The World's Will

A while later, after jumping from the ship, Captain America landed on a glacier mountain. His abrupt fall was neatly cushioned by the snow below his feet.

He got out of the parachute. And huffed as he looked around. His enhanced brain, now finally calm enough, analyzed the surroundings. Forming all sorts of plans to survive till the military or some search teams gets him.

'I have to live... for him. For our country...' Steve mused.

'Huh?'

'OUR country...?'

His eyes widened in terror as his heart pounded in his ears. "T-that kid said, OUR country, even though his country was supposed to be germa- No it can't be!" His whole body trembled on his blunder.

That boy intentionally made him see the broken console, it made his mind go haywire with the fear of death, the fear of not being able to protect several million people... and at that moment he provided Captain with a hope to live and presented it so well, that it made him, Captain America, think he wasn't pushing his duty to someone else!

"That fucker! He fooled me!!" He cursed that skinny black-haired boy. What a hypocrite~

Steve ran, and ran. A pathetic attempt to catch the aircraft which was only visible as a black dot in the vast sky. It was hopeless...

But then the ground started shaking... no, it was the whole glacier, his eyes widened as he saw an enormous avalanche making its way toward him.

His vision went dark.

<Back With Arthur >

Arthur released a satisfied sigh as he watched Captain Jump from the ship, from the screen connected to the rear camera on the control panel.

Acting like a goody-two-shoes always tired the fuck out of his facial muscles. Well, at least with this he managed to accomplish the toughest part of his plan, manipulating Captain America into leaving this ship somehow.

His efforts paid off, and Captain jumped off without suspecting anything. More so, with guilt toward him, giving him the ship.

'Oh well, not like his guilt will be of any help to me.'

Now the aircraft was Arthur's belonging.

Now came the last part of his plan.

Arthur smiled wryly as he fixed the ship's malfunction.

Repairing this level of damage was no big deal for him, he had fixed worse.

In just a few minutes, it was done.

The gigantic, weaponized bomber aircraft, Valkyrie, was now under his command.

His loot!

'Barnes?'

{Yes? Why are you calling me, man? I can't help you in anyway, you've read the rules right?}

'Yeah, I know - Managers can't assist their Mercenaries to accomplish the mission, right? But it ain't related to the mission.'

{Okay...}

'I have a question regarding the inventory, what happens to the items stored in it after I leave this universe. Do they disappear from my inventory or is something like a copy replaces it?'

{Ughh, I'm really really really really really sorryy Arthur!!!!!! I should've explained it earlier dammit, why am I such a clutz, is that why those proctors hated me! *SOB* *SOB*'

Arthur cringed as he heard the penguin cry and groan in the most annoying squeaky voice ever.

'I don't care about it, penguin... just tell me right now, I don't have much time!'

{Yeah, y-yes. So, the items remain as is, you basically steal the world of those items. Ah, yes another thing, if you die, then all the items in your inventory are automatically withdrawn from your inventory at the same spot you die. It happens due to some complex overflow phenomenon or byproduct of your soul extraction process. It can be simply viewed as a penalty to death during a mission.}

Arthur hummed.

New York City was visible now...

Only a few minutes were remaining till he successfully finishes the first objective, which was surviving for three hours in this world. He would get a pretty decent reward for such an 'easy' mission... But the optional objective's unknown reward tempted him.

That's why he wanted to change at least something in this world, so that aware or unaware he causes some kind of butterfly effect, but he also knew from Marvel's What if series he watched, that changing 'Absolute Points' was impossible, it was called the 'Will of the World' in some universes.

He guessed that his efforts to stop Captain America's cryo-sleep would somehow fail and his small interaction with Peggy would change absolutely nothing.

He supposed that if the kiss went a bit longer, then Steve might miss catching the plane, but Steve still did come here.

Nothing he hoped had worked till now.

So, if he wanted to change anything significant in this world it would be to steal a fucking Infinity stone, particularly the space stone secured inside the azure Tesseract.

Infinity stones were one of the most powerful and major power source in the Marvel universe, only god knows what kind of butterfly effect would be unleashed if one of them disappears?

What kind of Chaos would erupt...

But the Space stone.... it was definitely attached to some Absolute point, he guessed.

Would the higher entities of Marvel universe just let him do anything just because he was an Omniversal Mercenary...? Would the Will of the Absolute Points or simply the World's Will, let him steal the stone..? It definitely did stopped all his other plans?

It'd be risky.

It was definitely risky.

But... can the world's will stop him from doing it when its right in front of him?

He sighed, and climbed back on his wheelchair, making his way to the exit of the aircraft...

Arthur inserted the arms into the straps of a large parachute, well, it seemed large to his scrawny little body.

Next, the gigantic ship disappeared into nothingness leaving only a skinny boy donning a backpack larger than his torso to a free fall.

Arthur was now relishing skydiving.

"WoooooooHooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"

But... the next moment he realized why the Optional Objectives are said to be insanely difficult.

Arthur was still in the air feeling the chaotic wind brush past his cheeks, thinking he had already achieved his goal when suddenly his eyes widened in shock.

Only now, he realized why Barnes said the Optional Objectives are insanely difficult.

Six weaponized aircraft appeared just out of nowhere, one locked on him!

"Stark!!" He grimaced as he gritted his teeth.

His blood froze as he watched the barrage of bullets being fired from the aircraft.

Everything dawned on him. Unlike the original, since they couldn't contact Captain, they took countermeasures against the Valkyrie—

No, it wasn't this simple... this was the World itself acting against him.

It was protecting its future Absolute points! It was guarding its future unborn heroes, its saviors, and eliminating him, an anomaly, an outsider, and a threat.

Several bullets pierced him, and he coughed blood and scowled as he looked at the screen, only visible to him. No more energy to resist...

Just a couple more seconds...!!

'Breath!!!!'

He blinked and his view changed...

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