Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start

Blake was convinced that this car looked exactly like a toy car from Earth. Paired with the damned music, it was undeniably… 

A toy car. 

Just one that had been heavily modified. 

"Damn it, where the hell is this place?" 

Blake had asked himself this question countless times already, each instance bringing him more shock than the last. 

This time, he muttered the question out loud, even though he knew Groot wouldn't understand him. 

Sure enough... 

"I am Groot." 

The same response as always, though this time, Groot's tone was laced with urgency. 

"Damn it, buddy. How about you write it down for me? Don't tell me the only thing you can write is 'I am— Wait, what are you doing???" 

Blake stopped mid-sentence as Groot suddenly reached out and pressed one of the obviously modified buttons. 

The vehicle, already moving at a considerable speed, instantly accelerated even further. 

Blake had no idea how fast they were going, but his lower body was starting to feel numb from the vibrations. 

"What are you doing, Groot? Is this *Fast and Furious*? Does this car come with nitro boosters too?" 

Blake clung tightly to the car door. 

"I am Groot!" 

The little guy swiped his lollipop-laden tongue to one side of his mouth, then extended a vine to point behind them. 

"What the hell?" 

Blake turned around, puzzled. 

The moment he did, his jaw dropped, and he couldn't close his mouth. 

Now, he didn't need to understand Groot to figure out where they were. 

No wonder this place was so desolate. 

No wonder Groot, tiny as he was, didn't seem to know Rocket or the other Guardians of the Galaxy. 

No wonder there were Earth-like elements in the modified car. 

No wonder he couldn't sense the Infinity Stones' energy. 

A few kilometers behind them, a massive cloud that covered the sky and stretched across the entire horizon was rolling toward them with a deafening roar. 

The dark cloud glowed faintly red from within, its surface occasionally morphing into a menacing face with sharp teeth and a gaping mouth. 

It slithered forward like a giant snake, its terrifying form clearly not here to make small talk. 

It was Alioth, a massive entity that devours all energy in its path. 

This was the Void, a place used by the Time Variance Authority to exile people, objects, cities, or even entire worlds that deviated from the Sacred Timeline. 

Although Blake didn't know why his entry into the Marvel Universe hadn't caught the TVA's attention, countless cycles and timelines had already passed, and who knew how many exiles had been dumped here over the years? 

If the Void was a massive garbage dump, then the monstrous Alioth was its garbage compactor. 

No wonder Groot was so anxious. In this place, the first rule of survival was learning to avoid Alioth. 

To Blake's disbelief, he had ended up here of all places. 

His mind raced as Groot floored the pedal, pushing the little modified toy car to its absolute limit. Ahead, a small hill, only a few meters tall, loomed in the distance. 

Groot yanked the steering wheel hard, sending the car into a sharp drift. The vehicle skidded sideways and headed straight for the hill. 

But as the car approached, what had appeared to be an ordinary yellowish-brown hill, blending into the barren landscape, suddenly opened up to reveal a hidden entrance. 

The car sped inside, and the door began closing rapidly behind them. 

This was a small, artificially excavated, square-shaped room. 

Before Blake could take a closer look around, Groot jumped out of the car. 

"I am Groot!" 

He pointed at a metal cover on the ground. 

It was only then that Blake noticed the cover, resembling a sewer entrance. 

It seemed avoiding Alioth wasn't an easy task. 

Lifting the cover revealed a long ladder descending at least five or six meters. Blake climbed down, his feet finally touching the ground. 

He watched as Groot let out a heavy sigh of relief. 

The underground space was about fifty square meters. It was a simple, undivided room with no partitions. 

Surprisingly, it contained furniture like a sofa and a television, and most importantly, there was an electric light glowing overhead. 

"Groot, where's the power coming from? What's the energy source?" 

Blake asked curiously. 

The little guy, understanding that Blake couldn't understand him, habitually said, "I am Groot!" 

Afterward, he pulled Blake over to one of the walls. 

Blake noticed that the wall was connected to several flat, glowing circuits that extended to various parts of the room. 

This was clearly the energy hub for the room, and the source powering it all was a cylindrical golden energy battery. 

"I am Groot!" 

Groot pointed at the battery and then, with a slightly deflated expression, gestured toward a spare battery lying on the ground. 

This time, Blake understood. 

"There's only one left, right? Don't worry, I've got plenty with me." 

Blake pulled out an Arc Reactor from his inventory, one of many Tony Stark had entrusted to him as a portable energy backup for battles. 

There were dozens stored away. 

"This isn't just a battery. It generates power on its own. For something like the lights and appliances here, it can provide uninterrupted energy for decades." 

Blake handed the Arc Reactor to the now beaming Groot. 

With the immediate danger behind them, Blake began considering how to leave this place. 

The Infinity Stones were useless here, and while his fire abilities worked for combat, they couldn't tear through dimensions. Furthermore, this Void existed outside the Sacred Timeline and wasn't part of his original universe. 

Left with no other choice, Blake decided to use his trump card. 

"System! System!" 

[Currently gathering energy from this world,] the system responded before Blake could even ask. 

[Estimated time to return to either of the two primary worlds is fifteen days. This location will be established as a third accessible world, with each visit requiring a fifteen-day stay before returning.]

Blake's face lit up with joy. As long as he could go back, everything would be fine. Fifteen days would give him the perfect opportunity to thoroughly explore the Void and see what secrets it held. 

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