Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 418 (Patreon)

"Dad finally returned the shield to you."

Upon seeing Captain enter, Mark immediately noticed the tightly gripped shield in his hand, giving him the look of a complete Captain America.

"Yes, but Tony just told me to keep a low profile, and you spotted me right away. He won't give me a hard time, will he?" Captain was in a good mood and, unusually, engaged in banter with Mark.

"Well, not necessarily. After all, if you both don't wear your suits, Dad won't be a match for you. And if you both do wear your suits, he still won't be able to touch you.

If he's willing to shamelessly put on his suit just to bother you, then you can capture that moment and make it his dark history. I'm willing to pay a high price for it."

"Haha, it seems I can't match you and your father in terms of humor. Jokes aside, Tony asked me to come and tell you that he has completed his mission and is ready for testing."

"Got it. Captain, could you also help by informing Scott? Ask if he's prepared to become the tester for the Time Heist plan."

Scott was the designated tester for this Time Heist plan, primarily chosen because of his experience in entering the quantum realm and his proficiency in using Pym Particles for size manipulation.

However, this test was not without risks. While the quantum tunnel had been modified from proven technology to ensure the tester wouldn't be torn apart by temporal turbulence upon entry, if there were any issues with the newly developed time-travel positioning navigation device, Scott could end up in the wrong time or even be stranded in the past.

Given Scott's situation with a daughter, such an outcome was clearly unacceptable. So, even though Scott had volunteered to take on the role of the tester, Mark had asked him to carefully consider his own risk tolerance and allowed him some time to think it over.

This time, Captain didn't bring his beloved shield with him as he completed the task Mark had assigned to him. After carefully admiring the reclaimed shield, he gingerly placed it inside a capsule before approaching Scott's room.

Knock, knock, knock! "Scott, can I come in?"

Click — not long after, Scott opened the door and saw that Captain had come to visit. He quickly stepped aside to make room. "Captain! Of course, you can come in, but my room might be a bit messy..."

"Uh... 'A bit messy' might be an understatement," Captain remarked as he looked at the scattered clothes on the floor, food wrappers strewn on the bed and table, and a very strong odor of protein fermentation in the air. It was unclear what had gone bad.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I'm not usually like this, but these past few days, maybe because my daughter isn't with me, I couldn't control myself and indulged a bit too much," Scott explained with embarrassment as he closed the door behind him and joined Captain.

However, Captain looked around and shook his head. "Scott, deep down, you still haven't made a decision about whether or not to take on the testing task, to become the first tester for the Time Heist plan, have you? The mess in this room is just superficial; what's truly chaotic is your inner world."

Faced with Captain's question, Scott remained silent, unsure of how to respond. He knew deep down that he was the most suitable candidate for this testing role, and his hesitation wasn't because of the danger involved. It was more about how to express his inner thoughts and emotions.

In response to Scott's silence, Captain didn't show any disdain or anger. Instead, he smiled warmly and turned to gently pat Scott's shoulder.

"Though you haven't given a response, I can understand your feelings, Scott. You're not afraid or retreating due to the unknown dangers. Your hesitation comes from the fact that you've already lost so much but are also very fortunate not to have lost everything.

You're actually similar to Tony in wanting to undo the failures of five years ago but not wanting to lose the happiness you currently hold. But what sets you apart from Tony is that you're too kind, excessively so. You always think of others before considering your own circumstances.

It's precisely because of this personality trait that you lost your enviable job initially, got locked up in prison, but also gained the respect of Dr. Pym and the affection of Miss Hope. And now, it's making you entangled and hesitant."

Seemingly struck at the core by Captain's words, Scott could no longer maintain his silence. He reached out and grabbed Captain's arm, asking in a somewhat pleading tone, "Captain, what do you think I should do?"

"I can't make the decision for you, Scott. But if I were to offer a piece of advice, your hesitation on this matter has already revealed your inner choice. Don't overthink it too much. The Avengers aren't just made up of you as a superhero. Honestly, I kind of want to be the tester for this time. So, why don't you just let me take this opportunity?"

"Captain..." At this moment, Scott felt both touched and conflicted. He felt ashamed of his own selfishness, as his understanding Captain had voluntarily stepped forward to bear the risk and responsibility on his behalf, and yet he couldn't bring himself to voice his refusal.

"Don't be like this, Scott. I'm not joking or trying to take your place on a whim or because I see you struggling. It's been five years, which can seem both long and short.

During these five years, she was fortunate to escape the snap of Thanos but ultimately couldn't elude the passage of time. The dance we once promised to complete together remains my biggest regret towards her to this day.

If there's a chance to go back in time, it's truly a blessing for me. At least, I can repay the debt of over eighty years to her without any regrets," Captain said.

Scott knew who Captain was talking about. Anyone who had visited Captain's historical museum knew about his legendary love story with Peggy Carter. But almost no one knew that there was such a romantic promise spanning two centuries between them.

"Captain, if that's the case, then maybe I..."

Knock, knock, knock! Before Scott could suggest taking over the testing task, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

...

"So, the conclusion you three have reached is that Barton will be the tester, am I understanding correctly?" Mark asked, looking at Scott, Captain, and Hawkeye standing in front of him.

"Yes, that's right!" Scott nodded vigorously in agreement.

Just moments ago, in Scott's room, Captain and Scott had been discussing the transition of the testing task between themselves, not in the way you might think... no, it was a more voluntary handover. Just then, Hawkeye happened to come to Scott's room and knocked on his door.

Hawkeye's purpose was straightforward; he wanted to take on the testing task in place of Scott.

"Why?" Captain was the first to ask when he heard Hawkeye's intention.

"Isn't it more suitable for someone like me, who has nothing to lose and is expendable, to take on this risky job compared to Scott?" Hawkeye responded calmly to Captain's question.

However, his answer stirred waves of emotion in both Scott and Captain. They had never imagined that the man standing before them, who always appeared extraordinarily strong, harbored such a negative thought deep within him.

Perhaps it was because Hawkeye had hidden it so well all along, or maybe it was because, as a spy, he had grown accustomed to not revealing his emotions. Over the five years, even Captain, who often carried out peacekeeping missions alongside Hawkeye, hadn't detected his inner vulnerability.

Upon closer reflection, a man who had originally forsaken his glory and was enjoying the bliss of a family of five, lost all his beloved family members overnight. How could his heart possibly be without scars?

It's just that everyone has grown accustomed to his strong facade and hasn't delved deeper into the pain he bears alone.

"Barton, you're not someone who's expendable; you still have us. Every one of us in the Avengers is your concern, and we will always care about you. Don't underestimate yourself," Captain said.

"Captain is right. We're all one family. How could you ever be considered expendable?" Scott chimed in after hearing Captain's words.

"Thank you, but let me handle this testing task this time. I've made up my mind. Besides, I believe that even if the test doesn't succeed, and I'm lost in the past, you will surely find my location and bring me back, right?"

"Of course! I promise you this. Whether it takes a day, a month, a year, or even ten or a hundred years! If you truly don't return, even if it consumes the rest of my life, I will exhaust every means to get closer to you and bring you home."

"Captain, your word is enough for me!"

...

"Barton, even though you've made your decision, I still need to explain the risks of this test to you once more.

Although the time-travel positioning navigation device has undergone theoretical verification, proving its feasibility, it has never been practically tested. So, its absolute safety cannot be guaranteed.

If the navigation device fails during the test, you may end up in a completely wrong timeline, perhaps millions of years in the distant past. It's also possible that you won't receive a return signal, and you'll be stuck in the past timeline, awaiting rescue after we've fixed the malfunction.

Of course, both of these scenarios are very dangerous for you. So, if you're truly determined to accept this testing task, you must be mentally prepared to face unexpected situations."

"Don't worry, Mark. Dealing with unexpected situations has been my norm for decades before my life as a superhero, and it's what I excel at. I've always been mentally prepared," Hawkeye confidently responded.

"Haha, I almost forgot about that. Barton, you used to be a top-notch agent. In that case, let me tell you about some important things to consider for this testing task.

When you enter the quantum time tunnel, you may feel a bit disoriented and dizzy; these are normal physiological reactions.

Once time travel begins, if the navigation device functions correctly, you should appear at the designated point in time that we've set for you. Then, a few minutes later, the navigation device will automatically return you to a few seconds after you entered the quantum tunnel, which is the current time and space we're in."

"How's it going? Did you all understand?" Mark asked.

"No problem!" Hawkeye answered earnestly.

"Alright, go ahead and change into the protective suit and put on the time-space traversal positioning navigator. The test will officially begin in ten minutes.

Baymax, initiate the final safety check on the entire quantum time-space tunnel device before testing starts, ensuring the accuracy of parameter settings. Also, notify all members in the base to come here and witness this moment."

Ten minutes later, Hawkeye had already changed into the protective suit and was wearing the time-space traversal positioning navigator. The nanotechnology-based protective suit was very convenient to wear, and its predominantly white appearance was fresh and couldn't be more different from Tony's design style.

Now, all the other members had gathered here, filled with anticipation and a sense of worry as they waited for the test to begin.

Hawkeye greeted each member, then stood on the traversal platform, ready for the test.

With everything prepared, Baymax operated the entire system to initiate startup. Immense energy converged within the quantum time-space tunnel, and with a loud bang, the time-space entrance completed its opening and closing process, swallowing Hawkeye whole. The platform was now empty, with no sign of Hawkeye's presence. The success or failure of the test would become apparent a few seconds later, depending on whether Hawkeye reappeared before them.

On the other side, inside the time-space tunnel, Hawkeye wasn't feeling very comfortable. The intense pressure from the temporal energy, the erosion of his mind and will by the quantum energy, and the strong dizziness during the traversal process were making him extremely uncomfortable, even for a seasoned expert like him.

Fortunately, this process was very brief, and just when Hawkeye was about to reach his limit, he finally arrived at the destination of this test. The sensation of being back on solid ground gave him a newfound sense of life.

As he regained his composure and looked around at the surrounding environment, Hawkeye realized where Mark had chosen as the traversal point for him.

Not far away, from a house, came a voice that was both familiar and dearly missed...