Wanda's words, tinged with self-mockery and resolve, echoed in the conference room, but no one responded.
"If I die, you won't have to be afraid or worried anymore, will you?"
This question was like a needle, piercing through the unspoken pretense of the heroes, making their silence both guilty and awkward.
Just then, a figure passed through the crowd and appeared silently in front of Wanda.
It's Vision.
He solidified from a certain phase state, as if he had always been there, only no one had noticed.
He didn't have the coldness of metal; instead, he possessed a warm and gentle quality, though his face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
He looked at Wanda, his gaze devoid of the wariness, pity, or exploitation found in the others present, only a long and profound weariness, and an undisguised heartache.
" Wanda," Vision's voice was low, yet clear to everyone, "No one wants you dead."
Wanda looked up, and the instant her gaze met his, a crack seemed to appear in the icy depths of her eyes, only to be quickly sealed back by a new bitterness.
"Of course," she forced an awkward smile, "I certainly don't want that now, after all, Earth is in a major crisis, and you need my power right now."
She took half a step back, creating some distance.
"Otherwise, you'll be like Doom, plotting how to take it away from me for the sake of the so-called 'big picture'."
This accusation made Tony Stark's jaw tighten beneath his visor.
Doom remained standing as still as a statue, as if the conversation wasn't about him at all.
Steve Rogers took a step forward, his aged face full of sincerity.
" Wanda," his voice was steady, "We did... fear your power, that's a fact. But we never intended for you to sacrifice yourself. Now, we need you with us to protect the entire multiverse."
He looked directly into her eyes and promised, word by word, "I swear, I will absolutely not let anything happen to you."
Wanda let out a soft groan that sounded almost like a sigh.
Her gaze swept over Steve from head to toe, from his graying hair to his simple combat boots.
"You should take care of yourself first, Steve," she said, her words devoid of deliberate cruelty, merely a calm statement of fact. "After all, you can't go to the battlefield right now."
Steve didn't move, but everyone around him could sense that something spiritual about the veteran had dimmed.
Because what Wanda said was true.
He is now merely a spiritual symbol, a living monument, no longer the shield that could stand in front of everyone.
The tense standoff was broken by a suppressed groan of pain from Doctor Strange.
His body, which he had finally managed to straighten, hunched over again, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"I can't wait any longer," he gritted his teeth, his hands already beginning to trace intricate magic circles and light trails. " Mephisto is too fast."
With a flick of his wrist, a circular portal, shimmering with orange-red sparks, tore open beside him.
On the other side of the door, there was a burning sky and countless shrill shadows.
Stephen's voice was filled with self-reproach, "I have to go there now, I have to suppress him immediately!"
Before he could finish speaking, he stepped into the doorway, which then slammed shut, leaving behind only a faint smell of sulfur and ozone, and a deeper sense of despair.
One of their top combat forces has been bogged down on the home battlefield.
"Very good, very good." Tony Stark's voice came from inside his armor, full of venomous self-mockery. "House on fire, timeline collapsed, anyone else want to announce their personal doom? Line up, one at a time."
"Focus, Tony." Captain Marvel Carol Vers, crossed her arms, ignoring Tony's dark humor, and turned to Doom. "Even if we believe you, even if we agree to this insane expedition, how are we going to get to the End of Time? Fly there?"
This was a very practical question, instantly pulling everyone back from a cosmic-level panic to a technical one.
Reed Richards pushed up his glasses. "I have an idea."
All eyes were on him.
"Before, because I detected a collision event in the multiverse, I built a ship, which I call the ' Ark.' It's specifically designed for interdimensional and intertemporal travel, and it can take us there."
Tony's helmet visor tucked up, revealing a mocking face. He raised an eyebrow. "' Ark '? Reed, your taste in names is still so plain and unpretentious. You built it behind our backs?"
"I'm prepared for all possibilities, Tony," Reed replied calmly. "You should understand that better than anyone else."
The gazes of the two leading scientists collided in mid-air, engaging in a silent clash of arrogance and vision.
"Alright," Tony finally relented, "Looks like we have transportation now."
"Now we have to decide who goes and who stays," Sam Wilson began, his new role as Captain America prompting him to take on the responsibility of coordination. "We can't just abandon Earth. Mephisto is still out there, and who knows what else might pop up next."
Previous arguments became meaningless in the face of the real crisis. The choice became exceptionally simple and cruel.
Cyclops Scott Summers, who had always stood with Magneto, spoke up.
" The X-Men stay behind. Our priority is here, with the rest of our people."
Magneto, standing behind him, nodded silently, expressing his deepest agreement.
They have their own world to protect.
"Alright," Carol immediately took command. "The division of labor is clear. The expedition needs a small elite commando team—high combat power, low numbers. The rest of us, the main force, will stay behind. We'll blockade Earth, maintain contact with Strange, and handle cosmic collisions and other intrusions."
Her gaze swept across the entire room.
" Reed, you go. The ship is yours. Tony, you go too. You need a tech expert who isn't named Reed."
Tony gave a casual military salute.
" Banner," she looked at Bruce Banner, who had remained silent throughout, as if uncomfortable under her skin, "We need that big guy. You're in."
" Thor," her gaze fell on the Asgardians, "You've already stated your position."
Thor didn't speak, but simply gripped his battle axe tighter.
" Black Panther, Spider-Man, you two go too. The rest of you, Sam and I, hold the line."
With the plan finalized, there was no time for further debate; a solemn, death-defying atmosphere enveloped everyone.
Earth's heroes are about to split into two groups, each heading to a war with little hope.
Just as they turned to head towards Reed's secret dock, a voice stopped them.
The voice was calm, with an elegant, pure British accent.
"A very noble plan, but unfortunately flawed."
Everyone turned around at once.
At the side entrance of the conference hall, a person was standing there, seemingly out of nowhere.
He was tall and strong, wearing a tight-fitting red, white and blue suit, and a helmet with a Union Jack pattern covered most of his face.
He held an unremarkable, ancient longsword in his right hand. The air around the blade was slightly distorted, as if reality itself had become thinner there.
The newcomer was none other than Captain Britain, Brian Braddock.
" Merlin greets everyone," Brian began, tilting his head slightly as he surveyed the newly formed expedition team.
His gaze lingered on Wanda for a moment, then swept over Banner, and finally landed on Thor.
"His assistance was also sent."
He stepped forward, the sword as light as a feather in his hand. "The force you sent is wounded; your sharpest weapons are no longer at their peak condition."
Thor abruptly raised his head, the desolation in his eyes replaced by a hint of angered arrogance.
He looked at Brian, then at the strange sword in his hand.
" Brian," he growled, his voice booming like thunder, "You mean we're not worthy of this fight?"
Captain Britain turned to him, his face devoid of any emotion.
"You are powerful, Son of Odin," Brian said, not with sarcasm, but as a statement of fact, "But your 'qualification' is broken, and your connection with the storm is no longer secure. You wield a fine axe, but you are no longer the Thor of yesteryear."
His gaze shifted to Banner. " Hulk is the embodiment of anger, but your control over it is a Eternity problem, and in that kind of place, it's a burden."
Finally, he looked at Wanda. "And the Scarlet Witch... her power itself is the beacon of what you must fight against; her sorrow makes her a living gateway."
These comments fermented in the air, each one a sharp and accurate truth.
"You are preparing to fight a powerful being that seeks to destroy the entire multiverse. Perhaps you can defeat one," he said, looking at the enraged Asgardians, "But can you fight an army? One after another, endlessly?"
Thor's Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't utter a single rebuttal.
The fire in his eyes dimmed. He knew Brian was right.
Steve Rogers stepped forward, a weary sense of relief on his face.
Like an old general, he gladly accepted reinforcements, even though these reinforcements were somewhat arrogant.
"Thank you for coming, Brian," he said softly, his voice like a steady anchor in the tense atmosphere, "We really need all the help we can get."
Brian nodded almost imperceptibly. " Merlin doesn't want to see this reality collapse, and I'm here to make sure it doesn't."
He turned around and looked at the squad.
" The Otherworld also has stakes in this war, and my sword will stand with you."
After saying that, he followed the group and headed towards the exit.
The expedition team thus gained a mysterious and powerful new member.
Reed walked at the front, his expression focused.
The fate of all worlds rests on the shoulders of a ship he secretly built and a team of shattered heroes.
The Ark's landing ramps slowly lowered with a low hydraulic hum, revealing a cold, clean interior space.
The journey to the end of time is about to begin.
But they no longer have time.