Carol was locked inside the Supreme Intelligence's grip, forced to stand in its domain while it tried to twist her into submission. But Carol Danvers wasn't the type to bend. She tuned out the manipulative monologue and swung at the hologram. If she weren't bound to its world, she might've landed the punch.
Villains always overplayed their hands. The Supreme Intelligence replayed her memories, trying to rewrite them, and instead reawakened everything it had suppressed. And all the while, it missed the glow of the Tesseract funneling raw energy into Carol's body.
Down the corridor, Li Feng crouched behind a corner, eyeing three Kree guards stationed at Talos' cell. Their rifles hummed with power—too risky to take head-on. But three enchanted cards, flung silently? That he could handle.
The cards zipped around the corner, curved in perfect arcs, and exploded against the guards' faces. The Kree dropped instantly.
Talos blinked, stunned, as the stranger appeared cards in one hand, scratching his head with the other. Li Feng jerked his chin at the door controls. "So, Talos… how do you open this thing?"
Talos offered terse instructions, though his thoughts churned. No human fights like this. Exploding cards? He's not from Earth.
When the door opened, Talos shifted into Kree form, scooping up a rifle. "We still need to get the two Earthlings out."
Li Feng rolled his eyes. Earthlings? He thinks I'm an alien now.
He tossed another rifle to a nearby Skrull and kept his cards ready. Guns weren't his style. Stealth was survival. Talos got the message—keep the secret buried.
Together, they moved through the halls. Talos disguised as Kree, Li Feng playing the captured prisoner. The arrogance of their enemies was staggering only two guards escorting Maria and Fury to the hangar to be dumped into space.
As they passed, one soldier carried Goose's cage. Li Feng caught Fury's eye and winked. Then he lashed out, slamming a fist into the rear guard's temple. Fury drove a boot into the other's groin, dropping him. Talos finished it with two clean shots.
Fury, still cuffed, grinned. "See? We make a good team. Imagine how smooth we'd be if we actually trusted each other."
Li Feng shook his head. We're still in enemy territory and he's already digging for intel. Relentless.
He broke Fury's cuffs with a spell. "Focus on surviving. The rest can wait."
Before Fury could reply, Li Feng slipped into a side corridor. He had no intention of sticking with them. Fury scowled but kept moving with Talos. "Get your people to safety. We'll circle back."
The lights flickered, energy surging through the ship. Li Feng stopped in the shadows, eyes widening. Carol was cutting loose. The blast hadn't just rattled the hull—it pushed against his limits. His mana reservoir had grown, doubled almost.
His lips curled. Not just more power—more capacity. At level one, his pool should've capped at a hundred. Now it was closer to one-fifty. When he leveled again, the ceiling wouldn't rise step by step. It would leap.
More spells. Faster recovery. Stronger growth. Jackpot.
Unaware of how much he was changing, Li Feng drifted closer to the fight.
Carol tore through Yon-Rogg's elites, glowing like a star. Li Feng leaned on a wall, wishing for popcorn.
Then danger found him. One elite spotted him and charged with a blade glowing green.
Perfect. Li Feng bolted around a corner—his favored terrain. A flicked card curved wide and detonated against the warrior's helmet. Armor took most of the blast. The soldier staggered but lived.
Li Feng snarled and lunged. One clean strike drove the glowing blade through the elite's eye.
He wiped the weapon on the corpse, muttering, "Seriously, Kree. Green blades, green beams. You ever heard of red? Gold? Anything?"
The armor was strong but clunky—bad for channeling magic. He stuffed it in his pack anyway. Not useless, just ugly.
Then he tested a darker spell. Twisting the corpse, he funneled mana inside. The body twitched, eyes flickering open as a spectral echo reappeared, furious and confused.
Li Feng snapped his fingers, dismissing it. Proof enough. Necromancy worked here too.
He exhaled, shouldered the stolen armor, and grinned. "Not robes yet. But one day."
Carol's fight with the Kree shook the cruiser apart. Fury hustled Maria and the Skrulls to the ship.
Talos hesitated at the hatch. "What about Austin? Leave him here, and he's dead."
Fury's gut said otherwise. Li Feng was no ordinary stray. If anyone could walk away alive, it was him. "We move. Now."
Maria banked the ship toward Earth. Talos prayed under his breath. Austin, may you survive this.
Through a viewport, Li Feng watched them streak away. He scowled. "Great. There goes my fake-death exit."
But the wreckage around him gleamed with prizes—fallen weapons, armor cores, alien tech. Spell components waiting to be reborn.
Gathering the spoils into a bundle, he spun a glowing portal and stepped through.
A deserted highway outside New York welcomed him. Li Feng glanced around. Clear. He emerged, bundle in hand, and patted his pocketed 10 grand in cash. Barely enough.
"These alien toys are too flashy for the streets. Time to digest the loot, turn it into real power, then hit the next world."
He tugged at the spandex Kree suit, grimacing. "First time I don't show up naked and it's in this? Figures."
Above, the night sky lit as Carol obliterated Ronan's warship. Fireworks across the stars.
Li Feng's mind was already elsewhere. He needed water—badly. He'd meant to buy an RV, shower, and rest before Carol's chaos dragged him in. Now he'd settle for a lake.
He found one, only to see a family camped there—two men with a tent, a woman at the fire, a girl with a child at the water's edge.
All I want is a bath. Why does the universe insist on an audience?
He circled wide, waiting for dark. But the older woman spotted him and called, "Ben!"
A man looked up from pounding tent stakes. "Food ready?"
Another man followed her gaze. Both were fixed on Li Feng.
The older man stood. "Hey, young man—need some help?"
Li Feng hesitated. No razor, no way to shave. He glanced at their supplies. Settled campers. Finally, he admitted, "Could I borrow a razor?"
The second man scowled faintly but fetched it.
Soon, Li Feng crouched by the water, shaving while the two men stood watchful nearby. He caught the bulge at one man's hip. A pistol. What, I don't look trustworthy?
Li Feng smiled anyway. "Thanks. I'm Austin. You are?"
"Ben Parker," the older man said warmly. He gestured to his son. "Richard Parker."
Li Feng froze. No way. Uncle Ben. Richard Parker. Spider-Man's family.
He flicked a glance at the women. Aunt May looked older than he remembered. The younger woman—Peter's mother?
Ben mistook his glance for hunger and called, "Once you're cleaned up, join us for dinner. May's cooking is the best."
Li Feng nearly dropped the razor. Different universe. Not the MCU. Another branch entirely.
When he returned the razor, he tried, "Richard, you look familiar. Ever meet Connors? I swear I've seen you pictured together."
Richard nodded. "Curt Connors? He's a close friend."
Doctor Connors. The Lizard. This is the Amazing Spider-Man timeline.
Li Feng's mind spun. Infinity War, Endgame—that was one path. This was another.
He smirked. Doesn't matter. I've got the multiverse at my back. Even if two Thanoses collide, what's the worst? Hug it out?
Ben pressed again with a warm smile. "Come eat. You'll love May's steak."
Li Feng waved it off, retreating around the lake. But as night fell, Ben came anyway, carrying a plate stacked high.
Li Feng blinked. "Ben, what's this?"
Ben glanced at the bundle at his feet, then held out the plate. "Sorry for misjudging you earlier. You're not some drifter. Just a traveler, right?"
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