Volume 9: Fate of Destiny Chapter 66: Dominating the future is a thing of the past, it’s time to be realistic and fight for survival
Just as Mason was fleeing from a wedding like a cat lady, a funeral had just ended at his destination, a world far away from happiness and satisfaction.
Although the scene was large and there were many participants, most people chose to leave in a hurry the moment the pastor finished reading the prayer.
I did not stay in the cemetery, which still exuded the fragrance of earth, to spend a little time expressing my condolences and respect for the deceased.
It's like a ritual gathering.
The people who left in twos and threes discussed in low voices some topics that could not be made public. If this was an organization, then this situation clearly represented a very bad sign.
Sadly, this is indeed an organization that is falling apart.
"Alas, he is still dead."
Tony Stark, who was wearing a suit, coughed a few times. He stood in front of the tombstone in front of him and whispered something.
This is not a member of Stark's army, nor does he have the innate elegance and unrestrainedness of other Tonys. Instead, he is more like a person who has been under long-term stress and has become unhealthy.
This can be seen from his pale cheeks and gray-green lips.
He looked at the full name of Nick Fury and his date of birth and death written on the tombstone. Although their friendship had ended long ago when Old A was alive, after the unpleasant guy left, a sense of mourning suddenly arose in the hearts of the two people who had become strangers.
Humans are such complex creatures.
"I'm the last one."
Tony Stark placed his hand on the cold, dewy tombstone. He closed his eyes with a rather complicated mood and whispered:
“All the friends I once discussed and argued with have left. I never saw the plan that we had agreed on go to the final step. Even at this time, I cannot confirm whether it is right or wrong.
Especially when another better solution is implemented, it seems to indicate that all our past troubles and pains were just unnecessary worries.
Fate has not been kind to us, but I don't think it's fate's fault...
Rest in peace, Fury.
Just as I said in front of Charles' grave, right and wrong, success and failure, good and evil have all ended with death, and all the disputes and confrontations in life are no longer meaningful.
Rest in peace. "
He said all this, but he didn't leave.
Standing in front of the tombstone was like waiting for the inevitable guest, and a few minutes later, the god Doom, dressed in white, appeared in the cemetery holding a bouquet of flowers.
He leaned over and placed the bouquet of flowers in front of Old A's tombstone, then closed his eyes and mourned for a moment before speaking:
"I thought someone would say some sincere prayers to him at this time, instead of hypocritical lies. But I didn't expect it would be you.
When Old A decided to implement the "End Star" plan, didn't you break up? That was quite a long time ago.
You were certain that this plan was risky at the beginning, but now it seems that I must praise the wisdom of the wisdom gem for its foresight.
But what surprises me is that you were not involved in Mason's actions from beginning to end.
That’s not like you.”
With a hint of inquiry, the Lord God said to Tony Stark, who was facing away from him:
"Shouldn't you take action immediately after confirming the target? Or are you unable to pay more attention to it due to some other forces?"
“I’ve been following him for a long time.”
Tony Stark coughed a few times, tightened his clothes, and answered in a hoarse voice:
“I knew about his existence when Tony 7 first met him , earlier than all of you. I didn’t get involved not because I couldn’t do it, but because there was no need.
They were able to accomplish all of this without my intervention, just as you were able to complete the casting of the End Star without my intervention too much.
So, Doom, don't accuse me of raising a tiger to cause trouble in such a sarcastic way.
You know what I am doing, and you know what my efforts mean to you, so you have no right to say such hurtful words. "
Stark's response was blunt.
But what was surprising was that the God Lord Doom, who always did his own thing, actually shut his mouth. It seemed that even someone as powerful as him had to take certain things into consideration.
After a few seconds of silence, Doom asked:
"Are you still trying to convince him? Even after so much time has passed, right? You think that the End Star will eventually fail, and not even intervene too much, watching us try to save ourselves but stubbornly pinning all our hopes on a monster.
You think this will save us and everything.
But I only see that you are wasting time and wisdom, which is shameful, Tony. If you had joined us, perhaps the Doomsday Star and everything it represents would have been completed before the Second Impact.
We found a way!
That was the right approach, brought to us by Mason Cooper, and we were finally able to get it done.”
"But it's also possible that everything will be destroyed before the first impact."
Tony Stark retracted his fingers and put them into the pockets of his black windbreaker. He coughed painfully a few times and seemed unwilling to discuss the issue.
But as he turned to leave, he hesitated again.
After a few seconds of hesitation, the frail Tony Stark sighed and said to Doom:
"I gave up trying to convince him to save everything a long time ago, I realized that was impossible, he believed that everything would return to nothingness and no impact or epoch change could change the final outcome.
That is a kind of cruel rationality, or perhaps also a kind of arrogance...
But everything I did was not in vain, Doom. It may be difficult for you to understand, but I think it was my efforts that allowed you to complete the casting of the Final Star.
And gave Mason enough time to complete his plan.
There have been many times when, without your knowledge or awareness, everything has come to the brink of collapse.”
This answer made the Lord of God blink his eyes under the mask. He realized a terrifying possibility and said:
"You mean, he wants to speed this up?"
“It’s not that I want to, but that I’m already doing it.”
Tony said with regret:
"He even wanted to actually intervene and help us solve this problem permanently by letting us disappear quietly without being noticed.
We, and even these stars, are meaningless in his eyes.
Do you remember his last speech?
Have you ever seen him take the initiative to intervene in something?
I thought it was bad enough that he didn't care about anything, but when he became curious about the 'results', I realized that maybe keeping him out of it from the beginning was the best choice.
God is about to roll his own dice.
I don't know about you, but I really don't want to see that thing land. This is a human war and he shouldn't be involved. "
Doom fell silent.
As Tony passed him, he suddenly said:
"The Final Star is about to set sail. Although it is not perfect yet, its implementation will bring a hopeful future. Come together, Tony. I need your supreme wisdom to help me adjust it at the last minute.
Mason will be here soon.
That guy won't let us go. Under his gentle appearance is a radical soul, whether it's the stubborn desire to protect or the execution ability after identifying the goal.
He thinks we all deserve to die, and it will be difficult for us to survive his pursuit.
Throw our troubles on him!
You will be freed too."
"No."
Facing Doom's invitation, Tony Stark, who had a wisdom gem in his head, refused without hesitation:
“I didn’t plan to live to the next era to see the new world. In fact, when I chose this path, I knew that my life had entered a countdown.
I just didn't think this countdown would last so long and I would stick to my post until the very end.
If you want to go, hurry up.
I couldn't predict or calculate what kind of waves his meeting with Mason would cause, but like I said just now, I didn't want to see the dice fall.
I'll hold him steady, as best I can.
And if you want to prove that you are right, then act now, Doom, and set sail on your Final Star without wasting any more time ."
After saying that, Tony Stark walked out without hesitation.
Lord Doom stared at his back with an ambiguous look in his eyes, but he was not discouraged by Tony Stark's refusal, nor did he leave here but continued to wait.
He is going to hold a meeting here.
As time went by, figures arrived one after another on time, and right in front of the desolate tombstone of the former Arbitrator, a new small group seemed to have formed.
But except for Doom, every one of these guys had an indelible worry on his face.
"Old A is dead, Kang the Conqueror is dead, and Mephisto is dead too."
Doom looked at the tombstone in front of him and said:
“We lost our leader and valuable members in one day, but I believe you will not pay too much attention to the losers, and I guess there is only one question bothering you now.
Who will be next?
The fact that you are here today means that you are all aware of the crisis hidden under the seemingly disappeared grudges. The guy who executed Lord Fate and scared Old A to death will not stop.
He would find us and strangle us one by one.
But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
The Lord of God turned around and looked at the people of different identities behind him. He asked with a hint of sarcasm:
"You all sent people to contact them, right? What was the response you got?"
No one responded.
But the increasingly bad atmosphere meant that their contact with Mason's side was not smooth, or even very bad.
"The situation is like this. The other side doesn't want prisoners and doesn't accept surrenders. This is a good thing.
This means that we have no way out. Now there is no other way but to unite, and I don't have to spend time trying to convince you to use the resources you have. "
The Lord of God said coldly:
“We all joined the Council of Hope in search of something, be it power or status, but those are no longer worth paying attention to.
At this moment we have to consider something more realistic.
Such as our life, existence and future.
These self-proclaimed righteous guys have created a miracle through unity. I think this is particularly valuable. They have things that we don’t have, so they can naturally achieve things that we cannot achieve.
Fortunately, however, we are not without a way out.
The final star has been cast, and only the final adjustments are needed before it can set sail."
This sentence made the people around look up in unison, with light shining in their eyes.
That was the light that was at a dead end but managed to find a way out. Before, everyone knew that Old A was pushing for the End Star and had always been the spokesperson for this plan, so after Old A committed suicide, everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.
It's like the monkeys scatter when the tree falls.
However, now that Doom has taken the initiative to step forward and take over the banner, it means that they have a backbone again. Even if we take a step back, taking over as leader at this time means that even if the danger really happens, the first wave of massacre will not fall on them.
Oh, now there is someone to take the blame.
Doom could not hide the expressions and even mental activities of these guys, but the God did not care about them. He has always been a very pragmatic person.
After effectively adjusting the atmosphere and boosting morale, he made the final decision:
“I don’t care what people outside think of us, whether they say we are a group of villains or that our hands are stained with blood, I only care about the result.
We can enter the next era, not through the gift of others, but by realizing this future with our own hands.
As I said just now, in this environment where you have to be realistic to survive, possessing some meaningless resources and wealth will only lead to your own destruction.
So I ask you to send the most valuable things in your hands to the Doomsday Star as quickly as possible, so that we can be more confident before that destined moment arrives.
If you are concerned about how these resources are used, you are also welcome to go and supervise in person and choose a room of your choice for yourself on the Doomsday Ark.
But I must emphasize in advance that I do not want anyone trying to take over my command or criticize my decisions.
If you cannot accept this, you can leave now.”
He looked at the crowd.
Of course no one would choose to turn around and walk away in this situation.
That would be equivalent to giving up their own chance to survive, so when faced with Doom's huge demand, these guys rationally chose to accept it.
However, someone still asked the question that they were most concerned about. It should be one of the gods. Perhaps they were completely frightened by the massacre of gods in the death trap by Mason holding the complete Black Death Sword.
Anyway, he asked anxiously:
"Resources are not a problem, but when will the Doomsday Star set sail?"
"What's the hurry?"
Dum said coldly:
"The enemy is behind us. How rude of you to just leave without saying hello? You don't have to worry too much. I'll hold up the sky if it falls. You won't be in danger until I fall.
Of course, you can also try to sell me to get some mercy from Mason. Maybe in his eyes, my life is still worth something."
This is of course a joke.
No one would do such a thing at this time, especially when Mason has clearly rejected their offer of defection. There is only one way to go, and that is to go all the way.
Ironically, it was only when Mason became their common enemy that true unity was demonstrated.
"Then disperse and proceed according to the plan."
The God waved his hand and said to the people gathered in front of him:
"The Council is defunct in name only, but if anyone wants to jump on board, I welcome them. I personally don't like politics. It's the most boring and dangerous thing, and it makes wise people willing to become fools.
So don't bring your usual tricks into my territory.
That’s all I ask of you.”
The crowd ignored this little warning and left quickly afterwards.
From beginning to end, he never expressed any further comments on the tombstone in front of him, which makes people sigh that the truth that people are forgotten when they are gone is still applicable in the doomsday era.
After everyone left, Doom turned around and patted Old A's tombstone.
He said:
"I've imagined how you'd die, but suicide... ah, you actually thought of that. How desperate would you be? Or were you tired of this long doomsday survival game and didn't want to play anymore?
I can't guess your mental state, but I think you chose to give up.
Perhaps it is the remnant of the hero in your heart that torments you in your dreams at midnight, and after waking up from the nightmare, you are shocked by your current appearance.
You are not a determined person, Fury, because you choose to keep your dignity while lamenting that you have become a monster. "
The God snorted, waved his hand away and left, then waved his hand again as if saying goodbye:
"It's an honor to have worked with you, but I'm not interested in inheriting the dregs you left behind. I will complete this project that I have poured countless energy into, and I will eventually prove...
Farewell, Fury.
May you rest in peace. "
