"You mean Loki's scepter?"
Dr. Banner's voice lowered.
A glance back.
I saw Tony pulling a metal box from the corner.
"I brought it back."
He opened it.
Inside was indeed Loki's scepter, the same one he used during the First New York War.
More precisely, it was the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones.
"I thought you left that with SHIELD."
Banner's face grew serious.
Due to the butterfly effect, Hydra had been eliminated in this timeline ahead of time. It hadn't managed to cause chaos and devastation like in the original timeline.
SHIELD survived. The council hadn't disbanded it like in the original course of events.
"Last time we handed the scepter over to SHIELD."
"And where did it end up? With Hydra!"
Tony said as he carefully placed the scepter on the experimental table.
"It's time we took control."
At his invitation, Banner cautiously joined him, step by step, looking at the scepter with unease.
Even after everything that had happened, he still felt disturbed at the sight of that weapon.
During the First War in New York, while they were aboard SHIELD's helicarrier, Banner had been influenced by this very scepter. He lost control and transformed into the Hulk, leaving chaos in his wake.
"Should we give this to someone else or study it?"
Banner quietly commented, eyes fixed on the blue stone at the center of the scepter.
Tony didn't even hear him. He continued working.
"Remember the Ultron project I told you about?"
"I want to..."
"It's time to make it happen."
He waved his hand, and a holographic projection appeared before them, a network resembling neural connections in the human brain.
"This is..."
Banner froze. Then he leaned forward, stunned.
"This is the power from the scepter? That gem?"
"Bingo."
Tony didn't take his eyes off the hologram.
"Here's another chance for you. What do you think this thing actually does?"
Banner adjusted his glasses and stepped closer.
"It looks... like it's thinking."
"Exactly!"
Tony laughed.
"I plan to apply it to Ultron."
"Imagine an artificial intelligence that thinks like a human."
"Not imitates, but thinks. And doesn't make the mistakes we do."
Tony's eyes were focused and full of determination.
It was becoming clear that this idea had become an obsession for him.
"Whether aliens attack us or some demonic creature..."
"They'll be met by a legion of steel."
Tony concluded, his gaze fixed in one direction toward Queens.
"Trust me, doctor, we don't need magic."
"All you need is steel..."
...
Elsewhere.
Aron had no idea what kind of effect his refusal had left on Tony.
He was now making final preparations for his descent into the underworld.
Truthfully, Odin had started all this. But when you think about it...
There was nothing wrong in what he said.
If he managed to win over Hela, the benefits would far outweigh any possible risk.
You could even say the benefits were in the hundreds, without a single real drawback.
"Truly a master of the game, that old fox of five thousand years."
According to Odin's plan, Aron's winning over of Hela would mean gaining a key general. From that moment on, the doors to other dimensions would be wide open.
For Odin, it would be the final solution to one of his family's greatest problems. Before leaving this world, he could finally leave peace to his children.
Even Hela, she too could finally leave the underworld.
Set out on her own path, following her own ambitions, her own desires.
All sides would get what they wanted.
A deal where everyone wins.
"But all this depends on one thing, whether it's possible to overcome Hela."
"If she doesn't want it, none of it matters."
After Aron finished his preparations, he began checking his gear.
The Eye of Agamotto.
The Cloak of Levitation.
Villast's sword.
And a whole collection of exorcist scrolls.
In addition, a special gift from Lucifer, the power of the Morning Star, capable of bringing the dead back to life.
Hell?
Just another obstacle.
"Wanda, while I'm gone, you'll guard the temple," he said firmly.
"If anything goes wrong, go straight to Kamar-Taj and seek the Ancient One. You can enter through any door."
Aron handed Wanda the temple key.
An unusual item, actually a magical artifact, it allowed the one holding it to control the many protective formations of the New York temple.
"Sir Aron, may I come with you?" Wanda asked anxiously, refusing to take the key.
"Do you even know where I'm going?"
"To the Underworld!"
"There are two types of people who go there, gamblers and... the undead."
"The soul of every dead Asgardian ends up there. The living have no business being there."
Aron spoke calmly but firmly.
The worry in Wanda's eyes didn't fade. On the contrary, she looked even more frightened.
"Then... don't go..." she whispered, grabbing the edge of his cloak.
Aron laughed.
"You amuse me."
"It's just one small dimension."
The seriousness disappeared from his face, and a smile replaced his tone. He patted Wanda on the head.
"But don't follow me. If you really want to help me, develop your abilities."
Wanda remained silent but let go of the edge of his clothing.
Her eyes were determined.
"Sir Aron, I will become stronger," she said quietly but seriously.
"I look forward to that day," he said, then left the temple.
Under normal circumstances, teleportation magic cannot transfer between dimensions. That's why even beings like Belath, who belong to the lower order of the Celestial Fathers, can't easily establish a dimensional passage.
But for Aron, that wasn't a problem.
He exited the temple and looked up at the sky.
In the next moment, a rumble.
A beam of light in the colors of the rainbow descended from the sky.
"The Bifrost? Not bad."
Surrounded by light, Aron shot upwards at incredible speed.
The journey resembled passing through a cosmic wormhole, only this one was colorful and radiant.
In an instant, the beam faded, and Aron found himself in a shining structure.
Standing before him was a black man in golden armor, with a long sword in hand.
Heimdall.
The guardian of Asgard.
And the keeper of the Bifrost gate.
"The God-King awaits you in the throne room," he said calmly, like a statue.
"I didn't come to see him. Open the gate and send me straight to the underworld," Aron replied.
Heimdall paused.
"The God-King... has chosen an artifact for you from Asgard's vault. He wishes to aid you on this journey."
He almost choked on Aron's indifference.
"An artifact, you say?"
Aron immediately changed his tone.
"Alright! If there's something to take, let's go."