a beat.
"Wh-what do you mean?" She instinctively averted her gaze, her expression darting like a startled rabbit.
But the more she dodged, the closer Leon approached her.
As the distance closed, Wanda became completely flustered.
She could even hear her own heartbeat, its frequency so fast that her breathing accelerated.
And Leon could hear it too.
Those rapid sounds completely exposed Wanda's state to Leon.
Super hearing at this moment suddenly had the effect of mind-reading.
He followed the sound of her heartbeat and leaned closer to Wanda: "What I mean is, do you want to..."
"Ah, ah, so-so-sorry!" Without giving Leon a chance to finish, Wanda suddenly closed her eyes and interrupted loudly.
She waved her hands wildly, as if to shoo Leon away, or as if to shoo away all those thumping sounds.
This girl, who usually carried a melancholic aura, suddenly became lively at this moment.
It was as if a young girl, who had long died due to hardship in her heart, had been resurrected, dragged out of some grave by the rapidly pounding heartbeat, and confronted with something bittersweet and unprepared.
She stood up, covering her ears with her hands, her fair face flushed, and fled towards the door in a panic.
She even tripped over the sofa.
But she immediately got up, hair dishevelled and stumbling, then continued to flee.
"I just remembered it's my turn to cook today, I-I have to go back quickly!"
Wanda's voice escaped the apartment with the sound of the closing door, even using Chaos Magic to accelerate.
But her heartbeat, each beat revealing her panicked state, didn't slow down at all until Wanda returned to her own apartment.
Leon could even hear Wanda throwing herself onto her bed, covering her head with a blanket, and making strange noises as she rolled around.
His Super hearing combined all these subtle sounds, painting a vivid picture in his mind.
Then this picture was quickly blocked.
A barrier formed by Chaos Magic angrily cut off his hearing.
Clearly, Wanda had discovered everything.
"This... the Super hearing thing shouldn't count as peeping," Leon awkwardly suppressed his hearing.
...
For three days, Tony was both pained and happy, while Pepper was consistently happy.
Meanwhile, Captain Marvel, who had lost her superhuman powers, remained immersed in pain.
Her pain was multifaceted.
The day after she was handed over to the United Nations, Carol was publicly tried.
International court trials usually require a longer preparation time, with some longer proceedings even taking a full year.
But Carol's act of colluding with the enemy and betraying the World granted her special treatment in terms of time.
Tony provided a complete chain of evidence that day, and with the unanimous agreement of all court members, the trial began the very next day.
The trial process was publicly broadcast live.
Under the watchful eyes of all humanity, Carol was sentenced to life imprisonment for severely endangering human safety.
She was transferred to "The Raft" prison that very day.
During her escort, every time she appeared, she was surrounded by countless hostile gazes.
In the crowds of onlookers, from adults to children, everyone glared at her with anger.
She even suffered two assassination attempts during the handover.
Assassins rushed out from among the police personnel.
One fired a gun, and another drew a knife for a close-range assassination.
Carol was severely wounded even before being sent to prison.
She had no choice but to be transferred to a nearby hospital for temporary emergency treatment.
But to avoid further complications, after ensuring her life was out of danger, the escort team set off again.
By the time Carol was imprisoned in "The Raft" prison, she was practically on the verge of death.
However, the physical pain was secondary.
Being antagonized by the entire World along the way, the pressure she faced had already driven her mind to the brink of collapse.
Carol looked dazed.
Her once beautiful homeland was now like hell to her.
The entire World seemed to be her enemy; everyone hated her.
Upon entering the prison, she encountered Fury, her old friend, who was confined in a transparent room.
As she saw him, he also saw her.
Carol was somewhat agitated at that moment, thinking she at least had the support of one friend.
But who would have thought that upon seeing her, Fury immediately rushed forward, vigorously pounding on the transparent room's wall.
"Carol! How could you let those Super Skrulls escape! How could you do that!"
Fury's eyes were bloodshot; he believed that Carol's interference had distracted Superman, leading to the escape of the most dangerous Super Skrulls.
"Nick... No, I, I just..." Carol was speechless.
She never expected that even her last old friend would question her.
At this moment, Carol truly felt the World collapsing.
Even the air she breathed into her lungs seemed filled with the World's malice towards her.
The immense shock made Carol feel dizzy.
Her lips trembled, her vision went black, and she completely lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, she was already confined in a transparent cell.
The surrounding guards looked at her with the same expressions of loathing and hatred.
It was said that the moment she was sentenced to imprisonment in "The Raft" prison, the application system for "The Raft" prison guards instantly crashed due to the overwhelming influx of applicants.
Now, most of the guards in this prison are humans who were harmed by Skrulls, or their relatives.
They watched her.
Even without making any superfluous gestures, their eyes seemed to say that all the harm they suffered from the Skrulls would be accounted for on her.
Carol curled up, trembling like a small animal, and finally couldn't help but question herself, what exactly had she done before.
Chapter 213 Steve's Concern
In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
Avengers Tower.
Lyon leaned against Tony's desk, sliding the glowing screen projected onto his hand.
"Nick Fury applied to leave prison an hour ago to go to the Universe? He wants to make a final contribution to Earth?"
"I know all these words, but why do they seem so unfamiliar when put together?"
"Carol has been in prison for less than ten hours, is Nick Fury rushing out to vindicate his friend?"
Lyon turned off the projection and looked at Tony, who looked exhausted behind the desk: "I thought they'd catch up in prison."
Tony rubbed his temples and shook his head: "It's not for vindication. He, like me before, believes that Carol's obstruction led to those Super Skrulls successfully escaping the Solar System."
Tony's body was always in the best condition due to his super self-healing ability.
But his spirit was extremely weary for some reason.
He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, feeling mentally exhausted: "So Nick Fury wants to go to the Universe, to be Earth's outpost, to guard against the Skrulls gathering more of their kind and attacking Earth again."
"So he is indeed standing on the side of protecting Earth." Lyon nodded, "Did the United Nationsagree?"
"No, Nick Fury chose to accept imprisonment himself, it's not that easy to get out."
Tony said, "I heard he and Carol even had a fight in prison, directly making Carol so angry that she fainted."
"Close friends fighting, that exciting?" Lyon raised an eyebrow, "It seems I misunderstood Fury; he truly is dedicated to protecting Earth, even though the things he's done have been quite scoundrel-like."
"Enough about that." Tony opened one eye, "Do you know why I called you over?"
Lyon stretched out a finger: "To see if you've been drained? You're not doing so well, Tony."
Tony waved his hand weakly: "Joking, my current state is good enough to beat a hundred Captain Americas. What drained? Don't talk nonsense, kid."
"Oh, really?" Lyon sized up Tony.
It was clear that Tony's body was indeed fine, but mentally, he had nothing left.
He probably couldn't stand up now, except for his mouth, everything else was too soft.
"Does Pepper know you're in such good shape?"
Tony's eyes snapped open at the mention, and he gave an embarrassed laugh: "Of course she knows... Cough, Lyon, I called you here because there's news from Wakanda."
He gently tapped on the screen on the desk, and a series of projections popped up.
On it were the Wakandan Royal Guard, and also the figures of Agent Hawkeye and Agent Coulson.
There were also some crystalline liquid metals contained in transparent containers.
"The Skrull invasion seems to have created a sense of crisis in Wakanda."
Tony enlarged the projection, "Their King T'Chaka has agreed to sell Vibranium to us, and the price is far below the black market rate."
"Now Hawkeye and Agent Coulson have both returned, bringing a batch of newly purchased Vibranium."
"If you need some, you can take some back."
"In the future, you can also have the Men in Black cooperate with Wakanda."
"It's clear that the King already has the idea of ending the country's isolation and trying to engage with the international community."
"To be honest, I still can't quite understand their idea of mastering cross-era technology using Vibranium, yet being unwilling to step out into the World."
"What's so strange about that? Just like you've mastered so much high-tech, others can't understand why you only use them to build battle suits."
Lyon raised an eyebrow: "I don't need Vibranium. Why don't you, while building new battle suits with Vibranium, also help the Men in Black upgrade their equipment? Have them pay for it themselves."
"That's a big business." Tony picked up a pen on the desk and twirled it, "If they really pay for it themselves, Super Hero Company's current cash flow isn't exactly enough."
"The insufficient part will be supplemented by me, but Yelena went to get Captain America's authorization a few days ago. His popularity is World-class, very profitable."
"Then you might not know," Tony said, "Your Yelena decided to donate all the merchandise revenue from the Captain America IP to establish a relief foundation."
"She told you?" Lyon was surprised.
"No, Captain told me. When I punched him in the face, he said my younger brother knows to reduce war, but I'm a weapons dealer."
"You two fought?"
"Can't say that. In fact, well, pretty much. I confessed about Bucky to him, but I said I was the one who did it, and then we fought."
Tony seemingly idly twirled his pen: "But we made up later."
"Really?" Lyon looked at Tony, "Actually, you called me here to really talk about this, didn't you?"
Tony lied to Steve, saying he himself killed Bucky.
Lyon didn't know if this was protecting him, his younger brother, or protecting Captain America.
However.
"He fought you? Was the outcome a draw?" Lyon was more interested in this question.
...
At the same time.
New York Captain America Memorial Hall.
Steve Rogers sat in the last row of the viewing area, clutching a jade bottle in his hand.
On the viewing screen, Peggy Carter's interview was playing.
In the image, her fiery red lips and heroic demeanor were still as impressive as when she was young.
Listening to the audio, Carter was saying that her current husband had also received help from Captain America.
Steve Rogers' mind gradually drifted away.
Five days ago.
At that time, all the Skrulls on Earth had been cleared.
The Skrull fleet had also disappeared from the Solar System.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the Skrull matter was over.
Steve thought so too.
At that time, he lay in bed, recalling everything he had seen and experienced since waking up, feeling that everything was so overwhelming.
It was as if just a moment ago he was still fighting to the death with HYDRA led by Schmidt.
But the next moment, he had changed sets, and the enemy had become aliens, transitioning from the Anti-Fascist War to the Human Civilization Defense War.
The pace of events was so fast that Steve hadn't even had time to think, his body had already moved first.
But it must be said, this indeed helped a lot.
When he learned that he had been in a deep sleep for nearly seventy years, and Carter was already as old as a yellowed newspaper.
For a moment, he was devastated.
It was Tony who forcefully arranged the mission to search for the Skrulls for him, giving him a chance to breathe.
This mission also made him realize.
Although he was a ticket from an old era, he could still play a small role on the big ship of the new World.
With this in mind.
When the CEO of Super Hero Company came to him, proposing to obtain authorization and give him a 50% share of the profits based on Captain America's World-renowned fame.
Steve chose to refuse.
"I don't need that much money. Please donate all this money to those in need. I have a salary from the Avengers."
His words at the time seemed to have greatly touched that CEO.
The other party immediately decided to also contribute the company's 50% share.
And combine it with his 50%.
Together, they would establish a foundation for war relief.
Although Steve was puzzled as to how there could be such a benevolent company, he naturally agreed.
Later, after investigating, he found out.
Super Hero Company was a member of Stark's group.
The founder was Tony's younger brother, Lyon Stark.
This made Steve sigh, these two children of Howard are indeed as kind and responsible as their father.
Such emotion continued until Tony approached him again.
Chapter 214: Confess the Truth
"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're saying, Stark. Bucky died seventy years ago. What do you mean you killed him?"
A certain neighborhood in Brooklyn.
An underground gym with poor lighting and old, exposed brick walls.
Tony found Captain America, who was exercising shirtless, and confessed to him about Bucky's Deathand the reason behind it.
Steve frowned deeply, thinking Stark was making fun of him.
Honestly.
He had learned about some of the past experiences of the man in front of him, who was now an Officerand the son of an old friend.
He also knew that he could be a bit frivolous.
But he didn't expect him to be this frivolous.
"You think I'm joking?" Tony shook his head.
"Well, you probably should, after all, it sounds too absurd. Dying and coming back to life, then being killed again, God, it really sounds like the most disgusting joke… But I'm serious."
Tony took a few steps, avoiding Steve's expression.
"Bucky didn't die. He was frozen by HYDRA and lived until modern times."
"You know HYDRA resurfaced in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, which is S.H.I.E.L.D."
"And Bucky was one of them," Tony said.
"Impossible! Bucky would never join HYDRA, no matter how much he was tortured!" Steve stared intently at Tony.
"Of course, you're right, he didn't join, he was brainwashed."
"Look at this." Tony tossed a thumb-sized projection "phone" to Captain America.
It was a small, crystal-clear, square device, the latest model of smartphone recently launched by StarkElectronics.
It projected a translucent light screen in Steve's hand.
Files about the Winter Soldier and HYDRA popped up on the light screen.
Steve's expression became serious with just a glance.
He quickly browsed all the information.
The files detailed Bucky's journey from being picked up by a HYDRA Base.
To being healed, modified, brainwashed, and frozen.
And finally, being unfrozen when needed to carry out assassination missions.
Steve even saw Howard Stark's name on the mission list.
His rapidly scrolling finger instantly stopped.
His gaze halted on the line: "December 26, 1991, killed Howard Stark and his wife. Adopted son Lyon Stark survived."
A few seconds later, Steve took a deep breath: "All of this is true…?"
"The truth doesn't lie." Tony stopped walking.
"He killed Howard." Steve fell silent.
"That's right."
"I'm very sorry, Sta… Tony."
"No need. He has already paid the price, dying by my hand." Tony's gaze turned to the wall beside him.
Steve opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
In fact, he didn't even know how he felt at that moment.
He just felt his thoughts were in chaos.
Bucky didn't die beneath the ice cliff; he was alive, but then he was controlled by HYDRA, killed Howard, and then died at Tony's hands.
These dramatically turning pieces of information entered his mind too quickly.
So fast that Steve couldn't react.
He hadn't even had time to be happy about Bucky's survival before Bucky died again.
But it was hard for him to be sad about Bucky's second Death.
Because in his heart, Bucky had been dead for a long time.
Just a few days ago, he had even gone to the place where they grew up together to remember him.
He believed Bucky had remained seventy years ago beneath that ice cliff, remaining in his memories, decades behind the times.
So even now that he knew the real truth.
But for him at this moment.
This news was just like a gutted fish suddenly jumping when put into a hot oil pan.
Aside from a momentary shock in his heart, it couldn't evoke more emotions from him beyond regret.
After all, he hadn't even had time to feel surprised and elated about the news that Bucky wasn't dead, or to experience strong emotional fluctuations.
And then he was immediately told that Bucky was truly dead…
Steve stood in silence for a long time.
Finally, he sighed deeply.
"Was he still being controlled when you killed him? Did he have any… last words?" he asked in a low voice.
"He was no different from any other HYDRA soldier at that time." Tony didn't answer directly.
Steve lowered his eyelids and nodded: "I understand… You can go, Tony. Please let me be alone for a while."
Tony waited a few seconds, then spread his hands: "Nothing else?"
"What else do you want?" Steve frowned in confusion.
Honestly, he wasn't in a good mood right now and just wanted to be alone.
Anyone who learns that their lifelong best friend survived the war, but then killed another friend, and was subsequently killed in revenge by that friend's son, wouldn't be in a good mood.
He might have felt a slight blame towards Tony.
Blaming him for killing Bucky, an innocent person who was being controlled.
But this thought was merely an emotional manifestation, not Steve's true thinking.
He actually didn't feel much anger towards Tony.
He just wondered how the world could be so messed up.
And such messed-up things, damn it, happened to him.
Anyone experiencing such terrible luck would be in an extremely bad mood.
But Tony clearly didn't notice this.
He had prepared for the worst before coming, thinking he would be punched directly and then they would fight.
So he unconsciously started to ramble.
"Sorry, I just thought you'd be so sad you'd cry. After all, you're both old popsicles left over from that era, and you should be very reluctant to part, and then I…"
"Wait, what did you just say?" Captain America frowned again, his bad mood threatening to ignite.
"That word just now, popsicle?" He walked up to Tony and glared at him, "You should have some respect for your father's friends, especially his deceased friends, little Stark."
Steve's original intention was to remind Tony that he was his father's friend, which was why he overlooked his earlier rudeness.
But this sentence precisely hit Tony's sore spot.
Tony sneered and turned his head: "Little Stark? Are you saying you're my uncle?"
He already harbored hostility towards Captain America, whom his father had praised highly, and now he no longer bothered to hide it.
"How interesting. An old man who's been frozen for half a century can't keep up with the times, but wants to keep up with the seniority."
He poked Captain America's chest with his index finger, "Interrupting for a moment, question—did my father know he was your friend?"
"A friend who slept for seventy years and didn't care about him at all after waking up?"
Steve glared at Tony: "I looked into Howard's situation before I understood modern history. I also thought he died in a car accident."
"If you want to provoke me with just your mouth, you've certainly succeeded, Stark."
"Also, if you keep poking my chest with that finger, perhaps we'll have to discuss other matters!"
"Oh! Really?" Tony laughed exaggeratedly.
"We'll have to discuss other matters~"
He mimicked Captain America's words.
Then he spread his hands, "I knew this part was coming, so what are we waiting for? If you want to fight, let's start now!"
Steve gritted his teeth, his lips slightly parted: "Fine, you asked for it!"
He suddenly landed a precise punch on Tony's chin, then another on his abdomen, making him double over.
Then he looked down at Tony: "You are nowhere near as good as your younger brother. The company he founded is willing to use all my IP income to aid war refugees, while you are just a weapons merchant!"
Most of Steve's understanding of Tony came from the internet and various sources.
"The U.S.'s largest arms dealer six months ago," "playboy," "Iron Man who turned over a new leaf."
This was his impression of Tony.
His identity as an arms dealer caused him to have a great prejudice against Tony.
Chapter 215: Battle of Iron Shield
Steve turned and left after speaking.
He picked up his coat and shield from the ground, leaving Tony with a graceful curve of his backside.
"Shit, before you point that full ass at me, shouldn't we finish what we started?"
Tony straightened up, glanced at Steve's perky butt, threw down his coat, and began to fold the cuffs of his shirt.
With his current physique, he wouldn't even be injured if he took a direct hit from a 7.62mm rifle bullet.
Letting Steve land a punch was merely an excuse for him to show respect for the elderly and to have a good beating later.
"You really want to fight? Good, I'm willing to oblige!" Steve turned back.
"I hope your armor is as tough as your mouth."
He looked at Tony, "Put on your armor!"
"What armor? Sorry, what I'm wearing now is the armor to deal with you." Tony flexed his wrists.
He was wearing a White shirt and gray trousers, with crocodile leather shoes.
He looked like a boxing commentator who had gotten hyped up and was warming up to enter the ring.
Steve frowned, looking at Tony.
In his opinion, Tony without armor was just an ordinary person; he could easily deal with ten such people.
He shook his head speechlessly and sighed, planning to ignore this farce.
But Tony closed the distance with the quick, shuffling steps common in Sanda.
"I'll knock you out with the same hook." He even gave a warning before attacking.
Steve was dismissive: "Without armor, you're just someone who knows a bit of Sanda..."
Before Steve could finish speaking.
Tony suddenly stepped forward from two meters away.
A hook punch was as fast as lightning, the sound of wind being drowned out by an even louder sonic boom!
Steve's eyes widened in disbelief; his keen sense of danger made him instinctively raise his shield to block in front of him.
The upper side of the shield made contact with Tony's fist.
"Clang!"
A dull thud echoed through the empty room.
Steve was sent flying backward by the immense impact, hitting the wall with a dull thud before falling to the ground.
His defense was completely rushed.
Fortunately, Tony held back, and the Vibranium shield absorbed most of the kinetic energy.
Otherwise, that blow would have surely brought down the wall.
"You..." Steve scrambled to his feet, incredulous, "You weren't wearing armor!"
"Captain America isn't the only one who's been enhanced by the serum."
Tony was very happy now that he had the upper hand.
"Without armor, I am still a Superhero!"
He felt he had surpassed Steve, proving that the other party was not as excellent as his father had said.
He even advised: "Captain, it's not too late to surrender now."
Steve, however, slowly shook his head, his gaze suddenly serious, and raised his shield: "I can do this with you all day!"
"God, you actually said that." Tony pouted and charged at Steve.
Both men shouted simultaneously.
Fist and shield collided fiercely, the dull thudding sounds rapidly and rhythmically like a frantic monk striking a wooden fish.
Every time Tony threw a punch, Steve could always rely on his combat intuition to raise his shield in advance.
The center of the Vibranium shield colliding with the fist could absorb most of the kinetic energy.
Steve would only take one step back each time, enduring Tony's punch, and then seize the opportunity to counterattack.
But Tony's reaction speed was even faster; he could also counterattack while blocking Steve's attacks.
The two went back and forth, fighting to a standstill.
Sometimes Steve would casually throw his shield after a dodge, letting it ricochet off the walls multiple times to smash Tony's face.
Sometimes Tony would grab the shield and headbutt Steve, making him dizzy.
Eventually, they fought until nightfall, both lying on the ground, panting.
Steve's face was covered in blood, and Tony's entire head was covered in dust.
Both had stopped fighting, lying on the ground, gasping for breath, neither speaking.
Tony had undoubtedly held back.
He used almost full strength in his punches because his fists could be dodged or blocked by Steve's shield.
But he held back on speed.
Otherwise, if he were too fast and actually hit Captain America one time.
The other party would be severely injured and die right before him.
Then, the next day, he would be honored with the infamous title of Captain America's murderer, reported by the entire World.
At that time, Leon would surely give him a thumbs-up and say: "My big brother is decisive indeed; since he killed the Winter Soldier, he might as well finish the job and take out Captain America too, how ruthless!"
However, even though Tony held back, Captain America's condition looked very disheveled at this time.
He was covered in bruises, abrasions, and lacerations, his eyes and forehead were bloody and blurred, and half of his cheek was severely swollen.
Tony almost laughed out loud when he caught a glimpse of Captain America beside him.
"Phew..." He let out a long breath and was the first to stand up from the ground.
Then he brushed the dust off himself, kicked away a pile of broken bricks, and pulled out his suit jacket from among them.
"Here, you still owe Carter a dance. Go find her and make up for that dance."
Tony pulled out a jade bottle and a piece of paper with instructions from his shirt, placing them in front of Steve.
He said: "The most important thing for a Superhero is to keep his word. She has waited for you for so many years; you can start over."
Steve's bloodied eyes lifted, looking at Tony with confusion.
"What is this?" he asked.
After a fierce fight, both their tempers had mellowed, and they could finally communicate calmly.
"A gift you need."
Tony stood at the doorway, the orange-red sunset spilling onto his profile through the narrow crack in the door.
"By the way, welcome back, Captain. I bet ten U.S. dollars you'll fall in love with this crazy Worldagain."
After Tony left.
In the dim room, Steve sat up, wincing.
He picked up the bottle and the paper; the instructions on it made him stare for a long time, still finding it incredible.
After hesitating, he gently opened the bottle and took a sip of the spring Water.
The next moment, all his injuries recovered as before.
Steve stared blankly at the jade bottle, suddenly realizing he had misunderstood Tony.
To give such a precious item to an "enemy" like him.
Tony clearly had a warm heart, completely different from what he had thought before.
...
Time returned to the present.
The videotape reel played in a loop, the clicking sound like the turning of time.
Steve Rogers watched Peggy Carter's interview footage on the screen, over and over again.
It wasn't until sunset that he finally clutched the jade bottle, made up his mind, left the memorial hall, and headed to his destination.
This was a sanatorium with a lot of historical traces.
The exterior walls were painted White but yellowed, with vines climbing up them.
Before it was completely dark, a few incandescent lights illuminated the sanatorium's corridor.
Steve pushed open the door according to the room number given by the Nurse.
Looking up, the orange-red sunlight of dusk immediately rushed in, enveloping him.
The thick curtains in the room were open, and the window was also open.
Sunset and a gentle breeze poured into the room from there, painting the wall opposite the window sill with an orange-red color.
By the window sill was the only bed in the room, and outside the window, swaying branches cast their Shadow onto the bed in the sunset, as well as onto the White-haired old woman gazing out the window.
Steve gazed steadily at the White-haired figure with her back to him, his heart churning with countless emotions and countless words.
But he couldn't express them or speak them at this moment.
After a long hesitation, he finally spoke hoarsely: "Peggy..."
The old woman heard the voice and slowly turned her head, her mind momentarily dazed when she saw Steve.
"Steve?" There was surprise and joy in her eyes.
"Peggy." Steve heard the old woman call his name and finally had the courage to step into the room.
He slowly approached Peggy Carter, gazing at the face weathered by time; beneath the deep wrinkles was a face he knew so well.
"I'm sorry, I missed our appointment," he said slowly.
Chapter 216 Steve feels he understands everything
Looking at Peggy's surprised expression, Steve uncontrollably recalled their last kiss on the snowy peaks of the Alps.
At that time, HYDRA's transport plane, loaded with gas bombs, was taking off.
He was about to jump onto the landing gear of the plane, which was about to skim over his head, embarking on a path with an unknown return.
It was Peggy who suddenly stood on tiptoe from the back seat of the jeep, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with such fervor, as if to bestow all the luck and courage in the World upon him.
At that moment, Steve had no doubt he could save the World.
In fact, he did.
He stopped Schmidt, crashing with a plane full of gas bombs onto the ice cap, truly saving the World.
He was worthy of everyone in the World.
Except for the girl who stood on tiptoe in the jeep and kissed him passionately.
The dance they promised after the war spanned half a century.
His beloved girl's hair was now touched by the frost of time, while he had merely woken up, as if from another era.
That dance was destined to end without fulfillment.
Unless...
Steve's right hand was pressed against his pants pocket, gently gripping the jade bottle through the fabric.
He was impulsive at this moment, but also very hesitant.
Unlike him, a relic of an old era, Peggy's life should have been very happy.
The bedside cabinet was filled with her family photo frames.
Although no male figure appeared in the photos, she clearly had two children, a boy and a girl, and they smiled so happily in the pictures.
Steve gazed distractedly at everything around him, listening to Peggy recount past events.
After a long time, he slowly released the jade bottle in his pocket.
He smiled obscurely, sat down, and accompanied Peggy by the bed, looking at the World outside the window, dyed red by the setting sun.
"This World is still so beautiful, although compared to seventy years ago, it has many things I'm unfamiliar with, even aliens," Steve said.
"It's certainly beautiful, because you saved this World, Steve, it's just that we... made a mess of it again," Peggy apologized, holding Steve's hand.
"No, you didn't," Steve returned the grip on her aged hand, "The S.H.I.E.L.D. you established is very good, no one wanted the HYDRA incident to happen."
"One of the reasons I joined the current Avengers is that a part of its origin is you," Steve said affectionately.
"Avengers..." Peggy Carter showed a complex expression, "No one can know what will happen in the future, Steve, this World has changed too much, you must be careful."
"Of course, I will be," Steve's eyes held both overflowing affection and deep sorrow.
The two chatted for a long time.
Steve poured out his confusion and longing that spanned a century.
Peggy listened quietly, occasionally squeezing her big boy's hand firmly.
"The sun is about to set, perhaps I should come again next week..."
Steve wanted to say goodbye and leave.
His gaze inadvertently swept across the photo frame on the bedside again.
This time, he smiled with relief.
He was about to get up and leave.
But suddenly, Peggy Carter began to cough violently.
Her body was weak from old age, and when she coughed, she could only lean against Steve's shoulder, her eyes tightly shut, her brows furrowed, looking very pained.
"Peggy!" Steve quickly helped Peggy lie back on the bed.
"I'll go call the Nurse!"
He turned to go find the Nurse at the nursing home.
But before he could rush out of the room, Peggy's coughing gradually subsided, replaced by an incredulous gasp: "Steve!?"
Steve's steps halted, and he quickly turned back: "Peggy, I'll be right back... Peggy?"
Peggy Carter on the bed leaned against the pillow, as if today, no, as if for the first time in decades, she was seeing Steve.
Her expression shifted from confusion to careful scrutiny, then to disbelief, and finally to overwhelming joy.
"You, you're alive, Steve, you're alive!" Tears instantly welled up in Peggy's eyes, along with an uncontrollable surge of love.
Her lips trembled with excitement, her breathing became rapid, and her voice took on an excited, tearful tone: "You're alive, you, you're back!"
Steve stood DiDi at the doorway, his mind momentarily blank.
But he quickly understood what had happened to Peggy.
"Yes... I'm back, Peggy," he nodded gently, his anxious expression softening.
But the sorrow on him grew even deeper, his eyes filled with pity and heartache for Peggy.
He gently walked to the bedside and knelt down, letting Peggy pull his hand to hold it in her embrace.
"I knew you wouldn't die, Steve, you're back, you still owe me a dance."
Peggy's skin was loose from aging, and her eyelids drooped.
But her cloudy eyes were now so lively.
Because standing before her was the lover she had waited half a century for.
"Of course I had to come back, there's still a beauty here waiting for my dance," Steve also held Peggy's hand tightly.
He looked at Peggy, his heart stirred immensely.
Unlike when they first met an hour ago, when Peggy had only shown brief surprise and some unexpected emotions upon seeing him, that Peggy had made Steve feel that she had moved on from their past relationship and found her own happiness.
But now, her emotions included an incredible surprise and an overwhelming love that was about to burst forth.
If before, Peggy had given him a warmth like that of a couple who had shared life's hardships, now there was a more fervent, youthful feeling.
It was like returning to the moment of their last kiss.
Steve didn't know why Peggy became like this when she had a memory lapse, but there was no doubt that this was absolutely the most genuine outpouring of Peggy's emotions.
What else could be more telling than Peggy still remembering his appearance and being excited by him even when she lost her memory?
Steve suddenly understood everything.
It must be that Peggy felt she was old and didn't want to hinder his future, so she pretended to have let go of everything.
But in reality, no one longed more to embrace him passionately again and fulfill their unfulfilled promise.
Steve tenderly tucked a strand of White hair behind Peggy's ear.
This best girl was still as headstrong as she was when she was young.
"I'm sorry, Peggy, I know your good intentions, but I can't let go of everything from the past. I'm just a soldier who inexplicably crossed time. What meaning is there for a soldier who has lost his Commander?"
"Steve?" Peggy, in her amnesiac state, looked even more innocent than when she was young.
Beneath that aged face, Steve read the very definition of cuteness.
He took a deep breath, making a certain decision.
Peggy had dedicated her life to this World and her family; she had the right to pursue a new life for herself!
Steve took out the jade bottle Tony had given him from his pocket.
After gently twisting open the stopper, a vibrant, sweet fragrance permeated the room.
In a trance, even the wilting vines by the windowsill seemed to turn verdant.
Peggy stared blankly at the jade bottle, and a ripple appeared in her eyes, which had become clear due to her temporary memory loss.
"What... is this?" She felt as if her body was crying out, urging her to quickly drink what was inside the jade bottle.
Chapter 217 The Promised Dance
"It can make you young again," Steve said softly. "It can allow us to do more things together."
"Peggy, will you continue our promised dance with me?"
Peggy Carter was like a child who had regained a treasure.
There was nothing in the whole World more precious than Steve standing before her.
She nodded vigorously: "I will, Steve, of course I will!"
"Come, Peggy." Steve gently helped Peggy Carter up, placed the palm-sized jade bottle to her lips, and slowly raised it, ensuring every drop of the spring water took effect.
Peggy kept her gaze fixed on Steve, watching his gentle movements.
One of them was old and frail, the other young and strong, yet the scene was incredibly harmonious, like a couple deeply in love.
"How do you feel?" Steve looked at Peggy with concern.
Peggy thought for a moment: "It feels like nothing... like drinking a cup of hot water, with the warmth spreading from my throat throughout my body."
"No feeling?" Steve couldn't quite accept it, a hint of disappointment in his brows.
But very quickly, the warmth Peggy mentioned began to take effect.
That warmth was actually concentrated life force.
A vast life force spread within her body, permeating every drop of blood, every cell, and then began to burn intensely.
Peggy Carter's skin, in just one breath, began to show a healthy blush again.
Her blood surged with gasps, and the bones within her body rapidly regained their youth, becoming smooth and hard, as if polished by sandpaper.
"What... what's happening to me?"
The neurons in Peggy Carter's brain also rapidly recovered under the influence of the life force.
Her memories quickly resurfaced, and she was at a loss with the warm sensation throughout her body, like soaking in a hot spring.
She simply ran her finger lightly over her arm, bringing off large pieces of dead skin, revealing soft, new skin.
In less than a minute.
Peggy Carter's head full of white hair fell out, and dense, sensuous curly brown hair grew back.
Her loose skin became firm again.
Wrinkles vanished without a trace.
In a blink of an eye, she returned to her twenty-year-old appearance.
She was even more youthful than she had been in her youth.
Steve stared at Peggy in a daze, muttering, "That bastard Tony, I truly love him to death now!"
"Tony?" Peggy, still disoriented, was startled awake by the name.
She looked at Steve in astonishment, "Steve, did you get something from little Tony that can restore us... I mean, restore me to youth?"
Amidst Peggy's shock,
Her expression returned to how it was when they first reunited.
Carrying an affection like flowing Water, yet not intense.
This change made Steve pause.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he remained half-kneeling by Peggy's bed, gently holding her hand.
"Tony gave me this." He placed the jade bottle in Peggy's palm.
"This is a magical spring water from the Skrull, flowing from the highest peak in the Universe, capable of reversing aging."
Steve didn't know that the above story was purely made up by Tony.
He was deeply convinced: "Tony said you waited for me for decades, and you shouldn't leave with regrets in the end, so I came back for you, Peggy."
Peggy's expression was complex: "This spring water is probably not as simple as just restoring youth; little Tony was thoughtful."
She was somewhat happy, but not entirely so.
Steve, on the other hand, felt a bit guilty: "I initially misunderstood Tony; it was my fault."
"However, Miss Peggy, what we should be doing now, isn't it something else?"
Steve stood up, straightened his back, and gentlemanly extended his right hand: "I've kept you waiting for a long time, a promise seventy years overdue."
"Promise..." Peggy stared blankly at Steve.
She felt that she should be incredibly happy at this moment.
—Her lost youth had returned, and her beloved hero was back by her side.
Both of these things were so delightful.
They intertwined, and should have made her the happiest person in the World.
But why, why did she feel like she could barely maintain the smile on her face, and even curled her toes, wanting to quickly escape?
"I, should we dance now?" Peggy asked with an unnatural smile.
But before Steve looked puzzled,
She quickly reacted: "I mean! Shouldn't we find a day, find a jazz bar, wear formal attire, and exquisite makeup to complete this dance?"
But the confusion on Steve's face deepened: "You... want to dance then?"
How was this different from what he imagined?
With two joys intertwined, shouldn't Peggy eagerly embrace him, and then they dance cheek to cheek like swans?
"I mean... all those messy rituals aren't needed!" Peggy, seeing his expression, immediately denied her previous words.
She took Steve's outstretched arm and stood up lightly.
She even used too much force,
Causing her to fall directly into Steve's arms, with the dead skin still on her body rustling down.
It was at this moment that Peggy Carter truly felt her transformation.
She not only returned to youth but also became stronger, faster, and even her strength might not be less than Steve's.
—Because Steve was knocked to the ground by her head-on collision.
"Steve! Are you alright?" Peggy frantically helped her little man up.
Steve didn't care about the pain in his chest, or the dead skin constantly falling from Peggy.
He rubbed his chest and held Peggy's palm: "Now you seem a little too young?"
Peggy chuckled: "Just a little younger than you."
At this moment, the two finally stood face to face.
They gazed at each other deeply, then tacitly took their dance steps, circling and stepping in the small room, as if they were one.
The room was quiet, with only the rhythmic sound of their dance steps echoing.
The two of them, with four feet, only produced two neat sets of footsteps, so synchronized.
Outside the window, the setting sun had already dipped below the horizon.
The last bit of afterglow from the sky also dimmed upon entering the room.
In the dim room, Peggy's striped hospital gown spun like a dance dress.
She held her neck high, her figure intertwining with Steve, who was wearing a sports shirt.
At the end of the dance, Peggy spun using Steve's arm as a pivot, her bare feet quickly tapping on the tiles.
If she were truly wearing a dance dress, she would undoubtedly look like a dancing swan at this moment.
But even in a hospital gown, she completed the last moment of the dance with the most graceful posture.
Steve held her hand and supported her waist, and they ended their promised dance in a leaning posture.
Their two pairs of eyes, looking at each other, were as bright as jewels in the dimness.
They both didn't notice.
At the moment when the dance steps were the clearest and most frequent,
With pattering sounds, the adjacent room quietly opened.
An old man with a head full of White hair and sunken eyes emerged, with an expression of shock and indescribable emotion.
In hesitation, he quietly opened Peggy Carter's room door, and after seeing the two dancing figures, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, upon seeing Carter's nimble and graceful dance, he fell into even greater shock.
Chapter 218 He is also called Steve
The old man stood DiDi at the room's entrance, watching everything unfold.
He watched Peggy spin in the young man's hands.
He watched them gaze at each other for a long time after their dance ended, their eyes shining in the darkness.
He watched them draw close to each other, and then burn for each other.
He recognized the young man, and he also recognized the young Peggy Carter.
But this, this wasn't right.
Shouldn't Steve be sitting by the bed right now, sadly listening to an elderly Peggy recount her past life?
So where was his elderly Peggy?
Could it be that this young man had made her young again?
The streetlights outside the window lit up at that moment.
The dim yellow light shone through the window, passing through the gap between the embracing Steve and Peggy, illuminating the old man's dazed face at the entrance.
He had the same eyes as Steve, the same facial features.
Except for his loose skin and bent back due to old age, and a more slender figure, he was almost another Steve Rogers.
His heart was extremely restless.
He involuntarily took a step forward.
Making a 'pat' sound.
In the quiet room, where only heavy breathing and Water sounds could be heard, it was exceptionally clear.
It also made the embracing Steve and Peggy finally discover the old man.
They instinctively turned their heads, seeing this old man in a daze, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Who are you…?" Steve felt that this old man looked incredibly familiar.
"Steve!" Peggy exclaimed, covering her mouth.
She subconsciously released her tight embrace of Steve, took a step back, and even subconsciously tugged at her wrinkled hospital gown.
"What's wrong, Peggy?" Steve heard the panic in Peggy's tone and quickly looked back.
But what he saw was Peggy facing the old man at the door, with a somewhat unnatural expression on her face.
"Wait… he's also called, Steve?" Steve stared blankly at the old man.
Only after a careful look did he realize that the other person looked extremely similar to him, and even their names were the same.
Could it be…
"Are you, Peggy's husband?" Steve pursed his lips, took a step to the side, moving a little further from Peggy.
This man was probably a substitute Peggy found in his image.
A feeling of shame surged in Steve's heart.
Becoming a substitute was already very unfair to this old man.
And now, he had intruded into Peggy and the old man's life.
Steve suddenly felt very annoyed.
He was still too impulsive, forgetting everything as soon as he saw Peggy.
Although he could indeed abandon everything for Peggy.
But now he was affecting Peggy's family.
Just as Steve thought the old man at the door would fly into a rage.
The other's face, carved by years, slowly shook its head.
"Let's find a place to talk, Peggy, and… Steve." The old man's voice carried endless sighs.
…
In a high-end apartment in Brooklyn.
Leon poured himself a glass of cola, suppressing a smile.
The living room's audio system was playing a song, a Chinese version of "Unreachable Love" that he had just asked Jarvis to compose.
The song's melody was undulating and captivating.
As if playing out a Love story of unrequited affection.
"Oh, Steve's gaze just now, it was as if his heart was about to break, tonight's Love story belongs only to Captain America!"
Leon sat on the sofa, his gaze passing through layers of buildings, looking into the distance.
Shirley, beside him, was completing the learning task Natasha had assigned; she scratched her head, not understanding what her brother was saying.
…
Half an hour later.
A retro coffee shop on the other side of Brooklyn.
A combination of two men and one woman, one old and two young, sat at a round table in the innermost part of the coffee shop.
They sat facing each other.
Steve was opposite the old man, and Peggy was between the two of them.
"You're saying you're from the future, another me?"
Steve found the explanation he had just heard incredible.
If it weren't for the old man opposite him looking serious, and Peggy also having an "that's how it is" expression.
He would definitely think this was a warm-up joke.
"So, you traveled back to make up for regrets, fulfill your promise with Peggy, and spend the rest of your life together."
Steve gradually accepted the crazy reality.
Everything strange before could now be explained.
Why Peggy was so calm when they reunited.
Why, when Peggy's Alzheimer's recurred, she showed so much more emotion when she saw him again.
It turned out there had already been a Steve from the future.
It was his future self who had lived with Peggy for decades in his place.
While Steve found it fantastical, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
It was best that Peggy's family hadn't been affected.
Anyway, it was all him, and thinking that he could go back to the past and marry Peggy and have children was quite exciting.
"So, in the future, I can also travel back, right? How did you do it?" Steve was very curious.
But the Old Captain America opposite him remained silent.
"The situation, I'm afraid, isn't quite what you think. I might not be the future you, but rather… you from another Universe."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Steve was confused, "What other Universe?"
"Steve, are you sure you want to say it?" Peggy was anxious.
Old Captain America nodded firmly: "There are some things I think it's necessary for the Avengers of this World to know now. The danger they face may very well be different from what I experienced."
"Wait, Peggy knows too?" Steve felt as if he was sitting at the table, yet isolated from the two of them.
"Call Tony too, I'll tell you both everything." Old Captain America said seriously.
"Tony? Is Tony involved too?" Steve guessed whether his other self might have been sent back by Tony.
Ten minutes later.
A flashy golden-red battle suit landed gracefully outside the coffee shop, kneeling on one knee.
That was Tony's new battle suit.
After he landed, amidst exclamations, he signed autographs for a few minutes and took a few photos before entering the coffee shop.
At the trio's round table, he lightly tapped his chest, and the battle suit receded like Water, shrinking back into the arc reactor in his chest.
"Carter! And Steve!"
Tony was greeting them before he even got close.
"I'm glad you used that bottle of spring Water. Let me guess, you're now ready to start that promised dance, and you want me to witness it?"
He sat opposite Carter, in between the two Steves.
"Look how charming Agent Carter is now, but you don't have to thank me too much."
Tony had a 'thanks to me' expression, waving his hand.
"And this one here, are you Carter's 'ex-husband'? Sorry, I can understand how you feel right now, but you know, sometimes feelings are just that unreasonable."
Tony reached out and patted Old Captain America's shoulder.
Old Captain America looked at him, a nostalgic gaze in his sunken eye sockets: "You're still the same, Tony, but you're much more frivolous now than you were before that war."
"That war, wait, do we know each other, old buddy?" Tony frowned.
Chapter 219: The American team from a parallel world
"If you have questions, then you should quiet down now and listen carefully to others' explanations, little Tony."
Peggy interjected, "And you should call me Aunt Carter."
"Of course, I promise to be very quiet." Tony's playful expression vanished.
He was still very respectful towards Peggy Carter: "However, now you look even younger than me, so calling you aunt… isn't that a bit…"
Tony's flattery made Peggy smile.
No woman dislikes being praised for being young.
Especially a woman who has just returned from an old age where she was about to lose all her teeth.
"Then just call me Carter, like your father," Peggy said with a smile.
"Phew… thanks for understanding, I almost thought I'd have to call a beautiful woman around twenty years old 'aunt,' that would be too difficult."
Tony exaggeratedly exhaled, once again making Peggy laugh out loud.
Old Captain America also smiled, looking at Tony.
In the future, ever since the Chitauri attacked Earth, Tony's witty and somewhat leisurely speaking style had disappeared, becoming always steady and hurried.
Looking at Tony like this, he felt like he had returned to the past.
"Now that Tony is here, you can speak, right, about another Universe, about parallel Worlds," Steveinterjected.
He had waited a long time, and the doubts in his heart were piling up.
"Another Universe?" Tony's expression tightened.
This was the first time he had heard this term from someone other than Leon and the Sorcerers.
"Let me start from the beginning." Old Captain America slowly nodded.
"I am also Steve Rogers, during World War II I was… in 2011 I was found by S.H.I.E.L.D. from the North Pole… in 2012 Earth was invaded by the Chitauri…"
Old Captain America slowly recounted his life experiences to everyone.
He also spoke unreservedly about every crisis that might occur in Earth's future.
The Chitauri invasion, the Ultron crisis, the Blip, each event made Tony and Steve feel heavy-hearted.
"After the Blip ended, while returning the Stones, I stayed and formed a family with Peggy, living until now," Old Captain America concluded his narration.
"According to Tony… another Tony's saying, I traveled from one timeline to another timeline, and these two timelines are different but similar parallel Worlds."
Old Captain America's eyes flickered slightly, like an old general recalling his military life.
Tony frowned and asked, "If I haven't misunderstood, you traveled from your World in the 70s, or even earlier, right?"
"That's right." Old Captain America nodded.
"So, you knew HYDRA still existed, and you knew Bucky was brainwashed, and you even knew he would kill my father, and then you did nothing?" Tony stared at Old Captain America.
Steve, whose gaze had been fixed on Old Captain America and Peggy's clasped hands, suddenly became alert and looked at Old Captain America.
Old Captain America gave a wry smile: "I'm sorry, besides living incognito, I couldn't make any changes."
"Why?" Tony was holding back the urge to question him angrily.
"To avoid interfering with the World's direction." Old Captain America lowered his eyelids.
"In that final battle, Sorcerer Supreme Strange said that out of millions of possibilities in the future, we only won that one time."
"I'm not sure if anything I did would affect the final outcome."
Tony was silent for a few seconds, then leaned back in his chair: "Is that Thanos really that strong?"
"No one could beat him," Old Captain America said, "at least not at that time."
"I understand." Tony twisted his collar and stood up.
"Your information is very important, thank you, but the matters of this Universe really don't need your concern."
He turned to leave, "The so-called change has already been happening since you approached Carteragain, and as for the rest, it's just whether you want to or not."
As his voice fell, Tony walked out of the coffee shop, and his armor enveloped him as he soared into the sky.
The three watched him disappear from sight.
Steve withdrew his gaze: "He's right, this World has Superman, and Skrull, completely different from what you described. Whether to change or not is just whether you want to or not."
"And that's Bucky, that's Howard!"
He glanced at Peggy Carter, "Although if it were me, I might also not interfere for Peggy, but this is ultimately…"
Steve couldn't continue.
He shook his head and also turned to leave the coffee shop.
"Sorry, my head is a bit confused, I need to calm down alone. Let's talk about our matter another time."
Steve Rogers was not only angry at Old Captain America for not trying to save Bucky and Howard.
He was also angry at what this guy had done.
If he was from the future, that would be one thing.
But this Old Captain America came from a parallel World and stole his Peggy!
It was he who experienced everything with Peggy, it was he who became Captain America with Peggy's companionship and encouragement, and it was he who finally kissed Peggy goodbye in the Alps.
Why could this Old Captain America from a parallel World cross over so unceremoniously and take his place!
"Steve!" Peggy wanted to call out to Steve, but then she hesitated and looked at Old Captain America.
Right now, the one who most needed companionship was actually this Old Captain America.
She knew his difficulties.
Making a choice between personal feelings and the World's safety was painful.
Old Captain America had already done very well.
"Steve, the changes with Superman and Skrull only appeared this year. I understand that your past choices were all out of necessity."
Peggy Carter patted Old Captain America's hand to comfort him.
Old Captain America shook his head: "They're right, it's all a matter of whether I want to or not… If I really didn't want to interfere with the World's future, I shouldn't have stayed, sigh…"
He, in turn, patted Peggy's shoulder.
"Peggy, you don't need to stay here with an old man like me, I'm fine, you know, I've been through so much, what I'm best at is getting used to loneliness."
"Having you by my side for decades is already enough for me."
"But it was him who experienced everything with you, and it was him who had the promise with you, so, Peggy, go, don't leave him, and don't leave yourself with regrets."
Peggy opened her mouth, she wanted to say that they were both Steve, both her heroes.
But she finally swallowed the words, looked deeply at Old Captain America, and then chased out of the room.
…
On the other side.
Leon withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
Next, it would simply be Peggy catching up with Steve, then the two arguing, making up, and going home to roll around in bed.
There was no need to keep watching.
"I didn't expect such a development."
"Old Captain America has probably already filled his regrets and is ready to return to his original World."
"That's why he accepted everything so calmly."
"Preparing to hand Peggy over to Steve to take care of."
Leon initially didn't expect it to develop to this point.
He merely sent out a bottle of zeus spring water, and the subsequent events were all Steve and Peggy's own choices.
Even Peggy's brief amnesia was indeed a coincidence.
Leon didn't interfere.
Of course, it's not ruled out that some other multiverse-level guys were watching the show with him and then secretly interfering.
"But this time it did confirm my conjecture."
"This Old Captain America indeed came from a parallel World, not the future of this Universe."
In his previous life, when the Russo Brothers, directors of "Avengers 4," were interviewed, they said that Captain America spent his life with Peggy Carter in a parallel World and returned to the Main Universein his old age.
However, the script editor said that Captain America traveled back to the past of his own timeline and then lived in obscurity until the end of the Blip without causing any impact.
But the latter explanation clearly doesn't hold water.
Peggy already had two children with Captain America.
How can that be said to have no impact?
From the moment Captain America decided to make up for his regrets and put it into practice, he had already opened up a new timeline.
—Changing the past changes the future, this is a setting in other Universes.
It has nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Here, changing the past only opens up another timeline and does not affect reality.
If it affects reality, such as Dark Strange trying to reverse time to resurrect Christine, it would directly lead to the destruction of the Universe.
Chapter 220 Love story to be continued
Leon thought that the story would end with Steve reclaiming Peggy and Old Captain America making a quiet exit.
But the subsequent developments almost made him lose his balance.
—After a passionate night that was seventy years overdue.
Steve became conflicted again about Peggy's family.
After waking from his dream, he struggled countless times and finally decided to let go.
But this time, Peggy disagreed.
She believed she should make up for the debt and harm she had inflicted on Steve.
Furthermore, her two children with Old Captain America were now over thirty, married, and established, and had little connection with her as a mother.
She could completely have a fresh start.
With such back-and-forth, Steve ultimately couldn't bring himself to leave.
And the other Steve, Old Captain America, was the same.
He should have returned to his own timeline the night the truth was revealed.
But in the end, he couldn't bear to leave Peggy.
After all, she was the Love of his life, after all, it was decades of feelings.
He quietly stayed, feeling that even just seeing Peggy a few more times would be good.
No one could say where the Love-hate entanglement of the three would ultimately lead.
Tony, on the other hand, was quite happy.
The Avengers gained three Super Soldier Agents at once, and they could even watch a live soap opera daily, maximizing both practicality and entertainment.
Weeks later, when Leon learned of this development, he was stunned for a few seconds, and finally could only sigh that "Burning Winter" was indeed everywhere.
However, he was not surprised.
Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers, in a way, were like the original charging plug and data cable.
When both were present, they couldn't leave each other.
But when one was absent, it didn't affect their other pairing methods.
For example, in "What If…?"
Every Steve Captain Carter encountered in the Multiverse made her heart flutter, and made her consider staying and spending her life with him.
So for Peggy Carter.
It was actually enough for the other person to just be Steve.
As for whether he was her specific one, to some extent, it wasn't too important.
And Steve Rogers was the same.
He had deep feelings for Peggy Carter, but she wasn't the only one for him.
In the original work, Captain America even had a budding Love with her niece, Sharon Carter, after Peggy's funeral.
One can only say that they both have a forward-looking view of Love.
This was Captain America's private matter, and Leon had nothing to criticize about it.
He just had Yelena quietly record it.
If given the opportunity and with the consent of the parties involved, they could film a "Captain America: Burning Winter," people would definitely be interested in the melodramatic story of that righteous face.
…
The Love story of Captain America and Carter was ultimately just a small interlude in daily life.
Early the next morning.
After Leon sent Shirley off to school, he and Tony returned to Kamar-Taj.
Tony came to inquire about Thanos.
Leon came to Kamar-Taj to help Wong and Mordo complete their magic academy and Fantastic Beasts breeding farm plans.
It was evening in Kamar-Taj at this time.
Along the way, the passing sorcerers bowed to Leon in greeting.
Leon and Tony walked along the training ground towards the library.
"Are you sure that Thanos isn't a problem? Is he really just a piece of cake as you say?" Tony confirmed with Leon again.
"Absolutely! By the way, how many times have you asked since you walked in this morning?"
"Tony, Thanos's strength is similar to Carol's. Even if you send Pepper now, she could beat him up."
Leon said as he walked, "Of course, you definitely can't beat him. If you really encounter danger, you can consider hiding behind Pepper."
"Impossible! See this armor on me? Mark 11, nano-armor, can synthesize Vibranium laser cannons at any time, powerful enough to shatter small asteroids!"
Tony patted his chest, not forgetting to show off his new armor, "Pepper can't even catch up to the speed of my armor!"
Leon glanced at him: "Pepper must be playing with you. How fast can your clothes be, Mach 300? Mach 400?"
The smugness on Tony's face stiffened: "It can reach about Mach 27…"
"27?" Leon was stunned, as if he hadn't heard such a small number in a long time.
He patted Tony's shoulder: "Actually, slow is quite cute, Tony."
After speaking, he continued walking forward with a laugh.
Tony chased after him with a dark face: "No, this armor is just experimental nano-armor, it still has a lot of room for improvement!"
"Also, in Old Captain America's timeline, even Carol couldn't beat Thanos, so why can Pepper?"
"Because their Thanos had the Infinity Stones, and ours doesn't."
Leon opened his palm, and two Infinity Stones, green and blue, floated out.
"I have two Stones here, it won't be easy for him to get them."
"And I've already sent the Super Skrull to find the remaining Stones and deal with Thanos, so you don't have to worry."
Tony raised an eyebrow: "Are those nearly a thousand green-skinned people? They're going to deal with Thanos… Hey, why do I suddenly find them a bit cute?"
"Oh, as cute as your slow little armor?"
"Shut up, it'll be faster than you one day!"
The two chatted and laughed all the way to the library.
Wong and Mordo were already waiting there, and Banner and his girlfriend Betty were also there.
After getting permission from the two Great Sorcerers, Banner really brought Betty over to help him take care of the Fantastic Beasts.
And Betty, a biologist, was obviously very interested in these small animals.
She directly resigned from her Professor position at Culver University and joined Kamar-Taj.
The two had clearly transformed from scientist couple to magic couple.
They were much happier than Strange's pair.
"Sorcerer Supreme!" Upon meeting, the four first went through the routine of performing the sorcerer's salute.
Then Wong and Banner eagerly rushed to Leon's front.
"Leon, you're finally here, the spatial fluctuations in my suitcase have been getting more and more obvious recently!" Banner was very anxious.
"Don't be so anxious." Leon took the suitcase and opened it to look, "It's true that the effect of the Undetectable Extension Charm is starting to fade, but you should be able to repair it yourself, right?"
The Undetectable Extension Charm could expand space, but it wasn't permanent.
The effect of the spell would gradually fade with the passage of time.
Two weeks ago, when the Skrull hadn't left yet, Banner had told him about this on the phone.
Banner rubbed his hands: "My Extension Charm isn't as proficient as Mr. Newt's, I can't maintain such a large space, so I can only quickly move them to another place to live."
"Then when I create the Small World, we'll keep them there." Leon nodded.
"Ah, keep them in the Small World? Can't you reinforce the Extension Charm in the suitcase again?" Wong looked desperate.
"What's wrong with you?" Leon asked curiously, "You look like your private stash was stolen."
"How did you know, it really was stolen!" Wong was full of grief and indignation, "All the precious metals in my money box under the bed were stolen by Banner's Niffler!"
"Niffler?" Leon looked at Banner.
Banner smiled awkwardly: "After the space in the box became problematic, I was worried it would harm the Fantastic Beasts when it contracted."
"So I, I just kept the box open so they could escape, and as for the Niffler… they're a bit more active."
Chapter 221 Small World
Nifflers are magical creatures covered in black fur, resembling an echidna, with a gentle disposition and loyal to their Master.
However, they have a peculiar fondness for collecting anything that sparkles, especially precious metals or gemstones.
The moment Banner opened the case, the Nifflers, drawn by the scent, snuck out that very night.
This, unfortunately, meant the Kamar-Taj sorcerers' wallets were no longer safe.
"No wonder," Leon realized. "Perhaps next time you can keep the Nifflers in a separate area."
"But if they steal something, can't you just catch them again? Wang, you're not that stingy, are you?"
Wang pounded his chest and stamped his feet, exclaiming, "I'm not stingy! But if you catch them once, there's a second time!"
"After a few times, these little rascals got smarter. The two who stole things yesterday still haven't been caught!"
"I haven't seen my piggy bank in days!"
Good heavens, it seems those little rascals stole not just Wang's money, but the entire box along with it.
This clearly sounded like a group effort.
"Fuck!" Behind them, Tony suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked over, only to see a small, dark creature emerge from Tony's collar.
It clutched a flat Ark Reactor in its mouth, then pushed off Tony's shoulder and darted far away.
"It stole my Ark Reactor!" Tony felt his chest; it was now empty.
"That's practically a robbery, not a theft," Leon quipped.
"It's almost gone, can't you give me a hand?" Tony rolled his eyes.
He casually pulled a wand from his pocket: "Reactor Accio!"
The Reactor swiftly flew back into Tony's hand, pulled by magic.
The Niffler, unwilling to let go of the Reactor, flapped its short legs and hovered in the air, flying along with it.
"A good Accio Charm," Leon commented. "Definitely Hogwarts sixth-year level."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Tony wordlessly pulled the Reactor from the Niffler's mouth, shook it twice, and with a look of disgust, put it in his pocket.
Then he rubbed the Niffler's big belly: "This little guy is annoying, but why does it feel so comfortable to touch?"
"Thank you, Tony. Now there's only one Niffler left to find." Wang eagerly went to take the Niffler.
"Wang, why do you look so nervous? Are you afraid I'll do something to it?"
Tony put away his wand. "Complaining about trouble while secretly liking it—you remind me of Severus."
"Please, please don't compare me to that Bat Professor," Wang said, stuffing the Niffler into Banner's briefcase.
"Sounds like he left quite an impression on you all?" Leon hooked his hand, using telekinesis to pull out the other Niffler hidden in the corner.
"Here, this should be the last one." He sent the Niffler into the briefcase, then turned to look at Mordo.
"Honestly, after a month apart, in just one minute, you've shown me how chaotic Kamar-Taj is right now."
Leon clapped his hands: "Don't just stand there, let's begin. Take me to the prepared location, and we'll start creating the Small World."
In Wang and Mordo's proposal,
building a magic academy and a magical animal farm
would ideally require an independent space.
The Undetectable Extension Charm, being temporary, was definitely not suitable.
So they thought of Leon's World Ring (which Wang had coveted for a long time).
However, Leon's existing World Rings, even the smallest one, had a diameter calculated in trillions of kilometers.
Using it to build a magic academy would be far too wasteful.
But it was fortunate that he was currently in the World Master phase, capable of creating Small Worlds like World Rings.
The greatest characteristic of a Starry Sky World Master
was the ability to connect with the origin of the Universe to acquire energy, and combine it with their own World Power, to create a Small World.
Moreover, this ability was exclusive to the World Master phase.
Other stages, even the stronger Immortals, could not achieve it.
Because by the Immortal stage,
the inner World transforms into an outer Divine Kingdom, and World Power evolves into Divine Power, thus losing the ability to create Small Worlds.
One must wait until they cross the Law Venerable and Law Master realms,
and then become a True God.
Only when the Divine Kingdom transforms into a miniature Universe
can they once again rely on their own power to create a Small World.
Currently, Leon was in the Marvel Universe.
Although there was no concept of an "origin" here,
the Infinity Stones inherently represented the origin of the Universe.
He only needed to channel the Space Stone's energy,
and combine it with the World Power of his inner World,
to create a Small World.
"Starting now? This way, this way!" Wang immediately became excited upon hearing they would begin creating the Small World.
He pulled Mordo to lead the way, and they arrived at… the deepest part of the library.
"Are you sure you want to build it here?" Leon asked in surprise.
The deepest part of the library was a circular cave-like room.
Originally, the Eye of Agamotto, which contained the Time Stone, was placed here.
And in the four directions of the room, there were four doors.
Three fixed portals leading to the three Great Sanctuaries, and one ordinary archway connecting to the library.
At this time, where the Eye of Agamotto was originally placed,
Wang and Mordo had constructed a small wooden house, three meters high and two meters long and wide.
The style was still Kamar-Taj-esque Eastern architecture.
The building materials for this wooden house were all precious magical metals and wood, indeed suitable for containing a Small World.
"Yes, build it right here!" Wang and Mordo affirmed.
"While building it next to the fixed portals is convenient, opening the door to a cramped cave feels very old-fashioned."
Leon surveyed the area: "But it's not impossible; it does give off an aura of a hidden sect."
He stepped forward and opened the door; behind it was a tightly stacked wall of magical metal, not an actual small room.
It was like a door embedded in a pile of magical metal.
"Good, these materials are sufficient."
Leon closed the door, placing his palm against it.
"You're starting now? Do we need to step back?" Wang asked nervously.
"No need, but it might take a while, so you should wait outside."
Leon simultaneously channeled the Space Stone's energy within him and his World Power.
The two forces intertwined and flowed into the wooden door, gradually opening up a miniature World.
One hundred meters, one thousand meters, ten thousand meters…
In a few breaths, the Small World's diameter expanded to one hundred thousand meters, and it continued to grow.
Until the Small World expanded into a spherical World with a diameter of over one thousand kilometers.
Only then did Leon stop the energy input.
This size had reached the limit that the materials could bear.
He then began to use World Power to gather matter molecules within the Small World, shaping land, mountains, and rivers, and creating a light source with the Law of Light.
After half a day.
Leon stopped, lowering his right hand that had been resting on the door panel.
"Is it over already?" Before he could turn around, Wang's voice came from beside him.
Not just Wang.
Tony, Mordo, and Banner hadn't left either.
They were all eagerly waiting for him to create the Small World.