Homelander: New Legacy

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Mystique joining Roger's team was the most unexpected development for Jean.

Compared to Tony Stark, who decided to go along with Roger, and Nebula, who stayed for her transactional reasons, Mystique's inclusion left Jean feeling uneasy.

She couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but she guessed it stemmed from the day Mystique appeared in Roger's room and shared an ambiguous moment with him.

Jean knew the feeling: it was jealousy. Although it came out of nowhere, she was certain that was what it was.

She didn't want Mystique around Roger.

But Jean didn't want to interfere with Roger's decisions either. Who to bring along and who to leave behind was solely Roger's choice. As someone also "tagging along," Jean had no right to meddle.

"Sigh…"

Sitting in the villa Tony Stark had arranged for them, Jean let out a soft sigh.

Nearby, Nebula was repairing her arm. Hearing Jean's sigh, she looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine…" Jean replied reflexively.

Nebula resumed working on her arm and added, "You don't look fine. Is it because of that mutant?"

"…You noticed?"

"You've been acting like this ever since you got back. Anyone with half a brain could figure it out," Nebula replied flatly.

Her voice carried no emotion, as was typical for her interactions with anyone besides her father or sister.

Jean hesitated, instinctively wanting to deny it. "Actually, it's not entirely because of Mystique…"

"Hmm?"

Nebula didn't respond further, only letting out a soft hum.

Jean sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's partly because of her."

"I don't know what happened between you and Roger, but I suggest you sort it out," Nebula said as she stood up, her repairs complete. She approached Jean and continued, "I don't want him getting distracted from killing Thanos over some petty drama."

"…Thanos?"

"My father," Nebula said, her voice sinking into a dark tone.

Jean was momentarily stunned. She had known Nebula for a few days, but Nebula had never mentioned her father. After some hesitation, Jean ventured, "It seems... you don't have a good relationship with your father."

Nebula gestured to her cybernetic body and asked, "Look at me. Do you think I'd have a good relationship with him?"

"…"

Jean looked at Nebula's mechanical body and said nothing.

Up until now, Jean had assumed that many aliens replaced their organic parts with machinery, just as Roger had once jokingly mentioned a philosophy: "Flesh is weak; ascension lies in machinery."

But now, it seemed she had misunderstood.

"Did Roger agree to kill your father?" Jean asked.

"Yes. He gave me his word—four years."

"And after he kills your father?"

Nebula returned to her seat and muttered, "According to our agreement, I'll belong to him."

"!?"

Jean's expression twitched as she scrutinized Nebula from head to toe, then quickly averted her gaze. With another heavy sigh, she drew a puzzled look from Nebula.

Silence fell over the villa, but it didn't last long. Roger, who had just returned from Kamar-Taj, entered and announced to the group inside, "Pack your things. We're leaving soon."

Both Jean and Nebula were taken aback. Nebula frowned and asked, "Leaving? Where to?"

"Away from this world. I have things to do," Roger replied.

His expression was tense, as if he had received bad news.

The trip to Kamar-Taj hadn't taken much time. Though the Ancient One held the Time Stone in high regard, after Roger shared his experiences and displayed the Infinity Stones he already possessed, she handed over the Time Stone without much hesitation.

The process wasn't particularly noteworthy. What mattered was that once Roger linked the energy of all six Infinity Stones, he finally witnessed the multiversal crisis Andrea had described.

It was an unstoppable black tide, rapidly consuming every universe it touched.

Andrea had once resisted it but failed miserably. Her defeat had been so devastating that she erased her own memories and started over from scratch.

Andrea had initially planned for decades to recover and prepare to face the black tide again.

However, the Space Stone had taken far longer than expected to find a suitable host. By the time Roger's consciousness awakened and returned to this world under her guidance, it was already too late.

According to Andrea's original plan, the Reality Stone's projections would have passed her knowledge to Roger, allowing him to inherit the spells and techniques she had spent her lifetime researching.

But plans never keep up with change. Roger's arrival was delayed, and even the Reality Stone's projections hadn't lasted.

The only small consolation was that, on the multiversal scale, the black tide's expansion rate hadn't changed much over centuries. It was the faintest glimmer of good news.

Still, given Roger's current lifespan, he would undoubtedly live to see the black tide consume the multiverse. Even if only to save himself, Roger had no choice but to try to halt its advance.

This was Andrea's goal as well.

To that end, Roger needed to return to the original Marvel Universe. Following Andrea's instructions, he had to gather all the Infinity Stones and grant them singularity.

This was merely the first step. After granting the stones singularity, he would need to make them functional outside the Marvel Universe. Only then would there be a faint hope of stopping the black tide.

Though Roger wasn't particularly optimistic, at this point... he had no choice.

"What about our deal?" Nebula asked, her frown deepening.

If they left this world, it was unclear when Roger would return. He had promised to kill Thanos for her. Was he going to break that promise?

Roger reassured her, "I'll kill Thanos before we leave. I'll honor my word."

"This soon?" Jean asked, surprised by Roger's urgency.

She didn't understand the gravity of the situation, so Roger's haste baffled her.

"It's urgent. I'll explain on the way. For now, just pack your things," Roger said.

Packing was straightforward. Jean and Nebula didn't have much to bring, just a few essentials, which Roger stored in his spatial bracelet.

When they were ready, Jean noticed that Mystique hadn't joined them. She asked, "Where's Mystique?"

"She decided to stay."

"??"

Jean froze. Mystique had seemed determined to follow Roger earlier. Why had she suddenly changed her mind?

Roger couldn't fathom Mystique's thoughts either. She had gone so far as to provoke him to secure a spot by his side, yet after returning to the Marvel Universe and seeing Andrea's room, she decided to stay behind.

Not wanting to dwell on Mystique's reasoning, Roger felt her absence was a relief. At least he wouldn't have to endure her odd stares anymore.

To be honest, being mistaken for someone else by Mystique was a bit unsettling for Roger.

Though she didn't understand what had transpired, Jean felt a twinge of satisfaction knowing Mystique wouldn't be joining them.

With Mystique's decision confirmed, Roger took Jean and Nebula and prepared to leave Earth.

Before departing through the Space Stone, Roger intended to fulfill his promise to Nebula: killing Thanos.

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