A different future awaits Tony Stark.
But Bi Xiao did not care about Tony Stark. He extended his hand, and the air currents in the space swirled violently like a vortex. The dark forces that sealed this space gathered in his palm, eventually forming a silver horn the size of a hand.
Intricate and mysterious patterns were etched on the horn.
When Wanda saw the horn, it appeared completely ordinary, like an exquisite collector's item. She raised an eyebrow, "Is this the item used by those called the Kalumai's followers to seal this space?"
"This is one of Kalumai's horns."
"It belongs to the demon lord, containing his power and various dark magic. It's quite a valuable item."
Bi Xiao explained briefly.
As a part of a demon lord's body, this item was very precious. If another demon obtained it and used or absorbed it, an ordinary demon could evolve into a high-level demon.
Bi Xiao did not intend to discard such material. The Golden City lacked such precious materials. Using remnants of a demon lord's body to forge the city would make it even stronger. However, he did not plan to use it now. Just like Gabriel's wings, he stored it away in the magical storage space to gather dust.
In the future, during their journey to Asgard, he might combine it with the craftsmanship of the dwarves and rune inscriptions to reconstruct these items into the Golden City.
Bi Xiao didn't bother to restore the place and left with Wanda and Pietro.
Ten minutes later, a convoy of police cars arrived, and armed helicopters hovered in the sky. On the coastal highway, Tony and the dozen guards who had just awakened were heavily surrounded. Of course, they weren't being arrested but protected. In American society, no one would easily arrest a billionaire.
Especially not a billionaire of Tony Stark's stature. The police were there mainly to protect him.
When the space was sealed and the signal was lost, Jarvis could not contact Tony. Following the preset emergency plan, he assumed Tony was in danger and called the police.
The rescue response was swift. Besides Tony's influence, there were also his annual donations to the police union and the NYPD, which ensured frequent patrols around his residence to prevent any danger.
This practice is not uncommon in the U.S. Rich neighborhoods often donate to the police union to receive special treatment, making such areas less prone to robberies and invasions. Burglars aren't foolish enough to target wealthy areas.
Besides the police, there were also SHIELD agents nearby.
With sirens flashing, the NYPD, fully armed, set up a perimeter and investigated the scene. The bodyguards looked miserable and were being questioned by the police. Regardless of the reasons, failing to protect their employer, especially one like Tony Stark, was a huge blemish on their security careers. They sensed their careers were over.
What they didn't know was that Tony did not blame them. On the contrary, he was quite satisfied with them.
Considering the extraordinary enemies they faced, he had witnessed Wanda using magic to battle what seemed to be demon followers. The magnificent magic and destructive power made him believe that without concern for his safety, the entire area could have been obliterated.
The intense clash of black and red beams was an unforgettable sight for Tony.
The sense of powerlessness would be etched in his memory.
Facing such formidable foes, he could not blame his bodyguards.
Sitting casually on an ambulance stretcher, Tony, though not seriously injured, had cuts from flying debris on his forehead and other parts of his body. Two attractive nurses were treating his wounds.
If it were before, Tony would have flirted with these pretty nurses. But now, he found himself surprisingly calm, feeling nothing towards them. The thought of Wanda's mention of a five-year issue weighed heavily on him.
"Damn, my five years. How am I supposed to endure these five years?"
Alcohol and beautiful women were Tony's essential escapes from boredom. Now, it seemed the women were leaving him. He even doubted if he could still perform.
But this was not something he would share with the nurses.
He didn't want the world to know that one of its wealthiest men and a renowned playboy had lost his prowess, as it would make him a laughingstock.
"Mr. Stark, I'm Sheriff John. I need to ask you some questions."
A strong, bald man in a police uniform approached Tony, who was having his wounds treated, and spoke steadily.
"OK, Sheriff John. Do you have any burgers? I'm a bit hungry."
"Sorry, Mr. Stark, we don't," John replied, unfazed, clearly having anticipated such remarks from the arrogant playboy.
"That's disappointing."
"Alright, Mr. Stark. I need to know what happened here. Did you see anything we need to know about?"
Tony's eyes flashed as he shook his head. "Sorry, I passed out in the villa. When I woke up, I found myself here."
"I suspect someone was playing a prank on me. You know, there are many who resent the rich."
"YeaH~~~" John nodded noncommittally, then glanced at the enormous seven or eight-meter-wide gap in the road, and at the ruined villa that once stood in the distance.
With a pointed tone, he said, "Using some unknown means to destroy your villa and the highway, such a prank is quite sophisticated."
"You know, the times are changing so fast, there are always pranksters on the internet. Maybe it was them."
"Mr. Stark, do you think I would believe that a prankster could block all signals within a ten-kilometer radius for eighteen minutes, knock you unconscious, and transport you to a highway three kilometers from your villa?"
Sheriff John shrugged, wearing a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"
Even as an excuse, this reason seems like something a brainless idiot would come up with. The man in front of him is known as the most brilliant arms dealer and scientist, so obviously, he's talking nonsense.
Tony didn't care and said indifferently, "As a taxpayer, I think the duty of the NYPD is to protect people like us, not to question a victim. Moreover, I said that I was unconscious at the time, and I don't know how those pranksters managed it."
"Also, if possible, please catch them soon. That villa is my favorite."
Sheriff John nodded. As an experienced detective, he could easily tell Tony Stark was lying, but he had no way to prove it. So far, Tony is indeed a victim, and there were no surveillance cameras capturing his state at that time.
He stopped asking questions and turned towards the broken edge of the highway.
The height from the edge of the highway to the sea below is about forty meters, and the diameter of the break is between seventy and eighty meters. The depression even extends into the hillside, with large rocks occasionally falling into the sea below.
Such a gap couldn't be caused by human effort. It must have been either the work of a powerful mutant or a very strong explosive.
The latter can be ruled out because there is no smell of gunpowder.
Therefore, it must be the former. A powerful mutant attacked Tony Stark? But if it was an attack, why didn't they kill them? And what about the dozen or so unconscious bodyguards?
"Sir, we questioned the villa's two security guards. They said they saw a young couple, but then passed out."
An officer came over with a notebook of recorded statements and handed it to John.
John flipped through it and raised his eyebrows, "Do they remember what those two people looked like?"
"That's the strange part. They remember it was a young couple but can't recall any details, not even their skin color," the officer said helplessly.
John touched his bald head. This seemed to confirm that it was indeed a mutant, probably a telepath who erased their memories.
But it still didn't explain the young couple's purpose, and why collapse the highway here?
To prevent the NYPD or others from rescuing them?
Then why were Tony and his bodyguards left here? What's the point of it all? This is all very confusing. Don't be fooled by John's burly and fierce appearance; he is good at thinking, which is why he became sheriff at the age of thirty.
"So, a group of people broke into Tony Stark's villa, the young couple had a unique meeting with Tony, then a second group clashed with the couple, blocking the signals, possibly using electromagnetic abilities?"
"To avoid harming Tony Stark and the bodyguards, they were thrown out of the battlefield. The two groups fought, resulting in the highway collapse and the destruction of a million-dollar mansion."
"And the winning side did not harm Tony. Maybe the young couple did it for protective reasons or out of fear. Tony wouldn't reveal anything."
John's thoughts were active, and he followed the logic to what he believed was the most likely answer.
No matter how unbelievable, only this explanation makes sense.
But if this is true, then these two groups of "non-humans" are incredibly destructive. God forbid I meet such criminals.
John touched his bald head, feeling a headache coming on.
He knew that if Tony Stark did not cooperate, this would be a dead-end case. Whether they find them or not, the NYPD would not pursue criminals with this level of destructive power. Mutant crimes are not unheard of, and every capture attempt involves casualties.
It can be said that a significant part of the NYPD also resents mutants.
Ordinary criminals with guns are dangerous enough. These mutants have various abilities, making them extremely dangerous, and it's easy to end up dead.
John didn't have a good opinion of mutants but didn't want to encounter them either.
This kind of case is best handed over to other departments. The FBI or CIA might be more interested. John chuckled to himself.
...…
Forks Town.
One day, after school, Bella was greeted by many people on her way home, and she responded warmly. During this time, her relationship with her classmates was quite good.
Of course, there were also the Cullen family and Jacob. After that incident with Magneto, everyone had a mutual understanding.
Entering the extraordinary always brings more topics of conversation.
Because of this, the relationship between the Cullens and Jacob's wolf pack had slightly eased.
Edward was still keeping an eye on Bella, but he silently kept his feelings to himself, treating Bella as a friend.
Bella, riding her Ducati motorcycle, did not go home but instead drove along the highway to the riverside two kilometers outside Forks Town.
This river was beautiful, flowing through Forks Town and several surrounding towns. It was long and wide, with beautiful trees and scenery around it.
The weather was still cold, but Bella's heart was clear and bright.
Nowadays, her heart was brighter than anyone else's.
She had a father who loved her deeply but was not good at expressing it, and a mysterious boyfriend who appeared and disappeared like a god, bringing her into a wonderfully exciting yet dangerous world.
Bella stopped her motorcycle and stood alone by the river, wearing black jeans and sneakers.
She increasingly disliked wearing skirts; or rather, when her handsome Asian boyfriend was not around.
Facing the river, Bella, dressed in a brown jacket, took a deep breath and spread her arms.
Click~
With the sound of shattering glass, Bella entered the mirror dimension and began practicing magic as usual. She had become very proficient in various basic spells.
The river in the mirror dimension suffered from Bella's intense practice.
She only stopped when she felt some fatigue.
Looking at the frozen river in front of her, Bella was not very satisfied but not disappointed either. She could feel her significant progress, though people are always somewhat dissatisfied.
Leaving the mirror dimension, she was pleasantly surprised to see a figure smiling at her.
It was the person she missed almost every moment.
Her lover, John Shaw.
"Hey, are you here for a trip?" Bella walked over with a cheerful step, looking as if she were asking if he was a tourist.
"Yeah, and I'm also here to find the one I miss."
Bi Xiao embraced Bella, who rushed into his arms, and gave her a long, passionate kiss.
"What did you do?"
Bella buried her head in Bi Xiao's chest, listening to his heartbeat, and asked softly.
"What?"
"What did you do? Why do I feel an indescribable excitement?"
"I think maybe it's because of this." Bi Xiao gently stroked the girl's head, letting her listen to his heartbeat's rhythm.
Bella smiled slightly and gently tapped the boy.
"Well, maybe it's because I'm already a god?"
"What?"
"A god in the sense you understand."
"Oh my gosh, so my boyfriend is a god? What kind of god? An Asian god?"
"Indeed, it's quite a funny joke, but I prefer the God Of Hunting."
"The God Of Hunting should be Ullr or Artemis, right?"
"Maybe this title has welcomed its true owner."
"Wow, that sounds really exciting." Bella stepped out of Bi Xiao's embrace and rewarded him with a kiss, looking captivated by his boldness.
Bi Xiao laughed. This girl was becoming more and more lively.
But it made sense. Bella's experiences from childhood left her with little sense of security. Though her nature was calm, she had always been brave and bold—a hidden Gryffindor, as they would say at Hogwarts.
"Well, beautiful princess, would you like to have dinner with your knight?"
Bi Xiao bowed, placing his left hand on his chest, and extended his right hand in an inviting gesture. Bella, displaying an air of a proud princess, elegantly placed her small hand in his palm: "To reward your bravery, I grant you the honor of dining with me, knight."
"Greatly honored, my princess."
The two laughed, surrounded by an almost palpable pink aura.
~~~
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