"villainess value: 783 points"
"simulation value: 25737 points"
Looking at the long string of numbers on the panel, Su Modie's lips curled into a satisfied arc.
Yes, although during this period, besides Lux still persistently making Baron Mordo break down every day, Su Modie's other avatars basically hadn't gone out to cause trouble or create panic.
Everyone stayed in Fisk Tower every day, living a shameless little life with Su Modie.
This caused her villainess value to grow very slowly.
A large part of it was contributed by Loki; he was truly terrified of Makima.
Since the points were almost cleared to zero last time to summon Unohana Retsu, she had only saved up over seven hundred points until now.
She was still a little bit short of enough for one draw, but in contrast, during this shameless cohabitation life, the simulation value had soared like a Rocket, directly increasing more than fivefold!
A full twenty-five thousand plus points of simulation value!
Although the increase in simulation value wasn't as exaggerated as the villainess value—
After all, villainess value could directly summon a brand-new avatar, and there was even a chance to get an S-Rank avatar no less than Makima in one go, but drawing with villainess value was ultimately full of uncertainty.
If she drew an avatar with weak combat power or serious personality flaws, it would easily disrupt her deployment.
simulation value was the complete opposite; it excelled in its stable output and application.
In the "mall," every investment of simulation value had a visible, absolutely guaranteed return in combat power.
The little rich woman Su Modie no longer hesitated and directly opened the lavish "big shopping" mode.
Watching the twenty-five thousand plus points on the panel begin to rapidly decrease.
Replaced by the icons lighting up one by one in the "warehouse," Su Modie squinted her eyes with satisfaction.
Everything was ready; all that was needed was the final push.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Inside the Helicarrier ten thousand meters high, it was a scene of devastation.
After leaving the Central Bridge, Tony came alone to the depths of the mothership, which was the scene where Makima had been killed by Thor.
Following him was Captain America Steve, whose heart was also heavy.
Due to Makima's "death," these two superheroes—who originally had a severe generational gap, vastly different personalities, and had just been arguing incessantly in the lab—actually shared common ground for once.
In the ruins, there were still remains of that eye-catching bloodstain and charred fragments of a coat.
Steve stared at the scorch mark, silent for a long time, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "Was she... married?"
Tony stared at the ground and shook his head stiffly: "No."
But after a two-second pause, he added extremely awkwardly in his heart—at least I hope not...
After all, in the heart of Tony, who severely lacked a sense of security, Makima had unknowingly occupied a position similar to a "mother."
Although Tony definitely had no romantic feelings for Makima, as soon as he thought about Makima getting married or being in a relationship and him suddenly having a mysterious "father" out of nowhere...
He swore he would definitely go crazy on the spot...
Thinking of this, a trace of bitter self-mockery appeared at the corner of Tony's mouth.
Hmm... looking at his current awkward self, he suddenly understood a bit why Reze had been avoiding him.
Like father, like daughter indeed...
"It's a real shame..." Steve sighed, "She seemed like a very good person."
"She's a fool."
Tony's voice was hoarse, even carrying a hint of trembling.
He stared intently at the bloodstain, "She's an absolute fool. She helped us so much, helped S.H.I.E.L.D. so much... but in the end? Whether it was us or S.H.I.E.L.D., when that damn hammer smashed into her, no one was by her side..."
Although Tony said "us" and "S.H.I.E.L.D.," Steve could clearly see that in Tony's bloodshot eyes, strong guilt and self-blame were surging; what he really wanted to say was "me."
He was actually questioning himself.
Makima helped him, accepted his terrible temper, and could even be said to be the only person on this mothership who understood him, but at the final life-or-death moment, he wasn't by her side at all and provided no substantial help.
If... if he hadn't been immersed in arguing with Steve like a child just now.
If he could have discovered Thor's abnormality a bit earlier, if he had been wearing his armor at the time...
But, there are no "ifs" in reality.
Standing in front of these ruins, Tony felt as if he was instantly pulled back to that dark and damp cave in Afghanistan.
He experienced that bone-deep sense of failure once again.
Not the failure of not successfully escaping the cave, but...
He once again experienced that despair of being powerless in the face of a dear friend's death.
He felt as if he saw the image of Dr. Yinsen falling in a pool of blood again, which now overlapped with Makima's blood. He felt he had no face to meet Dr. Yinsen's soul in heaven.
Tony's breathing began to quicken, his chest heaving violently, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.
He was already having a stress response.
Or rather, his deeply suppressed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was gradually being ignited at this moment by Makima's "death."
However, just as these two superheroes were immersed in grief and self-blame, in the shadows of a corner in the ruins, an unremarkable little mouse was staring at them with its pitch-black beady eyes without blinking.
This was exactly the little mouse under Makima's Control.
Far away in New York, Su Modie saw Tony's near-breakdown reaction clearly through the mouse's shared vision.
Seeing Tony like this, Su Modie, who always considered herself a "fun-seeker," felt a rare trace of guilt and remorse. She couldn't even help but complain—Makima really is a high-purity bad woman... to toy with others' feelings so nonchalantly.
Fury really is an unscrupulous big bastard too...
But thanks to him, this perennial scapegoat, who actively took the blame, otherwise Su Modie would be a bit scared.
Tony had always been a person who was selfish and arrogant on the surface but soft and self-consuming on the inside.
Back then, the death of a young soldier he didn't even know could make him feel so guilty that he directly shut down the entire weapons business of Stark Industries, let alone Makima, who now held significant weight in his heart.
If he were to find out later that Makima not only didn't die but that even this heart-wrenching "sacrifice" was just a play to trick them into cohesion...
Tony would probably turn dark on the spot, right?
One can only say Fury is in for it; he'll be the first one to be liquidated when the time comes...
In front of the ruins, Steve noticed Tony's near-uncontrolled breathing and trembling shoulders.
This hundred-year-old veteran didn't mock him again, nor did he use grand principles to preach.
At this moment, he could empathize with Tony's pain more than anyone, because in that icy world over seventy years ago, he had also watched his best brother and lifelong friend fall into the abyss while he was equally powerless.
"Tony..."
Steve reached out his palm and patted Tony's shoulder with a sense of comfort, his eyes full of understanding, as if looking at his former self.
"It wasn't your fault."
Hearing this, Tony's thin back suddenly stiffened, and then he slowly lowered his head.
Witnessed by Makima's "blood," between these two men who were spiritual symbols of different eras in the United States.
The misunderstanding and estrangement that had been intensifying since they met finally vanished into thin air at this moment.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898