HELLO READERS!
I hope you're all doing great.
These months were quite chaotic, still I am committed on bringing this story to all the readers here.
please enjoy!
____________________________
MBH #16- The New Beginning - 2
____________________________
The crisis wasn't just Alex's problem anymore; it was a weight pressing down on the whole world. Recent mutant attacks in big cities had pushed people past their breaking point. Outside the thick glass of Avengers Tower, the city looked different. You could hear more sirens than usual, and the streets felt quieter, like everyone was staying inside and locking their doors. To the average person, mutants weren't neighbors anymore—they were a scary "what if" that threatened their very existence.
Behind the scenes, the game was being rigged. Fear-mongering news and two-faced politicians acted as a front for hidden agencies. Together, they worked to turn people's nerves into pure hatred. They wanted it to look like mutants were a "plague" that would eventually wipe out humanity if something wasn't done immediately.
Inside the safety of the Tower, the team gathered around the main briefing table to figure out their next move. The air was heavy, and nobody looked like they'd slept much.
"This is a setup. A total frame job," Clint Barton muttered. He was slumped in a chair off to the side, hands busy with a gaming console. Even though his eyes were on his screen, he kept peeking over his shoulder at the blue glow of the holograms on the desk. "Even Hulk can see this is a trap. It's too obvious, Cap."
"Puny human dumb," the big guy grumbled. He was squeezed into a giant, reinforced chair nearby, staring intensely at the game Clint was playing. He swiped a massive green hand toward the controller, nearly knocking Clint out of his seat.
"Hey! No cheating!" Clint barked, diving out of the way while keeping his thumbs on the joysticks. "You're only trying to swat me because I'm winning. That's a low move, even for a guy who smashes tanks for a living. Just watch the screen and take your loss like a man... or a monster."
The game screen suddenly went black. Natasha Romanoff stood there, holding the power cable she'd just ripped from the wall. She didn't look happy. "Eyes on the desk, boys. The world is falling apart, and you're playing games like kids in a basement. Focus up."
"Hey! I was one level away from the boss!" Clint complained, finally dropping the console onto his lap and spinning his chair toward the center of the room.
Captain America stepped forward, his shield leaning against the edge of the table. "Clint is right, though. Even if he's distracted. These attacks are too perfect. They're designed to force the government to act—not just against mutants, but against us, too. They want everyone with power under their thumb."
Sam Wilson nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whoever is behind this wants a war. Humans versus Mutants. If they get people fighting each other over DNA, nobody notices what the guys in suits are actually doing. It's the perfect distraction."
"A war of blood is a poison," Thor's heavy voice rumbled, cutting through the chatter like thunder. He was standing by the window, watching the rain start to hit the glass. "From the ice of Jotunheim to the dark of Svartalfheim, I have seen it. Kin slays kin until only ruins remain. There are no winners in such a path. Only silence and death for the innocent."
"Then we stop it now," Steve Rogers said firmly. "We set up patrols, we check the satellites, and we keep the communication lines open. We find the next hit before it happens. Tony? You've been awfully quiet over there in the corner."
"Maybe he's having a 'shy day'?" Clint joked, leaning forward to get a better look at the maps on the table.
"I'm actually deciding whether to cancel the extra-large pizza and pickles I ordered for us tonight," Tony Stark replied, spinning his chair around with a smug grin.
Clint's face went pale. He nearly fell out of his chair. "Whoa, whoa! Easy there, big spender! Let's not say things we can't take back. Those pickles are the only thing keeping me sane right now. You cancel that order and I'm joining the villains, Tony. I mean it! I'll be the best marksman the bad guys ever had, and I won't miss!"
Tony ignored the dramatic plea and tapped the holographic table. The display changed to show a 3D map of the city with two bright red spots pulsing. "Good talk, Cap. But you missed the 'why.' Look at the data I pulled from the city grid. Every time a mutant 'attack' happened, a high-tech pharmacy lab was robbed just two blocks away. The 'attacks' are just a smoke screen to keep the police busy."
Natasha leaned in, her eyes scanning the coordinates. "OsCorp? You're sure that's where they're going next?"
"Hundred percent. It's the only vault left in this sector they haven't cracked yet," Tony said. He swiped his hand, pulling up a grainy video showing tactical soldiers—not mutants—clearing out a lab vault. "See? The 'mutant threat' is just a distraction. While everyone is looking at the 'monster' in the street, these guys are robbing the place blind. It's a smart play, but they left a digital trail for me to find."
The room went quiet as the reality set in.
"Hold on," Sam said, sounding worried. "If we jump OsCorp without proof, we're giving those crooked politicians exactly what they want. We'll look like the aggressors. We need to be careful here."
"The son of Odin does not wait for permission when the serpent strikes," Thor growled, his hand tightening on the leather-wrapped hilt of his hammer. "We meet them with storm and steel! We do not wait for papers while enemies are at the gate!"
"And that," Sam snapped back, gesturing to the sparks jumping off Thor's hammer, "is how you start a riot. We need facts, not lightning and broken windows."
Natasha looked at Tony. "You've already got a plan, don't you? One that doesn't involve Thor leveling a city block?"
Tony smirked. "Exactly. We split the team. Cap, Clint—you're the 'Faces.' You're the ones the public actually trusts. Go to the police station near the last hit. Shake hands, talk to the press, and keep the cameras on you. If they're watching you, they aren't looking at the rooftops."
He pointed to Sam and Natasha. "You two are the 'Ghosts.' Go to the S.H.I.E.L.D. sub-station. I need you to dig through their secret mutant files. If these thieves are using mutants as a cover, S.H.I.E.L.D. will know which ones are actually missing or being blackmailed."
"And what about you?" Steve asked, picking up his shield. "What are you doing while we're out there?"
Tony leaned back in his chair, looking very pleased with himself. "I'll be here, watching the data feeds and making sure the pizza stays warm. Hulk and I are on 'Overwatch' duty. It's a very important, very stressful job."
"BURGERS!" Hulk suddenly roared, slamming a giant fist on the table. The whole room shook, and a new crack appeared right down the middle of the holographic display. "HULK WANT BURGERS! NOT PIZZA!"
"Okay, okay! fantastic I like it! Triple cheese, extra bacon!" Tony shouted, quickly changing the order on his phone. "See? High-stakes teamwork. Now, let's move! We've got a world to save and a very hungry giant to feed before he starts eating the furniture."