"Dog-head shadow, then it summoned a canine… so this is Shadow Magic." Scott Lang couldn't help nodding, suddenly enlightened.
But from their practical test just now, everyone also came to the same conclusion: although Shadow Magic seems related to shadows, even if you're unable to cast a visible shadow, it doesn't affect the activation of the technique at all.
Otherwise this technique would become something you could only use when there's light—far too ridiculous.
"This dog looks pretty fierce. More than enough to deal with normal people." Tony Stark said that while directly reaching out, wanting to pet the White Jade Dog.
"Awooo!"
The White Jade Dog immediately snapped at Tony, nearly biting him.
If not for Strange instantly controlling it, Tony Stark definitely would have been knocked to the ground.
"Stark, he's not a pet dog, OK?"
Strange said seriously to Tony, "If you try that again, I won't help you. If you get hurt, that's on you. OK?"
"So stingy."
Tony muttered a complaint, but quieted down and didn't try petting the dog again.
Swish!Strange moved a thought, and the tall, powerful White Jade Dog vanished instantly.
"This Shadow Magic requires curse power, and since I don't have that, it consumes my stamina and mental energy instead. You get the idea…" Strange casually explained.
Everyone understood.
Without doubt, Strange's Shadow Magic had a strict duration limit.
Impossible to use endlessly at will—this was completely consistent with the Answer System's style.
[Answer complete. Beginning playback of solution analysis!]
The system prompt suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
Under their gaze, a corresponding video began playing on the large screen.
The first thing that appeared was something like a laboratory.
Tony Stark, Smart Hulk, Rocket Raccoon, and the others were gathered together, manipulating mechanical arms to grab the Infinity Stones and install them onto the "Infinity Gauntlet."
One look was enough to tell the gauntlet was Tony Stark's design—the overall style identical to the Iron Man armor.
In everyone's breath-held tension, the six Infinity Stones were all embedded into the gauntlet.
The experiment… succeeded!
"BOOM!"
At that ultra-tense moment, Rocket Raccoon suddenly shouted loudly—
Scaring everyone half to death.
Seeing his prank succeed, Rocket couldn't help laughing triumphantly.
The viewers in front of the screen were speechless.
As expected, in the Guardians of the Galaxy, except for Nebula, not a single one had a normal brain.
"Alright, the gauntlet is ready."
They took out the Iron-Man-style Infinity Gauntlet. Rocket glanced around and asked, "Key question—who snaps?"
"I will!"
Thor strode forward without hesitation, volunteering himself, but everyone immediately blocked him.
"This is Thor?" Tony Stark looked him up and down in disbelief. "Why do you look… heavier? And… how many years has it been since you shaved?"
The Thor on the screen looked very different from the Thor standing beside them.
"Seriously, Thor, I also feel like you got fatter." Strange added, staring at the screen.
"Definitely fatter." Scott Lang nodded in agreement.
"Really? No way!" Thor stubbornly argued, "It's just… thicker clothing."
On the screen:
"Stop, Thor!"
"Wait—don't rush!"
"Thor, hold on. We haven't decided who will wear the gauntlet."
"Sorry, are we just going to sit here waiting for the perfect moment to magically appear?"
"We should discuss it."
"Staring at it won't bring everyone back!"
Thor began arguing with the heroes, trying to convince them to let him snap. But everyone disagreed.
"This isn't just because the gauntlet carries enough energy to light up a continent." Tony held him back, speaking sternly. "Trust me—you're not in the right condition."
"What do you think is flowing through my veins right now?" Thor stared at Tony, serious.
"Cheese?" War Machine muttered lazily from the side.
"Lightning! It's lightning!" Thor declared confidently.
"Lightning won't help you, buddy. It has to be me." Smart Hulk walked forward.
"You all saw what the Stones did to Thanos. He almost died. None of you can handle it." Hulk said gravely.
"How do we know you can handle it?" Captain America asked sharply.
"We don't." Hulk answered. "But the Stones' radiation is mostly gamma. It's like… I was born for this."
The veteran quiz participants knew Bruce Banner became Hulk due to gamma radiation.
None of them expected that the Infinity Stones' energy was also primarily gamma.
From that perspective, Hulk was the most suitable to snap.
After all, Hulk's tolerance to gamma radiation was far above ordinary people.
But wasn't this coincidence a little too perfect?
At that moment—
The camera on the screen cut away.
In an empty hall, Nebula walked up to a delicate, complex machine.
She extended her hand and inserted her fingers into the machine's interface.
She began operating the device.
"What is Nebula doing?"
Thor frowned. "Why does she look like she's up to no good? Sneaky as hell."
"This Nebula feels wrong." Captain America agreed.
He had been a soldier all his life, and after "revival" worked as a spy—he had authority in this area.
"Clearly, Nebula slipped in alone while everyone was discussing the snap. She's definitely not doing anything good."
Tony said heavily.
Everyone was curious. What exactly was Nebula doing?
But there was no time to analyze—
The camera switched back.
The heroes had reached a consensus. Hulk now held the Infinity Gauntlet.
"Let's begin." Hulk said.
"Alright. Remember—bring back everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago. Bring them back to this time, today, now. Don't change anything that happened during these five years."
Tony instructed seriously.
"Got it." Hulk replied.
Hulk was about to snap!
Seeing this, everyone fully armed themselves. Tony even formed an energy shield.
"Friday, do me a favor—initiate the Barn-Door Protocol."
Then—
BOOM BOOM BOOM!Thick blast doors sealed the entire building, armoring it into an impregnable bunker.
"Everyone, take cover!"
Everything ready, Hulk put on the gauntlet.
HUMMMM—A vast, irresistible power erupted instantly.
"AAAH!"
Hulk collapsed to one knee, groaning in agony.
The backlash was ferocious.
"Take it off! Take it off!" Thor shouted.
"No, wait—Bruce, are you okay?!"
"Talk to us, Banner!"
Everyone yelled anxiously.
"I'm… fine!" Hulk gritted out, enduring the power.
The heroes all perked up in relief.
But no one noticed that on the other side, Nebula had succeeded in her operation.
Tap tap tap!Her hands flew over the machine. A message flashed across the panel:
"Portal Activated — Source Point: Year 2014."
Next, a spaceship shot through the time-space tunnel and burst out from the device.
"A time machine! So this is the time machine!"Scott Lang exclaimed.
He had long known that the heroes in the future would time-travel; it always felt unbelievable. But now he saw it with his own eyes.
"So this is the time machine…" Strange murmured.
"Nebula transmitted a ship from the past into the present!" Captain America said solemnly.
He already had a bad guess, and his face darkened.
The screen switched again.
Hulk, face twisted in pain, raised his hand and snapped.
PAK!With that crisp sound, his massive body collapsed.
His entire arm was horrifically burned and shriveled—terrifying to look at.
Even Hulk's monstrous physique was wounded this badly.
"Bruce!"
"Don't touch him!"
Everyone rushed over. Tony sprayed coolant onto Hulk's arm to stabilize him.
"Did we succeed…?"
Hulk gasped on the ground.
RUMBLE!The sealed base reopened. Scott walked onto the balcony to check the outside.
On the table, Hawkeye's phone vibrated—it was his wife, Laura!
Hawkeye trembled with emotion.
No doubt—Hulk succeeded.
His snap had brought back everyone Thanos killed.
"Guys! I think we did it!" Scott said, thrilled.
But before the joy could spread—
A spaceship suddenly appeared above the building.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—Missiles launched rapidly toward the base.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The entire base was drowned in fiery explosions, turning into ruins.
The footage ended there.
"What the hell!"Scott yelled, face twisted in pain—he hadn't expected such a sudden attack.
Everyone else felt the same.
"It's Nebula!"
Thor said darkly. "Future Nebula betrayed us. That ship—she brought it from the past! She orchestrated this attack!"
"Or… maybe she never betrayed us—maybe she was always an undercover agent." Strange said calmly.
It wasn't impossible.
The current Nebula was still locked in the answer-base, guarded by Fury's people. Her violent, murderous nature didn't look like someone trustworthy at all.
No one knew how the Nebula in that parallel world earned the heroes' trust.
For now, none of them trusted her.
On the contrary, her sister Gamora had been helping Earth for quite some time, providing intel and gaining everyone's trust.
This footage only made them trust Nebula even less.
"Everyone, looks like we were wrong. The final battle wasn't us traveling through time—it was Thanos who traveled through time!"
Tony Stark announced seriously.
Although the Answer System hadn't shown whose ship it was, anyone could guess—it had to be Thanos's.
Captain America nodded unconsciously; he had thought the same the moment he saw the ship appear.
Now Tony Stark confirmed it.
--------
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