"Standing on the same side?" Malrick raised an eyebrow, making B15's chest tighten.
"Then I hope we can always stand on the same side." Malrick extended his hand. "Malrick Stark."
When he offered his hand, B15 grew tense, her shoulders stiffening as she instinctively held her breath.
Fortunately, his calm self-introduction let her exhale in relief, and genuine joy flickered behind her otherwise formal smile.
"I'm B15, Mr. Stark!" She gripped Malrick's hand with both of hers, shaking it with surprising enthusiasm.
"Of course, we'll always be on the same side," she said quickly. "Scoundrels like Mr. Paradox aren't the majority here."
"Every organization has its flaws, I can understand that." Malrick noticed she wasn't letting go, so he gently pulled his hand back.
A brief flash of regret crossed B15's face.
Malrick ignored it. "When problems arise, it usually means your system has issues. Don't you have a regulatory department?"
"This… not currently. Previously, Miss Minutes handled systematic management," B15 admitted with a sigh. "But now… perhaps we really do need to establish one."
Miss Minutes was the TVA's artificial intelligence, crucial to its entire operation.
But during Loki's resolution of the Multiverse timeline crisis, she opposed the TVA. Even though she was rebooted after Loki became a god, the TVA no longer trusted her as they once had.
"Miss Minutes?" Malrick immediately understood her frustration.
"If you need a trustworthy AI, perhaps Jarvis could step in," Malrick suggested casually. "You know he's evolved into a true intelligent lifeform. I think he'd be very willing to help safeguard the Multiverse."
Though he had said it in passing, B15 grew thoughtful, her brow furrowing. After a pause, she actually nodded. "That could work. I know Jarvis—no matter the Universe, he's one of the best."
"Is that so?" Malrick raised a brow. "Then I'll arrange for him to come in for an interview in a couple of days."
"I know Jarvis too!" Holland-Spiderman blurted out.
"He was Tony's most reliable AI before!" His eyes darted nervously toward Malrick. "So, are you really Tony's brother?"
"Of course," Malrick answered with a calm smile. "I already told you, you'll get the chance to visit me and even meet Tony."
He patted Holland-Spider's shoulder. "Tony would definitely like a kid who admires him this much."
"That's incredible!" Holland-Spider's excitement shone, though it quickly dimmed as he added, "But I don't know how to get to your world."
"Perhaps you can…" Malrick gestured toward B15.
B15 smiled. "Actually, we recently developed a plan involving Anchor Persons. Do you know about them?"
"Yes! Mr. Paradox told Deadpool, and Deadpool told all of us," Holland-Spiderman explained.
"Then Mr. Paradox did well in that at least." B15 nodded. "The TVA's responsibility is to preserve the stability of the Sacred Timeline. We observe individuals who might destabilize the Multiverse and prune them before it happens."
"How do you decide what qualifies as a disruption?" Gwen asked, pointing to herself. "Does us traveling to other Universes count?"
B15 shook her head. "Superheroes moving between Universes isn't unusual and doesn't necessarily endanger stability."
She pointed at Deadpool, who was dramatically playing dead on the floor. "But someone like him—who traveled through timelines, caused chaos, and disrupted countless worlds—is our target."
Everyone looked at Deadpool. His mask remained intact, and though his head was fine, he still lay sprawled out pretending to be lifeless. When he realized the conversation had shifted to him, he sheepishly reached back and scratched his rear.
"What exactly did he do?" Toby-Spiderman asked.
"He went back to save his girlfriend, killed alternate Deadpools, and slaughtered indiscriminately," B15 explained. "His recklessness spawned multiple parallel Universes and disrupted the original world. That level of interference nearly destabilized the Multiverse itself."
"If he hadn't eventually abandoned his time-travel device and stayed in his own Universe, we'd have arrested and pruned him long ago."
The younger Spider-Men gasped in shock. None of them had realized Deadpool's antics had almost made him a Multiverse fugitive.
On the ground, Deadpool clenched up nervously, his hand frozen mid-scratch.
"So what's your plan with these Anchor Persons?" Malrick asked. "Are you planning to recruit them to handle fugitives like him?"
"Exactly," B15 confirmed. "According to our observations, dangerous forces are gathering across the Multiverse. Even the TVA struggles against them. But by uniting Anchor Persons, we believe we can resist them."
"Anchor Persons represent the fate of their Universes. When they gather, they can alter the destiny of the Multiverse itself."
"Wait!" Deadpool suddenly leapt up. "But the Anchor Person of our Universe is already dead!"
Everyone ignored him.
Gwen leaned forward. "So how do you identify Anchor Persons?"
"Except for Miss Stacy's Universe, which we can't observe yet, the rest of you—each Spider-Man, and Mr. Stark—are all Anchor Persons in your own worlds," B15 revealed.
The Spiders all froze.
"We… are Anchor Persons?" Holland-Spiderman stammered, his voice shaking. "Someone like me, the core of a Universe?"
"Don't underestimate yourself, Peter," B15 said warmly. "Spider-Man is vital to the Multiverse."
"But I—" Holland-Spiderman started.
"There are no buts. And since you're all here…" B15 extended her hand. "I officially invite you to join the TVA and form a Multiverse task force."
The young Spider-Men hesitated.
Malrick was the first to decline. "Joining isn't an option for me. If the Multiverse is truly in crisis, call me. Otherwise, Spider-Man is enough for day-to-day matters."
"That's a shame," B15 said with clear disappointment. In truth, Malrick was her main target—she knew Spider-Man's influence was limited compared to him.
"Still, the TVA doors will always remain open to you," she assured them.
"No need to think it over!" Deadpool suddenly shoved his way to her side. "I accept! What's a Multiverse team without its Marvel Savior? We'll call it X-Force Team Three!"
B15 blinked, confused. "Sorry, we're only recruiting Anchor Persons."
Deadpool froze, his arms twitching awkwardly. "But… can't you loosen the rules? I'll even sacrifice my… uh, chrysanthemum."
"No thanks," B15 deadpanned. "We don't need chrysanthemums here."
"Damn it, not even flowers have value in the Multiverse anymore…" Deadpool sulked, banging the wall. Suddenly he perked up. "Speaking of chrysanthemums… have you ever seen Wolverine so drunk he couldn't stand up?"
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