Chapter 1061

As the lights came back on, Steve's movements began to play in reverse. He kept retreating, returning to the entrance of Stark Tower. Before he entered the door, he looked up. His gaze passed through the glass curtain wall of Stark Tower and entered Stark's laboratory.

In the laboratory, Jarvis was controlling the robot's body, changing his own arm to a strange electric shock device.

Stark, lying on the laboratory bench, appeared somewhat silent. There was only the "buzzing" sound of electric current in the laboratory, making this place look less like a science center and more like a prison filled with torture devices.

Suddenly, a portal appeared in the laboratory, and Loki and Strange walked out of it together.

"You came at just the right time..." Stark said, but Loki appeared somewhat shocked. He looked at Stark and asked, "Do you really have to use suicide as a means to find Death?"

Stark, lying on the laboratory bench, nodded, and appeared righteous, with no intention of wavering at all.

Stark turned his head to look at Strange. Strange looked at Loki and said, "Look, I said it, I've worn out my tongue these past two days, but I just couldn't persuade him!"

After speaking, he paced anxiously beside the laboratory bench and then said, "I said it, he and Shiler are both lunatics. What on earth is so important that he has to commit suicide to do it?!"

Loki, who had just received this news, frowned as he looked at Stark, beginning to fathom his psychology. He thought much more deeply than Strange, and therefore, also had a certain understanding of Stark's motives.

A few days ago, Stark found Strange, hoping Strange could help him complete the next plan, but the first step of the plan made Strange's jaw drop: Stark wanted to find Death by committing suicide.

Of course, Stark didn't have to use such extreme means to find Death. Perhaps if he ascended above the universe and searched carefully, he could also discover traces of Death.

But on one hand, he had to make a prompt decision to complete this matter as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be impossible to hide it from Steve or Professor X. This group of people with overly high moral bottom lines would absolutely not allow him to take such a risk. If the Goddess of Death didn't allow him to return, it wouldn't just be the Stark Group that suffered losses.

And the fastest method was to die right here. From his daily exchanges with Shiler, Stark could also understand that the Goddess of Death was not completely fair either; special souls would receive special guidance and attention. He believed that as long as he died, he would definitely be able to see the Goddess of Death.

On the other hand, Stark and Shiler could be said to be two of a kind. Shiler was because of mental problems and didn't accept any imperfection, while Stark was because of his innate sensitive emotions and sense of responsibility, not allowing any friend to sacrifice for him.

And once such a thing happened, guilt and self-blame would make him restless until he had to repay it with his own injury and bleeding, only then could he feel a little better.

Stark knew that every time Shiler went to talk terms with the Goddess of Death, he committed suicide on the spot. He was also very clear that even if Shiler was a mental patient, the pain and fear of facing death would not be any less. That is to say, in order to save them and the entire human civilization, Shiler had died many times.

Since that was the case, then why couldn't he die once?

He was also a savior of humanity, the most genius of geniuses in the world. Why couldn't he sacrifice when others sacrificed? Why was it others who sacrificed and not him? This was Iron Man; he always thought this way, and he also always felt pain for this kind of thinking.

During the time helping Shiler with withdrawal, it wasn't just Shiler who was in pain; this group of superheroes and Shiler were torturing each other.

Shiler felt sad, and the superheroes, who bore the dual pressure of morality and friendship, didn't fare any better. Stark, whose mental state was already unstable, had his anxiety disorder become even more severe.

Various reasons prompted Stark to make such an extreme decision, and Strange had persuaded him for several days, saying all the logic, but still couldn't shake his decision. Stark was very firm this time.

But this didn't mean that when truly facing death, he wouldn't feel fear. This wasn't the battlefield where life and death were on the line and adrenaline had surged to the point where he couldn't feel pain to survive. Just listening to the electric shock equipment starting to operate, Stark had already begun to feel incomparably nervous.

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In the dark and cramped cave in Afghanistan, on the night he operated the machinery alone to perform surgery on the reactor in his chest, when the first-generation armor, which wasn't yet perfect in safety, fell to the ground, Stark had always gritted his teeth alone and never told anyone that he was actually afraid of the dark and afraid of pain.

Shiler was acting as Shiler, Stark was acting as Iron Man, Steve was acting as Captain America. Everyone could see each other's abnormalities, but they all acted as if they were unaware, not exposing the other party, nor exposing themselves.

Stark sighed, looked at Strange and Loki, and said, "If you treat me as a friend, then you should support my decision at this time..."

Strange put away the bandages in his hand, frowned, and said, "I've said it, I've persuaded you, my tongue has been worn out these past few days, but you just won't listen and insist on committing suicide. What can we do?"

"I said it, I'm not committing suicide!" Stark emphasized again: "I'm going to find the Goddess of Death to take back the price Shiler paid. This matter can't just not be resolved, right?"

Stark curled up his legs and rested his arms on his knees, saying: "Shiler paid a huge price to exchange back Howard and Maria. I can't simply say to him, 'What you did is wrong, so cancel the transaction immediately.'"

"That would be unfair to him!" Stark looked into Strange's eyes and said: "In the process of finding Shiler for treatment, I expressed too much nostalgia for my parents, which led him to believe that I hadn't been able to accept my parents' death, so he adopted such extreme means and paid a huge price to exchange them back."

"So, now I can't find him and say, 'You're a lunatic, I didn't want to do this at all, it was all your wishful thinking, I didn't want you to self-harm to help me, so cancel the transaction immediately'!"

"Taking a step back, as a friend, not noticing his somewhat extreme psychology and abnormal mental state is also my problem. I must take responsibility."

Stark sighed slightly and said: "Moreover, if I ask Shiler to cancel the transaction, then Howard and Maria might die again. Facing the fear of death, once is enough."

"Then what about you?" Strange couldn't help but speak out: "You said facing the fear of death, once is enough, then what are you doing now? That near-death trip to Afghanistan, hasn't it made you understand how terrifying death is?"

Loki, who was the most proficient in psychology among the three, crossed his arms and looked into Stark's eyes, saying: "Although you think this is a rational decision, I want to tell you, haven't you noticed that you have always had self-destructive tendencies?"

"You always blame all the responsibilities in the world on yourself, blame yourself for failing to exert the full potential of your genius brain. Shiler forced himself to self-harm, and you also want to force yourself to commit suicide. You are two of a kind."

Stark sat where he was, lowered his head in silence, and after dozens of seconds, he spoke: "It should be said that you, me, Shi Difen, and Shiler, the four of us are like being carved from the same mold. Don't talk about each other."

"You, Loki Odinson, an Asgardian who is not an Odinson, not even an Aesir, insist on seeking a perfect way out for Asgard, not allowing any loss or sacrifice, and even for this goal, you are ready to sacrifice yourself at any time."

"And you, Shi Difen Strange, never allow yourself to make mistakes, never leave yourself any retreat, holding an artifact like the Time Stone, yet unwilling to give yourself a chance to perform a second surgery."

Stark took a deep breath and said: "We are all constantly forcing ourselves, never accepting any imperfection. All the pain obtained for this is what we deserve."

The three people in the room fell silent. Loki, who was good at sophistry, and Strange, who was always stubborn, couldn't find more logic to refute Stark at this time, because their hearts knew that in the Radiant Alliance and even the entire superhero circle, the four people Stark mentioned were the most alike.

Wise, calculating, patient, perseverant, both greedy and arrogant, constantly pursuing on the endless road of perfection, in the end, they will definitely embark on a path of self-destruction.

Strange sighed and decided to talk about realistic problems, so he spoke: "I have to remind you, the fear of death is one aspect, on the other hand, this will definitely be very painful..."

"Even if you don't know any medical knowledge, just think about it with your brain, you should know that the heart stopping due to electric shock will bring incomparable pain. Do you still remember the pain when you underwent neuro-interventional surgery? It will only be worse than that, not to mention, you are also facing death directly!"

"Facing death..." Stark murmured in a low voice, then closed his eyes. His body began to tremble gradually. Before Strange could ask, Stark gritted his teeth and said: "I feel a bit cold..."

Strange just wanted to speak out in rebuttal; this was clearly not a tremor caused by a drop in body temperature, but limb convulsions caused by extreme tension and anxiety.

But Stark didn't look at him, instead looking at Jarvis. Sensing Stark's gaze, Jarvis said: "Sir, I will go get you a piece of clothing."

After Jarvis turned and left, Stark lay back on the bed somewhat weakly, and tears began to accumulate in his eye sockets, just like a father who was full of pain but refused to show weakness in front of his child.

Loki sighed, looked out the window, and said: "Thor often teaches me to learn to accept bleeding and sacrifice."

"But the fact is, in this world, the thing that requires the most courage is to calmly accept the sacrifice of those you love on the road to achieving your goal, and after that, still summon the courage to set off again."

"Guilt is a good knife. Those who can keep moving forward after being stabbed in the heart by this knife are the most fearless warriors in the world."

Loki closed his eyes, sighed, and said:

"The only thing I admit where Thor is stronger than me is that he can still move forward bravely, forever moving forward, without being defeated by guilt and sadness after bearing the sacrifice and death of countless comrades."

Loki's tone was unexpectedly calm. This little prince, who seemed to never bow his head, had his arrogance, which made him never say such words in front of people like Thor.

"When we face Ragnarok, I am not afraid to be the first sacrifice like Thor, but that cannot prove that I have more courage than him, because Asgardians have never feared death."

Loki closed his eyes. In his expression, there was no decadence as when discussing this topic in the past, only calmness and distance.

If there were Asgardians here at this time, they would be astonished at what could make the God of Mischief reveal loyalty and firmness like every Asgardian from his tone.

"Asgardians hope they have an All-Father who charges at the front and is brave enough to sacrifice."

"And I, only respect the god who has the courage to be the last to die, as the new King of Asgard."