Rings and the TVA

The anti-gravity platform at the Malibu cliffs, which witnessed the legendary union of Tony and Pepper, seems to have acquired a mysterious "marriage-urging" magnetic field.

Not long after (according to Tony, it was "precisely timed to the top of the schedule"), the entire Arbitrator Alliance was mobilized again—this time for another leader, Chen Tian.

Details of Chen Tian's marriage proposal were classified as "SSS-level secret" within the Alliance, but the few words that have circulated are enough to paint a magnificent picture far beyond the imagination of ordinary people:

Location: No longer a simple cliff platform.

Chen Tian seemed to have integrated space folding, dimensional projection, and reality stabilization technologies to directly "anchor" the ceremony venue near a magnificent asteroid belt composed of Stardust and ice crystals on the edge of the Solar System.

Beneath your feet are swirling, surging clouds of cosmic dust emitting a ghostly blue light, while above your head, an endless waterfall of stars cascades down.

The visual effects were so stunning that even Tony reluctantly admitted, "This guy really has a knack for venue design... It's a little more 'understated' than when I first wore the Mark-Eclipse Edition in Monaco."

Scene: The guest lineup was truly cosmic.

The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj constructed a solid dimensional barrier, and the core members of the Arbitrators wore their most elaborate battle suits or formal attire (Captain America even polished his Vibranium Shield as a mirror).

The "entertainment zone" where Goku was located was surrounded by several layers of phase-shifting barriers, and the loud music and energy flashes inside were faintly visible.

It is said that halfway through the wedding, a small, clueless interstellar pirate crew wandered into the area. Goku, mistaking them for "entertainment," promptly "cleaned" them up, leaving not a trace.

The ring: This is the most intriguing part!

Chen Tian did not follow the traditional approach of using a single ring. For the four ladies with completely different styles, he prepared four unique engagement rings, which could be described as a crystallization of art and technology (or magic).

Although specific details are kept secret, pieced-together intelligence reveals a general outline:

2B: The ring body is made of an unknown metal that can permanently maintain a cool temperature, exhibiting a deep silver-gray hue.

The ring's centerpiece is not a diamond, but a miniature, high-purity energy core that emits a soft yet inextinguishable blue light. The arrangement of its rays is not random, but rather a precise geometric structure like a circuit board, symbolizing her intricate core as an artificial being and her inexhaustible soul fire.

The inside of the ring is engraved with a tiny string of binary code, which Friday deciphered to mean "The end of logic is you".

Wanda: This ring seems to have been sculpted from solidified Chaos Magic itself.

The ring is a materialized form of flowing crimson energy, like a liquid ruby slowly rotating and changing shape. At its core is a strange, deep red gemstone fragment that floats within, constantly splitting and reassembling (its origin is unknown, but according to rumors it may be related to a dark magic god). When activated with magic, it is surrounded by tiny energy lightning.

The entire ring emanated indescribable magical fluctuations and life rhythms, as if a small world was born and Oblivion within it.

It was named "Crimson Oath".

Kiana: A ring full of vitality and the beauty of the starry sky.

The ring is crafted from pure moonstone, resembling solidified moonlight, and adorned with tiny, sparkling crystal dust particles that shimmer like real stars.

The main stone is a huge, perfectly cut, aquamarine gemstone that seems to contain a miniature Nebula inside (it is said to be a special crystal that Chen Tian collected near a neutron star).

Deep within the gem's core, a faint yet incredibly resilient golden light circulates, symbolizing the undying flame.

The ring is designed in the shape of a light wing, perfectly matching the girl's agility.

It was privately known as the "Light of the Firmament".

Bayonetta: A perfect blend of ultimate sex appeal and deadly danger.

The ring is made of a unique, jet-black alloy that absorbs all light, and feels as cool to the touch as snake scales.

The massive main stone is a deep purplish-black gemstone (rumored to be the crystallized eye of a fallen demon god). The gemstone's interior is not chaotic, but rather has precisely arranged spiral patterns like the rifling of a gun, which refract a cold, sharp metallic luster at certain angles.

Miniature, ornate yet sharp-edged Demon Wings extend subtly from both sides of the ring setting.

It is said that when activated, this ring can transform into the grip of a special weapon (unconfirmed).

Its name is "The Witch's Mark".

The details of the four marriage proposals became top-secret files existing only in the memories of the parties involved and a very small number of core members.

All people know is that each proposal was accompanied by a different cosmic spectacle (such as summoning a meteor shower across galaxies for Kiana, and opening a temporary passage to an ancient demon arena for Bayonetta so she could "have her fill"), each one perfectly matching the woman's traits and preferences, and each one... made Chen Tian look even more exhausted than after fighting a dimensional war.

When Chen Tian finally completed this epic "four-part proposal" and returned to the Arbitrator Tower, Tony was wearing a floral shirt and leisurely drinking tea brewed by Pepper.

"Hey, the 'schedule' is a quarter complete?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his smile full of the smug satisfaction of someone who'd been there all along. "Have you already given out the rings? Did you get them mixed up? Like putting the 'mark' meant for the witch on the robot girl's hand?"

Chen Tian slumped into the sofa, too lazy to even remove his eye mask, and groaned weakly, "Precision targeting... it's more tiring than aiming at the pupils of Eye Demon."

Rhodes happened to walk in and burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Brother, be content! This is a sweet burden! The entire Alliance is helping you with your 'strategic planning'! How about I help you apply for a planetary Oblivion cannon as a backdrop for your next proposal?"

Chen Tian grabbed a cushion and threw it at Rhodes's face, expressing his "gratitude" for this "strategic deployment" through his actions.

His "SSS-level schedule" has only barely moved forward a small increment on its progress bar.

Since Chen Tian proposed to the four beauties, time has flown by, the world has been generally peaceful, and the universe has not experienced any major chaos.

Arbitrators are busy Tenten dealing with the endless stream of bizarre criminals on Earth—bank robbers, low-level villains who cause destruction, one problem after another, like a never-ending swarm of moles.

As for the vast universe? As long as it doesn't crash onto Blue Planet, Chen Tian and the Arbitrators won't bother with it.

It's now 2018.

A new member joined the Arbitrators – Doctor Strange.

Yes, Strange, who was supposed to debut in 2017, was delayed by a year before his official debut.

I don't know if he has no talent for singing and dancing.

Ahem, seriously. The main reason is that without the "Dormammu" final graduation exam, he was able to officially join the Arbitrators a year later than originally planned, thanks to Master Wang's "high-pressure training."

The Eye of Agamotto, a supreme artifact?

Master Wang said, "The young man still needs more practice to prove that he can really stand on his own before we talk about anything else. "Strange could only wear his Sling Ring and do some work involving sub-dimensional threats for now.

Oh, right, there's one more thing I can mention about 2018.

Hank Pym has finally managed to retrieve his wife, Hope van Dyne, the Original Wasp, from the Quantum Realm.

The process was uneventful; there was no quantum virus, no zombie crisis, just a smooth rescue. It was Hope... who had spent too long in the Quantum Realm, becoming somewhat taciturn and not very talkative.

Chen Tian knew why; there seemed to be a freakish being called "Kang" in the Quantum Realm.

Kang? Chen Tian knew the name and knew it was a great threat, but the key point was—this thing had countless clones! Scattered throughout the entire timeline!

Who knows which Kang will jump out and cause trouble?

Moreover, before Chen Tian transmigrated, he heard that Marvel had canceled the "Kang Dynasty" story (apparently, the actor who played Kang had ruined his own career?).

The Quantum Realm? Chen Tian was truly unfamiliar with it.

Finding Kang? It's easier than finding a needle in a haystack.

Chen Tian shrugged: Do whatever you want, Kang, if you're not afraid of death, bring it on! Just don't mess with me.

However, this is Marvel. If Chen Tian doesn't seek trouble, trouble will find someone else precisely.

Who is so "lucky"?

Deadpool. Wade Wilson.

This troublemaker, who popped out of the neighboring Marvel Cinematic Universe, wearing a red and black bodysuit and with a mouth that chattered like a Gatling gun.

One day in 2019, Deadpool once again got involved with his Friendly Neighborhood — Spider-Man.

He and Spider-Man- Man had already become very close. He took advantage of the time after Tony's wedding, when Chen Tian arranged for him to go on his honeymoon on Xandar, to build a good relationship with Spider-Man.

The kind-hearted Spider-Man had no idea how to refuse the 'perfect Deadpool's who had been restored to his cancerous, avocado-like appearance by Chen Tian using the Infinity Stones?

So, they teamed up.

The two had just teamed up to take down a group of clueless bank robbers (the process was filled with Deadpool's trash talk and Spider-Man's "Oh my god!").

The joy of victory made the two chatterboxes go wild. They sat side by side on the edge of a skyscraper, swinging their legs, and began a passionate post-match debriefing in the sunset (or maybe sunrise? Deadpool doesn't care about time). (Mainly Deadpool talking, Spider-Man making sarcastic remarks.)

"Hey, Pajama Baby! Wasn't my 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre Spinning Kick' cool? Crunch!" Deadpool exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

"Mr. Wade! That was too dangerous! And you almost kicked me!" Spider-Man protested.

"Details! It's all about the details! The key is how cool the moves are! Hey, do you think I'd look even more like Superman if I wore my underwear on the outside? Although I'm way cooler than him, oh, except for Henry..."

Just as Deadpool was spouting nonsense and Spider-Man was sighing in exasperation, an orange-yellow rectangular portal suddenly opened up in the air without warning.

Swish!

A group of men in identical uniforms, expressionless, and carrying oddly shaped instruments emerged.

They all wore "TVA" badges pinned to their chests.

"What the heck? The IRS is investigating?" Deadpool was taken aback, then recognized the uniform. "Oh wow! TVA? A cop from the Time Variance Authority? Hey! Spider-Man, look! It's a live TVA! Let's take a picture!"

The Spider-Man's Spider-Sense instantly went off! Danger! Extreme danger! Every hair on his body stood on end.

The bald man leading TVA, expressionless and without a word, raised his hand and shot a thing carrying a strong electric current—well, let's call it an "electrocution plug"—at a certain indescribable part below Deadpool's lower back, where he was still posing.

"Awooo--!!! My butt!!!" Deadpool let out a deafening, shattered scream, his whole body convulsing from the electric shock, like a fish out of water, instantly losing his fighting ability.

"You bunch of bastards! That's my... my sacred backyard garden!!"

The TVA action team was well-trained. Two of them stepped forward and swiftly dragged the still convulsing and smoking Deadpool into the portal.

The bald man's cold gaze shifted to the still bewildered Spider-Man, and he raised the device in his hand—a rod-shaped object that looked like it could erase memories.

The Spider-Sense screamed wildly! The Spider-Man's body reacted faster than its brain; with a flick of its wrist, a Silk shot out, sticking to the distant antenna, and with a sharp pull!

"Whoa! Sorry! I disturbed you!" He launched himself out like a human cannonball, narrowly avoiding the instrument's beam. With a few leaps, he disappeared among the towering buildings, his speed so fast that only a blur remained.

The TVA members frowned as they looked in the direction Spider-Man had disappeared, but capturing Deadpool seemed to be their top priority.

The portal closed swiftly, leaving only a faint smell of burning flesh and Deadpool's barely audible screams echoing in the air.

The Spider-Man, still shaken, his heart pounding in his throat, hid in a dark ventilation duct and immediately connected to the emergency communication channel, his voice still trembling:

"Mr. Chen! Something terrible has happened! TVA! It's TVA! They kidnapped Mr. Wade! Right in front of me! They used... they used a really scary weapon to shock his butt and then dragged him away! They even tried to brainwash me! It's terrifying!"

Arbitrator Tower, Office.

Chen Tian sat in his large office chair, his eyelids drooping, mechanically signing documents.

Tony's position is now his.

Why?

All because that bastard Tony threw out a line like, "Want to hug Morgan's niece? If you do, sit here!"

Chen Tian admitted defeat.

Beside her, 2B stood tall and straight, her silver hair neatly styled, and her black and white dress accentuated her perfect curves.

Her fingertips flew across the virtual screen, filtering, categorizing, and processing massive amounts of information for Chen Tian with the efficiency of a supercomputer.

The optical lens occasionally swept across Chen Tian, who was engrossed in signing, with a warm smile.

"Honey, the quarterly energy report shows abnormal fluctuations, pointing to the K-7 star system."

"Annotation: Have Carol set up an observation post; report only when the threshold is exceeded."

"Honey, the Vibranium smuggling route on the Wakanda border..."

"Pass this to T'Challa, tell him to go and 'talk'."

Boring. Chen Tian felt like he was being pickled and seasoned by the reports.

Sizzle--

The Tranquility of the room was suddenly shattered by the piercing noise of an emergency communication system.

Spider-Man's panicked voice blared. "Mr. Chen! Something terrible has happened! TVA! It's TVA! They kidnapped Mr. Wade! Right in front of me! They used... they used a really scary weapon to shock his butt and then dragged him away! They even tried to brainwash me! It's terrifying!"

Chen Tian suddenly looked up, his half-drooping eyelids instantly lifting, sharp as a hawk's.

The previous languor vanished instantly, and the office temperature dropped several degrees.

"TVA?" Chen Tian's voice was icy. "Catch Deadpool?"

2B instantly stopped operating, its optical lens locked onto Chen Tian, and it entered standby mode. The dagger under her skirt seemed to hum. "Need a brute-force approach, husband?" Her voice was calm and even, but the words were filled with murderous intent.

"Kang?" Chen Tian's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, a cold glint in his eyes. "Trying to cause trouble? No, wait..."

He abruptly stood up, his powerful aura causing the air to freeze for a moment. "Send me the location coordinates."

2B synchronous operation, precise positioning on the light screen.

"2B, stay here." The next instant, the space in front of him tore apart silently, forming a distorted portal.

Take a step in.

The rooftop of the building, the location of the incident.

Chen Tian appeared out of thin air, with a few drops of suspicious, burnt-smelling liquid at his feet (residue from Deadpool's "Sacred Backyard Garden"?).

The Spider-Man, still shaken, crawled out of the ventilation duct. "Mr. Chen! They...!"

Chen Tian raised his hand to stop him, his gaze beneath the blindfold like a precision scanner, sweeping over the remaining traces of spacetime energy.

The air still carried that unpleasant smell of burning and a faint, chilling metallic scent from non- Blue Planet.

He crouched down, examining the remaining scorch marks on the ground.

The actions were crude: violently opening doors, violently arresting people, violently erasing traces... but the erasure was incomplete.

"Unlike Kang..." Chen Tian stood up, his eyes cold yet tinged with amusement. "That old schemer wouldn't be so sloppy." He stroked his chin, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Electrocution in the ass? Forcibly dragging him away? This script... doesn't it sound a bit like those lousy movies Wade made himself?"

The moment the thought crossed Chen Tian's mind, he felt the possibility skyrocketing.

The chances of Deadpool, that bastard, causing trouble like TVA by messing things up are definitely much greater than if Kang actively jumps out and stirs up trouble!

"By the way, isn't Deadpool and Wolverine a movie that was released in 2024? It's 2019 now. Oh well, this is reality, we can't generalize from movies."

"The one who captured Deadpool? Mr. Paradox, I think that's his name. It seems Deadpool's long absence from his world has caused a butterfly effect."

Chen Tian muttered a few words in a low voice, but Spider-Man only saw his lips move and didn't hear a single word. He scratched his head in confusion.

"Alright," Chen Tian looked up, his tone casual. "It's nothing serious. It's just some people from Wade's hometown taking him back to do some business."

Upon hearing this, the Spider-Man's tense nerves instantly relaxed. "Oh! It's one of our own! I was so scared! I hope Mr. Wade will be alright?"

"I won't die. At most, my butt will suffer a bit." Chen Tian waved his hand. "Let's go back."

The Spider-Man breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the world was beautiful again. "Alright! Goodbye, Mr. Chen!" With a flick of his wrist, his Silk stuck to the building opposite, and his figure swung like a swing as he disappeared among the buildings.

Watching the Spider-Man walk away, Chen Tian twisted his neck, his joints cracking.

"Tsk, haven't stretched my muscles in ages." He muttered to himself, "2B, you keep an eye on things, I'm going to deal with that troublemaker."

A cool, calm voice came through the earpiece. "Roger that, honey. Be careful."

Chen Tian's lips curled slightly, and he snapped his the Snap.

Snap!

A portal with twisted edges and raging energy tore open in front of him in an instant, and he could even see the iconic, cold and oppressive gray-white corridor of TVA headquarters behind the portal.

He stepped in, his figure vanished, and the portal slammed shut behind him, leaving only a few drops of suspicious, burnt liquid on the rooftop.