HISD Chapter 104 The Path of the Machine Superman in Marvel
The Time Variance Authority.
It exists beyond the Marvel Universe, outside of time and space, holding dominion over the Sacred Timeline and all other branching timelines.
If this were in an Eastern novel, it would be the equivalent of Heaven ruling over the mortal world—its prestige ridiculously high…
But that didn't mean Yi Meng was afraid.
What did it matter if there was a Time Variance Authority? This Marvel Universe was just another dream world for him to explore. That was the core truth.
When it came to true stature, the TVA still couldn't compare to him.
So when Yi Meng learned of the TVA's existence—a revelation that could shatter a person's sanity and force them to doubt their very world—his first thought wasn't to flee.
Instead, he wondered: if he ran into the TVA, how would he fight back? How could he fire the first shot?
One thing was certain: he would never sit and wait to die, nor would he play Ultron's role as a mere background NPC waiting for deletion.
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
On the bed, young Wanda still lay asleep, her breathing soft and steady, her presence peaceful and beautiful.
The gemstone on Vision Yi Meng's brow pulsed with a faint glow. Suddenly, he sensed something off. He raised his head and scanned the room, watching as rainbow-like fractures shimmered across the air like cracked glass.
The very space of the room seemed frozen in place!
This wasn't the sign of a dream shift or the moment of waking.
Could it be that the TVA had noticed what he'd done and was making their move?
Yi Meng's Vision body rose instantly from the bedside, the Mind Stone awakening its perception. Yet what he sensed wasn't hostility—it carried a clear sense of goodwill.
So it wasn't the TVA…
Buzz!
The glass-like shimmer shattered.
Yi Meng felt himself pass through a thin veil, a fragile barrier. He found himself in the same room, with identical furnishings, bedding, and décor—yet it wasn't the same place at all.
The missing Wanda on the bed confirmed it.
This was more like a mirror dimension of reality.
Realizing this, Yi Meng strode quickly toward the door.
In the living room beyond, a bald woman in yellow monk's robes, a mystic amulet hanging from her neck, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. She turned to look at him.
Her face was plain and serene, ageless, and she offered a calm smile as she introduced herself: "Hello, Vision. My name is the Ancient One. I am the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth."
It was her, just as he suspected.
Yi Meng wasn't surprised.
This was the past—before Doctor Strange's rise. Naturally, the Ancient One had not yet died.
The Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme—one of the most powerful and ancient beings on Marvel's Earth.
…
Yi Meng reflected. In the original story, Vision and the Ancient One never had any interactions.
It was clear that her presence here was entirely due to him.
What surprised him was that she had noticed his anomaly even faster than the TVA.
In the comics and movies, the Ancient One was legendary—but in truth, she had been slain rather easily by a single corrupted sorcerer.
"Please, take a seat, Ancient One."
Yi Meng's Vision spoke evenly, extending courtesy even here in the mirror dimension, carrying himself as though the host.
The Ancient One clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze steady upon him. Her voice was soft but direct: "As I thought… From the moment of your birth, I saw through the Mind Stone that something unusual had awakened within you."
Yi Meng's mind turned quickly. She hadn't realized he was a traveler from another time and space who had replaced Vision. Instead, she had attributed the anomaly to Vision's creation—that the Mind Stone had stirred something greater within him.
The Ancient One continued. "Don't worry. I have no intention of harming you. This mirror dimension lies outside normal reality and time. It is safe for conversation."
Clearly, she knew more than he expected.
Yi Meng's golden eyes gleamed as he spoke bluntly, following her words: "By insight, do you mean the awareness that a Time Variance Authority is secretly observing and altering our timeline?"
The Ancient One stayed silent, her expression as calm and composed as ever.
That silence confirmed Yi Meng's suspicions.
She knew the TVA existed.
"So… that's what they're called. The Time Variance Authority…"
The Ancient One's tone was still even, without emotion: "I don't know their true name. But I've lived a long time. And with the Eye of Agamotto—the Time Stone—I have sensed anomalies throughout the ages."
Her eyes rested on Yi Meng. "Thank you. Today, you have given me the answer I was seeking."
Yi Meng pressed forward. "Then now that you know the truth of this world, as Sorcerer Supreme, what do you intend to do?"
If she knew about the TVA, she might ally with them and eliminate him as an anomaly.
Or, she might stand with him, resisting their control.
The Ancient One did not leave him waiting. After only a pause, she said, "I… will do nothing."
"…"
Yi Meng was caught off guard. Her answer surprised him, but on reflection, it fit perfectly.
It matched her portrayal in the original stories.
Even with the Time Stone, capable of peering into countless futures, she had chosen to die in the simplest, most straightforward way.
There was only one explanation.
The Ancient One had already accepted, even awaited, her death.
Even knowing the TVA interfered in their timeline, she would not change her passive, almost detached path toward retirement.
"So you came here just to find an answer?"
Yi Meng's voice was calm but sharp as he fixed his gaze on her. "If I intend to fight against the TVA, what will you do?"
"I've already told you. I will do nothing."
The Ancient One turned back toward the mirrored skyline of New York. Her tone remained tranquil: "As long as you do not endanger Earth's peace, your actions are no concern of mine."
"Still, I should warn you."
She paused briefly, then added, "For the next three years, I urge you not to act recklessly, lest you cause irreversible harm to this world."
Three years?
Of course. In three years, her destined death would come. Then Doctor Strange would inherit her role, and this world would no longer be her responsibility.
"…Fine." Yi Meng considered and agreed.
Now that he knew of the TVA, he couldn't simply use a time machine and leave this Marvel reality behind.
Remaining as Vision allowed him continued access to the Mind Stone's power.
But if he ever wanted to leave, or to seize control of this world, he needed leverage against the TVA.
And for that, the Marvel world's resources—vibranium, the Mind Stone, even his artificial body—might not be enough.
He would need power from beyond this universe.
Yi Meng had long harbored a theory.
If the power of the Mind Stone could project into his dreamscape… why couldn't the ancient might of Doomsday project here as well?
If he could channel a portion of Doomsday's strength into this Vision body—
He would become something new.
A Machine Superman.
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