Inside Charles's base-
At the moment, Shizune had been summoned by Charles to escort the Kirigakure group, along with Thena and Gilgamesh, to the medical room for treatment.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen and Thena had all suffered severe injuries.
In the conference room, now empty except for Charles and Tony Stark.
Tony crossed his arms, his face stern as he began, "Buddy, she destroyed two entire city blocks, and you're still treating her?"
Hearing Tony's frustrated tone, Charles shook his head helplessly.
"Tony, it wasn't her fault."
He gestured to his temple and continued, "The issue is here. She came to me for help, but unfortunately, her condition flared up on the way."
Tony rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed, "So you're saying a mental illness excuses mass destruction? Right. What was it called again? Mahd Wy'ry?"
Charles nodded and began to explain, "Yes, it's a condition specific to Eternals."
"During an episode, Thena's consciousness becomes completely unstable, and she attacks everything around her. I'm the only one who can bring her back quickly. Gilgamesh can also help, but it sometimes takes him a lot longer."
Tony didn't focus much on the disease itself but instead latched onto something else.
"Eternals? JARVIS, are there any records of a group called the Eternals on Earth?"
"Sir, no relevant information about the Eternals exists," JARVIS replied.
Tony turned back to Charles, narrowing his eyes, "Don't tell me—they're another group of aliens, aren't they?"
Charles met Tony's gaze and nodded.
"That's right. You guessed it—they're not from Earth."
"But they've been here for a very long time. They arrived around 5000 BCE to help Earth fend off invasions from the Deviants."
"For thousands of years, the Eternals protected humanity from the Deviants. They were essentially humanity's guardians."
"However, after the last of the Deviants were wiped out in 1521, they dispersed across the Earth, awaiting a summons from their gods to return to their homeworld."
Tony, ready to launch a outburst, found his words stuck in his throat.
"Humanity's guardians..." He trailed off, clearly conflicted. It was difficult to scold or reprimand a group that had protected humanity for millennia.
Even so, Tony pressed on with another question.
"What are these Deviants you mentioned? Did they, like Thor, leave behind legends or myths?"
In Tony's mind, if the Eternals truly had such a long history of protecting humanity, there must be stories or myths about them, just like Thor and the Asgardians.
Charles replied, "Let me start with the Deviants."
Using his magic, Charles conjured an image of a Deviant for visual reference.
"This is what Deviants look like. In ancient times, they fed on humans and caused widespread destruction."
"But there's no need to worry—they've been eradicated."
Of course, Charles also knew that some Deviants were still trapped beneath the Antarctic ice. If humanity's environmental destruction continued, causing global warming and ice caps to melt, these creatures could be freed once again.
However, Charles wasn't too concerned about the Deviants. He believed that by the time they re-emerged, his strength would be more than enough to handle them.
As for the Celestials, he had decided to keep the Eternals as a hidden ace up his sleeve.
Seeing the Deviants that Charles conjured, Tony couldn't help but marvel at how much knowledge and information Charles possessed.
"I never thought our ancestors faced such enemies."
Charles nodded in agreement and continued, "As for the myths you mentioned earlier..."
"That man is Gilgamesh. You've heard the name, haven't you?"
Tony froze for a moment before responding sarcastically, "What? That big guy is Gilgamesh?"
Thinking of Gilgamesh's bulky build, Tony couldn't help but compare him to his former bodyguard, Happy. But in the records of mythology, Gilgamesh was indeed described as a demigod.
Charles, hearing Tony's sarcasm, nodded helplessly, "Yes, that's him."
"You know how myths tend to embellish reality."
Tony acknowledged this with a nod. Then, recalling the other Eternal's name, he asked, "Don't tell me... the other one's supposed to be Athena?"
Charles first shook his head but then nodded again. Seeing Tony's confusion, he explained, "Her name is Thena, not Athena, but during that era, many revered her as if she were Athena."
Hearing this, Tony understood. It was another situation akin to Thor—powerful beings whose deeds inspired myths among humans.
Then, thinking further, Tony raised another question, "You're not going to tell me Zeus and Athena are real too, are you?"
Charles thought for a moment before admitting, "Yes, beings like Zeus also existed, but they've already left Earth."
Learning that Earth had hosted so many powerful beings in the past made Tony's head spin. He felt his current armor might not be enough and realized he needed upgrades—lots of upgrades.
Shaking off thoughts of Zeus and other gods, Tony focused back on Charles.
"So, what do you plan to do with Thena and Gilgamesh?"
"Is her Mahd Wy'ry fully cured?"
Charles replied, "Tony, do you really think Earth is going to remain peaceful forever?"
Recalling his recurring nightmares, Tony shook his head, "No, I think more aliens are bound to come."
Charles nodded, "Exactly. There are still many enemies to face in the future."
"That's why we need to strengthen Earth's defenses. I believe Thena and Gilgamesh have impressive abilities."
"If they're willing to help us, Earth's strength against future threats will be significantly enhanced."
Tony furrowed his brow before asking, "You're expecting even stronger enemies in the future, aren't you?"
Charles nodded, "Upgrade your armor, Tony."
"Earth won't stay peaceful forever. Thena and Gilgamesh could become valuable allies."
Hearing this, Tony nodded in agreement but asked one last thing, "And what about her Mahd Wy'ry?"
Charles shook his head, "With my current abilities, I can't completely cure Thena's Mahd Wy'ry. However, I can seal it for two to three years at a time."
"When the seal weakens, I can reinforce it again."