"Let me think... Is this basically the question of whether giving you a handgun would lead you to kill or protect?"
Scott paused, considering the question. "So, whether a dangerous weapon is used for protection or harm depends entirely on the person wielding it, whether they're good or bad?"
"More importantly," Arthur added, "can they maintain their true nature, always?"
Arthur clapped Scott on the shoulder. "Can you?"
'Can you hold true?'
Arthur inexplicably recalled those words. Maintaining one's true nature sounded simple in theory, but was incredibly difficult in practice.
Scott pondered for a moment, then said, "Aren't there plenty of people watching us? As long as those among us never succumb to truly dark thoughts, we'll probably never descend into world-destroying madness, right?"
"The world is too beautiful. Why would anyone want to destroy it?"
Arthur shrugged. "Alright, I'll be waiting for your security system proposals and concepts. How long do you need?"
"At least a month."
"Then you have a month."
"That's surprisingly generous," Scott said, astonished.
Arthur shrugged. "What else? Let me tell you a secret: sometimes superheroes are as busy as dogs, but other times, they're so bored they're itching for something to do."
"...I think that's a bit insensitive," Natasha murmured from the side.
Arthur blinked. "My apologies."
"Accepted," Natasha replied, her gaze softening inexplicably as she looked at him.
Scott glanced between the two, hesitated, and asked, "Should I just... leave? And who's going to tell me what I'm supposed to do next?"
"I'll take you to your room," Arthur said. "If you like, you can stay here permanently. Of course, if you prefer to return home, you're welcome to do so... but we'll contact you whenever we need your assistance. Also, we'll need to install some essential equipment at your residence..."
Natasha glanced at Arthur. "He probably already knows, right? The Teleportation Array?"
"You mean the thing that biued from the alley and ended up here?" Scott's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I just say, this thing is seriously cool?"
"Of course you can," Natasha replied. "Say it as much as you want, I love hearing it. But before we get too carried away, we should head to your assigned room and pick up your equipment. I'll have someone handle the paperwork for you."
Scott grumbled good-naturedly as he followed Natasha out of the room. Arthur watched them leave before finally sitting down.
He gently rubbed his forehead. "Tomorrow... is the third day."
The past two days hadn't exactly been peaceful. Many questions had been brewing in Arthur's mind, only to dissipate like bubbles. The three days had passed in the blink of an eye, yet Arthur still hadn't managed to untangle a single coherent thread.
Yet, his mindset had inexplicably grown calmer.
"Whatever comes next..." He glanced at the ceiling. "I think I have the heart to face it!"
...
In fact, the scientists in the lab had already roughly pinpointed the location of the barrier breach last night, as well as the approximate area where the entity would descend.
By an uncanny coincidence, it turned out to be in the vicinity of Camp Lehigh.
The exact location remained unclear, but based on the vague data, it was estimated to be within a ten-kilometer radius centered on Camp Lehigh.
As for the time, it was predicted to be around 11:00 AM tomorrow, with a margin of error of about half an hour, well within acceptable parameters.
Given this level of precision, Arthur had already summoned everyone he could muster.
Despite their differing agendas, they needed to approach this imminent arrival with caution.
If it were merely a transmigrator with a "golden finger," that wouldn't be too much to worry about. Such individuals typically start out relatively weak.
Of course, there were also those who had accumulated hundreds of billions of skill points and could unleash world-destroying power upon their very first appearance.
However, since this was Camp Lehigh's main base, if such a formidable foe were to emerge, they would undoubtedly have countermeasures in place.
As a last resort, Arthur could retrieve the Infinity Stones and seek out the Ancient One to perform the finger snap.
If even that failed, the threat would be entirely beyond their capabilities, rendering any further preparations futile.
Considering the potential events of tomorrow, Arthur decided not to go home that night. After informing Lily, the compassionate girl simply urged him to be careful and not worry about her.
Under the cloak of night, Arthur sat on the rooftop of Camp Lehigh, gazing at the starry sky above.
He wasn't quite sure what he was looking at or thinking about.
He simply savored the tranquility of the moment, finding it strangely beautiful.
Suddenly, a cold bottle brushed against Arthur's cheek.
Arthur froze for a moment, then turned his head to see Tony standing behind him. Behind Tony was Banner, beside Banner was Steve, next to Steve was Sharon, Sharon's side was Natasha, Natasha's side was Princess Shuri, followed by T'Challa, Spiderman, Hawkeye, Falcon, the Winter Soldier, Brock with Venom, the long-traveled Thor, and the Wanda siblings, who seemed to be enjoying themselves a bit too much. Newly arrived and still looking utterly bewildered was Scott...
The sudden sight of such a large group startled Arthur.
'How did so many people suddenly appear?'
'Is this... the final battle?'
'It seems like everyone's here except Star-Lord, who's probably still out in space.'
"Uh... you guys..." Arthur blinked.
"Want a drink?" Tony offered him a bottle of ice-cold beer.
"What about the red wine?"
"Too stuffy," Tony replied. "We don't know exactly what's bothering you, so let's ditch the stuffy red wine and try this instead. It might hit the spot better."
Arthur paused for a moment, then gently pried the beer bottle cap off with his fingernail. He tilted his head back and took a swig, his brow furrowing. "This is awful."
"But it feels good," Thor said, settling down beside Arthur. "We're all here to drink with you."
No one said much more, and no one offered hollow reassurances. The group huddled together, some pulling out food they'd brought, others hauling over more beer. Spiderman, ferrying beer, piped up, "I've never actually had any before. Will this stuff suit me?"
"A real man dares to try new things!" Tony shouted from across the rooftop.
The whole scene erupted into boisterous laughter and chatter.
Arthur watched them, a sudden smile spreading across his face. With so many people by his side, it seemed like... There was truly nothing to fear anymore.
Whatever tomorrow might bring, he now had the courage and confidence to face it head-on.
"Alright, let's drink, but don't go overboard," Arthur said, rising to his feet. "If we need to fight tomorrow, I don't want to see any of you puking on Camp Lehigh's roof. Seriously, with all of you up here, did anyone even consider the weight on this thing?"
(End Of This Chapter)
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