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Chapter 473: The Two Powerhouses Arrive
Tony sat on the sofa, his fingers interlaced as he thought in silence.
Wanda didn't disturb him. She simply moved quietly, pouring out the tea that was about to get cold and replacing it with a fresh cup.
Tony liked to drink tea. He always found coffee to have a strange taste and didn't much care for it, a fact Wanda knew well. So, she was very considerate. Although she always kept coffee on hand, it was for the other members of the family. For Tony, Wanda would only ever use various types of tea.
Mainly Longjing, because Tony preferred Longjing over Tieguanyin or other teas.
Tony paid no mind to these details, still lost in thought.
Ancient Doomsday was undoubtedly the most troublesome problem at present. Everyone thought so.
Even those who hadn't sensed the enemy's arrival were likely aware that something was wrong by now, because the very foundation of the universe was being corroded and destroyed by a Level Eight being.
How could a mere Main Universe possibly bear the aggregate of information and leaked power erupting from an entire Multiverse?
The direct consequence was that the system of physics that humans held as truth was collapsing. Although it was happening slowly, it was noticeable enough for people to detect.
Human society had already fallen into a panic. Some took the opportunity to propose theories of apocalypse, and some ridiculous cults began to delude their followers, urging them to offer up their wealth and wives in exchange for the mercy of the Celestials.
The Celestials? The next time those things came, they would probably be here to exterminate all life on Earth, just like they did to the Deviants twenty thousand years ago.
A bizarre review process, where a single verdict of "unqualified" led to the genocide of an entire race.
Some high-level human officials could no longer sit still. In the face of a universal crisis, all past intrigues and power struggles seemed utterly laughable. If everyone was going to be wiped out, what was the point of squabbling?
"Someone will probably come looking for me in person soon... Who will it be? Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or Hydra? It probably won't be Stephen and Wong; they know me too well."
Tony mused, a playful expression on his face.
For a creature like Ancient Doomsday, Tony had already come up with a way to deal with him.
Brute force was obviously not an option. To this day, no one had found a method to completely kill Ancient Doomsday and prevent his resurrection.
Even in the comics from his past life, Ancient Doomsday died time and time again, constantly resurrecting. The final outcome was the newly revived Doomsday being thrown into a black hole by a desperate Clark.
The only reason Clark succeeded was because he had been parasitized at the final moment of the last time he killed Ancient Doomsday. Ancient Doomsday was about to be reborn using his body as a foundation.
Embracing the resolve to perish together, Clark flew directly to a black hole and, relying on his formidable willpower, stripped away the spores parasitizing his body and threw them into the black hole.
But everyone knew that Ancient Doomsday couldn't be trapped in a black hole forever. It was only a matter of time before he escaped.
If Tony also chose the method of throwing him into a black hole... putting aside how he would even hold Doomsday down, how long could a mere black hole contain him?
Tony's fingers rubbed against each other, making a faint sound that was inaudible unless one was close.
He had devised several methods for dealing with Doomsday, but they all had issues with their success rates, and their practical value couldn't be guaranteed.
For example, throwing Ancient Doomsday into the Speed Force Prison. This was the most secure and comprehensive way of handling him.
But would the Speed Force Wall even bother with Tony? It would be a blessing if it didn't take the opportunity to lock Tony inside until his mind collapsed and his soul died.
Back when he was killing the Hulk, he had accidentally released Savitar, who was causing a ruckus in the Speed Force Prison. Though Tony felt he was wrongly accused—how could he have known that using a time manipulation technique would, against one-in-a-billion odds, connect him directly with the scheming Savitar?
How low were the odds of that?
Furthermore, Tony was now a Quasi-Unique God, which made the situation even more deadly.
The Speed Force Wall protects the Multiverse, staring with malicious intent at the inhabitants of the Sphere of the Gods. A deity's true form wants to enter the Multiverse? Fine, destroy the Speed Force Wall first. Otherwise, this barrier will absolutely never let you in until the day you die.
This wall created by The Flash certainly protected the fragile Multiverse, but it put Tony in an awkward position. Any contact with the Speed Force could expose him, and he would then be locked away in the prison by the Speed Force Wall.
Moreover, the Speed Force only favors speedsters. For Tony to touch the Speed Force, he would need a lot of time for research, plus he'd have to formulate a perfect plan to lock Doomsday in the Speed Force Prison... The difficulty was immense.
It was also the option with the lowest chance of success.
Tony considered several other methods, but they too had their respective flaws.
"In that case, it seems this is the only way for now... Although it's a bit risky and will offend a lot of people, it's indeed the most effective method, and one that allows me to maximize my own benefits."
Tony stopped thinking and picked up his teacup. The temperature was surprisingly just right. The wispy aroma of the tea drifted out, refreshing the mind and heart.
The key was maximizing his benefits. Tony's philosophy was clear: never pass up any possibility that could bring a substantial increase in his strength.
The arrival of Ancient Doomsday was also a huge opportunity for Tony. If he could extract even a tiny bit of genetic tissue, his own research into a controllable Doomsday would be greatly advanced.
It would save him the trouble of hedging his bets and leaving a not-so-reliable backup plan with Bruce Wayne.
If he had a controllable Ancient Doomsday... he could truly send it after anyone he wanted. An enemy shows up? Can't beat them? Decisively unleash Doomsday.
Not only would Tony gain a warrior with infinite potential, but the planet Cybertron would also gain a Planet-Guarding Divine Beast.
"Soon. In one more day, Doomsday will enter the Milky Way Galaxy..." Tony murmured.
Wanda leaned against his shoulder, her beautiful eyes blinking as she asked softly, "What about me? Can I help you? I feel like I..."
"Not yet, Wanda. You can't perfectly control such a vast amount of Chaos Magic," Tony shrugged. Seeing Wanda's slight displeasure, he quickly added, "But I will arrange for you to be my backup. If the initial plan fails, your immense power will be a great help."
Wanda nodded in satisfaction, her face filled with gentleness.
She disliked fighting and killing, but if it meant she could help Tony, she was more than willing to do it.
Just then, outside, guests arrived.
Two figures were standing outside the specially made high-alloy iron gate. The complex energy patterns and menacing protrusions on it left no doubt as to its danger; it could turn into a killing machine at any moment.
One wore a gentleman's hat, and the other was in a wheelchair.
Professor X and... Magneto... or should he say, father-in-law?
Tony's gaze pierced through countless walls, and upon seeing Old Man Magneto standing outside with a sour look on his face, he fell into deep thought.
What should I call him in a bit?
He glanced at the clueless Wanda beside him and couldn't help but lean in and give her a kiss.
"Who's here?"
"Acquaintances," Tony replied, rising to his feet to welcome the two. After all, in the very beginning, he had been saved a lot of trouble thanks to their subtle protection.
"They didn't contact you through Crane? They came directly?" Wanda asked, surprised.
Everyone on Earth knew that Donnie's Estate was a place where Tony rested, and a frequent gathering spot for some of his family members. Moreover, he very, very much disliked "strangers" who showed up unannounced.
Therefore, people with business would directly contact A.R.G.U.S. If they needed to find Tony, Crane himself would personally send Tony a message.
(end of chapter)
Tony sat on the sofa, his fingers interlaced as he thought in silence.
Wanda didn't disturb him. She simply moved quietly, pouring out the tea that was about to get cold and replacing it with a fresh cup.
Tony liked to drink tea. He always found coffee to have a strange taste and didn't much care for it, a fact Wanda knew well. So, she was very considerate. Although she always kept coffee on hand, it was for the other members of the family. For Tony, Wanda would only ever use various types of tea.
Mainly Longjing, because Tony preferred Longjing over Tieguanyin or other teas.
Tony paid no mind to these details, still lost in thought.
Ancient Doomsday was undoubtedly the most troublesome problem at present. Everyone thought so.
Even those who hadn't sensed the enemy's arrival were likely aware that something was wrong by now, because the very foundation of the universe was being corroded and destroyed by a Level Eight being.
How could a mere Main Universe possibly bear the aggregate of information and leaked power erupting from an entire Multiverse?
The direct consequence was that the system of physics that humans held as truth was collapsing. Although it was happening slowly, it was noticeable enough for people to detect.
Human society had already fallen into a panic. Some took the opportunity to propose theories of apocalypse, and some ridiculous cults began to delude their followers, urging them to offer up their wealth and wives in exchange for the mercy of the Celestials.
The Celestials? The next time those things came, they would probably be here to exterminate all life on Earth, just like they did to the Deviants twenty thousand years ago.
A bizarre review process, where a single verdict of "unqualified" led to the genocide of an entire race.
Some high-level human officials could no longer sit still. In the face of a universal crisis, all past intrigues and power struggles seemed utterly laughable. If everyone was going to be wiped out, what was the point of squabbling?
"Someone will probably come looking for me in person soon... Who will it be? Agent Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or Hydra? It probably won't be Stephen and Wong; they know me too well."
Tony mused, a playful expression on his face.
For a creature like Ancient Doomsday, Tony had already come up with a way to deal with him.
Brute force was obviously not an option. To this day, no one had found a method to completely kill Ancient Doomsday and prevent his resurrection.
Even in the comics from his past life, Ancient Doomsday died time and time again, constantly resurrecting. The final outcome was the newly revived Doomsday being thrown into a black hole by a desperate Clark.
The only reason Clark succeeded was because he had been parasitized at the final moment of the last time he killed Ancient Doomsday. Ancient Doomsday was about to be reborn using his body as a foundation.
Embracing the resolve to perish together, Clark flew directly to a black hole and, relying on his formidable willpower, stripped away the spores parasitizing his body and threw them into the black hole.
But everyone knew that Ancient Doomsday couldn't be trapped in a black hole forever. It was only a matter of time before he escaped.
If Tony also chose the method of throwing him into a black hole... putting aside how he would even hold Doomsday down, how long could a mere black hole contain him?
Tony's fingers rubbed against each other, making a faint sound that was inaudible unless one was close.
He had devised several methods for dealing with Doomsday, but they all had issues with their success rates, and their practical value couldn't be guaranteed.
For example, throwing Ancient Doomsday into the Speed Force Prison. This was the most secure and comprehensive way of handling him.
But would the Speed Force Wall even bother with Tony? It would be a blessing if it didn't take the opportunity to lock Tony inside until his mind collapsed and his soul died.
Back when he was killing the Hulk, he had accidentally released Savitar, who was causing a ruckus in the Speed Force Prison. Though Tony felt he was wrongly accused—how could he have known that using a time manipulation technique would, against one-in-a-billion odds, connect him directly with the scheming Savitar?
How low were the odds of that?
Furthermore, Tony was now a Quasi-Unique God, which made the situation even more deadly.
The Speed Force Wall protects the Multiverse, staring with malicious intent at the inhabitants of the Sphere of the Gods. A deity's true form wants to enter the Multiverse? Fine, destroy the Speed Force Wall first. Otherwise, this barrier will absolutely never let you in until the day you die.
This wall created by The Flash certainly protected the fragile Multiverse, but it put Tony in an awkward position. Any contact with the Speed Force could expose him, and he would then be locked away in the prison by the Speed Force Wall.
Moreover, the Speed Force only favors speedsters. For Tony to touch the Speed Force, he would need a lot of time for research, plus he'd have to formulate a perfect plan to lock Doomsday in the Speed Force Prison... The difficulty was immense.
It was also the option with the lowest chance of success.
Tony considered several other methods, but they too had their respective flaws.
"In that case, it seems this is the only way for now... Although it's a bit risky and will offend a lot of people, it's indeed the most effective method, and one that allows me to maximize my own benefits."
Tony stopped thinking and picked up his teacup. The temperature was surprisingly just right. The wispy aroma of the tea drifted out, refreshing the mind and heart.
The key was maximizing his benefits. Tony's philosophy was clear: never pass up any possibility that could bring a substantial increase in his strength.
The arrival of Ancient Doomsday was also a huge opportunity for Tony. If he could extract even a tiny bit of genetic tissue, his own research into a controllable Doomsday would be greatly advanced.
It would save him the trouble of hedging his bets and leaving a not-so-reliable backup plan with Bruce Wayne.
If he had a controllable Ancient Doomsday... he could truly send it after anyone he wanted. An enemy shows up? Can't beat them? Decisively unleash Doomsday.
Not only would Tony gain a warrior with infinite potential, but the planet Cybertron would also gain a Planet-Guarding Divine Beast.
"Soon. In one more day, Doomsday will enter the Milky Way Galaxy..." Tony murmured.
Wanda leaned against his shoulder, her beautiful eyes blinking as she asked softly, "What about me? Can I help you? I feel like I..."
"Not yet, Wanda. You can't perfectly control such a vast amount of Chaos Magic," Tony shrugged. Seeing Wanda's slight displeasure, he quickly added, "But I will arrange for you to be my backup. If the initial plan fails, your immense power will be a great help."
Wanda nodded in satisfaction, her face filled with gentleness.
She disliked fighting and killing, but if it meant she could help Tony, she was more than willing to do it.
Just then, outside, guests arrived.
Two figures were standing outside the specially made high-alloy iron gate. The complex energy patterns and menacing protrusions on it left no doubt as to its danger; it could turn into a killing machine at any moment.
One wore a gentleman's hat, and the other was in a wheelchair.
Professor X and... Magneto... or should he say, father-in-law?
Tony's gaze pierced through countless walls, and upon seeing Old Man Magneto standing outside with a sour look on his face, he fell into deep thought.
What should I call him in a bit?
He glanced at the clueless Wanda beside him and couldn't help but lean in and give her a kiss.
"Who's here?"
"Acquaintances," Tony replied, rising to his feet to welcome the two. After all, in the very beginning, he had been saved a lot of trouble thanks to their subtle protection.
"They didn't contact you through Crane? They came directly?" Wanda asked, surprised.
Everyone on Earth knew that Donnie's Estate was a place where Tony rested, and a frequent gathering spot for some of his family members. Moreover, he very, very much disliked "strangers" who showed up unannounced.
Therefore, people with business would directly contact A.R.G.U.S. If they needed to find Tony, Crane himself would personally send Tony a message.
(end of chapter)
