"Bzzz…"
"Hello? This is Carl!"
"Carl, the United Nations has a global agreement. They want us to sign it."
Carl gently lifted Diyan, who was still asleep in his arms, and quietly got out of bed.
Walking outside, he said, "An agreement? What does that have to do with me?"
"It's meant to restrict people like us—superheroes—and requires us to go to the UN headquarters within a week to sign it."
"Restrict us? Who gave them the nerve?" Carl found it almost amusing.
"The agreement has already been approved by 117 countries. It's in the final signing stage. I've read it—before taking any action, we'll need to report to the relevant governments."
Carl replied, "That has nothing to do with me. It mainly concerns you. Even if I got involved, they wouldn't be able to find me anyway." Besides, the agreement itself was unreasonable.
"Hey, you're up early, Carl!"
"Morning!"
Strange passed by Carl, greeted him briefly, and walked off.
"I know it's not perfect," Tony continued, "but it doesn't just limit us—it also keeps us from making mistakes. I know you might not fully understand, but this is a necessary step for us."
"Any rule causes massive controversy before it's officially implemented—this is no exception."
As Carl walked, he called out, having already reached the dining area, "Angie! Two sandwiches and two glasses of milk, please!"
The girl named Angie, still in her robe, picked up a tray, placed the sandwiches and milk on it, and handed it to him.
"Hey! Carl, are you even listening?" Tony's voice came through the phone, slightly annoyed.
"Thanks!"
Carl took the tray, thanked Angie, and walked back.
"Yes, I'm listening. You make a good point. But like I said, neither Diwu nor I belong to your world. Maybe in a few years, we'll leave this place."
"We know that," Tony replied, "but the UN doesn't—and we don't want them to. Right now, we're facing reform. You're not from this world, but you're recognized as the strongest hero. If you sign, Captain… things won't get so ugly."
Carl thought for a moment. "Honestly, this is something you should decide yourself. It affects you the most. Whether I sign or not doesn't matter—but it will have a huge impact on your future. Whatever you choose, don't rely on others to make the decision for you. Otherwise, you'll regret it later. You've got bigger problems ahead."
The other end fell silent. Tony was clearly thinking it through—though he was leaning toward signing.
"Thanks. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with the agreement. It's just that the Captain sees it as something that will strangle superheroes."
Carl returned to the apartment. Diyan was still asleep.
She liked sleeping on her stomach, looking oddly cute. Her big eyes always narrowed into a thin line when she slept, and when she turned over, it almost looked like she was rolling her eyes.
He set the breakfast on the table, took a bite of his sandwich, and said into the phone, "Want to hear my opinion?"
"I'm listening."
"There's no absolute right or wrong here. I haven't read the agreement, but I can guess why you support it—it probably makes sense. But your past actions weren't wrong either. Back then, there was no agreement. Now suddenly there's a set of restrictions—it's like adding a bunch of unnecessary conditions. Steve isn't wrong either. It just depends on which viewpoint you believe in more… or which path suits you best."
After speaking, he took a sip of milk, finished the sandwich in two bites, then drank again.
"Maybe I should talk more with the Captain. Thanks, Carl. Didn't expect you to be this thoughtful. Come by sometime for a drink—Wanda's been asking why you haven't shown up."
Tony chuckled. "I'd love to see Diyan's reaction when she finds out."
Carl smiled. "I don't remember ever joining your team. And I'm not that familiar with Wanda."
After hanging up, he noticed Diyan still hadn't woken up at all.
Walking to the bed, Carl pinched her cheek. "Wake up—you've been sleeping for almost twelve hours."
Diyan swatted at his hand, turned over, and showed no sign of waking.
Carl sighed, speechless. He pulled off the blanket, revealing her messy sleeping posture in her pajamas, then picked her up.
The sudden weightlessness startled her awake. Half-asleep, she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.
He set her down and pointed at the breakfast. "Go wash up after you get up, then eat what's on the table."
"Mmm…?"
She sat on the bed, her big eyes still heavy with sleep, barely able to focus.
Carl didn't stay. He turned and walked out.
It was his habit to take a walk every morning.
In a clearing in the woods, Mordo was leading a group of apprentices practicing magic.
Many of them had been there for a long time—some for two or three years.
Magic wasn't easy to learn.
Don't be fooled by the talents of Diwan and Strange.
Some people might never learn magic in their entire lives, while others could become powerful mages in just a few days.
When Mordo saw Carl approaching again, he nodded briefly, then returned his attention to the students.
Meanwhile, it was nighttime in America.
At the top floor of Stark Tower, the Avengers were holding a meeting.
Tony had called it. After hearing Carl's thoughts, he decided to hold a second Avengers meeting.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's talk about the global agreement."
Tony stood at the front, looking at the group.
Steve spoke first. "It's time we discuss how this agreement will affect us. Personally, I don't support signing it."
Tony was calmer than before. "Give me a reason. I don't want this agreement to tear us apart."
Steve seemed slightly surprised by his tone. "Because being a superhero isn't about following government orders—it's about responsibility. We act based on our own judgment, not blind obedience to political will."
Sam nodded in agreement. As a former soldier, he understood how governments worked—and he didn't like it.
Vision sat on the sofa. After being brought back by Tony, he had been repaired. Tony had only removed the Mind Stone without damaging his body. Once it was reconnected to his system, he could function normally again.
"I have a different opinion," Vision said.
Everyone turned toward him.
"Since Mr. Stark announced the birth of Iron Man eight years ago, the number of superheroes has increased exponentially. So have disasters."
Steve frowned. "Are you saying we're the cause of all this?"
"Not exactly. Perhaps it's a matter of causation. Our abilities attract challenges. Challenges lead to conflict… and conflict leads to disaster."
"Yes. That's exactly what worries me," Tony said, agreeing.
"Our intentions are good—but are the results good for ordinary people?" he continued. "We celebrate victories without pressure after battles…"
He pulled out his phone and tapped it. A large holographic screen appeared, showing the aftermath of battles: civilians crying in ruins, holding the bodies of loved ones; others missing limbs, collapsed in debris.
Tony couldn't bear to look at such scenes for long. It was too cruel.
After steadying himself, he continued, "But what about them? They can't accept the damage we bring, and we can't undo it. If we don't impose limits on ourselves, how are we any different from the Chitauri or the Ten Rings?"
Silence fell over the room.
It was the truth—a reality no one could change.
Every large-scale battle brought irreversible consequences.
After a long pause, Steve finally spoke.
"All I can say is… I'm sorry. We can only do our best to minimize the damage. Every time we fight, we try to control the situation—that's what we should do. No one wants this outcome. But if we're regulated—if every move requires approval and we have to follow government orders—it could make things even worse."
Tony's anger flared again.
"Sorry? That's it? Just 'sorry'? Do you think we can just live together, win, and enjoy the results without consequences?"
"What if some of them hate us? Wouldn't that create even bigger problems?"
"Ten years from now—twenty years—how are we supposed to face that? Keep going like this?"
"By then, we might be facing a whole generation of victims—people who survived these disasters—and their revenge!"
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