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Puerto Rico—a place with a complex and symbolic place in American history.
Seized by the U.S. during the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico's residents were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917, yet were denied the right to vote for the president. This historical injustice has long fostered distrust toward the American military presence on the island.
Now, the U.S. military has moved in, citing danger from alien relics buried beneath the island. Troops have surrounded the area and begun forcibly evacuating residents. General Ross himself arrived to oversee the operation—only to discover the army itself surrounded by Chaldean war mechs and covert agents.
"Colson, what the hell is this?" Ross growled upon seeing him. "This is U.S. territory. Who gave you the authority to interfere?"
"It's no longer up to me, General," Colson replied, his helpless expression carefully measured.
Ross sneered. "Then who's in charge? Even if Shen He were here in person, I'd order you out!"
"I'll pass that along to the Master," Colson said mildly.
Suddenly, a young, feminine voice spoke beside him.
A girl—dressed in a Gothic-laced princess outfit and cradling a plush Kata doll—stepped forward.
"And now, the person in charge has arrived," Colson said with a faint smile. "General, allow me to introduce Misaka Mikoto Alter. You may recall her from the war."
Ross stared in disbelief. "Her? She's a child. My daughter could take her down in one round."
"Really?" Mikoto Alter looked up, her eyes cold and piercing. "But I've killed far more people than your daughter has met."
Ross flinched. There was something chilling in her gaze—something forged in war and steeped in hatred. Without realizing it, he looked away.
These Chaldean followers… were monsters.
Then came another.
A slim, white-haired boy stepped forward—not walking but somehow arriving—holding a massive stone pillar like a toy.
BOOM!
The pillar slammed into the ground before the military line, sending dust into the air.
"Anyone who crosses this line dies," he said quietly.
There was no threat in his tone, just fact—like someone describing the weather. Yet, behind those eyes lingered a trace of excitement.
Ross swallowed hard. He couldn't speak. These two—barely teenagers—were classified as high-level threats, and with good reason. He had seen them effortlessly wipe out waves of the Chitauri.
"What is Chaldea planning?" he asked Colson hoarsely. "Is Shen He really prepared to declare war on the world?"
"I don't know," Colson answered, voice steady. "But I can tell you this—he's not afraid of it."
Colson had been to Shen He's castle. He understood better than Ross: Shen He's power could shake the world.
The only question was whether he wanted to.
Ross paled. Without another word, he turned and left.
Shen He hadn't come, and these two were loyal to orders alone. There was no negotiation here.
Not unless he could reach Colson. But even that was beyond him now.
When news of the Chaldean blockade reached the World Council, reactions were mixed—first surprise, then panic. No one could explain why Shen He, who had previously avoided conflict, now seemed ready to burn bridges.
"There must be something in that ruin that changed his mind."
"Whatever it is, he's willing to risk everything for it."
"If we push back, maybe Tony Stark and Steve Rogers will side with us. That could give us leverage."
"We have to know what's in that ruin."
The Council convened immediately. Drawing on their extensive network of assets, they turned to the one person most likely to extract the truth from Shen He:
Tony Stark.
When Shen He saw Tony walk into his office, he was mildly surprised. After the war, Tony had thrown himself into researching alien technology and weaponizing it. His presence here meant this was serious.
"You look... tired," Shen He remarked. He noticed streaks of white in Tony's hair that hadn't been there before.
"When you sleep three hours a night, it happens," Tony said, eyes scanning the unfamiliar office.
"I wouldn't know," Shen He replied. "My body surpasses human limits. Sleep is just a habit now."
Tony smirked. "I envy that. I don't envy many people."
"You could upgrade yourself. Mutation, or even magic. You've got the mind for it."
"Magic? Me?" Tony scoffed. "If I can't understand it, I don't trust it. This brain almost drove me insane when I was young."
"The curse of knowledge," Shen He said quietly—echoing a sentiment Thanos once used to describe Tony.
"Exactly," Tony replied, lifting the teacup Shen He offered. He sipped, then grimaced. "Tastes like boiled grass."
"Tea has its fans. Works wonders for sleep deprivation."
"About that..." Tony set the cup down. "I've been having dreams. Nightmares. Thanos returns. We try to stop him—we fail. The Earth burns. And then you appear. You defeat him... but you replace him. You conquer Earth."
"So, it's not just Thanos you're afraid of," Shen He said evenly. "It's us."
"I don't know," Tony admitted. "But you're stronger than him."
Tony couldn't even tell if that was a nightmare or a prophecy. But the helplessness it left him with lingered.
"Remember the first time we met?" Shen He asked. "The heart attack victim?"
"Of course," Tony said softly.
"You couldn't save him. I could. But I didn't do it for power. And even now, I wouldn't stand by and watch someone die if I could help it. That hasn't changed."
Tony was quiet for a moment, processing.
"I needed to hear that," he finally said.
"And that's why you came?" Shen He smiled wryly. "Took me days to figure out what changed... and what didn't."
"Everyone needs that moment of clarity," Tony placed a hand on Shen He's shoulder. "You're still young, kid."
"Get lost." Shen He brushed him off. "I've got work to do."
Tony sobered. "One more thing—what's really in the ruins? Someone told me you're trying to seize world-ending weapons."
"If I wanted to destroy the world, I wouldn't need a weapon," Shen He replied with a smirk. "But no, there's nothing like that. Just a Kree facility. Housing for their experimental subjects."
"That's it?" Tony was stunned.
"That's it," Shen He confirmed.
"Then why blockade it?"
"No reason. I'm done playing political games. I want to see if they have the guts to confront me outright."
Tony sat in silence for a moment.
"You really have changed," he said.
"I've just stopped wasting time on parasites," Shen He said. "Let them come."
Tony laughed quietly. "You're making sense... for once. People always want what they can't have. Doesn't matter if they deserve it."
"Exactly," Shen He snapped his fingers. "Glad we're on the same page."
Tony stood and clapped him on the back. "When you go to Asgard, take me with you. Thor keeps bragging about it like we're peasants."
"Ask Thor. He's the prince, after all."
"No problem. Give him a drink, and we're brothers."
"You might want to focus on staying alive first." Shen He handed him several pages. "Some magic notes. Might come in handy. The sorcerers have been awfully quiet lately. Doesn't sit right with me."
Now that he'd stopped concerning himself with mere mortal politics, Shen He had begun eyeing higher-tier threats: the Sorcerer Supreme, Ghost Rider... and eventually, Dormammu.
"I'll give it a shot," Tony nodded, pocketing the notes.
As he left Shen He's office, Tony felt lighter. The unease that had been plaguing him began to lift. He pulled out his phone and called Pepper.
"Hey, babe. Yeah, I spoke with him. He's just trying to keep people safe. No one's going to war. Tell the media exactly that..."
No matter how tight security is, as long as people can be influenced, narratives can be shaped.
And not everyone has the resolve—or recklessness—to stand alone against the world.
This time, they'd used Pepper's worry to manipulate Tony.
But Tony had found his answers—and they weren't what the World Council wanted to hear.
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