Half a century had passed, and now it was the modern year of 2013.
Lucy and Logan, accustomed to the advanced technologies of the Galaxy, were not surprised by the almost earth-shattering changes on Earth. Instead, they felt it was only natural.
However, the invasion of alien forces on Earth, the ensuing battle in New York, and a series of profoundly strange events made Kyle and his companions feel unusually curious.
Lucy, speaking as if guessing, began, "Can we speculate that half a year ago, Kyle's doppelganger, Caesar, and the person posing as Captain America left Earth?"
Logan said solemnly, "And the mysterious man who tried to steal the Tesseract was most likely working with the fake Captain. After all, they appeared in New York at the same time and disappeared from New York at the same time."
Indeed.
Lucy and Logan were both intelligent; their thoughts mirrored Kyle's at that moment.
There was a mysterious group of unknown superhumans who, taking advantage of the chaos following the end of an alien war in New York, managed to sneak under the noses of the Avengers. It made sense.
"So are these people unknown enemies or something else?" Kyle wondered aloud but quickly dismissed the idea.
The reason was simple.
If these infiltrators were enemies, Kyle's doppelganger, Caesar, would not have stood idly by. With Caesar's extraordinary strength from his Kryptonian bloodline, he could have at least defended himself adequately, if not neutralized any potential threats.
The fact that Caesar left voluntarily meant that the infiltrators had no hostile intentions. In fact, they were probably allies - possibly even part of their own group.
Kyle's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Raina sitting directly across from him, only to find that Raina was also looking back at him with deep meaning in her jet-black, star-like eyes.
Suddenly Kyle smiled and said, "Raina, you still have some information you haven't revealed to us, right?"
"I knew I couldn't keep them from you, boss," Raina chuckled lightly. Then she released Lucy's hand, gently brushing her waist-length black hair aside to reveal her snow-white, delicate neck, adorned with a pendant of simple design.
"That pendant, it's a very important item, isn't it?" Lucy remarked suddenly.
"How did you know?" Raina couldn't help but be surprised.
Lucy blinked and said, "Raina. Besides clothes and daily necessities, you never keep any other jewelry or trinkets around unless Kyle himself gives them to you. So, breaking this rule must mean that this item is crucial and needs to be kept close by."
"..."
Raina remained silent. Because of her telepathic abilities, she had read the thoughts and intentions of many others. This was the first time someone had seen through the secret she was trying to hide, causing a faint blush to appear on her exquisitely beautiful face.
"Cough."
Logan coughed softly. Being an experienced person, he naturally understood everything, but his high emotional intelligence prevented him from revealing everything.
Kyle looked a little uncomfortable and scratched his nose as he turned to Lucy and asked, "How do you know Raina's wearing a pendant I didn't give her?"
"Your taste isn't that bad yet."
Lucy laughed at his words, lowered her head, and used her fingers to push aside the golden strands of hair that hung around her neck, revealing the sapphire pendant she had always worn - the Heart of the Ocean, given to her by Kyle during World War II.
A fleeting look of envy flickered in Raina's eyes. Then she removed the ordinary pendant from her neck and, with a slight twist, opened a hidden compartment, revealing the item embedded within.
It was a small orange gem, no larger than a fingernail, but it shone with a clear, translucent luster, exuding a mysterious and magical aura that tempted one to study it more closely.
"That is..." Logan and Lucy widened their eyes in amazement, sensing some familiarity with the stone.
Kyle's body shook slightly as he rose from his seat and blurted out, "Mind Stone, is that the Mind Stone?!"
After all, he already had the Space Stone and the Power Stone in his hands; it was impossible to mistake the Mind Stone.
"Yes, it's the Mind Stone," Raina nodded slightly. "This gem was originally taken by Caesar from the staff of Loki. It is said that Caesar swallowed the Mind Stone to keep it safe."
"If Caesar disappeared, how did the Mind Stone end up in your possession?" Kyle was completely confused at this moment.
Raina solemnly explained, "The night Caesar disappeared, after I left the Supernatural Incident Bureau, a mysterious man who controls lightning entered through the top floor window of the Bureau building and placed this gem in the drawer of my desk. This is the third strange incident I wanted to mention.
"The Mind Stone was given to you voluntarily? And someone controls the lightning?" Kyle fell silent. A man who could control lightning immediately made him think of Thor.
But Thor's straightforward nature meant that he wouldn't enter the office building when Raina wasn't there, just to return the Mind Stone.
However, Kyle was able to determine at least one thing from the messages he received.
Caesar made a confident deduction: "Half a year ago, those who infiltrated New York were not enemies. It's very likely they were Caesar's double, the person I know."
Raina nodded in agreement. "That's what I think, too. But who exactly are they and what could their motives be?"
"Tesseract, Mind Stone- they're after the Infinity Gems, there's no doubt about it. As for deeper intentions, let's hope it's not as sinister as I fear," Kyle exhaled softly, his eyes reflecting the complexity.
"As for who they are, I'm not sure yet, but one thing is certain - they mean us no harm."
With the Mind Stone in hand, along with the Space and Power Stones he originally possessed, they now had exactly half.
"It's time to create a Divine Weapon capable of controlling these gems," Kyle murmured softly, his hands tightening imperceptibly.
Thanos had sent someone to capture Lorna, no doubt to provoke him into war. Of course, Kyle would play along to the end!
Raina asked, "Boss, should we continue to send people to look for Caesar?"
Kyle was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No more searching. Call everyone back!"
Caesar's doppelganger was basically himself. Though he lacked the extraction Card System, Kryptonian blood wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Caesar's abrupt departure surely had its reasons and considerations. Combined with his extraordinary abilities, Kyle didn't have to worry too much about his doppelganger's safety.
"Okay, I understand," Raina nodded and looked at Kyle, then at Logan and Lucy. She smiled, "You've all been away from Earth for quite some time. Take this opportunity to rest. After a while, I'll call all members of the Carl family for a family meeting."
"Understood," Caesar readily agreed.
There were too many things to think about thoroughly. It made more sense to take a break before making further plans.
**(End of Chapter)**
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