"We're back!" Cassius waved his hand, and the mist that had been shrouding his face dissipated. He hadn't revealed his identity before because he wasn't sure what Wanda was thinking, so he had kept quiet.
"Cassius, can we go out for dinner tonight?" Hela looked at the familiar yard, a flicker of irritation in her eyes. Even though she hadn't been here for long, she was already bored. She was not a peaceful person, and staying here was killing her.
"You want to go out?" Cassius turned his head to look at Hela and finally nodded. "Then let's go out and get a bite to eat."
He felt that Hela's performance today was quite good. She had beaten everyone up, but it was also a lesson for them. He hoped that the Avengers would be able to protect the world so he wouldn't have to worry about these things.
"Yes!" Hela agreed without hesitation. Going out to eat and not having to stay in this cursed place was even better than the satisfaction she got from beating up Thor.
"Lorna!" Cassius called out as he walked into the house. Hearing the commotion, Lorna scurried out of the living room. Although she was obviously excited, she stopped when she saw Cassius and looked down. "Mr. Cassius, you're back?"
"Yes. It's probably boring being at home, right? Let's go out to eat." Cassius couldn't help but pinch the cheek of the shy Lorna. Although Gwen was also youthful and adorable, Lorna was much more shy and reserved.
"Really?" Lorna's eyes widened, blinking in disbelief. After receiving an affirmative answer, she quickly dashed back to her room to change.
Cassius drove them in the Bumblebee to a Japanese restaurant on a main street in New York City. After ordering some familiar dishes, and just as they were about to eat, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[Your decision has successfully prevented the outbreak of the Avengers Civil War!]
[Reward: Phoenix Force Fragment (Will-less)!]
"It seems my guess was not far off." Cassius had been very curious about how to obtain the Phoenix Force fragments. After thinking it over, he realized that as long as he participated in a special event, he had a 100% chance of receiving a reward. And the more he altered the original plot, the better the reward would be.
For example, in the Avengers Civil War, if he hadn't interfered, Tony would have eventually found out that his father had been killed by Bucky. In a way, he had already changed the outcome.
[Phoenix Force Fragment (4/12)]
The moment he obtained the Phoenix Force fragment, a gentle power flowed through his body. He could clearly feel the new Phoenix Force merging with the previous ones. The power within him began to increase rapidly. If he chose to, he could sense the entire planet.
A slight bit of Phoenix Force pressure seeped out of his body. Although it didn't create any unusual phenomena, Hela, who was eating across from him, suddenly stopped moving. The fork in her hand even fell onto her plate, making a clear sound.
She looked up at Cassius, her eyes wide. They were filled with disbelief, and her heart rate quickened. She could clearly feel that Cassius's power had just become even stronger!
This time, his power was far greater than before. She had come to this conclusion because she had noticed the faint aura that had leaked from him. It was very difficult for Cassius's power control to fail.
A leak could only mean one thing: a sudden increase in power. In that moment, he hadn't had time to control it. And through that aura, she could confirm that Cassius had become more powerful!
'What is going on with this guy?! Can Midgardians increase their power just by eating now?' Hela's lips twitched, her heart a whirlwind of emotions. This was too much. Not only was he far more powerful than her, but she had also noticed that Cassius was not a very diligent person. He spent most of his time just enjoying himself. She couldn't understand how someone like that could have such immense power.
Cassius noticed Hela's strange expression, but he didn't ask. He just looked at Lorna patiently. "Does it taste good?" Lorna ate like an adorable little rabbit, carefully chewing her food.
"Uh-huh, it's a lot better than I thought!" Lorna had initially refused some of the dishes with internal organs, but after trying them, she realized they were delicious!
"Eat more if it's good! If you're still hungry, we can order more." Cassius now treated Lorna like a younger sister. Although she had gained a little weight since living with him, she still looked a bit gaunt. It was no wonder Wanda had thought she was a minor when she first saw her. With her timid eyes and malnourished body, anyone would have mistaken her for one.
"Okay!" Lorna nodded excitedly and continued to eat.
"Powerful and mysterious Cassius, is that little girl over there your girlfriend?" Hela ate a piece of salad, twirling her fork.
"..." Cassius sighed, looking up. "Yelena, do you really like to follow people around?"
As a matter of fact, he had noticed Yelena following him as soon as they arrived. Although she had changed her hair color and makeup, her familiar aura was unmistakable.
When she arrived, she had even pretended to be nonchalant while secretly recording and filming with her phone. He just hadn't bothered with her because he was having dinner with Lorna and Hela.
"Ha... haha, you actually found me." The woman at the next table was a little flustered. She had changed everything about herself and even wore sunglasses, yet Cassius still noticed her. She had gone to great lengths to follow Cassius. If he hadn't driven out, she might not have seen him.
"It's you!" Lorna looked up, surprised at first, but she quickly recognized Yelena's aura. After all, Yelena had appeared once before. While her appearance could change, her personality and demeanor were very difficult to alter.
"Even you recognized me?" Yelena's lips twitched when she saw Lorna greeting her. She was starting to wonder if her disguise skills had gotten worse.
"Come sit here." Cassius motioned with his eyes.
"Hmph, I just happened to run into you, so I thought I'd come and see!" Yelena pouted, grabbed her bag, and sat down next to Cassius. Although she had been caught, she would never admit that she had been following him.
"So, you're here for Natasha?" Cassius tapped the table with his index finger, turning to look at Yelena with a faint smile.
Although his expression was calm, Yelena's heart pounded nervously. The man in front of her possessed unimaginable power!
"..." Yelena nodded, pretending to be calm.
"Oh." A trace of darkness appeared in Cassius's eyes as he changed the topic. "Stop pretending. The next time you follow me, I won't mind making the Red Room disappear from this world."
As he said this in a calm tone, Yelena felt as if she was being watched by a beast. Goosebumps ran up her spine, and her pupils trembled slightly. She had no idea how Cassius could have known her true purpose.
To avoid being detected by Cassius, she had only installed cameras at the entrance and exit where Cassius drove. She hadn't even gone there herself and had a trusted associate do it. Yet, she had been seen through in an instant.
"I'm sorry." Yelena's expression was one of fear, and she immediately bowed her head, her voice trembling. She knew that Cassius was not joking. She could still remember what happened at the Hydra laboratory.
"I don't want there to be a next time." Cassius's voice was calm. He picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, put it in his mouth, and mumbled, "Eat up, the food here is pretty good!"
In reality, he had known that Yelena was in New York two days ago. He didn't even need to use his senses; the Red Queen had reported the news to him the moment she appeared. So he knew her purpose without even thinking about it.
"I understand, Mr. Cassius." Yelena quickly grabbed some food with her chopsticks and ate with her head down, not daring to make another sound. Now, she would do anything Cassius told her to. This was the pressure that came with power.
Outside the restaurant, at a crossroads nearby, a black SUV was waiting for the traffic light to change.
The woman in the driver's seat, Agent Maria Hill, scanned the area and her gaze suddenly stopped. "Wait, isn't that... Yelena?"
Hill had only glanced at her, but she noticed Yelena, who was eating with her head down. Although she was wearing makeup, after so many dealings with her, she couldn't not recognize her.
"Isn't she supposed to be in Poland?" Hill couldn't figure out why this woman was in New York.
"Last week, a Hydra lab in Poland was destroyed." The bald man with an eye patch in the passenger seat, who was Nick Fury, looked toward the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows.
"Destroyed?!" Hill gasped, her voice filled with shock. "Who was so bold as to do that? That was Baron Strucker's territory!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. had considered dealing with Baron Strucker before... Although they knew his exact location, there were too many factors involved, such as international relations. That, coupled with his power, meant they never went through with it. But now, it was destroyed in such a short amount of time!
"I'm not sure. I'm no longer in charge of Hydra cases." Nick Fury shook his head, then paused. "Tell Coulson to keep an eye on Yelena."
"Yes!" Hill gave the man next to Yelena a hard look before driving away.
After they left, Cassius slowly turned his head to look at the taillights of their car. 'This guy is in New York?' Cassius thought to himself.
He really hadn't expected Nick Fury to be here. This was quite a surprise. If this guy was here, he hadn't intervened in the Avengers Civil War and had instead chosen to watch.
After a moment of thought, Cassius figured it out. Ever since he faked his death, this guy rarely handled these kinds of things anymore. He mostly focused on threats outside of Earth. Of course, it was also possible that this person wasn't the real Nick Fury, but a Skrull.
"Mr. Cassius, is something wrong over there?" The nearby Lorna noticed Cassius was distracted and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing, just saw an old acquaintance." Cassius shook his head and looked away, but just as he was about to eat, his brow furrowed slightly. "I didn't expect another acquaintance to show up."
A flash of golden light appeared at the entrance of the restaurant, and a figure in a red cloak walked in.
From his appearance, Stephen Strange was not doing so well. Although he was standing straight, he had some scrapes on his face and blood on the corner of his mouth. His clothes were covered in dust, as if he had just been rolling around on the ground.
"Well, well, well, isn't it the sorcerer? Shouldn't you be out protecting the world instead of playing in the dirt?" Cassius felt that Stephen's aura was very stable, so he looked at him with a teasing expression.
Stephen Strange ignored Cassius's taunt and said with a serious expression, "Cassius, the world is in trouble!"
"How do you know this isn't just another test?" Cassius picked up the chicken soup in front of him and stirred it slightly. The oily surface of the soup swirled, giving off a faint aroma.
"You knew?" Stephen hadn't expected Cassius to have seen through the last test.
"Of course. Your acting is so bad you'd be a third-rate sorcerer!" Cassius stopped his hand and looked at Stephen again. "Tell me, what is it this time?"
"Kaecilius, Dormammu's follower, is helping Dormammu invade our reality!" Stephen's voice was unusually grave. The look on his face didn't seem like he was lying. And this proud man would never have appeared so disheveled just to lie.
However, Stephen's dramatic pronouncements made everyone in the restaurant stare at him. This made Stephen a little embarrassed. He blushed and continued, "Are you free? I'd like to ask you to come to the Sanctum with me."
"Mr. Cassius, I'm full. I'll be going now!" The nearby Yelena, who didn't know what was happening, but knew it was something between sorcerers, seized the opportunity to slip away.
"Hela, you can take Lorna home after you're done eating." Cassius casually agreed to Stephen's request and walked into the Inter-Dimensional Portal with him.
As soon as they entered, Cassius noticed that the Sanctum was in a mess, with destroyed walls everywhere. It was obvious that there had been a fight here. He had already expected the Dormammu incident.
"Stephen, is this the expert you were talking about?" A black man in a green robe walked over with a displeased expression. He had thought Stephen was going to find a master, but he had returned with a young man.
"Mordo, this is Mr. Cassius. Show some respect." Wong quickly walked down the steps and placed a dusty book on a nearby table.
"Mr. Cassius?" Mordo hadn't heard the name before, but seeing Wong's attitude, he didn't say anything else.
"Mr. Cassius, we asked you here to help us deal with Dormammu." Wong didn't beat around the bush and went straight to his request.
"Help?" Cassius rubbed his chin, a smile on his face. "I can, but you have to let me see the Book of Vishanti."
"What?! That's absolutely impossible!" Mordo's face changed, and he waved his hand. This was the most important thing in Kamar-Taj, and outsiders were not allowed to read it. Even Wong and Stephen's faces showed a look of hesitation.
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