News of Bucky's marriage quickly spread to everyone's ears.
Even Tony, immersed in his research, was shocked by the announcement.
Although he knew Bucky had been in a relationship, he hadn't expected him to tie the knot so soon.
For his father's friend—a man who had tended the farm for more than ten years—Tony became genuinely supportive and sent his sincere blessings to Bucky and Christy.
He even asked Pepper, with whom he was now officially in a relationship, to cover all the expenses for Bucky and Christy's wedding, promising to make it a truly memorable occasion.
With everyone pitching in, Bucky's wedding plans became increasingly luxurious. Christy found herself dazzled by countless extravagant accessories.
She was just an ordinary woman who worked in a flower shop. The most expensive jewelry she had ever seen was merely a window display at a luxury boutique.
Now, all the jewelry laid out before her had been designed by the world's premier jewelers, each piece unique and priceless.
Faced with these extravagant gems, she hesitated to touch anything, afraid she might damage something through carelessness.
"Don't be so careful—these pieces are quite sturdy," Pepper said with a smile.
She picked up a diamond-encrusted necklace and fastened it around Christy's neck.
"As I thought, with the right jewelry, you look even more beautiful."
Christy remained stiff, barely daring to move. She was terrified of damaging the expensive necklace.
"Don't be so nervous," Pepper laughed. "These are all yours."
She understood why Christy was being so cautious, but these were gifts meant for her and Bucky.
Under Pepper's gentle persuasion, Christy finally relaxed. Though still careful, she began to appreciate her new jewelry.
Compared to the women's preparations, the men's gathering was considerably more lively. After nearly a month of planning, everything for the wedding was ready, and the men had gathered for a barbecue.
"That makes another one," Tony said, sitting beside Marcus. "How many of my father's supposedly dead friends do you think will come back to life?"
Bucky was one, Steve was another.
Both had disappeared 70 years ago, yet they had reappeared in the world one after another.
"If I told you Howard and Maria are still alive, I wonder what your expression would be," Marcus thought to himself.
He understood this was troubling for Tony. People declared dead long ago were suddenly reappearing before him. It would be natural for him to wonder if other old friends of his father might still be alive somewhere.
"Don't overthink it," Marcus said aloud. "These two are different from others."
Both Bucky and Steve were special cases. They weren't typical people who had merely been hiding all this time.
Bucky had been living openly for more than ten years, while Steve had been accidentally frozen for 70 years, only recently thawed and awakened.
Tony nodded slowly at Marcus's reassurance. These two were indeed exceptional cases. There shouldn't be any more of his father's friends coming back from the dead.
He picked up a beer from the table, downing it in one gulp before rejoining the feast. The sizzling barbecue tasted fantastic.
...
Just as dinner was ending, Fury suddenly appeared before the group.
"Gentlemen, I'm afraid your wedding plans may need a slight postponement."
Fury hadn't wanted to disturb everyone at this moment, but an unexpected situation had arisen, leaving him no choice but to appear.
After capturing everyone's attention, Fury placed a tablet on the dining table.
"Not long ago, a self-proclaimed god suddenly appeared and took a treasure from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground base."
As he spoke, an image of the Tesseract appeared on the tablet.
"How did the Tesseract end up at S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Steve asked with a frown.
He clearly remembered falling into the sea with the Tesseract. How had it found its way to S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Fury didn't answer Steve's question. Instead, he continued:
"This individual is unusual. Bullets can't harm him. He carries a strange scepter that allows him to easily control many personnel at our base."
When Fury mentioned a "god," Marcus had already guessed what was happening.
After waiting so long, Loki had finally arrived. This would be Marcus's chance to acquire that mind-controlling scepter.
"So, you're in over your head and need our help?" Marcus asked with a smile, leaning back in his chair.
He knew well that Dr. Selvig had been recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. By now, Selvig should be preparing to create a stable portal under Loki's control.
"..." Fury looked at Marcus helplessly. "We've just located him in Europe. I'm hoping you can subdue him and, at minimum, recover the Tesseract."
There could be no mishaps with the Tesseract. If someone with malicious intent obtained it, it could trigger another world war.
This wasn't just Fury's concern—Steve felt the same way.
He was acutely aware of the Tesseract's destructive potential. Seventy years ago, Red Skull had used its energy to create numerous powerful weapons.
If not for the shield Howard had built him, Steve might have been destroyed by those energy weapons.
"I'm sorry, Bucky," Steve said. "I have to go. You know the danger if the Tesseract is misused."
"It's fine, as long as you can make it back for tomorrow's wedding."
As the groom, Bucky naturally couldn't join Steve, but he still hoped his friend would attend his wedding.
"Don't worry—I'll definitely be there for your big day."
With that, Steve stood and walked toward Fury.
Tony shrugged and got up to join them.
"I'll check it out too."
He was intensely curious about both the Tesseract and the scepter. Equipment containing such unique energy always attracted his interest.
Seeing Fury look his way, Marcus waved his hand in refusal. "I'll sit this one out. Those two can handle it."
He knew exactly what was going on in Loki's mind.
The mischievous god who pursued power wouldn't resist arrest—he preferred to destroy his opponents from within.
However, Marcus wouldn't let Loki's plan succeed. He had his own designs on the mind-controlling scepter.
After sending Fury and the others off, Marcus and Bucky got up to leave. They still needed to check the wedding venue.
Marcus clearly understood what would happen tomorrow. Bucky's wedding was going to be quite eventful.
"Let tomorrow's wedding be the most unique in the world," he thought.
The wedding of Bucky and Christy would become the grandest, most memorable ceremony imaginable—though perhaps not in the way they expected.
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