However, in this universe, the luckiest thing for Bruce Banner was that Natasha had not been sacrificed to obtain the Soul Stone—she had simply died at Thanos' hands.
Of course, not everyone was so fortunate. Vision, who had been mentioned earlier, and Gamora, who was sacrificed to obtain the Soul Stone in this universe, were definitely beyond saving.
"He comes from another universe, one that is bigger and stronger than ours," Bruce Banner was explaining Robert's identity to Tony Stark. "He defeated Thanos, collected the Infinity Stones, and had me snap my fingers to bring you all back..."
"Thanos was defeated?" Tony Stark stared at the image of Robert in disbelief, struggling to process what he had just heard.
To Tony Stark in this universe, Thanos' power was deeply ingrained in his mind, practically a nightmare.
Ever since the Battle of New York years ago, Tony had been aware of Thanos' might. He had spent sleepless nights searching for a way to defeat him. But battle after battle, though Tony had never given up, he had felt an increasing sense of despair and helplessness.
Especially in his two direct confrontations with Thanos, Tony had clearly recognized the gap between their strengths.
Even during their first encounter, when Thanos was merely seeking the Infinity Stones and had little intent to kill, Tony had struggled immensely.
By the second confrontation, when Thanos came to Earth with true killing intent, Tony was utterly powerless. Even with Earth as his battlefield, with unlimited resources and advanced armor, he had still died at Thanos' hands.
Yet now, this very Thanos—wielding all six Infinity Stones and the Infinity Gauntlet—had been defeated by a visitor from another universe. Possibly even killed. Tony found this nearly impossible to accept.
"That's right. Otherwise, how would the Infinity Gauntlet be in his possession? How else could I have revived you all?" Bruce Banner was far less shocked—perhaps because he had already gone through his moment of disbelief. Now, he was focused on explaining Robert's situation.
As Tony Stark's friend, comrade, and someone who deeply understood his mindset, Bruce knew Tony was naturally skeptical and cautious. A powerful stranger like Robert would undoubtedly put him on high alert.
But the reality was that even if the entire Avengers team were assembled, they had failed to defeat Thanos. What could they possibly do against someone who had taken the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos?
To prevent any unnecessary conflict, Bruce needed to ease tensions between the two sides—even though he had only just met Robert himself.
"It's fine. Tony's reaction is perfectly understandable. He is, after all, quite suspicious by nature," Robert smiled slightly when he saw Bruce stepping between him and Tony Stark's projection. He knew that this Tony was likely similar to the one in his own universe.
In Robert's original universe, it had taken Tony Stark a long time to accept him and Clark. At first, J.A.R.V.I.S. had extensive contingency files on both Robert and Clark—though none of them were complete, as Tony had never figured out a way to counter them.
So, it was natural for this universe's Tony Stark to be wary of him. Robert understood this well. Besides, he wasn't planning to stay in this universe for long—it wasn't his home.
"Hm?" Just as Robert finished speaking, he suddenly sensed a familiar presence appearing on Earth. His gaze immediately shifted toward it.
High above the planet, an elderly gentleman in a tailcoat floated in the air, surveying the people below with confusion, as if struggling to comprehend the massive changes Earth had undergone.
Who else could this gentleman be but Mephisto?
Even though this wasn't Robert's original universe, the Hell Dimension still existed here, and Mephisto remained one of its most powerful rulers.
"What's wrong?" Bruce Banner noticed Robert looking toward something and asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Just spotted someone who shouldn't be on Earth," Robert replied with a shake of his head. "By the way, your Earth doesn't seem all that special—it hasn't even developed a planetary consciousness..."
Robert continued in a soft voice, "So, does that mean this version of Earth still has the Celestials?"
"Well, in this universe, the Celestials were assimilated by the Celestials from my universe. And then Thanos wiped out the ones from my universe. So even if the Celestials exist here, they likely won't wake up."
"Celestials? What's that?" Bruce Banner's eyes flashed with confusion—he had no idea what Robert was talking about.
"Hold on, that old guy just noticed me... No, not me exactly. He must have sensed the lingering power of the Stones." Robert didn't answer Bruce's question. Instead, his gaze locked onto an empty patch of ground nearby.
"Huh?!" Bruce followed Robert's gaze and was startled to see an old gentleman suddenly standing there—Mephisto, drawn by the residual energy of the Infinity Stones.
Originally, Mephisto had only come to investigate the Infinity Stones. He hadn't planned to reveal himself. But after hearing Robert's words, he couldn't help it, exposing himself in the process. Now, both Bruce and Tony (through the projection) could see him.
"So, you're the ones who used the power of the Infinity Stones?" Mephisto studied Robert and Bruce before settling his gaze on Bruce.
Though Bruce's injuries had healed, traces of the Infinity Stones' energy still lingered on him. The energy wasn't harming him, so healing magic hadn't purged it completely.
"Who are you?" Bruce Banner immediately tensed, becoming wary. Mephisto seemed far more suspicious than Robert—especially since Bruce had felt a vague sense of danger and conspiracy when he snapped his fingers. That made Mephisto's sudden appearance all the more threatening.
"He's called Mephisto, a lord of the Hell Dimension," Robert said, waving his hand dismissively. "He's been to Earth more times than you'd think—you guys just usually can't detect him."
At that moment, a fiery portal opened, and Wong stepped through, accompanied by this universe's former Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange.
Strange was the "former" Sorcerer Supreme because he had been erased by Thanos' snap. In his absence, Wong had taken the title.
"Mephisto! This is not your domain!" Wong and Strange ignored Robert's casual tone and instead focused intently on Mephisto, their Rings of Raggador glowing as they prepared for battle.
"If your master, the Ancient One, were still alive, perhaps I'd be a little more cautious on Earth. But she's dead," Mephisto remarked dismissively before turning his attention to Robert, his expression curious.
"You… seem familiar with me. Does that mean you've encountered another version of me in a different universe?"
"Familiar? Oh, we're very familiar," Robert smirked. "I've torn down your domain and palace several times. Your schemes on Earth? Stopped every single one of them. If it weren't for the Hell Dimension's will, you'd be dead by now."
"Such arrogance!" Mephisto's pupils shrank, but he maintained his composure. "Perhaps interdimensional travel has made you overconfident. You're too full of yourself, human—"
Before Mephisto could finish, Robert suddenly vanished and reappeared right in front of him, grabbing him by the collar. A surge of energy bound Mephisto's body, leaving him completely immobilized.
"So, you thought you were safe because you're just an avatar? But what makes you think such a weak projection could stand against me?" Robert lifted Mephisto effortlessly—an odd sight, considering the difference in their appearances.
Mephisto's thin, elderly form made it seem as if Robert was bullying an old man.
"Impossible..." Mephisto stared at Robert in shock, a chilling realization dawning upon him.
"Could it be… he wasn't bluffing?"
At that moment, fear gripped Mephisto's heart. This was no ordinary traveler using technology to hop between universes—this was a being who could cross dimensions through sheer power alone.
A being of such caliber was, at minimum, at the level of a Creator God. And that was far beyond Mephisto's capabilities.
"Don't worry. You're not escaping. Before I leave this universe, I'll pay your true self a visit," Robert said with a smile.
"Misund—" Mephisto began, but before he could finish, a terrifying force shattered his form into pure fragments.
Deep within a fractured region of the Hell Dimension, Mephisto scowled.
"That damn interdimensional powerhouse… I'd better stay hidden. He won't be in this universe for long—I just have to outlast him."
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