Marvel: Starting as a Time Criminal, Stealing Powers

To be honest, this was Russell's first time visiting a luxury boutique.

But it wasn't exactly what he had imagined.

The salespeople didn't give him strange looks just because he was a man shopping for women's clothing. There were no cliché "face-slapping" scenes where he was looked down on and then stunned everyone with his wealth.

On the contrary—

they were polite and ridiculously enthusiastic!

Constantly recommending, constantly asking questions, constantly offering suggestions, and constantly swapping out items.

In the end, Russell didn't even know how he ended up buying over 50 outfits, spending nearly $200,000, and walking out of the store with eyes gleaming like he'd just cleared a dungeon.

Of course, money was meaningless to him, just paper.

So he didn't feel bad about the spending.

What really bugged him was... some of the pieces he bought weren't just normal clothes.

Before today, he never imagined that such wild designs even existed.

It could only be said: the taste of the rich is... something else.

The little wolf girl could definitely pull them off—especially given the bonus appeal when "sparring."

But what would Polaris think?

Would she think he did this on purpose?

That thought made Russell a little nervous.

He quickly sent the clothes back to his base, then rushed back to the timeline to buy groceries.

Inside the cave—

The little wolf girl's eyes lit up when she saw the mountain of new outfits. She hadn't expected Russell to go so all-out this time—and his taste? Surprisingly solid.

As for this brand called C. Gilson, she'd only ever seen it on TV.

"D—damn…"

Suddenly, Polaris let out a startled gasp and quickly tried to hide something behind her back.

The little wolf girl frowned in confusion and tugged it free.

Then... she froze.

What were these two ropes? Were they accessories? Or were they for tying something?

But after two seconds, she realized—

oh, it's part of a set. A battle outfit.

Still, she pretended to stay calm and teased:

"What? Never seen high-end gear before?

Watch how I use this to subdue him tonight!"

But—

Before she finished, she noticed Polaris pull out several more sets of... outfits.

All kinds of styles.

Even more exaggerated than last time.

Some were clearly her own size.

Remembering how flustered Russell was earlier, Polaris narrowed her eyes and let out a cold snort.

Hmph! Men! You're digging your own grave!

Mixed doubles tonight. No mercy.

Still, she knew she had to help Polaris ease her mental block.

Polaris might not be resisting anymore, but she was clearly too shy to cooperate during these... "battles."

Maybe she thought it was embarrassing to 2v1 a single man. Maybe she felt like it wasn't fair.

But the little wolf girl had a plan.

Not long after, Russell returned.

He seemed in a great mood—like he'd forgotten all about the fashion landmines from earlier. He brought back a full spread (okay, mostly takeout).

There was German food, Chinese food, Italian food...

He reheated it with precise control over the temperature, and jokingly called it the "Russell Signature Feast."

The dinner lasted three hours, and he went through two bottles of cognac and two bottles of vodka.

Of course, Russell wasn't drunk at all. Pure alcohol might as well be water to him.

The little wolf girl had some resistance thanks to her self-healing gene, but she was still woozy.

Polaris was even worse.

Russell could see right through the little wolf girl's intent and sighed helplessly.

He glared at her, then helped Polaris to her room like a gentleman.

Then turned around... and began "punishing" the little wolf girl.

Laura (the little wolf girl) was ready.

She'd known this battle was coming—and she'd even picked a particularly deadly "combat outfit" in advance.

She was determined to avenge the embarrassing loss last time!

…Except she didn't realize this was her own trap.

Russell was fired up and held nothing back. His attacks were relentless, combining technique, speed, and power—skill after skill unleashed in succession!

From the very beginning, Laura was on the back foot.

But once the fight started—there had to be a winner!

Someone had to stand.

Someone had to fall.

In another room—

Polaris had sobered up long ago.

She sat there, listening to Laura's repeated cries and pleas for mercy from the training room, with a mix of guilt and... conflict in her heart.

Her bestie sounded like she was suffering.

How could a sparring match be this brutal?

Even if Laura had a self-healing gene, this was excessive.

Training was meant to be gradual.

Finally, whether it was the alcohol, compassion, or something deeper—

When she heard Laura begging for backup, Polaris exploded.

With a blast of electromagnetic energy, like the aurora itself, she burst out of the room!

She had made up her mind: she'd go all-out from the start!

Even if she couldn't win—she wouldn't be beaten without a fight!

Russell was stunned.

He hadn't expected Polaris to actually join in and fight alongside Laura!

But once the arrow was loosed, it couldn't be recalled.

He couldn't scold them for being "unethical" now!

"Heh…"

Russell sneered.

These two girls were bold. Really bold.

They dared to challenge him like this?

Fine.

He channeled divine power through his body, boosting his physical stats, and reached out—

grabbing Polaris, even as she was cloaked in brilliant aurora light!

Laura, who had looked totally defeated moments ago, suddenly came back to life—

revealing she hadn't been injured at all!

She went straight for a joint technique!

No steel claws this time. After all, it was a duel, not a deathmatch.

Russell didn't dare go all-out either, worried about hurting them.

The three of them went back and forth, trading blows in a chaotic storm of movement and sparks.

It looked evenly matched.

Laura was thrilled.

"One-on-one sucks, but two-on-one? I got this!"

For once, she wasn't on the losing side!

She ramped up her attacks with enthusiasm.

Polaris, too, had dropped her mental guard.

She stopped hesitating, stopped thinking too much—

and followed Laura's lead.

But their joy didn't last long.

Soon, they noticed something terrifying:

Russell wasn't tired. Not at all.

In fact...

he seemed to be getting stronger.

More precise. More aggressive.

Half an hour in, the tide turned.

The exhausted little wolf girl couldn't hold on anymore and wanted to tap out.

Polaris's electromagnetic energy had nearly run dry. Her stamina was depleted, and her attacks grew sluggish.

In the end, she had no choice but to surrender.

Even though it was technically an unfair fight, Russell still won!

After conquering both opponents in a 1v2 match, he felt incredibly satisfied.

Let's see if those two dare to mess with me again.

That night, Russell slept soundly, completely at peace.

The next morning.

As soon as he woke up, he sensed something unusual.

Closing his eyes, he smiled with surprise.

His divine power and mental strength had clearly increased.

Russell thought it over and realized it might be because the little wolf girl was too weak in previous "training matches."

He had always held back, unable to fully let go.

But this time, with his spirit relaxed and all mental restraints lifted, his energy had flowed freely—hence the unexpected gain.

Of course, he knew this kind of power-up wasn't sustainable.

You couldn't just "train" your way to godhood this easily.

Still, a nice surprise.

He glanced at the two girls who were still sleeping from exhaustion and left the room quietly.

He didn't go far—just popped into the timeline to grab some fruit and desserts.

Then he returned, sat down between them on the sofa, and the three of them spent the entire day playing video games together.

At first, Polaris was still a little shy.

But as they played and laughed, snacking on fresh fruit, chatting without a care in the world, she started to relax.

Slowly, happiness began to show in her eyes.

She had never imagined a life like this was possible.

No danger.

No darkness.

Just warmth, food, games, laughter, and... company.

It was better than anything she'd known in her original timeline.

So good~

Earth – New York.

Timeline: May 4, 2012.

Russell stepped out of a time-space gate, a reluctant expression on his face.

Originally, he had planned to stay just one day.

But unexpectedly, his willpower gave out... and he ended up staying for half a month.

If I wait any longer, Loki might show up at the void looking for me himself.

So, clenching his teeth, Russell returned to the timeline of Avengers (2012).

There was only one last step left in his ritual to awaken divine power—

a step tied to a hidden hope.

However, this time, Russell didn't plan to focus on Loki.

After all, Loki still needed to play his part in pushing forward the events of Avengers 1.

So instead, Russell decided to change the target.

Find a new "lucky guy"...

After thinking about it, he settled on Captain America—the clean-cut, thick-browed hero.

Super soldier serum, moral compass, and all.

Perfect for replication.

"You're the one, Cap!"

Tracking the location of the trident, Russell opened a green phantom gate and stepped through.

"Please, sit. The tea from the East is just right."

A soft female voice echoed.

Russell looked up—

And realized he was in a very familiar place.

It wasn't the trident.

It was the second floor of the New York Sanctum.

Sitting across from a walnut tea table was a shining bald woman, calmly pouring tea into an empty cup.

No...

Not her...

Not the Ancient One!

Russell forced a smile and nodded politely.

"Sorry—I must've taken a wrong turn."

Without missing a beat, he tried to open a space portal to escape.

This was the one person he absolutely didn't want to run into right now.

He couldn't read her power level at all.

Maybe she was weak.

Maybe she wasn't.

Either way, not worth the risk.

But to his surprise—

When he reached into the fabric of space with his mental power, the strings wouldn't move.

The entire space was locked the moment I arrived...

Russell forced another smile, turned, and casually started walking downstairs.

The Ancient One raised her head and said calmly:

"Mr. Russell, there's no need to be so hasty. I mean you no harm."

Russell froze.

But it wasn't because of her words.

It was because of her saying his name.

He turned back, his expression darkening.

"You know who I am."

The Ancient One didn't answer directly. She simply smiled and gestured for him to sit.

Russell hesitated for a moment, then chuckled.

"Well, since the Sorcerer Supreme herself insists...

It would be rude of me to refuse."

"Though I should ask—

Is this going to be a good cup of tea or a bad one?"

"I'm a very picky drinker."

The Ancient One didn't react, still smiling.

Russell finally sat down.

With his current strength, he had reason to be cautious—but he wasn't powerless.

If things went wrong, he could still flip the table.

He wanted to know what this woman was really up to.

Russell lifted the teacup, inspecting the clear green tea.

Then, out of nowhere, he asked:

"How exactly do you know my name?"

The Ancient One replied gently:

"The timeline is extremely unstable right now.

I've reestablished contact with the Supreme Alliance.

One of their members mentioned you."

Russell sipped the tea, casually asking:

"The one glowing blue, right?"

The Ancient One nodded.

"Yes. Though… she did seem a little resentful when she brought you up.

I don't know why."

Russell gave it some thought.

Sure, he'd disappeared without saying goodbye, but that shouldn't have offended her, right?

Still, this version of the Ancient One was also tied to the Supreme Alliance.

What did they want from him?

He put the cup down and said flatly:

"So... what exactly is the point of hijacking my portal?"

"If you're going to offer me the position of Sorcerer Supreme,

I suppose I could reluctantly accept.

Otherwise, I have more important things to do."

He was ready to act at any moment.

But the Ancient One raised an eyebrow and said:

"That's not out of the question."

Russell blinked.

Did she drink too much fake tea?

Or is she just messing with me?

Before he could speak, she continued:

"But don't worry, Mr. Russell.

First—we need to talk about something else."

She looked him straight in the eye.

"Tell me:

What do you think is the relationship between the multiverse and the timeline?"

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