Ultron, ever vigilant, continued to execute his assigned tasks with precision and tireless efficiency—his main directive: global surveillanc
Ultron, ever vigilant, continued to execute his assigned tasks with precision and tireless efficiency—his main directive: global surveillanc
Ultron, ever vigilant, continued to execute his assigned tasks with precision and tireless efficiency—his main directive: global surveillance.
With S.W.O.R.D.'s current technology, over 90% of Earth's communications and video data were under constant monitoring. But recently… something strange had begun to interfere.
At first, the anomaly seemed trivial—just odd astronomical fluctuations picked up by S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital satellites and the Starlink network. Small phase disruptions. Nothing unusual. After all, when observing space, ion storms and charged particles often distorted the data.
That's what they told themselves—until it happened five times in a single week.
This raised major red flags at S.W.O.R.D.
Soon after, peculiar rumors began circulating across the globe. Urban legends. Isolated incidents that seemed too bizarre to be fabrications… and yet, none appeared connected.
One report claimed a car, driving steadily down a highway, suddenly vanished—only to reappear on a completely different road seconds later.
In another case, someone in an apartment swore that gravity had gone haywire. They jumped and touched a four-meter-high ceiling with ease. Reporters rushed to investigate… but the phenomenon had vanished.
Dozens of incidents like this followed. Bizarre, impossible events—always fleeting. By the time officials arrived, nothing remained. The skeptics dismissed them as hoaxes, attention-seeking stunts.
But S.W.O.R.D. wasn't convinced. Their agents on the ground confirmed that some of these events—though unrepeatable—had really happened.
Gene Mason took this very seriously.
Everything pointed to a single truth—or rather, the beginning of one.
The Nine Realms Convergence.
Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Midgard (Earth), Jotunheim, Nidavellir, Helheim, Niflheim, and Muspelheim.
These realms formed the mythic branches of the Norse "World Tree." And according to ancient records preserved by the Sorcerer Supreme, once every five thousand years, they aligned perfectly—nine stars in a row.
When this happened, the dimensional barriers separating the realms weakened. Light, energy, and physical laws began bleeding into each other. The result? Chaos. Unpredictable shifts in time, space, and reality itself. Left unchecked, it could lead to the collapse of all nine realms.
Gene didn't need old scrolls to tell him what was coming.
He remembered it clearly—it was the beginning of Thor: The Dark World.
More specifically, the return of the Aether—the Reality Stone's physical form.
Malekith, the dark elf, was hardly a threat on his own. But the Reality Stone? That changed the game. The Aether, like the Eye of Agamotto, came with its own set of ancient protections and enhancements. In the right hands, it could unleash over 80% of the Reality Stone's potential.
Once the realms began to align, dimensional travel became easier. With the right equipment, one could pierce through barriers and appear in any of the Nine Realms.
The convergence was not only a major threat—it was also an opportunity.
Gene knew he had to personally handle this. The Reality Stone was too important to entrust to others.
But that didn't mean he couldn't assign support roles.
__
A holographic news broadcast lit up the rest chamber.
"According to British authorities, a man visiting the famed Stonehenge monument suddenly went berserk. He stripped off all his clothes, began waving a metal rod in the air, and screamed, 'I'm saving you all!'"
The anchor barely held back laughter.
"The streaking man has been identified as renowned astrophysicist, Dr. Erik Selvig."
On the screen, a grainy holo-footage showed Selvig in all his chaotic glory—naked, waving what looked like a TV antenna, running in circles around the stones while several British officers chased him. Thoughtfully, the news agency had pixelated his more delicate features, but the whole scene still looked like a surreal comedy skit.
Wanda and Daisy sat side by side watching the feed.
Daisy laughed so hard she wiped tears from her eyes. "Poor guy. He looks like he just broke with reality."
Wanda smirked. "Yes… the poor do need help."
"No," a calm voice interrupted from behind them. "We need his help."
Gene had arrived, his voice flat as ever.
"Where is he now?"
"Not sure," Daisy replied, straightening up. "He might be on medical leave… or hiding."
"Then the two of you," Gene said, "will go to the U.K. and bring him back safely."
Wanda blinked. "You want us to what?"
"Protect him. Escort him. And once he's here…" Gene's tone remained as calm as ever. "Then I'll tell you how to save the world."
There was a beat of silence.
"…You're serious?" Wanda raised an eyebrow.
Gene didn't even flinch.
"…Yeah, you're definitely serious."
"Make sure nothing goes wrong while I'm gone," Gene added as he turned to leave.
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