My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Phil pulled out a crystal ball used for divination, fiddled with it for a bit, and then gave an address. Tony then remotely activated an unmanned Mark suit, which immediately captured footage of a black teenager and a white girl running wildly through a street littered with debris.

Under normal circumstances, such a scene would be quite ordinary. However, the entire city of New Orleans has now been transformed into Sleeping Beauty's sleeping castle by "Hypnotic's Lullaby." The fact that this young boy and girl can still move freely is quite intriguing…

"...They were actually able to withstand the power of the god of sleep? These two little guys seem quite suspicious! I hope they're not some kind of mastermind behind it all."

Tony stroked his chin and muttered, "...Well then, Princess and Mr. Cat, please come into the city with me. Steve can stay here!"

Princess Catherine and Phil nodded, while Captain America raised his hand in protest. "...Wait, why am I the one left out in the countryside?"

"...It's very simple. First, these sleeping rescue workers and refugees who have fled the city also need to be watched over and cared for to prevent them from being attacked by wild animals. Second, you're the only one here who can't fly, so your movement speed is too slow..."

Tony said with an air of arrogance, and Captain America, who couldn't fly, could only nod in agreement.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The streets of New Orleans, shrouded in black smoke and flaming with fire, were littered with people of all skin colors, lying haphazardly. At first glance, they looked like the wrecked corpses of a massacre. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the chests of these "corpses" were still rising and falling slightly, still breathing, and even occasionally smacking their lips and muttering something in their sleep—clearly, these guys were just fast asleep on the street.

Apart from the sound of the torch burning and the various sounds from home appliances and stereos, the whole city was unusually quiet, and even the cats and dogs were asleep.

But in this neighborhood ruled by sleep, a white girl and a black boy were running breathlessly.

The Black boy's clothes were tattered and stained with blood, suggesting he had just been in a fight. The white girl, on the other hand, held a radiant crystal prism—a so-called "dagger."

However, after rounding a street corner, the young boy and girl suddenly stopped.

Because a miniature golden dragon, roughly the size of a large dog, and a cat-eared boy dressed in a magician's robe were blocking their way, casting them wary and malicious glances.

At the same time, a golden-red armored figure was slowly descending from above them.

"...Hey! Boy and girl, are you running so fast because you're about to elope?"

Tony joked as he landed, but his hands were already poised for battle, ready to subdue the two suspicious individuals at any moment.

However, the other party's reaction was not hostility or sophistry, but rather... delighted?

"...Ah! It's Mr. Stark! Please save this city! The evil beneath the earth has been unleashed!"

Chapter 269, New Orleans is such a mysterious place.

A moment later, led by Dagger Lady Tandy and Cloaked Guy Tyrone, Tony, Phil, and Princess Catherine arrived at a dilapidated red-brick bungalow in downtown New Orleans. Living there was a black witch, the aunt of Tyrone's girlfriend.

—Well, unlike most teen idol dramas, the male and female leads in "Cloak and Dagger" are not a couple.

Keep in mind that "Dagger" Tandy and "Cloak" Talon possess opposite magical powers, like matter and antimatter. If they just hold hands, an explosion could occur; a kiss would probably blow an entire street to smithereens. How can they possibly have a romantic relationship?

So, although "Dagger" Tandy and "Cloak" Talon have some feelings for each other, they each have their own boyfriends or girlfriends.

The cloaked young man, Talon, has a girlfriend who is also a Black woman, the niece of the old Black witch living in the red-brick bungalow. However, under the attack of "Hypnotic's Lullaby," this Black woman is now asleep, and only the old witch remains awake by chanting spells.

Upon seeing Tyrone and Tandy arrive, the old black witch was overjoyed, calling them her "destined partners" and claiming that only they could save New Orleans. Then, with Phil and the others listening, the old black witch began to recount several stories that had taken place in New Orleans, or rather, in the Mississippi River delta:

Four hundred years ago in New Orleans, before the arrival of white colonists, the natives living in the Mississippi Delta were starving and suffering from famine. A young Native American boy watched his Native American girlfriend walk into the swamp and commit suicide, and then the weather became favorable, ending the famine.

Three hundred years ago, New Orleans had already established its first white colony, but it lacked young women. Two white immigrant brothers dueled over the love of a woman, and one shot and killed the other, thus calming a storm that would have destroyed the entire city.

Two hundred years ago in New Orleans, during the Second War, the Battle of New Orleans was raging. The future President Andrew commanded the American forces against the landing British Expeditionary Force. Amidst the thunderous roar of cannons, an American messenger died in the arms of a village girl, thus ending the war.

One hundred years ago, New Orleans was ravaged by the Spanish flu, a pandemic that swept the globe at the end of World War I. During the flu outbreak, a gay doctor injected his own blood into his homosexual lover and then died suddenly, thus ending the plague.

"...Whenever a great disaster is about to strike this land, two energies, representing light and darkness, will enter the bodies of two people, making them a destined pair. Fate will allow one of them to live and the other to die, thus averting the disaster."

The old black witch, gazing at "Dagger" Tandy and "Cloak" Tyrone, proclaimed with fanaticism, "...Now, another hundred years have passed! A new destined partner has appeared in this city—it is you! Only if one of you sacrifices can the crisis pass..."

Tandy and Taylor listened with expressions of fear and despair, while Tony, Phil, and Princess Catherine were completely bewildered.

"...Wait, wait, old woman, what are you talking about? Ending a famine through suicide? Calming a storm through a duel? The victory in the War of 1812 was because a messenger died in the arms of a village girl? The Spanish flu ended because a gay doctor donated blood? What is all this nonsense? Are you mocking my historical knowledge? This is neither scientific nor magical! It makes absolutely no sense!"

Iron Man Tony, with his usual sharp tongue, unleashed a torrent of foul-mouthed spittle at the eccentric old black witch, "...Following your line of reasoning, could I also say that World War II ended because Captain America froze himself into an ice pop? If he had frozen himself earlier, Hitler would never have started the war, or the Nazi Party would never have been elected?"

Captain America, who was tending to the sleeping rescue workers on the outskirts of New Orleans, suddenly sneezed several times involuntarily.

"...I know these stories are hard to believe, and even the protagonists themselves may not know that they are the chosen ones."

The old black witch remained noncommittal, still insisting on her statement, "...However, such is the arrangement of fate; one of the two chosen by fate must be sacrificed. For four hundred years, New Orleans has weathered every crisis in this way, and this time will certainly be no exception."

After listening to the old woman, Tony Stark felt that her words were full of flaws, but he didn't know how to respond.

Phil tries to understand the logic of the old black witch from a mystical perspective and discusses with her how to sacrifice a girl or boy.

"...Okay, according to you, the only way to save this city is to hold a human sacrifice every hundred years?"

So, where is the priest who will preside over the sacrifice? Will you be the priest? How should the ceremony be conducted? And to which god or demon king is the sacrifice being offered?

"Do you want me to prepare a stone altar and an obsidian dagger, along with a Mayan priest's leopard skin coat and feather headdress, and then have us pin this young man or woman down on the altar while you cut open their chests and rip out their hearts?"

Lady Tandy with the dagger and the cloaked young man Tyrone were immediately horrified, while the old black witch remained calm and composed.

"...No rituals or priests are needed. When disaster strikes, fate will arrange everything automatically. The chosen partners only need to obey fate's arrangements. Success will save this land, failure will bring destruction..."

Upon hearing this, Phil and Tony rolled their eyes, then looked down and counted on their fingers: Of the four victims in New Orleans' past, one drowned in a swamp, one was shot, and the remaining two died suddenly and mysteriously. Moreover, at least two of them died without ever knowing they were sacrifices (the first Native American girl and the last gay doctor might have had a premonition) – such a savior magic is too mystical, isn't it?

"...Hmm, let me summarize. According to you, every hundred years, New Orleans will face a devastating catastrophe. On the eve of the catastrophe, two people will be chosen, one of whom is a sacrifice and must die in a proper way in order to avert the disaster."

Tony said to the old witch, "...If the wrong people die, then New Orleans is doomed. If the wrong way they die, New Orleans is still doomed. If they die too late, then New Orleans is already doomed—damn it, how has this city survived this long?"

"...Actually, they've already been wiped out once—the Native Americans who lived here back then should have been almost completely exterminated by now, right?"

Phil added insult to injury, making everyone present feel even more hopeless about the future.

Is New Orleans really beyond saving?

Chapter 270, The magic in the Marvel universe is too mystical!

In short, according to the description of the cloaked guy's girlfriend's aunt, a certain mystical old witch, Lady Tandy the Dagger and the cloaked guy Tyrone are the "chosen partners" of the New Orleans area in this century. Fate has destined that one of them must sacrifice himself in order to save New Orleans from crisis.

However, setting aside whether either of them truly possessed the resolve to sacrifice themselves for their homeland, like Tony Stark carrying a nuclear bomb through a wormhole during the Battle of New York… even if Lady Dagger and the Cloaked Guy genuinely had such a noble sense of selflessness, willing to dedicate their lives to saving the half a million inhabitants of New Orleans, it remains to be seen which of the two should be sacrificed, and how exactly they should be sacrificed.

"...Um, may I ask you, young man in the cloak and young lady in the dagger, after you gained your respective superpowers, have you ever heard a god or demon whispering in your ears? Or received any divine revelation or revelation in your dreams? Like Joan of Arc receiving God's call in the countryside, or Muhammad hearing the voice of Allah in a desert cave?"

After scratching his head, Phil asked the two of them this question. Unsurprisingly, the cloaked young man and the dagger-wielding woman shook their heads repeatedly in denial.

According to these two, although they had possessed superpowers for many years, there had been nothing unusual about them before. One spent his days praising God in a choir, while the other used drugs and scammed money in street bars. It wasn't until a few months ago that they accidentally awakened their superpowers and met...

They didn't encounter any obvious villains like supervillains; instead, they investigated the truth behind the Roxon Oil Company employees' madness (fel corruption) while fighting against racial discrimination—they were practically the least superhero-like superheroes. Aside from the cloaked guy and the dagger lady constantly engaging in combat… just a few hours earlier, the dagger lady had fought a fierce battle with a female assassin from Roxon Oil Company.

But as for divine pronouncements or anything like that, they've never received any. In fact, they've even mastered their supernatural abilities poorly; they're unreliable, failing at crucial moments and even in ordinary times.

"...Alright, in that case, I think you don't need to rush to die yet—because we don't even know how to make you sacrifice yourselves!"

Phil curled his lip and said, "In the original story of 'Cloak and Dagger,' the two of them risked an explosion to hold hands and successfully saved New Orleans. As for the reason and process, nobody knows... It seems to be just an arrangement of Steins;Gate."

“…I think so too.” Miss Dagger nodded in agreement, while glancing at the old witch who was rambling on and on, urging her to her death. Her expression was quite unfriendly. Who could be happy to see someone wanting them to die, no matter how righteous they sounded?

The cloaked young man, a former choir member, was more principled; considering the old black witch was his girlfriend's aunt, he didn't openly show his dislike and hostility. However, the gangster woman with the dagger, who had no relation to the old black witch, had no such scruples—if it weren't for the presence of so many people, she would have already kicked the fat, slovenly old black woman against the wall and turned her into a wallflower!

"...Since the evil energy is gushing out of the Roxon Corporation's well, shouldn't we be trying to plug the well now?"

Miss Dagger suggested, "...With Mr. Stark's abilities, this shouldn't be too difficult to accomplish, right?"

“…This is actually a very difficult matter, Miss!” Tony said while typing on the virtual keyboard that popped out of his Iron Man suit. “…After pressure from the White House, the Pentagon, and S.H.I.E.L.D., Roxson finally told the truth: their remote control system in New Orleans was paralyzed last night. No matter what the staff in front of the computer did, the machinery and gates on the drilling site did not respond at all.”

Hey! Don't look at me like that. Do you think I'm stupid? Don't you even understand something as simple as 'switching to manual'? While that old woman was telling her superstitious ghost stories, I had already successfully infiltrated the main control room of the Roxon drilling system in New Orleans by remotely controlling an old model Mark suit! But those manual safety gates had already blown up, and there wasn't even time to repair them..."

So, they moved to the control room by the sea, and there they saw that the room had been completely overturned by the forces from underground, turning into a huge fountain that was gushing out evil energy, with a dark aura everywhere.

"...Wow! It seems this drilling project is beyond saving! Are we really going to have to use the Russian method—nuclear bombs—to plug the hole?"

Tony Stark, Iron Man, whistled and said casually, "...Of course, the nuclear weapons can only be made in our country, with the Russians providing guidance at most. Otherwise, if the Russians accidentally press the button a few too many times, the citizens of Washington and New York could see a meteor shower in broad daylight..."

"...Perhaps I could try summoning magic to create an earth elemental lord to block the well..."

Princess Catherine, the Golden Dragon, frowned, made a hand gesture, and tried chanting a few incantations before shaking her head. "...No, the energy in this area is too chaotic and cannot be used effectively unless we use Mr. Stark's Arc Reactor for power..."

“…An arc reactor?” Tony Stark, Iron Man, looked at the blue contraption on his chest. “…Unfortunately, this isn’t a magical version of the arc reactor; it can’t be used to provide magic. And I can’t create a magical version of the arc reactor right now…”

Seeing that Tony seemed really about to "summon a nuclear bomb," Phil, who still had some sense of decency, could only cough and start spoiling the plot, "...Well...I think right now we can only rely on this destined duo—weren't you two given superpowers that cause an explosion whenever your bodies touch? Maybe this is fate's revelation for you! If it explodes here again, maybe a miracle will happen?"

Everyone dismissed this baseless speculation, but having exhausted all other options, they could only let Talon and Tandy give it a try—and as soon as their hands, one black and one white, clasped together, they both trembled as if electrocuted. The cloaked young man was enveloped in billowing black mist, like the chimney of a steam train; the dagger in the dagger lady's hand suddenly shone brightly, a dazzling white light shooting into the sky.

Then, with a deafening roar, an invisible wave of energy spread outwards like a giant tidal wave, instantly sweeping away the evil energy that had permeated the entire city of New Orleans. The evil energy underground seemed to have been suddenly suppressed, its surge ceasing abruptly—New Orleans was saved!

"...What? Just a simple handshake and all the disaster is over? That makes absolutely no sense!"

Looking at the city around her, now spotless as if it had been "formatted and restarted," Princess Catherine of the Golden Dragon let out an incredulous scream.

After staring in disbelief for a moment, Phil and Tony nodded in agreement – ​​this magic was just too mystical!

Author's message

P.S.: The recent US spy case has been quite popular. After reading about it, I discovered that intelligence agencies also involve multiple layers of subcontracting. When the subcontractors run out of funding at the bottom, they can only fabricate things to submit. And, to figure out how to fabricate intelligence, a group of amateur spies earning a few hundred dollars a month hired even more amateur spies to create a WeChat group to discuss it—initially, the regulatory authorities thought they were writing novels…

I don't even know what to say about the CIA being this low-class.

Chapter 271, Don't Take the Law Too Seriously (Part 1)

Xavier Castle, Westchester County, outside New York City

As dawn breaks over the eastern horizon, early birds begin to chirp and flutter about.

Although a light mist still lingered in the sky, and the surface of Lake West remained shrouded in vapor, the crimson hues of dawn were already faintly visible deep within the morning fog. The brilliant light gradually pierced the mist, illuminating the fields and villages, as well as the ancient manor houses and castles, causing the castle's glass windows and metal structures, and the fountains and pools in the courtyards, to shimmer with iridescent colors.

The morning air, slightly chilly due to the arrival of autumn, was filled with a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere.

Just like elsewhere, Xavier Castle was filled with the aroma of breakfast and echoed with the sounds of the morning television news.

The main news story in the US that morning was, naturally, the "supernatural event" that had just happened in New Orleans the day before...

"...Similar reports have been published that the unexplained and widespread violence throughout New Orleans has been initially contained. Many people saw a very bright light illuminating the twilight sky at the end of this unexplained incident in New Orleans."

Officials stated that they cannot yet provide a reasonable explanation for what happened in New Orleans, but the mayor of New Orleans and relevant Louisiana state departments have pledged a full investigation into the violence in New Orleans…

Iron Man Tony, Captain America Steve, Dagger Lady Tandy and Cloaked Guy Tyrone, who just arrived from New Orleans, along with Tandy's mother, Tyrone's black girlfriend and the old black witch, and Philie and Princess Catherine, who are visitors from a fantasy world, are sitting around a long dining table, enjoying a simple breakfast consisting of milk, coffee, fried eggs, sandwiches and fruit salad while watching the morning news on TV.

—While the New Orleans zombie incident was visually terrifying, it was resolved with astonishing speed, albeit in a bizarrely absurd way: Dagger Lady Tandy and Cloaked Guy Tyrone, enduring electric-like pain, shook hands, and an invisible wave swept across the city from them, instantly erasing the chaotic and evil energy that permeated New Orleans, leaving not a trace behind.

The evil, chaotic energy "Origin," lurking deep beneath the surface of New Orleans, also went into hibernation, no longer gushing forth from the various wells.

And, just like the fate of most righteous heroes, Tandy and Talon, this destined duo, were safe and sound after joining hands. Neither of them died. Instead, in the intense energy collision, they completely mastered their respective superpowers and no longer exploded upon contact.

Then, as the chaotic and evil energy that had been disrupting their minds vanished instantly after the mystical handshake between Lady Tandy and Cloaked Tyrone, the citizens of New Orleans who had fallen into madness and violence gradually began to regain their senses, followed by howls and screams that resounded throughout the city, shaking the heavens and the earth.

Previously paralyzed by evil energy, these citizens had become violent madmen, fighting each other until their heads bled and their limbs were broken without them even noticing. Now that they've regained their senses, they're naturally writhing on the ground in agony, howling in pain... Not to mention, with fires raging throughout the city, those who, upon regaining their senses, find themselves unfortunately on the edge of a blaze, even if they're already badly injured and half-dead, are forced to desperately crawl away to avoid being burned alive...

Furthermore, many thugs, upon regaining their senses, didn't rush to help rescue people or go home to check on them. Instead, they instinctively sought to take advantage of the chaos, excitedly robbing unattended shops and homes, and even attempting to break into banks to steal cash. In addition, some continued to harass the incapacitated wounded on the streets, stealing wallets and phones from their clothes, causing even more chaos in the city.

Fortunately, in order to cope with this globally shocking event and to mitigate the negative impact of the significant delays in the deployment of U.S. troops during the Battle of New York, subsequent rescue personnel, National Guard troops, fire departments, and U.S. troops were already prepared and ready to deploy outside New Orleans. Upon receiving news that the city had been "safe," these armed forces entered the city, employing helicopter rappelling tactics to ensure the swiftest possible control of key locations throughout New Orleans. By approximately midnight, the chaos in the city was under control, and several major fires had been extinguished.

Seeing that there was nothing more for them to do in New Orleans, Phil, Tony, and Princess Katherine boarded a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet and left Louisiana, returning to New York, along with Lady Tandy the Dagger and Cloaked Tyrone.

—On the night before the New Orleans zombie outbreak, Dagger Girl Tandy had just fought a battle with Roxon Oil Company assassins at home with her mother, while Cloaked Guy Tyrone had recently been locked up in the police station for murder and only escaped when the zombie outbreak occurred.

In other words, this destined duo consists of an assassination target and a juvenile murderer... Although Roxon Oil Company is now in deep trouble after the scandal broke in New Orleans, and its executives are struggling to protect themselves, they shouldn't be so fixated on killing Miss Dagger, who knows the truth—it's already become a global scandal, so what's the point of killing her to cover it up?

The problem is that those who are used to thinking rationally often make the mistake of assuming that others are like themselves, rational people who can calmly judge the pros and cons, while forgetting that others may be impulsive, reckless, and brainless.

For example, Roxson Oil Company doesn't seem like a rational organization right now—what if they insist on silencing us in front of a huge audience and on live television, despite global pressure? Some people can even turn on their own people when they're in a rage!

So, to ensure their safety, Tony brought the teenagers back to New York. Then, to learn more about the magic of the Marvel universe, Phil also brought along that eccentric old black witch—don't let her fat and slovenly appearance fool you, she has some knowledge of the dark world and other dimensions, at least equivalent to a low-budget version of the Ancient One: of course, a super low-budget version down to the floor…

Since the old black witch was brought along, it was only natural that Tandy's mother and Tyrone's black girlfriend would also come along... And so, the group arrived at Xavier's Castle aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, where they first washed up and rested for the night. They didn't get up until the next day, eating breakfast while watching the news on television.

However, the subtle wording in the morning news made several people from New Orleans frown.

Chapter 272, Don't Take the Law Too Seriously (Part 2)

"...What the hell is this news reporting? Unexplained violence in New Orleans? Is this being reported like a natural disaster?"

Miss Dagger Tandy tapped her coffee cup with her spoon and complained, "...not a single word was mentioned about Roxon Oil Company's guilt!"

"...That's right, the Roxon Corporation has committed such a huge crime, do you think the government and the news media still want to protect them?"

The cloaked man was also filled with righteous indignation, "...Isn't there any media outlet with a conscience that has stood up to expose this shady dealing? Where is the law and justice?"

—According to Dagger Lady Tandy and Cloaked Guy Tyrone, although the crisis that destroyed the city has ended in a very absurd way, the matter in New Orleans cannot be left unresolved. Those tens of thousands of innocent souls and two hundred thousand wounded and disabled people are still waiting for justice!

It's important to know that long before the illegal drilling pipeline in New Orleans completely collapsed, hundreds of unfortunate Roxon Oil Company employees had already been corrupted by sporadic leaks of evil energy, turning them into miserable zombies. Miss Tandy was attacked and hunted down by assassins hired by Roxon because she successfully investigated the above truth, and it's unknown whether her assassination bounty has been lifted.

During the recently concluded "unexplained violence in New Orleans," according to incomplete statistics, at least 60,000 people died, thousands of homes were burned down, and the total number of injured and missing exceeded 200,000! The economic losses were astronomical!

Even though Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the United States, its capital, New Orleans, with a population of 500,000, still has a considerable amount of wealth.

Not to mention the stock market panic it triggered – with such a huge negative news as zombies, how could the financial world possibly remain calm?