"Odin, this is impossible!!!"
Thor shot up from his seat, unable to contain himself as he watched the final moments of the video.
"How could Steve lift my hammer? I don't believe it! It's absolutely impossible!"
Seeing Thor lose control, Natasha quickly warned him, "Thor, calm down. If you make too much noise, the spoiler system will kick you out of the theater."
Hearing that, Thor—who had been seconds away from exploding again—forced himself to settle down.
Even so, he kept staring at Steve, eyes full of disbelief.
"Hey, come on," Tony said casually. "It's just a hammer. Why are you acting like the world is ending just because Steve picked it up?"
Tony voiced the question everyone wanted to ask.
Why did Steve being able to lift the hammer send Thor into such a meltdown?
"You don't understand!"
Thor sank back into his seat. Everyone turned toward him curiously.
After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke.
"This hammer is my exclusive weapon. No one can lift it except me."
"And anyone who can lift it… is worthy of being the king of Asgard."
Thor's gaze shifted toward Steve, complicated and conflicted.
Hearing this explanation, the others were confused, but they nodded in understanding.
"Wow," Tony said immediately. "If I could lift that hammer and become king of Asgard, I'd definitely make some changes—like maybe restarting—"
"Tony."
Steve gave him a firm look.
Thor was still shaken, confused, and upset.
Now was not the time to tease him.
Seeing Steve stop him, Tony shrugged and let it go.
He turned back toward the big screen.
On the screen, Steve's segment ended.
A new narration—male, familiar—began.
[I never understood why God keeps letting me live.]
Tony Stark sat up straight instantly.
That was his voice.
The screen shifted to a dark cave. The rhythmic sound of metal striking metal echoed loudly.
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That sound… yeah, I remember it. The good old days of hammering scraps together in a terrorist cave. Truly nostalgic."
On the screen—
Tony's Mark I prototype arm was stuck between rocks.
To buy him time, Yinsen rushed out to hold off the militants.
When Tony finally reached him, Yinsen had already been shot and lay dying.
"Yinsen…"
Yinsen merely touched the small arc reactor on Tony's chest, giving him one last reassuring smile.
The video shifted.
Tony was partying on a dance floor, surrounded by gorgeous women.
Then another scene—Tony staring silently into the mirror while the veins around the arc reactor on his chest turned black from palladium poisoning.
[Every time I think I'm about to die, God appears again.]
Next came the moment Tony created a new element, then blasted through the sky in full armor, exhilarated.
Then the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier.
Steve confronted him.
"You're just talk. Without the suit, what are you?"
"Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."
Steve snorted. "Always so self-centered. Never thinking of others."
"If we were on the battlefield, would you lie down on barbed wire so your teammates could crawl over?"
"I'd probably find a better way," Tony replied calmly.
"Heh."
Steve didn't look surprised. "I've read your file. You only care about yourself. People like you don't make sacrifices."
In the theater—
Tony glanced at Steve. "Is that really what you thought of me?"
Steve smirked. "Come on. This was before the spoiler system. We barely knew each other."
"Besides," Steve added, "you were the one picking fights with me first."
Tony raised his eyebrows, then turned back to the screen.
[I escaped that cave not to be a hero. I'm just me. I'm Tony Stark.]
The video showed Tony flying to the Middle East to destroy illegal weapons stamped with Stark Industries.
Then New York.
Tony was the first one into the Chitauri battlefield, fighting alone against an endless alien army.
When Ultron appeared and the world blamed him, Tony still insisted on creating Vision.
[As a genius, it's true—I've faced difficulties most people can't imagine.]
The scene shifted to a conference room.
"Steve, signing this agreement is the only way we keep the Avengers together. This is for the team," Tony insisted sincerely.
At Clint's farm, Tony argued again:
"I'm trying to end the fighting so we all get to go home!"
At the Hydra base, Tony watched the footage of Bucky killing his parents in 1991. Rage consumed him immediately.
"Move, Steve. He killed my parents!"
"I'm sorry, Tony. But Bucky is my friend!"
Tony froze.
There was a flicker of heartbreak.
"…I thought I was, too."
Then Tony punched Steve to the ground.
In the theater, Tony sat up straight, stunned for several seconds.
Then he slowly turned toward Steve.
Steve looked shocked as well.
Tony then swung his gaze toward Nick Fury.
Tony had always believed his parents died in a car crash.
But the video showed the truth—
Bucky Barnes killed them.
And if anyone knew…
It had to be S.H.I.E.L.D.
And if S.H.I.E.L.D. knew…
that meant Nick Fury knew.
Nick met Tony's angry stare.
After a few seconds of silence, he nodded.
"FUXX—!"
Tony exploded.
"Tony, calm down," Steve said, grabbing his arm. "You heard what Dilis said—the video describes a future timeline. After we leave the theater, I'll go with you. We'll investigate everything."
Hearing that, Tony took a long breath.
He barely managed to suppress the fury boiling inside him.
He shot one last cold glare at Nick Fury.
Then he turned back toward the screen, fists clenched.
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