"This snapping of fingers might be a code name for a catastrophic event!" Tony Stark adjusted his glasses and said. "For example, if the president of the USA wants to destroy the world, he doesn't need to do it himself—he just has to press the red button."
"So, following Rowan's approach, we could call it the 'Red Button Event,'" Tony continued.
"From the name alone, it's hard to grasp how significant this event truly is," Tony added.
Everyone's eyes lit up. Clearly, Tony had offered them a new perspective. The term "snapping fingers" didn't seem to convey the scale of the event, but in reality, it might be far more serious than they had initially imagined.
"Based on Rowan's fear of this event in his diary, I tend to stick to the original storyline," Tony said. "Perhaps this event occurred, and he was successfully affected by that purple sweet potato essence!"
"If this event is prevented, Rowan wouldn't be so terrified. The event likely involves the snapping of fingers, and it might result in everyone dying with no way to escape."
"In other words, it might be like a 563-ton attack—something that can't be avoided by hiding in another place," Tony reasoned.
Everyone paused to consider this analogy. It made sense. It was like a nuclear bomb: once it detonates, it doesn't matter where you hide; if you're within the blast radius, you're doomed.
"Now, I'm not sure if the time when Tony saved the world, mentioned in Rowan's diary, refers to this event," Nick Fury said. "But if it does, that means this crisis is not without hope!"
"But it's also possible that this timeline is an abandoned one," Tony Stark countered. "Maybe, as Rowan said, this timeline represents one where the Purple Sweet Potato Essence snapped its fingers and succeeded—but later, it was abandoned."
Tony continued, "The so-called 'abandonment' might be because the outcome was too tragic. This timeline could have been discarded. Everyone may have perished, and in that case, the screenwriters would have no reason to return. The timeline would then become 'abandoned,' and the story would shift to another timeline."
Everyone's faces grew serious. If Hollywood screenwriters outside the fourth wall abandoned one timeline, they could simply switch to another. But where could they escape in this situation? They had no other choice but to follow the narrative—and die with it.
"Moreover, the purple sweet potato essence snapping its fingers is likely irreversible, or at the very least, extremely difficult to stop. If there was a way to prevent it, I believe Rowan would have already tried," Tony Stark said. "But as of now, I don't know how this event will lead to everyone's death!"
"I originally thought that the snapping fingers crisis was similar to a missile strike on Earth's surface, wiping out all life. But now, it seems that this crisis isn't limited to Earth. Even Loki in Asgard could die. So, I've expanded my thinking. This snapping fingers event might affect the entire universe. It could be similar to a weapon that manipulates causality—there's nowhere in the universe you can hide. Everyone will die!" Tony Stark said, his tone grim. "This is the result of my expanded thinking, and it means that this crisis is truly enormous!"
Nick Fury rubbed his forehead. This crisis was too massive, and there were too few clues. All they could do for now was acknowledge its sheer scale and difficulty—difficult to avoid, and even harder to resolve.
It felt like a node in time—before and after this event, everything would be radically different.
Everyone's mood was undeniably heavy.
But soon, new content appeared in the diary.
[Thor Returns!]
A video followed.
When Thor saw this, he immediately felt relieved. This was exactly what he had been hoping to see: how he could regain his divine power.
Without hesitation, Thor clicked on the video. In it, the three warriors of Asgard and the goddess Sif had already gathered with Thor.
"These are the three warriors of Asgard, and Nozomi," Thor introduced them.
After a brief comparison with Norse mythology, everyone had a rough idea of who they were.
Above a small town, amidst dark, stormy clouds, a massive figure in metal armor emerged.
"That's the Destroyer!" Thor exclaimed, recognizing it immediately. "This is one of Asgard's top trump cards. It's indestructible and has enough power to easily destroy an entire city. But logically, only my father has the authority to control it. So, how could it be here now?"
At that moment, Phil Coulson saw himself on screen, acting in a rather ridiculous manner.
"You are using unregistered weapon technology. Please identify yourself!" Coulson said, trying to register the Destroyer Armor.
But in the next instant, the Destroyer demonstrated its power and easily overwhelmed Coulson's agent team.
Thor, witnessing this from afar, immediately realized the gravity of the situation. "Jane, you need to retreat!" he shouted.
"What about you?" Jane Foster asked quickly, clearly reluctant to leave.
"Leave!" Thor ordered firmly.
This was trouble he had caused, and now it was his responsibility to resolve it. He couldn't run away. If he did, the whole town would be destroyed.
"Thor fights with us!" The three warriors of Asgard cheered upon seeing the revived Thor.
The previous Thor had been too devastated to fight, but this was the Thor who fought for Asgard.
Thor approached them and said, "My friends, I'm just a mortal. I may end up killing you."
"But I can ensure these people's safety!"
"If you stay, I'll stay too!" Jane Foster immediately spoke up, her expression just as determined, unwilling to listen to Thor's advice.
Thor didn't say much more. He knew he couldn't convince her, so he simply said, "We need time."
"There will be time!" the three warriors of Asgard cried out.
Soon, everyone began to mobilize the townspeople to flee.
They didn't even need to be told. With the Destroyer wreaking havoc, destroying everything in its path, anyone with a functioning brain would know to get out. There was no need for warnings—the danger was obvious to all.
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