Chapter 135: The New Universe

"Is your name Eon Arthur?" Steve Rogers asked, looking at the man sitting before him.

"Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you all—Steve, Natasha, and Stark," Arthur replied, greeting Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Natasha Romanoff.

He had been recovering for a week and was finally able to walk on his own. Though still somewhat weak, he could move around like a normal person. The trio had managed to carve out some time to meet him.

"You know us?" Stark asked.

Arthur nodded. He knew them all too well; he was even privy to many of their secrets.

"Where are you from? Why can't we find any information on you?" Steve Rogers questioned.

"I am from Earth, but I believe it is a different universe. I arrived here after passing through a wormhole," Arthur said after a moment’s thought, deciding to be open and honest. He felt he could trust these individuals.

"You say you're from another universe? Isn't that a bit too science fiction?" Tony Stark found Arthur’s claim hard to believe.

"The cosmos is composed of a countless number of multiverses. In that vast expanse, there are many versions of you and many versions of me. It just so happens that in this universe, I don’t exist," Arthur explained.

"Fair enough. Can you tell us what your world is like?" Steve Rogers asked, choosing not to debate the truth of Arthur's story.

"In my world, I am also a member of the Avengers—and I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. even earlier than Tony did..." Arthur gave a brief overview of his universe.

"What! You joined S.H.I.E.L.D. before me? And in your world, S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, but Ultron didn't destroy Sokovia?" Tony said, clearly stunned.

What Arthur described was largely similar to the events in their world, with only a few key differences.

"Can you return to your own world?" Natasha asked.

"I should be able to, but I sustained some injuries. For now, I can't use my abilities; I’m just like an ordinary person," Arthur said helplessly.

"I see. I believe you, but for your safety and our convenience, you cannot leave this base for the time being," Steve Rogers stated.

"That's fine. Even if you let me go, I wouldn't get very far in my current condition," Arthur said nonchalantly.

"This is your temporary pass. You can use it to move freely around the base. If you need anything, you can reach me. My number is..." Steve Rogers handed Arthur an ID card and provided his contact information.

"I have your number, but my phone didn't make it here. I'm quite familiar with this place, so you don't need to give me a tour," Arthur said.

"Very well. We have some urgent matters to attend to. You can go back and rest, or walk around, but you must remain on the base," Steve Rogers instructed.

"Understood. You two go ahead; I’ll head out," Arthur said, turning to leave.

"Do you believe him?" Tony Stark asked the others once he was gone.

"He doesn't seem to be lying, and what he said is quite grounded," Natasha, who was adept at reading people, noted. She felt Arthur had no reason to deceive them.

"The multiverse! It seems there are still so many unknowns in this world. Anyway, enough of that. How are you both doing?" Steve asked.

"I'm alright, but Wanda is having a hard time. I'm going to check on her in a bit," Natasha replied.

Tony Stark nodded. During their recent mission in Nigeria to capture Brock Rumlow, they had accidentally injured many civilians, including over a dozen Wakandans. Now, King T'Chaka of Wakanda had issued a strong condemnation of the Avengers at the United Nations, specifically targeting Wanda, stating she had no authority to conduct operations on foreign soil.

The Avengers were feeling dejected. The previous Sokovia incident had also claimed many civilian lives, and now international public opinion was turning sharply against them.

Arthur wandered through the Avengers base alone. It was identical to the base in his world, right down to the people he encountered. At first, he instinctively greeted everyone, only to realize they didn't know him—a stark reminder that this wasn't his home.

As he walked, he reached a corridor and smiled self-deprecatingly at his surroundings. Why did he keep finding himself back at his own bedroom? In his original world, this was the living quarters, and he had a room here, though he rarely stayed in it. He had walked here out of habit, only to remember that this wasn't his world and he had no room here. He turned to leave.

"What are you doing here?" Steve Rogers asked, rounding the corner to find Arthur.

"Habit, I suppose. I started walking and wanted to head back to my room, only to realize I don't have one here," Arthur said with a wry smile.

"It's alright. If you'd like, I can arrange a room for you to stay in for now," Steve Rogers offered.

"Really? That would be great. I'm sick of that infirmary. I've lived this long and never spent this much time in a hospital room in my life," Arthur complained.

"Alright, wait for me a moment. I need to see someone, then I'll get that arranged for you," Steve Rogers said.

"Who are you going to see?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Wanda. She’s not doing well emotionally, so I’m going to check on her," Steve replied.

"Wanda... could I go with you?" Arthur asked anxiously.

Steve Rogers stared at Arthur for a moment. He noticed how particularly concerned Arthur seemed to be about Wanda, and eventually, he agreed to the request.

Steve led Arthur to Wanda's room. Arthur looked at the room with a complex expression; in his own world, this was also Wanda's room. The door was ajar, and as they walked in, they heard the sound of the television. Wanda was sitting on the bed, watching the news.

The screen displayed the Wakandan King condemning the Avengers, specifically mentioning Wanda. She hadn't noticed their arrival until Steve reached over and turned off the television.

Wanda turned, surprised to see Steve and Arthur at the door.

"Do we have a guest?" she asked, standing up from the bed.

"This is Eon Arthur. He's here from elsewhere and will be staying with us for a while," Steve introduced them.

"Hello, I'm Wanda," she said, extending her hand.

Seeing how haggard Wanda looked, Arthur felt a pang of heartache. He couldn't help but step forward and pull her into a tight embrace.

Steve Rogers was taken aback by such an intimate gesture. He worried that Wanda, whose emotions were already fragile, might react poorly—and he wasn't sure he could protect Arthur if she did.