The ever-snarky Tony Stark couldn’t help but shout at Loki.
Loki, amidst the crowd, glanced around and saw that everyone was looking at the horns on his crown. Only then did he realize something.
“Reindeer? Are you talking about me?”
He touched the horns on his crown, his face darkening.
“Foolish mortals! You’re courting death!”
With a shout, he raised his scepter and charged at Tony.
“Die!”
Bang!
Elder Steve instinctively stepped in front of Tony, flinging his shield, which passed right through Loki’s figure and hurtled toward another Steve.
“Oh, sh—!”
The other Steve barely managed to raise his shield in time, avoiding a direct hit.
Thud!
The shield spun back into Elder Steve’s hands. Looking embarrassed, he walked over to his alternate version and profusely apologized.
Xia Luo, watching Loki’s figure dissipate in a green shimmer, couldn’t help but chuckle.
“So, he slipped away again.”
Tony nodded. “Seems like this Loki is even sneakier than the one I’ve met.”
Peggy Carter, looking disappointed, said, “That Loki guy could have been useful. With his ability to create decoys, he could’ve helped us complete the mission. But it seems he doesn’t want to cooperate.”
“He’s just a coward,” Lizard Parker chimed in, trying to put on a gentle smile. “Can I join you?” he asked, looking at Peggy.
She was one of the few who didn’t view him with disgust.
“Of course,” Peggy said with a smile, extending her hand. “I’m Peggy Carter. Nice to meet you, Peter Parker.”
“I-I feel the same,” Lizard Parker stammered, reaching out his claw, but quickly pulled it back, feeling too ashamed to shake hands.
This made him hang his head in embarrassment.
Seeing this, Peggy offered him some comforting words.
“You must’ve been human before.”
“Yes, I wasn’t always a monster. You seem to know those shield guys. They’re all named Steve, right? I’m not mistaken, am I?”
Following Lizard Parker’s gaze, Peggy looked over at the various Steves, her expression darkening with a hint of sadness.
“I wish I didn’t know him.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine.”
Peggy turned to Xia Luo. “So, Spider-boy, want to team up?” She smiled invitingly.
Xia Luo thought for a moment, then nodded. “Sure, no problem.”
This resurrection match was different. Even though he had several restart opportunities, completing the mission on his own would be tough.
“I’ll join you as well,” Tony stepped forward.
He glanced at Peggy and introduced himself, “I’m Tony Stark. I’ve heard of you, Agent Carter.”
“Stark?” Peggy raised an eyebrow. “What’s your relationship with Howard?”
“He’s my father.”
“So, I guess that makes me your elder.”
“That’s… technically true,” Tony scratched his temple awkwardly.
So this was the type of strong woman the old man liked.
Tony glanced around and noticed that many of the other contestants had already wandered off. He shrugged.
“Looks like they’ve found their own teams, and it’s not us.”
“Same here,” Elder Steve approached Tony, looking somewhat helpless. “It’s a shame they didn’t want to join us,” he said, gesturing toward the group of Steves.
“They’re all Steves. You’d think they’d be easy to get along with,” Tony mused.
Elder Steve shook his head. “Something feels off about them… but I can’t quite figure out what.”
Peggy immediately rejected the idea. “I feel the same way. Let’s not risk it.”
Xia Luo had no objections. “The mission says we need to participate in the Exile Journey. We should find out what that is first.”
“I can handle that,” Tony said, tapping his helmet as his virtual AI connected to Titan’s network.
“Sir, the Exile Journey is Titan’s most severe form of punishment. They don’t have a death penalty here, so exile is the harshest sentence.”
Hearing this, Xia Luo understood.
“Everyone knows how ruthless Thanos is. He must’ve committed some terrible crime and was exiled by Titan. To participate in the Exile Journey, we’d have to become ruthless criminals too.”
Elder Steve nodded. “Yeah, becoming ruthless criminals might be a bit of a challenge for us.”
He glanced at Lizard Parker. “Then again, you might not need to commit a crime to get exiled.”
Lizard Parker bared his fangs. “I’m actually a nice guy.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“Stop judging by appearances, or I’ll tear you apart.”
“See? He’s getting worked up already.”
“You jerk!”
Lizard Parker was visibly frustrated.
Meanwhile, Tony stared at Xia Luo with a strange look. “Everyone knows? Does that mean Thanos exists in your world too?”
Xia Luo nodded. “Of course. Thanos, the guy who killed his dad… it’s a touching father-son relationship that we all love to watch.”
“Your sense of humor is… lost on me.”
Tony glanced at the ID device implanted on his wrist and suggested, “I haven’t had grilled meat in a while. How about we try some Titan cuisine? We should fill up before the fight, or we’ll have no energy.”
“Do we have any money?” Elder Steve asked.
Xia Luo spread his hands. “Anyone who knows Spider-Man knows that he’s poor. Plus, no pockets in this suit.”
“The Peter I know is poor too.”
Tony raised his hand, and the nanotech in his palm shifted into an electromagnetic pulse gun.
“I’m thinking of selling this. It should get us some money.”
Xia Luo’s eyes lit up, giving a thumbs up. “Great idea!”
Elder Steve proudly held up his shield. “But I think my shield is worth more.”
“Oh, old man, you’re a genius. Vibranium is rare even in the universe. It’ll definitely make us rich on Titan.”
“I thought so too.”
“And me, I’m super strong. I could work and earn more money,” Lizard Parker chimed in, unwittingly joining the group’s get-rich-quick scheme.
Xia Luo waved his hand. “Nah, you should go perform at the zoo. The pay’s better.”
“No way! You should go clean windows on that skyscraper, you loser!”
Behind them, Peggy watched as the group veered off toward a roadside restaurant, her face full of exasperation.
If she’d known they were this unreliable, she never would’ve teamed up with them.
But now…
She glanced around at the other contestants, who had already left.
It was too late to back out. She had no choice but to stick with them.
Soon, they arrived at a nature-themed forest restaurant.
The sight of humans didn’t attract much attention from passersby.
On Titan, besides the native Titan race, there were many aliens from various parts of the universe.
To them, humans were the extraterrestrials. Their harmless appearance was actually quite welcomed by the Titan natives.
However, things quickly changed when the city news began showing images of humans. Suddenly, harmless-looking folks like Xia Luo and the others became villains in the eyes of the Titan race.
“Breaking news: A group of vile alien creatures was spotted near Star Castle. They brutally killed local residents. Titan’s guards are en route.”
Hearing the news, Xia Luo and the group’s expressions shifted.
“They’re making their move already. Was it Loki?”
“No… it was the Avengers!”
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