At the newly established Avengers base, a rare gathering was underway. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Roger, and Nebula were all present. Nick Fury had also joined the eting, accompanied by his trusted deputy, Maria Hill.
Since the disbandnt of SHIELD, Fury had been operating in the shadows, continuing his career as an undercover agent while investigating superhuman incidents on Earth alongside Hill.
This latest incident, an "alien invasion", had naturally piqued his interest. He rushed to the Avengers base to assess their response but was greeted by an unexpected sight: the Avengers enjoying a harmonious camaraderie with the so-called "aliens."
"Can soone explain to what’s going on here?" Fury asked, his one good eye scanning the lively group.
Roger, who was chatting with Tony Stark, turned to face Fury and replied, "In short, I brought back so intel... and a few allies."
"Allies?" Fury’s tone was skeptical.
"Yes," Roger affird. "et the Guardians of the Galaxy, a newly ford team of galactic heroes. Since Earth doesn’t have much in the way of interstellar diplomacy, they could help establish connections with other extraterrestrial civilizations."
Standing beside Roger, Nebula couldn't help but mutter, "I don’t think they’re exactly suited for that job."
Her gaze shifted toward Star-Lord, who was busy boasting about his exaggerated exploits. Nebula, though indifferent about Earth, doubted the wisdom of entrusting its diplomatic relations to a group like the Guardians.
Ignoring Nebula’s comnt, Roger maintained his smile, awaiting Fury's response. Fury glanced toward Star-Lord and, unsurprisingly, shared Nebula’s doubts.
"The Guardians of the Galaxy? Them?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, big guy with the eyepatch!" Star-Lord’s sharp ears caught Fury’s remark, and he interjected, "Don’t judge a book by its cover! We just saved an entire planet!"
"..." Fury’s silence made it clear he didn’t buy it. He turned back to Roger for confirmation.
Roger nodded. "It’s true. They really did save a planet, Xandar, to be precise. It’s a well-known story in the galaxy, and calling them heroes isn’t an exaggeration."
Fury reluctantly softened his stance. "Alright... Guardians of the Galaxy, welco to Earth."
"That’s redundant," Tony chid in. "Steve and I already welcod them. No need for the unemployed guy to do it again."
Fury’s jaw tightened, but he chose to ignore Tony’s jab. Turning back to Roger, he asked, "So, is this why you ca back? Just to introduce these... alien heroes?"
"Of course not," Roger replied. "The main reason I’m here is to let you know... I’ll be leaving this world temporarily."
"What?" Fury’s confusion deepened.
Tony stepped in to clarify. "In simple terms, we’re going to another parallel universe for a while. Don’t worry; we’ll be back."
"Wait, we?" Fury’s brow furrowed.
It was clear from Tony’s words that he intended to accompany Roger to this parallel universe.
Seeing Fury’s mounting questions, Roger offered a sheepish smile. "It’s a long story. Let’s just say Tony insisted on tagging along."
After arriving at the Avengers base and sharing what he knew about Andrea, Roger was surprised by Tony’s reaction. Rather than doubting Roger’s claims, Tony was intensely curious about Andrea’s connection to him. Determined to uncover the truth, Tony decided to join Roger on this journey.
Roger had even consulted Athena for additional information, hoping she might have so insight. However, as Athena had explained earlier, Andrea’s deliberate asures had erased all records of her past, leaving behind only fragnted clues.
With no other options, Roger agreed to let Tony accompany him. After all, having one more ally was never a bad thing, especially if the multiverse crisis Andrea had hinted at was indeed real.
If everything went according to plan, Roger’s "Parallel Universe Task Force" would soon consist of Tony, Jean Grey, Nebula (potentially), Thor, the Winter Soldier, and more. But for now, their imdiate priority was reaching the X-n universe and reuniting with Jean.
Tony’s decision to leave concerned the Avengers and baffled Fury, who struggled to understand the reasoning behind it.
Tony had asked Roger not to share details about the "ti reset" with the others. Even Tony himself had been infuriated upon learning that Andrea had reset their tiline without their knowledge or consent.
A person’s life belongs to them alone. No one, regardless of intent, has the right to alter soone else’s existence. The reset hadn’t fixed anything or alleviated anyone’s regrets. Instead, it had erased vital mories and left people with a sense of profound loss.
From Tony’s perspective, Andrea’s actions were an unforgivable display of arrogance.
Although Roger explained that Andrea had paid the ultimate price for her hubris, perishing in another universe alongside one of the Space Stones, Tony remained determined to confront the remnants of her legacy. He was adamant about holding her accountable, even if it was only through a recording or hologram.
With Pepper Potts’s reluctant blessing, Tony finalized his plans to leave, vowing to return as soon as possible.
Once everything was ready, Roger, Tony, and Nebula returned to Stark Tower, where they activated the mysterious portal left by Andrea.
As Tony inspected the hidden space Roger had revealed, his expression soured. "When we get back, I’m tearing this whole thing down."
"Co on, don’t be like that," Roger tried to reason with him. "Think about it, you’ve got an entire extra dinsion at your disposal!"
The space was an enchanted, stable pocket dinsion that didn’t encroach on the physical space of Stark Tower. It was essentially a free storage unit, a highly valuable one at that.
"I don’t need it," Tony said curtly.
It was clear that the re ntion of Andrea irritated him. Roger had expected Tony to feel so sense of awe or joy upon learning he had a sister, but instead, Tony’s reaction was one of simring anger.
Roger sighed. He figured Tony’s resentnt stemd from Andrea’s unilateral decision to reset ti without consulting anyone.
Ultimately, Roger decided to let it go. Once they reached the X-n universe and recorded its coordinates, he wouldn’t need the portal to travel back and forth.
After confirming the portal’s destination, Roger, Tony, and Nebula stepped onto the platform, and Athena initiated the device.
A brilliant white light illuminated the platform, while six antenna-like structures emitted blue beams that engulfed the entire area.
The interplay of white and blue light consud their surroundings, leaving nothing but a dazzling void.
For ten seconds, they were enveloped in this surreal radiance.
When the light finally faded, Roger and his companions found themselves in a completely different location.
This new place resembled Andrea’s previous laboratory, but it was abandoned, shrouded in dust and darkness. The only illumination ca from the faint glow of the portal device.
It appeared they had arrived at Andrea’s laboratory in the X-n universe. However, for reasons unknown, this facility had been deserted for years.
Suddenly, the roar of jet engines broke the silence, echoing above them. Roger focused his super-hearing and picked up more than just the sound of planes.
"It sounds like sothing flew past us," Roger remarked, turning to Tony and Nebula.
Tony, already suited up, activated his helt. "Let’s head out and take a look."
Exchanging brief words, the trio quickly ascended from the underground lab. As they erged, they spotted aircraft streaking across the sky, carrying massive cargo containers beneath them.
Using his X-ray vision, Roger peered into the containers.
Inside were rows of Sentinel robots.
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