Chapter 430: Civil War II (Captain Marvel Compromises)
Everything within the Mirror Dimension had become completely unrecognizable. The surrounding scenery was shattered like shards of a broken mirror. At the very center of the space, a glowing figure was being suppressed by a giant hand that reached toward the heavens.
Carol's seemingly slight shoulders were bearing the weight of that celestial hand made of earth.
"Silas, if this is the extent of your skill, then I'm afraid I have to say I'm disappointed."
Carol's expression was calm, without a hint of panic, as if what she carried on her shoulders wasn't a mountain, but a thin sheet of paper. Silas didn't respond, choosing instead to watch her quietly. There was no denying Carol was incredibly strong, but this earthen hand didn't just represent weight; it represented a massive amplification of gravity.
While she looked relaxed, she was actually exerting a significant amount of effort. Silas crossed his fists, and ancient incantations began to flow from his lips.
Rumble!
The Mirror Dimension began to twist and fold, and the boundaries of the space began to shrink. Silas intended to use the dimension itself to crush Carol. He wondered if her body could withstand the raw pressure of space-time compression.
Carol clearly realized his plan. She tried to lift the terrifying hand above her head to toss it aside, but the gravity affecting her every movement made her progress agonizingly slow.
"HAH!"
Carol stopped suppressing the energy within her. A powerful surge of light erupted from her body once again.
"Who's the protagonist here, you or me?" Silas couldn't help but mutter. Carol seemed to have a "protagonist burst" every few minutes, her power appearing as if it were truly infinite.
Knowing her background as Captain Marvel, Silas wasn't too surprised. Carol possessed immense power naturally, but she usually kept it in check to prevent her energy from going out of control, gradually tapping into it as she mastered it.
Silas felt a slight sense of helplessness, which reminded him of a certain horse-faced sorcerer.
"Hey, Carol—how about we strike a deal?" Silas asked, sitting down on a nearby rock.
Carol gave a sharp grunt, and her body exploded with a blinding radiance. The mountain that seemed impossible for any human to move was actually lifted by her slender arms!
"What do you think?" Carol wasn't in the mood for deals. He had made her look this disheveled and now he wanted to talk? Why didn't he talk at the start? Now that he knew he couldn't beat her, he wanted a way out? In his dreams!
"SILAS!"
Carol physically lifted the massive mountain of earth and flew toward Silas with it. She was now in a state of full-power eruption.
"Terrifying," Silas muttered. He had the power to manipulate the earth, but he didn't have the physical strength to bench-press it. To prevent himself from being flattened by a berserk Carol, Silas decisively deconstructed the mountain, turning it back into a cloud of dust.
Carol suddenly felt the weight vanish from her arms, replaced by a massive cloud of dirt floating above her. She blinked blankly, looking at her empty hands. Her "weapon" was gone.
"SILAS!" she roared again. No mountain? She still had fists!
Carol rocketed forward, while Silas focused purely on evasion. The two blurred through the Mirror Dimension—one striking, the other dodging. Silas landed a steady rhythm of punches on Carol, and Carol tanked every single one. But whenever Carol threw a punch, Silas would use every trick in his book to get out of the way.
Carol could afford to make a thousand mistakes; Silas couldn't afford to make one, even with the Horse Talisman. No one wants to get hit for no reason, and a punch from a furious Captain Marvel wasn't something anyone could just shrug off.
Ten minutes later...
"Fine. Talk. What's the deal?" Carol said, sitting down on the same large rock Silas had used earlier, looking exhausted.
Silas cleared his throat. "Stop interfering with Stark. Even if the Mind Stone is with him, you leave it alone. That's it."
"What?!" Carol said in disbelief. "You call that a deal?"
Annoyed again, she stood up to start the fight once more. Silas, sensing the trouble, immediately retreated, leading her on another chase around the Mirror Dimension.
Ten minutes later...
Carol stopped in mid-air, her fists clenched. "If Stark proves he doesn't have the Mind Stone, we won't trouble him further."
"No, same deal. You leave Stark alone, and the Mind Stone too," Silas insisted.
"Ugh! I've had enough of you!" Carol grabbed her hair in frustration and charged at Silas again.
Another ten minutes passed...
"As long as Stark demonstrates he hasn't taken the Mind Stone, we will stop pursuing him," Carol said, her face dark. At this point, she wanted to punch Silas into the next week just to vent her frustration.
"Well..." Silas rubbed his chin, contemplating.
"Don't push it, Silas. I have a limit," Carol said through gritted teeth. It was obvious he was trying to squeeze more out of her. As Captain Marvel, this was already the biggest concession she had ever made.
"Alright, fine. But I have one more condition," Silas said with a light smile, holding up a finger.
"Another one?" Carol's chest heaved with anger. After a moment, she spat out, "Speak!"
"Once we go out, you can't come after me for revenge," Silas smiled. If Carol decided to hunt him down the moment they left the dimension, he'd be in for a headache.
"Fine. I can agree to that." Carol had actually been planning to snatch Silas the moment they stepped out and take him for a "tour" of the galaxy to blow off some steam. Now, that plan was ruined; she'd have to wait for another opportunity.
"How do I know you won't break your word?" Silas asked. He wasn't like the Ancient One, who could pull someone into the Mirror Dimension at will; he needed a specific opening. Earlier, the energy explosion had provided that opening.
"Break my word? Hmph. I never lie," Carol said disdainfully. Lying was a tool for the weak to protect themselves; she didn't need it.
Silas raised an eyebrow. Carol did seem like the type who wouldn't bother with deception. If she did go back on her word, he could always hide in the Shadow Kingdom.
"Then let's head out." Silas opened a portal to the real world and made a 'ladies first' gesture. Carol looked at the portal and flew through without a second thought. She was tired of being cooped up in there.
The Real World
"I wonder how Silas is doing," Natasha said, looking worried. Silas was their only hope; if he couldn't handle it, no one could.
"Don't worry, the Masked Boy knows what he's doing," Tony said, though he was still somewhat tense.
"Yeah, Silas can definitely pull it off," Peter added. In his eyes, there was nothing his brother couldn't do. Silas always maintained that calm expression, no matter how dire the situation.
"We have to trust him," Steve encouraged.
As they spoke, Carol suddenly flew out of the Mirror Dimension. The Avengers immediately tensed up, falling into defensive stances. Since Silas hadn't appeared immediately, they feared he might have lost.
Carol hovered above them, expressionless, looking at the Avengers and finally at Stark. Then, Silas stepped out of the portal at a leisurely pace.
"Silas!" Peter ran to his side, relieved.
"Whew..." Tony let out a long breath. He'd been worried the kid had actually gotten hurt. The other Avengers followed suit, their shoulders dropping in relief.
"You have a very reliable friend," Carol said. Without another word, she turned and flew away. She didn't want to stay here another second.
"So, what happened in there? Was it... you know?" Tony nudged Silas with a suggestive eyebrow raise.
Silas rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, Tony. Is that all you think about?"
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood," Tony shrugged. His ultimate "trouble" was finally gone. However, knowing that someone as powerful as Carol existed, his drive for suit development reached a new peak.
At the very least, an "Anti-Captain Marvel" suit was now at the top of his to-do list.
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