Chapter 168 They Will Not Give Us Time

"Pepper, don't worry."

"The me of today is no longer who I used to be."

After receiving the message regarding the assembly location, Tony looked at Pepper, who was gazing at him. The mask retracted to reveal his handsome and striking features, and a confident smile spread across his face.

"Mm, I believe in you."

Knowing that Tony had undergone more enhancements than she had, and with the immense power provided by his armor, Pepper said with a smile.

"Sir, could Mr. Harvey have foreseen this turn of events, which is why he had you stay on Earth?"

Jarvis asked.

"With his abilities, that's entirely possible."

"Still, I'm fortunate he had me stay on Earth."

"Otherwise, if I had gone off playing in the cosmos and my home were destroyed, that would have been a disaster."

Knowing that the assembly wasn't until the day after tomorrow, Tony removed his armor, feeling completely relaxed and cheerful.

Faced with the impending enemy, Tony felt not a shred of fear, but rather a surge of fighting spirit—all of which stemmed from his formidable strength.

"It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. intends to track down the Hulk this time," Jarvis remarked.

"You mean that Bruce Banner guy who has power, yet lacks the courage to use it and refuses to find a way to control it?" Tony said, pausing to think after hearing Jarvis's words.

With Jarvis around, even things the military deliberately attempted to suppress could not escape his eyes; naturally, Tony was well-informed about the Hulk.

"Yes," Jarvis replied.

"If they really manage to bring him along..."

"Then this Avengers Initiative will finally start to look like an actual league of avengers."

Hearing Jarvis's report, a look of keen interest appeared in Tony's eyes.

Without the Hulk, he was practically the sole source of true combat power within the Avengers.

Because he was the only one capable of stepping onto the battlefield against genuine, formidable adversaries.

While Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Captain America were immensely useful when dealing with threats native to Earth, they would be fortunate just to survive against invincible enemies hailing from the cosmos—let alone contribute in any meaningful way.

Yet with the Hulk added to the mix, the entire dynamic would change completely.

Even if Bruce Banner could not perfectly control the Hulk's power, as long as he transformed and a suitable terrain was chosen, it would suffice.

Tony had also researched the Hulk, classifying him as an entity impervious to blades and firearms, capable of tearing tanks apart with his bare hands.

In cosmic terms, such a being belonged to the category of superpowered individuals.

Bruce Banner not only refrained from using his power, but actually feared the strength residing within his own body.

Tony could understand this mindset; Banner fell precisely into the category Harvey had previously described—fearing being treated as a freak.

Moreover, Banner was terrified that once transformed, he would cause mindless destruction to everything around him.

However, Tony would make Bruce Banner understand that even if the Hulk went on a rampage, he possessed the ability to forcibly subdue him.

Once Banner realized this, he would surely no longer harbor such fear toward his own power.

He just wondered how strong the enemy would be this time, though Tony wasn't particularly worried.

Given what Harvey had said about the alien invasion, the enemy he would face was very likely this unknown threat invading Earth—unlike the previous Destroyer, into which he had simply intervened of his own accord.

Otherwise, that adversary would likely have retreated after killing Thor.

Yet Tony did not regret interfering in that affair, as he had acquired Uru metal and gained Thor's friendship.

He only wondered what Thor was up to; half a year had passed, and he hadn't bothered to drop by Earth for a visit.

According to what Thor had said, Tony knew that traveling back and forth between Asgard and Earth hundreds of times a day was entirely achievable for him.

If he possessed that kind of capability to travel freely between Earth and the cosmos, he would definitely be heading out into space every single day. He wondered what on earth was entangling Thor.

Thinking of Thor, Tony grew thoughtful.

If the Avengers could also recruit Thor into their ranks, the league would truly possess the power to safeguard Earth.

Otherwise, relying solely on his own strength and that of the Hulk might still fall short.

Even so, Tony remained unconcerned; should a truly terrifying enemy strike, Earth still had the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, and the All-Father, Odin.

Besides, Harvey was on Earth too—though Harvey cared little for the planet.

Should someone dare to blow up Harvey's home, however, Harvey would likely wipe out the opposing force with a casual wave of his hand.

Though dragging the battlefield into New York would cause certain casualties, failing to defeat the enemy would result in something far worse than mere casualties—it would bring about unimaginable devastation.

Tony still understood the principle of not sacrificing the greater good for the trivial.

***

The next morning.

Nick Fury went in person to find Captain America, Steve Rogers.

Knowing that Tony's impression of S.H.I.E.L.D. was far from favorable, Fury realized the unreality of attempting to command Tony.

Among the Avengers, aside from Tony, the most powerful individual was Captain America, Steve Rogers.

Fury was also aware that recently, Steve Rogers had been training frantically; his strength had not only returned to its former peak condition, but had grown even greater.

Faced with an enemy of cosmic origin, it was best for these superhuman heroes to step forward.

Unless absolutely unavoidable, the option of deploying large-scale missiles or nuclear warheads would not be considered; once unleashed, the radius of impact would be far too vast, resulting in catastrophic casualties.

"You're saying this enemy comes from the cosmos?"

"Are you certain you aren't joking with me?"

Steve threw a punch at the punching bag with a resounding *bang*; the heavy bag flew straight through the air, crashing heavily onto the floor. Turning back, he wore an expression that clearly said, *Are you kidding me?*

"I've already told you before."

"Times have changed; Earth has entered the sights of other civilizations in the universe."

"Enemies from the cosmos could arrive at any moment."

Seeing the power Steve displayed, Nick Fury's eyelids twitched slightly as he spoke.

"You must have brought this upon us yourselves through some reckless provocation," Steve stated, refusing to believe it.

"We were merely studying the Tesseract, with no intention of activating it proactively."

"However, the opposing party activated the Tesseract without authorization, opened a gateway, and came to Earth."

Hearing this, Nick Fury knew he couldn't keep it from Steve, so he spoke up.

"The Tesseract is far too dangerous; stop researching it casually."

"That is not something humanity can control at our current stage."

Although Steve had anticipated as much, hearing Nick Fury admit it left him somewhat speechless.

"I would have preferred to wait until our technology was more advanced before conducting further research."

"Unfortunately, the other civilizations of the universe will not grant us that much time."

Nick Fury replied.

"Everything you're saying is utter nonsense."

Steve dismissed the explanation entirely.

"Tony Stark will also be present at this assembly."

Seeing Steve's reaction, Nick Fury paused before adding.

"Where is the assembly taking place?"

Hearing Tony's name, Steve's expression shifted as he asked.

"Just come with me," Nick Fury said with a smile.

Closely monitoring all of Tony's activities, they were naturally well aware that some bad blood existed between Steve and Tony.