Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
With the Phoenix extinguished, those she had enslaved were finally freed from her mental shackles. However, her influence would not vanish overnight. Without her overwhelming suppression, the "Black Hole" organization—which had long been at odds with Gwen and her rebels—was certain to rise again, positioning themselves once more as formidable rivals.
In this world, there was never a shortage of war or conflict.
But those were problems for another day. For now, Gwen and the others had only one priority: celebration.
To mark the downfall of the Phoenix, the hard-won victory, and the rekindling of hope, a grand victory party was held within the rebel base. They had been suppressed for far too long; the atmosphere was electric, and a smile finally graced Gwen's face—one that hadn't been seen in a very long time.
Meanwhile, the two Clarks stood face-to-face. Initially, the encounter was steeped in awkwardness as they stared at their own likenesses. However, after talking for a while, the tension thawed. They were the same man, yet they had lived vastly different lives. Amidst sighs of shared experience, they offered each other their sincere blessings.
The most popular person at the party, however, was Little Lamb.
Everyone had witnessed his battle against the Phoenix. The sight of those magnificent bullets tearing into her, leaving her in a miserable state, had left the rebels in awe. Gwen paraded him around the room, proudly introducing him to everyone as her younger brother.
Yet, amidst the joy, the mood would occasionally dip into somber territory as people remembered those who had sacrificed themselves to bring the Phoenix down. Whenever someone brought up a fallen comrade, the atmosphere grew heavy—not to dampen the mood, but to ensure that the martyrs were remembered as part of this victory.
"To the fallen, and to this hard-won peace!" Gwen shouted, raising her glass high.
"To the fallen, and to victory!"
The roar of the crowd followed, and the sound of clinking glasses echoed through the hall.
Watching the boisterous crowd, Mike smiled faintly. He finished his drink, grabbed a slice of pizza, and stepped out of the noisy hall.
Outside, the night sky was draped like a black velvet curtain, adorned with a bright, full moon. Strands of silvery moonlight fell from the heavens, gently caressing the world below.
"Seeing only one moon... I'm actually not used to it," Mike chuckled. He took a bite of his pizza and raised an eyebrow. The flavor wasn't bad at all.
"What aren't you used to?" Clark's voice rang out from behind him.
Mike turned to see Clark, Gwen, and the others standing there, watching him with smiles on their faces.
"I've gotten used to seeing two moons. Why did you all come out?" Mike asked curiously.
"Why did you come out?" Gwen countered.
Mike laughed. "I'm an old man. I'm just not quite suited for that level of noise anymore."
"Really?" The middle-aged Superman looked at Mike skeptically. "You aren't brooding over what the Phoenix said, are you? About the Phoenix Force aggregating or something?"
"How is that possible!" Mike dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "Small problems. Nothing to worry about."
The younger Clark looked at him doubtfully. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure." Mike's expression was the picture of sincerity.
The group looked at him and nodded, finally letting out a collective smile. However, Little Lamb, standing at the back, curled his lip.
That expression... I can see right through it!
He didn't believe for a second that his older brothers and sister hadn't noticed. Adults... so hypocritical, Little Lamb grumbled to himself.
"Alright, you guys go back inside. I want to be alone for a bit. Once the party is over, we'll head home."
"So soon!?" Gwen and the middle-aged Clark were taken aback. Oren, even more anxious, interjected, "Grandpa, stay for a few more days! I can show you around this world."
Mike smiled gently. "There's still a lot here that needs your attention. It's better if we head out now." He paused, giving a knowing wink to the four versions of his family. "Don't worry. We'll meet again."
Seeing that his mind was made up, they exchanged glances before heading back into the hall.
Once they were gone, Mike let out a helpless chuckle. "Even these kids saw through it." His eyes then turned cold as he murmured, "The complete Phoenix Force..."
Earth, Mike's Home
Raven sighed as she stared at the spot where Mike and the others had vanished, a sense of longing in her eyes. "I wonder how they're doing over there—"
Before she could finish her sentence, three familiar figures appeared before her, cutting her off.
Wait.
Raven's eyes widened as she looked at the trio. She began counting them with her finger. One, two, three...
Mike.
Clark.
...Little Lamb!?
How was Little Lamb here?
Raven glared fiercely at the boy before turning a cold, furious gaze toward Mike and Clark. "What is the meaning of this?"
Clark's heart skipped a beat. How terrifying! He shot Mike and Little Lamb a "good luck" look before stammering, "I—I don't know! I have things to do, I'm leaving!"
In a flash, Clark vanished.
Mike: "..."
Little Lamb: "So disloyal!"
"Speak!" Raven demanded, towering over the father and son.
Mike coughed lightly. "Well, Little Lamb snuck along. Clark and I didn't notice."
"That's right!" Little Lamb thumped his chest, standing bravely in front of Mike. "I snuck along myself! These two idiots didn't notice me at all!"
Mike: "?" Two idiots?
His lip twitched, but before he could respond, Little Lamb tilted his chin up defiantly. "A real man takes responsibility for his actions! If you're mad, take it out on me!"
Raven's expression darkened. Fine, take it out on you, is it? She let out a cold laugh, marched up to him, and without a shred of mercy, pinched his ear and dragged him upstairs.
"Ow, ow, ow! Mom! My ear is going to fall off!"
"Impossible!" Raven snapped. Even if she used a knife, his skin wouldn't have a scratch.
"Dad, save me!"
Mike looked at the boy and said solemnly, "A man must have a sense of burden. You have to stand by what you say." With that, Mike turned away. "Good luck, kid."
Mike rarely saw Raven this angry. He shivered as he heard the screams from upstairs and beat a hasty retreat out of the house.
To this world, they had only been gone for less than a minute. Who would have guessed they had just fought a world-shattering battle in another dimension?
"Mike!" His neighbor, Mrs. Maria, waved at him excitedly. "You look quite free today."
"I'm doing alright," Mike replied with a smile. "How are Tony's preparations coming along?"
Tony Stark was about to hold his wedding with Pepper Potts.
"Everything is going smoothly," Maria said happily. Soon, once they were married, she could look forward to grandchildren. The thought made her practically bubble with joy. "So, since you're free, how about a few rounds of mahjong? I'm feeling lucky!"
But when she turned back to Mike...
"Where did he go?" she grumbled, huffing in annoyance before heading back into her own home.
Half a month later.
It was a bright, beautiful spring day—the day of Tony and Pepper's wedding. One was a world-famous superhero, the other was the head of Stark Industries; the ceremony was destined to be a grand affair.
Fortunately, despite the scale, everything went off without a hitch. Under the blessings of the crowd, the two completed their vows. Amidst the playful boos of the other superheroes—especially the single ones—the couple departed for their honeymoon.
Life returned to normal, and Mike's days became peaceful again. Of course, as the Superhero Association grew, things became busier for everyone else. As more heroes joined the association, supervillains began to form alliances in response.
However, none of this bothered Mike. He only had two priorities now: Gwen's high school graduation prom and his cards. The cards were the source of his power, while Gwen's prom was a milestone for her future. To Mike, they were of equal importance.
"What? A date?" Gwen blinked at her father's gossipy question. She chuckled. "With my looks, of course I've received plenty of invitations!"
Looks? What kind of description is that? Mike complained internally, but he didn't argue. "Like who?"
Gwen rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Let me see... Flash, Daryl, Bilford..."
Mike silently noted the names, deciding he needed to do some background checks. Gwen listed a few more before frowning. "There are too many, I can't even remember them all."
Mike nodded in satisfaction. It seemed Gwen was quite popular at school. As expected of his daughter. Suddenly, he asked, "Did Peter invite you?"
"Peter?" Gwen paused, then burst out laughing. "Why would he invite me? We're bros! Just bros!"
Bros? Mike pouted. It seemed young Peter Parker hadn't worked up the courage to confess yet. Good. That saved Mike the trouble of having a "talk" with him.
"Why are you asking about Peter anyway?" Gwen looked at him suspiciously.
"Just asking. He's your friend, isn't he? Is it wrong for me to show a little concern?" Mike countered.
Gwen remained skeptical. Why ask about Peter specifically, and not Luke or Harry? Just as she was about to press him, a flash of lightning tore through space. With the characteristic crackle of electricity, the backyard lit up.
"What was that?" Gwen cried out. A tuft of playful blue flame flickered on her head as she dashed toward the backyard like a nimble cat.
Mike's eye twitched as he surveyed the scene. "That bastard! Hasn't been seen for ages, and the moment he shows up, he ruins my yard! If he doesn't clean this up, I'm going to give him a thrashing!"
Despite his words, a smile he couldn't hide spread across his face. He walked out with Raven, who had come to investigate the noise. As for Little Lamb... he had already phased through the wall and reached the yard.
"Who is it?" Raven asked, though she already had an idea.
"Thor," Mike said, pushing open the door.
The moment he stepped out, his smile vanished. He pointed at Thor, who was currently spinning Gwen and Little Lamb around in circles. "You bastard! Look at what you've done to my lawn!"
It looked like a typhoon had swept through. The patio umbrellas and tables had been blown away, and the grass was covered in scorched marks.
Thor laughed, setting the kids down. He marched up to Mike and gave him a powerful bear hug. "I'm back!"
"Mhm," Mike grunted, his gaze falling on the axe in Thor's hand.
"This is Stormbreaker. My new weapon." Thor patted the axe, his love for it plain to see.
"Scumbag!"
"?" Thor froze, looking at Mike in confusion.
Mike huffed. "It used to be Mjolnir this and Mjolnir that. Now that you have a new flame, you've forgotten your old love."
"Mjolnir?" Little Lamb piped up, eyes wide with gossip. "Which woman is that?"
"Stupid!" Gwen tapped his head, then winced, blowing on her knuckles. "That was Thor's old weapon!"
"Aw. I got excited for nothing," Little Lamb sighed, throwing his hands up.
The group burst into laughter.
Stomach rumbles.
Thor rubbed his belly and gave an embarrassed grin. "Uh, I haven't eaten for three meals. I wanted to make sure the first thing I ate upon returning was Mike's cooking."
Mike gave him a thumbs-up, then asked curiously, "You didn't even stop at New Asgard?"
"Of course not! This is my first stop!"
"Good man!" Mike praised, though he was laughing internally. He wondered what Odin would think if he knew Thor had gained immense power only to use it to rush back and fill his stomach.
With a flick of his wrist, a card appeared and dissolved into light, restoring the backyard to its original state. But just as Mike was about to lead everyone inside, a portal of swirling blue energy tore open before them.
A lean, elegant man with a haughty expression stepped out.
"Loki! Long time no see!" Thor greeted him cheerfully.
Loki huffed. "If Heimdall hadn't seen you return, how long would it have taken for us to know you were back?"
Thor hesitated. "After I finished this meal?"
Loki: "..." You are an absolute fool.
(End of Chapter)