Chapter 207 Yingnan compromised and sought help from the captain
Entering the Tarot realm, Steve took the opportunity to leave a coordinate anchor point, then teleported back to the safe house.
It had been two months; it was time for Hill and the others to be well-fed.
Two days later, Steve teleported back through the anchor point.
At this moment, Ying Nan was searching for him everywhere. This shameless scoundrel had done something unforgivable to her. If she didn't beat him to death, where would her Guardian's dignity go?
The moment she saw Steve appear, her anger flared up instantly.
"Shameless beast, take this!"
Her hands, augmented by the Ten Rings artifact, struck out, creating ripples in the air from the compressed force.
The sound couldn't escape, all of it absorbed by the ripples; this silent attack was the most lethal.
Steve raised his shield, his right foot forward, left foot back, forming a bow stance.
The shield blocked in front of him, directly meeting Ying Nan's furious, earth-shattering blow.
Buzz!
There was no violent collision, only the faint sound of water droplets.
A mountain-like pressure came from the shield. Stevecould see the trajectory of her power, where the force was applied.
It was very comprehensively and evenly concentrated in her palm, with no wasted energy, focused on a single point.
Even in extreme anger, she hadn't forgotten her combat skills; the idea of using a single point to break a surface came naturally to her.
"I can take responsibility."
Steve deliberately spoke provocatively. He knew she wasn't looking for these words, nor for an apology or plea for mercy.
When anger consumed her, any words would be pale and only make her more frantic, more violent.
He deliberately provoked Ying Nan, making her continue to rage, to become angry again in a state of extreme fury.
She wouldn't make rational judgments under anger, which would allow him to defeat her at an equal level.
He didn't want to use the Reality Stone; that thing was like cheating. After using it, it would quickly become boring.
To go far, one either relied on the system or on oneself.
In the current situation, relying on himself would be more appropriate. The system was an auxiliary; he should exploit it as much as possible—that was the most realistic approach.
As expected, Ying Nan reacted instantly upon hearing these words.
She couldn't stand such a lecher. What kind of person was he? Was it appropriate to do such things to a stranger?
He was practically asking for death!
She struck out a palm, and after it was ineffective, she struck out another.
Continuous palm strikes hit the same spot. The vibranium shield, which had been upgraded, began to tremble slightly.
Attacks exceeding its own load-bearing capacity could destroy Vibranium, but such power was generally rare.
Qigong was a very unique attack, with an undefendable penetration. When it hit the shield, it could pass through the shield and act on the arm.
The unique internal energy would deconstruct and destroy from the inside out, which was why its power was exceptionally strong.
The attack methods were different; Steve had always been exposed to and learned modern combat based on brute force.
To explain it with Tarot martial arts, it was the difference between internal and external martial arts.
Following the old master, he could indeed learn many things he normally wouldn't understand.
His feet moved constantly. The power augmented by the Ten Rings, after being reduced by the shield, was transferred to the earth, with he himself bearing only a very small portion.
Cracked earth spread continuously; with every step back, the ground beneath his feet would crack.
The enraged Ying Nan's moves were vicious, striking in unexpected ways.
After realizing she couldn't break the shield, she changed her tactics.
She began to use extremely fast footwork to bypass the shield and attack Steve directly.
Steve countered her moves, initially appearing somewhat flustered.
It was clearly a punch coming, but when he blocked, it quickly turned into an eagle claw. The sharp nails, augmented by internal energy, nearly tore through his stealth suit.
This was a stealth suit that had been upgraded twice; the seemingly soft fabric was not much weaker than steel.
It also had the effect of transferring and dispersing concentrated force; a point-breaking attack would only make the entire stealth suit bear the attack.
Even so, the stealth suit was close to being scrapped.
The effect of this Ten Rings augmentation was far stronger than what Xu Wenwu had.
Gradually, Steve also became familiar with Ying Nan's moves and began to block continuously.
He could skillfully block every changed attack.
This change made even the enraged Ying Nan feel somewhat incredible. Was the opponent a martial arts genius?
He was clearly just a super soldier who had taken serum; such an amateur was merely a stronger ant in the eyes of an internal martial artist.
Since he was an ant, he could be easily crushed.
An ordinary ant was crushed with one stomp; a strong ant was also crushed with one stomp, with little difference.
But what was going on with this bastard in front of her?
It made no sense, and there was no discernible pattern. Who exactly was this guy?
Half an hour later, Steve's stealth suit was already heavily damaged, its defensive function scrapped.
Yet, he no longer needed to use the shield; he had shifted from passive defense to active offense, occasionally even catching Ying Nan off guard.
This change caused the enraged Ying Nan to gradually calm down. It was simply too incredible, it made no sense.
"How could you! Beast, take this!"
Thinking of the unforgivable things Steve had done, Ying Nan's anger flared up again, furiously activating the power augmented by the Ten Rings.
In truth, she was already at the end of her rope. Using the Ten Rings consumed a lot of internal energy.
Coupled with using extremely fast footwork for sneak attacks and maneuvers, and also having to use internal energy to protect herself and eliminate the damage from rebound force.
Under high-intensity combat, even as a Guardian, she was somewhat overwhelmed.
She was already exhausted, but the brute in front of her showed no signs of fatigue; instead, he continued to attack with renewed vigor.
Another ten minutes passed.
Ying Nan's speed had gradually slowed down; she began to shift from active offense to passive defense.
Steve was actually using her own moves against her. This was blatant plagiarism, openly stealing her techniques—truly shameless!
"You beast, why don't you get struck by lightning!"
No sooner had Ying Nan spoken than Steve summoned lightning.
A terrifying bolt of lightning struck down fiercely. She was surprised but also raised both arms.
The Ten Rings on her arms erupted with a burst of light, completely absorbing the lightning, charging the Ten Rings themselves.
Before Ying Nan could bounce the lightning back, Stevecircled behind her again and knocked her to the ground with a hand chop.
Immense force combined with precise strikes on acupuncture points, internal energy destroying the internal energy cycle.
As Ying Nan felt things going wrong, she could no longer resist and was knocked unconscious.
One day later.
Ying Nan, upon reawakening, was furious. The same script played out again; she had fallen victim again, and it was that beast Steve again!
She sat in meditation to rest. This time, she wasn't in a hurry for revenge. Instead, she returned to the village for a hearty meal.
This time, she uncharacteristically didn't greet Hela, who was practicing martial arts. She just went back to her room to get some things, including her sword, and then hurried away again.
This left her disciple, Xu Xialing, bewildered. When asked what she was doing, she only said she was going to eliminate evil and uphold justice.
Eliminate evil and uphold justice?
Where were the evildoers?
She didn't see any!
Hela, however, opened her beautiful eyes, a hint of complexity in her gaze.
She saw her past self in Ying Nan: the helpless, eventually compromising, yet unwilling and exasperated reaction she had when Steve had pestered her.
One couldn't say it was very similar; one could only say it was identical.
Too similar!
As for what Ying Nan had encountered, Hela guessed with near certainty.
When Xu Xialing told her that Steve had come to find her, asking her to fulfill her wife's responsibilities and duties, she hadn't quite reacted.
Looking at Ying Nan's steady yet slightly stumbling steps, she suddenly understood: it was highly likely that Steve had succeeded.
No wonder Ying Nan was so angry; a Guardian who valued her reputation would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.
If she just eliminated the one who defiled her, wouldn't it be as if this incident had never happened?
Genius!
Discharge!
But for the next month, Ying Nan was no match at all.
From initially dominating Steve, to later being defeated by Steve in an hour and knocked unconscious.
Then, defeated within half an hour, and knocked unconscious again.
Now, ten minutes into the fight, after using her trump card techniques, she hadn't even grazed his clothing. Her vision went black, and she was knocked unconscious again.
Repeated failures, repeated awakenings, and repeated attempts.
Each time, she was severely defeated and knocked unconscious.
Ying Nan was already somewhat numb, her Dao Heart somewhat shattered.
She even suspected she was a fool, that her initial defeat of Steve was only because Steve wanted to play with her.
It was just like a cat playing with a mouse: ensuring it could catch the opponent, then constantly teasing and toying until the mouse was exhausted, only then eating it.
Too crazy, too speechless, and too disgusting.
Families, who understands? Today I met a repulsive man!
See how she'll flash marry him, then divorce him, and fiercely take half of his strength!
This day, Ying Nan woke up again. Uncharacteristically, she did not attack Steve.
Taking a letter from under a pigeon's foot, and after scanning it, she glanced at Steve not far away.
"Hey, come here."
Steve had just returned from the safe house. Since leaving the Bamboo Forest and refining Odin's divine power,
he, who could see through most rules, could now ignore restrictions and perform spatial teleportation.
Calculating the time, it was almost time to bring Scarlet Witch over and retrieve the Mind Stone.
Infinity Stones, such powerful weapons, could be unused, but not absent.
Even for safety, they had to be collected.
If it wasn't here, then he could pretend not to see it.
But since it had appeared before his eyes, there was no reason, no logic to let it go.
Before, he had no way; he knew this thing was powerful, but he didn't know how to use it, so it was useless to have it.
It was like everyone knew nuclear missiles were incredibly powerful, but when truly given a nuclear weapon in hand, they would also be bewildered.
Because they didn't know how to use it. Hearing the name didn't mean they knew how to use it.
Steve faced such a situation: he knew the Infinity Stones were powerful, but he simply couldn't use them. What could he do?
There was absolutely nothing he could do, even feeling quite frustrated, to the point where he could only comfort himself by saying that what wasn't his wasn't a loss.
Now that he knew how to use the Infinity Stones and could avoid being teleported away or suffering a backlash from the Stones, not collecting the Infinity Stones would be a disservice to himself.
His thoughts returned to the present. Steve yawned as he walked over, stretching his back. He had been exercising too frequently recently.
Ying Nan glanced at him and nearly exploded again. What did he mean by this?
Humiliation, or a reminder not to forget this humiliation?
She took several deep breaths, using her breathing technique to forcefully suppress her anger. She felt like she was about to burst, yet she had to hold it in.
"I have a nephew named Shang-Chi, and I need you to help me find him.
He is my sister's son, and my disciple's older brother. If you help me find him, I will forgive you for this matter."
She had no choice; she didn't want to see Steve, and the best way was to send him far away.
Every time she saw his mischievous smile, Ying Nancouldn't help but feel an urge to explode; he was so punchable.
And he called himself Captain America, truly unbearably punchable.
She had suffered such great injustice; now, to reclaim a little interest, this was considered a very normal thing, wasn't it?
Use power while you have it, or it expires.
The main thing was that Ying Nan didn't know how to face Steve, nor how to face Hela.
Taking this shortcut too many times did have some effect, more or less.
"Alright, for the sake of a night as husband and wife being worth a hundred nights of kindness, I agree to help you with this.
After all, we have been husband and wife for a month; that's thirty hundred nights of kindness."
Steve's words were truly irritating. His mischievous smile, his smug face after taking advantage—there was no one more shameless than him in this World.
Humans cannot, or at least should not, be so shameless. This is wrong and impermissible.
Humans act, Heaven watches. Being so despicable will surely lead to being struck by lightning!
Moreover, where was the moral paragon, the embodiment of justice, Captain America?
This was clearly a scoundrel, a complete bastard masquerading as a hero.
Very angry, truly very angry. Ying Nan felt like she was about to have a heart attack; it was better not to see him.
If she had the chance, she really wanted to ask if it was because her husband was too shameless, and she couldn't tolerate his hypocritical behavior, that she chose to run away.
She did the right thing; that's how it should be. She shouldn't be led astray by Steve; such a scumbag should be severely whipped.
"This is his portrait. He should be in the United States. I don't know the exact location.
Xu Wenwu is chasing him, but his subordinates are no match for you, and he himself is no match for you.
You don't need to worry about that."
It was rare for her to speak so much at once, entirely with the intention of sending off a plague god, quickly getting Steve to leave.
Taking the portrait, Edith had already scanned it into the database.
At the same time, she connected to the database to analyze existing personnel.
It contained data on overt U.S. citizens, as well as many undocumented immigrants not accounted for.
In less than ten minutes, the data was found. Next, it was a matter of tracking Shang-Chi via satellite.
At the same time, recent cases were collected and categorized. Shang-Chi could be found through criminal cases.
Xu Wenwu sending people to apprehend Shang-Chiwould inevitably cause conflict; if recorded, clues could be found.
Chapter 208 Iron Man Becomes an Antique
Meanwhile, in the nanotech medical laboratory, Iron Man Tony Stark, who had been in a long slumber, finally awoke.
He felt like he had a very, very long dream, dreaming that Pepper wasn't stolen by Steve.
He dreamed that they formed the Avengers together, with Thor, Captain America Steve, Hawkeye Barton, Hulk, and Black Widow Natasha, confronting one World crisis after another.
They created crises and also resolved them, eventually parting ways due to beliefs, circumstances, and personal factors.
Ultimately, they encountered an unprecedented, transcendent crisis, and with their overall strength greatly diminished after their separation, they were completely unable to cope with the crisis that swept the entire Universe, leading to many deaths.
The dream was so real, even filled with many fantastical ideas.
Hulk, due to his uncontrollable temper, rampaged through a bustling city, causing thousands of civilian deaths.
Due to guilt and the disgust of the World, he self-exiled to other Planets.
Thor's home exploded, his parents died, and he fell into self-indulgence, becoming a fat slob covered in cheese sauce.
Steve traveled back in time and reunited with his first love, Peggy Carter.
Black Widow died, and Hawkeye retired.
This dream was long, yet incredibly real.
Waking up again, he propped himself up.
Looking at his repaired hands and feet, he could feel the presence of his toes—was he healed?
Previously, he had been defeated by Killian, his limbs severed, reduced to a cripple, and humiliated.
His lover, Maya, died before his eyes, killed by Extremis.
The control door opened, and Captain America, tall and handsome, wearing a stealth suit and holding a shield in his left hand, walked in.
Behind him followed two beautiful women: one an East Asian face with short black hair, and the other a young woman, Zhao Hailun, with long black hair coiled at the back of her head.
Zhao Hailun held a tablet, tapping on it a few times, and the instrument on her head activated, scanning Tony.
"Recovery is good, you can be discharged. The next time something like this happens, the recovery time should be halved."
Tony felt a mix of jealousy, hatred, and gratitude.
Jealousy because Steve had so many wives, while his own wife had died.
Hatred because if Steve had come to help earlier, Mayamight not have died.
Gratitude because the other party had spent a fortune to help him recover his limbs, although he could have done it himself, it would definitely not have been flesh and blood, but mechanical prosthetics.
"Thank you, but I also hate you. If you had come sooner, Maya wouldn't have died."
"I had something to do at the time, and I also walked through the gates of hell.
Thor's father almost killed me, and there was another force beyond our imagination.
Never mind, we'll talk about it when you encounter it. For now, you can go back.
I have to warn you, things are already chaotic outside. The United States still exists in name, but in reality, it no longer does."
Steve wanted to say something but ultimately didn't.
He no longer possessed the same passion or the initial desire to save the World.
He had become increasingly selfish, having witnessed too much ugliness, and no longer wanted to bother being a good person.
You can't condemn everyone; there are good people and bad people.
But it wasn't worth it, nor did he need to do it.
When one sees through the myriad aspects of life, and witnesses many things, one ceases to care, feeling that it doesn't matter anymore.
To work oneself to death as a hero is probably just to satisfy one's vanity.
Instead of thinking about how to live a more valuable life, it's better to think about how to live a happier one.
Tony, leaving the laboratory, was escorted by War Machine, but not to his Villa; instead, he went to the Reston District, where there was a dedicated dormitory.
The various changes and imaginations along the way, Rocket launchers being fired in the streets, and ruins everywhere, filled Tony with a bad premonition.
"The United States was defeated by someone?"
"No, it died by itself. You know about U.S. debt, right? Now, it's unable to repay its debts, leading to the disintegration of the main body.
Each state is centered on its own state government, and the Federal government exists in name only.
The confidential information of the Jewish financial consortium on Wall Street was leaked, and many ordinary people, from who knows where, obtained large quantities of automated weapons and began attacking Wall Street.
The Federal Reserve fell, but the gold inside vanished without a trace, stolen by someone.
This incident ignited global public opinion, demanding an explanation from the United States, as their gold was stored at the Federal Reserve.
But in reality, the Federal government exists in name only, and various regions are disobedient. What you can see is that even state governments can't control local affairs; how can you still count on the Federal government?"
Rhodes sighed, not knowing why things had turned out this way overnight.
It took Tony two hours to process the vast amount of information. After he fell into a coma, a mole appeared in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pierce, a long-time high-ranking official, was the head of HYDRA and carried out a talent hunt operation codenamed the Insight Project.
Three helicarriers killed ninety percent of the technological talent, causing the entire U.S.'s technological level to regress.
Coupled with the Federal Reserve being manipulated and breached, the financial system instantly collapsed.
The industrial hollowing out, shifting from real economy to virtual, led to the rapid decline in living standards after the U.S. dollar became worthless paper.
After all, goods don't just grow on shelves, and many common household items are difficult to manufacture.
Clothes, instant noodles, shampoo, even electricity supply couldn't be guaranteed, and neither could Water.
Without guaranteed living essentials, chaos was inevitable.
Private communities, each controlled by an individual, sprang up, becoming private kingdoms.
Factions within the Military also took the opportunity to declare independence, each occupying a territory, with no one obeying anyone else.
The good news is that so far, no armies from other countries have attacked.
The bad news, however, is that civil war is about to begin, and external forces will seize the opportunity to intervene, making the current situation extremely grim.
"So my Villa and my company have been occupied?"
Tony felt a bit collapsed, going from a rich man to a poor boy?
No, he was no longer a boy, but an old man.
"No, your building has been destroyed, but the good news is that most things have been moved out.
Steve helped with that. I don't know what he's busy with, but I believe the Captain is protecting the World, and there are many threats we can't face."
Rhodes still held hope for Steve. Although the United States existed in name only, Captain America was still there, and that was enough.
As long as the Captain was there, there was hope for everything.
"What about Robert?"
Tony still remembered his secretary, Iceman. Although his orientation was a bit strange, his abilities were truly excellent, and he was very attentive to practical matters, making him easy to work with.
"The Mutants have all disappeared. It is said they went to another World. Where exactly, I'm not very clear.
Before, the Captain encountered the so-called Time Variance Authority. It is said that everything about us is a script arranged by someone.
If we deviate from the script, they will alter the timeline of our World, moving it towards their predetermined direction.
Those who step out of line are either captured or brainwashed."
Rhodes was still very surprised when he heard about this. No one would believe that their life was actually a script written by someone else; that was absolutely impossible.
But this matter genuinely existed; otherwise, how could one explain why the Mutants disappeared?
Moreover, their previous information and memories about Mutants had been erased and only recovered later by watching recordings.
These bizarre occurrences all pointed to that mysterious organization, and the so-called Time Variance Authorityindeed existed.
Tony's head was buzzing now, having just sat down.
Green Goblin walked over, not wearing a mask, appearing as Norman's true face.
"Hey, Tony, congratulations on your recovery and discharge. It's good to see you again."
Tony reached out and shook his hand, a little puzzled.
"Norman is now the Governor of New York State and one of the fifty-one Federal council members."
Rhodes introduced.
The Senate and House of Representatives no longer existed, nor was there any need for them.
To maintain the title of the United States, a committee was temporarily formed by the leaders of the fifty-one states.
Green Goblin sat down, enjoying a Brazilian steak that was now very difficult to find outside.
"The situation is changing rapidly now. The old S.H.I.E.L.D. has been disbanded.
A new S.H.I.E.L.D. is being re-established under Coulson's leadership. The EU is no longer obedient; they are now preparing to reorganize the industrial chain to deal with us.
The hicks in South America are the same; they've started to listen to orders but not obey decrees.
Overseas outposts have fallen, and even the homeland is a mess.
I suggest you rest for a while, familiarize yourself with the situation, and then do what you want to do.
If you need any help, you can call me.
The current situation is an excellent opportunity for us, but I won't expand blindly. First, I'll shed the debts, absorb talent, and slowly accumulate strength."
These words were very interesting, clearly indicating an intention to expand territory later, eliminating the other fifty states.
He would form a new United States, and as for the old U.S.'s previous debts, what did they have to do with his new America?
It was originally a loose nation, and this was a perfect opportunity to reshape the World order.
Super-powered individuals should be superior, they should be above ordinary people.
Ordinary people would be like cattle and horses, contributing labor. Super-powered individuals would be responsible for protection and maintaining order; superpowers were nuclear weapons, the cornerstone of rule.
If one cannot achieve a superior status, then power is meaningless.
This ideology would inevitably clash with the existing old World order. The older generation of righteous individuals would certainly object.
Either persuade them or eliminate them. Green Goblinchose the latter.
First, probe. If an agreement cannot be reached, then take advantage of the situation to eliminate them.
Fortunately, the views of the superhero he valued, Spider-Man, had changed. Perhaps after surviving near-fatal injuries, he became more focused on family values.
Therefore, he had no clear support or clear opposition to this suggestion, clearly hesitating and wavering.
In this situation, persuasion could be attempted, starting with those close to him.
If Aunt May couldn't be contacted, then contact his wife Ursula, and then work through Ursula's father, influencing him step by step.
Even if not for himself, he had to consider his family, right?
Could he bear to see his family starve and freeze?
Now, whoever had weapons and food was the master. A small benefit would attract a large number of followers.
Shouting slogans was useless; material goods were the foundation.
Tony silently processed this information. He still had things to do.
"Norman, do me a favor."
"Oh? Please speak."
Green Goblin seemed very surprised. Asking for help as soon as he arrived? He would owe a favor later.
"Help me find Killian. I want to kill him. Don't tell me you're planning to recruit him?"
"Heh heh, to be honest, my business needs super-powered individuals, and if you wear an Iron Man Suit, you naturally count.
Killian is a talent, and you are also a talent. If you can help me, I can give up Killian.
Otherwise, at most, I just won't stop him from killing you; I won't help either one."
These words clearly had some discrepancies, and Tony's eyes showed some disbelief.
"Do you know what he did? He was the initiator of terrorist attacks. How many people did he kill, do you understand? Do you know?"
Looking at the agitated Tony, Green Goblin unhurriedly cut a piece of steak, then picked up a glass of red wine and slowly savored it. The taste was truly excellent.
"Don't worry, my friend. Times have changed, circumstances have changed, and you also have to change with them.
This is no longer your democratic era; it's the era of fists. Whoever has the bigger fist is right.
Backwardness means getting beaten. Don't ask why, just take the beating obediently. The weak don't need, nor deserve, an explanation."
He was originally a super criminal, a super villain, wearing the guise of a superhero. Now, he intended to use legal means to combat such illegal vigilantes.
Power, what a good thing!
Tony turned to Rhodes, not speaking, but his eyes were questioning.
Rhodes, who always considered himself a Military man, lowered his head and remained silent.
His Iron Man Suit was maintained and equipped with weapons with Green Goblin's help, and as a Militaryman, an officer, his perspective on things was also different.
His friend's silence actually meant he had already conceded.
This was an era where strength reigned supreme. Whether you were a hero or a criminal before, none of that mattered anymore; it was all irrelevant.
One could mock, one could feel disdain in their heart.
Ultimately, everyone would obediently bow their heads when they were on the verge of starvation.
When a man reaches middle age, with parents to support above, children to raise below, and his wife's eager expectations in between.
How to choose is not up to him.
Wanting to quit meant there was no way back.
As soon as he thought of this, Tony instantly understood. Amidst his shock, he also began to change his thinking.
The current era's environment and ideology had changed; it was no longer the old way of thinking.
But to have him work for Green Goblin, he was somewhat displeased.
"I can cooperate with you, but not as your subordinate. I will still continue to form the Avengers."
This was Tony's bottom line. He was Iron Man, after all; how could he humble himself before Green Goblin?
"Haha, it's a deal then, happy cooperation! I'll organize Killian's information and send it to Jarvis later."
Green Goblin laughed heartily, extending his hand for a handshake.
Chapter 209 Don't Provoke Me
Leaving Tarot, Steve took Xu Xialing back to New York.
On the way, he learned that she was Shang-Chi's sister. After her mother died, and before her father went mad, she was taken away by her aunt, Ying Nan.
It was somewhat unexpected for him that Xu Wenwuhad died, and that he had committed suicide out of love.
Back then, his enemies came knocking, and he just happened to be away. Even with the Ten Rings, he couldn't protect his wife.
Because Ying Nan left Tarot, her Qi energy was recalled. She only had her martial arts, which were fine for fighting ordinary people.
But facing the enemies' machine gun fire, if she had her Qi energy, she could have dodged and resisted. Without it, she was powerless and was shot to death.
When Xu Wenwu returned and found his wife brutally murdered and his children separated, he went and killed his enemies one by one, using his influence to send all three generations of relatives of those involved to the underworld.
Afterward, he painstakingly searched for his children, but unfortunately, his son no longer acknowledged him.
In desperation, he could only take his daughter and his wife's body back to Tarot, entrusting the Ten Rings and his daughter to Guardian Ying Nan, and then committed suicide out of love.
This change was somewhat unforeseen. When this happened, he was still a human popsicle in the North Pole, and it had nothing to do with him.
"I'm sorry, I made you recall bad memories."
Steve smiled apologetically. Generally speaking, such a smile already expressed his intentions.
That was to make Xu Xialing his woman, his wife, and then vigorously fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a wife.
The naive Xu Xialing hadn't realized this yet. She hadn't been out for a long time; the last time was with her aunt.
She had also secretly run a boxing gym to earn money from underground fights.
This was one of the few assets Xu Wenwu left her, and it was her rightful inheritance.
"The United States has changed so much!"
Xu Xialing looked at the scarred city. Was this still the so-called beacon of democracy?
It looked very much like the Middle East, and there was intense fighting below, with two groups attacking each other.
Sniper rifles, mortars, artillery, and more were all being used in rotation, no wonder the entire city was reduced to ruins.
Even if they won and occupied the city, it wouldn't be profitable.
The most basic utilities, water and electricity, were cut off. The water treatment plant was destroyed, and the power plant was destroyed.
These all require professional technology and machinery to rebuild, and also involve pipeline laying and so on.
It's easy to destroy, but to build, that's incredibly difficult.
"The United States is probably going to become a thing of the past. Who would have thought there would be an alien invasion?
This kind of thing is incredible; it's either never or countless times. Once it happens, it means our Worldcoordinates have been exposed.
Alien civilizations will try everything to occupy our World; Universe war is unavoidable."
First, he put on a patriotic facade to enhance his righteous image.
It's not that a great and glorious image is bad; it's a sure-fire way to pick up girls.
Who can refuse a good person?
"I saw you on TV. Did you really go to outer space?"
Xu Xialing had only recently caught up on the movies. After they left Tarot, they first went to Singapore for a few days, and then flew to the United States.
From the movies, she learned about Steve's role as a superhero and his joining the Avengers.
The movies were all adapted from real events, but unfortunately, with the United States existing in name only, the World had fallen into turmoil.
With decades of defense gaps in Europe, and the U.S. collapsing, the U.S. military was too busy with its own problems to care about Europe.
With their antiquated warships and weapons from the last century, it would be good if they could even start them, let alone use them for combat?
The idea of counterattacking the United States was good, and most EU member states agreed, but the hardware was somewhat lacking.
"I've been there. It's very cold, and you can't breathe. A deep darkness, no teammates, just moving forward alone."
Steve bragged proudly, a bitter melancholy appearing on his face.
To face a fleet alone without retreating, what kind of courage, what kind of tenacious will does that require?
Xu Xialing was immediately captivated, her big eyes staring at him unblinkingly.
Just as Steve was about to continue bragging, he almost choked.
This was because Xu Xialing playfully blinked, a knowing smile on her lips, and her eyes held a teasing look that saw through everything.
"You want to hit on me and make me your girlfriend, right?
No, you can't. My mom said that the more handsome a boy is, the more likely he is to lie.
The more mature a man is, the less you can trust him, so save it."
Goodness, this was the first time he'd met such a direct girl.
The intelligent beauties he'd met before, Betty, Zhao Hailun, none of them had behaved like this. They all naturally had a good impression of him and moved to the next stage very naturally.
Xu Xialing's looks weren't as good as theirs, but her East Asian beauty, with a neat and refreshing short haircut, was still very captivating.
A martial artist's unique sixth sense immediately detected Steve's ulterior motives.
He wants to hit on her?
It's not impossible, but first, he needs to kick all his wives out, and then talk about pursuing her.
She would never, ever, consider sharing him with other women.
She, Xu Xialing, would rather be single, unwanted, and unmarried than marry a man who already has a wife!
"Ahem, your intuition is spot on.
Do you have any thoughts about coming out this time?"
Steve was choked up by her words, somewhat at a loss for what to say. It had been a long time since he'd encountered something like this.
Seeing Captain America's awkwardness, Xu Xialing let out a joyful laugh.
"Let's take it one step at a time. Anyway, I'm just assisting you. Auntie told you to find Shang-Chi, not me. If you can't find him, that's your problem.
Captain America is omnipotent; whatever he wants to do, he can definitely achieve.
You're not a fake, are you?"
Xu Xialing tilted her head, using a playful expression to provoke him.
After a brief moment of surprise, Steve recovered and smiled calmly.
"Let's take it one step at a time. I need to visit a few old friends first and ask for their help.
Do you want to come along, or would you like to explore the surroundings on your own?"
Provocation?
Sorry, he doesn't fall for that. If it were a honey trap, that might be a different story.
"Hmm, I'll go look around by myself first. There's no rush for this. If I really need to find him, he'll show up eventually."
Xu Xialing hadn't been out for a long time, and this time, she absolutely wanted to go out and have fun.
Although the U.S. federal government existed in name only, with each state now fighting for itself, it made things a bit more interesting.
It had a distinct feeling of the apocalypse, with the effect of laws reduced to an almost negligible point.
Only strength is the eternal foundation. If you have ability, you can live well. If not, you have to work like an ox or a horse.
Steve took out a phone and handed it to her. It was the latest model with tracking capabilities.
"Here, you can contact me anytime. Let it get an hour of Sun every day, and it basically won't run out of power."
"A phone?"
Xu Xialing blinked. This was a good item, and she didn't stand on ceremony, taking it while her fingernail scratched his palm.
"Thanks a lot."
"Cut it out, you little vixen."
Steve didn't fall for that. Playing coy with him?
He hated ambiguity the most. This was different from how it was with Aunt Mei back then.
That was when both sides knew what the other wanted to do, but due to propriety, they were gradually circling each other, and then things naturally fell into place, smoothly, and with a fruitful outcome.
Xu Xialing, at a glance, was the type who was slippery. Playing coy with her would only lead to him being led around in circles, with no help for anything else.
They arrived in Reston District and disembarked from the helicopter.
Steve walked towards a factory, leaving Xu Xialingwhere she was.
Xu Xialing was still a bit stunned. Was he really that ungallant?
A woman wearing a ladies' suit, a shirt, a waistcoat paired with suit trousers, and high heels walked over.
Her right eye still bore terrifying and hideous scars, but she showed no hint of unhappiness or self-pity.
"My name is El. Captain asked me to bring you to familiarize yourself with community rules and explain the current situation. Let's go to the bar; we can talk while we drink."
This former subordinate of Killian, after being persuaded and having her ideological awareness raised, abandoned darkness for light.
"Okay, thank you, I appreciate it."
Xu Xialing's intuition told her that this woman had a very close relationship with Steve, but she didn't expect it to be that kind of relationship.
After all, El's right eye area was covered with hideous injuries, which looked quite terrifying, and a normal person wouldn't be able to accept it.
Although Extremis could restore the body, some areas couldn't be restored and remained the same, she didn't know why.
But it didn't matter. As long as Steve didn't mind, and Elherself didn't mind, this uniqueness was a kind of distinctiveness that could better deter those with ill intentions.
Stark Factory.
This place had become Tony's private laboratory. It took him a long time to set up the lab and restart the development of the Iron Man Suit.
He also spent a long time studying nanotechnology. He believed that the existing solid-state structure was not the best and that there should be a combination of liquid metal technology and nanotechnology.
Only then could true combat power be enhanced, and some ideas that couldn't be realized could be successfully implemented.
Tony sat at the experimental table, eating a steak and rice meal while looking at data.
"Sir, Captain Steve is here."
Jarvis's reminder sounded.
Tony put down his steak and rice and turned to look at Steve.
"You could have come, right?"
"Not at all. If you're trying to blame Maya's death on me, I think Whiplash was right, you don't deserve to be a man."
After his initial surprise, Steve looked at him with some displeasure.
A man should be able to protect his own woman. If he couldn't, and then blamed others, that didn't seem like what a man should do.
Tony was furious, about to explode, but ultimately he didn't lose his temper.
He slumped into his chair like a deflated balloon.
"Every time I fall asleep, I dream of that scene. I couldn't save her, I couldn't."
He held his head in some pain. This feeling had never appeared before.
He had always thought of himself as an omnipotent genius, capable of inventing a groundbreaking Iron Man Suit, but why couldn't he save Maya back then?
If he could have been a little stronger, a little more capable, would he have been able to change the situation?
Steve took out a can of beer, leaned against the wall, and watched the drama unfold while drinking.
Seeing the other person's expression like he was watching a show, Tony couldn't maintain his composure.
"Hey, I mean, do you have any sympathy at all? I'm suffering, I'm sad. Is this how you comfort your comrade?"
Ultimately, it was just an act, and he couldn't keep it up.
His parents died, and after a while, Tony was still singing and dancing as usual. What hurdle couldn't he overcome?
Could a girlfriend who had slept with a hundred men really be more important than his parents?
Nothing is insurmountable; everything will pass.
"Haha, for a woman, pain is your motivation to move forward."
Steve magically produced a bottle of iced beer. Comforting people?
Sorry, if it were a beautiful woman, he might consider it.
But if it was a man, then sorry, go find comfort at the gym. There are many muscular men there who are very suitable and good at comforting people.
Tony grabbed the beer, smiled bitterly, opened it, and started drinking.
Some things can't be blamed on others; they can only be blamed on one's own lack of effort.
He himself was the controllable factor; others were uncontrollable. Blaming uncontrollable factors was illogical.
Back to the main topic.
Tony looked at the holographic projection in front of him, quickly finishing his steak and rice, not wasting a single bit.
Food supplies in the community were provided according to standards. If food was wasted, the next food ration would be cut.
Food was very precious now, especially after the U.S. disintegrated and the World order collapsed, food couldn't be transported in.
There were no industrial raw materials; everything was stuck in place, stagnant.
"I'm looking for Killian, and I've also analyzed Extremis. What he has isn't complete; there are still weaknesses.
Even if the weaknesses are perfected, he can still be killed.
That bastard, I don't know where he's hiding; I can't find him at all."
Ultimately, it was still about killing for revenge. When a genius focused his attention on something, he would inevitably burst forth with great enthusiasm and terrifying progress.
Seeing this, Steve knew where Killian was. With global satellites, finding someone was simply too easy.
At least, not saying it meant the bargaining chip wasn't enough.
It also didn't benefit him. What if he found Killian?
It wouldn't do him any good. It would be better to let Tony continue to strive, grow up quickly, and help him deal with the Time Variance Authority.
"Then good luck. If you want to do it, you can definitely find him.
I have something to do recently and might have to go out. The World has changed, making things uneasy, and I, as Captain, am under a lot of pressure.
Without me, this family would fall apart."
Steve indeed had something to do; he wasn't deliberately not helping.
The Dark Elves' spaceship was repaired and could be used for interstellar travel and tourism. It was time to set off and find something.
Chapter 210: Space Travel Plan with My Wife
What do you want? What are you trying to do?!"
Every time, Tony felt that Steve had ill intentions. This Captain had changed, no longer the pure Captain America, but more like a retired old geezer slacking off.
Calling him an old geezer wasn't wrong. Counting the seventy years he was frozen, he was almost a hundred years old.
"Something, but I can't say yet. The Avengers will be in your hands. Perhaps you'll gain a different experience."
Steve finished his beer, flicked his hand, and even the beer can disappeared.
He definitely couldn't, and shouldn't, talk about going to outer space.
It wasn't for travel, but he had calculated the time and estimated that it should be when the Power Stoneappeared.
He was going this time to retrieve the Power Stone. With the Power Stone as a charger, other stones could exert more powerful effects.
Tony felt a bitter taste in his mouth. This feeling was like watching an old geezer, who was not as good as him, gradually surpass him.
The harder he tried to catch up, the more he couldn't, which brought a sense of frustration.
He was, after all, a genius among geniuses. How many smart people had he surpassed and defeated in the past?
Now, there was always someone better, and he was being surpassed by an old-timer from the last century.
"Then I wish you good luck. I have an idea: to form a robot army to replace the military. What do you think?"
Tony took this opportunity to ask. He had always thought this way; if there could be artificial intelligence to control and guard, it would definitely be better than the current military.
The existing military needed money for food, drink, and daily necessities, money for weapon maintenance, salaries, and emotional care.
There were all sorts of miscellaneous things to deal with, which greatly affected combat efficiency.
What if no humans were used? Only obedient robots, which were also easy to maintain.
As long as the technology met the standards, the cost could be lowered, and the firepower equipped would be extraordinary. It was definitely an excellent suggestion.
Steve thought for a moment. Wasn't this Ultron?
"It's fine. If you want to do it, then do it. If you make a mistake, just correct it.
If you do nothing, you'll never make a mistake.
You choose. Scientific research breakthroughs always have risks. No one knows what the next step is."
Although the end of science is metaphysics, metaphysics represents the unknown, doubt, and fear.
Receiving his friend's answer, Tony finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He got up and extended his hand, inviting a handshake.
Steve smiled and also extended his hand to shake it. This was considered a reconciliation.
"You do your thing, I'll do mine. Killian hasn't contacted you, right?"
Tony asked tentatively. This was his enemy, and if his friend had contact with his enemy, it wouldn't be something to be happy about.
Steve had a mischievous smile, intentionally teasing Tony.
"He has, brother, he has."
"Uh, what's the relationship?"
Tony's expression changed. This was not good news. He didn't even care about the handshake anymore, and his gaze gradually became unfriendly.
"It should be an enemy relationship. I poached his subordinates, so he must be unhappy.
He's probably still looking for me to get revenge. It would be best if you could take him out.
Alright, enough talk. I need to prepare to leave. Say hello to Fury and Coulson for me. Goodbye."
After Steve finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the Cloak of Levitation appeared behind him, carrying him away.
Such a dashing and elegant scene made Tony feel a little envious.
"How does this guy know I'm in contact with Fury and them? Steve, what are you thinking?"
Fury, who had been hiding in the shadows, walked out at this moment. His previous injuries had completely healed.
"In the data Pierce deconstructed, it was once mentioned that Steve was a high-ranking HYDRAofficial. He also controlled several communities and armies.
It's hard to say that the current situation has nothing to do with him. Your plan needs to be moved up."
Disbelief and distrust are very basic.
Although Hill also defected and joined the enemy, if it was a fake show turned into real love for Captain America, that would be understandable.
This had nothing to do with women; even if it were men, there were plenty who let their 'little head' control their 'big head' and were tamed by women like turtles.
Pierce, that old fox, had to cause trouble before he died, first by leaking Steve's identity.
As for whether anyone would believe it, that didn't matter, as long as someone suspected it.
Ordinary people didn't know this secret, but people of Fury's level did.
To say they believed it, it was impossible to completely believe it. To say they doubted it, there certainly was some doubt, and they couldn't help but doubt.
It was precisely because of suspicion that they would subconsciously be on guard.
The lack of doubt was also because of the New York Battle, when confronting the Chitauri Legion invasion, Steve indeed led by example, pushed forward, and encouraged everyone.
Finally, he decisively ended the war. Such a person was beyond reproach on matters of great right and wrong.
As for his private morality, it seemed they could only find that he married many wives and had girlfriends even after marriage.
The United States has no bigamy laws; it didn't before, and it certainly doesn't now.
So this wasn't, or didn't count as, a problem.
Tony didn't believe Steve, but he believed in his character.
He didn't believe because there were too many mysteries, but he believed because his character was guaranteed.
"I believe in Steve's character. Even if he is HYDRA, he is still a good person.
At most, his private morality is lacking, but on matters of great right and wrong, there's nothing to criticize him for.
As for being on guard, I don't think Steve needs to be on guard against anything.
You yourself said it, Pierce said it, and he himself isn't clean, so why should we believe what he says?"
Fury's single eye looked complicated. How could he not know? But as an Agent, not trusting anyone was the correct approach.
"I know, I'm not saying I don't trust him, just that we need to be on guard."
"If you want to be on guard, you go be on guard. I don't have time for that.
Hey, Banner, where are you? I have some good news for you. Yes, yes, I'm waiting for you in the lab."
Tony picked up the phone to call Banner. As fellow top scientists, some things would be more efficient if they collaborated.
--
In the safe house, a unique mixed scent permeated the air, lingering for a long time.
Steve's departure had been postponed for a week. He had been in the safe house for a whole week without leaving.
It wasn't until Hill and Polaris, who were already dressed, kept urging him that he slowly prepared to depart.
Two months of not eating enough, followed by a week of eating until full, even to the point of throwing up.
If they didn't leave soon, it would be difficult to depart if they had a second child.
As usual, they left the child at home with Aunt Mei, who was almost like a kindergarten director.
She had a good personality, was obedient and well-behaved, and older women tended to be more patient.
Almost everyone's children were left with her to help raise, while they went to enjoy life nearby.
After the spaceship was repaired, it was refurbished again, fixing all potential safety hazards.
It just looked a bit strange, flying upright, very much like a cross.
But it didn't matter. They would make do with it for now. Later, when they found suitable materials, they would build their own spaceship.
Currently, no spaceship was suitable for outer space travel. Having never been to outer space, they naturally couldn't know the precautions and detailed parameters needed.
This trip wasn't for fun; while finding the Power Stone, it was also to collect parameters to lay a good foundation for their own spaceship.
As the spaceship ascended, moving further and further from the Blue Planet, after entering the space jump coordinates, the light-speed engine was activated, and the next second it disappeared from this star system.
They quickly jumped between different star systems. The Dark Elves' spaceship still had many records of jump points, which made travel convenient.
As for where Chitauri Star was, Steve didn't know. He could actually ask Captain Marvel, provided she could come.
If she couldn't come, then they would first go several star systems away, to a distance of fifty light-years from the Blue Planet, and search slowly.
There was no rush for this matter. When it was time to find it, it would eventually be found.
If they couldn't find it, then they would treat it as a relaxing trip.
Su Rui was excitedly shouting, as if every moment held endless surprises.
On the Blue Planet, in Wakanda, she had many research projects to do. Now in outer space, the environment here was much more beautiful than Wakanda.
It was only because she didn't need to frequently fulfill her wife's duties that she had time to focus on scientific experiments.
Polaris Lorna walked into the laboratory, yawning. She had only changed into a simple silk dress, and her eyes were still a bit blurry.
Her fair, neat toes were painted with green nail polish, appearing delicate and mysterious.
"Aren't you resting? It's been three days and three nights. Are all scientists crazy?"
At first, she was also excitedly shouting at the sight of outer space, but after half a day, she became a bit bored.
Scenery is just a place others are used to, seen by a different group of people.
The brilliant galaxy was indeed eye-catching, but after seeing it too much, it was just that, nothing rare or strange.
Su Rui was now also a partner, having risen through her intellect. Her emotional intelligence was very average; she only had great talent in scientific research, and being a queen would be a joke.
As a partner, she could be synchronized with the Super Soldier Serum. With the serum, she only needed to eat and drink her fill, and basically could go without sleep or rest.
A transcendent physique would certainly bring a better research environment and extend research time.
While Su Rui was speaking, she was still looking at the projector, recording internal and external pressure tests, and simultaneously uploading simulation data.
So far, she had been thinking about how to build her own spaceship. There were many things to consider.
For example, they had clearly seen the Sun, but the temperature outside the spaceship was still over negative five hundred degrees.
Yet, the asteroid clusters they encountered showed no traces of ice, which would baffle anyone.
Only research fanatics would feel curious and excited. The appearance of such counter-intuitive phenomena meant that new, unknown things to explore had appeared.
With Polaris's unsettled personality, she still dreamed of marrying a good man and then living a life of ease.
She was destined not to think about scientific problems; as long as someone else did it, that was fine.
She didn't need to do anything, oh no, that's not right, sometimes she moved things, and her magnetic ability was quite useful.
She was just a porter, without any progress.
Polaris didn't want to progress at all. She was perfectly fine as she was now, slacking off every day, enjoying good food and drink, and having a husband who paid his 'dues' every now and then. Why bother trying hard?
With a slacking husband, there would definitely be a slacking wife.
"It's great to have interests. Phew, I'm so sleepy. I'll take a nap. If you need me to act, just call me."
Polaris walked to a sofa and fell asleep. She was very sleepy. Slacking off also meant she had more free time, which made it easier for her to be a wife.
Should they intercept the Power Stone at its storage location?
Steve thought for a long time, then decided against it.
The time from the Blue Planet to Chitauri Star wasn't actually far. If they knew the space jump point and had sufficient fuel, it would only take half a month.
If the spaceship was powerful, or if it was Captain Marvel, a round trip within a day would be no problem.
According to traditional thinking, flying from one Planetto another means traveling in a straight line.
If it's a million kilometers, then it's a distance of a million kilometers. Then, based on the spaceship's speed, how many kilometers per hour, a simple calculation would give the arrival time.
However, in space travel, it's not calculated that way. Distance is one thing.
Whether there are space wormhole jump points during the journey is another matter.
Jump points can save a lot of time and distance, and besides causing severe motion sickness and having excessive demands on the spaceship, there are no other requirements.
Almost every experienced space wandering team and lone wolf should know, and must know, which jump points are available in the star systems they travel to and from.
The Dark Elves' spaceship naturally also had a map, but it was only marked, and after translation, they didn't know where it was.
Thousands of years had passed since their slumber, and with such changes in the Universe, it was uncertain if the map was still accurate.
Moreover, this was an experimental trip, marking and personally observing the boundaries of each star system to truly know where they were.
Although Steve didn't know either, it didn't matter. He would just treat it as a random tour.
Opening a blind box was also a very good experience, because not knowing the next stop brought a sense of surprise.
In the greenhouse area, Jean Grey was watering plants, growing her own vegetables.
She seemed to have just washed her hair, her fiery red long hair draped over her shoulders, and a blush from recent intimacy remained on her fair, flawless cheeks.
Her jade-like hands, with red nail polish, hovered in the air, controlling the water hose with her psychic power to water the plants.
She appeared lazy and unconcerned, yet every drop of water was precisely directed into the flowerpots under her psychic control, without a single drop spilling.
She used this method to train her psychic power. Her role, besides being a wife, was also to be a main force.
The Mutants had their timelines severed by the Time Variance Authority and were all sent to unknown Universes.
Only she, Polaris, and a few other Mutants in the safe house remained in this Universe.
Chapter 211 Mysterious distress signal
Compared to the laziness and sloppiness of others, Hillwas very focused.
She was currently the pilot, responsible for the direction of the entire spaceship. Besides probing star systems, she also had to confirm Planets through the detector modified by Su Rui.
So far, not a single Planet with life had been discovered.
Even though they were already two hundred thousand light-years away from Blue Star, they still hadn't seen any other life.
However, they did witness many strange Planets, many that only existed in movies or books could be seen here.
They even made a special trip to see a Planet where ninety-nine percent of its framework was filled with Water mist.
The Water source was seawater; there was no fresh Water.
In this sea area, there was no sign of life, only tiny plankton.
There were no plants either; the atmosphere was unstable, unable to retain oxygen or support vegetation.
Without vegetation to produce oxygen, it was even less likely for life forms to emerge.
It was just a very pure Mercury, with nothing at all, which was very surprising.
After a two-hour stop, they set off on their journey again, not lingering to ponder.
Back in the cockpit.
Steve walked in, full of energy. Since refining his divine power, he no longer yawned constantly.
Without divine power eroding his energy, he was now always able to maintain his optimal state.
"Don't worry, this is what space travel is like.
The Universe is vast, and we are tiny. There are many things we don't understand. Let's take our time.
When we encounter aliens in the future, we'll also need to figure out how to understand what they're saying, otherwise, we won't be able to communicate."
Steve thought a lot; he had been slacking off for long enough, and so far, he hadn't received any mission feedback.
Only when the body is well can one have the mood to think about other problems.
Hill, wearing light makeup, glanced at her husband sitting beside her. As long as he was there, there was a natural sense of motivation, a feeling that put her at ease and allowed her to calm down.
"With you here, I feel so secure, I don't know why?
Is it because you are Captain?
Before, when I couldn't see you or hear your voice, I had no spirit to do anything.
Every day, I forced myself, telling myself that since you weren't here, I had to be the pillar of the family.
Husband, it's so good to have you."
The sudden confession came without any preparation; when emotions ran deep, it just slipped out.
After a moment of surprise, Steve also smiled slightly and squeezed her hand.
"Thank you, wife."
This thank you was a bit inexplicable.
But Hill understood; it wasn't just gratitude for her constantly supporting the family, but also for her generosity.
To allow her husband to seek other women was, in itself, quite unbelievable.
In the worldview of ordinary people, monogamy was deeply ingrained.
Upper-class figures also maintained a facade of monogamy, but how many mistresses they had behind the scenes was unknown.
Mistresses were essentially exclusive harlots, no different from the women on Portland Street.
One was a public bus, the other a private car, that was all.
Only the wife was the legitimate partner, the woman who could walk with him to the end of life.
A single thank you was enough to move Hill to tears.
There were many women more beautiful than her, and many more seductive.
But no matter what kind of woman appeared, none could shake her position, nor her place in Steve's heart.
Faithful from beginning to end, without any change, such love was truly wonderful.
Just as the two were getting closer, an alarm sounded.
"A one-kilometer-long asteroid field has appeared ahead; please take evasive action.
Would you like to enable automatic piloting mode?"
Edith's voice always appeared at the most inopportune moments, and it was unclear if it was intentional, but it felt as if a hint of rationality had been born beneath her cold exterior.
Although it was still very subtle and somewhat imperceptible.
But that's how artificial intelligence is; it will slowly, step by step, become more like a person.
She could have taken over the piloting herself and maneuvered the spaceship to dodge.
Such a wonderful intimate atmosphere, such a perfect mood, all ruined.
Now Edith was like a mischievous woman, a bad woman with a penchant for pranks.
Jean Grey came in after watering, saw the two, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Mature charm, a tall figure, fiery red hair paired with a deep red nightgown, and transparent crystal high-heeled sandals on her feet, she was indescribably alluring and fiery.
"Am I interrupting?"
"No, you've come at just the right time!"
This scene had a bit of Li Xunhuan's flavor to it.
Jean Grey sat behind Steve, watching the asteroid field outside. After her smile faded, she began to activate the Phoenix Force, gradually pulverizing the asteroids.
Despite no instructions from Steve, Edith took over the spaceship's piloting, narrowly flying past the asteroid field.
The asteroid field covered a full ten kilometers, with asteroids of varying sizes and shapes within it.
This unique phenomenon is very common in space; one might encounter it two or three times a day.
Don't let the slow flight speed of the asteroid field deceive you; the key is the spaceship's speed, relatively speaking.
As long as one side's speed is fast enough, the force of the impact when colliding is the same; both sides experience it equally.
It won't be lessened because one side is very slow or even stationary.
The most crucial point is that these asteroid fields have a magnetic field effect, firmly controlling the asteroids within a certain range.
Although not controlled, it is a natural reaction.
But what are asteroids? They are massive stones that, under space storms, after long periods of drifting and friction, have had their least sturdy materials worn away, leaving only the most resilient parts.
If they were to fall on Blue Star, who knows, they might just be another type of Vibranium!
Although the quality of asteroids varies, they are still significantly stronger than steel.
Jean Grey wanting to pulverize the asteroids with her Phoenix Force is not unrealistic; it's just that her power hasn't been trained to a sufficient degree of pulverization yet.
As a power with laws in the Universe, the Phoenix Force possesses both the ability to destroy and the ability to bestow rebirth and rejuvenate all things.
The Phoenix Force will continuously seek out hosts, and suitable hosts will have it reside within them.
As for how much power can be exerted, that depends entirely on the individual host's level of ability.
Jean Grey is excellent; putting aside the Phoenix Force, her mutant ability is also psychic in nature.
She can read others' minds and memories, and also copy and modify them, essentially a weakened version of Professor X.
Unlike Charles, she can also materialize her psychic energy to move things and control objects.
The scene of her watering flowers in the greenhouse earlier was actually a demonstration of her abilities.
Having psychic abilities, in some respects, is very beneficial for developing the Phoenix Force.
"Don't be discouraged, take your time; nothing can be achieved overnight.
With persistent training, one day you will be able to control the Phoenix Force.
If you don't want tragedy to happen, then work hard. Practice ten hours a day, sleep eight hours, and I'll give you two hours of free time."
Steve smiled and encouraged her. He now had the Reality Stone, and also the Space Stone and the Time Stone.
In the Universe, he couldn't exactly walk sideways, but at least when encountering anything, he wouldn't be flustered or at a loss, not knowing what to do.
With three Infinity Stones, even without a spaceship, he could live very well.
Jean Grey bit her lip, counting on her fingers.
"Ten hours plus eight hours is eighteen hours.
Add two more hours of free time, that's twenty hours.
So what about the other four hours?"
As soon as he finished speaking, she saw Steve's mischievous smile, and in that instant, she understood.
She somewhat insistently pulled on Hill's arm and shook it.
"Sister, look how naughty my husband is!"
"Haha, this is a great thing, isn't it? If you don't want it, then let Lorna have it, okay?"
Hill teased her. Wasn't four hours good enough?
If she didn't want to, she could put that time into training her abilities, fourteen hours a day, that wasn't impossible.
The cabin door opened, and Polaris walked in, yawning, holding a can of fatigue. She loved this feeling of living in a dream.
After her past struggles, she was now enjoying her good fortune.
She had worked hard for most of her life, and now that she had found a rich husband, couldn't she just enjoy herself?
She didn't go to nightclubs, didn't hire male models, and didn't check Xiaohongshu; wasn't she good enough?
She was beyond good, even personally giving Steve a cute and beautiful daughter; this was true love.
"What are you all talking about? I think I heard Sister saying good things about me behind my back!"
The three women giggled and played, with no awkward atmosphere between wives and concubines.
"No, no, just kidding. Weren't you resting? How did you wake up?"
Hill changed the subject, not wanting to get overly excited and entangled in it.
"Su Rui said she needed to rest; she hadn't closed her eyes for a week.
She took the sofa, so I came here to chat with you all."
Polaris's big eyes blinked innocently. On the spaceship, she acted as a mascot; when there was work, she wasn't needed.
When there was no work, she certainly wouldn't do anything, primarily focusing on freeloading.
She was even better at slacking off than Steve; at least Steve would do something.
Polaris's main characteristic was laziness; if she could sit, she would never stand, and if she could lie down, she would never sit!
Just as she was about to say something, the panel, which had been unresponsive for a long time, showed a signal response.
"Oh, there's a signal response, and it seems to be a distress signal."
Hill retrieved the signal and found that it was from a very distant part of the Universe, and not even in the same star system.
"Then let's go check it out. It's rare to get a response."
Steve also fell into contemplation as he looked at the panel.
In fact, they had been flying aimlessly all this time. They had already traveled nearly three hundred thousand light-years.
But whether they were circling a galaxy or not, that remained unknown.
Currently, what humanity knows are the Solar System and the Milky Way Galaxy; Blue Star is in the Solar System.
Compared to the Milky Way Galaxy, the Solar System is like a small village on the map of the United States; there's no comparison.
Seeing this, Polaris also perked up. She wasn't tired at all, just feigning a lazy and drowsy expression to escape a predicament.
Before, she didn't eat enough; now, she was so full she thought she'd burst and couldn't eat anymore.
But whether she ate or not, that wasn't up to her.
They flew towards the distress signal's coordinates, mapping the route along the way.
After a full week of flying and seven space jumps, they finally arrived in a completely unknown and unfamiliar star system.
Each star system represents a size similar to the Milky Way Galaxy, only larger, never smaller.
The Universe is vast, but places where life can be born are few, and intelligent life is even rarer.
The Planet before them was barren, mostly covered in crimson, with very few plants visible on the surface.
The temperature hovered around forty degrees Celsius; at this temperature, an ordinary person working outside for an hour would almost dehydrate, and two hours could lead to heatstroke.
The spaceship hovered in mid-air, and Hill stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the fierce battle unfolding in the distance.
It was a chaotic battle between creatures that resembled humans but had bizarre heads.
They were shooting at each other with laser guns, while one side was using very primitive gunpowder weapons to fight back.
The huge disparity was immediately apparent; essentially, the natives were being suppressed by laser energy weapons.
Logically speaking, a civilization with gunpowder weapons really shouldn't be involved in a cosmic war of this scale.
It's like modern people with modern weapons going to war with ancient people; hot weapons against cold weapons, without the buff of divine power, it's basically a one-sided slaughter.
This was precisely the case; there was no power to resist.
The laser beams of energy weapons could penetrate a bunker with one shot, and special shells could blow up permanent fortifications and strongholds built underground.
Traditional gunpowder weapons hitting those small fighter jets only caused tiny sparks, unable to even penetrate the wings.
Often, a single strafing run by a fighter jet would immediately crumble the battle lines established by the natives.
"It's strange, who exactly is sending this distress signal?
They don't look like they could produce a signal capable of transmitting across star systems; it just doesn't make sense."
Hill was still puzzled because reality and ideals were not the same, hence her confusion.
"I think it must be them sending the signal. Only the weak would want to call for help; the strong have their own power and disdain seeking assistance.
The more powerful a faction, the less likely they are to seek help.
One plea for help might prolong their suffering, but it also signals that they have entered a countdown to crisis and decline."
Steve understood this well; Blue Star was also weak, but it also had a distress signal.
"Fury has a pager, modified with Kree technology, that can send a distress signal.
This signal can be received by a certain woman, who will then come to their rescue."
He then explained the top-secret archives from the last century; this file had not been made public because only one person knew about it.
Fury was cunning and would never leave any traces, which was why others didn't know.
Chapter 212 Captain Marvel is here
After listening to Steve's account, Hill's eyebrows twitched a few times, a very dismissive look.
"I always felt Fury was preoccupied, and there were many things he wouldn't tell Coulson and me.
I thought it was strange then, but the Agent's code of conduct dictates: don't ask what you shouldn't.
Even a single piece of information would be divided into different stages for safekeeping.
This also ensures that information will not be leaked and can be kept confidential."
The World of Agents is hard to understand, always filled with various illogical restrictions.
That doesn't matter; just clock in and out. The only ones who truly love this job are Agents trained from a young age, like Black Widow.
Normal people rarely like such a life; it's very uninteresting and very boring.
"Captain Marvel? She sounds very powerful, doesn't she?
Husband, you're not thinking of hitting on her, are you? Can you beat her?"
Polaris spoke her mind directly and frankly; she wouldn't save any face for her husband.
Everyone here is a sister, all his wives; if they can be brought on the spaceship for a Universe trip together, what else can't be trusted?
The more sincere, the more one gains.
Steve had already prepared a reward; he'd reward Polaris with a second child!
Let you be mischievous!
If you're mischievous again next time, I'll reward you with a third child!
Anyway, the Super Soldier Serum's enhancement makes her body extremely good; let alone three children, even thirty wouldn't be an issue, just a piece of cake.
Polaris saw Steve's ill-intentioned gaze, but this time she wasn't scared; instead, she raised an eyebrow and glared back in defiance.
"No such thought for now; I'm not a horny dog."
When Steve said this, he was completely justified, saying, in short, I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!
Pfft!
All the women covered their mouths and giggled; Polaris even burst into exaggerated laughter, hands on her hips, completely abandoning any ladylike image.
Steve's face was full of black lines from their laughter; he felt a bit speechless.
"What? Do you all think I'm a horny dog?"
"Husband, remove the two words 'do you think,' be confident, you are a horny dog."
Polaris couldn't help but retort, for no other reason than Steve even dared to lay hands on Ancient One; this was a true warrior!
If it were just once, it would be fine, but how many times after that is unknown.
At least from what she knew, it was no less than twenty times; otherwise, how could Ancient One have a child?
This isn't a horny dog? Then what is a horny dog?
Look into her eyes and answer her loudly!
What the hell is a horny dog?
Polaris was not only unafraid but even raised her eyebrows, looking at Steve with a provocative gaze.
After enjoying her blessings, she was planning to open a new account.
Just as they were still teasing their husband, Edith's voice rang out again.
"Detecting something entering the atmosphere, rapidly approaching."
"Is it coming for us?"
Hill couldn't bother with teasing; she quickly activated the energy shield defense mechanism.
"No, it's heading for those space pirates."
A streaking light flew from afar, seemingly a person, completely covered in colorful energy, making the figure unclear.
Thud!
A spaceship was pierced by the energy; the streaking energy continued unabated, heading straight for other spaceships.
In a unique way, she rammed the spaceships with her body, shattering them.
Boom!
One by one, spaceships exploded behind the streaking light; the space pirate pilots inside couldn't even eject before being engulfed by the explosion's flames, dying in screams.
"Ooh-yeah!"
The resistance fighters below raised their rifles and cheered, shouting with joy at the arrival of their savior.
The pirate leader in charge of this looting operation stared blankly, unable to comprehend the situation.
Trembling slightly, he pointed at the streaking light; he recognized her, it was that crazy woman.
"Captain Marvel! How did she get here!
Retreat, quickly retreat! Scatter and run!"
He couldn't wait for his subordinates to cover him; he roared frantically, telling the pilot to quickly turn the spaceship around, if they didn't run now, it would be too late!
The originally overwhelming pirate spaceships scattered like birds, but the streaking light that was Captain Marvel continued to pursue them in the sky.
Spaceships were fast, but not faster than light speed.
Streaks of dazzling fireworks exploded in the sky, a sight that made people's blood boil and their scalps tingle.
Such a powerful woman, with mere physical strength, could smash through these high-tech spaceships capable of traversing the Universe.
Their shells, forged from refined steel, could withstand half an hour of Gatling machine gun fire, yet now they were as brittle as paper before her.
Hill and the others felt their scalps tingle; no wonder they said Universe wars were no joke.
This kind of high-end combat power, if it were to invade Blue Star, no country's military strength could resist it; it was an existence that could explode just by looking at it.
Too terrifying!
Only Jean Grey was somewhat eager to try, facing a powerful enemy, she really wanted to fight.
Only by fighting strong enemies can one's potential be continuously excavated.
Great potential does not mean great strength; it only means a promising future.
How many years had she been told she had a promising future?
Now she still couldn't even melt an asteroid field; it was somewhat hilarious, my friends.
After more than ten minutes, except for a small number of space pirate spaceships that escaped, most had turned into fireworks.
The resistance soldiers sang and danced, then, under orders, began to sortie, driving trucks to collect the debris from the exploded spaceships.
These spaceship wrecks were also very useful materials; developing industry was unstable, and scavenging was the norm in Universe life.
Captain Marvel, having dealt with the space pirates, also discovered the concealed spaceship nearby; its five-hundred-meter-tall, cross-like appearance didn't look like it belonged to good people.
It strongly resembled the Christian symbol from memory; this was a bad guy!
Thinking this, Captain Marvel immediately charged up, turning into a streaking light and slamming into it again.
"Jean, cover me; I'll deal with her."
Steve's face changed; if Captain Marvel rammed into them, this spaceship would definitely be scrapped!
Even Thanos's spaceship couldn't withstand Captain Marvel's bull-like charge damage; his spaceship was just a modified one, so it would be even less able to resist.
Clang!
A full-power blow struck the shield, sending Steveflying backward.
The Cloak of Levitation behind him helped stabilize his body, and mjolnir in his hand spun continuously, unleashing all its power.
Captain Marvel retreated slightly, looking at the strange person suspended in the distance with some surprise and uncertainty.
He seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember who he was.
When she was a pilot on Blue Star, the military had portraits of Captain America and propaganda slogans.
The U.S. promoted Steve as a model soldier for propaganda and brainwashing, encouraging them to learn Steve's spirit of selfless dedication.
Such taxi soldiers, loyal, reliable, and capable, were excellent workhorses.
They needed such workhorses to maintain the privileged lives of the upper class.
As for how the workhorses lived, they didn't care, nor were they concerned.
If you don't do it, there are plenty of Pals who will.
If you don't do it, there are plenty of workhorses who will.
As a pilot, she naturally had to enlist, and she would undergo ideological education and brainwashing regularly.
She had seen Steve's portrait countless times, but for decades she had been outside in the Universe, acting as a good person, upholding justice, helping the weak, and opposing tyranny.
It had been a long time since she returned to Blue Star, so it was reasonable that she had no impression of him now.
She had seen too many new things, and her old memories of Blue Star naturally became increasingly faint.
It was good that she had any impression at all; wanting to remember specific details would be the real problem.
"Looks like you're strong, very good, let's fight, and then talk after the fight!"
Captain Marvel also had a tendency towards violence; ever since she gained this power, she loved solving problems with violence.
She spent very little time thinking; rather than solving problems with reason, she preferred to throw a punch.
The effect was immediate; no matter what kind of punch you threw, just one punch, and if they weren't convinced, another punch.
Punch them until they submit!
To subdue with virtue, a fist is virtue!
A psychic force assaulted her, and Captain Marvelreflexively activated her Binary form to prevent herself from being mind-controlled again.
She looked at the spaceship with extreme displeasure, seeing an elegant and sexy woman in red standing by the floor-to-ceiling window; it was that woman who was using mind control.
"You're asking for death!"
Just as she was about to act, Steve quickly flew over again, knocking her away.
Both fell from high in the sky to the ground, smashing a small, dried-up mud mountain.
"Interesting!"
Captain Marvel stood up, twisting her neck; it had been a long time since she encountered someone who could exchange a few blows with her.
Steve's vibranium shield was deeply embedded in the reddish crystal rock, and the runes on Mjolnir's surface were flickering at high frequency.
He could feel the Cloak of Levitation trembling at his shoulder blades, and the burning sensation of the Extremis surging through his blood vessels cast a faint golden halo over his retina.
Seeing the opponent unleash a powerful move, Captain Marvel was not to be outdone, concentrating her mind to induce energy vibrations.
Binary energy tore open the sky, and a gamma-ray burst melted the crystal clusters within a ten-kilometer radius into boiling liquid metal.
Captain America rolled to dodge the photon Impact, and the Cloak suddenly wrapped around his waist, carrying him in a zero-gravity state, drawing a zigzag trajectory that defied the laws of physics.
The moment Mjolnir left his hand, twelve bolts of lightning struck Carol's energy force field precisely.
"Is that all you've got?"
Photon energy condensed into a cross-star in Carol's palm as she hovered in the center of a purple vortex formed by the torn ionosphere.
"It doesn't look like your power; you can't control such strength."
The vibranium shield suddenly attacked from behind and to the side, its edge rotating to cut through three meters of thick crystal rock.
Carol instinctively raised her hand to block but didn't notice that the kinetic energy absorbed by the shield was being transmitted through the Quantum Realmwoven by the Cloak of Levitation.
The moment Mjolnir and the shield collided at the predetermined coordinates, the shockwave, powerful enough to pierce an asteroid, blasted Carol into a mantle fissure.
Captain America gasped, tearing open his battle suit, which had been scorched by photon energy; the Extremis was repairing his broken ribs.
The red crystal clusters suddenly all vaporized, and Carol, enveloped in a supernova-like blaze, burst out of the ground.
Her right fist shattered space, but upon touching Captain America's chest, it was teleported by the Cloak's mirror dimension, and the residual energy pulverized the distant ring-shaped mountains.
"You're too weak!"
"You're the weak one, you old hag who cuts off Water and electricity!"
Steve roared at her.
Captain Marvel hadn't reacted yet; what was cutting off Water and electricity? What old hag?
Due to the Tesseract's energy transformation, she could maintain her youthful appearance for a very long time.
She wasn't exactly beautiful; Polaris was even more charming than her.
Captain Marvel, Carol, had a very neutral style, and it was precisely this style that gave her a unique charm.
The vibranium shield, utilizing the zero-gravity environment, drew a strange parabola, striking Captain Marvel at an incredible angle.
However, she swatted it away without even looking, and following the trajectory of her punch, her figure flickered, and a photon blade she had conjured was about to sever his neck when Mjolnir suddenly drew the shield back from a gravitational anomaly point, reflecting it back; the triple-stacked kinetic energy blasted Carol towards a fiercely erupting volcano.
A terrifying tremor came from deep within the Earth's crust; Carol tore through the magma, emerging with Binary energy forming a blazing white shield around her body.
Steve knew that conventional tactics had failed; his pupils suddenly erupted with the purple glow characteristic of Vibranium—the Extremis had finally broken through its safety threshold.
When Carol's photon Impact struck again, Captain America raised his vibranium shield to directly withstand the energy torrent, and after holding out for two seconds, he flicked the shield back, now fully charged with kinetic energy.
This time, the shield's trajectory completely defied the laws of physics; the shield flickered in front of him, then transformed into seven copies flying in different directions simultaneously.
Carol had just shattered three illusions when the real vibranium shield was already embedded in her battle suit.
Captain America seized the opportunity, leaping onto the lightning guided by Mjolnir, heavily kneeing Carol's jaw, and his right leg blurred, striking her abdomen three times consecutively—each attack carrying the high-frequency vibration generated by the Extremis.
The red wasteland began to collapse; the energy released by their battle caused an earthquake.
Carol wiped the golden blood from the corner of her mouth, and the Binary energy suddenly contracted into a singularity.
Steve knew this was an all-out effort; the Extremiscovered his entire body, boosting his vitality to the highest level, making Mjolnir's energy resonate with the vibranium shield.
His hand flickered slightly, the Tesseract's energy swirling within it, and he blasted it towards the energy singularity she unleashed.
When the two Universe-level energies collided, the Cloak of Levitation suddenly expanded into a giant protective shield, compressing the explosion's range within the Quantum Realm.
Boom!
The entire wasteland completely split open, transforming from a plain into a massive inland ocean lake.
The clash of gem-rule abilities was comparable to a nuclear bomb explosion.
Both sides were blasted away by this force; Captain Marvel went from initial disdain, then surprise, and finally, a desperate, gritting-teeth struggle.
She had completely underestimated Steve, never expecting him to have the ability to push her to the brink, forcing her to unleash all her energy.
After this, she would need a long time to recover before she could activate her Binary form a second time.
Powerful moves also have cooldowns, and the body needs to recover and repair; one cannot continuously unleash powerful moves.