Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 430 (Patreon)

Hamir, originally a marginal figure in Kamar-Taj despite his mastery of magic control, did not excel in combat due to physical disabilities. As a result, he did not become a field operative.

He usually only handled logistical work, such as instructing students and maintaining magical artifacts.

However, Mark's appearance changed Hamir's fate.

While Mark's restored artifact manufacturing technology solved the problem of Kamar-Taj's magical heritage being severed, this technology also had its entry barriers.

Ordinary mages could only create some simple, basic magical artifacts.

Artifacts like the Staff of the living Tribunal, the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, and Mark's designed pseudo-Infinity Gauntlet, which were of divine-level quality, couldn't be manufactured without precise control of magic.

Because of this, Hamir, who possessed precise magical control, became a master artifact maker, and his status in Kamar-Taj greatly improved.

This time, to complete Mark's design for the pseudo-Infinity Gauntlet, the magical rune designs were complex and intricate. The manufacturing precision required far exceeded that of ordinary artifacts. Naturally, he had to be responsible for engraving the magical runes and attaching the magic.

Baymax handed over the design data left by Mark to Wong and Mordo, who took it back to Kamar-Taj and handed it over to Hamir for the manufacturing work.

Inside the meeting room, the discussion did not end with this.

"The issue of the glove is resolved. Now the question is, who will wield that deadly snap?"

The decision on this issue was crucial. If an ordinary person like Hawkeye or Tony were chosen to wield the snap, even if the glove bore some of the pressure, leftover cosmic-level energy released by the Infinity Stones would be enough to claim their lives.

So, they had to select someone willing to bear the risks of this task while also possessing great strength.

There were not many options for individuals with such power. Thor was one, Dr. Banner was another, and Captain Marvel was a third. These were the only choices they had.

As soon as this question was raised, Thor immediately made a statement, "Give this task to me. I am the mightiest Avenger! So, this responsibility must fall on my shoulders; it is my duty!"

"Wait, Thor, don't be hasty. We should at least discuss this and then make a decision," Captain said, patting Thor's shoulder, signaling him not to act impulsively.

"There's nothing to discuss. Sitting here doing nothing won't save everyone.

Please, just let me do this, let me do something good, something right, to make up for the regret I have."

"Listen carefully, Thor! Even if that Kamar-Taj guy, Master Hamir, successfully completes Mark's designed glove, the energy gathered at the moment of the snap is still earth-shattering. But in your current condition, I don't think you can handle that level of power."

This time, Tony was the one opposing Thor. As he spoke, he even poked Thor's still not completely shed beer belly, the mocking look in his eyes was evident.

"I can!" Thor angrily swatted Tony's hand away. "What do you think flows in my veins—"

"Cheese sauce?" Rhodey, as Tony's good friend, joined in with a quick and sharp-witted comment, causing Thor to almost choke on the words he was about to say.

"Cough, cough!" Thor coughed a couple of times, breaking the awkward atmosphere, "It's lightning! Lightning! I am Thor, the God of Thunder."

"Yeah, yeah, lightning," Tony replied nonchalantly, "But even lightning can't help you shed all that excess weight instantly and return you to your full glory from five years ago, right?"

Thor was somewhat helpless as he pinched his own belly fat, not knowing how to counter Tony's statement.

"Why not bring that shiny lady back? Isn't she pretty powerful?" Rocket, who had a good relationship with Thor, spoke up to ease the situation.

"You're talking about Captain Marvel, right? Carol may have the ability to withstand the power of the Infinity Stones, but her responsibilities are different from ours as the Avengers.

While we are considering the survival of half of the universe being wiped out by Thanos, our responsibility, in general, is limited to Earth.

Even if one person among us chooses to lose combat capability due to snapping that finger, others can still share the responsibility and continue maintaining peace on Earth.

But if Carol suffers damage because of this, other planets that would have relied on her rescue may suffer catastrophic blows.

In that regard, her likelihood of agreeing to this task is slim. At best, she can be considered an alternative option. It's our last resort when we can't find a suitable candidate," Natasha explained.

Over the years, Natasha had been playing the role of a liaison at the base, maintaining contact with various superheroes from all over and analyzing the information they provided, which she then shared with the others.

During this process, contact with Captain Marvel was, of course, not lacking.

Despite now being a cosmic hero practicing her own sense of justice among various planets, Captain Marvel was originally from Earth and always cared about Earth's situation, So she occasionally received some information from Natasha and inquired if they needed her help.

Through such exchanges, Natasha gradually got to know the kind of person Captain Marvel was and what her personality was like. Based on her understanding of Captain Marvel, there was a high likelihood of rejection if they were to assign the task of snapping the finger to her.

This wasn't to say that Captain Marvel was unwilling to help them, but her perspective had expanded far beyond one planet. The saying "with great power comes great responsibility" was epitomized in Captain Marvel's case.

Due to the immense weight and enormity of her responsibilities, she was cautious when considering issues. Any wrong decision on her part would affect countless other lives.

However, just when everyone was feeling disappointed about this, Natasha made a surprising statement, "Perhaps I can do it, let me snap."

As soon as Natasha finished speaking, the room fell into stunned silence, and for a moment, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"Do you know what you're saying, Natasha?" Hawkeye was the first to step forward and grasp Natasha's arm, questioning her.

If it had been someone like Thor or Banner proposing this, it might have been different, but Hawkeye and Natasha had executed countless missions together. Based on their mutual understanding, he didn't believe Natasha had the capability to shoulder this responsibility.

"My thoughts are clear, Clint. I know what I'm saying," Natasha replied. "Baymax just mentioned that people who have undergone the Extremis Virus transformation have a better chance of withstanding the energy surge.

Mark performed the Extremis Transformation on me, and my experiences over this extended period have demonstrated just how powerful the self-healing ability from this body modification is. I have confidence that I can withstand the energy surge from the Infinity Stones."

"This isn't a matter of your confidence, Natasha. When we talk about the energy surge from the Infinity Stones, we're talking about the power to make wishes that can erase half of life in the universe.

Even if your self-healing abilities are extraordinary, your physical strength is still at the level of an ordinary person. It's very likely that you won't even have the opportunity to repair any damage before you're annihilated by that energy!"

Seeing Natasha's determination to press on, Dr. Banner, her former boyfriend, had to shatter her unrealistic fantasies with the harsh reality.

As expected, under unanimous opposition from all members, it was impossible to allow her to undertake this task.

With this, among the three candidates, there remained...

"For this final step, it should be me.

You all saw what happened to Thanos; these Infinity Stones nearly took his life. Except for me, none of you can handle it."

During the interval after the vote, Dr. Banner expressed his thoughts.

"How can you be so sure that you can handle it?" Natasha impatiently questioned, driven by an inexplicable emotion deep within her. She was reluctant to let Banner take on this risky responsibility.

But Banner didn't provide a confident and assured answer like Thor and Natasha did. "In reality, I can't be sure. However, the energy release from these Infinity Stones mainly takes the form of gamma radiation, just like... that's the purpose of me becoming the Hulk."

Although as a scientist with seven doctorate degrees, he shouldn't believe in fate or destiny, the Hulk's existence in this world was the result of Dr. Banner's accidental exposure to excessive gamma radiation while studying the super-soldier serum.

When seemingly unrelated coincidences converge in one person's fate, it can create a feeling of destiny, and that's exactly how Dr. Banner felt at this moment.

At this moment, the entire conference room fell into a silent consensus, with no one speaking in agreement or opposition.

The rationality of the group told them that no matter how you analyzed it, Dr. Banner was the most suitable candidate to complete this task.

But emotionally, the long-standing friendship built since the Battle of New York made the team hesitant to entrust such a dangerous mission solely to Dr. Banner.

"In the current situation, Dr. Banner is indeed the most suitable candidate among us to snap that finger. However, perhaps we can make some other efforts."

Just when everyone was hesitating, Baymax's statement broke the room's silence.

"What do you mean by 'other efforts,' Baymax? Please clarify!"

As if a drowning person had caught hold of a lifeline, everyone's gaze turned towards Baymax, awaiting his explanation.

"I believe that given the current situation, Dr. Banner is the best choice for the final step of the Time Heist Plan. But what if we could change the current situation?

In the previous Seoul crisis, Max had attempted to build a Vibranium body for himself and used it as a medium to control the power of the Mind Stone.

So, I had an idea: could we also build a Vibranium body and then use my consciousness to control it to complete the task of snapping the finger?

On the other hand, considering the possibility of failure with this plan, even if it ultimately had to be completed by Dr. Banner, if, Dr. Banner, you were willing to undergo the Extremis Virus transformation.

Then, with your current physical fitness and self-healing abilities, along with the potential activation from the Extremis Transformation, according to my calculations, there's over a sixty percent chance that you can withstand the energy surge from the Infinity Stones without harm.

Even in the remaining forty percent of cases, the damage to Dr. Banner would be minimal, and the probability of death would approach zero."

The sixty percent probability provided by Baymax brought a great surprise to everyone, and more importantly, Baymax's proposed plan could maximize Dr. Banner's safety.

"Banner, are you willing to undergo the Extremis Transformation?" Captain looked at Dr. Banner and asked about his willingness.

Dr. Banner had taken more than ten years to accept the presence of the Hulk within him, transforming his understanding from considering it a disease to seeing it as a cure.

Now, he was being asked to accept a new physical transformation, from the current Green Doctor to the Lava Hulk. Captain needed to know if Dr. Banner could accept such a change.

"Don't worry, Captain. I'm not who I used to be. Ever since that battle five years ago, where I felt the pain of helplessness, I've come to terms with power and appearance.

As long as I can protect everything I cherish and care about, even if I become a Quasimodo inside the bell tower, I'll gladly accept it.

So, no matter what virus or transformation it is, if it can bring back everything we lost, then I'm willing to accept it!"

Dr. Banner's declaration completely dispelled Captain's worries and concerns.

"In that case, there's no need for further hesitation. We'll push forward on both fronts. Tony, you and Rocket will contact Wakanda and ask for their help in building a Vibranium body for Baymax.

Baymax, you and Natasha will assist Dr. Banner in completing the Extremis Virus transformation. Prepare everything as an alternative plan.

The rest of the team members will cooperate with these two teams, handling support and logistics.

For our fallen comrades from five years ago and for the half of life in the universe that vanished across the cosmos, whether they can return or not, it's all about to be revealed.

To reverse the fate of our universe, it's now time for a final sprint with all our might!

Avengers, let's move out—!"