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Chapter 162: Loki's Arrival on Earth

"Do you know what the Cradle is?" Ultron flew out of the train compartment and appeared in front of Steve Rogers, firing an energy beam at him. "It's a power that can truly change the world. It's what makes you feel fear."

"Of course, it won't make me feel relieved," Steve Rogers said as he threw his shield. A battle between him and Ultron broke out on the rooftop of the train.

The fight between Steve Rogers and Ultron was challenging, and after a short while, they were both knocked off the train's roof, and even Steve Rogers lost his shield.

"Prepare to descend. Four, three, beat them up!" At this moment, Clint Barton opened the Quinjet, and Natasha Romanoff descended on a motorcycle to the city. She picked up Steve Rogers' dropped shield along the way.

"They are under the elevated highway, blocked from view," Clint Barton guided Natasha Romanoff from the air, and she quickly arrived under the train where Steve Rogers and Ultron were fighting.

Steve Rogers was being choked by Ultron when Natasha Romanoff threw the shield up.

With the shield in hand, Steve Rogers' combat prowess increased significantly, and he knocked Ultron down with a single blow.

Ultron lay on the train roof, extending his hand and using blue energy to lift a section of the ground. Fortunately, Natasha Romanoff was skilled at handling the motorcycle, and she managed to avoid the lifted ground by skillfully maneuvering the vehicle.

Meanwhile, inside the train compartment, two robots fired at Natasha Romanoff as she dodged two shots on her motorcycle. She took advantage of a fork in the road, changed direction, and entered a different path.

As Steve Rogers faced Ultron on the train roof again, Ultron managed to knock him down once more. Steve Rogers landed on the rear of a car, and Ultron tried to lift another piece of ground towards him.

The driver of the car didn't have Natasha Romanoff's driving skills and couldn't avoid the attack, causing the car to flip along with the piece of ground. This sudden accident led to several other cars flipping over in succession. After evading these vehicles, Steve Rogers jumped back onto the train roof to continue fighting Ultron.

"Clint, can you divert the guards?" Natasha Romanoff caught up on her motorcycle.

"I'll give it a try." Clint Barton brought the Quinjet closer and fired bullets at Ultron.

The two robots inside the train compartment noticed that their leader was being shot at and immediately flew out of the compartment to pursue the Quinjet. Fortunately, Clint Barton's piloting skills were exceptional, and he managed to lose the two robots in the sky.

With the robots gone from inside the train compartment, Ultron on the roof was once again grabbed by Steve Rogers, who jumped into one of the train cars with him.

Inside the train, the two engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging blows.

Bang! Bang! Ultron pushed Steve Rogers into a corner, bombarding him with iron fists.

However, at this moment, a figure flashed by like a ghost and directly knocked Ultron over. Ultron was about to pursue, but a scarlet energy interwove and blocked his way.

In such a debut, without asking, the newcomers were naturally Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff.

"Please, don't do this," Ultron said to Wanda Maximoff.

"Do we have any other choice?" Wanda Maximoff retorted.

Ultron fell silent and extended his hand to fire an energy cannon at Pietro Maximoff, launching himself into the sky.

Pietro Maximoff quickly dodged the attack, but the energy cannon pierced the driver's compartment, and the train couldn't brake.

"There are people in front of the train. Can you stop it?" Steve Rogers asked Wanda Maximoff.

Bang! Bang! In the blink of an eye, the train had already smashed through a building and was heading towards a densely populated residential area.

Wanda Maximoff extended her hand, and scarlet energy reached every wheel of the train, stopping it quickly.

During this process, Pietro Maximoff was outside the train, and he saw the pedestrians on the train's path, one by one disappearing like phantoms in place.

Thus, with the combined efforts of Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff, the derailed train didn't harm anyone.

"Even a train can be stopped. Scarlet Witch is indeed powerful," Stephen Strange couldn't help but say.

"That's for sure," Pietro Maximoff replied.

"Pietro!" Wanda Maximoff tugged at Pietro's sleeve. While she might become powerful in the future, Doctor Strange was even more powerful. His heroic battle against Thanos left a profound impression on her.

"Wanda, why are you pulling me? You might not necessarily be weaker than Doctor Strange. Scarlet Witch, just listen, this alias is imposing enough," Pietro Maximoff said casually, "Who knows, you might even have your own magnificent scene in this quiz space one day."

"Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch, who is more powerful? This is an interesting topic," Clint Barton became interested. Both of them are powerhouses in the world of magic, and their magical abilities seem different. Who is truly stronger?

"Based on the footage shown in the quiz space, Doctor Strange seems to have the upper hand," Natasha Romanoff said. "But as Pietro said, Scarlet Witch hasn't had her 'solo show' yet. Maybe she will have even more impressive moments."

"If you ask me, I'll pick Doctor Strange," Bruce Banner said. "Thanos is a universal conqueror, and Doctor Strange held his ground against him. Though he eventually lost, it still shows his immense power."

"But how do you know that Scarlet Witch can't take on Thanos?" Tony Stark asked. "Perhaps in some unseen future, there's a video of Scarlet Witch defeating Thanos."

"Defeating Thanos? That's highly unlikely," Thor expressed doubt. "If she could defeat Thanos, her power would be comparable to my father's. Is there such a powerful being on such a small planet like Earth?"

"Thor, are you looking down on Earth?" Tony Stark immediately expressed disdain and pointed to Bruce Banner. "Have you forgotten how much fun Hulk had tossing you around on Earth?"

"And have you forgotten how Doctor Strange sent Loki falling for 30 minutes through the air?" Clint Barton pointed to Stephen Strange.

"Now, we are discussing who is more powerful between Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. Why bring all this up?" Thor looked innocent.

The video continued to play.

"Nat, I'm turning in your direction. What do you want to do?" Clint Barton turned his fighter jet around.

At this point, all the robots had left the truck, and the Cradle was unguarded. Natasha Romanoff jumped from her motorcycle onto the truck's cargo compartment.

However, at this moment, the two robots that had just flown out to chase Clint Barton returned, one on each side of the cargo compartment, and they lifted the cargo compartment into the air.

"It's up in the air now," Clint Barton maneuvered the Quinjet, "The view is perfect for shooting."

"No, I'm still inside the truck," Natasha Romanoff said.

"What are you planning?" Clint Barton asked.

Natasha Romanoff's plan was simple, an "air relay." She opened the truck's door in mid-air, and Clint Barton positioned the Quinjet beneath the truck, opening its cargo bay.

When Clint Barton was ready, Natasha Romanoff cut the ropes that secured the Cradle, placed a bomb inside the truck, and then lay on the Cradle. Both she and the Cradle fell into the Quinjet's cargo bay.

Bang!

With a muffled explosion, the Cradle landed precisely inside the Quinjet.

However, just as Natasha Romanoff was about to enter the cargo bay, Ultron flew in and grabbed her by the foot.

Boom!

At that moment, the truck exploded, and the sky was filled with brilliant fireworks.

"Nat!" Clint Barton exclaimed in shock.

The space darkened, and the video stopped there.

"So, this is how Natasha was captured," Clint Barton said. "It's different from what I imagined."

"I originally thought Captain would be the one to take the Cradle, but in the end, it was Natasha," Bruce Banner said. "This is an example of how women are just as capable."

"What do you mean women are just as capable? It's all the result of teamwork," Natasha Romanoff said. "If Captain didn't keep the most formidable Ultron occupied, we wouldn't have been able to take the Cradle."

"This battle may seem 'insignificant' compared to the final battle in the floating city, but it was crucial," Stephen Strange said. "Because of this battle, Ultron lost the Cradle, and the Avengers gained a powerful ally."

"If we hadn't successfully taken the Cradle, Ultron would have had Vision's body, and who knows how powerful he would have become," Bruce Banner said.

[The 9th question begins. Please prepare.]

[Please watch the following video.]

The video began with dozens of black cars speeding toward the scene. When these cars stopped, a large number of heavily armed soldiers with guns took positions.

Facing these cars and soldiers was a medieval-looking army, armored and armed with spears. In the center of this medieval army stood a man wearing a strange helmet with two curved horns on top—Loki, whom everyone in the quiz space had seen many times before.

"Lost your way, sir?" Nick Fury walked to the front of the crowd and confronted Loki. "Because it looks like you've lost your way."

"In the presence of a god, you'd better kneel," Loki sneered.

"We don't go for that here, no matter who you are or what you are," Nick Fury replied. Kneeling was out of the question.

"I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, the rightful King of Jotunheim, and the God of Mischief," Loki said.

"Loki, why are you here?" Nick Fury asked.

"Another new parallel world, right?" Tony Stark said upon seeing the scene. "In our world, Loki and Nick Fury first met when Loki arrived on Earth through the Bifrost."

"Exactly, another new parallel world. Loki directly brought his army to Earth," Clint Barton said. "In our world, Loki came to Earth through the Tesseract, but we don't know how this Loki arrived in this world."

"But one thing we can deduce is that this Loki is also very determined to claim the throne," Natasha Romanoff said. "He introduced himself as a king from the very beginning, which says a lot."

"Maybe he is a king in this world?" Clint Barton said. "After all, this is a parallel world, anything is possible."

"Really? Loki as a king?" Natasha Romanoff couldn't believe it. "Would Odin really pass the throne to an adopted son instead of his own son? And Loki is clearly not fit for the role!"

"Natasha, you're assuming too much about Loki. The Loki in this world has no connection to our Loki. Who says they have to be the same? Maybe this parallel world's Loki is indeed suitable to be a king," Clint Barton said.

"Then I'd rather believe that in another world, Tony Stark is a detective," Natasha Romanoff said.

"Clint does have a point. This Loki might be different from our world's Loki," Bruce Banner said. "Have you noticed the woman beside Loki..."

"Sif, my dearest friend," Thor said.

"That's right, Sif, this woman stood up for Thor and took the blame for treason. It shows how close they are," Bruce Banner said. "But now, she's with Loki."

The video continued to play.

"Revenge! A special agent on this planet killed Thor Odinson, the Prince of Asgard," Loki directly pulled out the Casket of Ancient Winters. "Director Fury, you cannot comprehend the gravity of this matter."

"I understand, I really do," Nick Fury replied. "But I must ask, what's in the box?"

"I cannot tolerate your arrogance, so I shall occupy your planet as punishment." Loki used the Casket of Ancient Winters, and a large ice column shot out from it, freezing everything in its path, including people and vehicles.

In an instant, the scene turned into a world of ice and snow, and all the black cars and armed soldiers were frozen into ice sculptures.

Except for Nick Fury, who quickly took cover at the beginning and survived, none of the people he brought with him had a chance to retaliate and perished.

"Waging war here won't bring your prince back!" Nick Fury got up from the ground and shouted at Loki.

"Wait!" Sif placed a hand on the Casket of Ancient Winters, stopping Loki. "He's right. The Allfather would want us to think twice before acting."

"We have a common enemy." Nick Fury raised his hands and walked towards them. "The person who killed your brother also killed two of my people, good people! We should join forces."

"This Nick Fury is remarkably patient!" Stephen Strange couldn't help but comment. "His people were just slaughtered by Loki, and he barely flinches as he negotiates with him for cooperation?"

"That's just terrifying." Pietro Maximoff said, "If someone killed so many of my people, I would've gone over and fought him immediately! There's no way I would act like Nick Fury, pretending nothing happened."

"That's because you can't be a leader," Natasha Romanoff continued from Pietro's words. "In such a situation, acting impulsively is just throwing your life away. You have to survive first, no matter what you want to do or seek revenge."

"Exactly, not only did Nick Fury manage to survive, but he also wants to use Loki to deal with the person who killed Thor," Clint Barton said. "His actions truly deserve the label 'terrifying.'"

"I can only say that your experiences are limited. For people like them, isn't this basic survival instinct?" Tony Stark sneered. "In their eyes, human lives mean nothing, and their primary concern is how to maximize their own interests in any situation."

"Stark, fortunately, Director Fury isn't here. Otherwise, your words would hurt him," Clint Barton defended Nick Fury. "He works tirelessly to protect the people."

"I think this parallel world is the one where Romanoff killed Stark with a needle, Barton shot Thor with an arrow," Bruce Banner said.

"That's probably right," Steve Rogers said. "It's unlikely that both worlds have Thor killed on Earth."

"But is Loki really making such a grand spectacle just to avenge Thor?" Pietro Maximoff expressed doubt. "In our world, he wanted to kill Thor."

"Perhaps he's using Thor's revenge as an excuse to occupy Earth," Stephen Strange said.

The video continued to play.

"We are not allies," Loki said.

"Then let me help you," Nick Fury said. "I promise you, when we find the one who killed your brother, you'll get your share."

"What a clever choice of words, but I need the body intact," Loki agreed.

"You'll have to give me time," Nick Fury said.

"Very well." Loki glanced at the sun peeking out, "You have until the next sunrise in Midgard to hand over the killer of my brother. Otherwise, I will turn this planet into ashes and glaciers."

The video paused there, and the question appeared.

[Did Nick Fury find the killer of Iron Man Tony Stark, Thor, Hawkeye Clint Barton, Hulk Bruce Banner, and Black Widow Natasha Romanoff within the deadline?]

[A Found the killer]

[B Didn't find the killer]

[Answer correctly, and you'll be rewarded with archery skills. Answer wrongly, and one year of lifespan will be deducted.]

"Indeed, this is the 3rd parallel world," Natasha Romanoff said after reading the question. "And, as expected, I couldn't escape the fate of being killed."

"According to the order of deaths in the question, Stark, Thor, Barton, and others are listed. Romanoff, your name is placed after Banner's, meaning you die after him," Stephen Strange said. "Congratulations, you survive the longest."

"The congratulations should go to Captain," Natasha Romanoff replied. "There's no name of the Captain on the death list."

"Or it could be that the killer hasn't had the chance to target me yet," Steve Rogers said. "Even Banner couldn't escape, and if he came to assassinate me, I doubt I could withstand it."

"True, this person is elusive, having killed so many Avengers, yet not even a strand of his hair has been found. He's like a ghost," Bruce Banner said. "Impossible to defend against."

"So, does everyone think Nick Fury can find the killer?" Stephen Strange asked, not waiting for their answers, he shared his opinion first, "I think he can. For someone who can negotiate with an executioner who just massacred his subordinates without batting an eye, as long as he doesn't challenge him to an arm-wrestling match against the Hulk, there's nothing he can't do."

"I believe he can too," Natasha Romanoff chimed in. "Based on my understanding of Director Fury, he's the kind of person who will achieve his goals at all costs. The Avengers were almost wiped out, and Loki's army is threatening us, yes, the situation is dire, but I trust Fury to find the killer."

"Loki only gave us one night, which makes it a bit tight, but I believe we can find him," Clint Barton said.

"Barton, since you have the answer, go ahead and respond," Steve Rogers told Clint Barton. "Among us, only you use a bow and arrow, so you're the most suitable to answer."

"Archery skills, thinking about it feels cool," Natasha Romanoff said. "But unfortunately, I don't use a bow and arrow."

Everyone knew who the award was best suited for, so they had no objections to Clint Barton answering the question.

"I choose A!" Clint Barton didn't waste any time and made his choice.

[Correct answer, reward granted!]

Suddenly, a large amount of information about the technique of arcing arrow shooting appeared in Clint Barton's mind, leaving him stunned.

He had thought that arcing shooting was merely about shooting arrows in a circular trajectory, with the only difference being the size of the circle. But when he fully accepted the reward, he realized that the technique of arcing arrow shooting was far more versatile than he had imagined. Through the interaction of multiple arrows, he could practically shoot any arcing shape he wanted. If he wished, he could shoot an "S," and then follow it up with a "B."

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