Turning an evil supervillain into a good guy, that's the kind of thing that makes you stop and think.
In truth, that very idea reminded Tony how deeply he despised "justice" when it was twisted.
When they heard Aron's plan for the Clown, every Avenger felt a chill run through their bones.
They imagined…
What if they ended up in a similar situation?
It would turn them into villains who hadn't actually done anything wrong and yet, their actions still couldn't be called heroic.
Because in their bones, they were still superheroes.
They still knew what justice was.
And in that situation, you know what's right and what's wrong.
You know you hate evil.
But if you kill and burn…
And even enjoy it!
What kind of torture would that be for one's soul?
Something far more terrifying than death.
"It's like throwing me into a pile of women and then taking away my interest in women…"
"Seriously, that's the worst kind of torture!"
Tony Stark's brain clearly functioned differently from everyone else's.
Even his metaphor made everyone collectively roll their eyes.
That's just so typical of you, Tony Stark…
"Buddy, tell me… what does it feel like to have all those Infinity Stones?"
Tony approached Aron, eyes gleaming.
He watched the faint glimmer of infinite power flickering around Aron's body, full of envy.
It was like when you were a kid and your friend bought a new toy, you wanted to try it so badly but were too embarrassed to ask.
"The feeling…"
"It's like having admin access in an online game!"
The moment Aron said that, he gestured toward Tony.
Snap!
With a snap of his fingers…
The surrounding ruined buildings and destroyed parts of the city began restoring themselves before everyone's eyes!
Even the people who had died, suddenly came back to life!
Scars vanished!
"Wait, wait… wasn't I dead?!"
"Yeah, you were on your way to Limbo…"
"Hold on a sec, why was I heading toward the Blazing Hell?"
"Haha, amateurs! I already reached the succubus hell, one of the sisters was about to take me in… what a pity. I was just about to ask Nastir for an autograph!"
Hearing these revived people casually discuss their post-death experiences…
The Avengers collectively felt a mild mental breakdown.
Even Aron looked a bit tense.
New Yorkers were clearly used to various catastrophes.
Death? Pfft, just another Tuesday.
Unfortunately~
Death isn't such a big deal anymore, is it?
Because… in the end, we all die, right?
Of course, not everyone was so nonchalant.
Some were genuinely shocked to be alive again.
"Oh my God!"
"I exist again!? After more than ten years?!"
A middle-aged man screamed when he realized he was alive once more.
Not only was he resurrected, but his old leg wound, the bad leg that had plagued him for over a decade, had completely disappeared!
"Ah, sorry! That was careless of me."
Aron heard his words.
With a single thought, he gave the man his old leg pain back.
After all, after so many years, it must have had sentimental value. You can't just take that away.
"..."
When he felt the cold pain return to his leg, the uncle burst into tears.
"When you see a grown man crying over a leg, you know the situation's serious."
Aron was quite pleased with this little everyday good deed.
Tony nodded silently.
Not because he approved.
But because he was terrified Aron might decide to test those same "punishment methods", the ones he'd used on the Joker, on him.
"Fantastic! The dead are returning!"
Hercules, the mighty warrior, was nearly moved to tears as he watched the scene unfold.
Tony, on the other hand, suddenly grew thoughtful. His smile faded.
"All the Infinity Stones are gathered…"
"So what's next?"
He opened his mouth.
He felt his throat dry up.
Those words weighed on him like a massive stone.
For a moment.
A thought appeared…
What if he took the Stones from Aron?
Because the power to destroy the universe…
The power to erase countless lives…
That sin. That burden.
It's something that could break anyone.
And Tony thought…
Maybe he should be the one to bear that responsibility.
Tony said:
"So, are we going to destroy the DC Universe next?"
The moment those words left his mouth…
In the distance, two newcomers from the DC Universe, Batman and Wonder Woman, stepped out of the portal and entered the Marvel world.
And they immediately heard that sentence.
Their pupils shrank sharply.
"!!!"
"!!!"
They were as shocked as if struck by lightning, frozen in place like statues.
"WHO?!"
Hawkeye was the first to notice the intruders.
Instinctively, he drew his bow and aimed.
The other Avengers also turned toward the portal, looking at Batman and Wonder Woman.
When they saw them, Hercules and Ares couldn't ignore it.
They recognized familiar faces.
"Well, isn't that our sister?" said Hercules.
"Why are you here again?" asked Ares, though his hand still firmly gripped his tomahawk.
Tony Stark also noticed their arrival.
And only then did it hit him, maybe they heard what he'd just said.
And no matter how thick his skin was, in that moment he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed.
"Uh… did you hear anything just now?" he asked guiltily.
His face was dead serious.
Because Batman and Wonder Woman hadn't even tried to draw their weapons.
In other words…
They hadn't come to fight.
"I heard everything," said Batman, frowning.
His face was marked by disappointment.
He had come to negotiate, perhaps to find a solution to save his world.
And on the other side…
They were already talking about total annihilation.
What irony.
Had the Marvel heroes stopped being heroes?
"Hmm… when you put it like that, it does sound a bit…" Tony tried to say, but couldn't even finish.
In silence, he turned toward Aron and whispered:
"Buddy, you handle this if you have to… I can't take it anymore, this is way too awkward!"
Aron barely held back his laughter.
This whole situation, the clash of two universes, the chaos, the idea of mutual destruction had originally just been his game.
He wanted to make the Avengers and the Justice League clash.
He never imagined all sides would take this farce so seriously.
Thinking of that, he cleared his throat.
"I don't agree with your plan, Tony," he said firmly.
"Are the lives in the DC Universe not the same as ours?"
"I have the Infinity Stones!"
"But besides destroying… I can also create!"
"I can use their power to separate our two universes."
"So both can survive. So no one has to die!"
He said it with a serious expression, his words filled with justice and resolve.
The Avengers nodded one by one.
That's right! That's the true power of a hero!
On the other side, Batman and Wonder Woman, who had already lost hope, once again felt the flame of faith rekindle in their hearts.
Tony was the only one who looked like he'd just been slapped in the face.
"So… I'm the villain here?" he said, bewildered.