"That's impossible!"

"He's been dead for ages!"

"And if he's not, that means he just stood by and watched his own dynasty crumble without lifting a finger?"

Tony Stark didn't believe it.

Who was Menes? He was the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt, the one who laid the foundation for the glorious civilization of ancient Egypt.

The most incredible structure in human history, the pyramids, were also his doing. As the first pharaoh of ancient Egypt, his status was beyond question.

But in human history, he was supposed to be dead. Tony Stark could prove it. Or rather, his mind, and his education from a young age, could prove it. Unless his history lessons were full of sensationalist, low-quality tabloid history, but it was obvious that was impossible.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm an Earthling, too." Carol was annoyed by Tony's stare. His eyes were those of an honor student looking down on a slacker. Who was he to judge? She was a well-rounded student back in her day, even if her grades weren't as insane as Tony Stark's.

"An Earthling?"

"No offense, but you...?" Tony raised an eyebrow in astonishment. She could fly through space and had her own starship... and she was an Earthling? What did that make them? Cavemen? No, cavemen were also Earthlings.

Tony, who was used to his mind wandering off on tangents, immediately snapped back to the point.

What was going on? Nick Fury had someone he trusted that much?

Tony, who had always had his doubts about the spymaster Nick Fury, was genuinely enlightened.

"It was an accident," Carol said with a shrug, putting the hologram of Menes back into her wrist device. She didn't want to talk about it. She'd gained this superhuman power, but she'd lost many people she still didn't want to remember.

"Okay, even if you're right and there's a pharaoh who's lived for thousands of years, why do we need to find him?"

"As you said, he's a loyal supporter of Lothar. We..." He stopped mid-sentence as if something had just occurred to him. "You want to contact Lothar through him?!"

"That was my idea." A weak voice came from a nearby alley. Doctor Stephen Strange, who was now soaking wet from the melting ice, limped over the muddy ground and appeared before them. The bloated skin on his face made it look particularly... round. "It's my Plan B."

Strange stopped and caught his breath, then laid out his backup plan.

Using Gamora to connect with Lothar and Thanos had been his Plan A. But as a proper Sorcerer Supreme, Strange had also prepared a Plan B in case Plan A failed.

As a pharaoh who had worshiped Lothar as a savior thousands of years ago, Menes could act as a go-between, and Lothar and Thanos might actually listen.

Carol, who had come to Earth with Gamora, had met Strange before he took Gamora away. The reason she had stayed in the shadows was not only because she felt she wasn't powerful enough to fight Clark, but also because of a request from Strange.

The instructions The Ancient One had left behind were the groundwork for Strange's Plan B.

"How did you know Nick Fury had me looking for that mysterious ancient Egyptian cult?" Carol asked, looking at the wizard with the big, round face.

"What if I told you I could see the future?" Strange asked weakly.

"I guess I'd believe you," Carol said, unfazed. Having been in contact with countless alien civilizations, nothing surprised her anymore.

"It's nice to see someone who's seen the world," Strange said with a smile, having learned about Carol Danvers from a letter left by The Ancient One. He glanced down at the Eye of Agamotto hanging on his chest. Or rather, the Time Stone.

"Tony Stark, I'll leave New York to you and Carol for now. Thor and I have something to do. We're going to Asgard." Looking up, Stephen Strange now wore a confident smile as he assigned their new roles.

"????"

"What? Menes is your Plan B, not me?" Thor asked, bewildered.

"Of course. But before that, you have to go with me to Asgard to see your sister."

"Plan B has a prerequisite." Strange sighed, pulling the baffled and clueless Thor onto the path to Asgard. The Rainbow Bridge was closed to Thor, but Strange had other ways in. But to make sure he could see Hela, he needed Thor to go back with him.

....

Black Quadrant, outside the grand hall.

Because Thanos wanted to have a word with Lothar and the other four generals of the Black Order, Hela wisely left the hall first. She wasn't married to Lothar yet, so it was better not to get involved.

But that Mera... What was going on?

Back in Lothar's chambers, Hela frowned. The image of Mera lying in a pool of blood and Thanos's broken blade kept replaying in her mind. She found it very strange. Logically, Mera's power wasn't enough to break Thanos's blade, let alone wound him.

Unless...

Zzzzzt...

A harsh static sound suddenly filled the air. "Who's there?!"

An old, rarely used communication channel had been activated, and Hela's guard went up instantly.

"My name is Stephen Strange. I'm the current Sorcerer Supreme of Earth."

"I think you've heard of me." The image of Strange, who had just tidied himself up, was reflected in Hela's eyes.

"The Sorcerer Supremes I remember were called Agamotto and The Ancient One."

"You are not worthy."

"..." Strange forced himself to stop his lip from twitching and calmly collected himself.

"Listen, Hela, Queen of Asgard. I've come to bargain."

"And it's a bargain you can't refuse."

Strange's hand reached outside the projection and pulled an expressionless Thor into Hela's line of sight.

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