Thanos Was About to Reach the Battlefield

"If it's not Thanos... could someone else be collecting the Infinity Stones?"

"Yes, I have!"

Russell remained calm. In 2012, the Supreme God sent in a batch of Reincarnator.

"Who is it?" Stark asked hastily, and the other Avengers couldn't help but tense up as well.

The most tense is Nebula, who comes from 2014 and, due to the sharing of her body, possesses all of Nebula's memories from the future. However, although she sees her own future, she believes it is someone else's memory, not her own, and still chooses to stand by Thanos's side.

On one hand, he fears Thanos, and on the other hand, he longs to make a contribution and receive fatherly love from Thanos. He is a villain who is both pitiful and hateful!

Those who play with time will inevitably be played with by time...

Russell glanced at everyone meaningfully. He knew the real reason very well. Supergirl's actions in the Battle of New York were too conspicuous, making the other Reincarnator aware of the world's background. But she couldn't be blamed for this; the blame had to be shifted to someone else.

It wouldn't make sense to blame anyone else, so the Avengers have to take the fall!

Russell coughed lightly and continued, "I told Stark before that the four of us come from another universe, but I didn't explain why we came here. Now I'll tell you the truth."

Russell gave the three women a look, telling them they were bad with words and should stay quiet.

"If we hadn't appeared, you few would have successfully collected all Six Infinity Stones, and Dr. Banner the Snap to resurrect all the lives Thanos killed five years ago..."

"We succeeded?"

"Wait, then why did it fail this time?"

"Where did things go wrong? Because you guys caused trouble?"

"..."

The Avengers spoke animatedly, each word dripping with emotion. Five years of defeat, five years of immense loss, five years of inner turmoil—their hard-won success had vanished before they could even savor it; no one could accept such a fate.

"Don't interrupt, this has nothing to do with us. The responsibility for the current situation lies with you."

Russell solemnly shifted the blame. "Because you traveled through time, went back in time to collect the Infinity Stones and succeeded, you attracted Thanos and his army from 2014, and a war broke out between the two sides. Stark used the power of the stones to kill Thanos, which disrupted the stability of other universes..."

At this point, Russell pointed to himself and the three women, including Supergirl: "In other words, in our universe, you are happy, but our universe is in chaos."

The Avengers exchanged bewildered glances, and Stark's smile was bitter, "What happened in your universe?"

"There are good and bad aspects; it's not all tragedy. For example, the four of us are beneficiaries." Russell said with a smile, then his face instantly darkened. "But many people who have suffered losses are very dissatisfied. They've crossed worlds to stop you from collecting the Infinity Stones and to help Thanos win the war. So, when you see them, don't hold back; just kill them."

"You came here to stop them?"

Russell nodded. "That's right, the four of us came here to continue the outcome that is favorable to us."

Upon hearing this, the Avengers began to whisper among themselves. Dr. Banner and Stark started discussing the complex connections between universes, but due to insufficient theoretical data, they argued for a long time without reaching any conclusion.

Supergirl stared blankly at Russell, thinking to herself that this guy could spout nonsense so easily, yet he made it sound so plausible, like the truth. Anyone who ended up with Russell would be completely fooled every day, wearing a green hat without even realizing it.

Duan Xinlan and Jian Shaoxin didn't think too much about it and secretly gave Russell a thumbs up. This persuasion was so brilliant that they almost believed it.

After a moment, the Avengers stopped their discussion, and Steve asked, "When did the other visitors from your universe appear? Was it all in 2012?"

Russell said solemnly, "Yes, I suspect that the two missing Infinity Stones were taken by them."

"Then let's go back to 2012, or even earlier, and get the two gems back."

"There's no need. It's a good thing that they took those two gems. At least..." Russell interrupted, pointing at Natasha: "She doesn't have to be a hero anymore."

"What's the meaning?"

"To obtain the Soul Stone, one must exchange it for life, that is, sacrifice the person one cherishes most. An Eternity exchange is irreversible; once dead, one is gone forever. For example, Thanos traded Gamora for the Soul Stone, his most beloved daughter." Russell chuckled. "Without us, the price you paid for the stone would have been Natasha. She and Hawkeye were vying to die, but in the end, she was more skillful and succeeded in killing him."

Upon hearing this, the Avengers all looked at Natasha in astonishment, their eyes filled with awe.

Natasha brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling a little embarrassed by the stare. She said awkwardly, "Don't misunderstand, there's nothing between Barton and me. He's a married man with children."

Hawkeye: "That's right, there's nothing there!"

"..."

The hall was deathly silent. The Avengers wisely kept quiet. Steve coughed lightly, breaking the awkward silence. "You mean, we do nothing and wait for them to bring the gems to us?"

"Certainly!"

Are you sure they'll come?

"I'm absolutely certain, and we have four gems, so we have nothing to fear from them."

This is why Russell remained calm. Even if the odds were canceled out, he still had two Infinity Stones left, which wouldn't be enough to Thanos.

"Dude, I was just about to ask you this." Stark, who had been frowning and thinking without saying much, asked, "You said before that if you hadn't appeared, we would have successfully collected the six Infinity Stones, attracted Thanos and his army from 2014, and I would have put on the gauntlet and killed Thanos."

"Yes, I said it."

Stark said seriously, "I want to know, where did the Thanos of 2014 come from?"

"Wait, didn't I just say that?"

Russell let out a soft "Eh," with a hint of apology. "It seems I didn't mention it! It's not too late to tell you now. Listen carefully, one of you is a traitor who used the Quantum Realm portal to bring Thanos from 2014 over."

"Traitor!?"

"This is absurd, no, it's ridiculous!"

The Avengers shook their heads, and Steve firmly denied it. "Impossible. None of us would betray each other. Not even for ourselves, not even to save what we've lost."

"To atone for your sins, none of you would betray us, but that might not be the case in 2014." Russell pointed to Nebula: "For example, this Miss Nebula from 2014. She was loyal to Thanos and would have no qualms about betraying you."

A collective gasp filled the hall. Nebula, whose true colors had been exposed, was prepared. She grabbed Natasha by the neck and reached for the pistol at her waist.

Unfortunately, the holster was empty; there was nothing inside.

Nebula looked ahead in surprise. Her pistol was in Supergirl's hand. Then she saw that Natasha had also appeared next to Supergirl.

"Grab her!"

At Steve's command, Colonel Rhodey and Dr. Banner simultaneously subdued Nebula from the left and right.

Seeing this, Supergirl whispered to Russell, "Without her bringing Thanos, how can we participate in the war?"

Russell sighed upon hearing this, "You know what? Because of your impulsive act, Thanos in 2014 is no longer the final boss."

"What's the meaning?"

"When the two Infinity Stones disappeared, I had a premonition that Thanos from 2012 was about to arrive on the battlefield..."