Of course, even something like the Destroyer wasn't truly unstoppable.
If it were dropped into a powerful country like the United States, the solution would be simple. One strategic missile strike would turn even the most terrifying machine into flying ash. But against smaller nations without that level of military power, the Destroyer really could devastate an entire country.
Still, strength depended entirely on what it was compared against.
Against ordinary armies, the Destroyer was a nightmare.
Against beings like Leon and Jean, it was nothing.
The soldiers standing farther back were completely stunned. Moments ago they had watched the metal monster carve trenches through armored vehicles with its searing beams of heat. In their eyes, it had looked unstoppable.
And yet it had just been crushed into a ball of scrap metal in seconds.
The contrast felt surreal.
After watching Jean finish the job, Leon simply shrugged as if the outcome had been expected from the start. He didn't even spare the metal sphere another glance.
Instead, he turned toward Agent Phil and gave him a small wave.
Phil hurried forward immediately. His expression was still strange—half shock, half disbelief—but he said nothing as he waited for instructions.
At this moment, Leon was unquestionably the strongest presence here.
Phil understood very clearly who was in control of the situation.
Leon spoke casually.
"Just follow what I said earlier. Clear everyone out. Leave a few guards if you want, but that's all you need to do. Everything else here has nothing to do with you anymore."
"…Understood."
Phil agreed immediately.
After witnessing the destructive power of the monster and the overwhelming abilities displayed by Leon and Jean, he knew perfectly well that ordinary people had no place interfering in matters like this.
Seeing how quickly Phil complied, Leon nodded slightly.
Then he extended his hand toward Jean.
Jean took it without hesitation.
The next moment, both of them vanished from the battlefield.
They disappeared so suddenly that the surrounding soldiers barely had time to react.
Only after they were gone did Phil finally let out a long breath.
His back was soaked with sweat.
Thinking back to everything that had just happened made his scalp tingle. If Leon and Jean hadn't been present, the damage to the base could have been catastrophic.
Phil quickly began issuing orders and arranging cleanup operations while simultaneously contacting headquarters.
But none of that concerned Leon anymore.
His purpose for coming here had already been accomplished.
The coordinates of Asgard were now recorded in his mind.
That was enough.
Back at his residence, Leon didn't waste any time. Instead, he immediately addressed the artificial intelligence assisting him.
"What's the status of the S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltration?" he asked.
"The infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal database has reached 163 percent completion," Svija replied calmly. "A large amount of classified information has already been obtained."
Leon leaned back slightly.
"And the object I asked you to track?"
"There is confirmed information regarding the Cosmic Cube," Svija continued. "Its exact location has now been identified."
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Good. Send me the coordinates."
Svija immediately transmitted the data.
The location turned out to be a highly classified research facility operated by S.H.I.E.L.D. The organization was currently studying the Cosmic Cube there, attempting to harness its power for the development of advanced weapons.
None of this surprised Leon.
The situation matched the timeline he already knew.
In fact, he had ordered Svija to begin infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network long ago. However, he had deliberately avoided acting too aggressively in order to prevent alerting them.
Only recently had the infiltration produced significant results.
Now Leon possessed the spatial coordinates of Asgard, but reaching that realm was another matter entirely.
Teleporting there using his own telekinetic power wasn't possible yet.
The distance between Earth and Asgard was simply too vast.
Even Leon's current abilities couldn't bridge hundreds of thousands of light-years through direct teleportation. At present, the Phoenix Force within him had only reached the second stage of its development.
True freedom to travel across the universe would require at least the fourth stage.
That milestone still lay far ahead.
Leon turned toward Jean.
"Later tonight, I'll need you to cause a disturbance somewhere," he said calmly. "I'll give you the exact location when the time comes. It doesn't need to be anything specific—just create some noise and attract attention."
Jean listened quietly.
Then she nodded once.
Her personality in this form remained cold and restrained, but she had chosen to follow Leon in pursuit of greater power. As long as he led the way, she had no objections.
Leon studied her briefly.
The Dark Phoenix personality tended to be distant and detached.
But he also knew something interesting.
In private… that cold exterior disappeared entirely.
The thought made the corner of his mouth lift slightly.
"Well," he said casually, "since we still have some time… how about another friendly match?"
Jean's eyes flickered faintly.
Without answering, she turned and walked toward the bedroom.
For her, strengthening herself was the most important goal.
And she had no reason to refuse.
…
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Late that night, inside a heavily guarded laboratory near the outskirts of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, dozens of researchers moved busily between workstations. Complex equipment hummed quietly throughout the room.
Nick Fury stood behind a thick pane of reinforced glass, observing the activity inside the main testing chamber.
Technicians hurried around a large metal ring mounted on a laboratory platform. The ring was connected to a series of highly advanced instruments designed to monitor and channel enormous energy fluctuations.
At the center of the ring rested a glowing blue cube.
Its surface emitted a soft radiance, the color deep and clear like the ocean under sunlight.
This was the Cosmic Cube.
Also known by another name.
The Space Stone.
It was one of the six Infinity Stones in the Marvel universe—artifacts that embodied fundamental forces of existence itself.
The Space Stone possessed the ability to open portals anywhere in the universe, transporting objects or individuals instantly across unimaginable distances. With enough control, its user could reshape space itself, bending or rearranging reality as easily as breathing.
Teleportation.
Spatial distortion.
Dimensional manipulation.
To the Space Stone, such feats were trivial.
And beyond all of that, it contained an almost limitless reservoir of energy.
.....
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