Chapter 174: The Falling Apart Avengers
Above the starry sky, the battle between the two completely changed the layout of the Solar System, forcefully clearing out a large vacuum zone.
Carol's fist struck Sean Brooke's chin with force once again. The sensation of pain, which he hadn't felt in a long time, made Sean Brooke incredibly delighted. He backhanded a punch onto her face.
This punch also made Carol laugh.
She hadn't been injured in a long time either. Since obtaining her powers, not even the most powerful legions in the Universe had been able to inflict even the slightest injury on her. She hadn't expected to feel pain this time.
In terms of combat technique, Carol, who had been mediating fights in the Universe for years, was naturally a bit better, especially since she was very familiar with the cosmic environment.
Seizing a flaw when Sean Brooke threw a punch, Carol charged up her power and sent him flying, crashing into an unknown Planet.
The moment he landed on the Planet, Sean Brooke adjusted his posture and stomped his feet heavily onto the black ground. The massive impact caused the land for thousands of meters around to crack. Carol followed immediately.
Looking at Carol, who was glowing with golden light in the sky, Sean Brooke licked his lips. A bright red light flared in his eyes, and a powerful beam shot straight into the clouds, colliding with the golden speck of light in the sky.
The corners of Carol's mouth curled up; she was not afraid at all.
"Could this beam possibly be more powerful than an alien mothership cannon? I don't believe it!"
She blocked in front of her face with one hand and charged up her right hand, preparing to use this punch to make Sean Brooke lose his ability to fight immediately.
The power of the Heat Vision was just as Carol had expected—it had some substance, but it posed no threat.
This result was also within Sean Brooke's expectations. Of course, he knew that simple Heat Visioncouldn't cause damage to Carol, so what if he switched to the Soul Beam?
The cyan beam instantly climbed up along the Heat Vision. At this distance, it was too late for Carol to escape.
The Soul Beam struck her directly. The sudden burning sensation surprised her immensely, and she couldn't help but cry out.
With an "Ah," she fell to the side.
Sean Brooke brushed the dust off his hands, ran his hands over his head to slick his hair back into a pompadour, and then flew over.
Carol's expression was very bad; the pain just now reminded her of some unpleasant things.
Sean Brooke landed in front of her with a very delighted expression. He took out a "collar" and said with a smile, "If you wear this around your neck, I can spare your life."
Carol gritted her teeth and glared at him.
She put away her previous dismissive attitude. When she was on Earth, she hadn't sensed any danger from Sean Brooke, and even while fighting up until now, she hadn't been serious.
But Sean Brooke's cyan beam just now made Carol feel danger. If she were hit by it for a long time, she might actually die.
No more holding back! Golden flames swept over her entire body, and a brand-new suit appeared on her.
Binary Form!
Sean Brooke said regretfully, "I still prefer the way you looked with long hair."
Carol ignored him and flew into mid-air to confront him.
"Hmph, round two!"
---
On the other side, the battle on Earth had ended early. Max had fought one against four and held out for over half an hour before being captured.
There was no helping it. In the remote coastal forest, he didn't have Thor to help him recharge, nor did he have power lines to maneuver around. Encountering a well-coordinated trio, plus two sets of Vibraniumsuits, it was normal that he couldn't win, but he was just feeling a bit dejected himself.
Max had originally thought that he was the most powerful Earth Superhero besides Sean Brooke, not counting Thor.
But today's battle had completely destroyed his self-confidence. He hadn't even been able to beat three ordinary people. How could he have the face to call himself Homelander's best teammate in the future?
As for Hulk, no one provoked him, and he kept staring in the direction Sean Brooke had left. After not seeing him return for a long time, he returned control of the body to Banner.
After Banner returned, he explained to Fury, who was nearby, saying, "I am on your side, Director, but Hulk is not."
Fury glanced at him sideways without speaking. What use did he have for Banner? Smart people were everywhere, but there was only one Hulk.
After a heavy sigh, he took everyone and left.
He locked Max in the S.H.I.E.L.D. prison; he wasn't afraid of him running away, as with the limiter on, he couldn't use his electricity.
There was no need to worry about Tony; let him calm down for a few days. He believed that with his intelligence, he would be able to think things through.
As for Hulk, Fury had no way to deal with him; he could only ask Banner to do some psychological work with him, so he wouldn't do anything stupid now that he had finally been slightly accepted by the public.
After this night's farce, the Avengers team was already in name only. Except for Fury's own Agents and Captain America, everyone else had different thoughts.
The next night, Sean Brooke and Carol had not yet returned. Fury stayed in his office, looking at the sky outside the window, feeling very melancholy.
The battle with Homelander was the key; it didn't matter if the others were captured or not. If she really couldn't stop Sean Brooke, then this World would be finished.
"What kind of secret are you hiding, Sean Brooke? Perhaps I will know soon."
At the same time, on the Indian Ocean, a cargo ship carrying a S.H.I.E.L.D. satellite was intercepted by pirates demanding 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in ransom. Steve, Natasha, and the special operations team went to rescue it.
On the Quinjet, both of them had absent-minded expressions, their minds completely filled with the events involving Sean Brooke from yesterday.
Rumlow noticed the anomaly and asked, pretending not to care, "Captain, something on your mind? Thinking about a girl?"
Steve smiled awkwardly, "Let's discuss the mission objectives."
"Alright." Rumlow didn't press the matter and began to explain while facing the screen, though he couldn't stop feeling happy inside.
The Superhero Lightning Max was locked up in the S.H.I.E.L.D. prison, Dr. Banner was restricted from traveling, Thor had come and gone, and Stark had announced he was going into seclusion.
How could HYDRA not notice such an obvious signal?
Especially Rumlow; he guessed it must be about Homelander. Otherwise, who else could cause such a huge commotion?
He hadn't understood before why the citizens outside liked Homelander so much, while he would get angry just looking at Homelander.
Now he understood; being in the same camp as Homelander made everyone happy. Look, aren't these Superheroes looking gloomy all day long now? Haha!
The rescue plan went very smoothly. There were twenty-five enemies in total; Steve solved more than half of them by himself and even captured the pirate leader.
This mission was very smooth, but it also made Steve discover a very serious problem.
That was, he had become lax.
With the Vibranium suit, he couldn't even be bothered to use his shield to block bullets. When he dueled the pirate leader, he didn't even move. After that man kicked him, he fell to the ground in pain, screaming and unable to stand up again, leaving Steve with no sense of participation.
"Next mission, I should switch back to my regular suit," Steve thought to himself. He then went to look for the others and soon saw Natasha acting suspiciously at the bow of the ship.
"What are you doing?"
Natasha didn't look at him and said indifferently, "Carrying out my mission."
Steve took off his mask, looking puzzled, "I thought this mission was to rescue hostages?"
"That's right, that was your mission, and you completed it very well, Captain." Natasha smiled slightly and put away the USB drive.
At this moment, Rumlow also walked in, glanced at the two of them, grabbed the pirate leader on the ground, and said with a smile, "I'll take him out; I won't disturb you."
After going outside, his expression was a bit gloomy. After handing the pirate over to a subordinate, he walked to a deserted place and made a satellite call.
"Officer, there is a situation."
Chapter 175: Fury's Feigned Death
The next morning, Steve and Natasha arrived together at Fury's office.
After handing the USB drive in her hand to Fury, Natasha didn't linger and walked out.
She was going to find Hess, to see if she could get some information from her. The situation was now far too complicated; even she was beginning to doubt Sean.
"Captain, is there something else?" Fury's expression made it clear he wanted him to leave quickly.
"Of course!"
Steve questioned angrily, "Why hide the purpose of this mission?"
"I didn't hide anything. Your mission and Agent Romanoff's were indeed different."
"Heh." Steve was amused by his answer.
"Have you ever considered that it's precisely your lack of trust that has brought the Avengers to this point?"
Hearing this, Fury's mood soured as well. He stood up, "The time before last I trusted someone, and I lost an eye. Last time, I tried to believe in Sean, and it proved I was wrong again!"
"Perhaps you think I'm a spymaster who values intelligence more than human lives. Well, you're wrong. I'm a nice guy; I share!"
Soon, Fury took Steve on a tour of the Insight Project.
Three next-generation helicarriers, synchronized with target-locating satellites, equipped with anti-gravity engines and armed with hundreds of long-range precision machine guns.
Steve strongly opposed this plan because it was essentially holding a gun to the head of all humanity. This wasn't protection; it was a threat!
Especially the so-called pre-crime prediction—he didn't believe in it at all. To outsiders, it was indiscriminate killing of innocents.
Fury also had many opinions about Steve. Hands in his pockets, he said disdainfully:
"S.H.I.E.L.D. views the World realistically, not ideally. Captain, you should grow up a bit too, stop always being so contrary."
"Heh, don't even think about it." Steve turned and left without stopping.
While riding his motorcycle, he remembered Sean's words: do what you believe is right.
This matter, he believed, was wrong!
Elsewhere, Fury returned to his office and let out a self-mocking laugh. The only Avenger supporting him was the Captain, and he hadn't expected him to get angry and storm off.
"Seal the office."
He inserted the USB drive into the reader. "Open the Lemurian Star launch files."
"Access denied."
Fury sensed something was wrong. He stepped forward. "Parse the file."
"Parsing denied."
"Override, Director, to Nick Fury."
"Override denied. All files have been sealed."
"Who authorized the files?"
"Nick Fury."
Looking at the USB drive on the desk, Fury felt it must contain a big secret, something related to what Sean was trying to hide.
Fury immediately went upstairs and asked Secretary Pierce to initiate a vote to delay the carrier launch time. He needed to find Stark. Now, only he could quickly parse what was on the USB drive.
After Fury left, Pierce smiled thoughtfully.
He knew everything that had happened that night, thanks in part to Fury imprisoning Max in S.H.I.E.L.D., which gave Wanda the chance to control him.
Although Wanda couldn't yet see the full picture, she roughly knew the Avengers were falling apart, and Homelander was still in the Universe, unable to return anytime soon.
Hmph, delay the launch time? Now was the perfect time.
Outside, while driving, Fury contacted Hill in advance. During a brief stop at a traffic light, he was attacked.
On the streets of Washington, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was attacked by a group of heavily armed "Police." His condition was unknown.
The news only reported that a black male had crashed his car and fled, whereabouts unknown. Residents with clues could call a number to provide information.
That evening, Steve, returning from the hospital, no longer had the confusion from before in his eyes. He knew clearly what he was fighting for.
Freedom!
The Insight Project wasn't for freedom; it was a threat. So, he had to stop it, even if it was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plan.
---
In the early hours of the morning, a black car stopped at the hospital entrance. Natasha and Hill had rushed back overnight.
Looking at Fury in surgery, Natasha asked, her voice choked, "Will he pull through?"
"I... don't know." Steve sighed.
"Tell me about the assailants."
Steve fell into recollection, recounting everything from last night, but still kept a small secret. Because before losing consciousness, Fury had told him S.H.I.E.L.D. had a mole.
"Don't trust anyone."
So now, he wasn't even sure he could trust Natasha.
At that moment, inside the emergency room, Fury's heartbeat gradually slowed, then... stopped!
"Time of Death, 1:03 AM."
Seeing this, Steve and Hill couldn't bear to stay. They walked outside, their expressions filled with sorrow. Natasha kept blinking, trying hard not to let tears fall.
In the morgue, the three of them stood in silence. The other two couldn't believe Fury had died like this, in Washington, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, even dying in Captain America's home.
Hill's acting was excellent. Perhaps due to overwhelming grief, neither of them noticed anything amiss.
"I'm taking him away." With that, Hill wheeled Fury out.
Steve wanted to explain the situation to Natasha, but Rumlow approached.
"Captain, you're needed at the office."
"Alright, I'll be there in a bit."
"Preferably now!"
Natasha gave a faint smile. She had already discerned from Steve's tone that something was definitely wrong with this matter.
She turned and left directly, taking out her phone to seek reinforcements. But looking at her contact list, for a moment, she didn't know who to trust.
After that night, a slight rift had formed in the hearts of all the Avengers. It was unclear if there would ever be another chance to fight side by side.
Touching the bracelet on her wrist, Natasha looked up at the sky, feeling a private sadness.
"If only you were here, how good that would be."
After hearing about Fury's attack, she had taken the bracelet Sean gave S.H.I.E.L.D. for research. Because she noticed Millis also had one, she immediately guessed this bracelet had a significant purpose.
Elsewhere, Steve finished his heart-to-heart with Pierce and prepared to leave by elevator.
This time, he wouldn't trust anyone. So, he had come wearing his Vibranium suit.
The small elevator grew more and more crowded. People got on at every floor, making Steve frown deeply.
He suddenly remembered something Sean had said that night.
"Before we begin, does anyone want to get out?"
Unfortunately, after Sean said that, someone still stood by his side. After Steve said it, everyone wanted to take him down.
As Steve fell from a great height, he couldn't help but exclaim:
"This suit is really useful!"
Disguised, he returned to the hospital and found Natasha holding the USB drive Fury had given him. Steve instantly grew tense; he truly didn't know who to trust.
Fortunately, Natasha was indeed a good person. Otherwise, she probably could have tricked Steve into being a model at an art school.
Natasha returned the USB drive to Steve, which finally calmed him down a bit.
"What do we do now?"
Natasha chewed her bubble gum, a smirk playing on her lips as a plan formed in her mind.
Director Fury, I am truly sad you're dead. But if you can provide a little residual heat, I believe you'd be willing, right?
"Avengers assemble!"
Chapter 176: Wait! You can't look! That is a secret place!
"I only stayed in the lab for two days, Fury died, Captain is wanted. Natasha, don't tell me something happened to you too?"
Tony landed stylishly in front of them and added in the communication channel, "I've found them, you can take your time getting here."
Natasha stepped forward and fake-cried, "I do have something, I'm extremely sad right now. Just a moment ago, Captain said I would definitely look ugly in a bikini."
"Oh, if that's the reason he's wanted, then I'll have to step in and capture him."
After the two hugged, Tony became a bit more serious and asked, "What's the situation now?"
"Captain?" Natasha turned back and called out to him, her meaning very clear.
Steve hesitated again and again, but still handed the USB drive to Tony. "I should be able to trust you, right, Tony?"
"There is no hero more trustworthy than Tony Stark." After taking the USB drive, Tony added, "Unless Sean can clear his name."
Mentioning him, the three of them were visibly downcast, but Natasha quickly recovered, her eyes burning as she said, "Perhaps, it's actually possible!"
"Hurry up and see what's inside!"
Tony was stunned. He extended his finger, and the Nano Suit robots on it began to move. Suddenly, he felt a bit nervous. Could Sean actually be a good person? No way, right?
"Jarvis, read the data."
"Sir, an artificial intelligence has been preventing me from reading the information, but I have found its location."
"Pinpoint it, we're heading straight there!"
Tony didn't hesitate. With a wave of his right hand, two sets of Iron Armor flew down and attached themselves to the two of them. By the time Rumlow arrived with his men, they were already on their way to New Jersey.
When they arrived at their destination, Thor was boredly playing with leaves, while Banner and Bartonwere sitting in a sidecar, looking very sorrowful.
"Fury, really..." Banner still couldn't quite believe it. Just a few days ago, he was watching the stars with him, how could he be gone?
Natasha nodded. "Not only that, I feel that a big secret is hidden here, and it's very likely related to Sean."
Hearing this, the others also recovered slightly from their sadness.
If not for Fury's death and Natasha saying she had news about Sean, Banner and Thor might not have come. After all, they had a very unpleasant falling out that night.
Especially Tony, who already had strong opinions about S.H.I.E.L.D. He didn't even answer Natasha's first call; it wasn't until he heard the news about Captain being wanted that he called back.
Knowing Fury was dead, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
Although Fury was not a very good person and was overly suspicious, it was undeniable that under his leadership, S.H.I.E.L.D. had indeed saved Earth a few times, which counted as a significant contribution.
Moreover, almost all the Avengers owed him a favor.
He gave Tony the data for the new element, helped Max control his superpowers, and worked hard to help Banner and Steve adapt to society. He did do a lot of good things.
Barton and Natasha, needless to say, would have died long ago without Fury.
Of course, only after someone dies do the living reflect on how many good things they did during their lifetime.
After Tony landed, he kept looking around. He was determined to find out today what Fury and Sean were hiding.
He checked the thermal imaging, but nothing showed up. There wasn't even a signal here. However, Jarvis still found the location.
"Follow me."
Arriving in front of an abandoned military supply depot, Steve noticed something wrong at a glance.
"Military regulations state that military supplies are prohibited within 500 meters of barracks. This building was built in the wrong place."
Hearing this, Thor threw his hammer, smashing the gate and sending dust flying everywhere. Everyone followed the stairs down together.
Turning on the lights, an old-fashioned S.H.I.E.L.D. logo came into view, surrounded by old seats.
"This is... S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"It might be where it was founded."
The group dispersed a little to look around. In the innermost room, the photos on the wall made Tonyand Steve stop in their tracks.
Tony stepped forward, gently took down Howard's photo, and carefully blew off the dust.
"I'm taking you back."
As he said this, he placed the photo on his back. The Nano Suit robots wrapped around the photo, perfectly integrating it onto his back.
Steve took a look and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Is there still room?"
"My shoulders are broad."
"Thank you."
After resolving the matter of the photos, Steve felt wind blowing in from the side, which was not normal in a closed room.
"Over here!" he shouted, calling everyone from outside over.
Successfully finding the elevator in the secret room, everyone went inside, although it was a bit crowded.
"Banner, make sure you don't turn green." Tony joked.
Banner looked at him with a wise expression. "I know, Hulk isn't stupid."
Exiting the elevator, they arrived in a room full of old equipment. Tony scanned it once, confirmed there was no one there, and then walked to the console, looking very puzzled.
"The computers here are probably older than you, Captain."
Steve rolled his eyes at him. Considering he helped carry Peggy's photo, he decided to let him talk.
On the desktop, an obviously abrupt interface caught everyone's attention, and everyone turned their gaze to Tony.
"We're waiting for your performance, Tony."
Tony smirked and pulled the chair over. "Leave it to the smartest Stark. Let's see what secrets are really hidden here!"
He used his Nano Suit to connect to the interface, providing power to the old equipment here.
But very quickly, Tony discovered that all the equipment here could operate, and even very smoothly!
On the old screen, a green skull appeared, with a photo of a person next to it, and the camera behind it also began to rotate.
"Arnim Zola?" Steve asked suspiciously.
"Hello, Captain, it's been a long time." Dr. Zola's electric-filled voice reached everyone's ears.
Natasha looked at Tony and asked, "Is this a recording?"
Tony's expression was a bit serious. "No, he is a very advanced artificial intelligence."
"Very discerning, Mr. Tony Stark. You are just like your father, both very intelligent people, ha—ha."
Steve looked around and asked, "Haven't you been dead for many years?"
"In 1972, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Science could no longer save my body, but fortunately, my mind was worth saving. They are stored in a 200,000-foot-long database."
"In other words, everyone, you are currently standing inside my brain."
The emotionless voice made everyone feel a bit nauseous.
"Ha, ha, feeling fea... Wait, what are you doing, Stark!" Dr. Zola's tone was a bit anxious, clearly somewhat afraid.
"Don't touch my brain, wait! You can't look! That is a secret place! Ah!"
Ignoring Dr. Zola's furious shouting, Tony didn't hold back at all and pulled up all the secrets.
Whether it was everything about HYDRA, the Insight Project, or the Project Nine-Tailed Fox.
Chapter 177: Project Nine-Tailed Fox Exposed
In the Universe, a golden flame flew toward the edge of the Solar System at extreme speed. If one looked closely, one could see her holding a person in her hands.
Carol, in her Binary form, was incredibly powerful. She grabbed Sean and charged forward, crashing through countless meteorites in succession, flying for a long time without stopping.
It was not until they encountered another massive planet that Carol finally stopped. She didn't slow down, but instead crashed straight into it, knowing that this place was not suitable for life.
The force of this impact was immense; one-third of the planet's surface collapsed instantly, and the shockwave began to disintegrate the entire asteroid.
But this time, it also brought them to a halt.
Sean's face was a bit dirty, but his smile grew increasingly brazen.
During the flight, Sean had added all his Affection Points, so he hadn't suffered any damage. Those meteorites shattered upon contact, and he hadn't felt a thing.
However, this impact made Sean feel pain for the first time in a long while, and the experience was quite pleasant. Carol in her Binary form was indeed very strong.
"Hey, is it my turn?"
Sean raised an eyebrow and extended his right hand. Five rings suddenly appeared, encircling his arm and glowing with a red light.
Carol tilted her head to look, surprised to find that she didn't recognize this material; she had never seen it anywhere else in the Universe.
He charged up a punch and smashed it down with force!
This punch directly accelerated the disintegration of the asteroid, knocking Carol away, and then he followed up with a Soul Beam.
Although she crashed into the ground, Carol was completely unharmed. Watching the attack from above, golden flames erupted from her body as she charged at Sean once again.
This time, Sean's Soul Beam was blocked by the flames on Carol's body, causing her no damage, and the two began to grapple at close range again.
As they fought, they arrived at Vanaheim. This was the territory of the Dark Elves, but now, there wasn't a single Dark Elf to be found.
The two exchanged punches and kicks, but both knew in their hearts that they couldn't do anything to the other.
Sean could have summoned the scepter, but he guessed the Mind Stone wouldn't be of much use against Carol, so he decided against it.
Since he was certain he couldn't kill Carol, Sean decided it was time for some entertainment.
During a clash of fists, Sean's expression shifted. The rings on his arm instantly moved onto Carol's hand, leaving her stunned for a moment.
Who would hand their weapon to an enemy during a fight? What kind of fighting style was this?
Before she could react, the rings instantly burst with power, attempting to press her hand down. Although it couldn't completely disable her right hand, her speed was significantly restricted. Now, Carolshouldn't be able to touch Sean anymore.
Sean cracked his neck, his smile growing even brighter. Nanobots surged in his hand, and a whip appeared.
He lightly cracked it in the air twice—snap, snap—making Carol's eyelids twitch.
"Woohoo~ Round three!"
---
In the Underground Room in New Jersey, Steve, Natasha, and Barton were emotionally on the verge of collapse. They hadn't expected that they had been working for HYDRA all this time.
Even Thor, who didn't understand much, grasped the situation and looked somewhat melancholic.
Earthlings really loved playing with conspiracies. Sean's straightforward, head-on approach was better. If he had known, he should have just gone with him and had a good fight.
After a long while, Natasha composed herself and asked anxiously, "Then what do the Insight Projectand the Project Nine-Tailed Fox mean?"
"I'm looking! This guy is resisting fiercely!" Tony's fingers tapped incessantly on the keyboard, constantly attacking Zola's firewall.
The lights around them flickered, and the computer fans whirred crazily. In this battle invisible to others, Tony and Zola were fighting intensely.
"Alright, got it!" Tony shouted excitedly. Countless photos of women popped up on the screen, not stopping.
"What is this?" Everyone was confused, even Tony.
Didn't he open the file for Project Nine-Tailed Fox? Did he accidentally click on Zola's private collection?
Zola said, panting, "These are the candidates for Project Nine-Tailed Fox."
"So many? Who was chosen in the end?"
"...These are all the best candidates. In fact, according to my calculations, they could all complete the mission perfectly," Zola explained professionally.
Everyone frowned, simultaneously realizing that this Project Nine-Tailed Fox must be targeted at Sean; there were no other candidates.
But if Project Nine-Tailed Fox was just about sending women to Sean, that didn't seem right. At the very least, Natasha felt that this plan could never succeed.
Because she knew that while Sean was easy to seduce—that was true—actually getting into his heart was as difficult as ascending to heaven. At least, she hadn't managed it.
Otherwise, that day, he would never have clashed with Fury; he would have just taken the two of them and left.
"Did this plan succeed?" Barton asked quickly.
This time, Zola hesitated for a moment. After Tony found the relevant data, he finally spoke: "Very successful!"
Once Zola finished speaking, Tony opened the files.
"Project Nine-Tailed Fox serves the Insight Project. Its main purpose is to dismantle the Avengers and seize the opportunity to turn Homelander Sean."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their hearts shaken.
If it meant dismantling the Avengers, then the plan had indeed succeeded. But turning Sean... how could that be possible?
On the old display screen, Wanda's portrait appeared.
"Wanda Maximoff, a test subject of the scepter, possesses mind control. As long as she stays by Homelander's side for a long time and uses her abilities on him, it is possible to create psychological suggestions in Homelander, making him join HYDRA."
"With the help of some auxiliary personnel, once Homelander is surrounded by HYDRA agents, given his personality, he will inevitably fall."
By auxiliary personnel here, Zola meant those 'meat' offered up.
The video finished playing, and everyone fell into deep thought. Even Tony stopped his hands, giving Zola a pass for the moment.
There was no help for it; the thought that Sean had already been successfully brainwashed by HYDRAchilled them to the bone. They didn't know if the woman Fury had called over would be able to beat Sean.
[At this very moment, Sean was using a whip, lashing it against Carol, one strike after another.]
Hopefully, Fury's final trump card would be of some use; otherwise, they truly didn't know how to stop Sean.
"Tony, quickly, look for the truth about the Insight Project!" Steve's expression changed, and he shouted urgently.
Tony snapped back to reality and began tapping the keyboard again, but Zola was clearly no longer as anxious as before.
"Heh heh, I have already deleted everything about the Insight Project. Releasing the information about Wanda was just to deceive you. Ha, ha."
Tony glared, not stopping, but Dr. Zola had not lied; he couldn't find any data regarding the Insight Project.
Steve panted, realizing the severity of the problem.
"Yesterday, Fury introduced the Insight Project to me; it involves three helicarriers."
Then, Steve recounted the details of the Insight Project. Everyone's expressions were grim, but this was, after all, a project led by Fury.
If there was something fishy about it, then Fury wouldn't be able to escape responsibility.
Three helicarriers? Tony certainly knew about that. Fury had even asked him to help improve them. Originally, after obtaining the Dark Elves' spaceship, he had wanted to go and offer some suggestions.
But Fury had never told him the details of the Insight Project. If he had, would he have agreed?
Tony didn't speak. He probably would have agreed.
Chapter 178: Avengers! Assemble!
Just as the scene fell silent, the door closed.
The phone in Natasha's pocket beeped.
"Everyone, a short-range missile is flying towards us. We have thirty seconds at most."
"Who fired it?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
This answer forced everyone to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. really needed to be renamed HYDRA-S.H.I.E.L.D.
Tony looked at the screen with a grim expression. With a light wave of his hand, two Armors outside moved and collided with the missile.
An explosion rang out, and dust shook down from the ceiling. Then, Jarvis suddenly warned:
"Sir, a large group of soldiers has appeared outside. They are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."
Everyone moved past their bitterness, exchanged glances, and prepared to go out and face the enemy.
Regardless of what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D., the people here could trust each other, which was already quite good.
Thor loosened his shoulders and smashed the door open with his hammer. Finally, he could have a fight. For the past two days, he had heard nothing but conspiracies. Couldn't they just have a fair and square fight?
Winners are kings, losers are outlaws!
"Tony? Let's go!" Walking to the door, Natasha noticed Tony hadn't followed, so she called out to him.
"Alright."
Just before going out, Tony sighed, released a bomb into the room, and destroyed all the servers.
Actually, when he saw Zola, Tony had been a bit excited, thinking he had found an "Ultron." Unexpectedly, it was just a deluxe version of Jarvis, and with a bad personality at that.
Tony wouldn't trust him with the Iron Legion; he would have to develop an Ultron himself.
No one thought destroying Zola was wrong. Having an artificial intelligence like that helping HYDRAwas bad no matter how you looked at it.
As soon as they stepped outside, they heard the sound of tanks approaching in the distance. Several armed helicopters were circling overhead, and large numbers of fully armed soldiers appeared all around.
Rumlow led the team, with a long-haired masked man on his left and Wanda on his right.
Steve's expression darkened. He pointed at the masked man and said: "He is the assassin who killed Fury. Leave him to me!"
"Then leave Ms. Wanda to me." Natasha donned her suit.
Thor spun his hammer and laughed: "Leave those big guys in the distance to me."
"I'll clear the sky and come down to help you all soon." Tony glanced around and said.
Banner and Barton exchanged glances and said helplessly: "We'll provide cover."
There was no other way. Transforming into Hulk at this moment would likely have a counterproductive effect; these soldiers weren't as durable as the Chitauri.
A slight smile appeared on the corner of Steve's mouth. He tapped his shield and shouted:
"Avengers! Assemble!"
The battle triggered instantly. Thor threw his hammer, ignoring the group of ordinary people, and went straight to destroy the tanks in the distance.
Tony flew into the sky, firing at full capacity, clearing out the helicopters as quickly as possible. He had Jarvis keep an eye on news from Washington and notify him immediately once the Helicarriers were ready to take off.
Steve was already locked in combat with the masked man. Any soldiers nearby who tried to help were taken out by Steve using their own momentum against them.
Natasha didn't hesitate either and charged towards Wanda. With the ring in hand, she wasn't afraid of mind control.
But something strange happened; Wanda suddenly disappeared from in front of her, leaving her unable to find her target for a moment.
"Natasha! On the right!" By the time Barton spoke, his arrow had already been fired.
Natasha didn't hesitate for a second and dodged to the right. The arrow shot towards her original position. A hand quickly caught the arrow. She turned her head and looked at Barton with surprise.
"Not bad, quick prediction."
Pietro grabbed Wanda with one hand and quickly brought her closer to their target, Banner.
In the blink of an eye, the two arrived behind Banner. Barton reacted quickly but was still kicked away. In the end, he couldn't match Quicksilver Pietro, even if he was the disgrace of Quicksilvers.
A sliver of red energy burrowed into Banner's brain. His eyes immediately turned red, and his skin instantly turned green.
Feeling uncomfortable, Hulk immediately burst out. Now he felt a nameless rage and had to smash something.
After summoning Hulk, Wanda smiled slightly and went with her brother to find the next target, Thor.
Hulk's roar drew everyone's attention. Natasha also shouted over the channel: "New super-powered individuals, extremely fast, invisible to the naked eye!"
Thor had just smashed the third tank when he heard Hulk's voice. Just as he was about to go back and check, his eyes also turned red.
He immediately shook his head and said: "Be careful, that girl can indeed control minds. I don't know if humans can resist it, but thankfully, I am not hum... an."
He had only taken a few steps, and before he could finish his sentence, he found himself back at an Asgardian banquet.
Seeing him motionless, Wanda was somewhat excited. After taking care of the remaining few, she could go all out to kill Stark.
"Veronica!"
Tony, who was in the sky, also noticed the situation and quickly called for the Anti-Hulk device. He believed the new Anti-Hulk device was very robust; Hulk shouldn't be able to get out... probably.
Several metal blocks fell, surrounding Hulk. Intense electrical currents bound his limbs, and then the blocks closed in.
This was made of Vibranium; even Hulk wouldn't be able to get out for a while.
Wanda used the crowd as cover and walked to Steve's side. He was locked in a struggle with the masked man, and neither could move.
The soldiers nearby didn't dare to fire. Steve was wearing his Vibranium suit; shooting would be useless and would only hurt their own people.
Relying on his rich combat experience, Steve seized the opportunity to free one hand and punched the masked man in the face, knocking his mask off.
The masked man turned his head and threw a punch back, but when he saw that face, Steve could no longer bring himself to strike.
"Bucky? You... you're still alive?"
"Who is Bucky?" Bucky frowned and asked.
Taking this opportunity, Wanda released red energy that burrowed into Steve's brain, causing his eyes to lose focus and his expression to go blank.
By the time Tony finished clearing the helicopters, he was surprised to find that three people had already fallen.
Hulk was locked in the device, and many fist imprints had appeared on it; it felt like he was about to get out.
Steve had been captured, and Thor was standing blankly in place; no one went to disturb him.
Pietro glanced at Stark, a smile unable to be contained at the corner of his mouth. "I'll deal with him."
After saying this, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, used a tree for leverage, rushed into the air, and sent Tony flying. Wanda also threw energy balls, hitting his suit repeatedly, her tone very angry.
"Go to hell! You murderer!"
Tony flew in the air, dodging Wanda's attacks, and said in confusion: "I've investigated your backgrounds. Survivors of the Sokovia riots. Logically speaking, you are victims of the war. Why are you helping HYDRA?"
Pietro also felt his sister's anger. While entangling with Tony, he questioned him: "Ha? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing? Stark!"
"That night, our family of four was happily gathered together. A missile fell from the sky and smashed through the floor. Then, a second one landed in front of us but didn't detonate. It had 'Stark Industries' written on it."
"My sister and I hid under the bed. The missile was three feet in front of us. Two days, two whole days, we spent in fear. Stark, isn't this the result you wanted?"
These words were like knives scraping at Tony's heart. He could no longer bring himself to deal a lethal blow to the two of them.
Coincidentally, at this moment, Jarvis warned that Pierce had convened the Council members to vote on launching the Helicarriers early.
"I'm sorry, but this is not the result I wanted."
After saying this, Hulk broke out of the cage and ran out. Tony looked at the sky; the Iron Legion was still too late.
Chapter 179: Insight Project Exposed
With the addition of the Iron Legion, the battle ended quickly.
Hulk had been venting his anger on the Vibranium cell, his state slowly recovering, while Thor in the distance had also come to his senses, but there was always a shadow in his heart that he couldn't shake off.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the Wanda and Pietro siblings intended to leave, but Natashaimmediately blocked their way.
"Wanda, now..."
Before Natasha could finish, Wanda attacked, not intending to tangle with them any further.
But at this moment, Natasha's bracelet glowed bright red, deflecting all of Wanda's energy and hitting them, the unexpected attack knocking the two of them to the ground.
Tony seized the opportunity, and two sets of handcuffs flew in from the sky, locking their hands and feet and restricting their movements.
On the other side, Steve also broke free from his restraints and, using Tony's equipment, handcuffed Bucky as well.
The remaining soldiers were either dead or had fled, and the Avengers couldn't be bothered to chase them.
In the sky, a Quinjet flew over, opened its hatch, and Coulson waved at them.
"I hope I'm not too late."
Everyone exchanged smiles; they could still trust Coulson, so they boarded the plane one after another, preparing to fly to Washington.
On the plane, after tidying herself up a bit, Natasha walked up to Wanda and asked:
"Do you know the specific details of the Insight Project?"
Wanda turned her head away, ignoring her.
Natasha reached out to straighten her face and said seriously: "Listen, this is not a child's game. This plan could very well kill many people; it is very important!"
"Let her go!" Pietro twisted his body and said excitedly: "We don't know anything about any plan. They never mentioned it. We just wanted to kill Stark!"
"What about the Nine-Tailed Fox? You harmed Sean like this, and you're just going to ignore everything?"
"What Nine-Tailed Fox?" Pietro was also confused and looked at Wanda. She had suddenly said she was going on a mission, but she hadn't said what the mission was.
At the mention of Sean, Wanda's face flushed, and she spat, "He isn't a good person either."
"...You're right." Natasha didn't refute this and added: "However, at most, he just has some issues with his lifestyle. Making him a public enemy, isn't that more despicable than Stark?"
Tony, standing to the side, asked the person next to him with his eyes: "Was I very despicable before?"
"Hmm, no need to doubt yourself; you were very annoying before." Coulson said with a smile, as he certainly had the right to speak on the matter.
Wanda was silent for a while, then muttered: "I... I really don't know what plan they have. They never mentioned it. The thing with Sean was truly an accident; it wasn't my intention."
"That missile wasn't my intention either!" Tony shouted.
"Then who usually contacts you, do you know?" Natasha rolled her eyes at him and continued to ask.
Wanda thought for a moment, "There's Baron Strucker, that Rumlow from just now, and a bald man named Sylvette."
"Sylvette!" Steve and Natasha's eyes lit up at the same time.
Last time, he was also on that ship; he must know something.
Seeing the expression on their faces, Tony understood immediately and flew out, letting Jarvis locate this Agent named Sylvette.
Before he returned, Steve kept talking to Bucky, asking him what exactly had happened and why he was still alive.
The others also noticed Steve's situation; his tone was even gentler than when he spoke to women.
Barton said gloomily: "Captain, you said he killed Fury."
Steve, as if a cat had stepped on his tail, immediately sprang up and explained excitedly: "He was controlled by HYDRA, just like Sean; it doesn't count!"
Following that, he said things about how Bucky was a member of the Howling Commandos, died for his country, and his honor was no less than Captain America's, and so on.
It didn't take long for Tony to return, carrying a bald man.
"This is kidnapping! You're a bandit! Even if you are a Superhero, it's not allowed. I'm going to report you... Oh, everyone is here, heh." Sylvette's cursing voice came to an abrupt halt, and he laughed awkwardly twice.
The last time the Avengers gathered, it seemed to be during the Chitauri invasion. This time... was it really to catch him? What right does a lowly HYDRA Agent like me have to deserve this!
Natasha grabbed him by his shirt collar in a rage, "Speak, what exactly is the Insight Project!"
"Ah, isn't the Insight Project just something Director Fury proposed to the Council to deal with raising the danger response level..."
Before he could finish, Natasha turned to Banner behind her and said: "Dr., are you still angry?"
Banner frowned and looked at Wanda, "Very angry. The feeling just now was very uncomfortable."
Natasha curled her lips, threw Sylvette to him, and smiled: "If he won't talk, just throw him down."
Sylvette's expression changed, "You can't hand me over to... Hulk."
Looking at Banner, who was right in front of him with an angry face, Sylvette could no longer hold out, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Afraid of death, he told the truth about the Insight Project. Although Pierce would definitely kill him afterwards, if he didn't talk now, he would die immediately.
When everyone learned that the Insight Project could actually kill all potential future enemies of HYDRAin advance, they all fell silent. Even Tony thought this was impossible.
But thinking about the crazy HYDRA, regardless of whether it was true or false, this bunch of lunatics would definitely try it.
"How many people will die?" Banner asked, clenching his fists.
"Don't hit me! I really don't know, probably tens of millions." Sylvette cowered in the corner, saying fearfully: "I've told you everything I know, let me go!"
Dr. Banner's hand loosened unconsciously; he was also shocked by the number of tens of millions, let alone the others.
Especially Wanda, upon hearing that she had indirectly caused the deaths of tens of millions of people, tears streamed down her face.
At this moment, Coulson said anxiously: "S.H.I.E.L.D. is already preparing to launch three helicarriers. Once they reach the designated altitude, they will fire instantly. By then, it will be too late to destroy them!"
Steve ran to the pilot seat and asked anxiously: "How much time do we have, Coulson."
"Ten minutes."
"Hoo~ Tony, Thor, you two handle one helicarrier each, can you?"
"No problem!" The two immediately agreed.
"Banner, can you transform now?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, we'll handle the last helicarrier."
"Natasha, you, Barton, and Coulson evacuate the nearby civilians. Evacuate as many as you can."
"Understood!" The three nodded.
"I can help!" Wanda stood up, "I can use suggestions on them to make the civilians evacuate quickly!"
Pietro looked at her and also said: "Uh, I can help too."
Steve didn't hesitate and nodded, "Okay, you two follow Natasha."
Finally, he looked at Bucky affectionately and said softly: "Wait for me to come back here; I will stay with you until the end."
Opening the plane hatch, Steve shouted loudly: "Avengers, move out!"
Chapter 180: The Wanted Avengers
Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, in Pierce's office, he was drinking champagne with the four Councilmembers, celebrating this wonderful moment together.
Suddenly, Pierce felt his pocket buzzing with continuous messages. With a calm expression, he said, "Excuse me for a moment."
Walking to the door, he saw it was a message from Rumlow. He answered quietly and asked, "Didn't you stop them?"
Rumlow gasped in pain as he replied, "The Avengers are all here. Wanda, Quicksilver, and the Winter Soldier have all been captured, and now they are flying here."
Pierce's expression turned cold. After a moment of thought, he hung up and walked back into the office.
"Well, everyone, there is some bad news. The Avengers are preparing to stop us from launching the helicarriers. Fury did not inform them about the Insight Project, so now the Avengers have cast a dissenting vote."
Councilman Holly frowned, displeased, and said, "This is a decision made by our Council. What good does their disagreement do?"
Councilman Yan also chimed in, "Hmph, does every plan we have need to be reported to the Avengers?"
"Could it be that something is going on? Or perhaps they don't understand the importance of the Insight Project?" Councilman Singh spoke up in defense of the Avengers.
The last councilman, Rockwell, said in a deep voice, "Regardless of what they think, too much manpower and resources have been invested in the Insight Project to allow it to fail. Secretary Pierce, do you have any solutions?"
A subtle smile appeared at the corner of Pierce's mouth. He said with feigned concern, "I will find someone to explain things to them and try to avoid conflict. Once the helicarriers are in position, we can have a proper talk with the Avengers."
"Very well, let's do that." None of the four councilmen objected.
Pierce immediately issued an order to S.H.I.E.L.D., "All units mobilize! Stop the Avengers at all costs!"
"This is a joint decision by the Council!"
Although most of S.H.I.E.L.D. consisted of HYDRA members, a significant portion still supported the Avengers.
But now, by pushing the Avengers into opposition against the nation, Pierce could utilize even more force to stop them.
HYDRA only needed nine minutes!
At the same time, Coulson informed the Avengers that they were all wanted.
Thor didn't feel much; a mere Earth-based wanted status meant nothing to him.
But the others felt differently. Suddenly, they understood Sean a little better and grasped how he felt when he was put on trial.
They were clearly saving the World, yet there were many things they truly couldn't talk about.
Having landed on the ground, Natasha's eyes darted around. "Barton, take them and evacuate the civilians." She turned and asked:
"Pietro, right? How long will it take you to carry me to the highest room in that building?"
"Five seconds!"
"Not bad, what a man. Thank you." Natasha put on her combat suit, her expression exceptionally determined. She was about to do something big.
"You're welcome." Pietro placed his hand on Natasha's neck and rushed toward S.H.I.E.L.D. at high speed.
Barton and Wanda were nearby evacuating the crowd. There were no ordinary people in the immediate vicinity of S.H.I.E.L.D., but there were still many tourists standing on the periphery taking pictures.
The impact of the helicarrier falling would definitely affect them, and it was unknown whether the helicarrier would explode.
The problem was that these tourists didn't care at all. Some even loudly questioned Barton, asking what kind of connections he had to become an Avenger.
Infuriated, Barton shouted, "Follow me, and I'll take you to take pictures with Iron Man!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd happily followed.
On the other side, things were much smoother for Wanda. Everyone quietly left toward the perimeter, with very high efficiency.
In the sky, Thor arrived at the helicarrier deck first. Looking at the soldiers rushing toward him, he didn't hold back at all. With his power fully charged, he smashed down at his feet.
After Thor smashed his hammer, Tony also arrived next to another helicarrier. However, he wasn't as ruthless as Thor; he only wanted to destroy the power units and wasn't sure if everyone on board was HYDRA.
If an innocent person were to die because of him, he would probably suffer from insomnia for a long time.
On the last helicarrier, Hulk jumped up carrying Steve.
The emergency response team on board rushed over quickly. They didn't dare to stop Hulk, so they could only walk up to Steve with their guns raised.
Steve was not panicked in the slightest. Since they didn't open fire immediately, he could roughly determine that this group wasn't HYDRA.
He took off his mask. "I am Steve Rogers. I am here to thwart HYDRA's Insight Project. I don't know if there are any HYDRA members among you, or if you are all HYDRA."
"But regardless, I am going to fight for freedom now, even if I am the only one."
"Hulk!" In the distance, the sound of Hulk smashing things could be heard.
"Uh, Hulk doesn't count."
The members of the emergency response team exchanged glances and immediately put away their guns and saluted.
"At your command, Captain Rogers!"
Put it this way: all soldiers who enlisted in the United States had fantasized about fighting side-by-side with Captain America one day.
Among the three helicarriers, it was actually Steve's side that progressed most smoothly. Relying on his 'talk-no-jutsu,' he successfully turned most of the resisting soldiers.
The other two sides were attacked by a large number of fighter jets, which caught them off guard and slowed down their progress.
Inside Pierce's office, all the councilmen were looking at the sky. The fighting above made them very unhappy.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by. It didn't attract anyone's attention, but Pierce felt it was very strange.
Would there be wind in his office?
He turned his head and saw Natasha, wearing her signature black spider combat suit, typing away at the console.
He wanted to draw his gun, but in the blink of an eye, the gun in his hand was gone, and along with it, the wine glass in his hand was also snatched away.
"You are... Natasha. What exactly do you Avengers want to do?" Councilman Holly asked sternly.
Natasha didn't even look up and said casually, "Pierce is the leader of HYDRA. The Insight Project is their plan to eliminate enemies, and it will kill millions of people."
Hearing this, Pierce didn't even bother to defend himself. He retreated a few steps, took out a small tablet, and threatened:
"Don't move! As long as I press this, the councilmen's sternums will be burned with a two-inch... hole."
Suddenly, the empty feeling in his hand made him feel something was wrong. He turned his head and realized it was being held by Pietro.
"You'd better not move, Officer!" Pietro gave a wicked smile.
Pierce frowned. "Why are you helping them? Isn't Iron Man the murderer who killed your parents?"
Pietro wiped the smile off his face. "That's none of your business!"
The other four councilmen also understood they had been deceived. They took off the badges on their chests, walked to the other side, and prepared to call for the guards.
"Don't bother shouting. The outside is full of HYDRA members; S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been completely infiltrated by them," Natasha said reluctantly.
Although she was very unwilling to admit it, this was the truth.
The councilmen didn't say anything else. After all, she had just saved their lives, so a little bit of attitude was acceptable.
"What are you doing? Do you need any help?" Councilman Holly asked kindly.
Pierce snorted. "She is disabling the security protocols, preparing to leak all the secrets onto the internet."
"All of HYDRA's secrets."
"And S.H.I.E.L.D.'s, right, miss?" Pierce advised, "Do you really want the ignorant masses outside to know about your past?"
"You are now a female Superhero that everyone is fascinated by. Once it is exposed, you should be able to imagine what kind of nasty things they will say."
Natasha's fingers paused. She didn't care what people outside thought, but at this moment, she suddenly thought of Sean.
The corner of her mouth curled up, and Natasha smiled. He should be very happy, right?
A butcher and a liar, that's not a bad combination.
Realizing he couldn't fool her, Pierce threw caution to the wind and said indifferently, "Disabling the protocol requires two A-level members. You..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a helicopter rang out from outside.
"The other one has arrived too."
Chapter 181: The Carrier Fired!
Fury's faked death was something Coulson had just secretly told her; otherwise, she would have still been kept in the dark.
"Nice to see you, Director."
"Good job, Romanoff."
With Fury's blind left eye, the security protocols were successfully disabled, and news about HYDRAand S.H.I.E.L.D. spread through every street, known to everyone.
Meanwhile, Hess discovered the information on the internet at home. Seeing the footage sent back from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, a woman in red appeared in the frame from time to time, catching her eye.
Hess saw that Wanda was actually helping to evacuate the crowd and suddenly thought of something, a very enchanting smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"Sister!" Dice and Sif ran over. "HYDRA has been completely exposed. I never thought they were hiding inside S.H.I.E.L.D. all this time."
"Doesn't that mean Brother-in-law was being used by HYDRA all this time? How hateful. Should we help the Avengers?"
Hess pulled the two of them over, her smile brilliant. "Hmph, what are you saying? We... are also HYDRA."
"...?" Dice and Sif's brains couldn't keep up; they didn't quite understand the meaning of those words.
"Listen, we are HYDRA, and we must be HYDRA, understand?" Hess instructed them seriously.
This time, they absolutely couldn't slip up. They had to execute the next step of the plan before Sean returned.
"Uh... oh! Okay, we get it. Hail HYDRA!"
It didn't matter if they didn't understand; listening to Hess was always the right choice.
Hess nodded with a smile and asked, "Remember that group of public figures who were targeting Sean during the Hearing?"
"I remember. I've had people keeping an eye on them!" Dice said through gritted teeth.
They had originally planned to drag them to the Garden to work as laborers once the heat died down.
"Go investigate and see if they are HYDRA. No, they must be HYDRA. That way, they'll have a reason for attacking Sean this time, understand?"
The two girls' eyes lit up, and they immediately nodded.
They didn't understand the previous sentence, but they understood this one.
If everyone attacking Sean on the internet was HYDRA, then his identity... hehe, need more be said?
They immediately sprang into action, and the investigation results were surprisingly smooth. They didn't even need to frame them; they really were HYDRA.
Especially Stern, the Presiding Judge of the Hearing; he was also a member of HYDRA.
Under Dice's guidance, the public quickly discovered this. People began to voice their grievances for Homelander, believing HYDRA was framing him.
The voices claiming Homelander was innocent gradually grew louder.
The scene returned to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Good news: All three carriers were destroyed.
Bad news: The carrier where Steve and Hulk were... fired!
On his way to the control room, Steve had recruited many soldiers. He thought none of them were HYDRA, but unexpectedly, there was still a traitor.
Just as the Insight algorithm scanned hundreds of thousands of people, Steve took out the two in the control room. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a soldier rushed forward and pressed the fire button.
The machine guns on both sides of the carrier began to fire. By the time Tony in the distance reacted and flew over to destroy them, it was too late.
Tens of thousands of bullets flew across America, all targeting people who might pose a threat to HYDRA in the future.
There was even a bullet flying toward Doctor Strange, Strange. Unsurprisingly, it was intercepted by the Ancient One, and no accident occurred.
But others weren't so lucky. On the streets of America, in parks, in rooms, and even in the White House, there were bodies.
In just ten seconds, tens of thousands died. Instantly, the whole country was in an uproar; everyone hid in their houses, afraid to come out, not knowing where the terrorist attack came from.
Some picked up weapons for self-defense, some hid in corners desperately calling the police—but they couldn't get through because there were too many people. And even more people had one question in their minds.
"Where are the superheroes?"
When the news from Washington reached them and they understood what had happened, their anger found an outlet. They questioned the superheroes with the most vicious words they could think of: What were you doing when the disaster happened?
Combined with the news of Homelander being framed, everyone thought: If Homelander hadn't been put in prison, he would have definitely rushed back to save them!
If Homelander were still around, his super speed would have allowed him to arrive the fastest, and he would have used his super strength to crush all the conspiracies and save them!
Homelander! Where are you? We need you!
[Negative public opinion detected to be disappearing, continuing to increase time.]
Sean didn't hear the system prompt at all because, at this moment, in the territory of the Dark Elves, he was whipping Carol with a look of pleasure.
Every time he heard a crisp crack, Sean would be incredibly happy.
This level of strength was nothing to Carol, but it was extremely insulting, causing her anger to reach its peak.
Messy hair, a shredded uniform—these were all masterpieces Sean had worn down bit by bit.
Sean levitated in mid-air and laughed. "Miss Carol, long hair really does look better on you after all. But I've found that this uniform suits you best. Come on, give me a smile, ahahaha~"
Hearing this, Carol's teeth ground together. She shot a fierce look at the Five Rings on her right hand, her Fury having no outlet.
Every time she was about to catch Sean, those Five Rings would exert force and interfere with her movements.
Sean would take the opportunity to kick her back and seize the chance to damage her uniform.
Then, he would use the Vibranium whip in his hand to lash the fair skin of her body.
"I can't let this go on!" Carol thought as she stared at Sean.
Carol slowly took a few steps forward. After several tests, she reached the closest possible distance to Sean; any further, and he would likely retreat.
Sean didn't notice a thing, still using his suit's camera function to take commemorative photos.
Suddenly, Carol put her hand on her collar and gave it a violent tug, ripping off her uniform and throwing it in his face.
Then, while Sean was dazed, she rushed forward, grabbed his arms tightly, and pinned him to the ground.
In this surprise attack, Carol made the most correct judgment despite not knowing Sean well.
She thought the clothing blocking his vision gave her the chance; with the golden flames on her body, she wasn't afraid of Sean seeing anything.
But what she didn't know was that Sean had X-ray Vision.
Sean could have dodged, but who would dodge when they see a radiant beauty lunging toward them?
Though he didn't know what she intended to do, Sean knew very well what he wanted to do, hehe.
Seeing Sean staring at her with a wicked grin, Carol looked down in confusion. The flames were still there, so what was he laughing at?
Whatever! Thud! Thud thud!
The earth trembled, empires collapsed.
The entire black land was vibrating rhythmically because Carol was using... a headbutt!
Her legs were pinned by Sean and couldn't move, and her hands had to hold him down, so they couldn't move either. All she could do was use a headbutt to make him understand pain.
"Cough! Okay, stop, hitting! Hiss, you're still going?"
Carol's headbutt... well, hitting the nose really felt a bit stinging.
"Remove these rings first, otherwise, forget it!" Carol didn't stop her head, continuing to strike.
Sean could only block with his forehead and threatened, "I'm telling you, in a situation like this, the man has the advantage because I still have one part that can move."
Carol paused for a moment and then continued her headbutt, saying disdainfully:
"Hmph! Do you take me for some eighteen-year-old girl? Don't flatter yourself. Did you really think I'd be afraid?"
Of course, there was another reason Carol wasn't afraid: Sean's clothes were still perfectly intact. As long as she didn't give him an opportunity, hmph, he could only think about it, which was actually to her advantage.
"Heh, is that so?"
Sean smiled slightly, the Nano Suit receding from his body and gathering below.
Don't overthink it; the nanobots were just straightening something at Sean's waist, nothing more.
Chapter 182: Death Toll 23,222
The Earth trembled as Carol gradually broke down.
Although she remained firm in her will and continued to use headbutts, the frequency changed slightly. The speed at which the ground cracked was faster and more rhythmic than before.
To protect the Dark Elf territory, Sean could only use counter-force to offset Carol's strikes.
In this place where time did not exist, the two had no idea how much time had passed; they only knew that when they finally stopped, the Earth had gained moisture and life.
After the two embraced for a long time, Carol finally murmured, "Tell me, why do you want to destroy Earth?"
"Tell me, why do you want to destroy Earth?"
"Hey, do I have to say it? What happens if I don't?" Sean joked.
Carol's gaze turned sharp as she tensed her body, threatening, "I won't let you destroy Earth. If you persist in your ways, I will take you to the depths of the Universe and never let you near Earth again!"
"The depths of the Universe? Are you referring to yourself?"
"..."
Carol was speechless for a moment. After thinking it over, she decided to continue with the headbutts.
"Alright, alright, alright!" Sean said helplessly, sighing as he asked, "Who told you I wanted to destroy Earth? Fury? I've saved Earth more times than I can count. If I wanted to destroy it, I wouldn't have let him call you back."
This... Carol thought about it and realized it made sense.
Given the strength she was currently sensing, if Sean wanted to do something bad, there was certainly no one on Earth who could stop him.
She recalled when she went to Earth to find Fury; he had only mentioned that there was another Superman on Earth. Before she had a chance to hear the rest, she had rushed to the coast and met Sean.
"Then, why did Fury call me back to deal with you? Or rather, to deal with a trouble that even you can't solve?" Carol still trusted Fury's judgment.
"Uh... probably to deal with me," Sean said after a moment's thought.
Before Carol's gaze could turn sharp again, Sean explained, "Actually, it's no big deal. I just don't want to be a Superhero anymore; I feel it's too exhausting."
"Coincidentally, while I was on a mission, I was framed by evil forces. I just went with the flow and admitted to it to achieve my own goals."
"As for Fury, he probably thought that after being framed, I might act on impulse and lash out at ordinary people. Hmph, I've already bought a house and am ready for a vacation. Damn it, he's the one looking for trouble."
Sean spoke about the situation indignantly. To make others believe you, you need to mix a bit of a lie into nine parts truth.
Carol's eyes were full of suspicion, but she wasn't entirely sure. "I want to contact Fury."
"As you wish," Sean said, spreading his hands.
Without even thinking, Sean knew Fury wouldn't deny his words because once Carol called, the clever Fury would definitely know she hadn't beaten Sean.
Carol looked up at her surroundings and pointed in a direction. "My communicator is over there. Don't move around, just stay like this. Fly over."
Sean teased, "Hey! Do you want to play 'lift me up high'? Then you'd better hold on tight!"
"Ah," Carol bit her lip and let out an unnatural soft cry.
"Your hand... let go!"
Sean ignored her glare and said righteously, "When driving, you can't take your hands off the steering wheel. Where is it? Carol-brand navigation, hurry and point the way; I can't see."
"Over... over there!"
The communicator wasn't far—only a few hundred meters away. With their respective speeds, they could reach it in an instant.
However, the current situation was that the two were in a state of superimposed entanglement, yet their speed remained very fast.
By the time they arrived, Carol suddenly realized that while her mind was a mess, their positions had shifted.
After grabbing the communicator with her right hand, she covered Sean's mouth with her left. "You... don't talk for now!"
"Hello, Fury."
"Carol, where are you? Where is Sean?"
"Oh, he... he's been captured by me. I just wanted to ask you what crime he committed. Should I lock him up, or..."
As Carol said this, her right hand squeezed Sean's head hard, suppressing his laughter.
Hearing this, Fury's expression became very complex, and many thoughts crossed his mind in an instant.
"That matter was a misunderstanding. Let Sean come back; Earth really needs him now."
"Ah, is that so? Then... alright then, I'll let him go back."
Ending the communication, Carol looked at Sean's slightly perverted behavior in front of her with total helplessness. If his soul weren't so pure, she would have believed it if someone told her Sean was Loki.
Sean, showing no self-awareness, stepped forward to look into her eyes and held her hands. "Hmph, well?"
Carol turned her head away. "Whatever, Fury told you to go back. His tone sounded a bit urgent."
"Then should I... hurry up?"
"...Yeah."
This time, Carol was clearly much more relaxed.
Back on Earth, inside Stark Tower, Fury hung up and walked back to the living room. The Avengers were gathered here once again, and even the Maximoff siblings and Bucky had arrived.
On the TV, information about the disaster was being broadcast. Photos flashed by, showing the people killed by the helicarrier. The most prominent among them was President Matthew Ellis.
Finally, five bloody digits appeared on the TV screen.
23220.
When the Death toll was announced, those present didn't dare look at the screen and scattered one after another. Steve, in particular, felt that this was entirely his fault.
The Maximoff siblings were also dazed. At the thought that these people had died indirectly at their hands, their hands trembled with guilt.
The others were no different; this Death toll was likely the highest since terrorist attacks began.
Outside, there was a complete uproar. Even the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., the capture of the criminals, and the Death of the President were not enough to quell the public's anger.
The streets were in chaos, order had broken down, and many people had died in the police stations. If Sheriff George hadn't been in his Armor, he likely would have died as well.
The Avengers didn't dare to go out because no matter who it was, they would become targets for the public's venting rage.
Yesterday, the external media had compiled statistics showing that except for Homelander, every Superhero had participated in the battle. The result was that they still failed to stop the villains' plot. What would the people outside think?
It was precisely because of this that the public's clamor for Homelander grew louder and louder, even reaching a point where they felt they couldn't do without him.
However, even if Fury wanted to release Sean, he couldn't; the man wasn't even on Earth, and there was no telling how long it would take for him to return.
The Council had been pressuring him for some time to release Homelander quickly. Moreover, they insisted on proving that Homelander had been framed by HYDRA and that he was a good man!
This was also why they were gathered here—to consider whether to cancel Sean's charges to appease the public.
After that night, they all felt that Sean might really not be a good person; the incident at the warehouse was indeed his fault.
Just as everyone in the living room was at their wit's end, the sound of high heels echoed from outside the door.
"It seems we can have a proper talk now."
Chapter 183: An Acceptable Truth
Hess knocked on the door politely, just as politely as Sean would have.
Inside the room, everyone's eyes turned toward her. Wanda suddenly stood up, her face covered in tears, and said excitedly:
"She's HYDRA too!"
"What?" Everyone was shocked, immediately taking up defensive stances.
Wanda pointed at her and continued, "Last time I came to the birthday party, she whispered 'Hail HYDRA' in my ear!"
"Hess?" Coulson said in disbelief, explaining, "She... she's been in contact with Sean for a long time. Sean met her the day after he first left S.H.I.E.L.D."
A terrifying suspicion emerged in everyone's minds, especially Fury's.
"You are the actual executor of Project Nine-Tailed Fox, aren't you?"
Earlier, Wanda had revealed the entire story of Project Nine-Tailed Fox without hiding a single detail.
She actually didn't know how the plan had been completed; it had gone surprisingly smoothly in the middle, without any accidents, and could even be described as very proactive.
At first, everyone thought it was because Sean was lustful, as that seemed normal, but thinking about it carefully...
What if Sean had been HYDRA from the very beginning?
Natasha also reacted instantly. She had found it strange when Dr. Zola said Project Nine-Tailed Fox was a great success.
But if he wasn't referring to Wanda, but to Hess, then it truly was a success.
Given Hess's status in Sean's heart, Natasha felt that even if she added Sif's group together, they probably wouldn't compare.
Moreover, if it were her, all of Sean's actions would make sense.
"Do you remember when the Battle of New York ended and Sylvette and the others came to collect the scepter and the Tesseract?" Natasha recalled Sean's attitude that day.
Tony remembered as well. "I remember Sean had a very poor attitude toward them, as if he knew they were HYDRA long ago."
"Does that mean Sean hadn't been successfully brainwashed yet during the Battle of New York?" Bannerasked.
Everyone fell silent, focusing their gaze back on Hess.
Hess smiled slightly, walked slowly into the living room, sat on the sofa, and said softly, "Correct, I am indeed HYDRA. I discovered Sean the first day he revealed his abilities."
Under their surprised gazes, Hess continued, "However, you've guessed one thing wrong. I didn't convert Sean to HYDRA; instead, I was... conquered by him!"
"..."
No one present really believed those words, but the other two women looked at each other and felt it was very possible!
"You also know that HYDRA's ideology is very extreme, but the core content is still peace." Hess drifted into memory, the corners of her mouth curling up unconsciously.
"When Sean discovered I was HYDRA, he had no intention of joining. Instead, he very confidently stated that he is peace!"
"As for me, I was attracted by that expression and threw myself into his arms. That's the whole story."
After Hess finished, the Avengers were all wondering how much credibility this story had, but only Furyimmediately retorted, "Then how do you explain the people Sean killed, and the people you killed?"
They snapped back to reality. Yes, that was the stain on Sean, and it had nothing to do with whether he was HYDRA or not.
A look of sorrow appeared on Hess's face. She looked at Wanda and said sadly:
"To be honest, we didn't expect this either. It's just... it should be related to her."
"Me?" Wanda pointed at herself blankly.
Pietro quickly stood up and rebuked, "What does it have to do with her!"
"Sigh, we can't entirely blame her." Hess said sorrowfully, "In the early days, I followed HYDRA's plan, using words and certain methods to brainwash Sean every day. Originally, I thought I had failed, but I didn't expect it to actually succeed."
"On the surface, he showed no abnormalities, but Wanda's superpowers unintentionally activated the commands, just like that man over there." After saying this, Hess pointed at Bucky.
Everyone looked at Bucky, then back at Wanda. Hess continued to ask, "Were you with Sean when he lost control that day?"
"Y-yes." Wanda didn't deny it.
"Did you use your superpowers?"
"I did." Wanda's expression grew dim.
"What did you say?"
Wanda froze, her face instantly flushing red as she stammered, "I... I didn't say much."
Seeing her like this, everyone present understood something. Only Pietro had a pure, innocent expression and was still whispering questions to her.
Natasha hesitated for a moment and asked, "What command did you instill in Sean that would make him kill people?"
This point was indeed very important. If it were unintentionally activated again in the future, wouldn't more people die?
Hess praised Natasha in her heart for the good assist.
"In addition to being HYDRA, I have another identity: I am a Vampire." Hess bared her fangs and continued, "The command given to Sean was naturally to protect the Vampire race."
"The factory that day was full of Vampires. Because they were attacked by hunters, Sean rushed over. It was the same a few nights ago."
Having said that, Hess played a projection showing a recording of her killing all the Vampires in the cliffside cave.
"Those Sean killed that day were also bad people, but seeing the miserable state of humans tortured by Vampires, he felt extremely guilty. That's why he completely obliterated the scene and took all the blame upon himself, accepting the crime."
"And I, seeing him like this, felt very bad, so I went and killed all my clansmen directly. Originally, I wanted to explain to you that day, but I didn't expect to trigger Sean's command again."
"That is the entire process of the matter. Are there any other questions?" Hess asked.
The scene was very quiet; no one spoke. She had already exposed her identity as a Vampire; what else was there to say?
The cause and effect of the matter were very clear, and every detail made sense. Even if Sean had killed good people, it was while he was being controlled, which could be forgiven.
At least, Steve believed it must be forgiven, because Bucky was in the same situation.
Although Fury was still somewhat skeptical, given the situation outside plus Carol's attitude, he could only choose to believe that Sean was a good man—he had to be a good man.
As for the other Avengers, they didn't really believe Sean would kill innocents indiscriminately either; they felt there must be some hidden reason.
Sure enough, now that the truth was out, they also breathed a sigh of relief. However, as long as the command was not removed, it remained a hidden danger.
Seeing that they no longer doubted the possibility of this story, Fury knew that even if he found new evidence to paint Sean as a villain again, it would be useless, because no hero could stop the Homelander.
Therefore, when a person can ignore everything, you must pray that he is a good person.
"Since things are clear, we can also begin to act. We'll choose a portion of the truth to release. Sean should be back in a few days."
"Mhm!"
That day, all the Superheroes along with the White House issued a statement saying the Homelanderincident was a frame-up by HYDRA. The people in the warehouse that day and the person who blew themselves up at the hearing were all HYDRA.
But Homelander thought he had killed good people, and out of guilt, he voluntarily allowed himself to be imprisoned. Now it is announced: Sean Brooke is acquitted!
Fury did not make the existence of Vampires public because, according to Hess, only three remained in the Vampire race. she even guaranteed that there would never be another incident of Vampires harming people, which made Fury believe her a little bit more.
When the public heard this news, their emotions stabilized slightly; at least, they no longer clashed with the military.
The members of the Council also breathed a sigh of relief. Now, as long as they waited for Homelanderto return, this matter should be considered over.
As for the more than thirty thousand people who died—humph, what did that have to do with them? As long as they weren't implicated, it was fine.
However, they hadn't considered one question: would Sean, having enjoyed a life of pleasure, still come back to be a Superhero?