Namor, who had returned to the main sea dragon ship, leaned back in his chair in the chamber.
He raised one hand to support his jaw; his expression was uncertain.
The King of Atlantis, who thought he was humiliated and threatened, left Liberty Island without waiting for the negotiation to end.
He already handed over the specific tasks to the representatives.
Anyway, neither the land world nor the people of Atlantis seemed to take the King seriously.
Instead of staying there and enduring the oppression from Superman, it was better to return to the ship.
"He is an ambitious man who wants to get more out of Atlantis, but he presents himself as a peacemaker. Ridiculous!"
Out of Superman's sights, Namor was finally able to speak out loud.
He dismissed the left and right guards, vented his negative emotions, and began to face the problems that needed to be solved.
Superman didn't give him much time.
Within 48 hours,
Either hand over Sebastian Shaw; Or start the war all over again.
If the outcome of the negotiations had been the latter, the self-proclaimed pacifist Major General wouldn't hesitate to use nuclear weapons to destroy the royal city of Poseidonia.
On one side, was the lives of his people, and on the other was his mutant compatriots.
Namor was in a dilemma.
But what worried him most was that Superman mentioned the words 'war criminal'.
This was a very serious accusation!
Although Namor had a pit in his head, he didn't have a soft spot for executioners and butchers -- even though he sometimes guest-starred in both roles himself.
A villain with a low moral bottom line may not be willing to be friends with another.
It's like those times when people dislike other annoying people.
But when they get into trouble themselves, they still want someone to stand up for them.
Therefore, human beings are complex and contradictory creatures.
And Namor was even more complicated.
He was a human being, an Atlantean, and a mutant.
He could be called a warrior among hybrids!
However, in addition to his strength, we can find other advantages.
To some extent, he was a failed example of genetic inheritance.
"I have to talk to Mr. Shaw."
Namor frowned, not knowing what to do.
After a loss in battle and a loss in war, many people of Atlantis had a lot to say about him.
If Namor insisted on sheltering Sebastian Shaw, there would be a violent backlash.
At that time, it was hard to say whether he could still sit firmly on the throne.
'Hypocrite! What pacifists?! Nothing more than a grandiose lie!'
Namor felt that Superman deliberately proposed to solve the mutant problem and then ignite internal conflict in Atlantis by disposing of Sebastian Shaw.
'The representatives are too short-sighted and could only see the first layer of intent, not realizing Superman's sinister intentions. '
Namor, who thought he was on the fifth layer, became more and more frightened of Superman's mind.
This was a terrible opponent!
He thought so.
...
...
Liberty Island, conference room.
When the representatives of both sides dispersed, Luke and Admiral Nimitz sat at the oval desk.
The two had a tacit understanding and stayed behind to exchange views.
They knew that this negotiation was far from over.
On the one hand, Namor didn't give a direct answer; On the other hand, there was a specific attitude towards the land world.
Atlantis, as a marine civilization and historical civilization, had extraordinary heritage and strength.
When the name was spread worldwide, all countries on land would be highly concerned and wary.
Luke had heard that the Brits started to revive the 'Wöden's Blood' research project, but progress was slow.
To ensure recipients' success rate and survival time, they abandoned the 'battleship-class' and developed various 'tank-class' types.
Stephanie, who helped Luke before, was considering whether to bring in a lower version.
For example, 'armored vehicle-class'?
Super soldiers that could be mass-produced are far more cost-effective than top-tier combat power.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union continued to vigorously develop its nuclear industry, burying its head in planting 'mushrooms' in response to various external threats.
The Maoist way of thinking was very simple.
There was no problem a nuclear bomb can't fix!
One wasn't enough?
Then, two!
Anyway, great strength could create miracles!
This was the simple thinking of the rising Red Bear.
Caliber is justice, and range is truth.
"Hold a peace summit ...? Is Major General Cavill trying to bring all the countries of the world into an allied front?"
Nimitz thought for a moment and asked curiously.
The White House didn't reveal this intent. So this could only be interpreted as Luke's thoughts.
This Major General was bold. He skipped the President and made a decision first.
He didn't care who would be held accountable afterward.
This was probably Superman's confidence!
"Atlantis is so vast that all the waters of the earth are theoretically their territory."
Luke nodded his head, tapped his fingers on the table several times, and calmly said, "We won a temporary victory and a chance to sit at the negotiating table, but there is no way to expand on that victory."
"On one hand, destroying the city of Poseidon is the last resort. But, on the other hand, that can't solve the fundamental problem. Because Atlantis is a marine civilization, we cannot plunder resources by occupying the land."
"Whereas, a single country on the land world cannot exert enough pressure on the people underwater."
"Therefore, what we have to do is to win over more allies, such as the British, the Soviets, and ... S.P.E.A.R."
"They are also interested in Atlantis. Just waiting for an opportunity to enter, or an excuse."
Nimitz was convinced. Through several contact and landing battles, he had also seen the level of technology in Atlantis.
It was still necessary to reach a consensus with other countries and unite against external forces.
"If Namor McKenzie, a young man who doesn't look like a King at all, is determined to shelter Sebastian Shaw ...?"
The Navy Secretary asked hesitantly.
The Pentagon didn't want to see war.
Especially in the face of civilization like Atlantis, which had great military strength,
"Don't worry; the war will hardly start up again."
Luke was confident that the Atlanteans weren't going to play along with Namor's nonsense.
They weren't compatriots with the mutants, so there was no need to refuse his request at the risk of starting new battles.
If Namor insisted on it, it would likely cause a revolt from his people.
At that time, the impure blood, the loss of the golden trident, and the arbitrary start of a war to drag the country into the mire ... these problems would all erupt at the same time.
If Atlantis had been like France, the Great Revolution would have already broken out, and Namor would be sent to guillotines.
"Put the peace summit and related issues of mutants on the schedule as soon as possible. As for the White House, I will explain it to the President myself."
Facing Nimitz, the Navy Secretary, and an Admiral, Luke, who was slightly lower by two ranks, gave the orders.
...
...
"War criminal? No, that's a dirty accusation! It's libel and slander!"
Sebastian looked at the expressionless Namor in the parlor without the slightest panic; instead, he made a sorrowful expression as he was looking back at the past.
"I did work for the Third Reich. This is a shadow in my life that I cannot erase. But that wasn't my intention. Germany was under the Führer's rule during World War II, and no one dared to resist the SS and the Gestapo."
"Namor, you know, I'm a scientist. The Führer saw my talent and ordered me to run the concentration camp. I tried to refuse, but they put a gun to my head and said they wanted me to see my brains ..."
"At that time, I hadn't awakened my mutant ability yet. So, I gave in! I often regretted that decision and was ashamed of it!"
Namor, who was originally skeptical, began to feel swayed inside.
Sebastian Shaw's remarks were half-true and half-false, which made it difficult to distinguish.
In addition, his eyes show guilt, sadness, regret, and other layers of complex emotions. Fooling the brainless Namor, it was perfectly natural.
It could only be said that Sebastian Shaw was worthy of being the Black King of the Hellfire Club.
As a good actor displayed by his mutant identity, Oscar would probably owe him several statutes if he entered Hollywoodtes.
"My hands may have been stained with the blood of some innocent people, but I have never killed or mistreated a single prisoner in the concentration camps!"
Sebastian raised his voice, looked calm, and shouted, "I have my moral bottom line. They are unique and respectable individuals, regardless of color and race!"
Namor couldn't help but lower his head, seemingly apologizing for his unwarranted excessive suspicion.
"Your Majesty, the land people are not to be trusted. Most of the crimes they accused me of were committed by others and planted on my head."
Sebastian took his time and faintly said, "Imagine if I were a cold-blooded butcher -- an inhuman executioner. How would I still be supported by my fellow mutants?"
Namor was silent for a moment. Then, because of psychological suggestions, he chose to believe Mr. Shaw's defense.
His mind and subconscious, tampered with and guided, will actively lean towards the side of the mutants no matter what.
This was the tricky part of psychic abilities.
Unless the magic resistance was extremely high, it came with psychic self-immunity.
Otherwise, seeing anyone would give the White Queen and Professor X a headache.
"Then what should I do next, Mr. Shaw?"
Namor was at a loss. Sacrificing Atlantis to save mutants?
If he did this, citizens who had long been dissatisfied might unite with the land world and pull him down from the throne.
"My thoughts remain unchanged, Your Majesty."
Sebastian spoke with a deep voice, "The winner of the war determines everything you get at the negotiating table."
"If you want peace, you must show strength first. The land world has Superman. Even though we don't want to admit it, the other party is a huge problem that can't be solved!"
"The only way to combat this is to use the planetary weapon to destroy the land world."
"Make Superman lose his reason, make him step into our trap, and then bury the other side completely with the help of the Continental Shelf Oscillator."
"Since this weapon can destroy the Deviants from the Lemuria civilization, there is no reason why Superman can't be killed!"
Seeing Namor's hesitation, a hint of contempt swept through Sebastian's eyes as he continued to add fuel to the fire, "Your Majesty, think about it, will the Atlanteans accept a King who has repeatedly been defeated?"
"Superman took everything from you, the trident, the symbol of kingship, the respect and glory you deserve!"
"He was regarded as a hero and a god in the land world! But you are only an insignificant loser in his record of glorious achievements!"
"Can you accept this ending?"
Namor breathed heavily for a few minutes. He listened to Sebastian's long inflammatory speech, and memories came up from deep inside him.
It was as if he had returned to the days of the slums when the people, who should have treated him with respect and prostrated to him, had eyes full of distancing and indifference.
The difference in skin color made Namor an outcast and rejected by others.
Every Atlantean except his mother regarded him as a monster.
"I can only believe you, Mr. Shaw."
Snuffing out the last thoughts that were struggling, Namor calmly said, "I can be a failure, but I can never lose my crown and go back to my old life!"
"Very good! To be successful, one must know how to sacrifice some people."
Sebastian patted Namor on the shoulder and praised him, "While Atlantis and the land world are still negotiating, let's just take out the ultimate weapon."
"Should I call the others?"
Namor asked.
"In the club, there are also some who are not firm enough in their stance. So to ensure the information isn't leaked, it should just be the two of us!"
Sebastian said quietly.
....
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