Karl took Diwu with him to Georgia.
Welcome to the Avengers' new base in Peachtree City. It was completely different from Stark Tower in New York—larger, more spacious, and far more efficiently designed.
As they walked into the building, they saw Vision, dressed in simple casual clothes.
"Vision, where's Tony?" Karl asked, stopping him.
Vision turned, glanced at the two of them, and pointed in a direction. "Over there."
Karl nodded and led Diwu forward.
They entered a high-tech laboratory. Tony was inside, busy tinkering with something Karl couldn't quite understand.
"Tony, have you figured anything out about those stones?"
Karl asked the moment he stepped in.
These things were too strange. The only clues now lay within the stones themselves.
Tony had already sensed Karl's arrival—the entire building was under his monitoring field.
"You mean those stones? Not completely. But I do have some conclusions."
He pulled up some data.
"They look like ordinary stones, but their composition includes an element that doesn't exist on the current periodic table. I've temporarily named it 'Mo.' Not the best name, but I figured you might like it."
"Skip the naming. Just tell us the conclusion," Diwan interrupted impatiently.
Tony smirked. "Impatient as ever."
He continued, pointing at the data:
"This 'Mo' is a highly condensed energy-state material. But it depletes quickly. During earlier tests, I found that it absorbs free energy from its surroundings."
Tony looked at Karl.
"There are plenty of materials that can absorb energy unconsciously—but they can't store it. They dissipate within a day or two. This one is different. It can both absorb and store external energy… without any leakage."
"That's what makes it incredible."
Karl frowned slightly. "You said it's high-energy condensed matter, yet it depletes quickly. Isn't that contradictory?"
Tony smiled.
"That's exactly what I like about it. The high-energy condensation is how it forms. The rapid depletion happens because it's being used—like a bomb releasing energy instantly."
"But after that, it can recharge. It's a recyclable energy source. With enough supply, it could power this entire base indefinitely."
Hearing that, Karl flipped his hand.
Thousands of stones instantly piled up on the table.
"This is what I collected today."
Tony was stunned.
So was Diwan.
"How did you get all these?" she asked.
Karl didn't answer. He simply pointed at the stones in Tony's report.
The two immediately understood.
"Did you find the killer?" Diwan asked.
Karl shook his head. "They were already dead when I arrived. Less than five minutes."
Diwan's expression changed. "No clues at all?"
"No. It might not have even been there."
Karl turned to Tony. "That's why I came—to see what you've discovered."
Tony leaned back slightly. "So… who were the victims this time?"
"Japanese. An entire village—over 800 people. All wiped out. Even the pets and livestock. Not a single survivor."
Silence filled the room.
Diwan was visibly shaken. So many people, killed so brutally—it was hard to process.
Tony, on the other hand, was already thinking about the motive behind it.
"Let's analyze these yellow stones," Karl said, breaking the silence. "These came from the animals."
Tony snapped back to focus.
Karl continued, "At this point, it looks like the killer will strike again. There are only two key clues left."
The two exchanged a glance.
"The method of death… and these stones—'Mo,'" Karl said. "We need to figure out what they do. Only then will we understand why the victims died like that."
Tony grinned confidently. "Leave it to me. I have a feeling these stones will be very useful in the future."
Karl took Diwu's hand, waved casually, and left.
Just outside the lab, they ran into Quicksilver.
"Karl! You're finally here! I thought you got captured—though we all know that's impossible!"
He looked genuinely excited.
After all, Karl and Diwan had saved them twice.
Karl smiled faintly. "I'd really like to show you what the world looks like under the sun."
Quicksilver immediately shook his head. "No, no, no! I like staying on Earth… even if I don't really like it here."
"Hah!"
Diwan laughed and nudged Karl. "Is it fun bullying kids?"
Karl turned, surprised. "How old are you? Thirty?"
Diwan shot him a glare. "At least I'm not as old as you! There's still some 'fresh grass' left for you to eat. Unlike me—stuck gnawing on the roots of some ancient tree!"
Seeing them start arguing again, Quicksilver quickly slipped away. Staying any longer would only make things awkward.
Karl narrowed his eyes at Diwan. "Everyone's afraid of you. You've got no feminine charm at all."
"If you could handle me, your ancestors would be celebrating!" she snapped back.
"Oh please—your whole family reeks of smoke!"
With no one else around, Diwan didn't hold back.
"Not bad. In this era, how many 'pure' women are even left? Talking about it is embarrassing."
Karl walked ahead, smirking. "Well, I didn't give my first time to you."
Diwan froze—
then her face flushed red as she chased after him. "Then I didn't lose either, did I?!"
Karl looked at her, amused. "What exactly did you lose? It was all for your sake—what do you want me to do?"
"But… but it wasn't… me…" her voice grew softer.
Karl burst out laughing.
It was rare for him—but he couldn't help it.
"You're jealous… of yourself?"
He pulled her into his arms. "That's honestly adorable."
Diwan's mood dropped.
She knew it was technically "her," but she couldn't accept it emotionally.
She was the original.
Which meant—
Karl, in a sense, was already "used."
The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.
"Ahhh!!"
She suddenly shouted, venting her frustration.
Karl blinked, stunned.
What just happened?
He lowered his head, looking directly at her.
Diwan avoided his gaze and pushed his face away.
"Go away. I don't want to see you right now!"
If Karl had made it clear from the beginning that she wasn't his first, it might've been different. But knowing he had lived so long… and had someone before her—
It unsettled her.
"Don't follow me. I want to be alone."
She pushed him away and drew a circle with her hand. A portal appeared.
Before stepping through, she looked back at him.
"Don't follow me. If you do… don't ever touch me again."
Then she disappeared.
The portal closed.
Karl stood there, a faint smile on his face.
He was… actually a little jealous of himself.
But Diwu had always been this way—intense, uncompromising. If it were someone else, she might've killed them out of sheer jealousy.
He didn't follow her.
If he did, it would only make things worse.
"She's basically a walking vinegar jar…" he muttered.
At that moment, Vision approached.
Karl raised an eyebrow. "Out for a walk? That bored?"
Vision replied calmly, "I am experiencing ordinary human life."
"What?"
Karl blinked. "You've gone crazy too?"
Vision shook his head. "People say one must first learn to walk before learning to run—to experience life through daily routines."
Karl twitched slightly and waved him off. "Fine. Go live your life."
Then he asked, "What about Steve? Is he coming?"
Vision remained expressionless. "The situation is unclear. As for Captain Rogers… I do not know how to persuade him."
Karl nodded slightly.
He had a general idea of what was going on.
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