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"Superhero Alliance?"
The father and son on the other side looked at each other in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?
The Avengers Alliance, now that was a big name. Although the Battle of New York had its impact minimized as much as possible, it was far from enough to fool the nations of the world.
All the various superheroes who appeared in that battle were now being investigated.
Wakanda, while maintaining its principle of secrecy, had never stopped observing the world. So when Arthur and Tony arrived today, they were instantly recognized.
That's why they could sit here and talk peacefully instead of "communicating" through more violent means.
But… Superhero Alliance?
Where did that come from?
And judging by the look of things, the two in front of them seemed to be members of this mysterious organization.
Arthur smiled and glanced at the row of female bodyguards behind them.
The elder's expression darkened.
"You all, step out."
"But…"
The women hesitated for a moment, but seeing the elder's firm stance, they reluctantly left.
Arthur briefly explained the structure of the organization he had formed, but avoided delving into deeper matters. He simply shared its ideals and objectives.
The young Black Panther remained composed, his gaze heavy as he stared at Arthur.
"If one day… your goals change…"
The so-called Superhero Alliance Arthur had created was, in essence, meant to prevent the world from being destroyed, to maintain peace across the universe!
…Although it sounded suspiciously like the motto of some villainous organization, for now, everyone who had joined the group genuinely shared that belief.
But there was no denying it: This was a terrifyingly powerful militant group.
If one day, their hearts turned… If they ever wanted to start a global war, it would be all too easy.
They could even overturn the entire civilization of Earth.
That was why young T'Challa had spoken those words.
If great power was used to protect, then of course it was a good thing. But if one day, Earth itself became their target, then how could Earth possibly resist?
Arthur sighed. "I believe that if such a day really comes… you all would never follow my orders."
T'Challa was briefly stunned, then nodded.
The ambition might be Arthur's, but the ones carrying it out would be them. If they refused, then nothing would happen.
Arthur continued, "Honestly, it's a bit shameless, using the excuse of protecting Earth to pressure you into offering your technology, your knowledge and innovations… It's excessive. But for now, it's all I can do: I need to make use of whatever I can, unite whoever I can, and protect everything that needs to be protected! I want to live in a world without danger, to spend my life peacefully. And I want to bring that sense of security to the world. For that… I need you. Please, think it over carefully."
The father and son exchanged a glance. Finally, the old king said, "We'll need some time."
"Of course," Arthur nodded.
That concluded their first round of talks, but Arthur and Tony didn't leave. Instead, they stayed in Wakanda for a while.
First, Coulson's situation needed to be addressed. If they could heal him, they'd send him to Planet Xandar directly.
Arthur was pretty confident he could persuade him.
Besides that, they also had to wait for the father and son's answer. Whether it worked or not, they had to give it a shot.
The old king was kind by nature, and since he knew Arthur and Tony came with no ill intentions, he treated them hospitably. They were provided with suitable accommodations, but were reminded not to wander freely and risk misunderstandings, which could damage relations between both sides…
Given the current sensitivity of the times, Arthur understood and readily agreed.
…
Inside the room, before long, only Arthur and Tony remained.
"Things seem even more troublesome than I imagined," Tony said as he deactivated his suit and stretched his body. "They seem a bit hesitant."
"The fact that they're even shaken is already the best outcome." Arthur sat down in a chair and, with a flip of his hand, took out a bottle of liquor from the Disassemble space.
Tony glanced at it once… then again. "Looks familiar."
"Right?" Arthur nodded with a grin. "I thought it looked familiar too."
"…You stole wine from my house again!" Tony sat down across from Arthur with a dark expression, flipped a glass upright. "Pour me one too."
Arthur poured a glass for Tony, topped off his own, and picked up the glass, gently swirling the liquid inside.
"Wakanda's isolation has existed since ancient times," Arthur said. "Although their king is the highest authority among the tribes, this kind of cooperation isn't something he can decide on his own. Rules passed down from their ancestors run deep. The fact that they're even willing to listen and seem a bit shaken, that's already a win in my book."
He smiled. "To be honest, I didn't even expect them to agree on the spot."
"Then what exactly was our goal this time?" Tony asked.
"Prince T'Challa's recruitment," Arthur replied. "Talk is cheap, even with data, it might not be enough to break through rules that have been passed down for generations. Only by seeing with their own eyes, hearing with their own ears, will they understand the gravity of the situation. The Battle of New York happened too fast, it doesn't hold enough weight as a reference. But if the young Black Panther joins us, and we take him on a tour across some alien worlds, maybe we'll get a different result."
He took a sip of his drink.
"Besides, we're about to enter the second cosmic conflict. Though this time… our opponent is probably just one person."
"Who?" Tony asked.
"Have you ever heard of… a man named John Schmidt?"
Tony's pupils immediately contracted. "HYDRA. Red Skull?"
That name, he'd heard it more than once from his father. Tony gave Arthur a strange look.
"Wait, I remember… he's the one who killed you! I can't even begin to imagine what kind of monster we're talking about here… You're saying this person, this Red Skull, is still alive? But Steve's report said he died back then!"
"Since when has the Tesseract ever killed anyone?" Arthur replied calmly. "I've experienced something similar before, so I know… He wasn't killed, he was transported into space."
"And he's survived this whole time?"
"Yes," Arthur said. "And now, he's deeply connected with the Soul Stone. Don't underestimate him. If you still think of him as some old relic, then he could very well become our worst nightmare."
(End of Chapter)
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