Facing the curious gazes of the crowd, Tony Stark spread his hands helplessly.
"Don't look at me like that. You already know my future."
"I snapped my fingers and died in the final battle, so I honestly don't know whether I ever became a god."
"But then again," Tony added smugly, "it wouldn't be strange if I did. After all, I am the greatest genius of this century."
Seeing Tony's shamelessly arrogant expression, everyone shook their heads in unison.
Rocket Raccoon, however, snorted.
"A genius? Haha. You're just slightly smarter than the average stupid human on Earth."
"Like the lizard on Planet Xandar's backwater moon."
Hearing Rocket's sharp tongue, Tony raised an eyebrow and said with exaggerated sincerity,
"Hey, Natasha, have you ever seen a plush toy like this?"
"I really admire his mouth. I'm thinking of buying one and putting it in my bathroom."
"Huh?"
Rocket turned his head sharply toward Thor.
"Like? Is he… confessing his love to me?"
Thor frowned.
"No. That was definitely an insult."
"Damn it!" Rocket shouted.
"Mockery is supposed to be delivered with sarcasm!"
Seeing Rocket about to leap at Tony, Thor quickly grabbed him.
"Enough! One more move and you'll be thrown out of the theater!"
"Damn earthling with a 007-level unclear tone!" Rocket cursed as he slumped back into his seat, glaring at the screen.
—
On the screen.
"Why are you wearing an eyepatch again?"
Old Rocket Raccoon held a glass of wine and looked at Thor's golden eyepatch.
"I clearly remember giving you an eye when we went to Nidavellir to forge Stormbreaker."
"Don't tell me your sister came back from the dead and stabbed your eye out."
Thor laughed.
"How could that be? After I became king, Asgard's foundation was destroyed by Surtur."
"There's no way Hela could be resurrected."
After a brief pause, Thor sighed.
"But honestly… compared to Loki and me, Hela—the first heir to Asgard's throne—might have been more suitable as king."
"If she had ruled Asgard, maybe many things wouldn't have happened."
"But there was no helping it. Her ambition was too great."
—
Inside the theater.
"Hela? My sister?"
Thor suddenly froze, his voice faltering.
"Why have I never heard of her?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
"You didn't know you had a sister?" Steve asked.
"I didn't," Thor replied, shaking his head.
"As far as I know, I'm the first heir to Asgard's throne."
His brow furrowed deeply.
"And after I became king… Asgard was destroyed by Surtur?"
"Odin… what happens in the future?"
Thor's eyes were filled with urgency, as if he wanted to leave immediately and return to Asgard.
Steve quickly said,
"Thor, the fact that we're seeing this future means it can still be changed."
"So calm down. At least finish watching the video first."
Thor fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.
But deep down, he had already made a decision—once today's viewing ended, he would return to Asgard immediately.
There was only one way for him to become king: his father must have died.
Why would Odin fall?
Why would Asgard be destroyed by Surtur?
And why had he never heard of Hela?
These questions weighed heavily on Thor's heart.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and turned his eyes back to the screen.
—
The scene shifted.
Maddie Parker, Love, and Groot were fighting through the territory of the Hulk Gang, cutting down enemies as they advanced.
Their battle eventually drew out a completely irrational monster—
The Captain Universe Hulk.
This Hulk was nothing like the one the Avengers knew.
He wore white shorts, but his skin was blue, and cosmic energy surged around his body.
Even Love, wielding Stormbreaker, was completely outmatched.
At the critical moment, Thor and the others rushed in, rescuing the three youths.
Yet even then, facing the berserk blue Hulk, everyone struggled to hold their ground.
Suddenly, Clint Barton stepped forward and pulled out a slender necklace, adorned with a tiny arrow charm.
The raging Hulk abruptly froze.
On the screen, the blue-skinned Hulk stood motionless, staring blankly at the necklace.
Inside the theater, Natasha's pupils shrank.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asked softly, noticing her reaction.
"It's nothing," Natasha replied with a smile, turning her gaze back to the screen.
She recognized that necklace instantly.
It was hers—made to commemorate her bond with Clint.
But why did Hulk calm down after seeing it?
What happened between him and Bruce Banner in the future?
—
The video continued.
Looking at the subdued Hulk, Clint stepped forward.
"Bruce… Hulk… decades have passed. If Natasha were still alive—"
Before he could finish, Hulk suddenly looked up at the gray sky and let out a deafening roar.
The camera shifted again—to New York, now known as New Utopia.
Captain America, Peter Parker, Thor, and the others were locked in a desperate battle against endless enemies.
The city no longer resembled the New York the Avengers remembered.
Each time a wave of enemies fell, even more poured in from every direction.
Monsters continuously emerged from the shadows, flooding the battlefield.
"Huff…"
Steve exhaled sharply, smashing an enemy aside with his shield. He glanced at Thor.
"This reminds me of the Battle of New York—when Loki led the Chitauri invasion."
"But these enemies are several times stronger than the Chitauri."
"What? Getting tired?" Thor asked.
Steve chuckled faintly.
Thor laughed loudly.
"Heh… I can fight them all day."
Hearing that familiar line, the old Captain America smiled.
For a brief moment, it felt as if the passion of their younger days had returned.
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