Ch: 32-42
Chapter 32 Arthur 's Ambition
After the battle of New York, everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. was busy.
After this battle, Arthur was officially forced by Nick Fury to join the Avengers.
It was because Arthur 's performance in this battle was too outstanding, to the point that he almost single-handedly took on all the important tasks.
For a time, Arthur 's reputation, both within S.H.I.E.L.D. and among the general public, reached its peak.
This kind of overnight fame was the life Arthur had dreamed of in his previous life, but now that he was truly living this highly exposed life, Arthur found himself with many more troubles.
Ever since becoming a public figure, Arthur felt as if his every word and action had become transparent, completely exposed to the public eye.
For example, previously, because he needed Bill and others to rectify the underworld order in various districts of New York, he was coincidentally spotted by some oblivious fellow from the Daily Bugle.
The latter even hid in a dark corner and meticulously recorded Bill and others' acts of eliminating evil and bringing peace.
Later, Arthur had no choice but to personally intervene, transforming into the Night Rider to snatch the records back from that guy.
From then on, even the daily words and actions of Arthur 's subordinates had to strictly adhere to the rules.
Bill even went so far as to get his full-sleeve tattoo removed to play the role of a secretary well in front of the media.
Although the lives of the crowd changed so drastically, the subordinates who had been mingling in the grey areas of this city for many years also yearned to be as glamorous as the celebrities on television.
So, to a certain extent, they still enjoyed this change.
This was something that would never have happened when they followed Kingpin, so Arthur 's subordinates had been meticulously maintaining their hard-earned attention during this period.
Even Arthur 's originally struggling foreign trade company gradually became bustling with customers, and after its partnership with Stark Industries was deeply investigated, many companies that had been on the fence came knocking, seeking cooperation.
Having to receive an endless stream of clients every day, Arthur felt as if his body was hollowed out; even fighting the Chitauri wasn't this exhausting.
Business warfare tests a person not only physically but more so mentally, challenging and refining them.
Even though he was immersed in the ocean of business warfare every day, Arthur still did not forget to pay attention to the whereabouts of the Sorcerer Supreme after the battle of New York.
At the same time, Arthur often sent people to the other side of the city to keep an eye on that surgeon who drove too fast and crashed.
Moreover, after Arthur 's identity was exposed, it became inconvenient for Arthur and Wanda to frequently enter and exit the school.
But to complete their studies as quickly as possible, Arthur specifically sought Nick Fury's help to pull strings and invite the Professors from the school to their home, providing private lessons for the two of them.
This is the power of money!
Feeling that he was no longer who he used to be, and with the strong backing of Nick Fury.
In many matters, Arthur no longer chose a subtle approach but began to use thunderous methods.
Under Arthur 's strong suppression, all the gang forces in New York retreated, and although unwilling, they still obediently gave up resistance.
And under Arthur 's firm hand, this matter was quickly and properly handled.
After all, ordinary gang forces did not have the strength to contend with Arthur .
Thus, after a long period, it seemed as if everything had returned to peace.
But Arthur knew that the calm in New York was only temporary; new things would soon be waiting for everyone.
As Arthur expected, after a few days of uneventful rest, new developments emerged.
Not long ago, a new mysterious force quietly infiltrated New York City and the entire U.S. territory.
Watching the date of Christmas on the calendar slowly approaching, Arthur realized that another familiar storyline was about to arrive.
Looking at the streets full of fallen leaves, Arthur felt a touch of chill without realizing it; time passed so quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it had been more than half a year since he left school.
In over half a year, with the "painstaking efforts" of the Professors, Arthur 's studies had successfully concluded.
Next, Arthur could wholeheartedly focus on his career.
He planned to firmly grasp the entire New York City in his hands, striving to have his eyes and ears in every corner of the city.
After fighting with the Chitauri army, Arthur clearly realized the difference between individual combat and team coordinated combat.
This is why Marvel heroes are always beaten like dogs in their individual storylines, but when the entire Avengers strike together, they can beat the opponent like dogs.
Previously, when he single-handedly confronted the countless Chitauri army outside the portal, Arthur already had the idea of forming his own team.
This way, whether it was to continue fighting enemies from outside Earth in the future, or to deal with organizations that harbored ill intentions towards those around him, he would not be as helpless as he was this time.
However, to form such a well-trained and extraordinarily powerful team, massive human and material support was essential.
Therefore, Arthur had a bold idea: to incorporate the entire New York City into his empire.
In Arthur 's view, he could first use New York as a springboard, and then recruit talents and search for resources globally.
Moreover, in Arthur 's mind, there was currently only one place on Earth that could perfectly help Arthur achieve his goal, and there was also an army there that was countless times stronger than S.H.I.E.L.D..
Wakanda!
In the coming time, Arthur planned to first help Tony clear out some guys who might cause trouble this Christmas, and then find an opportunity to establish contact with Wakanda.
It's important to know that in this timeline, T'Challa has not yet taken the throne, so external contact with Wakanda is very rare.
Therefore, many things can only be observed as they unfold.
It's just unknown if Wakanda's Vibranium mine is enough for Arthur to build an entire army.
As Arthur was deep in thought, his ears suddenly twitched, hearing the urgent roar of a car in the distance.
At this time, there would actually be a car stopped in this place?
Arthur 's eyebrows subtly raised, and a thought immediately came to his mind: Could it be...
"Hehehe..."
Arthur grinned and stepped forward.
"Hi! Mr. Stark, long time no see!" Arthur said with a cheerful wave.
Tony also didn't expect that as soon as he got out of the car, Arthur would already be there to greet him.
Chapter 33 The Enemy Arrives
"Hello! Yes! Long time no see," Tony responded with a smile, though his complexion looked rather poor, and a hint of anger flickered in his eyes.
Moreover, Tony, who had always been known for his refined elegance, was dressed in rags today, looking at an old Volvo he had seemingly acquired from somewhere.
"Mr. Stark, what happened to you?" Arthur asked with a smile.
It turned out that ever since the New York incident, Tony had been plagued by unprecedented anxiety.
After the battle with Loki and the Chitauri, Tony felt more and more how weak Earth was in the face of other civilizations in the Universe.
Furthermore, Tony knew deeply that to prevent the New York incident from happening again, humanity had to do something.
For this, he madly invested in the research and development of upgraded Iron Man armors, successfully building an army composed entirely of Iron Man armors in just half a year.
Unlike before, these armors did not require a wearer's control and could be autonomously operated by the super AI Jarvis.
To perfect this idea, Tony worked day and night, even neglecting the feelings of his girlfriend, Pepper Potts.
One should know that Miss Potts was famously Pepper, and since he had provoked Pepper, one could imagine how difficult Tony's life had been during this period.
Originally, these matters were not worth Tony's special late-night visit to Arthur , but just now, Tonyand Dr. Maya, a female botanist he had met once before, were subjected to a terrorist attack by the notorious terrorist leader Mandarin at his Villa on the seaside mountain, almost burying the three of them along with the house's wreckage into the sea.
Not only was his house destroyed, but what was most hateful was that earlier, his assistant Happy had also been seriously injured in an explosion and was now in the ICU at Manhattan Hospital.
One should know that during this period, this terrorist organization, led by Mandarin, had orchestrated a series of bombings internationally.
Nick Fury had wanted to send Agents more than once to eliminate this international cancer, but he never expected that he couldn't find the person, and instead, his home was stolen.
One can imagine how furious Tony was at this moment, with all these national grievances and personal grudges combined.
Now, Tony knew nothing about the enemy, and thus, he had no choice but to come to Arthur to see if he could get any help.
Arthur was perfectly clear about the cause, process, and outcome of all this.
Therefore, Arthur first invited Tony into the room, then spoke calmly.
"Mr. Stark, originally, I shouldn't be so talkative about these things, but now I have to say something."
"Haven't you noticed that although you always pride yourself on being a genius, you often do things that disappoint those around you?"
Hearing Arthur 's words, Tony's pride immediately flared up.
"What do you mean? Do you mean everything I've been doing is useless? What do you mean I always disappoint the people around me? Without me, the entire New York City would have already become a ruin, just like my house!"
At this point, veins popped out on Tony's neck.
Arthur knew Tony was arrogant, but he hadn't expected Tony to be so arrogant; he had only said something casually, and he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the other party.
After calming Tony down again, Arthur continued.
"Have you never thought about why Maya suddenly sought you out?"
Tony looked at Arthur in disbelief and asked.
"Are you spying on me?"
"No, Mr. Stark, I've just been tracking a group of foreign Terrorists who secretly infiltrated New Yorkrecently, and guess who I found."
Hearing this, Tony showed a look of sudden realization.
But he quickly denied it with worry.
"No, Maya is a very kind person. How could she be with Mandarin?"
Knowing that Tony couldn't fully accept this cruel truth for a while, Arthur had no choice but to continue helping Tony recall.
"Do you still remember when you and Maya first met?"
Tony immediately fell into deep thought.
"It was at a party twenty-two years ago, she suddenly approached me to discuss her new biological discoveries she was researching."
As he spoke, Tony's face showed a hint of nostalgia.
"But do you still remember, there was another person present at that time?"
"Who?"
"Aldrich Killian."
Tony tried hard to recall everything from that night, but he still couldn't remember having seen such a person.
Seeing this, Arthur had no choice but to prompt him from the side.
"You also told him to wait for you on the rooftop at midnight."
At this, Tony instantly remembered the incident.
But Tony was even more confused now; could this matter be related to him?
Noticing the question marks on Tony's face, Arthur continued.
"That night, you didn't keep your promise to go to the rooftop to find him. He was originally your loyal fan. That time, he came to you with his lifelong research achievements, eager to gain your recognition."
At this point, Arthur paused.
"But you didn't give him what he wanted; instead, you stood him up. He once stood on the rooftop, contemplating suicide, but by chance, he saw fireworks rising in the distance. From then on, all his resentment towards you transformed into the motivation for his revenge."
Only now did Tony understand what Arthur meant when he said earlier that he always did things that disappointed those around him.
"Through investigation, he has been continuously researching the Extremis virus over the years. Not long ago, he finally succeeded in testing it on humans and immediately came to New York to seek revenge on you."
"Extremis, what is that?"
Arthur continued to answer patiently.
"This is a virus born from the direction of Dr. Maya's research, by upgrading the human body and mimicking the characteristics of regenerative cells."
"Extremis can allow a person to recover from deformities and other physical and psychological injuries, and even regenerate."
"But if not used properly, this virus can also become very dangerous because it is unstable and can easily cause people to explode."
Hearing this, Tony finally understood the tricky situation he was about to face.
He hadn't even emerged from the shadow brought by Loki and the Chitauri army, and in the blink of an eye, another group of superhumans came specifically to seek revenge on him.
For a moment, Tony felt overwhelmed, wondering why he always encountered various non-humans.
Since the enemy had come knocking, Tony naturally couldn't just surrender.
As the saying goes, when soldiers come, generals block; when Water comes, Earth covers.
But then he thought, why could Arthur know these things so clearly, even though they were so secret that he couldn't even find them out himself?
More importantly, Arthur could even recount the events from twenty-two years ago in detail.
This made Tony ponder.
Tony only felt that there might have been various hidden dangers around him for a long time, but he had never paid attention, which led to his current awkward situation.
Chapter 34 Secret Base
After figuring out the cause of the matter, Tony had no choice but to re-examine the entire situation.
However, since he had no leads to investigate, Tony decided to stay with Arthur for a few days to gather more information about Aldrich Killian.
He could also use Arthur 's resources to repair his damaged armor.
Given the current circumstances, Tony was no longer suitable to show his face in public.
"Boom!"
Just as Arthur and Tony were discussing how to find the whereabouts of Extremis, two unfamiliar figures unexpectedly burst into Arthur 's yard.
The latter blew up the Volvo that Tony had parked in the yard and then threw it at the two people inside the house.
Because there were many things going on in the company recently, Wanda was not home tonight.
Otherwise, with just that one blow, Arthur would have made the two intruders wish they were dead.
After blocking the flying car, before Arthur and Tony could even catch their breath, an RPG followed closely behind.
Arthur immediately rolled to the side.
The RPG hit the courtyard wall, and the explosion sounded particularly harsh in the silent night sky.
"Bang!"
The moment the RPG exploded, Arthur pulled Tony and ran to one side.
Although Arthur dodged the RPG's attack, he was still affected.
"Crack!"
Arthur 's right shoulder was grazed by a shell, and blood gushed out.
Tony, on the other hand, hid behind a tree and was not affected, but he was still in a state of shock.
"Run!"
Tony pulled Arthur and ran wildly to one side.
"Boom boom!"
The RPG continued to fire at Arthur and Tony.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Tony and Arthur dodged the constantly incoming shells while running wildly forward. They both knew that the other party was coming for them, and if they were even a little slow, they would definitely be in trouble, so they had to speed up and escape from here as soon as possible.
Finally, under the cover of the dust from the explosion, the two finally reached the street.
Seeing that the two were still relentlessly chasing them, Arthur was instantly annoyed.
After applying Wolverine's self-healing ability to himself, Arthur walked straight towards the two.
Watching the wound on Arthur 's shoulder heal at a visible speed, Tony couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Who are these people?
Tony's once proud self-esteem was once again shattered by the scene before him.
"Hey, are you two done or not?"
Arthur looked at the man and woman who had been injected with Extremis and asked.
But the only answer Arthur received was a fierce attack from the two.
Arthur couldn't help but frown at the sight. He didn't expect the two to be so determined to kill him and Tony.
"Truly stubborn!"
Arthur roared, and used mental control to forcibly control the two.
The moment Arthur used mental control to control the two, Arthur didn't hold back at all. Since you like to burn yourselves, then burn to your heart's content.
For a time, the Extremis in their bodies was like bullets on a hot pan, burning wildly.
Looking at the two self-igniting people, Tony couldn't help but ask.
"This is Extremis?"
Facing Tony's question, Arthur just nodded with a heavy expression.
"That's right."
Arthur 's tone carried a sense of desolation, and this oppressive atmosphere immediately enveloped Tony.
"Did you kill them like that?"
Looking at the wreckage all over the ground, Tony couldn't help but ask.
Arthur sighed, shook his head and said, "I didn't kill them, they killed themselves."
Hearing Arthur 's words, Tony didn't refute.
He knew that Arthur was telling the truth, after all, after truly witnessing the power of Extremis, Tonyalso truly realized that this opponent was definitely not ordinary Terrorists.
Moreover, from the current situation, Arthur seemed to be better at dealing with this group of people than he was.
"So, what should we do now?" Tony asked Arthur .
Tony knew that he had been more of a hindrance this time, but he had no other choice.
The enemy he was facing this time was different from before. Not only were they extremely familiar with everything about him, but their obsession was something Tony had never seen before.
Within a week, they dared to launch two such large-scale assassination attempts right under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose.
"Alright, Mr. Stark, since things have come to this, we can't hide. Instead of being passively beaten, it's better to take the initiative!"
Saying that, Arthur walked towards his car.
"Hey, kid, I've always taken the initiative when I encounter problems."
Tony quickly followed suit, he didn't want to be left behind to be a lone hero.
Arthur no longer explained anything, and drove Tony away from the apartment complex.
The two drove their car, and soon arrived at a secluded road not far from the apartment.
"So what should we do next?"
Inside the car, Tony was the first to break the silence.
"Mr. Stark, we should first find a place to help you repair your armor."
As he spoke, Arthur had already followed the path to an iron gate.
Soon, Bill appeared in their sight.
After realizing that the person who came was his boss, Bill quickly opened the iron gate.
After driving through the iron gate, a huge cave came into Tony's view.
Looking at the layout that closely resembled a S.H.I.E.L.D. Base, Tony immediately showed an incredulous expression.
"What are you trying to do, unify the World?"
Arthur was long used to Tony's teasing, and then calmly explained.
"Mr. Stark, if you can think of building an army of Iron Man suits to deal with special situations, then what's wrong with me wanting to build my own defense force?"
Looking at Arthur 's playful expression, Tony understood that he could no longer treat Arthur like an ordinary college student.
This kid had been playing innocent all along. If Loki hadn't attracted the Chitauri army to Earth, Arthur wouldn't have known how long he would have hidden.
However, fortunately, everything Arthur was doing now was just to give himself and Wanda a better life, so there was no need to worry that Arthur would suddenly turn into a great demon who wanted to destroy the World.
Having thought this through, looking at Arthur 's profile, Tony suddenly felt that this kid was becoming more and more to his liking.
Soon, the two arrived at the depths of the cave and stopped in front of a pile of wreckage.
When Tony looked closely at the wreckage, a bold idea suddenly formed in his mind!
All of these were the remnants of the Chitauri army that Arthur had specifically obtained from the Disaster Management Bureau through Nick Fury's connections after the New York incident.
Chapter 35 Rescuing the Hostages
"What exactly are you doing, kid?"
Tony picked up a piece of wreckage and fiddled with it in his hand.
Arthur smiled and said.
"I want to emulate the Chitauri's technology and convert all weapons into pure energy devices. This will not only enhance the power of the weapons but also reduce the constraints they face."
Tony deeply resonated with Arthur 's words; otherwise, his own armor wouldn't be equipped solely with pure energy output weapons. It would be like Colonel Rhodes' War Machine, loaded with cannons and machine guns.
While the two were talking, Bill had already brought the Iron Man armor that Arthur and Tony had brought with them.
Tony looked at the tattered Iron Man armor before him, feeling a pang of guilt.
But Tony quickly composed himself, lifted the armor onto a nearby workbench, and began the repair work with Bill's assistance.
Seeing Tony repairing such a damaged armor, Bill was puzzled.
He wondered when the usually extravagant Tony had become so frugal.
If his satellites weren't currently being monitored by Aldrich Killian, Tony wouldn't be in such a sorry state.
Meanwhile, Arthur had successfully located Aldrich Killian.
He also found a lot of video footage from the Extremis experiments.
Just as Arthur and Tony were preparing to deal with Aldrich Killian, the latter had already made his move.
Aldrich Killian dispatched his subordinates to first lure Colonel Rhodes into a pre-arranged trap.
Then, he had his henchmen, wearing the War Machine armor, capture the President.
Aldrich Killian's objective in this series of actions was simple: to use this incident to elevate the reputation of the Mandarin, his puppet, to its peak.
He would then begin to sell Extremis to global terrorist organizations in the Mandarin's name, thereby gaining control of all Western armies and terrorist forces.
His ultimate goal was to establish his own empire and completely trample Tony underfoot.
Tony bore a significant responsibility for everything Aldrich Killian was doing.
Therefore, Tony displayed an unprecedented level of determination.
Just as Arthur was about to discuss with Tony how to rescue Rhodes and the President, Bill brought an urgent message.
Aldrich Killian had, at some unknown time, quietly arrived in New York City and abducted Pepper.
Upon receiving this news, Tony could no longer remain calm.
Donning his barely repaired Iron Man armor, he swiftly headed to a port, guided by Jarvis's location tracking.
Seeing this, Arthur , worried about Tony being alone, followed him to the location.
The once empty port was now filled with shipping containers.
Moreover, every entrance and exit at the port was guarded by fully armed security personnel.
These were clearly Aldrich Killian's men.
Just as Tony was about to charge forward, Arthur forcefully stopped him.
"Hey, Mr. Stark, calm down. These aren't ordinary armed personnel. These are Extremis warriors who have been injected with Extremis."
"If you rush out blindly like that, they'll concentrate their fire and turn you into a sieve."
Hearing Arthur 's words, Tony reluctantly gave up.
The two then quietly sneaked deeper into the port.
At this moment, Arthur 's superpower proved to be exceptionally effective.
Whenever they encountered an impassable corner, Arthur would use mental control to turn the guards into blind and deaf individuals.
Soon, the two successfully found Colonel Rhodes in a ship cabin.
"What do we do next?"
Facing Rhodes' question, Tony quickly composed himself and replied.
"You and Arthur quickly go rescue the President, and I'll go find Potts."
After assigning tasks, the three quickly went their separate ways.
With Arthur 's help, Rhodes easily rescued the President.
However, Tony's side of things was not as smooth.
As expected, Tony encountered Aldrich Killian halfway.
"Oh, oh, oh, who is this, sneaking around like a mouse, stealing things in someone else's house?"
Facing Aldrich Killian's taunts, Tony did not lose his temper as he had initially.
Instead, he calmed down, attempting to get Pepper's location from Aldrich Killian.
But as the saying goes, if the words don't click, even half a sentence is too much. After only a few words, Aldrich Killian made the first move.
Aldrich Killian instantly gathered a large ball of Fire in his mouth and spat it towards Tony.
Tony dodged with a swift movement, then lunged forward, landing a punch on Aldrich Killian's chest, sending him flying.
After knocking Aldrich Killian away, Tony didn't want to waste another second. Tony quickly rushed to another area, attempting to find Pepper's whereabouts.
However, Tony had only taken a few steps before he was blocked by Aldrich Killian.
Tony involuntarily stopped and glared angrily at Aldrich Killian.
Seeing Tony's exasperated expression, Aldrich Killian couldn't help but let out a piercing laugh.
How many times had he, such an unknown nobody, now forced the renowned Tony Stark into such a predicament?
For a moment, Aldrich Killian seemed to envision himself reaching the pinnacle of life after eliminating Tony.
Tony truly hated Aldrich Killian at this moment.
If it weren't for Aldrich Killian obstructing him, he would have already rescued Pepper.
Now, it was no good; Pepper hadn't been rescued yet, and he was trapped here, unable to find a single soul. It was truly frustrating.
Looking at Aldrich Killian's arrogant demeanor, Tony's anger instantly flared. He roared and charged forward.
Tony pushed off the ground with both legs, his entire body like a cannonball, colliding with Aldrich Killian.
Tony's speed was extreme, reaching Aldrich Killian's vicinity in the blink of an eye.
His Iron Man armor-clad fist slammed fiercely into Aldrich Killian's face, intending to severely injure Aldrich Killian.
But as soon as Tony got close, he felt a strong pushing force, preventing him from moving forward.
Tony was shocked and tried to break free from Aldrich Killian's restraint.
But the more Tony struggled, the deeper he got entangled.
At this moment, Aldrich Killian's entire body turned crimson, emitting an unbearable high temperature.
Tony knew he had to quickly break free from Aldrich Killian's restraint, otherwise, once entangled by Aldrich Killian, it would be difficult to escape.
Thinking of this, Tony's mind sharpened. He channeled all his kinetic energy into his arms, using all his strength to pull his fists out of Aldrich Killian's grasp.
Chapter 36: Scene 2
However, Aldrich Killian wouldn't let Tony have his way.
Under Aldrich Killian's deliberate urging, the Extremis' activity became more vigorous than ever before.
The temperature on Aldrich Killian's body instantly reached near-lava levels.
Even Tony's Mark armor struggled under such heat.
Under Tony's shocked gaze, Aldrich Killian pulled out an arm, aiming his hand-blade at Tony's arm and slashing down fiercely.
With a crisp snap, Tony's armor arm was directly severed by Aldrich Killian.
At the crucial moment, Tony immediately detached himself from the Iron Man armor.
Seeing his attack miss, Aldrich Killian wasn't annoyed; he was thoroughly enjoying toying with Tonylike a helpless prey in his grasp.
"Hey, buddy, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
Tony ignored Aldrich Killian's trash talk behind him and ran off towards the cabin where Pepper might be.
On the other side, after Rhodes and Arthur rescued the President, War Machine first escorted the President to a safe zone.
Arthur , however, stayed behind alone.
Arthur 's mental power instantly enveloped the entire port.
Through a carpet-like search, Arthur successfully located the cabin where Pepper was being held.
Arthur called out to Tony through the intercom.
"Mr. Stark, I found Miss Potts!"
"Nice job, kid, but I'm a bit busy right now and might not be able to get away, so please go get Miss Potts back for me."
As he spoke, the harsh sound of metal clashing came from Tony's end.
Knowing that it was Aldrich Killian chasing Tony, Arthur decided to rescue Pepper first.
Just as Arthur was about to make a move, several Extremis warriors arrived, surrounding Arthur .
Looking at their faces, which were red to the point of turning black, Arthur felt a sense of disgust.
Even with his super self-healing ability, if he accidentally got hit by them, it would still be a tough situation for Arthur .
However, the situation was urgent; Pepper and Tony's lives were in peril, so Arthur didn't overthink it and rushed out, sprinting towards the cabin.
Just as Arthur took a step, countless metal bullets suddenly whizzed past his ears.
The remaining Extremis warriors without firearms chased after him.
Watching the scene of bullets flying and fire blazing, Arthur 's heart pounded.
Although Arthur was fast, facing the dense barrage of bullets, the cabin door where Pepper was held seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.
Worried about harming Pepper inside the cabin, Arthur had no choice but to stop.
Magnetic Field Control!
Mental Control!
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
"Thud!"
Countless bullets in front of Arthur seemed to have been paused, quickly forming a metal wall.
Arthur controlled this metal wall to crush the Extremis warriors in front.
As soon as the bullets touched the Extremis warriors, whose body temperature could easily melt metal at that moment, they instantly melted, like a small stone dropped into the ocean, not even making a sound.
Seeing that physical attacks were no longer effective, Arthur directly entered the minds of these Extremis warriors.
Through their memories, Arthur witnessed the helplessness and despair of these Extremis warriorswhen they were used as test subjects by Aldrich Killian.
This feeling was like being thrown into a deep, dark sea, craving oxygen, craving light.
From the moment they became Extremis warriors, these people lost everything.
After sensing the pain of the Extremis warriors before him, Arthur decided to help them find release.
Arthur controlled these Extremis warriors to excessively drive the Extremis within their bodies.
Before long, the body temperature of these Extremis warriors reached a level sufficient to incinerate themselves.
After dealing with these Extremis warriors, Arthur did not feel the expected joy; instead, he felt extremely low after prying into their tragic lives.
This was probably why Dr. X, despite possessing such a heaven-defying skill, was always unwilling to accept it.
Looking at the group of Extremis warriors he had just liberated, Arthur 's eyes narrowed slightly, and then a dazzling White light flashed from his body, and Arthur 's figure vanished from his original spot.
When he reappeared, Arthur had already delivered a still-confused Pepper to Tony, who was still being chased.
Aldrich Killian was also stunned to see Pepper and Arthur appear.
When he looked over the railing at what was below, he found that his Extremis warriors had all been reduced to dust.
Seeing this, Aldrich Killian laughed in fury.
He roared and lunged at the three of them, including Arthur .
Facing Aldrich Killian's attack, Arthur showed no fear, instead throwing a punch.
Arthur 's fist collided with Aldrich Killian's fist.
A huge explosion sounded, and a strong energy wave instantly spread from their point of conflict.
This time, Arthur actually had the upper hand.
Aldrich Killian only felt a powerful force strike him; his body flew backward, crashing heavily onto the deck, collapsing a series of metal railings, and leaving a deep gully on the cargo ship's deck.
Aldrich Killian struggled to his feet, looking at Arthur with a solemn expression and saying,
"I remember you, you're that Asian kid who single-handedly fought the alien army."
"It's a pity, I actually forgot about you."
Hearing Aldrich Killian's words, Arthur was also stunned.
Aldrich Killian dared to provoke him even in this situation; could it be that villains truly die because they talk too much?
Thinking of this, Arthur , to avoid any further complications,
No longer wasted time and directly launched an attack on Aldrich Killian.
Seeing Arthur attack, Aldrich Killian gritted his teeth, pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and detonated it.
Boom!
A huge explosion instantly swept across the entire cargo ship.
The cargo ship shook violently, its mast was blown off, and the hull was cracked with countless fissures.
Under the immense impact, the entire deck of the cargo ship was riddled with craters.
Arthur was no exception; he was directly knocked to the ground.
Suddenly, several bright spots appeared on the distant sea, which were the Iron Legion Tony had built earlier.
Seeing his Prodigal Son Return leading the way, Tony was as happy as a child.
Tony gestured for Arthur to protect Pepper, while he casually donned a suit of Iron Man armor.
He waved at Aldrich Killian and said,
"Aldrich Killian, let's continue with round two!"
Chapter 37 Ending
Facing Tony's provocation, Aldrich Killian laughed in extreme anger.
"Do you think you can defeat me with just this pile of scrap metal?"
Saying that, Aldrich Killian casually blocked a laser shot from behind him.
Seeing that the sneak attack failed, Tony no longer hesitated and charged towards Aldrich Killian, while his other suits, under Jarvis's control, surrounded the two of them, looking for an opportunity to ambush.
Faced with Tony's almost barbaric fighting style, Aldrich Killian had no choice but to engage in combat while also parrying.
Aldrich Killian fought while scanning the surrounding suits to prevent sneak attacks.
Suddenly, Tony turned and flew into the air, then the engines behind his feet roared, and Tony swooped down towards Aldrich Killian.
Seeing this, Aldrich Killian quickly dodged, and at the same time, he picked up a piece of steel bar from the ground and threw it at Tony.
"Clink!"
A crisp collision sound rang out, and Tony turned and leaped over Aldrich Killian's head.
Aldrich Killian looked up and saw that Tony had landed behind a robot suit.
"Damn it!"
Aldrich Killian cursed, and at the same time, he quickly adjusted his angle and moved to another spot.
Tony aimed at Aldrich Killian's moving angle, raised his palm cannon, and fired.
Seeing this, Aldrich Killian immediately crouched down and rolled to avoid the attack.
Before Aldrich Killian could stand up, Tony shot towards him.
"Tony, let me go!"
Aldrich Killian struggled, trying to break free from Tony's grasp.
Tony grabbed Aldrich Killian's arms and pulled them outwards forcefully; Aldrich Killian felt a surge of pain, but still did not release his arms.
Tony was not annoyed and continued to forcefully pull Aldrich Killian's arms.
"Ah!"
Aldrich Killian's body temperature was rising at a visible speed.
The sea breeze at night would turn into Water vapor as it blew over Aldrich Killian's body.
Feeling Aldrich Killian's change, even Tony, who was hiding behind the Iron Man suit, immediately felt a bad premonition.
The next moment, Aldrich Killian stood up, enduring the pressure from Tony's suit.
Immediately, Tony saw Aldrich Killian punch him.
Tony immediately dodged, but Aldrich Killian pursued relentlessly, throwing several heavy punches, forcing Tony to continuously dodge.
Finally, Tony found an opportunity.
Tony abruptly pushed Aldrich Killian aside, then quickly created distance.
"Do you think you've won?" Tony said, raising his arm and pressing the button on his chest armor.
The next second, a dazzling White light instantly illuminated the entire night sky.
Seeing this, Aldrich Killian immediately dodged, but he did not succeed.
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a huge explosion, Tony's figure suddenly disappeared from the original spot.
Seeing the sudden explosion, Aldrich Killian did not expect that Tony still had such a trick up his sleeve.
Tony, having exited the suit, looked at Aldrich Killian, who was unharmed after the explosion, and his pupils couldn't help but contract.
At this moment, Aldrich Killian, strengthened by Extremis, could infinitely repair his body through Extremis's regenerative properties, no matter what physical attack he suffered, unless he was completely eradicated in one blow.
Facing such a tricky situation, Tony had a slight regret that he had been too pretentious just now.
"Stab his heart!"
Suddenly, Arthur 's voice rang in Tony's ear.
Hearing this, Tony immediately nodded.
"Okay."
With that said, Tony ran towards Aldrich Killian's side while putting on a set of Iron Man armor.
Reaching the optimal position, Tony raised his palm cannon, aimed at Aldrich Killian's heart, and fired a shot.
Upon realizing Tony's intention, Aldrich Killian immediately shifted his body slightly.
"Puff!"
Tony's strike accurately hit Aldrich Killian's left shoulder, destroying his right shoulder.
Seeing his wound, Aldrich Killian seemed to feel no pain, walking towards Tony step by step with a sinister smile.
The fragmented flesh around the wound on his shoulder seemed to come alive, rapidly wriggling, and in a short while, the wound was as good as new.
"You can't kill me!"
Aldrich Killian sneered.
"Heh heh, that's not necessarily true."
Tony snorted coldly, then raised his arm again and aimed at Aldrich Killian.
"Bang!"
Another palm cannon shot towards Aldrich Killian.
This time, Tony held nothing back, directly setting the energy threshold of this palm cannon to its highest.
Aldrich Killian, after being hit, flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
However, fortunately, Tony did not harm his vital points, so although Aldrich Killian appeared disheveled at the moment, it did not affect his combat effectiveness in the slightest.
"Phew!"
Seeing Aldrich Killian stand up unharmed, Tony felt a headache; this was not the way to go.
Having thought that, Tony immediately pounced towards Aldrich Killian.
Seeing this, Aldrich Killian immediately assumed a defensive posture.
After completely locking down Aldrich Killian, Tony had Jarvis put a suit of armor on Aldrich Killian as well.
No matter how Aldrich Killian struggled inside the armor, the Iron Man suit remained motionless.
"Bang!"
Tony snapped his fingers, and the armor worn by Aldrich Killian exploded with a roar.
The Fire generated by the armor's explosion instantly enveloped Aldrich.
Seeing this, Tony leaped onto Aldrich Killian's back.
Aldrich Killian desperately tried to escape forward while frantically swatting at the Flames on his body with his right hand.
However, his palm couldn't withstand the power of the explosion; in just a few seconds, his scorched hand began to emit a layer of White smoke and continuously heated up.
But under the intense pain, Aldrich Killian finally couldn't bear the suffering.
After a flash of White light, Tony casually inserted the Patriot missile from the Iron Man suit into Aldrich Killian's heart, then raised his palm cannon and detonated it!
Under the repeated devastating blows, the regeneration speed of Extremis within Aldrich Killianultimately failed to keep up with the speed of destruction, and Aldrich Killian's body eventually disintegrated and dissipated in the explosion.
Chapter 38 Urgent Mission
Seeing Aldrich Killian's defeat, she ran worriedly to Tony's side.
The two embraced tightly, completely disregarding Arthur 's presence.
Watching the two embrace tightly, Arthur sighed helplessly. He really didn't understand why these two guys liked hugging each other so much. And they didn't even know shame; it was truly enviable and hateful.
While the two were still being lovey-dovey, Arthur received a call from Nick Fury.
"Hey, kid, where are you now? According to the images our satellite sent back, an explosion occurred at the port in West City. If you have time, go check it out quickly."
Hearing this, Arthur couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Sure enough, such things always play out like in movies and TV shows, where the main force's support only appears after the protagonist group has difficultly defeated the big BOSS.
However, everything Arthur thought in his heart could not be said in front of Nick Fury.
"Director, Mr. Stark and I encountered a group of Extremis warriors."
Immediately, Arthur told Nick Fury in detail about Aldrich Killian's love-hate relationship with Tonyand the Extremis.
Upon learning that someone on this Planet could already modify and strengthen human bodies through cells, Arthur clearly felt that Nick Fury on the other end of the phone had fallen into a certain low point emotionally.
Looking back at the series of incredible events that have occurred in recent years.
In almost all cases, the crises were caused by humans arbitrarily venturing into unknown fields, and then, driven by the dark side of human nature, gradually transforming them into tools for creating disasters.
In fact, for these years, S.H.I.E.L.D., knowing that other high-level civilizations existed outside the Universe, had been continuously trying to develop the human body.
Rogers's birth was by no means an accident.
Ever since Rogers began appearing in the public eye, many people on this Planet have attempted to imitate him.
But ultimately, they all ended in failure.
And those very few successful cases also gradually deviated from the original design due to various reasons.
General Ross, in order to capture Hulk, arbitrarily allowed his subordinates to be exposed to gamma rays.
As a result, a monster like Abomination was born.
Not only did he fail to bring Bruce Banner back, but he also caused extremely adverse effects on society.
Before this, General Ross had been secretly investigating Arthur 's background.
This, not surprisingly, touched S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bottom line.
Soon, General Ross was temporarily detained by Nick Fury on charges of treason.
Now, right under his nose, another batch of specially modified new human warriors began to spread.
Nick Fury once again truly felt that Earth's crisis not only originated from other high-level civilizations in outer space, but a large part would originate from within humanity itself.
After ending the call, Nick Fury called Natasha and Barton to his office.
Nick Fury quickly told the two everything Arthur had told him about the Extremis.
And Nick Fury also spoke of his worries and plans.
Nick Fury planned to have the two investigate how many such Supermen still existed that S.H.I.E.L.D.was unaware of.
And how many secret experimental sites, similar to Extremis warriors, were hidden in unknown corners.
After listening to Nick Fury, Natasha and Barton both realized the seriousness of the matter. They immediately launched an investigation.
With Natasha and Barton's cooperation, Nick Fury finally got some clues.
Although it was still impossible to confirm how many such humans were hidden on this Planet, at least Nick Fury confirmed that there were indeed human warriors on this Planet who possessed abilities beyond ordinary people.
"Guys, it's time to get a little active."
Nick Fury said lightly, looking at the dossier in his hand.
"Need a Doctor?"
Captain America's voice came from not far away.
Sam was currently slumped under a large tree, panting heavily.
Facing Captain America's teasing, Sam also said with a smile.
"Captain, I might need more than just a Doctor, but a new lung."
To this, Captain America only said lightly.
"We just ran thirteen miles in half an hour."
Hearing this, Sam couldn't help but retort.
"Maybe it's because I started running late."
Watching Captain America's inhuman Versailles, Sam just chose to smile.
No wonder he's the Super Soldier Captain America.
Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, his identity as a paratrooper might be something worth showing off.
But in front of Rogers, it seemed a bit childish.
Just as the two were about to continue chatting for a while, Captain America's phone suddenly received a message from Natasha.
Before Captain America and Sam could properly say goodbye, Black Widow's car stopped behind Captain America.
"Hey, guys, do you know how to get to the museum? I think I need to pick up a fossil."
Hearing Black Widow's words, Captain America also expressed his helplessness.
He then pulled open the car door and got in.
Soon, the car disappeared into the traffic.
"The target is a mobile launch platform, Lemuria Star. Ninety-three minutes ago, a group of pirates occupied it."
Looking at the data on the large screen in front of him, Captain America asked.
"So what do they want?"
The soldier beside him said.
"One point five billion."
"What, so much?"
"Because that's our S.H.I.E.L.D. ship."
"Oh, I'm really tired of cleaning up Nick Fury's messes."
Black Widow, who was beside him, also didn't expect the old-fashioned Captain America to say such a thing at this moment.
After all, in Black Widow's eyes, Captain America was an old stubborn person who would meticulously complete tasks assigned by his superiors.
But she didn't expect him to occasionally complain about his superiors like an ordinary person.
The soldier beside him continued to speak at this time.
"There are about twenty-five of them, commanded by George Batoude, a top mercenary and Interpol's most wanted criminal."
Hearing this, Captain America quickly formulated the next battle plan.
The Quinjet, under the cover of night and heavy rain, quickly reached directly above the mobile launch platform.
Captain America was the first to walk to the hatch and press the switch.
A strong airflow immediately rushed into the cabin.
After a few simple instructions, Captain America was the first to jump out of the fighter jet.
A soldier nearby couldn't help but ask.
"Did he bring a parachute?"
"No, he didn't..."
After receiving the answer, the soldier who had originally asked the question also showed a look of shock.
Chapter 39 Recapture the Launch Platform
While the people on the fighter jet were still chattering about Captain America not having a parachute, Captain America had already successfully landed on the launch platform.
Noticing the unusual sound behind them, the pirates on the ship immediately walked over.
Captain America seized the opportunity and threw his shield at the person walking in front.
The shield flew to the pirate's head, instantly knocking him down.
Captain America took advantage of the others not reacting yet, rolled forward, and came in front of another person.
A simple uppercut sent that person flying several meters away, their fate unknown.
Seeing this, the remaining people on the ship raised their firearms and swept them towards Captain America.
A series of 'bang bang bang' gunshots rang out in the air, and bullets poured down like rain, all easily dodged by Captain America.
While dodging bullets, Captain America had already rushed in front of one person, delivering a powerful heavy kick to his chest, directly sending him flying, where he fell onto the deck, spitting blood, and unconscious.
Seeing this, the remaining four people hastily raised their firearms and swept them towards Captain America.
Captain America quickly moved to a corner, dodging the bullets.
Just then, a sniper bullet flew out, heading straight for Captain America. Captain America quickly ducked down, and the bullet grazed Captain America's shoulder.
The bullet tore Captain America's clothes at the shoulder, leaving a bloodstain.
"Ah!" A scream came from a pirate's mouth, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.
"Bang!" Another bullet pierced through the chest of a pirate nearby, directly hitting his heart.
Before the bullet penetrated his heart, the pirate's body twitched violently, eventually losing its breath.
After this series of actions, a dark gun barrel was pointed at Captain America.
"See? I told you, Captain, you can't do it without my help."
Rumlow said to Captain America with a smile, taking off his parachute.
Facing Rumlow's words, Captain America was not annoyed and simply said thank you.
Immediately, the two then moved deeper into the ship's cabin.
Compared to Captain America's relaxed demeanor, Black Widow was surrounded by several burly men as soon as she landed on the deck.
Black Widow couldn't help but smile wryly, "I should have known I'd run into these guys. How troublesome!"
Although Black Widow complained about the trouble, she showed no fear.
She picked up the gun in her hand and fired continuously at the four people surrounding her.
"Da da da da da!"
At the same time, the pirates also wantonly unleashed bullets towards Black Widow.
Black Widow's body was incredibly flexible, dodging the bullets, and then she smoothly grabbed the burly man's hand in front of her and twisted it hard.
"Crack, crack" sounds came, and the palm bone was broken.
"I don't care who you are, you leave here immediately, otherwise we won't be polite!"
The voices of the remaining few people sounded particularly harsh in the silent night.
Black Widow ignored their words, simply took out a dagger, and slit the throat of one of the pirates.
The pirate had no idea that Black Widow would dare to do such a thing, and for a moment, he actually forgot to dodge.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered, and the pirate, with wide eyes, covered his neck and fell down unwillingly.
The other three pirates were also frightened after seeing this scene.
In their perception, they had never seen such a cruel woman.
Black Widow ignored the three stunned pirates and continued to rush towards them.
"Bang!"
Black Widow raised her leg and delivered a straight punch, hitting the face of the person holding the firearm hard.
"Bang!"
That person's nose bridge was shattered, a large amount of bloody foam spewed from his mouth, and he immediately fell down.
The other two, seeing this, no longer hesitated and rushed towards Black Widow.
Black Widow dared not be careless, clenched her fists, and heavily struck the chests of the two.
Unfortunately, Black Widow's blow was firmly received by the two.
Seeing herself restrained by the two, Black Widow also made a decisive move, using the momentum for a backflip to pull her hands back, while simultaneously kicking the two flying.
The two pirates were kicked back several steps by Black Widow's move, then fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
Just then, other pirates nearby also heard the commotion here and had already picked up their weapons, rushing towards this direction, preparing to attack Black Widow.
Black Widow looked at the two wailing and rolling on the ground, then no longer lingered and rushed towards the mobile platform's power room.
Not long after, Black Widow met Captain America in the engine room.
"Hey, why didn't you make plans to go out with anyone this weekend? Are you too nervous, or too shy?"
Black Widow couldn't help but tease Captain America, who was walking in front.
"Alright, it's not too late to find me a female companion after you successfully take over the engine room."
Saying that, the two arrived at the Captain's cabin door.
Captain America took two steps back, gathered all his strength, and kicked open the heavy iron door.
Even Black Widow, who was accustomed to muscular men, couldn't help but praise Captain America's astonishing strength.
"That's really good."
"Thanks!"
At this moment, the two pirates who were steering inside the cabin were somewhat stunned to see Captain America and Black Widow enter so brazenly.
When they reacted, they immediately aimed their guns at them, but Captain America had already thrown his shield first, dealing with the two pirates.
Just as Captain America was about to go deeper, Black Widow started operating a computer nearby.
Seeing this, Captain America asked in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
After a while, Black Widow pulled out the flash drive inserted in the computer, shook it in front of Captain America, and said.
"You should develop the habit of always remembering to copy."
Seeing this, Captain America immediately leaned forward, wanting to see what data Black Widow was copying.
"You're actually copying S.H.I.E.L.D. data."
Facing Captain America's questioning, Black Widow said very calmly.
"My mission is inherently different from yours."
"But what if this endangers the safety of the hostages!"
"Hey, calm down, it's not as serious as you make it out to be, okay?"
Before Black Widow's words fell, one of the pirates previously knocked out by Captain Americasuddenly stood up and threw a grenade at the feet of the two.
Seeing this, Captain America immediately swung his shield to bat the grenade away, then quickly picked up Black Widow by the waist and ran outside.
Black Widow was also quick-witted, pulling out her pistol and shattering the glass blocking their way.
The two, having narrowly escaped death, leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
At this moment, Black Widow looked at Captain America beside her and said resignedly.
"You were right this time; it will be very dangerous."
Hearing this, Captain America showed no joy but instead quickened his pace to reach the cabin where the hostages were held.
Because Captain America was filled with anger at this moment, these well-trained pirates were quickly dealt with by Captain America with ease.
Chapter 40 Insight Project
"Hey, Nick, what exactly do you mean by this?"
As soon as he returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain America furiously pushed open the door to Nick Fury's office.
"Bang!"
Nick Fury seemed to have anticipated this, but still showed no intention of explaining.
"You're so used to lying that you can't help it, even when you don't want to, right?"
"No, no, no, I've never lied to you. Natasha's mission itself is different from yours."
"Then don't you have an obligation to explain it to me?"
"I have no obligation to do anything, or to explain to anyone."
Captain America hadn't expected Nick Fury to be so resolute.
"Then aren't you worried about the hostages' safety? Do you know how many people might die because of your decision?"
Hearing Captain America about to launch into his usual spiel, Nick Fury quickly interrupted.
"So, I dispatched the greatest Agent in history to handle this, to prevent tragedy from happening, didn't I?"
Looking at Nick Fury, who seemed utterly unconcerned, Captain America was so angry he couldn't speak. He really wanted to punch that dark-skinned face.
"Don't you know, what a team needs is trust? What's the difference between a team without mutual trust and a mob that just blindly fires guns?"
Captain America's words instantly reminded Nick Fury, the biggest dark-skinned man in Marvel, of a past he absolutely did not want to recall.
Nick Fury himself had been too trusting of his teammates, which led to the loss of one of his eyes.
But Nick Fury still didn't lash out at Captain America; instead, he continued.
"I've never asked you to do anything beyond your bottom line, and Natasha, she has no bottom line. Many things you're unwilling to do, she'll be willing to do."
"But if every member of my team has their own separate mission, then I'm sorry, I can't continue to lead a team like that."
Saying that, Captain America made to leave.
"This is called segmented management. Even if there's a flaw in one part of the mission, the entire mission won't collapse because of one person, because no one knows the entire plan."
Hearing Nick Fury's words, Captain America just looked at Nick Fury coldly and said.
"Except for you!"
Hearing Captain America's complaint, Nick Fury just smiled faintly.
"No, you're not entirely right. I'm a person who knows how to share... a benevolent person."
After speaking, Nick Fury stood up and walked out of the office, motioning for Captain America to follow.
Taking the elevator, Nick Fury led Captain America to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground Base.
"What was that Insight Project you just mentioned?"
Just as he was taking this elevator, which Captain America had never ridden before, the elevator's artificial intelligence had mentioned that it did not have access to information about the Insight Project.
However, Nick Fury quickly granted Captain America access to the Insight Project's permissions.
Therefore, Captain America could roughly guess that the place Nick Fury was about to take him was likely related to the Insight Project.
Soon, the elevator descended to a depth of over a hundred meters underground, and Captain Americawas immediately stunned by the sight before him.
Within the vast underground space, S.H.I.E.L.D. engineers were bustling about.
Looking around, three colossal Sky Carriers completely filled Captain America's vision.
Watching the three terrifying war behemoths lying silently there, Captain America was momentarily speechless.
Nick Fury, standing beside him, explained in due course.
"These are three brand-new generation Sky Carriers. This is the Insight Project."
"All three are equipped with anti-gravity engines. Once they lift off, there's no need for them to land again."
Walking closer to the three behemoths, Captain America asked faintly.
"Is this Stark's masterpiece?"
"Yes, Stark gave us some suggestions after observing the previous generation of engines up close. These engines allow the Sky Carriers to fly in sub-orbit for extended periods."
Looking at the array of cannons at the bottom of the Sky Carriers, Nick Fury explained.
"All three Carriers are synchronized with satellite communications. As soon as Terrorists emerge from cover, they will be instantly identified by Lemuria Star's DNA recognition, and then the cannons can achieve an efficiency of eliminating a thousand people per minute."
"This way, we can nip threats in the bud before they even appear."
After hearing Nick Fury's words, Captain America couldn't help but ask.
"Shouldn't there be a crime before there's punishment?"
Nick Fury was really getting a bit fed up with the rigidity of this old man who had been asleep for decades.
"If we wait until a threat appears to try and solve it, we can't afford the consequences, and we don't have time to wait."
"We?"
"After the New York incident, I successfully convinced the World Security Council to drastically improve threat analysis technology. This time, we are at least one step ahead."
"Oh, pointing guns at everyone on Earth, you call that protection?"
Facing Captain America's questioning, Nick Fury retorted without showing weakness.
"I've investigated the S.S.R. archives. The greatest generation, didn't you also do many things that couldn't see the light of day?"
"Yes, we did, but those things made our consciences uneasy, unable to close our eyes day and night. We did what we did for people's freedom. What you're doing isn't freedom; it's fear."
Saying that, Captain America pointed to the Sky Carrier above his head.
Nick Fury also said faintly after hearing this.
"Times are different now, Captain. It's time you adapted to the era. You shouldn't always go against the times."
Hearing Nick Fury's words, Captain America didn't say much, just turned around and left silently.
Captain America, after leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., didn't go anywhere in particular, but instead went alone to the history museum.
Looking at the posters and exhibits in the hall, on the walls, and in the display cases, all documenting what his generation had done, Captain America couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
The TV was playing a documentary about him and the Howling Commandos eliminating HYDRA. Watching the children in the museum imitate his and his teammates' fighting stances while watching the documentary, Captain America seemed to have a faint realization.
After leaving the museum, Captain America went to Peggy Carter's home.
Captain America confided in Carter about his experiences during this time and his disagreements with Nick Fury.
Carter, after listening, simply placed Captain America's hand on her chest and said gently.
"Hey, Rogers, you always make things sound very serious, exaggerated, but you should know that you saved the World, but we messed it up again. Now we can't change the times; we can only try to integrate into them."
Listening to Carter's words, Captain America also fell silent.
At this moment, he suddenly felt that there was indeed an invisible chasm between himself and this era.
Was he wrong?
Chapter 41 Hydra
"Lock down the office, open the archives!"
"Access to archives denied!"
"Decrypt archives."
"Archive decryption failed!"
"Director override, Nicholas J. Fury."
"Override denied, all archives sealed!"
"Check authorization."
"Nicholas J. Fury authorized!"
Listening to the cold, artificial intelligence female voice, Nick Fury keenly sensed that something was amiss.
At the same time, in a conference room in another building, Director Pierce was explaining to the many council members of the International Security Council about the recent hijacking of the Lemuria Star by international pirates.
After finally dealing with it, as soon as he walked out of the conference room, an assistant secretary walked over and whispered a few words in his ear.
As soon as he entered the office, Pierce saw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s not-so-likable Black man, Nick Fury.
"Even if we're next to each other, unless there's a nuclear crisis, you would never come to me. So, what is it?"
Pierce got straight to the point as soon as he saw Nick Fury.
"I've decided to suspend the Insight Project!"
Pierce hadn't expected Nick Fury's visit to be about delaying the Insight Project, especially since Nick Fury himself was its biggest proponent.
He never thought this warmonger would actually make such a request.
"Nick, you know this will require a very long hearing."
"I know, but even the longest hearing is better than when that day arrives, and the Sky Carrier has already launched."
Seeing the rare seriousness on Nick Fury's face, Pierce immediately fell into deep thought.
"I understand, but you don't need to worry too much."
"Pay more attention to it. I hope there really isn't a problem."
Nick Fury took a deep breath, then left the office, leaving Director Pierce stunned in a daze.
Meanwhile, Captain America, on his way to the veterans' activity room, met Arthur who was jogging.
"Captain!"
Captain America was also surprised to meet Arthur here.
He immediately waved back at Arthur .
What seemed like a chance encounter was, in fact, Arthur having waited there for a long time.
Ever since he helped Tony resolve the troubles caused by Extremis, Arthur had been quietly dormant for a long time.
It wasn't until recently, when Tony informed him of some details about the Insight Project, that Arthur decided to do something to completely eradicate HYDRA.
Arthur 's goal was simple: to learn the organizational structure of HYDRA by dismantling it layer by layer.
After all, this organization, despite enduring so many devastating blows, has still managed to retain enough viable forces.
It was clear that the core of this organization had never truly been destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. over the years.
Therefore, Arthur intended to emulate this intricate organizational form.
However, he had been struggling to find a suitable opportunity.
Fortunately, Arthur once again caught this crucial moment.
As long as he could convince Captain America to let him participate in the upcoming plan, Arthur had enough confidence to obtain what he wanted from it.
Moreover, several core HYDRA figures were currently lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., but Arthur knew their identities better than anyone else. This information asymmetry also created the best conditions for Arthur 's actions.
"Captain, I want to ask you, what has the bureau been busy with recently?" Arthur asked Captain America, who was sitting beside him.
"Hmm? Why are you so curious?" Captain America looked at Arthur 's expression, seemingly understanding something. "Could it be that you've discovered something?"
"Nothing, I just feel like the bureau has been a bit strange lately, as if there are some things that need to be dealt with," Arthur said with a smile. "Captain, I think if it's something big, I can help you."
Hearing Arthur 's words, Captain America was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No need, you just need to do your own work."
Seeing Captain America reject his request, Arthur could only swallow his words, change the subject, chat briefly, and then take the opportunity to leave.
Arthur hadn't expected Captain America to refuse him so directly. This path with Captain Americawas a dead end, so he had to find another way.
No matter what, he was still a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he would always have opportunities to access these matters.
Although Captain America didn't allow him to interfere in this matter, that didn't mean he would give up this opportunity.
If he could find a suitable opportunity, he naturally wouldn't miss it easily.
......
The next morning, Arthur had just woken up, dressed, and walked out of his room.
As soon as he stepped out of the doorway, Arthur saw Wanda standing not far away. Looking at Wanda's relaxed appearance, Arthur was somewhat captivated.
Ever since her studies ended early, Wanda had been busy daily at the company, handling various matters, big and small. He rarely saw her have time to relax and rest properly.
But today, Wanda was different. She was wearing a bathrobe, drinking coffee, and watching TV, with a slight smile on her face.
"What are you watching, silly girl, smiling so happily?"
Arthur walked over and asked.
"Ah? Oh, nothing, I'm watching the morning news." Wanda quickly turned off the TV, looking flustered, but Arthur saw the glimmer in her eyes.
Wanda definitely wasn't lying; she was definitely not watching the morning news just now.
But Arthur didn't press further, because Arthur knew that if Wanda didn't want to tell him, then no matter how long he asked, Wanda wouldn't tell the truth. In that case, it was better to let nature take its course and ask when Wanda was willing to tell him.
After breakfast, Arthur dropped Wanda off downstairs at her company, then drove towards S.H.I.E.L.D.
In a place Arthur couldn't see, Wanda took out her phone and called Bill.
"Bill, you've already promised to help me, and I know you must have a lot to deal with right now, so I won't trouble you to come in person. Just send me the address, and I'll handle the rest myself," Wandasaid over the phone.
Wanda's voice was sweet and pleasant, but at that moment, to Bill's ears, it sounded like the roar of a demon from hell.
Bill couldn't even imagine what would happen if Arthur found out he was helping Wanda do these things behind his back—would he be turned into a cement pillar?
Thinking of Arthur 's angry expression, Bill couldn't help but shiver. His boss was truly terrifying when he got serious; he had better be careful.
Chapter 42 Return to Hometown
"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~"
As Arthur stepped into the S.H.I.E.L.D. building, he immediately saw a figure so familiar that it was almost unbelievable, descending from the sky and crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Captain America!"
The Captain, after landing, stumbled to his feet and ran towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. main entrance.
"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~"
A piercing alarm sounded in Arthur 's ears. Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Arthur 's brain was currently in a frantic brainstorm.
"Quicksilver Speed!"
The next instant, Arthur 's figure flickered and he instantly vanished from his original spot.
One moment, the Captain was fighting the Agent chasing him from S.H.I.E.L.D., the next moment, when the Captain came to his senses, he found himself in front of a hospital vending machine.
Glancing at the vending machine, the Captain saw that the USB drive he had originally placed inside was gone. He instantly grabbed Arthur and Black Widow, one in each hand, and pulled them into a utility room.
"Where is it?"
The Captain asked, his expression fierce as he stared intently at the two.
"Cough~ cough~ cough~ Captain, please loosen your grip, I can barely breathe."
Saying that, Arthur took out the USB drive from the vending machine from his pocket.
Seeing that the USB drive was still there, the Captain's expression softened slightly.
"Whose side are you two on, exactly?"
As he spoke, the Captain raised his shield again, pointing it at the two.
"Of course, we're on your side."
Seeing that the Captain was about to make a move again, Arthur quickly raised his hand and said.
"Alright, in that case, I'll give you a chance to convince me."
With that, the Captain lowered his hand.
"Captain, if we were traitors within the Bureau, do you think I would go to such great lengths to bring you here?"
Arthur asked.
Hearing Arthur 's words, the Captain's mood became a little complicated.
By now, the Captain could pretty much imagine that he must have already been placed on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s wanted list.
America's former great hero had now become a wanted criminal.
It was hard to imagine how ironic this was for the Captain.
The traitor must be rooted out!
Thinking of this, the Captain subconsciously clenched his fists.
"The most urgent matter is for us to first figure out what secret is hidden within this USB drive."
Hearing this, Arthur and the Captain both turned their gazes towards Black Widow.
After changing into casual clothes, Black Widow somehow managed to get an old model Dodge.
The three quickly drove the Dodge to a bustling commercial district.
Looking at the sea of people in front of him, Arthur subconsciously looked at Black Widow.
"Only in crowded places is it easier for us to slip away in the chaos. Aren't you Stark's proud student? How could you not even think of that?"
Hearing Black Widow's teasing, Arthur could only awkwardly rub his nose and give a sheepish smile.
"Black Widow, stop teasing me. Let's get down to business."
Saying that, Arthur was the first to get out of the car and walked towards a fruit specialty store.
"How long do you think it will take to crack these?"
The moment Black Widow inserted the USB drive into the computer, S.H.I.E.L.D. obtained their location and dispatched four Special Forces teams.
"About nine minutes."
The three looked at the lines of code flickering on the computer screen. Arthur and the Captain, both computer illiterates, only felt a wave of dizziness.
At this moment, a salesperson in the store also noticed the three of them.
So he walked up to them and smiled.
"Hello there, is there anything I can help you with?"
"We're planning to choose a location for our vacation."
"Oh, good, good luck to you. If you have any questions at all, you can come find me."
"Okay, we definitely will."
After sending the salesperson away, the Captain anxiously asked.
"Didn't you say it would only take nine minutes? Why isn't it cracked yet?"
Hearing the Captain's words, Black Widow immediately rolled her eyes and said.
"The person who designed this program is slightly smarter than me, just a little bit. He entrusted these files to an artificial intelligence for protection, and now this artificial intelligence is constantly rewriting itself to refuse my access."
"But I can implant a remote tracking system into the program. Even if we can't find out the content inside, we can still know where the content of this USB drive came from."
"Beep~"
Before long, Black Widow was able to track the other party.
Looking at the location displayed on the computer screen, the Captain immediately fell into deep thought.
Simply because this place was too familiar to the Captain.
New Jersey!
After learning the location, the three decisively pulled out the USB drive and planned to set off immediately.
As soon as they walked onto the street, the Captain said softly.
"There are four standard Special Forces response teams around us in total, two in front and two behind."
"Later, I'll take care of the two in front first. You two quickly run towards the elevator to the west and leave here."
Saying that, the Captain made a move to take off his jacket and rush out.
Seeing this, Arthur quickly stopped him.
"Wait a moment, wait a moment, Captain, watch me."
No sooner had Arthur finished speaking than the four Special Forces teams walking from both directions seemed to be unable to see the three of them, walking directly past them.
Seeing this scene, the Captain couldn't help but glance at Arthur .
"Well done, kid, but don't ever use this trick on me again."
After successfully shaking off their pursuers, the three changed to a new car and drove towards New Jersey.
"Where did Captain America learn to steal cars?"
Black Widow, who was now idle, couldn't help but complain.
"Hey, we're just borrowing the car. We'll return it later, so don't put your feet up on someone else's car."
Just like that, the three of them didn't arrive at an abandoned military training camp until nightfall.
Looking at the dilapidated and rusty iron gate in front of him and the warning sign on it, the Captainknew he had come to the right place.
Walking through the camp, where everything seemed both familiar and strange, the Captain's thoughts instantly surged.
Black Widow, as if she had seen through the Captain's thoughts at that moment, said.
"Are you very familiar with this place?"
"Yes, I trained here. Every morning, someone would pull us out of our warm and comfortable beds and make us run wildly on the training ground under the scorching Sun, which was tens of degrees Celsius."
At this point, the Captain paused, came to a flagpole, and touched the dust accumulated on the flagpole.
"At that time, I hadn't become what I am now, and I often couldn't keep up with the main group. At this time, my instructor would constantly yell at me."
"Little girl, run faster and keep up, hurry, hurry, hurry."
Hearing such words directly from the Captain's own mouth, Arthur and the other person still found it a little funny.
Before long, led by the Captain, the three found the entrance to an underground warehouse.
Moving aside the discarded items piled haphazardly at the entrance, the three walked straight down.