It was now late afternoon, edging towards evening.
After leaving the aircraft carrier, Tony returned to his Stark estate.
Before reaching out to Reno and the others, he dialed Harvey's number, and the call connected quickly.
"Harvey, I need to reach out to Reno, Kael, the Seer, and Leicy for some assistance," Tony said as he saw Harvey's projection.
"Feel free to contact Reno and the others," Harvey replied. "But don't involve any other members of the Void God Cult."
"The technology of the Chitauri is formidable and could lead to the death of members who may be lacking in strength, which could create a series of unpredictable consequences."
Harvey understood Tony's plan and spoke slowly.
"I get it; I'm willing to owe a favor, but I don't want to owe lives," Tony responded, not surprised by Harvey's words. His plan was indeed just to contact Reno and his friends.
After more than a year, their abilities would have certainly improved, and they should be capable of facing a thousand foes.
Tony was confident they could join the battle and return unharmed.
If the hundreds of members of the Void God Cult came to fight, they could likely push back the Chitauri, but there would be casualties.
Asking others to come to Earth for help was one thing, but if lives were lost, Tony wouldn't be able to explain that to anyone, especially not to Harvey.
If he brought those four powerful allies and Earth still lost the war, even if Harvey was unwilling to intervene and Odin couldn't step in, Tony believed the Ancient One would certainly take action.
Although this was an invasion of the physical realm, if the damage to that realm was too extensive, the Ancient One wouldn't just sit by idly.
"Since you understand, just go do what you need to do," Harvey said, nodding slightly.
"Thanks," Tony smiled at Harvey's response.
"I've seen your actions," Harvey continued. "You guided Banner well; he might become a member of the Void God Cult, a companion from Earth, just like you."
"I hadn't thought about whether there might be other Void God Cult members on Earth," Tony replied. "I just noticed that Banner had issues with his mindset—being a powerful individual yet seeing himself as weak was quite frustrating."
"After correcting his thoughts, I realized Banner is a decent person, quite honest and down-to-earth."
Harvey chuckled. "You say you're not interested, but you're unintentionally praising him in front of me."
"No need to flatter; I'll see for myself how he behaves," Harvey said, slightly exasperated.
"Ha! You know me too well," Tony said with a laugh. "I'm off to find some help, and it looks like I'll be doing a bit of favor trading."
Before Tony could hang up, Harvey had already disconnected.
Tony pulled out the cosmic communicator and dialed another number. About two minutes later, the connection went through.
"It's been over a year since we last spoke."
"Tony, what's kept you busy back home? You haven't been back to the Void Island in so long," came Kael's voice, his round bald head filling the screen, followed by hearty laughter.
"I'd love to return to Void Island," Tony replied, "but I've run into some trouble back home and can't make it just yet."
He had intended to contact Reno, but it turned out to be Kael, which didn't bother him at all.
"Trouble, huh? That's why you're reaching out. Seems like you don't call unless you have a reason," Kael said knowingly.
"Let's hear it; what kind of trouble are we talking about?"
The image shifted from Kael's face to Reno's handsome visage.
"The Chitauri are planning to attack my home."
"I need your help, along with Kael, the Seer, and Leicy."
Having been friends for a while, Tony didn't waste time with pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"I remember your home isn't Odin's territory?" Reno replied, considering the situation. "The Chitauri dare to set their sights on your homeland?"
"It's a complicated situation. Odin can't intervene and has sent his two sons," Tony explained. "While they're powerful, I don't feel it's secure enough, so I'm reaching out for backup."
"I want to end this war quickly and regain my freedom."
Tony summarized the situation for them.
"I checked with Kael, the Seer, and Leicy about this."
"They said they were just looking for an excuse to visit Earth and have some fun," Reno noted.
"But do we need to bring more people?"
"Many members of the Void God Cult have been talking about you and are hoping for a grand feast," Reno continued. "If they find out you're in trouble, they'll surely lend a hand."
"Just make sure you provide me with those grand meals afterward."
Reno didn't hesitate long after consulting with Kael and the others; he readily agreed, laughing.
They had participated in many wars as bounty hunters before joining the Void God Cult, leveraging their powers.
While the Chitauri were known as a mad race in the universe, they are the Void Cult, backed by the great Kassadin.
They had no fear of the Chitauri stirring up trouble.
If they weren't seeking the Chitauri's trouble, it was the Chitauri who should be praying for their safety.
"No need for anyone else; just having you four is enough."
"As for the feast and hospitality, you can count on that," Tony said, feeling reassured by the strength and support from the Void God Cult.
"Alright, we'll see you in a few days," Reno said, smiling, before ending the call.
On Void Island in Xandar, Reno and the others packed their bags and weapons.
While it looked like a group was preparing, it was mainly the Seer who was organizing things.
The Seer was now physically strong, but he preferred using technological weapons.
With his abilities paired with advanced tech, he could take out a target from hundreds of miles away.
Soon, they made their way to a medium-sized spacecraft docked by the sea.
"Earth, C53... I wonder what it's really like there," Leicy said, dressed in a white short-sleeved top and hot pants that accentuated her stunning figure.
"Tony said they haven't entered the interstellar age yet, so don't expect too much from their technology," the Seer replied in a low tone.
"Who cares? As long as there's food, it'll be fine," Kael boomed with laughter, clearly unbothered.
"And since the Void God Cult is in trouble, we have to lend a hand," he added.
"Once we get there, we'll find out," Reno said, smiling.
As the four chatted, they boarded the spacecraft.
Moments later, the medium-sized ship took off into the sky.