Chapter 423: The Eternals Descend Upon the Mortal World
Bruce recalled his experience in Silent Hill.
He now understood why the medical staff and patients had fled from Arkham Asylum.
They simply couldn't deal with the vengeful spirit, Sadako. Even he had only managed to hold his own after years of studying supernatural lore and preparing various countermeasures against malevolent entities.
"Batsy, let's go pay Sadako a visit."
"Ugh…"
Just as Bruce was contemplating whether to abandon Arkham Asylum altogether, Allen suddenly yanked him into the air.
His whole body floated like a kite.
"You're too fast! My mask's about to fly off!"
Wind howled across Bruce's face as he pressed his mask down tightly.
But Allen charged forward at full speed without a care.
In no time, they arrived inside the asylum, heading straight to Allen's old room.
The old-fashioned TV set was still plugged in but on standby, with the screen dark.
Clearly, the asylum's power supply had been shut off.
Clap, clap, clap…
"Sadako, come out and play."
Allen slapped the TV and pressed his face to the screen, calling out.
But there was no response.
Normally, even without power, the TV should still be able to play on its own.
It was obvious: Sadako wasn't home—so, no response.
After a while, Allen flopped down onto the bed in frustration.
Bruce, eyes wary, kept a close watch on the TV. He was ready to bolt at a moment's notice. After all, he was skilled at physical confrontations—not battles with the supernatural.
"Batsy, let's go."
Allen rose listlessly, shoulders slumped. "Looks like Sadako's forgotten all about me."
"..."
Bruce rolled his eyes.
You were the one who stirred things up, and then you disappeared for ages. Forget a female ghost—even a regular woman would've already had grandkids by now.
"Batsy, let me tell you something."
The next moment, Allen snapped back to his usual cheerful self, throwing an arm around Bruce's shoulder as he bragged, "This time, I really outdid myself. Another cosmic-level war…"
Bruce listened patiently, poker-faced, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Clearly, he had no reason to doubt the tale.
Some cosmic-traveling heroes had already verified Allen's feats.
For example, the current three major empires in the galaxy all gave Allen major respect the moment they heard his name.
Especially the Skrulls, who had secretly infiltrated Earth—upon learning it was Allen's homeworld, they immediately withdrew and even offered compensation to S.H.I.E.L.D., hoping to erase the incident entirely.
Ever the schemer, Director Fury seized the opportunity to push for numerous concessions, solidifying the foundation of S.W.O.R.D.
Initially, S.W.O.R.D. was more of a symbolic department—mainly a funding sponge.
But thanks to this event, it instantly gained legitimacy and established cooperative ties with many alien civilizations.
Just as Allen and Bruce stepped out of Arkham Asylum…
Back in the hospital room, the screen of the old TV suddenly lit up.
Crackling like bones snapping, a long-haired figure crawled out of the screen.
"Allen, was that you calling for me?"
Sadako's stiff neck twisted as she looked around. Sadly, no one was there.
A wave of sorrow silently spread through the room.
Disheartened, Sadako slowly slipped back into the screen, returning to her cold, damp well.
…
In Gotham City, security presence had increased severalfold.
Due to the mass escape of Arkham's patients and criminals, the city's public safety had basically gone from bad to worse.
Commissioner Gordon had no choice but to ramp up patrols.
Surprisingly, he broke from tradition and teamed up with Arthur the Joker to maintain order.
But criminals weren't stupid—committing crimes in broad daylight carried a much higher risk of getting caught.
With Arkham out of commission, all recaptured criminals were transferred to Blackgate Prison.
On the bustling city streets…
A white couple was caught in a heated argument.
The woman held a coffee cup in one hand and pointed accusingly at her boyfriend with the other.
"Jack, look at me when I'm talking to you."
She was visibly irritated by his distracted, indifferent gaze.
"But—"
"No buts. Tell me clearly—who was at your place last night?"
"It wasn't… it's not what you think…"
"Don't try to drag me into this—I'm asking you a question."
"..."
The man kept glancing toward the coffee cup.
Blegh!
Suddenly, someone threw up nearby, making the woman frown and glance sideways.
Allen was hunched over, vomiting up a mouthful of coffee.
"Babe, he sipped your coffee earlier. I was trying to warn you," the man explained weakly.
"This isn't about the coffee." The woman scowled.
Wiping his mouth, Allen looked pale and muttered, "Guess I really am a lowly pleb… Fancy drinks like coffee just aren't for me."
With zero remorse for stealing someone else's drink, Allen bolted toward a nearby charity organization distributing food.
He joined the orderly line, waiting for his turn to receive relief rations.
The nearby homeless folks barely glanced at the clean, well-dressed mental patient and simply kept their heads down in line.
Soon, Allen reached the front.
"No chickpeas, no boiled meat, no burger buns, and no veggie salad."
Scanning the metal tray with suspicion, Allen's face twisted in disgust.
It wasn't just bad food—it was torture.
"Then why are you in line?" the female volunteer frowned slightly.
"I want orange-flavored sparkling soda from Dr. IQ. Two cans, please."
With one can already stuffed in each side pocket of his hospital gown, Allen had no intention of moving, staring intently at the volunteer.
"Is there anything else you need?" she asked cautiously.
After all, he was dressed in a hospital gown and looked unstable—who knew if he'd snap?
"Allen, it's Monday. No cash assistance today."
"You could've told me earlier! Wasting my feelings…"
A volunteer who knew him chimed in. Hearing that, Allen flicked his hair dramatically and stormed off in a huff.
The volunteers were left baffled.
They felt Allen was incredibly rude. After receiving free food, he didn't even show a hint of gratitude.
Gratitude?
Doesn't exist.
In Allen's mind, Big Buddha had already picked up the tab. He could eat with a clear conscience.
With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal in full view of the public and strode straight into Stark Tower, completely unfazed by the shocked onlookers.
Of course, it was only momentary shock.
In this world full of flying superheroes and deities, a portal-casting mage wasn't that rare—just envy-inducing.
The moment he stepped onto Stark Tower's top floor…
A group of heroes were already looking at him solemnly.
"Everyone's here."
Allen strolled over to little Morgan, who was playing with building blocks, acting like he owned the place.
"Little Morgan, did you miss Grandpa?"
"Yeah!"
Morgan dropped her blocks, grinning from ear to ear.
Clearly, she knew Allen would let her run wild—unlike her parents, who treated her like a prisoner under constant watch.
"This is for you."
Allen pulled out a can of soda and solemnly said, "My favorite Dr. IQ. Drink it, and you'll be smart like me."
"Really?"
Morgan clutched the can, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Meanwhile, Tony and Pepper's faces darkened.
A kid that young drinking artificially colored soda? Definitely bad for her health. Still, they held back from scolding her publicly—planning to speak privately later.
"Master!"
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive shadow tackled Allen, pinning him to the ground.
"Nanaue, can you stop being so sudden? My back's about to break! And stop poking my face with your nose!"
Allen looked helplessly at the dopey shark face in front of him.
"Master, Nanaue missed you so much!"
Nanaue hugged him tightly, his protruding snout squishing Allen's face.
"I wanna play too!"
Morgan shouted, "Saebaan, transform!"
In an instant, another beefed-up figure—like a golden Barbie—landed heavily on Nanaue's back.
Wham! Ugh…
Allen's eyes bulged. He felt like his soul was being squeezed out of him.
Alright then.
Playing human Jenga in public? Not a great look.
"Morgan, stop it. Transform back."
Pepper's anger meter was maxing out—she looked like a ticking time bomb.
In fact, the Extremis virus hadn't been purged from her body. Instead, Tony had refined a serum that stabilized it, making it safe and controllable.
Their whole family had powers now, so no more worries about sneaky villains trying to poison them.
"Oh…"
Morgan pouted and got up reluctantly, avoiding her mother's eyes like a scolded child.
"Nanaue, you've got a wife now. You can't keep cuddling your master like that. Sharks and humans shouldn't be so handsy," Allen said as he pushed Nanaue's face away to catch his breath.
"Boohoo… Master, Nanaue's pink dolphin died…"
Nanaue cried like a 500-pound baby.
"It died? Who did it? Was it that bald guy?"
"No… Nanaue doesn't know."
Forcing himself upright, Allen hugged Nanaue like a child, comforting him. "Don't cry. Master will find you another pink dolphin."
"Okay."
Nanaue buried his face in Allen's chest, seeking comfort.
The sight resembled a gorilla hugging an elephant—completely mismatched.
"Nanaue killed the dolphin himself."
Natasha couldn't help but interject.
"You little money-wasting moron."
Allen furiously shoved Nanaue aside. "Reflect on your actions!"
Sob sob sob…
Nanaue curled into a miserable ball.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Nat. I almost got tricked by that silly fish."
With that, Allen leaned into Natasha's shoulder like a spoiled child.
She turned her head in disgust.
So annoying.
The other male heroes all shot Allen murderous glares.
Black Widow was supposed to be the team's social glue, maintaining ambiguous ties with multiple members.
At work, she kept things subtle, creating the illusion she only had feelings for one of them.
But with Allen, she had no defense.
He was just too much—Natasha couldn't deal with him.
Thor, lounging with a beer and a belly, watched the drama unfold with amusement.
Ever since a previous team mission during Allen's absence, Natasha had lifted Mjolnir—revealing that Thor wasn't the only one who could wield it.
Since then, Thor had let himself go.
His formerly chiseled body had gone completely soft.
All because War Machine, trying to impress a girl, let the truth slip. Unfortunately, Thor happened to be passing through via the Bifrost at that exact moment.
"I've got the full report."
As the tension built, Wanda reentered through a portal.
"Big Sis Wanda."
The moment he saw the Scarlet Witch, Allen decisively distanced himself from Black Widow and threw himself into Wanda's lap without hesitation.
Before anyone could react, there was a full-grown man hanging off her leg. Wanda rolled her eyes helplessly.
"Focus on the serious business. Hugs later."
"Okay."
Allen obediently walked over to the bar, took out a wine glass, pulled out a can of Dr. Slump soda, poured himself a full glass, and quietly listened to Wanda's report.
"A few days ago, a spaceship descended to Earth. It appears to be from the Eternals," Wanda said seriously.
"That's right."
At the same time, Doctor Strange—Stephen—arrived, closed the portal, and continued, "I went back to Kamar-Taj and looked through the ancient texts. I found the term 'God Emergence,' but only in fragments. The language hints at doomsday."
Many sorcerers from Kamar-Taj had once journeyed through the universe, recording what they saw and learned. These records were preserved for future generations.
But when it came to the Eternals, things touched on the term "God Emergence."
Unfortunately, the descriptions were extremely vague, as if referring to some unknown type of existence.
"Ah… carbonated soda… so good."
After downing the soda in one gulp, Allen's expression turned solemn. "A Celestial is about to be born on Earth."
At that moment, everyone looked at him with confusion.
Hadn't the Earth's gods already gone off into the universe? And given the current state of the world, it was impossible for a native god to be born now.
"Allen, you definitely know more than you're letting on, don't you?" Natasha pressed.
Indeed, the more they investigated Allen, the more mysterious he seemed. Even with the combined capabilities of the Avengers and the Justice League, they couldn't uncover the full story of his past.
Luckily, Allen was just a bit eccentric—not a villain.
"It's just a politically correct movie. Of course I've seen a bit of it."
Allen poured himself another glass, clearly enjoying the attention from all the heroes. He spoke unhurriedly, "The Eternals' purpose on Earth is simply to ensure the birth of a Celestial. The so-called 'God Emergence' refers to sacrificing all life on a planet to gather enough energy for the Celestial embryo to be born."
Of course, that's how it played out in the movie.
But now, things were already diverging.
The Eternals should've been stationed on Earth long ago, not just arriving now.
So, a split among the Eternals to stop the Celestial's birth was highly unlikely.