"When are you going to sign?"
Diyan brushed her hair back and looked at Carl. "By the way, I—"
Carl replied, "I've got seven days. I won't even bother deciding whether to get out of bed until then."
Diwan smiled. "Then I'll go to America. I haven't seen them in a long time."
She didn't have many friends in this world. Around Kamar-Taj, there were very few women, and as her status rose, people became more reserved around her.
But things were more relaxed with the Avengers. Everyone was treated equally. No whispering behind backs—if you had something to say, you said it directly.
"You're just adjusting to the time difference. What if you can't sleep at night?" Carl pushed her lightly away.
What he feared most was Diyan not being able to sleep—because when that happened, she became a nightmare.
She turned around and glared at him. "If I can't sleep, you'll help me, right? That sounds interesting."
She had just said that—and was already annoyed. Recently, she insisted on hearing stories every night before sleeping, but Carl refused every time.
"Hah!"
Carl laughed. "So that's your plan? You think that counts as a win?"
Diyan kicked his leg, displeased. "Can't you at least do something for me? You can't even handle something this small—does that look good to you?"
"Take it outside! This is a library, not a place for noise!"
Wong, seated at the administrator's desk, interrupted them.
You could enjoy music—but the two of them kept talking, making it impossible for him to focus.
They exchanged a glance.
Carl silently turned off the music on the phone, stood up, and pulled Diyan out.
Wong froze for a moment. He had forgotten the music was coming from Carl's phone—he didn't even have one himself.
By the time he realized it, the two were already gone.
They went to the pavilion where they usually spent time.
"So, when are we leaving?"
Diyan asked the moment she sat down.
It was boring here. There was no entertainment—though it was peaceful and comfortable.
But for someone like her, it was too quiet. Even with the Avengers, there wasn't much to do—just the occasional meal together.
Carl looked at her, then pointed at himself. "You're asking me?"
She tied her hair up and shot him an annoyed look. "You're a man. Can't you be a little more decisive?"
Carl scoffed. "Fine. Then we're not going."
She kicked him again. "That's not what I asked! I asked when we're going—not if we're going!"
"Hypocrite."
Carl brushed off the footprint on his leg. "You've been getting more and more unrestrained lately. You've completely lost that 'ladylike' image."
His face was expressionless—but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Now that you've regained your memories, I'll have to adjust how I treat you. But I'll still get annoyed at you like before."
Diyan snorted. "Tony said Wanda misses me. I really do want to go see them."
Carl stood up. "Then let's go now."
She grabbed him immediately, eyes wide. "Since when do you have something going on with Wanda?"
Carl grinned. "What does that have to do with anything? She's got two legs, I've got two legs—that makes four, right?"
Diyan stood up, wearing her sling ring. "Fine. Let's go now. But if I feel something's off between you two… just wait."
She drew a circle in the air.
A portal opened.
She stepped through first.
Carl followed with interest.
It was already 10 PM.
In New York, the night was just beginning—parties and nightlife were coming alive.
But Stark Tower was unusually quiet.
Most staff had already left. Normally, someone would still be around if the Avengers weren't on a major mission.
"Did something happen today?"
Diyan looked at the empty, dark floors. It felt nothing like usual.
Carl stepped in, his ears twitching slightly. He pointed upward. "Tony's on the third floor."
She shot him a glance and headed straight upstairs.
Carl followed.
On the second floor, they found a mess—several bottles smashed on the bar, alcohol spilled everywhere.
Carl frowned. It seemed the impact of everything was deeper than expected.
Diyan walked over, set an overturned bottle upright, and wiped things down casually.
Carl had already gone up to the third floor.
There was a room that looked like a meeting area.
Tony sat there alone, drinking.
He hadn't been drinking long—only a third of the bottle was gone.
Carl walked over and sat down.
To him, Tony had always been someone sharp, composed—like everything was easy to handle.
But now, Tony looked completely different.
His expression was dark. He stared out through the glass wall as he drank.
He didn't even react to Carl's arrival.
Carl said nothing. He simply poured himself a glass.
There were plenty of glasses on the table.
He took a sip alongside him.
Then Tony turned slightly and asked, "What is a superhero?"
Carl paused.
He didn't know how to answer—so he stayed silent.
Tony swirled his drink and finished it in one go.
"We should be supervised. Not left to do whatever we want."
At that moment, Diyan walked in, holding a glass of juice.
She sat across from Carl, frowning as she looked at Tony.
He felt… different.
Tony poured himself another drink casually and looked at them. "If you couldn't leave this world—what would you choose?"
Diyan frowned. "We haven't even read the agreement. How are we supposed to choose?"
Tony pointed to the other end of the table.
There was a thick book—five or six centimeters.
Diyan got up and picked it up. The cover simply read: Global Agreement.
She sat down and started flipping through it.
Carl glanced at it briefly—then looked back at Tony.
"I'm not signing."
Tony paused, then set his glass down and looked at him seriously. "Why?"
He straightened up. "Do you think the same as Steve? That individual will matters more than national will?"
Carl looked at him strangely. "Do you really think that comparison even makes sense?"
He pointed at himself. "If ants started making demands of humans, would I need to care?"
Tony leaned back on the sofa. "You really sound like a villain right now."
Carl downed his drink in one go.
"Steve isn't wrong. Everyone just sees things differently. Nations look at problems from a broader perspective—there are pros and cons. Once a bottom line is reached, everything becomes about preserving the nation's position."
He poured himself another glass.
"But in the end, what you do is decided by your own will—not the state's. Even if they know something isn't right, they might still want you to do it. Then what choice do you really have?"
Tony fell silent.
He hadn't thought about it that way.
Still… 117 countries had already agreed. They had all considered their own interests. That, in itself, was a kind of balance.
"I won't sign either."
Diyan closed the agreement.
There was too much in it to read all at once.
She had only skimmed through the contents—but that was enough.
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