After Gamora finished speaking, she turned and left without a backward glance.
For those who roamed the cosmos, whatever happened to Earth was of little concern. As long as the planet didn't get destroyed, that was enough, if only because it was Quill's homeworld.
Once the Guardians of the Galaxy had cleared out, Valkyrie glanced around the room before finally rising to her feet.
"I apologize, but we..."
She hesitated and shook her head.
"We Asgardians are merely guests residing temporarily on Midgard. We have no intention of meddling in your politics or your ideologies. All I ask is that, for as long as my people remain on Earth, you honor the treaty we signed. Do not go back on your word. In return, Asgard will lend you aid when you need it, just as we did against Thanos!"
With that, she stood and departed.
After Valkyrie left, Black Panther considered for a moment, then rose as well.
"Tony, just like before, I support your vision. If you hadn't changed everything, my people and I would already be gone. Our first defeat against Thanos taught me that none of us are strong enough on our own. So I will back you. Let us build a stronger, more complete, more united, and more effective collective organization. Freedom means nothing when survival is at stake. And with aliens eyeing our world hungrily, we have every reason to band together!"
"I feel the same way."
Doctor Strange agreed with Black Panther without hesitation, then explained further.
"In the past, I might not have joined this initiative. But now, and in the future to come, everything has veered toward an unknown end. I can no longer peer into the shifting possibilities of tomorrow. That means we must face whatever comes with greater caution and greater resolve. Tony, T'Challa, my sorcerers and I will stand firmly behind you."
With that, Tony, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange had officially formed an alliance.
Yet the core point of contention remained unresolved.
Natasha, Barton... neither of them truly mattered much in the grand scheme. At least in the future Tony envisioned, their presence or absence made little difference.
The ones Tony truly hoped to win over were Banner and Captain America.
Tony looked at Banner, and Banner nodded without hesitation.
"Honestly, life's been pretty good lately. And I'm exactly what they'd call a 'special individual'."
He clapped his large, dark green hand on Rogers' shoulder as he spoke.
"Look at me, Cap. I'm a special case, but once I got my temper under control, I integrated just fine into society. Remember when we met up not long ago? Kids love taking pictures with me. They like me because I'm different! Times have changed, Cap. Special people aren't hunted down like Jews in World War II anymore. Especially when we're facing alien threats. People with abilities like ours are bound to earn society's respect. So count me in. I don't have Wakanda backing me, and I don't command an army of sorcerers, but I'm in."
Banner finished with a grin and shared a fist bump with Tony.
With Banner's stance made clear, all the pressure fell squarely on Captain America.
Looking around at one teammate after another throwing their support behind Tony Stark, Rogers shook his head wearily.
"It seems you've all made up your minds. I have nothing left to say. Like Tony once said, if we had fully implemented the Superhero Registration Act eight years ago, we might have actually had a chance to win that first fight against Thanos. But we lost. We paid a heavy price. So even though I still can't accept this kind of management at the cost of freedom, I won't stand in your way anymore. The world is changing. Every morning I wake up, I feel a little less suited for the day ahead. I... I think it's time I took a good, long rest."
He rose from his seat, listless, and walked over to pick up his quantum travel suit.
"I hope your plan helps Earth rise stronger in the days to come. As for me, I'll take the job of returning the Stones and Mjolnir to the past. After that, I'd like to rest. Do things a man my age should actually be doing. Maybe tend some flowers, raise a few animals. That sounds nice. Peaceful."
With those final words, Captain America left the Avengers compound without looking back.
Three or four seconds after he vanished from sight, Mjolnir, the hammer with the handprint still pressed into its surface, whistled through the air and landed squarely in Rogers' grip.
Only once the Captain's silhouette had completely disappeared did those who had supported Tony inside the tent let out a collective sigh of relief.
Why were they so tense?
Because the Captain's influence was immense.
If he had continued to oppose this and rallied others to resist Tony's decision, countless individuals who might have otherwise accepted the Superhero Registration Act would have instead flocked to his banner, ready to fight one last battle for their chaotic, unorganized freedom.
But now...
Tony pursed his lips and clapped his hands together, the sound a bit strained.
"Let's be grateful the Captain didn't oppose us like he used to. In return, we owe it to him to provide the best retirement life possible."
Finally, a satisfied smile crept across Tony's face.
As long as Steve Rogers wasn't against him, his plan couldn't fail.
Of course...
In his own mind, he never failed. It just meant the path to success would have had a few more bumps if the Captain hadn't cooperated.
As for the rest...
After Rogers stated his neutrality and resolved to retire, Natasha easily joined Tony's faction.
Thus, Tony had secured the approval of the vast majority of Earth's superhero representatives.
Pleased, Tony addressed the group.
"My father's butler, and my old AI assistant... they were both named Jarvis. And both of them were fond of saying the same thing. 'We are on the right path.'"
Tony nodded to everyone, his confidence restored, and then made a quiet suggestion.
"So, to commemorate the birth of this new collective, I propose we retire names like 'The Avengers'. Our goal now is to bury every threat before it ever surfaces. We shouldn't be Avengers anymore. We shouldn't wait to react. We should pool our resources, advance at full speed, and annihilate any potential crisis before it begins. An Avenger is someone who has already been hurt. We may not be the ones inflicting harm, but we will not allow Earth to be harmed. From this day forward, we are the Illuminati!"
...
Little did those excited by the Illuminati's formation know that their Captain America...
Would never return from his trip.
...
Far from the increasingly perilous future of that alternate universe, Heisenberg's own world was sailing along on smooth waters.
It had been three full days since his return to his native universe, and nothing of note had happened.
After acquiring the Time Stone, the Ancient One had quickly departed from Heisenberg's home.
Heisenberg felt no frustration over this. The Ancient One had made her choice. When he truly needed her, she would be there in an instant.
Aside from the matter with the Ancient One, his subordinates were all making smooth progress in their tasks.
First, the night before, Daredevil had emerged victorious from the first round of elections. He only needed to defeat the final two candidates to become Mayor of New York City, achieving a feat he never could have dreamed of while prowling the rooftops as the Man Without Fear.
As for Bullseye and Elektra's work...
Their job was to ensure Daredevil's rise to power. They had buried dolls belonging to thirteen senators' children and placed photographs of Heisenberg on the pillows of eight more. Their work had been executed flawlessly. Senators who had once backed rival candidates were now staunch supporters of Daredevil.
Once Daredevil secured his position, the three of them could finally move on from their short term objectives.
Elsewhere, after meeting with Heisenberg the previous day, Crossbones had taken a team to Europe.
Word had it that some chaos had erupted within the Hydra faction dominating that region.
Crossbones was heading over to investigate and to win over the followers of Daniel Whitehall, Gideon Malick, and Madame Viper.
Heisenberg certainly had no objections to Crossbones' enthusiasm, so Crossbones wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
As for the last member of the nascent Justice League, Jessica...
That girl was currently curled up in Heisenberg's arms.
Ever since the Purple Man's death, her dependence on Heisenberg had grown deeper by the day.
How deep?
Three or four times a night?
Probably.
...
While Heisenberg on Earth steadily expanded his sphere of influence, shifting his domain of control from New York toward Philadelphia...
Loki, Space Stone in hand, had returned to Thanos' side.
Facing the cold stare of the cosmic overlord, Loki showed neither anxiety nor dejection.
He lowered himself into a bow before Thanos, then produced the Space Stone from within his robes.
"Great Lord Thanos!"
He paused, letting out a soft sigh.
"As planned, I have retrieved the Space Stone for you without igniting a war. However, I encountered a slight complication. My brother, Thor, the God of Thunder, arrived from Asgard to confront me. Before I could transport your armies, he managed to seize the Mind Stone you had entrusted to me! I require more time, and I must lead the Chitauri fleet directly, navigating via long range space travel and hyperspace jumps back to the Sol system. I hope you will grant my request."
"Hmph!"
Thanos did not speak. It was Ebony Maw who let out a sharp, scornful rebuke.
"You incompetent fool! You have disappointed our master!"
"Yes, I have. But I still have something to show for my efforts. Now I merely need to reclaim the master's principal investment."
Loki bowed humbly in Ebony Maw's direction as well.
After a moment, Thanos looked up, his gaze boring deep into Loki.
The finger of his right hand, clad in the Infinity Gauntlet, tapped against the armrest of his throne.
"Go. Proceed according to your plan. Now that the Space Stone is in hand, retrieve the Mind Stone for me. However, I suspect you will require an overseer. A direct approach to the Sol system will inevitably draw resistance from Asgard. Ebony Maw, inform Supergiant. She will escort Loki and the Chitauri fleet to Earth. Odin is old. How many times can he truly wield his power? What's more, his mightiest weapons, the Destroyer and the Bifrost, lie in ruin. So..."
He leaned forward, his voice heavy with finality.
"See to it that you do not disappoint me again, Son of Odin."
/-\
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased chapters!
~ +20 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon! (+1 Chapter daily)
https://p-atreon.com/Its_Zack
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access Patreon normally)