Ch. 247 Guardians of the Cosmic Cube

The Battle of New York had a profound impact on the world, not because it revealed the existence of the Avengers, but because it showed that aliens and mythological figures were real.

From a certain perspective, the Battle of New York had shattered the worldviews of ordinary people, making them realize that the world was far more complex than they had ever imagined.

As Russell contemplated how to gain the most from this event, his phone suddenly rang.

It was Tony calling.

Seeing Tony's name on the phone's screen, Russell pressed the answer button and calmly asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask if you've also accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s request for assistance," Tony's voice came from the other end of the line.

"Yes, I just met with Coulson and accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s request for assistance," Russell replied calmly.

"Just now?" Tony's tone turned a bit strange as he continued, "Yes, just now. Why?"

Upon hearing Tony's tone, Russell furrowed his brow and had a hunch about what was going on.

"Did Coulson tell you that I also accepted their request?" Tony suddenly chuckled.

"Yes," Russell quickly confirmed.

"People in the spy business really have twisted hearts," Tony added.

"Alright, enough about them. What's the matter you wanted to discuss?" Russell redirected the conversation.

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask if you're interested in the Cosmic Cube. If you are, perhaps we can cooperate," Tony quickly replied.

"Going head-to-head with an official organization doesn't seem like your style. Are you sure about this?" Although Tony didn't explicitly say it, Russell had already guessed his intentions.

"The Cosmic Cube doesn't belong to S.H.I.E.L.D.; they stole it from Hydra," Tony explained casually. "Don't tell me you're not interested in the Cosmic Cube and want to be a law-abiding citizen?"

Tony knew Russell's past and his character quite well.

"Of course, I'm interested. So, how do you plan to go about it, steal it?" Russell continued to inquire.

"Let's get something straight; it's not stealing; it's taking back what's rightfully ours," Tony replied with a grin. "The Cosmic Cube originally belonged to the Red Skull, then it fell into the Arctic Ocean and became ownerless, until my father found it."

"So, legally speaking, I have a more legitimate claim to it than S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony added with a smirk.

While Russell knew Tony was making things up, he didn't argue and said, "Even though that's the case, taking the Cosmic Cube from S.H.I.E.L.D. won't be that easy."

"They won't just stand by and let you take it. Not even when Howard Stark was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s co-founders."

"I'm well aware of that. If the Cosmic Cube ends up in my hands, they might cause me trouble. However, if the Cosmic Cube is in your hands, it'll be a different story," Tony said earnestly.

"Just because of that?" Russell asked.

"Of course, what else would you think? Although you're not a conventional 'good guy,' having you safeguard the Cosmic Cube is more reassuring than leaving it with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony explained.

"More importantly, you have the power to keep it out of the hands of dangerous elements," Tony quickly added.

While Tony's approach might seem unusual, Russell understood why he was doing it. Tony simply didn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D.

In fact, he didn't trust any official institutions in this world, given his experiences growing up there.

"Do you trust me that much? Aren't you worried that I might be one of those 'dangerous elements' you mentioned?" Russell asked with a smile.

"If you truly were one of those elements, it wouldn't matter whether the Cosmic Cube is in your hands or not," Tony replied. "Just your team with Godzilla and Grendel poses a threat on par with the Cosmic Cube, not to mention you."

Tony's decision to have Russell safeguard the Cosmic Cube was not impulsive; he had thought it through.

After hearing Tony's explanation, Russell shook his head in resignation and said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to ask for my help and you calling me for this collaboration makes me feel quite unlucky."

"It's their own fault for seeking it out, don't forget they came to you voluntarily," Tony quickly retorted.

"Alright, let's stop talking about them. I wish us a pleasant collaboration," Russell concluded.

Regardless of whether Tony had called or not, Russell wouldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire the Space Stone. Tony's call only increased the chances of obtaining it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s request for assistance in the first place.

Russell wasn't concerned about whether S.H.I.E.L.D. could retrieve the Cosmic Cube; he was focused on obtaining the Space Stone.

"Let's make this clear: once the Cosmic Cube is in my possession, don't forget to hand it over for my research," Tony reminded Russell.

"Don't worry; if I truly have the Cosmic Cube, you'll have a chance to satisfy your curiosity," Russell replied before ending the call.

After the call with Tony, Russell decided to bring along the Cloak of Levitation. Although it wasn't on his initial list of team members, he thought it would be helpful.

He instructed the Cloak to assist Hulk during the mission.

Hulk had no means of flying, and while both Russell and Diana could fly, having the Cloak would be an additional safety measure.

Once everything was ready, Russell and Diana took off from their apartment directly towards the Justice League Headquarters.

In the Justice League Headquarters:

Russell informed Hulk about the mission and asked him to prepare for departure. Afterward, he spent some time in the entertainment room, playing a few rounds of games with the Cloak of Levitation.

As night fell, Russell finally returned to his apartment.

The next day, around noon.

Russell, who was enjoying lunch in his apartment, received a message from Coulson. It contained coordinates and a meeting time.

Glancing at the coordinates, Russell guessed what S.H.I.E.L.D. had arranged. Just like in the cinematic universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. had brought out their ace in the hole, the Helicarrier.

Although the Helicarrier hadn't been very effective in the films, it still provided a mobile base.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has sent the departure information. Is there anything else you need to prepare?" Russell asked Diana.

"I don't need to prepare anything. I can go right away," Diana quickly replied.

Diana, no longer hiding her superhuman abilities, had no intention of continuing to disguise herself as an ordinary person.

Justice League Headquarters.

Hangar.

Russell and Diana, dressed casually, arrived at the hangar.

Just like the previous trip to Hawaii, Hulk had brought two massive barrels of beer.

Before they could board and take off, the Cloak of Levitation arrived in the hangar as well.

"Do you want to come along?" Russell asked the Cloak.

The Cloak nodded.

Although the Cloak wasn't originally on Russell's list of team members, he decided to bring it along. It could assist Hulk during the mission.

"Your task is to assist Hulk," Russell instructed the Cloak.

Hearing his words, the Cloak flew to Hulk's side and draped itself over him.

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

A lone aircraft carrier sailed through the vast ocean. Unlike other carriers, it was completely devoid of escort ships or destroyers.

Soldiers dressed in black uniforms worked on the deck like ants.

At that moment, a unique-looking aircraft appeared on the radar near the carrier and began a slow descent.

This aircraft was unlike any known model, with a silver-white fuselage bearing a familiar symbol, the emblem of the Fantastic Four.

As the aircraft landed on the deck, the hatch had yet to open, but Coulson, who had been waiting, walked up to greet them.

"Welcome, Mr. Richards," Coulson said warmly, extending his right hand toward Reed Richards.

Although Russell wasn't particularly fond of S.H.I.E.L.D., he understood the importance of maintaining a cordial attitude. Reed Richards shook Coulson's hand.

"I and my team have a duty to prevent global disasters. No need to be polite," Reed replied slowly before releasing Coulson's hand.

After Reed's words, the Human Torch, Johnny Storm, The Thing, Ben Grimm, and the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm, disembarked from the aircraft.

After some polite greetings, Coulson led them to the bridge.

Ten minutes later, another aircraft appeared on the carrier's radar. This time, it was not a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft but one carrying Russell, Diana, and the Cloak of Levitation, along with the Justice League's team.

Just like S.H.I.E.L.D. had arranged a reception for the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury had assigned Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, and Clint Barton, Hawkeye, to receive Russell's team.

In this world, Barton had not been influenced by the Mind Stone and hadn't become Loki's subordinate.

"I still think it wasn't wise for Fury to have Russell and the Justice League participate in this mission," Barton commented to Natasha as they awaited Russell's arrival.

"Fury is the chief; we just need to follow the chief's orders," Natasha quickly replied.

Soon, the Justice League's aircraft landed on the deck. Natasha and Barton immediately approached.

"Mr. Bradley, welcome," Natasha said as she approached Russell's group.

"No need to be polite," Russell replied casually.

After exchanging greetings, Natasha and Barton led Russell's team to the bridge.

Inside the bridge, just like the bustling deck, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were fulfilling their duties, controlling the seemingly normal aircraft carrier.

At the meeting table at the back of the bridge, several people were already seated, including Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards and Captain America Steve Rogers.

Upon seeing Russell's arrival, Mr. Fantastic Reed stood up and greeted him, then gestured for the three of them to sit down and chat.

Russell and Diana took their seats, but Hulk remained standing, curiously observing everything on the bridge.

"This should be Miss Diana Prince, right? Hello, I'm Reed, Reed Richards," Reed said.

Although Reed usually came across as a straightforward guy, seeing Diana still made his eyes light up, giving him a feeling of infatuation.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Diana replied with a smile.

Reed's behavior was relatively normal, but Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, was a bit too flamboyant.

When Diana turned to look at him, he lifted his right hand like a showman, transforming it into a fiery form and flashing Diana what he considered a charming smile.

Before Johnny could say anything, Russell intentionally spoke aloud for everyone to hear, "This self-absorbed guy is Johnny, Susan's brother."

Russell didn't give Johnny a chance to introduce himself and took the initiative to introduce the three of them to Diana.

In fact, even if he hadn't introduced them, Diana would have known who Johnny and the others were. Despite her past as a disguised ordinary person, it didn't mean she completely ignored information about superheroes. Besides, the overwhelming media coverage ensured she received such information passively.

Hearing Russell's words, Johnny immediately wore an unhappy expression and huffed, turning his gaze away.

"Now, we're just waiting for Stark. Has he mentioned when he'll arrive?" Captain America Steve Rogers asked Coulson.

"No, he hasn't responded to us," Coulson quickly replied.

"Stark, are you talking about Tony Stark?" Mr. Fantastic Reed didn't know that Tony had joined this mission and asked in confusion.

"Yes, that's right, Tony Stark," Captain America replied.

"What's he coming for? He's just a playboy," Johnny said disdainfully.

"He's not just a playboy; he's also a genius inventor and a billionaire," Russell corrected Johnny.