— A Turkish Kebab Shop in New York
The cleaning lady absentmindedly swept the floor, occasionally sneaking glances at the group of oddly dressed individuals who had just entered the shop.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief, disdain, confusion, and outright mockery.
'Are these people crazy?'
'What kind of outfits are they wearing?'
'Are they filming a movie, or is this some kind of weird performance art?'
The peculiar-looking group sat around a table, having ordered an excessive amount of Turkish kebabs and pastries.
Yet, the atmosphere at the table was oddly tense—it seemed like the food wasn't as delicious as expected.
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the table full of food.
His expression was hollow, as if reminiscing about the home-cooked meals prepared by his wife.
It was clear that he had no appetite for the kebabs in front of him.
Every now and then, he shot Tony Stark a complicated look, as if silently questioning him:
'What kind of terrible idea was this?'
'Of all the places to eat, you picked this weird kebab shop? I'm going to have to eat again when I get home. At least I have a wife to cook for me—do you?'
Tony Stark, however, didn't shy away from his mistake.
After all, when trying out a new, untested restaurant, there was always a risk of disappointment.
But seeing his teammates' reactions, he could only offer an apologetic glance before forcing himself to take another bite of the pastry.
He chewed with a grimace, swallowed with difficulty, and then nodded as if he were satisfied—though his face suggested otherwise.
Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner, on the other hand, were far less picky.
To them, the food wasn't that bad.
Compared to Barton, who was accustomed to his wife's gourmet home cooking, they were clearly much less particular.
Meanwhile, Captain America (Steve Rogers) and Bucky Barnes had taken a private booth, catching up after their seventy-year separation.
Their reunion was nothing short of miraculous, so the others didn't want to intrude on their moment.
Kagura Hitomi tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand why everyone seemed so reluctant to eat.
Then, without hesitation, she took a huge bite of her pastry and chewed happily.
"Mmm! This is delicious!"
Food is a subjective experience—what one person dislikes, another may enjoy.
And in some cases, hunger can make even the blandest meal taste like a feast.
So, what's the best kind of food?
Answer: Whatever you eat when you're starving.
With only 4% energy remaining in her core, Kagura was at the point where anything would taste incredible.
"Mmm! So good!" she exclaimed, her face glowing with satisfaction as she continued stuffing herself with kebabs and pastries.
"Aren't you guys eating? If not, I'll take them!"
At her words, the Avengers exchanged amused glances.
"Hitomi, if you like it so much, you can have mine," Natasha said, giving up her portion without hesitation.
"I rarely see you enjoy food this much."
"Same here. I don't think I can eat anymore," Bruce Banner added, handing over his share.
"Here, take mine too. If it's not enough, I can order more. I'm just glad someone appreciates it!" Tony Stark said, looking at Kagura like she was his savior.
To him, the fact that someone actually liked the food in this restaurant was more important than anything else.
For Tony, this was a redemption moment.
As the one who had picked the restaurant, he had been under immense pressure, especially with everyone silently judging his choice.
Kagura's enthusiasm was like a breath of fresh air—an unexpected lifeline.
When even Hawkeye handed over his portion, a mountain of kebabs and pastries piled up in front of Kagura.
"Uh..." Kagura blinked, looking around at her teammates in confusion.
The Avengers, however, simply smiled at her with expressions of gratitude, as if saying:
'Go ahead, eat! We're counting on you! Wasting food is a sin, after all!'
'Wait... why do I feel like I've become a walking garbage disposal?' Kagura tilted her head.
'Oh well, whatever!'
'Is there anything more important than food in this world?'
'Food is life!'
'I'm starving!'
To be honest, she was so hungry that even the power outlets and electrical wires on the walls were starting to look appetizing.
With that thought, she lowered her head and continued eating with satisfaction.
'A true foodie fears nothing!'
...........................….
The Aftermath of the Battle of New York
In 2012, Earth faced an alien invasion from the Chitauri.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Avengers and an unknown organization, the Chitauri mothership was destroyed, and humanity was saved.
However, the battle left New York in ruins.
With support from Stark Industries and Rhodes Island Industries, the city's reconstruction efforts began swiftly.
Unlike natural disasters or traditional wars, this alien invasion had left behind invaluable technology waiting to be discovered and studied.
In a way, it was a gift.
The Chitauri possessed advanced energy sources and weaponry far beyond Earth's current capabilities.
If properly utilized, this technology could accelerate human civilization's progress by decades, if not centuries.
Of course, new technology also brought new dangers.
While S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark Industries worked hard to recover and contain alien weapons, a few inevitably slipped through the cracks, ending up in the hands of civilians—or worse, criminals.
For Kagura, however, the greatest treasure wasn't just Chitauri technology—it was the vast amount of data she had obtained from the Tesseract.
———————————————————————
— Kagura's Lab at Rhodes Island Industries
"Cortana, begin analyzing the Tesseract data. Let's see what treasures we can uncover."
Kagura waved her hand, summoning several holographic displays.
"If we can decode the Tesseract's knowledge, we'll be able to upgrade our energy shields, energy cannons, energy blades, and even our capacitor technology."
"It's time to move beyond outdated arc reactor designs."
"Master, there's a problem," Cortana responded.
"Our current computing power isn't sufficient to fully analyze the Tesseract data within a reasonable timeframe."
"At our current capacity, a full analysis would take at least 65 years."
"65 years?! That's way too long!" Kagura frowned. "By then, Cyberpunk 2077 will have been released! That's unacceptable!"
She focused her thoughts and opened the Infinite Concept Skill System's Store.
A list of purchasable upgrades appeared:
[Negative-Space Light Quantum Power Supply (Blueprint) – 10QP]
[Advanced Negative-Space Quantum Core (Blueprint) – 20QP]
[AI Command Module – 10QP]
[AI Logistics Module – 10QP]
[AI Research Module – 10QP]
[Adamantium Alloy (Blueprint) – 10QP]
[Uru Alloy – 10QP]
She rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
She had exactly 20QP left.
It was time to upgrade Cortana.
[AI Research Module – 10QP]
[Purchase Confirmed]
Additionally, based on legends and MCU lore, Uru metal had mysterious "enchantment" properties.
While Kagura believed magic was just another form of science, she was still curious to test its potential.
[Uru Alloy – 10QP]
[Purchase Confirmed]
"Alright, time to start upgrading!"