Arthur was still in the air feeling the chaotic wind brush past his cheeks, thinking he had already achieved his goal when suddenly his eyes widened in shock.

Only now, he realized why Barnes said the Optional Objectives are insanely difficult.

Six weaponized aircraft appeared just out of nowhere, five of them headed toward the bomb, while one locked on him!

"Stark!!" He grimaced as he gritted his teeth.

His blood froze as he watched the barrage of bullets being fired from the aircraft.

Everything dawned on him. Unlike the original, since they couldn't contact Captain, they took countermeasures against him—

No, it wasn't this simple... this was the World itself acting against him.

It was protecting its future Absolute points! It was guarding its future unborn heroes, its saviors, and eliminating him, an anomaly, an outsider, and a threat.

'So, bad guys really can't win in Marvel no matter what, huh...'

Several bullets pierced him, and he coughed blood and scowled as he looked at the screen, only visible to him. No more energy to resist...

Just a couple more seconds...!!

'Breath!!!!'

He blinked and his view changed...

---

<- Black Void ->

Arthur rasped as he found himself back in the black void.

He panted, he slid out of his hoodie but there were no wounds... just his bony ribcage was visible.

Arthur sighed, and looked down for several few minutes.

Totally defeated.

After so much effort... gathering so much courage to convince himself to drop the bomb to take millions of innocent lives... and yet... he failed.

He was frustrated.

Too much had happened in the last five-six hours: Luna's death, his death, all this mercenary bullshit... the Marvel world... that near-death experience, and his failure!

All of this is just too much... for even Arthur.

"Hey congrats Arthur, you... uh... accomplished the first objective!" Barnes spoke a bit nervously.

Arthur raised his head to look at the fat blue penguin.

"Wha-What? Why are you looking at me like that?!" The Penguin asked, blue sweat dripping from his forehead.

"You tried to sabotage my mission, huh..." Arthur's tone was completely calm, and that scared the penguin even more.

Arthur knew a rule that said: Managers can't help Mercenaries accomplish their objectives.

So if Barnes tried to influence his mission, then it could only be for sabotaging.

"Wha-Wat are you talking about, d-don't you know? I care about their lives. I am a softy, you know. I e-even cried when I heard your story! While you are an asshole, you literally went ahead and tried to bomb them, you genocidal maniac! I already explained it to you, didn't I? That they are living and breathing people just l-like you!" The Penguin stammered and looked away.

"BARNES, You don't fool anyone. When you cried with me that time, it was just you doing your Manager Job, acting as an 'emotional support'! You thought that I was fooled by your fake tears?" Arthur retorted.

"You telling me the real reason or not?" Arthur closed his eyes, it was useless to brood more on failure, he had at least completed the main objective... but knowing the reason for Barnes's betrayal was important.

The future of this whole mercenary thing depended on that.

"I... I uuuhhhh... did that c-cause it is a part of my job: To not let the mercenary resort to morally wrong methods, yes, it's a part of my job!"

"Okay, Barnes... thanks, now I'll never trust you—"

"Wait-wait wait! I'm telling, I'm telling. It's all Chaotic_Neutral@3639's fault! He told me to do it!" The Penguin cried, tears threatening to flow from his eyes.

"He told you...? If what you told me about 'managers' is true then, it should be virtually impossible for you to betray me, and here you did just that, more so, in my first mission, and what for?" Arthur cocked a brow.

No longer depressed about the failure but only more intrigued by this reveal.

"I didn't betray you, Arthur~~" Barnes bawled his eyes out. "He promised me a reward that will help you!"

'Great! It's crying!'

Arthur sighed, "What was the reward?"

Barnes stopped his tears, he hesitated to tell but looking at Arthur he blurted out the truth, "The book of your universe's story."

Arthur hummed at that.

Barnes was a creature most dedicated to his job, so, it made sense.

'The inability to answer questions related to my world ate the penguin up, and this Being knowing it, tempted him with the exact reward.'

They are dangerous. He noted.

"Hey Arthur," Barnes switched to his ideal manager personality. "I was right when I said the Being was testing you, it is not that common but they do tend to do this when someone is interesting enough. I suppose you will get high ratings for this mission, I mean you did survive till the end, although barely." Barnes turned his head and looked at the Livestream of the marvel world.

The bomb which Arthur dropped, crashed with an aircraft and detonated in the stratosphere.

The American military saved the day...

Silence filled the void, for a few moments. No one spoke...

"Arthur, can I say something..." Barnes spoke, his voice... quite gentle, "I'm glad that you failed, you know... I've heard cases of Mercenaries going insane, becoming psychopathic... and being devoured by either lust or greed... and when they're deemed irredeemable they're just left and ignored in their voids. Going against your morals just for the sake of your mission... You were headed to that path too. And had you succeeded there was no going back..."

Barnes turned to look at the Livestream, citizens were celebrating their victory, happiness in their smiles.

His tiny form excluded gentle wisdom, as he continued, "I have sensed desperation in you, and it's not healthy. It's a disease that'll eat at your mind and poison your soul."

He turned to Arthur, "Tell me when the day arrives and you finally reunite with your family and Luna, what'll they think when they find out you have just become a shell of your former self, just a slave, a power-hungry machine... would they like it? Would SHE like it? Would she find her cousin that she loved so dearly in this new machine?"

Barnes went silent after speaking those words.

Arthur wasn't a person someone could easily influence but he wasn't dumb, he listens and tries to look deeper into words.

And Barnes's words... They didn't feel rehearsed or memorized, they seemed to come from his heart.

Barnes's emotion-filled speech could move the heart of anyone... But Arthur wasn't just anyone.

He looked at Barnes, barely containing the rage boiling inside of him.

He floated closer to Barnes and slouched to look directly into his eyes, just a few centimeters apart. He grabbed the Penguin's head with both hands.

Barnes was confused — was Arthur gonna kiss him? If so maybe he just should accept it... everything for the job.

"Look Barnes, I know whatever you're doing is a part of your job... you trying to manipulate me into not becoming a psychopath is appreciated... But my mind isn't weak enough to lose itself. You are a devoted creature. I can respect that. But..." He paused.

"But you don't use my family or Luna's name to manipulate me!" He glared. "You don't know them better than me! And I really hate it... understood, Barnes."