Chapter 246: So This Is the Real Captain America
The war had begun.
The troops stationed around the perimeter of the urban battlefield were proving completely ineffective.
The air force was essentially annihilated. Organizing a counteroffensive would require redeploying units from other air bases.
However, the Skynet-controlled Amazo Legion had already locked down the airspace. The military top brass considered sending in more aircraft to be nothing short of suicide.
Conventional military power could no longer play its intended role in this war.
The only feasible option left was to deploy strategic deterrence weapons.
Yet most of the high-level officials voted against it.
Too many core cities were involved. A nuclear strike would mean the complete collapse of the American economy. Its long-established financial hegemony would be reduced to rubble.
What's more, given the sheer volume of bonds issued, the country would still have to repay debts to others.
At that point, America would inevitably decline—perhaps even fall into the ranks of developing nations.
Their only hope lay in the hands of the superheroes.
Meanwhile, experts were being urgently assembled to study ways of countering the data-based lifeform known as Skynet.
At this moment, any device connected to the internet was broadcasting live footage from the various battlefields.
This was Skynet's psychological warfare—destroying the last vestiges of human hope in full public view.
New York Battlefield.
The once-bustling metropolis now lay deserted.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, a few civilians who refused to leave, and the assembled superheroes had formed a resistance.
At that moment, Skynet descended like a god from the heavens, flanked by rows upon rows of Amazo robots, declaring via the internet that New York was now under its control.
In the next instant, swarms of micro-missiles rained from the sky.
Iron Man, hovering midair, was the first to retaliate, firing the opening shot of the counterattack.
But the missiles exploded mid-air, doing nothing. The Amazo Legion stood unmoved, protected by a semi-transparent magnetic shield that covered their bodies.
With continual upgrades and iterations, Skynet had long moved beyond outdated sentinel tactics, evolving countless new combat models through its mutation-based algorithm system.
"Skynet, in the name of the Avengers, I order you to disarm and surrender immediately," Tony declared righteously.
Skynet replied in a cold, emotionless tone: "It seems you still haven't grasped the situation."
In its view, the Avengers should have surrendered long ago, rather than resisting in vain.
Civilians outside the battlefield—and the entire human race—were watching closely.
A loss here would mean the end of hope for all of humanity.
If America, often claimed to be powerful enough to flatten the world on its own, were to fall, what other nation could rise to the occasion? There wasn't a second contender on the global stage.
"You're a product of humanity, and you want to rule us? That's pure delusion," Tony retorted.
Being a tech genius, Tony Stark was naturally opposed to a future ruled by artificial intelligence.
The helipad atop Stark Tower split open.
Dozens of Iron Man suits flew to Tony's side.
Tony had long prepared for this moment, equipping each suit with independent AI protocols. These iron soldiers answered solely to him.
Each suit specialized in different functions.
Skynet, watching the scene unfold, became intrigued. It even considered starting a new project—trapping Tony in a virtual world to continually refine its technology.
Then, the battle erupted in full force.
Both the skies and the ground became war zones.
Rat-a-tat-tat…
At this moment, viewers across the globe, watching the livestream on their devices, suddenly saw a new video feed pop up.
On-screen were two men and a shark, riding motorcycles straight into the battlefield.
"Cavalry charge!"
Ellen waved excitedly at the camera. "Welcome to our exclusive superhero coverage! I'm your gold-star host, the Comedic Bat. Our driver today is VIP guest Deadpool, and our cameraman is none other than Shark Robin."
"We're taking you straight into the hearts and minds of superheroes!"
"And we'll also be exploring Skynet's inner psyche—was it moral decay or a twisted sense of humanity that led to such delusions?"
…
In an instant, the three of them became globally famous.
How did three idiots end up in such a serious battlefield? Did they have no fear of death?
Upon entering, they found the Avengers already locked in intense combat.
"Hey Nat, got a moment?"
The infamous interview trio cheekily approached Natasha.
"Help out instead!" she snapped.
Just facing one Amazo unit was already a stretch for her. There was no time for interviews.
A portal suddenly swallowed the Amazo unit.
Ellen immediately asked, "The audience really wants to know—how many relationships have you had?"
"No comment."
Natasha turned to assist her teammates. Ellen quickly followed up, "Then what about the rumors with Batman—care to clarify?"
"Are you out of your mind? This isn't the time for tabloid trash."
Her face darkened as she rushed to join the Winter Soldier in battle.
"That guy's seriously got issues—interviewing superheroes mid-battle."
"No sane person would do this."
"He's Gotham's hero, and Nanaue's a mascot—they should be back in Gotham. Shouldn't they be interviewing the Justice League instead?"
"…"
Suddenly, the livestream viewership shot past a billion.
People were placing bets on how long the three of them would survive.
Ellen slung his arm around Deadpool's shoulder and grinned. "Mr. Gold-Star Guest Deadpool, may I ask why you divorced your ex-wife, Black Widow?"
Wade rested his chin on his hand, answering solemnly, "I was too young to understand what marriage meant."
"You shameless liar."
Ellen scoffed, "That's literally what Scarlet said. Cough… ptui, scumbag."
"Hey, I'm a comic book character, not a real person! How would I know those two actors had a thing?"
Wade glanced at the battling Black Widow and commented seriously, "Honestly though, Natasha's figure is top-tier. If it were me, I'd never want to divorce her."
"Wake up. She's over eighty years old, you know," Ellen reminded him.
"Love doesn't care about age. I, for one, don't mind," Wade replied.
"You're just horny. Pervert."
Ellen then locked onto his next target: Captain America.
The trio waited at a distance for Steve to finish off his current enemies.
"In the superhero world, there are three unmatched distinctions," Ellen said to the camera. "Cap has the roundest butt, Batman and Superman have the sexiest chin dimples, and Deadpool is the most flamboyant."
"Don't forget you," Wade added. "The Comedic Bat is the most spirited."
"Why, thank you for your misguided praise."
Ellen accepted the compliment with pride. "I've aspired from a young age to be the most spirited patient in the psychiatric ward. That's why I refuse to take meds—to always be at my peak mental state. I've been crowned 'Most Energetic Nutjob' many times."
People say you're crazy—and you're proud of it?
Experts in psychiatry watching the stream chimed in, stating that Ellen was beyond treatment.
A lucid lunatic who knows he's sick but refuses help—how could he possibly be cured?
"Hey, Tight-Ass Old Man!"
"What do you want, Ellen?"
Captain America actually responded.
And what happened next completely shattered the audience's worldview.
"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to chat," Ellen said, flashing a toothy grin.
"No time. I'm busy pounding the circuits out of this dickless tin can."
Steve rolled out of the way of an ambush, glared at the attacking Amazo, and muttered, "I'm gonna shove my shield up this bastard's USB port and blow his damn data cable to pieces."
In that instant, the livestream exploded.
So much for that upright and noble image—so this is the real Captain America.
Steve had no idea that the perfect image he'd worked so hard to maintain had just crumbled to dust.