2B's Strange Behavior and The Ancient One's Appearance

"Los Santos really did live up to its name. Stars were everywhere." Chen Tian walked along Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, followed by Miss 2B, who had changed into casual clothes but still wore her blindfold.

"By the way, 2B, don't you need to stay with Tony? His new armor might not need me, but it still needs your assistance with the manufacturing, right?"

"Master, my highest-priority task is to remain by your side at all times and fulfill any need you may have as quickly as possible."

2B lowered her head slightly and answered softly.

"Uh, there's no need for that. You're free. This isn't the YoRHa forces. From the moment I summoned you, you were free."

2B's body suddenly stiffened. Her core processor ran madly as countless streams of data cascaded through it like a waterfall.

"Free...?" she softly repeated the word, her voice carrying a trace of unfamiliar confusion.

Chen Tian stopped and turned to look at the silver-haired girl. Sunlight filtered through the palm trees lining Rodeo Drive, casting Madara shadows across her delicate face.

"Yes, free." Chen Tian spoke gently. "You can choose what you want to do and go wherever you want to go."

2B's core temperature abruptly rose by 0.3 degrees. The tiny change felt strange to her. Her logic module was working at full capacity to parse the concept—no orders, no missions, no mandatory programs to execute.

"But... Master, if there are no instructions..." Her voice grew quieter and quieter, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting together. "How am I supposed to... operate?"

Chen Tian could not help laughing. He gently patted 2B's shoulder. "Like me—wandering around without a goal, enjoying life, enjoying the sunshine. Or..." He looked around and pointed at an ice cream shop by the street. "What do you want to do most right now?"

2B followed his finger, her gaze landing on the little pink-and-blue shop. Her visual sensors captured the colorful scoops of ice cream behind the window, and her data analysis indicated that it was a human-favored dessert containing large amounts of dopamine stimulants.

"I... want to try that?" She hesitantly pointed to a pink scoop of ice cream. "According to the database, that should be strawberry flavored."

Chen Tian's eyes lit up. "Wonderful! That's the first step toward freedom—choosing the flavor you like!"

He took 2B's hand and led her toward the ice cream shop, while the girl's processor continued running at high speed. Being led like this felt strange—not driven by programming, but guided by a vague, warm impulse.

"Two strawberry ice creams, please," Chen Tian said to the clerk.

When 2B accepted the pink cone, her fingers trembled slightly. Her sensors faithfully recorded the cold temperature and cloying fragrance, but something deeper was beginning to sprout within her core.

"Try it," Chen Tian encouraged.

2B cautiously licked it. Instantly, her pupils widened slightly.

"Is... is this what freedom tastes like?" she asked softly, her voice filled with innocent confusion.

Chen Tian burst out laughing. "No, that's just what strawberry ice cream tastes like. Freedom... well, you'll have to discover its taste for yourself."

2B nodded thoughtfully and licked the ice cream again. The sunlight shone on her silver hair, reflecting a dazzling gleam. In that moment, this mechanical life-form who had once existed solely for battle experienced the simple Jane of being a "person" for the first time.

Her core was still calculating the complex concept of "freedom," but an entirely new feeling, one that could not be measured with data, was quietly growing—like the first tender shoot breaking through the soil in spring, tiny yet full of life.

2B gave Chen Tian a radiant smile. Even the California sunshine paled before it.

For a moment, Chen Tian was utterly captivated by 2B's smile, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

He awkwardly turned his head and coughed a few times. "Ahem, all right! 2B, you've already taken the first step. Now let's think about what we should do next to help you experience freedom. Do you have any ideas?"

2B tilted her head and looked at Chen Tian's large hand. She tentatively took it, and the moment their hands clasped, she felt the warmth of his palm pass through the precise machinery within her and reach the core processor in her mind.

Chen Tian was a little surprised. Why had 2B started spacing out after taking his hand?

"2B, what's wrong? Can't think of anything? That's okay. How about I lead you on a new plan today—'Sunshine Girl Steps Out the Door'? What do you think?"

The moment Chen Tian finished speaking, 2B suddenly raised her head. The sensors beneath her blindfold flashed with an unusual light. She gripped Chen Tian's hand tightly, with enough force that he almost felt pain.

"Master..." Her voice was no longer as calm as usual, but carried a faint tremor. "According to my database analysis... the most direct way humans express intimate relationships..."

Sunlight fell across her delicate face as her silver hair drifted gently in the breeze. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were searching for the right words.

"I want to..." 2B suddenly stepped forward, nearly pressing herself against Chen Tian. "Engage in reproductive behavior with Master."

The words struck Chen Tian like lightning. His eyes widened as all the blood in his body seemed to rush to two extremes—his mind went blank, while the roots of his ears burned terrifyingly hot.

"2B! Th-this wasn't part of our plan." Chen Tian stammered. Damn it, engaging in reproductive behavior with Miss 2B was the dream of countless nerds!

Chen Tian wanted to as well, but... out in the street? That was not good, right?

2B looked at Chen Tian's somewhat lewd smile in confusion. "2B watched recordings of Master engaging in reproductive behavior with three women. In the recordings, Master and the three women all looked very happy. 2B wants to bring Master happiness."

Chen Tian's face instantly flushed red. He frantically looked around, terrified that someone might hear 2B's shocking declaration. People came and went along Rodeo Drive, but fortunately, no one paid attention to this "strange" couple.

"2B! You can't say things like that in the street!" Chen Tian lowered his voice and pulled 2B briskly toward a secluded alley. "And those recordings... Tony, that bastard, secretly filmed them!"

2B tilted her head, her silver hair sparkling in the sunlight. "Master means... reproductive behavior should take place somewhere private?"

"That's not the issue!" Chen Tian scratched his head in frustration. "The point is... why did you suddenly think of that?"

2B's expression turned serious. "According to data analysis, reproductive behavior is the most direct and effective method for humans to express intimate relationships. And..." She lowered her head, her voice softening. "I want to make Master happy."

Chen Tian's heart suddenly softened. He sighed and gently held 2B's hand. "2B, you don't need to please me this way. Freedom means doing what you want to do, not doing things to satisfy someone else."

2B's core processor began running at high speed again. Feeling the warmth of Chen Tian's palm, an unprecedented confusion welled up inside her.

"But... Master, what if this is what I want to do?" She raised her head, the sensors beneath her blindfold glimmering faintly. "What if... this is the 'freedom' I choose?"

Chen Tian froze. Sunlight passed through gaps in the palm leaves and through droplets left by a sprinkler truck, casting rainbow-colored light across 2B's delicate face. He suddenly realized that this mechanical life-form before him was undergoing confusion and exploration much like a human adolescent.

"2B..." Chen Tian took a deep breath. "This kind of thing needs to be built on mutual understanding and feelings. It can't be decided by simple data analysis and logical judgment."

2B nodded thoughtfully. "Like... choosing strawberry ice cream? You have to try it first to know whether you like it?"

"Uh... that analogy..." Chen Tian coughed awkwardly twice. "In a way, you could understand it like that."

Just then, 2B suddenly rose onto her toes and lightly kissed Chen Tian on the cheek. The movement was so fast that he had no time to react; he only felt a soft touch vanish in an instant.

"This is a common human way of expressing affection," 2B explained seriously, though her core temperature uncontrollably rose by 0.5 degrees. "According to my observations, Master seems to like this kind of contact."

Chen Tian stood there blankly, feeling as though his brain processor was overheating even more than 2B's. He unconsciously touched the cheek she had kissed, where a faint cool sensation still lingered.

"2B, are you... learning human behavior patterns?"

"No, Master." 2B shook her head, her silver hair swaying with the movement. "I am... experiencing freedom."

Her words made Chen Tian's heart tremble. On this sunny afternoon, a mechanical life-form from another world was using her own way to understand the meaning of "freedom."

Perhaps it was because 2B was his summon, like Diablo, branded with the mark of "obey the summoner."

Chen Tian looked into 2B's eyes, hidden behind her blindfold yet seemingly capable of seeing through people's hearts, and suddenly realized that he might have fallen into a mistaken way of thinking.

Forget it. Why think so much? He had already transmigrated, Tony, the rich guy, was covering his expenses, he had a beauty like 2B by his side, and Diablo was waiting in the summoning space as a bodyguard. Why not just let go and enjoy himself?

As for big villains like the Purple Potato Monster and Dormammu? Hah. Once he summoned Saitama or Kakarot, how would they deal with him then?

Chen Tian suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His hearty laughter made passersby glance over. He wrapped an arm around 2B's slender shoulders, startling the silver-haired girl into widening her eyes slightly—though that could not be seen beneath her blindfold.

"Let's go, 2B!" Chen Tian waved grandly. "Today, I'll show you just how 'free' someone can be when they have more money than they can spend! Hahahaha!"

2B's core processor was still analyzing this sudden shift, but the corners of her lips had already risen unconsciously. "Master means... we are going shopping?"

"That's right!" Chen Tian pulled out the black card Tony had given him and waved it in the sunlight. "Let's see just how much money Tony has!"

In the laboratory of the Malibu Villa, Tony stared at the constantly changing numbers on a holographic projection, his cheek twitching.

"JARVIS, are you sure you didn't get it wrong?" Tony rubbed his temples. "It's only been an hour, and they've already spent..."

"Five million, three hundred and seventy thousand dollars, Sir," JARVIS calmly added. "And the spending is ongoing."

Tony took a deep breath. "Pepper is going to kill me..."

"Actually, Miss Pepper just sent a message." JARVIS paused. "She said, 'Finally, someone can cure you of your reckless spending habit.'"

Tony: "..."

Chen Tian stood in the center of a luxury sports car showroom, staring fixedly at a limited-edition 2009 Lamborghini Reventón.

"Cool. So damn cool," Chen Tian muttered.

2B stood in the middle of the showroom, her silver hair carrying a soft halo beneath the carefully designed lighting.

She lowered her head to look at the new Chanel outfit she was wearing—"essential equipment for a human girl going shopping," as Chen Tian had insisted she try on—then raised her head to look at Master, who was practically drooling over the sports car. Her core processor silently calculated the rationality index of such behavior.

"Master..." 2B lightly tugged at Chen Tian's sleeve. "According to my observations, the way humans experience 'freedom' does not appear to have an inevitable connection to material consumption."

Only then did Chen Tian snap out of his obsession with the sports car. Turning to see 2B's slightly troubled expression, he found her standing there like a work of art forcibly stuffed into a luxurious frame—out of place, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

"Ah... you're right." Chen Tian scratched his head, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "I seem to have gone in the wrong direction."

Just then, the showroom manager approached with a beaming smile. "Sir, would you like to test-drive this Reventón? As long as you..."

"No need." Chen Tian waved his hand, suddenly grabbed 2B's hand, and headed outside. "We have something more important to do."

2B was a little confused by the abrupt change, but when she saw the light shining in Chen Tian's eyes, her core temperature unconsciously rose by 0.2 degrees.

"Master?"

"Actually, my earlier indulgence was just me trying to experience the life I always wanted before I transmigrated." Chen Tian stood on the street and took a deep breath of Los Angeles air carrying the sea breeze. "That kind of behavior is really addictive. Fortunately, you reminded me, 2B."

"2B, let's go back to Tony's place. Next time, I'll properly show you what a human should do."

Chen Tian smiled, took 2B's hand, and prepared to lead her back to the Malibu Villa.

"Oh? You actually didn't become addicted?" A gentle voice rang out.

Chen Tian and 2B followed the voice and saw a bald woman in an orange robe standing in the shadows at the street corner. The sunlight seemed to deliberately avoid her, forming a strange halo around her.

2B's pupils abruptly contracted, and her combat protocols activated instantly. At a speed the human eye could barely catch, she stepped in front of Chen Tian. The Virtuous Contract sword appeared in her hand out of thin air, and her silver hair stirred without wind.

"Warning: extremely high energy response detected." 2B's voice was as cold as ice. "Master, retreat immediately. Target danger level: SSS."

Chen Tian gently pressed a hand to 2B's shoulder. "Wait, 2B." He recognized one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Marvel universe—the Ancient One.

Chen Tian took a deep breath and gently pulled 2B behind him. He could feel the girl's mechanical body pulled taut like a bowstring, the Virtuous Contract gleaming with chilling light under the sun.

"Supreme Sorcerer." Chen Tian gave a slight nod, his tone faintly teasing. "I thought you would have appeared in Afghanistan the first time I summoned Diablo."

A mysterious smile appeared on The Ancient One's lips. With both hands tucked into her wide sleeves, she slowly stepped out of the shadows. It was as though the sunlight had suddenly remembered her existence, falling gently upon her smooth scalp.

"Am I not here now?"

Chen Tian scratched his head. "Yeah, you're here. But why?"

The Ancient One's smile bloomed. Chen Tian looked at this powerful bald woman, male in the comics and portrayed by a woman in the movies, and somehow found her smile beautiful.

"I had wanted to find you before. You must know that I have always protected this world and this dimension. Your appearance caused subtle ripples throughout the entire universe's timeline."

The Ancient One extended a hand and stirred the air. A golden stream of light appeared.

"Timelines are very interesting," she said, lightly flicking the stream with her finger. Rings of radiance rippled outward.

"Your appearance will cause Thor to die in New Mexico."

Chen Tian's pupils abruptly contracted. He instinctively took half a step back, and 2B hurriedly supported him.

"2009... Thor?" Chen Tian murmured, his mind spinning rapidly. "That can't be right... according to the timeline..."

The Ancient One watched his reaction with interest, her finger lightly stirring the golden stream. "It seems you know more than I imagined."

Behind 2B's mechanical blindfold, warning signals flickered constantly. She could sense the horrifying energy contained within the bald woman before her, an existence completely beyond anything in her database.

"Master," 2B said in a low voice, "immediate retreat is advised. The target's energy reading has exceeded the measurable range."

Chen Tian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He gently pressed down 2B's hand on the sword hilt. "Relax, 2B. If the Supreme Sorcerer wanted to harm us, we would have been thrown into the Mirror Dimension already."

The Ancient One nodded approvingly. "A wise judgment." She suddenly turned, her robe drawing a graceful arc through the air. "Come with me. I believe we need to have a proper conversation."

As her words fell, the scenery around the three began to twist and warp. The luxury stores along Rodeo Drive collapsed like melting wax figures, replaced by an Eastern-style tea room. The scent of sandalwood filled the air, and snow-capped mountains stretched endlessly beyond the windows.

"Whoa!" Chen Tian stumbled and nearly fell. "Is this Kamar-Taj?"

2B's reaction was even more intense. Her combat system was in complete disarray, with every sensor blaring alarms wildly. Every joint in her mechanical body was pulled taut, and her silver hair moved without wind.

"2B, relax." Chen Tian quickly steadied her. "It's only spatial transportation."

The Ancient One was already kneeling elegantly before the tea table, brewing a steaming pot of tea. She looked up at 2B. "Your creation is unusual. A mechanical life-form from another dimension?"

"Uh, more or less." Chen Tian pulled 2B down to sit. "Her name is 2B. She comes from... a rather terrible future."

The Ancient One pushed two teacups toward them. "Try it. This is snow tea unique to the Himalayas."

Chen Tian lifted his cup and took a sip, instantly widening his eyes. "This taste... it's like stars are dancing on my tongue!"

2B hesitated before copying Chen Tian and taking a sip. Her taste sensors immediately detected reactions from thousands of complex compounds.

"Analysis: contains thirty-seven unknown components," 2B said softly. "But... it is very warm."

The Ancient One nodded in satisfaction. "Now, let's discuss the real matter." Her expression suddenly grew solemn. "Chen Tian, do you know what you have done?"

Chen Tian swallowed. "You mean... summoning Diablo? Or 2B?"

The Ancient One's finger lightly traced the rim of her teacup. A twisted hellish scene suddenly emerged in the reflection of the tea. Chen Tian saw Diablo's ferocious form roaring amid flames, dark-red infernal energy spreading through dimensions like ripples.

"Your Diablo..." The Ancient One's voice deepened. "The power he possesses does not belong to this world, nor to any parallel universe. That pure evil energy is like a lighthouse in the darkness."

2B's mechanical fingers unconsciously tightened, and the teacup emitted a faint cracking sound in her hand.

"The moment he appeared in Afghanistan," The Ancient One continued, "Mephisto sensed that power—the ultimate Power of Fear, a power enough to let Mephisto take another step forward."

The reflection in the tea shifted, revealing a red-skinned demon in an impeccable suit elegantly clinking glasses with a young black-haired deity in green robes.

"Loki?" Chen Tian sucked in a breath. "How could they..."

"The god of lies and mischief, and the most cunning demon in hell." The Ancient One gave a cold laugh. "Jane, they are practically made for each other."

"So Loki joined forces with Mephisto, deceived Odin, and triggered Thor's exile trial early?" Chen Tian found it hard to believe. Odin might have been weakened now, but the exile trial was purely a game Odin had arranged for Thor.

The All-Father's power still remained. Would a coward like Mephisto dare leave the Hell Dimension?

"More precisely, Loki. You know why Thor was exiled. Loki deceived Thor into attempting to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifrost. Odin believed Thor was too arrogant and conceited, so he stripped him of his power and banished him."

The Ancient One took a sip of tea. "That could happen in 2011, or it could happen now. All it takes is someone to push it forward."

"So, urged on by Mephisto, Loki moved that point in time ahead." Chen Tian understood that much, but not the rest. "Why? You're still on Earth. There's no way Mephisto could enter Earth without escaping your notice."

The Ancient One smiled faintly. "How do you know I would be there then?"

Chen Tian's eyes widened. "You won't be there? Where would you go? Could it be that Mephisto contacted more than just Loki?"

The Ancient One looked at Chen Tian with appreciation. "You are very clever, to infer that from a single sentence. Yes, he also contacted Dormammu."

The moment Chen Tian heard the name Dormammu, his whole body went limp. Forget it. Let everything be destroyed. He had just bragged about summoning whoever and turning Dormammu into dust.

"Then, Sorcerer The Ancient One, what was your purpose in bringing me here?"

"Of course, to remedy your mistake."

"How do we remedy it? With my terrible luck, I was planning to lie low until I got lucky."

"How do you know today's summon will not help you?" The Ancient One mysteriously raised her tea cup, hiding her face behind it.

Chen Tian abruptly sat upright. "You mean I can get something good today?"

"I said nothing."