Chapter Summaries

As Rocket’s group planned their StarNet purchases to help Groot, Leo decided to return to Earth to deal with a personal matter. He left the others aboard the Milan as they continued toward their next destination.

• Jason showed the group an article claiming Galaxy Pure Water could replenish vitality and might possess consciousness, though Rocket said they would judge it after seeing the real thing.
• Rocket plotted a route to the sellers, and the group discussed how they would handle a potentially dishonest transaction by taking the goods by force.
• Quill noticed Leo was distracted, and Leo said he needed to return to Earth to deal with a special emotional problem.
• Leo warned Quill that powerful figures on Earth had noticed his previous visits, then told the group he might return after reaching their destination.
• Leo vanished from the Milan, and the others joked about Quill’s reliability while Mantis asked for food.

Leo told Wanda and Pietro about the vast alien civilizations surrounding Earth and warned them that a powerful being seeking the Infinity Stones could invade. He left them frightened by the threat and argued that powerful ability users like them needed to help defend Earth.

• Pietro tasted an alien fruit from Xandar and asked Leo where it came from.
• Leo explained that Xandar was the capital of a vast interstellar empire and described other civilizations near Earth.
• Leo warned Wanda and Pietro that the Chitauri could return under the command of a powerful being seeking the Infinity Stones.
• Wanda recalled her vision of Earth’s destruction and grew agitated at the possibility of an invasion.
• Leo said the Avengers were created to protect Earth and urged Wanda and Pietro to recognize the importance of powerful ability users.

Leo showed Wanda and Pietro evidence of Tony Stark’s efforts to make amends and warned them that killing him would hurt innocent people, including those who relied on the Stark Foundation. The siblings began to reconsider their revenge, and Pietro asked Leo what they had done in the future he had seen.

• Leo told Wanda that Tony Stark’s remorse and efforts to repair past harm made killing him an empty act of revenge.
• Leo used Leo Three to show Wanda and Pietro Stark’s aid work and the Foundation’s planned program for Sokovia.
• Wanda and Pietro questioned whether killing Stark would deprive people of aid and ruin lives, and they hesitated over their plan for revenge.
• Pietro asked Leo what he and Wanda had done in the future Leo had seen.
• Leo offered the siblings specialty fruits from Xandar and said he could tell them about the future.

Wanda and Pilot argued over their failed attempts to reach Leo, while Wanda continued training her control over her Scarlet Energy. The call finally connected, and Leo greeted Wanda, leaving the siblings’ conversation about their suspicions and plans unresolved.

• Pilot repeatedly called the number Leo had given them but heard only a busy signal.
• Wanda practiced controlling her Scarlet Energy, which she had once feared and avoided using.
• Wanda told Pilot she believed Leo had not been joking, while Pilot accused the Avengers of having innocent blood on their hands.
• Pilot asked Wanda why she had seemed troubled since meeting the Golden Legend and urged her to focus on revenge against Stark.
• Wanda dialed Leo’s number again, and he answered, greeting her by name.

Leo described the battle of Sokovia to Wanda and Pietro, explaining how the Avengers fought Ultron while rescuing the city’s residents. The Avengers won the battle, but Wanda stayed behind to guard the core device as Ultron’s remaining forces escaped.

• Leo told Wanda and Pietro that Ultron had raised Sokovia into the sky and aimed to destroy humanity, while the Avengers fought his Iron Legion and evacuated residents.
• Leo explained that S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier and rescue aircraft helped evacuate Sokovia, while Pietro saved trapped residents and Wanda initially struggled to join the fight.
• Hawkeye encouraged Wanda to leave her shelter, and she stepped forward to fight Ultron’s forces and help protect humanity.
• The Avengers gathered near the core device and defeated Ultron’s forces after Vision sealed off Ultron’s network.
• Ultron and dozens of robots prepared to escape, but Wanda remained at the center to guard the core device.

Leo described how Pietro died saving Hawkeye and a child during the Sokovia crisis, while Wanda survived after Vision rescued her from the falling ruins. Wanda and Pietro struggled to accept the future he recounted and asked what happened afterward.

• Leo told Wanda and Pietro that Pietro had rushed to protect Hawkeye and a child from Ultron’s gunfire and had died from his wounds.
• Wanda had sensed Pietro’s death, destroyed the nearby robots, and crushed Ultron, but a damaged robot activated Sokovia’s core mechanism and sent the city plummeting.
• Pietro feared Wanda had died too, while Leo asked whether the twins shared a mental connection; Pietro tried to reassure Wanda that the future was not certain.
• Leo explained that Stark and the others shattered Sokovia with Thor’s help, and Vision rescued Wanda from the falling wreckage.
• Leo said Wanda later joined the Avengers and asked whether the twins still wanted to hear what happened next.

Leo explained to Stark that Wanda’s power had surprised him and that she could become a key Avenger, while Stark stayed firm in rejecting any future that might control him. As Stark’s party began, guests arrived and he and Leo prepared to join them.

• Leo told Stark that Wanda’s power came from within her and urged him to consider training her.
• Stark said he would not let the future control him, and Leo asked about the party.
• Stark said Pepper would not attend and that he had invited people to gather and drink.
• Leo spotted military officers, businessmen, and politicians arriving at the venue.
• Leo identified Rhodey, Rogers, Sam, Hill, and Dr. Zhao among the guests.
• Stark told Leo their clothes were ready and went to change for the party.

At the cocktail party, Leo’s arrival drew the guests’ attention as Hill led him upstairs to the private meeting rooms. Meanwhile, Banner approached Natasha at the bar, while the others continued socializing below.

• Sam declined Rogers’s invitation to go upstairs and stayed on the first floor.
• Stark and Rhodey noticed Hill taking Leo upstairs and discussed Leo and Rhodey’s arms-smuggling investigation.
• Dr. Zhao Hailun compared Leo’s healing ability to her Life Cradle technology, and Barton encouraged her to meet Thor.
• Hill led Leo to the second floor, where guests who knew his identity watched him warily and others speculated about who he was.
• Banner sat beside Natasha at the bar, where she served him a drink and he gazed at her with affection.

Leo drew the attention of the guests at the Avengers Tower party, who tried to discover his identity and connection to Tony Stark. Agent Hill led him upstairs to meet the people waiting for him.

• Dr. Banner left Leo surrounded by curious guests so he could slip away unnoticed.
• Business leaders questioned Leo about his identity and his relationship with Tony Stark and the Avengers.
• Two US Government officials challenged Leo, but his imposing presence made them retreat.
• Agent Hill greeted Leo, explained that Stark had been unable to reach him, and led him through the crowd.
• Leo followed Hill up to the nearly empty second floor, where people were waiting for him.

Nick Fury showed Leo S.H.I.E.L.D.'s independently intelligent armed robots and asked about the Mind Stone, but Leo refused to let humanity use it and left after crushing one robot. Fury revealed to Hill that he had only wanted to learn Leo's views on the Infinity Stones, while Stark let Fury leave and questioned why he had snuck in.

• Nick Fury activated four armed robots with independent intelligence, and Leo recognized that Fury wanted battlefield-ready mechanical soldiers.
• Leo challenged Fury's claim that S.H.I.E.L.D. needed the robots and warned him not to use the Mind Stone.
• When one robot moved to capture him, Leo crushed it into a metal sphere and left; Nick Fury stopped the others from pursuing.
• Hill questioned Fury about Leo's possession of the Infinity Stones, and Fury said his purpose had been to learn Leo's views and confirm he would not give the Mind Stone to Stark.
• Nick Fury left for the helipad with three robots, and Stark told J.A.R.V.I.S. not to stop him before wondering why Fury had made his arrival so obvious.

Leo met Nick Fury in a private room, where Fury revealed S.H.I.E.L.D. was interested in the Mind Stone and the unfinished mechanical-soldier technology recovered from Hydra’s Sokovia base. The meeting ended with Leo questioning Fury’s plans as Fury remained silent about what the robots still lacked.

• Hill led Leo into a private room, where he found Nick Fury and four silent humanoid robots waiting.
• Fury asked Leo about his recent time away from Earth, and Leo assured him that no cosmic crisis threatened Earth for the time being.
• Fury described S.H.I.E.L.D.’s investigations into Hydra and weapons smuggling, then hinted that he wanted Leo’s help, possibly involving the Mind Stone.
• Leo recognized that the robots were operational and challenged Fury over whether he intended to develop mechanical soldiers.
• Fury considered how Hydra’s Sokovia research had brought mechanical soldiers close to reality, while S.H.I.E.L.D. had recovered only an incomplete program.

Stark invited Zost to stay and meet the team, while Leo proposed bringing Pietro and Wanda into their ranks. The group accepted Leo’s suggestion, relaxed into stories at the party, and then turned their attention to Zost and Rogers.

• Stark asked Zost to stay and chat, and Zost agreed to meet him.
• Natasha and Banner joined the group, and Natasha sensed that Zost had combat experience when they shook hands.
• Leo explained that Pietro and Wanda were former Hydra test subjects whose desire for revenge had eased, and he proposed bringing them into the team.
• The group listened as Leo described the twins and tacitly accepted his choice.
• Thor, Barton, and Dr. Zhao Hailun joined the gathering, and the team shifted from discussing the twins to sharing stories.
• Zost settled into the group, and everyone turned their attention to him and Rogers.

At a cocktail party, Leo reunited with Zost and Voss Brandon, then checked on Black Prison’s operations and warned Zost to stay alert. Stark and Rhodey watched them, and Rhodey learned that Leo had founded Black Prison, while someone had already set their sights on the organization.

• Leo greeted Zost, who had attended the party with Voss Brandon, and asked after Voss’s son Walker.
• Voss praised Zost’s management of Black Prison, and Leo said he had founded it to bring order to New York.
• Leo asked Zost about the Hand, Maya, Daisy, and the others, then told him to keep running Black Prison responsibly.
• Stark told Rhodey that Zost managed Black Prison, and Rhodey warned that the organization was in trouble because someone had targeted it.
• Stark reassured Rhodey that Leo had created Black Prison and would be fine.

Eitri used the Ring Forge to make a Power Bracer for Leo, risking the loss of some of his forging gains if the attempt failed. The bracer began taking shape without trouble, but Eitri was suddenly wounded and a blue mist appeared before him.

• A master Dwarf explained that the Ring Forge could damage a delicate Tool Bracer, making Eitri’s attempt dangerous.
• Eitri chose to forge the bracer for Leo, whom the Dwarves regarded as their savior, despite the risk of losing half the benefits from his earlier artifact forging.
• The Dwarves discussed Leo’s origins and the captured Undead General, who was being used for weapon tests because he could not be killed.
• Eitri melted metals and enchanted materials in the Ring Forge, then poured the liquid into the altered Sacred Mold as the Power Bracer began to form.
• A Tool Bracer in Eitri’s hand changed into a blade and cut his arm; a Golden Light healed the wound, and a blue mist appeared before him.

Leo showed the Space Stone and Mind Stone, then revealed that the Power Stone was in the Nine Realms while the Time Stone was on Earth. Thor warned everyone about the danger of the Infinity Stones and left to return to Asgard and visit Nidavellir.

• Leo showed everyone the Space Stone and the Mind Stone, confirming that he possessed only those two Infinity Stones.
• Thor warned that an unsealed Power Stone could destroy Earth, but Leo clarified that it was in the Nine Realms, not on Earth.
• Leo revealed that the Time Stone had been on Earth for hundreds or thousands of years.
• Leo explained that Thor's grandfather had once gathered the Infinity Stones before scattering them.
• Thor transformed into the God of Thunder Iron Man Armor and left to return to Asgard and visit Nidavellir.

Leo tested the Strength Bracer Eitri forged, discovering that it improved his control and compression of energy and could hold the Power Stone. Thor arrived on Nidavellir and learned that the bracer was intended to become an Infinity Stone weapon.

• Leo used the Strength Bracer to shape golden energy into a light blade, extend it into a massive weapon, and cleave the air with a frightening display of power.
• Leo compared energy condensed through the bracer with energy controlled by his bare hand and found the bracer made his energy use more efficient.
• The bracer glowed as the Cosmic Source restored Leo and Eitri, while a multicolored beam traveled through the Star Ring to Nidavellir.
• Thor arrived on the Ring Forge as Dwarf children gathered the Bifrost crystals, then flew over to Leo and Eitri.
• Eitri told Thor that he had forged Leo a Strength Bracer and explained that it was designed to hold the Power Stone.

Heimdall told Thor that Odin had been acting unlike himself and asked him to investigate, but Thor flew to the palace after hearing the concern. Leo then arrived at the Bifrost outpost, leaving Heimdall reassured that someone on Thor’s side was present.

• Heimdall brought Thor back to Asgard and told him that he suspected something was wrong with Odin.
• Thor asked what Odin had done, and Heimdall cited changes to the laws, prison, and palace renovations.
• Thor said he would keep Heimdall’s warning in mind and flew to the castle to report information about the Infinity Stone to Odin.
• Heimdall doubted Thor would handle the matter reliably and feared he might have to act himself.
• Leo arrived at the Bifrost outpost and learned from Heimdall that Thor had gone to the main hall.

Stark questioned how Leo knew secrets from decades ago, then turned to Stark Industries’ work while thinking about his father and Leo’s help. On Nidavellir, Eitri began using the Ring Forge and a Sacred Mold to make a Tool Bracer, astonishing the Dwarves watching him.

• Stark wondered whether Leo could see the past as well as the future and decided to ask him about it when he returned.
• Stark recalled how Leo had helped him uncover a new element and face memories of his parents, then began handling Stark Industries’ administrative work.
• Eitri prepared an irregular Sacred Mold and more than twenty kinds of metal for a Tool Bracer at Nidavellir’s Ring Forge.
• A young Dwarf showed how his Tool Bracer extended over his hand and produced tools, while an adult Dwarf explained that a Sacred Mold could make a durable, enchanted bracer.
• The Dwarves reacted with amazement as Eitri attempted to use the Ring Forge to forge a Tool Bracer.

Leo returned to Asgard with Thor and asked Frigga about Asgard’s records on the Infinity Stones. When Eitri called Leo to Nidavellir, Leo departed abruptly, and Thor followed him.

• Leo flew with Thor to the palace and asked whether Thor would accompany him to Nidavellir.
• Thor and Leo learned that Odin was inspecting the training grounds and went to find him with Frigga.
• Loki, disguised as Odin, invited Thor to discuss his return in a side hall, while Thor greeted Frigga and asked about Asgard’s Infinity Stone records.
• Frigga told Leo that the Stones’ reappearance might mean the universe needed them again, and Leo said Eitri was calling him to Nidavellir.
• Thor left for Nidavellir after Leo, while Frigga reminded Loki that Sif and Hogun had a report about Svartalfheim.

The Kro leader tried to seize Leo and his companions, claiming they might have stolen valuable items from Planet Six through the Seven Star Lottery. The Kro surrounded the group and pinned down the Milan, leaving the confrontation poised to turn violent.

• Quill stopped Rocket from rushing toward the Kro, while Leo's group stayed calm despite the ten Kro ships surrounding them.
• Rocket identified himself as the buyer and offered to pay the remaining 2.5 million after inspecting the goods, but the Kro leader focused on Leo.
• The Kro leader transformed his box into an energy dagger as ten armed Kro aimed their guns at Leo's group.
• Gamora activated the Milan's weapons and prepared to leave, but the Kro ships locked onto it, formed an aerial blockade, and held it with tractor beams.
• The Kro leader accused Leo's group of possibly taking valuable items from Planet Six and ordered his soldiers to restrain them for interrogation.