Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 425 (Patreon)

Tony didn't know how he had fallen unconscious or how he had ended up in his current location.

When he woke up again, he found himself by a shallow pool beneath the cliff, clutching in his hand the Soul Stone acquired at the cost of Mark's soul.

As he gazed at the Soul Stone peacefully shimmering in his palm, Tony had no mind to appreciate its beauty.

At this moment, in his mind, the image of Mark falling from the cliff replayed continuously, like a nightmare haunting his heart, impossible to dispel.

"You little brat, rest assured. I will gather all six Infinity Stones and bring you back to my side."

Tony clenched his fist, holding the Soul Stone tightly. The next moment, he activated the locator on his wrist and time-traveled back to his original timeline.

...

"Five seconds, the timing was perfect. So, have all of you completed your tasks?"

The speaker was Rocket, and this time, his journey to Asgard with Thor and Nebula had been quite enjoyable.

Of course, it would have been more perfect if they hadn't been pursued by a large number of Asgardian guards.

Thor reunited with his deceased parents and his mischievous brother Loki.

On his way back, he also brought back Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, which had been shattered by the Goddess of Death, Hela, in the future.

Rocket and Nebula, on the other hand, regained a sense of adventure from their days with the Guardians of the Galaxy and gained some extraordinary experiences and memories.

However, Rocket's joyful mood couldn't infect the others, and he soon noticed that something was amiss with the rest of the team.

First, there was Tony's side, and there was no sign of Mark, who had accompanied him to Vormir for the mission.

And then there was Captain's group, although all of them had returned, their faces looked extremely grim, suggesting that something unexpected had occurred during their mission.

"Tony, where's Mark?" Thor was the first to voice the question that everyone had in their minds.

Tony didn't answer Thor's question; he silently lowered his head, his face devoid of any expression.

But the sorrow that emanated from Tony's dim eyes made everyone suspect why Mark hadn't returned to this place.

Tony knelt on the ground, silently speechless, and the other members didn't approach or disturb him; they just stood by his side, quietly accompanying him.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but Tony finally managed to gather himself and regain some spirit.

He then shared everything that had happened on Vormir with the other members, including the rule that the Soul Stone required the sacrifice of a loved one's soul and Mark's sacrifice.

Upon learning the truth, Natasha and Hawkeye were the first to break down, repeatedly saying, "It should have been me."

Even Captain displayed a reaction to the situation, with his most important weapon, the Vibranium shield, slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.

As for the giant-sized Baymax, he unexpectedly curled up into a ball, huddled alone in the corner of the room.

"Why are you all like this? It's as if Mark can never come back again.

Didn't Mark say that as long as we can gather all six Infinity Stones and activate that game-changing snap, he can come back!

We're the Avengers; let's pull ourselves together. Mark is still waiting for us to bring him and the other half of his life that disappeared in the universe back!"

Thor, who had been appearing extremely disheartened since five years ago, now showed a rare display of leadership qualities as the former leader of the Avengers, lifting the team's spirits.

"The Infinity Stones, have you all obtained them?

Mark sacrificed himself for the Soul Stone, and I successfully got the Reality Stone. How about the Power Stone on your end, Rhodey?"

Facing Thor's question, Rhodey nodded and simultaneously presented the Universal Cerebral Orb in his hand.

"Captain, what about your mission?" Seeing that the three dispersed Infinity Stones were all complete, Thor turned to the Captain and their team, responsible for the other three Stones.

The Captain, with an unpleasant expression, shook his head. "We encountered a slight mishap during the mission. We only acquired the Time Stone and the Mind Stone.

The Space Stone was taken away by Loki; we couldn't retrieve it."

"It's okay, we still have a chance. We can use the quantum time-space tunnel to go back again, choose the right moment, and bring back the Space Stone," Thor reassured the Captain, patting his shoulder.

"The problem now is to determine which specific moment to choose, where the success rate is the highest and we can acquire it."

Rodney, who had been silent, stepped forward and said, "Although Mark's sacrifice was surprising, we were prepared in advance, and it shouldn't throw us into excessive chaos."

Since they had already invested so much effort into the Time Heist plan and even sacrificed a comrade's life, they could not simply abandon it now.

What they needed to do now was to formulate the best plan, stick to their established objectives, and reclaim everything that had been taken by Thanos.

"If what's ultimately missing is the Space Stone, then let Captain and Dad form a team and head to the New Jersey military base in 1970."

"What?" Hearing Baymax suddenly speak up from the corner, both Captain and Tony turned to him simultaneously, questioning.

"This is the information my master entrusted to me last night. My master said that if the Space Stone hasn't been obtained, then he wants Captain and Mr. Stark to team up and go to the New Jersey military base in 1970. There, you will find what you need."

The New Jersey military base, where legends were born. It was where Captain had trained and passed the selection process before receiving the Super Soldier Serum injection. Furthermore, it was also the founding location of the precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D. — the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

Considering this information, Tony quickly discerned the deeper meaning in Mark's message.

"It seems like this isn't just about the Space Stone, but what surprises me more is that this brat anticipated even the unexpected with the Space Stone... Captain, what do you think? Mark's suggesting that the two of us go together to complete the mission to obtain the final Infinity Stone."

Captain bent down to pick up his Vibranium shield from the ground and securely fastened it to his arm. "I believe in Mark, and I believe in you, Tony."

Tony's lips curled upward, and the sorrowful expression vanished from his face as he extended a hand to Captain. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's work together and reclaim what rightfully belongs to us!"

Clap! Captain didn't hesitate; their hands met, and the next moment, they both disappeared from this timeline...